| Raging Bull (1980) by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin More info about this movie on imdb.com
MUSIC IN: "Stone Cold Dead in the Market" by Louis Jordon
THE TITLES appear on black. They are intercut with
CLOSE-UPS of a fighter's body.
EXAMPLES:
Feet move.
Credit over black.
Body lunges.
Credit over black.
Fists swing and punch at the air.
Credit over black.
WE CATCH A GLIMPSE of young JAKE LAMOTTA.
THEN CUT
TO:
INT. BARBIZON PLAZA THEATRE - DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
(1964)
JAKE LAMOTTA, wearing a tux, is shadow-boxing.
We are unsure of where he is -- he moves in and out
of the shadows. At 42, he's overweight and out of
shape, but the balls of his feet still pop up and
down like they were on canvas and his tiny fists
still jerk forward with short bursts of light. He
is rehearsing a nightclub monologue.
JAKE
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
It's a thrill to be standing here
talking to you wonderful people. In
fact, it's a thrill to be standing!
I haven't seen so many people since
my last fight at Madison Square
Garden. After that fight, a
reporter asked me, 'Jake, where do
you go from here?' I said, 'To a
hospital!' I fought one hundred and
six professional fights and still
none of them bums figured out how
to fight me -- they kept hitting me
in the head! And that's why I'm
here tonight...
(starts to sing)
'When the fighter's not engaged in
his employment, his employment,
although he was Champ and quite the
rage, he must go somewhere else to
seek employment, seek employment.
But a fighter's life is not a bowl
of cherries, still I'd rather have
an egg than a fist upon my face...
That's Entertainment!'
INT. CLEVELAND ARENA - NIGHT (1941)
Bam! JIMMY REEVES, a fast, black middleweight, jabs
LAMOTTA, 19 years old, in the face. JAKE staggers
forward. No matter how hard LAMOTTA is hit, no
matter how often, he always staggers forward --
like a bull. The bell sounds.
Battered, JAKE slumps on the stool in his corner.
It's September, 1941. Europe and Asia are already
at war. Young SOLDIERS, freshly recruited, dot the
hostile audience -- each screaming at the FIGHTERS
in the ring.
Suddenly, words are exchanged, a GIRL screams, and
a SOLDIER and a CIVILIAN stand and start swinging.
AND IN THE RING: JAKE LAMOTTA takes a swig of water
and spits blood into the bucket his younger
brother, JOEY, holds for him. TONY, his trainer,
works the cuts.
JOEY
You didn't have to come to
Cleveland to get beat by a "moulan
yan," Jake!
TONY
He's got you, Jake! You're
outpointed! You're coming up for
the tenth. You gotta knock him out!
The bell sounds for the tenth. JAKE pulls himself
up and charges at REEVES.
REEVES slides away, jabbing, punching, piling up
points.
In JAKE's corner, JOEY stands and yells at JAKE:
JOEY
A grand apiece! We got a grand
apiece on this, Jake! A fucking
grand!
JAKE suddenly corners REEVES and unleashes a
desperate, wild alley-fighting attack. One
ferocious punch after another.
The SPECTATORS go wild; everyone's up for the kill.
REEVES staggers, then falls to the canvas.
The REFEREE counts:
REFEREE
One, two, three, four...
The GAMBLERS call out new odds; ten to one for
REEVES, the underdog. JOEY, excited, sees that time
is running out and steps in front of the bell. He
swings his arms, pretending not to realize he
literally holds back the TIMER's arm for a few
seconds. This gives JAKE more time for a knockout --
but not enough. JOEY is pushed back and the bell
rings at the count of nine, ending the match.
Boos and cheers. The BETTORS scramble back to the
BOOKIE to get their money.
JAKE dances around the ring, kissing his gloves and
thrusting them toward the CROWD. JOEY rushes out
and hugs him.
The ANNOUNCER steps into the ring with the mike:
ANNOUNCER
Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner,
under the rules of the Cleveland
Boxing Commission, after ten
rounds, by a decision -- Jimmy
Reeves.
The ANNOUNCER holds up REEVES' arm as his corner
tries to lift him off the canvas -- still out cold.
TWO ATTENDANTS bring in a stretcher.
JAKE is stunned. He still prances around, now
trying to figure out what happened. He raises his
arms in victory, and the FANS go crazy, cheering,
ripping chairs out, fighting with the COPS,
throwing bottles and junk into the ring. PEOPLE go
into the ring.
JOEY
(to Jake)
Don't get out of the ring. You won
the fight -- let him go out first.
CUT TO:
REEVES being placed on the stretcher.
A ringside OFFICIAL signals the ORGANIST and she
starts to play the "Star Spangled Banner." REEVES
is carried out.
Only then do JOEY and TONY escort JAKE out of the
ring.
EXT. WEBSTER AVENUE AND 169TH ST., THE BRONX - NEXT
DAY
It's a rough neighborhood, inhabited primarily by
welfare cases and street kids.
In the street, two young PUNKS, 13 or 14 years old,
exchange words and start to fight. Their FRIENDS
cheer them on. SALVY and JOEY turn the corner.
JOEY
Salvy, would I steer you wrong?
Let's say that's the truck; it's
full of cigarettes, right? Now, two
o'clock this morning we move the
truck from here to there,
(he points; the CAMERA
PANS)
take the cigarettes out, sell 'em,
make some cash.
SALVY
Hey but Joey, you're thinking
nickels and dimes. The money's with
your brother.
JOEY
What do you want from my life,
Salvy? He's my brother.
SALVY
He ain't doin' the right thing.
He's makin' beans compared to what
he should be makin'. Can't you make
him understand that?
A COP goes over and starts to break up the fight.
JOEY
(to cop)
Hey, leave the kids alone.
SALVY
Get lost.
(joking, he knows the Cop)
Hey kids, "A cop is a rat."
Remember that, "A rat."
The KIDS yell.
JOEY
(to Cop)
Hey Jimmy, here's a dollar for your
trouble. There's some bums around
the corner -- they need your help.
COP
Keep the dollar, Joey. Get yourself
a new suit.
JOEY
(laughs)
Here's my new suit.
(grabs his crotch)
Right here.
COP
Hey, don't get wise!
JOEY
Just kidding, take it easy.
(to himself)
No fuckin' sense of humor.
SALVY and JOEY continue to walk a little faster,
giggling.
INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S KITCHEN - DAY
JAKE, bandaged from the REEVES fight the night
before, sits at the kitchen table (he's had a few
glasses of wine) while his wife, IRMA, 19, cooks at
the stove.
JAKE gets up and pokes at the frying steak with a
fork.
JAKE
This looks done.
IRMA
It's not done.
JAKE
It looks done. I'll take it the way
it is.
IRMA
Here's your steak. You can't wait
for it to be done. Here.
She slams the steak onto his plate, and reaches
back to the stove.
IRMA (CONT'D)
Here's your carrots. You're in such
a hurry. You can't wait.
JAKE
No, I can't wait. You know when I
wait? When it's important to wait.
It's not important to wait for no
steak. It's important to wait for
Reeves to leave the ring. It ain't
important to wait for no steak! I
won that fight. So, I stayed in the
ring, and that way I made sure
everybody knew it. I shoulda
knocked him out earlier,
sonofabitch.
He starts to eat the steak. He takes a drink of
wine.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Wait! I'll wait. But let me tell
you, if this steak was the
middleweight championship, I'd show
you how I'd wait. I'd eat it raw.
I'd drink the blood. I'd eat it
before it came out of the cow --
that's how I'd wait.
EXT. JAKE AND IRMA'S APARTMENT BUILDING/TENEMENT -
DAY
SALVY and JOEY approach the building.
JOEY
I can't convince him. He's got such
a thick head, I'd like to crack it
open myself. Believe me, my own
brother. It's very hard.
You don't have to convince me -- I
know we should be with Tommy. You
talk to him. He don't listen to
nobody.
SALVY
Look, I'm just tellin' you how
Tommy feels. Jake is makin' it hard
on himself. Tommy wants him with
us. It's as simple as that.
They stop at the doorway.
SALVY (CONT'D)
Talk some sense into him, will ya?
You're still his brother. If he
ain't gonna listen to you, he ain't
gonna listen to nobody!
JOEY
All right, I'll try. See you later.
SALVY
Tomorrow, at the gym. Don't forget.
JOEY
Right, the gym.
SALVY leaves. JOEY goes into the building.
INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S KITCHEN - DAY
JOEY is knocking at the door. IRMA opens it.
JOEY
(noticing Jake)
What's the matter?
IRMA
He's doing it again.
JOEY
(goes to Jake)
What's the matter? You're drinking.
You're eating like an animal.
JOEY sits next to JAKE at the kitchen table. JAKE
has a drink in his hand, and tears on his face.
JOEY (CONT'D)
What's wrong?
JAKE
(gets up)
Nothing...
JAKE goes into the living room. IRMA looks at JOEY.
JOEY follows JAKE.
INT. LIVING ROOM
JOEY walks up to JAKE.
JOEY
Hey, c'mon, what's the matter?
JAKE
(privately, to Joey)
I ain't ever gonna fight Joe Louis,
that's what's the matter.
JOEY
What're you talking about? He's a
heavyweight. You're a middleweight.
JAKE holds out his scarred hands.
JAKE
Look at these hands. These fuckin'
hands. I was born with a girl's
hands. And even if I put on enough
weight to be a heavyweight, I'd be
too slow to fight. No matter how
big I get, I'll never be big enough
to fight Louis.
JAKE pauses. IRMA watches from the doorway.
JOEY
That's what I'm sayin'. You
shouldn't even think like that.
It's crazy.
JAKE
I tell you one thing. Ok, I'll
never be big enough to fight Louis,
but I know Joey, I know...
JOEY
You know?
JAKE
Yeah. Do me a favor.
JOEY
Sure. What is it?
JAKE
Hit me in the face.
JOEY
(after a pause)
You want me to do what?
JAKE
You heard me, I said hit me.
JOEY
C'mon, Jack. You had a few drinks.
JAKE
Go ahead. I ain't drunk. Take your
best shot. On the jaw.
JOEY
Jack, I got no gloves.
JAKE
(grabs a nearby towel)
Here's your glove.
JOEY wraps it around his fist. IRMA watches. JOEY
hits JAKE with his right. JAKE holds fast.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Go ahead. Hit me. C'mon, don't
worry about it. I want you to hit
me with everything you got.
JOEY hauls off and lands him a real belt. JAKE
rolls with it and stands firm.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Again. Harder.
JOEY hits him again.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Harder. Go 'head.
JOEY hits him again.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Harder.
(grabs the towel)
Take the towel off.
JOEY
Jack! Enough!
JAKE
Go ahead.
JOEY hits him again. JAKE holds fast. JAKE starts
to walk away.
JOEY
What was that for? I know you can
take punches. I can hit you from
now to doomsday. What the fuck does
that prove?
JAKE
See that, I don't feel it. I can
take it. I know I can take anybody.
EXT. GLEASON'S GYM - NEXT DAY
Gleason's, a small gym and fight club, stands on
149th Street and 3rd Avenue above a small sandwich
shop.
Each day BOBBY GLEASON posts a small sign alongside
the door listing the fighters who will be working
out. JAKE's name is posted at the top; the other
names are unmemorable.
INT. GLEASON'S - DAY
Gleason's has a single sparring ring and ten
training bags. About a dozen managers train their
fighters out at Gleason's. For 50 cents, spectators
sit in the gallery and watch the workouts.
JAKE is sparring with JOEY in the ring. They've
been working out for a while now. The bell rings
ending the third round. JAKE prances about the ring
waiting for the bell to sound again.
At that moment, SALVY, along with two other young
"BUTTON" MEN (actually, they are very young --
about JOEY's age) enter the gym. They are well
dressed (over-coat, ties, suits, flashy rings,
etc.). They say hello to some PEOPLE by the door.
JAKE looks over and notices them. SALVY looks over
to the ring.
SALVY
(waves)
Hey Joey --
JOEY waves back.
SALVY (CONT'D)
(waves again)
Jake, how you doin'?
JAKE nods to SALVY very cold. SALVY notices and can
feel that he's not exactly wanted there by JAKE.
JOEY notices the same and becomes a bit nervous.
SALVY sits down near the ring but not as close as
he'd like to. His two friends, FRANKIE and GUIDO,
sit nearby also.
JAKE goes to JOEY's corner.
JAKE
Did you know they were coming up
here?
JOEY doesn't answer.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Answer me when I talk to you.
JOEY
Yeah, yeah. They just wanted to
talk to you. So I...
JAKE
(interrupting)
Don't ever bring those kids up here
again! I'm working out, I'm killin'
myself in here, and they walk
around like they fuckin' own the
neighborhood.
SALVY and the OTHERS see JOEY being chewed out by
JAKE. They begin to feel unwelcome at the gym.
The bell sounds. JAKE is more aggressive now as he
corners JOEY. JAKE swings away with body punches.
JOEY can't block them. SALVY and the OTHERS watch.
The bell sounds again. With that, SALVY and the
OTHERS start to leave.
SALVY
(to Joey)
Hey Joey, we better go. See you
later.
JOEY, dazed, turns to wave.
JAKE
Go 'head. Wave goodbye. They're
your friends.
JAKE watches them leave.
JAKE (CONT'D)
And that hard-on, Salvy. Who's he
think he is? I'm gonna let that
fuckin' hard-on come up here and
act like a big shot.
JOEY
What are you getting so hot about --
Tommy Como told him to come down
here...
JAKE
(interrupting)
Hey, I don't care about Tommy Como.
I don't care about Jesus Christ on
the fuckin' cross. I gotta give
them a percentage of what I make!
I'm in here breaking my ass, not
them. Don't ever bring them up here
again.
JOEY
I didn't tell them to come. Tommy
Como...
The bell sounds again. JAKE hits JOEY a few more
solid body punches. JOEY gets angry and fights back
with a flurry of punches which have no effect on
JAKE. JAKE laughs.
JAKE
That's right, fight back. I got
laid three times before I came up
here this morning and I can still
break your ass.
JOEY fights back, but it's no use.
JOEY
You cocksucker.
JAKE laughs. The two continue to swing it out, as
SALVY watches unseen from the doorway.
EXT. SHOREHAVEN POOL - DAY (1942-43)
The Shorehaven Pool, spic-and-span in the summer
sun is the closest thing to a country club in the
Bronx. An eight foot fence stands between the pool
and the street.
JAKE, wearing slacks and a sportshirt, hangs out
with the "BOYS" near the bar area. Older, "MADE"
MEN play cards. A young FAN walks by and says:
FAN
Hey, Jake.
At the opposite end of the pool where the GIRLS
gossip, and sunbathe, JOEY swaps small talk with
VICKIE, a school girl, about 15. VICKIE is a
knockout.
SALVY, FRANKIE and JUNIOR are with VICKIE and her
FRIENDS. They joke with JOEY.
JAKE watches SALVY and VICKIE.
JAKE'S P.O.V.: JOEY is talking (PAN) to VICKIE.
VICKIE giggles. JOEY stands and walks over to JAKE.
JAKE
(referring to Vickie)
Who's that?
JOEY
Whadda you care?
JAKE
Whadda ya mean, whadda I care? Who
is she? What's a matter? You afraid
I'm gonna take her on you?
JOEY
No, I'm not afraid. Why? You wanna
meet her?
JAKE
Yeah --
JOEY
Cause I'll go right over there and
bring her here.
JAKE
Go 'head.
JOEY
You sure you wanna meet her? Don't
make me go over there, you change
your mind and you make me look bad,
cause she's really a knockout.
She's 15, this kid -- a great piece
of ass.
JAKE
How do you know? You know her that
good?
JOEY
No, I see her around the pool. I
know her. I know her like that --
not like that.
JAKE
(gesturing to his bandage)
Nah, not now... I wanna wait. I
don't feel right...
JAKE watches VICKIE.
INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - LATE
NIGHT
JOEY
(to Jake)
I'm tellin' you, she'll be there, I
know she'll be there.
JAKE
'Cause I wanna catch her alone.
JOEY
How you gonna catch anybody alone
at a dance?... I don't know if
she'll be there alone... She'll
probably be there with her
girlfriends or something.
JAKE
She ever go with them? Like Salvy?
JOEY
Nah, she don't go with nobody.
She's only 15 years old.
JAKE
What does that have to do with it?
She don't look 15 to me. I heard
somethin' with Salvy.
She was with him once or somethin',
I think. It was like some blonde.
That's the one...
JOEY
Probably. You know she talks to
everybody, and not just him.
JAKE
Yeah, she's nice.
JOEY
Ah, some piece of ass, I'm tellin'
you.
JAKE
You wasn't with her, were you?
JOEY
Huh?
JAKE
You wasn't with her?
JOEY
With her? How?
JAKE
You know, like bang her or
anything?
JOEY
Ah, no, no. I didn't bang her. I
know her from around here, that's
all. You want to meet her or what?
JAKE
Nah, not now -- all those hard-ons
around. I'll wait. Not now.
The scene ends on VICKIE as JAKE watches her.
INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - LATE
NIGHT
JOEY
(to Jake)
I'm tellin' you, she'll be there, I
know she'll be there. Dressed up
and everything.
JAKE
I don't like all those other clowns
around. That's all I know.
JOEY
C'mon, hurry up. We're never gonna
get outa here tonight.
JOEY sips a drink as JAKE knots his tie. IRMA
enters from the bedroom.
IRMA
Where you going at this hour?
JAKE
What're you, a cop? I'm goin' out --
business.
IRMA
You fuckin' worm, if you're going
out, I'm going out.
JAKE
And where you goin'?
IRMA
None of your fuckin' business.
JOEY lifts his eyes up.
JAKE
Eh, go out. Do what you're gonna
do. What do I care?
JOEY opens the door to leave. JAKE follows.
IRMA
That's right -- run out. I ain't
gonna be here when you get back.
INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S APT. BUILDING - HALLWAY - LATE
NIGHT
JAKE and JOEY hurry down the stairs. IRMA shouts
after them.
IRMA
Bunch of guys. You all hang out
together. Yeah, you're all going
out on business. You're all gonna
suck each other off.
INT. JAKE AND IRMA'S BUILDING - GROUND FLOOR - LATE
NIGHT
JOEY
What a mouth on her -- you shoulda
hit her -- no good fuckin' Jewish
cunt -- breakin' our balls. You
shoulda hit her with a chair.
JAKE
Hey, watch your mouth. Don't talk
like that. She's still my wife.
JOEY
No, but Jake... how much abuse can
you take.
JAKE
(interrupting)
How many times do I have to hit
her? I hit her enough.
They exit to street.
EXT. JAKE AND IRMA'S APARTMENT BUILDING - STREET -
LATE NIGHT
JOEY and JAKE come out of the building and start
walking down the street.
IRMA opens the window on the second floor right
above them, and shouts out to them:
IRMA
Go ahead -- that's all you're good
for -- to go out and leave me here
like a dog. You and your brother!
You don't even look like brothers.
You look like faggots! That's what
you look like -- faggots!
JAKE and JOEY walk faster down the block,
pretending that IRMA must be shouting at someone
else.
She throws a bottle at them. It smashes in the
street.
EXT. WEBSTER HALL - NIGHT (AN HOUR LATER)
ESTABLISHING SHOT.
INT. WEBSTER HALL - NIGHT
A neighborhood dance is in progress. A small BAND
is playing while mainly OLDER COUPLES dance. There
are TWO PRIESTS present. The younger people are
divided into two groups -- the BOYS, who are
dressed in suits and ties, and spend most of their
time at the bar area -- and the GIRLS, who are in
evening dresses, and spend most of their time
dancing together.
Some of the more popular GIRLS are surrounded by
"WISE-GUYS." There are tables near the dance floor
with "set ups" (bottles of Scotch, rye, and a
bucket of ice) on them. These tables are the "bases
of operation" for different neighborhood groups, as
if they were street corners.
JAKE and JOEY are walking toward a table. VERA, a
young neighborhood girl, blocks their way as she
bends over to talk to some GUYS at a table. VERA's
well-built, and knows it.
JOEY tries to move one way; VERA again blocks his
way. This little game goes on for a few seconds,
then:
JOEY
Look, could you move a little.
Would you mind, darling?
VERA
Mind what, Mr. Big Shot?
JAKE
(annoyed)
Eh, girlie, take a walk.
JAKE starts to move forward; JOEY stops him.
JOEY
(to Vera)
All right, darling, I'll just stand
here and wait.
JOEY cups his hands and grabs VERA's breasts. VERA
squeals, covers her breasts, and moves back. JOEY
and JAKE walk past her. JOEY smiles.
JOEY and JAKE sit down at an empty table.
JAKE
Do you see her yet?
JOEY
Give me a chance. Let me look.
MOVING SHOTS
JAKE tries to find her -- Camera pans until we find
her. JOEY points out a distant table. He spots
VICKIE with a couple of other GIRLS . VICKIE locks
beautiful and is obviously having a good time.
JOEY (CONT'D)
THERE she is over there on the
other side. What did I tell you?
Oh, ain't she nice? Ain't she a
fuckin' doll?
As they watch, WE SEE, from JAKE's POV:
SALVY, FRANKIE, and JUNIOR show up at VICKIE's
table. They are in overcoats and hats and don't sit
down. They are obviously on their way to bigger
things than a neighborhood dance -- and VICKIE and
her GIRLFRIENDS are glad to go with them. They get
up to leave.
JAKE
Be right back.
SALVY, FRANKIE, JUNIOR, VTCKIE and the other TWO
GIRLS leave the dance hall. JAKE, unseen, follows
them to the entrance way, as they go out onto the
sidewalk.
EXT. WEBSTER HALL - NIGHT
JAKE watches as SALVY ushers everyone into his
Cadillac, and then drives off.
JAKE stares after the car for a moment, then goes
back inside.
EXT. SHOREHAVEN POOL - DAY (1942-43)
JAKE and JOEY get out of their Packard convertible
and walk over to the fence surrounding the pool.
VICKIE is by the pool.
JOEY
(calling out to Vickie)
Hey, Vickie, c'mere. Don't be
afraid. C'mere. Just say hello.
This is my brother.
VICKIE comes over to the fence.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Vickie, I want you to meet my
brother, Jake. He's gonna be the
next champ.
JAKE puts his fingers through the fence.
JAKE
Joey said you wanted to meet me. Is
that right? You wanted to meet me?
VICKIE
(to Joey)
I just wanted to say hello.
JAKE
You wanted to say hello, eh? I
can't believe it. When did you fall
outa heaven? Anyone ever tell you
you're the most beautiful one here,
princess of the pool. You got a
baby face. Look at mine. Whatcha
wanna meet me for?
VICKIE
I don't know. 'Cause you're cute.
JAKE
(to Joey)
Ya hear, Joey? She thinks this face
is cute? Hey, whatcha doin' now?
You wanna go for a ride?
PAN to car.
VICKIE
Sure. Gimme a few minutes.
She starts to go.
JAKE
Hey...
She turns. JAKE kisses his hand and holds it up to
the fence by her lips.
EXT. SHORE ROAD - DAY
JAKE drives his Packard convertible down Shore
Road.
VICKIE sits in the passenger seat, her blonde hair
blowing in the wind. VICKIE feels JAKE's eyes all
over her, and loves it.
On the radio, Bing Crosby sings "Just One More
Charce."
EXT. MINIATURE GOLF COURSE - DAY
JAKE parks across the street from the new miniature
golf course on Shore Road. The Shore Road course is
one of the best. The first green features a pink
windmill.
JAKE and VICKIE get out to cross the street.
VICKIE
You don't talk very much.
JAKE
I ain't ever talked to a movie star
before.
VICKIE
(giggles)
I ain't no movie star. I'm just in
high school.
JAKE
Oh no? I thought you was a movie
star.
A bus heads toward them.
VICKIE
Jake! The bus!
JAKE holds up his hand.
JAKE
Any bus gives you trouble, I knock
it out for ya.
The bus stops for them as they cross the street.
EXT. THE FIRST GREEN - DAY
JAKE sets VICKIE's ball on the tee facing the
windmill.
VICKIE
You go first. Let me watch how to
do this.
JAKE
You don't get nothin' done by
watchin'. You just gotta do it.
Here, I'll help you.
JAKE hands VICKIE the putter, then moves behind her
and puts her hand on the club.
JAKE (CONT'D)
That's it. Just grip up a little
tighter. That's it. You're gonna be
real good at this. How does that
feel?
VICKIE
It feels real good.
JAKE
Just keep your eye on the ball.
VICKIE
Should I hit it?
JAKE
Just give it a nice little tap.
VICKIE swings and the ball rolls into the center of
the windmill. VICKIE breaks free and follows her
ball. JAKE follows.
VICKIE
I can't find my ball.
JAKE
Can you see it?
VICKIE bends and looks under the windmill.
VICKIE
No.
JAKE bends and looks.
VICKIE (CONT'D)
Can you see it?
JAKE
No.
VICKIE
What does that mean?
JAKE takes VICKIE by the arm.
JAKE
It means the game is over.
JAKE throws his putter on the next green.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Let's get outa here.
EXT. ARTHUR AVENUE APARTMENT BUILDING - BRONX - DAY
JAKE and VICKIE pull up to a tenement.
JAKE dashes around the car to open the door for
VICKIE.
They enter the building.
INT. ARTHUR AVENUE APARTMENT - DAY
JOSEPH LAMOTTA, SR. is finishing his Sunday dinner
with a glass of wine as JAKE and VICKIE enter.
JAKE
Hi Pop. This is my new girlfriend,
Vickie. V for victory. How do you
like that Pop?
JOE LAMOTTA
V for victory.
VICKIE
(nervous)
It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.
LaMotta.
JOE LAMOTTA
(in Italian)
Sit down. Eat something.
JAKE is anxious. VICKIE is scared.
JAKE
C'mon, Pop. You've been in America
so many years. Speak English.
JOE LAMOTTA
(joking)
You want me to speak English --
Fuck you. That's English.
JAKE
Pop, don't curse. There's a girl
here.
I'm gonna show her around the
house. Why don't you just finish
your wine?
JOE stares at him. JAKE grasps VICKIE's arm firmly.
INT. ARTHUR AVENUE APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY
The bedroom is a few rooms away from the kitchen.
JAKE closes the door. (There is a warm light in the
bedroom.)
VICKIE
Jake, this is your father's
bedroom.
JAKE
That's all right. He don't mind.
The room is sparsely furnished. On the bureau,
there is a large framed photo of the boxing
brothers: JAKE and JOEY LAMOTTA. (JOEY wears a suit
in the picture.)
JAKE puts VICKIE on the bed and removes his jacket
and tie.
VICKIE
Jake...
JAKE
It's OK.
He pushes her against the bed and gently undresses
her. They make love.
INT. OLYMPIA STADIUM - DETROIT (FEB. 5, 1943)
JAKE is fighting SUGAR RAY ROBINSON. (It's their
2nd match.) WE SEE highlights of the fight: JAKE is
fighting ferociously, but SUGAR RAY is a formidable
opponent. AN ANNOUNCER'S VOICE gives a blow by blow
description. JAKE takes a lot of punishment from
SUGAR RAY -- until the 8th round. Then, JAKE nails
SUGAR RAY with a savage left. JAKE chases SUGAR RAY
and pounds him with a left and a right. SUGAR RAY
gets in a right cross. They stand toe to toe,
fighting. Then, JAKE lands a left to SUGAR RAY's
stomach, and knocks him through the ropes. JAKE
goes after SUGAR RAY, but the REFEREE stops him.
SUGAR RAY gets back into the ring and sinks to one
knee, while the REFEREE counts to 9. The bell
sounds.
TIME CUT: THE ANNOUNCER calls out that JAKE is the
winner. JAKE throws kisses. The CROWD goes wild.
INT. GLEASON'S - DAY (1943)
JAKE's press conference.
FIVE REPORTERS meander around the gym, waiting for
JAKE to finish sparring. They are not thrilled with
their assignment. JAKE is not thrilled with having
them there.
The gallery is spotted with the usual BRONX TYPES.
The lone exception is VICKIE, dressed very well,
very sensual, and quite content to watch JAKE make
his SPARRING PARTNERS' lives miserable, despite
their head and belly protectors.
JOEY is off in one of the corners arguing with ONE
of the REPORTERS:
JOEY
The fuckin' papers are full of
Robinson and nothing on Jake -- and
Jake knocked him clear outa the
ring in Detroit. He's the only guy
ever to beat Robinson. Whatsa
matter with you? I thought we had
an arrangement.
REPORTER
We do Joey. You know we do.
JOEY
You holding me up for more cash or
what?
The bell sounds, ending the sparring round.
REPORTER
I can't print nothing if Jake won't
give me nothing.
JOEY walks over to the ring. The REPORTER follows
not far behind.
JOEY
C'mon, Jake. You're makin' us look
stupid. I brought these guys up
here, now you don't wanna talk to
them? What are ya doin'? Open your
mouth, for Christsake.
JAKE nods his head, steps out of the ring, and goes
directly over to the REPORTER, who is about to say:
"Hi, Jake."
JAKE
(interrupting)
I'm tallin' you now, when I read
this, it better not make me look
bad.
REPORTER
Jake, did I ever make you look bad
before?
JAKE
Maybe it wasn't you, but you know
what I'm talkin' about.
JOEY
(interrupting)
Don't worry. Don't worry. It's
gonna be all right.
(to reporter)
Ask him your questions.
REPORTER
All right, Jake, you're being
talked about as the top
middleweight contender. Do you
think another victory over Sugar
Ray will get you a shot at the
title?
JAKE
Why not? There's nobody else around
who wants to fight me; they're all
afraid. I don't see why I shouldn't
have a shot at the title right now.
REPORTER
Well, the word is to get a title
shot you have to cooperate with the
people who control boxing, in New
York. And they're saying that you
don't cooperate.
JAKE
You guys know more about that than
I do. I just fight...
JOEY
(interrupting)
He fights the toughest guys around
that everybody else is afraid to
fight...
JAKE
(interrupting)
I'm the only guy ever to beat Sugar
Ray, and I still don't have a shot
at the title.
REPORTER
You just fought Sugar Ray two weeks
ago and you're training like this
right now... Are you afraid Sugar
Ray might beat you this time?
JAKE
I tell you what. You hit me here.
(points to his right
cheek)
Sugar Ray hits me here.
(points to his left cheek)
I can't tell the difference. I just
fight.
JAKE turns to VICKIE, smiles, and prepares for his
next SPARRING PARTNER.
INT. ARTHUR AVENUE APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY (FEB.
1943)
JAKE, wearing pleated dress slacks, sits on the
edge of the bed examining his muscle tone.
He studies his small fists. Squeezes each knuckle.
Twists his wrists. Clenches. Unclenches.
VICKIE steps out of the bathroom wearing a nightie
and panties.
VICKIE
Are you sure we should be doing
this?
JAKE
Come over here.
VICKIE
You said never to touch you before
a fight.
JAKE
(lovingly)
If you let me do it, I'll murder
you. Come here.
VICKIE
You said I couldn't. You've been
good for two weeks...
JAKE
Come here.
JAKE watches VICKIE approach him. He respects her
as he would a shrine; he slowly removes her sheer
nightie.
His round hands caress her smooth skin. He glides
his bruised knuckles across her shoulders, pride on
his face.
She kisses his bruised knuckles sensuously, then
his bruised face.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Take off my pants.
VICKIE
Jake...
JAKE
Do what I say.
He touches her breasts as she removes his trousers.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Now take the rest off.
VICKIE
Jake, you made me promise not to
get you excited.
JAKE
Go 'head. Do it.
She pulls off his shorts. VICKIE is now getting
excited. She kisses his chest and licks it.
VICKIE
I like the gym smell.
JAKE
Now take your panties off.
She does.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Now, touch me...
(takes her hand)
... here.
VICKIE
Oh, Jake.
She caresses his broad shoulders and runs her hand
along his erection.
JAKE's lips are trembling. He quickly turns his
back on VICKIE, goes into the bathroom, and gets a
full glass of cold water.
VICKIE watches as he puts his erection in the glass
of cold water. She is shocked and surprised.
JAKE
I can't do it. I can't fool around.
This Robinson, I gotta beat him
again. I can't fool around. Don't
come near me.
JAKE grabs her again and kisses her. Then, gently
but firmly, he turns her around and pushes her out.
(It's starting again, and he must stop it.) He goes
back the bathroom and closes the door.
INT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - DETROIT (FEB. 26, 1943)
This is JAKE's rematch with SUGAR RAY (their 3rd
fight). AN ANNOUNCER's VOICE gives a blow by blow
description.
THE FOURTH ROUND: JAKE is in serious trouble. SUGAR
RAY knocks him with a hard right, then a series of
rights and lefts. JAKE is punched all the way
across the ring, but stays in there.
THE SEVENTH ROUND: JAKE, coming on strong, forces
SUGAR RAY into his own corner, then lands a left
hook to his chin. SUGAR RAY drops, and takes a nine
count. This time, however, the blow does not have a
crippling effect on SUGAR RAY; instead, he comes
back and outboxes JAKE.
TIME CUT: THE ANNOUNCER calls out the decision:
SUGAR RAY is the winner. JAKE is stunned. The CROWD
boos so loud and for so long that THE ANNOUNCER is
unable to introduce the fighters in the next bout.
INT. OLYMPIA STADIUM - DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
JOEY and TONY are in the dressing room. JAKE sits
on the table, dejected. His hand is being examined
by a DOCTOR. TWO HANGERS-ON are also present.
JOEY
(angry)
They robbed us! Those fuckin'
judges -- What the fuck fight were
they watching? If I see them on the
street, I'll break their heads.
Decision Robinson, my fuckin' ass!
Those judges give him the decision
'cause he's goin in the army next
week! How else could this have
happened?... What do you think they
gave him the decision for, that's
why.
JAKE
(almost to himself)
Whadda I gotta do, Joey? I knocked
him down. What did I do wrong? I
don't understand.
JOEY
You won and was robbed! You didn't
do nothin' wrong.
JAKE
I dunno. Maybe I don't deserve to
win. I've done a lot of bad things.
I dunno...
TONY goes to the door.
JOYE
Fuck that. This was the fight. This
coulda done it. This was our shot.
They out and out robbed us.
MARIO comes back from the door.
MARIO
Vickie is here, Jake.
JAKE
I don't wanna see nobody.
JOEY
You want us to wait for you?
JAKE
No, take her home. I wanna be alone
for a while. Everybody go.
They exit.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT. BATHROOM NEAR THE DRESSING ROOM
JAKE, now alone, goes into the bathroom. He looks
in the bathroom mirror. After a pauseg, he touches
his newly acquired bruises and bandages. He combs
his hair.
We hear the beginning of an early Frank Sinatra
song. This song carries over onto the following
MONTAGE.
MONTAGE
This MONTAGE covers the period between 1943 and
early 1947. It shows JAKE hard at work fighting all
the tough guys he can. Each of the fights will be
introduced by the corresponding title card from the
"Big Fights" film showing a boxing glove with the
fighters' names and the places of the fights
superimposed on it. The actual fight images will be
black and white newspaper photos JUMP CUT together
to simulate real action. For example: In still #1
JAKE is about to land a punch on an OPPONENT.
CUT TO:
Still #2, and the punch lands, distorting the
OPPONENT's face, sweat spraying out everywhere.
Live sound effects accompany these stills.
The fight stills are INTERCUT with 16mm black and
white home movies of JAKE, VICKIE, JOEY, etc. (to
be shot in 16mm black and white).
It'll go something like this:
A) JAKE VS. FRITZIE ZIVIC at the Detroit Olympia
(January 14, 1944)
B) JAKE, VICKIE, and JOEY, wearing sunglasses, pose
in front of a Cadillac. (1944)
C) JAKE VS. SUGAR RAY ROBINSON at Madison Square
Garden (February 23, 1945)
D) JAKE and VICKIE getting married. (This will be a
black and white still photo, posed especially for
the occasion.) (1945,
New Jersey courthouse)
E) JAKE VS. SUGAR RAY ROBINSON at Comiskey Park,
Chicago (September 26, 1945)
F) JAKE and VICKIE on vacation -- very loving. They
are dancing, and he allows her to knock him into
the pool. Then, JAKE gives VICKIE a present by the
poolside. She opens the box and takes out a white
garment and turban. She kisses JAKE.
CUT TO:
VICKIE dressed in the outfit. She looks very much
like Lana Turner in "The Postman Always Rings
Twice." She kisses JAKE. (1946)
G) JAKE VS. JIMMY EDGAR at Detroit (The University
of Detroit Stadium) (June 12, 1946)
H) JOEY's marriage. JAKE and VICKIE are there as
witnesses. (Could also be a still photo as D was.)
(1946)
I) JAKE VS. BOB SATTERFIELD at Wrigley Field,
Chicago (September 12, 1946)
J) JAKE and VICKIE in front of their new Pelham
Parkway house. It is an affluent, split-level
house, an idyllic scene -- stone terrace, freshly
cut lawn, etc. JAKE carries VICKIE inside.
CUT TO:
JAKE and VICKIE with their two boys JACK, age 2,
and JOEY, age 1 in the backyard of the Pelham
Parkway house; they are having a cookout. JOEY and
his WIFE and their two children (a BOY and a GIRL
about the same ages as JAKE's) are there also.
(1947)
K) JAKE VS. TOMMY BELL at Madison Square Garden
(March 14, 1947)
INT. PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE (1947)
WE SEE an early model, round screen television.
Nearby an old radio. On it, Sinatra is finishing
the song we heard in the preceding montage.
JAKE enters, and turns down the volume on the
radio. WE SEE JAKE's living room; it is late
forties modern.
JOEY and VICKIE are seated around the coffee table,
which is near the television. There are some
remnants of a snack on the table. JAKE's TWO BOYS
are playing nearby.
JAKE
(to Joey as he turns down
the radio)
I just weighed myself - I'm 161. No
more deals like this Janiro
bullshit. I didn't tell you to do
it in the first place.
JOEY
Jake, you're the one who said you
could get down to 155! What did I
do, pull it out of the fuckin' hat?
JAKE
(angry)
Well, sometimes you shouldn't
listen to me! Now I don't know if I
can make it down to 155. I'm having
trouble making 160, and without
telling me, you sign me for a fight
at 155 pounds, and if I don't make
155, I forfeit $15,000! You're
supposed to know what you're doin'.
You're supposed to be a manager!
JOEY
You want the title shot?
JAKE
Say what you're gonna say.
JOEY
You want the title shot or not?
JAKE
Say what you gotta say. Don't be a
smart ass.
JOEY
(yelling)
This Janiro's an up-and-coming
fighter, this kid you gotta knock
out. Knockout this fuckin' kid!
I'm telling you, this is your step
towards getting a shot at the
title. Listen to me: I'm telling
you. You been killin' yourself for
three years. There's nobody left --
they're afraid to fight you. This
Janiro's up-and-coming. He don't
know. Fuckin' tear him apart, wipe
him out! What are you worried
about? Your weight? Look, even if
you lose they're gonna think you're
weak; they're gonna think you're
not the fighter you used to be.
They'll match you with guys they
were afraid to match you with
before, and then you'll kill them
and you'll get your title shot. And
if you beat this kid Janiro, they
gotta give you a shot at the title
because there's nobody else. Either
way you win and you do it on your
own -- just like you want it. All
right?
VICKIE
Joey's right. Janiro's up-and
coming, he's good looking...
JAKE
(interrupting)
What do you mean, "good looking?"
VICKIE
Well, he's popular. A lotta people
like Janiro. You beat him and it
only figures they'll wanna see you
get a title shot. But, what do I
know? I should keep my mouth shut,
I should...
JAKE
(interrupting)
Who asked you?
VICKIE
But, Jake, I was just...
JAKE
(interrupting)
Who asked you?
VICKIE
I was just...
JAKE
(interrupting)
Who asked you?
VICKIE, amazed, gets up to leave.
JAKE glares at her.
VICKIE rounds up the kids and takes them into the
kitchen. (MOVING SHOT).
WE SEE VICKIE in the kitchen angrily throwing
things around. We clearly see the tension as she
cleans up, muttering to herself.
JAKE (CONT'D)
(turns to Joey)
All right, manager. Everybody had
their say around here. Now this is
what I'm gonna say. I'm gonna get
down to 155, and I'm gonna destroy
this kid -- get my title shot. And
don't ever bet 15 thousand without
my sayso again.
JAKE comes into the kitchen. He tries to make up
with VICKIE. She plays hard-to-get. They begin to
tease each other.
INT. COPACABANA LOUNGE - NIGHT (1947)
A COMEDIAN is in the middle of his act. JAKE,
VICKIE, JOEY, and JANET sit at a nearby table.
JANET, an attractive blonde, is are of JOEY's
girlfriends; the moment you set eyes on her, you
know this is not his wife.
The lounge is very crowded. The COMEDIAN interrupts
his routine to point out that JAKE LAMOTTA is in
the audience, and even tries a little harmless
joking at JAKE's expense.
COMEDIAN
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to
point out a special guest we have
with us tonight -- The Raging Bull,
The Bronx Bull, Mr. Jake LaMotta.
There is applause. JAKE smiles, and gives a
hesitant wave.
COMEDIAN (CONT'D)
Stand up, Jake, c'mon. Oh, you are
standing. Sorry.
(laughs)
Just kiddin', Jake.
JAKE waves a fist at the COMEDIAN, good-naturedly
playing along with the joke -- even though he hates
it.
JAKE
(to Joey)
Look at this abuse I gotta take.
JOEY, VICKIE, and JANET are amused.
JAKE (CONT'D)
(joking)
What's so funny?
(lifting his glass)
Cheers! Post-time. Joey, Vickie,
and...
(to Janet)
What's your name again, darling?
JANET
Janet.
JAKE Smiles. They all drink.
SALVY, a little older, but still young-looking, and
dressed even better than when we last saw him
(flashy rings, etc.), comes over to their table. He
walks around like he owns the fucking place. JAKE
hates it.
SALVY
Hi, Joey. Jake, how you doin'?
Vickie...
They respond. JAKE is cold towards SALVY.
SALVY goes on his way to COMO's table.
As SALVY walks away, JAKE turns to VICKIE.
JAKE
What're you lookin' at? You lookin'
at him?
VICKIE
No, I'm not. I'm looking at you.
JAKE
Don't tell me "No." I saw you
lookin' at him. Why, you like him?
VICKIE
I'm not interested in him.
JAKE
You're not interested in him?
VICKIE
No, I'm not.
JAKE
In other words, you're not
interested in him but you'd be
interested in somebody else, right?
VICKIE
Jake, c'mon now. Don't start.
JAKE
(turns to Joey, referring
to Salvy)
Look at this, all of a sudden
everybody's a fuckin' Romeo around
here. Did you see the way she was
lookin' at him?
JOEY
Nah, she would never...
JAKE
(interrupting)
Didn't you just see her lookin' at
him? She told me no, but I don't
believe her.
JOEY
(uncomfortable)
C'mon, Jake. You know she's crazy
about you.
JAKE gives him a suspicious look. JOEY feels
uneasy.
JAKE
I'd just love to catch her. Oooooh,
I'd just love to catch her once.
Drinks arrive at their table.
WAITER
These are from Tommy Como.
JAKE looks up but can't see where COMO is. JOEY
gets up.
JOEY
(to Jake)
Excuse me for a minute. Be right
back.
JAKE
(sarcastic)
Don't be long. I'm afraid with all
these tough guys here.
JOEY goes to COMO's table in the rear of the
lounge. JAKE slides over and watches. JOEY shakes
hands with COMO. SALVY is there at COMO's table.
JOEY comes right back.
JOEY
Jake, come over for a few minutes.
Tommy wants to say hello to you.
C'mon, just come and say hello.
JAKE doesn't like the idea, but goes along with it
anyway.
ANOTHER ANGLE: COMO's table. JAKE comes over.
JAKE
Hi, Tommy. How are you?
TOMMY
Jake, sit down for a minute.
JAKE sits. SALVY smiles and nods to JAKE. JAKE
barely nods back.
TOMMY (CONT'D)
(his arm around Jake)
Fuckin' kid! You're the best
fuckin' fighter around. Loved what
you did to Satterfield. Them
"moulan yans" -- forget about it.
They're all afraid to fight you.
JAKE
(a little embarrassed)
C'mon, Tommy --
TOMMY
How you feelin'? Ok? You feelin'
good?
JAKE
Never felt better.
TOMMY
Tony Janiro's gotta watch out, eh?
JAKE
He should.
TOMMY
(to Salvy)
This Janiro's a good fiahter,
pretty good-lookin' kid.
SALVY
Bet on him three times. Always come
through for me.
JAKE just stares, holding his anger in.
There is a pause.
TOMMY
How's the weight? Ok?
JAKE
Yeah, the weight's Ok.
Another pause. TOMMY smiles and moves closer to
JAKE.
TOMMY
All right, lemme ask you something.
Let's say I was a good friend of
yours. And I was telling you I was
gonna bet a lot of money on you in
this Janiro fight. What would you
tell me?
JAKE
I'd tell you to bet a bundle.
TOMMY sips his drink.
INT. PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT
VICKIE is in bed trying to sleep. JAKE comes out of
the bathroom half-dressed, and sits on the edge of
the bed (preoccupied). Silence.
JAKE
Vickie?... Vickie, you asleep?
VICKIE
What?
JAKE
You asleep?
VICKIE
Yeah.
JAKE
Huh?
VICKIE
Yeah, what?
JAKE
Tell me, you think of anybody else
when I'm making love to you?
VICKIE
Nobody. I love you, remember?
JAKE
Then why'd you say that thing about
Tony Janiro?
VICKIE
What did I say?
JAKE
That he's got a pretty face.
VICKIE
I never noticed his face.
JAKE
You sure you're not thinking of him
right now?
VICKIE
Positive.
JAKE
You're the one who said he was good
looking. You think he's good
looking 'cause I know you think
he's good-looking. I'll smash his
face inside out. I'll make him into
dog meat.
Nobody's gonna think he's good
looking when I get through with
him. So you just go ahead and think
about who you want.
VICKIE freezes.
INT. WORTH STREET BASEMENT - DAY
TONY JANIRO, wearing boxer trunks, steps off the
scale. Commissioner COL. EDDIE EAGAN, a white
haired, heavyset man in his mid-forties, calls out
the weight.
The basement of the New York Boxing Commission on
Worth Street is a sparse room, crowded with
REPORTERS, TRAINERS and MANAGERS.
EAGAN
Tony Janiro, 151 lbs. and one half.
JAKE steps on the scale. He looks weak and woozy.
After the customary adjustments, EAGAN calls out:
EAGAN (CONT'D)
Jake LaMotta, 155 lbs. and one
fourth.
There's a commotion in JAKE's camp. JANIRO smiles.
JAKE
Just a minute.
JAKE, JOEY, and TONY confer.
JAKE gets off the scale and enters the men's room.
An OFFICIAL follows him.
INT. THE MEN'S ROOM
JAKE forces himself to urinate.
INT. WORTH STREET BASEMENT
JAKE comes out of the bathroom, and gets back on
the scale.
EAGAN
Ok. This is official.
LAMOTTA stares at JANIRO.
EAGAN (CONT'D)
LaMotta, 155 lbs. on the nose.
JAKE throws JANIRO a kiss.
INT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT
It's the last round and JAKE is pouring it on a
beaten and virtually helpless JANIRO.
The CROWD chants:
CROWD
LaMotta.
HALF THE AUDIENCE is already on its feet. The kill
is imminent -- and they love it.
JAKE lands one blow after another. He is
relentless.
Several rows back, TOMMY COMO, SALVY and SEVERAL
OTHER "MADE" GUYS sit with sober looks on their
faces.
JAKE moves in fast, and with a powerful barrage,
smashes JANIRO's nose -- plastering it against his
left cheek.
The final bell rings. JANIRO, his legs all rubber,
staggers back to his corner.
JAKE prances about, kissing his fists and throwing
them to the CROWD. JOEY rushes out, throws JAKE's
leopard skin robe over him and embraces him. TONY
follows. JAKE looks right at COMO and SALVY.
AN ANNOUNCER steps into the center of the ring:
ANNOUNCER
The winner, by unanimous decision,
in ten rounds, Jake LaMotta!
JOEY
I love you.
JAKE, weak from losing the weight and winning the
fight, still manages to prance around the ring
victoriously.
VICKIE, now near the ring, throws kisses to JAKE.
JAKE
(shouts to Vickie)
This is my night! Listen to them!
I'm gonna be champ!
He bends down and gives her a kiss through the
ropes.
JAKE (CONT'D)
I'm making everything up to you.
INT. COPACABANA - NIGHT (1947)
JOEY is at the bar with a DETROIT PROMOTER and
JACKIE CURTIE.
DETROIT PROMOTER
When we gonna get Jake back in
Detroit? Jesus, he really did a job
on Janiro. Who you after next,
Joey?
JOEY
(evasive)
I dunno. We're working on it. He's
training at the camp now.
JACKIE CURTIE
After what I seen, they gotta give
him a shot at the title.
JOEY
We're gonna get our shot.
The DETROIT PROMOTER introduces JOEY to JACKIE
CURTIE.
DETROIT PROMOTER
Oh Joey, this is Jackie Curtie. He
handles a lot of business in South
Ohio.
JACKIE CURTIE
I like your brother. Made a lot of
money on him.
JOEY
Betcha more than he has.
JACKIE CURTIE
Made a little cabbage on the Tommy
Bell fight too. Whatever happened
to him?
JOEY
Ain't he dead?
DETROIT PROMOTER
Nah. He's got a job downtown. Runs
an elevator in some building.
JOEY
Yeah?
DETROIT PROMOTER
Went down to see him the other day.
I says, "Tommy, take me up to the
fifth floor." And you know, he took
me right up there.
JACKIE CURTIE
Yeah, Tommy always was a stand-up
guy.
SALVY and PATSY arrive with VERA, SANDY (two
neighborhood girls), and VICKIE. They go to a
nearby table.
The bar area: JOEY sees this.
DETROIT PROMOTER
Joey, let me get you another drink.
JOEY
(distracted)
Just a minute. Excuse me. I'll be
right back.
The table area: JOEY arrives at SALVY's table.
VICKIE is nervous. There is a cold exchange
of'"hellos."
JOEY (CONT'D)
(to Vickie)
C'mere, let me talk to you for a
minute.
There is an awkward silence as he grabs VICKIE by
the arm and takes her over to the hat-check area.
JOEY (CONT'D)
What're you doin' with Salvy? You
shouldn't be here with him. Jake's
away killin' himself. Suppose he
found out.
VICKIE
What the hell am I doing wrong?
Just because Jake is training, I
can't go out? What am I, a goddamn
prisoner?
JOEY
No, you're his wife.
VICKIE
I'm not doing anythina wrong. I'm
just trying to have a good time. Do
I have to be cooped up in the house
all the time?
JOEY
It don't look right.
VICKIE
Well, go ahead, tell Jake. He's
gonna kill me anyway. It's a matter
of time.
JOEY
I'm not gonna tell him nothing; but
if he finds out, he will kill you.
What's the matter with you? Aren't
you happy? You got everything you
want.
VICKIE
You don't sleep with him. I do. I
don't get to breathe without
tellin' him. He keeps me in a cage.
If he thinks I'm lookin' at
somebody the wrong way, I get used
as a punching bag. He don't trust
nobody. If he saw the two of us
talking together right now, you'd
be in trouble too -- believe me.
Look at me, Joey. I'm 19 years old.
I wanna enjoy my life. I love Jake,
but you don't know. He gets crazy
sometimes. I'm scared.
JOEY
Try to understand, Vickie. Jake's
got a lotta aggravation. He's been
a top contender too long.
VICKIE
That's right, take his part. You're
his brother.
He's never gonna be champ. Too many
people are against him.
JOEY
And you're drinking with them right
now.
VICKIE
And I'm gonna finish my drink. And,
I'm gonna have a good time, because
I ain't doing nothing wrong.
She starts to go back to the table.
JOEY
(grabbing her)
You're wrong to be here. Let's go.
VICKIE pulls away from JOEY, and goes back to the
table.
The table area: JOEY arrives at the table. He grabs
VICKIE.
JOEY (CONT'D)
I said, let's go.
SALVY
Joey, relax. You're taking this the
wrong way. Why don't you sit down
and have a drink?
JOEY
Excuse me, I'm talking to my sister
in-law.
SALVY
Excuse me for living.
JOEY
What do you think, I'm blind? My
brother's breaking his ass in a
ring, and you're here with his
wife.
SALVY
Hey Joey, I'm here with Patsy and
Vera and Sandy. And Vickie just
happened to come along. We're just
trying to have a good time. What do
you want from me? So, why don't you
just take it easy before this gets
out of hand.
As the conversation gets louder, PEOPLE begin to
notice. PAUL, the owner (a tough-looking, well
dressed guy), and some BOUNCERS also become aware
of the argument.
JOEY
Get the fuck outa here. What did
you do, take your gangster pills
today? I'll tear your fuckin' head
off your shoulders!
JOEY goes for SALVY. PEOPLE react.
The GIRLS begin to scream. VICKIE exits. JOEY
notices her leave, and calls after her.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Hey, wait --
PAUL comes over and stops the fight.
PAUL
Ain't you forgettin' something?
Ain't there never supposed to be no
trouble in this joint?
SALVY and JOEY give each other looks. JOEY goes out
after VICKIE.
EXT. COPACABANA - NIGHT
JOEY looks up the street for VICKIE. She is gone.
SALVY and PATSY come out of the entrance.
SALVY
Hey Joey, whadda ya lookin' to die
young?
JOEY
(as he turns and lashes
into Salvy and Patsy)
I'll suck your eyes out! I'll
fuckin' take the two of you.
After a few moments, PAUL and the BOUNCERS from the
Copa come out. The BOUNCERS pull PATSY away. They
try to separate SALVY and JOEY, but can't.
JOEY savagely beats SALVY on the Copa steps and in
the street against the parked cars.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Fuckin' low-life, cocksucker, etc.
...
SALVY tries to fight back, but JOEY is too tough
for him. SALVY hits the pavement. JOEY kicks him.
PAUL, PATSY, and the BOUNCERS finally pull JOEY
away. PATSY tries to go after JOEY again, but PAUL
stops him.
PATSY
(to Paul)
Don't fuckin' put your hands on me!
You're gonna near about this, Paul.
PAUL
(to Patsy)
Get the fuck outa here. Don't come
in my place and start fuckin'
trouble -- I don't care who you
are!
(to Joey)
Get outa here. Go on.
JOEY looks back at him, and then walks away.
INT. THE BACK ROOM OF THE DEBONAIR SOCIAL CLUB
The room is furnished with a few round tables and
some chairs; it is somewhat reminiscent of an old
fashioned candy store.
TOMMY COMO, SALVY, PATSY and JOEY are present.
SALVY's face is bruised from the beating JOEY gave
him.
COMO
All rightg I don't have to hear any
more. I think I understand what
happened. I understand it was your
brother's wife and there was
probably a misunderstanding. I'm
not sayin' Salvy shouldn't have
acted the way he did. But, Joey,
you don't raise your hands. You
don't do that kind of thing. This
time we forget about it but no more
after this. You understand?
JOEY
Yeah, I understand, Tommy.
COMO
All right, you guys, shake hands.
SALVY, JOEY, and PATSY shake hands.
COMO (CONT'D)
Go 'head. Be friends. That's it.
(to Salvy and Patsy)
All right, lemme be alone with him
for a minute.
SALVY and PATSY exit.
There is a pause.
COMO (CONT'D)
Aside from everything else, your
family all right?
JOEY
Yeah, they're good. They're good,
Tommy.
COMO
What is it with you? Can't you
talk? You got like a funny
attitude. I can't figure you out,
Joey. What's with you and the quick
answers? You wanna get outa here
fast?
JOEY
Aw, Tommy, c'mon, it ain't that.
COMO
Look Joey, I wanna tell you
something. Your brother ain't gonna
get nowhere without us -- nowhere.
And I'm tellin' you between the two
of us, it's gettin' to the point
where it's gettin' to be a real
embarrassment to me, a real
embarrassment.
JOEY
How can he embarrass you?
COMO
He's an embarrassment because
Frankie and the other guys are
expectin' me to do something about
it, and I'm lookin' very bad.
I can't deliver a kid from my own
neighborhood. Why's he make it so
hard on himself? He comes to me, I
can make it easier for him.
JOEY
Tommy, Jake respects you. He won't
even say hello to anybody else --
you know that. But you know when
Jake gets set on somethin', Jesus
Christ Almighty could get off the
fuckin' cross and he ain't gonna
talk him out of it. I'm his kid
brother. I got no say with Jake on
this. He thinks he can buck
everybody and make it on his own.
COMO
Make it on his own? Does he know
the kind of money involved? I mean
the real money. He thinks he's
gonna become champ on his own?
We're gonna sit by and see some nut
come in there and hold one of the
most important titles in the world?
A nut who don't listen to nobody or
respect nobody? Is he really crazy?
Listen, Joey, you understand, you
tell him. I don't care how great he
is or how colorful. He could beat
all the Sugar Ray Robinsons and all
the Janiros he wants to. He ain't
gonna get a shot at the title
without us. I'm not askin' you to
do another thing except get that
message into that thick head!
EXT. SHORERAVEN POOL - DAY
Another day. JOEY, fully clothed, opens the gate
and looks around.
JAKE is sitting alone near the deep end. JOEY walks
over to him.
JOEY
Whatcha doin'?
JAKE
I remember the first time I met
Vickie... I know there's somethin'
up. I know she's doin' somethin',
but I can't catch her...
JOEY
Maybe she's afraid you're gonna hit
her so she can't talk to you the
way she wants to.
JAKE
What do you mean?
JOEY
Try talkin' to her. She's your wife
-- ask her what's the matter.
JAKE
When I'm away, did you ever notice
anythin' funny with her? Tell me
the truth.
JOEY
Jack, if there was anything funny,
I would tell you.
JAKE
I want you to keep an eye on her
when I'm not here. Understand?
JOEY
Sure, I'll keep an eye on her.
JAKE
What did Tommy say?
JOEY
I got good news, and I got bad
news. The good news is you got your
shot at the title. The bad news
is...
JAKE
(interrupting, resigned)
Yeah, I know.
INT. WORTH STREET BASEMENT - DAY
As BILLY FOX steps off the scales, EDDIE EAGAN
calls out:
EAGAN
Billy Fox, 173 3/4 pounds.
JOEY removes JAKE's leopard-skin robe as he steps
on the scale. The REPORTERS crowd around.
EAGAN (CONT'D)
Jake LaMotta, 167 pounds.
JAKE'S HANDLERS urge him with words of
encouragement as they walk toward his dressing
room.
INT. JAKE'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY
EAGAN walks over.
JAKE
What's up, Colonel?
EAGAN
I'd like to talk to Jake a minute.
JOEY
Sure.
EAGAN
I suppose you heard what
everybody's been saying, Jake.
JAKE
What who's been sayin'?
EAGAN
You were a big favorite in this
fight. Then two days ago the odds
start jumping all over the place
until you're a 12-5 underdog.
JAKE
I don't follow no gamblin'
Commissioner. I'm just a fighter.
EAGAN
Now the fight's off the books
altogether. Meyer Lansky couldn't
get a bet down on this fight. Some
people are saying you're going into
the tank.
JAKE
Believe what you want.
EAGAN
I want to believe you, LaMotta.
JAKE
I'm gonna kill him. That fuckin'
jig's gonna wish he never came outa
the jungle. You got any money?
EACAN
What?
JAKE
You got any money you want to bet
on Billy Fox, you can put it right
here...
(extends his hand)
'cause Jake LaMotta don't go down
for nobody.
EAGAN taps JAKE on the shoulder.
EAGAN
That's all I wanted to hear.
JAKE glares at EAGAN as the COMMISSIONER walks
away.
INT. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN - NIGHT (NOV. 14, 1947)
The old Garden is packed. The EX-CHAMPS, the PRESS,
the OFFICIALS, the MOB GUYS, the FANS -- they're
all here.
The FIGHTERS are announced. BILLY FOX and JAKE
touch gloves and return to their corners.
FOX is taller and has a longer reach than JAKE.
The bell sounds and the FIGHTERS come out. FOX goes
to the head; JAKE goes to the body.
FOX lands a solid blow to JAKE's jaw, but LAMOTTA
is unfazed. FOX is surprised. In the past, his
opponents have gone down when he connected.
In the audience, COMO, SALVY, and some other BOYS
watch with interest.
JAKE moves in with a rapid series of trademark body
blows. All of a sudden, FOX is wobbly. JAKE goes
for the head, then cuts his punch short. FOX is
about to go down.
JAKE throws his arms around FOX to make sure he
doesn't fall.
JAKE
(to Fox)
Stand up! What the fuck are you
doin'?
The REFEREE breaks them apart and FOX remounts his
attack. JAKE bicycles into a corner and lets FOX
work him over.
FOX connects: once, twice, three times. JAKE barely
defends himself -- but he doesn't go down either.
The CROWD starts to smell a fix. There are calls
from the AUDIENCE.
CROWD
Got your swimming trunks on, Jake?
I hope they're paying you enough.
Fake, fake.
TIME CUT:
JAKE's corner. JAKE is acting stunned. TONY, not
aware of what's going on, is slapping JAKE.
TONY
What's the matter with you? What's
the matter with you?
TIME CUT:
The sign reads "Round Four." JAKE is in the center
of the ring taking a relentless pasting from FOX.
JAKE's arms hang at waist level... FOX lands one
blow after another. The stink of a fix permeates
the arena.
JAKE is furious that FOX can't deck him. He curses
through his mouthpiece (as he absorbs blow after
blow):
JAKE
Hit me! Hit me! What's the matter
with you, you motherfucker? Hit me!
Boos and catcalls echo through the Garden. This is
not even a fight. The REFEREE, realizing this,
steps in between FOX and LAMOTTA, waves his arms
and signals that FOX is the winner by a technical
knockout.
As he does, JAKE spits his mouthpiece in disgust at
FOX and struts back to his corner.
JAKE, JOEY, and TONY are already on their way out
of the arena as the REFEREE declares FOX the
winner.
COMO and the OTHERS, satisfied, get up to leave.
INT. JAKE'S DRESSING ROOM - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN -
NIGHT
As a REPORTER and a PHOTOGRAPHER come through the
door, WE SEE and hear a commotion in the hall
behind them. They rush in, look, and stop by the
door. There is silence -- except for JAKE'S
uncontrollable sobbing. The atmosphere is like that
of funeral.
JAKE is seated behind the rubbing table. He is
still in his leopard-skin robe. His head hangs low
as he sobs.
The PHOTOGRAPHER snaps a picture. The HANDLER
motions to him to stop, and then goes and sits near
the door. The REPORTER still stands near the
doorway, seeming quite stunned by the scene he is
witnessing, but nevertheless continuing to scribble
away on his pad.
JOEY, standing near JAKE, has his back to everyone;
his shoulders are shaking, his lips are tightly
drawn. He cries soundlessly. TONY is pacing nearby.
TONY
Don't fight anymore!
(pause)
It's a free country, don't fight
anymore!
JAKE
(between sobs)
Why did they have to stop it? Why
did they have to stop it?
The REPORTER leans over to the HANDLER and
whispers.
REPORTER
What happened?
HANDLER
(quietly)
He must've been really hurt in the
2nd.
He didn't answer me when I tried to
tell him something in the corner.
JAKE, still buried in his robe, becomes aware of
the hum of voices and shouts out:
JAKE
Get everyone out of here!
The REPORTER and the PHOTOGRAPHER leave. JAKE
continues to sob.
INT. PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
INSERT: CLOSE UP of a Daily News Headline from
November 22, 1947: "Board Suspends LaMotta."
JAKE, dejected, sits on the couch. In front of him,
on the coffee table are scattered several
newspapers -- including the one with the headline
we have just seen.
JOEY paces in front of JAKE.
JOEY
(yelling)
It woulda been so easy, Jack. So
easy...
JOEY goes into a boxing stance.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Stick out your hands, Jake.
JAKE
C'mon, Joey.
JOEY
G'wan, do it.
(jabs at him)
Protect yourself, rummy.
JAKE, out of reflex, sticks out his hands. As he
does, JOEY feigns a hit and falls onto the floor --
"out cold." JAKE looks down at him.
JOEY pops to his feet.
JOEY (CONT'D)
See? That's all there was to it.
JAKE
What the fuck they want? I took the
dive.
They want me to fall down too? I
don't fall down for nobody. I never
went down in my life. Joey, what do
I gotta do? Crawl on my hands and
knees? I made an asshole of myself
in the fuckin' Garden! All the
newspaper writers make fun of me.
I'm the bum of the year. All I want
is a shot. Just a fuckin' shot.
What do I gotta do? I'll do
anything.
JOEY
Except fall down like a normal
person.
JAKE
Yeah, except fall down. That's
right.
JOEY
All right, you don't wanna fall
down, so now you gotta take a rest.
So, you enjoy the suspension.
'Cause there's nothin' you can do
about it. Let the Commissioner and
the D.A. jerk you around. So you
wait.
JAKE
Jesus Christ! Seven months! What am
I gonna do for seven months? I'm
gonna go crazy. How do I keep my
strength? By that time I'll be too
weak to win the title. And my
weight? Forget about it -- I'm
gonna blow up like a balloon. I
ain't never gonna hold my weight
down. Seven months! I don't know...
JOEY
We did what we had to do. Tommy
don't forget. Sooner or later
you'll get your shot -- if Tommy
don't die.
EXT. BOOK-CADILLAC HOTEL, DETROIT - DAY (1949)
It's raining outside the stately Book-Cadillac.
A banner above the door proclaims.
The Book-Cadillac Welcomes
Marcel Cerdan
Middleweight Champion of the World
and the Challenger
Jake LaMotta
INT. BOOK-CADILLAC LOBBY - DAY
The lobby is chaotic: FIGHT PEOPLE and
SPORTSWRITERS mill anxiously about. Something's in
the air.
The BELL CAPTAIN pages:
BELL CAPTAIN
Mr. Williams.
MR. WILLIAMS, THE DETROIT PROMOTER last seen in the
Copacabana Lounge, answers the page.
WILLIAMS listens on the phone a moment, then hands
it back to the BELL CAPTAIN and announces:
DETROIT PROMOTER
It's official. The fight's been
postponed twenty-four hours.
A groan goes up from the lobby.
INT. LAMOTTA'S SUITE - DAY
JAKE's suite is modestly decorated and consists of
a living room and two bedrooms.
DR. PINTO is there sewing up a pork chop.
JAKE, shadow-boxing in sportswear, paces back and
forth.
TONY watches him. VICKIE sits quietly on the sofa,
sipping some wine.
JOEY is on the phone.
JOEY
That's right. "No comment."
(listens)
You like that? Good, 'cause I got a
lot more "No comments" where that
one came from.
JOEY cuts the line off, then leaves the receiver
off the hook.
JOEY (CONT'D)
I'm gonna order up some stuff. Have
a steak.
JAKE
I can't eat a steak. If I eat a
steak, I'm gonna have trouble
making the weigh-in.
JOEY
So eat just a little. You gotta eat
something.
JARS
What am I gonna do for 24 hours? I
can't even eat!
JAKE goes into the bedroom.
JOEY goes over to the DOCTOR.
DOCTOR
(shows him the pork chop)
How's that?
JOEY
How long did it take you?
DOCTOR
45 seconds.
JOEY
No good. Try to get it down. It's
gotta be no more than 30 seconds to
be on the safe side if we gotta
stitch him up.
INT. THE BEDROOM
JAKE is alone. There is a knock at the door. JOEY
opens it and pokes his head in.
JOEY
Jake, somebody wants to say hello
to you.
JOEY opens the door wider. TOMMY COMO is at the
door with JOEY. JAKE goes over to the door.
COMO
Hey champ!
JAKE
Tommy, thanks for coming over.
COMO
You just take it easy, now. You'll
do all right. Feelin' Ok?
JAKE
I'm Ok.
COMO
Just come by to wish you luck.
(shakes his hand)
Need anything?
JAKE
No, we're all right. Thanks anyway,
Tommy.
COMO
Ok, champ.
COMO turns to go. He says goodbye to everyone in
the living room. He goes over and kisses VICKIE.
JAKE watches this from the bedroom doorway.
COMO (CONT'D)
(as he kisses Vickie)
Look at her. As beautiful as
always. Take care of that guy, will
ya?
VICKIE
(going to the door with
him)
I'll take care of him. Thanks,
Tommy. Bye.
JAKE
(to Vickie)
C'mere.
She goes to the bedroom doorway. JAKE grabs her
arm, pulls her in, and slams the door.
JAKE (CONT'D)
(pushing her toward the
bed area)
Hey, you don't say goodbye to him
like that.
VICKIE
What did I do?
JAKE
(pushing her)
You don't kiss like that. Hello and
goodbye, that's all you do.
VICKIE
All I did...
JAKE
(interrupting)
You know what I'm talking about.
Don't ever make me look bad on the
night of my big fight.
VICKIE
You're hurting my arm.
JAKE has her by the night table now. They are
edging their way to the wall.
JAKE
Shut up. You just say hello and
goodbye to him. You don't kiss him
the way you did. That's out of
line.
JAKE pushes her against the wall. The lamp falls.
There is a loud crash. She tries to move away. He
grabs her by the throat and pins her against the
wall. She's gagging.
VICKIE
But Jake... I didn't say
anything...
JAKE
Don't ever do that again. You don't
(he pushes her against the
wall)
do it!
VICKIE
(gagging)
Jake...
JOEY looks in and then starts to come over.
JAKE
You hear what I said? You don't do
it.
He pushes her again. VICKIE tries to get away, but
can't move.
JAKE (CONT'D)
(pushing her again)
You don't do it.
JOEY has his hand on JAKE's arm, trying to pry it
away from VICKIE's throat.
JOEY
Jake, Jake...
TONY and the DOCTOR watch from the doorway.
VICKIE's eyes close. JAKE releases his grip. JOEY
helps VICKIE. JAKE watches this.
JAKE
(to himself)
She ain't gonna ruin this fight for
me.
EXT. BRIGGS STADIUM - NIGHT (JUNE 16, 1949)
Bright floodlights illuminate the arena. The
weather's clear and the stadium is filled with
cheering fight FANS.
An ANNOUNCER steps into the center of the ring and
begins ti introduce the many CELEBRITIES that have
gathered for the fight.
ANNOUNCER
And here is the young man who has
inherited Marcel Cerdan's European
championship - Laurent Dauthuille.
DAUTHUILLE jumps into the ring.
While WE HEAR him introduce the boxers and
celebrities, WE SEE a rapid MONTAGE: JAKE preparing
for the title bout:
PRE-FIGHT MONTAGE
A) JAKE and GROUP arrive in the dressing room.
B) In his bathrobe, JAKE puts on his boxing shoes.
C) We see a pan with raw steak in it. JOEY drains
the blood (juice) into a glass and JAKE takes a
long, slow swallow.
D) REPRISE of IMAGES from PREVIOUS SCENE (SLOW
MOTION) - NEW ANGLE.
TOMMY COMO shakes JAKE's hand in the bathroom
doorway. VICKIE kisses COMO. Jake watches.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Now I'd like to ask America's most
decorated war hero to stand up and
take a bow from the audience. It's
a real privilege to have him here
tonight. He'll soon be starring in
his next motion picture, "Bad Boy"--
Lieutenant Audie Murphy!
E) JAKE soaks his hands in hot water.
F) JAKE lies down and JOEY starts to massage him.
G) REPRISE OF IMAGES from PREVIOUS SCENE (SLOW
MOTION) - NEW ANGLE
JOEY shakes hands with COMO as he leaves the hotel
room. JAKE watches. JOEY smiles at Como as Como
kisses VICKIE. Jake watches.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (CONT'D)
And our very special guest tonight
needs no introduction. The only man
to defend the heavyweight crown a
remarkable twenty-five times, the
king of all heavyweights, the Brown
Bomber, Joe Louis. Come into the
ring, Joe.
JOE LOUIS (V.O.)
Thank you, Johnny. Let's bring the
middleweight crown back to the old
U.S.A. where it belongs.
Many cheers.
H) DR. PINTO injects a hypodermic needle filled
with novocaine into each of JAKE's fists.
I) JOEY massages JAKE's neck.
J) JAKE's hands are bandaged
K) REPRISE of IMAGES from PREVIOUS SCENE (SLOW
MOTION) - NEW ANGLE
JAKE strangles VICKIE in the bedroom, then releases
her.
JOEY looks after her, but the IMAGE makes them look
as if they're making love. Jake watches.
ANNOUNCER
And in this corner, the
middleweight champion of the world,
from Casablanca, Morocco, the
Casablanca Clouter, Marcel Cerdan!
L) JAKE puts on his cup and trunks.
M) MARIO laces up JAKE's gloves.
N) JAKE, ready to fight, a towel draped around his
head, bounces on the balls of his feet. He starts
walking down the corridor from his dressing room,
surrounded by MARIO, JOEY, DR. PINTO and his
HANDLERS. He enters the stadium.
INT. BRIGGS STADIUM - NIGHT
JAKE, wearing his leopard-skin robe, is pushed
through the CROWD by JOEY, MARIO and his HANDLERS.
He's still shadow-boxing.
JAKE steps into the ring to both cheers and boos
(many still remember the Fox fight). JAKE raises
his gloves.
ANNOUNCER
And in the opposite corner, from
New York, New York, the challenger,
the Bronx Bull, Jake LaMotta!
JAKE shakes hands with the assembled CELEBRITIES
and EX-CHAMPIONS.
JAYE
I only wish it was you, Joe.
JOE LOUIS
Win the belt back for us, Jake.
Good luck.
JAKE glances at VICKIE who is sitting in the third
row. She is nervous.
TIME CUT:
The opening bell sounds. CERDAN and LAMOTTA touch
gloves and begin to fight.
JAKE is hot: there's no stopping him tonight. He
fights like a man possessed.
CERDAN clinches JAKE to avoid his brutal body
blows. JAKE pushes him out of the clinch in
disgust.
There are no more boos. JAKE has won over the
crowd.
TIME CUT:
END OF ROUND NINE. JAKE is working over a bloody
CERDAN. Punches to the body, then to the head, then
back to the body. The bell sounds.
JAKE walks back to his corner and sits down. JOEY
is ecstatic:
JOEY
Look at him, Jackie! You got at!
The fuckin' championship! He's
yours! Finish him off.
JAKE doesn't have the chance. The REFEREE, standing
in CERDAN's corner, waves his hands signaling the
end of the fight.
The REFEREE holds up JAKE's hands as THE ANNOUNCER
takes the mike:
ANNOUNCER
The new middleweight champion of
the world by a knockout after nine
rounds, the Bronx Bull, Jake
LaMotta!
JOEY is all over him. TONY helps VICKIE through the
MOB.
In his corner, CERDAN holds his head in his hands
and says, "My title, my title!"
The OFFICIALS clear a circle as they bring over the
jewel-studded championship belt. JOE LOUIS fastens
the belt around JAKE's waist.
JAKE touches the oversized belt with his bloody
gloves. Tears fall across JAKE's huge grin as he
holds his hands high in the air. It is the most
glorious night in his life.
EXT. "JAKE LAMOTTA'S" - NIGHT (1956)
The name "Jake LaMotta's Lounge" is emblazoned in
neon across a lounge/liquor store on Collins
Avenue, Miami's main drag. JAKE's bar is across
from The Rooney Plaza, one of Miami's more
prestigious hotels.
Fifties cars are parked outside the club.
INT. "JAKE LAMOTTA'S" - NIGHT
JAKE LAMOTTA, 34 years old, wearing a tux, steps in
front of a large painted wall mural of the Cerdan
fight as he enters his club.
The Lounge is dominated by a large circular bar.
Featured entertainers perform on a raised platform
in the center of the bar.
The club is half filled with SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT
and MOB TYPES.
The small BAND plays a routine fanfare as JAKE
steps onto the platform. He takes the mike with one
hand and silences the BAND with the other. The
applause dies out as he speaks:
JAKE
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
It's a thrill to be standin' here
talking to you wonderful people. In
fact, it's a thrill to be standin'.
I haven't seen so many people since
my last fight at Madison Square
Garden. After that fight a reporter
asked me, "Jake, where do you go
from here?" I said, "To a
hospital."
About HALF THE PATRONS are listening; of them, HALF
are laughing, SOME a little too loud.
JAKE (CONT'D)
I fought one hundred and six
professional fights and none of
them bums figured out how to fight
me -- they kept hitting me in the
head!
(calls to the bar)
Will somebody at the bar -- Linda?
- get me a drink.
I figure if I'm gonna work to
drunks I might as well be one of
'em! I like this place. It's a
family type club... every night I
see a lot of fathers sitting out
there with their young daughters!
That's nice.
LINDA hands him a drink.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Thanks, honey. -- She's terrific.
The kinda girl you wanta take home
to meet your father. Especially if
your old man's a degenerate! --
Here's a toast! "To your health!
You only live once. But if you play
it right, once is enough." I
shouldn't be drinkin' like this
'cause I'm tryin' to lose weight.
I'm on this terrific diet -- I'm
allowed to eat anything I want. As
long as I don't swallow it! Well, I
never had much luck with my weight.
In fact, -- I never had much luck
with anything -- until about a few
years ago, when this happened --
He indicates the blow-up behind him and waits for
applause, of which there is some.
JAKE (CONT'D)
... thanks, I'm glad to see you
remember. For those of you that
don't... that's me takin' the title
from Cerdan. You know, the tough
thing about winnin' the title...
the next thing you gotta do is have
a rematch... just to show it wasn't
no fluke. So what happens? Marcel
Cerdan, a really great champ, after
I beat him... he gets himself
killed in that airplane crash... a
pretty rotten break for him. That's
why I don't like to fly. People say
to me, "Look, Jake, when your time
is up, your time is up." And I say,
"Yeah, but suppose I'm on the plane
and the pilot's time is up?" As
good as Cerdan was, I could've
taken him again. But I never got
the chance to prove it wasn't no
fluke. He got killed but he got to
be what they call a legend.
I don't know what's worse -- bein'
a fluke or bein' a legend. --
That's the kinda luck I got. That's
why I quit the ring and moved down
here from New York. My wife said,
"You gotta get outa this town,
Jake." Come to think of it... the
boxing commission said the same
thing! But I don't miss New York.
Give me Miami any day.
The AUDIENCE applauds.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Miami's a great place. I get along
with everybody in this town... even
the police force... They got the
best cops here money can buy! --
Only kiddin'. By the way... me and
my wife Vickie's gettin' ready to
celibrate our eleventh wedding
anniversary.
More applause.
JAKE (CONT'D)
We get along real great. We fight a
little but I never really belted
her on purpose. Once in a while
I'm standin' there doin' little
shadow-boxin' and she happens to
walk right into the shadow... I
can't help that. She says, "Whataya
hittin' me for?" I says, "It's
nothin'. It's only a love tap." She
says, "It's a good thing you're not
crazy about me!" -- I am crazy
about her. I heard her talkin' to a
friend on the phone and she was
sayin', "After eleven years, I'm
still in love with the same guy." --
If I ever find out who the bum is,
I'll kill him! Women. You can't
live with 'em, you can't live
without 'em.
Then, suddenly, falling into character... he quotes
Jago's speech in Othello.
JAKE (CONT'D)
"'Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy.
It is the green-eyed monster, which
doth mock the meat it feeds on.
That cuckold lives in bliss who,
certain of his fate, loves not his
woronger; But O, what damned
minutes tells he o'er who dotes,
yet doubts -- suspects, yet fondly
loves!" -- That's from somethin'
called "Othello" --
OR, ALTERNATE SPEECH:
JAKE (CONT'D)
Is whispering nothing? Is leaning
cheek to cheek? Is meeting noses?
Kissing with inside lip? Stopping
the career of laughter with a sign?
-- A note infallible of breaking
honesty -- horsing foot on foot?
Skulking in corners? Wishing clocks
more swift? Hours, minutes? Noon,
midnight? And all eyes blind with
the pin and web but theirs, theirs
only, that would unseen be wicked?
Is this nothing? Why, then the
world and all that's in't is
nothing; The covering sky is
nothing; Bohemia nothing; My wife
is nothing; nor nothing have these
nothings, if this be nothing." --
That's from something called "The
Winter's Tale" -- Shakespeare! You
all remember Shakespeare. He wrote
all them famous plays one after the
other, then he went into a big
slump and he ain't done anything
good in years. That speech is about
jealousy -- jealousy's a bad thing.
Jealousy bothers a lot of guys...
take me... I almost killed my
brother... I love him... he's my
family... I mean, there's nothin'
he wouldn't do for me. And that's
the way we been goin' thru life --
doin' nothin' for each other!
Anytime he got in trouble when we
was kids, I got him out of it. You
know, he used to steal little
things when we was growin' up. But
he was particular...
only stole things that begin with
an 'a' -- a watch, a car, a suit, a
ring... But I was wrong... I
shoulda never hit my brother.
Afterwards, I was sorry. Now every
time I need somethin' I gotta go
shoppin' for it! A psychiatrist
once told me, "When you hit your
brother you're really hittin' your
mother, but you can't admit it to
yourself." He's really crazy. I
woulda never hit my mother. I mean,
only in self-defense!
INT. JAKE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY (1950)
JAKE is struggling with his later model ten-inch
RCA TV. He fools with the dials, then slaps the
side. The bluish video image comes and goes. JOEY
watches JAKE fix the TV.
JAKE has a half-eaten sandwich in his hand.
VICKIE enters the house, surprised to find JAKE
home.
VICKIE
Jake, you're home.
JAKE looks up at her. (She goes over to him and
kisses him.) MOVING SHOT.
JOEY gives VICKIE a polite peck on the mouth.
MOVING SHOT.
JOEY
Hi, Vickie.
JAKE watches JOEY kiss VICKIE. VICKIE notices
JAKE'S reaction.
VICKIE
What's the matter with you?
JAKE
Tryin' to get this fuckin' TV to
work. Paid all this money for it
and still can't get a station a
mile away. And Mr. Wizard here
ain't no help.
JOEY
Screw you, Jack.
JAKE
(to Vickie)
Where you been?
VICKIE goes into the bedroom to take off her coat.
On the stairs, MOVING SHOT:
VICKIE
I went out.
JAKE
(to Joey)
What's that kissing on the mouth
shit?
JOEY
What? I just said hello. Since when
I can't kiss my sister-in-law?
JAKE
Ain't a cheek ever good enough for
you? I never even kissed Mama on
the mouth.
JOEY
Well, you're not supposed to kiss
your mother on the mouth.
JAKE
Well, that's what I mean.
JAKE leans over the TV.
JAKE (CONT'D)
How's that?
JOEY
I can't tell. You're stomach's in
the way.
JAKE stares at JOEY.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Don't give me those looks. I'm just
your manager. The minute you start
to be champ, you start eating like
there's no tomorrow. And you giving
me looks. All I know is that I
don't have to defend my title next
month.
JAKE looks up at JOEY.
JAKE
Answer me somethin'. What happened
at the Copa with Salvy when I was
out of town?
JOEY
When?
JAKE
You know, when you gave him a
beatin'.
JOEY
(being as vague as
possible)
Nothin'. Salvy was out of line. He
was drunk or somethin', I dunno.
Anyway, the windup was I gave him a
beatin'. Tommy called me down, and
we straightened it out. It's all
forgotten about.
JAKE
Why didn't you tell me about it?
JOEY
It didn't have nothin' to do with
you.
JAKE
Didn't it have nothin' to do with
me?
JOEY
No, I just told you what happened.
JAKE
(he obviously knows)
Who did it have anything to do
with... Vickie?
JOEY
Jack, no. I just explained the
whole thing to you. It was just
between me and Salvy, if it had
anything to do with you and Vickie,
I woulda told you about it.
JAKE
Well, I heard some things.
MOVING in on JOEY, JAKE'S P.O.V.
JOEY
"You heard some things." Will you
stop worryin' about that shit?
Forget about it. You know you got a
title fight comin' up.
PAUSE.
JOEY
(refering to the TV)
Whatever you touched, that's good
now.
JAKE
Did Salvy fuck Vickie?
JOEY
What?
JAKE
You're supposed to keep an eye on
her for me. I'm askin'...
JOEY
(interrupting)
I did keep an eye...
JAKE
Then why did you give him a beatin'
if he didn't do anything? You and
him been friends a long time.
JOEY
Some things changed between us.
Now, he thinks who the fuck he is.
He's been passing certain remarks
that I don't like.
JAKE
(interrupting)
Don't bullshit me, Joey. You ain't
tellin' me the truth.
JOEY
What bullshit? Hey, I'm your
brother. You wanna believe me - you
trust me?
JAKE
When it comes to her, I don't trust
nobody. I'm askin' you somethin'.
JOEY
Well, you're wrong Jack. I'm
tellin" you what happened. He got
outta line, we had a fight, and
it's staightened out now.
There is a pause. (Move in on JOEY, JAKE'S P.O.V.)
JAKE
(suspicious)
You givin' me that look. I gotta
accept your word, but if I find out
anythin', I'm gonna kill
somebody...
JOEY
(yelling)
So, go ahead. Kill everybody. Kill
Salvy, kill Vickie, kill Tommy
Como, kill me while you're at it.
What do I care? You're killing
yourself the way you're eating, the
way you worry about things you
don't have to worry about.
JAKE
(interrupting)
What do you mean, "you"?
JOEY
What?
JAKE
(interrupting, catching
Joey)
What do you mean, "you"?
JOEY
(caught)
I meant, kill everybody. You or me
or anybody. You're a big shot.
Kill, kill... g'head.
JAKE
But you said "you."
JOEY
So what?
JAKE
Eh, Joey, even you don't know what
you meant.
You mentioned Salvy, Tommy Como,
you -- that means somethin'. Why'd
you say them? You coulda said
anybody.
JOEY
You're worried about this girl,
you're gonna let this girl ruin
you're life for you... You wanna
worry, worry about your fuckin'
stomach that you can't bend over --
that you gotta step in the ring in
a month.
JAKE
Did you ever fuck my wife?
JOEY
What?
JAKE
I don't mean now. I mean before --
before we met.
JOEY
Whadda ya mean?
JAKE
Did you ever fuck my wife?
JOEY
Whatsa matter with you?
JAKE
You're very smart, Joey, very
smart. Nobody gives me a straight
answer around here. You're givin'
me these answers, but you still
didn't answer my question. Did you
fuck Vickie?
JOEY
(fed up, he starts to
leave)
I gotta go. I gotta get outta here.
I can't take this shit. Lenore is
waitin' for me. I gotta go. You're
a definite wacko. You're fuckin'
crazy, you know that, crazy.
JAKE'S P.O.V., MOVING SHOT as JOEY leaves. JAKE
goes into the bedroom.
INT. THE BEDROOM
JAKE walks over to VICKIE. (MOVE in on VICKIE -
JAKE'S P.O.V. becomes her shot.)
JAKE
Where you been all day?
VICKIE
I took the kids to my sister's.
JAKE
I called. You weren't there.
VICKIE
I got bored so I went to the
movies.
JAKE
What'd you see?
VICKIE
I went to the movies.
JAKE
What'd you see?
VICKIE
"Father of the Bride."
JAKE
What was it about?
VICKIE
Oh, c'mon. For Christsake, do I
have to tell you everything?
JAKE
Did you ever go to the Copa when I
was away?
VICKIE
What're you talking about?
JAKE
Answer me when I talk to you. What
happened that night?
VICKIE
(interrupting, yelling)
I am answering...
JAKE
(hits her)
What do I have to do to get a
straight answer around here.
JAKE holds onto her, but she gets away.
VICKIE
Jake, no --
JAKE
(as he chases her around
the room)
Do I have to kill you, eh?
(hits her)
Do I have to kill somebody to get
an answer?
(hits her)
I know about you at the Copa. I
know all about it.
JAKE catches her.
VICKIE
I didn't do anything wrong. I
swear. I just had a few drinks.
JAKE
(pins her down, hits her)
With Salvy, eh?
VICKIE
I went with Sandy and Vera. Salvy
was there.
(gets hit)
Stop it. I just had a drink, that's
all. I didn't do anything wrong.
(gets hit)
VICKIE escapes and locks herself in the bathroom.
JAKE
(by bathroom door)
Come out of there! Did you fuck
Salvy?
(punches door)
Answer me. Open this fuckin' door,
you fuckin' cunt!
(punches door)
Who've you been fuckin'?
VICKIE
(from inside bathroom)
Nobody, I tell you. Jake stop it.
JAKE
You're a fuckin' liar.
He breaks down the door.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Who've you been fuckin'? Salvy?
(hits her)
Tommy Como?
(hits her)
I can't trust nobody.
(hits her)
Did you fuck Joey?
(hits her)
Who you been fuckin'?
She finally manages to push him away.
VICKIE
All right, I fucked everybody! Go
ahead, kill me, kill me.
VICKIE takes JAKE's hand and hits herself. JAKE is
stunned.
VICKIE (CONT'D)
I'll say anything you want me to
say. I fuckled Salvy. I fucked
Tommy. I fucked your brother. I
fucked everybody! What do you want
to hear? I sucked your brother's
fuckin' cock!
JAKE
You did?
VICKIE
Yeah, I sucked his cock.
JAKE starts to walk away. VICKIE goes after him.
JAKE is gone.
INT. JOEY'S PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE - DAY
JOEY is at the kitchen table eating lunch with his
family. His wife, LENORE, her hair done up in pin
curls, sits next to him. JOEY's TWO KIDS sit across
the table from them, bickering.
JOEY
(to kids)
Don't hit your brother! Be nice.
Suddenly, JAKE comes through the front door, goes
directly to the table, grabs JOEY, lifts him into
the air, and starts hitting him.
JOEY (CONT'D)
Jake, stop it.
JAKE keeps hitting JOEY. The KIDS start to cry.
LENORE wants to stop the fight, but is afraid to
get too close.
JAKE
Was Vickie part of the deal with
Tommy? Was my wife part of the
deal? Tell me, was that it?
JOEY
Stop it. What're you, crazy?
JAKE drags JOEY into the living room, and pushes
him onto the floor.
JAKE
(kneeling over Joey and
hitting him)
You didn't tell me. You didn't tell
me. You let me marry her. You let
me marry her.
VICKIE rushes into the house, past LENORE and the
TWO KIDS who are screaming even louder now.
VICKIE
(hitting Jake on his back
as he hits Joey)
You're killing him. You're killing
him for nothing. Stop it.
JAKE
(hits her)
Get the fuck outa here. Whadda you
mean nothing'? You stupid bitch!
VICKIE
(still hitting Jake)
Nothing is what I said! Go on, kull
me.
(hits him)
Kill me.
(hits him)
I'm not afraid of you anymore. I
don't care if you kill me like
you're killing him. You're a sick
animal.
JOEY is knocked out. LENORE goes over to him and
holds him.
JAKE
(to Vickie)
You're the fuckin' animal! You ran
around with every guy I knew while
I was breakin' my ass for you.
VICKIE
(as she pushes and hits
Jake to the front door)
You're not only an animal, you're a
stupid animal.
(pushes and hits him out
the front door)
You're rotten.
(hits him)
Rotten.
(hits him)
Rotten.
(hits him)
You're a sick maniac. A maniac! You
belong in a mental hospital.
EXT. JOEY'S PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE - DAY
VICKIE gives JAKE a final push out the door and
then slams it in his face.
JAKE is left alone on the front steps.
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT. JAKE'S PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM -
EARLY EVENING
JAKE sits alone in the darkness.
VICKIE lets herself in. She comes and stands behind
him.
VICKIE
Well, he ain't dead in case you're
interested.
(pause)
I'm leaving you.
And I don't care if you do try to
kill me. Go ahead. I'm not afraid
of you anymore. There's worse
things than being dead and one of
them's living with you --
(pause)
I'm leaving tonight. I must have
been crazier than you are for
stayin' with you this long. You're
hopeless. You're not gonna let
anybody love you. I kept thinking
that you'd change when you got to
be the champ... But I just can't
take it anymore. I'm taking the
kids and I'm leavin'.
There is a pause.
JAKE
Aw, Vickie, aw Vickie, please no.
Vickie, no... don't leave me.
Christ, I'm pleading... I know, I
know all the bad things, but I need
you. I'm a bum without you and the
kids. I'll change. Aw, Vickie,
maybe I don't do it the right way,
but I love you. I love you.
There is a pause.
VICKIE
You know, if there's one thing -- I
just don't understand you, not one
single little bit. You love me?
JAKE
Yeah --
DISSOLVE
TO:
INT. STEAM BATH - NIGHT
The steam is oppressively thick. It must be 140
degrees.
JAKE, nude, does push-ups on the floor. His body is
bathed in sweat.
He pushes himself up, then collapses. His eyes are
glazed over from lack of strength.
He makes his way to the door and pounds on it.
TONY opens the door and gets on his knees beside
JAKE.
TONY
It ain't worth it, Jake. Get out.
JAKE
(barely coherent)
What time is it?
TONY
Nine o'clock.
JAKE
At night?
TONY
Yeah. At night.
JAKE
How many pounds I gotta lose?
TONY
Three more, I figure.
JAKE
Just give me a chip of ice to put
in my mouth. Just a chip of ice.
TONY
I'll give you anything you want,
Jake. I think you should come out
for a few minutes -- give yourself
a break.
JAKE
(barely audible)
Are you outa your mind? If I come
out, I'll lose the title.
INT. JAKE'S PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM
VICKIE is seated on the sofa, reading newspapers.
JAKE is pacing.
VICKIE
Jake, why don't you just try lying
down and get some rest.
JAKE
I don't know what it is. I dunno,
it's the kind of thing that -- the
words won't come out.
VICKIE
Jake --
JAKE
What?
VICKIE
I want to say something to you
without you blowing your stack.
JAKE
OK. Talk.
VICKIE
(pause)
Why don't you just call him up?
JAKE
What do I say to him? Call him up
on the phone and say, "Joey, I'm
sorry about that little trouble we
had. How about havin' dinner?" Is
that what I say?
VICKIE
No, not that.
JAKE
Then what?
VICKIE
(pause)
I don't know.
INT. OLYMPIA STADIUM, DETROIT - NIGHT (SEPT. 13,
1950)
The LAMOTTA-DAUTHUILLE middleweight championship is
told through the eyes and words of the RINGSIDE
ANNOUNCER. JAKE is not doing well.
RINGSIDE ANNOUNCER
... Ladies and gentlemen, I've sat
in front of these microphones for
over twenty years but this is the
strangest championship bout I've
ever seen. With two minutes to go
in the final round, the champion,
the mighty Bull from the Bronx, is
just simply taking punch after
punch from the challenger.
Dauthuille scores a combination,
then backpedals.
LaMotta pursues him. One minute to
go. Laurent DauthuiLlle, who has
already beat Lamotta in a non-title
bout, is about to fulfill a dream --
to bring the middleweight crown
back to France.
In the ring, JAKE looks like he's on queer street.
Bouncing off the ropes, opening his jaw to
DAUTHUILLE. But DAUTHUILLE's punches lack strength.
JAKM is playing possum.
RINGSIDE'ANNOUNCER
Thirty seconds to go. The Bull
starts to swing. LaMotta comes in
for a brutal body combinaticn: one,
two, three, four punches. LaMotta
has landed a solid left hook to the
Frenchman's jaw! Dauthuille seems
confused. LaMotta is swinging
wildly now: right, left, right,
left! Dauthuille is backing off!
Everyone is on their feet! I can
hardly see, ladies and gentlemen.
Dauthuille is on the ropes. LaMotta
hits a right -- Dauthuille is down!
Dauthuille is down! Referee Lou
Handler is counting him out --
three, four, five -- if Dauthuille
can stand, he'll win the decision --
eight, nine -- Dauthuille is on
one knee -- ten! It's all over!
With thirteen seconds left on the
clock, Jake LaMotta has retained
his middleweight championship in
one of the most remarkable combacks
in boxing! Dauthuille is standing
now, confused. But the fight is
over.
AN ANNOUNCER holds up JAKE's victorious hand. He
seems as surprised as everyone else.
TONY throws JAKE'S robe around his shoulders as THE
ANNOUNCER calls out:
ANNOUNCER
The middleweight champion, and
still champion by a knockout in
fifteen rounds, the Bronx Bull, the
Raging Bull, Jake LaMotta!
The CROWD cheers. JAKE raises his arms in victory.
INT. JAKE'S DRESSING ROOM - OLYMPIA STADIUM - NIGHT
It is after the fight. TONY, VICKIE, and OTHERS are
in the room. Some PEOPLE are leaving.
Congratulations are heard.
TONY puts away JAKE's fight gear.
JAKE, half-dressed, looks troubled.
JAKE
(to Vickie)
I miss Joey. I wish Joey was here.
VICKIE
Why don't you just call him?
JAKE
I dunno.
VICKIE
Tell him how you feel -- you miss
him. Tell him you're sorry.
JAKE
(pauze)
Ok, all right. Telephone's in the
hall. Dial his number.
VICKIE goes to the pay phone in the hall, and dials
long distance.
JAKE is nervous, but follows VICKIE.
THE HALLWAY
As the number starts to ring,
VICKIE hands the phone to JAKE.
JOEY (O.S.)
Hello... hello...
JAKE can't answer.
JOEY (O.S.) (CONT'D)
What's this, a joke? Hello... Hey!
JAKE can't answer.
JOEY (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Well, if there's somebody
listenin', their mother's a fuckin'
whore who takes it in the ass.
There is a click as JOEY hangs up.
JAKE stands there, and finally hangs up the phone.
INT. "JAKE LAMOTTA'S" - NIGHT (1956)
JAKE gulps down the last of his Scotch.
JAKE
(continuing his monologue)
I shoulda never hit my brother.
Afterwards I was sorry. Now every
time I need somethin' I gotta go
shoppin' for it! A psychiatrist
once told me, "When you hit your
brother you're really hittin' your
mother but you can't admit it to
yourself." He's really crazy. I
woulda never hit my mother. I mean,
only in self-defense! A lot of
people wanta know who was the best
guy I ever fought. Let's see...
there was that one I fought
twice... the other Frenchman... you
know who I mean...
(having trouble
pronouncing the name)
... Dauthuille! He was tough, but I
beat him... I had to! I mean, how
would it sound losin' to a guy
whose name you can't even
pronounce? But... Robinson. I can
say that alright. I fought Sugar
Ray so many times it's a wonder I
don't have diabetes! Linda... get
me another drink! Linda's the most
popular waitress here... you can
tell by her tips! She's the kinda
girl I go for. You oughta see the
ones I get.
LINDA brings him another Scotch.
JAKE (CONT'D)
... Thanks, babe. She's a nice kid.
She'll only do it with a guy if she
really likes him. She's got a lot
in common with Will Rogers -- never
met a man she didn't like! ... I
was talkin' about Sugar Ray. Some
of you think I was better than
him...
but you know, it's a toss-up.
Except the last fight... February
14, 1951.
JAKE sips his drink.
JAKE(CONT'D)
Valentine's Day. The anniversary of
the St. Valentine's Massacre.
Robinson didn't use a machine gun
but it was still a massacre...
JAKE takes another drink.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Actually, I was doin' okay at
first. In fact, by the end of the
fifth round I really had him
worried -- he thought he killed me.
INT. JOEY'S PELHAM PARKWAY HOUSE - LIVING ROOM -
NIGHT (FEB. 14, 1951)
LENORE, JOEY's wife, watches the 6th Robinson
LaMotta fight on JOEY's new television console.
JOEY walks by on his way to another room, but stops
to watch.
LENORE is not a fight fan, but is caught up in the
fight, anyway.
LENORE
Look at that. The sonofabitch is
outboxing Robinson.
JOEY
I can't believe he's getting that
jab in.
The bell sounds, and a Pabst commercial comes on:
PABST COMMERCIAL
"Friend, the quality that has
carried Pabst Blue Ribbon around
the world is yours for the asking.
Next time that friendly bartender
says, 'What'll you have?' give him
the answer the whole world gives,
Pabst Blue Ribbon!"
INT. CHICAGO STADIUM - NIGHT
TONY is wiping JAKE off in his corner.
JAKE
He ain't hurting me, but I can't
get him down.
TONY
Don't talk. Keep at it. Jab, jab,
jab. You're ahead on points.
In the other, SUGAR RAY'S TRAINER pats down
ROBINSON's pompadour as he says:
S.R.'S TRAINER
He's going, Sugar. He's old. He
ain't Jake LaMotta no more. Make
your move, Sugar. Kill him!
ROBINSON nods.
The bell sounds and the FIGHTERS step onto the
canvas. They look at each other before the boxing
starts -- they both know the inevitable outcome.
ROBINSON smiles.
INT. JOEY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
ROBINSON makes his move. His arms are a blur,
swinging rapidly but accurately.
JOEY and LENORE are suddenly silent.
TV ANNOUNCER
LaMotta's on queer street, but he's
still standing. Robinson throws a
right, a left, a right, a right and
a right again! How can LaMotta stay
on his feet?
On the TV, WE SEE that ROBINSON has JAKE up against
the ropes. He's giving JAKE a pier six beating.
It's the Fox fight for real.
JAKE's face is so soaked in blood that it's
impossible to pinpoint the cuts.
TV ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)
No man can take this kind of
punishment. LaMotta is just a rag
doll now. God knows what's holding
him up. This is an historic
beating. Sugar Rav staggers LaMotta
with a left and comes across with a
blackjack punch to the champion's
head.
The referee is stepping in,
Robinson has LaMotta on the ropes.
That's it! Sugar Ray Robinson,
former welterweight champion, has
taken the middleweight crown from
Jake LaMota.
As the REFEREE stops the fight, JOEY sighs with
relief.
INT. CHICAGO STADIUM - NIGHT
LAMOTTA, a bloody and beaten fighter, walks over to
the victorious ROBINSON and puts his arm on his
shoulder.
JAKE
You never knocked me down. You
could never knock me down.
ROBINSON, receiving congratulations from every
direction, takes time to turn to JAKE and say:
ROBINSON
So what?
EXT. JAKE'S MIAMI HOUSE - DAY (JUNE 2, 1954)
ESTABLISHING SHOT. The house is quite large, and
has beautiful landscaping and a swimming pool.
INT. JAKE'S MIAMI HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY
JAKE, wearing sportclothes that can't hide his
paunch, and VICKIE, wearing a dress and looking her
best, sit in the living room with their THREE
CHILDREN (the TWO BOYS, and also a GIRL, about two
years old).
A still PHOTOGRAPHER clicks pictures of JAKE and
VICKIE as TWO REPORTERS talk with JAKE.
JAKE
I'm pulling out of next Wednesday's
TV bout 'cause I can't make the
weight. I'm fighting at light
heavyweight, and I still can't make
the weight.
REPORTER
Does that mean...
JAKE
It means I'm through with boxing.
I'm tired with tryin' to make the
weight anymore. I'm sick of
thinkin' about weight, weight,
weight.
REPORTER
You sound bitter.
JAKE
Why should I be bitter? Boxing's
been good to me. I got a nice
house, three kids, a beautiful wife
-- take a picture of her. Vickie.
VICKIE poses dutifully.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Ain't she beautiful? Coulda been
Mrs. America if I didn't pull her
outa the contest. Didn't want her
wearing a swimsuit for nobody but
me.
REPORTER
What do you think of Jake's
retirement, Mrs. LaMotta?
JAKE cuts in:
JAKE
I also bought a club on Collins
Avenue, and I'm gonna open it real
soon. Know what I'm gonna call it?
"Jake LaMotta's."
INT. "JAKE LAMOTTA'S" - NIGHT (1956)
JAKE, an empty glass in his hand, stands on the bar
platform. He's wearing a white tuxedo jacket with a
red rose in the lapel. His tuxedo shirt is stained.
He continues his monologue.
JAKE
Valentine's Day. The anniversary of
the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
Robinsin didn't use a machine gun
but it was still a massacre...
(takes another drink)
Actually, I was doin' okay at
first.
In fact, by the end of the fifth
round I really had him worried ---
he thought he killed me. You know,
I could keep tellin' you this
brilliant material all night -- but
you'd only laugh. Now I'm gonna
sing. -- Any requests? I mean,
besides "don't"!
(then to piano player)
-- In the key of H.
(then to audience)
You're laughin'. Give me the right
key and I'll play in anybody's
flat! I sing for a reason. When I
finish, you'll be so sobered up,
we'll sell a lot of booze.
JAKE's onstage version of "That's Entertainment"
differs from the backstage version. It's not just
that he's a little drunk -- no, his voice is
defiant, sadly defiant. He is singing at the
PATRONS rather than to them.
JAKE (CONT'D)
"When the fighter's not engaged in
his employment, his employment,
although he was Champ and quite the
rage, he must go somewhere else to
seek employment, seek employment.
So what does he do? He goes upon
the stage and meets his true
adversaries, all you members of the
human race. But a fighter's life is
not a bowl of cherries, still I'd
rather have an egg than a fist upon
my face... That's Entertainment!
JAKE brings the BAND to a crescendo with a wave of
his hand, then silences it. The spotlight goes out
and there is a hearty round of applause.
JAKE receives the kisses, glad handshakes and
congratulations of the PATRONS as he works his way
around the club.
JAKE's new friends love him. They are PARTY GIRLS,
SPORTS FIGURES, COLUMNISTS, MOBSTERS, B ACTORS, and
OTHER "CELEBRITIES."
JAKE poses for a still with TWO BUXOM YOUNG
LOVELIES. ONE GIRL giggles as he fondles her. After
the flash goes off, the GIRLS admire his "small,
delicate" hands.
JAKE steps over to a table and greets J.R., a
newspaper columnist, and his COMPANIONS.
JAKE (CONT'D)
J.R., glad you could make it.
J.R.
You were great, Jake. Just like old
times. Good thing Sugar Ray wasn't
here tonight. Oh Jake, this is
State's Attorney Bronson and his
wife.
JAKE shakes his hand, then holds it up -- showing
an empty palm.
JAKE
(joking)
Sorry, empty! Heh, heh! Oh, I
didn't mean that. If I don't give
your husband no money, he won't
have enough to buy you a drink. To
show you I'm a nice guy, this one's
on me. The last one was your
payment for this month.
BRONSON is embarrassed. He doesn't think the joke
is funny, but he manages a smile. His WIFE gives a
nervous laugh. JAKE leans over and kisses her.
JAKE (CONT'D)
You're a good sport, lady.
J.R.
I saw you fight Bob Satterfield in
'46, Jake. In Chicago. You were
great.
JAKE
Yeah, I really cleaned up on him.
J.R.
Where's your wife, Jake?
JAKE
Do you think I'd let her in a place
like this with guys like you
hangin' around?
JAKE feigns a few jabs, and they all laugh. He
walks off.
As JAKE leaves, J.R. whispers to his FRIEND:
J. R.
You ought to see his wife.
JAKE steps over to a table where some of the "BOYS"
are sitting. RICKY is the Miami 1956 version of
Salvy.
JAKE
Hey, Ricky, glad you came.
RICKY
Wouldn't miss it, Jake.
JAKE calls a WAITRESS over.
JAKE
Hey, honey, give these fellas a
round on me. I can tell they're
gonna be regular customers.
The WAITRESS says to a clearly underaged GIRL:
WAITRESS
I'll have to ask for your I.D.
JAKE leans over and gives the young GIRL a long
kiss on the lips. She enthusiastically
reciprocates.
JAKE
Whew! Any girl that can kiss like
that can drink in my club any time!
They all laugh as JAKE moves on. The life of the
party.
EXT. "JAKE LAMOTTA'S" - DAY
JAKE, hungover, his tux wrinkled, walks out of the
club to the adjacent parking lot.
VICKIE is sitting in her yellow Cadillac outside
the Club. The curbside window is halfway up. She
calls to him:
VICKIE
Jake.
JAKE, chagrined, steps over to the car.
JAKE
I'm sorry. I had to work late last
night. Slept at the club.
VICKIE
I'm leaving your Jake.
JAKE
Sure, what else is new?
VICKIE
No. This time it's true. I didn't
bother to tell you until I had
everything worked out.
JAKE tries to open the door. It's locked.
JAKE
Open the door, Vickie.
VICKIE
No. I won't talk to you where you
can use your hands on me.
JAKE
Aw, c'mon. Don't say that.
VICKIE
I got a lawyer, Jake. We're getting
a divorce. I'm getting custody of
the kids.
JAKE
Aw, c'mon, Vick --
VICKIE
I'm sick of it. I can't watch you
this way. You're too drunk all the
time. There's too many girls. I
can't... I don't wanna talk about
it. I made up my mind.
JAKE tries to reach in the window, but VICKIE hits
the power switch, closing it and catching his hand.
She now has to yell to him:
VICKIE (CONT'D)
You got three days to get your
stuff out of the house. After that,
the cops will be there. I have the
kids with me. I never want to see
you again.
VICKIE turns her face and drives away.
JAKE grabs at the Cadillac, but it is bigger and
stronger than him.
JAKE is left alone in the parking lot. The car is
gone.
INT. JAKE'S OFFICE - DAY (JAN. 9, 1957)
JAKE has an office above the lounge. Ever since
VICKIE left, it's also been his apartment.
The place is a mess. JAKE sends his laundry out
when he runs out of clean clothes. Dirty socks,
shorts and shirts are scattered randomly. Empty
whiskey bottles on the desk, empty beer cans in the
wastebasket.
1ST DEPUTY
Let's go, Jake, wake up!
JAKE
Huh? Whadda ya mean, get up?
1ST DEPUTY
(showing badge)
We're from...
JAKE
(interrupting)
I know where you're from. You guys
look the same every place.
1ST DEPUTY
They wanna talk to you.
JAKE
About what?
1ST DEPUTY
I don't run the joint. They just
told me to bring you in.
JAKE
For what?
2ND DEPUTY
C'mon, get dressed.
JAKE hunts for his clothes.
JAKE
Hey, I'm a big tax payer down here.
Don't that entitle me to some
information what this is all about?
The SECOND DEPUTY shows JAKE a photo.
2ND DEPUTY
You recognize this girl? She been
in the club?
JAKE
I dunno.
2ND DEPUTY
She says you introduced her to men.
JAKE
I introduced a lot of people to
men. So what? What does that mean?
2ND DEPUTY
She's fourteen.
CLOSE UP of picture.
EXT. JAKE'S MIAMI HOUSE - DAY
JAKE, wearing a suit, walks up to the door and
pushes the bell.
VICKIE opens the door and looks at him over the
chain.
JAKE
Vickie, open up. I need to come in.
VICKIE
Are you drunk?
JAKE
No. Open the door.
JAKE tries to touch her face through the doorway
crack, but she steps back.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Please, Vick. I won't bother you.
I'm out on bail. You can send the
kids next door. I just gotta pick
one thing up, then I'll get outa
here.
VICKIE thinks a moment, then opens the door and
lets JAKE in.
VICKIE
The kids are sleeping.
JAKE
I promise I just gotta pick up one
thing.
VICKIE
All right, just don't make any
noise.
INT. JAKE'S MIAMI HOUSE - DAY
JAKE walks directly past VICKIE into the living
room. VICKIE watches from a safe distance.
JAKE removes his jewel-studded championship belt
from the glass bookcase and carries it into the
kitchen.
In the kitchen, he takes a hammer and screwdriver
out of a drawer, places the belt on the counter
top, and starts digging the jewels out of it.
VICKIE appears in the doorway.
VICKIE
What are you doing?
JAKE
I need ten thousand dollars. My
lawyer says if we can spread ten
thousand bucks around, we can get
the case dropped.
VICKIE
But they don't have a case against
you.
JAKE
(digging at the belt)
Are you kiddin'? Did you ever see a
14-year-old testify in court? Did
you see the papers? "LaMotta on
Vice Rap." Everybody likes a shot
at the Champ.
VICKIE
Jake, be careful! What're you doing
to the belt?!
JAKE
Don't make no difference no more.
VICKIE
Can't you get the money from your
friends?
JAKE
What friends?
JAKE, frustrated by his task, turns the belt over
and hammers at it. The jewels scatter across the
counter top and floor. JAKE collects the jewels and
puts them in his pockets.
INT. JEWELRY SHOP - DAY
JAKE stands at the counter of a small jewelry
store. The JEWELER examines the stones.
JEWELER
Didn't you also wish to sell the
Championship Belt, Mr. LaMotta?
JAKE
That's it. Those are the jewels
that were in the belt.
JEWELER
But where's the belt?
JAKE
You want the jewels or the belt?
JEWELER
Both. These stones are worth about
fifteen hudred dollars, but the
belt of a champion is a very rare
item. The belt with the stones
untouched would have been worth
near five thousand dollars.
JAKE seems to despair of the whole thing: the belt,
the attempt to raise 10 g's, the vice case, his
life.
EXT. PHONE BOOTH - DAY
JAKE places a call from a booth outside the jewelry
store.
JAKE
(on phone)
I can't raise the ten thousand.
Fuck 'em. Let 'em put me on trial.
INT. BARBIZON DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
Same as Scene 1.
JAKE, 42 years old, continues to rehearse. He is
seated across from a mirror.
JAKE
So there I am in the can... and not
the one that says "gentlemen" on
the door. I'm talkin' about jail!
Down south! I mean, jail up north
is gotta be like summer camp
compared to jail down in cracker
country. And if you're a guy like
me, you ain't got a chance in a
place like that. Especially if
you're Italian... you come from the
Bronx... and you're an ex-champ. As
soon as they saw me... soon as they
heard me... I know I'm in trouble.
To me, they got an accent, and to
them, I got an accent! You gotta
get the picture -- I'm big, I got
small hands, I walk like I'm still
in the ring... the balls of my feet
pop up and down, you know... and
whenever I get the chance, I read a
lot. So naturally, takin' all this
into
consideration, they figure it
adds up to one thing -- I'm queer!
Now I didn't mind too much when
they called me "Queer" or "Mr.
Tough Guy" or "Yankee Punk"... But
one day these screws got to me... I
was workin' on the work gang,
pickin' up some trees that were
knocked down by a storm or
somethin' and puttin' 'em on this
truck. All of a sudden... one of
the trees slipped and fell on me
and pinned me to the ground. I'm
lyin' there with a tree across my
chest! This screw walks over,
takin' his time, he looks down at
me and says, "Well, Champ Pimp...
you lyin' down on the job again?"!
They got a great sense of humor
when they're standin' there with a
gun in their arms and you got a
tree on your chest! So I look up at
him and say, "Oh, this tree...
it fell on me." And he says, "Oh,
I'm sorry... If I'd have known, I
would've yelled 'timber'" I said,
"Hey, look... it hurts. I think
maybe I broke somethin'!" He says,
"Well, whaddaya know... Champ
PImp's got himself a boo-boo." Then
I got as stupid as him. I said, "If
I'm Champ Pimp... how 'bout givin'
me the money you made last night?"!
Then another screw comes over and
says, "This Yankee creep givin' you
trouble?" -- What kind of trouble?
What am I gonna do -- hit 'em with
the tree? Now anybody else in their
right mind would've said, "No sir,
I wouldn't think of giving any of
you gentlemen trouble... I just
want to serve my time and get the
hell out of here as soon as I can."
That's anybody else. When I said
it... it was a little different.
"You stupid cracker... take your
hands off me or I'll get up and
kick your brains out -- but first
you gotta bend over so I can find
'em!" Next thing I know I'm in the
hole. Solitary confinement. All my
life I had guys in my corner
yellin' "Go get 'em, jake... kill
'em! You're the greatest." Now
there's nobody rootin' for me. But
it wasn't so bad. I learned things
there. I learned how to scratch a
calendar on the wall. I never knew
how to do that before. Now I know.
Monday is one scratch. Tuesday is
two scratches. Wednesday is three
scratches. And so on. Except for
Sundays. Sundays is no scratches.
Sundays rested.
INT. DADE COUNTY STOCKADE - DAY
The CAMERA TRACKS down the lonely corridors of the
Dade County Prison. Empty faces stare out from
behind the bars.
JAKE is led down a long corridor by TWO GUARDS. His
hands and legs are manacled and chained.
The GUARDS, redneck screws both, take special
pleasure in working JAKE over.
They take JAKE to the "Hole" -- solitary
confinement.
ONE of the GUARDS unmanacles JAKE.
Both GUARDS push JAKE into the cell and slam the
door.
INT. THE HOLE - DAY OR NIGHT
A thin slit provides the only light in JAKE's cell.
The rough cement walls are covered with obscure
graffiti. The 8x8x8 room features only a cot and a
toilet.
The room is mostly darkness. Sounds are more
tangible here than sights.
WE SEE JAKE's body as it passes through the slit of
light.
JAKE crouches into the corner away from the light.
As WE SEE JAKE's face, the following MONTAGE images
appear.
(There will be contrasting sound effects
accompanying the images: for example, the image of
JAKE hitting VICKIE might be accompanied by the
sounds from a love scene between them.)
A) 1940s black and white pornography: partially
clothed men and women engaged in explicit sex acts.
B) Boxing magazines: fighters' beaten and bloody
faces. A body building ad: Charles Atlas raises his
muscled biceps.
C) Li'l Abner comics; Daisy Mae's tits seem about
to fall free.
D) Reprise from earlier scene: Back in JAKE and
IRMA's old apartment, JOEY, using a towel as a
glove, punches JAKE in the face.
E) A 1934 "OLDER GIRL" sashays into the candy store
in flickering 8mm black and white footage. WE SEE
ohter Bronx PRETEEN GIRLS walking, smiling.
F) At Shorehaven pool, JAKE and JOEY, in bathing
suits, are sleeping in the sun next to each other.
OTHER BATHERS are around, also taking in the sun.
G) Reprise from earlier scene: As in D, JOEY hits
JAKE in the face again.
WE SEE again the image of JAKE's face as he sits in
his cell.
The MONTAGE continues:
H) JANIRO's face at the weigh-in.
I) JAKE throws JANIRO a kiss at the weigh-in.
J) JAKE punches in JANIRO's face.
K) A naked GIRL stands in the doorway of a bedroom.
L) JAKE lies in bed with IRMA staring at the
ceiling.
M) VICKIE's pretty young face DOUBLE EXPOSES with
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON's.
N) DR. PINTO injects novacaine into JAKE's fists.
O) Sitting in his corner of the ring, JAKE spits
blood into a pail...
P) Still in JAKE's corner: JOEY wipes off his
brother's bloody face.
Q) Still in JAKE's corner: There is an open cut
over JAKE's eye. JOEY, rushing against time, sucks
the blood from the wound as DR. PINTO begins to
examine it.
R) Still in JAKE's corner: JOEY puts the mouthpiece
in JAKE's mouth. (SLOW MOTION)
S) JAKE wins over CERDAN. JOEY, overenthusiastic,
hits JAKE on the back of the head a little too
hard. JAKE gives JOEY a quick look, but JOEY just
embraces him.
T) On a bed, a GIRL is going down on JOEY. The GIRL
turns and looks up at JAKE. It's LINDA, the
waitress from his club. JAKE stares.
U) JAKE's fist hits LINDA's face.
V) VICKIE playfully bends JAKE's hand back,
pretending to break it.
W) JAKE hits LINDA again. She cries.
X) Repeat image N: DR. PINTO injects novocaine into
JAKE's fists.
WE SEE again the image of JAKE's face as he sits in
his cell.
The MONTAGE continues:
Y) VICKIE is in her underwear in a bedroom. A pair
of black arms come in and embrace her body.
Z) CLOSE UP of JAKE; he reacts to this. He's in the
ring with SUGAR RAY. He knocks SUGAR RAY out of the
ring.
AA) VICKIE again. JAKE approaches her from behind,
pulls her head back by her hair, and slaps her.
BB) THE ANNOUNCER points to SUGAR RAY as the
winner. (Different fight.) CAMERA PANS to RAY,
victorious, his arms up.
CC) A bloodied JAKE comes over to SUGAR RAY and
embraces him.
WE ARE BACK WITH JAKE in the cell. He slowly starts
to bang his head against the wall.
JAKE
(murmuring)
Why, why, why?
(with each bang of his
head)
I'm a man, I'm a man. I'm no
faggot. I'm not a faggot. Ma, why?
What do they want? My cock's not
enough. What do they want from me?
Why? Ma? Why?
JAKE is now smashing the wall with all his strength
-- vicious body punches.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Why, why, why me? You took it away
from me. They took everything away.
What do they want from me? What the
fuck do they want from me? I ain't
bad. I ain't bad. I'm not that guy.
I'm not that guy. I'm not a
monster. I'm not an animal.
JAKE breaks his knuckles; the pain and blood are
unbearable.
JAKE collapses to the concrete floor. His hands are
smashed. He cries, then sobs.
JAKE (CONT'D)
I'm not like that. Please. I'm not
like that. Please. Please. Please.
Then silence.
We begin to hear: JAKE doing a monologue.
JAKE (CONT'D)
And so, as Shakespeare said, I've
been down so low there's nowhere
else to go.
INT. METROPOLE - NIGHT (1958)
The Metropole is a club on 7th Avenue off Times
Square.
JAKE LAMOTTA, 36 years old and wearing a hip
Fifties suit, continues his monologue.
JAKE
Except here, gentlemen, with you
bums. I call you "gentlemen"... but
you know what you really are! You
know, this place used to be pretty
exclusive... now they got bouncers
outside to throw the drunks in! My
first night here I said to the
boss, "Where's the toilet?" -- He
said, "You're in it!" By the way,
this engagement is just a stepping
stone for me. If I do good here,
I'm ready to get out of the
business!
The CROWD starts to shout: "Get the fuck off the
stage!"
JAKE (CONT'D)
OK, OK, I know what you're waitin'
for -- and from the looks of you,
you been waitin' for it for a long
time. I had my own joint in Miami
Beach once... it was too high-class
for you guys... we had a 50-cent
minimum charge just to keep out the
riff-raff!
The CROWD continues to shout, as before, also
shouting: "Bring out the girls!"
JAKE (CONT'D)
Hey, sorry. Here's your girls.
(grabs his crotch)
Yeah, she's here... just like it's
advertised out front. She's come
back. A girl who's seen the Lower
Depths... who's been as far as I
have in that direction. She's on
her way back up now... give you an
idea how low she was! Let's give
her a warm welcome... make her glad
she's back, boys. -- Miss Emma
48's!
JAKE gets off the stage as MISS EMMA 48's goes into
her dance. He goes over to the bar and gets a
drink. SEVERAL OLDER MEN in T-shirts - a
disreputable looking lot - are at the bar.
EXT. METROPOLE - NIGHT
The Club is closing. JAKE and EMMA, the stripper,
come out and walk by a delicatessen on their way to
a parking lot.
JAKE sees his brother JOEY enter the delicatessen.
JAKE
Look, sweetie, be a good girl.
Here's some money. Take a cab. Go
home by yourself. Just wanna walk
around a little, sort of unwind.
OK?
EMMA
Will I see you later?
JAKE
Yeah. I dunno... I'll call you.
JAKE goes to the parking lot entrance as EMMA gets
into a cab.
DISSOLVE
TO:
EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT
It's about twenty minutes later.
DOLLY INTO A MEDIUM SHOT of JAKE waiting by the
parking lot. He looks at the delicatessen.
JOEY finally comes out carrying a paper bag. Not
noticing JAKE, he walks right past him to his car
which is parked near the rear of the outdoor lot.
JAKE
Hey, Joey --
JAKE walks towards JOEY with his hand outstretched.
JOEY looks at JAKE. Silence. JOEY turns his back
and starts to get into his car.
JAKE runs over to JOEY and grabs his shoulder.
JAKE (CONT'D)
No, Joey, no. Look, wait a minute,
please --
JOEY looks at JAKE like he's shit, throws JAKE's
hand off his shoulder, and starts to get into his
car again.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Aw, Joey --
JAKE stops JOEY from getting into his car. He puts
his hand on JOEY's shoulder again.
JAKE (CONT'D)
You're right. You're perfectly
right. You got every right in the
world to hate my guts.
JOEY pulls away from JAKE's hand, and tries to put
the paper bag into the front seat of the car.
JAKE (CONT'D)
No, please. I know I was a
cocksucker. You're right. I shoulda
never raised my hands to you.
JOEY half pushes JAKE away, and begins to get into
his car again.
JAKE pulls JOEY by the arm.
JAKE (CONT'D)
No, Joey, listen to me --
JAKE pulls too hard, causing JOEY to drop the paper
bag to his feet. The containers of coffee and tea
in the bag break open and splatter JOEY's pants
legs.
JOEY stares down at his pants, then up at JAKE.
Suddenly, he belts JAKE with a left and a right to
the jaw. JAKE is taken by surprise, and backs off
to get his own hands up.
JOEY keeps pouring it on. JAKE drops his hands and
takes it.
JAKE (CONT'D)
Go ahead.
(gets punched)
Hit me again.
(gets punched)
I deserve it...
(gets punched)
Pay me back...
(gets punched)
More...
(gets punched)
JOEY stops in mid-punch and stares at JAKE. He
can't figure it out.
JAKE nods and tries to smile, but starts to cry
instead.
JAKE (CONT'D)
More. Go ahead, Joey. I deserve it.
JOEY pauses, then finally throws a very weak punch
to JAKE's shoulder. He leaves his hand there --
then, uncurls his fist -- and finally puts his hand
around JAKE's neck as tears start to fill his eyes.
JOEY hugs JAKE close to him, crying.
They hug each other, both crying. They don't say
anything.
EXT. BARBIZON PLAZA THEATER - NIGHT (1964)
The theater lights are flashing.
This may not be Broadway, but it's a long way from
the Metropole. The entrance to the Barbizon looks
out on the corner of 6th Avenue and Central Park
South.
A stand-up billboard in front of the theater
advertises "An Evening with Jake LaMotta." The
billboard also lists the authors whose works will
be performed: Paddy Chayevsky, Rod Serling,
Shakespeare, Bud Schulberg, Tennessee Williams.
INT. BARBIZON DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT
Same as Scenes One and Eighty-One.
JAKE is alone preparing to go onstage. He
rehearses.
JAKE
You know, I'm not a philosopher or
anything like that but I been
around a little and the way I look
at it is -- We're, all of us,
lookin' for the same thing: a shot
at the title. No matter what you
wanta be... you wanta shot at bein'
the best. Well, I had mine and
it'll always be in the record
books... it don't make no
difference what happens to me from
here on in -- I got my shot and
that's a fact. Some guys weren't
that lucky... like the one Marlon
Brando played in "On the
Waterfront" -- an up and comer
who's now a down and outer. You
remember... there was this scene in
the back of the car with his
brother Charlie, a small-time
racket guy, and it went somethin'
like this -- "It wasn't him,
Charlie. It was you. You 'member
that night in the Garden you came
down my dressing room and said.
'Kid, this ain't your night. We're
going for the price on Wilson.' You
'member that? 'This ain't your
night!' My night -- I coulda taken
Wilson apart! So what happens? He
gets the title shot outdoors on the
ballpark, and what do I get? A one
way ticket to Palookaville. I never
was no good after that night. It
was like a peak you reach. Then it
went downhill. It was you, Charlie.
You was my brother, Charlie. You
shoulda looked out for me a little
bit.
You shoulda taken care of me just a
little bit so I wouldn't have to
take them dives for the short end
money... You don't understand! I
coulda had class. I coulda been a
contender. I coulda been somebody --
instead of a bum, which is what I
am. Let's face it. It was you,
Charlie."
A shadow goes by the frame; it's a STAGEHAND.
STAGEHAND (O.S.)
Hey Jake, how you doing?
The shadow exits.
JAKE
How long do I have?
The shadow pops in again.
STAGEHAND (O.S.)
About five minutes
The shadow exits.
JAKE
OK.
JAKE pauses, then starts to shadow-box in his
dressing room.
His breath comes in quick gasps. His feet pop up
and down like they were on canvas. His tiny fists
jerk forward with short bursts of light.
Still alive. Still a contender. A 42-year-old man
fighting for his shot.
The CAMERA DOLLIES into a FULL SHOT of his fists as
they hit the empty air -- in and out of the frame.
This quote appears: (Music in)
"Verily, verily I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again,
He can not enter into the kingdom of
heaven..."
John 3-3
The CAMERA goes into DARKNESS.
The END CREDITS roll up.
THE END
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