Raging Bull Page #8

VICKIE pulls away from JOEY, and goes back to the

table.

The table area:
JOEY arrives at the table. He grabs

VICKIE.

JOEY (CONT'D)

I said, let's go.

SALVY:

Joey, relax. You're taking this the

wrong way. Why don't you sit down

and have a drink?

JOEY:

Excuse me, I'm talking to my sister

in-law.

SALVY:

Excuse me for living.

JOEY:

What do you think, I'm blind? My

brother's breaking his ass in a

ring, and you're here with his

wife.

SALVY:

Hey Joey, I'm here with Patsy and

Vera and Sandy. And Vickie just

happened to come along. We're just

trying to have a good time. What do

you want from me? So, why don't you

just take it easy before this gets

out of hand.

As the conversation gets louder, PEOPLE begin to

notice. PAUL, the owner (a tough-looking, well

dressed guy), and some BOUNCERS also become aware

of the argument.

JOEY:

Get the f*** outa here. What did

you do, take your gangster pills

today? I'll tear your f***in' head

off your shoulders!

JOEY goes for SALVY. PEOPLE react.

The GIRLS begin to scream. VICKIE exits. JOEY

notices her leave, and calls after her.

JOEY (CONT'D)

Hey, wait --

PAUL comes over and stops the fight.

PAUL:

Ain't you forgettin' something?

Ain't there never supposed to be no

trouble in this joint?

SALVY and JOEY give each other looks. JOEY goes out

after VICKIE.

EXT. COPACABANA - NIGHT

JOEY looks up the street for VICKIE. She is gone.

SALVY and PATSY come out of the entrance.

SALVY:

Hey Joey, whadda ya lookin' to die

young?

JOEY:

(as he turns and lashes

into Salvy and Patsy)

I'll suck your eyes out! I'll

f***in' take the two of you.

After a few moments, PAUL and the BOUNCERS from the

Copa come out. The BOUNCERS pull PATSY away. They

try to separate SALVY and JOEY, but can't.

JOEY savagely beats SALVY on the Copa steps and in

the street against the parked cars.

JOEY (CONT'D)

F***in' low-life, cocksucker, etc.

...

SALVY tries to fight back, but JOEY is too tough

for him. SALVY hits the pavement. JOEY kicks him.

PAUL, PATSY, and the BOUNCERS finally pull JOEY

away. PATSY tries to go after JOEY again, but PAUL

stops him.

PATSY:

(to Paul)

Don't f***in' put your hands on me!

You're gonna near about this, Paul.

PAUL:

(to Patsy)

Get the f*** outa here. Don't come

in my place and start f***in'

trouble -- I don't care who you

are!

(to Joey)

Get outa here. Go on.

JOEY looks back at him, and then walks away.

INT. THE BACK ROOM OF THE DEBONAIR SOCIAL CLUB

The room is furnished with a few round tables and

some chairs; it is somewhat reminiscent of an old

fashioned candy store.

TOMMY COMO, SALVY, PATSY and JOEY are present.

SALVY's face is bruised from the beating JOEY gave

him.

COMO:

All rightg I don't have to hear any

more. I think I understand what

happened. I understand it was your

brother's wife and there was

probably a misunderstanding. I'm

not sayin' Salvy shouldn't have

acted the way he did. But, Joey,

you don't raise your hands. You

don't do that kind of thing. This

time we forget about it but no more

after this. You understand?

JOEY:

Yeah, I understand, Tommy.

COMO:

All right, you guys, shake hands.

SALVY, JOEY, and PATSY shake hands.

COMO (CONT'D)

Go 'head. Be friends. That's it.

(to Salvy and Patsy)

All right, lemme be alone with him

for a minute.

SALVY and PATSY exit.

There is a pause.

COMO (CONT'D)

Aside from everything else, your

family all right?

JOEY:

Yeah, they're good. They're good,

Tommy.

COMO:

What is it with you? Can't you

talk? You got like a funny

attitude. I can't figure you out,

Joey. What's with you and the quick

answers? You wanna get outa here

fast?

JOEY:

Aw, Tommy, c'mon, it ain't that.

COMO:

Look Joey, I wanna tell you

something. Your brother ain't gonna

get nowhere without us -- nowhere.

And I'm tellin' you between the two

of us, it's gettin' to the point

where it's gettin' to be a real

embarrassment to me, a real

embarrassment.

JOEY:

How can he embarrass you?

COMO:

He's an embarrassment because

Frankie and the other guys are

expectin' me to do something about

it, and I'm lookin' very bad.

I can't deliver a kid from my own

neighborhood. Why's he make it so

hard on himself? He comes to me, I

can make it easier for him.

JOEY:

Tommy, Jake respects you. He won't

even say hello to anybody else --

you know that. But you know when

Jake gets set on somethin', Jesus

Christ Almighty could get off the

f***in' cross and he ain't gonna

talk him out of it. I'm his kid

brother. I got no say with Jake on

this. He thinks he can buck

everybody and make it on his own.

COMO:

Make it on his own? Does he know

the kind of money involved? I mean

the real money. He thinks he's

gonna become champ on his own?

We're gonna sit by and see some nut

come in there and hold one of the

most important titles in the world?

A nut who don't listen to nobody or

respect nobody? Is he really crazy?

Listen, Joey, you understand, you

tell him. I don't care how great he

is or how colorful. He could beat

all the Sugar Ray Robinsons and all

the Janiros he wants to. He ain't

gonna get a shot at the title

without us. I'm not askin' you to

do another thing except get that

message into that thick head!

EXT. SHORERAVEN POOL - DAY

Another day. JOEY, fully clothed, opens the gate

and looks around.

JAKE is sitting alone near the deep end. JOEY walks

over to him.

JOEY:

Whatcha doin'?

JAKE:

I remember the first time I met

Vickie... I know there's somethin'

up. I know she's doin' somethin',

but I can't catch her...

JOEY:

Maybe she's afraid you're gonna hit

her so she can't talk to you the

way she wants to.

JAKE:

What do you mean?

JOEY:

Try talkin' to her. She's your wife

-- ask her what's the matter.

JAKE:

When I'm away, did you ever notice

anythin' funny with her? Tell me

the truth.

JOEY:

Jack, if there was anything funny,

I would tell you.

JAKE:

I want you to keep an eye on her

when I'm not here. Understand?

JOEY:

Sure, I'll keep an eye on her.

JAKE:

What did Tommy say?

JOEY:

I got good news, and I got bad

news. The good news is you got your

shot at the title. The bad news

is...

JAKE:

(interrupting, resigned)

Yeah, I know.

INT. WORTH STREET BASEMENT - DAY

As BILLY FOX steps off the scales, EDDIE EAGAN

calls out:

EAGAN:

Billy Fox, 173 3/4 pounds.

JOEY removes JAKE's leopard-skin robe as he steps

on the scale. The REPORTERS crowd around.

EAGAN (CONT'D)

Jake LaMotta, 167 pounds.

JAKE'S HANDLERS urge him with words of

encouragement as they walk toward his dressing

room.

INT. JAKE'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY

EAGAN walks over.

JAKE:

What's up, Colonel?

EAGAN:

I'd like to talk to Jake a minute.

JOEY:

Sure.

EAGAN:

I suppose you heard what

everybody's been saying, Jake.

JAKE:

What who's been sayin'?

EAGAN:

You were a big favorite in this

fight. Then two days ago the odds

start jumping all over the place

until you're a 12-5 underdog.

JAKE:

I don't follow no gamblin'

Commissioner. I'm just a fighter.

EAGAN:

Now the fight's off the books

altogether. Meyer Lansky couldn't

get a bet down on this fight. Some

people are saying you're going into

the tank.

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