Black Caesar Page #3

Let's see. I think

I'll have me a couple of eggs -

scrambled, the way you used to

make 'em for me. Then some sausage.

And some of that nice burnt toast.

You've been takin' dope.

I knew it.

I knew you were gonna

end up a dope fiend.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm on a high, Momma.

Cos this is all mine. I bought it.

- Done bought it?

- Right down to his pyjamas, Momma.

Well, I ain't workin' for you.

You're an ungrateful bum.

I would work for just about anybody...

but you.

I quit.

You can't quit, Momma.

You don't work here.

It's your place. I'm giving it to you.

In this building?

Why, they'd hang me off that terrace.

Jewish folk ain't even allowed in here!

Ain't nobody gonna bother

Tommy Gibbs' momma.

Come on, sit down, relax.

You can sleep till noon.

Then all you have to do is push the buzzer

and they'll bring your breakfast.

Come on, be comfortable.

I'm fixin' to get married.

She's a nice girl, too.

She's a singer. Her name's Helen.

I'll get a couple of white girls

to do your cleaning.

I'll get you a snooty chauffeur

to drive you around Saks Fifth Avenue.

Anything you want. All you gotta do is ask.

I wouldn't know how.

I wouldn't know what to say to them.

I'm a maid, Tommy.

You never could see that.

Momma...

I can't stand it when

you hold my hand, and, uh

I can't stand it when

you call me a natural-born lover man

I can't love it when you say

"Baby, please don't go"

I don't need to, baby,

cos I want some more

I said love me baby, love me

like you never, never, never did before

Kiss me, squeeze me, huh,

make me want some more

Cos I know that I need you

I know that I need you

You know that I need you

You know that I, and that I,

and that I, I said I need you

And I need you

Now, babe, can I make you dirty

Can I make you join the band

Can I make you boogie

Can I, can I

Come on, darlin'

I've got it bad, come on, do it

Bad

Tell me, can I make you

Do you believe my hands can heal? Heal

the mind, heal the body, heal the soul.

Say "I believe!" Let me hear you.

Say "I believe", children. Say "I believe."

- (sobbing woman) I believe.

- Jesus.

Jesus Christ, Momma.

Momma, what are you doin' here?

You're a good boy, Rufus.

You always was... a good boy.

Momma... Tommy know you're here?

Pray for him, Rufus.

- Pray for my boy.

- Yes, Lord.

Amen, Lord.

Yes, ma'am. OK.

Do you believe my hands can heal?!

Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, God!

Say "I believe!"

Say "I believe my hands can heal!"

Ehi, Tommaso, come stai? How are you?

- How you doin'?

- Fantastic.

- You order for me.

- It's been taken care of.

Those coloured boys you ordered

from Philadelphia and Detroit are great.

They're wonderful and they work cheap.

Hey! Who says Lincoln freed the slaves?

Who, uh... Who Lincoln?

He's some creep who didn't have enough

sense to sit facing the door. No, sit here.

Sit down, Tommy. Sit down.

Come vanno gli affari?

Hey, you knock me out every time you

talk Sicilian. It's like a dubbed-in movie.

Hey, you know, Mr Cardoza,

you built up a great business.

Garbage trucks, Shylocks, policy.

But, like all big companies,

the founder gets kicked upstairs.

Becomes chairman of the board or

somethin'. Kinda gets pensioned off.

Nah. Not in my family.

In Sicily, my father ran his village until

he was 84 years old. He and his brothers.

It's no problem! As far as

the national organisation is concerned,

we want them to think

you're still in charge.

You will be the white face so everybody

will make it easier to swallow.

What do you call it?

What do you call it? Uh...

Token white, huh?

Hey, come on, Tommy,

it's not funny any more.

You!

You black bastard! Hey, Nino!

Nino!

Nino! Nino!

You forget, huh?

You let n*ggers into your operation,

you make fools of your people.

You shame 'em.

They kill you. (laughs)

You do this to me

after I gave you your chance?

Who else I'm gonna do it to, huh?

- No, please, don't.

- Huh?

Hey, Jesus Christ, don't sh*t.

Do you think I'd kill my best friend? Huh?

Present. Engraved from Tiffany's.

First-class merchandise.

Now, who says I'm ungrateful, huh?

Open it.

Go on.

Open.

You can do this to me?

You can take everything away

from me and give me this?

- A present? You black bastard!

- Hey.

You still get your cut every week.

Of course, uh, being Italian,

it's not the same as if you were Negro.

(laughs)

You black son of a b*tch,

you won't live that long.

My brothers on the coast'll see to that.

They warned me. I should've listened.

They'll look out for me now. You wait,

you son of a b*tch! You wait! You wait!

I heard California was a nice place to visit

this time of year, huh? That right?

(laughs)

(Sicilian mandolin music)

Looks like I missed one hell of a party.

I just picked him up at JFK.

Just off a flight from Mexico City.

- Did you check on his whereabouts?

- Yeah. He was in jail on a traffic violation.

He's clean.

That was some botched job

you pulled out in California.

I don't read the paper.

All three Cardoza brothers.

You don't expect the national

organisation to sit still for that?

It don't matter.

They're giving me all of Cardoza's

territory and the South Bronx thrown in.

Bullshit. They'd never accept

a n*gger into the syndicate.

Everybody's a liberal nowadays,

McKinney. Get with it.

I guarantee it.

You're one dead coon

by the end of the week.

(blows horn)

Gentlemen, good evening.

Won't you sit down?

Now, let's take a look at Harlem.

You tell me who's gonna

control these people.

But... those goddamn

Puerto Ricans and those n*ggers,

they're too stupid to be afraid.

They'll stick a chiv in anybody.

It's a jungle.

And it takes a jungle bunny to run it.

I'll keep my hands off the docks.

I'll keep my hands off the unions.

I'll keep my hands off the narcotics.

And I promise you this -

that things will be quiet in the ghetto.

Not only here, but in Philly,

Chicago, Detroit, LA.

I'll keep 'em in line.

And now, may I wish you gentlemen...

a merry... merry Christmas.

Woke up this morning

Booze all around my bed

Didn't have nobody

to cool my achin' head

But deal with it

That's the key

What is this cold routine you're giving me,

huh? You don't have to be afraid of me.

Everybody else does, but you

don't have to be afraid of me, Helen.

Stop it, please.

Don't do that.

Please, give me time.

I gotta think about it.

I got a lot to think about, OK?

Tommy, stop it, please.

This is the only way you like it, huh?

You have to be raped. I got no objections.

Stop it!

Don't you do this to me.

Agh! Stop it!

No.

No. Let me go.

Let me go. Let me go!

Stop it, you bastard!

You dirty bastard!

You killer! You murderer!

You're no good! Let me go!

Let me go! Stop it!

Oh! No.

No. No. No.

Let me hear you say "Amen".

Let me hear you say "Hallelujah".

Lord have mercy on my soul, am I glad

to see such beautiful young people here.

- What's your name, brother?

- Beverly.

My name's Reverend Rufus.

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