Malcolm X Page #42

INTERCUT between Malcolm and Brother Earl.

MALCOLM:

I'm gonna try and get some work done

tonight.

BROTHER EARL:

Let some of us come down there.

MALCOLM:

No, that won't be necessary. I'll be

all right.

BROTHER EARL:

I wish you'd listen to us. What about

the meeting tomorrow? We need to

frisk people.

MALCOLM:

I don't want folks to be searched,

it makes people uncomfortable. If I

can't be safe among my own kind,

where can I be? Allah will protect

me.

There is silence on the other end.

CLOSE - BROTHER EARL

INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - NIGHT

The five assassins are casing ballroom. They check the

different entrances, the exits, the bathrooms, staircases

while the jam packed crowd continues to dance the night away.

INT. A FRIEND'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Betty is putting her four daughters to sleep when the phone

rings. She picks it up.

VOICE:

That red n*gger of yours is dead and

so are your bastard children.

CLICK.

Betty hangs up the phone and it rings again.

BETTY:

Stop calling us. Leave us alone.

Leave us alone. I'll kill you. I'll

kill you.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

MALCOLM:

Betty it's me. It's me.

INTERCUT between between Malcolm and Betty.

BETTY:

Malcolm, they keep calling,

threatening us. I'm going crazy,

when is this going to stop?

MALCOLM:

Don't answer the phone. It's all

right. It's all right. Nothing is

gonna happen to anybody.

BETTY:

Dear heart, where are you?

MALCOLM:

At the Hilton. The girls asleep?

BETTY:

I just put them to bed. Can we come

to the meeting tomorrow?

MALCOLM:

I don't think that's such a good

idea.

EXT. ROAD

A blue 1968 Cadillac passes a sign that says Patterson, New

Jersey.

ANGLE - CAR

The assassins are on their way to the Audubon Ballroom, Wilbur

Kinley is behind the wheel, no one is talking.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Betty is driving to the Audubon Ballroom, her four daughters

are in the backseat making a racket.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Malcolm drives to the Audubon Ballroom.

INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - DAY

Brothers Earl and Benjamin 2X along with some others are

putting the folding chairs in place for the coming meeting.

The audience has not started to come in yet.

EXT. GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE - DAY

The assassins are driving over the George Washington Bridge.

ANGLE - CAR

KINLEY:

Brothers, the time is fast

approaching, it's the hour of the

knife.

EXT. STREET - DAY

CLOSE - BETTY

Betty is trying to quiet down her daughters as she drives.

EXT. STREET - DAY

CLOSE - MALCOLM

Malcolm is in deep thought as he drives.

INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - DAY

Betty and her four kids walk into the ballroom and move down

the center aisle. One of the girls drops her black doll and

a young man picks it up. The young man is Thomas Hayer, he

gives it back to her.

BETTY:

Say thank you.

GAMILAH:

Thank you.

THOMAS:

You are welcome.

ANGLE. The rest of the assassins come in and go to their

positions along with the rest of the crowd, the place is

starting to fill up.

INT. BACKSTAGE - DAY

BROTHER BENJAMIN 2X

No sign of the minister yet.

BROTHER EARL:

He'll be here like clockwork.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Malcolm drives past the Audubon Ballroom, people are going

in but no cops are present.

ANGLE - CAR

Malcolm drives by.

ANGLE - STREET

Malcolm parks his car, it's four blocks away. He turns off

the ignition and sits there.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

It's as if he's frozen in his car.

ANGLE - STREET

Malcolm finally gets out of the car, locks the door and walks

a couple of steps, then stops.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

Malcolm has stopped in his tracks, like some unseen force

has overcome him which prevents him from moving. Malcolm is

paralyzed.

CLOSER - MALCOLM'S FACE

His eyes are closed, and the street noise begins to build to

a deafening roar. Then all of a sudden it stops.

ANGLE - OLD WOMAN

OLD WOMAN:

Son, you all right?

Malcolm opens his eyes, she has brought him out of it. He

looks at her but doesn't answer.

OLD WOMAN:

Are you okay?

Malcolm looks at this old woman, who slightly resembles his

own mother.

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