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Malcolm X (1992)

by James Baldwin, Arnold Perl and Spike Lee.
Based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley.
Fourth draft (1991).

More info about this movie on IMDb.com


FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY



FADE IN:

1  	EXT. ROXBURY STREET - THE WAR YEARS - DAY 

It is a bright sunny day on a crowded street on the black side of 
Boston. PEOPLE and KIDS are busy with their own things. 

SHORTY bops his way down the street. He is a runty, very dark 
young man of 21 with a mission and a smile on his face. He wears 
the flamboyant style of the time: the whole zoot-suit, pegged legs 
and a wide brim hat with a white feather stuck in the hat band.

2 	OMIT 

3 	OMIT 

4 	OMIT

5 	EXT. STREET - DAY 

FOLLOW SHOT. Shorty dodges through the crowd with his packages. 
His smile is one of anticipation. He nods to a PAL without 
stopping; eyes a COUPLE OF CHICKS dancing on the street, but is 
not dissuaded.

6	INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY 

Shorty has his jacket and hat off, his sleeves rolled up. He is like a 
surgeon preparing for an operation. His equipment is spread out on 
a table: can of lye, large mason jar, wooden stirring spoon, knife, 
the eggs. His actions have the character of a ritual: each thing 
being done just so, in time-honored fashion.

He slices the potatoes and drops the thin slices into the mason jar.
He adds water and makes a paste of the starch.

Behind Shorty is a spirited barbershop conversation. ONE MAN is
 getting a haircut; TWO OTHERS are watching (TOOMER, JASON)
one of them from behind a newspaper. A middle-aged barber, 
CHOLLY, is doing most of the talking.

			CHOLLY 
	After I hit the number that woman wasn't no good 
	to me at all.

The men laugh.

ANGLE - Shorty pries open the can of lye, whiffs it. It's good and 
strong. He pours some in the mason jar, stirring with the wooden 
spoon. He cracks the eggs into the mixture and stirs. He waits as 
fumes rise and feels the outside of the jar as it gets hot.

ANOTHER ANGLE - The barbershop SEEN from a door, slightly 
ajar. A woolly head, entirely in shadow, peers out. 

			CHOLLY'S VOICE 
	She says I'm cheap cuz I won't cop her a diamond 
	ring. Had the indignation to call me a cheap 
	black sunovabitch to boot.

			TOOMER 
	And when a black woman call you a cheap black 
	sunovabitch you've been called a cheap black 
	sunovabitch.

Cholly is annoyed. It's _his_ story. 

			CHOLLY 
	Will you let me tell it?

ON SHORTY - He opens the bulky package he has been carrying, 
unfolds a large rubber apron and gets into it. Now he dons a pair of
 rubber gloves.

			SHORTY 
	Where's Homeboy?

He is all ready; one of his hands is filled with a huge glob of 
Vaseline. His manner is indignant as if he were asking the whereabouts 
of an exasperating child.

			CHOLLY 
	Red's in the head, man.

			TOOMER 
	You mean hiding in the head.

			CHOLLY 
	Hey, Red. Your man's here and waiting on you. 

His hands full, Cholly opens the door with his feet and MALCOLM comes 
out, a big, gawky, bright-faced country boy, wearing downhome clothes 
and an expression of apprehension.

			TOOMER 
	Gonna get that first conk laid on, hunh, 
	Homeboy?

			CHOLLY 
	Man, don't scare him more than he's scared 
	already. Ain't too bad...

Malcolm allows himself to be led to an empty chair, where Cholly drapes 
him with a double sheet, tucking it tightly around his neck and adding 
a protective collar of paper.

			CHOLLY
...Like anything else. First time a chick gets her 
cherry popped, she might put up a little fight. But 
pretty soon you can't give her enough. Right, 
Homeboy?

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

Malcolm gulps, his eyes on the fuming mason jar. 

Shorty starts massaging a great quantity of Vaseline into Malcolm's 
scalp, covering his neck and ears as well. All the men have gathered
 around, involved in the ritual. For Malcolm it is closer to being a 
kind of execution.

			CHOLLY 
	Git his forehead and eyebrows.

			SHORTY 
	I know what I'm doing.

Shorty applies the Vaseline to that area.  Now he brings over the
steaming jar and places it nearby.

			SHORTY (contd)
 	Listen. You pull my coat if it's still stinging 
	when I get through 'cause this shit can burn a 
	hole through cement.

			CHOLLY 
	Hold tight, baby, and keep your eyes shut.

Malcolm nods his head, clenches his eyes and grits his teeth. Shorty 
applies the congolene with a comb, working it into Malcolm's hair.

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

			MALCOLM
	I thought you said it was gonna sting... this 
	ain't nothin'.

For a moment nothing happens, then the heat hits him. He yells, tries 
to catch his breath: his head is on fire.

                 MALCOLM (contd)
	You motherfucker.  You're killing me. I'm 
	burning up. My damn head is on fire.

He nearly leaps out of the chair, but the barber restrains him.

Shorty, utterly unmoved by the outburst, continues working the 
congolene into his hair. 

Malcolm breaks out of the chair wildly. But the three men drag him to a 
basin where Shorty has attached the shower spray. His cries filling the 
room, Malcolm is ducked under the spray. Shorty starts rinsing out his 
hair.

			SHORTY 
	Don't fight me, man. Let me git it out.

Malcolm is a little relieved, he tentatively opens his eyes, then he 
feels the congolene again and there is another outburst. Shorty forces 
his head under the spray, spurts the water all over his head, wetting 
Malcolm and the shop in the process.

7	OMIT 

8 	OMIT

9  	INT. CLOTHING STORE - DAY

			SHORTY 
	Well, Homeboy, you almost there. Turn around.

Shorty is supervising as Malcolm tries on a zoot suit. He slips into 
the jacket...

Shoes-off, Malcolm steps into the tight-fltting peg-legged pants ......
 dons a wide-brimmed hat with a bright blue feather.... Finally, fully 
outfitted, he leans forward toward his new image in the full-length 
mirror, twirling a long, dangling key chain.

  				SHORTY 
	Well, all right, then.

				MALCOLM 
	Well, all reet, then.

The transformation is complete. The two laugh and slap hands. 

10	EXT. ROXBURY STREET - DAY

Malcolm and Shorty come strutting down the street: two conked,
zoot-suited sharpies. Hometown boy has departed. And the CHICKS on the 
street notice them, especially Malcolm, the taller of the two, the 
lighter-skinned, the more dominant. They walk imperiously past, fully 
aware of their impact.

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM

FREEZE FRAME. He becomes a STILL.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	When my mother was pregnant with me, she told 
	me later, a party of Klansmen on horseback 
	surrounded our house in Omaha.

10A 	ANGLE. KLAN on horses in front of house.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	They brandished guns and shouted for my father 
	to come out. My mother went to the door where 
	they could see her pregnant condition... 

ANGLE. A pregnant Louise Little on porch.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	...and told them my father was in Milwaukee, 
	preaching. 

ANGLE. The Klan breaks all the windows in the house then rides off into 
the glorious D.W. Griffith _Birth of a Nation_ moonlit night. 

CLOSE - LOUISE LITTLE

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd)
	The hooded Klansman said the good, white 
	Christians would not stand for his 
	troublemaking, and to get out of town.

ANGLE. The terrified Little children look out a broken window at their 
mother.

ANGLE. AN OLD FRAME HOUSE IN OMAHA

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd)
	They broke every window with their rifle butts 
	before riding off into the night, their torches 
	flaming.

ANGLE. FRONT PORCH OF THE LITTLE HOUSE - AN EMPTY ROCKER ON IT

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd)
 	My father was not a frightened Negro as most 
	were then and as many still are today. He was 
	six feet four and very black...

10B 	CLOSE - EARL LITTLE

He looks directly into the camera, wearing a Baptist Minister's robe.

 			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	...and had a glass eye. He believed, as did 
	Marcus Garvey, that freedom, independence and 
	self-respect could never be achieved by the 
	Negro in America . . .

10C 	CLOSE - EARL LITTLE

He wears a Garvey hat, ornate with gold braid.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	...that, therefore, black men should leave 
	America and return to the land of their origin.

10D 	ANGLE. Earl Little, in a wagon with little Malcolm.

CLOSE - EARL LITTLE:

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	My father dedicated his life to his beliefs 
	because he had seen four of his six brothers 
	die violently...

10E 	WIDER ANGLE. WE SEE Earl in front of a podium in church. He is
preaching.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	...three killed by white men and one lynched. 
	There are nine children in our family.

ANGLE. The nine Little children. 

CLOSE - LOUISE LITTLE 

She is a pretty, mature woman and white-looking.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	My mother was an attractive woman, an educated 
	woman, a strong woman.

10F CLOSE - LOUISE AND EARL

A posed wedding picture, serious but sweet.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	She was very light, her mama was raped by a 
	white man. One of the reasons she married my 
	father was because he was so black, she 
	disliked her complexion and wanted her children 
	to have some color.

CLOSE SHOT

Flash bulb of camera flashes. 

11	OMIT

12 	OMIT 

13 	OMIT 

14 	OMIT

15 	INT. ROSELAND STATE BALLROOM - NIGHT

CLOSE - MALCOLM AND SHORTY

They both were posed for a picture. The music "FLYING HOME" is blaring 
as LIONEL HAMPTON and his band is killing. The music is WILD, the
 dancing is frantic, the clothes are OUT, and the crowd is predominately 
BLACK, although there is a peppering of WHITES, especially white chicks.
 And Malcolm is a little bug-eyed as he nudges Shorty, watching mixed 
couples on the floor. 

A BOY in extreme zoot-suit flips him; a WHITE GIRL in long blond
hair wigs him. Malcolm is a little open-mouthed.

			A VOICE 
	SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME!

ANGLE - THE BALLROOM - NIGHT 

People start moving off the floor, making room for the dancers. The 
music begins to get faster and more furious. 

CLOSE - HAMPTON'S BAND - NIGHT 

It is a fast Lindy. People start clapping to the beat as they form a U 
around the DANCERS, with the band at the open end.

16 	INT. THE DANCE FLOOR

TWO COUPLES are on the floor, dancing wildly. They are quickly joined 
by a half dozen OTHERS. These are the best dancers and constitute the 
main event of a Saturday night black dance. People crowd and push to 
get better vantage points and the competition is under way.

ANGLE ON THE CROWD 

It is dominantly black, but there are some whites in the audience, 
mostly women. One is SOPHIA, a spectacular blonde with a degree of
 refinement, something of a thrill-seeker. Many of the men try to catch 
her eye, but for the moment Sophia is just watching, looking for no one 
in particular, but nonetheless looking.

ANGLE: - COUPLE ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Getting ready to enter the fray, the GIRL takes off her shoes and 
bounces out on the floor barefoot with her partner. Their advent is 
greeted with cheers and ad libs. Clearly the crowd has its favorites. 

WIDER SHOT

The music gets faster and the dancing takes on a more frantic and more 
remarkable quality. 

FOLLOW SHOT - MALCOLM 

He is looking for his partner, the girl he brought and now he sees her. 
He makes his way through the watching audience. 

CLOSE - LAURA 

She is a fine chick, cool and beautiful. She smiles as she sees Malcolm 
approaching.

TWO-SHOT. Laura and Malcolm stand together, delighted to be with one 
another, starting to move to the music, as they watch the dancers.

			MALCOLM 
	Come on, baby, let's show 'em how.

Laura smiles shyly; she's willing.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	You better get out of them shoes, girl.

Laura laughs, goes quickly to a bench and changes into a pair of 
sneakers.

17 	INT. THE DANCE FLOOR

Because of the competition, Laura and Malcolm begin at high speed. In a 
moment they are executing the most intricate steps of the "flapping 
eagle" and the "kangaroo." Malcolm starts boosting her over and around 
his hips, then boosting her over his shoulders. Laura is the perfect 
partner. She loves it.

ANGLE WITH THE CROWD

So does the crowd, who loves new stars. There are ad lib remarks: "Go,
 man, go." "Hey, Red." "Mmmmmm ummm."

ANGLE: - SHORTY

A big, fat, hefty BLACK WOMAN takes Shorty out to the dance floor, and 
she takes the lead. As they do the Lindy she is slinging Shorty around 
like a rag doll. This woman slides him through her legs and Shorty has 
had enough, he runs off the dance floor, and hides.

TWO-SHOT. Laura and Malcolm are, in the phrase, cooking on all burners 
now; and when they execute an especially intricate step, even Hamp 
waves over.

Malcolm is sweating and flushed and enormously elated. He sees that 
people are watching him, goading him on. He notices that Sophia, in 
particular, has not taken her eyes off him; she is clapping in time to 
his steps.

Seeing new stars in the making, the other dancers move to the side of 
the floor, marking time, yielding the dance floor to them. Laura and 
Malcolm go into a solo.

ANGLES

The crowd loves it. Malcolm and Sophia are very aware of each other. 
The finale is the classic drag, with Laura hanging limp around 
Malcolm's neck as he capers off the dance floor to the spontaneous 
applause of the audience. 

CLOSE SHOT - SOPHIA (SLO-MO) 

Clapping enthusiastically -- in open admiration. 

CLOSE SHOT - SHORTY

Waiting to catch them as they come off. Shorty is whistling and shaking 
his hand appreciatively. He is also looking out for his dance partner.

			SHORTY 
	Hey, man, gimme some skin.

			MALCOLM 
	Shorty, this is Laura.

Laura is flushed and out of breath and joyous.

			LAURA
	'Lo. I've got to freshen up.

			MALCOLM 
	Now you come back.

Laura laughs as she goes. She surely will be back.

			SHORTY 
	That's a fine chick.

			MALCOLM 
	Fine as May wine.

			SHORTY 
	Except she live on the hill and got a grandma.

			MALCOLM 
	Make it too easy and it ain't no fun.

Then his vision catches Sophia, who is approaching him. She makes a 
simple, direct gesture, "Want to dance?" Malcolm eyes Shorty and 
wordlessly glides into Sophia's arms.

ANGLE - THE DANCE FLOOR

Immediately from the glances of the other men at the dance, he is the 
cynosure of all eyes. He has new status. It's a heady feeling because 
she is the first white girl he has ever been with socially who is not 
an obvious whore. He begins to show off a little, cuts a few fine 
steps.

TWO-SHOT. They are dancing closer than before. Sophia begins to rock 
his black world. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

Trying to play it cool -- but he is beginning to pant. Not from the 
dancing, but from the situation: a gorgeous white chick asking for
 it.

			SOPHIA 
	Why don't you take your little girl home, Red, 
	and come on back?

He stops in his tracks. He can't believe it.

			SOPHIA (contd) 
	Just walk. Don't run. It'll be here when you 
	get back. 

He can only grin.

18	EXT. LAURA'S HOUSE - ROXBURY - NIGHT 

The porch of a respectable house. Malcolm with Laura; he anxious to get 
away.

			MALCOLM 
	I better not come in.

			LAURA
	I ain't stupid.

			MALCOLM 
	I mean it's late, baby.

			LAURA
	I know where you're going.

			MALCOLM 
	I'm going to bed. I gotta work tomorrow, need 
	my rest.

Laura walks to the door.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Baby, I'll call you tomorrow.

			LAURA
	What for? I ain't white and I don't put out. 

The front door opens, it's Laura's grandmother, MRS. JOHNSON.

			MALCOLM 
	'Night, Mrs. Johnson.

He runs down the porch steps.

19	INT. SOPHIA'S CAR - NIGHT

The lone light emits from the car radio which plays The Inkspots' "IF I
 DIDN'T CARE."

ANGLE - SOPHIA

Sophia pulls her tight sweater over her head to expose two full ripe 
white breasts. Malcolm's eyes are popping out of his head. NOTE: It's 
very unusual for women not to wear a bra back in that day but you might 
say Sophia was way ahead of her time.

			SOPHIA
	Malcolm, look at them. Have you ever seen white 
	breasts like these?

CLOSE - MALCOLM

He shakes his head.

			SOPHIA (contd) 
	Put your black hands on them.

He is paralyzed.

			SOPHIA (contd) 
	Please do as I say.

Malcolm mumbles something. He then kisses Sophia as if his black life 
depended on it and he commences to kill it.

			SOPHIA (contd) 
	Hey, baby.

 She stops him for a moment, but he buries his head in her long neck.

			SOPHIA (contd) 
	Am I the first white woman you've been with? 

She already knows the answer. He laughs.

			MALCOLM 
	Sheeet, you ain't. I had aplenty.

			SOPHIA
	...That isn't a whore?

Knowing she's right, Sophia becomes the aggressor. 

A beat -- both panting -- then Malcolm stops abruptly. He raises his 
hand to his face, then to Sophia's hand which is still caressing him.

			SOPHIA
	That's alright. Baby, take your time. Sophia's 
	not going anywhere. I told you to walk, don't 
	run.

			MALCOLM 
	Shhhh! I don't like women that talk.

CLOSE - SOPHIA

She shrugs, then moves to embrace him.

			SOPHIA 
	Who wants to talk? 

The couple starts at it again. 

19A	INT. MOVIE THEATRE - DAY

On the screen, Bogart and Cagney are blasting away the dirty, flat-
footed coppers with machine guns. It's one of those great Warner 
Brothers gangster B movies, maybe _The Roaring Twenties_.

ANGLE - MALCOLM AND SHORTY

Malcolm and Shorty sit, transfixed in their seats.

			MALCOLM 
	Don't you know, you can't hump the Bogart.

			SHORTY 
	Eat lead, coppers.

80 	EXT. BOSTON COMMONS - DAY

A bright, sunny day, long shadows in the park. The Commons is almost 
empty. Two improbable zoot-suited blacks race past trees, and run over 
the grass. Malcolm and Shorty are playing Cops and Robbers while 
PASSERSBY stare.

			SHORTY 
	Bang, bang. You're dead.

			MALCOLM 
	Naw, you missed me, copper. Try this on for 
	size. 

Malcolm fires an imaginary tommy machine gun at Shorty.

			SHORTY 
	I forgot to tell you I'm wearing a bulletproof 
	vest.

			MALCOLM 
	The hell you are.

			SHORTY 
	I'm tired of always playing the cops. I wanna 
	be Bogart sometimes.

			MALCOLM 
	You're too small to be Bogart.

			SHORTY 
	I'm not too short to be Cagney.

Shorty shoots Malcolm from behind.

			SHORTY (contd) 
	Pow. Take that.

Malcolm acts as if he's been hit.

			MALCOLM 
	Ahhh! You got me, you dirty, filthy, rotten, 
	stinking copper, only a low-down yellow rat 
	bastard would shoot a man in the back.

Malcolm starts to stagger, this is a long drawn out Hollywood drawn-out 
death a la Cagney death in _Public Enemy_. 

LOW ANGLE - MALCOLM

Malcolm falls directly into the camera, face first, and Shorty stands 
over him.

			SHORTY 
	He use to be a big shot.

21	OMIT 

22	OMIT

23 	OMIT 

24 	OMIT 

25 	OMIT 

26 	EXT. THE TROLLEY TRACKS - NIGHT (REMEMBERED TIME)

MATCH CUT

CLOSE EARL LITTLE 

Earl Little's face is in the same exact position as Malcolm's from the 
previous scene. His mouth opens in terror as the moving trolley comes 
closer and closer to the black man lying on the tracks.

27 	INT. A HEARING ROOM - DAY

A room, clinically empty; table, chair, and MR. HOLWAY. He is putting 
papers into his briefcase; the hearing is concluded.

			LOUISE 
	What you mean took his own life?!

			HOLWAY 
	I'm sorry, ma'am. You heard the verdict. A man 
	bash in the back of his head with a hammer, lay 
	down on the tracks and kill himself! We merely 
	act on the verdict. We don't make them.

He is nearly out the door.

			LOUISE 
	Do you pay or don't you?

			HOLWAY 
	Read the policy, ma'am. It clearly states.

28	OMIT

29 	INT. SOPHIA'S APARTMENT - MORNING

Malcolm lies in bed, naked under the sheet. A half-empty whiskey bottle 
and an ashtray full of butts are on the night table: last night's 
partying.

			SOPHIA
	You like 'em scrambled soft or hard, sweetie?

			MALCOLM 
	C'mere.

WIDEN TO SHOW SOPHIA at the stove fixing eggs. She wears an apron and 
nothing else. It's a nicely furnished middle-class apartment.

			SOPHIA 
	Sweetie, they're almost ready.

			MALCOLM 
	You hear me, girl?

She shrugs, shuts off the burner, smiles and ambles toward him. 

			SOPHIA 
	You the man. 

			MALCOLM 
	You better believe it. 

She starts to sit down on the bed next to him. 

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Sit over there.

He points to a nearby chair. Sophia makes an amiable hand-shrug and 
complacently goes.

			SOPHIA 
	You evil this morning. 

			MALCOLM 
	What's your story, baby?

He doesn't want to hear her; he wants to talk. He goes right on: 

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	You one of them white bitches can't get enough 
	black dick. Is that what you are?

Sophia smiles. She aims to please. Malcolm smacks the bed next to him. 
She gets up and comes over.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Take it off.

She takes off the apron.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Now kiss my feet. Kiss 'em!

CLOSE - SOPHIA 

As Sophia bends to do so.

			MALCOLM 
	Feed me.

ANGLE. Sophia now has the scrambled eggs on a plate at Malcolm's side. 
She spoons some into his mouth. He chews and swallows slowly, then 
grabs her head and brings it to his. A long, brutal kiss. Then he pulls 
her head away by the hair. She looks at him: anything he wants.

			MALCOLM 
	Yeah, girl; that's your story. When you gonna 
	holler "rape," sister?

			SOPHIA
	Me?

			MALCOLM 
	You will, baby -- if the time come.

			SOPHIA 
	Lemme feed you, sweetie, while they hot. 

Malcolm lays back on the pillow and she holds out the eggs to him.

			MALCOLM 
	Sure wish your mama and papa could see you now. 
	And that ofay you gonna marry. 

30	EXT. A BEACH - BRIGHT SUNLIGHT - DAY

Malcolm and Laura are on a deserted Cape beach. They are dressed but 
have their shoes and socks off, and he has his trousers rolled up. They 
walk, like birds, avoiding getting their feet wet as the waves roll in.

			LAURA
	Malcolm, you can be anything you want. You got 
	class and you're smart.

 			MALCOLM 
	All them books you read and you still don't 
	know nuthin.

			LAURA
	I do know I love you.

Laura stops him and moves to him. Her kiss is a tender one, exploratory. 
Then Malcolm responds, embracing her fully. Her arms go around him as 
they both drop into the sand. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM AND LAURA

			LAURA
	Oh, Malcolm, I love you. Please, there's no one 
	around. Now?

Malcolm turns his head from her, he gets up.

			MALCOLM 
	Let's go.

			LAURA
	Why? Is it because of your white gal? Folks say 
	you're running around town with her.

			MALCOLM 
	Save it, baby. Save it for Mr. Right, 'cause 
	your grandma's smarter than ya think.

She looks at him.

			LAURA
	She raised me, my mother died when I was six. 
	Is your mother alive?

			MALCOLM 
	Yeah, she's alive.

31 	OMIT

32	OMIT


33	INT. DRUGSTORE - EVENING 

Laura is eating a banana split. Malcolm is smoking and drinking coffee.

			MALCOLM 
	You know how dumb I was? I used to think that 
	"Not For Sale" was a brand name.

Laura looks over. She doesn't understand.

34	INT. LITTLE KITCHEN - DAY

Louise's hand reaches for a small sack of flour stamped "Not For Sale." 
She brings it down on the table with a hard, controlled whap.

			MISS DUNNE'S VOICE 
	I did knock.

Louise doesn't look up.

			LOUISE 
	Did you hear me say come in?

WIDEN TO SHOW Louise with a WHITE SOCIAL WORKER, MISS DUNNE complete 
with pad, pencil and goodwill. Huddled out of sight, but nonetheless 
visible, are five small BLACK CHILDREN.

			MISS DUNNE
	There's no point in fighting about it. I'm 
	sorry. May I sit down?

Louise is very aware of the children and struggling for self-possession.

			LOUISE 
	As you nice enough to ask, we'll git you one. 

One of the children brings over a chair. Miss Dunne sets out her papers.

			MISS DUNNE
	It's the same questions, Mrs. Little. Since the 
	death of your husband--

			LOUISE 
	Murder.

			MISS DUNNE
	-- there is a serious question as to whether --

                      LOUISE
	These  are  my  children. Mine. And they ain't 
	no question. None.

			MISS DUNNE
	I think sometimes, Mrs. Little, candor is the 
	only kindness.

PAN THE CHILDREN'S FACES

			MISS DUNNE (contd) 
	All of your children are delinquent, Mrs. 
	Little, and one, at least, Malcolm is a thief.

			LOUISE 
	Get out.

			MISS DUNNE
		(still sitting) 
	Your control over your children, therefore--

			LOUISE 
	Did you hear me?!

			MISS DUNNE
	You'll regret this, Mrs. Little.

			LOUISE 
	If you don't move out through that door, you're 
	going to be past all regretting.

The terror-stricken children huddle together.

FREEZE FRAME. It becomes a still.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	We were parceled out, all five of us. I went to 
	this reform school and lived at this woman's 
	house. She was in charge.

34A 	A SMALL CLEAN ROOM WITH A COT, A CHAIR AND A BUREAU.

			MRS. SWERLIN 
		(motherly, friendly) 
	This is your room, Malcolm. I know you'll keep 
	it clean.

34B 	A DINING ROOM TABLE. FIVE WHITE BOYS AROUND IT.

			MRS. SWERLIN 
	This is Malcolm, our new guest. We'll treat him 
	like a brother.

34C 	A CLASSROOM.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	I was special. The only colored kid in class. I 
	became a sort of mascot. Like a pink poodle.

34D	KIDS PLAYING IN THE SCHOOL YARD.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE 
	I didn't know then that I was a nigger.

MALCOLM PLAYING BASKETBALL.

34E	MALCOLM SPEAKING BEFORE HIS CLASS. 

34F	MALCOLM DOING HOMEWORK. 

34G	A HORSE HAVING ITS TEETH EXAMINED.

			MRS SWERLIN 
	He's bright.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE 
	They talked about me like

34G	CONTD

	MRS SWERLIN (contd) 		MALCOLM'S VOICE (contd)
Good grades. 			I wasn't there. Like I was some
Fine athlete.			kind of pedigreed dog or a horse.
President of his class.		Like I was invisible.

   
36 	INT. OSTROWSKI'S CLASSROOM - DAY

OSTROWSKI is talking to Malcolm, it's after school, the classroom is 
empty.

			OSTROWSKI 
	The important thing is to be realistic. We all 
	like you. You know that. But you're a nigger 
	and a lawyer is no realistic goal for a 
	nigger...

			MALCOLM 
	But why, Mr. Ostrowski? I get the best grades. 
	I'm the class president. I want to be a lawyer.

36	INT. THE DRUGSTORE - P.M.

Laura and Malcolm. Neither is talking. She is simply watching him as he 
sips his coffee and puffs on a cigarette. 

36A 	INT. OSTROWSKI'S CLASSROOM - DAY

			OSTROWSKI 
	...Think about something you can be. You're 
	good with your hands. People would give you 
	work. I would myself. Why don't you become a 
	carpenter? That's a good profession for a 
	nigra. Wasn't your pa a carpenter?

Malcolm is silent.

			OSTROWSKI (contd) 
	Jesus was a carpenter.

36B 	INT. THE DRUGSTORE - P.M.

CLOSE - LAURA

			LAURA 
	It's not the end of the world, Malcolm.

37 	OMIT 

38 	EXT. A SIGN - BLINDING SUNLIGHT - DAY

It reads "KALAMAZOO STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE MENTALLY INSANE"

39 	INT. A ROOM IN THE HOSPITAL - DAY

The room is totally white and Louise sits in a white smock at a window 
in a rocking chair. 

CLOSE LOUISE 

As she rocks.

			LOUISE 
	I said it just as plain, I said, don't let them 
	feed that boy no pig, because he got enough of 
	the devil in him already. I told her she ain't 
	got no reason talk to me that way cuz' my hair 
	blow in the wind. You want my skin. All right, 
	I'll give it to you. I'll scrape it off. See 
	how you like it.

ANGLE - Louise starts to sing a Negro spiritual. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

He has been standing there in deep pain all along. 

THE SOUND OF A SPEEDING TRAIN IS HEARD.

40 	EXT. THE YANKEE CLIPPER - DAY

The crack train of the New York, New Haven & Hartford speeds through 
the New England countryside.

41	INT. GALLEY OF TRAIN - NIGHT

THREE ELDERLY BLACK WAITERS and Malcolm wearing a sandwichman's uniform 
are crowded around a portable radio in the galley where food is 
prepared. The four stand around TULLY, a bland-faced personification of 
fine Pullman service. They are all listening to the JOE LOUIS-BILLY 
CONN heavyweight championship fight.

			TULLY
	Nigger, shut up so we can hear.

			MALCOLM 
	C'mon, Joe.

			WAITER #1 
	Turn it up, Tully.

			TULLY 
	It is up. Fool be quiet.

			WAITER #2
	Tully, move the antenna. . . .

Tully turns some knobs.

			WAITER #3
	This Mick is tough.

			TULLY 
	Joe is just playing possum. He's waiting for an 
	opening. 

The waiters are acting as if they are at ringside.

			RADIO ANNOUNCER 
	A left jab to the jaw and a right cross, scored 
	by Louis and Conn is hurt, as Louis rips a 
	right to the jaw. Conn is staggering, but he 
	won't go down. Conn bops a left hook, he's 
	reeling around the ring. Louis hooks a left and 
	a right to the jaw and Conn is down. 

The waiters are going crazy.

			RADIO ANNOUNCER 
	He's taking the count, four, five, six, seven, 
	he's on his back, eight, nine, he's getting up, 
	no! The referee says it's over. The bout has 
	stopped.

The waiters are all jumping up and down when the galley door opens. MR.
 COOPER, the white man in charge of the kitchen, pops his head in.

			COOPER 
	What in hell's going on?

In a moment's notice Tully and the others have resumed their customary 
servient roles.

			TULLY 
	Nothing, Mr. Cooper.

			COOPER 
	Got a lot of hungry customers out there.

			TULLY 
	Yes sir, Mr. Cooper, soup done finished.

			MALCOLM 
	On my way, Mr. Charlie.

Cooper eyes him narrowly.

			COOPER 
	The name is Mr. Cooper and don't you forget it. 
	Mr. Cooper.

			RADIO ANNOUNCER 
	The winner and still champion, Joe Louis, but 
	what a fight Billy Conn gave.

42 	OMIT 

43	OMIT

44	OMIT

45	INT. A PASSENGER TRAIN - DAY 

As Malcolm hefts his sandwich basket and a large container of coffee 
down the aisle, hawking as he goes.

			MALCOLM 
	Get your good haaaam and cheeeeese sandwiches. 
	I got coffee, I got cake and I got ice cream 
	too. Right chere.

ANGLE FAVORING A WHITE CUSTOMER, BLADES.

			BLADES 
	Hey, boy. Gimme a cheese on white and coffee.

Malcolm's mood is exuberant: the fight is still in his ears. He makes 
the delivery with a flourish and a smile.

			MALCOLM 
	Yes, sir. Best in the house.

			BLADES 
	You mighty pleased with yourself, boy.

			MALCOLM 
	Yes, sir. I aims to please.

			BLADES 
	I like you, boy.

45A	INSERT - FANTASY PROJECTION. Malcolm picks up a slab of cream pie and 
pushes it in Blades' face. 

45B	BACK TO THE PASSENGER CAR 

Normality again: Malcolm finishes serving him with complete servility. 
He pulls out a bill.

			BLADES 
	Keep the change.

And takes a satisfying bite out of his thin sandwich. 

46	EXT. THE RAILROAD TRACKS IN HARLEM - P.M. 

As the Clipper surfaces in Harlem, pulls up to the 125th Street 
station.

47	EXT. 125TH STREET STATION - P.M.

Malcolm, out of uniform and dressed in his zoot suit, comes down from 
the Park Avenue station in Harlem. He is hit with the sights and sounds. 
Everything delights him: the noise, the lights, the women, the pimps, 
the signs, the windows, the crowds, the laughter, the music.

48	OMIT

49	OMIT

50	OMIT

51	ANGLE - CROWD 

A CROWD OF PEOPLE run by Malcolm yelling and screaming.

			CROWD
	The Brown Bomber, The Brown Bomber, Joe Louis, 
	the heavyweight champion of the world. Joe got 
	the belt back. Lawd have mercy. Great day in 
	the morning.

50A	CLOSE - MALCOLM

He runs after them.

50B 	EXT. 125TH AND LENOX AVENUE

All traffic has stopped, there is a huge spontaneous celebration going 
on. Black folks are everywhere, it seems as if all of Harlem is out on 
the streets. The citizens of Harlem are hugging, kissing, drinking, 
dancing, folks are hanging from street lamps, yelling out their 
windows, holding up hand-made JOE LOUIS banners, everyone has great 
reason to be joyous. The heavyweight champion of the world is a BLACK 
MAN -- JOE LOUIS, THE BROWN BOMBER, he has regained his championship.

CLOSE: - MALCOLM

Malcolm quickly looks at his watch, he's running late for his train, as 
he fights his way through the crowd like a salmon going upstream, the 
CAMERA CRANES up to see him eventually get lost in a sea of BLACK 
HUMANITY "cutting loose." 

							FADE OUT.

51-	OMIT

56-	OMIT 

FADE IN:

57	EXT. SEVENTH AVENUE - NIGHT

Malcolm, newly conked and sharp as a tack (zoot suit, trouser crease 
like a knife's edge, orange knob-toed shoes) walks toward his goal: 
Small's Paradise.

The street is crowded with PEOPLE, KIDS and HUSTLERS.

			YOUNG HOOKER 
	Slow down, daddy, what's your hurry? Lemme show 
	you somepin brand new.

Malcolm smiles "No thanks" keeps moving.

			HUSTLER 
	Hey, man, hundred-dollar ring -- diamond; and a 
	ninety dollar watch. Take the both of them for 
	a quarter; twenty-five bucks.

 Malcolm waves; he's not having any. Goes on.

58	EXT. SMALL'S PARADISE - NIGHT

Before entering, Malcolm sharps himself a bit, picking off some lint,
cocking his hat. And enters.

59	INT. SMALL'S PARADISE - NIGHT

The restaurant is crowded, both at the bar and at the tables beyond.
The immediate impression is of subdued well-being, of decorum, of easy 
affluence. This is the world Malcolm wants into. He digs it, drinking 
in its details.

ANGLE - BAR

A big man, FOX, accidentally bumps into Malcolm almost knocking over.

			MALCOLM 
	The word is excuse me.

			FOX 
	Look, country boy, you shouldn't have been in 
	my way.

Everyone becomes quiet in the bar.

			FOX (contd) 
	So what are you gonna do? Go run home to your 
	Mama.

Malcolm grabs a bottle off the bar counter and with lightning speed
brings it crashing down on Fox's head. As he lays on the floor with 
head bleeding, Malcolm kicks him in the stomach _two times_. It's done,
 the fight is over and people pull him off of Fox.

			MALCOLM 
	Don't ever again in life step on my Florsheims 
	again, and never talk-bout my mother.

ANGLE WITH MALCOLM AND THE BARTENDER

			MALCOLM 
	Gimme a whiskey.

BARTENDER pours him a double.

			MALCOLM 
	I ordered a single, Jack.

			BARTENDER
	The double's on that gentleman. Jack!

He points.

ARCHIE AT THE TABLE - FROM MALCOLM'S POV

The elderly man nods. He is big, he is very black. The same color as 
Malcolm's father. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM

He raises his glass, toasts Archie and downs it. Then leaning into the 
bar, asks:

			MALCOLM 
	Who is he, man?

			BARTENDER
	That's West Indian Archie.

			MALCOLM 
	Whut's he do?

The bartender would not normally answer this, but Malcolm is the man of 
the moment, so the bartender speaks:

			BARTENDER
	This and that.

Malcolm nods, then looks over again at Archie -- in appreciation. 
Archie wiggles a finger for him to come over.

59A 	AT ARCHIE'S TABLE

Malcolm is standing.

			ARCHIE 
	Sit down. We ain't fixing to eat you. You look 
	brand new in town. Pretty handy with a bottle.

			MALCOLM 
	He had it coming.

Malcolm sits. There are no introductions. He just nods at SAMMY and 
CADILLAC.

			ARCHIE 
	What they call you?

			MALCOLM 
	Red, and I ain't no punk.

			ARCHIE 
	You better not be. Cause if a cat toe you down 
	in this town, you better stand up or make 
	tracks.

			SAMMY
	Man live by his rep.

			ARCHIE 
	That's a fact. What you do, boy?

			MALCOLM 
	I'm working trains. Selling.

			ARCHIE
	Bet you like that shit.

			MALCOLM 
	Keeps me out of the army.

			ARCHIE 
	When they want your ass, won't nothing keep you 
	out.

			MALCOLM 
	Not this boy... I ain't fighting their war. I 
	got my own. Right chere. Heard tell you're a 
	good man to know.

			ARCHIE 
	Heard where?

			MALCOLM 
	Where I come from. Boston.

Sammy and Cadillac are watching a little skeptically. Archie is 
flattered.

			ARCHIE 
	Sombitch and I ain't never been to Beantown.

			MALCOLM 
	Man's rep travels.

			ARCHIE 
	How 'bout that?

Then seeing Sammy and Cadillac's dubious visages, Archie adds:

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	You ain't bullshitting me, is you, boy?

			MALCOLM 
	My papa taught me one thing: don't never 
	bullshit a West Indian bullshit artist.

Archie laughs. Even Sammy smiles. Cadillac still holds his judgment.

			ARCHIE 
	Is your papa West Indian?

			MALCOLM 
	No, my mama. She's from Grenada.

			ARCHIE 
	I like you, country.

			SAMMY
	Only where'd you get them goddam vines.

			CADILLAC 
	And them shoes. Oh, my.

			ARCHIE 
	Yeah, got to do something about you.

			SAMMY
	You putting a hurtin' on my vision.

Sammy covers his eyes. Malcolm plays off the insults.

			MALCOLM 
	Where can I get a hold of you?

			ARCHIE 
	YOU can't. I'll get a hold of you.

			MALCOLM 
	Lemme write it down for you.

Malcolm reaches for a pencil.

			ARCHIE 
	Don't never write nothing down. File it up 
	here, like I do.
		(touching his head) 
	'Cause if they can't find no paper they ain't 
	got no proof. Ya dig?

			MALCOLM 
	Yes, sir.

Archie looks at him sharply.

			ARCHIE 
	Boy, look me in the face.

Malcolm does so.

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	Did you just now con me?

			MALCOLM 
	Yes, sir.

			ARCHIE 
	Why?

			MALCOLM 
	'Cause I want in. And it don't take a lot to 
	know you there, daddy.

Archie and Sammy laugh at his directness. Cadillac smiles. Archie 
pushes back his chair, about to get up. 

			ARCHIE 
	I got me a little run to make.

Malcolm has suddenly been excluded and he wants desperately back in.

			MALCOLM 
	Can I run with you, Mr. Archie?

Archie eyes him, weighing him seriously.

			ARCHIE 
	I like your heart and I like your style. You 
	might just do, Little. Lessen you got to git 
	back to that train job.

			MALCOLM 
	I done told the man what he could do with his 
	train.

			ARCHIE 
	When?

			MALCOLM 
	Just now.

The three established hustlers smile at the newcomer in their midst.

			ARCHIE 
	Come on, baby. We going shopping...

60	OMIT

61	OMIT

62	OMIT

63 	INT. ARCHIE'S ROOM - NIGHT

Malcolm is looking at himself in a mirror in Archie's room. He has on 
the full outfit now, together with a new white on white shirt and a 
Sulka tie. Looks great.

			ARCHIE
	Just the middle button, baby. Just the middle 
	one.

Malcolm buttons the jacket and turns around, demonstrating for Archie's 
inspection.

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	You looking good, Little. Real clean. Clean as 
	the Board of Health. But you missing something.

			MALCOLM 
	What?

			ARCHIE 
	Frisk me, baby. Give me a real pat down.

Malcolm doesn't understand, but he senses something -- and becomes 
excited. Archie has walked over to him.

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	Go ahead. Do me.

Malcolm frisks him carefully: pats his sides, his pockets, under his 
arms, his legs. Archie is clean to the touch.

			ARCHIE (contd) 
		(triumphantly) 
	And I'm still carrying.

He smacks the small of his back. Then, reaching under his coat, he 
takes a revolver out from the middle of his back. And hands it to 
Malcolm.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

Holding the deadly instrument, fascinated by it, hefting it, feeling 
its power.

			ARCHIE 
	It's yours, baby. Put it on.

Malcolm slips it carefully into the small of his back, behind his 
trouser belt. His first gun: the feeling shines in his eyes, Bogart has 
become a black man.

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	How's it feel?

			MALCOLM 
	Solid, daddy.

			ARCHIE
	Okay, baby. Now you outfitted. You ready to 
	tackle the street?

			MALCOLM 
	Let 'em come. I'm ready.

64	INT/EXT. VARIOUS LOCATIONS - SERIES OF CLOSE SHOTS 

A FIVE DOLLAR BILL. CAMERA GOES IN for the last three digits. 

64A	STOCK MARKET BOARD at the end of a day's trading. GO IN for the last 
three numbers.

64B	PREACHER in a pulpit, reading from the Bible.

			PREACHER 
	Let us turn to the Gospel according to St. 
	John. Chapter 3, Verse  83.

			A VOICE 
	3, 8, 3.

Malcolm scribbles the number onto a piece of paper.

64C	A CASH REGISTER

Ringing up an amount: $2.98.

			A VOICE 
	2, 9, 8.

Malcolm's hand writes out the number.

64D	CLOSE - TRAIN TERMINAL SIGN

It reads "New York to Chicago." PAN DOWN TO SHOW "Train arrives 1:05."

			VOICE
	1, 0, 5.

Archie with Malcolm as the latter writes down "1, 0, 5."

			ARCHIE 
	I told you less paper, less trouble. 

			MALCOLM 
	I'm working on it.

			ARCHIE 
	I keep all my numbers in my head. I've never 
	written any down.

He taps his head.  

64E 	CLOSE - FACE OF AN ELDERLY WOMAN

			ELDERLY WOMAN 
	I saw it in my dream. 5, 5, 5. And last week my 
	sister had a dream and she hit.

64F 	CLOSE - FACE OF AN ELDERLY BARBER

			BARBER 
	I got it from Ching Chow. It got to be 2, 5, 1.

65 	OMIT 

66 	OMIT 

67 	OMIT 

68 	OMIT 

68A 	INT. MOVIE THEATRE - NIGHT

CLOSE - MALCOLM

WE ARE TIGHT ON Malcolm's intense face, he is pulling on a fat joint. 
We hear BOGART blasting his way out of a police blockade. 

A phone rings.

69 	OMIT 

70 	OMIT

71 	INT. ARCHIE'S ROOM - NIGHT

 There is music playing. Wordlessly, Archie sprinkles a few grains of 
fine crystal onto a round shaving mirror. He slides it across a table 
to Malcolm and hands him a short straw. Sophia sits next to Malcolm; 
she and Archie are already high. Malcolm leans over the mirror, placing 
the straw in his nostril.

TIGHT CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM'S FACE

In the mirror (something satanic about him) -- as he sniffs the cocaine 
well into his nose.

A beat as he leans back waiting for the drug to take hold, Malcolm 
looks into dressing mirror.

			ARCHIE 
	It hit?

			MALCOLM 
	Nnnnnnn!

Malcolm with gun in hand does his Bogart gangster imitation.

			ARCHIE 
	Ain't nuthin' in the world to give you that 
	real deep cool. Like girl. You there?

			MALCOLM 
	I'm there, daddy. Wheww. I'm cool enough to 
	kill.

			ARCHIE 
	Bet you are.

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

FREEZE FRAME

			SOPHIA'S VOICE 
	Malcolm, you're so funny.

She continues to laugh. 

BACK TO REAL TIME.

			MALCOLM 
	You got any money.

Before Sophia can answer he grabs her pocketbook, dumping all the 
contents on the floor but the dough.

			SOPHIA 
	Baby, I was gonna give it to you.

			MALCOLM 
	Well, bitch you move too slow.

			ARCHIE 
	Sometimes you got a big ugly mouth.

			MALCOLM 
	Yeah, and I'm putting my money where my ugly 
	mouth is. I'm putting you back in the numbers 
	right now.
		(to Sophia) 
	Baby, what's today?

Sophia is not sure of this, or anything else.

			SOPHIA 
	August 2nd. I think. Yeah.

She laughs at her achievement.

			MALCOLM 
	Daddy, put me down for a combination. Combinate 
	me, daddy: 8, 2, 1. You got me? 8, 1, 2; 1, 8, 
	2...

With each number he throws a bill at Archie.

			MALCOLM (contd)
 	1, 2, 8; 2, 8, 1.  I git 'em all?

			ARCHIE 
		(angrily taking the money) 
	I'll take your goddam bet.

Malcolm slides his tongue down Sophia's throat. 

72	OMIT

73 	OMIT

74	OMIT

75	EXT. SMALL'S PARADISE - NIGHT 

A miserable night, raining and cold. Malcolm turns into the bar.

76 	INT. THE BAR - NIGHT

Shaking off the rain as Malcolm walks through. He is now a familiar 
figure to the bar's DENIZENS. He is met with ad lib cries: "Hey, 
Little," "Have a taste," from the men; and from the women: "Come here, 
sugar," "Where you been?"

Malcolm acknowledges the greetings, strolls down in the bar. It's 
immediately clear that a subtle change has come over him. He is no 
longer the neophyte but a well-groomed, smooth, fully polished hustler.

ANGLE - BOOTH 

Malcolm sits into the booth and motions for the waitress.

ANGLE - HONEY

A fine copper tan waitress comes to him.

			HONEY
	I thought you said we were going to the movies 
	last night.

			MALCOLM 
	I say a lot of things.

			HONEY
	And like a fool I believe it.

			MALCOLM 
	Do your job, Get me a bourbon on the rocks and 
	a pack of Lucky's.

Honey stares at him.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	I said now.

She leaves. He leans his head back against the booth --

			A FEMALE VOICE 
	Daniel come in yet, Honey?

Malcolm turns his head sharply at the sound of the voice. It's 
familiar, a sound from the seemingly distant past. He looks toward the 
bar and sees the women who asked the question.

LAURA - MALCOLM'S POV

It's Laura, but not the Laura we last saw. She is still young, still 
vulnerable, but she is bolder, more self-assured, more vividly dressed.
She is unaware of Malcolm.

			HONEY
	Ain't that him now?

ANGLE FAVORING DANIEL. He is a young, cocky, nervous, gingerbread 
colored boy who comes over to her quickly. He goes to the corner of the 
bar and quickly grabs Laura's neck and kisses her hungrily.

			DANIEL 
	Hey, gorgeous, how you been? Waiting long? 
	Lemme see you. Wow!

It's obvious he's a junkie. And in need of a fix. QUICK!

SHOT - MALCOLM

Honey places his drink and cigarettes before him. He's watching, taking 
it all in immediately. Laura is clearly crazy about Daniel. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM

He looks, then belts down his drink. 

CLOSER - LAURA AND DANIEL 

Daniel motions to her pocketbook and she takes out a five-dollar bill. 
He grabs it, and bolts for the door. 

WITH MALCOLM AND HONEY 

She has been watching Malcolm.

			HONEY
	You know that gal?

			MALCOLM 
	Mind your own goddamn business ... She comes in 
	a lot?

			HONEY
	'Bout every other night, Red.

			MALCOLM 
	With him?

Honey nods.

 			MALCOLM (contd) 
	She know?

			HONEY
	If she got eyes, she do.

ANGLE - LAURA

Walking toward the door, looking for Daniel. She leaves the bar. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM AND HONEY

			MALCOLM 
	Is she hooking?

			HONEY
	Not yet. But the way things going, that boy 
	gonna turn her out any day.

Malcolm smacks the table in frustration.

			HONEY (contd) 
	You stuck on her?

CLOSE - GLASS

Malcolm's glass on the table is trembling. 

			MALCOLM 
	Shut up, bitch.

He raises his arm to hit her and it is held back before it can find its
mark.

			ARCHIE 
	Don't do that.

Archie is standing above him. Malcolm nods, and Archie lets his arm go; 
standing next to him is Sophia.

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	Honey, he didn't mean it.

Archie wiggles his fingers and Honey goes, but not before throwing 
daggers at Malcolm and Sophia. Archie sits down, takes out a cigar. For 
a good beat there is a coolness between them. Then Malcolm reaches over 
and lights Archie's cigar. Sophia stares at her man, he then motions 
for her to sit down beside him.

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	Thanks. You got it. Who's beating on you, Red? 
	You looking a little up tight.

The father-son thing is back, but Malcolm will never again be the 
student.

			MALCOLM 
	Daddy, where's my money?

			ARCHIE 
	What you talking?

			MALCOLM 
	You owe me six big ones.

Archie looks at him, non-comprehending.

			MALCOLM 
	1, 2, 8 hit, didn't it?

			ARCHIE 
	You din't have no 1, 2, 8.

			MALCOLM 
	Was you that high? Old man, I threw the slats at
	you. I said to combinate me.

			ARCHIE 
	You never had it.

			MALCOLM 
	The bitch was there.

Archie doesn't even look at Sophia.

			ARCHIE 
	Shit, what else she gonna say?

			MALCOLM 
	Then skip it, man. But you slipping, baby. You 
	done slipped.

Archie is controlling himself. Everyone in Small's is all ears, a
 falling out between Malcolm and Archie -- their reps are at stake.

ANGLE. Archie looks at Sammy. Sammy is neutral. Archie digs in his 
pockets, comes up with a roll. He peels off six $100 bills and throws 
them on the table in front of himself, as he gets up.

			MALCOLM 
	Oh, sit down, man. What you tasting? I'm buying.

			ARCHIE
	I ain't drinking hot piss with you. Come on, Sam.

			SAMMY
	Be right there.

Archie goes.

			SAMMY (contd) 
	Twenty-two years he didn't never forget no 
	number.

			MALCOLM 
	Got to be a first time, daddy-o.

			SAMMY
	He gonna, check the collector he turn into. His 
	rep is on the line, boy, and so's yours. If you 
	lying, one of you is dead.

			MALCOLM 
	Ain't gonna be this mother.

Sammy goes.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Come on, sweetlips, I got us some g-i-r-l, 
	girl. Let's you and me fly.

77	OMIT

78 	OMIT 

78A	OMIT 

79	OMIT 

80	OMIT 

81	OMIT

82	OMIT 

83	OMIT

84	OMIT 

85	EXT. ONYX CLUB - NIGHT 

The well-known 52nd Street nightspot features Billie Holiday. A 
stand-up cutout of her is outside.

86 	INT. ONYX CLUB - NIGHT

This is a plush nightclub, with a mixed black and white AUDIENCE. Some
 of the hustlers from Small's are in evidence. 

CLOSE - BILLIE

Lady Day starts into "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS."

ANGLE - TABLE

Malcolm and Sophia high as a kite and on the town. 

CLOSE - ARCHIE

He makes his way toward Malcolm's table. There is murder in his eyes.

ANGLE - TABLE

			ARCHIE 
	You're a damn liar.

CLOSE - ARCHIE

			ARCHIE (contd) 
	You _took_ me, you bastard, and now I'm taking 
	you.

ANGLE - TABLE

			MALCOLM 
	It's me or you, ain't it, Pops?

			ARCHIE 
	You know it.

			MALCOLM 
	I'll give you back the 600.

			ARCHIE 
	I don't want your money.

			MALCOLM 
	I'm wearing, Archie.

			ARCHIE 
	There's two guns on you.

His eyes gesture. Malcolm looks: 

MALCOLM'S P0V 

Sammy at the nearby bar: his hand in his coat pocket.

CLOSE - ARCHIE

His hand is also in his pocket.

			MALCOLM 
	And every cat's watching, ain't they? It's a 
	toe-down.

			ARCHIE 
	That's what it is. Walk on out.

			MALCOLM 
	Let Billie finish.

			ARCHIE 
	Now.

Archie backs away from the table, his gun on Malcolm. 

ANGLE. As Sammy moves a step toward Malcolm, Malcolm rises in his seat.

			SOPHIA 
	You had the number.

			MALCOLM 
	Baby, I got to let this old man win. Keep the 
	faith, and tell Billie I'll see her later.

CLOSE - BILLIE

She knows what's going on.

ANGLE - Sammy and Archie are walking behind Malcolm, when he pushes a 
waitress into their path with drinks flying everywhere, Malcolm darts 
away.

87	INT. ENTRANCE TO THE TOILET 

 He races into the men's room.

ANGLE. Archie and Sammy run after him.

88	INT. MEN'S ROOM - NIGHT 

There is an open window. Archie is leaning out, looking both ways. 

89	EXT. OUTSIDE THE MEN'S ROOM WINDOW - NIGHT FROM ARCHIE'S POV

A tiny alleyway. No one is visible.

			ARCHIE 
	The dirty yellow rat bastard.

90	INT. MEN~S ROOM - NIGHT

			SAMMY
	Don't push it. You way ahead. You back on top. 
	That boy loves you, man.

			ARCHIE 
	What you say?

			SAMMY
	He gave it to you, Archie. He did.

91  	EXT. THE STREET - NIGHT

Malcolm comes running out of an alleyway and onto the street. He stops 
to catch his breath, to regain his composure. He is shook up, 
frustrated, but mostly saddened. He then runs down the block and into a 
CLOSEUP.

91A 	INT. LITTLE HOUSE - LANSING MICHIGAN - NIGHT (REMEMBERED TIME) - 
FINAL FLASHBACK

CLOSE - EARL

Earl is sitting up in bed, he wakes his sleeping wife Louise, next to 
her is a baby in a crib, another child. Malcolm sleeps between Earl and 
her.

91AA	ANGLE - HOUSE

Outside the house are 5 members of THE BLACK LEGION. They are dressed 
in the style of the KKK, but in black sheets rather than white. WE SEE 
gasoline cans being passed around.

			EARL 
	Somebody out there. Wake the children. 

Earl starts to put on his overalls and reaches for his gun which sits 
on a nearby chair when an explosion of flames greets the house.

			EARL (contd) 
	Everybody out. OUT! OUT! Get the kids. 

ANGLE - CHILDREN'S BEDROOM 

Flames roar through the room and the Little kids are hysterical. Louise 
rushes in and pushes them past the fire, she has infant in hand covered 
in a blanket.

CLOSE - EARL

91C 	EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT

The entire house is in flames. The Little family stands in front of it, 
just out of harm's way. 

ANGLE - BLACK LEGION 

They sit on their horses watching the results of their work. 

CLOSE - BLACK LEGION LEADER

			BLACK LEGION LEADER 
	Boy, good thing we're good Christians. Nigger, 
	it's time for you to leave this town.

CLOSE - EARL

			EARL 
	This here is 'pose to be a free country.

CLOSE - BLACK LEGION LEADER

			BLACK LEGION LEADER 
	Rev, we warned you 'bout that Garvey preaching, 
	stirring up the good nigras here. Boy, next 
	time you're a dead nigger.

CLOSE - EARL

			EARL 
	I ain't a boy. I'm a man, and a real man don't 
	hide behind no bedsheets.

Earl takes his pistol out from behind his back and fires above their 
heads.

			EARL (contd) 
	Take these here bullets for dem sheets.

ANGLE - BLACK LEGION

The bullets send the Black Legion flying into the glorious D.W. Griffith
 moonlit night. 

ANGLE - HOUSE 

The burning house collapses behind the Little family. 

ANGLE - EARL AND LOUISE

			LOUISE 
	Earl, I know you a better shot than that. You 
	shoulda killed 'em all, shot 'em dead.

			EARL
	Just wanted to scare 'em, they won't be 
bothering us no more.

CLOSE - YOUNG MALCOLM

Young Malcolm stares at his father while the house still burns behind 
him, no doubt drawing on the great courage displayed by his father.

			EARL 
	They won't be here no time soon. I'm a MAN! 

91D	EXT. STREET - LANSING - NIGHT (REMEMBERED TIME)

It's raining cats and dogs and it's foggy. We hear a big thud, then a 
grunt and Earl Little falls across the trolley tracks, the sound of men 
running away is heard in the distance. 

ANGLE - A STREETCAR APPROACHES

ANGLE - EARL ON TRACKS 

He has been beaten to a bloody pulp.

ANGLE - CLOSER SHOT OF STREETCAR APPROACHING

CLOSE - EARL 

He opens his one good eye. 

CLOSE - STREETCAR MOTORMAN 

He sees something ahead in the fog and rain. 

ANGLE - MOTORMAN'S POV 

CLOSE - HAND REACHES BRAKE LEVER 

CLOSE - STREETCAR WHEELS STOPPING, SPARKS FLY 

CLOSE - MOTORMAN 

Winces and then makes the Sign of the Cross. 

ANGLE - LONG SHOT OF PASSENGERS 

Jumping out of the streetcar to attend to Earl.

			PASSENGER'S VOICE 
	Somebody get a doctor.

			MOTORMAN'S VOICE 
	No doctor, get him a priest.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	My father's skull, on one side was crushed in, 
	and then laid across some tracks, for a 
	streetcar to run him over. His body was cut 
	almost in half. My father, Earl Little lived 
	two and a half hours in that condition. Negroes 
	were stronger than they are now.

92	INT. A CAR - NIGHT

Shorty is driving with Sophia in the front seat. Malcolm is in the 
back. They are in the country -- outside New York.

			SHORTY 
	Man, I'm glad we got you out of there. With 
	West Indian Archie on your ass, your name on 
	the wire -- Boston the best goddam place in the 
	world for you -- things are too hot and it's 
	not even summer.

Malcolm has withdrawn within himself. He takes out a packet of cocaine 
and sniffs it.

			SOPHIA 
	We'll take it easy. I got a place fixed up on 
	Harvard Square. How's that sound?

			SHORTY 
	Yeah. Cool it and lay dead for a while, Homeboy. 
	And don't worry none.

The drug takes hold. Malcolm is out of it.

			SHORTY (contd) 
	I'll stake you, baby. I got my band. I'm 
	blowing great sax. Hell, you ain't even heard 
	us--

He and Sophia keep talking it up, trying to bolster Malcolm. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM

Stoned, his nose running, Malcolm stares out of the window at the
receding landscape. FREEZE FRAME.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	Like every hustler I was trapped. Cats that 
	hung together trying to find a little security, 
	to find an answer -- found nothing. Cats that 
	might have probed space or cured cancer -- 
	(Hell, Archie might have been a mathematical 
	genius) -- all victims of whitey's social order.

Music of a dance combo heard in BG.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	Three things I was always scared of: a job, a 
	bust and jail. I realized then I wasn't afraid 
	of anything. I didn't care.

93	OMIT

94	INT. HARVARD SQUARE APARTMENT - DAY

Shorty, Sophia and PEG face Malcolm -- stoned in a chair. PEG is 17,
 Sophia's kid sister and Shorty's date.

			SHORTY 
	You got to eat somethin', Red.

			SOPHIA 
	You want eggs, baby?

			MALCOLM 
	Yeah and get a slave, too, huh, baby?

			SHORTY 
	I ain't doing bad.

			MALCOLM 
	Man, the name musicians ain't got shit. How you 
	gonna have something? I need a stake, a bundle, 
	a grand. My woman can't afford it; my homey 
	ain't got it. How about you baby? What you got?

Peg smiles, afraid of Malcolm.

			SHORTY 
	Jesus, Red, she's just a kid.

			MALCOLM 
	Jesus ain't got nothin' to do with this. 

Shorty eyes him with amazement. The degree of Malcolm's depravity 
surprises even him.

			MALCOLM 
	Surprise you, baby? Well, that's the way it is. 
	What kind of scratch you got on you? Turn out. 
	Let me have it. All of you--

Glances exchanged among Shorty, Sophia and Peg. Shorty reaches into his 
pocket.

95 	INT. HARVARD SQUARE APARTMENT - NIGHT 

Malcolm with Sophia, Shorty and Peg around him.

			MALCOLM 
	We gone rob this town blind. Anybody want out 
	say so. 

Nobody answers; they'll go with Malcolm.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Okay. I got the stake and I got a fence. I need 
	a driver.

			PEG 
	How about Rudy?

			MALCOLM 
	Who's Rudy? 

			SHORTY 
	Yeah, Rudy.

							JUMP CUT:

95A 	SAME LOCATION - LATER

RUDY is with them. He is a good-looking, very-light skinned black, 
tough as they come.

			RUDY
	I'm half wop, half nigger and ain't afraid of 
	no one.

			MALCOLM 
	What can you do?

They are in the process of appraising each other, seeing which one has 
the bigger penis.

			RUDY
	You name it, feller.

			SHORTY 
	Rudy does catering. Rich joints on Beacon Hill.

			MALCOLM 
	That ain't bad.

			SHORTY 
	Tell him about Baldy.

			RUDY
	Yeah. This rich ofay, like he's 60. I give him 
	a bath on Friday.

Peg and Sophia are listening, a little horrified.

			RUDY (contd) 
	Then I put him to bed and pour talcum powder on 
	him like a baby. He gets his jollies off.

			MALCOLM 
	So what about him?

			RUDY
	So? The man got silver, china, rugs--

			MALCOLM 
	Might be all right.

			RUDY
	Might be, shit. Man, I know this town. I got my 
	own fences. Who the hell are you? Who put you 
	in charge?

Malcolm smiles easily.

			MALCOLM 
	You want to be the head man?

			RUDY
	That's right.

			MALCOLM 
	Head nigger in charge?

			RUDY
	I'm the man.

			MALCOLM 
	Okay, baby. Let's flip for it. Flip this.

He takes out his gun, a .38 revolver. He dumps the shells on the table, 
then reinserts one shell and twirls the barrel.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	I'll flip first.

He puts the revolver to his own head.

			PEG 
	Don't.

Malcolm squeezes the trigger. It clicks. Now he twirls the barrel again 
and hands the gun to Rudy.

			MALCOLM 
	Your flip, baby.

Rudy is staring at him; so are they all. Malcolm puts the gun to his 
temple again.

			SOPHIA 
	Red, for God's sake-- 

He pulls the trigger a second time. Click. Now he twirls it again.

			SHORTY 
	Christ, Red, no--

			PEG 
	I can't stand it. 

Malcolm puts the gun to Rudy's head.

			MALCOLM 
	Your turn, Rudy. You want me to flip for you?

			RUDY
	Jesus Christ, no. Okay, okay. You got it, you 
	got it! You're the boss. 

A beat.

			MALCOLM 
	Don't never try to cross someone who ain't 
	afraid to die.

			SHORTY 
	You the man!

Nodding accord from Rudy and Shorty. Sophia can hardly stand.

			MALCOLM 
	All right. We'll start with Old Talcum Powder. 
	You draw the house, where everything is. You 
	and Peg go out and buy them tools like I told 
	you. We hit tonight on account of in the 
	daytime some of us got that high visibility. 
	Ya dig?

Rudy is at a table drawing a diagram; the girls have left. Shorty and 
Malcolm alone at a window.

			SHORTY 
	What did you do, Homey, palm it?

			MALCOLM
	Yeah.

He breaks open the gun -- the bullet is in the next slot to be fired. 

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Palmed it right in the goddam chamber. 

			SHORTY 
	Jesus Christ, Homey, you are nuts. 

Malcolm starts laughing: a silent, hysterical laugh. 

96	EXT/INT. A BEACON HILL HOUSE - NIGHT

The robbery, IN QUICK CUTS: 

--A door lock is picked by Sophia.

96A	--Pencil flashlight passes an upstairs window. 

96B	--Rudy in the car.

96C	--Silver removed from a drawer by Shorty. 

96D	--Peg walking down the street, as lookout. 

96E	--Malcolm takes off his shoes.

96F	--The sleeping OLD MAN, OLD TALCUM POWDER, as Malcolm takes a watch, a 
wallet from within inches of his pillow. Then, more boldly, picks up 
the man's hand and removes a ring from one of his fingers. Shorty 
watching with bated breath, he's about to have a heart attack.

97	INT. MANSION - DAY

A Boston matron, MRS. CRAWFORD, is showing the girls her collection of 
U.S. silver. In a fine New England home.

			PEG 
	Beacon Hill survey.

			SOPHIA 
	We're doing a survey for the Athenaeum Society 
	-- We wondered if you'd permit us to include 
	your collection in the catalog of Great New 
	England Antiques--?

			MRS. CRAWFORD 
	Now these are my prizes. My Paul Revere silver 
	coffee service.

SHOT -- AN ARRANGEMENT OF MUSEUM-QUALITY PIECES

			PEG 
	Lovely, just lovely.

Sophia is casing the room carefully as the matron continues.

			MRS.CRAWFORD 
	And my husband's collection of scrimshaw should 
	be included.

			SOPHIA 
	May we see it?

			MRS. CRAWFORD 
	Won't you step this way?

97A	OMIT 

98	OMIT 

98A	OMIT

101	INT. A COURTROOM - DAY 

The prisoners face the bench: Peg, Sophia, Shorty, Rudy and Malcolm.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	The average first offender gets two years for 
	burglary. We were all first offenders. That's 
	what Sophia and Peg drew--

			JUDGE
	Two years in the Women's Reformatory at 
	Framingham.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	But our crime wasn't burglary. It was balling 
	white girls. They gave us the book.

			JUDGE
	Burglary, count one -- 8 to 10 years; count two, 
	8 to 10 years; count three, 8 to 10 years...

He continues giving them 8 to 10 years, behind Malcolm's comment: 

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	Fourteen counts of 8 to 10 years.

			JUDGE
	The sentences to run concurrently.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	Shorty thought he hit us with 114 years till I 
	explained what concurrently meant. It meant a 
	minimum sentence of 10 years hard labor at the 
	Charlestown State Prison. The date was February 
	1946. I wasn't quite 21. I had not yet begun to 
	shave.

CAMERA HAS GONE IN for a TIGHT CLOSE SHOT of Malcolm's face: a hardened 
hustler, pimp, dope peddler and now jailbird at the ripe old age of 20.  
FREEZE FRAME.

							CUT TO BLACK.

FADE IN:

102	INT. THE CELL CORRIDOR - DAY

It is the afternoon lockup: about 3:30 P.M. The line of PRISONERS 
stands in front of their cells, as two guards, WILKINS and BARNES, one 
white, one black, slowly walk past the P.M. check. 

The procedure is routine, done without emotion, as it is done three 
times a day: the black guard calls out the prisoner's name, the 
prisoner answers with his number, then steps into his cell. Whereupon 
the white guard slams the door shut and locks it.

			GUARD WILKINS 
	Jackson.

			PRISONER 
	A 231549.

Door is slammed and gate locked. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

Each time a gate is locked his tension increases. His face is a mask 
hiding his fury, violence and the hunger of an advanced junkie who has 
not had a fix in over a week.

			GUARD WILKINS 
	Crichlow.

			SECOND PRISONER
	A 5991301.

Same procedure.

ANGLE. SHOOTING PAST MALCOLM, FAVORING TWO OTHER PRISONERS. The guards 
are approaching Malcolm's cell. Past Malcolm are two experienced 
PRISONERS who have been watching Malcolm during the scene. They whisper 
surreptitiously without moving their bodies, and barely moving their 
lips. One of the prisoners is PETE, a huge barrel of a man, a lifer --
beaten by the system and a lifetime of incarceration. The other is 
BEMBRY, a man of no great physicality, but who possesses immediately 
the gift of leadership. It is clear that Pete and others look up to him 
with great respect.

			PETE
	Looka Satan.

			BEMBRY 
	I see him.

Bembry's language is very unhip. He speaks carefully. He respects words 
and he respects himself, something which sets him apart from all the 
other prisoners.

			PETE
	He bout to bust.

			BEMBRY 
	No, he's not gonna bust. But he's not gonna fix 
	his face to please them, neither.

ANGLE. The check-in has reached the man next to Malcolm.

			GUARD WILKINS 
	Harrington.

			THIRD PRISONER 
	B 775717.

			GUARD BARNES 
	Yeah. Lucky Seven.

Door slammed and locked. 

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM 

The guards are now in front of him.

			GUARD WILKINS 
	Little.

Malcolm doesn't move.

			GUARD BARNES 
	State your number.

Malcolm doesn't answer, doesn't blink.

			GUARD WILKINS 
	Little.

ANGLE. Bembry in the FG of the scene. 

			BEMBRY 
	He's a new fish, Mr. Barnes. Give him a break.

It's a bold step by Bembry and the prisoners look over at him with
admiration. Barnes accepts the irregularity and calls over to Bembry.

			GUARD BARNES 
	0kay, I'll give him a break. Now state your 
	number, Little.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	I forgot it.

 CLOSE SHOT - BEMBRY

Shaking his head in anguish. He knows what's coming. 

ANGLE. Barnes makes a small gesture and Wilkins seizes Malcolm, 
grabbing his head and uniform at the same time. Stenciled on the chest 
of his faded dungarees is Malcolm's number. The guard bends Malcolm's 
head to the number, shoving the material in Malcolm's face.

			GUARD WILKINS 
	Can you read, boy? Thass your number.

			GUARD BARNES 
	Now say it.

			MALCOLM 
	I'm Malcolm Little, not no goddam number.

			GUARD WILKINS 
	Oh, yes you is, baby; thass all you is.

And slams Malcolm hard. He slumps to the floor.

			GUARD BARNES 
	Two days in the hole. Take him.

Wilkins drags Malcolm off as Barnes resumes the roll call.

			GUARD BARNES (contd) 
	Burnham.

			FOURTH PRISONER
	A 551613, sir.

							JUMP CUT:

103 	INT. A SOLITARY CELL - DAY

Only the faintest light comes into the hideous room, which consists of 
a mattress and a slop bucket. If Malcolm were to stretch out his arms, 
he could touch both walls. He lies half on the stone floor, half on the
 mattress.

A clang as the heavy door is opened.

			GUARD CONE
	Time's up. Get on your feet.

Malcolm stands.

			GUARD CONE (contd) 
	Little, state your number.

A beat as Malcolm stares at the man, refusing to answer.

			GUARD CONE (contd) 
	You just drew two more days.

And slams the door shut. 

104	INT. SOLITARY - NIGHT

It is almost pitch black. We can almost smell the stench of the room. 
Malcolm sits stony-faced, his back against a wall. 

			TRUSTEE'S VOICE
	Water.

The long spigot of a watering can is pushed through an opening in 
the cell door. Malcolm, animal-like, leaps at it and bends the spout, 
wrenching it off in his fury.

105	OMIT

106	INT. SOLITARY CELL - DAY 

TWO-SHOT - A WHITE CHAPLAIN AND MALCOLM 

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	Do you know what a friend you have in Jesus, 
	son?

			MALCOLM 
	Preacher, take your tin Jesus and the Virgin 
	Mary, both, and shove 'em.

Door slam.

107	INT. SOLITARY - NIGHT 

Malcolm is alone at the bars: the hope of freedom filling his mind.

Malcolm pulls at the bars, tries to shake them in impotent fury. He 
pounds the walls. Empty, sick, defeated, his nails scratching the 
walls, he slides to the floor of the cell.

It is the low point of his life: nowhere to turn, nothing to hope for.

108  INT. SOLITARY - LATER

Guard Cone is shaking him into consciousness.

			GUARD CONE
	All right, Little. Get up.

Malcolm just about makes it. The guard is in half-focus. 

			GUARD CONE (contd) 
	State your number.

He is beaten.

			MALCOLM 
	A 859912.

A shower is heard.

109 	INT. SHOWER ROOM - DAY

Malcolm stands with bowed head as the hot water cascades over his 
broken body. He lets it run and run, but it cannot really touch his 
problems. On a nearby bench are his clothes, his towel and the makings 
for a conk: lye, Vaseline, comb, etc.

He turns for a moment as he sees he is being watched by someone. It's 
Bembry standing nearby. Malcolm turns away, trying to find solace in 
the water. He wants no part of the world or anyone, just to be left 
alone.

			BEMBRY 
	I know how you feel. Like you want to lay down 
	and die.

Malcolm shows no flicker of interest or understanding.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	I brought you something.

He puts down a small matchbox on the bench next to Malcolm's things. 
Malcolm eyes him like a snake -- but the punishment has reduced him to 
deep insecurity and his belligerence is more cautious than angry.

			MALCOLM 
	Who the hell are you?

			BEMBRY 
	Put it in a cup of water. It's nutmeg.

			MALCOLM 
	Man, what do you want?

			BEMBRY 
	You need something. It's not a reefer, but 
	it'll help some.

			MALCOLM 
	Man, get outa my face. I ain't nobody's punk.

But he steps out of the shower, fills a tin cup with water and empties 
the contents of the matchbox into it. And drinks it down quickly.

			BEMBRY 
	Sit down or it might knock you down.

Malcolm sits, toweling himself as the spice hits him. For the first, he 
smiles; this is the first relief he has tasted in prison. He at Bembry 
wonderingly, unable to figure him out.

			MALCOLM 
	If you ain't trying to punk me, what's your 
	hype?

			BEMBRY 
	I can show you how to get out of prison. And 
	it's no hype.

			MALCOLM
	Talk, daddy, I'm listening. Hey that ain't bad. 
	You got some more?

			BEMBRY 
	That's the last stuff you'll ever get from me.

			MALCOLM 
	What did you give it to me for then?

			BEMBRY 
	'Cause you needed it. 'Cause you couldn't hear 
	me without it.

This is a new breed of cat; Malcolm has never met anyone like him. He 
eyes him closely, as he slips into his clothes.

			MALCOLM 
	What in the hell are you talking about?

He begins to conk his hair, but is paying attention to what Bembry is 
saying.

			BEMBRY 
	I think you got more sense than any cat in this 
	prison. How come you are such a fool?

Malcolm looks over, piqued.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	Nobody can bust out like Bogart does it, in the
	 movies. Because even if you get out, you are 
	still in prison.

Malcolm is putting the conk into his hair now.

			MALCOLM 
	You ain't lying.

			BEMBRY 
	When you go busting your fists against a stone 
	wall, you're not using your brains. Cause 
	that's what the white man wants you to do. Look 
	at you.

These last words are spoken sharply with disgust. Malcolm turns his 
hands massaging the conk into his hair.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	Putting all that poison in your hair.

			MALCOLM 
	Man, you been locked up too long, everybody 
	conks. All the cats.

			BEMBRY 
	Why? Why does everybody conk?

			MALCOLM 
	Cause I don't want to walk around with my head 
	all nappy, looking like--

			BEMBRY 
	Like what? Looking like me? Like a nigger?! 
	Why don't you want to look like what you are? 
	What makes you ashamed of being black?

			MALCOLM 
	I ain't said I'm ashamed.

He turns the water on to wash out the conk -- which has begun to burn. 
Bembry restrains him, holding his arm.

			MALCOLM 
	Leggo. I got to wash it out.

			BEMBRY 
	Let it burn. Maybe you'll hear me then.

But it is burning now.

			MALCOLM 
	Man, you better get off me.

He wrenches away from Bembry and puts his head in the water.

			BEMBRY 
	Sure, burn yourself, pain yourself, put all 
	that poison into your hair, into your body -- 
	trying to be white.

			MALCOLM 
	Man, I don't want to hear all that.

			BEMBRY 
	I thought you was smart. But you just another 
	one of them cats strutting down the avenue in 
	your clown suit with all that mess on you. Like 
	a monkey. And the white man sees you and he 
	laughs. He laughs because he knows you ain't 
	white.

Malcolm is drying his hair, finishing his conk. But some of what Bembry 
has said disturbs him.

			MALCOLM 
	Who are you?

Malcolm is completely humiliated. Bembry sees this and stops the 
barrage.

			BEMBRY 
	The question is, who are you? You are in the 
	darkness, but it's not your fault. Elijah 
	Muhammad can bring you into the light.

			MALCOLM 
	Elijah who?

			BEMBRY 
	Elijah Muhammad can get you out of prison. Out 
	of the prison of your mind. Maybe all you want 
	is another fix. I thought you were smart.

And he is gone. Malcolm stands looking after him, a long thoughtful 
moment. He is pulling the comb through his hair.

110 	INT. PRISON LICENSE SHOP - DAY

PRISONERS are working on a beltline that stamps out and finishes 
license plates. Bembry is on the stamping machines, working as he talks 
to the other prisoners. Malcolm is painting the plates, a little 
removed from Bembry, but listening with interest. Barnes, with rifle, 
idles by a window.

A whistle sounds, ending the work shift. The inmates quickly file out 
into the yard. Bembry stays. Malcolm is half decided.

			GUARD BARNES 
	You taking the yard?

			BEMBRY 
	I'm staying.

Barnes gestures to Malcolm.

			MALCOLM 
	Me too.

He goes.

			BEMBRY 
	What you sniffing around for? I told you I gave 
	you your last fix.

			MALCOLM 
	I ain't never seen a cat like you. Ain't you 
	scared talking like that in front of an ofay?

			BEMBRY 
	What's he gonna do to me he ain't already done?

			MALCOLM 
	You the only cat don't come on with that 
	"Whatcha know, daddy" jive; and you don't cuss 
	none.

			BEMBRY 
	I respect myself. A man cuss because he hasn't 
	got the words to say what's on his mind.

			MALCOLM 
	Tell you this: you ain't no fool.

			BEMBRY 
	Don't con me. Don't try...

			MALCOLM 
	Okay, okay.

			BEMBRY 
	Don't con me. 

			MALCOLM 
	What do you do with your time?

			BEMBRY 
	I read. I study. Because the first thing a 
	black man has to do is respect himself. Respect 
	his body and his mind. Quit taking the white 
	man's poison into your body: his cigarettes, 
	his dope, his liquor, his white woman, his 
	pork.

			MALCOLM 
	That's what Mama used to say.

			BEMBRY 
	Your mama had sense because the pig is a filthy 
	beast: part rat, part cat, and the rest is dog.

Malcolm has been pondering all this and now grows animated as he thinks 
he has come to the essence of a hustle.

			MALCOLM 
	Come on, daddy, pull my coat. What happens if 
	you give all that up? You get sick or somethin'? 
	I pulled a hustle once and got out of the draft.

			BEMBRY 
	I'm telling you God's words, not no hustle. I'm 
	talking the words of Elijah, the black man's 
	God. I'm telling you, boy, that God is black.

			MALCOLM 
	What? Everybody knows God is White.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	But everything the white man taught you, you 
	learned. He told you you were a black heathen 
	and you believed him. He told you how he took 
	you out of darkness and brought you to the 
	light. And you believed him. He taught you to 
	worship a blond, blue-eyed God with white skin
	-- and you believed him. He told you black was 
	a curse, you believed him. Did you ever look 
	up the word black in the dictionary?

			MALCOLM 
	What for?

			BEMBRY 
	Did you ever study anything wasn't part of 
	some con?

			MALCOLM
	What the hell for, man?

			BEMBRY 
	Go on, fool; the marble shooters are waiting 
	for you.

			MALCOLM 
	Okay, okay. Show me, man.

110A 	CLOSE SHOT - A DICTIONARY

WE CAN READ the fine print of the definition:

			DICTIONARY
	Black, (blak), adj. Destitute of light, devoid 
	of color, enveloped in darkness. Hence, utterly 
	dismal or gloomy, as "the future looked black."

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	You understand them words?

			BEMBRY'S VOICE 
	Read it.

PULLBACK TO SHOW Bembry and Malcolm in a small PRISON LIBRARY. No one 
else is in the book-lined room.

			MALCOLM 
	I can't make out that shit.

			BEMBRY 
	Soiled with dirt, foul; sullen, hostile, 
	forbidding -- as a black day. Foully or 
	outrageously wicked, as black cruelty. 
	Indicating disgrace, dishonor or culpability.

			DICTIONARY
	See also blackmail, blackball, blackguard.

			MALCOLM 
	Hey, they's some shit, all right.

			BEMBRY 
	Now look up "white."

Bembry turns the pages of the dictionary to "w."

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	Read it.

CLOSE SHOT - DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF "WHITE"

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	White (whit), adj. Of the color of pure snow; 
	reflecting all the rays of the spectrum. The 
	opposite of black, hence free from spot or 
	blemish; innocent, pure, without evil intent, 
	harmless. Honest, square-dealing, honorable.

Malcolm stumbles through the definition as well as he can. Bembry takes 
over the reading, giving it ironic emphasis.

			MALCOLM 
	That's bullshit. That's a white man's book. 
	Ain't all these white man's books?

SHOT - THE SHELVES OF BOOKS

			BEMBRY 
	They sure ain't no black man's books in here.

			MALCOLM 
	Then what you telling me to study in them for?

			BEMBRY 
	You got to learn everything the white man says 
	and use it against him. The truth is laying 
	there if you smart and read behind their words. 
	It's buried there. You got to dig it out.

			MALCOLM 
	Man, how'm I gonna know the ones worth looking 
	at?

Bembry smiles at Malcolm. He is a remarkable man who always takes 
careful measure of his listener. He never talks down to his audience; 
he talks to them. (A manner Malcolm later will adopt.) Bembry can talk
 funky or salty or, as we will see, in the cadence and eloquence of the 
Bible. Right now he goes into street talk.

			BEMBRY 
	I'll pull your coat, daddy. Cause lots of these 
	can't nobody read, be he black or white or a 
	Ph.D. with their suspenders dragging the ground 
	with degrees.

Malcolm laughs. He likes and admires the man. Then caught by a passage 
he does not understand:

			MALCOLM 
	Man, I'm studying in the man's book. I don't dig 
	half the words.

			BEMBRY 
	Look 'em up and and out what they mean.

			MALCOLM 
	Where am I gonna start?

			BEMBRY 
	Start at the beginning. Page one, the first 
	one. Here--

CLOSE SHOT

As Bembry's hand opens the book to page one.

CLOSE IN ON A PICTURE OF AN AARDVARK WITH ITS DEFINITION

			MALCOLM 
	Aardvark, noun. An earth pig; an ant-eating 
	African mammal. Man, that sounds like the 
	dozens.

ANGLE - TWO-SHOT

			BEMBRY 
	Read it and keep on reading. 

Malcolm's finger runs down to the next definition:

			DICTIONARY
	Abacus, noun. An ancient and primitive Chinese 
	counting device.

			BEMBRY 
	If you take one step toward Allah, He will take 
	two steps toward you.

111	OMIT 

112	OMIT

113	INT. MALCOLM'S CELL - NIGHT 

He is reading on his bunk as Barnes walks by. The lights in the cell go 
out. Malcolm looks up, annoyed at being interrupted. He shifts his 
position to the floor of the cell so that he can catch the dim light 
coming from the corridor and goes on with his reading. 

CLOSE SHOT - THE BOOK 

Malcolm is studying the dictionary, the last of the "a's": the words
azimuth, Azores, Aztec, azure, etc. He reads a word, then holds his 
hand over the printed definition to test himself, half-mouthing its 
meaning. Malcolm is also copying the dictionary in a school book word 
for word.

114 	INT. LIBRARY - DAY

There are several books on the desk before Malcolm. WE SEE their 
titles: W.E.B. DuBois's _The Soul of Black Folks_, Carter G. Woodson's 
_Journal of Negro History_, Durant's _Story of Philosophy_, H.G. 
Wells's _Outline of History_, Spinoza, Thoreau, etc.

			GUARD BARNES'S VOICE
	Closing. Knock it off.

Malcolm is surprised the time has gone so fast. He gathers up his books 
with care. He cherishes them, putting them back on the shelf carefully.

			GUARD BARNES
	You studying to be the first colored 
	President of the States?

115	INT. LICENSE SHOP - DAY

The machines are idle; no one is in the room but Malcolm. He starts 
to reach inside his jacket when Barnes sticks his head in.

			GUARD BARNES 
	You taking the yard or not?

			MALCOLM 
	I'm staying.

			GUARD BARNES 
	Then give me a butt.

Malcolm takes out a half-filled pack of cigarettes, about to offer one, 
then pauses. Malcolm hands him the pack of cigarettes.

			MALCOLM 
	Take 'em. I don't smoke no more.

He takes the pack happily and goes. Malcolm reaches into his jacket 
again, takes out a book. WE SEE its title: Mahatma Gandhi's _My 
Struggle_. He sits next to the license press to read.

116	EXT. THE PRISON YARD - DAY 

A baseball game is in progress. A BLACK TEAM is playing a WHITE ONE. 
Most of the CONVICTS are watching the game; partisanship at every 
pitch. A base hit gets a big reaction. 

ANGLE - MALCOLM AND BEMBRY 

They are out along the right field wall. They walk throughout the scene.

ANGLE - The ball is hit over the fence for a home run. There is a big 
cheer from the black prisoners. Pete, the batter, trots proudly around 
the bases.

			MALCOLM 
	Ole Pete ain't much in the head, but he can lay 
	in there with the wood.

			BEMBRY 
	Lemme tell you about history: black history. 
	You listening?

TWO-SHOT - Malcolm still watching the game.

			MALCOLM 
	You pitch, baby; I'll ketch.

			BEMBRY 
	The first men on earth were black. They ruled 
	and there was not one white face anywhere. But 
	they teach us that we lived in caves and swung 
	from trees. Black men were never like that.

Malcolm is listening to Bembry's intent statement.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	We were a race of kings when the white men went 
	around on all fours.

There is a crack of the bat and Malcolm turns to watch another base 
hit, by a black convict, stir the crowd.

			MALCOLM 
	This a helluva game. Somethin's going on.

He sees a black convict, CHUCK, nearby and calls over:

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Hey, whatsa score?

			CHUCK
	10 to 1; we murdering them, Din't you hear?

			MALCOLM 
	What?

			CHUCK
	The Brooklyn Dodgers brought up Jackie Robinson 
	and we pounding the hell out of them, 
	celebrating.

			MALCOLM 
	How bout that?

			BEMBRY 
	Sure, white man throw us a bone and that's 
	supposed to make us forget 400 years.

			MALCOLM 
	A black man playing big league ball is 
	something.

			BEMBRY 
	I told you to go behind the words and dig out 
	the truth. They let us sing and dance and 
	smile -- and now they let one black man in the 
	majors. That don't cancel out the greatest 
	crime in history. When that blue-eyed devil 
	locked us in chains -- 100,000,000 of us -- 
	broke up our families, tortured us, cut us off 
	from our language, our religion, our history.

SHOTS OF THE FACES OF THE BLACK BALL PLAYERS AND THE CONVICTS

In the stands, cheering and joyous.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	Do they know who they are? Do you know where 
	you came from? We are the Original People.

Malcolm is listening to him now.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	What's your name, boy?

Malcolm is startled; answers like a boy.

			MALCOLM 
	Little.

			BEMBRY 
	No. That's the name of the slave-master who 
	owned your family. You don't even know who you 
	are. You're nothing. Less than nothing. A zero. 
	Who are you?

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM 

Wrapped in thought. 

ANGLE ON MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	I'm not Malcolm Little and I'm not Satan.

			BEMBRY 
	Who are you?

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

Malcolm cannot answer because he truly does not know.

A ball is hit. Malcolm watches its flight but his face is fixed 
somewhere between understanding and anger: it is the face of the future 
leader.

			BEMBRY 
	I told you we are a nation, the lost Tribe of 
	Shabazz in the wilderness of North America.

117 	INT. ANOTHER PART OF THE PRISON - LATE AFTERNOON

The rays of the sun come through bars that cut across Malcolm and 
Bembry's face.

			BEMBRY 
	Allah has sent us a prophet, a black man named 
	Elijah Muhammad. For if God is black, Malcolm--

			MALCOLM 
	Then the devil is white.

			BEMBRY 
	I knew you'd hear me. The white man is the 
	devil. All white men are devils.

			MALCOLM 
	I sure met some.

			BEMBRY 
	No. Elijah Muhammad does not say "that white 
	man is a devil." He teaches us that the white 
	man is the devil. All white men.

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM

Listening.

			BEMBRY 
	Have you ever known a good white man in all 
	your life? Think back, did you ever meet one 
	who wasn't evil?

A prison whistle is heard.

119	OMIT

120	INT. A NICHE IN A PRISON WALL - P.M.

Malcolm and Bembry standing close together. The feeling is of someone 
taking communion: with Bembry the minister and Malcolm the communicant. 
Their voices are little more than whispers.

			BEMBRY 
	The body is a holy repository.

			MALCOLM 
	I will not touch the white man's poison: his 
	drugs, his liquor, his carrion, his women.

			BEMBRY 
	A Muslim must be strikingly upright. 
	Outstanding. So those in the darkness can see 
	the power of the light.

Malcolm lifts his head.

			MALCOLM 
	I will do it.

			BEMBRY 
	But the key to Islam is submission. That is why 
	twice daily we turn to Mecca, to the Holy of 
	Holies, to pray. We bend our knees in submission.

Bembry kneels in a praying position. Malcolm stands.

			MALCOLM 
	I can't.

			BEMBRY 
	For evil to bend its knee, admit its guilt, 
	implore His forgiveness, is the hardest thing 
	on earth--

			MALCOLM 
	I want to, Bembry, but I can't.

			BEMBRY 
	--the hardest and the greatest.

			MALCOLM 
	I can't.

			BEMBRY 
	For evil to bend its knee, admit its guilt, 
	implore His forgiveness, is the hardest thing 
	on earth--

			MALCOLM 
	I want to, Bembry, but I can't.

			BEMBRY 
	--the hardest and the greatest.

			MALCOLM 
	I don't know what to say to Allah.

			BEMBRY 
	Have you ever bent your knees, Malcolm?

Malcolm laugh-snorts:

			MALCOLM 
	Yeah. When I was picking a lock to rob 
	somebody's house.

			BEMBRY 
	Tell Him that.

			MALCOLM 
	I don't know how.

			BEMBRY 
	You can grovel and crawl for sin, but not to 
	save your soul. Pick the lock, Malcolm; pick 
	it.

			MALCOLM 
	I want to. God knows I want to.

121	INT. MALCOLM'S CELL-NIGHT

Malcolm holds a letter in his hand. He reads it carefully. He has read 
it several times before.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X
	I received a letter that day from the Honorable 
	Elijah Muhammad. The Messenger of Allah wrote 
	me, a nobody, a junkie, a pimp and a convict.

			VOICE OF ELIJAH 
	I have come to give you something which can 
	never be taken from you: I bring you a sense of 
	your own worth, the worth of one human being. 
	The knowledge of self.

The room becomes transformed. It is suddenly suffused with light. And 
standing in the cell with Malcolm is ELIJAH MUHAMMAD. He has 
materialized, but he can be seen through. He is MALCOLM'S 
HALLUCINATION.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	It was like a blinding light and I became aware 
	that he was in the room with me. He wore a dark 
	suit and on his face I saw a pain so old and 
	deep and black I could scarcely look at him. I 
	knew I was not dreaming. He was there.

			ELIJAH 
	I tell you that the most dangerous creation of 
	any society in the world is the man with 
	nothing to lose. You do not need ten such men 
	to change the world. One will do. The Earth 
	belongs to us, the Black man and whatever is 
	around it, and on it and in it. Praises are 
	due to him forever for bringing to us again, 
	our self and our property, the UNIVERSE OF SUN, 
	MOON, AND STARS.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	And suddenly as he came, he was gone.

The hallucination disappears.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X (contd) 
	And then I could do it.

Malcolm goes down on his knees. There are tears in his eyes as he 
begins praying:

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Allah Akbar: all praise to Him who is 
	all-seeing, all-understanding.

He continues to pray.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	We are told that Saul, on the road to Damascus, 
	heard the words of truth, he fell from his 
	horse. I do not liken myself to Paul, but I 
	understand. It happened to me.

122	INT. BEMBRY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

A poorly furnished, small, but immaculate room. There are two couches, 
a table set for eating, and, on the walls, a portrait of Elijah and a 
Muslim banner. It is dinner time in a Muslim home.

SIDNEY, aged 20, a perfect specimen of the Fruit of Islam, stands 
behind his chair, waiting. Their mother, LORRAINE, a woman of Bembry's 
age, is seated, but she, too, awaits Bembry.

SHOT - BEMBRY

			BEMBRY 
	In the name of Allah, the beneficent and the 
	merciful to whom all praise is due.

At the window Bembry saying the evening prayers.

			BEMBRY'S VOICE 
	Dear Brother Malcolm: I am back in the bosom of 
	Islam, praise Allah...

He comes to the table, nods and sits. Sidney respectfully sits after 
him. Food is passed. It is simple fare: natural foods, milk, greens. 
The portions are small. They eat in silence, but there is warmth and 
love at this table.

			BEMBRY'S VOICE (contd) 
	... We don't have much, but what we have is 
	yours. Lorraine and my two sons join with me in 
	saying that when you come out, which will not 
	be too long, come straight to us.

123 	INT. PRISON BARBER SHOP - DAY

Malcolm is reading Bembry's letter as he waits his turn. There is a 
WHITE CONVICT in the chair, just being finished by a WHITE BARBER - 
SIMMONS. A BLACK BARBER - SLIM sits by. Both are convicts. NOTE: 
Malcolm now wears glasses, all that reading in his badly lit cell has 
ruined his eyes.

			BEMBRY'S VOICE 
	You write thanking me. Don't thank me. Praise 
	Allah. He did it all.

			SIMMONS 
	Next.

Malcolm starts for the chair. Simmons moves away to light a cigarette 
as Slim takes over.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	Dear Bembry. Please thank the Honorable Elijah 
	Muhammad for the money and tell him I have not 
	written him because I have not yet proven 
	myself.

124 	INT. SMALL'S PARADISE - NIGHT

Archie and Cadillac are reading a letter they have received. They look 
at each other incredulously.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	But I have written everyone else.

125	ANOTHER PRISON - DAY

Shorty is waving a letter he has received to his CELLMATE. 

			SHORTY 
	Look like Homey got himself a brand new hype.

126	INT. ELIJAH'S OFFICE - DAY

An immaculate room, well furnished. ELIJAH sits in a chair as Bembry
 stands reading Malcolm's letter.

			BEMBRY 
	"I wrote the Mayor, the Governor and the 
	President, but for some reason I haven't heard 
	from them"...

Bembry laughs; Elijah smiles.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	Tell the Messenger of Allah that I have 
	dedicated my life to telling the white devil 
	the truth to his face. I greet you with the 
	ancient words: "As Salaam Alikum."

			ELIJAH 
	Wa-Alaikum Salaam.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	P.S. I finally worked my way through the 
	"Z's"...

127	INT. PRISON CHAPEL - NIGHT

TITLE - 6 YEARS LATER

A GROUP OF PRISONERS, mostly white, but with a goodly smattering of 
black convicts, are listening to a lecture by CHAPLAIN GILL.

  			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	Are there any questions?

ANGLE. Malcolm seated next to a black convict, raises his hand. It's 
the only hand up. The Chaplain searches for another questioner, but 
there aren't any.

Pete, sitting next to Malcolm, whispers.

			PETE
	Watch out, baby, this cat is heavy on religion.


			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	I see this has become a struggle between good 
	and evil. Satan has a question.

There is laughter from the convicts.

			MALCOLM 
	Yes it is, Chaplain Gill. But I wouldn't want 
	to say which one of us is what.

Laughter, especially from the black convicts.

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	Why don't you just ask your question?

			MALCOLM 
	You've been talking about the disciples. What 
	color were they?

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	I don't think we know for certain.

There are reactions from the convicts. Malcolm is sharply challenging a 
white man about color.

			MALCOLM 
	They were Hebrew, weren't they?

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	That's right.

			MALCOLM 
	As Jesus was. Jesus was also a Hebrew.

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	Just what is your question?

			MALCOLM 
	What color were the original Hebrews?

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	I told you we don't know for certain.

			MALCOLM 
	Then we don't know that God was white.

There is a strong reaction to this.

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	Now just a moment, just a moment--

			MALCOLM 
	But we do know that the people of that region 
	of Asia Minor, from the Tigris-Euphrates valley 
	to the Mediterranean, are dark-skinned people. 
	I've studied drawings and photographs and seen 
	newsreels. I have never seen a native of that 
	area who was not black.

			CHAPLAIN GILL 
	Just what are you saying?

			MALCOLM 
	I'm not saying anything, preacher. I'm proving 
	to you that God is black.

127A	INSERT FLASH - A BLOND, BLUE-EYED JESUS ON THE CROSS 
(Note: Try to get footage from _The Last Temptation of Christ_ [Willem 
Dafoe])

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	God is black.

128	INT. ELIJAH'S OFFICE - DAY

Malcolm opens the door, the room is dark and he sees a small, slight 
man standing against the window, he doesn't move. This is the same man 
who appeared in Malcolm's cell, this is the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. 
Malcolm slowly moves toward him; he is completely humbled in his 
presence.

CLOSE - ELIJAH

He turns from the window to Malcolm.

			ELIJAH 
	My son, you've been a thief, drug dealer and a
	pimp and the world is still full of temptation. 
	When God bragged how faithful Job was, the 
	devil argued that only God's protective hedge 
	around him kept him pure, the devil said remove 
	the hedge and he will curse his maker. 
	Malcolm, your hedge has been removed and I 
	believe you will remain faithful.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

He cannot say anything and he drops his head, he is overwhelmed with 
heartfelt emotion.

129	INT. BEMBRY'S LIVING ROOM - P.M.

In contrast to the peaceful family scene, the room is a beehive of 
activity. Sidney is turning out leaflets on a mimeograph machine; 
Lorraine is busy making up a mailing list using 3 x 5 file cards; 
Bembry is recruiting on the telephone.

			MALCOLM 
	How many you turning out?

			SIDNEY 
	500.

			MALCOLM 
	Make it 1000. We got a lot of fishing to do.

			SIDNEY 
	Brother Malcolm, I want you to meet Brother 
	Earl. He just joined the Nation.

Earl moves toward Malcolm and extends his hands. Malcolm shakes it 
warmly.

			MALCOLM 
	We can always use another good brother.

			EARL
	I'm a willing servant for Allah.

129A 	EXT. CHURCH - DAY

Sunday service has let out and Malcolm, Earl, and Sidney are "fishing." 
They're trying to convert the Black Christians. Malcolm speaks, while 
the others hand out leaflets.

			MALCOLM 
	You think you are Christians, and yet you see 
	your so-called white Christian brother hanging 
	black Christians on trees. You say that white 
	man loves you and yet he has done every evil 
	act against you. He has everything while he is 
	living and tells you to be a good slave and 
	when you die you will have more than he has in 
	Beulah's land. We so-called Negroes are in 
	pitiful shape. Get off your knees praying to 
	a picture of a white, pale blond, and blue-eyed 
	Jesus. Come out of the sky. Build heaven on 
	earth. Islam is the black man's true religion.

130	EXT. STREET CORNER, 125TH AND SEVENTH AVENUE - DAY 

Malcolm is talking to a CROWD from a ladder.

			MALCOLM 
	And that the white man is the devil. Yes, God 
	is black and you are made in His image and 
	don't know it. That's how brainwashed you are.

 The crowd is listening, caught up in Malcolm's intensity.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	My brothers and sisters, they tell you you will 
	sprout wings when you die and fly to heaven. 
	The Honorable Elijah Muhammad tells you that's 
	pie in the sky.

ANGLE ON SIDNEY

Amid the listeners, watching their response.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	Have you ever seen a black man who wasn't down 
	on his knees begging the Lord to give him in 
	heaven what the white devil enjoys right here 
	on earth?

CLOSE SHOT - SEVERAL LISTENERS

They turn from Malcolm, moving a few steps away, and now are the 
audience on an adjacent SPEAKER. He is a young firebrand:

			SPEAKER 
	The Harlem Council fights for rat control, for 
	rent control and for community control of our 
	schools.

PAN CONTINUES to take in ANOTHER SPEAKER, a few feet away. WE SEE the 
street corner is Harlem's Hyde Park, with half a dozen SPEAKERS 
haranguing the crowd with half a dozen panaceas. That Malcolm is just 
one among many:

			SECOND SPEAKER
	If the man behind the counter ain't black, 
	don't go in. Boycott the man. Be black. Think 
	black. Buy black.

ANGLE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Come to our Temple and hear the truth. Because, 
	brother and sister, you are dead. Yes you are, 
	mentally dead, spiritually dead, morally dead. 
	And we are here to resurrect the black man 
	back from the dead.

131	EXT. OPEN AIR "MAID'S MARKET" - DAY

A place where black women come to offer themselves for day work. 
SEVERAL ARE SEEN. A WHITE WOMEN comes up to one to interview her 
(bargain with her). Malcolm's voice is heard before he is seen, 
speaking to the women from a ladder.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	My beautiful sister, for you are beautiful. 
	Beautiful because you are black. Because black 
	is beautiful. You work in the white folks' 
	kitchen so I don't have to tell you that 
	they're devils.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	And you are putting yourselves on the auction 
	block, letting them examine you like a horse, 
	like a slave. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad 
	teaches that you are black and should be 
	proud...

FACE OF ONE BLACK WOMAN, beginning to shake her head in accord.

132	INT. TEMPLE #7 - NIGHT

The SAME WOMAN, now at a Muslim meeting. The faces of other listeners 
(from the church and from the maids' market) are scattered in Malcolm's 
audience.

The headquarters itself shows the progress Malcolm has made. It is 
better furnished, larger, and the chairs are filled. Bembry, Sidney, 
and Lorraine are in the back of the room, pleased with the growth. 
Malcolm stands at a podium.

			MALCOLM 
	We're not American, we're Africans who happen 
	to be in America. We were kidnapped and brought 
	here against our will from Africa. We didn't 
	land on Plymouth Rock, brothers and sister. 
	Plymouth Rock landed on us.

Reactions: laughter, interest. Ad lib "That's the truth."

			MALCOLM 
	Put an end to your begging. No more "Please, 
	Mr. White Man, Lawdy boss, brush me another 
	crumb from off your table, kindly, sir."  We 
	are a nation, a great nation and don't need a 
	thing from them.

Malcolm scanning the faces of his audience as they react. He sees 
someone he knows and blurts out boyishly (and winningly):

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Shorty!

The crowd turns to Shorty, sitting embarrassedly in the audience.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Come on up here, man, and give us some skin. 
	Here's a man, brothers and sisters, who shot 
	up with me, who robbed with me, and did time in 
	the white devil's jailhouse. Stand up, Shorty, 
	and be counted--

But Shorty is trying to hide from the spotlight. Malcolm comes down 
from the platform and walks to him.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Folks, the brother is shy and needs special 
	attention. So would you excuse us, while Brothers 
	Sidney and Earl take up the collection.

He embraces Shorty as the crowd laughs appreciatively and Brothers 
Sidney and Earl have a chuckle themselves.

133	INT. MUSLIM CAFETERIA - NIGHT

Shortly and Malcolm sit at a table. Shorty has a cup of coffee in front 
of him.

			SHORTY 
	I got to hand it to you, Homey. That's the best 
	preacher hype I ever did hear.

			MALCOLM 
	It isn't a hype, Shorty. And I meant what I 
	said: join us.

			SHORTY 
	Come on, baby. I don't pay that shit no mind.

			MALCOLM 
	The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says you should 
	pay it all your mind. If you got a mind.

			SHORTY 
	Baby, I love you. Take it easy, greasy. How 
	about a snort?

			MALCOLM 
	I've been clean for twelve years, Shorty.

			SHORTY 
	You is something, Homeboy. My trouble is -- I 
	ain't had enough stuff yet, I ain't et all the 
	ribs I want and I sure ain't had enough white 
	tail yet.

			MALCOLM 
	How's the rest of the gang? You seen anyone?

			SHORTY 
	Well, Sammy's dead. Yeah, fell over in the bed 
	with a chick twenty years younger than him. Had 
	twenty-five grand in his pocket.

133A 	INSERT FLASH - Sammy, he's dead on top of TEENAGE WHORE who is 
screaming, trying to push that dead weight off her.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	How about Old Cadillac?

133B 	INSERT FLASH - Cadillac is an old junkie, past reclaiming, sitting 
staring in a MENTAL WARD, twitching, nose running.

			SHORTY'S VOICE 
	Hooked on horse. Been in and out of Lexington Ave times.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	You seen Sophia?

133C 	INSERT FLASH - Sophia is a bored housewife, she's in the kitchen 
cooking while her husband hides behind the Wall Street Journal.

133D BACK TO THE BAR

			SHORTY 
	I ain't seen Archie, but the vine tells it he's 
	living somewhere's in the Bronx. If you can 
	call it living.

134 	INT. A DINGY ROOM - DAY

A knock on the door rouses Archie, by now an old and dying man. All the 
vigor is gone, all the life has ebbed out.

			ARCHIE 
	Git the hell away, you bitch, I'll pay you 
	tomorrow.

Door opens, Malcolm enters.

  			MALCOLM 
	Hello, Archie.

 Archie sits up from his bed and stares. He tries to bring back some of
his old juice, tries to stand up.

			ARCHIE 
	My man, Red. Come on in, man. 
		(then giving up) 
	Hey, I can't make it.

Malcolm has to help him lie back.

			MALCOLM 
	Take it easy, baby.

			ARCHIE 
	That really you, Red?

The contrast is shocking: Malcolm tall and straight; Archie ruined.

			MALCOLM 
	You saved my life, Archie. Running me out of 
	Harlem. When I think how close we came to 
	gunning each other down, I have to thank Allah.

			ARCHIE 
	I wasn't gonna shoot you, baby. It was just my 
	rep, that's all. And don't shit me now, but 
	did you have that number? Tell me.

			MALCOLM 
	I don't know. It doesn't matter. The thing is 
	we got to get you back on your feet.

			ARCHIE 
	Yeah. I got a couple a new angles ain't been 
	figured yet. All I need's a stake and a 
	chance--

			MALCOLM 
	Can you use a few bucks? I ain't got much, 
	but--

			ARCHIE 
	No, man, I'm doing okay. Thanks. 

			MALCOLM 
	Take it easy. Lay down and don't think about it.

			ARCHIE
	Yeah.

			MALCOLM 
	You could of been something, Archie, but the 
	devil got to you.

The old man is asleep.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	You know all the angles except how to live. 

135 	EXT. A STREET IN HARLEM - NIGHT

Malcolm walks thoughtfully down the street; Archie is still on his 
mind, as he passes prostitute after prostitute. Once beautiful women 
now selling their bodies. He passes Laura, she has been turned totally 
out and she looks the part, there is no way he can recognize her. We do 
though. 

CLOSE - LAURA

She has just gotten a white John and leads him into an alley.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	Women who could be mothers, teachers, 
	scientists...

ANGLE - ALLEY

Laura kneels down to unzip her John's pants.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE (contd) 
	Who is going to raise our children?; men who 
	might have been astronauts, composers,
	engineers; Who is going to be the head of the 
	households?--

136 	INT. TEMPLE #7 - NIGHT

Malcolm is addressing a HUGE AUDIENCE. His tone is more intense, more 
personal than before, because of his recent encounters. In the 
audience, sitting with Bembry, is BETTY, a lovely dark-skinned woman. 
Her interest in Malcolm (true, also, for most of the other unmarried 
sisters) is more than religious.

			MALCOLM 
	--and what has the white devil made of them: 
	dead souls. Oh, my he has no conscience. He 
	should fall on his knees and say, "My kind 
	commits history's greatest crime against your 
	kind every day of your life." But does he? No. 
	He scorns you, splits your head with his 
	nightstick and calls you nigger. If you've had 
	it, then stand up and come forward. If not us, 
	then who? If not now, then when?

ANGLE - THE AUDIENCE

Many stand, some walk toward the podium speaking his name: "I'm with 
you, Brother Malcolm," "Praise Allah," "Me, Brother Malcolm."

There is applause; some of the audience get to their feet -- Malcolm 
acknowledges their approval, trying to quiet them, but caught up in the
 heady excitement of leadership.

CLOSE - BETTY AND BEMBRY

Both are moved by Malcolm's performances.

			BETTY
		(whispering) 
	He ought to try to make it a little easier, 
	Brother Bembry.

			BEMBRY 
	Why don't you try telling him that, Sister 
	Betty?

137	INT. A LARGE ANTEROOM IN TEMPLE #7 - NIGHT

The Muslim movement has grown enormously. The activity in this 
anteroom, leading to other rooms off it, shows that. Betty and Bembry 
stand before a Directory announcing activities in the Temple: MONDAY - 
Fruit of Islam Meeting; TUESDAY - Unity Night; WEDNESDAY - Student 
Enrollment; THURSDAY - Muslim Girls Training; FRIDAY - General
Civilization Class; SATURDAY - Swahili, etc.

A stir of people and activity as Malcolm enters the anteroom. He 
excuses himself from a group of MUSLIMS, making his way toward Bembry.

			MALCOLM 
		(little out of breath) 
	Brother Bembry, can we fix it so our 
	loudspeaker is heard on the street?

			BEMBRY 
	I'm sure we can. This is a new sister, Sister 
	Betty.

Malcolm nods at her; she nods in return.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	The Sister lectures our Muslim women in hygiene 
	and diet.

Malcolm mutters "very good," but his mind is clearly on a million other 
details.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	The Sister stresses care of the body and 
	regular eating habits.

Malcolm is still distracted.

			BETTY
	The Sister wonders if the Brother knows what 
	Harriet Tubman did between taking souls to the 
	Promised Land?

Malcolm is stopped. He looks at Betty.

 			MALCOLM 
	What?

			BETTY
	She ate.

Malcolm laughs.

			BETTY (contd) 
	And the Sister suggests he put his actions 
	where his mouth is.

Malcolm's laughter is heard, in response.

138 	INT. MUSLIM CAFETERIA - NIGHT TWO-SHOT - BETTY AND MALCOLM

 			MALCOLM 
	Sure I'll speak to your class. But I'm a hard 
	man on women. You want to know why?

			BETTY
	If you want to tell me.

							CUT TO:

138A 	EXT. ELIJAH'S GARDEN - DAY

Malcolm sits next to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. The student and the 
teacher.

			MALCOLM 
	If you want to tell me.

			ELIJAH
	Women are deceitful. They are untrustworthy 
	flesh. I've seen too many men ruined or tied 
	down or messed up by women.

							CUT BACK TO:

138B 	BETTY AND MALCOLM

Betty says nothing, she merely pushes the salad plate a little toward 
him. The food has thus far gone untouched. Malcolm continues.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Women talk too much. To tell a woman not to 
	talk is like telling Jesse James not to carry a 
	gun or a hen not to cackle. And Samson, the 
	strongest man that ever lived, was destroyed by 
	the woman who slept in his arms.

			BETTY
	Shall I tell my sisters that we oppose 
	marriage?

							CUT TO:

CLOSE - ELIJAH

			ELIJAH 
	No. We are not Catholic priests. We do not 
	practice celibacy. If a woman is the right 
	height for a man, the right complexion, if her 
	age is half the man's plus seven, if she 
	understands that man's essential nature is 
	strong and woman's weak, if she loves children, 
	can cook, sew and stay out of trouble--

							CUT TO:

CLOSE - BETTY

			BETTY
	I think you've made your points, Brother 
	Malcolm.

			MALCOLM 
	What points?

			BETTY
	That you haven't time for either marriage or 
	eating--

Malcolm chuckles a bit.

			BETTY (contd) 
	--and that women aren't the only ones who 
	talk a lot.

Now he bursts out laughing.

CLOSE - BROTHERS SIDNEY AND EARL 

They are alarmed at Brother Minister's behavior. 

TWO-SHOT - BETTY AND MALCOLM

			BETTY
	If you'll start eating, there is a question I 
	have. Go ahead. Start.

He takes a forkful of the salad.

			BETTY (contd) 
	Considering today's standards of animal raising 
	and curing meats, I don't fully understand the 
	restriction on pork.

			MALCOLM 
	Let me explain. No. I'll do better than that. 
	I'll show it to you. Scientifically. But it's 
	demonstration purely in the interest of 
	science, you understand?

			BETTY'S VOICE:
	Yes, I understand, Brother Malcolm. Purely 
	scientific.

139 	INT. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY - DAY

Before a comparative evolutionary display showing the skeletons of
 various animals, Malcolm is holding forth. Betty is dressed in a vivid, 
becoming red dress.

			MALCOLM 
	Notice especially the claw, the jaw and the 
	skull formation. This is the rat. This the 
	mole. Here you have the aardvark and the 
	boar...

CLOSE ON THE SKELETONS

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	...All members of the pig-rodent family.

			BETTY
	I see your point.

			MALCOLM 
	So it is not a matter of the breeding 
	conditions or preparation of the meat. The meat 
	itself is foul.

ANGLE. As they saunter out, passing the huge skeletons of prehistoric 
animals now.

			BETTY
	Could we sit down someplace?

			MALCOLM 
	I'm sorry. I've had you on your feet for hours.

			BETTY
	You've been on your feet for days. And didn't 
	even finish your salad.

140	INT. SODA FOUNTAIN - DAY

			WAITER 
	You're the strawberry soda and you're the hot 
	fudge sundae.

He plunks down the order before Betty and Malcolm. Malcolm takes a 
long, long satisfying pull on his straw. Then he sighs: 

			MALCOLM 
	That's something I haven't done in fifteen years.

			BETTY
	What?

			MALCOLM 
	Sat down with a pretty girl and had an ice 
	cream soda.

			BETTY 
	How do you like it?

			MALCOLM 
	Delicious.

She laughs. He blushes.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Let's talk about you for a change.

			BETTY
	There's nothing to talk about.

			MALCOLM 
	0h, yes, there is. I know a lot about you.
	Brother Bembry briefed me.

			BETTY
	Oh? Purely scientific interest I'm sure.

			MALCOLM 
		(a beat) 
	You're from Detroit, near where I come from. 
	You majored in education at Tuskegee. You're 
	studying nursing and having trouble with your 
	family.

			BETTY
 	I can handle it.

			MALCOLM 
	They want you to quit the Muslims or they won't 
	pay your tuition, isn't that it?

			BETTY
	You have enough worries of your own.

			MALCOLM 
	No, good Sisters are rare. We need every one. 
	Tell me something: how tall are you?

			BETTY
	Why do you ask?

			MALCOLM 
	Just an idle question.

			BETTY
	If it's just idle, I won't answer it.

She takes a bite of her sundae.

			BETTY (contd) 
	But Brother Bembry says I'm tall enough for a 
	tall man.

			MALCOLM 
	How old are you, Betty?

			BETTY
	There's a few things you don't know about 
	women, Brother Malcolm. They're possessive and 
	vain.

			MALCOLM 
	Are you?

			BETTY
	And dogged when I set my mind to something.

			MALCOLM
	What have you set your mind to?

			BETTY
	Being a good Muslim, a good nurse and a good 
	wife.

Malcolm takes a good look at the lovely woman in front of him, then a 
long sip from his ice cream soda.

			SIDNEY'S VOICE 
	Brother Malcolm.

Betty sees him first.

			BETTY
	It's Sidney.

ANGLE. As Sidney runs to them at the table: 

			SIDNEY 
	Brother Johnson was attacked by the cops.

			A MAN'S VOICE 
	There was a scuffle. The Brother was watching.

141	EXT. SIDE STREET IN HARLEM - P.M.

Malcolm listening as SEVERAL WITNESSES simultaneously describe the 
attack. A small angry CROWD has gathered. The most animated one is 
BENJAMIN, a very dark young black teenager, we will soon meet him 
later.

			BENJAMIN 
	The cop says, "Move on."

			MAN 
	The Brother didn't scatter fast enough for the 
	ofay.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			BENJAMIN 
	Crack. He bled like a stuck hog.

			MAN 
	Watcha gonna do?

			VOICE FROM THE CROWD
		(deprecatingly) 
	He'll rap a little. He's a Muslim. And make a 
	speech.

			ANOTHER VOICE FROM CROWD 
	Muslims talk a good game, but they never do 
	nothing, unless somebody bothers Muslims.

Malcolm's face goes taut. He nods sharply at Sidney, as Benjamin 
watches them both.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	I demand to see Brother Johnson.

142 	INT. POLICE STATION - LATE P.M.

Malcolm facing a DESK SERGEANT, TWO UNIFORMED COPS and a PLAINCLOTHESMAN
off to one side.

			SERGEANT 
	Who the hell are you?

			MALCOLM 
	I'm from Muslim Temple 7.

			COP 
	Never heard of you.

			MALCOLM 
	Where is he?

The police respond with a squeeze play intended to intimidate Malcolm:

			SERGEANT 
	Nobody here by that name.

			PLAINCLOTHES 
	What's your name, feller?

He feels the power play and stiffens in resistance.

			MALCOLM 
	I'm Minister Malcolm X. Two witnesses saw him 
	brought in. He was not brought out.

			PLAINCLOTHES 
	You heard the Sergeant. Outside.

Malcolm stands his ground coolly.

			MALCOLM 
	Take a look out that window. I intend to see 
	Brother Johnson.

The cops eye each other. Plainclothes walks to the window. 

143	EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE - LATE P.M.

Across from the station is a phalanx of some FIFTY MEN of the Fruit 
of Islam. All are dressed in dark suits with white shirts. They stand 
in military formation: eyes forward, every face burning. People from 
the neighborhood have formed a crowd behind and around them. WE MAKE 
OUT Benjamin among the crowd. 

143A	INT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT

			PLAINCLOTHES 
	Who the hell are they?

			MALCOLM 
	Brothers of Brother Johnson.

			PLAINCLOTHES 
	Eddie, let's see that blotter.

TWO-SHOT - FAVOR MALCOLM

As the cops examine the police blotter.

			SERGEANT
	Yeah. We got a Muslim. The relief must of put it 
	down.

			PLAINCLOTHES 
	But you can't see him. You ain't his lawyer.

			SERGEANT 
	No lawyer, no see.

			MALCOLM 
	Until I'm satisfied Brother Johnson is 
	receiving proper medical attention, no one will 
	move.

Cops eye each other. Plainclothes nods slightly, he has to give in, 
Malcolm is not playing.

144	INT. A LOCKUP - SAME

The back of Malcolm's head, as he examines Brother Johnson. As he comes 
up OUT OF FRAME, WE SEE that Johnson has been badly beaten.

			MALCOLM 
		(shaking) 
	Only a pig could do a thing like that.

			PLAINCLOTHES 
	Watch your tongue, boy.

			MALCOLM 
	Don't you call me boy, you pig. Letting a man 
	bleed like that.

Sergeant puts a restraining hand on Plainclothes.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	That man belongs in a hospital. Get an ambulance. 
	Now! 

145 	EXT. THE STREET - LATER (DARKER)

As Johnson's body, on a stretcher, is hurried into an ambulance. The 
crowd has grown in proportions. There are ad libs: "Goddam pigs," "Damn 
police brutality," "Least they got him out of the meat house."

Malcolm with the Sergeant and a LIEUTENANT, as the ambulance pulls away.

			LIEUTENANT
	All right, break it up. You got what you wanted.

			MALCOLM 
	I'm not satisfied.

Malcolm starts walking down the center of the street, after the 
ambulance.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	To the hospital.

The Fruit of Islam fall in behind him, marching slowly. It takes on the 
start of a march as the neighborhood people fall in behind them. People 
(especially kids) race with them on the street and on the sidewalk.

ANGLE - BENJAMIN

Benjamin fights his way through the crowd trying to walk beside Malcolm, 
the Brothers in the Fruit stop him and Benjamin drops back.

146 	EXT. LENOX AVENUE - NIGHT

 Now the march has taken over the broad avenue. COPS are forced to 
redirect traffic, holding up crosstown cars as the group walks solemnly 
by. The people walking behind have swelled it to a huge demonstration. 
Their faces reflect their anger and their satisfaction that, for once, 
something is being done about what has happened.

147 	EXT. HARLEM HOSPITAL - NIGHT

LONG SHOT SHOWS the Muslim men in perfect order, calm with their arms 
folded across their chests, waiting. Their eyes are on Malcolm as he 
walks toward the hospital entrance. 

SHOTS

--of the growing crowd.

--of the nervous cops, including some big brass.

--of kids watching from a rooftop.

--of Benjamin trying to emulate the Fruit of Islam. 

148	EXT. OUTSIDE HARLEM HOSPITAL - NIGHT 

Malcolm is standing in front of the Fruit of Islam men, as HIGHRANKING 
POLICE OFFICER GREEN comes over.

			CAPTAIN GREEN
	All right, that's enough. I want these people 
	moved out of here.

			MALCOLM 
	They're all disciplined men. They're doing 
	nothing except waiting.

SHOT

The unruly crowd behind the Fruit of Islam. They are restive, milling, 
ugly.

			CAPTAIN GREEN 
	What about them?

			MALCOLM 
	That's your headache, Captain. And if he dies, 
	I pity you.

149	EXT. OUTSIDE HARLEM HOSPITAL - NIGHT

			DOCTOR 
	He'll live. He's getting the best care we can 
	give.

			MALCOLM 
	Thank you, Doctor.

			DOCTOR 
	I had to put a plate in his head.

			MALCOLM 
		(to Captain) 
	You bastards.

			CAPTAIN GREEN 
	All right, okay. Now disperse this mob.

MEDIUM SHOT - MALCOLM, FRUIT OF ISLAM AND CROWD 

It's clear the decision is in one man's hands, Malcolm's. 

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM 

He makes a gesture with his hand, the Fruit of Islam disperse.

ANGLE. People moving away, going home. Only one person remains from the 
Fruit of Islam and the crowd, it's Benjamin.

CLOSE - CAPTAIN GREEN

			CAPTAIN GREEN 
	That's too much power for one man to have.

149A 	INT. MUSLIM CAFETERIA - NIGHT

Everyone is in a somber mood over the evening's events. 

ANGLE - TABLE 

Malcolm sits with Brothers Earl and Sidney.

			SIDNEY 
	Brother Minister, we need to strike back.

			BROTHER EARL 
	Put fear into those devils.

			MALCOLM 
	I want to also, but until we are instructed by 
	the Messenger to do so, we will just wait and 
	pray.

			BROTHER EARL 
	I'm tired of praying.

			MALCOLM 
	That's enough, Brother Earl.

ANGLE - ENTRANCE

Benjamin comes into the cafeteria and everyone looks at him. He sees 
Malcolm sitting and moves toward his table.

ANGLE - TABLE 

Brothers Sidney and Earl get up to intercept him but Malcolm waves him 
through. Benjamin stands.

			MALCOLM 
	Sit down, son.

Malcolm pours some cream into his cup of black coffee, then also some 
white sugar.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	There is only one thing I like integrated. My 
	coffee.

Benjamin laughs.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	What can I do for you?

			BENJAMIN
	Mr. X, I was out there tonight. I saw what you 
	did. I want to be a Muslim. I ain't never seen 
	a Negro stand up to the police like that.

ANGLE - SIDNEY AND EARL

They exchange dubious looks.

			MALCOLM 
	Do you know what it means to be a true Muslim?

Benjamin hesitates.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Do you?

			BENJAMIN 
	Not exactly, but I want to be one, like you.

			MALCOLM 
	I admire your enthusiasm but you should never 
	join any organization without first checking it 
	out thoroughly.

Benjamin is crushed and he starts to get up.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	We need more young warriors like yourself, 
	stick around and we shall see if your heart is 
	true.

			BENJAMIN 
	Mr. X, I won't make you out a liar.

180 	INT. TEMPLE #1 - DETROIT - DAY

CLOSE - NEWSPAPER HEADLINE (DAILY NEWS) 

MALCOLM X WINS $70,000 JUDGMENT FOR BEATEN NEGRO 

An AIDE of Elijah puts down the newspaper and shakes Malcolm's hand.

			AIDE
	The Honorable Elijah Muhammad would like to see 
	you now.

151	INT. ELIJAH'S OFFICE - DAY

Elijah is sweeping the floor with a plain hand broom. Malcolm enters 
the room, is surprised and waits at the door. The two are alone 
together.

			ELIJAH
	If I surprise you, let me explain. Menial work 
	teaches us humility.

			MALCOLM 
	Let me do it then.

			ELIJAH 
	No, each of us must relearn that work is the 
	only worthwhile thing. Allah has given you a 
	great gift. Use it wisely, never forgetting 
	that we are nothing, while He is all.

			MALCOLM 
	Allah Akbar.

The sweeping done, they stand together near a table at a window.

			ELIJAH
	Tonight I shall introduce you as my National 
	Representative. It will be a difficult task. 
	Your assignment is to build temples all over 
	this nation. More work than you have ever done 
	in your life and you will be in the public eye. 
	My son, beware of those cameras, they are just 
	as bad as a narcotic.

ANGLE - AIDES and OTHERS come into the room now. They are listening.

			ELIJAH (contd) 
	Yes, the white devil will watch your every 
	step. Even your own Brothers will become 
	jealous, and hostile, go slowly. So I offer you 
	a parable -- regarding your work.

Elijah picks up a glass and sets it before Malcolm.

			ELIJAH (contd) 
	Here is a glass, dirty and its water foul. If 
	you offer it to the people and they have no 
	choice, they must drink out of it. But if you 
	present them with this glass--

He is holding a clean glass, with clear water in it.

			ELIJAH (contd) 
	--and let them make their decision, they will 
	choose the pure vessel. Islam is the only 
	religion which addresses the needs and problems 
	of the so-called Negro, especially in the 
	ghettos -- Islam is the only way out from drugs, 
	crime, unemployment, prostitution, alcohol, 
	gambling, fornication and adultery.

Elijah holds up the clear glass.

			VOICE OF MALCOLM X 
	This sweet, gentle man gave me the truth from 
	his own mouth. And I adored him, in the sense 
	of the Latin root of the word. Adorare, to 
	worship and to fear. He was the first man I 
	ever feared -- not fear such as the one has of 
	a gun but the fear one has of the power of the 
	sun, I pledged myself to him, even if it cost 
	me my life.

152	INT. A HOSPITAL WARD - DAY

Betty is administering to a PATIENT, as a phone is heard ringing. It's 
answered. ANOTHER NURSE motions Betty to the phone. She finishes with 
her patient and goes quickly.

			BETTY
	Hello.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	Sister Betty?

			BETTY
	Yes.

153	EXT. A PAY PHONE AT A GAS STATION - DAY

			MALCOLM 
	I'm in Detroit.

			BETTY
	I know.

			MALCOLM 
	At a gas station. 
		(a beat) 
	Will you marry me?

			BETTY
	Yes.

			MALCOLM 
	Did you hear what I said?

			BETTY
	Yes I did. Did you hear my answer?

			MALCOLM 
	I think so. Can you catch a plane?

			BETTY
	Yes. Did you eat?

			MALCOLM 
	I love you.

154 	INT. BEMBRY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Betty and Malcolm sit on the floor in the dimlit room, very close.

			MALCOLM 
	It won't be easy.

			BETTY
	Just hold me.

			MALCOLM 
	It will be rough.

			BETTY
	Hush your mouth.

			MALCOLM 
	I'll be away a lot.

			BETTY
	You're with me even when you're away.

He embraces her. Then Betty laughs.

			BETTY (contd) 
	I never told you, but when I first saw you on 
	the podium, cleaning your glasses, I felt sorry 
	for you. Nobody as young as you should be that 
	serious. But I don't think that anymore.

			MALCOLM 
	What do you think?

			BETTY
	The simplest thing in the world: I want to have 
	a lot of babies with you. Dear Heart, I love 
	you.

Full embrace.

			BEMBRY'S VOICE 
	We're waiting on you folks. You trying to starve 
	us?

155	INT. BEMBRY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Malcolm has just cut the cake and handed a slice to Betty. Amid 
laughter and great warmth, Sidney unfurls the front page of the 
_Messenger_, the Muslim newspaper. Headline reads: "MALCOLM X WEDS 
BETTY SAUNDERS." Betty kisses her husband and Bembry, Lorraine, Earl, 
Sidney, Peter and VARIOUS BROTHERS AND SISTERS applaud.

We notice the subtle change in the apartment: it is more comfortable; 
there is even evidence of some small luxury: a TV set, a new settee, 
etc.

156	EXT. RALLY - HARLEM - DAY 

Malcolm is speaking to a GOOD SIZED AUDIENCE:

			MALCOLM 
	I must emphasize at the outstart, that the 
	Honorable Elijah Muhammad is not a politician, 
	so I'm not here this afternoon as a Republican, 
	nor a Democrat, not as a Mason nor an Elk, not 
	as a Christian nor a Jew, not as a Catholic nor 
	a Protestant, not as a Baptist nor a Methodist, 
	not even as an American. For if I was an 
	American the problem that confronts our people 
	today would not exist. So I stand here as what 
	I was when I was born: A BLACK MAN!

CROWD REACTIONS

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Before there were any such things as Democrats 
	or Republicans, we were black. Before there 
	were any such things as Masons or Elks, we
	were black. Before there were any such things 
	as Jews or Christians, we were black people. In 
	fact long before there was ever any such place 
	as America, we were black people... And after 
	America has long passed from the scene there 
	will still be BLACK PEOPLE.

CLOSE - BENJAMIN

He is neatly dressed in white shirt, jacket and tie, a fine young 
Muslim.

			BENJAMIN 2X 
	Take your time.

157	INT. CHICAGO TEMPLE - NIGHT

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad sits on the stage to the right of Malcolm.
This is a larger audience.

			MALCOLM 
	What kind of black people does the Honorable 
	Elijah Muhammad speak for? Black people who are 
	jobless... the black masses who are poor, 
	hungry, and angry, the black masses who are 
	dissatisfied with the slums and ghettos in 
	which we have been forced to live... the black 
	masses who are tired of listening to the 
	promises of white politicians to correct the 
	miserable living conditions that exist in our 
	community... the black masses that are sick of 
	the inhuman acts of bestial brutality practiced 
	by these semi-savage white policemen that 
	patrol our community, like the occupation 
	forces of a conquering enemy army... the black 
	masses who are fed up with the anemic, Uncle 
	Tom leadership set up by the white man to act 
	as a spokesman for our people and to KEEP US 
	SATISFIED AND PACIFIED WITH NOTHING!

CROWD - REACTIONS

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	If the black man cannot go back to his own 
	people and his own land, Elijah Muhammad is 
	asking that a part of the United States be 
	separated and given to the Muslims so they can 
	live separately.

CLOSE - ELIJAH

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	The Honorable Elijah Muhammad is the only man 
	the white people can deal with in the solving 
	of problems of the so-called Negro...

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	...as Elijah Muhammad knows his problems. 

158 	INT. BETTY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT 

A modest room. She is rocking a cradle with her foot as she writes: 

			BETTY'S VOICE 
	Attallah is fine. Our firstborn is an angel and 
	a beauty. And misses you as I do. But the news 
	that you've dedicated four new temples is 
	almost as good as having you with us.

158A	INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT 

Malcolm sits in front of a television screen and watches the evening 
news. The following speech will be INTERCUT with 

A SERIES OF OLD NEWSREEL FOOTAGE - BLACK & WHITE 

(newsclips from Birmingham, Selma, Mississippi, and elsewhere): 

158B	--POLICE using dogs against DEMONSTRATORS. 

158C	--The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King marching. 

158D	--Cattle prods used against MEN, WOMEN and CHILDREN. 

158E	--The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King singing "We Shall Overcome."

158F	--PREGNANT WOMAN knocked down by high-pressure water hoses.

158G	--The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King leading a crowd in prayer.

158H	--Students sitting in at a counter.

158I	--The smoldering ruins of Birmingham's 16th St. Baptist church.

158J
			MALCOLM/HIS VOICE 
	The white people who are guilty of white 
	supremacy try and hide their own guilt by 
	accusing the Honorable Elijah Muhammad of 
	teaching black supremacy when he tries to 
	uplift the mentality, the social, and economic 
	condition of black people in this country. And 
	the Jews, who have been guilty of exploiting 
	the black people economically, civilly, and 
	otherwise, hide their guilt by accusing the 
	Honorable Elijah Muhammad of being anti-Semitic 
	simply because he teaches our people to go into 
	business for ourselves and trying to take over 
	the economic leadership in our own community. 
	The black people in this country have been the 
	victims of violence at the hands of the white 
	man for 400 years, and following the ignorant 
	Negro preachers, we have thought that it was 
	God-like to turn the other cheek to the brute 
	that was brutalizing us. 100 years ago they 
	use to put on a white sheet and use a 
	bloodhound against Negroes. Today they've taken
	off sheets and put on police uniforms, they've 
	traded in the bloodhounds for police dogs. And 
	just as Uncle Tom back during slavery used to 
	keep the Negroes from resisting the bloodhounds 
	or resisting the Ku Klux Klan by telling them 
	to love their enemy or pray for those who use 
	them as spitefully today. The Honorable Elijah 
	Muhammad is showing black people that just as 
	the white man and every other person on this 
	earth has God given rights, natural rights, 
	civil rights, and any other kind of rights that 
	you can think of when it comes to defending 
	himself.

159

A-C	INT. TV STUDIO 

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM'S FACE 

With a studio mike around his neck, he's on a panel show. 

ANGLE - MODERATOR

			MODERATOR
	Mr. X, before we start our discussion tonight 
	-- The Black Muslims: Hate Mongers -- would you 
	mind explaining for us the meaning of your 
	name, which is the letter X.

ANGLE - PANEL 

Opposing Malcolm is DR. PAYSON, a NAACP-type NEGRO. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Yes sir. As you know, during slavery time, the 
	slavemasters named most of the so-called 
	Negroes in America after themselves. Mr. Elijah 
	Muhammad teaches us once you come into the 
	knowledge of Islam, you replace your slave name 
	with an X. Since we've been disconnected, cut 
	off from our Eastern culture for so long that 
	we don't know the names we originally had, we 
	will use X until we get back to the East.

ANGLE - MODERATOR

			MODERATOR
	Thank you. Now Dr. Payson.

CLOSE - DR. PAYSON

			DR. PAYSON 
	Mr. X is a demagogue. He has no place to go, so 
	he exaggerates. He's a disservice to every good 
	law-abiding Negro in the country. Can I ask you 
	a question?

CLOSE: - DR. PAYSON

			MALCOLM 
	Please, go ahead.

			DR. PAYSON 
	Mr. Malcolm X, why do you teach black 
	supremacy? Why do you teach hate?

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	For the white man to ask the black man if he 
	hates him is just like the rapist asking the 
	raped, or the wolf asking the sheep, "Do you 
	hate me!" The white man is in no moral position 
	to accuse anyone of hate.

ANGLE - PANEL

			MODERATOR
	Certainly, Mr. X, you must admit there has been 
	progress.

			MALCOLM 
	I'll talk about "progress" in a minute, but let 
	me finish with my brother.

Malcolm gestures to the Negro panelist.  The BLACK MEMBERS of the TV 
audience are lapping it up. Betty and Earl also sit in the TV studio 
audience.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Stop me if I'm wrong. I "polarize the community." 
	I "erroneously appraise the racial picture."

			DR. PAYSON 
	You put it very well.

			MALCOLM 
	You left one phrase out. Another educated 
	Kneegrew said to me and I quote: "Brother 
	Malcolm oversimplifies the dynamic interstices 
	of the Negro subculture." Would you agree?

			DR. PAYSON 
	Entirely.

ANGLE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Well, I have this to say. Do you know what a 
	Negro with a B.A., an M.A. and a Ph.D. is 
	called -- by the white man? I'll tell you. He's 
	called a nigger.

There is some blanching and guffawing from the audience. The moderator 
is totally embarrassed, Betty roars.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	And I'm not finished. To understand this man--

He points a sharp finger at the Negro Panelist.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	--you must know that historically there are two 
	kinds of slaves. House Negroes and Field 
	Negroes. The house Negro lived in the big 
	house; he dressed pretty good; he ate pretty 
	good and he loved the master. Yeah, he loved 
	him more than the master loved himself. If the 
	master's house caught fire, he'd be the first 
	to put the blaze out. If the master got sick, 
	he'd say: "What's a matter, boss; we sick?" 
	WE sick! If someone said to him, "Let's run 
	away and escape. Let's separate." He'd say, 
	"Man, are you crazy? What's better than what I 
	got here?" That was the House Negro. In those 
	days he was called the House Nigger. Well, 
	that's what we call them today because we still 
	got a lot of House Niggers running around.

There is applause from the blacks in the audience. Moderator tries to 
regain control.

159D	INT. ELIJAH'S OFFICE - DAY

CLOSE - THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD 

He is enjoying this display by his prize student, the CAMERA PANS to a 
CLOSE SHOT of BEMBRY and the same cannot be said.

159E 	BACK TO STUDIO

			MODERATOR
	I think, perhaps, Dr. Payson has something to--

			MALCOLM 
	Don't you want to hear about the Field Nigger?

			DR. PAYSON 
	Let him finish.

			MALCOLM 
	Thank you. Now the Negro in the field caught 
	hell all day long. He was beaten by the master; 
	he lived in a shack, wore castoff clothes and 
	hated his master. If the house caught fire, 
	he'd pray for a wind. If the master got sick, 
	he'd pray that he'd die. And if you said to 
	him, "Let's go, let's separate", he'd yell, 
	"Yeah, man, any place is better than this." 
	You've got a lot of Field Negroes in America 
	today. I'm one.

			BROTHER BENJAMIN 
	Tell it.

			MALCOLM 
	--there's another one. The majority of black 
	Americans today are Field Negroes. They don't 
	talk about OUR progress, about OUR government, 
	OUR navy, OUR astronauts. Hell, they won't 
	even let you near the plant.

159F	INT. ELIJAH'S OFFICE - DAY 

Bembry turns off the TV set and he commences to plant the seeds of 
"betrayal."

CLOSE - BEMBRY

			BEMBRY 
	Your holy apostle, dear Messenger, I am your 
	true servant and the brothers asked me to tell 
	you Malcolm is getting too much press. The 
	brothers think he thinks _he_ is the Nation of 
	Islam, that he has aspirations to lead the 
	Nation. It was you who made Malcolm the man he
	is. You lifted him out of the darkness.

CLOSE - ELIJAH

			ELIJAH 
	Go and tell the brothers what Brother Minister 
	is doing, has done, has been of great benefit 
	to the Nation.

CLOSER - BEMBRY

			BEMBRY
	Great benefit for himself. 

159G	BRIEF MONTAGE. THE RISE OF MALCOLM X

EXT. STREET - HARLEM - DAY 

Malcolm is walking the streets of Harlem like he is campaigning for 
office. He has Brothers Sidney, Earl, and Benjamin at his side, a CROWD 
follows him. Malcolm sees a WINO.

			MALCOLM 
	Brother Man, put that bottle down, take that 
	poison away from your lips. That's what the 
	devil wants you to do, stay high, out of your 
	natural mind. I know, I've been there.

The wino looks at Malcolm and continues to drink his wine.

159H	--Malcolm emerges from a doorway to be met by an army of TV REPORTERS 
armed with microphones. He walks; they follow.

159I	--Malcolm walking in Harlem, urging people to lift themselves up, come 
to the meetings, etc.

159J 	INT. TEMPLE #7

Malcolm sits with Benjamin.

			MALCOLM 
	It's time you received your X. But first you 
	must copy this letter, exactly as I give it to 
	you; down to the dotted "i's," crossed "t's," 
	everything. And you must go on a fast, just 
	water and juices, that's it.

CLOSE - BENJAMIN

He takes the letter from Malcolm and looks at it.

			BENJAMIN 
	I'll have it tomorrow.

			MALCOLM 
	Brother Benjamin, do not rush, it has to be 
	exact.

--Benjamin goes off in a corner and very quickly copies the letter, 
he's so anxious.

--Benjamin hands Malcolm his letter, Malcolm shakes his head and hands 
it back, it's not exact.

159K	EXT. STREET - HARLEM - DAY

Malcolm is talking to a group of PEOPLE who are having a rent strike.

			MALCOLM 
	When you live in a poor neighborhood, you're 
	living in an area where you have poor schools.

159L 	CUTAWAY TO MALCOLM AND BENJAMIN

Malcolm hands him back his letter again. The fast is getting to 
Benjamin.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	When you have poor schools you have poor 
	teachers. When you have poor teachers, you get 
	a poor education.

159M	CUTAWAYS TO THE DESPAIR OF HARLEM - SLUMS, TENEMENTS, GARBAGE, RATS

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Poor education, you only work on poor paying 
	jobs and that enables you to live again in a 
	poor neighborhood.

159N	CUTAWAY TO BLACK FACES

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	So it's a very vicious cycle. We've got to 
	break it.

159O	INT. MUSLIM CAFETERIA

Benjamin weakly walks toward Malcolm and gives him his letter, which he 
takes. The fast is wearing him out. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

Malcolm is inspecting it. 

CLOSE - BENJAMIN 

His face is filled with apprehension. 

ANGLE - MALCOLM AND BENJAMIN

			MALCOLM 
	You are now Benjamin 2X.

			BENJAMIN 2X 
	All praises are due to Allah. Thank you, 
	Brother Minister.

			MALCOLM 
	Come, sit with us.

ANGLE - TABLE 

Benjamin 2X sits with Malcolm and Brothers Earl and Sidney.

			MALCOLM 
	We are now sitting with Brother Benjamin 2X.

			EARL 
	Allah Akbar.

			SIDNEY 
	You will be good.

			BENJAMIN 2X 
	Brother Minister, can I have something to eat?

Everyone laughs.

			MALCOLM 
	Let's get this man some food.

160	EXT. HARVARD SQUARE - DAY

A CROWD OF STUDENTS outside the Law School. The setting is the same as 
the last time we saw Malcolm and Shorty here, except now the students 
part for him. Malcolm walks slowly toward the entrance, looking up at 
the Latin inscription of the building when he is stopped by a WHITE 
COED.

			COED
	Mr. X, I've read some of your speeches and I 
	honestly believe a lot of what you say has 
	truth to it. I have a good heart. I'm a good 
	person despite my whiteness. What can the good 
	white people like myself, who are not 
	prejudiced, or racist, what can we do to help 
	the cause?

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

He stares at her.

			MALCOLM 
	Nothing!

CLOSE - COED

She is absolutely crushed and runs away in tears. 

161 	INT. HARVARD LAW SCHOOL - DAY 

Speaking to a packed STUDENT AUDIENCE. 

			MALCOLM 
	...My high school was the black ghetto of 
	Roxbury. My college was the streets of Harlem, 
	and I took my masters in prison. If you look 
	out the window--

161A 	SHOT MALCOLM'S OLD GANG HANGOUT

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	--you can see my burglary hangout. I lived 
	like an animal. Had it not been for the 
	Honorable Elijah Muhammad I would surely be in 
	an insane asylum or dead.

ANGLE - The audience carefully listening.

			MALCOLM 
	Mr. Muhammad is trying to get us on God's side, 
	so God will be on our side to help us fight our 
	battles. When Negroes stop getting drunk, stop 
	being addicted to drugs, stop fornicating and
	committing adultery. When we get off the 
	welfare, then we'll be MEN. Earn what you need 
	for your family, then your family respects you. 
	They'll be proud to say "That's my father." 
	She's proud to say "That's my husband..." 
	Father means you're taking care of those 
	children. Just 'cause you made them that don't 
	mean you're a father. Anybody can make a baby, 
	but anybody can't take care of them. Anyone can 
	go and get a woman but anybody can't take care 
	of a woman. This is the type of teaching that 
	the honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us so we 
	can build the moral fiber of our people.

SHOT OF REPORTERS IN AUDIENCE

Beginning to scribble furiously.

			MALCOLM 
	I can see the gentlemen of the press, also the 
	FBI and CIA. are with us. Get it straight 'cuz 
	if I said, "Mary had a little lamb," they'd 
	write Malcolm X lampoons poor Mary.

Loud laughter from the audience. But this response is overwhelmed by 
the response of ANOTHER, LARGER AUDIENCE.

162	INT. MONSTER RALLY - NIGHT 

Malcolm is talking before an all-black audience. It is the largest 
rally yet; the hall is packed to the rafters.

			MALCOLM 
	We have built temples in Boston, in Detroit, in 
	Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington -- 100 
	temples in fifty states. From a handful we 
	have grown to scores of thousands.

VARIOUS SHOTS OF THE RALLY 

HAWKERS selling _The Messenger_, faces of Fruit of Islam near the 
podium; Lorraine, Sidney, Earl, Benjamin, and Bembry. For the first 
time a new note is seen in Bembry's face: reserve bordering on 
resentment. When others around him cheer Malcolm, Bembry is cool. 
Sidney notices this from his father, but makes no comment.

			MALCOLM/HIS VOICE 
	The Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us that 
	God is now about to establish a kingdom on this 
	earth based on brotherhood and 

	[...]

	against peace, his history on this earth has 
	proved that. Nowhere in history has he been 
	brotherly toward anyone. The only time he has 
	been brotherly toward you is when he can use 
	you, when he can exploit you, when he can 
	oppress you, when you will submit to him. And 
	since his own history makes him unqualified to 
	be an inhabitant or a citizen in a kingdom of 
	brotherhood, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad 
	teaches us that God is about to eliminate that 
	particular race from this earth. So since they 
	are due for elimination, we don't want to be 
	with them.

ANGLE - CROWD

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	If the so-called Negro were American citizens 
	we wouldn't have a race problem. If the 
	Emancipation Proclamation was authentic, you 
	wouldn't have a race problem. If the 13th, 
	14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution 
	was authentic, you wouldn't have a race 
	problem. If the Supreme Court desegregation 
	decision was authentic, you wouldn't have a 
	race problem. All of this is hypocrisy. These 
	Negro leaders have been telling the white man 
	everything is all right, everything is under 
	control. And they've been telling the white man 
	that Mr. Muhammad is wrong, don't listen to 
	him. But everything Mr. Muhammad has been 
	saying is going to come to pass is now coming 
	to pass and now the Negro leaders are standing 
	up saying that we are about to have a racial 
	explosion. We're going to have a racial 
	explosion and that's more dangerous than an 
	atomic explosion.

ANGLE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	It's going to explode because black people are 
	dissatisfied. They're dissatisfied now not only 
	with the white man, but with these Negroes who 
	have been sitting around here posing as leaders 
	and spokesmen for black people. Anytime you put 
	too many sparks around a powder keg, the thing 
	is going to explode and if the thing that 
	explodes is still inside the house, then the 
	house will be destroyed. So the Honorable 
	Elijah Muhammad is telling the white man get 
	this powder keg out of your house, let the 
	black people in this country separate from him 
	while there's still time. And if the black man 
	is allowed to separate and go on onto some land 
	of his own, where he can solve his problems, 
	then there won't be any explosion. COMPLETE 
	SEPARATION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE BLACK 
	AND WHITE PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY!!!

ANGLE - CROWD

A wave of cheers as people explode.

163	 INT. AN ANTEROOM OF THE RALLY - NIGHT

The rally is over. A small room packed with PEOPLE congratulating 
Malcolm, trying to touch him. He is the hero of the hour. Sidney, Earl, 
and Benjamin with him, enjoying the accolades and trying to help 
Malcolm make his way out. Bembry stands apart, removed and silent.

			MALCOLM 
	Thank you, Brother; Sister, how are you?

			SIDNEY 
	Please make way, please--

ANGLE. A WELL-KNOWN PERSONALITY (DICK GREGORY) is at the door. He and 
Malcolm know each other well. Malcolm extends a palm, but Gregory 
doesn't slap it.

			GREGORY 
	Can I ask you something?

			MALCOLM 
	Sure, man.

			GREGORY 
	Are you Elijah's pimp?

			MALCOLM 
	What?

			GREGORY 
		(scornfully) 
	"His greatest greatness."

			MALCOLM 
	Say what you're saying.

			GREGORY 
	If you don't know, man, then I feel sorriest 
	for you.

164 	INT. MALCOLM'S HOME - NIGHT

Betty, pregnant with child, is in a chair -- a newspaper in her lap. 
Malcolm is in the other room, putting his last daughter to sleep. We 
hear him...

ANGLE - BEDROOM

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	Okay, last hug.

As he enters, a smile on his face, but the concern of the evening 
clearly imprinted. He sits down heavily. Betty watches him carefully.

			MALCOLM 
	Long day. Long night. Long year. Long ten years.

He smiles. She doesn't.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Why are you looking at me like that?

			BETTY
	Because you're in trouble.

			MALCOLM 
	How do you know?

She smiles.

			BETTY
	Dear heart, because I know you.

A pause.

			MALCOLM 
	I don't want to bring my troubles home. You 
	know that.

			BETTY
	I'm not made of glass.

			MALCOLM 
	I just want to sit here and be still.

			BETTY
	We've never had a fight. Not a real one. But 
	we're going to have one right now if you don't
	talk about it.

			MALCOLM 
	Talk about what?

			BETTY
	The talk is everywhere!

			MALCOLM 
	There's always talk, always been talk, and 
	always will be talk. Don't they say how I'm 
	trying to take over the Nation, how I'm getting 
	rich off the Nation?

			BETTY
	We'll get to that, too, but this isn't just 
	talk any more.

She picks up the newspaper and reads from it:

			BETTY (contd) 
	"Los Angeles, UPI: Elijah Muhammad, 67-year-old 
	leader of the Black Muslim Movement, today 
	faced paternity suits from two former 
	secretaries who charged he fathered their four 
	children..."

			MALCOLM 
	There are always slanders, always lies. You're 
	reading the devil's lies. Can't you see they're 
	trying to bring us down, bring down the 
	Messenger.

			BETTY
	"Both women, in their 20's, charged they had 
	had intimacies with Elijah Muhammad since 
	1957..."

			MALCOLM 
	I was going to talk to Bembry about it tonight.

			BETTY
	To Bembry? Is Bembry your friend?

			MALCOLM 
	Woman, have you lost your mind? What's the 
	matter with you?

Betty gets up, goes to him gently.

			BETTY
	No, what's the matter with you? Wake up! Are 
	you so dedicated that you have blinded 
	yourself? Are you so committed you cannot face 
	the truth? Bembry is the editor of the 
	newspaper you established. Ask him why your 
	name hasn't been in "Muhammad Speaks" in over a 
	year? Ask him why you rate front page in every 
	paper in the country, but not a single sentence 
	in your own.

			MALCOLM 
		(rationalizing) 
	I'm not interested in personal publicity. Our 
	people know what I'm doing.

			BETTY
	Do you know what Bembry is doing? You're so 
	blind, everyone can see this but you!!!

			MALCOLM 
	Bembry saved my Life. The Honorable Elijah 
	Muhammad saved my life.

			BETTY
	A long time ago. You've repaid them many times 
	over. Ask them why they have new cars and 
	houses full of new furniture.

			MALCOLM 
	Is that what this is about? Material wealth?

			BETTY
	What do we have, Malcolm. A broken-down jalopy 
	and the clothes on our backs. We don't even own 
	our own home. What about our children? What 
	about me? You don't even own life insurance.

			MALCOLM 
	The Nation will provide for you and the 
	children if anything happens to me.

			BETTY
	Will they? Are you sure? Are you sure or are 
	you blind?

She touches him very gently.

			BETTY (contd)
	Dear heart, you have to help me. I'm raising 
	our kids practically by myself, while you're 
	running all over the world. You don't know how 
	many times the girls ask me when is daddy 
	coming home?

			MALCOLM 
	What do you want me to do? Our people need me.

			BETTY
	We need you too!

			MALCOLM 
	What do you want me to do?

			BETTY 
	Open your eyes, you can face death 24 hours a 
	day; but the possibility of betrayal never 
	enters your mind. If you won't do that for 
	yourself do it for us.

164A	DETECTIVE MONTAGE 

Malcolm knocks on the door of Evelyn Williams, one of the two 
secretaries/wives. She opens the door and has child in her arms.

ANGLE - APARTMENT

			SISTER EVELYN 
	Her name is Eva Marie, she's 2 years old. 
	Brother Minister, I did nothing wrong. I did 
	nothing to be put in isolation. I believed in 
	him. I believed in the Honorable Elijah 
	Muhammad.

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

He cannot believe what he is hearing, but he must. The truth is before 
his eyes.

			MALCOLM 
	Sister Evelyn, believe in Allah.

							CUT TO:

164B 	INT. SISTER LUCILLE'S ROSARY APT. - DAY

ANGLE - MALCOLM

Malcolm is sitting holding both of the children. Sister Lucille who is 
pregnant with 3rd child waddles across the room to sit down on the sofa 
with him. She picks up one of the kids from him.

ANGLE - SISTER LUCILLE

			SISTER LUCILLE
	This is Saudi, she's 3 and you have Lisha, 
	she's 2. Brother Minister the Honorable Elijah 
	Muhammad is the father of my 3 children.

She touches her pregnant stomach.

			SISTER LUCILLE (contd) 
	Brother Minister he often talked about you. He 
	loves you, loves you like his own son. Says you 
	are the best, his greatest Minister but that 
	someday you would leave him and turn against 
	him.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	He told you that?

			SISTER LUCILLE
	Yes sir.

			MALCOLM 
	Are you sure?

			SISTER LUCILLE
	Yes, I am, Brother Minister. All I want is 
	support for my children. He should provide for 
	his children. That's all I want.

			MALCOLM 
	Allah will provide.

165 	INT. BEMBRY'S HOUSE - NIGHT 

CLOSE SHOT - MALCOLM 

He has said everything on his mind and waits for Bembry's answer.

PAN TO BEMBRY

			BEMBRY 
	What are you talking about -- "blackout"? Some 
	of the Brothers are a little jealous. Maybe 
	they think you been a little -- overpublicized. 
	That's all. Forget it. It's nothing.

Malcolm is listening closely. Bembry puts an arm around him, man-to-man.

			BEMBRY (contd) 
	Now about our coming up in the world a little. 
	You're not naive. You're a man of the world. 
	The Movement's grown; we've grown with it. You 
	know folks. They want their leaders to be 
	prosperous. One hand washes the other.

			MALCOLM 
		(quoting Bembry back to himself) 
	"I'm telling you God's words, not to hustle."

			BEMBRY 
	You want a new car? You want a new house? Is 
	that it? It's the money, right?

Malcolm has to control his rage.

			MALCOLM 
	We tell the world we're moral leaders because 
	we follow the personal example of the Honorable 
	Elijah Muhammad. It's hard to make a rooster 
	stop crowing once the sun has risen. The sun is 
	up.

We hear rifle shots.

DRUM CADENCE (IT WILL BE THROUGHOUT ENTIRE SCENE)

166	OMIT
167	OMIT

168 	OMIT

168A	INT. MANHATTAN CENTER - DAY

Malcolm, a last-minute replacement for the ailing Honorable Elijah 
Muhammad, speaks before a HUGE CROWD.

			MALCOLM 
	And what do I say of this so-called national 
	mourning! I say... the white man's acts are 
	condemned, not only by our beliefs but by his 
	own.

168B  SHOT - AMERICAN FLAGS AT HALF-MAST

			MALCOLM 
	Both his Bible and the Holy Koran say: "As you 
	sow, so shall you reap." Both say: "Sow the 
	wind, reap the whirl wind."

SHOT - AMERICAN FLAGS AT HALF-MAST

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	In the soil of America the white man planted 
	the seeds of hate. He allowed the weeds that 
	sprang up to choke the life out of thousands 
	of black men.

168C SHOT - THE KENNEDY FUNERAL CORTEGE

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	Now they have strangled one of the gardeners. 
	This is the justice of Allah. Wa-Salaam Alaikum.

168D 	SHOT - AUDIENCE

			AUDIENCE 
	Alaikum Wa-Salaam.

168E	SHOT - THE LONE, RIDERLESS HORSE

169 	INT. MALCOLM WITH REPORTERS - DAY

			REPORTER 
	Minister X! Don't you have even a little bit of 
	remorse... saddened by President Kennedy's 
	assassination?

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Assassination might be too good a word, and 
	might I add an Arabic word at that. This was a 
	prime example of the devil's chickens coming 
	home to roost. Being an old farm boy myself, 
	chickens coming home to roost never did make 
	me sad. It always made me glad.

169A	INT. ELIJAH'S OFFICE - DAY

On his desk is the black headlines: MALCOLM X CALLS ASSASSINATION 
"CHICKENS COMING HOME TO ROOST." Elijah's health is getting worse, his 
coughing is frequent.

			ELIJAH
	Did you see the papers today?

			MALCOLM 
	Yes, sir, I did.

			ELIJAH 
	That was a very bad statement. The country 
	loved this man, and you have made it hard in 
	general for Muslims.

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

He knows what is coming. 

CLOSE - ELIJAH

			ELIJAH (contd) 
	We must dissociate ourselves from your terrible 
	blunder. I'll have to silence you for the next 
	ninety days. You are not allowed to make any 
	statements to the press nor are you to speak at 
	any temples.

CLOSER - MALCOLM

He looks at Elijah, his leader, his friend, his father and speaks with 
total sincerity.

			MALCOLM 
	I agree with you, sir. I submit 100 percent.

ANGLE - ROOM 

Malcolm turns around and leaves the room. 

ANGLE - DOOR 

As the door is being closed, WE SEE Bembry kneeling before Elijah and 
kissing his hand. The door closes, the SCREEN IS BLACK. 

FADE IN: 

170	OMIT

171	OMIT

172	INT. MALCOLM'S HOUSE - NIGHT 

Sidney is playing on the floor with the kids. Betty scoops them up.

			BETTY
	C'mon girls, it's bedtime.

The phone rings. Malcolm answers it. From his expression we know it is 
a threat call. He hangs up. Betty leaves with the kids.

			SIDNEY 
	Another one? 

			MALCOLM 
	How long has this been going on?

			SIDNEY 
	All day since you and Betty left. Brother 
	Minister, I have to level with you. They gave 
	me a mission. But I couldn't do it. I love 
	y'all.

			MALCOLM 
	What mission?

			SIDNEY 
	To wire your car so it would explode when you 
	turned the ignition. The Ministers say you are 
	spreading untruths about the Messenger. The 
	Ministers say you are a great hypocrite, Judas, 
	Benedict Arnold. The Ministers say your tongue 
	should be cut out and delivered to the 
	Messenger's doorstep.

			MALCOLM 
	What does Sidney say?

			SIDNEY 
	I'm with you, Brother Minister.

			MALCOLM 
	No. You'll be marked for death.

			SIDNEY 
	Let me die then.

			MALCOLM 
	I won't let myself come between you and your 
	father. Go home.

			SIDNEY
	You're my father.

			MALCOLM 
	And don't come back.

Sidney reluctantly leaves, walks out the door, past Betty. She looks at 
him, then Malcolm.

173 	INT. HOTEL THERESA - DAY

Malcolm -- backed by Brothers Earl and Benjamin 2X -- faces a roomful 
of SUPPORTERS and REPORTERS.

			MALCOLM 
	Because 1964 threatens to be a very explosive 
	year on the racial front, and because I myself 
	intend to be very active in every phase of the 
	American Negro struggle for HUMAN RIGHTS, I 
	have called this press conference, this 
	morning in order to clarify my own position in 
	the struggle -- especially in regards to 
	politics and nonviolence. In the past I thought 
	the thoughts, spoke the words of the Honorable 
	Elijah Muhammad, that day is over. From now on 
	I speak my own words, and think my own thoughts. 
	Internal differences within the Nation of Islam 
	forced me out of it. I did not leave of my own 
	free will. But now that it has happened, I 
	intend to make the most of it. Now that I have 
	more independence of action, I intend to use a 
	more flexible approach toward working with 
	others to get a solution to this problem. I do 
	not pretend to be a divine man, but I do 
	believe in divine guidance, divine power, and 
	in the fulfillment of divine prophecy. I am not 
	educated, nor am I an expert in any particular 
	field, but I am sincere, and my sincerity is my 
	credentials. I'm not out to fight other Negro 
	leaders or organizations. We must find a common 
	solution, to a common problem. I am going to 
	organize and head a new mosque in New York 
	City, known as the Muslim Mosque, Inc. This 
	gives us a religious base, and the spiritual 
	force necessary to rid our people of the vices 
	that destroy the moral fiber of our community. 
	Our political philosophy will be black 
	nationalism. Our economic and social philosophy 
	will be black nationalism. The Muslim Mosque, 
	Inc. will remain wide open for ideas and 
	financial aid from all quarters. Whites can 
	help us, but they can't join us. There can be 
	no black-white unity until there is first some 
	black unity.

A host of questions fired all at once: How many of Elijah's followers
will join you? etc, etc, etc.

Malcolm calms them:

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	There is one further preparation I need. It is 
	a return to the source of our great religion. I 
	will make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

174 	EXT. JFK AIRPORT - DAY

Malcolm, at the window, as his plane takes off. He is watching Betty 
and the children on the Visitors' Ramp. He sees her become a tiny 
figure, waving a vivid bandana.

175	EXT. VISITORS RAMP - DAY

The plane is out of sight. Betty gathers up her children. As they leave 
she is subtly surrounded by the protecting BAND OF SUPPORTERS, led by 
Earl and Benjamin 2X.

175A	MECCA - THE PILGRIMAGE

MALCOLM GREETED AS HE DESCENDS FROM THE PLANE IN EGYPT

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	My darling Betty. Everywhere I go I am welcomed 
	as the representative of our people.

175B 	SHOT OF CIA AGENT

He watches as Malcolm walks between the two pyramids.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE (contd) 
	Our fight is known and respected worldwide. 
	Incidentally, there's a little white man who 
	follows me wherever I go.

175C 	SHOT OF MALCOLM

On a camel as he rides toward the Sphinx.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	I wonder who he's working for? If I was a 
	betting man, I'd say CIA. What's your guess?

175D 	GROUPS OF BURNOOSED SUPPORTERS ON THE STREETS OF JEDDA, SAUDI ARABIA.

			BETTY'S VOICE 
	I arrived in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. I have never 
	witnessed such sincere...

176 	INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - NIGHT

Betty is reading Malcolm's letter to a LARGE AUDIENCE.

			BETTY (contd) 
	...hospitality and true brotherhood as 
	practiced here in the ancient home of Abraham, 
	Mohammad and the great prophets of the 
	Scriptures..."

177 	INT/EXT. MECCA - DAY/NIGHT

--Malcolm, wearing the garb of a pilgrim, walks with a VAST THRONG OF 
OTHERS, similarly clad, around the Great Temple. He wears two white 
towels, one over his loins, the other over his neck and shoulder, 
leaving the right arm and shoulder bare. He wears simple sandals. The 
other pilgrims are of various colors: from white, to yellow, to darkest 
black.

177A 	--Malcolm and OTHER PILGRIMS kneeling together on a praying rug.

177B	--Malcolm and SEVERAL WHITE PILGRIMS eating Muslim-style; breaking a 
chicken and shaking it.

177C	--Malcolm and OTHERS walking around the Great Kaaba, a black stone set 
in the middle of the Great Mosque. He falls to his knees. WE SEE what 
he describes:

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	Today, with thousands of others, I proclaimed 
	God's greatness in the Holy City of Mecca. 
	Wearing the Ihram garb I made my seven circuits 
	around the Kaaba; I drank from the well of Zem 
	Zem; I prayed to Allah from Mt. Ararat where 
	the Ark landed. It was the only time in my life 
	that I stood before the Creator of all and felt 
	like a complete human being.

178 	INT. ELIJAH'S HOME - NIGHT

Elijah and a GROUP OF BLACK MUSLIM LEADERS. Bembry among them, it looks 
like he is the number two man now that Malcolm has been jettisoned. The 
Messenger lies in bed, he is having a coughing fit, this is the worst 
condition he's been in. A DOCTOR orders everyone out the room.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	You may be shocked by these words, but I have 
	eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same 
	glass and prayed to the same God with fellow 
	Muslims whose eyes were blue, whose hair was 
	blond and whose skin was the whitest of whites. 
	And we are brothers, truly; people of all 
	colors and races believing in One God and one 
	humanity. Once before, in prison, the truth 
	came and blinded me. It has happened again...

179 	INT. MALCOLM'S HOME - NIGHT

Betty is with Brothers Earl, Benjamin 2X, and the children. There are 
now four including another BABY - GAMILAH

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	In the past, I have permitted myself to be used 
	to make sweeping indictments of all white 
	people, and these generalizations have caused 
	injuries to some white folks who did not 
	deserve them. Because of the spiritual rebirth 
	which I was blessed to undergo as a result of 
	my pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca, I no 
	longer subscribe to sweeping indictments of 
	one race. I intend to be careful not to 
	sentence anyone who has not been proven guilty. 
	I'm not a racist and do not subscribe to any of 
	the tenets of racism. In all honesty and 
	sincerity it can be stated that I wish nothing 
	but freedom, justice and equality: life, 
	liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all 
	people.

179A 	SHOT. Malcolm is bent over in prayer, lone figure in a huge mosque.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE
	My first concern, of course, is with the group 
	to which I belong, the Afro-Americans, for we, 
	more than any other, are deprived of these 
	inalienable rights.

179B 	SHOT. Malcolm on a plane headed home.

			MALCOLM'S VOICE 
	I believe the true practice of Islam can remove 
	the cancer of racism from the hearts and souls 
	of white Americans.

180 	EXT. JFK AIRPORT - DAY

A TIGHT TWO-SHOT of Malcolm and Betty in an embrace. She breaks from 
him and whispers: "Go ahead. I can wait now."

181  INT. JFK AIRPORT - DAY

A large PRESS CONFERENCE: mikes of every network, every newspaper and 
wire service present. Malcolm sports a beard.

			MALCOLM 
	Let's begin.

			REPORTER #1 
	Malcolm, you said on your trip abroad you 
	sensed a feeling of great brotherhood.

			MALCOLM 
	As I recall, I pointed out that while I was in 
	Mecca making the pilgrimage, I spoke about the 
	brotherhood that existed at all levels among 
	all people, all colors who had accepted the 
	religion of Islam. I pointed out that what it 
	had done, Islam, for those people despite their 
	complexion differences, that it would probably 
	do America well to study the religion of Islam 
	and perhaps it could drive some of the racism 
	from this society. Muslims look upon themselves 
	as human beings, as part of the human family 
	and therefore look upon all other segments of 
	the human family as part of that same family. 
	Today my friends are black, brown, red, yellow 
	and white.

			REPORTER #8 
	Malcolm, are you prepared to go to the United 
	Nations at this point and ask that charges be 
	brought against the United States for its 
	treatment of the American Negroes?

			MALCOLM 
	Oh yes.

The AUDIENCE applauds.

			MALCOLM (contd) 
	The audience will have to be quiet. Yes, as I 
	pointed out that during my trip that nations, 
	African nations, Asian, Latin nations look very 
	hypocritical when they stand up in the UN 
	condemning South Africa and saying nothing 
	about the racist practices that are manifested 
	everyday against Negroes in this society. I 
	would be not a man if I didn't do so. I 
	wouldn't be a man.

			REPORTER #3 
	Are you prepared to work with some of the 
	leaders of some of the other civil rights
	 organizations?

			MALCOLM
	Certainly, we will work with any groups, 
	organizations or leaders in any way, as long as 
	it's genuinely designed to get results.

			REPORTER #1 
	Does the new beard have any religious 
	significance?

			MALCOLM 
	No, not particularly. But I do think that you 
	will And black people in America, as they 
	strive to throw off the shackles of mental 
	colonialism, will also probably reflect an 
	effort to throw off the shackles of cultural 
	colonialism. And then they'll begin to reflect 
	desires of their own with standards of their 
	own.

                	REPORTER #2 
	One of your more controversial remarks was a 
	call for black people to get rifles and form 
	rifle clubs sometime back. Do you still favor 
	that for self-defense?

			MALCOLM 
	I don't see why that should be controversial. I 
	think that if white people found themselves 
	victim of the same kind of brutality that black 
	people in this country face, and they saw that 
	the government was either unwilling or unable 
	to protect them, that the intelligence on the 
	part of the whites would make them get some 
	rifles and protect themselves.

			REPORTER #2
	What about the guns, Malcolm?

			MALCOLM 
	Has the white man changed since I went away? 
	Have you put up your guns? The day you stop 
	being violent against my people will be the 
	day I tell folks to put away their guns.

			REPORTER #3 
	Then you're still an extremist?

ANGLE - MUSLIM MALE

			BENJAMIN THOMAS 
	Git your hand out of my pocket!

Everyone turns around to the back to see what the commotion is about. 
The man who yelled out leaves quickly, we will see him later on, very 
soon.

182	INT. MALCOLM'S HOUSE - NIGHT 

Malcolm looks out the living room window, he has a rifle in hand. 
(NOTE: This is the same pose as the famous photograph of him.) He 
doesn't see anyone and closes the curtain. The phone rings.

CLOSE - PHONE 

Malcolm picks up the receiver.

			VOICE
	You're one dead nigger.

ANGLE - BEDROOM 

Betty has picked up also and she's listening.

			VOICE
	You're days on this earth are numbered, brother.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

 CLICK!

 He hangs up.

ANGLE - BEDROOM

Malcolm enters the room and gets into the bed with Betty, he puts his 
ear down on his wife's pregnant stomach.

She kisses him.

			BETTY
	Get some sleep.

			MALCOLM 
	You have to sleep for three.

Malcolm pulls Betty closer to him.

			MALCOLM 
	I'm sorry. I haven't been the best husband or 
	father.

			BETTY 
	Shhh!

			MALCOLM 
	Families shouldn't be separated. I'll never 
	make another long trip without you and the kids. 
	We'll all be together.

			BETTY
	Dear heart, I love you.

			MALCOLM 
	We had the best organization that black people 
	ever had and niggers ruined it.

183  	EXT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT

It is a cold winter night. A Molotov cocktail is lit and hurled through 
the front picture glass window.

184 	INT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT

One of the children screams.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

185 	INT. MALCOLM'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Malcolm grabs his pistol and quickly throws a coat over Betty. She is 
half-asleep, frightened, trembling and disoriented.

			MALCOLM 
	Walk out the back, dear. Hurry.

Betty goes. Malcolm runs back for the children.

ANGLE. He reassuringly leads the four children, in their pajamas, 
through the smoke-filled house.

			MALCOLM 
	There's nothing to be afraid of. It might be a 
	little cold. Hang on. We'll be fine.

185A 	INSERT - FLASHBACK

WE CUT BACK TO Earl Little getting his family out of the burning house 
in Lansing, Michigan. It should be the same exact scene we saw before 
earlier in the film.

			EARL 
	Everybody out. OUT! OUT! Get the kids.

CUT BACK TO PRESENT

186 	EXT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT

Neighbors' lights have gone on. There are shouts: "What is it?" "Fire!"
 "Bring those children in here."

			MALCOLM 
	Call the Fire Department.

186A	OMIT

187	EXT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT (LATER)

A hose is playing on the fire. Police cars have arrived. There are TWO 
REPORTERS with the COPS. Malcolm faces them furiously.

			MALCOLM 
	And the fire hit the window and it woke up my 
	second oldest baby, but the fire burned on the 
	outside of the house. It could have fallen on 
	six-, four-, or two-year-old girls. And I'm 
	going to tell you, if it had done it, I'd've 
	taken my rifle and gone after anybody in sight.

			REPORTER 
	Are the Muslims behind this?

			MALCOLM 
	It was bombed by the Black Muslim movement upon 
	the orders of Elijah Muhammad.

			SECOND REPORTER
	Do you know what Muslim headquarters is saying?

			MALCOLM
		(with total contempt) 
	I can imagine. I did it myself. For the 
	publicity.

187A 	EXT. TEMPLE #1 - DETROIT - DAY

Bembry is being interviewed by a reporter.

			BEMBRY 
	We feel this is a publicity stunt on the part 
	of Malcolm X. We hope this isn't a case of "if 
	he can't keep the house, we won't get it 
	either."

187B 	EXT. MALCOLM'S STREET - NIGHT

A car comes roaring down the street with rifles sticking out the 
windows, and pulls right up in front of Malcolm's house. 

ANGLE - HOUSE 

Brothers Earl and Benjamin 2X run out of the car up to Malcolm.

			BROTHER EARL 
	We called your house, operator said you had 
	requested that your phone be turned off.

			BENJAMIN 2X 
	Give us the command, Malcolm.

			MALCOLM 
	I don't care about myself, my wife and four 
	children were sleeping in their beds, they 
	have nothing to do with this.

			BROTHER EARL 
	Let's get out of this cold.

Brothers Earl and Benjamin take off their coats and put it over Malcolm 
and lead him to a police car.

187C 	INT. BASEMENT - DAY

FIVE BLACK MEN sit around a table. They do not speak. They are Thomas 
Hayer, Ben Thomas, Leon Davis, William X and Wilbur Kinley. All are 
Muslims, all are the ASSASSINS. 

CLOSE - 12-GAUGE SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN ON TABLE 

CLOSE - 9MM GERMAN LUGER ON TABLE 

CLOSE - .45 AUTOMATIC

ANGLE - THOMAS HAYER

He puts a roll of exposed 35mm film into a sock. 

ANGLE - TABLE

			ASSASSINS
	Allah Akbar.

187D 	EXT. NY HILTON - DAY - ESTABLISHING SHOT 

187E 	INT. NY HILTON 

ANGLE - LOBBY

 Malcolm is checking in when he is approached by a young WHITE COED.

			COED
	Mr. X. I have a good heart. I'm a good person 
	despite my whiteness. What can the good white 
	people like myself who are not prejudiced do to 
	help the cause of the Negro?

CLOSE - MALCOLM

He looks at her. He thinks. He speaks.

			MALCOLM 
	Let sincere white individuals find other white 
	people who feel as they do and teach 
	non-violence to those whites who think and act 
	so racist.

CLOSE - COED

 			COED
 	I will, Mr. X, I will.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Let's all pray without ceasing. May Allah bless 
	you.

187F 	INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Malcolm lies on his bed, and for the first time WE SEE the strain in 
his face, it has begun to take its toll, he's a haunted man. A doomed 
man.

ANGLE - MALCOLM 

Malcolm dials the phone.

			MALCOLM 
	Brother Earl.

187G	INT. HOTEL THERESA - NIGHT

			BROTHER EARL 
	Malcolm, where are you? We've been calling all 
	over the city.

INTERCUT between Malcolm and Brother Earl.

			MALCOLM 
	I'm gonna try and get some work done tonight.

			BROTHER EARL 
	Let some of us come down there.

			MALCOLM 
	No, that won't be necessary. I'll be all right.

			BROTHER EARL 
	I wish you'd listen to us. What about the 
	meeting tomorrow? We need to frisk people.

			MALCOLM 
	I don't want folks to be searched, it makes 
	people uncomfortable. If I can't be safe among 
	my own kind, where can I be? Allah will protect 
	me.

There is silence on the other end.

CLOSE - BROTHER EARL

187K 	INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - NIGHT

The five assassins are casing ballroom. They check the different 
entrances, the exits, the bathrooms, staircases while the jam packed 
crowd continues to dance the night away.

188 	INT. A FRIEND'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Betty is putting her four daughters to sleep when the phone rings. She 
picks it up.

			VOICE
	That red nigger of yours is dead and so are 
	your bastard children.

CLICK.

Betty hangs up the phone and it rings again.

			BETTY
	Stop calling us. Leave us alone. Leave us alone. 
	I'll kill you. I'll kill you.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Betty it's me. It's me.

INTERCUT between between Malcolm and Betty.

			BETTY
	Malcolm, they keep calling, threatening us. 
	I'm going crazy, when is this going to stop?

			MALCOLM 
	Don't answer the phone. It's all right. It's 
	all right. Nothing is gonna happen to anybody.

			BETTY
	Dear heart, where are you?

			MALCOLM 
	At the Hilton. The girls asleep?

			BETTY
	I just put them to bed. Can we come to the 
	meeting tomorrow?

			MALCOLM 
	I don't think that's such a good idea.

189	EXT. ROAD

A blue 1968 Cadillac passes a sign that says Patterson, New Jersey.

ANGLE - CAR 

The assassins are on their way to the Audubon Ballroom, Wilbur Kinley 
is behind the wheel, no one is talking. 

190 	EXT.STREET - DAY 

Betty is driving to the Audubon Ballroom, her four daughters are in the 
backseat making a racket. 

190A 	EXT. STREET - DAY

Malcolm drives to the Audubon Ballroom.

191  	INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - DAY

Brothers Earl and Benjamin 2X along with some others are putting the 
folding chairs in place for the coming meeting. The audience has not 
started to come in yet.

192 	EXT. GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE - DAY

The assassins are driving over the George Washington Bridge.

ANGLE - CAR

			KINLEY 
	Brothers, the time is fast approaching, it's 
	the hour of the knife.

193 	EXT. STREET - DAY 

CLOSE - BETTY 

Betty is trying to quiet down her daughters as she drives. 

194 	EXT. STREET - DAY

CLOSE - MALCOLM

Malcolm is in deep thought as he drives.

194A 	INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - DAY

Betty and her four kids walk into the ballroom and move down the center 
aisle. One of the girls drops her black doll and a young man picks it 
up. The young man is Thomas Hayer, he gives it back to her.

			BETTY
	Say thank you.

			GAMILAH 
	Thank you.

			THOMAS 
	You are welcome.

ANGLE. The rest of the assassins come in and go to their positions 
along with the rest of the crowd, the place is starting to fill up.

195 	INT. BACKSTAGE - DAY

			BROTHER BENJAMIN 2X 
	No sign of the minister yet.

			BROTHER EARL 
	He'll be here like clockwork.

196 	EXT. STREET - DAY

Malcolm drives past the Audubon Ballroom, people are going in but no 
cops are present.

ANGLE - CAR

Malcolm drives by. 

ANGLE - STREET 

Malcolm parks his car, it's four blocks away. He turns off the ignition 
and sits there. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

It's as if he's frozen in his car. 

ANGLE - STREET

Malcolm finally gets out of the car, locks the door and walks a couple 
of steps, then stops. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

Malcolm has stopped in his tracks, like some unseen force has overcome 
him which prevents him from moving. Malcolm is paralyzed.

CLOSER - MALCOLM'S FACE 

His eyes are closed, and the street noise begins to build to a 
deafening _roar_. Then all of a sudden it stops. 

ANGLE - OLD WOMAN

			OLD WOMAN 
	Son, you all right?

Malcolm opens his eyes, she has brought him out of it. He looks at her 
but doesn't answer.

			OLD WOMAN (contd) 
	Are you okay?

Malcolm looks at this old woman, who slightly resembles his own mother.

			MALCOLM 
	Ma'am, I'm fine.

			OLD WOMAN 
	Good. We need you. I recognize you, don't pay 
	them folks no never mind, you keep on doing 
	what you doing.

			MALCOLM 
	May Allah bless you.

			OLD WOMAN 
	I'll pray for you too, son. Jesus will protect 
	you.

She walks away, carrying her two shopping bags full of groceries.

197 	INT. BACKSTAGE - DAY

 Malcolm walks in. Present are Brothers Earl, Benjamin 2X and a 
secretary SISTER ROBIN.

			MALCOLM 
	Is the program ready?

			BENJAMIN 2X 
	No, Brother Minister.

			MALCOLM 
 	Why not? You've had ample time, you and the 
	sister.

			SISTER ROBIN 
	I apologize Brother Minister, we'll have it 
	next week.

He is pissed.

			MALCOLM 
	Folks are sitting out there _today_, not next 
	week, expecting to hear our program.

			BENJAMIN 2X 
	Next week, Brother Minister.

			MALCOLM 
	Has the Reverend called? Is he going to show?

			BROTHER EARL 
	Reverend Chickenwing called last night and said 
	he wouldn't be able to attend.

			MALCOLM 
	So now we have no opening speaker? Why wasn't I 
	informed last night?

			BROTHER EARL 
	I called Sister Betty, she didn't tell you?

			MALCOLM 
	Since when do you start telling Sister Betty my 
	business? Since when? She has nothing to do 
	with this. You tell me, not her, not anybody 
	else.

			BROTHER EARL 
	I assumed...

			MALCOLM 
	What did I tell you about assuming?

Malcolm starts pacing the room, nobody has ever seen him like this 
before.

			MALCOLM 
	Benjamin, you better go out there and explain 
	why the program isn't ready today.

Benjamin 2X gets up to leave.

			MALCOLM 
	Sister, please go with the brother.

They both exit.

CLOSE - MALCOLM AND EARL

			BROTHER EARL 
	Brother Minister, what is wrong?

			MALCOLM 
	The way I feel, I ought not to go out there 
	today. In fact, I'm going to ease some of this 
	tension by telling the black man not to fight 
	himself -- that's all a part of the white man's 
	big maneuver, to keep us fighting amongst 
	ourselves, against each other. I'm not 
	fighting anyone, that's not what we're here 
	for.

			BROTHER EARL 
	Let's cancel.

			MALCOLM 
	Is my family here yet?

			BROTHER EARL 
	Down front as always.

198 	INT. ANTEROOM - DAY

A lone COP in uniform stands in the shadows with a walkie-talkie.

198A	INT. BACKSTAGE - DAY

Malcolm is about to go on stage when he sees Sister Robin.

			MALCOLM 
	You'll have to forgive me for raising my voice 
	to you.

			SISTER ROBIN 
	Brother Minister, I understand.

			MALCOLM 
		(to himself) 
	I wonder if anybody understands.

199 	INT. AUDUBON BALLROOM - DAY

The place is filled. Betty and the girls sit in a boxed-off section 
near the platform. Malcolm's bodyguards stand on and around the stand. 
Benjamin 2X is finishing up his speech when Malcolm walks onto the 
stage and sits down.

			MALCOLM 
	Make it plain.

			BENJAMIN 2X 
	And now, without further remarks, I present to 
	you one who is willing to put himself on the 
	line for you--

CLOSE - BETTY AND THE KIDS

CLOSE - THOMAS HAYER

CLOSE - WILBUR KINLEY 

CLOSE - LEON DAVIS 

CLOSE - BEN THOMAS 

CLOSE - WILLIAM X 

CLOSE - MALCOLM X 

CLOSE - BENJAMIN 2X

			BENJAMIN 2X (contd) 
	--a man who would give his life for you. I want 
	you to hear, to listen, to understand one who 
	is a Trojan for the black man.

ANGLE - STAGE

A roar greets Malcolm's intro. He shakes hands with Benjamin 2X, then 
steps toward the podium.

 CLOSE - MALCOLM

He starts to rearrange his 3 x 5 index cards in his hands.

			MALCOLM 
	Brothers and Sisters, Wa-Salaam Alaikum.

			AUDIENCE 
	Alaikum Wa-Salaam.

SWIFT JERKY PAN OF CAMERA 

There is a commotion in the rear of the audience. 

			BENJAMIN THOMAS 
	Git your hand out of my pocket. 

The bodyguards move toward the rear. 

CLOSE - MALCOLM

			MALCOLM 
	Hold it, brothers. Don't get excited. Let's 
	cool it--

ANGLE - WILLIAM X

He stands up from the fourth row with 12-gauge sawed-off shotgun 
blasting.

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

Throws up his hands, grabs his chest and is knocked backward. 

SHOTS - PURE PANDEMONIUM 

People hit the floor, knock over chairs, stampede for the exits. 

ANGLE - BACK OF AUDITORIUM 

Wilbur Kinley ignites a smoke bomb. 

ANGLE - FIRST RUN 

Thomas Hayer and Leon Davis stand up, run toward the stage, and empty 
their .45's and Luger into the fallen body of Malcolm. 

ANGLE - BETTY 

She is on the floor covering her children. 

ANGLE - AISLE 

Hayer and Davis charge up the aisle toward the rear exit, shooting at 
the crowd.

ANGLE - BODYGUARD

He stands in Hayer's way, Hayer fires, he turns, the bullet misses and 
the bodyguard gets off a shot which hits Hayer in the leg.

ANGLE - HAYER

He stumbles momentarily, then limps on.

ANGLE - STAIRCASE

Hayer is running down the staircase when he is tripped, and goes flying 
through the air to the bottom of the landing. The crowd starts to beat 
the shit out of him, kicking him in the head, etc., they're about to 
tear him apart from limb to limb when a PATROLMAN enters with gun drawn.
He shoots gun into air and the crowd backs off and he takes custody of 
Hayer.

ANGLE - STAGE

One of Malcolm's bodyguards, BROTHER GENE, is over him, giving him 
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Brother Gene stops, Betty moves in and 
hugs her dying husband.

			BETTY
	Somebody call an ambulance. Somebody call an 
	ambulance.

ANGLE - ENTRANCE

THIRTY COPS walk in like it's a spring Sunday stroll in Central Park.

CLOSE - MALCOLM 

His eyes are glazed over.

			BETTY'S VOICE 
	They killed him. They killed him. 

200	SHOT - BROTHERS EARL AND BENJAMIN 2X SITTING ON STAGE 

200A	SHOT - MALCOLM IS RUSHED ON A STRETCHER TO HOSPITAL NEXT DOOR

SHOT - HOSPITAL SPOKESPERSON 

			HOSPITAL SPOKESPERSON 
	The person you know as Malcolm is no more.

200B 	THE STUNNED FACES OF BLACK PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE AUDUBON BALLROOM...

--AND IN HARLEM.

OSSIE DAVIS speaking behind the above:

			OSSIE DAVIS'S VOICE 
	Here at this final hour, in this quiet place, 
	Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its 
	brightest hopes, extinguished now and gone from 
	us forever.

200C 	DOLLY SHOT of the long line of people outside the funeral parlor, 
waiting to see Malcolm's body, where it lies before burial.

			OSSIE DAVIS'S VOICE: (contd) 
	For Harlem is where he worked, and where he 
	struggled and fought. His home of homes, where 
	his heart was and where his people are. And it 
	is therefore most fitting that we meet once 
	again in Harlem to share these last moments 
	with him. For Harlem has ever been gracious to 
	those who loved her, have fought for her and 
	defended her honor even to death. It is not in 
	the memory of man that this beleaguered, 
	unfortunate but nonetheless proud community has 
	found a braver, more gallant young champion 
	than this Afro-American who lies before us 
	unconquered still. Many will ask what Harlem 
	finds to honor in this stormy, controversial 
	and bold young captain and we will smile and we 
	will answer and say unto them:

2OOD  SHOTS - FACES OF HARLEM - PRESENT DAY - THE 90'S

Ordinary PEOPLE in ordinary pursuits of life, BLACK PEOPLE still 
struggling to stay afloat in a racist WHITE AMERICA that does not have 
their best interests at hand -- 8 years of Reagan and now at least 4 
years of Bush.

			OSSIE DAVIS'S VOICE (contd) 
	Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you 
	have him smile at you? Did you ever listen to 
	him? Did he ever really do a mean thing? Was he 
	ever associated with violence or any public 
	disturbance?

200E	SHOT - STREET SIGN - MALCOLM X BOULEVARD - HARLEM

200F	SHOT - YOUNG AFRO-CENTRIC TEENAGERS WITH MALCOLM X T-SHIRTS, HATS, 
JACKETS, JEWELRY, ETC.

			OSSIE DAVIS'S VOICE (contd) 
	For if you did, you would know him and if you 
	knew him, you would know why we must honor him.

200G	SHOT - NEWSREEL FOOTAGE OF THE _REAL_ MALCOLM X

			OSSIE DAVIS'S VOICE (contd) 
	Malcolm was our manhood, our living black 
	manhood. That was his meaning to his people and 
	in honoring him we honor the best in ourselves.

200H	FREEZE FRAME - A CLOSE-UP OF THE REAL MALCOLM X SMILING RIGHT AT US.

							CUT TO:

200I 	SHOT - INT. CLASSROOM BULLETIN BOARD 

A picture collage of Malcolm X. It reads P.S. 153 -- Harlem honors 
Malcolm on his birthdate May 19, 1935.

			OSSIE DAVIS'S VOICE (contd) 
	And we will know him then for what he was and 
	is. A PRINCE, A BLACK SHINING PRINCE who didn't 
	hesitate to die because he loved us so.

ANGLE - CLASSROOM 

It's a fourth-grade class. 

CLOSE - STUDENT

			1ST STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STUDENT

			2ND STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STUDENT

			3RD STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STUDENT

			4TH FEMALE STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

201 	INT. CLASSROOM - SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA - DAY

CLOSE - STUDENT

			1ST STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STUDENT

			2ND STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STUDENT

			3RD STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

CLOSE - STUDENT

			4TH FEMALE STUDENT 
	I'm Malcolm X.

CAMERA PANS slowly to head of class where the teacher stands, it's 
NELSON MANDELA.

CLOSE - MANDELA

			MANDELA 
	As Brother Malcolm said, "We declare our right 
	on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, 
	to be respected as a human being, in this 
	society, on this earth, in this day, which we 
	intend to bring into existence by any means 
	necessary."
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