Cinderella Man Page #8

Hey, Max, how about a picture?

Hey, Jim! How about a shot?

There you go. Take it easy. Just smile.

One more!

Yeah. I think the smart thing

would be for you to take a fall.

Circus act's over, old man.

Right here, Max.

There you go.

I think I'll go a few rounds

with the dancing Baer.

Yeah, there you go.

Come on, Jim.

Very good. Okay.

Come on.

Okay.

Hey, we'll see you in the

ring. How about that, champ?

Come on. Let's go, Jim.

Max, my wife, Mae.

You ought to talk to him, Mae.

You are far too pretty

to be a widow.

That's not nice, Max.

Not nice. Come on.

On second thought, maybe I can

comfort you after he's gone.

Hey, I said shut your

goddamn mouth, you punk!

Sorry.

Send me the cleaning bill.

Get that, boys?

Now he's got his wife

doing his fighting for him.

Yeah. Ain't she something?

All right. Get me a drink.

All right.

Three-punch combo, okay?

Pop, pop, bang. Come on.

Yeah.

Oh, that's good.

One more time.

Keep your thumbs tucked in.

Keep your elbows in.

All right.

That's enough, now.

There's some sting in that.

That's enough, please.

Good. Yeah, that's good. Bang!

I want a turn, Dad.

All right.

Hey, where's your defense?

Come on, get your hand up.

I want a turn.

Left, right, left.

Pop, pop, bang.

Come on, Howie.

All right, that's enough!

No boxing in the house!

No boxing out of the house.

All right?

No boxing. Period!

You're gonna stay in school.

Then you're gonna go

to college...

and you're gonna have

professions.

Because you're not gonna have

your skulls smashed in, too!

Do you understand me?

Is that clear?

Hey, why don't you boys go and

get ready for bed, all right?

I used to pray...

for you to get hurt

just enough...

so you couldn't fight anymore.

And when they took your license

away, even scared as I was...

I went to the church

and I thanked God for it.

'Cause I always knew...

a day might come

when it could kill you.

I just knew it, Jimmy.

And now it's here.

You just got the jitters,

that's all.

He's killed two men, Jimmy!

What's worth it?

I have to believe I got some

kind of say over our lives. Okay?

You know, that if things are

bad, that we can change them...

we can make things better

for our family.

But I need you to be safe...

Nothing's safe anymore, Mae.

... so much.

And without that...

I need you to be safe!

... nothing's safe at all.

All right.

I have stood by for all of it.

Until now.

Not for this, Jimmy.

I just can't.

So you train all you want.

Make a show of it

for yourself, for the papers.

But you find a way

out of that fight.

Break your hand again

if you have to.

Is he all right?

So, how's he doing?

He's old. He's arthritic.

And his ribs haven't been

right since the Lasky fight.

What's the bad news,

sunshine?

Joe!

What?

The reporters are here.

Jesus.

Right. Get rid of that

goddamn rib protector.

Jimmy!

Press is here, boy-o!

Get bouncing around

in that ring!

Showtime! Big smiles!

You're the belle of the ball!

Baer don't need to know

about no goddamn ribs.

Bye, Dad.

Come on, let's go. Let's go.

Hey, look. It's him.

There's Braddock!

Maybe this is your day,

Bulldog!

Look, it's him!

It's Jimmy, look, right there!

We're with you, Jimmy! You're

gonna beat him, Bulldog!

Well, look who's here.

Hi, Aunt Alice.

Come on in.

No radio, all right?

Yeah, sure.

All right. Be back soon.

Hello, Mae.

I came to pray for Jim.

So did they.

Yeah.

They all think

that Jim's fighting for them.

Hey.

Yeah?

Who beat that

John Henry Lewis?

That Braddock guy.

Correct.

Who whupped that

Art Lasky punk?

James J. Braddock.

Correct again.

Now, refresh me

on this one.

Who was it took that Corn Griffin

and turned him inside out...

with no questions asked?

Who was that?

I used to think it was me...

but now I'm kinda thinking

it was you.

No, don't you

sell yourself short.

At some stage, you think maybe

you're gonna do some taping here?

Why not?

All right, let's see.

How's that?

What?

Excuse me, ma'am.

You can't win

without me behind you.

That's what I've been trying

to tell you.

Maybe I understand some.

About having to fight.

So you just remember

who you are.

You're the

Bulldog of Bergen...

and the pride of New Jersey.

You're everybody's hope.

And you're your kids' hero.

And you are

the champion of my heart...

James J. Braddock.

You know,

you better get home.

You know, boxers hang around

places like this...

and you don't want to get tangled

up with that kind of crowd.

Nice girl like you.

Yeah, okay.

I'll see you at home.

Please, Jimmy.

I'll see you at home?

See you at home, baby.

From the ringside of the

Madison Square Garden Bowl.

Tonight, our coast-to-coast

hookup...

brings you the biggest

pugilistic event of the year.

Max Baer versus the

Cinderella Man, Jimmy Braddock.

And in a few moments...

the contestants for

tonight's championship bout...

will be making their way

to the ring.

God Almighty.

Jim Braddock's rise

from the soup lines...

to number one heavyweight

contender has truly been miraculous.

No, never in all my years have

I seen this arena so quiet.

You can do it, Jimmy!

James J. Braddock,

the Cinderella Man...

who just a year ago

was standing in a bread line.

Braddock's a tremendous

underdog with the bettors...

but you wouldn't know it from

the reaction of the crowd.

Madison Square Garden is on its

feet and the noise is deafening!

An astonishing crowd is

gathered here this evening.

I saw people lining up to buy

tickets tonight who looked...

as if they were spending

their last dollar.

But they're here now

and 35,000 strong!

Listen to them!

We understand Max Baer

has left his dressing room.

There he is.

Max Baer has the look and

swagger of a Hollywood star.

Tonight, though,

there'll be no play-acting...

not with Jim Braddock in the

ring. This fight is for real.

The table's been set.

Let's get to the main course.

Gentlemen,

I gave you the rules

in the dressing room.

One minute to midnight,

Cinderella.

Yeah? Your clock's

about ticked out, a**hole.

I'm here to enforce them.

I want clean breaks.

Tell laughing boy here,

no backhanding.

I don't want any backhanding

and hitting on the breakaway.

No low blows!

I'll take care of this, Joe.

You understand? You tell this

bohunk no grabbing, no manhandling.

Watch your goddamn language,

you nasty little sh*t.

Look at this! No low

blows means no low blows.

You gonna let this little

prick talk to me like that?

No hitting on the breaks.

It talks!

Holy mackerel, it talks!

Look at that!

Keep your hands up at all

times to protect yourselves.

Now, touch gloves

and come out fighting.

Good luck. Go to your corners.

I'm gonna kick his Mick balls

up to the roof of his mouth.

That ought to be

a familiar taste for him, huh?

Come on, Jimmy boy!

Yeah, boys, get some

pictures here! Come on!

You can do this.

This guy is made for you.

Have a picnic, all right?

There's the bell!

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