Rocky Page #9

PAULIE:

Do me a favor -- His lungs,

punch 'em out.

ADRIAN:

Paul.

57.

Rocky's interview now fills the screen. Rocky squints and

looks nervous under the hot lights.

REPORTER #2

This is your largest payday

ever -- How do you feel about

it?

ROCKY:

Feel? I dunno... Happy.

REPORTER #2

How will you fight Apollo Creed?

ROCKY:

(mind elsewhere)

Creed's great, ain't he...

I'll do what I can.

REPORTER #1

Where did you get the name,

'Italian Stallion?'

ROCKY:

I thought of it 'bout eight

years ago, when I was eatin'

dinner.

REPORTER #2

Is it true the most you've

ever made in a prizefight is

five hundred dollars?

ROCKY:

Four hundred -- But that was a

long time ago.

REPORTER #2

And now your payday will be

one hundred and fifty thousand

dollars. Any comment?

ROCKY:

Listen, I wanna say hi to my

girlfriend -- Yo, Adrian!

Adrian blushes and laughs.

ADRIAN:

Oh, Rocky!

PAULIE:

(dry)

Christ.

58.

ADRIAN:

You didn't!

ROCKY:

Sure I did. You heard.

They continue to watch the remainder of the interview... The

head COMMENTATOR is looking directly into the camera.

COMMENTATOR:

A Bicentennial Fight --

January first. It will be the

first sporting event on our

two hundredth birthday and is

already being called by many

the greatest farce in sports

history. If this man lasts

more than a minute I would say

he's on borrowed time.

(sarcastically)

It's matches like this with

their exorbitant prices that

give sports a bad name -- Not

only is this match bad,

people, it's sad! Why a Rocky

Balboa? At the State Athletic

Commission, Larry Duggan

reporting.

PAULIE:

(irate)

The guy's a friggin' moron.

ROCKY:

Why?

PAULIE:

Don't it matter none he's

makin' ya out a fool? -- I'd

break his lips.

ROCKY:

It don't matter.

PAULIE:

He's takin' cheap shots.

ROCKY:

It don't bother me none.

PAULIE:

Yo, Rock -- now ya'll be

lookin' for people to help,

right?

59.

ROCKY:

Help what?

PAULIE:

Y'know, to help keep ya livin'

clean.

ROCKY:

I'll do okay.

PAULIE:

Ya gotta have a guy help ya

exercise, mebbe somebody to be

standin' by with a towel or

run errands, y'know.

ROCKY:

Hey, who cared about me

yesterday, huh? Nobody -- I

think I'm gonna train myself.

PAULIE:

Without havin' good people

around, ya won't have such a

good chance.

Adrian is not happy with her brother's overbearing attitude.

She faces him.

ADRIAN:

Einstein flunked out of

school... twice.

PAULIE:

That so.

ADRIAN:

Roosevelt finished last in his

class -- Beethoven was deaf,

an' Helen Keller was blind --

I think Rocky has a good chance.

INT. HALLWAY OF PAULIE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Rocky stands in Adrian's doorway. He kisses her.

ROCKY:

See ya tomorrow.

Rocky moves down the stairway and continues to do so as he

converses with Adrian who remains upstairs. His VOICE

ECHOES up the stairwell.

60.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

How'd ya like hearin' ya name

on TV?

ADRIAN:

I don't know -- I was shocked.

Why did you do that?

ROCKY:

Ya puttin' me on, right?

ADRIAN:

(smiles)

Absolutely -- What time should

I expect you?

ROCKY:

'Bout seven.

ADRIAN:

I'll be waiting.

Rocky is now on the ground floor yelling up to Adrian on the

top floor landing.

ROCKY:

Y'know how I said that stuff

on television didn't bother me?

ADRIAN:

Yes.

ROCKY:

It did.

As Rocky completes the last word, he exits the building and

slams the door which RESOUNDS throughout the apartment house.

EXT. ATOMIC HOAGIE SHOP - NIGHT

Gazzo, the bodyguard, and Rocky are standing out front.

They are eating hot sandwiches.

ROCKY:

Y'know I won't be able to work

for ya no more.

GAZZO:

Hey -- if a good man can make

a better life, let him make it.

ROCKY:

I feel bad about walkin'.

61.

GAZZO:

Take your shot, kid -- You got

money for trainin' expenses?

ROCKY:

A few bucks.

Gazzo takes out a wad and peels off several bills.

GAZZO:

Here's five hundred -- Put it

in your glove.

ROCKY:

Do I have to pay juice?

Gazzo looks at the Bodyguard and shakes his head as if to

imply, "Why's this guy asking such a foolish question?"

Gazzo and the bodyguard step to the white Caddy parked at

the curb. They enter the cab. Rocky watches.

INT. CAR - NIGHT

GAZZO:

(smiles)

Does Santa Claus charge juice?

Merry Christmas -- Now, how's

about my present, ya gonna win?

ROCKY:

Gonna try.

GAZZO:

Listen, kid, I'm with ya. Ya

know, I'm with ya -- Italian,

we're blood. You kill this

rug -- We Guinneas gotta show

these Afro-Americans where

it's at. Give it your best

shot cause I want ya to prove

to these bums on the corner

that my man can't be beat by

this rug... Ya got any action

on the side.

ROCKY:

No action.

GAZZO:

Ya gettin 150 grand killer.

Ya got any plans for it?

Whatta ya think?

(MORE)

62.

GAZZO (CONT'D)

Ya like to put it on the

street, make it work for ya?

ROCKY:

I'm gonna do somethin with it.

GAZZO:

Sure, you do what ya want.

Stay away from the stock market.

ROCKY:

Black market?

GAZZO:

Same thing. Ya know, Rock,

remember when we was kids, we

fought together. An' I wasn't

well an' ya had to beat up

that Irish kid -- what's his

name? -- Gallager -- I bought

a suit and became a businessman.

You put on gloves. An' I

remember Mama almost cried,

may she rest in peace -- an'

our ol' man who said ya had no

brains -- I'd like to lay

hands on that bastard. You

ain't never had any luck.

Even when I owned you in '66

you never had luck. But now I

think you might be gettin'

some luck kid. Whatta you

think?

Rocky smiles and Gazzo gets into his car. Rocky follows him

across the street.

ROCKY:

Yo, you gonna show, Tony?

GAZZO:

Where else am I gonna go.

(to Bodyguard)

Bet three grand on Rocky.

BODYGUARD:

He's a bum -- are you kiddin?

GAZZO:

(slaps Bodyguard)

No! I'm not kiddin!

Rocky walks away.

63.

INT. ROCKY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Rocky returns home and enters his apartment. After turning

on the light, he flips on his RECORD PLAYER. He now feeds

the turtles.

ROCKY:

Look who's home!

Rocky notices two telegrams laying inside the threshold. He

approaches them with a sense of awe. He opens and reads one.

Settling on the bed, he reads the other.

A KNOCK is HEARD. Rocky opens the door. Mickey Goldmill,

the gym owner, stands framed in the doorway.

MICKEY:

(stiffly)

I seen the light. I figure

somebody was home.

ROCKY:

Hey, Mickey -- Whatta ya doin'

here? Here, sit down.

Rocky tosses soiled clothing off a mangled armchair.

ROCKY:

(continuing)

Best seat in the house -- Hey,

Mick, this is too much.

MICKEY:

How do you mean?

ROCKY:

I'm usta seein' ya at the gym,

but seein' ya here, in my

house, it's kinda outta joint.

By the manner in which Goldmill listens, it is obvious

something important is preying on his mind.

Rocky is slightly uncomfortable, almost embarrassed at

having outsiders see how he lives.

MICKEY:

Listen, Rock, you're a very

lucky guy.

ROCKY:

Yeah.

64.

MICKEY:

What's happened is freak luck.

ROCKY:

Freak luck for sure.

MICKEY:

Look at all them other fighters.

Real good boys. Good records.

Colorful. Fight their hearts

out for peanuts -- But who

cared? Nobody. They got it

shoved in their back door.

Nobody ever give them a shot

at the title...

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