Somebody Up There Likes Me Page #4

I mean, I can't do any better than six

straight KO's, can I?

Yeah, tonight, lucky seven.

Look, this Gasto is a rough guy.

And this is your first six-rounder.

- He could hurt you, Rocky.

- So he hurts me.

So I get 75 bucks

because it's a six-rounder.

Look, Mr. Cohen, do me a favor, huh?

Get me hurt in a 10-rounder.

What have you been doing

with all this money?

You certainly haven't been

eating good.

- A hundred and thirty-seven.

- One thirty-seven. Paxon:

White trunks. 8:
00 in the

dressing room. Take this.

Look, I'll go along with you,

but please don't start no trouble.

- Who's your manager?

- Him. Mr. Cohen. He's my manager.

Have to take you along

for harboring a fugitive.

- Fugitive? I don't understand.

- No.

He don't know nothing about that.

I mean, I never told him...

...that I run away from the Army.

Well, I never told him nothing.

Not even my right name.

- It isn't Graziano?

- No, it isn't Graziano.

I guess we owe you an apology, Cohen.

Get your clothes on, Barbella.

Yeah.

- Look, Rocky, I'll go there with...

- No, no, just do one thing for me?

Sure, kid, sure.

Give this to Mrs. Barbella. Ida Barbella.

Top floor. 141 East 10th Street.

Tell her...

No, don't tell her nothing.

Just give it to her.

The accused has admitted his guilt...

...and can only hope

for the mercy of this court.

Barbella?

Well...

...I made a bad mistake, sir.

I been very stupid. Very stupid.

And I'm sorry I done what I done.

I should have known that the Army

wasn't just another can.

But too long, sir.

I mean, I've been in prison too long.

I know I can learn this Army business.

So, colonel, sir, I mean,

please just give me another crack at it.

- Is that all?

- Yeah.

Barbella, Rocco, " 32201881,

private selective service, unassigned.

To the charges of being absent

without leave for four months...

...the accused is found guilty.

To the specifications: guilty.

Upon secret ballot, two-thirds

of the court-martial concurring...

...the accused is to be

dishonorably discharged...

...from the service

of the United States...

...to forfeit all pay and allowances due

or to become due...

...and to be confined at hard labor

at Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks...

...for a period of one year."

Inside.

Okay to lock.

Door jammed somewhere.

- Check the line.

- Check the line.

- Check the line.

- Check the line.

Clear that door.

I said, clear that door, prisoner.

Man, can't you see I'm occupied?

Heldon, I'm gonna give you

If you don't move,

you're a dead soldier.

- One, two, three, four, five, six...

- Now you cut loose with that gun.

I'm gonna jump on you

the minute you fire.

Seven.

You and me's going over that railing

with you on the bottom.

You're gonna crack your skull

on that cement floor. You hear?

Wonder what he's in for?

Me, I'm in for shooting a second looey.

It was an accident...

...I think.

What are you in for?

For being a jerk, like him.

That's two packs you owe me.

Hey, how come you're so good,

if you never played before?

What do you mean? It's the same as

throwing bricks through store windows.

Little guy, go get me my horseshoe.

- Who? Me?

- Yeah, you.

Ain't in the mood.

Little guy, you just don't

hear so good, do you?

I said, go get me my horseshoe.

I don't wanna.

Hey, well, now, wait a minute.

Wait a minute, Heldon, look.

Why do you wanna make him

do something he don't wanna do?

If he don't wanna do something,

you ought to respect it, you see?

New York, you are absolutely correct.

Now, ain't he, fellas?

- Oh, sure.

- You're right, Hel.

Little guy, you don't have to get me

my horseshoe.

You do it.

Well, it's the same with me,

I don't wanna.

Well, he just don't wanna do it.

- Come on.

- Get up.

- There's your middleweight, sergeant.

- Well, it isn't over yet.

Better pull the package on him

and check his history.

I already did, sir.

He hasn't had a dull moment

since he was born.

Name's Barbella.

Fought under the name

of Rocky Graziano while AWOL.

Six bouts, six KO's. Good right, no left.

We got him for a year.

Minus the two weeks in solitary

he gets for this.

- Here he is, sergeant.

- You can leave us a while. I'll call you.

- Right.

- Barbella?

- Yeah.

- I'm John Hyland.

- Cigarette?

- Oh, yeah, thanks.

I run the boxing squad here.

Thought maybe you'd like to join.

No, thanks.

The bouts we put on do a lot for the

morale of the prisoners around here.

You could help.

Come on, what do you say?

I ain't interested in fighting.

For a man who isn't interested

in fighting...

...you did pretty good against Heldon.

- And look where it got me, the hole.

You did pretty well

as Rocky Graziano too.

I needed the scratch.

I would have done anything.

- Even clown around in the ring.

- Six KO's, not bad clowning.

All right, look, sergeant,

all my life I been fighting.

And all my life I been

getting in trouble from it.

I don't want no more trouble.

Just leave me alone.

I don't wanna fight,

with gloves, without gloves.

- I just don't wanna fight, okay?

- Sure.

Here. Sit down.

Come on, sit down.

Rocky, I'm gonna level with you.

I wasn't thinking about

the morale of the men.

I was thinking about myself.

You see, the boxing squad

is the colonel's pride and joy.

I can do myself a lot of good

around here...

...with a killer like you on the squad.

Now, mind you, I don't think

you'd ever show any real style...

...like some of my boys,

but you'd probably lick them all...

...because you got something

inside of you...

...that a lot of fighters will never have...

...no matter how much I teach them:

Hate.

I don't know why it's there.

I only know that if anybody hits you,

he better start ducking fast.

Because that hate pours into

your right hand...

...and makes it like a...

Like a charge of dynamite.

What a great big waste of a lot of hate.

Your whole life

you've let it get you into trouble.

Let it start

doing some good for you.

Oh, yeah?

What good is it gonna do for me?

I mean, what can it do

for a dishonorable discharge?

Can it get me back in the Army?

No, I'm afraid it's too late for that.

I'm sorry, Rocky...

...because I think you might have fought

a pretty darned good war.

Got any ideas of what you're gonna do

when you get out of here?

None of you guys ever do.

You walk out of a prison

as dumb as you go in...

...itching for the same trouble

that put you there in the first place.

Let me give you an alternative.

Join my squad and I'll put you through

a year of the worst hard labor...

...you ever sweat through.

I don't mean just skipping rope...

...and clowning

through exhibition bouts.

You'll dig ditches and carry bags

of cement till your back nearly breaks.

You'll curse me for it.

But when you get out...

...you'll be in the best shape

of your life.

And maybe, just maybe,

you might have learned enough...

...to get by in one of the toughest

rackets there is.

Oh, be a fighter, Rocky.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes