Panther Page #9

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INT. YANG'S HARDWARE - SAN FRANCISCO - NIGHT

CLOSE UP:
A nest of WEAPONS -- shotguns, M1's, handguns --

sit is on a DESK in the cluttered back room of the store.

Judge's hands run over the guns, checking them out. He sets

an AUTOMATIC aside.

JUDGE:

Busted firing pin.

(checking a revolver)

You want only the legal stuff right?

TYRONE:

Just the legit sh*t.

Judge SETS ASIDE the revolver.

MR. YANG -- a nervous oriental man -- hovers over them.

MR. YANG

Nothing wrong with that pistol.

JUDGE:

Serial number's been filed. Cop

catches you with that he figures you

either stole it or killed someone

with it...

MR. YANG

I don't want no trouble. No cops

coming to me about these guns.

HUEY:

No trouble here. You got a permit to

sell.

(handing over cash)

We're buying. All perfectly legal.

MR. YANG

(counting)

These are worth a lot more.

BOBBY SEALE:

(pointing to a Mao

portrait)

I thought you were a revolutionary.

We can't afford em if you don't cut

us some slack. But... you treat us

right and we'll be doing a lot of

business.

MR. YANG

Alright.

EXT. HARDWARE STORE - NIGHT

Cy and Tyrone load the weapons into Cy's VAN. Bobby, Huey,

and Judge talk.

HUEY:

We appreciate your help with this.

JUDGE:

So what's the deal?

HUEY:

(a smile)

Freedom... We're just gonna test

some of the words in that law book.

Truck loaded, the Panthers make to leave. Huey lingers a bit

with Judge.

HUEY:

Judge... we're doing security for

Betty Shabazz's visit next week. I'd

like to have someone who knows there

way around a pistol there. Someone

like you.

JUDGE:

I don't know.

HUEY:

You are down for protecting Malcolm's

widow aren't you?

JUDGE:

Yeah... let me think about it.

HUEY:

Okay man I ain't going to push. But

remember the revolution isn't going

to wait for anyone. Come on, we'll

give you a lift.

JUDGE:

No man. Gonna walk.

Tyrone watches Judge warily as he turns and walks away.

MONTAGE:

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Judge, feet moving across pavement, walks alone.

INT. CLASSROOM - DAY

A WHITE PROFESSOR nasally drones about ECONOMICS as Judge

stares out the window, watching PANTHERS sell RED BOOKS.

EXT. GHETTO - DAY

Panthers exhorting the community. Chaos slowly turning into

organizations, repainting, sickle cell program, and handing

out bags of food as BRIMMER watches from his car.

EXT. CITY STREETS - DAY

A COP CRUISER slowly passes Judge as he walks, shining its

SPOTLIGHT on him.

INT. JUDGE AND CY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

It's late. Judge studies a TEXT BOOK. Next to it sits MAO'S

RED BOOK. He can't concentrate. Grabbing his jacket, Judge

heads out the DOOR.

END MONTAGE:

INT. BOBBY'S PONTIAC NIGHT

Huey's DRIVING. Bobby's next to him, a RIFLE on his lap.

Tyrone and CY sit in back. They're all in UNIFORM.

HUEY:

(to Cy)

This here's a "Panther Patrol." We

see a brother getting busted. We

check it out, make sure the pig don't

go beating on the man. Brother gets

taken downtown, we post bail, hook

'em up with a lawyer.

TYRONE:

We're like policing the police.

Huey SPOTS something through the windshield a COP CAR.

HUEY:

(pulling over)

Damn straight.

EXT. GROVE STREET - NIGHT

TWO BEEFY COPS have a BLACK MAN up against the wall. Panther's

Pontiac pulls to the curb. The cops TURN...

HUEY -- holding a RIFLE, backed by the other Panthers --

stares solidly at the policeman.

BEEFY COP #1

(into radio)

Get me some back up...

In the BACKGROUND, the man against the wall SCOOTS AWAY.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Walking thinking, Judge moves down the street. After a bit,

RED LIGHTS can be seen on the wall behind him. Judge MOVES

quickly toward the lights, SPOTTING something.

EXT. GROVE STREET - NIGHT

Near Panther HQ, FIGURES move in silhouette against a SQUAD

CAR's HEADLIGHTS.

High tension as HUEY and BOBBY SEALE stand next to the beat

up PONTIAC holding a RIFLE. THE BEEFY COP faces him --

flashlight in one hand, Huey's LICENSE in the other.

Cy, Tyrone and other Panthers -- in full PANTHER UNIFORMS --

move through the crowd passing out BLACK PANTHER PARTY TEN

POINT PROGRAMS.

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