Cinderella Man Page #5

I did that on hash.

Imagine what I would've done to

him if I'd had a couple of steaks.

Jimmy?

That was one hell of

a good-bye.

Here you go, fellas!

Have at him!

Jesus Christ!

Murder him, Maxie!

Primo!

This is fighting?

Why doesn't he just hit him

with a goddamn chair?

Griffin was supposed to fight

Baer next.

He should kiss your ass for

saving him from that thing.

Throw him down, Maxie!

Give it to him, Maxie!

Ladies and gentlemen...

the new heavyweight champion

of the world...

Max Baer!

Come on! He's home.

I won.

Hooray, he won!

I knew you'd win!

He won, he won, he won!

Get the silverware.

So was it like you said? Or

are they letting you back in?

No, baby.

It was just one fight.

All right, I need seven men,

and seven only!

One. Two. Three.

Four. Five.

Thanks.

Braddock!

Listened in last night.

Was that really you?

Yeah.

Didn't think

I'd be seeing you back here.

It came up at the last minute,

you know?

It was a one-fight deal.

The purse was $250.

My end of that was a little less

than half. It was, like, $123.

We owed $118.

Left me with $5.

Makes you a rich man, huh?

Around here.

Good fight.

Thanks.

Dock seven.

Seven.

Hey, Jim.

Hey, Mike.

Good fight.

Thanks.

I wouldn't have hit Sara.

I know, Mike.

I couldn't live with myself

if I'd have hit her.

Just get so angry

with all this sh*t.

You know, if you were gonna

win, you could've told me.

If I knew I was gonna win,

I would've bet on myself.

Why can't you ever listen

to me? I don't know.

...to determine whether

the strikers were willing...

to submit to

an arbitration situation.

Tension pervaded the New

York waterfront yesterday.

Why don't you go play

with the boys, sweetheart?

Be careful.

Hey, Rosy.

Hi, Daddy!

You know,

Joe Gould was just here.

Yeah, I saw.

You did?

He thinks the Commission

might be willing to...

reverse their ruling.

He thinks he can get me

another fight.

He wants me to stop working

and get back in shape.

I thought it was

just the one fight.

Well, yeah.

He fronted us $175

so I can train.

You know what that is

right there?

That's a second chance.

That's what that is.

It's not that

I'm not grateful...

or proud, honey.

I'm so proud of you.

But we got off easy

when you broke that hand.

We're back to even now.

Right. And nine months from

now, we're back in the same boat.

Baby, please.

We just don't have anything

left to risk.

Mae.

There's still some juice in these

legs, and I can still take a few.

Baby, please.

Just let me take them

in the ring.

At least I know

who's hitting me.

I'm gonna go

and tell the kids.

Jay! Guess what.

What?

I got another fight!

Who with?

I don't know, but he's

going down. Hey, Howard.

Jesus.

Joe, open the door.

Joe! Open the damn door!

Don't hide in your fancy

apartment. I want to talk to you.

You are not gonna make my husband

your punching bag all over again.

We are just getting by, and

you're taking him from his work...

like some bloodsucking

little leech!

And I will not let you get

him hurt again like that...

do you hear me?

I will not let you!

Guess you better come in.

How is it?

Too sweet per usual.

Really? Go figure.

Yours?

Nice, thanks.

Sorry about that.

You just don't want folks

to see you down is all.

I didn't know.

I mean, I thought that...

Yeah, no. That's the idea.

Always keep your hands up.

Sold the last of it

two days ago.

So Jimmy could train.

Why?

Sometimes you have

an instinct, Mae.

You see something

in a fighter.

You don't even know if it's real,

you're looking for it so bad.

Can't have no hope at all.

But this is crazy.

I mean, you don't even know

if you can get him a fight.

I'll get him a fight.

Believe me, if it's the last

thing I do, I'll get him a fight.

Honey. Go get us some

of those crackers, would you?

She looks good

wearing the pants.

Can you ever stop yours?

When he sets his mind

to a thing?

I wish I could.

See, I never know

who it's harder on...

them or us.

We have to wait for them

to fix everything.

And every day...

they feel like

they're failing us.

And really, it's just the

world that's failed, you know?

This is a lovely apartment. Thank you.

Now, what am I gonna go

and do that for?

You saw the papers.

News had to print extra copies

the day after Braddock's fight.

People are sentimental, you

know. Some people are sentimental.

Yeah, so tell me why I care.

You're still sore over the way

Braddock took down Griffin, fine.

I can understand that. It was a

heartbreak for a lot of people.

Yes. But look.

You got guys fighting

an elimination series...

over who gets a shot at Max Baer

for the championship in June.

John Henry Lewis,

he's your number two in line.

Now, he already defeated

Braddock once in Frisco, correct?

Say you put Braddock back

in the game against Lewis.

Lewis wins, you get your

revenge on Braddock...

and your boy has gotten

a topflight tune-up...

with full publicity before

Lasky, and what happens?

You make more money.

Now, say on the other hand, by

some minute, infinitesimal chance...

God forbid,

Braddock beats Lewis.

Now you got a sentimental

favorite go up...

and lose against Lasky,

and what happens?

You'll make more money.

James, either way...

you're a richer man with Braddock

back in the ring than if he's not.

Come on, don't be foolish. We

both know the name of this game.

And it sure as hell

ain't "pugilism. "

They ought to put your mouth

in a circus.

What do you say?

Don't chase him.

Go around, cut him off.

Time!

James!

I got you a fight.

Yeah?

You're gonna fight

John Henry Lewis again.

Yeah!

Joey! I could kiss you!

No, please,

not in front of the fellas.

Isn't John Henry

one of Johnston's boys?

You let me worry about that,

please.

Now I know why you won't kiss me.

You're all puckered out already.

Brother, you have no idea.

Lewis?

Kicked our ass in Frisco.

Yeah. Hey, Mike.

Who's "our ass" up there?

Joe Gould, Mike Wilson.

Mike Wilson, Joe Gould.

Hi.

That guy ain't been beat

in ten fights.

But you win on a long shot, and

that's a great payday for me.

That's great.

I'll keep that in mind, Mike!

You got more important things

to think about. Come here.

Now, I ain't gonna

bullshit you, all right?

Now, you win one,

I can get you another.

Win again and then things maybe

start getting serious around here.

Jimmy?

Win.

Look good.

Leverage.

That's it, James!

Be a bully, James!

Aggression, that's it.

Thanks.

I know this isn't

what you wanted...

but I can't win

without you behind me.

I'm always behind you.

Thank you, baby.

I got a great idea.

You want to come along?

Come on, just this one time.

All right. Okay.

Okay, I'll make that

a rain check then.

Lewis, still moving well here

in the fourth.

He dances in and out

before Braddock can react.

Don't let him

set the pace, Jimmy!

There you go.

Braddock slides to his right,

tries cutting down the ring.

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