Rocky Page #3

RUDY:

Nah, I was fightin' myself.

RUDY:

Apollo Creed beat the bum to

pieces.

EXT./INT. GYM - DAY

Mickey's Gym is surrounded by bars and a couple of greasy

spoons. Out front a crowd of young Blacks talk and jive

among themselves. Two winos lean against the entrance.

Rocky enters the gym... The place is nearly full. The

MEASURED BEAT of SKIP ROPES and THROBBING SPEED BAGS makes

the room come alive, like it was a mindless piece of

machinery. Over the loudspeaker MUSIC by the Isley Brothers

BLARES out... The music adds a background to the CLANG of

the AUTOMATIC TIMERS, SNORTING SPARRING PARTNERS and the

THUDDING of HEAVY BAGS.

13.

The room is divided -- Fifty percent Black -- thirty-five

percent Latin -- ten percent white -- five percent other.

As Rocky walks through the gym many of the FIGHTERS pause to

wave and yell greetings.

FIGHTER #1

Hey, hear ya knocked Spider

Rice out in the sixth?

ROCKY:

The third -- Shoulda seen it.

Rocky passes another FIGHTER punching the heavy bag.

FIGHTER #2

(removes glove)

Hey, Rock, touch my hand.

ROCKY:

How come?

FIGHTER #2

C'mon, it's important.

Rocky touches the Fighter's bare hand.

FIGHTER #2

(continuing)

Can ya tell I just whacked-off?

Rocky smiles and moves away.

INT. DRESSING ROOM - DAY

The dressing room is lined with dented lockers. Wooden

benches stretch across the room. On the wall is a sign that

reads, "NO KISSING."

Rocky goes to his locker. He tries to open it but fails.

He leans his ear against the lock and rolls the tumblers.

Still it does not open. He shakes the lock forcefully, no

luck... Rocky is flustered and sits on a bench to ponder the

situation.

After a moment of deep thought, Rocky stands, seizes the

bench and smashes open the lock. Opening the door Rocky is

taken aback when he sees a set of very flashy clothes.

ROCKY:

(mumbling)

... These ain't my clothes.

14.

He sees a picture of several black girls taped on the inside

of the door.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

... These ain't my pictures.

A short powerful man of thirty-five enters. His hair looks

like it has been shaped with hedge clippers. His name is

MIKE.

ROCKY:

Yo, Mike -- What's happenin'

here?

MIKE:

It ain't your locker no more.

ROCKY:

Whatta ya talkin' about it

ain't my locker no more?

MIKE:

Listen, I'm with you -- But ya

gotta talk to Mickey -- I put

ya stuff in the bag over there.

Rocky looks at his belongings crammed in a wilted shopping

bag and follows Mike across the room... Mike leans his head

into the shower room. Two Latin fighters are lathering up.

FIGHTER:

...Hey, Peanut, gimme some

soap, Man.

MIKE:

(irate)

Hey, Nobody -- Yeah, you,

Nobody -- You don't call me

Peanut.

FIGHTER:

Peanut, gimme some soap.

The fighters laugh. Inflamed, Mike removes a bar of soap

from his pocket and hurls it at the insulting fighter. It

hits just above the man's head. The fighters are shocked

into silence.

Mike turns and exits with Rocky... The fighters curse them

loudly in Spanish.

15.

INT. GYM - DAY

Rocky and Mike move past fighters going through their

training routines.

ROCKY:

You were ready to bite that

guy's face.

MIKE:

Yeah -- See the fight last

night? Apollo Creed beat that

English guy bad.

ROCKY:

Creed's great.

Mike fakes a friendly punch at Rocky and hurries off to

another chore...

INT. GYM - DAY

The Owner, MICKEY, sits on a stool near the entrance. He

wears a baggy suit... He is in his late seventies.

Rocky approaches... Mickey is conversing with another fighter.

MICKEY:

I don't care what nobody says,

this bum Creed woulda never

made it in the Thirties --

ROCKY:

Hey, how ya feelin', Mickey?

MICKEY:

(monotoned)

... What?

ROCKY:

I said, how ya feelin'?

MICKEY:

(dryly)

Do you see me talkin'? Huh?

ROCKY:

(low)

Yeah.

16.

MICKEY:

(spitting)

Then stand there an' wait till

I'm done -- Creed's good,

yeah, he's real fine but I

gotta boy, y'know Big Dipper,

who's got the stuff it takes

to be a champ -- He's mean,

quick, an' big -- What more

d'ya need? Okay, go to work...

(to Rocky)

Hey -- Yeah -- Whatta ya want?

ROCKY:

I was talkin' with ya man,

Mike. -- Hey, how come I been

put outta my locker?

MICKEY:

Dipper needed it.

Rocky turns and looks at DIPPER sparring... Dipper is a

young, muscular heavyweight with a mean expression.

MICKEY:

(continuing)

Dipper's a climber -- You're a

tomato.

ROCKY:

... Tomato?

MICKEY:

Facts is facts. I run a

business here -- I'm cleanin'

house --

Mickey pauses to watch a young middleweight time-skip as his

trainer sings "FASCINATIN' RHYTHM."

MICKEY:

(continuing)

How old are ya?

ROCKY:

...What?

MICKEY:

How old?

ROCKY:

Come July, twenty-five.

17.

MICKEY:

More like thirty.

ROCKY:

Twenty-five, thirty -- What's

the difference? -- It took me

two months to learn the

combination of that locker.

MICKEY:

The legs must be goin'.

ROCKY:

Yeah, they're goin', -- that's

nature... That was my locker

for six years.

MICKEY:

... Did ya fight last night?

ROCKY:

Yeah --

MICKEY:

Did ya win?

ROCKY:

Yeah, Kayo.

MICKEY:

... Who'd ya fight?

ROCKY:

Spider Rice.

MICKEY:

Rice is a bum.

ROCKY:

You think everybody I fight is

a bum.

MICKEY:

Ain't they?

Mickey shoots Rocky a quick, indifferent look and removes a

rosary from his pocket and idly rolls it around his fingers.

18.

MICKEY:

(continuing)

Ya want the truth -- Ya got

heart, but ya fight like an

ape -- The only thing special

about you is ya never got ya

nose broke -- keep ya nose

pretty -- what's left of ya

brain an' retire.

ROCKY:

Listen, I'm gonna take a

steam -- Did good last night --

Shoulda seen it.

MICKEY:

Hey, ever think about retirin'?

ROCKY:

...No.

MICKEY:

Think about it.

ROCKY:

Yeah, sure.

Shrugging, Rocky moves away.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

...I think I'm gonna take a

steam -- Shoulda seen me

fight -- Did good, y'know.

Mickey leans over to Mike who approaches with a mop and pail.

MICKEY:

(gesturing

towards Rocky)

Known him since he was

fifteen -- A waste of life.

Dejected, Rocky travels to the locker room. He passes Big

Dipper sparring in a ring... Dipper spits a mouthful of

water in a bucket and looks smugly at Rocky.

DIPPER:

(to Rocky)

... I dig yo' locker, Man.

TRAINER:

Time, Dipper.

19.

Dipper smiles cruelly and begins sparring... Scene FADES on

Rocky's crestfallen expression. He moves off.

EXT. PET SHOP - DUSK

At sunset Rocky comes down the street and pauses at the pet

shop... He is eating Colonel Sanders' fried chicken out of a

bag... He taps on the window with a chicken bone.

INT. PET SHOP - DUSK

Inside Adrian is arranging pet toys on the counter... She

hears the tapping, sees Rocky, and tenses. Rocky enters.

ROCKY:

... Wow -- cold! Good night

to catch pneumonia.

Adrian smiles slightly and moves behind the counter. Rocky

fumbles idly among the pet toys.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

Ah -- I came in here for

somethin'... Oh, yeah, would

ya like somebody to walk ya

home?

The girl wants to say yes but a tremendous inferiority

complex will not permit it... Rocky understands.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

Hey, how's my buddy doin'?

(looks into

Butkus' cage)

-- Nice dog -- Well, I'll see

ya later.

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