Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) Movie Script
Ain't now
but it's gonna be
black
enough for me
ain't now
but it's gonna be
black enough to see
to see red
when the song is wrong
to see blue
when the fear is gone
to see green
on the pea-green sea
of humanity
in the wide, wide light?
Of the night
ain't now
but it's gonna be
black enough to be
black enough to see
black enough for me
to see red
when the song is wrong
to see blue
when the fear is gone
to see green
on the pea-green sea
of humanity
in the wide, wide light?
Of the night
ain't now
but it's gonna be
black enough to be
black enough to see
black enough for me
ain't now
but it's gonna be
man:
Come see what I got for ya!
Come on, deke, come on!
Aah!
I thought we told you
to stop working our
precinct, early riser.
We got bigger fish
to fry.
You do your trickin'
somewhere else.
Is that my-
deke!
Deke!
Is everybody here
having a good time?
How about
that weather up there?
Is it fine enough for you?
How about me?
How about deke, your man?
How about me?
How about me?
How about me?
Yeah!
Yeah!
Am I big enough for you?
18 months ago...
I was down on my knees in
the white man's jailhouse.
Mmm!
Yes!
I wasn't down on my knees
in the jailhouse to pray.
No!
No!
I wasn't even down on
my knees to shoot craps.
Ha ha!
Ha ha!
Deke o'malley
was down on his knees
in the white man's jail
cleaning out the
white man's toilet bowl!
No!
No!
All right!
So l-i asked the lord
to help me!
To show me the way!
And bless my soul, he did!
Yeah!
He did!
The lord come to me
in a dream!
He said,
"deke, I want to use you
like I used noah of old!"
He said, "deke, I want you
to build an ark
and sail my people home!"
Yeah!
Yeah!
And there she is,
black beauty!
Are you black enough
to hear me?
Amen! Amen!
For 3 months now,
in detroit, chicago,
los angeles,
baltimore, washington,
people have been
standing in line,
waitin' and waitin'
for a chance to get
on boardblack beauty.
'Cause, brothers,
we are going home.
Good-bye, rats and roaches!
Good-bye being
kicked and low-rated!
Good-bye getting
robbed and cheated!
Good-bye having to live
on the white man's welfare!
Right on, brother!
We are going home.
Come on! Next!
What's your name, miss?
You'll find salvation.
How the hell did he
get a permit for this?
Lieutenant says
it's a race leap.
It's doing good
for his people.
Thank you, reverend o'malley,
thank you.
We're going home
all going home
we're going home
we're going home
going home
we're going home
there you go.
Thank you.
But, sir, the minimum
down payment is $100.
Oh, please, ma'am.
You don't want to break ol'
uncle budd's heart, do ya?
$20. count it. It's all I
got in the world right now,
but give me a chance.
Please, ma'am.
O'malley: Why not?
Yeah, sure.
Uncle budd?
Uncle budd.
Yeah, uncle budd.
There you go.
Okay, step right up!
God bless you, brother.
God bless you, brother.
Well, if it ain't king
kong and frankenstein.
Hey, ed, I didn't know these
cats was going back to africa.
They ain't. They're going right back
across the street where they come from.
Only thing I hate worse
than a honky pig cop,
and that's
a nigger pig cop.
What kind of talk
is that, soul brother?
Don't you know that
black is beautiful?
Fly, baby.
Just cool it.
O'malley?
Yes.
We're from the d.a.'s
office. He wants to see you.
D.a.'s office?
Well, I'm busy.
Now! Let's go!
Wait a minute, buddy!
Let's see
your credentials.
Quit stalling, o'malley.
Black judas!
That's what you are!
Honky!
Now, now. I'm going
downtown right now
and tell that white man's
district attorney
that deke o'malley's gettin' sick
and tired of being pushed around.
Keep it black
till I get back.
Ok, let's go.
John! John!
John!
Get in!
Don't you step on my ribs!
Whoo! Hey, sister,
come here!
No, no, no, no!
Ok, what do you want?
Deke o'malley.
Yeah? And what's that
got to do with me?
We ain't got o'malley.
We sure as hell got you.
Which means that sooner
or later, we got o'malley.
Is that black enough
for ya?
What do we got here?
We know how finicky the good
reverend is about his wardrobe,
so he oughta be scootin' up
here any minute to change.
Hey, ed,
dig these fine vines.
Mmm! And on your po' policeman's
salary, you can't afford it.
Ain't that awful?
What a shame. Not a single one your size.
Now, wait a minute. I think this
italian suit here'll work for me.
Thing of beauty.
What's this here?
Bless jesus.
A silk hat for occasions.
My, my.
What sacrifices he makes
for his po' starvin' people.
He sure do.
Now, somebody shot up
o'malley's barbecue
and made off with 87 grand
of poor people's money.
Who?
The question is... who?
Whoever it was
just missed.
Another couple of inches, and we would've
brought you his brains in a saucer.
Oh, yeah? Who did it?
I just asked you that.
O'malley
ratted on the mafia.
Remember?
Could've been them.
Them boys
don't never forget.
Could be
his number's up,
unless digger and me
get to him first.
Where is he?
Well, how about it?
Hidin' out,
he ain't got a chance, iris.
Deke o'malley
always has a chance.
Hello, betty?
Give me that!
All right, o'malley, do
yourself a favor and come in-
you bitch!
God damn it, ed,
cool it!
He's crazy.
He's crazy. That son of a bitch
is crazy! I want him out!
I got him, iris.
2 days, 2 weeks,
2 months.
It's all the same.
I'm nailing his ass
to the wall.
Be smart, iris.
Get off the boat
before we sink it.
Ed. Digger.
Something new on the o'malley squeal. What?
They found the meat truck and the
golden money wagon all smashed up.
One got killed.
O'malley?
No.
Lieutenant wants you two
guys up there right away.
Where?
Harlem river yard.
Oh, by the way, what's with her? She talk?
No, but she's our main lead
to o'malley, so watch her.
Be cool, brother.
Jarema is hep.
She's a stone fox.
Watch your ass.
No sweat there.
Found some confetti.
Where's the loot?
Ask o'malley.
I know how you feel about o'malley. Do you?
You make him?
Yeah. He's a pickpocket
named early riser.
He was at the rally.
He works with a partner
named lo boy, a junkie.
They worked
the holy dream.
Could be the militants, ed.
They hate o'malley's guts.
No. They wouldn't
pull a job like this.
It ain't their style.
Hey, ed!
What is it?
Look at this.
Cotton from inside
the meat truck.
It ain't drugstore cotton.
What is it?
It's raw,
unprocessed cotton,
like from a bale.
Ah. It's a long time
since I seen cotton like that.
Digger, you ain't never
seen no raw cotton before.
You was born and raised right
here in new york, just like me.
What the hell
are you two doing here?
Digger found
a hidden drop slot.
This was in it.
It's full of trash.
The syndicate.
When o'malley was with 'em, he
talked, and they threatened to get him.
Why'd they wait?
White guns comin' up here,
trying to knock off
reverend o'malley, you think?
Could be.
Blacks find out about this,
there'll be hell to pay.
I want round the clock police
protection for reverend o'malley.
To hell with o'malley!
What about the $87,000
of poor black folks' money
that he stole from all
over this country? Stole?
That's right. Stole!
We ran a check on
o'malley's entire operation.
It's clean.
Absolutely legitimate.
Full clearance from
the state department,
securities exchange
commission,
the attorney general of the state
of new york. What else do you want?
What the hell does the attorney
general, the state department,
or even the president
of the united states know
about one goddamned thing that's
going on up here in harlem?
Ed o'malley's respected by
responsible people. Respect, my ass!
Pastors, race leaders,
politicians,
not to mention the large following
he has among black folk everywhere.
Black folk need hope
like everybody else.
What is it
with you people?
One of you like reverend
o'malley tries to do something,
does anybody try to help him? Hell no!
You're after him
like crabs in a basket.
Uh, how many shares of the back to
africa, inc. Would you buy, captain?
That's impertinent.
The hell it is!
One more word out of you, and
I'll run you right off the lot.
We've been trying to teach
white folks all our lives.
School's over.
Let's go look for lo boy
at junkies' paradise.
Damn it, anderson. Who's in
charge of this investigation,
you or them?
You've gotta understand
ed and digger, sir.
I understand those two,
all right.
Too quick
with their fists,
too flip with their talk,
too fast with their guns.
They're two damn black maniacs
on a powder keg,
and you're
letting them run wild.
Ed and digger, they have their own
special way of dealing with things up here.
And if they find something
kinky on reverend o'malley,
I've gotta respect it.
Sister!
Yes?
Good afternoon, sister.
And what kind of trick are you trying
to play on me, you old uncle tom?
Ain't no trick, ma'am.
I'm just trying to get this
bale of cotton onto my cart.
Cotton?
Yes, ma'am.
And I was just wonderin'
if some good, nice-lookin',
strong christian lady like
you wouldn't give me a hand.
I am a christian.
That's why I don't take a
stick and knock your teeth out.
All of you trying
to steal my money!
Tryin' to steal
your money?
Yes! Trickers! That's what
you are. Every one of you!
Why, you old fool!
Don't you think
I got sense enough to know
there ain't no such thing as
a bale of cotton in harlem?
Hmmph!
Ed: That damn bryce
chewin' my ass out.
Dumb anderson
didn't say a word.
Well, he's got his own
mortgage to worry about.
I oughta quit this job.
All right, now,
suppose you do quit.
Suppose you tell 'em to
take the badge and shove it.
Who's gonna
pay your mortgage?
You.
Mm-mm!
Not me, baby.
You quit, I quit.
Then who'll protect the black
folks from the white folks?
Who's gonna protect the
black folks from themselves?
I'm sick of this. Gotta be at
death's door. I'm tired of this jazz.
God damn.
Aah!
When did you turn japanese?
Come on.
You know the position.
Come on,
spread your legs back.
Finally
got it together.
We plan
to keep it that way.
This ain't no shooting gallery
no more. This is swahili class.
So why don't you guys
take your business and split?
Io boy.
Early riser's partner.
We want him.
Is he on swahili, too?
If that's who you want,
why don't you check reba's?
Where'd you learn them
dirty swahili words?
Ask your mama.
How long you gonna
keep this up, copper?
Till it's over, sister.
It's been 4 hours now, and I'm
just sick of lookin' at you.
You are really
one ugly child.
I mean,
it's really too bad
'cause, um...
if you wasn't,
we could, uh,
spend the time, you
know, uh, doin' the thing.
I'll put a sack
over my head.
All right.
Knock it off, will ya?
I just wanted to see
if it was gonna fit.
Buck off.
Drop them scissors.
Well, you gotta
breathe, don't you?
Drop 'em
or I'll break your arm.
You're not a fag,
are you?
Oh, wow. A fag cop.
Ha ha!
It's all poor john
ever spoke of-
that ship and you,
reverend o'malley.
And thank you
for the flowers.
It's the least I can do under
the circumstances, mrs. Hill.
He was my right hand.
And I cannot find the words to
express the infinite sorrow I feel
that this unfortunate accident
has taken your husband.
Thank you, reverend
o'malley. You are so kind.
May I be of any assistance
to you, mrs. Hill?
The funeral?
The arrangements?
I just want you
to preach his funeral.
Of course, mrs. Hill.
And if you'll
forgive my askin',
do you need money?
Oh, thank you,
reverend o'malley,
but he had life insurance
and we saved up.
If you need anything
ever,
you must come to me.
I won't hear of it
otherwise.
All right?
All right, sir.
You're everything
john said you'd be.
Thank you, mrs. Hill.
Ha!
Love beads
for the fag cop.
Gonna take a shower with me,
white boy? Hmm?
Ha ha ha!
All I need is
a place of operation,
for the police,
as you know,
are unsympathetic
to our movement.
I don't trust 'em.
Would you help me...
to recover
the stolen funds
and to avenge
john's death?
Would you be
my eyes and ears?
My mata hari, so to speak,
on the lord's side.
Oh, anything.
Oh, anything if you think
I can, reverend o'malley.
The main thing is for me
to be free of the police
so that I can conduct
my own investigation.
I've got to find
a place to stay
where nobody
will know where I am.
Reverend o'malley,
why not stay here?
Oh, bless your soul,
mrs. Hill.
Hey, copper.
I forgot my towel.
It's, uh, it's right there
on the wall.
You wanna dry
my back off, copper?
Hey, you gotta
give a girl a minute.
They say the badder the
woman, the better the smell.
Come sniff.
Hey, don't you wanna
take your clothes off?
Please, baby.
Please?
Hey, you come-
hey, come back here, you!
Hey!
Halt!
Halt in the name
of the law!
Halt in the name of the law!
Aah!
Come on, lo boy. Come on,
lo boy. Come on, come on.
Quit it! Now, hold it. Hold it right there.
What were you doing on the drive
when the meat truck came by?
Don't bother me, man.
I gotta get to the funeral.
What funeral?
You know what that
meat truck done, man?
It hit my buddy
square in the air.
Oh, early riser rose,
man, I mean, like a bird.
I ain't never seen a cat
fly that high before.
He went up!
Man, up on your feet!
Now, you tell us!
Now, what happened?
What happened when?
After the meat truck
hit early riser.
H-he died.
He died.
15 years,
and then he died.
Man, I gotta find
the funeral!
You son of a bitch.
Ed!
God damn it! You better tell
us what we wanna know, man!
You listen to me
and listen good.
The meat truck hit early riser and crashed.
The armored truck
crashed, too.
Now, god damn it, you
better tell me what happened!
I seen the truck,
and I seen barry waterfield
get the hell out of there.
And I seen these white guys run after him.
White guys?
White guys?
They had on masks.
How did you know
they were white?
Oh, lordy, help me!
Askin' how you know
they was white.
They run white, damn it.
Honkies in the woodpile.
Something
we hadn't figured on.
The syndicate.
Let's get out of here.
It stinks.
Yeah.
Rattin' on the mob ain't
the worst thing in the world.
Any black man might
rat on whitey.
I might, myself.
Man, like deke preyin' on
his own black flesh and blood.
How you gonna blame deke for
doin' what everybody else is doin'?
Beats me how you can find any good
at all in the vicious son of a bitch.
Convicting the man without
a trial, ain't you, god?
Sam, take me to the apollo.
God damn it, none of these
things are gonna work!
Easy, baby, easy.
Watch it.
You're gonna wind up
bustin' something
right between your assets
and your liabilities.
Balloons, fans, feathers!
I'm sick of 'em all!
They're out of style and don't
say a damn thing about my people.
Forget 'em, forget 'em.
'Cause what you got
goin' for you- my, my, my-
ain't never
goin' out of style.
Uncle tom is what they are.
My dance has got to say
something about my people.
Black people!
We've got to set our
people's minds to thinkin'.
Get our own
black thing together.
Yeah.
Iris.
Billie, you have
to lend me a dress.
A dress? What the hell you doing here?
Helping billie with
her new dance routine.
What happened at the rally?
And where's deke?
I don't know.
Didn't he call you?
What you mean,
you don't know?
Don't lie to me, barry.
Look, I'm not lying.
I don't know where he is.
Oh, just get the hell on
out of here.
I don't need you to help me
to find deke. Damn.
You must've left off
in a big hurry.
Yeah. You should've seen
the other guy.
Billie, help me to find
a dress and quick. Quick.
Reverend o'malley.
Reverend-
oh.
Oh. Oh.
Oh.
I'm sorry. I... put my shirt
in the sink to be washed.
I apologize. I...
had to use one of
your husband's robes.
Well...
what did you find out?
I went over to the church
like you told me,
and I saw these
two white men.
Yes. I got close enough to listen,
and I found out that they were offering
a reward to anyone for bale of cotton.
Bale of cotton?
Now, what would a bale of
cotton be doing in harlem?
Bale of cotton.
A bale of cotton.
Is something wrong,
reverend?
A bale of cotton.
Well, I'll be damned!
We have got to find out
what's happened, sister mabel.
And surely, brother john
would want you to help me.
Oh, john.
John
- oh, you look so much like him in that robe.
Just to hear his name
like that, oh, I miss him.
Yes, and I miss him, too,
but listen, sister-
I need my john. I need
him, too, sister mabel, but-
who's gonna take care of me
now that john's gone?
Who's gonna love me?
Who's gonna need me?
Who's gonna be good to me now
that john ain't here no more?
Sister mabel,
I am here,
and I am going
to stay here.
And I'm gonna take care of
you, and I'm gonna love you.
But first, I
- oh, reverend o'malley, you are so wonderful!
Sister mabel, hey.
Mabel!
Honey.
Iris. Iris!
Get me out of the way and
shackin' up with that skimpy whore!
Mabel: Wait a minute! Just wait a
minute! You've got to understand!
Iris, I called you first!
Look, I had to find
someplace to hide out.
Yeah, between
this bitch's legs!
Will you two quit it?
The reverend and i, we're trying
to get back our people's money.
You don't call him that
in the bed! Why, you-
quit it! Stop it!
Stop it, I say, damn it!
Break it up!
Let go of me!
Let go of me!
She can't call me that!
You fool!
Here you are, kid.
Well, if it isn't
caspar brown,
biggest numbers banker
of them all.
Colored version.
Hear tell that you and ed been
nosin' around my operation.
Come on. Now, you guys too smart to
think that we knocked over deke o'malley.
Bullshit.
How the hell
would you ever know
what's happening
in harlem, caspar?
'Cause anything
that is happenin'...
I'm the guy that's
makin' it happen.
And don't you forget it.
Stop trying to play
big man, caspar.
Well, don't think
it ain't been charmin',
but, uh, I promised
these little ladies
I'd take 'em
for a little ride.
Uh, I would look upon it kindly
if you let the little ladies go
and took me up
to italian harlem
to your
white mafia boss man.
I said
moo goo gai pan.
You call this
moo goo gai pan?
Never mind that.
Get it out of here.
And tell sam to
fix it for me personally.
Thank you, brother caspar.
Oh, sit right down
next to the throne of grace.
Hey.
Sure. Ain't you boys
"the man"?
Oh, someday, maybe,
when caspar gets balls enough
to run you out of harlem.
But right now
you're the man.
Piano, piano.
How's about a little lump
sum of food all around, hmm?
Little tea?
They think
we hit o'malley.
Knock off a colored rally
and start a race riot, maybe?
Are you crazy?
You had it in for o'malley. Deke?
Nonsense.
I liked the boy.
Always have.
He's a credit
to the community.
He ratted on you.
Where do you think he got that
income tax shit? We fed it to him.
So a couple of the boys
maybe got a little out of line.
Should learn a lesson.
He done us a favor.
If we didn't like him, you
think he'd still be around?
Look, you know what my take
in harlem is in one day?
You think I would jeopardize
all of that for a lousy $87,000?
All right. $5.00.
What? Cut it down! I'll take
my bale to old man cohen.
Wait a minute. What do you want from me?
What can I do with this
piece of junk, make bandages?
$10, and that's
the last price.
What the hell are you
tryin' to do? Listen.
My name is honest abe goodman,
not honest abe lincoln.
$15, and that's
my very last price.
This is genuine
mississippi cotton.
Smell of it.
Smell, schmell.
Cotton is cotton.
Not this cotton! I've picked
cotton all over the south,
and that's the finest.
20. not a dime more.
30, not a cent less.
25?
25?
Sold!
Yes, sir.
You're the old geezer goes
around pickin' up junk, right?
Yes, sir.
Well, I'm in the market
for a bale of cotton.
Understand?
A bale of cotton?
That's right.
And I hear tell that
maybe you could, uh-
you got me wrong, mister.
And anyway, what would a bale
of cotton be doing in harlem?
Hey! Hey!
Open up!
Hey!
Open up,
you old bastard!
Look, white man, ain't you a
long way from where you live?
Was that
black enough for you?
It ain't, but it's gonna be.
Ha ha ha!
Is it black enough
for you?
Hey, deke! Hey!
Yeah, all right!
My man!
Hey.
Good times
are here now.
How was
the congo, baby?
Fine, beautiful, beautiful.
Man, I never been so scared in all my life.
Me, too, man.
Cops been leaning
on you boys a bit?
Hell no. It was you we was worrying about.
Man, I thought
you was dead.
Are you dumb? This man got brains, baby.
I had to lay low
for a while.
But I was thinking about
you boys all the time.
And now deke o'malley's
back in town.
And you better believe it.
And that means we gonna
take care of business.
Right, reverend?
'Cause I found it.
I finally found
that bale of cotton.
Brother barry,
you are beautiful.
Where is
that bale of cotton?
Goodman's junkyard.
Goodman's junkyard?
Now, is that
kosher enough for you?
Ha ha ha!
Deke o'malley
and all the little foxes
present
and accounted for.
Hold on there.
What's your rush?
Don't you remember
what your mama says?
I don't play that.
First, brer fox
gobbles brer rabbit...
and then the wolf
gobbles brer fox.
Your move, mother goose.
Okay. Stay put until you see
the white of the rabbit's ass.
Come on.
Let's move. Move out.
White shit
about to hit black fan.
Aah!
Hello, reverend.
Now back up.
Nice and easy.
Turn around!
Hold it right there.
The white fox?
He left tracks
across my behind.
The black fox?
Likewise.
Body count is 6,
lieutenant.
Yeah.
To steal junk,
I can understand.
A man is desperate,
he needs the money.
But to kill for junk?
I don't get it.
Don't be a boy scout,
goodman.
A lot of people get killed
every day up here for nothing.
What could be here that anyone
could possibly want that badly?
$87,000.
What?
$87,000.
Seen any cotton
around here lately?
A bale of cotton, sure.
Uncle budd brought over
a bale of cotton.
I bought it from him
for $25.
Where is it now?
What?
What happened to it?
He came back later,
he bought it back
from me for $30.
He hauled it away.
Wait a minute.
He brought it in and then
he brung it out again?
It don't add up,
goodman.
That's what happened.
Hauled it away where?
He didn't say.
Put out a reader
on uncle budd.
Come on, digger.
To kill for junk.
Well! Did you find it?
What do we got here,
an outraged citizen?
Oh, reverend
o'malley.
Did you find the man who
stole my people's money?
What were you doing at the junkyard
this hour of the night, reverend?
Holding a revival meeting?
He was white,
whoever he was.
You know the man?
What do you mean,
do I know him?
What I mean, sir, is did
you ever meet the man before?
Oh, sure. Same one
who hijacked the rally.
Funny. All the guys
at the rally had on masks.
And, of course, you could
see right through the masks.
Unless, of course, you knew
that they were white in advance.
Have a cigarette.
Where'd you get that?
Mabel hill's apartment,
right where you left it.
That's police brutality.
No, brother.
That's
cancer prevention.
Reverend o'malley, there are
6 dead bodies in the morgue.
All we're asking you to do is
- now, look!
How many times do I
have to tell you idiots?
We're only asking you to tell
us what you know. Now, look!
Easy, digger, easy.
Look, I am due in my pulpit
at 11:00 this morning,
and if I ain't there-
if my people were
to find out
that you had me locked up in this filthy,
pissy pigsty, there'll be all hell to pay!
What's that
supposed to mean?
Draw your own
conclusions.
And you can tell bryce, the
commissioner, and the mayor!
Reverend o'malley-
take me back
to my cell... honky!
O'malley!
You forgot your lighter.
Something else you forgot.
Iris, baby,
who hit you?
You, you son of a bitch!
But I got your black ass now! Cool it!
Don't tell me to cool it!
You left me for the cops.
Nigger, I oughta kill you!
You already did, baby.
You have nailed his ass
onto the wall,
right here
in black and white.
That's right.
I told them everything.
I spilled my guts out.
All about your phony
"back to africa" swindle.
Names, dates, places.
The way you were gonna
hit all the big cities
and get the money and split.
Iris
- how you set up the switch at the rally,
with the cat supposed to be
from the d.a.'s office.
The way they were gonna pretend
to take you and the money downtown.
But something happened,
and john hill got wasted.
And mabel hill found out and
was going straight to the cops.
And you found her and tried
to kill her. That's a lie.
I was there!
I saw you, you bastard!
You took that ship, that big,
old black ship black beauty,
and you smashed it down
on that poor girl's head.
I never touched that boat!
Fractured skull.
Negative.
Assault with
intent to kill.
If she dies, it's murder one.
Which means
we burn you.
Burn me?
Burn me with what?
Lieutenant!
I hope that some
of you damn fools
had the good sense to examine
that model boat for fingerprints.
Of course we did, reverend.
Tell these two dumb-ass
uncle tom nigger cops of yours
whose prints you found on that boat
- that broad's or mine?
He did it! He took those
people's money. He did it!
You shut your mouth!
I'll get you, o'malley!
I swear on my mother's grave
I'll get you for this!
I swear I will!
I'll get you!
One more word,
soul brother.
You had it made.
Black folks would have
followed you anywhere.
You could have been
another marcus garvey
or even another
malcolm x.
But instead,
you ain't nothin'
but a pimp with
a chickenshit backbone.
Break his goddamn head.
No.
Keep him on ice
for 24 hours.
Then he'll bust his own head.
24 hours?
Bryce'll never
stand for it.
The hell with bryce!
O'malley'll break.
Not only for us.
Everybody in harlem
will know the son of a bitch
for the evil bastard
that he is.
You hold him
one more day.
Don't you guys ever
listen to the buzzer?
What's up?
The word just came
over the squawk box.
They just found uncle budd.
Did they find
a bale of cotton?
Don't ask me.
Ask the squawk box.
Anderson:
Poor uncle budd.
What do you suppose
they did to him?
My guess'd be the river.
Oh, my god.
We're dragging
the river, luddy.
You set it up.
Yes, sir.
White fox tasted black blood.
Maybe yes,
and maybe no.
Where the hell's
that rabbit?
All right, stop it.
A vicious son of a bitch
murders uncle budd,
and you two
talk nonsense.
You gotta look on the bright
side, lieutenant.
You saw that white
joker last night.
You identify him?
I don't know,
lieutenant.
Maybe yes, maybe no.
All those kind of people
look alike to me.
Cut the crap.
That's an order.
Drop whatever the hell
else you're doing,
and you find him!
And that's final.
We're going home
we're going to see the sun
going home
a new life has begun
we're going home
oh, yes?
Where we can all be free
in the land
where there's sand
and I got liberty
so steal away
my lord, steal away
take me
and I will tell you
we're going home
oh, going home!
Hey, children,
going home
wait here.
We're going home
where this world
was born
and where life with the strif
e won't be tight
we're going home
captain, o'malley's
people are coming.
O'malley's people?
Just like the good book said
we're going home
brothers and sisters,
we have marched all the way
from o'malley's tabernacle
this afternoon,
not merely for the purpose
of gift-bringing,
but to offer prayers
for his release.
Amen.
Amen.
What do you think?
How many men we got?
It's sunday.
Half the men are off.
All right. You better
send out a recall.
Station house alert.
We'll try to hold this
right where it is,
but if anything happens,
if it gets out of control,
go to signal 1039.
Ok.
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
People,
just settle down.
Hey, what the hell
is going on here?
Riot.
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
I figure about a 4-block
area, commissioner.
What are you
standing there for?!
Get out and get
those riot guns!
I don't give a damn!
Find ed and digger
if it takes
all afternoon!
Hold 'em right
where they are-
now that I have
your attention,
let's bow our heads.
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
Man: Who the hell
asked you to come here?
He will be free,
but not this way.
Jarema, they're gonna
try to take o'malley.
Don't you worry, reverend.
I know how to use this thing,
and I'll protect you
with the last breath
in my body.
Oh, I know you will,
officer.
I know you will.
Get out of here!
Hold it there.
Now cool it!
Hold it!
Quiet down!
All right,
get inside.
What in
the goddamn hell?
Let 'em inside,
officers.
All right, take those
guns out of here.
We'll take it from here.
Hold it!
Hold it
right there!
Hey, we know
what you cops do
in the precinct basement.
How do we know
deke o'malley ain't dead?
'Cause I say he ain't!
And I'm the doctor.
You filthy pigs!
Free deke o'malley!
Shut up, white boy!
I'm talking
about my money!
Me and my family
put up $1,000, and we ain't
heard from it since.
If you police don't
do something, we will.
Tear the damn precinct down!
Burn the mother
to the ground!
Give us our money!
I want my money now!
I want my money, man.
Shut up!
Digger and I
will do our damnedest
to get the money back.
We promise.
Hell with promises!
Anybody out there
ever heard coffin ed
or the grave digger
make a promise
we didn't keep?
We may have
broken some heads,
but we never broke
no promises.
Now go on home!
Fascist pigs!
Free deke o'malley!
Commie pigs!
Fascist commies!
Where the hell
you going?
Well, ain't this
the going-back-to-africa rally?
No, brother. It is
the going-home rally.
Now move it.
Sergeant,
my name is callahan.
I'm the attorney
for reverend o'malley.
I have a writ
for his release,
signed by judge
glossner.
This'll take
a few minutes.
Ok. I'll go down
and tell him.
I thank all of you.
I'm obliged to you
for coming down here
and bringing this great food
for me and my fellow prisoners.
Amen.
Amen.
Inasmuch as you've done unto
one of these, my little ones,
you've done unto me.
Amen.
Amen.
Minister: Just the way
you wanted it.
O'malley: Praise the lord,
brother, amen.
What about your tray,
sister minnie?
It's all yours,
reverend.
I thank you, sister,
but I'd be much obliged
if you'd take that tray over
to sister iris over there.
Well, if you say so,
reverend.
I do say so, sister.
And, sister minnie,
the lord loveth
a cheerful giver.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
A jealous hysterical woman...
will do anything, including
lie, to hurt o'malley.
Is that the case?
No. There's a bale
of cotton,
the white man
that digger spotted,
the shoot-out,
and the vicious murder
of booker
washington simms.
Who?
Uncle budd, the old
junk dealer.
We're still dragging
the river for his body.
And all ed and digger
want to do
is hold o'malley
for one more day.
What?
They think
that they can-
don't tell me what they think.
Tell me what you think.
Or don't you
do that anymore?
We could hold him
on a technicality
for 24 hours,
it being sunday.
Jones!
Johnson!
Did I or lieutenant anderson
or anybody else
authorize you
to offer those people money
out there this afternoon?
No, sir.
Good. Then you recognize
that the precinct
is in no way responsible
for your foolish statements
or anything else.
It was getting a little
hairy out there.
It was a flagrant breach
of police procedure.
I won't have it.
That all, sir?
That is not all!
In spite of the fact
that we came within one inch
of a riot out there
this afternoon
and we have no proof whatsoever
against reverend o'malley,
anderson tells me you want me
to hold him another day.
That's right, sir.
You're out of your minds,
both of you.
Do you have to play
with that thing?
I'm insecure, captain.
But the question
still is,
can we hold him
another day?
I'm not finished.
You've allowed
your personal prejudice
to get in the way
of your judgment.
You've bungled
this whole thing
from beginning to end.
And you and your partner
have turned this entire
investigation
into a personal vendetta
against reverend o'malley.
Vendetta?
Vendetta!
O'malley's a rotten,
thieving, lying-
it doesn't matter
what he is.
It's no concern
of yours anymore.
I'm taking you off the case.
Thank you, sir.
What?
You want us off the case?
You got us off.
What was that all about?
I don't know.
But now I'm really worried.
Woman: Where is deke?
Second woman:
There he is.
No pictures, no pictures.
Reverend o'malley.
Yes, sir.
Could we have one word
with you in private?
One word in private.
We understand you're
looking for a white man
and a bale of cotton.
We got 'em both.
Uh, callahan,
will you excuse me?
Sister minnie.
I'll see you later.
Well, there goes that
$87,000 promise you made.
Wemade, old buddy.
Wemade.
Yeah, wemade.
The next time you're
making out an i.o.u.,
include me out, huh?
What we need is some
new bait for that trap.
A whole new kind of fox.
Look, man,
I'm not in any mood
for another one of your
goddamn colored fairy tales.
A stone fox.
Somebody
who wants o'malley
worse than we do.
Hey, lady.
Where's my pastor?!
Where's my pastor?!
Now, hold on, now.
What did you-what did you
do with my pastor?
Wait a minute. Hold it.
Just a minute, now.
How the hell did you
get in here?
She's with the delegation.
Don't you remember?
If y'all don't give me
back my pastor,
I'm gonna punch you in
the stomach with this umbrella.
Now, watch it, lady.
O'malley ain't here.
He's been released.
Give me back my pastor.
O'malley ain't here,
I tell you,
and if you don't get
the hell out of here
with all that noise,
I'm gonna jail you.
And stay out.
What's the matter
with that old bag?
My people.
Iris!
Don't "iris" me, you
honey-dripping bastard!
Let go of me!
Take your hands off her.
Cool it, baby.
Get your hands
off of me.
Tie her up.
Nobody two-times iris
and gets away with it.
Tie her up,
for god's sake.
Looks like I'm not
the only one
our preacher friend's
crossed.
What the-
what'd he do to you?
None of your
goddamn business.
Cut me loose, calhoun.
Hand over the money,
I'll cut you loose.
How many times do I have
to tell you, you idiot?
I don't know
where it's at.
Mm-hmm.
What about iris?
She don't know,
either.
Look, man,
quit playing games.
Hmm?
Cut me loose.
Partner!
Cal, I set the whole
thing up for you.
You were nothing
but a dumb convict
in row "c"
till I put you wise.
Yeah, you set it up
for me, bastard!
You set it up for me
to be the patsy
and you to take
the money and run!
I wouldn't cross you.
Cal, we're partners.
What about that little
old switch with the d.a.'s men?
That was just in case
you didn't arrive
with the meat wagon
in time.
And how about that little
old shoot-out in the junkyard?
I thought you guys
were cops.
I swear it.
Cal, cut me loose,
and we'll go
and find the money
and split it!
Con man
to the bitter end.
I ought to shoot you
right between your black eyes
for what you done to me,
but I'm gonna be
big about it.
Yeah. I'm gonna let you
buy your life back,
and all it's
gonna cost you
is all that 87 grand
stashed in that bale
of cotton.
Cotton?
Is that
what this is all about?
Yeah.
You know something?
Yeah, I know
where it's at.
All right...
talk.
What's in it
for me?
Iris.
You shut up.
You talk,
or I'll blow
your brains out.
Hmmph. Yeah, that'll
get you exactly nowhere.
What you ought to do
is, uh...
blow that mother's
brains out.
What?
Blow that two-timing
mother's brains out.
Then I'll show you
where the bale of cotton is.
You do it.
You untie me, and I will.
Untie her.
Who followed you
here?
How in the hell
I know?
Iris, sweetheart,
baby, you found it.
You found that
bale of cotton.
Here, come on.
Untie these ropes, honey.
Come on, iris.
Yeah, that's right.
Come on, honey.
Cut these ropes,
and let's get out-
uhh!
Ha ha! Ha, iris!
Iris!
Ok, baby.
No, iris,
I don't blame you.
Go ahead.
Do your thing.
But before
you kill me,
would you
do me a favor?
Don't beg me, deke.
I ain't beggin'.
But would you mind
reaching your hand down
into my pocket
and taking out that
little old package?
Go ahead, iris.
That's it, baby.
Go ahead.
Bat?
Billie boy?
Halt!
God damn it!
Another fine mess
you got us into.
I got us into?
Shut up and shoot.
Hit it again.
Where are they, iris?
Iris!
Now, where are they?
I'm talkin' to you!
Now, where are they?
All right, iris.
Where's the door?
Hey, baby,
let's move it.
I'm gonna get out
an apb.
I'm gonna find those two
if it takes every cop
in this precinct.
Let me try, sir.
L-i know them.
Their hangouts and all.
Uh, besides,
it was me they tricked.
Well, then,
you get them
and don't come
back here till you do.
Yes, sir, captain bryce.
Yes, sir.
Bryce on radio:
Attention, all cars.
Attention,
all cars.
Jones and johnson have set fire
to house of god.
Proceeding west
on 125th street.
Apprehend at all costs.
Down south
we sweat and strained
we were the prisoners
of cotton
prisoners of cotton
but when cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
we kicked cotton's ass
we kicked cotton's ass
whoa, down south
cotton was king
a black man's life
meant not a damn thing
a black man
not a damn thing
so when cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
oh, I kicked
cotton's ass
we kicked cotton's ass
oh, what is cotton
doing here?
Whoa, we gonna make him
disappear
know that we don't
need him to remind us
the bad old days
are far behind us
south
that's where
it all began
it looked like cotton
was the man
cotton was the man
whoa, if cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
think I'll boot
cotton's butt
we'll boot
cotton's butt
I'll boot his butt
whoo!
Ha.
Whoa
this is black country
it's cotton,
it's cotton
no, it's our territory
it's cotton,
it's cotton
there'll be no more
new mama
or uncle tom
hey, little bo-weeble
best be gone
down south
cotton was boss
a human life
was no great loss
life was
no great loss
whoa, if cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
think I'll kick
cotton's ass
kick cotton's ass
kick his ass
take it off!
Hi, cal!
What's going on?
Reverend o'malley.
Oh!
Oh!
He's white.
Ha ha ha.
He's a white man.
I just can't
believe it.
He's white!
The same white man
who stole $87,000
of our people's
money!
Do you want him?!
Get that honky!
Get that pig!
Kill the honky!
Throw him back!
He's mine!
Aw!
Oh!
All right,
assume the position.
You know it.
Spread 'em wide.
Here!
Ok, brother,
get that bale of cotton
down to the prop room
and clean up the stage.
Turn around and face
your audience,
mr. Bones.
Stick out your hands,
please, mr. Bones.
Fly this mother
to the moon!
Now let's get on
with the show.
Down in my soul
a girl
who's always rockin'
down in my soul
that old black road
squawkin'
oh, yeah
down in my soul, yeah
down in my soul
a fella
can't stop rollin'
down in my soul
drivin'
what's been stolen
down in
the marshland
you can find
my soul there...
down in my soul
a girl
who's always rockin'
oh, yeah
down in my soul
a fella
that can't stop rollin'
down in
the marshland
you can find
my soul there...
aah!
Hold it, man.
Hold it
right there.
This ain't gonna
get us nowhere.
Man...
there's $87,000
in that bale.
50-50.
Right down the middle.
You steal money
from white folks,
that's your business.
But when you steal
from blacks,
that's my business.
You sound
just like my father.
Part preacher...
part undertaker...
and part god.
Why don't you
take it easy, man?
Cool it. What's
the matter with you?
Black people been exploited
by white people.
Filth like you come along
skin 'em some more.
Judgment, deke.
Judgment.
All right, man,
all right.
You, you keep
the whole thing.
I'll walk out of here,
and I promise you,
I'll never show my face
in harlem again
as long as I live.
Well?
That's what you want,
ain't it?
No.
I want you.
Ed! Ed, listen!
For god's sake,
give me a chance!
I could be another-
another garvey, man!
Another malcolm!
Aah!
God damn you!
I'll kill you!
Don't touch me!
No, no! No!
No!
O'malley: Shoot him, iris!
Iris: Aah!
Jarema,
she's your prisoner.
Now, look, you might even
make first-grade detective.
The money,
it's in the bale.
Yes, sir.
Oh, that salvation
no more of my sinful care
s oppressed
but in thy presence
ever blessed
oh, god
of my salvation
doo doo doo?
Whoa, god
of my salvation
god of
my salvation
god of
my salvation
talkin' 'bout
my salvation
god of my salvation
talkin' 'bout
your salvation
everybody's
salvation
god of
our salvation
salvation
god of
our salvation
salvation
god of
our salvation
god of our salvation
salvation
god of our salvation
salvation
god of our salvation
god of our salvation
brothers
and sisters,
I want to talk to you
for a minute.
Salvation
here, give me that mike.
Brothers and sisters,
I just want to
talk to you...
for a minute!
He'll hang himself.
Hear. Hear, hear.
Brothers and sisters,
I want to talk to you.
I want-i want-
god damn it!
Hey, wait a minute!
That's our preacher?
Brothers, sisters,
these two here
want to beat me to death,
want to beat me,
deke o'malley.
You blew it,
deke!
Get out of here!
No, no. Listen.
Listen, now.
L-listen, now. Ha.
I got-i got...
listen to me!
I got something
to tell you!
Listen. No, no, no.
No, no. No!
No, don't-
don't turn your backs.
Don't. Listen to me.
Don't turn
your backs on me.
No. No, listen to me.
Listen to me.
Listen!
I can be like malcolm!
Believe me!
Don't turn
your backs on me!
Don't turn your backs-
jarema, what the hell
is going on here?
Oh!
It's empty, luddy.
What's empty?
Damn cotton bale
is empty.
Ha!
Where are they?
Where the hell are those
2 cops who was here?
What, you mean
coffin ed and grave digger?
Yeah.
Oh, man.
They've been gone.
$87,000.
What the hell for?
Your whole operation
is sittin'
on a black volcano, man.
Right, caspar?
Uh, I'm afraid
he's right, tom.
You see, tom, things
have changed up here.
Black people
are thinking about
taking over
white businesses.
Right, caspar?
Right. I was just
reading an article
on black capitalism.
That's right.
And there ain't
no capitalism
bigger than yours
in harlem.
Right, caspar?
Right.
Now, the way I see things
is, uh, is organization.
Uh, and not only new blood,
but black blood,
improvin' the operation
around here.
Uh, seems to me that
there's a whole lot of money
uh, in just being black
these days.
So there's got
to be some way.
Hmm?
Sit down.
How much is it gonna cost me
to stop this kind of talk?
$87,000.
Well,
that bale was empty.
That money must have
been planted in there.
Planted?
By who, you idiot?
Jones and johnson?
Well, I still say the-
the bale was empty.
Well, it sure
ain't empty now.
Lieutenant, I think
you better count it.
Don't you?
Mm-hmm.
Oh,
I bet it's all here.
Well, perhaps
sergeant jarema
ought to
count it himself.
You tricked me.
I don't know how you two
black bastards did it,
but you tricked me.
Jarema,
I want you to apologize
to these two officers
for that racial slur,
or I'll have your badge.
Aw, I apologize,
but...
but...
you'll, uh, have to
overlook jarema.
He's... had a bad day.
Haven't we all?
May we go, captain?
May you-
of course.
Congratulations.
Thank you, sir.
Ed, digger.
Tell me something,
will ya?
What's a bale of cotton
doing in harlem?
"Dear grave digger jones
and coffin ed johnson..."
uncle budd: If you're
still dragging the river
looking for the body
of old uncle budd
and the 87,000,
stop.
I am now
a retired gentleman
raising cotton on my villa
in africa.
If you are ever
in this neck of the woods,
please drop in and see me.
"Yours truly,
booker washington simms."
Ha ha ha!
Better known
as old uncle budd.
Ha ha ha ha!
but it's gonna be
black
enough for me
ain't now
but it's gonna be
black enough to see
to see red
when the song is wrong
to see blue
when the fear is gone
to see green
on the pea-green sea
of humanity
in the wide, wide light?
Of the night
ain't now
but it's gonna be
black enough to be
black enough to see
black enough for me
to see red
when the song is wrong
to see blue
when the fear is gone
to see green
on the pea-green sea
of humanity
in the wide, wide light?
Of the night
ain't now
but it's gonna be
black enough to be
black enough to see
black enough for me
ain't now
but it's gonna be
man:
Come see what I got for ya!
Come on, deke, come on!
Aah!
I thought we told you
to stop working our
precinct, early riser.
We got bigger fish
to fry.
You do your trickin'
somewhere else.
Is that my-
deke!
Deke!
Is everybody here
having a good time?
How about
that weather up there?
Is it fine enough for you?
How about me?
How about deke, your man?
How about me?
How about me?
How about me?
Yeah!
Yeah!
Am I big enough for you?
18 months ago...
I was down on my knees in
the white man's jailhouse.
Mmm!
Yes!
I wasn't down on my knees
in the jailhouse to pray.
No!
No!
I wasn't even down on
my knees to shoot craps.
Ha ha!
Ha ha!
Deke o'malley
was down on his knees
in the white man's jail
cleaning out the
white man's toilet bowl!
No!
No!
All right!
So l-i asked the lord
to help me!
To show me the way!
And bless my soul, he did!
Yeah!
He did!
The lord come to me
in a dream!
He said,
"deke, I want to use you
like I used noah of old!"
He said, "deke, I want you
to build an ark
and sail my people home!"
Yeah!
Yeah!
And there she is,
black beauty!
Are you black enough
to hear me?
Amen! Amen!
For 3 months now,
in detroit, chicago,
los angeles,
baltimore, washington,
people have been
standing in line,
waitin' and waitin'
for a chance to get
on boardblack beauty.
'Cause, brothers,
we are going home.
Good-bye, rats and roaches!
Good-bye being
kicked and low-rated!
Good-bye getting
robbed and cheated!
Good-bye having to live
on the white man's welfare!
Right on, brother!
We are going home.
Come on! Next!
What's your name, miss?
You'll find salvation.
How the hell did he
get a permit for this?
Lieutenant says
it's a race leap.
It's doing good
for his people.
Thank you, reverend o'malley,
thank you.
We're going home
all going home
we're going home
we're going home
going home
we're going home
there you go.
Thank you.
But, sir, the minimum
down payment is $100.
Oh, please, ma'am.
You don't want to break ol'
uncle budd's heart, do ya?
$20. count it. It's all I
got in the world right now,
but give me a chance.
Please, ma'am.
O'malley: Why not?
Yeah, sure.
Uncle budd?
Uncle budd.
Yeah, uncle budd.
There you go.
Okay, step right up!
God bless you, brother.
God bless you, brother.
Well, if it ain't king
kong and frankenstein.
Hey, ed, I didn't know these
cats was going back to africa.
They ain't. They're going right back
across the street where they come from.
Only thing I hate worse
than a honky pig cop,
and that's
a nigger pig cop.
What kind of talk
is that, soul brother?
Don't you know that
black is beautiful?
Fly, baby.
Just cool it.
O'malley?
Yes.
We're from the d.a.'s
office. He wants to see you.
D.a.'s office?
Well, I'm busy.
Now! Let's go!
Wait a minute, buddy!
Let's see
your credentials.
Quit stalling, o'malley.
Black judas!
That's what you are!
Honky!
Now, now. I'm going
downtown right now
and tell that white man's
district attorney
that deke o'malley's gettin' sick
and tired of being pushed around.
Keep it black
till I get back.
Ok, let's go.
John! John!
John!
Get in!
Don't you step on my ribs!
Whoo! Hey, sister,
come here!
No, no, no, no!
Ok, what do you want?
Deke o'malley.
Yeah? And what's that
got to do with me?
We ain't got o'malley.
We sure as hell got you.
Which means that sooner
or later, we got o'malley.
Is that black enough
for ya?
What do we got here?
We know how finicky the good
reverend is about his wardrobe,
so he oughta be scootin' up
here any minute to change.
Hey, ed,
dig these fine vines.
Mmm! And on your po' policeman's
salary, you can't afford it.
Ain't that awful?
What a shame. Not a single one your size.
Now, wait a minute. I think this
italian suit here'll work for me.
Thing of beauty.
What's this here?
Bless jesus.
A silk hat for occasions.
My, my.
What sacrifices he makes
for his po' starvin' people.
He sure do.
Now, somebody shot up
o'malley's barbecue
and made off with 87 grand
of poor people's money.
Who?
The question is... who?
Whoever it was
just missed.
Another couple of inches, and we would've
brought you his brains in a saucer.
Oh, yeah? Who did it?
I just asked you that.
O'malley
ratted on the mafia.
Remember?
Could've been them.
Them boys
don't never forget.
Could be
his number's up,
unless digger and me
get to him first.
Where is he?
Well, how about it?
Hidin' out,
he ain't got a chance, iris.
Deke o'malley
always has a chance.
Hello, betty?
Give me that!
All right, o'malley, do
yourself a favor and come in-
you bitch!
God damn it, ed,
cool it!
He's crazy.
He's crazy. That son of a bitch
is crazy! I want him out!
I got him, iris.
2 days, 2 weeks,
2 months.
It's all the same.
I'm nailing his ass
to the wall.
Be smart, iris.
Get off the boat
before we sink it.
Ed. Digger.
Something new on the o'malley squeal. What?
They found the meat truck and the
golden money wagon all smashed up.
One got killed.
O'malley?
No.
Lieutenant wants you two
guys up there right away.
Where?
Harlem river yard.
Oh, by the way, what's with her? She talk?
No, but she's our main lead
to o'malley, so watch her.
Be cool, brother.
Jarema is hep.
She's a stone fox.
Watch your ass.
No sweat there.
Found some confetti.
Where's the loot?
Ask o'malley.
I know how you feel about o'malley. Do you?
You make him?
Yeah. He's a pickpocket
named early riser.
He was at the rally.
He works with a partner
named lo boy, a junkie.
They worked
the holy dream.
Could be the militants, ed.
They hate o'malley's guts.
No. They wouldn't
pull a job like this.
It ain't their style.
Hey, ed!
What is it?
Look at this.
Cotton from inside
the meat truck.
It ain't drugstore cotton.
What is it?
It's raw,
unprocessed cotton,
like from a bale.
Ah. It's a long time
since I seen cotton like that.
Digger, you ain't never
seen no raw cotton before.
You was born and raised right
here in new york, just like me.
What the hell
are you two doing here?
Digger found
a hidden drop slot.
This was in it.
It's full of trash.
The syndicate.
When o'malley was with 'em, he
talked, and they threatened to get him.
Why'd they wait?
White guns comin' up here,
trying to knock off
reverend o'malley, you think?
Could be.
Blacks find out about this,
there'll be hell to pay.
I want round the clock police
protection for reverend o'malley.
To hell with o'malley!
What about the $87,000
of poor black folks' money
that he stole from all
over this country? Stole?
That's right. Stole!
We ran a check on
o'malley's entire operation.
It's clean.
Absolutely legitimate.
Full clearance from
the state department,
securities exchange
commission,
the attorney general of the state
of new york. What else do you want?
What the hell does the attorney
general, the state department,
or even the president
of the united states know
about one goddamned thing that's
going on up here in harlem?
Ed o'malley's respected by
responsible people. Respect, my ass!
Pastors, race leaders,
politicians,
not to mention the large following
he has among black folk everywhere.
Black folk need hope
like everybody else.
What is it
with you people?
One of you like reverend
o'malley tries to do something,
does anybody try to help him? Hell no!
You're after him
like crabs in a basket.
Uh, how many shares of the back to
africa, inc. Would you buy, captain?
That's impertinent.
The hell it is!
One more word out of you, and
I'll run you right off the lot.
We've been trying to teach
white folks all our lives.
School's over.
Let's go look for lo boy
at junkies' paradise.
Damn it, anderson. Who's in
charge of this investigation,
you or them?
You've gotta understand
ed and digger, sir.
I understand those two,
all right.
Too quick
with their fists,
too flip with their talk,
too fast with their guns.
They're two damn black maniacs
on a powder keg,
and you're
letting them run wild.
Ed and digger, they have their own
special way of dealing with things up here.
And if they find something
kinky on reverend o'malley,
I've gotta respect it.
Sister!
Yes?
Good afternoon, sister.
And what kind of trick are you trying
to play on me, you old uncle tom?
Ain't no trick, ma'am.
I'm just trying to get this
bale of cotton onto my cart.
Cotton?
Yes, ma'am.
And I was just wonderin'
if some good, nice-lookin',
strong christian lady like
you wouldn't give me a hand.
I am a christian.
That's why I don't take a
stick and knock your teeth out.
All of you trying
to steal my money!
Tryin' to steal
your money?
Yes! Trickers! That's what
you are. Every one of you!
Why, you old fool!
Don't you think
I got sense enough to know
there ain't no such thing as
a bale of cotton in harlem?
Hmmph!
Ed: That damn bryce
chewin' my ass out.
Dumb anderson
didn't say a word.
Well, he's got his own
mortgage to worry about.
I oughta quit this job.
All right, now,
suppose you do quit.
Suppose you tell 'em to
take the badge and shove it.
Who's gonna
pay your mortgage?
You.
Mm-mm!
Not me, baby.
You quit, I quit.
Then who'll protect the black
folks from the white folks?
Who's gonna protect the
black folks from themselves?
I'm sick of this. Gotta be at
death's door. I'm tired of this jazz.
God damn.
Aah!
When did you turn japanese?
Come on.
You know the position.
Come on,
spread your legs back.
Finally
got it together.
We plan
to keep it that way.
This ain't no shooting gallery
no more. This is swahili class.
So why don't you guys
take your business and split?
Io boy.
Early riser's partner.
We want him.
Is he on swahili, too?
If that's who you want,
why don't you check reba's?
Where'd you learn them
dirty swahili words?
Ask your mama.
How long you gonna
keep this up, copper?
Till it's over, sister.
It's been 4 hours now, and I'm
just sick of lookin' at you.
You are really
one ugly child.
I mean,
it's really too bad
'cause, um...
if you wasn't,
we could, uh,
spend the time, you
know, uh, doin' the thing.
I'll put a sack
over my head.
All right.
Knock it off, will ya?
I just wanted to see
if it was gonna fit.
Buck off.
Drop them scissors.
Well, you gotta
breathe, don't you?
Drop 'em
or I'll break your arm.
You're not a fag,
are you?
Oh, wow. A fag cop.
Ha ha!
It's all poor john
ever spoke of-
that ship and you,
reverend o'malley.
And thank you
for the flowers.
It's the least I can do under
the circumstances, mrs. Hill.
He was my right hand.
And I cannot find the words to
express the infinite sorrow I feel
that this unfortunate accident
has taken your husband.
Thank you, reverend
o'malley. You are so kind.
May I be of any assistance
to you, mrs. Hill?
The funeral?
The arrangements?
I just want you
to preach his funeral.
Of course, mrs. Hill.
And if you'll
forgive my askin',
do you need money?
Oh, thank you,
reverend o'malley,
but he had life insurance
and we saved up.
If you need anything
ever,
you must come to me.
I won't hear of it
otherwise.
All right?
All right, sir.
You're everything
john said you'd be.
Thank you, mrs. Hill.
Ha!
Love beads
for the fag cop.
Gonna take a shower with me,
white boy? Hmm?
Ha ha ha!
All I need is
a place of operation,
for the police,
as you know,
are unsympathetic
to our movement.
I don't trust 'em.
Would you help me...
to recover
the stolen funds
and to avenge
john's death?
Would you be
my eyes and ears?
My mata hari, so to speak,
on the lord's side.
Oh, anything.
Oh, anything if you think
I can, reverend o'malley.
The main thing is for me
to be free of the police
so that I can conduct
my own investigation.
I've got to find
a place to stay
where nobody
will know where I am.
Reverend o'malley,
why not stay here?
Oh, bless your soul,
mrs. Hill.
Hey, copper.
I forgot my towel.
It's, uh, it's right there
on the wall.
You wanna dry
my back off, copper?
Hey, you gotta
give a girl a minute.
They say the badder the
woman, the better the smell.
Come sniff.
Hey, don't you wanna
take your clothes off?
Please, baby.
Please?
Hey, you come-
hey, come back here, you!
Hey!
Halt!
Halt in the name
of the law!
Halt in the name of the law!
Aah!
Come on, lo boy. Come on,
lo boy. Come on, come on.
Quit it! Now, hold it. Hold it right there.
What were you doing on the drive
when the meat truck came by?
Don't bother me, man.
I gotta get to the funeral.
What funeral?
You know what that
meat truck done, man?
It hit my buddy
square in the air.
Oh, early riser rose,
man, I mean, like a bird.
I ain't never seen a cat
fly that high before.
He went up!
Man, up on your feet!
Now, you tell us!
Now, what happened?
What happened when?
After the meat truck
hit early riser.
H-he died.
He died.
15 years,
and then he died.
Man, I gotta find
the funeral!
You son of a bitch.
Ed!
God damn it! You better tell
us what we wanna know, man!
You listen to me
and listen good.
The meat truck hit early riser and crashed.
The armored truck
crashed, too.
Now, god damn it, you
better tell me what happened!
I seen the truck,
and I seen barry waterfield
get the hell out of there.
And I seen these white guys run after him.
White guys?
White guys?
They had on masks.
How did you know
they were white?
Oh, lordy, help me!
Askin' how you know
they was white.
They run white, damn it.
Honkies in the woodpile.
Something
we hadn't figured on.
The syndicate.
Let's get out of here.
It stinks.
Yeah.
Rattin' on the mob ain't
the worst thing in the world.
Any black man might
rat on whitey.
I might, myself.
Man, like deke preyin' on
his own black flesh and blood.
How you gonna blame deke for
doin' what everybody else is doin'?
Beats me how you can find any good
at all in the vicious son of a bitch.
Convicting the man without
a trial, ain't you, god?
Sam, take me to the apollo.
God damn it, none of these
things are gonna work!
Easy, baby, easy.
Watch it.
You're gonna wind up
bustin' something
right between your assets
and your liabilities.
Balloons, fans, feathers!
I'm sick of 'em all!
They're out of style and don't
say a damn thing about my people.
Forget 'em, forget 'em.
'Cause what you got
goin' for you- my, my, my-
ain't never
goin' out of style.
Uncle tom is what they are.
My dance has got to say
something about my people.
Black people!
We've got to set our
people's minds to thinkin'.
Get our own
black thing together.
Yeah.
Iris.
Billie, you have
to lend me a dress.
A dress? What the hell you doing here?
Helping billie with
her new dance routine.
What happened at the rally?
And where's deke?
I don't know.
Didn't he call you?
What you mean,
you don't know?
Don't lie to me, barry.
Look, I'm not lying.
I don't know where he is.
Oh, just get the hell on
out of here.
I don't need you to help me
to find deke. Damn.
You must've left off
in a big hurry.
Yeah. You should've seen
the other guy.
Billie, help me to find
a dress and quick. Quick.
Reverend o'malley.
Reverend-
oh.
Oh. Oh.
Oh.
I'm sorry. I... put my shirt
in the sink to be washed.
I apologize. I...
had to use one of
your husband's robes.
Well...
what did you find out?
I went over to the church
like you told me,
and I saw these
two white men.
Yes. I got close enough to listen,
and I found out that they were offering
a reward to anyone for bale of cotton.
Bale of cotton?
Now, what would a bale of
cotton be doing in harlem?
Bale of cotton.
A bale of cotton.
Is something wrong,
reverend?
A bale of cotton.
Well, I'll be damned!
We have got to find out
what's happened, sister mabel.
And surely, brother john
would want you to help me.
Oh, john.
John
- oh, you look so much like him in that robe.
Just to hear his name
like that, oh, I miss him.
Yes, and I miss him, too,
but listen, sister-
I need my john. I need
him, too, sister mabel, but-
who's gonna take care of me
now that john's gone?
Who's gonna love me?
Who's gonna need me?
Who's gonna be good to me now
that john ain't here no more?
Sister mabel,
I am here,
and I am going
to stay here.
And I'm gonna take care of
you, and I'm gonna love you.
But first, I
- oh, reverend o'malley, you are so wonderful!
Sister mabel, hey.
Mabel!
Honey.
Iris. Iris!
Get me out of the way and
shackin' up with that skimpy whore!
Mabel: Wait a minute! Just wait a
minute! You've got to understand!
Iris, I called you first!
Look, I had to find
someplace to hide out.
Yeah, between
this bitch's legs!
Will you two quit it?
The reverend and i, we're trying
to get back our people's money.
You don't call him that
in the bed! Why, you-
quit it! Stop it!
Stop it, I say, damn it!
Break it up!
Let go of me!
Let go of me!
She can't call me that!
You fool!
Here you are, kid.
Well, if it isn't
caspar brown,
biggest numbers banker
of them all.
Colored version.
Hear tell that you and ed been
nosin' around my operation.
Come on. Now, you guys too smart to
think that we knocked over deke o'malley.
Bullshit.
How the hell
would you ever know
what's happening
in harlem, caspar?
'Cause anything
that is happenin'...
I'm the guy that's
makin' it happen.
And don't you forget it.
Stop trying to play
big man, caspar.
Well, don't think
it ain't been charmin',
but, uh, I promised
these little ladies
I'd take 'em
for a little ride.
Uh, I would look upon it kindly
if you let the little ladies go
and took me up
to italian harlem
to your
white mafia boss man.
I said
moo goo gai pan.
You call this
moo goo gai pan?
Never mind that.
Get it out of here.
And tell sam to
fix it for me personally.
Thank you, brother caspar.
Oh, sit right down
next to the throne of grace.
Hey.
Sure. Ain't you boys
"the man"?
Oh, someday, maybe,
when caspar gets balls enough
to run you out of harlem.
But right now
you're the man.
Piano, piano.
How's about a little lump
sum of food all around, hmm?
Little tea?
They think
we hit o'malley.
Knock off a colored rally
and start a race riot, maybe?
Are you crazy?
You had it in for o'malley. Deke?
Nonsense.
I liked the boy.
Always have.
He's a credit
to the community.
He ratted on you.
Where do you think he got that
income tax shit? We fed it to him.
So a couple of the boys
maybe got a little out of line.
Should learn a lesson.
He done us a favor.
If we didn't like him, you
think he'd still be around?
Look, you know what my take
in harlem is in one day?
You think I would jeopardize
all of that for a lousy $87,000?
All right. $5.00.
What? Cut it down! I'll take
my bale to old man cohen.
Wait a minute. What do you want from me?
What can I do with this
piece of junk, make bandages?
$10, and that's
the last price.
What the hell are you
tryin' to do? Listen.
My name is honest abe goodman,
not honest abe lincoln.
$15, and that's
my very last price.
This is genuine
mississippi cotton.
Smell of it.
Smell, schmell.
Cotton is cotton.
Not this cotton! I've picked
cotton all over the south,
and that's the finest.
20. not a dime more.
30, not a cent less.
25?
25?
Sold!
Yes, sir.
You're the old geezer goes
around pickin' up junk, right?
Yes, sir.
Well, I'm in the market
for a bale of cotton.
Understand?
A bale of cotton?
That's right.
And I hear tell that
maybe you could, uh-
you got me wrong, mister.
And anyway, what would a bale
of cotton be doing in harlem?
Hey! Hey!
Open up!
Hey!
Open up,
you old bastard!
Look, white man, ain't you a
long way from where you live?
Was that
black enough for you?
It ain't, but it's gonna be.
Ha ha ha!
Is it black enough
for you?
Hey, deke! Hey!
Yeah, all right!
My man!
Hey.
Good times
are here now.
How was
the congo, baby?
Fine, beautiful, beautiful.
Man, I never been so scared in all my life.
Me, too, man.
Cops been leaning
on you boys a bit?
Hell no. It was you we was worrying about.
Man, I thought
you was dead.
Are you dumb? This man got brains, baby.
I had to lay low
for a while.
But I was thinking about
you boys all the time.
And now deke o'malley's
back in town.
And you better believe it.
And that means we gonna
take care of business.
Right, reverend?
'Cause I found it.
I finally found
that bale of cotton.
Brother barry,
you are beautiful.
Where is
that bale of cotton?
Goodman's junkyard.
Goodman's junkyard?
Now, is that
kosher enough for you?
Ha ha ha!
Deke o'malley
and all the little foxes
present
and accounted for.
Hold on there.
What's your rush?
Don't you remember
what your mama says?
I don't play that.
First, brer fox
gobbles brer rabbit...
and then the wolf
gobbles brer fox.
Your move, mother goose.
Okay. Stay put until you see
the white of the rabbit's ass.
Come on.
Let's move. Move out.
White shit
about to hit black fan.
Aah!
Hello, reverend.
Now back up.
Nice and easy.
Turn around!
Hold it right there.
The white fox?
He left tracks
across my behind.
The black fox?
Likewise.
Body count is 6,
lieutenant.
Yeah.
To steal junk,
I can understand.
A man is desperate,
he needs the money.
But to kill for junk?
I don't get it.
Don't be a boy scout,
goodman.
A lot of people get killed
every day up here for nothing.
What could be here that anyone
could possibly want that badly?
$87,000.
What?
$87,000.
Seen any cotton
around here lately?
A bale of cotton, sure.
Uncle budd brought over
a bale of cotton.
I bought it from him
for $25.
Where is it now?
What?
What happened to it?
He came back later,
he bought it back
from me for $30.
He hauled it away.
Wait a minute.
He brought it in and then
he brung it out again?
It don't add up,
goodman.
That's what happened.
Hauled it away where?
He didn't say.
Put out a reader
on uncle budd.
Come on, digger.
To kill for junk.
Well! Did you find it?
What do we got here,
an outraged citizen?
Oh, reverend
o'malley.
Did you find the man who
stole my people's money?
What were you doing at the junkyard
this hour of the night, reverend?
Holding a revival meeting?
He was white,
whoever he was.
You know the man?
What do you mean,
do I know him?
What I mean, sir, is did
you ever meet the man before?
Oh, sure. Same one
who hijacked the rally.
Funny. All the guys
at the rally had on masks.
And, of course, you could
see right through the masks.
Unless, of course, you knew
that they were white in advance.
Have a cigarette.
Where'd you get that?
Mabel hill's apartment,
right where you left it.
That's police brutality.
No, brother.
That's
cancer prevention.
Reverend o'malley, there are
6 dead bodies in the morgue.
All we're asking you to do is
- now, look!
How many times do I
have to tell you idiots?
We're only asking you to tell
us what you know. Now, look!
Easy, digger, easy.
Look, I am due in my pulpit
at 11:00 this morning,
and if I ain't there-
if my people were
to find out
that you had me locked up in this filthy,
pissy pigsty, there'll be all hell to pay!
What's that
supposed to mean?
Draw your own
conclusions.
And you can tell bryce, the
commissioner, and the mayor!
Reverend o'malley-
take me back
to my cell... honky!
O'malley!
You forgot your lighter.
Something else you forgot.
Iris, baby,
who hit you?
You, you son of a bitch!
But I got your black ass now! Cool it!
Don't tell me to cool it!
You left me for the cops.
Nigger, I oughta kill you!
You already did, baby.
You have nailed his ass
onto the wall,
right here
in black and white.
That's right.
I told them everything.
I spilled my guts out.
All about your phony
"back to africa" swindle.
Names, dates, places.
The way you were gonna
hit all the big cities
and get the money and split.
Iris
- how you set up the switch at the rally,
with the cat supposed to be
from the d.a.'s office.
The way they were gonna pretend
to take you and the money downtown.
But something happened,
and john hill got wasted.
And mabel hill found out and
was going straight to the cops.
And you found her and tried
to kill her. That's a lie.
I was there!
I saw you, you bastard!
You took that ship, that big,
old black ship black beauty,
and you smashed it down
on that poor girl's head.
I never touched that boat!
Fractured skull.
Negative.
Assault with
intent to kill.
If she dies, it's murder one.
Which means
we burn you.
Burn me?
Burn me with what?
Lieutenant!
I hope that some
of you damn fools
had the good sense to examine
that model boat for fingerprints.
Of course we did, reverend.
Tell these two dumb-ass
uncle tom nigger cops of yours
whose prints you found on that boat
- that broad's or mine?
He did it! He took those
people's money. He did it!
You shut your mouth!
I'll get you, o'malley!
I swear on my mother's grave
I'll get you for this!
I swear I will!
I'll get you!
One more word,
soul brother.
You had it made.
Black folks would have
followed you anywhere.
You could have been
another marcus garvey
or even another
malcolm x.
But instead,
you ain't nothin'
but a pimp with
a chickenshit backbone.
Break his goddamn head.
No.
Keep him on ice
for 24 hours.
Then he'll bust his own head.
24 hours?
Bryce'll never
stand for it.
The hell with bryce!
O'malley'll break.
Not only for us.
Everybody in harlem
will know the son of a bitch
for the evil bastard
that he is.
You hold him
one more day.
Don't you guys ever
listen to the buzzer?
What's up?
The word just came
over the squawk box.
They just found uncle budd.
Did they find
a bale of cotton?
Don't ask me.
Ask the squawk box.
Anderson:
Poor uncle budd.
What do you suppose
they did to him?
My guess'd be the river.
Oh, my god.
We're dragging
the river, luddy.
You set it up.
Yes, sir.
White fox tasted black blood.
Maybe yes,
and maybe no.
Where the hell's
that rabbit?
All right, stop it.
A vicious son of a bitch
murders uncle budd,
and you two
talk nonsense.
You gotta look on the bright
side, lieutenant.
You saw that white
joker last night.
You identify him?
I don't know,
lieutenant.
Maybe yes, maybe no.
All those kind of people
look alike to me.
Cut the crap.
That's an order.
Drop whatever the hell
else you're doing,
and you find him!
And that's final.
We're going home
we're going to see the sun
going home
a new life has begun
we're going home
oh, yes?
Where we can all be free
in the land
where there's sand
and I got liberty
so steal away
my lord, steal away
take me
and I will tell you
we're going home
oh, going home!
Hey, children,
going home
wait here.
We're going home
where this world
was born
and where life with the strif
e won't be tight
we're going home
captain, o'malley's
people are coming.
O'malley's people?
Just like the good book said
we're going home
brothers and sisters,
we have marched all the way
from o'malley's tabernacle
this afternoon,
not merely for the purpose
of gift-bringing,
but to offer prayers
for his release.
Amen.
Amen.
What do you think?
How many men we got?
It's sunday.
Half the men are off.
All right. You better
send out a recall.
Station house alert.
We'll try to hold this
right where it is,
but if anything happens,
if it gets out of control,
go to signal 1039.
Ok.
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
People,
just settle down.
Hey, what the hell
is going on here?
Riot.
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
I figure about a 4-block
area, commissioner.
What are you
standing there for?!
Get out and get
those riot guns!
I don't give a damn!
Find ed and digger
if it takes
all afternoon!
Hold 'em right
where they are-
now that I have
your attention,
let's bow our heads.
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
Free deke o'malley!
Man: Who the hell
asked you to come here?
He will be free,
but not this way.
Jarema, they're gonna
try to take o'malley.
Don't you worry, reverend.
I know how to use this thing,
and I'll protect you
with the last breath
in my body.
Oh, I know you will,
officer.
I know you will.
Get out of here!
Hold it there.
Now cool it!
Hold it!
Quiet down!
All right,
get inside.
What in
the goddamn hell?
Let 'em inside,
officers.
All right, take those
guns out of here.
We'll take it from here.
Hold it!
Hold it
right there!
Hey, we know
what you cops do
in the precinct basement.
How do we know
deke o'malley ain't dead?
'Cause I say he ain't!
And I'm the doctor.
You filthy pigs!
Free deke o'malley!
Shut up, white boy!
I'm talking
about my money!
Me and my family
put up $1,000, and we ain't
heard from it since.
If you police don't
do something, we will.
Tear the damn precinct down!
Burn the mother
to the ground!
Give us our money!
I want my money now!
I want my money, man.
Shut up!
Digger and I
will do our damnedest
to get the money back.
We promise.
Hell with promises!
Anybody out there
ever heard coffin ed
or the grave digger
make a promise
we didn't keep?
We may have
broken some heads,
but we never broke
no promises.
Now go on home!
Fascist pigs!
Free deke o'malley!
Commie pigs!
Fascist commies!
Where the hell
you going?
Well, ain't this
the going-back-to-africa rally?
No, brother. It is
the going-home rally.
Now move it.
Sergeant,
my name is callahan.
I'm the attorney
for reverend o'malley.
I have a writ
for his release,
signed by judge
glossner.
This'll take
a few minutes.
Ok. I'll go down
and tell him.
I thank all of you.
I'm obliged to you
for coming down here
and bringing this great food
for me and my fellow prisoners.
Amen.
Amen.
Inasmuch as you've done unto
one of these, my little ones,
you've done unto me.
Amen.
Amen.
Minister: Just the way
you wanted it.
O'malley: Praise the lord,
brother, amen.
What about your tray,
sister minnie?
It's all yours,
reverend.
I thank you, sister,
but I'd be much obliged
if you'd take that tray over
to sister iris over there.
Well, if you say so,
reverend.
I do say so, sister.
And, sister minnie,
the lord loveth
a cheerful giver.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
A jealous hysterical woman...
will do anything, including
lie, to hurt o'malley.
Is that the case?
No. There's a bale
of cotton,
the white man
that digger spotted,
the shoot-out,
and the vicious murder
of booker
washington simms.
Who?
Uncle budd, the old
junk dealer.
We're still dragging
the river for his body.
And all ed and digger
want to do
is hold o'malley
for one more day.
What?
They think
that they can-
don't tell me what they think.
Tell me what you think.
Or don't you
do that anymore?
We could hold him
on a technicality
for 24 hours,
it being sunday.
Jones!
Johnson!
Did I or lieutenant anderson
or anybody else
authorize you
to offer those people money
out there this afternoon?
No, sir.
Good. Then you recognize
that the precinct
is in no way responsible
for your foolish statements
or anything else.
It was getting a little
hairy out there.
It was a flagrant breach
of police procedure.
I won't have it.
That all, sir?
That is not all!
In spite of the fact
that we came within one inch
of a riot out there
this afternoon
and we have no proof whatsoever
against reverend o'malley,
anderson tells me you want me
to hold him another day.
That's right, sir.
You're out of your minds,
both of you.
Do you have to play
with that thing?
I'm insecure, captain.
But the question
still is,
can we hold him
another day?
I'm not finished.
You've allowed
your personal prejudice
to get in the way
of your judgment.
You've bungled
this whole thing
from beginning to end.
And you and your partner
have turned this entire
investigation
into a personal vendetta
against reverend o'malley.
Vendetta?
Vendetta!
O'malley's a rotten,
thieving, lying-
it doesn't matter
what he is.
It's no concern
of yours anymore.
I'm taking you off the case.
Thank you, sir.
What?
You want us off the case?
You got us off.
What was that all about?
I don't know.
But now I'm really worried.
Woman: Where is deke?
Second woman:
There he is.
No pictures, no pictures.
Reverend o'malley.
Yes, sir.
Could we have one word
with you in private?
One word in private.
We understand you're
looking for a white man
and a bale of cotton.
We got 'em both.
Uh, callahan,
will you excuse me?
Sister minnie.
I'll see you later.
Well, there goes that
$87,000 promise you made.
Wemade, old buddy.
Wemade.
Yeah, wemade.
The next time you're
making out an i.o.u.,
include me out, huh?
What we need is some
new bait for that trap.
A whole new kind of fox.
Look, man,
I'm not in any mood
for another one of your
goddamn colored fairy tales.
A stone fox.
Somebody
who wants o'malley
worse than we do.
Hey, lady.
Where's my pastor?!
Where's my pastor?!
Now, hold on, now.
What did you-what did you
do with my pastor?
Wait a minute. Hold it.
Just a minute, now.
How the hell did you
get in here?
She's with the delegation.
Don't you remember?
If y'all don't give me
back my pastor,
I'm gonna punch you in
the stomach with this umbrella.
Now, watch it, lady.
O'malley ain't here.
He's been released.
Give me back my pastor.
O'malley ain't here,
I tell you,
and if you don't get
the hell out of here
with all that noise,
I'm gonna jail you.
And stay out.
What's the matter
with that old bag?
My people.
Iris!
Don't "iris" me, you
honey-dripping bastard!
Let go of me!
Take your hands off her.
Cool it, baby.
Get your hands
off of me.
Tie her up.
Nobody two-times iris
and gets away with it.
Tie her up,
for god's sake.
Looks like I'm not
the only one
our preacher friend's
crossed.
What the-
what'd he do to you?
None of your
goddamn business.
Cut me loose, calhoun.
Hand over the money,
I'll cut you loose.
How many times do I have
to tell you, you idiot?
I don't know
where it's at.
Mm-hmm.
What about iris?
She don't know,
either.
Look, man,
quit playing games.
Hmm?
Cut me loose.
Partner!
Cal, I set the whole
thing up for you.
You were nothing
but a dumb convict
in row "c"
till I put you wise.
Yeah, you set it up
for me, bastard!
You set it up for me
to be the patsy
and you to take
the money and run!
I wouldn't cross you.
Cal, we're partners.
What about that little
old switch with the d.a.'s men?
That was just in case
you didn't arrive
with the meat wagon
in time.
And how about that little
old shoot-out in the junkyard?
I thought you guys
were cops.
I swear it.
Cal, cut me loose,
and we'll go
and find the money
and split it!
Con man
to the bitter end.
I ought to shoot you
right between your black eyes
for what you done to me,
but I'm gonna be
big about it.
Yeah. I'm gonna let you
buy your life back,
and all it's
gonna cost you
is all that 87 grand
stashed in that bale
of cotton.
Cotton?
Is that
what this is all about?
Yeah.
You know something?
Yeah, I know
where it's at.
All right...
talk.
What's in it
for me?
Iris.
You shut up.
You talk,
or I'll blow
your brains out.
Hmmph. Yeah, that'll
get you exactly nowhere.
What you ought to do
is, uh...
blow that mother's
brains out.
What?
Blow that two-timing
mother's brains out.
Then I'll show you
where the bale of cotton is.
You do it.
You untie me, and I will.
Untie her.
Who followed you
here?
How in the hell
I know?
Iris, sweetheart,
baby, you found it.
You found that
bale of cotton.
Here, come on.
Untie these ropes, honey.
Come on, iris.
Yeah, that's right.
Come on, honey.
Cut these ropes,
and let's get out-
uhh!
Ha ha! Ha, iris!
Iris!
Ok, baby.
No, iris,
I don't blame you.
Go ahead.
Do your thing.
But before
you kill me,
would you
do me a favor?
Don't beg me, deke.
I ain't beggin'.
But would you mind
reaching your hand down
into my pocket
and taking out that
little old package?
Go ahead, iris.
That's it, baby.
Go ahead.
Bat?
Billie boy?
Halt!
God damn it!
Another fine mess
you got us into.
I got us into?
Shut up and shoot.
Hit it again.
Where are they, iris?
Iris!
Now, where are they?
I'm talkin' to you!
Now, where are they?
All right, iris.
Where's the door?
Hey, baby,
let's move it.
I'm gonna get out
an apb.
I'm gonna find those two
if it takes every cop
in this precinct.
Let me try, sir.
L-i know them.
Their hangouts and all.
Uh, besides,
it was me they tricked.
Well, then,
you get them
and don't come
back here till you do.
Yes, sir, captain bryce.
Yes, sir.
Bryce on radio:
Attention, all cars.
Attention,
all cars.
Jones and johnson have set fire
to house of god.
Proceeding west
on 125th street.
Apprehend at all costs.
Down south
we sweat and strained
we were the prisoners
of cotton
prisoners of cotton
but when cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
we kicked cotton's ass
we kicked cotton's ass
whoa, down south
cotton was king
a black man's life
meant not a damn thing
a black man
not a damn thing
so when cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
oh, I kicked
cotton's ass
we kicked cotton's ass
oh, what is cotton
doing here?
Whoa, we gonna make him
disappear
know that we don't
need him to remind us
the bad old days
are far behind us
south
that's where
it all began
it looked like cotton
was the man
cotton was the man
whoa, if cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
think I'll boot
cotton's butt
we'll boot
cotton's butt
I'll boot his butt
whoo!
Ha.
Whoa
this is black country
it's cotton,
it's cotton
no, it's our territory
it's cotton,
it's cotton
there'll be no more
new mama
or uncle tom
hey, little bo-weeble
best be gone
down south
cotton was boss
a human life
was no great loss
life was
no great loss
whoa, if cotton
come to harlem
here comes cotton
think I'll kick
cotton's ass
kick cotton's ass
kick his ass
take it off!
Hi, cal!
What's going on?
Reverend o'malley.
Oh!
Oh!
He's white.
Ha ha ha.
He's a white man.
I just can't
believe it.
He's white!
The same white man
who stole $87,000
of our people's
money!
Do you want him?!
Get that honky!
Get that pig!
Kill the honky!
Throw him back!
He's mine!
Aw!
Oh!
All right,
assume the position.
You know it.
Spread 'em wide.
Here!
Ok, brother,
get that bale of cotton
down to the prop room
and clean up the stage.
Turn around and face
your audience,
mr. Bones.
Stick out your hands,
please, mr. Bones.
Fly this mother
to the moon!
Now let's get on
with the show.
Down in my soul
a girl
who's always rockin'
down in my soul
that old black road
squawkin'
oh, yeah
down in my soul, yeah
down in my soul
a fella
can't stop rollin'
down in my soul
drivin'
what's been stolen
down in
the marshland
you can find
my soul there...
down in my soul
a girl
who's always rockin'
oh, yeah
down in my soul
a fella
that can't stop rollin'
down in
the marshland
you can find
my soul there...
aah!
Hold it, man.
Hold it
right there.
This ain't gonna
get us nowhere.
Man...
there's $87,000
in that bale.
50-50.
Right down the middle.
You steal money
from white folks,
that's your business.
But when you steal
from blacks,
that's my business.
You sound
just like my father.
Part preacher...
part undertaker...
and part god.
Why don't you
take it easy, man?
Cool it. What's
the matter with you?
Black people been exploited
by white people.
Filth like you come along
skin 'em some more.
Judgment, deke.
Judgment.
All right, man,
all right.
You, you keep
the whole thing.
I'll walk out of here,
and I promise you,
I'll never show my face
in harlem again
as long as I live.
Well?
That's what you want,
ain't it?
No.
I want you.
Ed! Ed, listen!
For god's sake,
give me a chance!
I could be another-
another garvey, man!
Another malcolm!
Aah!
God damn you!
I'll kill you!
Don't touch me!
No, no! No!
No!
O'malley: Shoot him, iris!
Iris: Aah!
Jarema,
she's your prisoner.
Now, look, you might even
make first-grade detective.
The money,
it's in the bale.
Yes, sir.
Oh, that salvation
no more of my sinful care
s oppressed
but in thy presence
ever blessed
oh, god
of my salvation
doo doo doo?
Whoa, god
of my salvation
god of
my salvation
god of
my salvation
talkin' 'bout
my salvation
god of my salvation
talkin' 'bout
your salvation
everybody's
salvation
god of
our salvation
salvation
god of
our salvation
salvation
god of
our salvation
god of our salvation
salvation
god of our salvation
salvation
god of our salvation
god of our salvation
brothers
and sisters,
I want to talk to you
for a minute.
Salvation
here, give me that mike.
Brothers and sisters,
I just want to
talk to you...
for a minute!
He'll hang himself.
Hear. Hear, hear.
Brothers and sisters,
I want to talk to you.
I want-i want-
god damn it!
Hey, wait a minute!
That's our preacher?
Brothers, sisters,
these two here
want to beat me to death,
want to beat me,
deke o'malley.
You blew it,
deke!
Get out of here!
No, no. Listen.
Listen, now.
L-listen, now. Ha.
I got-i got...
listen to me!
I got something
to tell you!
Listen. No, no, no.
No, no. No!
No, don't-
don't turn your backs.
Don't. Listen to me.
Don't turn
your backs on me.
No. No, listen to me.
Listen to me.
Listen!
I can be like malcolm!
Believe me!
Don't turn
your backs on me!
Don't turn your backs-
jarema, what the hell
is going on here?
Oh!
It's empty, luddy.
What's empty?
Damn cotton bale
is empty.
Ha!
Where are they?
Where the hell are those
2 cops who was here?
What, you mean
coffin ed and grave digger?
Yeah.
Oh, man.
They've been gone.
$87,000.
What the hell for?
Your whole operation
is sittin'
on a black volcano, man.
Right, caspar?
Uh, I'm afraid
he's right, tom.
You see, tom, things
have changed up here.
Black people
are thinking about
taking over
white businesses.
Right, caspar?
Right. I was just
reading an article
on black capitalism.
That's right.
And there ain't
no capitalism
bigger than yours
in harlem.
Right, caspar?
Right.
Now, the way I see things
is, uh, is organization.
Uh, and not only new blood,
but black blood,
improvin' the operation
around here.
Uh, seems to me that
there's a whole lot of money
uh, in just being black
these days.
So there's got
to be some way.
Hmm?
Sit down.
How much is it gonna cost me
to stop this kind of talk?
$87,000.
Well,
that bale was empty.
That money must have
been planted in there.
Planted?
By who, you idiot?
Jones and johnson?
Well, I still say the-
the bale was empty.
Well, it sure
ain't empty now.
Lieutenant, I think
you better count it.
Don't you?
Mm-hmm.
Oh,
I bet it's all here.
Well, perhaps
sergeant jarema
ought to
count it himself.
You tricked me.
I don't know how you two
black bastards did it,
but you tricked me.
Jarema,
I want you to apologize
to these two officers
for that racial slur,
or I'll have your badge.
Aw, I apologize,
but...
but...
you'll, uh, have to
overlook jarema.
He's... had a bad day.
Haven't we all?
May we go, captain?
May you-
of course.
Congratulations.
Thank you, sir.
Ed, digger.
Tell me something,
will ya?
What's a bale of cotton
doing in harlem?
"Dear grave digger jones
and coffin ed johnson..."
uncle budd: If you're
still dragging the river
looking for the body
of old uncle budd
and the 87,000,
stop.
I am now
a retired gentleman
raising cotton on my villa
in africa.
If you are ever
in this neck of the woods,
please drop in and see me.
"Yours truly,
booker washington simms."
Ha ha ha!
Better known
as old uncle budd.
Ha ha ha ha!