"(MUSIC PLAYING ON GRAMOPHONE)" "PERCIVAL:" "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." "They have their exits and their entrances, all with a specific role to play." "Even at a funeral." "I was searching for my role in life." "You get one shot." "Can't go back and change anything." "Strange, all these people showing up to see a dead guy." "Folks from small towns are always up for a show." "Even at a funeral." "I know because I spent most of my life in this very room." "Different faces, but always the same characters." "Some full of regret, feeling trapped, in need of something outside this small town." "That was the day me and Rooster met." "It was the first time Rooster had ever seen a real dead guy, and the first time I'd ever touched one." "Of course, Rooster put me up to it." "It was his Uncle Eddie's funeral." "He was like a father to Rooster." "He was a classy gangster." "And so was his partner, Spats." "Son, this was your uncle's." "Don't never lose it." "I won't." "FLASK:" "How you doing?" "Are you ready?" "We about to have a ball." "I'm your best friend." "PERCIVAL:" "They were high rollers with fast cash..." "Go on, take a whiff." "Don't be shy." "... and faster ladies." "Stinky." "And, man, talk about the ladies." "(RHYTHMICALLY) Talk about the ladies." "Man, talk about the ladies." "See?" "Pink satin, just like I told you." "You owe me five cents." "Pay up." "Them some sexy drawers!" "PERCIVAL:" "My father said Rooster was trouble, and didn't want me playing with him or anybody else, for that matter." "I pretty much lived my life inside, except for the days I visited my mother." "(CHILDREN PLAYING)" "My Auntie Belle made me keep up with my lessons." "Percival." "Pay attention, Percival." "It's right in front of you." "B flat." "(GRUNTING)" "(BELL RINGING) Hey, baby." "Stop!" "Police!" "Freeze!" "Come and get me, copper." "(LAUGHING)" "(PLAYING PIANO)" "PERCIVAL:" "Piano was my thing." "Rooster preferred singing and gambling." "Praise Jesus." "Today is my lucky day, fellows." "Y'all owe me some money." "Pay up." "Collect my money, if you know what I mean." "PERCIVAL:" "But my Auntie Belle didn't approve." "Let's get out of here!" "That didn't matter much to Rooster." "He never listened to anybody anyway." "Eventually, my father started preparing me to take over the family business." "PERCY:" "Thing is, make the deceased look like they're at peace." "Go on." "Go on." "Go." "Peaceful." "Not happy." "PERCIVAL:" "I learned my family business, and Rooster learned his." "Seventy-five bottles this month." "Bootlegging." "That's $48." "$46.50." "Seventy-five bottles at 62 cents each is... $46.50." "Boy's too smart for his own britches." "(LAUGHING)" "SPATS:" "Good looking out, man." "How the hell am I going to make it to Biloxi by sundown?" "I got an idea." "ROOSTER:" "We can hide the bottles in here." "(GRUNTS)" "Shit." "Think he heard us?" "I don't know." "Let's go check it out." "Come on." "(SNORING)" "He'll be awake by 8:00." "PERCIVAL:" "We were from two totally different sides of the track, with one common ground." "You got to get it back by 8:00." "I'll have it back." "I promise." "Music." "Here." "God don't make no mistakes." "Ain't nothing slick to a can of oil." "The records got old." "So did me and Rooster." "(COW MOOING)" "(TIRES SCREECHING)" "PHOTOGRAPHER:" "All right, now that's perfect." "Okay, now." "Give me a big smile." "One, two... (BABY CRYING) One more time." "And cheese." "That's perfect." "Man, Rooster." "You got a big family now." "Come on, Rooster, you can smile better than that." "Ain't y'all pretty?" "Man, take the picture." "One, two..." "Cheese." "PERCIVAL:" "Rooster had to take care of his family, and I had to take care of mine." "10:00 a.m. Damn shame." "One, two, three." "Ain't y'all finished yet?" "By day, I helped my father work in the mortuary." "PERCY:" "Get that carnation right, now." "Yes, sir." "But by night, Rooster got me a part-time gig playing at a local juke joint where he worked," "Church." "That's what we called the place, but it was anything but that." "(MUSIC PLAYING)" "TAFFY:" "How y'all feeling tonight?" "MAN 1:" "Depends on what you're doing." "I don't give a damn." "MAN 2:" "I'd be your bra right now!" "WOMAN:" "She ain't nothing." "(SINGING) Mama" "I've been away from home" "To join the circus" "MAN 3:" "Man, look at them hams on that chippie!" "MAN 4:" "Save me one of them drinks, Taffy." "Papa" "I'm going to the place where the crowd gets down" "(ALL CHEERING)" "Gets down" "Sister" "I know that there are lions, tigers and bears" "I'll be safe and sure to call y'all when I get there" "Yo, yo, fix me another drink." "CHORUS: (SINGING) Greatest show on earth" "WOMAN 2:" "Ain't you had enough to drink?" "TAFFY:" "Shut up while I'm singing." "Step right up, step right up." "Come one, come all." "What you want" "CHORUS:" "What you need TAFFY:" "What you need" "Got some coke Wanna drink?" "Got some weed All that shit" "I've got it, yeah" "I've got it" "I got it" "Renée, take your brother." "Well, hush." "ZORA:" "I'm fed up with this, Rooster." "And it's starting to take a toll on me and the kids." "And we ain't just gonna sit at home while you romp around every night in this..." "Cover them ears." "Whorehouse." "Zora, for the last time, this is a respectable business, and I make good money." "Now, you know I got responsibilities." "Responsibilities?" "That's bullshit." "When was the last time you been to a real church, Rooster?" "You can't even remember, huh?" "It's been so long." "I got..." "You need the Spirit in your life." "You need to start spending some time with the kids." "Tell you what." "Why don't I take you shopping in the morning?" "You and the kids." "Would you like that?" "I got $100 love over here." "I got $1,000 love." "Your name must be Bob or David." "You got all that fucking grease in your hair." "Why don't you go wash your hair?" "Yes, yes!" "CHORUS: (SINGING) Greatest show on earth" "TAFFY:" "Get your damn hands off my bottle." "Barbecue." "That is barbecue right there." "What the hell you looking at?" "I wish you'd get that song right." "Always drunk." "I should set her ass on fire." "Girl, now what you mad at?" "You did good." "PERCIVAL:" "That's Monk." "He works backstage, but no one knows what he does besides borrow money." "Taffy, you sho' nuff gorgeous." "Love the hair." "Loan me a nickel note, dime note, two cents, whatever." "Go on, Monk." "You still owe me from last week." "You better pay me." "And that's Ace." "Ace owns Church." "He liked to be called Sunshine Ace, but most folks just called him Ace." "Goddamn Rooster!" "Unless they wanted something." "Sunshine Ace!" "Just the man I'm looking for." "Listen to me, you son of a big jackass, you ain't gonna get nothing from me but the what for." "The what for?" "Yeah, when I put my foot in your ass, you gonna say, "What for?" "What for?"" "Now move." "You're $85 in the hole!" "Come on, Sawed-Off." "ALL:" "Rooster!" "Rooster!" "MAN:" "Come on, man." "DIRECTOR:" "Man, I hope they don't start throwing bottles again." "(ALL BOOING)" "Holy moly!" "Rooster's late again." "Y'all jackasses, play something quick." "Like what?" "He ain't even here yet, man." "I don't care what you play." "All I know is I got a house full of angry people, and ain't none of these niggers getting their money back." "All right, Baby Blue, you're on, man." "Jackass!" "One, two, three, four." "PERCIVAL:" "Suddenly, I was forced into the hot seat." "I hated the spotlight." "It always gave me the jitters." "MAN 1:" "Somebody owe us something." "MAN 2:" "Now I done paid my damn money!" "(CROWD JEERING)" "MUSIC NOTES:" "I told you to bring the good songs." "You better come harder than that, sweetie!" "TAFFY:" "This ain't no mortuary!" "MAN:" "Keep your hand on the keys, man." "MUSIC NOTES:" "Now, y'all gonna throw up." "Look at the keys." "(ALL CLAMORING)" "Jackass gonna get my club torn to pieces." "Hi, daddy." "Hey." "ROOSTER:" "Kids, y'all be good tonight." "Mind your mother." "You want to go shopping tomorrow?" "KIDS:" "Yes." "Okay." "Go on and give me a kiss." "GIRL 1:" "Bye, Daddy." "GIRL 2:" "Bye, Daddy." "Love you." "How's my tie?" "Perfect." "I'll see you in the morning." "ZORA:" "I'll be glad when the police come and bust this place up, Rooster." "And don't you come calling me to bail you out." "Girl, bye." "Here comes the family man." "Shit." "Family man?" "More like bow tie pimp." "Late again, as usual." "(ALL CLAMORING)" "MAN:" "Oh, hell, man." "He's going to throw up again?" "WOMAN:" "I'm in here!" "No, oh, man." "No." "Watch out, ladies." "He gonna blow." "(ALARM BUZZING)" "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, give it up for the amazing Rooster." "(ALL CHEERING)" "Evening, ladies." "Hey." "Sho' nuff looking right tonight." "Thanks." "Just gotta do one thing." "What's that, baby?" "Don't show so much so soon." "You got to give a man something to dream about." "That's right." "Okay, Rooster." "Okay, my ass." "Bye, daddy." "Rooster." "Ain't he fine?" "FLASK:" "Riding so smooth, baby." "I'm as smooth as a baby's bottom is." "No, he didn't." "That's disgusting." "Thanks for holding it down for me, boy." "No problem." "(BAND PLAYING)" "MONK:" "In the groove." "Too smooth." "Don't you mess with me." "Showtime." "(ALL CHEERING)" "CHORUS: (SINGING) Crocodile on my feet" "Fox fur on my back" "Bow tie round my neck" "That's why they call me the gangsta mack in the Cadillac" "Nasty Noompsy Nightingale" "Fresh in that tuxedo" "Cummerbund with no suspenders My torpedo, your libido" "Need to chat CHORUS:" "Chip, chop it up, shoot the breeze" "I'm your R-O-L-A-l-D-S" "Release the squeeze or release the keys" "To the shackles on her wrist" "She can tackle some of this" "Smack on smack on some of this, Dick Tracy" "Arrest her, book her, fingerprint your hooker" "You took her to the club and now her body's full of liquor" "Off that butterscotch schnapps and Baileys Irish Cream" "She's a damsel in distress" "Impressed with stylish things" "What you mean?" "CHORUS:" "Chip, chop it up, shoot the breeze" "In the parking lot we primp" "Crooked booty to the scene where we..." "CHORUS:" "Crocodile on my feet" "Fox fur on my back" "Bow tie round my neck" "That's why they call me the gangsta mack" "In the Cadillac, yeah" "Oh, Lord, how could it be so hard" "To put on a pair of panties Much less a pair of jeans or the leotards" "I got to start by complimenting you on your physique CHORUS:" "On your physique" "You unique, you best believe" "I'm gonna skeet once I speak" "Spoke, spit, spatter, spat and I macked her just like that" "But it'd take years of perseverance and experience to get that cat" "So why don't I chase this Hennessy down with some of that?" "On your back, like a cheerleader missing the final stack" "CHORUS:" "As we strut, skip the line through the glass window glance" "We look fine, right on time" "As we step in the place" "The nursery's crunk, we've come to play" "Oh, everybody's watching" "'Cause them furs just hit the dirt" "While them gators creeping" "(CLAMORING) Crawling oh-so-wicked across that floor" "To the VIP where we proceed to give you what you need" "Throw your hands up if you feel me" "Throw your hands up if you feel me" "WOMAN 1:" "Careful." "WOMAN 2:" "Go, daddy!" "'Cause you're well-designed Bow tie!" "Like the finest wine Bow tie!" "Feel good to be fly Bow tie!" "So don't you ask me why Bow tie!" "I got the ladies in line Bow tie!" "Come on over here." "Welcome to the Church." "So raise your hands to the sky" "Come on, pull up a chair." "Just in time to see your boy do his thing." "Got my eye on business" "Don't jive with me, jive with me" "Got my eye on business" "Don't jive with me, jive with me, sucker" "Got my eye on business" "Don't jive with me, jive with me" "Got my eye on business" "Don't jive with me, jive with me, sucker" "Got my eye on business" "Don't jive with me, jive with me" "Got my eye on business" "Don't jive with me, jive with me, sucker" "(ALL CHEERING)" "ALL:" "Rooster!" "Rooster!" "Rooster!" "Hey, boy." "Good show there, Rooster." "Glad you liked it." "Rooster, y'all cut a fool tonight!" "Damn, girl." "Hi." "Ace." "You almost got my goddamn place torn up!" "Hey, Rose." "Gorgeous dress." "Thanks for noticing, sweetie." "ACE:" "Hey..." "Why don't you go chase a couple of drinks while me and the boys chew the fat?" "Sure, daddy." "(EXCLAIMING)" "(GRUNTING)" "Anything for you, Rooster." "Taste like chitlins." "Looking dapper as ever." "How you been, Spats?" "Never bad, son." "Never bad." "Got you a little present." "And I appreciate this already." "ACE:" "Hey, Trumpy!" "I guess they let anybody into the Church." "(CACKLING)" "Ace." "Oh, you taught him how to speak." "(ACE LAUGHING)" "Nice." "But the name is Sunshine Ace, nigger." "Business look good." "I'm impressed." "We got the prettiest girls for more than 100 square miles." "We're selling more hot sauce than anybody this side of the Mason-Dixon." "Ain't that right, sweetheart?" "(LAUGHING)" "It's been like that for the past three months, every night." "This shit here sells like canned pussy." "(CHUCKLING)" "I bet you thought I was gonna say "hotcakes," didn't you?" "Bravo, bravo!" "Baby Blue, you have done it again." "Monk, not right now." "You scared all the women away from me." "Honey Bun and China!" "Don't you know I've been working on them two broads for three weeks, and you go and heave right in front of them, and blew the whole night." ""I don't know, Monk." "He kind of strange."" ""No, girls, you got him all wrong." ""He's a little incentric." ""Classy!"" "You're a sad case, man." "Maybe you right." "The word is "eccentric."" "I know the word." "What make you think I want any of one of these floozies?" "(SHUSHING)" "Don't you want somebody worth having?" "Ain't nobody talking about getting hitched!" "I just wanna have a good time." "I know one thing for sure, Percy." "Better get on one of these old girls, 'cause nothing will just drop out the sky!" "Damn fool." "Two." "Three." "That's what I'm talking about." "MAN:" "Lord." "MONK:" "Good gracious." "Lord, Lord, Lord." "Fellows, would you look at that there?" "(SNIFFING)" "(CLICKING TONGUE)" "Have you ever..." "Gentlemen." "Good Lord God almighty." "You look like the man I'm here to see." "No, I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm just a piano player." "Well, listen, piano player, I just traveled 19 hours from Saint Louis in a coach seat, and Angel Davenport don't ride coach." "Angel Davenport?" "(WOMEN CHATTERING)" "The Angel Davenport?" "In the flesh, honey." "May I make your acquaintance?" "Monk S. Dubois." "The "S" stands for Sherman." "What brings you to town, Spats?" "I wanted you both to hear it from me." "I'm getting out the business." "(LAUGHING)" "Come on, man." "What's the play, man?" "This ain't no play, Ace." "I'm tired." "If I don't get out now, I never will." "Business is doing so good" "I can retire, give everybody a piece of the rock." "For the right price." "(LAUGHING)" "Good Lord, girl, you finer than all outdoors!" "Shit, girl, you a star!" "MONK:" "Of course, we weren't expecting you till next week." "(WHISTLES) Well, my show in Saint Louis finally came to an end." "Three months of back-to-back shows in that city would wear anybody out." "Now I told my agent, Nathan, I needed a change of scenery." "He said, "Why not head on down to Idlewild early?"" "Thought I'd come and see what the big fuss in Idlewild, Georgia, is all about." "I must admit, so far I'm not impressed." "(WOMEN EXCLAIMING)" "Twenty-five thousand?" "Plus the $1,250 you owe me from the last shipment." "That's a heavy load, Spats." "Twenty-five large buy you a direct line to my supplier and my entire clientele." "Now if I can't find me a buyer, then I gotta turn my operation over to someone I can trust, in which case, I become a stockholder and collect my dividends." "You always been good with numbers, Rooster." "How about it?" "Know what?" "Maybe you right, Spats." "I am good with numbers." "I'm going to mull that over." "ACE:" "Like hell you will!" "I've got your 25 large." "And I got a big plan that's going to bring more people in here than ever." "So, if you allow me, I'd like to make a toast to you." "To fast women, fast money, and new beginnings." "The hell with that." "To 25 large." "Where is this Mr. Sunshine Ace?" "He sent me a coach ticket." "That was not part of our agreement." "A lady has standards to maintain, you know." "Well, I'm sure that it..." "It says right here in the telegram," ""First class."" "Don't say nothing about no coach." "What does it say?" "First class." "That's right." "First class." "Right there in bold writing." "So how the hell did I get coach?" "Well, look at Miss Goody Two-Shoes." "She look better in the pictures, if you ask me." "(LAUGHS)" "Excuse me." "Do I know you?" "Hell, no." "But if you fix yourself up a little..." "Taffy!" "Miss Angel Davenport." "Lord." "Don't try it, man." "I just traveled 19 hours on a stinking train from Saint Louis in a lousy coach seat." "I deeply regret that." "Some jackass didn't follow my orders." "I did exactly what you... (GRUNTING EMPHATICALLY)" "But now that you're here, Sunshine Ace will take real good care of you." "Just as soon as we take care of the legal paperwork." "Now I just so happen to have your contract." "Now, never mind all this fine print." "Them just the details." "Sign by the "X." Give me a pen." "Here." "Right there." "Yup." "Now that the legal stuff is out the way, you can have anything you want." "Anything?" "Anything." "Just you name it." "White carnations." "White carnations." "You heard the lady." "Got you." "And my own dressing room." "ACE:" "And her own dressing room." "Taffy, come here." "The rest of you niggers, get back to work." "Come on, Sawed-Off." "MONK:" "Follow me, Miss Davenport." "Ladies!" "(LAUGHING)" "MONK:" "Look at this shit." "I don't even like you, girl." "Get your ass up out of here!" "Monk?" "You know, we can do this another time." "Get your stinky ass up out of here." "You too." "What..." "No, stop!" "You didn't even want to loan me no money?" "Get your ass out, too." "What the hell is this?" "What the hell is this?" "I'm sorry, just..." "Right after you, Miss Davenport." "Thank you, Monk." "You welcome." "(EXHALES)" "ANGEL:" "Bye, Monk." "Bye." "(ROSE MOANING)" "Oh, Rooster." "Baby, why you make me act so bad?" "Who, me?" "Yes, you." "You bad boy." "Guess I kind of inherited it from my Uncle Eddie." "Got a weakness for fine women such as yourself." "And that perfume don't help, either." "One second." "One second." "Bad boy." "Let's head over to the garage." "Hey, Ace." "Excuse me, man." "I want to..." "What?" "I want to talk to you about the piano." "Some of the notes are still sticking and I..." "Don't you touch that damn piano." "That piano is a bona fide antique." "Jelly Roll Morton brought the house down with that piano!" "If it's good enough for Jelly Roll, it's good enough for a mortician nigger like yourself." "It just needs a little tuning." "I mean, I hit a couple of bad notes, but..." "Let me tell you something." "The only reason why you even here, because Rooster said, "Please," ""please let my mortician friend come play the piano at your club."" "That's the only reason why you here." "Watch your conduct, nigger!" "Jackass!" "(ACE LAUGHING)" "ACE:" "I still got girls." "WOMEN:" "Bye, Percy." "Idiot." "Never heard of this one before." "No one has." "So you play piano and write songs." "Yeah, I play a little bit, just to pass the time." "That's a creepy car." "Yeah, I wouldn't want to be caught dead in that one." "That's funny." "You're cute, piano player." "Thank you." "You got a name?" "Percival." "Percival Jenkins." "Well, see you around, Percival Jenkins." "Hey, Percival." "Why don't you take that phony broad back to the mortuary?" "(ALL LAUGHING)" "TAFFY:" "Maybe you'll get you some!" "(MOANING)" "Let me ask you something." "Oh, baby." "Why are all the good ones taken?" "(KNOCKING ON DOOR)" "Shit!" "Goddamn!" "The big man." "Here, take this out of here." "What he doing here?" "Where you going?" "Get my panties." "Watch yourself, Spats." "Yeah, yeah." "Come on, man." "(ROSE WHISPERING) Get my panties." "You know, I got big plans shaking from out them trees out there." "That's the only way today's Negro going to make it in today's society." "It's like something my mama used to tell me, well, not my birth mama, but the lady that raised me." "Bitch, what you doing in here?" "I just wanted to finish up the receipts, so me and you could spend some quality time together tonight, daddy." "Receipts." "Right." "Right." "I'll tell you what." "You go upstairs, keep the bed warm for me." "Take this with you." "I didn't know you was gonna bring company." "See you later, fellows." "Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord." "Pussy and money." "If God created anything better, he kept it to himself." "Amen." "I've been waiting on this day, Spats." "I've been dreaming about it." "I didn't know it was gonna come so soon, but I ain't about to let you talk me out of it." "A big man's got to have big plans." "And this is my big plan." "In a year's time, I can run for mayor of this goddamn town." "Hell, I just might." "The way I see things, you work for me now." "You get your greasy-ass hands off of me." "Relax, son." "He ain't mean nothing by it." "I'm not going to tell you again." "Say, slick, what's your fucking problem?" "You talking to Sunshine Ace." "Watch your conduct around me, nigger." "TRUMPY:" "Nigger, I don't give a damn who you are." "I would never work for some stinking, fat, whore-loving trick like you." "Now, get the fuck..." "Spats." "Spats." "You know I'm not trying to disrespect your business, Spats, and I don't believe in violence, but I will cut this motherfucker!" "Watch your conduct!" "Put it away, Trumpy." "Put it away, Trumpy." "You, too, Ace." "No, don't worry, Spats." "Sunshine Ace ain't cutting nobody today." "Trembling like a little bitch." "I told you to put it away, Trumpy." "We're here on business." "Trumpy." "Son, you beginning to forget your place." "ACE:" "Spats, come get this half-breed." "Do you hear me, Trumpy?" "Yeah, I hear you." "ACE:" "Nigger, you crazy." "And the problem is, I've heard you loud and clear for six years." "Six long years I've been out there busting my goddamn conk for you to keep your hands clean." "And why?" "So a piece of shit like this can get rich?" "Put the damn gun down now, Trumpy." "What?" "This slimy pig mean something to you?" "You really are senile, old man." "ACE:" "You're talking to Spats." "Boy, you about to get your ass whipped." "You done lost your natural mind." "That's right, Spats." "No, it's quite the opposite, sir." "That's right." "You see, I've watched you for a long time, Spats." "And you taught me that when opportunity knocks, you said the smart man answers." "(GUN FIRES)" "ACE:" "Spats!" "Spats!" "Son!" "See, that was some really good advice." "Trumpy." "Hey, what was that that you told me?" "Trumpy." "Trumpy." "No, Trumpy." "What was it?" "Was it, like, never..." "I'm gonna put the knife down, Trumpy." "Will you shut the fuck up for a second?" "I'm trying to think." "Never..." "I'm going to put the knife down, Trumpy." "I got it." "Never bring a knife to a gunfight, mother..." "A fool and his money..." "So this your big plan, huh?" "Angel Davenport?" "A singer?" "Hey, fat man, where is the money?" "(GROANS)" "Let's see." "Fuck you, Trumpy." "(ACE LAUGHS)" "(GUN FIRING)" "(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)" "(METALLIC RATTLING)" "(CAT YOWLS)" "Shit." "(SINGING) The fear of clocks" "The fear of time" "How's the cost of living?" "Ain't got much time left" "I've got to funk you now" "I take what I've been given" "Ain't got much time left" "I've got to funk you now" "Pastor say, "Be strong"" "Ain't got much time left" "I've got to funk you now" "I ain't got time" "Leave me alone" "Ain't got much time left" "I've got to funk you now" "Y'all know what I'm talking about" "Chronomentrophobia" "Chronomentrophobia" "Chronomentrophobia" "Chronomentrophobia" "Chronomentrophobia" "Chronomentrophobia" "Morning." "(CLOCK TICKING)" "No!" "Go on." "Going on, now." "What you hitting me for?" "You ain't got no business being out all hours of the night." "That's the devil's hour." "Here we go." "Zora, don't start." "I had a rough night last night." "Know what?" "It's Saturday." "Remember you said you was gonna take me and the kids downtown?" "That's just what you gonna do." "Now get your lying, cheating ass up out this bed." "Come on!" "Give me the damn cover." "I ain't going nowhere." "(GROUP SINGING)" "Looks like it was over money." "Probably." "That was nice, wasn't it?" "Come on." "Come on, now." "Look at all them pretty ladies right there." "ZORA:" "You ain't off the hook yet." "Let me help you with that, my friend." "What you doing here, Trumpy?" "Driving by." "Noticed you was out doing the little family thing." "Thought it'd be rude if I didn't stop by and say hello." "What do you want with me?" "Last night, old man Spats and Ace got into a little scuffle." "Tragic." "See, the way I figure, you are naturally next in line to run Church, seeing as how you was Ace's flunky and all." "And since you naturally inherit the club, you also naturally inherit its debt." "So?" "Well, Ace was a month behind in paying Spats." "So you now owe me" "$1,250." "Now who told you you was in charge?" "Who's going to tell me I'm not?" "I mean, you're a smart man." "ZORA:" "Hands." "You got a lot to lose." "Afternoon, Zora." "Mighty nice hat." "Here's $150." "That's all I got." "$1,100 short." "And, by the way, the price of hooch just went up to $2 a bottle." "Two dollars a bottle?" "That's double the price." "Inflation." "Ain't you heard?" "I mean, times are hard everywhere." "(LAUGHS)" "Yeah, well, I ain't coming on that tab." "You know, funny thing." "(CHILDREN GIGGLING)" "Settle down." "I tripped over these last night." "Seen Rose lately?" "Don't get any bright ideas." "ZORA:" "What was that all about?" "ROOSTER:" "Spats got gunned down last night." "Him, Ace, both of them stretched out." "Oh, my God." "What you gonna do?" "Pull over right here." "I need to take care of something." "Rooster, wait." "Do you remember how it used to be in the beginning, me and you?" "Before we was married." "When you took me out to that peach orchard?" "We said we was gonna get us our own orchard one day." "Grow us some peaches." "Raise us some kids." "And look at you." "You're so smart." "You could make a business doing anything." "We could get out of town right now." "Take our babies and start over and start it right." "Zora, I just need for you to trust me." "Just until I sort things out." "That's all." "Be careful." "Everything will be okay." "(SCATTING)" "PERCY:" "Percival." "Percival." "Percival, will you stop banging on that piano and get down here?" "(BANGS PIANO KEY)" "Percival." "Percival." "We got two bodies down here." "Busy day." "Come on." "Put him over there." "Yeah." "PERCIVAL:" "Afternoon, fellows." "Mr. Fat Man." "Finally got stretched out, huh?" "They got you good." "They weren't playing, were they?" "But it serves you well." "You shouldn't have been trying to put me on the spot and embarrass me." "I am that mortician nigger." "But you know what that means?" "That means that before you leave this place, you have to come see me." "So now who's the jackass?" "What?" "Man, I ought to wash your mouth out with soap." "Does your mother know you talk like that?" "I didn't think so." "Guess it don't matter too much now." "But you can tell me how in the hell am I going to get your fat ass in this casket?" "You think this is play time?" "No, sir." "You gotta learn to have more respect for the dead." "Take your job more seriously." "Where's your pride?" "Your pride is in your work." "I apologize." "I don't want your apologies." "Just do your job." "Now get this man cleaned up." "And stop playing." "(MUTTERING) Business is business." "Jackass." "(KNOCKING ON DOOR)" "Hello?" "Rose." "Hey, hey, Rose." "It's me, Rooster." "I see who you is." "What you doing here, man?" "Put the goddamn frying pan down." "I ain't putting shit down till you tell me why you here." "Is you trying to kill me, Rooster?" "Hell, no." "Now put the goddamn frying pan down." "It's me." "It's Rooster, baby." "(ANGEL CLEARS THROAT)" "Boo!" "(LAUGHING)" "Hi, piano player." "Hi." "So you really do work with dead people." "Now that would give me the creeps." "You get used to it after a while." "Doesn't bother me naught." "What are you doing here?" "Well, I'm doing a little investigating." "There's a rumor that Sunshine Ace got stretched out last night." "Guess you heard, huh?" "What you look at me like that for?" "I ain't buying nobody's horseshit story they shot each other." "Since I'm the only one that can pin Trumpy to that damn garage, it ain't going to be too long before he after me." "So I'm getting out of here, and there ain't nothing you can do to stop me." "I ain't come to stop you." "I came to say goodbye." "Damn, Rooster." "As soon as I get myself caught in the middle of some shit, you just gonna up and leave me like that?" "It's gotta be different now." "Oh, now it's gotta be different." "You know it's gotta be different." "Just my luck." "So is he here?" "(ANGEL SCREAMS)" "Okay, okay." "Cover him up." "Damn." "Just my luck." "Dead as a doorknob." "Now what am I going to do?" "I'm stuck in this cow town and it's gonna cost me $107 for a ticket out of here." "You owe me $107, fat man!" "Did you check his pocket?" "Oh, I know you ain't gonna skip out without paying my goddamn rent." "Don't talk that jive to him, you old battle-ax." "Rose, I'm really sorry about everything." "Don't you say that to me." "Don't you ever say that to me." "Well, hey, maybe you should talk to Rooster." "I think he's going to be running the club from now on, and he may have something for you." "Thanks for your help." "I'll see you around," "Percival." "Well, well." "What happened?" "(STUTTERING) I followed Rooster over to this spot over there on..." "BOBO:" "Come on." "Come on, Sonny." "Spit it out." "...Baker Street." "Baker?" "It was Rose's place." "Rose's place." "(CHUCKLING)" "See, I told you that fool was going to lead us right to her." "He sure did, Trumpy." "TRUMPY:" "And?" "And then she got into a cab with all kind of..." "Come on." "Spit it out." "...luggage and shit." "Where the hell did she go?" "I don't know where she went." "But I followed Rooster back here." "You must have a peanut for a brain." "I specifically remember telling you to follow Rose." "BOBO:" "Follow Rose." "I ain't need you to follow Rooster." "Not Rooster." "What am I going to do with you?" "Let me see your gun, Sonny." "BOBO:" "Come on, Sonny." "Give him the gun." "Thank you." "Spats once told me." "He said in every relationship, the person least interested in maintaining the relationship is going to dominate," "because they won't compromise." "See, Sonny." "No compromise." "In this relationship right here," "I can't afford to compromise." "BOBO:" "Now take it like a man." "Stand still." "Take it like a man, Sonny." "Come on." "(GUN CLICKS) Pissed him off now." "(BOBO LAUGHING)" "PERCIVAL:" "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." "They have their exits and their entrances, all with a specific role to play." "Even at a funeral." "Sometimes in a show, a lead actor's contract expires." "When that happens, an understudy has to step in and perform, whether he's ready or not." "Sorry about what happened with Spats, man." "Sure going to miss him." "Yeah, me, too." "Now I got to run the club, pay everybody and sing on top of that." "You'll figure it out." "You always do." "I don't know." "If I don't get killed first," "Zora gonna leave me for real this time." "PERCIVAL:" "She always says that." "You know she ain't going nowhere." "Trumpy raising the price of hooch." "He's sucking up all the profit." "I ain't making a dime." "No, it's all right." "What if you go around Trumpy?" "Like you always tell me, can't find a way, make one." "I need a favor." "Yeah." "I need to borrow the hearse." "Bring it back by 8:00." "God don't make no mistakes." "You ain't said nothing slick to a can of oil." "Meet you at the house." "Ain't life a bitch?" "How you holding up, Rooster?" "Never bad, never bad." "That's what Spats used to say." "I can float you for a while, but you're gonna have to pay me." "And you gonna have to keep this quiet." "ROOSTER: (SINGING) Yeah" "(ALL CHEERING)" "Somebody done told you wrong" "Thought I was gonna lay it off like that there, huh?" "If Trumpy get wind of it..." "Trumpy ain't gonna hear about this." "Just give me a little time." "Too motherfucking hot" "I'm motherfucking cool" "Give me a bad word" "Okay, I started out alone" "'Cause my baby mama left me" "Now there's nobody at home" "Beginning to feel like Ms. Jackson done got cloned" "Well, it's some real shit and I'm living it through this song" "A moving vehicle took my family" "As I slept out on the sofa in the Boom Boom Room" "I woke up very upset" "I throw the covers back and peek out through the draperies" "My daughter, my baby, my baby mama all escaping me" "Like a candle in the wind, she was my friend" "She was my passion, never lied" "Therefore we tried and tried again" "But in the end you pay attention to the pluses" "But the minuses behind it make it seem like you can't win" "Throw your neck out, throw your back out" "Throw your neck out, throw your back out" "ROOSTER:" "Oh, hell, no!" "All right, I told you not to do that to..." "Give me a sec." "Okay." "What you doing, Cap?" "You got one more time, Cap." "One more time." "Throw your back out" "Round two, a single parent, what is Big to do?" "Throw a party?" "Not hardly I'm trying to stay up out of that womb" "Or that P-U-S-S uss, I say uss" "Luther Vandross couldn't make a home out of this house that we smooshed" "Smashed, pushed to the limit Smash and turned it timid" "And everyone was suffering, the house was feeling wicked" "What is this, the break room?" "Get y'all ass back out there on stage!" "WOMAN 1:" "I'm sorry." "WOMAN 2:" "Oh, God." "Now let's fight for it" "You build it up to break it down and take it from the start" "Repeatedly leading a path that only ends in the clash" "Of two stubborn minds, grown folks blind to the sign" "Throw your neck out" "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "I will cut your ass." "I will cut your ass." "Wait now, wait now." "Come on, brother." "Put that chair down, brother." "Put that down, now." "Come on, look." "Okay, work this out." "Okay?" "Throw your neck out, throw your back out" "Why not come here and do your job, too?" "Man, I got this." "You owe me $74..." "Oh, damn." "Throw your back out, throw your back out" "KO, knocked out by technicality" "The love has kissed the canvas" "Now the whole family gets mad at me" "My daughter don't want me at her PTA meetings" "And then my son, he can't talk, when I change him he's peeing" "I think he's pissed" "I can't dismiss the matter of the fact because he saw me and you argue" "Now the energy is coming back" "Set an example, a positive pattern, keep life on track" "But I'm married to the music and committed to the wax, taste and tea" "Baby, please, you make me wanna scream" "You're on the team starting first string so why are we arguing?" "Wax, taste and tea Baby, please" "Motherfucker!" "How you gonna leave me without paying me my goddamn money?" "Get him!" "You cheap son of a bitch!" "Get him!" "Get him!" "What?" "Get back here." "Get him, Rooster!" "Throw your neck out, throw your back out" "Throw your neck out, throw your back out" "Throw your neck out, throw your back out" "Throw your neck out, throw your back out" "Taste and tea Baby, please, you make me wanna scream" "You're on my team starting first string so why are we arguing?" "DIRECTOR:" "Party up in here!" "Stirring it up!" "Ladies and gentlemen, Rooster!" "(ALL CHEERING)" "What's the line?" "What's the line?" "What's the line, Sonny?" "You get to lose." "Put it on the line, you stuttering son of a bitch." "Get up." "SONNY:" "Fuck you." "Oh, my, my." "(ALL CHEERING)" "Damn." "God damn." "Give me my damn money." "You took all my money, you stuttering idiot." "Give me my damn money." "Monkey mouth!" "Hey, Roo, you don't look so good." "Oh, you came here to tell me that?" "Well..." "No, I came here to borrow some bread." "You know, I owe Ace $85, but now that he's dead, my debt is clear." "Yeah!" "Boy, I feel so good he gone." "Excuse me, but I'm free." "I'm free, baby." "I know it." "Your debt ain't clear." "It says so right in the books. $85." "It's right here in the book." "You got one week to pay up." "Let me see." "Man, get off my desk." "'Cause I want my money and the money you owe Ace." "I won't forget it." "Me, I will not forget." "Where you going with that hooch?" "Give me a second." "I'll be right back." "MAN:" "Oh, I don't see a problem." "WOMAN:" "Well, why don't you buy me a drink first?" "The answer's no, so don't waste your breath." "Excuse me." "May I have a word with you?" "Thank you." "As you may or may not know, Ace and I had a contract." "And if you take a close look at this contract, you are obliged to provide me one first class ticket to my next destination which is Saint Louis, Missouri." "Mmm-hmm." "And seeing as how you're now the manager of this establishment, the responsibility of honoring this contract falls upon you." "You know, it don't make no difference if Ace is dead or not." "Says so right there in the fine print." "Let me see that." "I'll have you know that's a legally-binding obligation signed by both parties." "You know what?" "You're right." "It obliges you to sing." "And it's your first week." "You still want me to sing?" "You ain't got no choice." "It says so right here at the top." ""Club owner hereby engages artist for a period of four weeks."" "In fine print." "As you pointed out, this is a legally-binding obligation." "Yeah." "Well, of course, it'll take me a little while to prepare." "Don't worry about that." "You on tomorrow night, sugar." "Tomorrow?" "Tomorrow night, you on." "Tomorrow?" "9:00 sharp." "Why, I need at least a week to get my band together." "Oh, sugar, you look so good." "Rooster, please, have a heart." "I'm not ready." "Come on." "Don't be late." "Money in the bank." "(PIANO PLAYING)" "TRUMPY:" "No, no, no." "I asked you, is GW actually connected to Capone's people out of Chicago?" "BOBO:" "It would appear so." "This music is killing me, man." "Hey, Percy, Jr." "Percy, Jr." "What's that you playing?" "Working on something new." "Sound like some bullshit." "I mean, you really think the audience is gonna appreciate that?" "Well, Rooster said that I could play whatever I wanted to play, so..." "No, no." "Never mind anything that Rooster say." "BOBO:" "Rooster said, Rooster said." "You need to play stuff I like, okay?" "Well, what do you like?" "TRUMPY:" "I don't like that." "Excuse me." "BOBO:" "Nobody likes that." "Can the artists get a little space around here?" "Please?" "Much better." "Proceed." "Thank you." "(CHUCKLES)" "TRUMPY:" "My apologies, maestro." "Hi, Angel." "Hey, Percival." "What's up?" "I'm on tomorrow." "Oh, that's great." "Great?" "I haven't rehearsed." "I don't even know these musicians." "It's all right." "I'll help you." "I have a great song for you." "I think it fits you perfect." "Check it out." "I don't have a title just yet, but I think it fits." "Check it out." "Here we go." "(PERCIVAL PLAYING PIANO)" "(SINGING) I've been cool, moving cool" "You got it." "Moving cool, moving cool" "Hey, hey" "(CLEARS THROAT)" "I can make a stone-cold blind man see my way" "But when I'm around you you don't have much to say You don't have much to say" "That's right." "La, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la" "(BOTH SCATTING)" "Yeah." "(HUMMING)" "What's wrong?" "You know, Percival, you got real talent." "I don't know why you want to waste it in a silly little town like Idlewild." "Don't you want to see the bright lights?" "I mean, there's a whole movement going on in Harlem, and you're down here watching the seasons pass by." "I'm waiting on a telegram from Chicago as we speak." "Then I'm gonna hop on over to New York City." "Honey, I am going to travel the world!" "What about you, huh?" "What are you doing working in a stiff place like this?" "That, that's my aunt." "And this is Uncle George." "Who's she?" "It's my mother." "She's beautiful." "She was so young." "She was a singer." "Died when I was four." "My father dressed her for the funeral." "Took him nearly 14 hours on hair and makeup alone." "Flew in polish from Saint Louis for her nails." "Spent everything he had on her dress and her coffin." "So how would I look laid out on the table, huh?" "Come on, tell me." "I don't know." "Well, you wouldn't take much." "Yeah?" "You're beautiful." "You really think so?" "About the most beautiful thing I've seen in Idlewild." "But then you're not from Idlewild." "What did I tell you about bringing strangers into this house?" "This is my house!" "Give me that book." "Give it to me." "I was just trying to show her..." "I don't give a damn what you were trying." "You keep that behavior down at that club!" "Mr. Jenkins, I think you should just..." "Now you take this floozy out of here right now." "Get her out!" "Now!" "Get her out!" "Well, I think I'll be going." "Excuse me." "What is wrong with you, Percival?" "And you bring her in here?" "ANGEL:" "I'll see you tonight, 9:00 sharp." "Showtime." "All right." "Come on, girl." "You're late!" "I'm sick." "ROOSTER:" "Sick?" "Sick, my ass." "Get off the phone." "Bye." "Hey, I'll talk to her." "Man, she need to come on..." "Let me handle it." "I'll talk to her." "Need to get her out here now." "PERCIVAL:" "Angel?" "Angel, open up." "It's me." "ROOSTER:" "Angel, what the hell is going on?" "Angel?" "I'll come in there." "We got a contract." "Remember that." "(KNOCKING ON DOOR)" "Hi." "WOMAN:" "Nathan, you tell those people" "I'm not stepping a goddamn foot on that stage until they give me my goddamn white carnations!" "Miss Davenport?" "Yes, of course, Angel." "These people sent you a ticket, coach class." "Coach?" "A lady has standards to maintain." "I've been working too hard to start backpedaling now." "So you get it right, okay, Nathan?" "Yes, Angel." "Get it right." "Excuse me, Miss Davenport?" "And who are you, missy?" "Well, I'm..." "Speak up." "Uh-huh?" "Miss Davenport?" "Hurry up, child." "I ain't got time." "I just came to tell you I am such a big fan of yours." "See, I'm actually a..." "Oh, Nathan, didn't I tell you to keep this riffraff away from me?" "Yes, Angel." "Now you do it right now." "Get this heifer out of here, or I'm gonna kick your fat ass." "Right now!" "I'm not that fat." "Get your ass out of here before you get me fired." "Yes, sir." "Nathan." "Coming, Angel." "I'm actually a singer myself." "(BANGING ON DOOR)" "Angel." "MONK:" "Rooster." "They want their money back." "Open up, it's me." "I ain't giving shit back." "ANGEL:" "It's open." "Man, get your girl out." "Come on, you're going to be great." "Look, Percival," "I'm not great." "There's something I need to tell you." "Listen." "I'm not, I'm not." "The first time I saw you, you came in here and lit up this joint." "Just like you're gonna do on that stage tonight." "Come on." "You can do it." "(CROWD CHEERING)" "MAN 1:" "Come on, now." "Let's hear it, baby doll!" "(BAND PLAYING)" "MAN 2:" "Come on, sing, girl." "TAFFY:" "Look out, she's scared!" "You're scared!" "(SINGING) Cool" "(BOTTLE SHATTERING) TAFFY:" "That ain't no singing." "You flat!" "You flat, girl!" "(ALL BOOING)" "PERCIVAL: (SINGING) Cool, moving cool" "ANGEL:" "Moving cool, moving cool" "TAFFY:" "That dress is too sparkly!" "Boo!" "Get off the stage, girl!" "(LAUGHING)" "TAFFY:" "They don't care if you cry." "MAN 3:" "Go back to Saint Louis!" "WOMAN:" "Boo!" "MAN 4:" "Boo!" "MAN 5:" "Boo!" "MAN 6:" "Boo!" "Man, she is killing me right now." "You ain't never lie." "She killing you, Boss." "Killing you." "That ain't gonna work down here in Idlewild!" "So far I'm not impressed!" "Angel, don't look at them." "Look at me." "Never mind them." "It's just me and you." "Nobody else." "Sing to me." "And one, two, three." "MAN 7:" "Not again." "Come on." "MAN 8:" "Here she go again." "Here she go." "(SINGING) Cool, moving cool" "TAFFY:" "Oh, we got to hear this again?" "MAN 9:" "She's trying to sing." "Cool, moving cool" "Moving cool Moving cool" "Moving cool Oh, yeah" "TAFFY:" "How many times you going to say "moving cool"?" "Hey, hey" "All right now." "(HUMMING)" "I can make a stone-cold blind man see my way" "But when I'm around you But when I'm around you" "You don't have much to say You don't have much to say" "Come on, now." "La, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la" "PERCIVAL:" "Oh, yeah." "Yeah." "(SCATTING)" "'Cause baby I am CHORUS:" "I am" "The opening act The opening act" "The headliner The headliner" "PERCIVAL:" "The after party" "After party" "After party" "After party" "After party" "I am" "All that you'll ever need" "I laugh about how everybody sees what I am but you" "You" "I thought you would be brave enough to taste my bitch's brew" "Yeah" "I thought I was dealing with a man" "But you're a boy" "You're a boy, you're a boy" "I can give you everything you want I can't be your toy" "Come on, now." "Oh, no." "I am" "Now that's what I'm talking about." "MONK:" "Go, Angel!" "After party" "I am" "I am" "Yes, yes." "the headliner" "After party" "After party" "After party" "After party" "I'm all you'll ever need" "(ALL CHEERING)" "Baby, I am" "The opening act" "The headliner" "The after party" "After party" "After party" "'Cause baby I am" "Oh, shit, man." "Go buy you a piece tonight." "Keep on singing, girl." "Oh" "After party" "After party" "After party" "After party" "I'm all you'll ever need" "(ALL CHEERING)" "$1,100." "And some change." "I'm feeling generous." "That's a whole lot of profit." "Especially seeing you haven't purchased that much hooch." "At least from me, you haven't." "The deal was $1,250." "Plus twenty-five large." "Twenty-five large?" "You trying to pinch me?" "Pinch you?" "If you recollect, on the night of their unfortunate demise, old man Spats had a deal with Ace" "for twenty-five large." "That was Ace's deal." "I'm square." "You're square when I say you square." "And so far I haven't said so, have I?" "Look, you inherit the club, you also inherit its debt." "I guess we have to see about that." "Won't we?" "(CHUCKLING)" "Telegram." "Sally B. Shelly?" "You know her?" "Anybody heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "Anybody heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "Sawed-Off, you heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "WOMAN:" "That's nice." "Ladies, you heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "(WOMEN CHATTERING)" "Anybody heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "You heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "Ain't no damn Shelly in here." "Never mind." "You heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "Nobody heard of Sally B. Shelly?" "Anybody heard of her?" "Monk, Monk." "Yes, Angel." "Who you looking for?" "I have a telegram here for Sally B. Shelly." "I'll get it to her." "Thank you, Monk." "Thank you, Miss Davenport." "ROOSTER:" "Now what am I supposed to do now?" "What we gonna do now?" "Okay, unscrew the flask." "Yep, yep, just like that." "Okay, okay, now turn it up." "Just like that." "Let's drink and we gonna party." "Yeah." "Thanks a lot." "See, you feel better already." "Now, I'm your boy..." "Ow!" "Now, come on, now." "Please, I take care of you." "ANGEL:" "Percival." "Percival, I got it." "I got it." "What?" "I got it." "What?" "What?" "The job in Chicago." "They want me in Chicago." "Oh, that's great." "Well, they want me to leave in two days, and I got so much to do." "I gotta pack, I gotta get my music together." "Great." "You're happy for me, right?" "Of course." "Well, we gotta celebrate." "Well, it's getting late." "I think I better get home." "(WOMEN LAUGHING)" "You trying to leave here without us?" "No?" "I'm tired." "Here comes our Rooster, Trumpy, just like you said." "Got to go this way." "Got to go this way." "I want that..." "It's square, right?" "Then give me a sample first." "I wanna kill that snake." "(GUN FIRING)" "(WOMAN SCREAMS)" "Keep your ass away from my husband." "ROOSTER:" "I can take it from here, ladies." "Y'all done a good deed tonight and the Lord sho' nuff gonna bless you in due time." "Now excuse me while I tend to my wife." "How the hell I keep getting myself into this?" "There goes my ticket out of here." "Zora, I know." "But it ain't what it look like." "You must think I'm some kind of damn fool." "Well, I'm fed up." "I know that." "I've half a mind to come over there and smash her right in the face." "WOMEN:" "Dishrag!" "WOMAN 1:" "Come on, girl, let's go." "WOMAN 1:" "You got any reefers on you?" "WOMAN 2:" "Girl..." "I know so, heifer." "What you need..." "Did you see his hand come up?" "(TELEPHONE RINGING)" "(TAKE OFF YOUR COOL PLAYING)" "ANGEL ON PHONE:" "Hey, Percival." "Hey, Angel." "(CLOCK CHIMING)" "Huh?" "Wow." "I didn't realize it was getting so late." "I'm glad you came." "Yeah." "You got a lot of records." "Yeah, I've been collecting since I was eight." "Rooster got me started." "I love this one." "Cab Cal?" "That's one of my favorites." "That is one hep cat." "Hair always fried." "Wearing the sharpest vines in the city." "One day he's gonna come to Idlewild, and I'm gonna play for him." "You knew." "You knew all along, didn't you?" "You must think I'm some kind of fool, huh?" "No, no." "No." "That's great." "Angel, you got it all wrong." "I can explain." "Shit." "Zora, wait!" "I was gonna have that cleaned." "I can explain!" "I'm listening." "Okay, it's hard to explain." "Wait!" "Look." "Hey." "I know we've been through a lot." "And I ain't perfect, but I swear to you, I'm a changed man." "You asked me to trust you, Rooster." "And that's exactly what I did." "And look at what I got in return." "I can't do this no more." "It's time for me to start thinking about me and the kids." "You keep messing around at that club, and you're gonna get yourself laid out." "And we don't want to be around to see that." "Y'all say goodbye to your daddy." "I don't want to go, Daddy." "Eula Mae, y'all go on with your mama." "You'll be all right." "Come on, babe." "Come on." "So where y'all going?" "Over to my mama's." "I'll just meet y'all over there when I get settled." "Well, I pray they don't send you over in a box." "Take care, Rooster." "GIRL:" "Bye, Daddy." "Zora, no need to be like that." "Come on, now, we got a little baby." "Just had a baby." "Come on, Zora." "How am I supposed to get to work?" "I didn't think she'd miss anything." "ANGEL:" "Train tickets and a telegram were lying on the floor." "So I snatched a few items and never looked back." "No one saw you?" "I guess they were too busy looking for white carnations." "I auditioned for a talent scout two weeks before I came here." "I never thought in a million years I'd get the gig." "Well, you know you got to go, right?" "I don't know." "Come on." "What do you mean, you don't know?" "I don't know." "You gotta get out there and make a name for yourself." "And, by the way, what is your name?" "Sally." "Sally B. Shelly." "Just a name." "Not much." "Sally B. Shelly." "I like it." "And soon enough, the rest of the world's going to love it." "Starting with Chicago." "You really think so?" "No doubt in my mind." "Come with me." "They didn't invite me." "I'm inviting you." "We're a team." "I sing best when I sing for you." "I don't know." "I have so much to do around here." "I have to take care of my father." "Percival, if you don't mind my saying so, I think it's the other way around." "You need him as an excuse so you can blame him for not following your dreams." "Look, I checked the trains." "There's a 9:00 to Chicago tonight." "I'm buying us two tickets." "Now, hold on, Angel." "It's Sally, remember?" "Sally." "We can do this." "I got my whole life here." "Look, tonight's my last show." "We could leave from the club." "What do you say, piano player?" "I'm gonna take that as a yes." "FLASK:" "Well, you know, as the old saying goes, what goes around, comes around." "What you know?" "You ain't nothing but a stupid-ass flask, anyway." "Stupid?" "Well, you're the one talking to a flask." "I got to stop drinking this shit." "(FLASK SINGING) What goes around, comes around What goes around, comes around" "Come on, sing it with me, man." "It's called karma." "What the hell?" "FLASK:" "Ain't no going around that one." "Ain't no going around that." "You'll have to get out and tell them to move the car." "What seems to be the problem, ma'am?" "Did y'all run out of gas?" "No, sir." "Not at all." "These are my grandchildren." "I see." "Couple of months ago, my daughter run off to Detroit and left them with me." "We ran out of money a while back." "We've been sleeping in this car." "This morning, this morning, the good Lord sent me a message." "He told me to drive and keep on driving until He told me to stop." "And I did that." "And then the good Lord told me to turn down this here dirt road and to stop right here." "And then?" "Then he told me to cut the car off and to wait." "And that's what I've been doing." "We've been waiting for almost seven hours." "Waiting for what?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "But then you..." "Take this." "Waiting for you." "You." "You're the angel that God told me to wait here for." "I doubt that very seriously, ma'am." "Thank you, Jesus." "Yes." "Emily." "Emily, look." "God sent this." "Wait." "Here." "Go on." "It's okay." "Carry that with you." "Always." "You're my blessing." "You're my blessing." "You're my blessing." "Y'all be safe." "Thank you." "Wake up, babies." "(MUSIC PLAYING ON GRAMOPHONE) PERCY:" "You look so pretty." "Like the belle of the ball." "Yes, you are." "Yes, you are." "MUSIC NOTES:" "Save us, Percival." "He's gone mad." "I'm burning up." "Save us." "Jump." "Jump!" "Save me." "(LAUGHING) Drunk old fool." "(COUGHING)" "You think for one minute that this girl loves you?" "She's trash." "You hear me?" "Trash!" "You don't know her." "I know she's going to leave you, just like your mother left me." "Ma did not leave you." "She left me." "She left me." "She died." "She died." "I'm leaving." "This ain't no place for me." "I gotta get away from here." "I gotta try something new." "Let's just sit down." "Let's talk about this." "Now, come on." "Talk about what?" "What do we have to talk about?" "We never talk." "No, no, no." "Wait." "Listen to me." "Listen, Percival." "I don't want you hurt." "You're all I got in the world." "And I need you." "I'm leaving." "Percival." "Percival." "Percival, wait a minute." "Percival, wait a minute." "Percival, Percival, Percival." "Percival!" "MAN:" "All passengers, next train boarding..." "I'd like two tickets for the 9:00 train to Chicago." "Attention, all passengers, train's a-boarding." "Now boarding." "Make those first class." "15 minutes." "Y'all got 15 minutes to get my hooch." "I got to get back to the Church." "I ain't got time to listen to no boxing match." "Walter!" "GW!" "(ANNOUNCER CHATTERING ON RADIO)" "Walter." "GW?" "Walter?" "ANNOUNCER:" "Three, four, five, six, Jack on his knees, seven..." "Come on, man, I got to get my sauce." "Joe Louis charges across the ring." "He lands a terrific left to Louis' body." "Hits Sharkey with a right." "Jack is waiting, takes a left to the chin, a left to the chin, a right to the head, and he's down!" "You high on your own supply." "Three, four..." "Good cigar." "... five." "Jack's on one knee, hanging on the ropes." "Louis from the neutral corner charges across." "BOBO:" "Yeah, Cliff, that's right." "Show him how to do it." "CLIFF:" "Damn, Bobo, I never thought I'd get tired of whipping old GW's ass." "(MAN GROANS)" "A right cross." "(BOBO WHOOPING)" "Give him a right." "A left to the face." "A left to the eye." "A bent right." "A straight left to the face." "And there's the bell!" "Ain't nothing like ringside seats, huh?" "I think my friend has something he wants to say." "Put this out for me." "BOBO:" "Thanks for the money, GW." "(LAUGHING)" "I done known you for twenty years, Wilbert." "Six of them you spent with a great man." "And you're still a stupid little thief." "Boo." "TRUMPY:" "I gotta hand it to you, GW." "You sure got a lot of heart." "But who's the stupid one now, huh?" "BOBO:" "Yeah, who's the stupid one now?" "(TRUMPY AND BOBO LAUGHING)" "TRUMPY:" "You never cease to amaze me." "SONNY: (STUTTERING) Cock-a-doodle-doo!" "BOBO:" "Lookie here, lookie here." "Well, well, well." "Good old Rooster." "Nice of you to join us." "Late as always, just like I predicted, huh, guys?" "That's right." "What y'all doing, Trumpy?" "What are we doing?" "BOBO:" "We're having a party." "Hey, fellas, Rooster want to know what we doing." "What we doing?" "What we doing?" "Ain't you supposed to be the smart one?" "I mean, that's what old man Spats always said." "Shit!" "Goddamn, man." "This is starting to get fun." "TRUMPY:" "You know something?" "Yeah, that's a lot of fun." "I like it." "I had a vision, man." "Started seeing the future." "The funny thing, you wasn't in it." "To think you had the audacity to try to shortstop me." "So you just gonna shoot me?" "Just like that?" "Wilbert?" "What type of man do you think I am, man?" "We old friends." "Hey, Sonny." "Do me a favor." "Shoot him." "(GRUNTS)" "BOBO:" "Get him, man, get him." "Pull him in here." "Yeah." "TRUMPY:" "Where you going?" "BOBO:" "That's right." "Come on, Sonny." "Cliff, come on." "I got him." "Go, Rooster." "(GRUNTING)" "TRUMPY:" "Hey, Bo, that hurt?" "You finished, Rooster?" "Hold it, hold it, hold it!" "Should we end this, Boss?" "It's over, Rooster." "Wake him up." "(YELLING)" "(ALL LAUGHING)" "TRUMPY:" "That's the shit I'm talking about." "Immediate response to a command." "BOBO:" "Hot dang, gentlemen!" "Damn." "TRUMPY:" "Bad boy, right here." "MAN:" "All the dead all in the world..." "You cannot do evil things... (GASPING)" "CLIFF:" "Oh, hell, no!" "TRUMPY:" "Where he at?" "Shoot him!" "Damn!" "(SINGING) Sometimes life can keep you down" "With your face all in the dirt" "Now if you feel that left behind" "Come on." "Need to get up and go to church" "Hallelujah" "Hallelujah" "Big, slide into the mode Time to drop a load" "My life is going downhill like some cardboard in the snow" "My bank account is frozen I don't think that I can get out this hole" "Feel like the figure-four leglock" "Like the jury went away and then they came back deadlocked" "I can't move, I can't eat, I can't even breathe" "Can't even buy a decent sack without the stems and the seed" "No trees, no P's, to ease The stress of everyday living" "But homeless people gotta suck it up wherever they living" "The unforgiven or the unwilling Live a life of sinning" "Hey, Rooster!" "... as an infant in the beginning" "But what about repenting?" "What about the tension?" "What about you eating dinner in the devil's kitchen?" "What about repenting?" "What about committing the same sin" "Over and over, again and again?" "Why are we here?" "Please tell me" "What are we here for?" "Life is nothing but a dream So peaceful and serene" "Unless you're being evil Then you're on the devil's team" "Well, I receive what you want to believe" "But soon you'll have to sow those bad seeds" "Please, any man can ask to get a pass" "Or a cleansing of sins to grant another chance" "Perhaps another glance of the light at the end of the tunnel" "Talk to the coach or break out the huddle" "Whatever should you fumble your rebuttal should be subtle" "Because he who lives in the upper room is never gullible" "As you survey the syllables and sentences" "The question that I'm merely trying to pose is as simple as me saying" "What about repenting?" "What about the tension?" "What about you eating dinner in the devil's kitchen?" "What about repenting?" "What about committing the same sin" "Over and over, again and again?" "Shit." "Why are we here?" "Please tell me" "CLIFF:" "Trumpy!" "What are we here for?" "Trumpy, get in." "Trumpy!" "ROOSTER:" "Get the door." "What happened to you, Rooster?" "Wait here a sec." "Okay." "(ALL CHEERING)" "Watch the back." "Don't let him get away." "Easy, daddy-o." "Have fun." "I'll be right back." "Hey, Brown, you seen Rooster?" "No." "CLIFF:" "Where's Rooster?" "Back your ass up!" "Back up!" "(WOMEN SCREAMING)" "Shit." "Y'all seen Percival?" "No." "Hey, where's Rooster?" "(SINGING)" "Taffy!" "Damn." "Stupid ass." "Hey, where's Rooster?" "I ain't seen him." "Y'all seen Rooster?" "Up there." "What's going on?" "ALL:" "Rooster, Rooster, Rooster." "MAN:" "Rooster!" "Where are you?" "Wait a minute." "Rooster, Rooster." "TAFFY:" "Trumpy!" "Hey, where you been?" "I'll tell you later." "Just let me know if you see Trumpy around here anywhere" "(GRUNTS)" "Shit." "Y'all just step back." "Trumpy's right there." "WOMAN 1:" "Stop it!" "Somebody stop it!" "WOMAN 2:" "That's right, Rooster, get him!" "That's right, you get him, Rooster!" "(GRUNTS)" "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "MONK:" "Go get him, Rooster!" "MAN:" "Oh, he's got a gun!" "ROOSTER:" "Whoa, hold on." "That what you want right here, right?" "(ALL CLAMORING)" "Give it here." "Hand me my money." "Put it here." "What, you gonna shoot me again, Wilbert?" "You think I'm playing with you?" "WOMAN:" "Don't you do it!" "Put my shit right here." "I'm putting it in your hand." "Y'all gonna let him shoot me?" "ALL:" "No." "Trumpy, don't shoot him!" "Shut up!" "What did I say?" "Money." "Here." "Percival!" "Percival!" "(ALL SCREAMING)" "TRUMPY:" "Drop that shit." "Drop my shit right now." "What the fuck's wrong with you?" "Put my money down!" "Drop my shit." "(GUN FIRING)" "MAN:" "Rooster!" "WOMAN:" "What's happening?" "Rooster!" "ROOSTER:" "Trumpy." "Come on, Wilbert." "Come on." "(GUN CLICKS)" "(ALL EXCLAIMING)" "(GUN FIRING)" "(ALL SCREAMING)" "ANGEL:" "Percival." "MONK:" "Somebody call a doctor!" "WOMAN 1:" "Rooster." "WOMAN 2:" "I'm out of here, fellas." "Are you okay?" "Trumpy?" "(GROANS)" "I'm gonna be okay." "(SOBBING)" "You're okay." "Gonna go to Chicago, see those bright lights." "We'll get out of here." "Got a new song." "I got a new song." "You gonna love it." "(SINGING) She stays alone" "Never sheds a single tear" "She stays in the coolest moods" "Clearly Woman of the Year" "She and all her girlfriends" "They go out dressed to win" "She comes back to the cooler side of town" "But she lives in my lap" "She lives in my lap" "She lives in my lap" "She lives in my lap" "CHORUS:" "Forever my fiancée" "She lives in my lap" "Don't need no chain" "She lives in my lap" "I'll get the courage one day" "Make me want you" "Make me miss you" "Make me wonder where you are" "Then forget you" "Girl remind me" "Just who we are" "We're oh-so-close" "But yet so far" "She lives in my lap" "I'll get the courage one day" "Sally B. Shelly." "I'm a star, remember." "Then I'm gonna hop on over to New York City." "Honey, I am going to travel the world!" "Well, see you around, Percival Jenkins." "(SCREAMS)" "Percival, it's Rooster." "I got something for you from Angel." "It's Rooster." "Percival." "Percival, open the door." "Open the door." "Percival." "(KNOCKING ON DOOR)" "It's Rooster." "CHORUS: (SINGING) Every boy and girl, woman to man" "Percival." "When you feel you've done about the best you can" "The wagon come join the band" "Vibrate" "Percival." "Vibrate higher" "I found these at Church." "Come on, man, you gotta go." "You got songs the whole world need to hear." "She would want that for you." "What about you?" "Man, I gotta get my family back." "I see you dressed mighty nice." "Just right for Chicago." "Look at you." "Chicago." "God don't make no mistakes." "You ain't said nothing slick to a can of oil." "Come on." "Come on, let's go." "PERCIVAL:" "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." "They all have their exits and entrances, each with a specific role to play." "CHORUS: (SINGING) Can't survive Right in the nick of time" "It's always there Funny, didn't it blow your mind" "Powerful, magnificent and so divine" "It's always there Funny, it'll blow your mind" "PERCIVAL:" "Angel made her exit." "And I made mine." "Once you're stretched out in that speakerbox, it's over." "Can't go back and change anything." "You got one shot in this life." "What you all doing, pretty girls?" "See, Dad done went and bought a new Cadillac." "Peaches and cream, peaches and cream." "Y'all like it?" "GIRL 1:" "Hi, Dad." "GIRL 2:" "Yeah." "Come on, give me a hug." "Let's go tell your mama." "Something smells good." "What's for dinner?" "PERCIVAL:" "When it's your turn under the spotlight, you've got to give it your best." "Once you do that, you never know, life might surprise you." "(MUSIC PLAYING)" "Martin, you are so fussy." "Here, take your brother." "What is that?" "Daddy got a new record." "Oh, he did." "Girl, look at you." "Lord have mercy." "Hey." "(MUSIC PLAYING)" "Well, all right." "How y'all doing?" "Yes, ma'am." "Looking mighty fine." "(SINGING) I've been around the world" "Seen so many pretty girls" "But I still get overwhelmed" "When I look in your eyes" "Been from Maine to Spain" "But everything seems the same" "I only feel a change" "When I look in your eyes" "I know you're upper-class" "I know you've got pizzazz" "Every man wanna kiss your..." "And I do, too" "FLASK:" "Rooster!" "Hey, you know what?" "I'm so happy to see you." "Well, it was fun while it lasted." "FLASK:" "Hold on." "What you doing?" "Don't leave me here!" "Tell me what's a man to do to get close to you" "I'm just a lonely fool" "When I look in your eyes" "Don't tell me no this time" "If you do, it'll blow my mind" "Have you ever seen a grown man cry?" "It's an awful thing" "I guess it's time to say goodbye" "But I gotta give it one more try" "I'm only satisfied" "When I look in your eyes" "Oh, please come home with me" "Oh, don't you wanna marry me?" "I'm even gonna love your feet" "When they stink" "CHORUS:" "How can I?" "How can I let you down?" "I guess I'm always gonna be around" "I'm simply astounded" "When I look in your eyes" "(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)" "(SINGING) Ain't nobody like my style" "Yeah" "I light my fire, yeah" "CHORUS:" "I light my fire, I light my fire" "They blow it out, yeah" "They blow it out, they blow it out" "And don't nobody" "Gonna feel like that" "No" "Monkey's on my back, bro" "Now, watch them all fall" "Go on, fall Look out" "Nobody wanted to dance" "When I had a lot of time on my hands" "Now I gotta lot of hands on my time" "And everybody wanna be a friend of mine" "Whoa, whoa, I wouldn't mind a friend" "The fellas back home all trying to win" "Moon keeps shining on bootleg bottles" "Cops in the street Keep your feet on the throttle" "Selling what they got I can't afford a model" "Yelling "Go, PJ, go"" "Ain't nothing idle" "Everything is wild, yeah" "You can be here, now, yeah" "Soon as you turn around" "Be in the ground, yeah" "Four, five, six feet underground" "And ain't no Bible at this here Church, no" "You won't find God, no" "Might meet him first, oh" "Oh, God, look out" "Nobody wanted to leave" "House so packed that we couldn't even breathe" "And ain't no better place to fall in love" "Angel sent from heaven above" "Swing down and come change your life" "You might make a baby Might meet your wife" "But watch your thing that you're gonna say" "Deep down South, there's a little old place" "They're mighty wild cats and they don't play" "Don't make me send a telegram to Rooster, he'll shoot you" "(AUDIENCE CHEERING)" "Say, whoa, Mammy" "Whoa, Mammy" "Say, whoa, Pappy" "Whoa" "Everybody get up" "No, no, no, no, get down" "Everybody get up" "No, no, no, no, get down" "Everybody get up" "No, no, no, no, get down" "Everybody get up" "No, no, no, no, get down" "(HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING)" "Subtitles by LeapinLar"