Rocky Page #2

Rocky shrugs and moves away... He nears a heavy man working

the crane. The heavy man looks frightened... He stops the

crane and hurries into the ship's hole. Rocky dashes up the

gangplank.

INT. SHIP - DAY

The man enters the ship's hole and runs past tons of stacked

crates and coffee beans.

Rocky sprints after him... He lunges and flings the man by

the neck against the wall of stacked cargo.

FATS:

(terror-filled)

Don't hit the face! Not the

face!!

ROCKY:

Mr. Gazzo wants the two

hundred now!

6.

FATS:

Honest to God I'm broke --

Gimme a break.

ROCKY:

Mr. Gazzo says I should get

two hundred or break the thumb.

FATS:

Please, I need my hands to

work -- Christ, don't bust my

thumbs.

At wits' end the man picks up a large metal hook used by

stevedores. Rocky remains cool.

ROCKY:

Goin' fishin'?

The man drops the hook.

ROCKY:

What's ya name again?

FATS:

Bob.

ROCKY:

Look, Bob, if ya wanna dance,

ya gotta pay the band -- If ya

borrow, ya gotta pay the man...

Me, I ain't emotionally

involved.

Rocky's determined expression strikes home. The fat man

quickly fumbles through his pockets and hands over a small

wad of bills.

ROCKY:

(continuing; counting)

A hundred an' thirty.

FATS:

That's it, I'm broke.

ROCKY:

That's it? -- Completely?

FATS:

That's it.

ROCKY:

What about for food an' stuff?

7.

FATS:

You have my food in ya hand.

Rocky looks almost sympathetically into the fat man's

flushed expression.

ROCKY:

... The juice is climbin'

every week.

FATS:

I know the juice is climbin' --

I been workin' six months just

to pay the damn interest.

ROCKY:

Ya still light seventy.

FATS:

Waits! -- Be smart. Ya don't

have to break nothin' -- Here,

take my coat, it's worth

fifty-sixty dollars. It's

yours.

The man quickly removes his coat and extends it...

FATS:

(continuing)

See, ya a smart guy, Gazzo's

don't have to know nuthin'.

I'll go tape up the hand like

ya broke my thumb. Gazzo

won't be wise to nothin' -- Be

a smart guy, keep the coat,

we'll fake like ya broke the

hand.

The man extends his coat again... Rocky suddenly grabs the

man's thumb and bends him to his knees.

FATS:

(almost a whisper)

No - no - no - Please -

Please - Please don't...

Rocky releases the man who remains almost in shock. The

thumb is fine.

ROCKY:

...That's what coulda happened.

(walks off.)

8.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Later that morning Rocky passes "Animal Town Pet Shop" in

South Philly... The shop is not very prosperous looking. In

the window hangs a sign reading "Today's special -- Mixed

Kittens -- $1.50"... Rocky stops at this shop every morning.

He stares at a litter of Lhasa Apsa puppies. He taps the

window and whistles. He SEES a girl behind the counter and

presses his face against the window and does his impression

of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The girl nervously looks

away.

The girl behind the counter is ADRIAN KLEIN. She is not

very attractive, but pleasant-looking. Thirty years old.

Brown hair pulled back. Light skinned. She wears glasses.

Rocky really stops by to flirt with Adrian, but she is so

painfully shy nothing ever gets started... Rocky enters.

INT. PET SHOP - DAY

ADRIAN:

... Could you take the puppy

out --

CUSTOMER:

It can breathe.

ADRIAN:

Please -

CUSTOMER:

Please, nothin' - I paid for

this dog and can do whatever I

want with it - I can throw it

through the window if I want -

Now give me my two dollars

back before I do throw it

through the window.

Rocky walks over to her, stares hard in her face and snatches

the bag out of her hand. He removes the puppy and hands it

to Adrian.

CUSTOMER:

Get away from me - Give me that!

Rocky takes a couple dollars out of his pocket and hands it

to the lady... She nervously exits.

ROCKY:

... How's the turtle food this

week?

9.

ADRIAN:

... Fine.

ROCKY:

Me, I'm kinda aggravated.

ADRIAN:

... I'm sorry.

ROCKY:

Ain't your fault - Here's the

problem.

Adrian nods... Though charmed, she is slightly intimidated.

ROCKY:

The last food I got here had

more moths than flies -- An'

the moths get caught in my

turtle's throat -- That makes

them cough --

The OWNER, a squat woman of forty, steps out of the back and

waves at Rocky.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

Yo, Gloria -- I was talkin'

about the turtle food -- Like

I was sayin', the moths get

caught in the turtle's throat

an' makes 'em cough...

(coughs)

A little cough an' I gotta

smack 'em on the shell -- An'

whatta think they get?

Adrian shrugs.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

I smack 'em hard on the shell

an' they get... What?

ADRIAN:

... I don't know.

ROCKY:

Shell-shocked!

Both the Owner and Adrian smile.

10.

OWNER:

Startin' with the bad jokes

early today, huh.

ROCKY:

Inventin' jokes ain't easy.

Rocky steps over to a large cage at the rear of the shop...

Inside is a huge dog.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

How's Butkus this mornin'?

OWNER:

Ain't had time to check 'em.

Rocky opens the cage and the large dog jumps out and looks

very happy.

ROCKY:

Yo, Butkus -- Dead. Play dead.

The dog plays dead.

ROCKY:

...What kinda dog is this again?

OWNER:

Bullmastiff.

ROCKY:

The owner was suppose to pick

him up three weeks ago.

OWNER:

We're not responsible for

animals left over thirty

days - We board it ain't a

animal shelter, Y'know.

...Adrian, I want you to clean

all those cat cages downstairs,

they're a mess.

(Adrian nods.)

Rocky waves goodbye to Adrian and exits the shop.

EXT. LEHIGH ST. TRAIN TRESTLE - DAY

Gazzo picks up Rocky.

11.

INT. GAZZO'S CAR - MOVING - DAY

MR. GAZZO and his YOUNG BODY GUARD sit in the front seat...

Rocky is in the back seat.

ROCKY:

He only had a hundred an'

thirty. -- I think he's good

for the rest next week, Mr.

Gazzo.

GAZZO:

(patiently)

Sure, Rocky, Bob's good for

it...

Gazzo hands Rocky a twenty.

GAZZO:

Tomorrow collect from Del

Rio -- He's late three weeks.

How'd you do last night?

ROCKY:

... Fine.

Gazzo's Bodyguard looks at Rocky's bruised face in the

mirror and smiles.

BODYGUARD:

Did ya get the license number?

ROCKY:

Of wa?

BODYGUARD:

... Of the truck that run over

your face.

Gazzo steps out of the car and beckons to Rocky.

GAZZO:

Yo Rock. Did I give you a job

this mornin? How come ya

didn't break this guy's thumb

like I asked ya? When ya

don't do what ya are told, it

makes me look bad, kid.

ROCKY:

I figure if I break the thumb

this guy gets thrown outta his

job and can't pay nothin no

more.

12.

GAZZO:

It don't matter. It's my

reputation. These guys think

they can get off light. It's

bad for my reputation -- It's

bad for business. See ya

killer.

Gazzo gets into his car.

GAZZO:

(to Bodyguard)

... The Rock's a good kid.

BODYGUARD:

(emotionless)

... A meatbag.

They pull away.

EXT. GYM - DAY

Gazzo drives off and Rocky strolls across the street to

Goldmill's Gym. On the way he passes several familiar

people and exchanges waves... Out front is a young Irishman

who runs a soft pretzel stand... His name is RUDY. It is

apparent from his face he was a prize fighter... He is blind

and mentally defective.

RUDY:

...See the fight last night?

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