Scene Xlll

INSIDE THE CAR

MICK
So, where to next?

Roxanne sees next city mileage sign -- picks one: Nashville

ROXANNE
Nashville.

MICK
To meet Jesse and get straightened
out, right?

ROXANNE
(lying)
Yeah, to meet Jesse.

MONTAGE OF ROXANNE AND MICK AT DIFFERENT POOL ROOMS

-- Roxanne acts like a professional, puts Mick’s cue
together, etc.
-- Roxanne tries to seduce Mick in various, funny ways.
-- She teasingly polishes the shaft of his cue with a
leather buffer, sexually chalks the tip, etc.
-- Mick ignores all her advances.
-- Mick, the perfect gentleman, helps drunk prostitutes get
into cabs, puts money in Salvation Army cans.

Roxanne becomes so engrossed in making games for Mick that
she unconsciously follows a player into the men’s toilet.

UNNAMED URINATOR
Hey babe, you come in to take a
leak?

INT. ROOMING HOUSE - DAY

Roxanne pays the landlady. She appears ready to fold.

ROXANNE
That’s it. That’s the last of it.
We’re broke. I haven’t been
entirely clean with you.

MICK
(solemnly)
We’re not meeting up with Jesse.

ROXANNE
No, we’re not. And I’m not much of
a backer, either. All we’ve done
is break even, enough to eat and
sleep... not make any real money...
If we did I’d give half to you and
just get on a bus home. I think
it's time for me to call it quits.

MICK
What’re you talking about? You’re
the best. You can’t give up on me.
I was born to play pool -- that’s
all I can do... and I know I can
start to win big money. I’m not
cut out for nine-to-five work.
This is it for me.

ROXANNE
Well, maybe... take one more shot.

Roxanne searches her purse for anything of value. Stumped,
Roxanne looks down at her chest at the gold mezuzah she got
for her birthday and walks out the door.

INT. PAWNSHOP - DAY

Roxanne walks up to the counter, removes her necklace and
hands it to PAWNBROKER to examine. He is an older Hasidic
man. He looks up at her and frowns.

PAWNBROKER
My dollink, what are you, a yentl,
doing wearing such a ting? It
should be worn only by a Jewish
man.

ROXANNE
My uncle gave it to me for my
birthday. Said I was blessed with
a woman’s beauty and a man’s
strength.

The pawnbroker scrutinizes the mezuzah with his reading
glasses.

PAWNBROKER
A shame to pawn such a beautiful
ting.

ROXANNE
I know. It’s supposed to protect
me. How much can I get?

PAWN BROKER
I could only give you a hundred
dollars on it.

ROXANNE
Okay, I'm not going to argue.

Pawnbroker hands her $100 and then pushes the necklace back
to her.

ROXANNE
What’s this? What are you doing?

Pawnbroker pats his hand over her hand and the necklace.

PAWN BROKER
You look like somebody could use a
mitzvah. You’ll pay me later.

ROXANNE
(naively)
But I don’t live here. I'm probably
going to leave in a day or two.

Pawnbroker hands her his card with the address on it.

PAWN BROKER
So you’ll send it. Zeit gesunt,
bubbala, and good luck...

ROXANNE
(red-faced, mumbles her
appreciation in Yiddish)
Zeit gesunt.

She takes the money and walks out, curiously observed by a
PAWNBOY who is sweeping the floor.

EXT. CAR - DAY

She drives back to coffee shop.

INT./EXT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

She shows Mick the money and hustles him up and out the door.

OUTSIDE

MICK
Where the hell did you get money?

ROXANNE
Does it make any difference? All
you got to do is make a game, play
and win.

INT. BOWLING ALLEY POOL ROOM - NIGHT

ROXANNE
It’s now or never. If this really
is your life, then I want to see
you play like it is.

The two start to walk to the back when Mick spots an old man
operating on some potential suckers.

MICK
(quietly, to Roxanne)
Well, look who’s here.
Tommy the Greek, and Duke. He’s
from Pasadena too. You’re gonna
get to see something wonderful.

Mick points to an old man and a little dog.

REAR OF POOLROOM

TOMMY THE GREEK, with an audience around him, is entertaining
them with his dog, DUKE. Duke is a small mongrel doing
simple little tricks under Tommy’s direction, while Tommy
takes little swipes out of a liquor flask in his back pocket.

The crowd is ribbing Tommy a little because the tricks are
really mediocre. Finally, Tommy replies.

TOMMY
Listen, all you wise guys, Duke is
the smartest dog in the world! He
does a trick no other dog in the
world can do. He can get up on the
table and pick out any ball you
call!

Tommy looks over the crowd for reactions.

TOMMY
Just call the ball you want, and
he’ll pick it up and put it in his
mouth. What do youse want to do
with that?

A SPORT in the crowd fires back.

SPORT
I believe whatever somebody bets he
can do -- he can do. But in your
case I’m gonna make an exception.
How much do you want to bet, old
man?

TOMMY
Make it easy on yourself, partner.

SPORT
(weakly)
I’ll risk twenty bucks just to see
the show.

TOMMY
Okay, you cheap nit-shits. I’m
gonna show you what Duke can do.

Duke is on the floor totally inattentive, scratching, and
wandering around, while the $20 bet is being put up with the
houseman. Tommy goes to Duke and nudges him to get his
attention.

TOMMY
C’mon Duke, wake up! We’re
betting.

SPORT
Dogs are color blind. Have him get
the four ball.

Tommy picks Duke up, puts him on the table, and holds him
while Duke is looking around and acting nervous. Tommy
orders Duke.

TOMMY
Okay, Duke, go get me the four
ball!

Duke dashes over to a fully racked set of pool balls and
frantically scatters them all over the table. Duke is
jumping up and kicking balls and biting them, all the while
Tommy is screaming.

TOMMY
Stop it Duke! Stop it! Get the
four ball!

By this time the spectators are on the floor rolling in
laughter. Tommy picks up Duke and starts scolding him. Then
he turns embarrassed to the crowd.

TOMMY
You fucking creeps! You "sharked"
him. You got him too nervous.

One of the Sweators in the crowd fires back.

SWEATOR
(laughing)
That mutt couldn’ pick up a T-Bone
steak, let alone a pool ball.

TOMMY
Don’t you talk about my dog like
that, you shit-heel. If you woulda
been quiet he coulda done it.

GIGGLING SWEATOR
(sweetly)
Well, if we promise to be quiet,
how much do you want to bet this
time?

TOMMY
(acting very excited and
angry)
You guys have really got me hot!
You can bet all I got in my pocket.
That’s how much! My whole bankroll --
(he counts his money)
-- six hundred and forty-nine
dollars. Everybody’s got to be
quiet, though. Now we’ll see who’s got gamble.

Tommy spreads his bankroll on the table.
There is a hesitation from the crowd for a moment.
Finally, one guy speaks up.

SWEATOR
You ain’t bluffing nobody off, old
man. A sumbitch dumb as you don’t
deserve to have no money! I’ll
cover three hundred of it! Have
him get the five ball!

With the spell broken there is a rush to cover the whole $649
and the money is put up with the houseman.

Tommy turns his back on the crowd and seemingly confides to
Duke. He puts his right palm over his chest, indicating the
"George" sign.

TOMMY
(deliciously, to himself and
Duke)
... And in the window flew a dove.

Roxanne spots the move and turns excitedly to Mick.

ROXANNE
Am I going crazy, or did I just see
that guy give the "George" sign to
the dog?

Mick just smiles wickedly.

Duke responds to the "George" signal by jumping up on the
pool table and sitting on his haunches. He is alert with his
ears straight up and not moving a muscle. No longer is he
nervous, scratching, or looking around.

A few in the crowd start to get a bad feeling about their
chances.

Tommy, very composed and confident, says very gently to Duke:

TOMMY
Duke, go get me the five ball,
baby.

Duke trots slowly over to a fully racked set of pool balls,
stirs them slightly, picks up the five ball in his mouth,
walks calmly over to Tommy, drops the ball in the pocket,
sits back on his haunches and awaits the next command.

The crowd is dumbfounded. Tommy smiles at Duke, winks and
gives him the "George" sign again, then walks over to the
houseman and takes down the money.
continued...