Ray Page #2

started shaving. You believe that?

Uh... uh, Seven-oh, could you do me a

favor, man, and close that bag for me?

What's wrong? You got two

hands. You can close it yourself.

I got two feet, too.

Could you close it?

I got it.

Excuse me, sir!

Man, we're gonna be late.

I got to get

my own place, Gossie.

Why? I mean,

you got free rent right now.

Like hell it's free rent.

Oh, come on, Ray.

Why you gonna mess

with a good thing?

All I'm saying is you keep

layin' that pipe with Marlene,

and I bet you she's gonna

make us all rich.

Hey, sir, excuse me!

Straighten up

and fly right

Straighten up

and stay right

Straighten up

and fly right

Cool down, papa

Don't you blow your top

Just back from their

triumphant tour

of the Yakima Valley,

The McSon Trio!

They'll be back right here,

same time, same place,

next week.

Hey, baby, you sound more

like Nat than the King himself.

What's your name?

Ray Robinson.

Ray Robinson?

I'm Jack Lauderdale,

Swing Time Records.

Oh, hey... hey, hey, Jack!

How you doing, man?

Good.

Oh, good.

How about us makin'

a record together?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Hell, yeah! Let's do that.

Can I help you?

I don't think so.

We're just talking

a little business.

Then you need to talk to me,

'cause I'm his manager.

Whichever way

the wind blows.

It's blowing.

Jack Lauderdale,

Swing Time Records.

Marlene Andres.

Marlene?

Gossie McGee.

Gossie McGee.

Great set, baby.

We're going to talk

with Mr. Lauderdale here.

Come on, Jack.

I'm buying.

I'm coming in, uh,

to talk to him.

You are doing

a fabulous job!

Yes, man.

Eh, look, let's talk to him

about this record.

Hey, no, no, we're gonna

let Marlene handle that.

You get Oberon

to call you a cab, all right.

Great set, Ray.

Goss!

Hey, daddy-o, want a smoke?

I got some gage,

fresh off the boat.

It's clean and seedless.

So that's how it is, huh?

You keep me high

while they talk the business?

I ain't the one

playing you, man.

Oberon, listen...

You know, Marlene and Gossie are the

ones running the game on you, Ray.

What?

They sliced up the pie

the first night you played.

35 percent off the top.

Plus Gossie's

double scale as leader.

Leader?

If anybody's leading the band,

I'm the one

that's the leader.

Forget the bo' humps.

You know what?

I... I'm... I'm gonna go

my own way.

Who's gonna

book your gigs?

Marlene's got you locked up.

And she ain't gonna give up

her golden goose.

Straighten up

and fly right

Cool down, papa,

don't you blow your top

Hey, Ray Robinson,

you are fantastic.

There you go.

Give me some skin.

What's that?

Jack's card.

I got his number

at the hotel.

Come on, Q.

It's not that complicated.

Now let's just play it again.

That's a B flat,

C 7, scale it up,

and triple it off

the back end.

Yeah, n*gger!

Yeah, that's it.

Ray, what did I tell you

about cookin' in the dark?

Are you tryin'

to burn the house down?

Think about it, Marlene. Uh...

uh, What do I need the light for?

Well, you don't need

to be cookin' anyway.

We brought you

takeout from Oscar's.

Well, get your money back.

I got fried chicken

right here.

Come on, Seven-oh,

try this.

Yeah! About time.

Hey, that's home-cooked,

right there.

Mmm, no, thank you.

This chicken

is the mostest, huh.

Just needs a little hot sauce

and it'll be perfect.

Yeah. So, what did

Jack Lauderdale have to say?

Oh, I clocked him

comin' out the gate.

He's a two-bit hustler.

Oh, I see.

Yeah, turns out the only hit

that Swing Time ever had

was Open the Door, Richard,

which was a joke record.

Uh... uh... uh, what about him

recordin' me?

Oh, he'll record you,

if we pay the freight.

Scratch a liar,

find a thief.

What's that

supposed to mean?

This.

You see I saw

Jack Lauderdale tonight,

and he gave me a $500

advance on my record.

He also said he'll put me

on the road with Lowell Fulson

and pay me three times

what you pay.

Now, that's a lie!

Hey, no way he's not gonna put some

blind man on the road. Think about it.

I mean, you... you need

watchin' out for.

And he ain't got the time to

look after you the way I do.

Is that what you've been doing,

Gossie? Watchin' out for me?

Is that why you get

paid double what I do?

Who told you that?

It's true, ain't it?

You two have been

gaming me since I got here.

Ray, baby, listen...

I ain't listening to you!

Ray, I've... I've been meaning

to talk to you about that.

Then why aren't you talkin'?

Um, look, Ray, Ray,

let's not do nothin' stupid.

I might be blind,

but I ain't stupid!

Q., get my bag

from upstairs.

What?

Get it!

Wha... right now?

Now.

Ray, man, we done been

through a whole lot.

Ray, now wait a minute.

I can explain everything.

Think about what you're doing.

Ray, Ray, now you're makin'

a big mistake.

That clown is spoutin'

promises that he can't keep.

You'd be a fool

to follow him.

Ray, Ray,

we'll make a new deal!

Whatever makes you happy!

The deal is

you can lay the pipe now.

You'll break your neck going down

these stairs by yourself. Hang on.

Oh, man.

Ray, I ain't never seen you do

nothing like that, man. Never.

That ain't nothing,

Seven-oh.

Stop cheating, Ray.

George, you can't catch me.

Come on.

Aretha!

Come on, George.

Aretha Robinson,

have you lost your mind?

Eula, you promised to split every

wash basket with me, fair and square!

And I did!

Hell, you did!

You charge white folks

one thing and pay me another.

Now who's gonna

wash these?

You can.

Now pay me my money!

Okay, I'm a-giving you

your two little dollars.

But don't you be expectin'

no more work out of me!

I got all I need

out of you.

Ray and George, come on!

That's right.

Get out of my yard

and don't y'all

never come back!

Y'all got to learn

to read and write real good,

so you never have to work

for people like that.

Scratch a liar,

find a thief.

Understand?

Yes, Mama.

Smell that, Ray.

Smell the success.

We're in LA, man,

the place where the Negro

comes to spread his wings.

You... you know, man, I know

my ears ain't deceivin' me.

Is that Art Tatum?

It sure is, baby.

You want to meet him?

I... I can't meet him.

A-Art Tatum is the most.

So, Ray, we got to talk about

your name, man:
Robinson.

Sugar Ray got the Robinson

franchise all sewed up.

So I'm thinkin' we go with

your middle name, Charles.

As in, Ray Charles.

I don't care

what you call me, man,

just as long as my name's

on the record.

But we're gonna

toast to that.

Hey, what's the haps, Jack?

Oh, my goodness.

Give me some skin.

What's up, baby?

How you doin'?

Lowell Fulson, meet your new

piano player:
Ray Charles.

Ray Charles,

the blind sensation.

Ow! Damn! I'm gonna use that

on the album cover.

He's really

the sensation.

I... I love your music,

Mr. Fulson.

Uh, the man's got taste.

Hey, and the man ain't

been on the road

with a band before,

so now you take care of him.

Like my own brother.

Ray.

I'm gonna be right back.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes