Detroit Page #4

Come on.

I ain't your nephew,

motherf***er!

Just get across the street.

Calm down.

- They let you out, Uncle Tom?

- Just get across the street.

Keep on walking.

Don't look back.

Keep on moving.

Dumb jacky giant,

I'll beat your head

to the white meat.

You won't kick my ass.

I'm a black belt in karate,

I'll whoop that ass.

Besides,

even if you did win,

...those ten guys over there

would be on you...

...and behind them is 10,000.

Now, you smart. Go home.

(SIREN WAILS)

(EXHALES)

So you the cool brother, huh?

Dismukes.

Okay, Tom.

POLICEMAN:
(OVER SPEAKERS)

This is the Detroit Police.

There is a curfew.

You cannot stay on the street.

What the hell was that?

You checked

the windows and doors?

- I checked them already.

- Check it again.

I don't even wanna see

graffiti back there.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello.

Everything is fine.

No trouble here.

I'll sleep when they stop

rioting. Good night, sir.

SPENCER:
Hey, hey.

Hey. Look at this.

CAPTAIN:
Miller, with me.

Ready, Title 32? Let's do it!

MILLER:
You got it!

DISMUKES:
You know what?

I'm gonna go talk

to those white guys.

SPENCER:
I'm gonna stay here,

if that's okay.

I'm gonna make sure they

don't start shooting at us.

CAPTAIN:
All right, boys.

Relax here.

SPENCER:
Hey, you sure

you want them white boys...

- ...to know where we are?

- I'll be right back.

(BELL CHIMES)

ROBERTS:
Jefferson, Wood, head

in there and take the roof.

JEFFERSON:
We're on it.

Hey, fellas.

Melvin Dismukes.

I'm with United Security,

I'm guarding that grocery

store across the street.

I come bearing gifts.

Oh.

Thank you.

Isn't this nice, boys?

ROBERTS:
All things

considered, this is pretty good.

Thank you. I don't have

my usual appliances.

You got any sugar?

Oh, don't push it, man.

ROBERTS:
It's good

to have some quiet.

We were at Black Bottom

earlier today.

We actually took sniper fire.

Had one, right by here.

Ain't no snipers here, man.

Just you and me...

...and the people

partying in that motel.

How long do you think

this is gonna last?

Yeah, how long till these

negros, people, quit?

What do you think?

How the hell

am I supposed to know?

Is Morris home? It's Larry.

(SIGHS)

I can't find

those guys anywhere.

No, no, no. No, he's fine.

Just when you see that cat, tell

him to come down to the Algiers.

We're rehearsing.

Bye.

(SIGHS)

FRED:
No luck?

His mama don't even know

where he is.

FRED:
He's probably all right.

(SIGNING) Look in my eyes...

And don't you see water?

And it's all

because of you

So look at me

I ain't acting like

I ought to

And it's all

because of you

So look in my eyes

And don't you see water?

And it's all

because of you

FRED:
You're gonna

get back on that stage.

Yeah, it's not

that simple, brother.

Listen, when they hear

you blow... Money raining.

And I want a cut.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

Look at me.

In the eyes.

I'm looking at you

in the eyes, Fred.

You're gonna

get a record deal.

(CHUCKLES)

All right?

(SINGING) Look in my eyes

The Fox Theatre...

...welcomes The Dramatics!

Yeah?

Yeah.

(GIRLS LAUGHING OUTSIDE)

You know what, Fred?

I think it's time to fix

that little problem of yours.

FRED:
What problem?

- I don't have a problem.

- Yeah, you do. Come on.

- We're not doing this.

- Yeah, we're doing this.

Come on! Don't give me a no.

Come on.

(SINGING) You're gonna look

in her eyes

I don't need it,

I don't want it.

And she's gonna

get you off...

Come on.

LARRY:
Okay, no. Man,

I'm doing you a favor, okay?

- Okay?

- I'm going.

LARRY:
We're going.

Look at this

nice little scene right here.

- JULIE:
There you go, Karen.

- Thank you.

Enjoy it because

we are now officially broke.

There's rioting outside, and I'm

not writing to my parents again.

LARRY:
Look at this.

That right there.

It's perfect.

- Larry.

- What?

They white.

So, they white.

Beggars can't

be choosers, all right?

What does that mean?

You know what I say?

What?

Let freedom ring. (LAUGHS)

I've had that freedom,

thank you very much!

JULIE:
No, you haven't.

Because freedom doesn't mean

giving it away for free.

(SCOFFS)

Only you could make

prostitution sound high class.

Come on.

I'm not trying

to do this, brother.

Hey, stop.

Why won't you just

leave them alone?

I think those boys

are eyeballing us.

FRED:
Okay, stop.

Come on, man.

Follow my lead.

Okay, so we do it together

and it's like a co-op.

Excuse me, ladies.

I'm Larry Cleveland.

I wouldn't be interrupting a

private conversation here, would I?

JULIE:
We must be neighbors.

I'm Julie, Ohio.

Karen, Ohio.

(CHUCKLES) No,

my last name is Cleveland.

(LAUGHS)

We're actually from Ohio.

Okay, so what y'all

doing in Detroit?

Well, Julie here

is a professional prostitute.

- Okay...

- She's kidding!

I'm a hairdresser.

And a hoe.

(JULIE LAUGHS)

What do you guys do?

(LAUGHING)

I'm a singer

in The Dramatics,

...and Fred here is my bodyguard.

The Dramatics?

Yeah.

Never heard of them.

(SCOFFS)

But I love... I love Motown.

The Supremes are my favorite.

Well, if you love

The Supremes,

...you'll definitely love

The Dramatics.

Larry.

Sing something to her.

(SINGING) Baby

I'm for real

I said I'm as real

As real can get

Oh, my God!

You can really sing.

It's who I am,

you know. I sing.

It's who he is.

We were just gonna go

get something to eat.

A friend of ours

is staying at the annex.

Would you like to join us?

I mean, yeah. I could eat.

Fred, you hungry?

Yeah, I can eat.

JULIE:
Let's go.

Let's go.

How you doing?

Good.

How are you?

(SOUL MUSIC PLAYING)

(TELEVISION BLARING)

(SAUSAGES SIZZLING)

Mmm...

We looking good!

KAREN:
Hey, Carl!

Mmm.

We're starving.

You know I got something

for y'all to eat.

Okay.

- Hey, babe.

- Hey!

CARL:
Mmm.

Hello!

KAREN:
Hi, guys!

CARL:
Come on in.

It's a nice joint, man.

AUBREY:
Sit down, man.

LARRY:
Say what?

Sit down, take a seat.

Hey, Aubrey.

How you doing?

Hey, Karen.

JULIE:
Okay, where I grew up,

when you meet someone new,

...you're supposed

to say "Hi, hello!"

"How are you?"

It makes them

feel comfortable.

Nice duds, man.

Thanks, man, I appreciate it.

We were performing earlier.

Watch out.

(LAUGHING)

LEE:
Total bull.

(MEN LAUGHING)

This guy. Okay.

CARL:
Food is served

right there.

(LAUGHING)

LEE:
Yeah, all right, man.

Hey, Julie,

(TAPS BED)

...the air conditioning's

real nice over here.

Real nice, huh?

LARRY:
Mmm-hmm.

The bed's comfortable, too.

(CHUCKLES)

- Yeah, that's nice.

- Yeah?

CARL:
Maybe roll up

one of these joints.

(MOUTHING)

Aubrey, man,

turn that radio up.

(SONG PLAYING ON RADIO)

(CHUCKLES)

(MUSIC STOPS)

Come on, fellas, please.

(VOLUME OF

JAZZ MUSIC INCREASES)

Can we please let Trane speak?

What the hell?

That's beautiful.

So sad that he died.

He was young, right?

He was 40.

But he used his years.

Let me tell you,

that man lived.

Unfortunately, it was heroin.

Now, we know Trane

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