Joker Page #5

RANDALL (OS)

You okay?

He turns. RANDALL (mid 50's), a big bear of a know-it-all,

standing there. He's a party clown as well. He's half-dressed

in his clown suit.

17.

RANDALL:

I heard about the beat down you

took. F***ing savages.

JOKER:

It was just a bunch of kids. I

should have left it alone.

Randall opens his locker--

RANDALL:

It's crazy out there. And it's only

getting worse.

JOKER:

(nods)

My mother says that the people

nowadays lack empathy.

RANDALL:

What's empathy?

JOKER:

It means like "feeling for other

people."

RANDALL:

Like sympathy?

JOKER:

Kind of. But different.

Randall comes over, hands Joker a brown paper bag-- Joker

looks inside. It's a GUN, a .38 snub-nose revolver.

Joker looks up at him, confused--

RANDALL:

Take it. I got a few. You gotta

protect yourself out there, buddy.

Too many wackos.

As Joker stares at it--

RANDALL:

(lowers his voice)

It's a .38 snub-nose. Gets the job

done if you ever need to use it.

Usually pulling it out is enough.

JOKER:

I, I don't have the money for this,

Randall.

18.

RANDALL:

Don't sweat it. You can pay me some

other time. You're my boy.

That lands with Joker, he smiles to himself.

RANDALL:

(as he walks away)

But you didn't get it from me,

okay?

Joker nods. Puts the brown paper bag in his locker. Slowly

starts to get dressed-- his eyes darting toward the bag as he

does.

Another clown, GARY (30's), a dwarf, pops his head into the

locker room.

GARY:

Arthur,-- Hoyt wants to see you in

his office.

JOKER:

What for?

GARY:

No clue.

15 INT. FRONT OFFICE, HA-HA'S TALENT BOOKING - DAY 15

Joker still half-dressed, walks into the cramped office.

His boss, HOYT VAUGHN (60's) sits behind a metal desk. The

office is a complete mess, newspapers and files litter the

desk. A giant ashtray filled with cigarette butts. A calendar

of booking hangs on the wall. A scribbled, jumbled mess.

JOKER:

Hey Hoyt. Gary said you wanted to

see me?

HOYT:

(without even looking up)

How's the comedy career? Are you a

famous stand-up yet?

JOKER:

Not quite. Haven't even performed

yet. Just been working my material.

This business is all about fine-

tuning.

Now Hoyt looks up. Takes a drag from his cigarette.

19.

HOYT:

Right.

Joker goes to sit down--

HOYT:

Don't sit. This will be quick.

Joker stops in his tracks.

HOYT:

Look, I like you, Arthur. A lot of

the guys here, they think you're a

freak. But I like you. I don't even

know why I like you. I mean, you

don't say much.

(beat)

It's probably that stupid laugh. It

gets me every time. Kills me.

Unsure how to respond, Joker just nods.

HOYT:

But I got another complaint. And

it's starting to piss me off.

Joker takes a deep breath, maybe picks at his eyebrow.

HOYT:

Kenny's Music. Sunday. The guy said

you disappeared. Never even

returned his sign.

JOKER:

No. I got jumped. I told you about

that.

HOYT:

For a sign? Bullshit. It makes no

sense, just give him his sign back.

He's going out of business for

god's--

BANG! Out of nowhere, Joker slams his head into the wall.

Head-butting it hard.

HOYT:

(taken aback)

Hey!

BANG! BANG! He does it two more times. Breaking the plaster

on the wall--

20.

HOYT:

What the f***, Arthur?!

JOKER:

(voice tightens)

I don't have his sign.

And Joker just stares at Hoyt, some blood forming on his

forehead--

CUT TO:

16 EXT. BACK ALLEY, OUTSIDE HA-HA'S - AMUSEMENT MILE - DAY 16

WE'RE AT THE FAR END OF AN ALLEY, about halfway down, catch a

glimpse of Joker still half-dressed on the other side of a

dumpster. From this vantage, all we can see is him furiously

KICKING and STOMPING on something... or somebody.

We don't hear anything. And we can't make out what it is that

he's so violently beating down.

It could be a cat... a cardboard box... a homeless person...

We don't know.

Joker just continues unleashing his rage--

17 INT. CITY BUS (MOVING) - DUSK 17

Joker at the end of his work day, sitting in his spot toward

the back of the bus.

Across the aisle from him, he's innocently watching a young

couple, playfully teasing each other.

18 EXT. GOTHAM, LOWER EAST SIDE - EVENING 18

Joker heading back home down the litter-covered streets like

he does every night. Garbage still piled along the sidewalks,

air still thick with smog.

He's carrying the paper bag that Randall gave him.

19 INT. LOBBY, APARTMENT BUILDING - EVENING 19

Joker checks his mailbox. Empty.

21.

20 INT. ELEVATOR, APARTMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS 20

Joker is on the elevator, as the door closes, he sticks his

foot out to stop it.

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