DOG DAY AFTERNOON
"DOG DAY AFTERNOON"
by
Frank Pierson
Final Draft
FADE IN:
EXT. ELECTRIC SIGN
It FILLS THE SCREEN (designed to exactly FILL THE FRAME size
of whatever ratio we're shooting in). It says:
2:51
This message will be a little cryptic to the movie audience
on an essentially BLACK SCREEN. HOLD for a beat, then it
changes: the lights flash this sign, which should explain it
to everyone:
94°
And a slow distant ROLL OF THUNDER in the far distance; now
the SOUND of media begin to come up loud, under:
EXT. FLATBUSH AVENUE - DAY
LONG SHOT down the Avenue, 400 mm lens, heat waves shimmering,
thousands of old people, and people with children in strollers
moving restlessly about in the heat on those endless miles
of benches.
The SHOT is ON SCREEN only for a beat or two, then gone...
SOUND TRACK COMES FROM A THOUSAND TRANSISTOR RADIOS, TV SETS,
AUTO RADIOS, BLENDED IN THE OPEN AIR...
RADIO ANNOUNCER 1 (V.O.)
...the situation continued tense in
the Middle East today, as...
EXT. SHEA STADIUM (TV CLIP) - DAY
An unnamed player swings and hits a high pop up...
ANNOUNCER 2 (V.O.)
...hits a high inside pitch foul
into the upper stands...
ANGLE ON CROWD
as the ball comes down they scramble and fight for it...
A touch of viciousness...
ANNOUNCER 3 (V.O.)
...B-52's meanwhile, unleashed the
heaviest bombing of the war...
EXT. MOVIE HOUSE TO MACDONALD'S - DAY
We are SEEING HEIDI, though we don't know it yet - she's
just another pretty 175-pound Italian girl with two kids,
KIMMY, JIMMY, about four and five years old. Right now she
is a lump of browning flesh, shining with oil among rows of
similar ladies (mostly thinner, but all with a certain
unhealthy softness about them) laid out in rows and groups
across the sand. SHOOT LOW AND LONG, so heat shimmers rise,
as though the heat were baking the oil out of this mob,
visible suntan oil pollution... Heidi's transistor blasts
ROCK MUSIC into the air.
LYRICS (OVER)
(Roberta Flack)
REVEREND LEE, SHE SAID, LORD KNOWS I
LOVE YOU, REVEREND LEE - DO IT TO ME
(etc., etc.)
ANNOUNCER 3 (V.O.)
...the American High Command announced
the famed 25th Cavalry Division would
be coming home! The 25th Cavalry,
long since afoot, hardened in battle
in the jungles of World War II...
FAR DISTANT THUNDER ROLLS...
INT/EXT. SONNY'S CAR - STREET - DAY
It is parked in a drab Brooklyn street. Beside the car stands
SAL, medium height, also good-looking in an intense boyish
way. His eyes dart about suspiciously, the ever-watchful
Sal.
There is a watchful reserve in Sal that contrasts to Sonny's
outgoing bounciness: first impression is Sonny is all bark;
Sal is the bite. Sal is dressed in impressive blue suit
style, he looks like a kid trying to impress the Godfather.
He even wears a hat. Now, matching Sal's preparations inside
the car, he checks his tie's alignment, shoots his cuffs and
is ready...
Meanwhile, on their car radio:
ELTON JOHN
(Amoreena)
AND SHE DREAMS OF CRYSTAL STREAMS OF
DAYS GONE BY WHEN WE COULD LEAN
LAUGHING FIT TO BURST UPON EACH
OTHER...
ANOTHER ANGLE BY CAR
As he turns, from the back of the car, JACKIE appears with a
huge florist box, tied with ribbon. Jackie is an eighteen
year old with bad complexion and in contrast to Sonny and
Sal is dressed in teenage sloppiness. Adidas, T-shirt,
bowling jacket, jeans. He is uncertain: waits for directions
from Sonny. Sonny takes the florist box from him.
We see a water truck drive down the street, followed by
Sonny's car, which drives up near bank. It stops, Jackie
gets out, crosses to bank window, peers through, then
ANGLE INSIDE CAR
returns to car. Leans in, has fake conversation with Sonny.
They are waiting. Sonny checks his watch, turns to Sal in
back seat:
SONNY
30 seconds, Sal...
They wait. At appropriate moment, Sal exits car, walks toward
bank. Slowly Sonny gets out.
INT. BANK - DAY
A slightly seedy little branch bank, old yellow brick, blond
varnished wood, a rubber plant, an American flag. Through
the windows we SEE HOWARD, the aged black bank guard, in
uniform, taking down the American flag from outside. Past
him comes Sal carrying an attache case. He passes Howard
coming toward us through the door into the bank. As he passes
CAMERA:
INSERT: BANK CLOCK
as it CLICKS from 2:57 to 2:58 PM.
MOVING SHOT WITH SAL
as he moves toward the left-hand deposit-slips desks.
He picks out a car-loan application slip, then walks toward
the manager's desk (as the sign on the desk proclaims) of
PATRICK MULVANEY. Sal sits down, his back to Mulvaney, facing
the front door of the bank. Mulvaney is on the phone.
ON DOOR
as Sonny bustles through in his bouncy dancer's walk. He
carries the large florist box. He moves toward the left-
hand deposit-slips desks, takes one out and begins to fill
one out.
ON HOWARD
as he pulls out the keys, attached to the belt of his uniform.
Jackie approaches the door of the bank and stops, neither in
nor out, as though he can't make up his mind. Howard watches
him, waiting patiently, keys in hand, folded flag under his
arm.
CLOSE - SAL
still sitting, back to Mulvaney, watching Jackie's approach
and entrance, ready to move on cue.
ON DOOR
on Howard as he looks at Jackie, still half in, half out.
Howard speaks to him:
HOWARD
Closing time; you want in or out?
Jackie steps in and as Howard locks the door to prevent more
customers from entering, Jackie walks toward Sonny, filling
out a slip at the left-hand area. CAMERA FOLLOWS Jackie.
He stops at deposit-slips desk, next to Sonny.
CLOSE - SAL
as if by pre-arranged signal, Sal now stands up, moves to
the side of Mulvaney's desk.
SAL
You the manager?
ON MULVANEY
who is still on the phone. He gestures at the sign on his
desk that says so, and gestures for Sal to sit down.
ON SAL
as he sits, producing as he does a machine pistol, which he
holds on Mulvaney's chest, out of sight from others in the
bank.
MULVANEY
His mouth simply stops, and he stares at the gun. Mulvaney
is a comic opera Irishman in his early fifties, florid...
cheerful, bushy eyebrows; he acts out everything he says...
SAL
Just go on talking, like nothing was
happening, okay?
MULVANEY
(into phone)
Listen, lemme call you back.
He hangs up, and looks from the gun up to Sal's blank hard
face. To his own amazement, he grins: a hopeful grin that
says: "Like me - don't hurt me." And he's embarrassed by
it. As we watch, his smile turns sour.
HIS POV - FLASH
Sal's absolutely unmoved face.
TWO SHOT - SONNY AND JACKIE
Jackie moves over to Sonny.
JACKIE
Sonny, I'm gettin' real bad vibes.
SONNY
Jackie - what are you talking about?
JACKIE
Maybe we can take something smaller...
like a Spanish grocery.
SONNY
(indicating what's
happening with Sal
and Mulvaney)
It's too late - just get away from
me - don't talk to me now - go over
to your place...
Jackie moves to another deposit-slips desk - takes one out
and begins to fill it out.
ON TELLER'S CAGE AREA
as a LADY with a BABY in a stroller moves away from the Teller
and starts to walk toward the front door. DEBORAH is marking
figures on a piece of paper at 1st Teller's cage.
SYLVIA and MIRIAM stand behind her - their backs to Sonny.
Howard, who has put the folded flag in a plastic bag in a
front desk, follows Lady toward the door. He unlocks the
door and hands the Baby a lollipop, courtesy of the bank,
and she exits the bank.
CLOSE - NEW ANGLE - SONNY
glancing at clock, taking a sharp deep breath...
SAL
staring at Mulvaney.
MULVANEY
the ruins of his smile still on his face.
HOWARD
straightens up from locking the door; the figure of the Lady
and the Baby can be seen receding outside...
SONNY
seeing that the bank is closed, locked in, with no customers,
crosses toward the front teller's cage area, carrying the
florist box. As he reaches the other side, he rips open the
box and takes the rifle out and aims it level onto SYLVIA
BALL, the teller, who automatically takes the "closed" sign
and holds it in front of her face as though to protect herself
from the rifle.
SYLVIA
(holding sign in front
of her face)
Sorry, this window is shut...
TWO SHOT - MULVANEY AND SAL
as Mulvaney stands and yells to Sylvia...
ANGLE ON BACK OF BANK, REST ROOM AREA
as MARGARET, an accountant, comes out of the ladies' room,
starts to cross downstage toward her desk, sees what is
happening, and momentarily freezes in her tracks.
SONNY
The cues have got all fucked up, but he's so programmed and
ready, he can't adjust, so the speech he had ready comes out
now:
SONNY
Okay, this is a stickup! Nobody
move! This is a fucking stickup!
Just freeze now, goddammit! Get
away from your desk... get in the
center - get in the center!
Sylvia and Edna start to move toward the rear of the bank,
toward Margaret's desk.
MULVANEY
aghast at his own outspokenness... Sal holding the gun
levelled on him.
MULVANEY
Okay, okay... we know it's a stickup!
SONNY
(to Jackie, re: Howard)
If he moves - blow his guts out...
Cover him!
TWO SHOT - SONNY & JACKIE
Jackie, staring at the real guns, turns to Sonny...
JACKIE
I'm sorry, Sonny... I can't make
it...
Jackie starts to move toward the front door.
SONNY
Hey, for christ's sake... now...
fuckin' asshole...
(turns to Sal)
He can't make it.
SAL
Fuck him - let him out!
Sonny yells out at frozen Howard.
SONNY
Hey... let him out!
MULVANEY
(yells)
Do what the gentleman says, Howard.
Sonny sees that Howard is useless, so he runs to Howard,
grabbing the keys from him and pulls Howard along with him
to the front door. Jackie unlocks the door, and Jackie,
with a last apologetic glance, gives his gun to Sonny and
vanishes into the sweltering afternoon. Sonny then frisks
Howard and has a sudden afterthought as he locks the door
again. He quickly unlocks it and shouts out at Jackie.
EXT. BANK - DAY
SONNY
Hey, don't take the car!
JACKIE
(on sidewalk)
Well, how'll I get home?
SONNY
Take the subway. We need the car.
(as Jackie starts to
walk away)
Hey, gimme the keys - the keys!
Jackie stops, fumbles for keys, crosses back to Sonny with
them.
JACKIE
(points to fig. desk)
Sonny, there's somebody under that
desk over there... I'm sorry...
SONNY
It's okay... it's okay...
Sonny turns into the bank once more, as Jackie walks off
toward the subway, pointing inside at a desk near the window
as he does, to point something out to Sonny.
INT. BANK - DAY
Sonny, re-entering the bank, speaks to Howard.
SONNY
Lock it.
Sonny now crosses to desk that Jackie indicated, as everyone
watches him, as though it's all in the game.
SONNY
(taps loudly on top
of desk)
Hey... get outta there! Nobody's
gonna hurt you.
JENNY, a young, frightened girl, peeks out from under the
desk, obviously afraid to reveal herself.
Sonny starts to move toward the front of the bank. Sal turns
so he can cover everyone. Sonny turns to order Howard.
SONNY
Pull the drapes.
Howard doesn't move.
SONNY
Pulla drapes!
Howard belatedly leaps to work, pulling drapes that screen
off the interior from outside. The door has no drapes or
blinds and thus when the drapes are closed there is a corridor
of space across the street we will always be able to see.
And from which people outside will always be able to see in.
As Howard finishes the task, he then walks back to the huddled
group on the rear.
SONNY
on his way to the back of the bank, is digging into his jacket
pocket; he swings around as he passes the camera that is
bolted to a wall bracket covering the tellers' area. He
whips out a spray can and gives the lens a shot of red paint.
There are three cameras in all, each of which he sprays.
SONNY
(grinning)
No replay, folks... no alarms...
After spraying the three cameras, he has reached Mulvaney's
desk area. The girls are scattering to group farther back
and Sonny and Mulvaney are heading for the vault.
MULVANEY
(on cross to vault
with Sonny)
We're hip... let's just get you all
fixed up and on your way!
MIRIAM, a young, awkward, overweight Jewish girl, chewing
gum with nervous machine-like rapidity, moving toward the
vault. The gate is closed, and she holds one key and Mulvaney
the other. They pass Sal, who now holds the others in the
bank under his gun while at the vault gate.
SONNY
Okay, is the vault open?
MULVANEY
I can take care of that.
NEW ANGLE
Mulvaney is about to insert his key in his lock. Sonny
quickly reaches out and grabs Mulvaney's hand, and looks at
the key he has extended. He explodes.
SONNY
Son of a bitch!
He almost hits Mulvaney with his fist.
SONNY
What the fuck you tryin' to do?
Trip the alarm? Use the spur key?
Use the other one...
He's grabbed the keys from Mulvaney and holds up the key
Mulvaney was going to use... we're in a:
VERY TIGHT TWO SHOT - MULVANEY AND SONNY'S HEADS
Sonny holds the key right in the middle of the FRAME where
Mulvaney and the audience can SEE the key has a tiny
projection or spur at the end. If this key is used, the
spur triggers a silent alarm.
MULVANEY
I must of been outta my mind.
SONNY
(furious)
Well, you get your mind right. I'm
a Catholic and I don't wanna hurt
nobody, but goddamn it, don't you
play no games with me. Unnastand?!?
Mulvaney nods and picks out a key that is identical except
for the spur. He shows it to Sonny. Sonny nods.
NEW ANGLE
as Mulvaney carefully uses the safe key to unlock the gate.
Miriam is crying as she unlocks her side. The gate swings
open. Sonny shoves Mulvaney inside and, as he passes Miriam,
notices her tears.
She just stands there staring into his face like a hypnotized
chicken, the tears streaming down her face.
Sonny stops, staring at her. Mulvaney, starting to open the
gate, moves inside the vault, impatient...
MULVANEY
Okay. Let's get you on your way.
Miriam - open the safe.
Miriam hesitates.
SONNY
What's the matter with you?
MULVANEY
(to Miriam)
Come on, lemme load you up...
MIRIAM
There isn't any money...
Sonny looks at Mulvaney, alarmed...
MIRIAM
They picked it up this afternoon...
SONNY
No money?!
(moves inside the
vault)
MIRIAM
There's only about four thousand in
singles, and maybe a few hundred in
larger bills... he's going to kill
us!
Sonny storms into the vault.
NEW ANGLE IN VAULT
as Mulvaney pulls a cash drawer out to show Sonny: even we
can see there isn't much there. Sonny searches for more,
finds nothing.
SONNY
This is it? What am I gonna do with
this? Holy shit!
MULVANEY
It's all we got.
SONNY
Okay, don't worry about it. Stick
it in the bag...
At this, Sonny pulls out a plastic bag from his pocket, hands
it to Miriam, who opens it and puts the money into it. As
he turns, we see that Miriam is still staring at him,
terrified, and as his rifle swings around, she reels back
with a little screech of terror...
SONNY
Ah, Jesus...
SAL
Let's go, Sonny.
SONNY
(suddenly gentle)
What are you crying for? Jesus
Christ. It's not your fault there's
no money...
MULVANEY
She's afraid you're gonna shoot...
(hands Sonny the bag
of money)
Sonny starts out of the vault toward the teller's area with
bag of money. He speaks to Mulvaney.
SONNY
What the hell would I shoot her for?
Miriam follows Sonny to teller's cages gate. He carries the
bag.
PHONE STARTS TO RING (#1)
SONNY
Answer the phone!
Mulvaney crosses to his desk, picks up the receiver. Sal
follows him, yanks receiver from one ear to the other, so he
can hear conversation.
SONNY
(to Miriam)
Okay... open this.
Miriam crosses to gate, presses the necessary button and the
gate opens from them. Sonny watches this carefully, noting
where the buzzer button is. He crosses in front of the drawer
at the first cage. He tries to open the drawer.
It's obviously locked.
SONNY
Okay, who's the head teller here?
SYLVIA
I am.
SONNY
Open this up!
Sylvia comes forward and unlocks the first drawer, and begins
to remove the cash, but Sonny grabs her hands... alarmed...
SONNY
Don't take it all out!
He grabs a piece of paper or cardboard...
CLOSE SHOT - SONNY'S HANDS AND CASH IN DRAWER
He takes all the singles but one out of the singles slot in
the drawer, leaving the bottom single in place. It is held
there by a metal clip. He carefully slips the paper under
the clip and then removes the single.
It is clear this is an automatic alarm - meanwhile...
SONNY
Boy, I can't trust a one of you... I
worked in a bank, I know the alarms,
so don't try to fool around with me!
BACK TO SHOT OF SONNY AND SYLVIA AND MIRIAM
as they move to 2nd cash drawer at 2nd teller's cage. Sylvia
unlocks the drawer and starts to reach in for the cash, but
Sonny pushes his hand into the drawer instead. He begins to
stuff the money into the bag. Some fives, packaged with
rubber bands, in the drawer, he holds up so Sal and all can
see them... He laughs!
SONNY
Decoy money, right, it's marked!
Shit!
He throws it into the air so the bills flutter all around
him, gaily... In the background, Mulvaney, having finished
with the phone conversation, is moving to the rear with the
rest of the girls. Sonny now moves to the 3rd cage's cash
drawer... Mulvaney ends phone conversation and Sal moves him
over to group at vault.
SONNY
(mimicking Sylvia)
'This window is shut...'
Again, the same procedure begins. Sylvia unlocks the cash
drawer and Sonny starts to scoop it out and put it into the
opened plastic bag that Miriam holds.
SAL
Cheer up, you'll be the veteran of a
robbery, the bank sends you a dozen
red roses, you know that?
At this point, THE PHONE BEGINS TO RING AGAIN (#2)
SONNY
(yelling to Sal)
Sal, let him answer the goddamn
phones, they're driving me crazy!
Look at this chicken shit!
Again, Mulvaney starts to cross back to his desk, again
followed by Sal. Sonny yells out to Mulvaney as he crosses
to answer the phone.
SONNY
Hey, you, manager... Don't get any
ideas, fucker... See that man there?
I bark and he bites!
MULVANEY
Believe me, I'm on your side.
SONNY
My side, shit!
They move to Drawer #4.
SYLVIA
Listen, we got young girls here...
you could watch your language.
SONNY
I speak what I feel.
MULVANEY ON THE PHONE
MULVANEY
Hello... I'm sorry I can't talk to
you right now... I suggest you call
during banking hours tomorrow. What
is your name?
BACK ON SONNY, SYLVIA AND MIRIAM
SONNY
Gimme the traveler's checks and the
register.
They cross toward the last drawer area (#5). Miriam is still
crying silently. Sonny holds out the plastic bag for the
checks for her. She drops it.
SONNY
Please... quit that. It's not
necessary.
With everything in the bag, Sonny now takes the register and
starts to move the two girls toward the rear near the vault.
MULVANEY
Can you hurry it up?
BACK TO SONNY
as he moves toward the rear (Sylvia and Miriam now re-joining
other women), to get a wastebasket. Accomplishing this, he
starts to burn the pages of the register, tearing out pages
as he does so. It's smokey as hell, but not burning well.
He drops it, smoking, into the wastebasket.
SONNY
(to Howard)
Hey, you! Give me the keys...
We're gettin' outta here.
HOWARD
(gasping for breath)
Huh?
MULVANEY
Howard?
HOWARD
Huh?
ON HOWARD
The old man is panicked, great patches
of sweat spreading around his armpits.
He breathes in asthmatic gasps; now
he flinches at his name, as though
he's been hit.
MULVANEY
(stands, receiver
still to ear, then
covering it with his
hand)
Howard, give him the keys...
SONNY
Gimme the keys to get outta here!
Howard is unable to move. Seeing his predicament, Edna moves
to him and starts to unfasten his belt to remove the keys.
Mulvaney continues with his phone conversation.
ON SONNY
who now crosses to Howard and Edna, losing patience with the
situation. As he moves closer, Howard backs away from him,
frightened by his rifle. Seeing that, Sonny puts it down
and looks over to Sal for coverage.
SONNY
Sal...
As Sonny approaches Howard, he realizes that he can't get
close enough.
SONNY
Take it easy... just gimme the keys.
I'm not gonna hurt you. Listen,
calm down, huh? You're gonna have a
heart attack. Just gimme the keys...
that's all I want.
Howard gives him the keys and as Sonny starts to walk back
toward the burning register...
ON SAL
with Mulvaney still on the phone.
SAL
(looking past camera,
falling onto the
floor behind Mulvaney)
Sonny... who's that? Across the
street.
ON SONNY
who now starts to move quickly toward the front of the bank,
being sure to hide behind the posts as he moves.
MULVANEY (O.S.)
(on phone)
No, it was the credit rating. The
credit rating. I don't know, you'd
have to find that out from him.
Sonny has now reached the front of the bank. He carefully
peeks out through the closed draperies to look outside.
ANGLE ON STREET - SONNY'S POV
A man, in a business suit, sweaty and harassed-looking, is
walking from an insurance office across the street directly
toward the bank... The man continues coming straight toward
them and us...
REVERSE
Sonny starts to run back to get his gun from Margaret's desk.
Mulvaney is still on the phone.
MULVANEY
It was something a couple of years
ago in St. Louis, I don't know...
Sonny grabs the gun from the desk top and moves over to
Mulvaney.
ANGLE ON DOOR AT FRONT OF BANK
The man walks straight toward the glass door, already lifting
his hand to shadow his eyes, so when he reaches the door,
he'll be able to see inside.
REVERSE ON SAL AND MULVANEY
Sal brings the gun up so he can shoot the man, at the same
time, crabbing himself aside so he is concealed behind
Mulvaney and the desk. Mulvaney sees the approaching man
and cups his hand over the phone.
MULVANEY
It's the insurance guy across the
street. He probably saw the goddamn
smoke!
(motions toward smoking
register)
Please! Put out the fire!
ON MAN
The last few feet from the door.
ON SONNY
who rushes through the teller's cages gate toward the
register, grabs the smoking register, throws it onto the
floor near Edna's desk, and starts to stamp it out.
MARGARET
I'll get some water!
Before anyone can move, Sonny grabs the gun on them all.
SONNY
Nobody move! Freeze!
The women now begin to scream as real hysteria sets in.
Deborah screams, collapses.
CLOSE - ON SAL
BRINGING GUN UP ON:
DOOR
The man actually kicks the glass with his foot, then leans
against the glass, shades his eyes, trying to see in.
MULVANEY (O.S.)
Sorry... I can't talk now... I'll
call you back.
SOUND of hanging up. The man is looking all around.
SAL AND MULVANEY
SAL
Get rid of him.
MULVANEY
Howard, wave him off. Tell him we're
closed. Whatever...
ON HOWARD
who is useless.
ON MULVANEY
who starts to move toward the front door, looking over at
Sonny trying to put out the fire.
CAMERA FOLLOWS MULVANEY TO THE FRONT DOOR; Sonny moves with
him, covering him all the time.
ANGLE ON FRONT DOOR
as Sonny stands behind closed venetian blinds to listen to
the conversation and to cover Mulvaney.
SONNY
The gun's right on your back...
MULVANEY
Give me the keys...
Sonny hands him the keys.
VERY CLOSE SHOT - SAL
He raises the gun and sights it now, and in this moment, we
should sense a kind of luxurious relaxation into anticipation
on Sal's part. He is smiling a little, and for the first
time, looks happy, and that's what makes him seem dangerous.
He's looking forward to an excuse to kill. It's here now:
survival. There is something almost sexual about the way he
settles his body down behind the weapon, getting ready for
the squeeze on the trigger, the report, the violent shove of
recoil against his muscles and sinews.
In the background, we see Sylvia bringing Howard a cup of
water.
ANGLE ON DOOR
emphasizing the small of Mulvaney's back. The man is somebody
he knows from across the street. He looks worried and
mystified...
MULVANEY
(unlocking door)
What is it, Sam?
SAM
Everything's all right? You okay?
MULVANEY
Yeah, just a cigarette got in a
wastebasket.
Silence. Sam stares around... thinking.
SAM
You all right?
MULVANEY
Little smoke: like a Polish four-
alarm fire, is all.
SAM
Yeah. Well, you're okay?
MULVANEY
Yeah, thanks for keeping an eye out.
SAM
Okay.
He's not satisfied, but he can't see anything and he can't
think of anything more to say, so...
MULVANEY
Thanks again, Sam.
SAM
I'm glad it's okay.
MULVANEY
It's okay. [Regards to the family,
Sam.]
Mulvaney locks the door and walks inside the bank, giving
the keys back to Sonny.
MULVANEY
For God's sake, will you please go
now? We gave you every nickel we
got.
SONNY
You're goin' outside with me. If
there's no cops around, we just split.
Otherwise, you go with us.
Mulvaney and Sonny starts to walk back toward Sal. As they
do, the PHONE BEGINS TO RING AGAIN (#3).
SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Answer it.
Mulvaney shrugs helplessly. Picks up the phone, standing at
desk opposite his.
ON SAL
SAL
He's gone?
SONNY
Yeah - it's all right... let's go.
MULVANEY ON PHONE
MULVANEY
Hello, Mulvaney here...
TWO SHOT - SONNY & SAL
SONNY
Sal, get 'em in the vault.
SAL
Where's the money?
SONNY
Get 'em in the vault!
As Sal starts to herd them into the vault (Sylvia helping
Howard, still with the cup of water), Mulvaney is still on
the phone. Sonny moves down to get the money bag atop the
teller's cages and we hear Mulvaney on phone.
MULVANEY
(tired)
What property is that, Mrs. Anterio?
The Third Avenue property - you
already got a second mortgage on.
We discussed it before...
ANGLE AT VAULT
The girls are afraid; Miriam unlocks the gate as Sonny uses
Mulvaney's keys to the matching lock.
JENNY
(from inside vault
area)
You won't close the vault? How can
we breathe?
SONNY
No, that's okay... just close the
gate...
Sylvia, helping Howard, is the last to go through the gate.
As Sonny is about to lock the gate, she turns to him.
SYLVIA
Listen, I'll never make it. I'll
have to go to the toilet.
SONNY
What's the matter... they never
housebroke you?
SYLVIA
It's not a joke. I got this terrible
fear of being locked in...
SAL
Goddamn women...
SONNY
Ah shit. Okay... go ahead. Anybody
else have to go?
EDNA
Me, too, please.
SAL
You see... now they all gotta go.
As Sylvia starts to move out, Sonny starts to cross ahead of
her.
SONNY
Wait a minute - I want to check.
Mulvaney finishes his phone conversation. He moves toward
the group at the vault.
NEW ANGLE
as Sonny sprints for the door to the Ladies' Room.
INSIDE LADIES' ROOM
It is a little lounge; sitting on a couch under the window,
making up her face (or painting her toenails) and listening
to her tiny transistor radio, oblivious to all that's
happened, is MARIA, heavily-painted and voluptuous Latin
girl. Sylvia, following him in, is shocked. She's forgotten
about Maria. Now she runs over to her, puts her arms around
her.
SYLVIA
Oh - Maria!
SONNY
Who the hell is that? God damn it!
What the...
Maria is about to protest, but Sylvia grabs her and starts
to hustle her out.
SONNY
What are you trying to pull?
SYLVIA
I forgot she's in here.
SONNY
Come on, nobody's going to the
bathroom - come on...
He moves with them back to the vault area, herds them into
it. At this point, PHONE RINGS AGAIN (#4). Sonny moves to
get the empty wastebasket, shoving it into the vault for the
girls to use in case of emergency. Mulvaney moves to his
desk and phone.
Mulvaney has by this time answered the phone, and is now
holding it out to Sonny. HOLD THE BEAT...
MULVANEY
(to Sonny)
It's for you.
ON SONNY AND SAL
They both stare at Mulvaney. Sonny slowly moves toward
Mulvaney. For the first time since he entered the bank,
he's quiet and slow. He takes the instrument and slowly
puts it to his ear. The group from the vault now slowly
starts to move out to listen to the conversation.
SONNY
(into phone)
Yeah.
MORETTI (V.O.)
What are you doin' in there?
SONNY
Who's this?
MORETTI (V.O.)
This is Detective Sergeant Moretti,
asshole, we got you completely by
the balls. You don't believe me,
I'm lookin' you right in the eye.
Right now, I can see you...
SAL
Who is it?
Sonny turns and looks out through the door. Sure enough, in
the window of the barbershop across the street, the dim figure
of a man on a telephone can be SEEN looking out toward us.
He wears a hat in spite of the weather and a cigar is clamped
in his mouth. He is an old-time, hard-nosed, uneducated,
street-wise, sarcastic New York cop, outspoken, rude and
sentimental. Right now he's a distant silhouette and a voice
on the telephone.
CLOSE ON SONNY
holding the phone. Listening to the voice of his death
speaking in New York accents.
MORETTI (V.O.)
Okay? Let's be reasonable and not
stupid and not get anybody hurt.
You come to the front door with hands
folded on your head, unnastand?
Nobody's gonna shoot or...
Sonny slowly, almost sadly, puts the telephone receiver back
down, cutting off the little voice at the other end. He
looks up at Mulvaney, then to Sal.
SONNY
(to Sal)
It's the cops. Shit!
SAL
How'd that happen?
MULVANEY
(backing away from
Sonny)
I swear to God... on my salary, I'm
not gonna be any hero...
SONNY
I took too long.
SAL
It was the fire, asshole!
Sonny paces.
MULVANEY
I told you, just go, get out when
you could, but no, you just got to
hang around.
Sonny is pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to
do.
SONNY
Oh, shit! I gotta have time to think.
SYLVIA
What is it? Did you just barge in
here... He doesn't have plan. It's
all a whim.
(sarcastic)
'Rob a bank! What not?'
SONNY
...Just give me time to think...
PHONE STARTS TO RING (#5).
MULVANEY
We're all in the barrel together...
Phone continues to ring. Sonny finally grabs it (desk
opposite Mulvaney).
SONNY
(into phone)
All right, bastards! You keep away
from the bank or we start throwing
bodies out the front door one at a
time. You got that?
A startled apologetic man's voice speaks: Now ANOTHER PHONE
BEGINS TO RING (#6).
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
I just called to ask Jenny what time
she's gonna get off.
SONNY
Who's this?
MAN (V.O.)
It's her husband.
Sonny abruptly holds the phone out from his body at arm's
length, disgusted.
SONNY
Is there a Jenny here?
Nobody moves. They all stare at him. Finally he singles
her out.
SONNY
It's your husband.
Jenny starts to move toward Sonny.
JENNY
What do I say?
SONNY
Tell him the truth! Tell him whatever
you tell him!
OTHER PHONE CONTINUES TO RING (#6).
As he puts down the phone for her to pick up, Sonny reaches
for the other phone that is RINGING.
SONNY
What a fuckin' comedy!
(into phone)
WNEW plays all the hits.
MORETTI (V.O.)
Listen, first off, is anybody hurt
in there?
SONNY
...But you keep away from the bank
or we start throwing bodies out the
front door one at a time... You got
it? Okay?
He hangs up the phone. Sal looks at him.
SAL
You mean that?
SONNY
What?
SAL
...The bodies out the door.
SONNY
I want him to think that.
SAL
But do you mean it?
At this moment, Jenny, phone in hand, is turned to him,
respectfully like a child in an authoritarian household,
addressing her father:
JENNY
He wants to know what time you think
you'll be through.
ON SONNY
stares at her. For the first time, he realizes how frightened
she is, how serious, grotesque, and funny it all is. He
takes the time to be tender with her, as though she were a
not-too-bright child in the presence of a tragedy she'll
never understand.
SONNY
Tell him I don't know.
Now Sonny turns to speak to Mulvaney.
SONNY
Where's the back door?
MULVANEY
It's locked on the inside.
(beat)
It's through that passageway and to
the right.
Sonny disappears toward the back door. Jenny continues her
phone conversation.
MAN (V.O.)
Jenny?
JENNY
He says he doesn't know. Why don't
you cook whatever's there?
MAN (V.O.)
It looks like a whole roast.
JENNY
Honey, send out for Kentucky fried
chicken. The baby, just open a bottle
of prunes, and one of the beef. The
bottles are in the fridge.
MULVANEY
(to Jenny)
Hurry up!
MAN (V.O.)
I know how to fix the bottle. They
got guns?
JENNY
(with the baby on her
mind)
What guns?
MAN (V.O.)
The robbers in the bank. They got
guns?
JENNY
Yeah. A lot of guns.
MAN (V.O.)
Well, stay away from them. Don't
get close.
JENNY
Oh, yeah, I will...
Now Sonny returns from the rear door area, sees that she's
still on the phone and signals to her to hurry up.
SONNY
Hey, Jenny - let's go...
JENNY
Hon? I got to go.
MAN (V.O.)
I love you.
Jenny hesitates. Everyone is looking at her. They look
away, as though to give her privacy.
JENNY
Yeah. Well, I got to go now...
A beat of silence. Realizes she can't talk...
MAN (V.O.)
I'll kiss the baby for you.
JENNY
(past embarrassment)
I love you.
She hangs up and then crosses to the group by the vault.
NEW ANGLE
on Sonny as he moves to Sal, to reassure Sal out of some
guiltiness about trapping him in this situation. His tone
apologetic... almost tender...
SONNY
Sal, I'm sorry about this. But we
can get outta this thing. There's a
way outta this.
SAL
Are you serious? About throwin' a
body outta here if we have to?
SONNY
Well, I stalled him for a while.
When it comes the time, then we'll
work it out. Okay?
SAL
But do you mean it?... But you just
told him that if worse comes to
worse...
SONNY
I want him to think that.
SAL
But I want to know what you think.
SONNY
We won't have to.
SAL
I'll tell you right now - that I'm
ready to do it.
Now Sonny moves over to the group at the vault gate and speaks
to them.
SONNY
What I want to say is... everything's
gonna be all right... if we all
cooperate and we don't, you know...
carry on... I don't know you and you
don't know me... and what I'm tryin'
to tell you is that if you stay cooled
out, we can work this thing out and
nobody's going to get hurt... believe
me, I don't want to hurt anybody...
Everybody is going to have a chance
to do what they have to do... she's
gotta go to the bathroom - so you go -
and you can go after... Everybody's
gonna get a chance... Everybody's
gonna get a chance to use the phone...
Let's just take it a step at a time.
Sonny now turns toward Mulvaney. Howard lies down, head on
jacket, in the vault.
SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Now, you -- what's your name?
MULVANEY
Mulvaney...
SONNY
You and me are checking the other
ways in and out.
Sal takes a position where he can cover the door and also
the girls and Howard.
NEW ANGLE
as Sonny and Mulvaney move toward the rear of the bank.
SONNY
Let's go to the back door.
(referring to Howard)
How'd that guy get to be a guard?
MULVANEY
Well, they go to guard school.
SONNY
To what... learn how to shoot?
They don't get a gun.
MULVANEY
They make $105 a week to start.
They fold the flag, check the place
out in the morning. I don't know
what they learn, Sonny.
At some point in their move toward the rear door, Sylvia
exits the Ladies' room and moves back toward the group.
MULVANEY
Here we are... the back door.
They look at it. It is big, black, steel and seems solid.
Sonny tests it.
SONNY
They could shoot the lock... I want
to block it, so if they try comin'
here, we're gonna hear it. Here,
you pull on that side.
(puts gun aside)
He has found a big office machine, a Xerox or whatever, which
he now starts to push toward the door. On the opposite side,
Mulvaney starts to pull it toward the door. It's very heavy
and they have to strain to budge it at all. Meanwhile:
SONNY
You got kids?
MULVANEY
I got two kids... and I'd like to
see them again.
SONNY
Ah, I know! You're being very
cooperative. I got no complaint
against you whatever; you got bank
insurance?
Mulvaney has removed his suit jacket.
MULVANEY
You know I do. You seem to know a
lot about bank procedure.
Sonny laughs and pushes the machine. Mulvaney pulls from
the opposite side.
SONNY
Don't ask me questions. I got
connections. You find out who I am,
you're cold meat.
MULVANEY
I don't care who you are...
(shove)
I just want to get you outta here,
safe, right?
SONNY
What if I take you with me?
MULVANEY
(stopping to rest for
a beat, thinking)
If you take anybody, please take me.
SONNY
They'll shoot you; the fucking cops'll
shoot you... they don't give a damn.
In spite of that bank insurance.
You see what they did in Attica,
they shot everybody, the hostages,
prisoners, cops, guards, forty-two
people they killed, the innocent
with the guilty.
They have the machine almost to the door now, with Mulvaney
almost pinned between the machine and the door. He eases
himself out. Looks at the gun, then at Sonny, then they
shove the machine against the door. Sonny then gives Mulvaney
his jacket to put on again.
SONNY
Anyway, I'm not gonna take you.
I'm gonna take one of the girls, a
married one with a couple of kids.
The cops don't like it in the papers
when they kill a mother, especially
if she's got young kids.
Finished with the task, Sonny takes his gun and with Mulvaney,
they start to cross back toward Sal and the rest of the group.
SONNY
You're just a nice guy, Mr. Mulvaney.
Only don't fuck around with me, you
know what I mean?
MULVANEY
I don't fool around with you.
Mulvaney crosses back to his desk and sits down. At this
point, all the phones are off the hooks.
EXT. (AERIAL) ANGLE FROM INT. POLICE HELICOPTER (OVER BANK)
As it banks steeply we can see past Pilot to bank, and cops
around car. We see a small crowd being held back by a few
police still setting up barricades. It is the first
indication of the crowd event it became. It also sets the
geography for us, but very quickly another copter swims into
view and the two circle each other. The other copter --
only feet away -- is a TV news helicopter, with a big camera
sticking out the open door on our side.
It is turned down by the Cameraman to focus on the bank. A
COP in the police helicopter yells through his bullhorn at
the TV Cameraman.
BULLHORN COP
This is a restricted area. You are
flying in a restricted area...
The TV Cameraman swivels his camera up to focus on the Cop,
and as the lens hits us dead center...
INT. APARTMENT NEAR BANK
Though an open window a fire escape can be seen and beyond
it an angle of street and the bank. Near the window in a
corner is a TV set, and on the TV set we are seeing the shot
of the police helicopter and the Cop yelling on the bullhorn
as seen from the TV copter. A couple of Elderly Men are
sitting watching the TV set, ignoring the bank, which they
can see in the flesh, as it were. Outside we are HEARING
the copters, and on the TV set likewise, and the voice of
the Announcer.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
...police as yet have made no contact
with the bank robbers who are locked
in the bank...
There is a HAMMERING at the door, and the men at the TV set
barely have time to look around before several burly Cops
wearing flak vests and helmets and carrying sniper rifles
with telescopic slights move through the room, ignoring the
men. They move out onto the fire escape, a couple going up
higher, settling themselves down to aim in their rifles on
the front of the bank. A lot of AD LIB dialogue, but what
we note is the Cops, as a man, take a look at themselves on
the TV.
EXT. BANK - DAY
The FRAME is full of cop faces... tough, mesomorphic faces
with a layer of fat under the skin, increasing as age. They
have the look of cops: alert, curious, weighing. They are
city cops; they don't have that old-fashioned condemnatory
expression, there is an element of playfulness in their nature --
the fact is they love their work, which is criminals. There
is a peculiar delight in ferreting out the criminal impulse
in everybody, and a matching fury in punishing it -- which
is the action of repressing their own strongly developed
criminal unconscious. These are tense, funny, violent, and
rigidly controlled men.
MORETTI is an old-line cop, a lot more relaxed than the
younger men and the cold professionals of the FBI, who as a
group resemble astronauts, and like them hide (but do not
deny) the psychic chaos underneath.
Right now they are looking at the sky. We HEAR a heavy
helicopter track.
We feature SHELDON, the silver-haired FBI Agent-in-Charge,
who looks like an accountant, and Moretti, with hat and cigar,
and a face out of Warner Brothers movies of the Forties. In
spite of Sheldon's age, Moretti plays though he's a smart
kid who still needs a little help.
Sheldon is getting out of a gray car, wears a gray suit.
Three men with him are carbon copies of him at younger ages.
The three hang around him. They approach Moretti who looks
at them without moving.
MORETTI
(to no one)
Here comes the FBI.
(to Sheldon)
You men lookin' for protection? We
got all the police right here.
SHELDON
Why didn't you just wait and try to
take 'em out there in the street?
Moretti looks at him, cheerfully sarcastic.
MORETTI
I made an error in judgment. I
thought the sons of bitches would be
overwhelmed with remorse at the sight
of a police officer. And you know
somethin'? Nobody has said hostage
yet. Unnastan?
They are moving past Cops on the corner heading toward a
small barbershop across the street from the bank. We now
sense the growing crowd, standing quietly, just staring not
yet knowing what's going on.
NEW ANGLE
From down the street come a group of odd-looking men in suits,
carrying all kinds of electric junk: The NEW REPORTERS.
They run heavily, sweating martinis and cigarette smoke...
they run up to Moretti and Sheldon, who walk along, trying
not to catch an eye.
MOVING SHOT - MORETTI AND SHELDON AMONG NEWSMEN.
VOICES
How many in the bank?
Have they got hostages? Any shots
exchanged?
(Etc., AD LIB)
MORETTI
No, we don't know that yet. This
young fella without the hat is FBI.
I'm Detective Sergeant Eugene Moretti
... M-O-R-E-double-T-I. Eugene. I
don't give a shit, but my wife cries
if you spell it wrong.
They have arrived at the barber shop where Moretti fights
his way inside.
INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY
A COP is talking on the wall phone as MORETTI, BAKER, etc.
are trying to get inside.
COP
...no, just get hold of Al, tell him
to get the catering truck over to
26th and Avenue B, there's a bank
robbery in progress and big crowd.
Big! Tell him to bring ice cream --
I got to hang up.
He hangs up and immediately begins thumbing through a POCKET
PHONE BOOK. Throughout this Cop is engaged in personal
business on the fringe of this affair, and though he's on
duty he hardly knows what's happening on the robbery. He's
trying to get his brother-in-law with the ice cream truck
down here, etc.
Moretti has got the crowd cleared back, so that now we SEE
why this has been chosen as a tactical command post. From
here, while talking on the phone, Moretti can see the bank,
and through the uncurtained door he can even see some distance
inside.
Moretti picks up the phone.
MORETTI
(to phone cop)
You get the phone company?
PHONE COP
It's being set up... this phone'll
be a direct line into the bank.
Moretti is already dialing. The phone is answered.
INT. BANK - DAY
(Re Moretti's 3rd conversation on phone with Sonny.)
The group inside the bank have now been waiting approximately
twelve minutes since anything last happened. Sonny is seated
at Mulvaney's desk, all the phones off the hooks.
The rest of the group is huddled around the vault area where
Sal is keeping his eye on them.
Suddenly, Sonny jumps up and puts all the receivers back on
the hooks, crossing back to sit at Mulvaney's desk again.
PHONE STARTS TO RING and Sonny picks it up.
MORETTI
Okay, you're in there and we're out
here. What do we do now?
SONNY
I told you -- keep away. I don't
know what we do now.
MORETTI
Awright, but I wanna talk to you.
First off, we wanna know if the people
in the bank are okay.
SONNY
They're okay.
MORETTI
You alone, or you got confederates?
SONNY
I'm not alone.
MORETTI
How many you got in there?
SONNY
I got Sal.
MORETTI
Sal? What's that for? Salvatore?
SONNY
Sal. He's the killer. We're Vietnam
veterans so killing don't mean
anything to us, you understand?
A cop passing by presses a portable two-way radio into
Moretti's hand: He accepts it and holds as though he expected
it. The Cop passes the same type of set to certain other
officers. These sets are tuned in to each other, and
throughout the movie, there is a constant background talk on
these sets. This is police procedure; the orders are for
everyone to talk about everything. If anyone has a question,
has heard a rumor or a sound, whatever, it is immediately
responded to, so that there can be the fewest possible
surprises. Sample dialogue might go: "Did I hear a shot?"
"Over here, by the bank, there was a report like a gunshot,
inside." "Roger, we heard that from the barbershop... it
was inside the bank." "Barbershop, you can see inside?"
"Roger, we heard from the barbershop... it was inside the
bank." "Barbershop, you can see inside?" "Roger, this is
the barbershop, we see inside, the perpetrator is moving
toward the rear of the bank." "Who's that guy walking through
the barricade?" "The blue suit?" "Yeah." "Off-duty
Inspector come down to see can you use him." Etc. They
really do use the word Perpetrator, Felon, etc. The Cop
handing out radios makes Moretti sign for it -- which Moretti
does during the following:
MORETTI
Right -- got ya. Okay, so there's
you -- what's your name?
SONNY
What do you want to know that for?
MORETTI
Give me a name, any name, just so I
got somethin' to call you.
SONNY
Call me Sonny-boy.
MORETTI
Sonny-boy, one word?
SONNY
One word. You won't find it in the
phone book.
MORETTI
Listen, Sonny... can I call you Sonny
for short?
SONNY
Call me whatever you want.
MORETTI
Okay, Sonny, I want to see if the
people in the bank are okay, then
what I want to do is work out a way
to get them out of there. I want to
come over there, without a gun...
and you can frisk me. So you can
see you can trust me. So we can
talk and find a way outta this mess.
SONNY
I frisk you?
MORETTI
You frisk me.
SONNY
Right -- I'm with you, buddy.
MORETTI
I'd like just some sign I can trust
you too, Sonny. I don't want to
trust my body out where you could
just shoot me. Some sight... right?
SONNY
Sure... like... I'm not gonna shoot
you.
MORETTI
How about letting the people out of
the bank. Why put them in this
position?
SONNY
They're what's keeping me alive.
You think you're dealing with an
idiot? Talk to me then.
MORETTI
Okay, give us the women.
SONNY
Oh, no... Women is all we got.
MORETTI
You're all one way! I'm bein'
reasonable with you; give me
somethin'... Give me one of them,
anyway... Just one...
SONNY
So -- you want me to send one out
there... Okay. I'll see what I can
do.
Sonny hangs up and moves over to Sal. The rest of the group
has been trying to make out what's being said at the other
end of the conversation.
SONNY
(to Sal)
He wants one.
SAL
Dead or alive?
SONNY
Alive.
Now Sonny looks at the group.
SONNY
Okay... who's gonna go first?
Mulvaney now stands up at his desk, looks over at the group
near the vault. They look back at him, waiting for some
instructions.
MULVANEY
It's up to you ladies.
SYLVIA
Howard!
They are now unified. Sonny whispers something to Sal.
SONNY
To show that we're negotiating.
SAL
All right... send them the guard.
SONNY
All right... let's go.
Sylvia takes Howard by the arms and starts to lead him toward
the front door. Sal watches as they move toward front door.
SAL
Cover her, Sonny.
Sonny moves with them toward the front door, his gun aimed
at them during the walk.
Finally they arrive, and Howard moves toward the door by
himself. But the door is obviously locked.
SYLVIA
He needs the keys.
Sonny gives her the keys.
SAL
(from the rear)
Only one, Sonny.
Sonny covers Sylvia as she moves to unlock the front door
for Howard.
SYLVIA
Go along, Howard.
ANGLE OUTSIDE DOOR
As Howard is pushed out the door by Sylvia, a cop from a
nearby car rushes up to him and shoves him to a curbside car
where he bends Howard over the car, putting his hands behind
him for handcuffs and starts to frisk him.
HOWARD'S POV - QUICK CUTS
About 100 weapons ranging from machine guns to hand guns to
sniper rifles are whipped up and pointed straight at his
chest and head. The effect is as though he is about to be
blown entirely away.
ANGLE ON THE BARBER SHOP
Moretti rushes out, screaming to the cop with Howard.
MORETTI
Don't fire!
THE RADIO NETWORK SCREAMS
RADIO VOICES
Did he say fire? What fire? Do we
fire or what? Who fired?
(Etc.)
VARIOUS COPS
Confusion reigns. They don't know if the perpetrator or
not, since they haven't yet seen Sal or Sonny. Guns are
up, aimed, being pushed down... Cops run for better vantage
points.
ANGLE ON HOWARD
as Moretti reaches him. He pulls the cop away from him and
starts to give him hell for the rough treatment being given
the guard.
ANGLE IN DOOR OF BANK
With Sylvia in doorway, staring wildly at the street scene.
Sonny is beside her covering her with his rifle.
SYLVIA
My God! That's Howard! We voted to
send him out!
VARIOUS ANGLES
as the cops slowly realize their mistake. They stand back
from Howard, who is virtually catatonic with fear and shock
now. They get him up, a reluctant to believe they could
have made such a mistake...
ANGLE ON TV CAMERAMAN
Near barber shop, across the street, jockeying, trying to
focus in on him, elbowing each other, they yell out:
CAMERAMAN
Hey! Come out, get in the light.
Hey, out where we can get a shot,
huh? Who's the black guy?
(etc. AD LIBS)
LOW ANGLE - HELICOPTER (TO AND FROM)
swings in over street to try for a shot. Howard is being
taken in the direction of the barber shop.
MORETTI
to Cops.
MORETTI
Get him outta here!
DOOR OF BANK
Sonny back in the shadows with Sylvia, looking at Moretti,
appalled.
ON MORETTI
Behind him a mob scene. Howard is being led away, weeping.
Photographers, cops, a phalanx of cops have their weapons
levelled on Sonny like a firing squad. It is right on the
edge of violence... of blowing up. Sonny and Sylvia are in
the shelter of the doorway, Moretti stands on the sidewalk,
looking toward Sonny inside the bank.
MORETTI
Sonny - come out here a minute.
At this point, he removes his jacket and drops it to the
ground, showing Sonny that he is unarmed.
SONNY
You got these cops outta here.
They're comin' in too close.
MORETTI
Come on. I want you to see something.
SONNY
You want me to give up, huh? Look,
Sal's in back with the girls.
Anything happens to me - one move -
and Sal gives it to them. Boom boom.
How do I know you won't jump me?
MORETTI
I don't forget about Sal and the
boom boom room. I want you to see
this.
Sonny turns back to tell Sal he's going outside. Moretti
stands well out in the street, to reassure Sonny nobody is
going to try to jump him. Sonny stares around; he nudges
Sylvia out ahead of him. As they edge into sight of the
Media across the street:
NEWSMEN AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Out in the light. Hey, Lady! You're
on TV, Lady! Smile, any... god
damn thing...
ANGLES - SHOWING CROWDS
straining against police lines: this is where we begin to
sense the size of the event. People are eating popsicles
and ice cream. They are diverted and excited. Sonny and
Sylvia begin to emerge: CATCALLS and HOOTS of greeting...
CLOSER - SONNY AND SYLVIA
as he looks around, and the impact of his situation really
hits him: he's not only totally surrounded, he's an event.
Some of the crowd CHEER him. An army of Cops, and guns all
levelled on Sonny.
MORETTI
Let Sal come out, take a look. What
hope you got? Quit while you're
ahead. All you got is attempted
robbery.
SONNY
...armed robbery...
MORETTI
Well, armed, then. Nobody's been
hurt. Release the hostages, nobody
is gonna worry over kidnapping
charges, the worst you're gonna get
is five years -- you can be out in a
year.
Sonny stares at him, his face utterly blank.
SONNY
Kiss me.
Moretti stops, stares back.
MORETTI
What?
SONNY
(deadpan)
When I'm bein' fucked, I like to be
kissed a lot.
(bursting out)
Who the fuck are you tryin' to con
me into some deal? You're a city
cop, where's the FBI? This is a
federal offense, I got kidnapping,
armed robbery, they're gonna bury
me! You know it, you can't talk for
them, you're some flunky pig tryin'
to bullshit me. Now God damn it,
get somebody in charge here to talk
to me!
MORETTI
Calm down, you're not...
SONNY
Calm down... look at this, look at
him...!
Gestures at the cops, the wall of rifles and machine guns
levelled on him. It is incredible and terrifying...
SONNY
(continuing)
They wanna kill me so bad they can
taste it!
He takes a defiant step into the street. The crowd SCREAMS
as they get their first view, which is of Sonny telling the
Cops off. They don't need to hear the words, they can see
it.
SONNY
(screaming)
Attica! Attica! Go ahead! Blow
off the front of the whole God damn
bank!
He holds his hands wide offering himself as a target to the
hulking officer.
SONNY
(to the TV)
If it wasn't for you guys they'd
kill everybody and say it was me and
Sal.
(to Moretti)
You tell 'em to put the guns down.
I can't stand it.
He means it. Moretti gestures to the officers to back away,
lower the guns. The crowd YELLS: Sonny has beat the Cops.
He is momentarily their hero.
It's a breaking point. Moretti makes a decision.
MORETTI
(Cop language command
to put gun away)
All right - put the guns down!
He has to YELL it twice before the Cop slowly, angrily, stuffs
the gun into his holster.
SOUND: The crowd screams.
ON SONNY
hearing the Crowd APPLAUSE. He turns and grins and waves to
them. They SCREAM more. He turns and waves to the media.
They've been YELLING.
MEDIA
Hey, over here! Give us a wave!
It is at this point that newsman leans out a window of the
second floor of the bank, quickly lowering a mike boom.
Sylvia sees this above her head.
ON MORETTI
unhappy, looking around at Sheldon, who shrugs. He did what
he had to do.
ON SONNY
Suddenly realizing what control he has, enjoying it. He
turns mockingly his left and his right profile to cameras.
INT. TENEMENT HALLWAY
A FAT WOMAN runs heavily, stumbling, a delighted grin on her
face, up the stairs PAST CAMERA, yelling to someone unseen
upstairs.
FAT WOMAN
Vi! Oh, Jesus. Vi! Turn on the
TV, turn the TV on, you can see it's
him.
INT. VI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Small, jammed with little things of sentimental value and
cheap furniture, clean, but well-worn. VI, a small woman in
her fifties, with a perpetual smile, and the sweating Fat
Woman trot in, just as Vi's HUSBAND, a dour man in his
fifties, is exiting.
FAT WOMAN
...I swear to God it looked just
like him!
He hesitates in the doorway as the two women rush to the TV
which is already on, the station showing live coverage of
the bank robbery. On SCREEN, Sonny can be seen ordering the
cops around. Moretti looks furious.
ON THE TV SET
VI
(as the recognizes
Sonny)
Oh, My God in Heaven!
TV NEWSMAN
...the robber, whose identity is not
known, came out of the bank, with a
hostage, Mrs. Sylvia Ball...
FAT WOMAN
(proud)
Did I tell you? He looks good!
IMAGE OF SYLVIA ON TV
VI
What's he doin' this for? He didn't
tell me he needed money. He would
of told me.
TV NEWSMAN
...Mrs. Ball, is everyone all right
in the bank?
HUSBAND
Why rob a bank when you got a sucker
for a mother?
SYLVIA
Oh, yeah, the one girl was cryin',
but we're havin' a ball, so far, if
just nobody shoots...
VI
Why didn't he tell me?
NEWSMAN
What about the man inside the bank?
What is he doing?
HUSBAND
I just hope he gives the wrong name.
He reaches for TV to turn it off. Vi stops him.
SYLVIA
Sal? He never talks, only goes:
'Sonny, you want me to shoot that
one, this one.'
HUSBAND
Is that all there is -- that little
bastard down there in the bank?
TV NEWSMAN
Mrs. Ball, do you think they might
shoot, if they get desperate?
VI
You got money for the subway?
SYLVIA
Hey, wait, he's goin' back in.
(she turns OUT OF
PICTURE)
FAT WOMAN
Subway! It's a special occasion --
take a cab, for God's sake!
NEW IMAGE
Sonny returning toward bank.
EXT. BANK - DAY
TWO SHOT - SONNY AND MORETTI
as they shake hands. As Sonny starts into the bank first,
he holds the door open, waiting for Sylvia. In the meantime,
the 2nd-floor media man yells down to her.
SYLVIA
(looking up toward
them)
I gotta go now.
MEDIA (2ND FLOOR)
Hey, lady... you're out now. Stay
out!
Sonny, waiting patiently, holds door open for her.
SYLVIA
They're my girls. They need me in
there.
And she walks through the door past Sonny and into the bank.
Moretti yells up at the media to get the hell away and at
the same time, turns to a nearby cop and gives orders for
the air conditioning to be turned off inside the bank.
As the crowd realizes what has happened, they APPLAUD and
SCREAM. At the door:
ANGLE IN BANK DOOR
as Sonny turns to grin and wave back at crowd.
CUT TO:
INT. BANK - DAY
as Sonny and Sylvia walk into bank and head for the group at
the rear. Mulvaney is seated at his desk, but the rest of
the girls are standing around the vault area.
Sylvia heads for the girls as Sonny walks toward Sal.
SYLVIA
Hey, girls -- I was on television...
MULVANEY
(to passing Sonny)
What about Howard?
Sonny makes reassuring gesture to let him know Howard is
safe.
SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Turn on the TV.
Mulvaney turns on the TV set. In the meantime, Sylvia has
reached the other girls.
GIRLS
What happened?
And Sylvia begins to recount the events out on the street,
mainly about herself as a television celebrity.
ANGLE ON TV SET
as we see the image of a TV NEWSMAN across the street. Then,
as his director CUTS, we will see on the TV set an
ANGLE ON THE BANK AS SEEN FROM ACROSS THE STREET.
The TV Cameraman ZOOMS and the TV image ZEROES IN through
the door to show a partially-screened but quite clear image
of Sonny, talking to Sal.
SONNY
(to Sal)
The whole media is out there... it
looks a lot better for us than it
did before...
ON SAL
absorbing this...
TV NEWSMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
We can see the robbers inside the
bank, and we're trying now to
establish contact.
THE PHONE BEGINS TO RING.
TV NEWSMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
We're on the telephone to the bank
manager, Patrick J. Mulvaney... Mister
Mulvaney...
Mulvaney answers the phone.
MULVANEY'S VOICE (V.O.)
Yes, I can hear you.
SONNY
serious, nodding to Sal.
TV NEWSMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
Can you put the robber on the phone?
Will he talk to us?
MULVANEY'S VOICE (V.O.)
You wanna talk to him... Sonny...
Sonny turns, trying to understand...
NEW ANGLE
SONNY
What?
MULVANEY
The TV... they want to talk to you...
He holds out the phone. Sonny walks over to him and takes
the receiver. On the TV screen, we can see him doing this.
SONNY
(into phone)
Yeah? Who's this?
WABC TV NEWSMAN
Sir, you're on the air. I wonder if
you'd answer a few questions.
SONNY
(to Sal)
Hey, Sal...
(to phone)
Sure.
TV NEWSMAN
Why are you doing this?
SONNY
Doing what?
TV NEWSMAN
Robbing a bank.
SONNY
I don't know... It's where they got
the money. I mean, if you want to
steal, you go to where they got the
money, right?
Jenny now edges over and sits on top of Edna's desk.
TV NEWSMAN
But I mean, why do you need to steal?
Couldn't you get a job?
SONNY
Get a job doing what? You gotta be
a member of a union, no union card -
no job. To join the union, you gotta
get the job, but you don't get the
job without the card.
TV NEWSMAN
What about, ah, non-union occupations?
SONNY
Like what? Bank teller? What do
they get paid -
(now looks over at
girls who offer the
information - $135.37)
they pay one hundred thirty-five
dollars and thirty-seven cents to
start. I got a wife and kids. I
can't live on that -- You want to
live on that? What do you make a
week?
TV NEWSMAN
(swiftly, evasive)
I'm here to talk to you, Sonny, not...
SONNY
Wait a minute... I'm talkin' to you.
I'm askin' you a question...
TV NEWSMAN
The audience is interested in you,
Sonny... not me.
SONNY
Yeah! We're hot entertainment, right?
You got me and Sal on TV... we're
entertainment you sell, right?
TV NEWSMAN
You're news, Sonny...
SONNY
How much you have to pay an
entertainer to fill this slot?
TV NEWSMAN
Newsman, not...
SONNY
Okay, newsman. How much you make a
week?
(beat)
You're not talkin'. You payin' me?
What have you got for me? We're
givin' you entertainment... what are
you givin' us?
TV NEWSMAN
What do you want us to give you?
You want to be paid for...
SONNY
I don't want to be paid. I'm here
with Sal and eight other people...
and we're dyin'! They're gonna blow
our guts out, man! You're gonna see
our brains onna sidewalk! How's
that for all you shut-ins and
housewives to look at! You gonna
help, or you just put it on instead
of AS THE WORLD TURNS? We're dyin'
here! What have you got for me?
TV NEWSMAN
You could give up.
SONNY
Oh yeah? Give up? You ever been in
prison?
TV NEWSMAN
Of course not...
SONNY
Then talk about somethin' you fuckin'
know about...
At that instant, the TV screen switches to a PLEASE STAND BY
card and we hear an announcer's voice over:
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Ladies and gentlemen, our transmission
has been temporarily interrupted.
Please stand by.
Sonny hangs up the phone, looks at Mulvaney, puzzled at the
outcome of the conversation.
SONNY
Why the hell did he do that? What
the hell did I do?
MULVANEY
I guess he didn't appreciate your
use of language. They don't speak
that way on television. It's a rule.
Do you realize you've cut off a
valuable source of communication?
Sonny now moves over to Sal.
SONNY
Okay, Sal... what do we do?
SAL
(no answer)
SONNY
I figure maybe we can get the FBI to
make a deal...
SAL
What kind of a deal?
SONNY
Maybe we can get outta this thing
alive... get 'em to drop the
kidnapping charges...
SAL
What do you mean? You talkin' about
coppin a plea?
SONNY
(starts to speak, but
Sal interrupts)
SAL
...because if you're talking about
coppin' a plea, I'm tellin' you right
now, there's no deal... I'm never
going back to prison... We got our
own deal already... Do you remember
the pact we made? You and me and
Jackie - that night in the bar... we
were talkin' about if we get trapped
in the bank, what are you gonna do...
Right? What did we say? What did
we say!
SONNY
We'd kill ourselves.
SAL
Does that still go?
PHONE RINGS.
SONNY
We're not there yet.
PHONE CONTINUES TO RING.
Sonny now walks over to the ringing phone on Edna's desk.
Jenny, sitting on top of the desk, thinks the call is from
her husband, starts to reach for it but as she does, Sonny
grabs it away from her.
SONNY
You're on the phone!
1ST CRANK (V.O.)
Kill them all. Now.
It's a heavy adhesive voice that can be heard clearly
throughout the bank.
SONNY
Kill them all now? You fuckin' creep!
Don't call here again!
Sonny slams down the receiver, looks around at the group.
SONNY
You see what we're dealing with?
They want me to kill all of you!
MULVANEY
What now, Sonny?
SONNY
Wait a minute... I've been looking
at this all wrong... Let's look at
it the other way...
He crosses over to Sal.
SONNY
Look, we gotta get a jet outta here...
outta the country. We gotta get a
helicopter. Okay, Sal? We get a
helicopter on the roof to take us to
the jet and we fly to the sunny
Caribbean. Algeria. We got to look
at the bright side. We got 'em by
the balls, we got the hostages, we
can get anything we want. They gotta
give it to us.
Edna exits ladies room as Sonny crosses back to the phone,
picks it up.
SONNY
(into phone)
Get me Moretti.
Now Sonny turns and speaks to the group.
SONNY
We're all gonna get outta here.
You're all gonna be all right. I'm
gonna ask for a helicopter and a
jet... and we're gonna get outta
here alive... You've all been all
right with me and as long as it stays
that way, then things are gonna be
all right - as long as you
cooperate...
(into phone)
Moretti, I want to talk to you. I'm
comin' out.
Sonny slams the phone down and walks over to Sal, rifle still
in his hands.
SONNY
You realize, Sal, that we're gonna
get outta the country, so if you
wanna talk to somebody, do it now...
You gotta Mother or a Father?
Friends?
(Sal nods no)
If we gotta be outside the country,
where do you wanna go? Any country.
Just name a country.
SAL
Wyoming.
SONNY
(stopped for a moment)
Wyoming... That's not out of the
country -- that's in the United
States... Look, I'll be back.
Sonny starts to walk toward the door. As he does, Sal calls
back to him.
SAL
Sonny! Gimme the gun. You don't
need that.
Sonny realizes what he's saying and crosses back to Sal and
hands him the gun, then moves toward the front door.
EXT. BANK - DAY
Much as before. Sonny steps out. The guns start to come
up.
SONNY
Put them down.
The Cops lower their weapons. Moretti comes out on the
sidewalk. He's eating an ice cream bar, and stands seemingly
at ease, an island of calm control in a storm of passion
about to be let loose. The Cops are always about to explode.
MORETTI
Sonny, ya want somethin'?
Sonny is about to open his mouth when a medium-size dark-
haired Man who has been standing among people behind the
barriers puts his head down and runs at astonishing speed
right across the street towards Sonny. He catches everybody
so by surprise he is already on Sonny before anyone can do
more than start to yell at him to stop. Sonny, himself,
can't believe it! He is slammed to the ground and the Man
begins to punch him and beat him viciously. Cops charge in
and with great difficulty pull him off.
YELLING on the radio network; TV Reporters and the crowd up
and SCREAMING for blood!
CLOSE ANGLE
as Moretti steps in. Sonny gets up, dazed. The Man goes on
kicking and fighting Cops...
MORETTI
Who the hell is that?
ANGLE SHOWING DOOR OF BANK
Mulvaney stands in the door...
MORETTI
(to Maria's boy friend)
Hey! What the fuck you tryin' to
do? You don't think the whole police
department can do the job?
MARIA'S BOY FRIEND
I think he's got Maria in there, and
I see blood, man! I wanta jam him
up...
MORETTI
Jesus, the Spanish! You gotta do it
yourself, right? Eye for an eye!
Go wan get outa here, we'll take
care of her.
(turns to Sonny)
You okay, Sonny? Boy, he hung a
couple good ones on you there!
MULVANEY
(from door; alarmed)
Sal wants to see Sonny. He says
he'll shoot unless he can see Sonny.
He means Sal. Sonny, dazed and bleeding, reels to the door
and calls in... Sal now stands alone behind 3rd pillar.
SONNY
It's okay, Sal.
He turns back to face Moretti, Sylvia, Mulvaney.
SONNY
(continuing; hurt,
wondering)
He wanted to kill me!
MORETTI
It's okay, you got a lot of
protection.
CLOSE - SONNY
Looking around, bewildered, the crowd is YELLING and now it
sounds unfriendly. He is really shaken up... He shakes
himself -- stops that line and starts over in a business-
like tone.
SONNY
I want a helicopter to get outa here!
And a jet to take us to...
(cagey)
...wherever we want to go. Outa the
country, so no little jets. A big
one with a bar and a piano lounge.
MORETTI
I don't know, Sonny. I don't know
if the helicopters can land in here.
I'll have to check it out. I got
superiors, unnerstan? They don't
always see eye to eye with me. I'll
do what I can.
Sonny looks him in the eye. Suddenly he makes kissing motions
and sounds with his lips. We know what he's referring to:
he thinks Moretti's trying to fuck him over.
MORETTI
(continuing)
Sonny, be reasonable!
SONNY
I want to see my wife. I want you
to bring her down here.
MORETTI
Okay, what do you give me?
SONNY
What do you want?
MORETTI
The girl hostages.
SONNY
Nothin' doin'. I give you one hostage
when you bring my wife, and one for
the helicopter, one for the jet, and
the rest can come home on the jet.
MORETTI
(kiss)
I'll see what they'll do.
Sonny smiles and pantomimes kissing.
MORETTI
Okay, you pick out who you're gonna
give us. Where's your wife?
EXT. ROCKAWAY BEACH - DAY
There's Heidi. Her body lies exactly as before, baking in
the sun. The transistor RADIO plays... she seems to be
asleep...
RADIO
...the leader of the pair, a Vietnam
veteran, Sonny Abramowicz, has
demanded in return for releasing one
of the hostages that police allow
his wife to visit him at the bank.
Police spokesman...
Heidi sits bolt upright, stares at the radio, which continues
to blather on. Abruptly she begins to gather up her things,
her children, in a characteristically scatter-brained and
hyperactive sort of way. Heidi is a one woman panic: she
hustles away across the broiling sand carrying the radio
wadded up in towels, and lugging a child, crying helplessly,
by one elbow, as though it were a handle, a silhouette against
the late afternoon sun, out of Fellini... meanwhile on the
SOUND TRACK we are hearing her voice. It is a breathless,
harsh childish voice that pours out the words in a torrent:
HEIDI (V.O.)
The transistor goes Sonny what? I
couldn't believe my ears, so I shut
the transistor, get outta here, who
needs this? I say Sonny didn't do
it. It's not him to rob a bank.
It's not him to hurt anybody, to
threaten anybody, to steal or do
anything wrong. 'Cause he's never
done nothin' wrong from the day I
know him.
She is stumping off into the sunset as she says these words
and we
CUT TO:
EXT. BROOKLYN STREET - DAY
Out of a subway crowd, she struggles, pulling the two kids
by the hand, a very ordinary woman in a most ordinary New
York scene...
HEIDI (V.O.)
...Only he tells me this and he tells
me that, he's with the Mafia, I say,
Sonny, where do you get the money,
you're on welfare, how can you rent
a new Eldorado, red, you don't like
the color you rent a yellow.
EXT. HEIDI'S APARTMENT HOUSE - DAY
A working class block, dirty, shops in the first floor, three
story walk-ups above... Heidi appears and runs up the stoop.
TWO COPS get out of a squad car where they've been staked
out and move up to her. They never really get in a word
edgewise. They follow her into the hall... Now as we CUT
CLOSER to her, we will SEE Heidi's mouth in SYNC with the
words...
HEIDI
So night before last we're at Coney
Island, he's on the rides with the
kids, an' I have this habit of goin'
in glove compartments an' all, an' I
see...
INT. HALL - DAY
Heidi struggles up the stairs, dragging the kids -- the cops
following...
HEIDI
this gun with bullets in there, an'
I go to myself, oh God, Sonny! That's
all I had to see, I didn't say
anything.
She's got her door unlocked. Below and on the stairs behind
the Cops, curious neighbors peer in...
INT. HEIDI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Chaos out of cut-rate furniture stores. Full of unwashed
glasses, kids' clutter. Throughout, the children rush around
unchecked. Neighbors enter without ceremony and listen.
The Cops stand, trying vainly to communicate... As they
enter...
HEIDI
(continuing)
And things are adding in my head,
how crazy he's been acting, and in
with a bad crowd, an' I look at him,
he's yellin' at the kids like a
madman. So inna car I said to him,
Sonny, what you gonna do with the
gun? You gonna shoot me and dump my
body inna river or what? I was so
scared of him, I never been scared
of Sonny never. You know, his mother
says the cops was always at our house,
we was always fighting. I hit him
with the jack in the car once, but I
only missed and hit myself, you should
of seen my leg. And all he would
ever do is put on his coat and go
out. So they say it's Sonny but I
don't believe it.
COP 1
Lady, you saw him. You saw his gun.
HEIDI
He might of done it, his body
functions might of done it, but not
he himself.
INT. BANK - LATE AFTERNOON - APPROX. 5 PM
The group is now situated like this:
1) MULVANEY'S DESK - the TV is on; seated in his chair, filing
her nails is MIRIAM.
Seated to her left, having pulled the chair a patron uses,
is MARIA, watching TV and listening to her transistor radio,
against her left ear, at the same time.
MULVANEY (at back water cooler - will eventually move back
to his desk, sit down to Miriam's right.)
2) EDNA - is now behind the Tellers' cages, straightening up
the mess; she picks up the loose money that Sonny had
scattered thru the air, puts them into packets and ties them
with rubber bands.
3) SAL - is seated in the rear Conference room, still holding
his rifle, feet up on the table.
4) MULVANEY & DEBORAH - at the rear water cooler (from which
she will move to see what's wrong with Margaret)
5) MARGARET - seated at her desk, obviously ill, wiping her
forehead, head bowed.
6) SYLVIA and JENNY - at far right table, doing a crossword
puzzle.
7) SONNY - pacing back and forth Mulvaney's desk, posing a
legal puzzle for Maria.
Sonny, his gun now lying across the top of Mulvaney's desk,
is pacing back and forth between the desk areas. He's talking
to Maria in particular, but anyone in earshot in general.
SONNY
Let's say I put a gun to your head
and I tell you to kill a cop... and
you did. Who'd go to the electric
chair... you or me?
MARIA
You would... you told me to do it.
SONNY
But you shot him.
MIRIAM
(joining in)
But you told her to.
SONNY
Yeah - But you did it.
Deborah crosses to Margaret who is ill. Deborah goes to
Sylvia - who returns with her her to Margaret.
It should begin getting dark in through here. It is very
hot and sweaty in the bank. OPEN SCENE ON:
CLOSE MULVANEY ON PHONE
He is sweating, worried. He is listening to a conversation
we can HEAR... as it goes on SHOT WIDENS to reveal the others
in various postures of waiting. Sal more disheveled, Sonny's
restlessness is unabated; he paces about like a caged animal.
The voice on the phone is breathy and youthful: Sonny has
been listening for a long time.
JESUS FREAK (V.O.)
Jesus Christ is coming back and he's
really pissed.
SONNY
(gently)
Yeah, well I don't blame him.
JESUS FREAK (V.O.)
You know, Sonny, I used to dope a
lot, and I was into dipping? And I
did a couple bank jobs, and the Lord
Jesus in his everlasting mercy saved
me, you know how?
Sonny is desperate to get off the phone but doesn't dare
risk the wrath of God by hanging up on this guy. He might
have the secret after all.
SONNY
No. Look, we're kind of....
JESUS FREAK (V.O.)
That's why I can talk to you, as an
equal, Sonny. You got to merge your
whole soul with God. And then you
are Him and one with the Holy Ghost.
SONNY
Yeah, well... maybe you better talk
to one of these others, okay?
JESUS FREAK (V.O.)
Sonny? Don't send me away! I can
help you save your soul ...
Sonny hangs up. Deborah moves to Margaret, who is ill. She
goes to tell Sylvia who immediately crosses to Margaret.
ANGLE ON MARGARET & SYLVIA
SYLVIA
The air conditioning is off or
something.
(Looks at Margaret)
she's sick.
Sonny runs around, notices her - sees that air conditioner
is off.
SONNY
Where's the air conditioning?
MULVANEY
I don't know, Sonny... on the roof
somewhere I guess.
SONNY
(improv. about going
out back to find the
air conditioning
mechanism)
Sonny moves toward Sal in the
Conference room. Mulvaney follows
discreetly behind him.
SONNY
Sal, I'm gonna take a look at the
air conditioning.
Sonny and Mulvaney start to move out toward the back door
area.
SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Do you think we can turn it on?
MULVANEY
I don't know.
At this point, Sal calls out to Sonny, and gets up to move
to him.
SAL
Sonny -
SONNY
Yeah...
SAL
I never been up in a plane before.
SONNY
It's nothing - it just goes up -
it's the safest thing in the world.
Safer than a car. Don't worry about
it, Sal - it'll be all right...
they're great...
And Sonny and Mulvaney exit toward rear of bank.
INT. BANK - BACK DOOR AREA - LATE AFTERNOON (APPROX. 5 PM)
Sonny and Mulvaney move toward the back door and stop under
a trap door in the ceiling. Mulvaney looks up at it.
MULVANEY
It's gonna be up there.
As Sonny is staring up at the trap door, thinking about what
to do, he hears a tiny scratching SOUND.
SONNY
What's that?
Sonny, tensing like an animal, peers around wildly to locate
the source of the little scratching SOUND: like mice at a
steel door.
ON SONNY
who quickly runs back toward the desk area.
ON GROUP - DESKS' AREA
Sonny races back in, grabs the gun from atop Mulvaney's desk,
and with the cartridge in the other hand, runs back toward
the back door again, jamming cartridge into rifle.
At this point, Sal runs in from the Conference room, covering
everyone point-blank again, yelling for Edna to join the
rest of the group.
SONNY
(whispering)
They're trying to come through the
door!
SAL
(to Edna)
Everybody! Back here!
Edna quickly obeys, moving quickly to the rest of the group.
ON BACK DOOR AREA
as Sonny races toward Mulvaney and back door with gun.
ANGLE ON MULVANEY
Somebody or something is working on the other side of the
door!
NEW ANGLE ON SONNY
as he moves back from the door, turns and levels the rifle
on the back door...
MULVANEY
Sonny, if you shoot, shoot high...
my car's parked out there.
ON SONNY
staring at the door. He hears the continued scratching noise
and might even see the door knob move.
Abruptly he swings the rifle up so the bullet going through
will clearly go over the head of any man, out through the
transom.
He FIRES.
ANGLE ON INSIDE - SAL AND GROUP
They all scream, some of them falling to the floor, huddling
together in terror.
SONNY - AND GROUP
Sonny races back into main area where Sal covers group.
SAL
(to group)
Get over here! Get over here!
EXT. BANK - REAR DOOR - LATE DAY
A knot of half a dozen police are working at the door. Two
were trying to work tubes under it to pump in gas, others
were trying a nylon line to the doorknob, the idea being
that if Sonny came out that way, the moment he began to open
the door the cops would yank it open, exposing him completely
and gun him down. The cops SCREAM as the SHOT comes through
the door, showering them with brick fragments. They scramble
over cars, over each other, over fences, running into other
cops, who also, not knowing what's happening, turn and flee,
running into the crowd, which panics.
VARIOUS ANGLES
on men, women, children, cops, detectives, dogs, cats,
reporters, all in the area of the rear of the bank fleeing
in waves over fences, cars, etc. A flood of people like
lemmings. This is INTERCUT BY:
INT. BANK
1) MARGARET fainting.
2) SAL herds group into vault area.
3) SONNY dashing back and forth into rear bank area.
ANGLE ON BARBER SHOP
Moretti, Sheldon, others come charging out, wondering what
the hell, pulling guns out.
BACK OF BANK
The cops, safely distanced and back in cover, peek out at:
BANK DOOR
It is okay.
RADIO NETWORK (V.O.)
What's happening? He shot through
the door. Is he coming out? Can
you see in...
(Etc., etc.)
ON MORETTI
reaches out his hand for a bullhorn that is thrust into it
immediately.
MORETTI
(on bullhorn)
Sonny!
A few louts in the crowd yell out in imitation:
LOUTS
Sonny!
MORETTI
Sonny!
CROWD
(echoing)
Sonny!
Moretti shrugs off his irritation and raises the bullhorn
one more time: the crowd is ready and SCREAMS in unison as
Moretti says:
MORETTI & CROWD
Sonny!
You could hear it for a half a mile!
Sonny starts to yell at Moretti.
SONNY
(inside bank)
What the hell you doin' back there?
MORETTI
Sonny, come on out!
Sonny walks over to Sal, gives him the rifle.
SONNY
Sal, watch 'em... I'm goin' out.
ANGLE ON BANK
as Sonny comes charging out.
SONNY
What the fuck do you want?
MORETTI
They were...
SONNY
You tryin' to fuck me?
MORETTI
No, I'm not tryin' to fuck you.
SONNY
So, what were they doin'? You're
tellin' me you had nothin' to do
with that back there?
MORETTI
I swear to God I had nothing to do
with it...
SONNY
Bullshit... I don't walk to talk to
you...
MORETTI
Wait a minute... everything you asked
for is on the way...
SONNY
Yeah...
MORETTI
Is on its way... The helicopter can't
land but we got a bus... the jet's
on its way to Kennedy... we got a
bus coming here...
SONNY
You're full of shit...
MORETTI
Sonny, your wife's on the way... We
reached her... your wife's on the
way... everything you asked for, you
got.
SONNY
Well, what were you doin' back there?
MORETTI
It can't happen again... I'll do
everything I can to stop anything I
can...
SONNY
You know, you're telling me that a
helicopter can't land here...
MORETTI
Can't land... you'd kill people...
SONNY
Don't fuck with me...
MORETTI
I'm not... I'm not... you're gettin'
a bus... you're gettin' a bus... the
jet's comin' into Kennedy... and
your wife's on the way... what else
do you need? What else can I get
you? Listen, I don't know how you
can do better... see that man over
there... the FBI guy...
SONNY
Just one more explosion like that
and you're gonna see a dead body...
MORETTI
There won't be... there won't be...
What else do you need? How else can
we help you?
SONNY
All right... I got some hungry people
in there... I want to get some
pizza... some stuff like that...
MORETTI
What else?
SONNY
Cokes, seven-ups...
(Moretti repeats)
also some aspirin...
MORETTI
Aspirins... okay you got it.
(turns behind him to
a near-by cop)
Charlie! Six pizzas!
SONNY
Okay...
Sonny turns and walks back into the bank.
INT. BANK - DAY
ANGLE ON SAL WITH THE GROUP
as Sonny enters and walks toward Sal.
SONNY
Okay... okay... all right, Sal, it's
okay. I got everything straightened
out... it's gonna be okay.
SAL
Get over there!
SONNY
Look, I talked to him and it's not
going to be a helicopter - they can't
land on top of the roof - so they're
comin' with a big... limousine bus
and they'll take us to the airport -
and they're gonna get a jet... so
things are rollin'... They're
movin'... I also ordered some food...
I got some pizzas for us, all right?
I got some things to drink - I got
sodas... I even asked them for
aspirins... I'm doin' what I can...
now I gotta pay for the pizza...
where are the marked bills?
He now walks behind Tellers' cages and picks up some of the
decoy money that Edna had started to clean up and re-stack.
Mulvaney walks over to him.
MULVANEY
Are we going to get the ball rolling?
SONNY
What are you talking about? What do
you think I'm doin'? I'm gettin'
the ball rollin'. I'm keeping these
people happy... I'm keeping you
happy... I gotta keep the cops cooled
out... I gotta do everything... I
gotta pay for the pizza .. I'm workin'
on it, do you know what I mean? I'm
workin' on it... Jesus Christ! I
gotta do it all... I got all the
ideas... you want me to give you the
gun? You want to take it over?
Sonny walks to the front door with the money.
EXT. BANK DOOR - DAY
as Sonny appears in it.
NEW ANGLE TO REVEAL THE DELIVERY BOY
guarded by a couple of cops.
DELIVERY BOY
You the guy wanted the pizza?
Sonny grabs bills from the wad he holds and thrusts them at
him.
DELIVERY BOY
It's paid for.
(looks at Moretti;
Moretti nods)
SONNY
Keep the change...
As the cops reach for the money, knowing it's bank money,
people in the crowd yell:
CROWD AD LIBS
Hey, over here! Hey, robber! How
about a thousand! Throw some over
here! Hey, no shit, I need an
operation, I don't even have a job...
(Etc.)
Sonny holds up the money. The crowd cheers. He throws the
wad of bills and it scatters in the air.
The WIND is blowing now. Even some cops join the ensuing
melee to gather it up...
VARIOUS ANGLES
as cops move forward and try to catch the bills. Some blow
into the crowd. Fights break out in the crowd as they
scramble for the money. The crowd breaks the barriers and
swarms after the cash. Cops try to retrieve bills; fist
fights, arrests.
MORETTI
staring at the mess.
Sonny also watching the people.
There is in both of them the same reaction of faint disgust
at the greed unleashed. Sonny angrily hurls another bundle
after the first... then laughs as he watches the people
fighting.
Moretti nods ironically at him. Sonny turns and enters the
bank with the food. The fighting goes on in the street.
INT. BANK - DAY
as Sonny enters carrying food.
SONNY
Okay - Chow!
He puts it down in front of Mulvaney, on Mulvaney's desk.
Mulvaney looks at it, sickly. As Mulvaney looks up at Sonny:
SONNY
You eat it first. I don't know if
they put something in it.
EXT. SIDEWALK NEAR BANK - DAY
Moretti, Sheldon, other top cops march fast-time toward the
barrier where uniformed cops stand around a limousine that
has drawn up to the barrier. It is full of white-haired
officials, one of them the COMMISSIONER. He has a voice
broken by whiskey, cigars, good food and yelling at football
games.
DOLLY AT A LOW DRAMATIC ANGLE WITH MORETTI AND ETC.
It looks like they may be going into action. Moretti's
attitude is not that subtly different now he's talking to
brass. Commissioner doesn't get out; he talks through window.
The Commissioner's hand, pudgy and freckled with age, covers
Moretti's where it rests on the door: he massages Moretti's
hand fondly.
COMMISSIONER
Gene -- you smilin'?
MORETTI
No. I never smile any more.
COMMISSIONER
Whattaya think: we gonna kill any
civilians tonight, Gene?
MORETTI
I never make bets or guesses, that
way I'm never wrong and I never have
to pay out.
COMMISSIONER
Gene, Jesus, what a bull he is!
A lot of comfortable CHUCKLES inside the limo. The
Commissioner's hand lingers on Moretti's -- they are fond of
each other, these men, linked in a relationship of a lifetime
of shared experience, of attitudes, of maleness -- an
accumulation of years of jokes about being late for dinner,
of women waiting and women panting with desire, men secure
in the bastion of their roles. What is being passed on here
is a purely emotional force of approval and acceptance from
top to bottom of a social institution that is the last totally
masculine society: police. The homosexual content of this
should not be lost: it lies in the comfortable fit of their
feelings, in the fact, simply, that they love each other,
for what they share.
MORETTI
So whatsa deal?
COMMISSIONER
They jet's comin' out. But don't
let 'em off the ground.
MORETTI
What if we gotta kill a whole lot of
people?
COMMISSIONER
Don't let 'em off the ground.
MORETTI
Listen.
He leans down to get close to his commissioner, because he's
not fooled by the camaraderie into a false sense of security.
TIGHTER TWO SHOT - MORETTI AND COMMISSIONER
COMMISSIONER
(anticipating)
If you're right I'm gonna back you a
hundred percent, you know that.
MORETTI
(pleasantly)
Fuck you, sir - if I'm right, I
don't need you. What I want is -
if I make an honest mistake I want
help.
The Commissioner nods - presses a button and the window goes
up to keep the air conditioning in and the heat out.
INT. BANK - LATE AFTERNOON - APPROX. 5 PM - MAIN BANK AREA
as we hear Jenny on the phone with her husband. Sonny is
doing the manual of arms with his rifle.
JENNY
...well, just pick him up and hold
him. No, he's not spoiled, he's
just got to settle his stomach after
eating. He's used to me feeding me,
that's all.
At one point, Sonny starts to show Miriam how to hold the
gun and in mock seriousness, she tries to do the manual of
arms.
WE DRIFT TOWARD THE BACK CONFERENCE ROOM
where Sal is seated at the Conference table, rifle on the
table. Edna and Sylvia are also seated there. Maria enters.
SYLVIA
Somebody give me a cigarette.
Maria walks over to her, offering her one, then remembers:
MARIA
Sylvia, you don't smoke.
SYLVIA
I never smoked before in my life but
I got a right to start now if I want
to.
SAL
You don't smoke... why do you want
to start now.
SYLVIA
Because I'm scared, that's why.
You never smoked?
SAL
I used to, but I stopped.
SYLVIA
You stopped? Why?
SAL
Because I don't want cancer.
SYLVIA
You don't want cancer? You're about
to get your head blown off, you're
worried about cancer.
(to Maria)
Gimme the cigarette.
Maria starts to hand one to her.
SAL
No! I'm not kidding. Don't you
understand? You're pure!
SYLVIA
Pure?
SAL
You shouldn't start now.
SYLVIA
For God's sake! As soon as I'm outta
this bank robbery, I'm gonna stop...
okay?
SAL
Go ahead. Do what you want to do.
I hate to see you break a perfect
record. You oughta take care of
your body.
SYLVIA
My body? What for?
SAL
Your body is the temple of the Lord.
SYLVIA
(staring at him)
You're serious!
SAL
You're really pure, you know? You
got a perfect record. You never
used that stuff to ruin your body,
why start now?
SYLVIA
You know, you remind me of my 19-
year-old brother - only he's got his
hair down to his knees - he looks
like something that eats berries and
roots out of the ground. God forbid
I should say something to him like,
'Listen, if you ever smoke marijuana,
just remember that it's illegal' and
he storms outta the house. You rob
a bank, but you keep your body pure,
is that it?
SAL
You gonna smoke the cigarette?
SYLVIA
Yes...
Sal gets up and starts to leave the room...
SYLVIA
(calling to him)
Sal... If I die of cancer it's going
to be half your fault.
Sylvia grabs the cigarette from Maria.
SAL
(exiting)
No - it's because you're weak.
Sonny continues with "Manual of Arms" business with rifle.
Mulvaney is on the phone.
MULVANEY
(overlapping Janet
into phone)
Mulvaney...
(listens)
JANET
(into phone)
I don't know.
MULVANEY
(to Sonny)
It's for you. Moretti.
Sonny takes the phone...
SONNY
Yeah?
MORETTI
We're bringing in your wife...
ON SONNY
He comes alert, looks around at Sal, nods, and starts for
the door of the bank, turns to Sal.
SONNY
(gives him gun)
They've got my wife. They're bringing
her in.
He exits bank. Sal walks toward the door, stops behind the
first post.
EXT. FRONT OF APARTMENT HOUSE - DAY
The fire escape with the old lady and her jigsaw puzzle, the
flak vested snipers, etc. Below in the street a police car
plows through the crowd with red lights flashing but no sirens --
or perhaps just a low growl to help move the human sea aside.
People are leaning over trying to see inside.
BARBER SHOP
Moretti and Sheldon and staff move out into the street. The
cop car is moving through police lines, cops lifting
barricades aside to let it pass.
MOVING SHOT
with Moretti and others as they move to intercept the police
car where it will stop on the corner. As they stop, we can
see Sonny step into the door of the bank, in the distance.
He is greeted with CHEERS from the crowd. But is intent on
the car.
We are NOW SHOOTING ACROSS THE CAR, OVER MORETTI'S BACK TOWARD
THE BANK and Sonny.
The DRIVER of the police car gets out, with a huge grin on
his face and nods to Moretti. The back door opens and another
cop gets out, also grinning. They look around toward Sonny,
as his wife gets out of the police car, on this side. She
is spectacularly good looking in a lithe cruel sort of way,
like Lauren Bacall, but right now she is a mess.
CUT TO:
EXT. BANK
as Sonny sees Leon get out of the car.
SONNY
Leon! Leon! Over here! Happy
Birthday, Leon!
ON LEON
who doesn't hear Sonny calling, the detectives and Moretti
start to take him to the barbershop.
MORETTI
(to cop driver)
What's that?
COP DRIVER
We went to the hospital, where he
told us - and asked for his wife.
He...
(indicates Leon)
...says they got married in a church.
MORETTI
Jesus!
They continue along the sidewalk. Leon, coming to, starts
to look around him. He sees Sonny.
ON SONNY
as he yells again to Leon.
SONNY
Leon! Happy Birthday!
ON LEON
who faints.
FULL SHOT
The crowd yelling in increasing waves of SOUND; Moretti and
cops pick up Leon and rush him toward the barbershop.
ANGLE ON SONNY
who dashes toward the bank door, enters.
INT. BANK - DAY
as Sonny comes running in. Sylvia is now showing off her
new-found expertise with a cigarette to Miriam, Jenny and
Deborah, seated around Edna's desk. (Deborah is talking on
the phone.) Meanwhile, Edna is back in the Conference Room
with Mulvaney; Margaret is seated at her desk, speaking on
the phone; Maria, speaking on phone, is seated at Mulvaney's
desk - where television is still on.
Sonny, wanting to use a phone, realizes that all are in use,
rushes to a desk at the front of the bank. Sal follows him
there. Sonny grabs a phone.
SONNY
(into phone)
Get me Moretti!
INT. BARBERSHOP
where Moretti and cops are trying to revive Leon. A cop at
the phone turns to Moretti.
COP ON PHONE
Moretti - he wants to talk to you.
Moretti walks over to phone, takes receiver from cop.
INT. BANK
Sonny waiting for Moretti to answer phone.
SONNY
Is he all right? Is he all right?
MORETTI (V.O.)
He's all doped up.
SONNY
I want to talk to him.
MORETTI (V.O.)
He's groggy, Sonny. Let me get him
on his feet and he'll call you back.
(hangs up)
INT. BARBERSHOP
as Moretti hangs up phone and walks over to Leon, who now
has a glass of water and a cold towel.
MORETTI
Leon? Whatsa matter? They give you
a shot down the hospital or what?
LEON
Oh, God, they shot me with like
unreal!
MORETTI
Well, you got to get hold of yourself.
You got to talk to him, tell him to
give himself up.
LEON
Oh no!
MORETTI
He's got eight people in there with
him. He's got this kid with him...
they're gonna shoot the people.
LEON
I can't help it. I can't stop him
from anything.
MORETTI
If he won't listen to you, who will
he listen to?
LEON
He won't listen to anybody. He's
been very crazy all summer. Since
June he's been trying to kill me.
MORETTI
You try calling the police?
LEON
What good is that? They couldn't
stop him. And it'd just make him
mad. They don't know him.
MORETTI
Somebody's got to stop him, Leon.
LEON
He was under great strain: you don't
understand, he's a very mixed up
person.
MORETTI
He's makin' threats in there.
LEON
He's scared. It's crazy. I never
met anyone like him. His wife, he's
a wonderful father to his children.
His mother - you should see her -
his mother and father together are
like a bad car wreck - he lets it
all slide off his back, he sees them,
he pays their rent. Unbelievable.
I wanted to get married... He didn't
really want it... he's married
already! But he did it. I don't
know why. I thought it would help
me, but it didn't. I was just as
confused and unhappy was before; I
did terrible things.
MORETTI
What kind of things, Leon?
LEON
Ten days I spent in Atlantic City -
Sonny was frantic - he knew I was
drinking; he didn't know where I
was... who I was with. I couldn't
explain why I did the things I did.
So I went to this psychiatrist who
explained to me I was a woman in a
man's body. So Sonny right away
wanted to get me money for a sex
change operation: but where was he
to get that? 2500 dollars! My God,
he's in hock up to his ears already.
MORETTI
He needed money? For the operation
for you?
LEON
It made him crazy - so much demand,
he'd fly into this rages. And I got
more depressed than ever; I saw I'd
never get the operation. So I tried
to take my life - I swallowed about
a half pound of pills... blues,
reds, yellows, downers, uppers,
screamers... you name it. But I
just threw them up and wound up in
the hospital. Sonny comes there and
looks at me and just says: 'Wow!'
So when I hear he's in the bank, I
almost go crazy because I know he's
doin' it for me.
MORETTI
Well, don't you figure you owe to
him to get him out of there?
LEON
I can't talk to him.
MORETTI
You're in it up to your ass, Leon.
You're an accessory. You talk him
out of there and they might be a
little more understanding of your
case.
LEON
I'm afraid.
MORETTI
How is he gonna hurt you on the
telephone?
LEON
I don't know what to say to him. I
can't.
MORETTI
You think it over, Leon.
Moretti walks over to the wall phone, picks up the receiver,
and waits to be connected with the bank and Sonny.
ON LEON
Terrified. He really can't do it.
ON MORETTI
waiting.
OMITTED
INT. BANK - TURNING DARK NOW
as the phone rings. Sonny picks it up, hears Moretti's voice.
MORETTI (V.O.)
He won't talk to you. Let me work
on it.
Sonny hangs up. He and Sal walk toward the group at the
rear, around the desks.
ANGLE ON TELEVISION SCREEN
as we see TV newsman speaking.
TV NEWSMAN
...police are questioning Leon, a
year-old admitted homosexual, who
claims to have been married to one
of the bank robbers in a ceremony
last November... [etc.]...
During the speech, Sylvia and her group wander toward
Mulvaney's desk to listen, as Edna wanders down from the
Conference Room, crosses to the set and turns up the volume.
ON SONNY
pacing back and forth. They all stare at him. Slowly the
group shifts to other positions, without a word being said.
ANGLE ON TV SCREEN
TV NEWSMAN
Our coverage of the Brooklyn robbery
where two homosexuals are holding
hostages for their demands of a
helicopter, a jet, and safe passage
out of the country...
ANGLE ON SONNY AND SAL
SAL
Sonny, you hear that?
SONNY
What?
SAL
They keep sayin' two homosexuals.
I'm not a homosexual. I want you to
stop them saying that.
SONNY
That's all they're interested in -
it's a freak show to them. I can't
control it, Sal - let'em say what
they want. Forget it. It don't
matter.
SOUND OF JET
SONNY
Where's the god-damn jet? They're
always flying overhead - going
somewhere.
OMITTED
EXT. KENNEDY AIRPORT - NIGHT
FBI snipers area at positions, waiting. A small group of
men make a last check. A signal is given. They get in their
car and drive away. An FBI sniper lights a cigarette and
settles down to wait, moving his rifle to a comfortable
position.
EXT. APARTMENT HOUSE FIRE ESCAPE - NIGHT
The old lady dozes over her puzzle. The police agents are
being relieved. Light floods the front of the bank.
INT. BANK - NIGHT (APPROX. 8 P.M.)
Sonny paces back and forth (with ad-lib dialogue to group).
Margaret, seated at her desk, has feet up on another chair
while Jenny sits on top of her desk. Mulvaney is back at
water cooler, starting to feel very ill. Miriam and Deborah
are seated at Mulvaney's desk. Edna is seated at her desk,
while Sylvia sits on top of desk, talking on phone.
Suddenly, the lights go out, leaving only emergency lights
on (4 in the main area and 2 at back door area). Sylvia
immediately moves over toward the vault area and turns on 2
hand lamps.
SAL
That's it, Sonny.
Both rush toward the front of the bank. They see that even
the flood lights are now out, but across the street can still
be seen lights in the store windows. Sonny rushes to a near-
by phone to try to reach Moretti, but even the phones are
dead. They hear Moretti's voice over a bull-horn outside:
MORETTI (V.O.)
Sonny... Sonny... Come out a minute...
Come out a minute...
Sonny moves toward the front door.
INT. BARBERSHOP - DUSK/NIGHT
Moretti and Sheldon are in the barbershop.
SHELDON
We're all set at Kennedy.
MORETTI
What makes you think you'll be able
to control it?
SHELDON
He's totally unstable. He'll make a
mistake.
MORETTI
He hasn't so far. I'm the one who
can make a mistake. That's what
scares the shit out of me.
SHELDON
Eugene, at 3:07, this became Federal.
Why don't I take it over now?
CUT TO:
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
as the door opens and Sonny peeks out, the once-illuminating
floodlights now out.
SONNY
Moretti? What the fuck is goin' on?
There's no answer. Sonny steps out into the street. He
can't see anything anymore. The atmosphere is suddenly
chillingly dangerous: the crowd SHOTS "come out of the dark"
and "we can't see from here". The street seems empty except
for a few threatening silhouettes of heavily-armed cops.
Sonny responds with bluster.
SONNY
Get the lights back on!
He steps out farther into the street. From behind him,
SHELDON, the FBI man, approaches. He is alone. Unsmiling.
Sonny dashes back into the bank.
INT. BANK - NIGHT
as Sonny rushes in, warns Sal about the FBI confrontation
he's about to have.
SONNY
Sal - it's the FBI... I'm goin' back
out to talk to him.
At this, he walks back toward the door and exits the bank
again.
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
Sheldon is walking toward Sonny as the latter exits the bank.
SONNY
What is this? The FBI? Jesus, now
we're talkin', maybe we can get this
thing moving.
As Sheldon reaches him.
SONNY
First off, get the lights back on
and the air conditioning.
SHELDON
(showing ID)
No more favors. That's all over,
Sonny.
SONNY
(sarcastically)
Aw, Jesus... you been doin' us favors
all night!
SHELDON
I've got a jet. I'll have airport
limousine here in a half hour. I
want the hostages.
SONNY
Bullshit!
SHELDON
I'd like to work with you on this,
not against you.
Sonny comes around, looking for Moretti: can't see him.
SONNY
Well, Jesus, these hostages are
keeping me alive.
SHELDON
Okay, when do I get them?
SONNY
At the airport. We get on the plane,
check it out, and if it's all okay
we'll send them out. Except one.
SHELDON
I want them all.
SONNY
I want to talk to Leon.
Pause, while Sheldon thinks this over.
SHELDON
I want to come in, and see if
everybody's okay.
SONNY
You got guts. You think if Sal and
me have cut their throats we're gonna
let you out?
SHELDON
I have to see.
Sonny re-enters bank.
INT. BANK - NIGHT
Sonny goes over to Sal.
SONNY
It's the FBI. He wants to come in.
SAL
Have him walk in backwards.
Sonny exits bank.
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
Sonny crosses to Sheldon, grins, grabs him and executes a
very professional-looking pat-down search.
He removes Sheldon's .38 from a shoulder holster, producing
it for the crowd with a flourish like a magician: some of
the old playfulness returns for a moment. He carefully and
with showbiz flourishes searches Sheldon's thighs and groin.
The crowd HOWLS. Sheldon bears it with stoic calm.
CLOSE TWO SHOT
as Sonny stands up from the search and finds Sheldon's eyes
locked to his with flat calm.
SONNY
Jesus, you'd like to kill me, too.
SHELDON
I wouldn't like to, but I will, if I
have to.
SONNY
Nothin' personal, huh? The man that
kills me, I want him to do it because
he hates my guts. Not because it's
a job. Okay, let's go... but you
gotta walk in backwards.
The move toward the door of the bank, where Sonny opens the
door, preceding Sheldon, both men entering backwards.
INT. BANK - NIGHT
Except for the 4 emergency lights, it is very dark - and
very hot as Sonny and Sheldon enter the bank. Sal now stands
behind the desks, covering Sheldon and the group assembled
at the vault. Sheldon takes in every detail as he walks
toward the group in the rear, followed closely and covered
by Sonny. As they near the desks, Sonny yells out an order
for the group:
SONNY
Nobody give their right name...
it's the FBI!
SHELDON
I just want to see all you young
ladies are all all right in here.
TWO SHOT - SYLVIA AND SAL
She's pissed.
SYLVIA
Listen, we asked for the jet hours
ago, what are you doin' out there?
Sheldon is watching Sal, trying to gauge him. This is the
first time anyone from outside has seen Sal.
SHELDON
(his eyes on Sal)
It's all being set up, we'll have
you out of here in a couple of hours.
SYLVIA
(to Sheldon)
Just give them what they want.
Sheldon now walks closer to group, looking into the two small
examining rooms as he moves. Sonny covers him every inch of
the way.
SHELDON
They're getting what they want. We
just want to be sure we get what we
want, which is to get all you ladies
out safe. And you two boys, too.
Sheldon is now standing very close to Sal.
SAL
(to Sheldon)
You got to talk to the TV, tell them
to stop talking about the two
homosexuals. I'm not gay... that's
the truth. Tell 'em that.
SHELDON
I will.
(he turns to Sonny)
Sonny? Outside for a minute?
SONNY
Sal?
SAL
They gotta stop sayin' that.
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
as they (Sheldon and Sonny) exit and stand in the doorway
out of earshot of the others. Sheldon is matter-of-fact,
but insinuating and conspiratorial.
SHELDON
Sonny, you handled yourself real
well. A lot of men would have choked,
and we'd have a lot of chaos and
panic and maybe a death or a multiple
death on our hands, but you handled
it. I respect that. Don't you try
to take Sal. We'll handle him. You
just sit tight and you won't get
hurt.
He starts to go. Sonny grabs him.
SONNY
Wait a minute! What the fuck you
tryin' to tell me?
SHELDON
(quiet)
What I said. You just sit quiet and
we'll handle Sal.
And he turns and starts to walk away, leaving Sonny staring
after him.
INT. BARBER SHOP - NIGHT
as Sheldon steps into the door. The place is jammed, Moretti
stands inside the door where Sonny could not have possibly
seen him. Sheldon quietly turns and stands beside him, both
men looking back across the street.
MORETTI
The little bastard miss me?
Sheldon smiles the supercilious Ehrlichman smile of his.
INT. BANK - NIGHT
as Sonny re-enters. He's restless, hyperactive, constantly
moving during this scene; a man with a potentially guilty
conscience. Sal moves toward him and both men walk to area
in front of the Tellers' cages.
SAL
What'd he say?
SONNY
He was talkin' about arrangements...
we were talkin' about the TV.
SAL
Why couldn't he talk about that here?
SONNY
He was showin' me how the airport
bus is comin' in, like that, Sal.
(notices Mulvaney
start to faint)
What's wrong with him?
In the rear, Mulvaney slumps into a chair beside Margaret's
desk. Sylvia rushes to help him, untying his tie, etc.
Maria runs into the Conference room, hoping to find remains
of sugar as Deborah crosses to his desk, looking through the
drawers for medication. Jenny simply can't cope with it and
walks away.
SONNY
Hey, you okay?
SYLVIA
He's got diabetes. He's not a well
person.
SONNY
Those bastards -- they poisoned the
pizza! Sal - you didn't eat any
pizza!?
MULVANEY
I didn't eat any pizza.
SYLVIA
I told you, he's got diabetes.
SONNY
You're supposed to balance your sugar
diet, right?
Sonny starts to move toward the front door.
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
Sonny rushes outside.
SONNY
Hey! Is there a doctor over there?
Get him over here! Come on, on the
double!
Sheldon and a young DOCTOR appear, concerned...
SHELDON
What's wrong?
SONNY
The manager, he's diabetic, he's
lookin' bad.
Sheldon turns, calls out.
SHELDON
Doctor...
A man comes forward - is frisked by Sonny, who then dumps
contents of his Black Bag and looks for weapons. Sonny then
dashes inside bank.
INT. BANK - NIGHT
as Sonny comes in, walks over to Sal.
SONNY
Sal - the Doctor's coming in.
Sonny then rushes back outside bank again.
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
Sonny crosses to Doctor.
SONNY
(to Doctor)
You go on in...
The Doctor hustles past. HOLD on Sheldon.
SHELDON
(picks up the phone)
I've convinced Leon to talk to you.
He's on the phone now.
Sonny rushes back into Bank.
INT. BANK
Sonny rushes in. The phone rings. He picks it up.
SONNY
Hello. Hello, Leon.
LEON
Hello, Sonny.
SONNY
How are you doing?
LEON
Well... I'm out of the hospital.
SONNY
(pleased)
Yeah. You said... I thought you
were never getting out?
LEON
I never thought I'd get out this
way. I'll tell you.
SONNY
Well... huh...
LEON
Ooohh...
SONNY
Oh... huh... how you feeling?
LEON
I'm really shakey.
SONNY
Well, you know... Moretti told me
before that you were drugged up.
LEON
Yeah. It was terrible.
SONNY
That... huh... they just shoot you
with drugs.
LEON
You come in and they say, right away,
that you are crazy. And they start
putting things in your arm... you
know. How do they expect you to get
uncrazy if you're asleep all the
time?
SONNY
Yeah...
LEON
You can't talk or do anything. You
really feel... you know... I'm just
sort of coming out of it now.
SONNY
(pensive)
So... that sure is something.
LEON
Yeah. So how are you?
SONNY
(chuckling)
Fine, thank you. I'm in trouble.
That is... now I am!
LEON
(chuckling)
Yeah... I know.
SONNY
I don't know what I'm gonna do...
you know. Boy... I'm dying.
LEON
What? What are you talking about?
You are dying? Did you ever listen
to yourself when you say that?
SONNY
What are you talking about?
LEON
What do you mean... what am I talking
about? Do you realize that you say
that to me every day of your life?
I am dying. Do you know... do you
realize the death that you are
spreading around to the people who
are around you?
SONNY
Now don't give me that deep shit
now. Don't start with that shit.
LEON
No really... I don't think that you
realize what it means. The things
that you do, Sonny. You put a gun
to somebody's head...
SONNY
I don't know what I'm doing.
LEON
(annoyed)
Yeah... obviously you don't... when
you put a gun to somebody's head...
and you say go to sleep so that it
won't hurt when I pull the trigger.
Death? Don't talk about death to
me. I have been living with death
for the last six months. Why do you
think I'm in the hospital? I take a
handful of pills to get away from
you. And then here I am out of the
hospital talking to you on the
phone... again. I have no friends
left. No job. I can't live. I
have to live with people. This death
business... I'm sorry!
SONNY
I'm not on the phone to talk to you
about that. Well, I don't know what
to say, Leon. When you gimme that...
when you hit me with that shit. I
mean, what am I supposed to say?
LEON
(indifferent to Sonny)
I'm sorry...
SONNY
I told you. That I got a lot of
pressures. You said to me that you
needed money, and I knew that you
needed money! I saw you there lying
in the hospital like that... and I
said... shit, man, I got to get this
guy some money.
LEON
(excited)
But I didn't ask you to go rob a
bank.
SONNY
(getting louder)
All right. I know you didn't ask
me. You didn't ask me but I did it.
LEON
Well...
SONNY
I did it on my own. I did this all
on my own. I ain't laying it on
anybody. Nothing on anybody. I'll
tell you something, though, it's
about time that I squared away my
accounts... you know. I am squaring
away my accounts with life. Maybe
this whole thing is gonna end,
somehow. Maybe it'll just end!
Maybe I'll just close my eyes and
the whole fucken thing will be over.
That would be all right too! I
said... I thought I would square it
away with you... you know? That I
would get you down here and that I
would say so long to you... or, if
you wanted... you know, to take a
trip...
LEON
What trip?
SONNY
I'm getting out of here, man. I'm
not going to stay here and I'm not
giving up. I mean, huh, they're
going to kill me, anyway. So fuck
it! But, if I can get out of this...
I am going to get out. And, how I'm
going to do it is to get a jet out
of here and I'm flying the fuck out...
That's all, Leon. If you want to
come with me, then you're entitled...
you can come. You're free to do
what you want.
LEON
I'm free to do what I want? And you
think I would want to go with you
some place on a plane? Where?
Where ya going?
SONNY
I gotta jet coming here and we're
gonna try to get the fuck outta this
thing. And we're gonna go, man!
LEON
You're crazy.
SONNY
That's it.
LEON
You're really crazy.
SONNY
I know!
LEON
Where you gonna go?
SONNY
Who the fuck knows? I think we're
gonna go... we worked it out to
Algeria. So, I don't know. So I'll
go to Algeria.
LEON
Why you going to Algeria?
SONNY
Huh... I don't know. They got Howard
Johnson's there. I don't know why
the fuck I'm going there for.
LEON
Howard Johnson's... you're warped.
You know that? You're really warped!
SONNY
I know that. I'm warped... I'm
warped!
LEON
(stuttering)
God, Algeria! Do you know there's a
bunch of... they walk around there...
God! People walk around with masks
and things on their heads. They're
a bunch of crazy people there.
SONNY
What am I supposed to do?
LEON
(bitchy)
I don't know... you could have picked
a better place.
SONNY
Denmark? Sweden?
LEON
(pleased)
I like that... yeah!
SONNY
Sal wanted to go to Wyoming. I told
him it wasn't a country. We gotta
get outta the country! To hell with
a guy who doesn't know where Wyoming
is. Okay. Can you imagine what
kind of a shape I'm in?
Laughter from both Sonny and Leon.
LEON
So! Sal is with you?
SONNY
Sal? Yeah... Sal is with me.
LEON
Oh... wow! Sonny, you're really
into one mess now.
SONNY
I know I am. I know!
LEON
(making fun of Sonny)
Sal... Sal... Naturale, oh boy!
SONNY
He ain't going out. And if I go out
he's just gonna kill the people.
There's a lot of lives that I'm
responsible for... that's all. So,
I can't do anything. I got myself
into this mess and I'll get myself
out of it... the best way I know
how! One of the ways is not giving
up. I'm telling ya!
LEON
Would you do something for me?
Please?
SONNY
What?
LEON
These guys that got me down here,
you know, huh... they think that I'm
part of this whole thing. They think
I'm part of the plot to rob the bank!
SONNY
How did they think that? What are
they... crazy? What do you mean.
That's bullshit, Leon. They're giving
you a fucken story.
LEON
Well... they told me that I was an
accomplice...
SONNY
Oh... they're fucken crazy. That's
a snow job. Don't listen to that
shit!
LEON
I gotta listen to it if they think...
SONNY
Shit...
LEON
I can't survive in prison, Sonny...
SONNY
All right. Then what do you want me
to say?
LEON
Sonny, would you please just tell
them... please...
SONNY
Where are they now? Just tell me...
are they on the phone now?
LEON
(meekly)
Yeah.
SONNY
(annoyed)
That's great. Just terrific. You
talk to me with them on the phone,
right? That is really smart. And,
you don't tell me?
LEON
I don't have a choice.
SONNY
You don't have a choice?
LEON
No! They're standing all around me.
Seven thousand fucken cops... all
around me.
SONNY
Look... who's on the phone?
LEON
Look... don't throw that on me.
SONNY
Who's on the phone, now? What do
you mean... throw it on you? You
knew it, right?
LEON
Yeah... I knew it. But, what choice
do I have? I'm in the hospital;
they drag me out of the hospital...
bring me down here...
SONNY
All right, enough! Who the fuck is
on the phone... anyway? Is that you
Moretti?
(angrily into phone)
You on the phone? Will somebody
talk to me?
LEON
They won't talk to you.
SONNY
Are they on the phone still?
LEON
Yeah... yeah!
SONNY
(still angry)
All right! He didn't do it. All
right? Now... would you get the
fuck off the phone? I'll bet that
really changed them, huh?
(calmly to Leon)
Anyway, Leon... did I do it for you?
LEON
Yeah... huh, thank you. I'm going
to go back, Sonny, to the hospital.
They're really nice people. They're
really trying to help me.
SONNY
That's good then. You've found
something.
LEON
Well... I don't know if I have or
not.
SONNY
Do you still want the operation?
LEON
(moody)
Yeah... yeah.
SONNY
Well, then...
LEON
It's my only chance!
SONNY
I don't know what to say to ya! I
guess I just wanted to say I'll see
ya... or whatever.
LEON
Thank you much... and huh, bon voyage.
SONNY
Right. See you sometime.
LEON
Yeah... see ya in my dreams, huh?
SONNY
Yeah... I'll write a song. Ha, ha.
I don't know. Life is funny!
LEON
You said a mouthful... sweetheart!
INT. BANK
Sonny hangs up, walks back toward rear of bank and picks up
receiver again on Edna's desk.
SONNY
(into phone)
You cut off incoming, gimme a line.
I want to talk to my wife, I want to
say goodbye to my kids.
(line is connected,
he begins to dial;
anguished; to the
group)
Here I am, I could call, and they'd
put anybody on the phone, the Pope,
an astronaut, the wisest of the wise
and who do I have to call?
(to phone; as she
answers)
Heidi?
HEIDI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
The TV is on, the kids up and racing around, neighbors pouring
beer -- An event!
HEIDI
(on phone; excited)
Hey, Sonny! I'm watchin' it on TV!
ON SONNY
SONNY
What about the kids?
ON HEIDI
HEIDI
They don't know, I sent them to the
neighbors. Sonny, Jesus, it's not
like you. I can't believe, because
you never hurt anybody since the day
I knew you.
ON SONNY
SONNY
Heidi, I'm dying.
ON HEIDI
HEIDI
(oblivious)
I blame myself, Sonny. I notice you
been tense, like something is
happening; the night before last
you're yellin' at the kids like a
madman, believe me. And then you
wanted me to go on this ride with
the kids, this caterpillar about
from here to there - fulla one-year-
old kids. It's ridiculous. I'm not
about to go on this ride, so you
yell right there, 'You pig, get on
the fuckin' ride!' Well, everything
fell outta - me - my heart, my liver
fell to the floor - you name it!
Yellin' at me in front of all those
people. Because you never talked
and I never been scared of you, never.
I think: he's gonna shoot me and
dump my body in the river.
ON SONNY
SONNY
Heidi, for Christ sake, shut up!
Will you shut your fucking mouth and
listen?!
ON HEIDI
HEIDI
(afraid)
See? You're screaming with the
language and all! A person can't
communicate with you. You become a
stranger in your own home...
ON SONNY
he sits, dispiritedly listening to this rap: seeing her in a
clear and unambiguous light as before he saw Leon: what a
waste to live in the company of people like this!
ON HEIDI
HEIDI
...because you hurt me, God how you
hurt me. Can you imagine, marrying
another man? Did I do something to
make you do that? Did I ever turn
you down, or anything? The only
thing I couldn't do, you're gonna
laugh, is go on top - I got this
fear of high places!
(giggles)
And I let myself get fat.
ON SONNY
SONNY
Don't call yourself fat.
ON HEIDI
HEIDI
I know you can't stand me to say I'm
fat. Like I can't stand you being a
bank robber. I guess that's what
love is -- huh, Sonny?
ON SONNY
SONNY
(weakly)
Heidi - why didn't you come down
here?
ON HEIDI
HEIDI
Jesus - what - I'm afraid - I'm gonna
get shot or whatever. You oughta
see it on TV, the guns, the cops,
they got cannon, machine guns, they're
loaded with gear.
ON SONNY
SONNY
They're not after you, they're after
me.
ON HEIDI
HEIDI
Listen, it's late already when I
realize it's not just a couple of
ordinary faggots, it's just you and
Sal. I couldn't get a baby sitter.
Heidi goes on and on, but Sonny just drops the phone on the
hook. As he walks toward the rear of the bank, Sylvia, seated
atop Margaret's desk, gets off and follows Sonny toward the
Conference room. At the same time, Edna is lifting Margaret's
feet up onto a chair and Jenny and Deborah start to walk
toward the Conference room, too. Maria paces back and forth,
transistor to her ear.
Sonny walks into the Conference room. The doctor is through
examining Mulvaney. Miriam is seated across the table from
him.
DOCTOR
Listen - I think I better take him
back for a cardiac check ...
Mulvaney waves, protesting. He's had a shot; he's rapidly
recovering.
SONNY
SONNY
Anything... what's wrong? Is he
gonna die?
DOCTOR
No, I just think...
MULVANEY
I'm okay... I'm okay...
SONNY
You know more than the Doctor?
You're not okay, look at you. Come
on...
(to Doctor)
...let's get him out...
MULVANEY
I'm not going. I'm okay.
As Sonny grabs him to try to help him up, Mulvaney wrenches
away. A little physical here.
SONNY
Hey! I'm tryin' to help you.
MULVANEY
I stay here. Damn it. I just needed
the insulin. I'm used to it.
Go on. Go on.
SONNY
(to Doctor)
You tell me. Is he endangering his
health, because if you tell me he
is, I'll get him out.
MULVANEY
I'll be God damned if you will.
SONNY
Oh, Jesus! You want to be a martyr
or a hero or what?
Maria and Miriam dance to transistor's music. Edna walks
into Conference Room to tidy up. Sal is still sitting there.
Deborah tries to comfort Jenny.
MULVANEY
I don't wanta be either, I just want
to be left alone. You understand
that? I wish the fuck you never
came in my bank, that's all, don't
try to act like you're some angel of
human kindness!
(he crosses toward
Tellers' cages to
start straightening
up)
Sonny nods, staring at him. As Doctor moves toward front
door Sonny walks with him. Grabs marked bills and stuffs
them into the Doctor's pocket...
SONNY
Here, my man. Whattayou get for a
house call?
As Doctor tries to wave it away:
SONNY
(continuing)
No, no! I want a top specialist for
my friend, I expect to pay top money.
He's hustled him to the door, where he ushers him out door.
OMITTED
EXT. BANK (HIS POV) - A BANNER - NEW ANGLE [1ST GAY DEMO]
hastily made, about 40 feet long, being raised above the
heads of crowd to where Sonny can see it. We can't read it
until it's all the way up. Then is reads:
WE LOVE YOU LOVE YOU SONNY
As the crowd reads it, fist fights break out and it totters
and staggers, but the defenders fight bravely... They are
ordinary looking people -- not freaks...
ON SONNY
looking at it, at them with mixed feelings.
ON SHELDON
standing across the street looking at him. Sheldon indicates
his watch. Holds up ten fingers: "ten minutes"...
ON SONNY
He turns into the bank.
INT. BANK - NIGHT
Sonny comes back into bank, his face mad with pain. He walks
over to Sylvia, standing at open gate of Tellers' Cages,
and brings out a wallet with pictures for her to see.
She takes it, smiles.
SONNY
My kids... Kimmy and Jimmy.
SYLVIA
They're beautiful...
She looks over toward Mulvaney, now behind the Tellers' Cages,
trying to tidy up, and walks over to show him the pictures.
Sonny stands on the other side of the cages.
SONNY
(as Mulvaney looks at
pictures)
I'll never see them again, Mister
Mulvaney.
MULVANEY
They look like good kids.
SONNY
They're like any others but they're
special to me. You got kids? You
told me; you got two.
MULVANEY
Special to me, too.
SONNY
You like me?
MULVANEY
Sure - we like you.
SONNY
No you don't.
MULVANEY
You seem like a likable enough guy.
It's hard to judge.
Sonny walks back toward Sal, who is seated in Conference
Room.
SONNY
Hey, Sal... How you doin'?
SAL
Okay.
Sonny crosses back downstage again to Mulvaney and Sylvia.
SONNY
(referring to Sal)
You know, I don't know him very well -
but he's not gay... and he's not
going back to prison... One time
when he was in prison, they gang-
banged him; 13 years old and eight
guys gave it to him... So Sal isn't
goin' back to prison, no way.
MULVANEY
I'm sorry.
SONNY
You know... I like you people...
I really do.
MULVANEY
We like you, too.
SONNY
You know - I had a job once. I used
to work in a bank. I had been
training... I used to have a boss...
Mr. Don Frio... he wore a toupee...
I wonder if you'd hire me if I came
in here and asked you for a job...
MULVANEY
Would I hire you?
SONNY
Yeah.
MULVANEY
Why not?
SONNY
(grinning)
I don't think so.
Sonny walks back toward Sal.
SONNY
I told you -- they're sending a jet.
It's all worked out...
But doubt hangs in the air like a pall...
CLOSEUP - SAL
looking at him. Implacable. This tension between them over
the question of Sonny's loyalty must be kept constantly alive
with CUTS and looks, over dialogue...
SYLVIA & MULVANEY
SYLVIA
Somebody give me another cigarette.
Sal turns to look at her reproachfully.
ON SYLVIA
SYLVIA
I wish somebody would tell me I'm
gonna live long enough for it to be
a habit. My parent, she'll be okay.
My husband, he'll be okay. I even
know who the bum is gonna marry.
Terrific. She'll take good care of
him.
MULVANEY
Girls, I wanta apologize. For my
language back there.
Embarrassed, he walks toward the rest of group in the rear,
stands by Edna's desk.
MULVANEY
Ladies... I want to apologize for my
language back there.
(he walks over to his
desk, sits down)
Sonny exits Conference Room and moves downstage.
SYLVIA
(amazed)
What'd you say? I didn't hear you
say anything.
They think for a moment.
JENNY
He said the 'F' word.
They stare at her incredulously.
Someone giggles.
EDNA
What?
JENNY
The 'F' word. He did. He said the
'F' word.
Edna crosses to her desk - disgusted - and starts to tidy
up.
The giggle catches the edge of their panic and anxiety and
sweeps them into uncontrollable giggles and laughter: Sonny
roars. Sal and Edna alone remain unsmiling. After a few
seconds they force themselves to stop, to behave like they
should under the circumstances. They are gasping and crying.
Then...
SONNY
What's so funny?
EDNA
Well, I'm a Christian, and my ears
are not garbage cans.
It sets them off again. They howl and giggle and laugh.
Until at last they run down again. At this point, Sal rushes
out of Conference Room.
SAL
Who's that?
He has seen something in the middle of the street, and now...
NEW ANGLE
as they all turn to look out through the door.
THEIR POV
Backlighted by the floodlights in the middle of street
escorted by Sheldon, stands a figure, dumpy and gray,
tentatively waving, a figure that bends over baby carriages
in the park, picks beans one by one out of supermarket bins,
lip reads get-well cards in pharmacies.
They hear Sheldon, outside, on bullhorn:
SHELDON (V.O.)
Sonny! Could you come out, please?
Could you come out, please?
SONNY
It's my mother. Who needs this shit?
But as a dutiful son he starts for the front of the bank.
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
as Sonny walks to his MOTHER. Baker tactfully moves away,
leaving the two of them in the center of the floodlighted
street. Again the crowd can be HEARD but not seen; armed
police fringe the lights and shadows, in B.G.
SONNY
What do you want here, Ma? You could
of watched it on TV.
VI
My God, Sonny - you oughtta see - -
Alla Brooklyn is here! On all 3
networks!
SONNY
Mom - I got it all worked out; it's
over. The best thing is you go home.
Watch it on TV.
VI
I talked to the FBI, I told them
about you, they said if you just
come outta the bank it's gonna be
okay.
SONNY
You did what? Who did you talk to?
What for?
VI
Well, I'm only trying to get you
outta this. I told them you were in
Vietnam, you always had good jobs,
you were with Goldwater at the '64
convention, but you had marital
problems...
SONNY
Oh my God, mother!
VI
I said you were never a faggot.
SONNY
Don't talk to them anymore. Sal and
me are getting a jet, we're going to
Algeria - I'll write you from there.
VI
He was very understanding - you ought
to talk to him... Algeria?
SONNY
We can't stay here.
VI
Oh my God! I don't understand. If
you needed money, why couldn't you
come to me? Everything I got is
yours. I got two hundred and maybe
twenty-five in the savings. It's
yours. You know it.
Sonny abruptly realizes he is getting sidetracked by Mom -
like always. Tries to get it back again.
SONNY
Mom - they're sending a bus to take
us to the airport. You understand?
If you're here - they're not gonna
send it. They'll think I'm gonna
come out with you.
VI
What's wrong with that? The FBI was
very understanding when I explained
it to him. Everybody knows it isn't
you... It's the pressures from your
home life.
SONNY
For God's sake don't start in on
Heidi again...
VI
Did I say a thing against her? God
forbid I should say anything against
that fat cunt.
SONNY
Mom. Mom. There are some things a
mother shouldn't say in front of her
son.
VI
If she comes down here, so help me
I'm gonna mash her brains in.
Everything in your life was sunlight
and roses until you met her. Since
then, forget it.
SONNY
She doesn't have anything to do with
it! You understand that? Mother?
This is me!
VI
I know you wouldn't need Leon if
Heidi was treating you right. The
thing I don't understand is why you
come out and sleep with Heidi anyway?
You got two kids on welfare now.
What're you goin' to bed with her,
you don't have enough with one wife
and two kids on welfare, you want a
wife and three kids on welfare?
SONNY
(this is old stuff)
Not now, Mom, please.
VI
What'll you do? Come out.
SONNY
(patiently - I told
you a hundred times)
I can't, Mom. If I come out Sal
will kill them.
VI
Oh.
(she thinks for a
moment)
Run.
SONNY
What the hell for? Twenty-five years
in the pen?
VI
Maybe...
SONNY
Maybe! Aw Christ, what dreams you
live on! Maybe what?
She stares at him. He talks slowly and carefully to her.
SONNY
I'm a fuckup and an outcast. There
isn't one single person in my life I
haven't hurt through my love. You
understand that? I'm the most
dangerous person in the world, because
if I love you, watch out, you're
gonna get fucked, fucked over and
fucked out!
VI
No!
SONNY
Did Pop come down?
VI
No. This really pissed him off,
Sonny. He says you're dead. He
says he doesn't have a son.
SONNY
He's right. You shoulda done what
he did. Go home.
(embraces her)
Don't talk to the FBI anymore.
He walks away and moves toward the bank door.
ON VI
Her desperate smile, apologetic and false at the same time,
glistens with a mother's tears. After a long beat:
VI
I remember how beautiful you were.
As a baby you were so beautiful. We
had such hopes.
INT. BANK - CLOSE ON DOOR - NIGHT
as Sonny enters and stops, controlling his emotions. He
walks toward Mulvaney, who is putting visitor's chair back
into position, then waters his plant.
Maria and Miriam are still dancing; Margaret is at her desk;
Sal, Jenny and Deborah are in the Conference Room; Sylvia is
still behind Tellers' Cages.
SONNY
Mister Mulvaney?
MULVANEY
Yeah?
SONNY
Are you a lawyer?
MULVANEY
No. I had some legal training, but...
SONNY
I want to dictate my will. I need a
notary?
SYLVIA
I'm a notary.
She leaves Tellers' Cages area, crosses to Sonny, grabbing a
pen from Edna's desk on the way. Sonny's urgent mood reaches
them. Sylvia gets note pad from Mulvaney. Takes the
dictation...
SONNY
Being of sound mind and body, and
all that shit...
Sylvia nods: got it.
SONNY
To my darling wife Leon whom I love
as no other man has loved another
man in all eternity, I leave $2,700
from my $10,000 life insurance policy,
to be used for your sex change
operation. If there is money left
over it is to go to you on the first
anniversary of my death, at my grave.
I expect you to be a real woman then,
and your life full of happiness and
joy. To my sweet wife, Heidi, five
thousand from the same policy. You
are the only woman I have ever loved,
and I re-pledge my love to you in
this sad moment, and to little Kimmy
and Jimmy. I hope you remember me,
Jimmy. You are the little man of
the family now, and will have to
look after them for me. To my mother
I ask forgiveness. You don't
understand the things I did and said,
but I'm me, and I'm different. I
leave you, the rest of the policy
and my stamp collection. I want a
military funeral and am entitled to
one free of charge. Life and love
are not easy and we have to bend a
lot. I hope you find the places and
the people to make you all happy as
I could not. God bless you and watch
over you, as I shall, until we are
joined in the hereafter, sweet Leon,
my Heidi, dearest Kimmy and Jimmy,
and my mother. Sonny... here I'll
spell the last name...
He sits and writes it for Sylvia.
SONNY
Type that up and I'll sign it.
Nobody says anything about this document. What is there to
say? Sylvia walks to her desk at the front of the bank,
near the window, and begins typing.
EXT. BANK - VARIOUS ANGLES - NIGHT
The restless crowd STIRS, sensing something happening.
Turning to see something coming.
APARTMENT FIRE ESCAPE
The Cops gear up their weapons: radios CRACKLE. Something,
a vehicle, is moving through the crowd, Cops shoving people
aside to let it through. The Old Lady pays no attention.
She is down to one of the very last pieces of the puzzle and
is searching for the spot for it.
LOW ANGLE IN CLEAR PLACE IN FRONT OF BANK
as the vehicle clears the crowd and slowly draws up in front.
It is a long airport limousine of the type with many doors.
It stops. Everyone's attention is on it. A black DRIVER
gets out, a gay Afro knit on his head, coke dealer's shades,
for the cognoscenti, one very long little finger nail, a
nifty Van Dyke style beard and one gold front tooth. He
looks around, holding a sheet of paper. Sheldon, others,
approach. They are looking into the vehicles, opening doors,
checking tires, etc.
DOOR OF BANK
Sonny appears. He strides to the limo.
SONNY
Okay. Get away from it.
After a moment the Cops all move back. Sonny opens the front
door and begins to check it out. The Driver starts to move
away...
SONNY
These seats come out?
DRIVER
Yeah.
INT. LIMO - CLOSE - SONNY AND DRIVER
Together they remove the seat so Sonny can check for guns
concealed below, etc. Improvise to fit conditions of the
car.
DRIVER
(dawning on him)
Jesus, you're the man!
SONNY
Come on, what's under this?
They pry up a seat and look under, etc., all through:
DRIVER
I was lookin' at it. I saw you,
man! Jesus! You oughta see yourself!
You wouldn't believe it.
SONNY
Yes, I would.
DRIVER
God damn it, Sheila isn't gonna
believe it. They just call in and
say gas up a stretchout and get it
down to
(address in Brooklyn)
and I say, 'shit, another load of
Elks for the massage parlors.'
SONNY
(finished)
Okay.
Driver stands up, getting a good look at Sonny.
DRIVER
Well, by God I'm gonna remember you!
And he turns and walks away.
Driver stops, uncertainly. Cops grab him to hustle him away.
Sheldon steps forward with a neat twenty-years-younger carbon
copy of himself...
SHELDON
Here's your driver, this is agent
Murphy.
NEW ANGLE
Sonny and Murphy. Sonny eyes Murphy,
thinks, then begins to frisk Murphy.
He finds nothing.
He stands up and eyes Murphy. He just doesn't like it.
SONNY
I don't want him.
SHELDON
What can he do, he's clean...
SONNY
Gimme the black guy...
The Driver is still close enough to hear...
DRIVER
Aw, hey...
SONNY
(overlapping everybody)
Come on, nobody's gonna get hurt.
If they were gonna shoot, they'd
shoot now.
SHELDON
I can't allow that, Sonny...
SONNY
You can't allow! I'm running this
thing, what gives you the idea you
can say shit?
(to Driver)
Come on. I'll pay you. Whatta you
want? Two hundred? A thousand?
The Driver looks around desperately to the FBI, to get him
out of this.
SONNY
Don't look at him. I'm running this.
Pause. Sheldon finally reluctantly nods. Sonny motions for
him (the Driver) to step forward. Before he can get in the
car, Sonny stops him. Signals to him to get ready. Gives
him a thorough pat search. Thighs, the whole bit.
CLOSE ANGLES AS HE SEARCHES
It is tense. The Driver seems uptight. Sonny finds nothing
until he touches a breast pocket. The Driver is very uptight.
Sonny reaches in, pulls out a -- tiny bottle, with a coke
spoon chained to the lid. Before Sheldon can see it, but
the audience has, Sonny shoves it back, grins, slaps the
Driver on the buns. The Driver laughs delightedly.
He was afraid he'd get busted for the dope: the drive will
be a cakewalk.
SONNY
You'll be okay.
DRIVER
(to FBI)
You men shoot, aim for the white
meat!
He loves the joke! They act as though they hadn't heard.
Sonny slaps him playfully on the arm and smiling turns to
Sheldon.
SONNY
I want him.
He points at Murphy. Sheldon stands there speechless.
Driver stares at Sonny, his smile fading.
SONNY
(delighted)
What do you think you're dealing
with, an idiot!
Sheldon nods to Driver and Murphy. Murphy resumes role as
driver of the limo. Driver gets out.
SONNY
So long, copper.
SONNY AND MURPHY
as they position the stretchout in front of the bank. It
can be seen from inside. The FBI men stand well back from
it. Murphy stands by the door. He also can be seen.
SHELDON
Okay, Sonny? You follow my car.
Murphy nods. Sonny is satisfied and turns to the bank, takes
Murphy into vestibule, indicating for him to stay there.
Sonny continues toward group at rear.
INT. BANK - NIGHT
Sylvia is finishing her typing. The girls and Mulvaney are
slowly getting ready. Deborah is getting her purse out of
Margaret's desk drawer; Margaret gathering her own purse,
books, etc.; Jenny is getting her purse from Edna's desk as
Edna gathers up her belongings; Mulvaney is seated at his
desk; Miriam is at her desk, by the front door.
Sal stands with his gun ready. [As Sonny enters and takes
up his gun, Sal carefully and methodically begins to redress
himself, comb his rumpled hair, knotting his tie carefully...]
ANGLES FAVORING SAL
as he rebuilds his sartorial image before the various
reflecting surfaces of the bank, knotting his tie in a glass
partition, checking his suit for wrinkles in a glass door,
etc. Meanwhile we are seeing the following, which Sal
ignores:
SONNY ENTERING
SONNY
Hey, let's get ready!
SYLVIA
(gets up, walks to
Sonny)
Sonny - Here's your document.
ON SONNY
looking at the will, taking up pen.
ON SYLVIA, MULVANEY
watching him with compassion.
INSERT
Sonny signs fast and firmly...
INSERT
Sylvia's notary seal clamps and imprints the paper.
LOW CLOSE ANGLE - SONNY
SONNY
Okay, okay, okay! What a bunch of
cold fish. It's an adventure!
Everybody's gonna remember you the
rest of your lives, the day you got
held up and kidnapped... hey!
His eye has struck some reminder. They handle this.
SONNY
You got Bank Americard?
MULVANEY
(tired)
What now, Sonny?
SONNY
(gathers money from
near-by money bag)
Listen, I owe a couple hundred
dollars! I don't wanta leave owing
anybody anything! A clean slate, a
new leaf...
He plunks his card down before Sylvia.
SONNY
(continuing)
I paying off.
(money from attached
case)
Here. Two hundred should do it.
They start the action of filing the form and accepting the
money... Sonny stops them...
SONNY
Just give me a receipt. Hey, Sal,
you okay?
SAL
(deep in his hair or
tie or?)
Okay, Sonny.
SONNY
All right.
(accepts receipt)
SYLVIA
Here's your document, Sonny.
SONNY
Yeah - it looks real official.
They are ready. A moment in the dark. Sonny holds out the
will to Mulvaney.
SONNY
Hold it for me?
Mulvaney takes it. Sonny shakes his hand. Suddenly,
emotionally, he embraces Sylvia. Suddenly they are all saying
silent goodbyes. Shaking hands all around, formally.
Only Sal is left untouched, standing apart, watching them,
in the dark.
EXT. BANK - NIGHT
Everyone waits in silence. The lights. The limo. The Driver
waiting in the driver's seat. After a beat the door begins
to open.
VARIOUS ANGLES
as Cops' guns are brought to bear. On the apartment fire
escape the Old Lady is asleep, her puzzle complete. The
snipers raise their rifles.
FRONT OF BARBER SHOP - NIGHT
Sheldon stands there. The police radio network CRACKLES:
"They're coming out. Perpetrators and hostages together.
Only authorized personnel may previously authorized, and
etc." Sheldon's eyes go to:
HIS POV - SNIPER
A middle-aged Man who looks like an overweight accountant,
in flak vest and helmet that seems too small, aiming through
a telescopic sight at:
DOOR OF BANK
SONNY
(letting Murphy out
first; yells outside)
Get away from the car!
Something that looks like a multi-legged animal emerges. It
is Sonny and Sal in the center of a tight group of the girls
and Mulvaney, so they are completely protected on all sides
by hostages. Over their heads is thrown some drapes from
the bank that further prevent the police from drawing a clear
head on Sonny or Sal without hitting a girl. In fact they
can't be seen at all. This weird apparition appears,
hesitates. The crowd YELLS: "SHOOT!" CHOREOGRAPH THE ACTION
so the group hesitates, takes a step forward, then it's clear
Sonny can't see well enough to go direct to the car, and the
girls are uncertain which direction to go in, not having
been briefed. So they stumble about, make false starts, and
finally arrive at the car, where one girl gets into the second
row of seats behind the Driver. Then Sonny slides across
next to Driver.
VARIOUS ANGLES TO COVER
The police have no chance to shoot. The group looks like a
bewildered centipede finding its way. Mulvaney detaches
himself from the group and slips into the front seat, on
Sonny's right.
ON EDNA
standing alone, outside filled-up limo. Sheldon walks over
to Mulvaney's window.
SONNY
(to Sheldon)
Okay - you got your one.
SHELDON
(to Murphy)
You follow my car.
(he moves off)
Maria gets in the rear-most row of seats. Sal next to her
in the middle and then another girl. One woman, Edna, a
plain middle-aged woman who has not said a word until now is
left over. She stands by the side of the limo as the doors
close and this phase of the operation ends, without mishap.
SONNY
(elated)
Fuck! We did it!
SYLVIA
(to Edna)
Goodbye, honey. Wish us luck!
Edna pecks out dry little kisses to the nearest girls.
ANGLE THROUGH SONNY'S DOOR WINDOW
as Edna pecks... goodbye.
SONNY
I'll be a son of a bitch -- we're
all okay! Hey, man! Honk the horn.
Let's go!
Sal has his gun pointed on back of Driver's head.
MURPHY
Hey, Sal - do me a favor... point
that gun up, huh? We hit a bump and
the fuckin' gun'll go off.
The Driver honks the HORN: they're ready. The crowd SCREAMS.
Cops keep jockeying for position, but there is no way to get
a shot in.
ON SHELDON
No emotion. He steps into his car, a police car pulls up
behind, and the procession starts to pull slowly toward the
crowd.
ON EDNA AND BANK
As the limo pulls away, she is bewildered by the rush of
police, bank people, FBI men who stream past her, ignoring
her, all pouring into the bank. TV crews move by and finally --
one stops to interview her.
ON THE CARAVAN
being rammed through the jam of Cops and screaming people
trying to get a last look. The hostages looking out, wan,
worried. Sonny and Sal inside, alert, ready with guns.
INT. LIMO - NIGHT
MURPHY
Sal - please keep that gun pointed
up, huh?
THEIR POV - MOVING SHOTS
from inside the limo. The faces of the poor, the excited,
the vicious the curious, and in ONE SHOT some of the people
from the Gay Liberation Movement carrying hastily lettered
signs: one protesting Sonny:
YOU ARE AN INSULT TO YOUR KIND
And another:
WE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU SONNY!
Their scared and wan faces swim past in the mob. Sonny's
mother is briefly seen looking out of the barber shop window,
alone and forgotten. The Cops stare heavily, sullen with
anger.
Now the limo is moving faster. People are running alongside,
YELLING insults, trying to see in, asking for hand-outs, but
they are going faster. Inside, they say nothing. Up ahead,
Sheldon's car flashes a red light. Behind, the police car
does the same.
VARIOUS EXT. AND INT. ANGLES - NIGHT
as the procession moves through Brooklyn.
MOVING VIEW FROM GROUND
A helicopter follows above them.
VIEWS IN STREETS
They move along, followed by a HONKING parade of kibitzing
cars, like a Mexican wedding.
ANGLE AT AIRPORT THRUWAY
They turn onto the thruway, trying to out-distance the cars
tagging along.
INT. LIMO
Silence. Sonny and Sal hold their rifles ready between their
knees.
ANGLE N AIRPORT FENCE
as they veer off the thruway, a barely seen Guard swings
open a gate and they ROAR through. The Guard pushes the
gate to, and the following caravan of cars brakes, skids and
a pile-up of fender bender accidents begin, cars going into
the fence and each other.
FULL SHOT - THRUWAY
Cars are strewn all around. Doors open and Drivers leap out
ready to YELL and do battle. The Cops guard the now closed
gate.
KENNEDY AIRPORT - NIGHT
Distant lights, some moving. Total darkness. The FBI car,
the limo, the following police car move across the darkness...
INT. LIMO - NIGHT
They sit quiet, following the FBI car. The FBI car stops.
They stop. Silence.
SONNY
Murphy, can you see what they're
doing?
MURPHY
He's still got some arrangements to
make.
Sheldon is getting out of the car up ahead. Sonny and Sal
and all of them come alert. As Sheldon and the other FBI
men get out of their car, a pair of aircraft landing lights
become visible, taxiing towards the limo.
SONNY
There it is, Sal. Sal?
SAL
I'm here.
SONNY
Oh, Jesus! Hey. How about food?
I forgot to ask to have food on board.
Sheldon has been walking down to the limo. He stops beside
Mulvaney and KNOCKS on the window. Mulvaney rolls it down.
SHELDON
That's the jet. You give us one
more, now. That's the deal...
SONNY
Okay. Which one goes?
There is silence inside the limo. Mulvaney turns to Sylvia.
MULVANEY
Sylvia?
From a handkerchief, Sylvia draws a slip of paper.
SYLVIA
It's Maria. Go on, honey.
They open the door. They urge her out, and Maria goes with
a show of reluctance.
ON MARIA
As she stands up outside she is revealed to have a rosary
she's counting. IMPROVISE goodbyes, tearful and fearful all
around. Then:
MARIA
I pray for your safety...
(meaning Sonny and
Sal)
...Sal? Because I know it's your
first plane trip. Don't be scared,
you know?
(gives him her rosary)
And Maria walks away. Now the plane has taxied into position,
where it can be seen in floodlights. It looks big and
impressive. We know the FBI has snipers ringing it.
SONNY
I ain't eaten all day. I just
realized it.
SHELDON
We'll have hamburgers on the plane.
You ready?
MURPHY
(turns to Sal again)
Sal, keep it up, huh? The gun -
please...
CLOSE - SONNY
looking at the plane, grasping his money and his gun. The
rifle stands straight up between his legs. Sheldon leans
down, peering in at him.
SONNY
What do you think, Sal? You ready
to go?
ANGLE - SAL
in front of Sonny, behind Mulvaney. For the first time he
smiles. He realizes that escape is within their grasp. The
smile transforms him from a formidable Mafia imitation into
an utterly sweet and defenseless youth.
SAL
(gun pointing high)
Hey, Sonny - You did it!
CLOSE - SONNY
SONNY
Let's move it, goddamn it.
SHELDON
(to Driver)
You ready to get out first?
DRIVER
Yes.
Driver starts to turn in the driver's seat!
Sheldon brings up his hands to reach through the open window
to grab Sonny's rifle barrel, pushes it away, aiming out
windshield.
Mulvaney sees them beginning their move and starts to duck.
Sal begins to see movement out of the corner of his eyes and
is barely beginning to react.
DRIVER TURNING HAS A GUN OVER THE BACK OF THE SEAT!
Sonny sees it, and Sheldon's hand grabbing the barrel of his
gun at the same moment.
Sheldon drives hard into the side of the limo, reaching in.
Mulvaney grabs the girl next to him and pulls her by the
hair down toward the floor.
Sal, open-mouthed with amazement, is a split-second late
bringing his gun up.
Driver completes his turn and has his gun leveled at Sal
between Miriam and Margaret in middle row.
Sheldon grabs his rifle barrel and pulls hard. Sonny lets
it go.
Sal stares at the gun barrel, trying to get his gun up...
Driver FIRES.
Mulvaney hits the floor.
Sheldon holds Sonny's gun.
Sonny, CLOSE, watches.
Sal, hit, slams back into the seat; the gun flies upward.
Another SHOT hits him, flinging his head back.
Driver holds his third shot, turns to Sonny - holds gun to
his temple.
Sonny looks down so he can see fully as:
Sal's head snaps back for a split second and stares directly
into Sonny's eyes, upside down.
He stares sadly, into Sonny's eyes. As though he knew it
all along -- betrayed.
And dies.
The SHOT is ECHOING. Now SCREAMS, YELLS, SLAMMING doors,
panic... Sonny's voice: "Shoot me! For God's sake, shoot
me!"
FULL SHOT
They come pouring out of the limo, scrambling frantically
away from it. The limo -- the people fleeing it. Agents
pull people away from the car.
Driver and Sheldon and Cops peer into the back. Sal's body
lies slumped.
Driver, Sheldon, other Cops stand about, recovering. No one
makes the slightest sort of congratulatory move, it was just
another job. Driver clears his weapon, hands it to Sheldon
to be filed in case of investigation.
ON SYLVIA, MULVANEY, HOSTAGES
They hug, cry, laugh, jump up and down: they're alive!
SYLVIA
(to Mulvaney)
I been dying to do this for years!
And she kisses him hard in the mouth. He laughs and kisses
back...
CLOSE - SONNY
Tears are beginning to flood past his defenses:
SHELDON (V.O.)
You are under arrest. You have the
right to remain silent. You have
the right to counsel to be present,
during your interrogation.
(etc.)
His voice is dry, as though he were reciting from memory
something he learned in a language he doesn't understand.
LAP DISSOLVE TO:
CLOSE - LEON - HEAD ON SHOT
like a Warhol interview on TV. Segue VOICE TRACK.
LEON
Well, I don't see how Sonny can
survive in prison, he was very loud,
very boisterous. He was obnoxious.
CLOSE - HEAD SHOT - SONNY
being manipulated like so much beef by impersonal FBI
agents...
LEON (V.O.)
He was very hard to live with...
HEIDI (V.O.)
He made me laugh.
EXT. BARBER SHOP - NIGHT
Remnants of the crowd of sightseers, being interviewed by TV
men avid for more, more, more news... these are people among
the group that held up the big banner earlier: now we see
them up CLOSE. They're folding up their banner. A very
ordinary-looking YOUNG GUY.
PROUD YOUNG MAN
I love him. He put an end to all
that pansy limp wristed shit!
FBI AND SONNY
They're getting off his belt, his shoe laces...
HEIDI (V.O.)
Because he always had a way of getting
out, always in the army he was AWOL...
OMITTED
BACK TO SONNY
manacled and helpless. He is twisted into some yet more
uncomfortable position by the uncaring Agents.
HEIDI (V.O.)
I can't help thinking how he might
ring the bell one of these days.
That's why I'm nervous, because I'm
always thinking some day he's gonna
come along and ring the bell...
THROUGH THE SHOT Sal's body is carried, Sonny, seeing it out
of the corner of his eye. He tries to look...
FBI MAN
Keep your eyes front.
PAULINE NATURILE - BEING INTERVIEWED
A faded, rattled woman, perhaps a little drunk...
NEWSMAN
How did you know your son was
involved?
PAULINE
It was on the TV.
NEWSMAN
When was the last time you saw Sal?
PAULINE
Oh, a long time. Because I kept
asking my husband where the heck
could Junior be? He wasn't around
here. I thought maybe he was in
prison or some place.
NEWSMAN
Did you know he was a homosexual?
PAULINE
No, not until after they killed him.
NEWSMAN
Did you always call him Junior.
PAULINE
Yeah.
NEWSMAN
Do you remember anything else about
Sal?
PAULINE
No, that's all.
BACK TO SONNY - AT AIRPORT
Sonny isn't even listening... he sees something o.s.:
SONNY
Hey!
NEW ANGLE
The hostages moving toward a car to take them home are passing
nearby and turn to look at him...
SONNY
Goodbye! You were terrific! Mouth!
You're beautiful! See you!
THEIR REACTIONS
They stare at him; they've already begun to forget him: the
moment in the bank when they said their goodbyes is already
receding from their consciousness. Their smiles are forced,
and they don't really know what to say.
SYLVIA
Ah, Sonny! Good luck, you know?
MULVANEY
You were terrific, too!
SYLVIA
Hey. It's raining.
And, as the first welcome drops of cooling rain fall, they
begin to move fast...
ON SONNY
looking after them. The rain hitting his face... the
adventure is over. But the everlasting smile overtakes him...
LEON
I'm glad. Life is easier with him
in prison.
HEIDI
It would be like always, the bell
would ring, we'd have a ball.
OMITTED
BEGIN TITLE AND CREDITS:
SINCE THERE WILL BE NO BEGINNING TITLE OR CREDITS, THE PICTURE
LOGO WILL FLASH ON SCREEN NOW, AND END MUSIC UP:
AS PACINO'S CREDIT IS SEEN, OVER A STILL OF HIM FROM THE
PICTURE: THE FOLLOWING IS SUPERIMPOSED:
SONNY IS SERVING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON.
AS LEON IS SEEN:
LEON IS NOW A WOMAN NAMED LANA.
AS HEIDI IS SEEN:
HEIDI LIVES WITH HER CHILDREN ON WELFARE.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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