Bamboozled Page #17

CLICK!!!

TAVIS SMILEY:

Ladies and gentlemen, there is no

need to go there. We can all agree

to disagree without making threats.

INT. DELACROIX'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Sloan turns off the TV.

DELACROIX:

Why'd you do that?

SLOAN:

I don't want to hear it.

DELACROIX:

How long have you and Hambone been

hangin' out?

SLOAN:

You're the one that put us together.

We're friends.

DELACROIX:

That crazy brother of yours doesn't

think so.

SLOAN:

He's just playing big brother.

DELACROIX:

Oh, is he? You getting jiggy with

Mantan?

SLOAN:

Please don't go there.

DELACROIX:

Dunwitty and I feel you've been

getting too close to him, getting

his mind all messed up.

SLOAN:

I can't lie to him. If he asks me

something, I tell him what I think.

DELACROIX:

Do you have to be so damn forthright?

113.

SLOAN:

DeLa, you should try it sometime.

Come into the light.

DELACROIX:

Light?

SLOAN:

That which has been hidden in

darkness is now in the light. This

bucket of blood.

DELACROIX:

You can talk all that mumbo jumbo

if you want to but your hands are

much bloody. I know where I made

my big mistake. I have a general

rule, never get involved

romantically with somebody crazier

than you.

CUT TO FLASHBACK

INT. MIDTOWN HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Delacroix and Sloan are taking off their clothes.

DELACROIX:

This is crazy.

SLOAN:

That's why it will be so much fun.

They kiss, fall half undressed upon the motel bed.

CUT BACK TO:

INT. DELACROIX'S OFFICE - NIGHT

SLOAN:

That was a mistake, but I don't

regret it.

DELACROIX:

The first and only time. A big

mistake. I'm gonna have to ask you

not to see Mantan anymore.

SLOAN:

Work related or otherwise?

114.

DELACROIX:

Otherwise. I trust you know the

difference. You're an intelligent

woman, finished at NYU.

SLOAN:

DeLa, kiss my big black ass.

DELACROIX:

And that's how you got me in the

first place.

Sloan pulls a 3/4 inch cassette out of her bag and hands it

to him.

SLOAN:

I want you to please view this. It

may save your Life.

INT. MANTAN'S APARTMENT - DAY

Mantan and Delacroix are in the middle of a heated discussion.

DELACROIX:

You shouldn't even be mad at me

over Sloan.

MANTAN:

What you did is dead wrong.

DELACROIX:

Oh, is it? Buddy boy, in this

business if people don't produce,

they get fired.

MANTAN:

Sloan is the hardest working person

I've ever met.

DELACROIX:

Let me ask you a question, if I may.

How do you think she got the job in

the first place? I don't mean to

burst your bubble, Mantan the

Marvelous, but Sloan is an

opportunity.

MANTAN:

I don't believe it.

DELACROIX:

Do I have to spell it out for you?

In fact, go ask Sloan yourself.

115.

INT. SLOAN'S STUDIO APARTMENT - DAY

Mantan is grilling Sloan.

MANTAN:

How did you get this gig?

SLOAN:

Worked my black ass off, first as

an intern, then worked my way up to

this position.

MANTAN:

You leave something out?

SLOAN:

After my internship expired, Dela

was impressed and offered me a

position as his assistant.

MANTAN:

And?

SLOAN:

And what?

MANTAN:

Stop playing me Sloan.

SLOAN:

Just ask me what you want to know.

MANTAN:

Oh, you gonna make me say it.

SLOAN:

Say what, Manray?

MANTAN:

Did you ever sleep with DeLa?

SLOAN:

We did it one time, only once. It

had nothing to do with the job, it

was stupid. Everything I've got

I've earned.

MANTAN:

Aw, c'mon.

SLOAN:

That's ancient history. That has

nothing to do with you and I.

116.

MANTAN:

So you say. Sloan, you wuz gonna

use me up just like you used Dela?

Work it to the top. I never

imagined people in this biz could

flip on you like "IHOP." I'm damn

happy DeLa fired ya ass.

SLOAN:

Forget about me, are you a puppet

for DeLa?

MANTAN:

Don't try to change to the subject.

SLOAN:

Why don't you answer?

MANTAN:

I know I won't be your puppet.

SLOAN:

You can go now.

MANTAN:

I wuz leaving anyway, for good.

INT. RECORDING STUDIO - NIGHT

As usual, the clan is smoking and drinking DA BOMB, a thick

marijuana haze hangs over the studio.

1/16TH BLACK

Yo, I got da bomb plan. We gonna

hook homeslice Mantan up nicely.

He holds up a floppy disk.

INT. DELACROIX'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Delacroix sits behind the desk. He's bought even more Black

Collectibles, he's surrounded by them.

ON DELACROIX:

He dials the phone.

DELACROIX:

Hello, Mommy, how are you?

117.

ORCHID (O.S.)

I'm doing okay. Been reading about

your show, it's all over everywhere.

I watched it's all over everywhere.

I watched it once. I thought you

said there would be no buffoonery.

DELACROIX:

You going to attack me too. The

show is a hit. Aren't you happy

for me?

INT. ORCHID'S HOUSE

ORCHID:

Of course I'm happy for you.

You've worked very hard for your

success.

DELACROIX (O.S.)

Yes I have, very hard. Has Daddy

called?

ORCHID:

No.

ON DELACROIX:

DELACROIX:

Not at all?

ORCHID (O.S.)

You know how your Daddy is.

DELACROIX:

If and when he calls, please don't

forget to ask him if he's seen

Mantan.

ORCHID (O.S.)

I won't forget. When are you

coming up here to see your mother?

DELACROIX:

Soon.

Delacroix hangs up the phone. He takes out some change from

his pocket and puts a quarter in the hand of his Jolly

N*gger Bank.

TIGHT ON JNB:

Delacroix flips the lever and the quarter flies into the

MOUTH as the EYES roll to the top of its HEAD.

118.

Delacroix does this several times. CLOSEUPS of the BLACK

COLLECTIBLES in the office.

CLOSER ON JNB:

Delacroix is staring at the JNB when its MOUTH OPENS, a

quarter flies in and its EYES roll to the top of its HEAD.

ON DELACROIX:

He is incredulous.

DELACROIX (V.O.) (CONT'D)

When I thought or imagined that my

favorite Jolly N*gger Bank, an

inanimate object, a piece of cold,

cast iron, was moving by itself...

Delacroix slowly, carefully approaches the bank and picks it

off the table.

DELACROIX (V.O.) (CONT'D)

...I knew I was getting paranoid.

Did I really see what I saw or was

I buggin'?

ON JNB:

It's stopped moving.

INT. STAGE - NIGHT

Honeycutt is warming up the crazed "Black Face"-wearing

audience. He points to a YOUNG WHITE MALE, BOBBY

HONEYCUTT:

Is you a nigga?

BOBBY:

Hell yeah, I'm a nigga.

The AUDIENCE CHEERS WILDLY. Honeycutt points to an old

WHITE LADY, LOUISE, a senior citizen.

HONEYCUTT:

Ma'am, is you a nigga?

LOUISE:

Yesiree Bob, you darn tootin' I'm a

n*gger.

The AUDIENCE loses it as Honeycutt hugs Louise as if she's a

grandmother.

119.

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

Mantan looks up at his makeup laid out before him on the

counter.

TIGHT ON MANTAN:

He stares at himself in the dressing room mirror. Mantan

can't stand to BLACK UP anymore.

INT. STAGE - NIGHT

Honeycutt stands next to a young black couple TRE and STACY.

HONEYCUTT:

Are you a n*gger?

TRE:

Yo!

HONEYCUTT:

Are you a nigga?

STACY:

Honeycutt, I'm a really real

niggress.

Stacy gets a standing ovation.

HONEYCUTT:

You. You. Him. Her. We're all

God's niggas. Even the lost souls

who don't know it are niggas cuz

niggas is a beautiful thing.

INT. BACKSTAGE - NIGHT

As Mantan walks down the hallway WE NOTICE he is not dressed

in his costume and he has no BLACK FACE on.

Rate this script:4.0 / 8 votes