Get on Up Page #13

James drops to his knees. The crowd goes wild.

A few rows behind Syd, we find Susie Brown sitting in theaudience. James’ mother has come to the show.

90 INT. APOLLO DRESSING ROOM. NIGHT. 90

After. The cheers still ringing out. People packed into hisdressing room. Champagne corks pop. Congratulations from all.

JAMES:

Thank you. That’s very kind of you.

Bobby, at the door. Can’t get to him. Turns to Gertrude.

BOBBY:

Gertrude. Get everybody out.

GERTRUDE:

What?

ACROSS THE ROOM:

JAMES:

We gone celebrate tonight. And then

tomorrow we gone Wilmington and do

it to it all over again.

74

BOBBY:

Mr. Brown. Excuse me. Mr. Brown.

(Then)

...James.

James stops. Turns to face Bobby’s grave expression. Bobbywhispers in James’ ear.

BOBBY (CONT’D)

There’s a woman here, Mr. Brown.

She says she’s your mother.

James stops dead. COMPLETELY STILL. We push in. He doesn’tblink.

91 FLASHBACK - EXT. STREET. NIGHT. 1942. JAMES 9 YRS 91

Little Junior walks Twigg street at night. Passing dives andjoints.

Suddenly he stops, across the street, he sees a woman comingout of a bar arm in arm with a BLACK SOLDIER.

He follows her up the street. She’s weaving and laughing withthe drunk soldier.

JAMES:

Momma?

SUSIE and the soldier walk into a side yard where a party isin full swing.

James approaches her from behind.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Momma it’s me. It’s me.

She turns. Focuses blearily.

SOLDIER:

You know this little n*gger?

For a moment it looks as if there is a flicker of

recognition. Then swivels her head to look at the soldier.

She shakes her head.

SOLDIER (CONT’D)

Beat it.

YOUNG JAMES:

But Momma!

The soldier picks up a rock a throws it.

SOLDIER:

Get the f*** out of here.

92 INT. AUNT HONEY’S BEDROOM. NIGHT. 1942 92

Aunt Honey and James lie in bed together. James has been

crying.

AUNT HONEY:

Don’t cry, Little Junior. Don’t

cry. Now, child, I want you to

listen to me. You gone be okay. You

hear me? Little Junior, you were

born dead. Did you know that?

James shakes his head.

AUNT HONEY (CONT’D)

When your great Aunt pulled you

into this world you were dead. You

had gone cold. She slapped your ass

hard too but you never drew a

breath. Your momma and daddy had to

say goodbye to you. But then your

Great Aunt breathed in you one last

time. And then you turned warm and

then you screamed. So loud we heard

it all the way here in Augusta.

You’re special, boy. Cause you got

the spirit in you. And that spirit

told me you gone be a rich man,

Little Junior. And Everybody gone

know your name. Ain’t nothin’ can

touch you. You hear me? Nothin’.

James nods.

92A INT. TOUR BUS. DAY. 1964 92A

The band on the bus. Bobby Bennet frowns and turns to BobbyByrd. A new girl, YVONNE FAIR, gets on.

DOWN THE BUS -- The others watch.

MACEO:

Who’s this?

BOBBY BENNET:

(quietly)

James gone wear that seat out.

MACEO:

Which seat. Her’s or the bus?

Having overheard, Yvonne spends around.

YVONNE:

I’m Yvonne! I’m a singer. Let me

worry about my seat.

Bennet and Maceo snicker.

93 EXT. STREET/FISH HOUSE. DAY. 1965 93

James and Ben Bart walk up a street. They turn a corner to

see a gleaming new Cadillac parked next to the Fish House.

We see a DRIVER inside. The driver exits.

BART:

Compliments of Universal

Attractions.

JAMES:

This for me? Looky this! We got us

a chauffeur.

JAMES (CONT'D)

(to the chauffeur)

Gimme the keys. What they payin’you?

James takes the keys and then pulls out a roll of bills andcounts out six hundreds. He hands them to chauffeur.

JAMES (CONT’D)

This here’s a month’s pay, help you

get yourself another job. I gone

drive myself.

The chauffeur smiles, hands Bart his hat and walks off down

the street.

JAMES (CONT’D)

Don’t mention it.

(turns to Ben Bart)

That’s six a month goin’ somewhere

else.

94 EXT. FISH HOUSE - DAY 94

James and Pop sit at a small dining table outside the FishHouse.

JAMES:

Pop, see there’s something I beenmeaning to ask you.

BART:

What’s that Jimmy.

JAMES:

I got a seventh grade educationPop, so you’ll have to excuse me. Iwas looking over those figures yousent me, and something occur to me:

we don’t pay the promoter, thepromoter pay us.

BART:

Just standard Jimmy. Guaranteeagainst fluctuating ticket sales.

Lets plan a-

JAMES:

-sure we planning, see I askmyself, what if we don’t gotfluctuating sales. What if youknocking the tar out of every show.

Ben Bart watches James with a new outlook on his partner andfriend.

BART:

Well let me explain the way itworks. When you book a show. TakeChicago. Now our promoter inChicago is-

BART (CONT’D)

Lenny J Frank. Lenny’s the numberone promoter in Chicago has beenfor twenty years.

JAMES:

I don’t doubt it.

BART:

Now when Lenny pays us a flat rate,

we can account. You know, numberone, you’re getting top rate andnumber two-

JAMES:

What if we took the gate?

(Bart stops JAMES looks over)

What if we took it ourself.

(MORE)

78

JAMES (CONT'D)

And still got the show promoted,

but better.

BEN BART:

Better than Lenny Franks?

JAMES:

Lenny Franks a James Brown fan? How

old he, sixty? Why’s he gone try

harder for James Brown than for Sam

Cooke? Or Ray Charles. Or Tom

Jones. See Pop. We go to the radio

stations.

BART:

Jimmy, I understand your

frustration but you gotta realize

you’re entering a game where the

rules are set out. If you were a

ball player you can’t walk in and

change how many innings they’re

gonna play just because...

As Bart drones on, James loses interest and starts addressingus directly.

JAMES:

You see my point right? OK. Listen

up. We go to the radio station. We

go to the young cats. The hungry

cats. The late night cat.

95 INT. RADIO STATION. 95

James talks to us as he stands next to a DEEJAY, ALAN LEEDS,

The deejay doesn’t hear James talking to us.

JAMES:

The twenty year old white deejay in

Richmond Virginia who’s getting

paid nothing and is only doin’ it

because he loves music. We go to

him we ask him if he want to be the

sole James Brown promoter for the

Richmond show. For a percentage. He

gone say:

The deejay suddenly looks up to James.

YOUNG RICHMOND DEEJAY

Are you f***ing kidding me? Do you

know how much they pay me?

79

JAMES WALKS PAST THROUGH THE STATION TALKING TO US.

JAMES:

Between nothing and fifty bucks aweek. But he love my music.

He digs James Brown. And he got amicrophone and a turn-table andfour hours airtime to kill.

YOUNG RICHMOND DEEJAY

Screw Payola.

LATER - THE RADIO STATION.

He spins it. MUSIC starts: “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.”

JAMES BEGINS TO GROOVE.

JAMES:

And at the end he gone say..

95A

ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE. VOICE-OVER OF DEEJAYS ANNOUNCING THE 95A

UPCOMING SHOWS OVER.. “MAKE SURE YOU CATCH JAMES AT THE ARENA

IN RICHMOND THIS TUESDAY!!! “ ETC.

96

INT. FISH HOUSE. DAY. 96

BACK AT THE FISH HUT, JAMES IS TALKING TO US AS HE ORDERS A

PLATE OF FISH.

JAMES:

Now because he’s twenty he’s gotstrong legs. And he knows everyone.

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