Bamboozled Page #4

Manray turns around and sees Sloan.

MANRAY:

Sloan! She knows us.

The security guard stops.

SLOAN:

It's alright. They are associates

of Mr. Delacroix.

SECURITY GUARD #1

Sorry, Ms. Hopkins. They both

walked in off the street without an

appointment.

SECURITY GUARD #2

Do you need an escort?

SLOAN:

That won't be needed.

21.

INT. DELACROIX'S OFFICE - DAY

He sits in front of his TV and watches a tape of the old

"Amos 'n' Andy" show. Sloan leads Manray and Cheeba in.

DELACROIX:

Eureka! Where've you been?

He hugs them both.

DELACROIX (CONT'D)

Sloan and I have been looking all

over for you.

CHEEBA:

You'd take no offense if we called

you DeLa for short?

DELACROIX:

No offense.

CHEEBA:

Manray needs a job.

Delacroix smiles at Sloan.

MANRAY:

We got evicted from our home.

We've both been on the streets for

the last week.

CHEEBA:

We was coming to see you.

MANRAY:

If it's not too much trouble could

you order us some food?

CHEEBA:

We're starving.

DELACROIX:

I apologize. What would you like

to eat? Anything you want.

TIME CUT:

INT. DELACROIX'S OFFICE - DAY

A feast of McDonald's is taking place. Cheeba and Manray

are stuffing Big Macs, Fish Deluxes and large french fries

into their mouths. They were famished.

22.

DELACROIX:

I have this concept for a TV pilot.

There's no guarantee it will get

made but regardless, you'll still

make some money.

CHEEBA:

How much?

DELACROIX:

First things first. I have to know

if Manray is up for this.

MANRAY:

What do I have to do?

DELACROIX:

Some tap dancing, some singing.

MANRAY:

Where do I sign?

CHEEBA:

What kind of show is this gonna be?

DELACROIX:

Different.

MANRAY:

How different?

DELACROIX:

Trust me. Of course I still have

to pitch it to my boss, but we'll

have an answer one way or the other.

MANRAY:

DeLa, I'm aboard. As long as I get

to hoof and get paid too!!!

DELACROIX:

That's right. Money turns the wheel.

CHEEBA:

What about in the mean time? Not

the in between time?

DELACROIX:

You'll both get an advance and you

can stay with me.

MANRAY:

Bet.

23.

DELACROIX:

I would like to change your name.

MANRAY:

To what?

DELACROIX:

You're now Mantan.

MANRAY:

Mantan? I don't even care as long

as I'm dancing. Which reminds me,

I need some new kicks.

EXT. BROADWAY - DAY

Manray holds two Capezio shopping bags of shoes as he walks

next to Sloan.

MANRAY:

I never had a really real pair

before.

SLOAN:

You've never had any formal

training, either?

MANRAY:

Not a class, not a thing, just

picked stuff up by myself.

SLOAN:

I wish I had your natural talent.

God only makes that visit once in a

while.

MANRAY:

You sing and dance?

SLOAN:

A little. I just graduated from

NYU film school. Cinema studies.

MANRAY:

So what's up with you and DeLa?

SLOAN:

What do you mean?

MANRAY:

Are you and him kicking it?

Knocking boots.

Y'knowwhatI'mtalkin'bout.

24.

SLOAN:

No, we're not knocking boots. I

got this internship while I still

was at NYU, DeLa was impressed with

my get up and go and hired me to be

his assistant.

MANRAY:

I'm sure that was the only thing he

was impressed with. You look

beautiful like that.

SLOAN:

If that was suppose to be a

compliment, I thank you.

MANRAY:

You're welcome. You shouldn't give

up on performing.

SLOAN:

Why do you say that? You've never

seen me.

MANRAY:

I think that would probably make

you the happiest. When I'm hoofing,

I mean really doing my thing,

hitting it, nothing compares to

that feeling in the world.

SLOAN:

I envy you. That's the way I want

to feel about my work.

EXT. HARLEM STREET - NIGHT

Sloan walks from the subway to her block.

ANGLE ON:

Street. A huge black Chevy Suburban follows her, all the

windows are tinted jet black, you cannot see it all into it.

She notices the vehicle and starts to walk faster.

ANGLE ON:

Corner. As Sloan tries to cross at the corner, the Suburban

pulls up in front of her, blocking her path.

ANGLE ON:

Suburban. A tall black man jumps out of the Chevy. This is

BIG BLACK.

25.

BIG BLACK:

Li'l Sister.

ANGLE ON:

Corner.

SLOAN:

You idiot. You almost gave me a

massive coronary.

BIG BLACK:

I didn't mean to scare you like that.

SLOAN:

Well you did.

BIG BLACK:

Give me some?

SLOAN:

I'm not huggin' you in the middle

of the street. You must be crazy,

Julius.

BIG BLACK:

Whoa, hold up li'l sis'. I done

told you 'bout that. Julius ain't

my name, you better recognize

Hopkins was our slave name. My

true name is...

SLOAN:

I'm not callin you Big Black Africa.

Mommy and Daddy named you Julius.

BIG BLACK:

BIG BLACK is the first name and

AFRICA is the last.

He hugs her, she becomes lost in his huge arms and laughs.

INT. SLOAN'S STUDIO APARTMENT - NIGHT

Big Black is rummaging through his sister's refrigerator.

BIG BLACK:

Damn, Sis, you don't keep no food

up in here in dis' piece.

SLOAN:

I order out mostly. So what do I

owe this visit to?

26.

BIG BLACK:

My group we need some exposure.

Was wondering if you could hook a

brother up?

SLOAN:

Hook you up? The Mau-Mau's? You

must be smoking. Why in the world

would I want to hook up a bunch of

red, black and green flag-waving

pseudo revolutionairies?

BIG BLACK:

So now I see where you're coming

from. Just because we ain't

rapping about Gucci, Timberland,

Rolex, Benz, Cristal, ho's and

b*tches, we're pseudo.

SLOAN:

Who are you revolting against?

BIG BLACK:

We're revolting against the powers

that be, that been enslaving the

minds and hearts of all people of

color. And we won't stop rapping

till we bring about the overthrow

of the government of the U.S. of A.

SLOAN:

Please.

BIG BLACK:

If you were really down you would

get us together with that boss of

yours. What's his name again?

SLOAN:

Delacroix.

BIG BLACK:

Yeah, him.

SLOAN:

What makes you think he would write

a show about the Mau-Mau's.

BIG BLACK:

C'mon, why not? The Monkees had a

show. Look at all that other junk

that's on TV. We got underground

cult following.

27.

SLOAN:

You don't have the demographics.

BIG BLACK:

So are you telling me that you

wouldn't even introduce me to

Delacroix or set up a meeting? I'm

talking 'bout me, your only brother,

ya own flesh and blood, hook a

brother up, youknowwhatI'msayin'.

SLOAN:

That'swhatI'msayin'. I'm not

blowin' my young career, brother or

no brother, for you or anybody else.

BIG BLACK:

There is a name, a term for your

kind, the likes of you. Back in

slavery days, you would be

classified as a house nigga.

SLOAN:

If you think I'm a house nigga then

that's your prerogative. You got

your ways to affect change, I have

mine. And I would appreciate it

very much if you took ya field

nigga ass out of my house.

BIG BLACK:

My own sister throwin' me out. I

hope to seeya later when you get ya

mind right. Don't bother letting

me out.

SLOAN:

That's mighty black of you.

Big Black slams the door.

INT. DUNWITTY'S OFFICE - MORNING

One by one, the team enters the office and sits down on the

sofa.

DUNWITTY:

Delacroix, I'm glad you got your

mind right.

DELACROIX:

It's right and tight. Good morning,

let me introduce you to everybody.

You know my assistant, Sloan.

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