Nothing But a Man

A crew of African-Americans are laying tracks in rural Alabama. The crane

operator is the only white man on the section gang.

INT. BUNK CAR

The dormitory of the section gang. The men are through for the day and

lounging on their bunkbeds. DUFF ANDERSON plays checkers with FRANKIE, using

bottle tops as pieces. Duff makes the winning move and Frankie, disgusted,

turns over the board. He saunters over to JOCKO, who is shaving in a broken

mirror. Frankie watches him with a grin.

JOCKO:

Go to hell, Frankie.

FRANKIE:

Man, you sure one ugly cat!

He takes the cigarettes Jocko has rolled, sailor-style, into the sleeve of

his T-shirt.

JOCKO:

Why don't you guys buy your own?

FRANKIE:

'Oughta give up smoking, Jocko.

He stops in front of an older man, who is writing a letter.

FRANKIE:

How much longer we got on this stretch, Riddick?

RIDDICK:

Five weeks, maybe six.

FRANKIE:

Man, what a dump.

He circles restlessly past two cardplayers back to Duff, who is clipping his

fingernails.

FRANKIE:

What you gettin' all pretty for?

DUFF:

(with a grin)

Why don't you relax, Frankie?

RAILROAD TRACK:

Duff, Frankie, and Jocko are riding a track-car, powered by a small engine,

into the nearest town. The sun is setting. A church bell rings.

POOL HALL:

Jocko, a cigar in his mouth, is playing a pinball machine. Duff and Frankie

stand at the bar. They are joined by DORIS , a sad-looking woman with bad

skin.

DORIS:

Who's going to buy me a beer?

FRANKIE:

(scornfully)

What's the matter, Doris? Business bad?

DORIS:

It sure is.

FRANKIE:

Everybody givin' it away free, huh?

DORIS:

You gonna buy me a beer, Frankie?

FRANKIE:

See Duff. He's the money man.

DORIS:

What d'you say, Duff?

DUFF:

(to the bartender)

Give her a beer.

DORIS:

Thanks, Duff. You' a nice guy. Not like Frankie.

FRANKIE:

You know, Doris - you'd make some guy a swell

wife.

DORIS:

You think so, Frankie?

FRANKIE:

Hell, you got steady work.

DUFF:

Quit ridin' her, Frankie.

The bartender serves her a bottle of beer

FRANKIE:

I ain't ridin' her. Wouldn't ride her on a bet.

Duff pays for the beer and turns to leave.

DORIS:

Where' you goin'?

DUFF:

Out.

DORIS:

Want me to come?

DUFF:

No thanks.

DORIS:

Come on, honey.

FRANKIE:

Where' you goin'?

DUFF:

'Round town.

FRANKIE:

What's so hot 'round town?

DUFF:

(with a grin)

Take it easy, Frankie.

He leaves.

FRANKIE:

Don't wanna fish you outa no jailhouse.

STREET (Night)

Duff is walking along the deserted street in the black part of town.

Music from the pool hall fades and we pick up the strains of gospel singing

from a nearby church.

INT. CHURCH

The choir is singing "Precious Lord." The women are spirited and the

congregation in the small wooden building is alive to the music.

Duff appears in the open doorway and stops to listen.

When the song ends, REVEREND DAWSON rises from his chair.

REVEREND:

I'm glad to see this meeting off to a good

start. Now we'll take a break and then come back

to hear from our distinguished guest - Reverend

Butler of the Morgan Street Baptist Church in

Birmingham. See you all in a little while.

Reverend Butler compliments him on the choir.

CHURCH YARD:

Long tables laden with food are lit by strings of lightbulbs. The sound of a

gospel piano from inside the church.

A smiling middle-aged woman has taken Duff in tow and leads him over to a

young woman (JOSIE), who is serving food.

WOMAN:

Josie - this is Brother Anderson. Now you give

him some of that good food. He's a fine young

man.

(on her way)

Ain't it a wonderful meetin'?!

Duff studies Josie with a smile. She is clearly middle class. While she puts

food on a paper plate, she glances at him - matching his ironic detachment

with her own. She hands him the plate

DUFF:

Thank you, Ma'am. That's fine.

JOSIE:

You must be new in town.

DUFF:

(with a grin)

I'll have me some of that punch there, too.

She serves the punch.

JOSIE:

Haven't seen you around, have I?

DUFF:

No. I'm new in town.

JOSIE:

(unwilling to give up)

You working?

DUFF:

Yeah. On the section gang.

He is sure that this will put a stop to her curiosity. It doesn't.

JOSIE:

(interested)

Oh yeah?

DUFF:

You work around town?

JOSIE:

I'm a teacher.

DUFF:

Went to college, huh?

JOSIE:

In Birmingham.

DUFF:

Oh yeah? That's my home town.

JOSIE:

Your folks live there?

DUFF:

No. My mother's dead.

(after a moment)

You goin' back inside?

JOSIE:

Yes, aren't you?

DUFF:

No. Never had much use for hell-howlers. You

goin'?

JOSIE:

(with a smile)

My father's the preacher.

DUFF:

(grinning)

Oh yeah? Well, I guess you got no choice.

JOSIE:

That's right.

DUFF:

(a bit tentatively)

Look, I don't know what you been told 'bout

section gangs, but how 'bout seein' me sometime?

JOSIE:

(with a non-committal smile)

Maybe.

INT. CHURCH

The visiting revival preacher is in full swing, preaching and singing. The

congregation of women is in a state of high excitement. Josie alone seems out

of it, though she sits in their midst.

Duff has been standing in the doorway. He turns away.

EXT. CHURCH

Duff walks away, past a shack. The singing fades. A dog barks.

BUNK CAR (Night)

Duff, Frankie, Jocko, and an older man (POP) are playing cards. While waiting

for his turn, Jocko catches a fly and sneaks a look at Frankie's cards.

JOCKO:

You got a lousy hand, Frankie.

Frankie throws down the cards.

FRANKIE:

Yeah, I quit.

He gets up. At loose ends, he picks up an old Flit-gun and squirts it at

Duff, who is polishing his shoes.

DUFF:

You got nothin' on your mind but your hair,

Frankie. How 'bout your car, Riddick?

RIDDICK:

Yeah, you can have it.

JOCKO:

Man, you won't like that back seat.

FRANKIE:

Man, why 'you messin' around with a gal like

that? You won't get no place.

JOCKO:

Hell, they're all after the same thing.

POP:

Yeah. All a colored woman wants is your money.

JOCKO:

What d'you know about women, Pop?

POP:

Well, I got married to one of them.

JOCKO:

Hell, I didn't know you was married.

POP:

Sure. Got a sixteen-year-old girl.

JOCKO:

Is that right?

(to Duff)

Think you're gonna make it with her?

FRANKIE:

Just get her drunk.

DUFF:

(to Riddick)

How 'bout the key?

FRANKIE:

I bet she's easy jam.

DAWSON DINING ROOM (Night)

A middle-class tableau. Dinner is over. Reverend Dawson is reading the paper.

Josie, dressed for an evening out, sits across from her step-mother, who is

looking at her with pursed lips.

MRS. DAWSON

I know you pay no mind to my feelings, but

d'you think it's right for you to go out with

him?

JOSIE:

I'm twenty-six years old, Susan.

MRS. DAWSON

Perhaps you ought to tell her, Frank.

Reverend Dawson has no stomach for confrontations, but turns to Josie

dutifully.

REVEREND DAWSON:

Well, we have a position in town, Josie. You

have to remember that. There're lots of other

young men.

MRS. DAWSON

I don't think your mother would have approved.

JOSIE:

I do.

MRS. DAWSON

Well, there's just one thing you can be looking

for in a man like that.

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