Raging Bull Page #2

EXT. JAKE AND IRMA'S APARTMENT BUILDING/TENEMENT -

DAY:

SALVY and JOEY approach the building.

JOEY:

I can't convince him. He's got such

a thick head, I'd like to crack it

open myself. Believe me, my own

brother. It's very hard.

You don't have to convince me -- I

know we should be with Tommy. You

talk to him. He don't listen to

nobody.

SALVY:

Look, I'm just tellin' you how

Tommy feels. Jake is makin' it hard

on himself. Tommy wants him with

us. It's as simple as that.

They stop at the doorway.

SALVY (CONT'D)

Talk some sense into him, will ya?

You're still his brother. If he

ain't gonna listen to you, he ain't

gonna listen to nobody!

JOEY:

All right, I'll try. See you later.

SALVY:

Tomorrow, at the gym. Don't forget.

JOEY:

Right, the gym.

SALVY leaves. JOEY goes into the building.

INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S KITCHEN - DAY

JOEY is knocking at the door. IRMA opens it.

JOEY:

(noticing Jake)

What's the matter?

IRMA:

He's doing it again.

JOEY:

(goes to Jake)

What's the matter? You're drinking.

You're eating like an animal.

JOEY sits next to JAKE at the kitchen table. JAKE

has a drink in his hand, and tears on his face.

JOEY (CONT'D)

What's wrong?

JAKE:

(gets up)

Nothing...

JAKE goes into the living room. IRMA looks at JOEY.

JOEY follows JAKE.

INT. LIVING ROOM

JOEY walks up to JAKE.

JOEY:

Hey, c'mon, what's the matter?

JAKE:

(privately, to Joey)

I ain't ever gonna fight Joe Louis,

that's what's the matter.

JOEY:

What're you talking about? He's a

heavyweight. You're a middleweight.

JAKE holds out his scarred hands.

JAKE:

Look at these hands. These f***in'

hands. I was born with a girl's

hands. And even if I put on enough

weight to be a heavyweight, I'd be

too slow to fight. No matter how

big I get, I'll never be big enough

to fight Louis.

JAKE pauses. IRMA watches from the doorway.

JOEY:

That's what I'm sayin'. You

shouldn't even think like that.

It's crazy.

JAKE:

I tell you one thing. Ok, I'll

never be big enough to fight Louis,

but I know Joey, I know...

JOEY:

You know?

JAKE:

Yeah. Do me a favor.

JOEY:

Sure. What is it?

JAKE:

Hit me in the face.

JOEY:

(after a pause)

You want me to do what?

JAKE:

You heard me, I said hit me.

JOEY:

C'mon, Jack. You had a few drinks.

JAKE:

Go ahead. I ain't drunk. Take your

best shot. On the jaw.

JOEY:

Jack, I got no gloves.

JAKE:

(grabs a nearby towel)

Here's your glove.

JOEY wraps it around his fist. IRMA watches. JOEY

hits JAKE with his right. JAKE holds fast.

JAKE (CONT'D)

Go ahead. Hit me. C'mon, don't

worry about it. I want you to hit

me with everything you got.

JOEY hauls off and lands him a real belt. JAKE

rolls with it and stands firm.

JAKE (CONT'D)

Again. Harder.

JOEY hits him again.

JAKE (CONT'D)

Harder. Go 'head.

JOEY hits him again.

JAKE (CONT'D)

Harder.

(grabs the towel)

Take the towel off.

JOEY:

Jack! Enough!

JAKE:

Go ahead.

JOEY hits him again. JAKE holds fast. JAKE starts

to walk away.

JOEY:

What was that for? I know you can

take punches. I can hit you from

now to doomsday. What the f*** does

that prove?

JAKE:

See that, I don't feel it. I can

take it. I know I can take anybody.

EXT. GLEASON'S GYM - NEXT DAY

Gleason's, a small gym and fight club, stands on

149th Street and 3rd Avenue above a small sandwich

shop.

Each day BOBBY GLEASON posts a small sign alongside

the door listing the fighters who will be working

out. JAKE's name is posted at the top; the other

names are unmemorable.

INT. GLEASON'S - DAY

Gleason's has a single sparring ring and ten

training bags. About a dozen managers train their

fighters out at Gleason's. For 50 cents, spectators

sit in the gallery and watch the workouts.

JAKE is sparring with JOEY in the ring. They've

been working out for a while now. The bell rings

ending the third round. JAKE prances about the ring

waiting for the bell to sound again.

At that moment, SALVY, along with two other young

"BUTTON" MEN (actually, they are very young --

about JOEY's age) enter the gym. They are well

dressed (over-coat, ties, suits, flashy rings,

etc.). They say hello to some PEOPLE by the door.

JAKE looks over and notices them. SALVY looks over

to the ring.

SALVY:

(waves)

Hey Joey --

JOEY waves back.

SALVY (CONT'D)

(waves again)

Jake, how you doin'?

JAKE nods to SALVY very cold. SALVY notices and can

feel that he's not exactly wanted there by JAKE.

JOEY notices the same and becomes a bit nervous.

SALVY sits down near the ring but not as close as

he'd like to. His two friends, FRANKIE and GUIDO,

sit nearby also.

JAKE goes to JOEY's corner.

JAKE:

Did you know they were coming up

here?

JOEY doesn't answer.

JAKE (CONT'D)

Answer me when I talk to you.

JOEY:

Yeah, yeah. They just wanted to

talk to you. So I...

JAKE:

(interrupting)

Don't ever bring those kids up here

again! I'm working out, I'm killin'

myself in here, and they walk

around like they f***in' own the

neighborhood.

SALVY and the OTHERS see JOEY being chewed out by

JAKE. They begin to feel unwelcome at the gym.

The bell sounds. JAKE is more aggressive now as he

corners JOEY. JAKE swings away with body punches.

JOEY can't block them. SALVY and the OTHERS watch.

The bell sounds again. With that, SALVY and the

OTHERS start to leave.

SALVY:

(to Joey)

Hey Joey, we better go. See you

later.

JOEY, dazed, turns to wave.

JAKE:

Go 'head. Wave goodbye. They're

your friends.

JAKE watches them leave.

JAKE (CONT'D)

And that hard-on, Salvy. Who's he

think he is? I'm gonna let that

f***in' hard-on come up here and

act like a big shot.

JOEY:

What are you getting so hot about --

Tommy Como told him to come down

here...

JAKE:

(interrupting)

Hey, I don't care about Tommy Como.

I don't care about Jesus Christ on

the f***in' cross. I gotta give

them a percentage of what I make!

I'm in here breaking my ass, not

them. Don't ever bring them up here

again.

JOEY:

I didn't tell them to come. Tommy

Como...

The bell sounds again. JAKE hits JOEY a few more

solid body punches. JOEY gets angry and fights back

with a flurry of punches which have no effect on

JAKE. JAKE laughs.

JAKE:

That's right, fight back. I got

laid three times before I came up

here this morning and I can still

break your ass.

JOEY fights back, but it's no use.

JOEY:

You cocksucker.

JAKE laughs. The two continue to swing it out, as

SALVY watches unseen from the doorway.

EXT. SHOREHAVEN POOL - DAY (1942-43)

The Shorehaven Pool, spic-and-span in the summer

sun is the closest thing to a country club in the

Bronx. An eight foot fence stands between the pool

and the street.

JAKE, wearing slacks and a sportshirt, hangs out

with the "BOYS" near the bar area. Older, "MADE"

MEN play cards. A young FAN walks by and says:

FAN:

Hey, Jake.

At the opposite end of the pool where the GIRLS

gossip, and sunbathe, JOEY swaps small talk with

VICKIE, a school girl, about 15. VICKIE is a

knockout.

SALVY, FRANKIE and JUNIOR are with VICKIE and her

FRIENDS. They joke with JOEY.

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