Malcolm X Page #37

MALCOLM:

Allah will provide.

INT. BEMBRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM

He has said everything on his mind and waits for Bembry's

answer.

PAN TO BEMBRY:

BEMBRY:

What are you talking about --

"blackout"? Some of the Brothers are

a little jealous. Maybe they think

you been a little -- overpublicized.

That's all. Forget it. It's nothing.

Malcolm is listening closely. Bembry puts an arm around him,

man-to-man.

BEMBRY:

Now about our coming up in the world

a little. You're not naive. You're a

man of the world. The Movement's

grown; we've grown with it. You know

folks. They want their leaders to be

prosperous. One hand washes the other.

MALCOLM:

(quoting Bembry back

to himself)

"I'm telling you God's words, not to

hustle."

BEMBRY:

You want a new car? You want a new

house? Is that it? It's the money,

right?

Malcolm has to control his rage.

MALCOLM:

We tell the world we're moral leaders

because we follow the personal example

of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

It's hard to make a rooster stop

crowing once the sun has risen. The

sun is up.

We hear rifle shots.

DRUM CADENCE (IT WILL BE THROUGHOUT ENTIRE SCENE)

INT. MANHATTAN CENTER - DAY

Malcolm, a last-minute replacement for the ailing Honorable

Elijah Muhammad, speaks before a HUGE CROWD.

MALCOLM:

And what do I say of this so-called

national mourning! I say... the white

man's acts are condemned, not only

by our beliefs but by his own.

SHOT - AMERICAN FLAGS AT HALF-MAST

MALCOLM:

Both his Bible and the Holy Koran

say:
"As you sow, so shall you reap."

Both say:
"Sow the wind, reap the

whirl wind."

SHOT - AMERICAN FLAGS AT HALF-MAST

MALCOLM:

In the soil of America the white man

planted the seeds of hate. He allowed

the weeds that sprang up to choke

the life out of thousands of black

men.

SHOT - THE KENNEDY FUNERAL CORTEGE

MALCOLM:

Now they have strangled one of the

gardeners. This is the justice of

Allah. Wa-Salaam Alaikum.

SHOT - AUDIENCE

AUDIENCE:

Alaikum Wa-Salaam.

SHOT - THE LONE, RIDERLESS HORSE

INT. MALCOLM WITH REPORTERS - DAY

REPORTER:

Minister X! Don't you have even a

little bit of remorse... saddened by

President Kennedy's assassination?

CLOSE - MALCOLM

MALCOLM:

Assassination might be too good a

word, and might I add an Arabic word

at that. This was a prime example of

the devil's chickens coming home to

roost. Being an old farm boy myself,

chickens coming home to roost never

did make me sad. It always made me

glad.

INT. ELIJAH'S OFFICE - DAY

On his desk is the black headlines: MALCOLM X CALLS

ASSASSINATION "CHICKENS COMING HOME TO ROOST." Elijah's health

is getting worse, his coughing is frequent.

ELIJAH:

Did you see the papers today?

MALCOLM:

Yes, sir, I did.

ELIJAH:

That was a very bad statement. The

country loved this man, and you have

made it hard in general for Muslims.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

He knows what is coming.

CLOSE - ELIJAH

ELIJAH:

We must dissociate ourselves from

your terrible blunder. I'll have to

silence you for the next ninety days.

You are not allowed to make any

statements to the press nor are you

to speak at any temples.

CLOSER - MALCOLM

He looks at Elijah, his leader, his friend, his father and

speaks with total sincerity.

MALCOLM:

I agree with you, sir. I submit 100

percent.

ANGLE - ROOM

Malcolm turns around and leaves the room.

ANGLE - DOOR

As the door is being closed, WE SEE Bembry kneeling before

Elijah and kissing his hand. The door closes, the SCREEN IS

BLACK.

FADE IN:

INT. MALCOLM'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Sidney is playing on the floor with the kids. Betty scoops

them up.

BETTY:

C'mon girls, it's bedtime.

The phone rings. Malcolm answers it. From his expression we

know it is a threat call. He hangs up. Betty leaves with the

kids.

SIDNEY:

Another one?

MALCOLM:

How long has this been going on?

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