The Emperor Jones

Synopsis: At a Baptist prayer meeting, the preacher leads a prayer for Brutus Jones, who is leaving to become a railway porter. Jones joins the congregation in a spiritual. Once on the train, Jeff, a porter, shows Jones the ropes. Jones secretly takes up with Jeff's girl, Undine. He makes some money in a deal with a rich businessman on the train. Jones proves to be a cunning manipulator and a good liar. In a crap game, Jones stabs Jeff over a pair of loaded dice. Now doing hard labour, Jones kills a white prison guard and escapes. Shovelling coal on a ship in the Caribbean, Jones swims to an island. He is brought before the island's ruler, where Smithers, a crooked white trader, buys his freedom. Jones schemes his way into a partnership in Smithers' business, then finally control of the entire island through a touch of witchcraft, or so it seems. Brutus declares himself to be The Emperor Jones... Smithers reports on the unrest that Jones' rule is causing. One morning, the palace is empty of serv
Genre: Drama, Music
Production: American Pop Classics
  1 win.
 
IMDB:
6.5
Rotten Tomatoes:
83%
PASSED
Year:
1933
72 min
362 Views


When I get to heaven

gonna sit down

Walk right in and sit down

My Lord told me to sit down

Sit down and rest a little while

Sit down, sister, sit down

Walk right in and sit down

Oh, I want two wings

To veil my face

I want two wings to fly away

I want two wings

to veil my face

I want two wings to fly away

- Oh, meet me, Jesus, meet me.

- Yeah!

Meet me in the air

- Yeah!

If my two wings fail me

- Yeah!

I'll hitch on another pair

I want two wings

To veil my face

I want two wings to fly away

I want two wings

to veil my face

I want two wings

to fly away

Gentlemenl Gentlemenl

In your chairs, brothers and sisters.

- Amenl

- Amenl

I proposes that we devote the closing prayer

to a faithful member of our flock...

who is leavin' us tonight...

to fill a position of great importance

in foreign parts.

I refers to our brother,

Brutus Jones.

Will you bow y'all's heads

in prayer.

Almighty and everlasting God...

We, the people of Hezekiah Baptist Church...

is gathered together for the purpose

of givin' into your keepin'...

our brother, Brutus Jones.

Yes, Lord, our brother.

- Like the prodigal son in the story...

- Yes!

He's a-settin' out on a far journey!

But this boy ain't like

the prodigal son!

No, he's not!

He ain't like the prodigal!

He ain't shiftless,

and he ain't worthless!

Amen!

O Lord, he ain't pumped up...

and he ain't vainglorious!

Amen!

He ain't vainglorious, Lord.

Mm-mmm, honey,

you sure is wonderful in them clothes.

Yeah, I suppose these clothes

is somethin' to look at back here, honey.

Where I been while I been training for the job,

you wouldn't notice 'em.

You oughta see them New York gals

on Lenox Avenue.

Them gals is fast, I bet...

switchin' theirselves

to catch the mens.

But, honey, you wouldn't look

at none of them fast gals...

while you's away from home,

would you?

They ain't none of'em

as pretty in the face like my gal.

And that prodigal son...

he takes the 'heritance

what his pappy gives him...

and he spend it on the fast life.

But not this boy, Lord

No,Jesus, not this boy!

And the prodigal son,

he is a liar!

And the truth ain't in 'im!

But not this boy, Lord

- He got the truth, Lord!

You know, I looks up...

and there's the Capitol building

looking like a palace on the hill.

And the big front door opens...

and the president of the United States

marches down the avenue...

with a band before

and a band behind.

And he comes right up to my car,

and he says, just as natural...

Well, Brutus, you sure is much of a man...

And I, for one, wants to compliment you

on landin' the job."

Honey, they singin'

the closing song at the church.

We's got time. Jeff's train

is gonna pick me up at the water tank.

But you knows they's waitin'

to see you before you go.

I sure hates to leave my gal.

It's me, it's me, it's me, O Lord

Standin'in the need of prayer

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Let me fly unto Mount Zion

Lord, Lord

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

- Would you hold my hat, honey?

Let me fly unto Mount Zion, Lord, Lord.

Hello, Susanna!

- Hello, Brutus!

- Hello, brother.

- How you doin'?

- Fine, thank you.

Hello! How are you?

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Unto Mount Zion, Lord, Lord

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly unto Mount Zion

Lord, Lord

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly unto Mount Zion

Lord, Lord

Way down yonder

in the middle of the field

Angel workin'

at the chariot wheel

He's not so particular

'bout the workin' at the wheel

Just wanna see

how the chariot feel

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly unto Mount Zion

Lord, Lord

I met that hypocrite

in the street

First thing he do

was to show his teeth

Next thing he do

was to tell a lie

Best thing to do

is to pass him by

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly

Now let me fly unto Mount Zion

Lord, Lord

I got a mother

in the Promised Land

Never gon...

- There's your train, son.

- Good-bye, folks.

- Good-bye.

- Good-bye, brother. Take care of yourself.

Same train

Same train

- Good-bye, Mama.

Same train carried my mother

- Good-bye.

Same train

Same train

Same train carried my mother

Same train be back tomorrow

Same train

Same train

Here she is.

- Come on, Jones!

- Here's my buddy.

- Honey, this is Jeff.

- Hello, sister.

Make tracks, bo', 'cause we's ridin' right now.

Come on.

But this is too much.

- You is comin' back, ain't ya?

- Why, sure I's coming back.

Get yourself a new dress with this, honey.

You know, a red one. That's your style.

- And take care of yourself till I comes back, now.

- Jones, come on!

All right, old boy.

It's all right, honey. Take care of yourself.

Don't worry. I'll be back very soon.

Take care of yourself.

Good-bye.

Bye-bye!

Bye-bye! Bye-bye!

Same train

carried my mother

Same train, same train

Same train carried my mother

- Shine 'em, boy.

Same train be back tomorrow

- You done told 'em good-bye now.

- You gonna stick to it?

- Sure I is.

'Cause you big time from this on.

Now, I suppose you think you know

all's there is about this job.

- Sure. Didn't you done instruct me?

- Oh, just the rudimentals.

Now we's gon' take up

the higher education - finances.

Yes, brother.

And right here is where I estimates

the profits for the run.

Now, if you brushes a dime out of this,

you is doin' well.

And number three here,

boy, that's good for a half.

What about this one?

Number five.

A whole section.

That's a honeymoon couple.

That's a natural.

If you plays your hand right,

it means the long green.

- Big money, huh?

- That's what I wanna tell you about.

There's two kind of womens

that ride in a Pullman.

There's the kind that says,

"Where you been, porter?"

That don't mean nothin' but a tip.

Then there's the kind that sings out,

"Hello there, JackJohnson!"

And, boy, that mean money.

The long green.

Yeah! And I'm gon' show you

where to spend it.

I hate to see

I hate to see

that evenin' sun go down

O Lord, O Lord

I hate to see

Everybody, meet my friend from South Carolina.

- Helen, meet Mr. Jones.

- Oh!

- Jones, meet Mr. Green.

- What do you say?

- Gee, that's very strong!

- Come here, Marcella. Meet Mr. Jones.

- This is Marcella, Jones.

- Hello, Marcella.

Hello, big boy!

I got your fish and rice all ready for ya.

- You know, I'm from South Carolina myself.

- You told me you was from Georgia.

- Told me Lynchburg.

- Marcella sure had a busy ma.

She done born her

in every state south of the line.

This is my New York home, bo'.

You'll always find me here.

Oh, Marcella, where's Undine?

I-I don't know.

She was around here somewhere.

Didn't know I was comin'in, eh?

Honeyin' up to my gal, eh?

- Wait a minute! Don't do that!

- Take it easy.

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DuBose Heyward

Edwin DuBose Heyward (August 31, 1885 – June 16, 1940) was an American author best known for his 1925 novel Porgy. He and his wife Dorothy, a playwright, adapted it as a 1927 play of the same name. The couple worked with composer George Gershwin to adapt the work as the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. It was later adapted as a 1959 film of the same name. Heyward also wrote poetry and other novels and plays. He wrote the children's book The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (1939). more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Emperor Jones" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_emperor_jones_20141>.

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