Malcolm X Page #3

And Malcolm is a little bug-eyed as he nudges Shorty, watching

mixed couples on the floor.

A BOY in extreme zoot-suit flips him; a WHITE GIRL in long

blond hair wigs him. Malcolm is a little open-mouthed.

A VOICE:

SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME!

ANGLE - THE BALLROOM - NIGHT

People start moving off the floor, making room for the

dancers. The music begins to get faster and more furious.

CLOSE - HAMPTON'S BAND - NIGHT

It is a fast Lindy. People start clapping to the beat as

they form a U around the DANCERS, with the band at the open

end.

INT. THE DANCE FLOOR

TWO COUPLES are on the floor, dancing wildly. They are quickly

joined by a half dozen OTHERS. These are the best dancers

and constitute the main event of a Saturday night black dance.

People crowd and push to get better vantage points and the

competition is under way.

ANGLE ON THE CROWD

It is dominantly black, but there are some whites in the

audience, mostly women. One is SOPHIA, a spectacular blonde

with a degree of refinement, something of a thrill-seeker.

Many of the men try to catch her eye, but for the moment

Sophia is just watching, looking for no one in particular,

but nonetheless looking.

ANGLE:
- COUPLE ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Getting ready to enter the fray, the GIRL takes off her shoes

and bounces out on the floor barefoot with her partner. Their

advent is greeted with cheers and ad libs. Clearly the crowd

has its favorites.

WIDER SHOT:

The music gets faster and the dancing takes on a more frantic

and more remarkable quality.

FOLLOW SHOT - MALCOLM

He is looking for his partner, the girl he brought and now

he sees her.

He makes his way through the watching audience.

CLOSE - LAURA

She is a fine chick, cool and beautiful. She smiles as she

sees Malcolm approaching.

TWO-SHOT. Laura and Malcolm stand together, delighted to be

with one another, starting to move to the music, as they

watch the dancers.

MALCOLM:

Come on, baby, let's show 'em how.

Laura smiles shyly; she's willing.

MALCOLM:

You better get out of them shoes,

girl.

Laura laughs, goes quickly to a bench and changes into a

pair of sneakers.

INT. THE DANCE FLOOR

Because of the competition, Laura and Malcolm begin at high

speed. In a moment they are executing the most intricate

steps of the "flapping eagle" and the "kangaroo." Malcolm

starts boosting her over and around his hips, then boosting

her over his shoulders. Laura is the perfect partner. She

loves it.

ANGLE WITH THE CROWD

So does the crowd, who loves new stars. There are ad lib

remarks:
"Go, man, go." "Hey, Red." "Mmmmmm ummm."

ANGLE - SHORTY

A big, fat, hefty BLACK WOMAN takes Shorty out to the dance

floor, and she takes the lead. As they do the Lindy she is

slinging Shorty around like a rag doll. This woman slides

him through her legs and Shorty has had enough, he runs off

the dance floor, and hides.

TWO-SHOT. Laura and Malcolm are, in the phrase, cooking on

all burners now; and when they execute an especially intricate

step, even Hamp waves over.

Malcolm is sweating and flushed and enormously elated. He

sees that people are watching him, goading him on. He notices

that Sophia, in particular, has not taken her eyes off him;

she is clapping in time to his steps.

Seeing new stars in the making, the other dancers move to

the side of the floor, marking time, yielding the dance floor

to them. Laura and Malcolm go into a solo.

ANGLES:

The crowd loves it. Malcolm and Sophia are very aware of

each other.

The finale is the classic drag, with Laura hanging limp around

Malcolm's neck as he capers off the dance floor to the

spontaneous applause of the audience.

CLOSE SHOT - SOPHIA (SLO-MO)

Clapping enthusiastically -- in open admiration.

CLOSE SHOT - SHORTY

Waiting to catch them as they come off. Shorty is whistling

and shaking his hand appreciatively. He is also looking out

for his dance partner.

SHORTY:

Hey, man, gimme some skin.

MALCOLM:

Shorty, this is Laura.

Laura is flushed and out of breath and joyous.

LAURA:

'Lo. I've got to freshen up.

MALCOLM:

Now you come back.

Laura laughs as she goes. She surely will be back.

SHORTY:

That's a fine chick.

MALCOLM:

Fine as May wine.

SHORTY:

Except she live on the hill and got

a grandma.

MALCOLM:

Make it too easy and it ain't no

fun.

Then his vision catches Sophia, who is approaching him. She

makes a simple, direct gesture, "Want to dance?" Malcolm

eyes Shorty and wordlessly glides into Sophia's arms.

ANGLE - THE DANCE FLOOR

Immediately from the glances of the other men at the dance,

he is the cynosure of all eyes. He has new status. It's a

heady feeling because she is the first white girl he has

ever been with socially who is not an obvious whore. He begins

to show off a little, cuts a few fine steps.

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