Bamboozled Page #9

DUNWITTY:

We just punched it up a bit. Made

it funnier.

DELACROIX:

Funnier to who and at who's expense?

Dunwitty, when Negroes start to run

amok, the boycotts, when the

demostrations commence, I'm giving

them your home address. Let's see

how you like it when they picket

your lawn in Greenwich, Connecticut.

DUNWITTY:

I seriously doubt that will ever

happen. Didn't I tell you I know

your people better than you do.

But if by some miracle you're

correct, I'm gonna invite them

inside my house and we'll have a

sit down, discuss it like civil

human beings.

INT. STUDIO - NIGHT

Much activity is going on. People are moving to and fro.

WE FOLLOW Delacroix and Sloan.

EXT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Delacroix knocks and they enter.

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

Mantan sits in front of his mirror.

DELACROIX:

Just want to say good luck.

SLOAN:

Break a leg.

She gives Mantan a kiss on his cheek.

DELACROIX:

Wait a minute. Hold up.

They all laugh.

57.

DELACROIX (CONT'D)

Can I kiss you too?

MANTAN:

Naw. I'll take the zero.

DELACROIX:

You feel good, not nervous?

MANTAN:

I feel fine.

DELACROIX:

Not nervous? Relaxed?

MANTAN:

Sloan, will you take your boss out

of here so I can get ready.

EXT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

Sloan and Delacroix enter the dressing room.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

SLEEP 'N EAT

How's the audience?

DELACROIX:

Fired up.

SLOAN:

How you feelin'?

SLEEP 'N EAT

Good. I'm not sure about this

material.

DELACROIX:

The material is fine.

Sloan cuts a look at this liar.

SLEEP 'N EAT

You really think so?

DELACROIX:

We're trying to do something new

here, some groundbreaking stuff.

SLEEP 'N EAT

It's the bone breaking stuff I'm

worried about.

58.

SLOAN:

Everything's gonna be alright. You

and Mantan will be huge stars after

tonight.

SLEEP 'N EAT

You really think so?

DELACROIX:

Your life will never be the same.

SLOAN:

Let's leave the man in peace so he

can get ready.

INT. BACKSTAGE

SLOAN:

We both lied to him.

DELACROIX:

What do you want me to say?

SLOAN:

Just don't lie to me.

INT. STAGE - NIGHT

HONEYCUTT, a rotund, elder black man who is one of cast

members, is warming the audience up.

ON AUDIENCE:

It's very young and diverse. They are laughing at the comic

stylings of Honeycutt.

INT. CONTROL BOOTH - NIGHT

Delacroix and Sloan take their seats.

DELACROIX:

Good luck, Jukka. Do a good show.

JUKKA:

Thank you very much. I always try

my best.

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

Mantan is slowly getting dressed. He puts on an old,

tattered tails (tuxedo).

59.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

Sleep 'N Eat is also getting dressed. He wears a worn

Pullman Porter uniform with red hat to match.

INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT

Dunwitty with his black wife in hand, VERNA moves toward

Delacroix and Sloan.

DUNWITTY:

I want you to meet my lovely wife

Verna. Honey, this is Pierre

Delacroix and Sloan Hopkins.

VERNA:

Nice to meet you.

DELACROIX:

Same here.

SLOAN:

The pleasure is mine.

VERNA:

My husband has been raving about

the awesome work you've done. How

did you ever think of something

like this? It's absolutely

brilliant. Pure genius.

DELACROIX:

I guess it was divine inspiration.

VERNA:

Hope to see you both after the

taping. Congrats in advance.

ON CONTROL BOOTH

Verna and Dunwitty go to the front of the control booth.

TWO SHOT:

Delacroix and Sloan.

SLOAN:

Divine inspiration?

She laughs.

DELACROIX:

I was trying to be nice.

60.

SLOAN:

I want to apologize about my

brother and the Mau-Mau's. I

should not have imposed them on you.

DELACROIX:

C'mon. You were only doing what

family is supposed to be doing for

family. You gave your brother a

shot. That's all anybody can ask

for, an opportunity, a chance, a

shot. He got his.

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

Mantan is in front of his dressing room mirror.

ON MIRROR:

Mantan looks, stares at his reflection.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

Sleep 'N Eat is staring at himself also.

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

CLOSE ON MANTAN:

SLOAN (V.O.)

We should blacken up like they did

it back in the day. Keep the

ritual the same.

Mantan puts some corks in a dish.

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

Pour some alcohol on the corks,

then light it.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

Sleep 'N Eat strikes a match to his corks in a dish.

CLOSE ON SLEEP 'N EAT

He watches the cork burn.

SLOAN (V.O.)

Let them burnt to a crisp, and when

burnt out, mash them to a powder.

61.

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

Mantan is mashing the corks.

SLOAN (V.O.)

Add water, mix to a thick paste.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

Sleep 'N Eat is mixing it all together.

SLOAN (V.O.)

And voila! You have your blackface.

INT. STAGE - NIGHT

The audience, which has become restless, starts a rhythmic

clap.

SLOAN (V.O.)

Please put cocoa butter on your

face and hands...

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

ON MANTAN'S HANDS

SLOAN (V.O.)

To protect your skin.

He applies cocoa butter to his hands.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

ON SLEEP 'N EAT'S FACE

He rubs cocoa butter all over his face.

INT. STAGE - NIGHT

CLOSE ON HANDS:

Audience hands are clapping faster.

ON FEET:

They're stomping.

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

ON MIRROR:

Mantan blacks up his face.

62.

WE HEAR THE POUNDING OF THE FEET STOMPING AND THE HANDS

CLAPPING.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

ON MIRROR:

Sleep 'N Eat blacks up also.

SLOAN (V.O.)

The final detail...

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

ON LIPS:

SLOAN (V.O.)

...are the lips.

Mantan is applying lipstick.

INT. SLEEP 'N EAT'S DRESSING ROOM

ON LIPS:

Sleep 'N Eat is puckering his lips as he too puts on the

lipstick.

SLOAN (V.O.)

The redder the lipstick the better.

I suggest firetruck red.

ON MIRROR:

For the first time WE SEE SLEEP 'N EAT in FULL BLACK FACE.

SLEEP 'N EAT

Show...

INT. MANTAN'S DRESSING ROOM

ON MIRROR:

Mantan in FULL BLACK FACE.

MANTAN:

...TIME!!!

INT. STAGE - NIGHT

The audience is in an uproar when the lights go down. They

applaud and they quiet as the CURTAIN GOES UP on a bucolic

setting. It is a combination of WATERMELON PATCH and COTTON

FIELD.

63.

ON STAGE:

First Sleep 'N Eat then Mantan shuffles onto the stage.

MANTAN:

This is my best friend Sleep 'N Eat.

SLEEP 'N EAT

And this is my very best friend

Mantan.

BOTH:

We're two real COONS!

The audience lets out nervous laughter. They don't know

what to think.

MANTAN:

We both left the hustle and bustle

of Uptown, Harlem...

SLEEP 'N EAT

...the big apple, New York, New York.

MANTAN:

To come back to our roots.

SLEEP 'N EAT

Our Alabamy Home. Now we're

getting countrified. We is Bama's.

MANTAN:

No mo' "city slickers." Ahh, can't

you smell the sweet aroma of the

ripe watermelons and high cotton?

SLEEP 'N EAT

Tell 'em what you mean Mistuh Mantan.

MANTAN:

Well, thank you Mistuh Sleep 'N Eat.

SLEEP 'N EAT

Give or cousins some of dem educated

feets.

Mantan begins to do a slow, steady step.

SLEEP 'N EAT (CONT'D)

Cousins, first, second, third and

distant, let's have Mantan take us

all the way back to a much more

simpler time. A time wen men were

men, women were women, and Neggras

knew their place.

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