Scene XVlll

EXT. CAR (MOVING) - NIGHT

Roxanne and Mick drive into a small town and stop at the
local poolroom.

INT. SMALL TOWN POOLROOM - SAME

They walk in looking for action. They spot a FAT DRUNK
“hooting and bellering,” daring everyone to play for big
money.

FAT DRUNK
Ain’t nobody got any gamble in this
shit-water town? I got a big
bankroll and I’m looking to fire it
at the first sumbitch that shows he
got balls!

Fat drunk has two big dogs with him. Mick finally
intercedes.

MICK
I’ll try you some One-Pocket,
mister. How much you wanna play
for?

FAT DRUNK
Looking to play high, son. Four or
five hunert a game... Can you
handle it?... Whassa matter sonny,
you afraid to play a drunk?

MICK
No, I’m not scared of a drunk. You
got action, mister, five “hunert” a
game.

Roxanne pulls Mick off to the side.

ROXANNE
All we got is enough for three
games, about sixteen hundred.
There’s no room for error..

THE GAME IS ON

-- Soon, Mick realizes the guy is not very drunk.

BACK TO SCENE

MICK
(confiding to Roxanne)
I don’t think this guy is all that
drunk... looks like he can really
play. We're in a trap. You wanna
quit?

ROXANNE
I don’t know. We’re not losing.
We’re dead even in games and you’re
playing great. Fire two more
“barrels” at him and see what
happens. I hate to quit -- good as
you’re playing.

MONTAGE OF THE DEMISE OF THE FAT DRUNK

-- Mick continues to play fantastically and winds up breaking
the fat drunk.
-- The session over, the fat drunk is broke.
-- The fat drunk goes to the bathroom.

BACK TO SCENE

An OLD SWEATOR eases up to Mick and whispers to him.

OLD SWEATOR
Do you know who you just beat, kid?

MICK
No. He’s a good player, but I
don’t care who he is. I’ve already
shot his nuts out.

OLD SWEATOR
Well, that’s Rat Poison Ronnie,
pal. Best One-Pocket player in the
country. Has been, for years.
Hell, and you beat him like a barn
mule.

ROXANNE
That’s Rat Poison Ronnie?

MICK
The guy who sold one of his kids to
get money so he could play another
session?

OLD SWEATOR
That’s him all right -- by the way -
- he lost the session. What’s your
name, son?

MICK
Mick. Pasadena Mick. Remember
that name, Pops, it might mean
something one day. I intend to be
big-time.

RONNIE emerges from the bathroom. Mick rushes over to shake
his hand and Roxanne gives him some money.

ROXANNE
Here’s some breakfast money to walk
with, old man. You play a great
game. The toughest Mick ever
played. He had to get lucky to
beat you.

RAT POISON RONNIE
Save all that flattery stuff, girl.
It’s somebody on the way up and
somebody on the way down. You two
got a great future ahead of you.
Maybe we’ll run into each other
again at one of the big
tournaments. I like your style,
girl. Remind me of Fat's old girl
friend, “Double-Smart” Lucy.
What’s your name?

ROXANNE
Roxanne, and this is Pasadena Mick.

RAT POISON RONNIE
“Double-Smart” Roxanne. That’s
your new name, kid... If Rat Poison
Ronnie can ever do you guys a turn
on the road...

The trio silently look at each other in a moment of mutual
respect.

SUPER: ONE YEAR LATER

EXT./INT. POOL ROOM - DAY

The Filthy Beast stands in front of the pool room door as
Jesse approaches.

ANSEL
Hey, Jesse. Brooklyn Charlie, the
player you sent to Alabama, is
waiting for you inside. Bad news --
he got broke there.

HIPPIE JESSE
Broke! How could he get broke? He
shoulda robbed everybody in town.
Ansel shrugs and they walk inside.

INSIDE

BROOKLYN CHARLIE, leaning on the front counter, spots Jesse
and rushes over to him.

HIPPIE JESSE
(menacingly)
What happened, Charlie? Nobody
around there coulda beat you. You
get drunk or doped up?

BROOKLYN CHARLIE
No, no! I was straight! I ran
into some young guy and a broad.
Honest to God, Jesse, the guy never
missed a ball.


A comprehending scowl comes over Jesse’s face.

HIPPIE JESSE
What’d they look like? Like
Superman and Lois Lane?

BROOKLYN CHARLIE
Yeah, yeah! How’d you know? Only
the broad was a blonde. Real goodlooking,
smart too. I’m sorry,
man, but the guy was just too good
for me.

Jesse’s eyes narrow and he begins nodding his head slowly,
imagining retribution.

INT. STARDUST HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS - DAY

Pool tournament signs everywhere announcing: “STARDUST WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIP POOL TOURNAMENT.”
Roxanne and Mick are in the lobby checking in.

MICK
Hope I can hold my own with all the
big boys here.

ROXANNE
You’re going to do just fine.
Plus, we caught a break, I heard
Jesse’s not showing up for this
one. Remember, we’re here to play
pool. Double nix on the square
gambling.

MICK
C’mon Rox, I’ve got a great craps
system I want to try. I’ll only
invest forty or fifty dollars.

ROXANNE
Okay. Forty or fifty bucks -- but
that’s it. I’m going up to enter
you in the tournament. You can
fool around with a few bucks. Soon
as I get back, your gambling spree
is over. We’ll go to a nice place
for dinner.

MICK
Sure, sure. By the time you get
back, I’ll have won enough for ten
dinners.

Roxanne heads for the stairs and Mick drifts to the craps
table.

TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION TABLE

There’s a line in front of Roxanne -- registering may take a
while.

CASINO CRAP TABLE

Roxanne’s registered and returns to the casino to find Mick
at the crap table. He has a wild look and it’s obvious that
he’s losing.

MICK
Oh, I’m glad you’re back. What the
hell took so long? Let me have
some money. I don’t have enough
for the next system bet. It’s
alright -- The system is just
stalled right now. One winner and
everything will be okay.

ROXANNE
Are you crazy? I left you with
over five hundred. Five hundred!
I’m not giving you any more money.
We’re not here to gamble on crap
games. I never knew you were such
a dumb son-of-a-bitch!

MICK
(sweetly)
Give me the money. Soon as these
dice turn, I’ll quit and I’ll treat
you to a lobster dinner, with
champagne.

Mick is scratching his head, looking down, avoiding Roxanne’s
eyes.

MICK
(offering weakly)
... It’s half mine anyway.

ROXANNE
I’m not giving you anything. I run
the finances. I’m not going off on
some casino trap. This bankroll is
for gambling on pool -- the game
you win at.

MICK
I know this game too! Honest.
Just let me make the next system
bet. It’s big, but I’m going to
win it. -- Give me the money,
please.

He reaches for her purse but she pulls away, bolts to the
women’s bathroom and runs inside.

MICK
(talking to bathroom door)
C’mon Rox, don’t embarrass me like
this. You have to come out
sometime.

Mick has drawn a crowd.

MICK
(yelling)
If you don’t come out I’m going to
auction off my watch and the car!

INSIDE THE BATHROOM

Roxanne is inside crying.

BACK ON THE CASINO FLOOR

MICK
Okay, people. I’ve got a 1969
Chevy, and a Rolex Oyster. Do I
hear any bids?

Both items go quickly for bargain prices.
Mick takes the money to the crap table.

MICK
Five hundred on the Field!
He loses.

MICK
One thousand on the Field!

He loses.

BACK AT THE CASINO BATHROOM DOOR MINUTES LATER

Mick yells inside.

MICK
You can come out now! You got
what you wanted. I lost all the
money. Your curse worked. I hope
being right all the time makes you
happy!

Roxanne flies out of the bathroom with blood in her eye and
attacks him. It’s a full-fledged brawl. Fists are flying
from both parties.

Both get in some great licks before the fight is broken up by
the Casino security people.

Onlookers, many of them pool players and some who know the
two, critique the fight.

1ST ONLOOKER
I don’t know. It was close. I
make it a draw.

2ND ONLOOKER
Naw, Double-Smart bloodied his
nose. I give her the split
decision. Whatta gal! Mick better
sleep with one eye open.

EXT. FRONT OF THE HOTEL - NIGHT

Bloody and disheveled, the two start to regroup.

ROXANNE
So there’re two people I have to
look out for -- you, and the sucker
that’s inside you fighting to get
out. I’ve gotta watch you much
more closely.

MICK
I’m sorry, hon’. I just couldn’t
stop myself. Something came over
me. I’ll never do anything like
that again.

ROXANNE
We’ll see. Meantime, we’ve been
thrown out of the hotel and
disqualified from the tournament.
Where do we go from here?

MICK
How about a doctor’s office? My
head is still ringing from that
shot you gave me.

ROXANNE
(laughing) )
You son-of-bitch, the next time
I’ll cut your balls off. From now
on, I handle all the money. Let’s
just take a bus to California.
I haven’t seen my parents in a long
time. We can pick up another car
there.
continued...