Battle of the Sexes Page #15

BOBBY RIGGS:

Bobby’s back!

PRISCILLA:

Exactly what I was afraid of.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Attagirl! Can I come in?

PRISCILLA:

Would it make it any difference ifI said no?

She gives up and walks into the house.

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108 INT. BOBBY’S HOUSE. SITTING ROOM. DAY.

PRISCILLA:

Okay. Say what you want to say.

BOBBY RIGGS:

I’m on top again. I’ve never felt

better. Fresh as a daisy. Barbecued

Margaret Court and now I’m playing

Billie Jean, for a hundred thousand

dollars. How about that? ABC is

showing it- prime time. It’s huge.

PRISCILLA:

You’ve got a nerve with that male

chauvinist pig nonsense. Who’s been

bankrolling you all these years,

Bobby Riggs? Me. A woman.

BOBBY RIGGS:

You know what, you’re absolutely

right. And now I can pay you back.

Isn’t that fantastic?

PRISCILLA:

I don’t want it back.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Do you want me back?

A jolt. As ever, he’s caught her on the hop.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

Larry’s been staying with me, you

know? Helping out with the

training. He’s all grown up. Great

kid. He and Junior, maybe, could,

y’know, hang out some. Be a family.

Priscilla stares at him, considering.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

Jerry Perenchio’s puffing it up

like you wouldn’t believe. I’m

gonna be on the front cover of Time

Magazine- I won the triple at

Wimbledon and I never got the cover

of Time- and when I’ve beaten

Billie Jean, Jerry’s put a million

dollars on the table for a match

against Chrissy Evert...

He’s moving from boasting to fearful.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

A million dollars!

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He stops.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

A million dollars. And then what?

Priscilla, it’s a kinda scary ride

I’m on. I, well, I need you, honey.

PRISCILLA:

We’ve been here before, Bobby...

BOBBY RIGGS:

No, I’m a whole new person, now.

Ask the shrink.

PRISCILLA:

I did.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Voila! What did he say?

PRISCILLA:

Nothing. He just gave me thirtydollars.

Bobby looks puzzled.

PRISCILLA (CONT’D)

What he owed you for your last gameof black jack.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Oh. Yeah, he was a terrible player.

Priscilla laughs, shakes her head. Bobby laughs too-caught-

but there’s a chance.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

Right?

PRISCILLA:

Bobby, I love you. Every since Imet you, you’ve made me laugh. Yourcrazy ideas, your schemes, yourdreams, your scams...You fill anyroom you walk into. God, I missthat. But I need a husband,

sweetheart, someone steady, a man Ican rely on. And that’s just not

you. That’s okay, it’s more than

okay, it’s wonderful. You’ve got to

be who you are. But I can’t be it

with you. Not anymore. I’m sorry.

BOBBY RIGGS:

No, I’m sorry. Goodbye, Priscilla.

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109A

110

89

He turns and walks out.

PRISCILLA:

Good luck with the match.

He waves a hand, but doesn’t turn round.

INT. DINNER CLUB. DAY. 109

Bobby is on the payphone. He wipes away what lookssuspiciously like a tear, puts on his best smile.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Jimmy! Bobby here. How’s it going,

kiddo? Never better, never better.

What are the odds right now....?

Put fifteen grand on me to win,

buddy. You heard me, fifteen big

ones.

He puts the phone down.

ABC EVENING NEWS BROADCAST (STOCK FOOTAGE) 109A

HOWARD K SMITH:

In other news, another battle in

the never ending war of the sexes.

This one on the tennis court for

100,000 purse... women’s tennis

champion Miss Billie Jean King who

is 29 accepted the challenge of 55

year old Bobby Riggs, the match to

be held the time and place still to

be decided. Miss King said she will

not play for the money but in her

words to put women’s tennis and

women’s lib back where it belongs.

Riggs said he issued the challenge

because I wanna prove women are

lousy and they don’t belong on the

same court as the men.

LOCATION TBD. PRESS CONFERENCE. DAY. 110

Bobby and Billie Jean enter from opposite ends of a longtable covered with press microphones. They meet in themiddle and shake hands. Photographers and Journalists catchthis first prematch meeting.

Bobby, intimidatingly close, chattering away like a madman.

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BOBBY RIGGS:

Don’t get me wrong, I love women.

In the bedroom and in the kitchen.

But now they want to be everywhere.

Where will it end? Pretty soon us

boys won’t be able to have an

evening of cards, go to the game,

go fishing, have a drink after

work...because that’s what Women’s

Lib really means. Well, it’s got to

stop. And Bobby Riggs is the man to

stop it. This, ladies and

gentlemen, is Custer’s Last Stand-

He turns to Billie and mumbles out the corner of his mouth:

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

- you’re gonna love this one-

At the top of his voice:

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

-the Lobber versus the Libber!

Points at Billie who despite herself bursts out laughing.

BOBBY RIGGS (CONT’D)

Right?

BILLIE JEAN:

Keep on talking, Bobby. The more

nonsense you spout, the worse it’s

going to be when you lose.

BOBBY RIGGS:

I’m the Ladies Number One. The

champ. Why would I lose?

BILLIE JEAN:

Because dinosaurs can’t play

tennis.

110A EXT. TOWN TENNIS CENTER -- COURT. MANHATTAN. DAY 110A

Larry waits on the court. Bobby appears dressed as Little BoPeep, a trail of photographers and hangers on behind him.

Lornie is the only one looking less than pleased.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Sure. Little Bo Peep got’s a

helluva slice on her. Come on, I’ll

give you 40. You lose you buy the

drinks.

Larry exchanges looks with Lornie who just shrugs.

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LARRY:

Okay.

BOBBY RIGGS:

Attaboy!

110B EXT. BEACH. DAY. 110B

Billie Jean running along the waterline, camera pans toreveal a news crew moving along side her, shooting out of a

van.

110C TV SCREEN. 110C

Beginning of a 60 minutes story

MIKE WALLACE:

At the age of 55 most people’s

dreams of glory are far behind

them. But Bobby Riggs sees a pot of

gold and glory just over the

horizon.

110D INT. BOBBY RIGGS HOUSE 110D

Priscilla and junior watch the 60 minutes segment.

MIKE WALLACE:

We caught up with Bobby Riggs in

Las Vegas. It seemed like a fitting

place...

Money changing hands. Going into Bobby’s pocket. (At BJKcenter)

110E TV SCREEN. 60 MINUTES 110E

MIKE WALLACE:

Do you do it for the money?

BOBBY RIGGS V/O

Nah, I do it for fun, I do it for

sport, it’s the thing to do. If I

can’t play for big money, I play

for little money. If I can’t play

for little money, I stay in bed.

Sometimes on my own.

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110G

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111A

INT. BOBBY’S HOUSE. DAY 110F

Priscilla sitting at home watching Bobby on TV. She glancesover at Bobby's son who is enjoying his father’s jokes.

PRISCILLA:

Really? I mean, really?

Walks over to the TV and switches him off.

BOBBY'S SON

Mom...!

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