Malcolm X Page #5

CLOSE SHOT:

Flash bulb of camera flashes.

INT. ROSELAND STATE BALLROOM - NIGHT

CLOSE - MALCOLM AND SHORTY

They both were posed for a picture. The music "FLYING HOME"

is blaring as LIONEL HAMPTON and his band is killing. The

music is WILD, the dancing is frantic, the clothes are OUT,

and the crowd is predominately BLACK, although there is a

peppering of WHITES, especially white chicks.

And Malcolm is a little bug-eyed as he nudges Shorty, watching

mixed couples on the floor.

A BOY in extreme zoot-suit flips him; a WHITE GIRL in long

blond hair wigs him. Malcolm is a little open-mouthed.

A VOICE:

SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME!

ANGLE - THE BALLROOM - NIGHT

People start moving off the floor, making room for the

dancers. The music begins to get faster and more furious.

CLOSE - HAMPTON'S BAND - NIGHT

It is a fast Lindy. People start clapping to the beat as

they form a U around the DANCERS, with the band at the open

end.

INT. THE DANCE FLOOR

TWO COUPLES are on the floor, dancing wildly. They are quickly

joined by a half dozen OTHERS. These are the best dancers

and constitute the main event of a Saturday night black dance.

People crowd and push to get better vantage points and the

competition is under way.

ANGLE ON THE CROWD

It is dominantly black, but there are some whites in the

audience, mostly women. One is SOPHIA, a spectacular blonde

with a degree of refinement, something of a thrill-seeker.

Many of the men try to catch her eye, but for the moment

Sophia is just watching, looking for no one in particular,

but nonetheless looking.

ANGLE:
- COUPLE ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Getting ready to enter the fray, the GIRL takes off her shoes

and bounces out on the floor barefoot with her partner. Their

advent is greeted with cheers and ad libs. Clearly the crowd

has its favorites.

WIDER SHOT:

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

and more remarkable quality.

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