"Ain't now but it's gonna be black enough for me ain't now but it's gonna be black enough to see" "to see red when the song is wrong to see blue when the fear is gone to see green on the pea-green sea of humanity in the wide, wide light?" "Of the night ain't now but it's gonna be black enough to be black enough to see black enough for me" "to see red when the song is wrong to see blue when the fear is gone to see green on the pea-green sea of humanity in the wide, wide light?" "Of the night ain't now but it's gonna be black enough to be black enough to see" "black enough for me ain't now but it's gonna be" "man:" "Come see what I got for ya!" "Come on, Deke, come on!" "Aah!" "I thought we told you to stop working our precinct, Early Riser." "We got bigger fish to fry." "You do your trickin' somewhere else." "Is that my" "Deke!" "Deke!" "Is everybody here having a good time?" "How about that weather up there?" "Is it fine enough for you?" "How about me?" "How about Deke, your man?" "How about me?" "How about me?" "How about me?" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "Am I big enough for you?" "18 months ago..." "I was down on my knees in the white man's jailhouse." "Mmm!" "Yes!" "I wasn't down on my knees in the jailhouse to pray." "No!" "No!" "I wasn't even down on my knees to shoot craps." "Ha ha!" "Ha ha!" "Deke O'Malley was down on his knees in the white man's jail cleaning out the white man's toilet bowl!" "No!" "No!" "All right!" "So l-i asked the Lord to help me!" "To show me the way!" "And bless my soul, he did!" "Yeah!" "He did!" "The Lord come to me in a dream!" "He said, "Deke, I want to use you like I used Noah of old!"" "He said, "Deke, I want you to build an ark and sail my people home!"" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "And there she is, Black Beauty!" "Are you black enough to hear me?" "Amen!" "Amen!" "For 3 months now, in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles," "Baltimore, Washington, people have been standing in line, waitin' and waitin' for a chance to get on board black beauty." "'Cause, Brothers, we are going home." "Good-bye, rats and roaches!" "Good-bye being kicked and low-rated!" "Good-bye getting robbed and cheated!" "Good-bye having to live on the white man's welfare!" "Right on, Brother!" "We are going home." "Come on!" "Next!" "What's your name, Miss?" "You'll find salvation." "How the hell did he get a permit for this?" "Lieutenant says it's a race leap." "It's doing good for his people." "Thank you, Reverend O'Malley, thank you." "We're going home all going home we're going home" "we're going home going home we're going home there you go." "Thank you." "But, sir, the minimum down payment is $100." "Oh, please, ma'am." "You don't want to break ol' Uncle Budd's heart, do ya?" "$20. count it." "It's all I got in the world right now, but give me a chance." "Please, ma'am." "O'Malley:" "Why not?" "Yeah, sure." "Uncle Budd?" "Uncle Budd." "Yeah, Uncle Budd." "There you go." "Okay, step right up!" "God bless you, Brother." "God bless you, Brother." "Well, if it ain't king Kong and Frankenstein." "Hey, ed, I didn't know these cats was going back to Africa." "They ain't." "They're going right back across the street where they come from." "Only thing I hate worse than a honky pig cop, and that's a nigger pig cop." "What kind of talk is that, soul Brother?" "Don't you know that black is beautiful?" "Fly, baby." "Just cool it." "O'Malley?" "Yes." "We're from the D.A.'s office." "He wants to see you." "D.A.'s office?" "Well, I'm busy." "Now!" "Let's go!" "Wait a minute, buddy!" "Let's see your credentials." "Quit stalling, O'Malley." "Black Judas!" "That's what you are!" "Honky!" "Now, now." "I'm going downtown right now and tell that white man's district attorney that Deke O'Malley's gettin' sick and tired of being pushed around." "Keep it black till I get back." "Ok, let's go." "John!" "John!" "John!" "Get in!" "Don't you step on my ribs!" "Whoo!" "Hey, Sister, come here!" "No, no, no, no!" "Ok, what do you want?" "Deke O'Malley." "Yeah?" "And what's that got to do with me?" "We ain't got O'Malley." "We sure as hell got you." "Which means that sooner or later, we got O'Malley." "Is that black enough for ya?" "What do we got here?" "We know how finicky the good Reverend is about his wardrobe, so he oughta be scooting' up here any minute to change." "Hey, ed, dig these fine vines." "Mmm!" "And on your po' policeman's salary, you can't afford it." "Ain't that awful?" "What a shame." "Not a single one your size." "Now, wait a minute." "I think this Italian suit here'll work for me." "Thing of beauty." "What's this here?" "Bless Jesus." "A silk hat for occasions." "My, my." "What sacrifices he makes for his po' starvin' people." "He sure do." "Now, somebody shot up O'Malley's barbecue and made off with 87 grand of poor people's money." "Who?" "The question is... who?" "Whoever it was just Missed." "Another couple of inches, and we would've brought you his brains in a saucer." "Oh, yeah?" "Who did it?" "I just asked you that." "O'Malley ratted on the mafia." "Remember?" "Could've been them." "Them boys don't never forget." "Could be his number's up, unless Digger and me get to him first." "Where is he?" "Well, how about it?" "Hidin' out, he ain't got a chance, Iris." "Deke O'Malley always has a chance." "Hello, betty?" "Give me that!" "All right, O'Malley, do yourself a favour and come in- you bitch!" "God damn it, ed, cool it!" "He's crazy." "He's crazy." "That son of a bitch is crazy!" "I want him out!" "I got him, Iris." "2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months." "It's all the same." "I'm nailing his ass to the wall." "Be smart, Iris." "Get off the boat before we sink it." "Ed." "Digger." "Something new on the O'Malley squeal." "What?" "They found the meat truck and the golden money wagon all smashed up." "One got killed." "O'Malley?" "No." "Lieutenant wants you two guys up there right away." "Where?" "Harlem river yard." "Oh, by the way, what's with her?" "She talk?" "No, but she's our main lead to O'Malley, so watch her." "Be cool, Brother." "Jarema is hep." "She's a stone fox." "Watch your ass." "No sweat there." "Found some confetti." "Where's the loot?" "Ask O'Malley." "I know how you feel about O'Malley." "Do you?" "You make him?" "Yeah." "He's a pickpocket named Early Riser." "He was at the rally." "He works with a partner named lo boy, a junkie." "They worked the holy dream." "Could be the militants, ed." "They hate O'Malley's guts." "No." "They wouldn't pull a job like this." "It ain't their style." "Hey, ed!" "What is it?" "Look at this." "Cotton from inside the meat truck." "It ain't drugstore cotton." "What is it?" "It's raw, unprocessed cotton, like from a bale." "Ah." "It's a long time since I seen cotton like that." "Digger, you ain't never seen no raw cotton before." "You was born and raised right here in New York, just like me." "What the hell are you two doing here?" "Digger found a hidden drop slot." "This was in it." "It's full of trash." "The syndicate." "When O'Malley was with 'em, he talked, and they threatened to get him." "Why'd they wait?" "White guns comin' up here, trying to knock off Reverend O'Malley, you think?" "Could be." "Blacks find out about this, there'll be hell to pay." "I want round the clock police protection for Reverend O'Malley." "To hell with O'Malley!" "What about the $87,000 of poor black folks' money that he stole from all over this country?" "Stole?" "That's right." "Stole!" "We ran a check on O'Malley's entire operation." "It's clean." "Absolutely legitimate." "Full clearance from the state department, securities exchange commission, the attorney general of the state of New York." "What else do you want?" "What the hell does the attorney general, the state department, or even the president of the united states know about one Goddamned thing that's going on up here in Harlem?" "Ed O'Malley's respected by responsible people." "Respect, my ass!" "Pastors, race leaders, politicians, not to mention the large following he has among black folk everywhere." "Black folk need hope like everybody else." "What is it with you people?" "One of you like Reverend O'Malley tries to do something, does anybody try to help him?" "Hell no!" "You're after him like crabs in a basket." "Uh, how many shares of the back to Africa, inc." "Would you buy, captain?" "That's impertinent." "The hell it is!" "One more word out of you, and I'll run you right off the lot." "We've been trying to teach white folks all our lives." "School's over." "Let's go look for lo boy at junkies' paradise." "Damn it, Anderson." "Who's in charge of this investigation, you or them?" "You've gotta understand ed and Digger, sir." "I understand those two, all right." "Too quick with their fists, too flip with their talk, too fast with their guns." "They're two damn black maniacs on a powder keg, and you're letting them run wild." "Ed and Digger, they have their own special way of dealing with things up here." "And if they find something kinky on Reverend O'Malley," "I've gotta respect it." "Sister!" "Yes?" "Good afternoon, Sister." "And what kind of trick are you trying to play on me, you Old Uncle tom?" "Ain't no trick, ma'am." "I'm just trying to get this bale of cotton onto my cart." "Cotton?" "Yes, ma'am." "And I was just wonderin' if some good, nice-lookin', strong Christian lady like you wouldn't give me a hand." "I am a Christian." "That's why I don't take a stick and knock your teeth out." "All of you trying to steal my money!" "Tryin' to steal your money?" "Yes!" "Trickers!" "That's what you are." "Every one of you!" "Why, you old fool!" "Don't you think I got sense enough to know there ain't no such thing as a bale of cotton in Harlem?" "Hmmph!" "Ed:" "That damn Bryce chewing' my ass out." "Dumb Anderson didn't say a word." "Well, he's got his own mortgage to worry about." "I oughta quit this job." "All right, now, suppose you do quit." "Suppose you tell 'em to take the badge and shove it." "Who's gonna pay your mortgage?" "You." "Mm-mm!" "Not me, baby." "You quit, I quit." "Then who'll protect the black folks from the white folks?" "Who's gonna protect the black folks from themselves?" "I'm sick of this." "Gotta be at death's door." "I'm tired of this jazz." "God damn." "Aah!" "When did you turn Japanese?" "Come on." "You know the position." "Come on, spread your legs back." "Finally got it together." "We plan to keep it that way." "This ain't no shooting gallery no more." "This is Swahili class." "So why don't you guys take your business and split?" "Io boy." "Early Riser's partner." "We want him." "Is he on Swahili, too?" "If that's who you want, why don't you check Reba's?" "Where'd you learn them dirty Swahili words?" "Ask your mama." "How long you gonna keep this up, Copper?" "Till it's over, Sister." "It's been 4 hours now, and I'm just sick of lookin' at you." "You are really one ugly child." "I mean, it's really too bad 'cause, um... if you wasn't, we could, uh, spend the time, you know, uh, doin' the thing." "I'll put a sack over my head." "All right." "Knock it off, will ya?" "I just wanted to see if it was gonna fit." "Buck off." "Drop them scissors." "Well, you gotta breathe, don't you?" "Drop 'em or I'll break your arm." "You're not a fag, are you?" "Oh, wow." "A fag cop." "Ha ha!" "It's all poor John ever spoke of- that ship and you, Reverend O'Malley." "And thank you for the flowers." "It's the least I can do under the circumstances, Mrs. Hill." "He was my right hand." "And I cannot find the words to express the infinite sorrow I feel that this unfortunate accident has taken your husband." "Thank you, Reverend O'Malley." "You are so kind." "May I be of any assistance to you, Mrs. Hill?" "The funeral?" "The arrangements?" "I just want you to preach his funeral." "Of course, Mrs. Hill." "And if you'll forgive my asking', do you need money?" "Oh, thank you, Reverend O'Malley, but he had life insurance and we saved up." "If you need anything ever, you must come to me." "I won't hear of it otherwise." "All right?" "All right, sir." "You're everything John said you'd be." "Thank you, Mrs. Hill." "Ha!" "Love beads for the fag cop." "Gonna take a shower with me, white boy?" "Hmm?" "Ha ha ha!" "All I need is a place of operation, for the police, as you know, are unsympathetic to our movement." "I don't trust 'em." "Would you help me... to recover the stolen funds and to avenge John's death?" "Would you be my eyes and ears?" "My Mata Hari, so to speak, on the Lord's side." "Oh, anything." "Oh, anything if you think I can, Reverend O'Malley." "The main thing is for me to be free of the police so that I can conduct my own investigation." "I've got to find a place to stay where nobody will know where I am." "Reverend O'Malley, why not stay here?" "Oh, bless your soul, Mrs. Hill." "Hey, Copper." "I forgot my towel." "It's, uh, it's right there on the wall." "You wanna dry my back off, Copper?" "Hey, you gotta give a girl a minute." "They say the badder the woman, the better the smell." "Come sniff." "Hey, don't you wanna take your clothes off?" "Please, baby." "Please?" "Hey, you come- hey, come back here, you!" "Hey!" "Halt!" "Halt in the name of the law!" "Halt in the name of the law!" "Aah!" "Come on, lo boy." "Come on, lo boy." "Come on, come on." "Quit it!" "Now, hold it." "Hold it right there." "What were you doing on the drive when the meat truck came by?" "Don't bother me, man." "I gotta get to the funeral." "What funeral?" "You know what that meat truck done, man?" "It hit my buddy square in the air." "Oh, Early Riser rose, man, I mean, like a bird." "I ain't never seen a cat fly that high before." "He went up!" "Man, up on your feet!" "Now, you tell us!" "Now, what happened?" "What happened when?" "After the meat truck hit Early Riser." "H-he died." "He died." "15 years, and then he died." "Man, I gotta find the funeral!" "You son of a bitch." "Ed!" "God damn it!" "You better tell us what we wanna know, man!" "You listen to me and listen good." "The meat truck hit Early Riser and crashed." "The armoured truck crashed, too." "Now, God damn it, you better tell me what happened!" "I seen the truck, and I seen Barry Waterfield get the hell out of there." "And I seen these white guys run after him." "White guys?" "White guys?" "They had on masks." "How did you know they were white?" "Oh, Lordy, help me!" "Askin' how you know they was white." "They run white, damn it." "Honkies in the woodpile." "Something we hadn't figured on." "The syndicate." "Let's get out of here." "It stinks." "Yeah." "Rattin' on the mob ain't the worst thing in the world." "Any black man might rat on whitey." "I might, myself." "Man, like Deke preying' on his own black flesh and blood." "How you gonna blame Deke for doin' what everybody else is doin'?" "Beats me how you can find any good at all in the vicious son of a bitch." "Convicting the man without a trial, ain't you, God?" "Sam, take me to the Apollo." "God damn it, none of these things are gonna work!" "Easy, baby, easy." "Watch it." "You're gonna wind up busting' something right between your assets and your liabilities." "Balloons, fans, feathers!" "I'm sick of 'em all!" "They're out of style and don't say a damn thing about my people." "Forget 'em, forget 'em." "'Cause what you got goin' for you- my, my, my- ain't never goin' out of style." "Uncle tom is what they are." "My dance has got to say something about my people." "Black people!" "We've got to set our people's minds to thinkin'." "Get our own black thing together." "Yeah." "Iris." "Billie, you have to lend me a dress." "A dress?" "What the hell you doing here?" "Helping Billie with her new dance routine." "What happened at the rally?" "And where's Deke?" "I don't know." "Didn't he call you?" "What you mean, you don't know?" "Don't lie to me, Barry." "Look, I'm not lying." "I don't know where he is." "Oh, just get the hell on out of here." "I don't need you to help me to find Deke." "Damn." "You must've left off in a big hurry." "Yeah." "You should've seen the other guy." "Billie, help me to find a dress and quick." "Quick." "Reverend O'Malley." "Reverend- oh." "Oh." "Oh." "Oh." "I'm sorry." "I... put my shirt in the sink to be washed." "I apologize." "I... had to use one of your husband's robes." "Well... what did you find out?" "I went over to the church like you told me, and I saw these two white men." "Yes." "I got close enough to listen, and I found out that they were offering a reward to anyone for bale of cotton." "Bale of cotton?" "Now, what would a bale of cotton be doing in Harlem?" "Bale of cotton." "A bale of cotton." "Is something wrong, Reverend?" "A bale of cotton." "Well, I'll be damned!" "We have got to find out what's happened, Sister Mabel." "And surely, Brother John would want you to help me." "Oh, John." "John - oh, you look so much like him in that robe." "Just to hear his name like that, oh, I miss him." "Yes, and I miss him, too, but listen, Sister" "I need my John." "I need him, too, Sister Mabel, but- who's gonna take care of me now that John's gone?" "Who's gonna love me?" "Who's gonna need me?" "Who's gonna be good to me now that John ain't here no more?" "Sister Mabel, I am here, and I am going to stay here." "And I'm gonna take care of you, and I'm gonna love you." "But first, I - oh, Reverend O'Malley, you are so wonderful!" "Sister Mabel, hey." "Mabel!" "Honey." "Iris." "Iris!" "Get me out of the way and shacking' up with that skimpy whore!" "Mabel:" "Wait a minute!" "Just wait a minute!" "You've got to understand!" "Iris, I called you first!" "Look, I had to find someplace to hide out." "Yeah, between this bitch's legs!" "Will you two quit it?" "The Reverend and I, we're trying to get back our people's money." "You don't call him that in the bed!" "Why, you- quit it!" "Stop it!" "Stop it, I say, damn it!" "Break it up!" "Let go of me!" "Let go of me!" "She can't call me that!" "You fool!" "Here you are, kid." "Well, if it isn't Caspar Brown, biggest numbers banker of them all." "Coloured version." "Hear tell that you and ed been nosing' around my operation." "Come on." "Now, you guys too smart to think that we knocked over Deke O'Malley." "Bullshit." "How the hell would you ever know what's happening in Harlem, Caspar?" "'Cause anything that is happenin'..." "I'm the guy that's makin' it happen." "And don't you forget it." "Stop trying to play big man, Caspar." "Well, don't think it ain't been charming', but, uh, I promised these little ladies" "I'd take 'em for a little ride." "Uh, I would look upon it kindly if you let the little ladies go and took me up to Italian Harlem to your white mafia boss man." "I said moo goo gai pan." "You call this moo goo gai pan?" "Never mind that." "Get it out of here." "And tell Sam to fix it for me personally." "Thank you, Brother Caspar." "Oh, sit right down next to the throne of grace." "Hey." "Sure." "Ain't you boys "the man"?" "Oh, someday, maybe, when Caspar gets balls enough to run you out of Harlem." "But right now you're the man." "Piano, piano." "How's about a little lump sum of food all around, hmm?" "Little tea?" "They think we hit O'Malley." "Knock off a coloured rally and start a race riot, maybe?" "Are you crazy?" "You had it in for O'Malley." "Deke?" "Nonsense." "I liked the boy." "Always have." "He's a credit to the community." "He ratted on you." "Where do you think he got that income tax shit?" "We fed it to him." "So a couple of the boys maybe got a little out of line." "Should learn a lesson." "He done us a favour." "If we didn't like him, you think he'd still be around?" "Look, you know what my take in Harlem is in one day?" "You think I would jeopardize all of that for a lousy $87,000?" "All right. $5.00." "What?" "Cut it down!" "I'll take my bale to old man Cohen." "Wait a minute." "What do you want from me?" "What can I do with this piece of junk, make bandages?" "$10, and that's the last price." "What the hell are you tryin' to do?" "Listen." "50." "My name is honest Abe Goodman, not honest Abe Lincoln." "$15, and that's my very last price." "This is genuine Mississippi cotton." "Smell of it." "Smell, schmell." "Cotton is cotton." "Not this cotton!" "I've picked cotton all over the south, and that's the finest." "40." "20. not a dime more." "30, not a cent less." "25?" "25?" "Sold!" "Yes, sir." "You're the old geezer goes around picking' up junk, right?" "Yes, sir." "Well, I'm in the market for a bale of cotton." "Understand?" "A bale of cotton?" "That's right." "And I hear tell that maybe you could, uh- you got me wrong, mister." "And anyway, what would a bale of cotton be doing in Harlem?" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Open up!" "Hey!" "Open up, you old bastard!" "Look, white man, ain't you a long way from where you live?" "Was that black enough for you?" "It ain't, but it's gonna be." "Ha ha ha!" "Is it black enough for you?" "Hey, Deke!" "Hey!" "Yeah, all right!" "My man!" "Hey." "Good times are here now." "How was the Congo, baby?" "Fine, beautiful, beautiful." "Man, I never been so scared in all my life." "Me, too, man." "Cops been leaning on you boys a bit?" "Hell no." "It was you we was worrying about." "Man, I thought you was dead." "Are you dumb?" "This man got brains, baby." "I had to lay low for a while." "But I was thinking about you boys all the time." "And now Deke O'Malley's back in town." "And you better believe it." "And that means we gonna take care of business." "Right, Reverend?" "'Cause I found it." "I finally found that bale of cotton." "Brother Barry, you are beautiful." "Where is that bale of cotton?" "Goodman's junkyard." "Goodman's junkyard?" "Now, is that kosher enough for you?" "Ha ha ha!" "Deke O'Malley and all the little foxes present and accounted for." "Hold on there." "What's your rush?" "Don't you remember what your mama says?" "I don't play that." "First, Brer Fox gobbles Brer Rabbit... and then the wolf gobbles Brer Fox." "Your move, mother goose." "Okay." "Stay put until you see the white of the rabbit's ass." "Come on." "Let's move." "Move out." "White shit about to hit black fan." "Aah!" "Hello, Reverend." "Now back up." "Nice and easy." "Turn around!" "Hold it right there." "The white fox?" "He left tracks across my behind." "The black fox?" "Likewise." "Body count is 6, lieutenant." "Yeah." "To steal junk, I can understand." "A man is desperate, he needs the money." "But to kill for junk?" "I don't get it." "Don't be a boy scout, Goodman." "A lot of people get killed every day up here for nothing." "What could be here that anyone could possibly want that badly?" "$87,000." "What?" "$87,000." "Seen any cotton around here lately?" "A bale of cotton, sure." "Uncle Budd brought over a bale of cotton." "I bought it from him for $25." "Where is it now?" "What?" "What happened to it?" "He came back later, he bought it back from me for $30." "He hauled it away." "Wait a minute." "He brought it in and then he brung it out again?" "It don't add up, Goodman." "That's what happened." "Hauled it away where?" "He didn't say." "Put out a reader on Uncle Budd." "Come on, Digger." "To kill for junk." "Well!" "Did you find it?" "What do we got here, an outraged citizen?" "Oh, Reverend O'Malley." "Did you find the man who stole my people's money?" "What were you doing at the junkyard this hour of the night, Reverend?" "Holding a revival meeting?" "He was white, whoever he was." "You know the man?" "What do you mean, do I know him?" "What I mean, sir, is did you ever meet the man before?" "Oh, sure." "Same one who hijacked the rally." "Funny." "All the guys at the rally had on masks." "And, of course, you could see right through the masks." "Unless, of course, you knew that they were white in advance." "Have a cigarette." "Where'd you get that?" "Mabel hill's apartment, right where you left it." "That's police brutality." "No, Brother." "That's cancer prevention." "Reverend O'Malley, there are 6 dead bodies in the morgue." "All we're asking you to do is - now, look!" "How many times do I have to tell you idiots?" "We're only asking you to tell us what you know." "Now, look!" "Easy, Digger, easy." "Look, I am due in my pulpit at 11:00 this morning, and if I ain't there- if my people were to find out that you had me locked up in this filthy, pissy pigsty, there'll be all hell to pay!" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Draw your own conclusions." "And you can tell Bryce, the commissioner, and the mayor!" "Reverend O'Malley- take me back to my cell... honky!" "O'Malley!" "You forgot your lighter." "Something else you forgot." "Iris, baby, who hit you?" "You, you son of a bitch!" "But I got your black ass now!" "Cool it!" "Don't tell me to cool it!" "You left me for the cops." "Nigger, I oughta kill you!" "You already did, baby." "You have nailed his ass onto the wall, right here in black and white." "That's right." "I told them everything." "I spilled my guts out." "All about your phony "back to Africa" swindle." "Names, dates, places." "The way you were gonna hit all the big cities and get the money and split." "Iris - how you set up the switch at the rally, with the cat supposed to be from the D.A.'s office." "The way they were gonna pretend to take you and the money downtown." "But something happened, and John hill got wasted." "And Mabel hill found out and was going straight to the cops." "And you found her and tried to kill her." "That's a lie." "I was there!" "I saw you, you bastard!" "You took that ship, that big, old black ship black beauty, and you smashed it down on that poor girl's head." "I never touched that boat!" "Fractured skull." "Negative." "Assault with intent to kill." "If she dies, it's murder one." "Which means we burn you." "Burn me?" "Burn me with what?" "Lieutenant!" "I hope that some of you damn fools had the good sense to examine that model boat for fingerprints." "Of course we did, Reverend." "Tell these two dumb-ass uncle tom nigger cops of yours whose prints you found on that boat - that broad's or mine?" "He did it!" "He took those people's money." "He did it!" "You shut your mouth!" "I'll get you, O'Malley!" "I swear on my mother's grave I'll get you for this!" "I swear I will!" "I'll get you!" "One more word, soul Brother." "You had it made." "Black folks would have followed you anywhere." "You could have been another Marcus Garvey or even another Malcolm x." "But instead, you ain't nothin' but a pimp with a chickenshit backbone." "Break his Goddamn head." "No." "Keep him on ice for 24 hours." "Then he'll bust his own head." "24 hours?" "Bryce'll never stand for it." "The hell with Bryce!" "O'Malley'll break." "Not only for us." "Everybody in Harlem will know the son of a bitch for the evil bastard that he is." "You hold him one more day." "Don't you guys ever listen to the buzzer?" "What's up?" "The word just came over the squawk box." "They just found Uncle Budd." "Did they find a bale of cotton?" "Don't ask me." "Ask the squawk box." "Anderson:" "Poor Uncle Budd." "What do you suppose they did to him?" "My guess'd be the river." "Oh, my God." "We're dragging the river, Luddy." "You set it up." "Yes, sir." "White fox tasted black blood." "Maybe yes, and maybe no." "Where the hell's that rabbit?" "All right, stop it." "A vicious son of a bitch murders Uncle Budd, and you two talk nonsense." "You gotta look on the bright side, lieutenant." "You saw that white joker last night." "You identify him?" "I don't know, lieutenant." "Maybe yes, maybe no." "All those kind of people look alike to me." "Cut the crap." "That's an order." "Drop whatever the hell else you're doing, and you find him!" "And that's final." "We're going home we're going to see the sun going home a new life has begun we're going home oh, yes?" "Where we can all be free in the land where there's sand and I got liberty so steal away my Lord, steal away" "take me and I will tell you we're going home oh, going home!" "Hey, children, going home wait here." "We're going home where this world was born and where life with the strife won't be tight we're going home captain, O'Malley's people are coming." "O'Malley's people?" "Just like the good book said we're going home" "Brothers and Sisters, we have marched all the way from O'Malley's tabernacle this afternoon, not merely for the purpose of gift-bringing, but to offer prayers for his release." "Amen." "Amen." "What do you think?" "How many men we got?" "It's Sunday." "Half the men are off." "All right." "You better send out a recall." "Station house alert." "We'll try to hold this right where it is, but if anything happens, if it gets out of control, go to signal 1039." "Ok." "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Free Deke O'Malley!" "People, just settle down." "Hey, what the hell is going on here?" "Riot." "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Free Deke O'Malley!" "I figure about a 4-block area, commissioner." "What are you standing there for?" "!" "Get out and get those riot guns!" "I don't give a damn!" "Find ed and Digger if it takes all afternoon!" "Hold 'em right where they are" "now that I have your attention, let's bow our heads." "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Man:" "Who the hell asked you to come here?" "He will be free, but not this way." "Jarema, they're gonna try to take O'Malley." "Don't you worry, Reverend." "I know how to use this thing, and I'll protect you with the last breath in my body." "Oh, I know you will, officer." "I know you will." "Get out of here!" "Hold it there." "Now cool it!" "Hold it!" "Quiet down!" "All right, get inside." "What in the Goddamn hell?" "Let 'em inside, officers." "All right, take those guns out of here." "We'll take it from here." "Hold it!" "Hold it right there!" "Hey, we know what you cops do in the precinct basement." "How do we know Deke O'Malley ain't dead?" "'Cause I say he ain't!" "And I'm the doctor." "You filthy pigs!" "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Shut up, white boy!" "I'm talking about my money!" "Me and my family put up $1,000, and we ain't heard from it since." "If you police don't do something, we will." "Tear the damn precinct down!" "Burn the mother to the ground!" "Give us our money!" "I want my money now!" "I want my money, man." "Shut up!" "Digger and I will do our damnedest to get the money back." "We promise." "Hell with promises!" "Anybody out there ever heard coffin ed or the grave Digger make a promise we didn't keep?" "We may have broken some heads, but we never broke no promises." "Now go on home!" "Fascist pigs!" "Free Deke O'Malley!" "Commie pigs!" "Fascist commies!" "Where the hell you going?" "Well, ain't this the going-back-to-Africa rally?" "No, Brother." "It is the going-home rally." "Now move it." "Sergeant, my name is Callahan." "I'm the attorney for Reverend O'Malley." "I have a writ for his release, signed by Judge Glossner." "This'll take a few minutes." "Ok." "I'll go down and tell him." "I thank all of you." "I'm obliged to you for coming down here and bringing this great food for me and my fellow prisoners." "Amen." "Amen." "Inasmuch as you've done unto one of these, my little ones, you've done unto me." "Amen." "Amen." "Minister:" "Just the way you wanted it." "O'Malley:" "Praise the Lord, Brother, amen." "What about your tray," "Sister Minnie?" "It's all yours, Reverend." "I thank you, Sister, but I'd be much obliged if you'd take that tray over to Sister Iris over there." "Well, if you say so, Reverend." "I do say so, Sister." "And, Sister Minnie, the Lord loveth a cheerful giver." "Amen." "Amen." "Amen." "A jealous hysterical woman... will do anything, including lie, to hurt O'Malley." "Is that the case?" "No." "There's a bale of cotton, the white man that Digger spotted, the shoot-out, and the vicious murder of Booker Washington Simms." "Who?" "Uncle Budd, the old junk dealer." "We're still dragging the river for his body." "And all Ed and Digger want to do is hold O'Malley for one more day." "What?" "They think that they can- don't tell me what they think." "Tell me what you think." "Or don't you do that anymore?" "We could hold him on a technicality for 24 hours, it being sunday." "Jones!" "Johnson!" "Did I or lieutenant Anderson or anybody else authorize you to offer those people money out there this afternoon?" "No, sir." "Good." "Then you recognize that the precinct is in no way responsible for your foolish statements or anything else." "It was getting a little hairy out there." "It was a flagrant breach of police procedure." "I won't have it." "That all, sir?" "That is not all!" "In spite of the fact that we came within one inch of a riot out there this afternoon and we have no proof whatsoever against Reverend O'Malley," "Anderson tells me you want me to hold him another day." "That's right, sir." "You're out of your minds, both of you." "Do you have to play with that thing?" "I'm insecure, captain." "But the question still is, can we hold him another day?" "I'm not finished." "You've allowed your personal prejudice to get in the way of your judgment." "You've bungled this whole thing from beginning to end." "And you and your partner have turned this entire investigation into a personal vendetta against Reverend O'Malley." "Vendetta?" "Vendetta!" "O'Malley's a rotten, thieving, lying- it doesn't matter what he is." "It's no concern of yours anymore." "I'm taking you off the case." "Thank you, sir." "What?" "You want us off the case?" "You got us off." "What was that all about?" "I don't know." "But now I'm really worried." "Woman:" "Where is Deke?" "Second woman:" "There he is." "No pictures, no pictures." "Reverend O'Malley." "Yes, sir." "Could we have one word with you in private?" "One word in private." "We understand you're looking for a white man and a bale of cotton." "We got 'em both." "Uh, Callahan, will you excuse me?" "Sister Minnie." "I'll see you later." "Well, there goes that $87,000 promise you made." "We made, old buddy." "We made." "Yeah, we made." "The next time you're making out an I.O.U., include me out, huh?" "What we need is some new bait for that trap." "A whole new kind of fox." "Look, man, I'm not in any mood for another one of your Goddamn coloured fairy tales." "A stone fox." "Somebody who wants O'Malley worse than we do." "Hey, lady." "Where's my pastor?" "!" "Where's my pastor?" "!" "Now, hold on, now." "What did you-what did you do with my pastor?" "Wait a minute." "Hold it." "Just a minute, now." "How the hell did you get in here?" "She's with the delegation." "Don't you remember?" "If y'all don't give me back my pastor," "I'm gonna punch you in the stomach with this umbrella." "Now, watch it, lady." "O'Malley ain't here." "He's been released." "Give me back my pastor." "O'Malley ain't here, I tell you, and if you don't get the hell out of here with all that noise, I'm gonna jail you." "And stay out." "What's the matter with that old bag?" "My people." "Iris!" "Don't "Iris" me, you honey-dripping bastard!" "Let go of me!" "Take your hands off her." "Cool it, baby." "Get your hands off of me." "Tie her up." "Nobody two-times Iris and gets away with it." "Tie her up, for God's sake." "Looks like I'm not the only one our preacher friend's crossed." "What the- what'd he do to you?" "None of your Goddamn business." "Cut me loose, Calhoun." "Hand over the money," "I'll cut you loose." "How many times do I have to tell you, you idiot?" "I don't know where it's at." "Mm-hmm." "What about Iris?" "She don't know, either." "Look, man, quit playing games." "Hmm?" "Cut me loose." "Partner!" "Cal, I set the whole thing up for you." "You were nothing but a dumb convict in row "c" till I put you wise." "Yeah, you set it up for me, bastard!" "You set it up for me to be the patsy and you to take the money and run!" "I wouldn't cross you." "Cal, we're partners." "What about that little old switch with the D.A.'s men?" "That was just in case you didn't arrive with the meat wagon in time." "And how about that little old shoot-out in the junkyard?" "I thought you guys were cops." "I swear it." "Cal, cut me loose, and we'll go and find the money and split it!" "Con man to the bitter end." "I ought to shoot you right between your black eyes for what you done to me, but I'm gonna be big about it." "Yeah." "I'm gonna let you buy your life back, and all it's gonna cost you is all that 87 grand stashed in that bale of cotton." "Cotton?" "Is that what this is all about?" "Yeah." "You know something?" "Yeah, I know where it's at." "All right... talk." "What's in it for me?" "Iris." "You shut up." "You talk, or I'll blow your brains out." "Hmmph." "Yeah, that'll get you exactly nowhere." "What you ought to do is, uh... blow that mother's brains out." "What?" "Blow that two-timing mother's brains out." "Then I'll show you where the bale of cotton is." "You do it." "You untie me, and I will." "Untie her." "Who followed you here?" "How in the hell I know?" "Iris, sweetheart, baby, you found it." "You found that bale of cotton." "Here, come on." "Untie these ropes, honey." "Come on, Iris." "Yeah, that's right." "Come on, honey." "Cut these ropes, and let's get out- uhh!" "Ha ha!" "Ha, Iris!" "Iris!" "Ok, baby." "No, Iris, I don't blame you." "Go ahead." "Do your thing." "But before you kill me, would you do me a favour?" "Don't beg me, Deke." "I ain't beggin'." "But would you mind reaching your hand down into my pocket and taking out that little old package?" "Go ahead, Iris." "That's it, baby." "Go ahead." "Bat?" "Billie boy?" "Halt!" "God damn it!" "Another fine mess you got us into." "I got us into?" "Shut up and shoot." "Hit it again." "Where are they, Iris?" "Iris!" "Now, where are they?" "I'm talkin' to you!" "Now, where are they?" "All right, Iris." "Where's the door?" "Hey, baby, let's move it." "I'm gonna get out an APB." "I'm gonna find those two if it takes every cop in this precinct." "Let me try, sir." "L-i know them." "Their hangouts and all." "Uh, besides, it was me they tricked." "Well, then, you get them and don't come back here till you do." "Yes, sir, captain Bryce." "Yes, sir." "Bryce on radio:" "Attention, all cars." "Attention, all cars." "Jones and Johnson have set fire to house of God." "Proceeding west on 125th street." "Apprehend at all costs." "Down south we sweat and strained we were the prisoners of cotton prisoners of cotton but when cotton come to Harlem here comes cotton we kicked cotton's ass we kicked cotton's ass whoa, down south cotton was king" "a black man's life meant not a damn thing a black man not a damn thing so when cotton come to Harlem here comes cotton oh, I kicked cotton's ass we kicked cotton's ass oh, what is cotton doing here?" "Whoa, we gonna make him disappear know that we don't need him to remind us the bad old days are far behind us south that's where it all began it looked like cotton was the man cotton was the man" "whoa, if cotton come to Harlem here comes cotton think I'll boot cotton's butt we'll boot cotton's butt" "I'll boot his butt" "whoo!" "Ha." "Whoa this is black country it's cotton, it's cotton no, it's our territory it's cotton, it's cotton there'll be no more new mama or uncle tom hey, little bo-weeble best be gone" "down south cotton was boss a human life was no great loss life was no great loss whoa, if cotton come to Harlem here comes cotton think I'll kick cotton's ass kick cotton's ass kick his ass" "take it off!" "Hi, cal!" "What's going on?" "Reverend O'Malley." "Oh!" "Oh!" "He's white." "Ha ha ha." "He's a white man." "I just can't believe it." "He's white!" "The same white man who stole $87,000 of our people's money!" "Do you want him?" "!" "Get that honky!" "Get that pig!" "Kill the honky!" "Throw him back!" "He's mine!" "Aw!" "Oh!" "All right, assume the position." "You know it." "Spread 'em wide." "Here!" "Ok, Brother, get that bale of cotton down to the prop room and clean up the stage." "Turn around and face your audience," "Mr. Bones." "Stick out your hands, please, Mr. Bones." "Fly this mother to the moon!" "Now let's get on with the show." "Down in my soul a girl who's always rockin' down in my soul that old black road squawkin' oh, yeah down in my soul, yeah down in my soul a fella can't stop rollin' down in my soul" "drivin' what's been stolen down in the marshland you can find my soul there... down in my soul" "a girl who's always rockin' oh, yeah down in my soul a fella that can't stop rollin' down in the marshland you can find my soul there... aah!" "Hold it, man." "Hold it right there." "This ain't gonna get us nowhere." "Man... there's $87,000 in that bale." "50-50." "Right down the middle." "You steal money from white folks, that's your business." "But when you steal from blacks, that's my business." "You sound just like my father." "Part preacher... part undertaker... and part God." "Why don't you take it easy, man?" "Cool it." "What's the matter with you?" "Black people been exploited by white people." "Filth like you come along skin 'em some more." "Judgment, Deke." "Judgment." "All right, man, all right." "You, you keep the whole thing." "I'll walk out of here, and I promise you," "I'll never show my face in Harlem again as long as I live." "Well?" "That's what you want, ain't it?" "No." "I want you." "Ed!" "Ed, listen!" "For God's sake, give me a chance!" "I could be another- another Garvey, man!" "Another Malcolm!" "Aah!" "God damn you!" "I'll kill you!" "Don't touch me!" "No, no!" "No!" "No!" "O'Malley:" "Shoot him, Iris!" "Iris:" "Aah!" "Jarema, she's your prisoner." "Now, look, you might even make first-grade Detective." "The money, it's in the bale." "Yes, sir." "Oh, that salvation no more of my sinful care s oppressed but in thy presence ever blessed oh, God of my salvation doo doo doo?" "Whoa, God of my salvation" "God of my salvation" "God of my salvation talkin' 'bout my salvation" "God of my salvation talkin' 'bout your salvation everybody's salvation" "God of our salvation salvation" "God of our salvation salvation" "God of our salvation" "God of our salvation salvation" "God of our salvation salvation" "God of our salvation" "God of our salvation" "Brothers and Sisters," "I want to talk to you for a minute." "Salvation here, give me that mike." "Brothers and Sisters," "I just want to talk to you... for a minute!" "He'll hang himself." "Hear." "Hear, hear." "Brothers and Sisters," "I want to talk to you." "I want-i want" "God damn it!" "Hey, wait a minute!" "That's our preacher?" "Brothers, Sisters, these two here want to beat me to death, want to beat me, Deke O'Malley." "You blew it, Deke!" "Get out of here!" "No, no." "Listen." "Listen, now." "L-listen, now." "Ha." "I got-i got... listen to me!" "I got something to tell you!" "Listen." "No, no, no." "No, no." "No!" "No, don't- don't turn your backs." "Don't." "Listen to me." "Don't turn your backs on me." "No." "No, listen to me." "Listen to me." "Listen!" "I can be like Malcolm!" "Believe me!" "Don't turn your backs on me!" "Don't turn your backs" "Jarema, what the hell is going on here?" "Oh!" "It's empty, Luddy." "What's empty?" "Damn cotton bale is empty." "Ha!" "Where are they?" "Where the hell are those 2 cops who was here?" "What, you mean coffin ed and grave Digger?" "Yeah." "Oh, man." "They've been gone." "$87,000." "What the hell for?" "Your whole operation is sittin' on a black volcano, man." "Right, Caspar?" "Uh, I'm afraid he's right, tom." "You see, tom, things have changed up here." "Black people are thinking about taking over white businesses." "Right, Caspar?" "Right." "I was just reading an article on black capitalism." "That's right." "And there ain't no capitalism bigger than yours in Harlem." "Right, Caspar?" "Right." "Now, the way I see things is, uh, is organization." "Uh, and not only new blood, but black blood, improving' the operation around here." "Uh, seems to me that there's a whole lot of money uh, in just being black these days." "So there's got to be some way." "Hmm?" "Sit down." "How much is it gonna cost me to stop this kind of talk?" "$87,000." "Well, that bale was empty." "That money must have been planted in there." "Planted?" "By who, you idiot?" "Jones and Johnson?" "Well, I still say the- the bale was empty." "Well, it sure ain't empty now." "Lieutenant, I think you better count it." "Don't you?" "Mm-hmm." "Oh, I bet it's all here." "Well, perhaps sergeant Jarema ought to count it himself." "You tricked me." "I don't know how you two black bastards did it, but you tricked me." "Jarema," "I want you to apologize to these two officers for that racial slur, or I'll have your badge." "Aw, I apologize, but... but... you'll, uh, have to overlook Jarema." "He's... had a bad day." "Haven't we all?" "May we go, captain?" "May you- of course." "Congratulations." "Thank you, sir." "Ed, Digger." "Tell me something, will ya?" "What's a bale of cotton doing in Harlem?" ""Dear Grave Digger Jones and coffin Ed Johnson..."" "Uncle Budd:" "If you're still dragging the river looking for the body of Old Uncle Budd and the 87,000, stop." "I am now a retired gentleman raising cotton on my villa in Africa." "If you are ever in this neck of the woods, please drop in and see me." ""Yours truly, Booker Washington Simms."" "Ha ha ha!" "Better known as Old Uncle Budd." "Ha ha ha ha!"