"DOG DAY AFTERNOON"
by
Frank Pierson
Final Draft
FADE IN:
EXT. ELECTRIC SIGN
It FILLS THE SCREEN (designed to exactly FILL THE FRAME size
of whatever ratio we're shooting in). It says:
2:51
This message will be a little cryptic to the movie audience
on an essentially BLACK SCREEN. HOLD for a beat, then it
changes: the lights flash this sign, which should explain it
to everyone:
94°
And a slow distant ROLL OF THUNDER in the far distance; now
the SOUND of media begin to come up loud, under:
EXT. FLATBUSH AVENUE - DAY
LONG SHOT down the Avenue, 400 mm lens, heat waves shimmering,
thousands of old people, and people with children in strollers
moving restlessly about in the heat on those endless miles
of benches.
The SHOT is ON SCREEN only for a beat or two, then gone...
SOUND TRACK COMES FROM A THOUSAND TRANSISTOR RADIOS, TV SETS,
AUTO RADIOS, BLENDED IN THE OPEN AIR...
RADIO ANNOUNCER 1 (V.O.)
...the situation continued tense in
the Middle East today, as...
EXT. SHEA STADIUM (TV CLIP) - DAY
An unnamed player swings and hits a high pop up...
ANNOUNCER 2 (V.O.)
...hits a high inside pitch foul
into the upper stands...
ANGLE ON CROWD
as the ball comes down they scramble and fight for it...
A touch of viciousness...
ANNOUNCER 3 (V.O.)
...B-52's meanwhile, unleashed the
heaviest bombing of the war...
EXT. MOVIE HOUSE TO MACDONALD'S - DAY
We are SEEING HEIDI, though we don't know it yet - she's
just another pretty 175-pound Italian girl with two kids,
KIMMY, JIMMY, about four and five years old. Right now she
is a lump of browning flesh, shining with oil among rows of
similar ladies (mostly thinner, but all with a certain
unhealthy softness about them) laid out in rows and groups
across the sand. SHOOT LOW AND LONG, so heat shimmers rise,
as though the heat were baking the oil out of this mob,
visible suntan oil pollution... Heidi's transistor blasts
ROCK MUSIC into the air.
LYRICS (OVER)
(Roberta Flack)
REVEREND LEE, SHE SAID, LORD KNOWS I
LOVE YOU, REVEREND LEE - DO IT TO ME
(etc., etc.)
ANNOUNCER 3 (V.O.)
...the American High Command announced
the famed 25th Cavalry Division would
be coming home! The 25th Cavalry,
long since afoot, hardened in battle
in the jungles of World War II...
FAR DISTANT THUNDER ROLLS...
INT/EXT. SONNY'S CAR - STREET - DAY
It is parked in a drab Brooklyn street. Beside the car stands
SAL, medium height, also good-looking in an intense boyish
way. His eyes dart about suspiciously, the ever-watchful
Sal.
There is a watchful reserve in Sal that contrasts to Sonny's
outgoing bounciness: first impression is Sonny is all bark;
Sal is the bite. Sal is dressed in impressive blue suit
style, he looks like a kid trying to impress the Godfather.
He even wears a hat. Now, matching Sal's preparations inside
the car, he checks his tie's alignment, shoots his cuffs and
is ready...
Meanwhile, on their car radio:
ELTON JOHN
(Amoreena)
AND SHE DREAMS OF CRYSTAL STREAMS OF
DAYS GONE BY WHEN WE COULD LEAN
LAUGHING FIT TO BURST UPON EACH
OTHER...
ANOTHER ANGLE BY CAR
As he turns, from the back of the car, JACKIE appears with a
huge florist box, tied with ribbon. Jackie is an eighteen
year old with bad complexion and in contrast to Sonny and
Sal is dressed in teenage sloppiness. Adidas, T-shirt,
bowling jacket, jeans. He is uncertain: waits for directions
from Sonny. Sonny takes the florist box from him.
We see a water truck drive down the street, followed by
Sonny's car, which drives up near bank. It stops, Jackie
gets out, crosses to bank window, peers through, then
ANGLE INSIDE CAR
returns to car. Leans in, has fake conversation with Sonny.
They are waiting. Sonny checks his watch, turns to Sal in
back seat:
SONNY
30 seconds, Sal...
They wait. At appropriate moment, Sal exits car, walks toward
bank. Slowly Sonny gets out.
INT. BANK - DAY
A slightly seedy little branch bank, old yellow brick, blond
varnished wood, a rubber plant, an American flag. Through
the windows we SEE HOWARD, the aged black bank guard, in
uniform, taking down the American flag from outside. Past
him comes Sal carrying an attache case. He passes Howard
coming toward us through the door into the bank. As he passes
CAMERA:
INSERT: BANK CLOCK
as it CLICKS from 2:57 to 2:58 PM.
MOVING SHOT WITH SAL
as he moves toward the left-hand deposit-slips desks.
He picks out a car-loan application slip, then walks toward
the manager's desk (as the sign on the desk proclaims) of
PATRICK MULVANEY. Sal sits down, his back to Mulvaney, facing
the front door of the bank. Mulvaney is on the phone.
ON DOOR
as Sonny bustles through in his bouncy dancer's walk. He
carries the large florist box. He moves toward the left-
hand deposit-slips desks, takes one out and begins to fill
one out.
ON HOWARD
as he pulls out the keys, attached to the belt of his uniform.
Jackie approaches the door of the bank and stops, neither in
nor out, as though he can't make up his mind. Howard watches
him, waiting patiently, keys in hand, folded flag under his
arm.
CLOSE - SAL
still sitting, back to Mulvaney, watching Jackie's approach
and entrance, ready to move on cue.
ON DOOR
on Howard as he looks at Jackie, still half in, half out.
Howard speaks to him:
HOWARD
Closing time; you want in or out?
Jackie steps in and as Howard locks the door to prevent more
customers from entering, Jackie walks toward Sonny, filling
out a slip at the left-hand area. CAMERA FOLLOWS Jackie.
He stops at deposit-slips desk, next to Sonny.
CLOSE - SAL
as if by pre-arranged signal, Sal now stands up, moves to
the side of Mulvaney's desk.
SAL
You the manager?
ON MULVANEY
who is still on the phone. He gestures at the sign on his
desk that says so, and gestures for Sal to sit down.
ON SAL
as he sits, producing as he does a machine pistol, which he
holds on Mulvaney's chest, out of sight from others in the
bank.
MULVANEY
His mouth simply stops, and he stares at the gun. Mulvaney
is a comic opera Irishman in his early fifties, florid...
cheerful, bushy eyebrows; he acts out everything he says...
SAL
Just go on talking, like nothing was
happening, okay?
MULVANEY
(into phone)
Listen, lemme call you back.
He hangs up, and looks from the gun up to Sal's blank hard
face. To his own amazement, he grins: a hopeful grin that
says: "Like me - don't hurt me." And he's embarrassed by
it. As we watch, his smile turns sour.
HIS POV - FLASH
Sal's absolutely unmoved face.
TWO SHOT - SONNY AND JACKIE
Jackie moves over to Sonny.
JACKIE
Sonny, I'm gettin' real bad vibes.
SONNY
Jackie - what are you talking about?
JACKIE
Maybe we can take something smaller...
like a Spanish grocery.
SONNY
(indicating what's
happening with Sal
and Mulvaney)
It's too late - just get away from
me - don't talk to me now - go over
to your place...
Jackie moves to another deposit-slips desk - takes one out
and begins to fill it out.
ON TELLER'S CAGE AREA
as a LADY with a BABY in a stroller moves away from the Teller
and starts to walk toward the front door. DEBORAH is marking
figures on a piece of paper at 1st Teller's cage.
SYLVIA and MIRIAM stand behind her - their backs to Sonny.
Howard, who has put the folded flag in a plastic bag in a
front desk, follows Lady toward the door. He unlocks the
door and hands the Baby a lollipop, courtesy of the bank,
and she exits the bank.
CLOSE - NEW ANGLE - SONNY
glancing at clock, taking a sharp deep breath...
SAL
staring at Mulvaney.
MULVANEY
the ruins of his smile still on his face.
HOWARD
straightens up from locking the door; the figure of the Lady
and the Baby can be seen receding outside...
SONNY
seeing that the bank is closed, locked in, with no customers,
crosses toward the front teller's cage area, carrying the
florist box. As he reaches the other side, he rips open the
box and takes the rifle out and aims it level onto SYLVIA
BALL, the teller, who automatically takes the "closed" sign
and holds it in front of her face as though to protect herself
from the rifle.
SYLVIA
(holding sign in front
of her face)
Sorry, this window is shut...
TWO SHOT - MULVANEY AND SAL
as Mulvaney stands and yells to Sylvia...
ANGLE ON BACK OF BANK, REST ROOM AREA
as MARGARET, an accountant, comes out of the ladies' room,
starts to cross downstage toward her desk, sees what is
happening, and momentarily freezes in her tracks.
SONNY
The cues have got all fucked up, but he's so programmed and
ready, he can't adjust, so the speech he had ready comes out
now:
SONNY
Okay, this is a stickup! Nobody
move! This is a fucking stickup!
Just freeze now, goddammit! Get
away from your desk... get in the
center - get in the center!
Sylvia and Edna start to move toward the rear of the bank,
toward Margaret's desk.
MULVANEY
aghast at his own outspokenness... Sal holding the gun
levelled on him.
MULVANEY
Okay, okay... we know it's a stickup!
SONNY
(to Jackie, re: Howard)
If he moves - blow his guts out...
Cover him!
TWO SHOT - SONNY & JACKIE
Jackie, staring at the real guns, turns to Sonny...
JACKIE
I'm sorry, Sonny... I can't make
it...
Jackie starts to move toward the front door.
SONNY
Hey, for christ's sake... now...
fuckin' asshole...
(turns to Sal)
He can't make it.
SAL
Fuck him - let him out!
Sonny yells out at frozen Howard.
SONNY
Hey... let him out!
MULVANEY
(yells)
Do what the gentleman says, Howard.
Sonny sees that Howard is useless, so he runs to Howard,
grabbing the keys from him and pulls Howard along with him
to the front door. Jackie unlocks the door, and Jackie,
with a last apologetic glance, gives his gun to Sonny and
vanishes into the sweltering afternoon. Sonny then frisks
Howard and has a sudden afterthought as he locks the door
again. He quickly unlocks it and shouts out at Jackie.
EXT. BANK - DAY
SONNY
Hey, don't take the car!
JACKIE
(on sidewalk)
Well, how'll I get home?
SONNY
Take the subway. We need the car.
(as Jackie starts to
walk away)
Hey, gimme the keys - the keys!
Jackie stops, fumbles for keys, crosses back to Sonny with
them.
JACKIE
(points to fig. desk)
Sonny, there's somebody under that
desk over there... I'm sorry...
SONNY
It's okay... it's okay...
Sonny turns into the bank once more, as Jackie walks off
toward the subway, pointing inside at a desk near the window
as he does, to point something out to Sonny.
INT. BANK - DAY
Sonny, re-entering the bank, speaks to Howard.
SONNY
Lock it.
Sonny now crosses to desk that Jackie indicated, as everyone
watches him, as though it's all in the game.
SONNY
(taps loudly on top
of desk)
Hey... get outta there! Nobody's
gonna hurt you.
JENNY, a young, frightened girl, peeks out from under the
desk, obviously afraid to reveal herself.
Sonny starts to move toward the front of the bank. Sal turns
so he can cover everyone. Sonny turns to order Howard.
SONNY
Pull the drapes.
Howard doesn't move.
SONNY
Pulla drapes!
Howard belatedly leaps to work, pulling drapes that screen
off the interior from outside. The door has no drapes or
blinds and thus when the drapes are closed there is a corridor
of space across the street we will always be able to see.
And from which people outside will always be able to see in.
As Howard finishes the task, he then walks back to the huddled
group on the rear.
SONNY
on his way to the back of the bank, is digging into his jacket
pocket; he swings around as he passes the camera that is
bolted to a wall bracket covering the tellers' area. He
whips out a spray can and gives the lens a shot of red paint.
There are three cameras in all, each of which he sprays.
SONNY
(grinning)
No replay, folks... no alarms...
After spraying the three cameras, he has reached Mulvaney's
desk area. The girls are scattering to group farther back
and Sonny and Mulvaney are heading for the vault.
MULVANEY
(on cross to vault
with Sonny)
We're hip... let's just get you all
fixed up and on your way!
MIRIAM, a young, awkward, overweight Jewish girl, chewing
gum with nervous machine-like rapidity, moving toward the
vault. The gate is closed, and she holds one key and Mulvaney
the other. They pass Sal, who now holds the others in the
bank under his gun while at the vault gate.
SONNY
Okay, is the vault open?
MULVANEY
I can take care of that.
NEW ANGLE
Mulvaney is about to insert his key in his lock. Sonny
quickly reaches out and grabs Mulvaney's hand, and looks at
the key he has extended. He explodes.
SONNY
Son of a bitch!
He almost hits Mulvaney with his fist.
SONNY
What the fuck you tryin' to do?
Trip the alarm? Use the spur key?
Use the other one...
He's grabbed the keys from Mulvaney and holds up the key
Mulvaney was going to use... we're in a:
VERY TIGHT TWO SHOT - MULVANEY AND SONNY'S HEADS
Sonny holds the key right in the middle of the FRAME where
Mulvaney and the audience can SEE the key has a tiny
projection or spur at the end. If this key is used, the
spur triggers a silent alarm.
MULVANEY
I must of been outta my mind.
SONNY
(furious)
Well, you get your mind right. I'm
a Catholic and I don't wanna hurt
nobody, but goddamn it, don't you
play no games with me. Unnastand?!?
Mulvaney nods and picks out a key that is identical except
for the spur. He shows it to Sonny. Sonny nods.
NEW ANGLE
as Mulvaney carefully uses the safe key to unlock the gate.
Miriam is crying as she unlocks her side. The gate swings
open. Sonny shoves Mulvaney inside and, as he passes Miriam,
notices her tears.
She just stands there staring into his face like a hypnotized
chicken, the tears streaming down her face.
Sonny stops, staring at her. Mulvaney, starting to open the
gate, moves inside the vault, impatient...
MULVANEY
Okay. Let's get you on your way.
Miriam - open the safe.
Miriam hesitates.
SONNY
What's the matter with you?
MULVANEY
(to Miriam)
Come on, lemme load you up...
MIRIAM
There isn't any money...
Sonny looks at Mulvaney, alarmed...
MIRIAM
They picked it up this afternoon...
SONNY
No money?!
(moves inside the
vault)
MIRIAM
There's only about four thousand in
singles, and maybe a few hundred in
larger bills... he's going to kill
us!
Sonny storms into the vault.
NEW ANGLE IN VAULT
as Mulvaney pulls a cash drawer out to show Sonny: even we
can see there isn't much there. Sonny searches for more,
finds nothing.
SONNY
This is it? What am I gonna do with
this? Holy shit!
MULVANEY
It's all we got.
SONNY
Okay, don't worry about it. Stick
it in the bag...
At this, Sonny pulls out a plastic bag from his pocket, hands
it to Miriam, who opens it and puts the money into it. As
he turns, we see that Miriam is still staring at him,
terrified, and as his rifle swings around, she reels back
with a little screech of terror...
SONNY
Ah, Jesus...
SAL
Let's go, Sonny.
SONNY
(suddenly gentle)
What are you crying for? Jesus
Christ. It's not your fault there's
no money...
MULVANEY
She's afraid you're gonna shoot...
(hands Sonny the bag
of money)
Sonny starts out of the vault toward the teller's area with
bag of money. He speaks to Mulvaney.
SONNY
What the hell would I shoot her for?
Miriam follows Sonny to teller's cages gate. He carries the
bag.
PHONE STARTS TO RING (#1)
SONNY
Answer the phone!
Mulvaney crosses to his desk, picks up the receiver. Sal
follows him, yanks receiver from one ear to the other, so he
can hear conversation.
SONNY
(to Miriam)
Okay... open this.
Miriam crosses to gate, presses the necessary button and the
gate opens from them. Sonny watches this carefully, noting
where the buzzer button is. He crosses in front of the drawer
at the first cage. He tries to open the drawer.
It's obviously locked.
SONNY
Okay, who's the head teller here?
SYLVIA
I am.
SONNY
Open this up!
Sylvia comes forward and unlocks the first drawer, and begins
to remove the cash, but Sonny grabs her hands... alarmed...
SONNY
Don't take it all out!
He grabs a piece of paper or cardboard...
CLOSE SHOT - SONNY'S HANDS AND CASH IN DRAWER
He takes all the singles but one out of the singles slot in
the drawer, leaving the bottom single in place. It is held
there by a metal clip. He carefully slips the paper under
the clip and then removes the single.
It is clear this is an automatic alarm - meanwhile...
SONNY
Boy, I can't trust a one of you... I
worked in a bank, I know the alarms,
so don't try to fool around with me!
BACK TO SHOT OF SONNY AND SYLVIA AND MIRIAM
as they move to 2nd cash drawer at 2nd teller's cage. Sylvia
unlocks the drawer and starts to reach in for the cash, but
Sonny pushes his hand into the drawer instead. He begins to
stuff the money into the bag. Some fives, packaged with
rubber bands, in the drawer, he holds up so Sal and all can
see them... He laughs!
SONNY
Decoy money, right, it's marked!
Shit!
He throws it into the air so the bills flutter all around
him, gaily... In the background, Mulvaney, having finished
with the phone conversation, is moving to the rear with the
rest of the girls. Sonny now moves to the 3rd cage's cash
drawer... Mulvaney ends phone conversation and Sal moves him
over to group at vault.
SONNY
(mimicking Sylvia)
'This window is shut...'
Again, the same procedure begins. Sylvia unlocks the cash
drawer and Sonny starts to scoop it out and put it into the
opened plastic bag that Miriam holds.
SAL
Cheer up, you'll be the veteran of a
robbery, the bank sends you a dozen
red roses, you know that?
At this point, THE PHONE BEGINS TO RING AGAIN (#2)
SONNY
(yelling to Sal)
Sal, let him answer the goddamn
phones, they're driving me crazy!
Look at this chicken shit!
Again, Mulvaney starts to cross back to his desk, again
followed by Sal. Sonny yells out to Mulvaney as he crosses
to answer the phone.
SONNY
Hey, you, manager... Don't get any
ideas, fucker... See that man there?
I bark and he bites!
MULVANEY
Believe me, I'm on your side.
SONNY
My side, shit!
They move to Drawer #4.
SYLVIA
Listen, we got young girls here...
you could watch your language.
SONNY
I speak what I feel.
MULVANEY ON THE PHONE
MULVANEY
Hello... I'm sorry I can't talk to
you right now... I suggest you call
during banking hours tomorrow. What
is your name?
BACK ON SONNY, SYLVIA AND MIRIAM
SONNY
Gimme the traveler's checks and the
register.
They cross toward the last drawer area (#5). Miriam is still
crying silently. Sonny holds out the plastic bag for the
checks for her. She drops it.
SONNY
Please... quit that. It's not
necessary.
With everything in the bag, Sonny now takes the register and
starts to move the two girls toward the rear near the vault.
MULVANEY
Can you hurry it up?
BACK TO SONNY
as he moves toward the rear (Sylvia and Miriam now re-joining
other women), to get a wastebasket. Accomplishing this, he
starts to burn the pages of the register, tearing out pages
as he does so. It's smokey as hell, but not burning well.
He drops it, smoking, into the wastebasket.
SONNY
(to Howard)
Hey, you! Give me the keys...
We're gettin' outta here.
HOWARD
(gasping for breath)
Huh?
MULVANEY
Howard?
HOWARD
Huh?
ON HOWARD
The old man is panicked, great patches
of sweat spreading around his armpits.
He breathes in asthmatic gasps; now
he flinches at his name, as though
he's been hit.
MULVANEY
(stands, receiver
still to ear, then
covering it with his
hand)
Howard, give him the keys...
SONNY
Gimme the keys to get outta here!
Howard is unable to move. Seeing his predicament, Edna moves
to him and starts to unfasten his belt to remove the keys.
Mulvaney continues with his phone conversation.
ON SONNY
who now crosses to Howard and Edna, losing patience with the
situation. As he moves closer, Howard backs away from him,
frightened by his rifle. Seeing that, Sonny puts it down
and looks over to Sal for coverage.
SONNY
Sal...
As Sonny approaches Howard, he realizes that he can't get
close enough.
SONNY
Take it easy... just gimme the keys.
I'm not gonna hurt you. Listen,
calm down, huh? You're gonna have a
heart attack. Just gimme the keys...
that's all I want.
Howard gives him the keys and as Sonny starts to walk back
toward the burning register...
ON SAL
with Mulvaney still on the phone.
SAL
(looking past camera,
falling onto the
floor behind Mulvaney)
Sonny... who's that? Across the
street.
ON SONNY
who now starts to move quickly toward the front of the bank,
being sure to hide behind the posts as he moves.
MULVANEY (O.S.)
(on phone)
No, it was the credit rating. The
credit rating. I don't know, you'd
have to find that out from him.
Sonny has now reached the front of the bank. He carefully
peeks out through the closed draperies to look outside.
ANGLE ON STREET - SONNY'S POV
A man, in a business suit, sweaty and harassed-looking, is
walking from an insurance office across the street directly
toward the bank... The man continues coming straight toward
them and us...
REVERSE
Sonny starts to run back to get his gun from Margaret's desk.
Mulvaney is still on the phone.
MULVANEY
It was something a couple of years
ago in St. Louis, I don't know...
Sonny grabs the gun from the desk top and moves over to
Mulvaney.
ANGLE ON DOOR AT FRONT OF BANK
The man walks straight toward the glass door, already lifting
his hand to shadow his eyes, so when he reaches the door,
he'll be able to see inside.
REVERSE ON SAL AND MULVANEY
Sal brings the gun up so he can shoot the man, at the same
time, crabbing himself aside so he is concealed behind
Mulvaney and the desk. Mulvaney sees the approaching man
and cups his hand over the phone.
MULVANEY
It's the insurance guy across the
street. He probably saw the goddamn
smoke!
(motions toward smoking
register)
Please! Put out the fire!
ON MAN
The last few feet from the door.
ON SONNY
who rushes through the teller's cages gate toward the
register, grabs the smoking register, throws it onto the
floor near Edna's desk, and starts to stamp it out.
MARGARET
I'll get some water!
Before anyone can move, Sonny grabs the gun on them all.
SONNY
Nobody move! Freeze!
The women now begin to scream as real hysteria sets in.
Deborah screams, collapses.
CLOSE - ON SAL
BRINGING GUN UP ON:
DOOR
The man actually kicks the glass with his foot, then leans
against the glass, shades his eyes, trying to see in.
MULVANEY (O.S.)
Sorry... I can't talk now... I'll
call you back.
SOUND of hanging up. The man is looking all around.
SAL AND MULVANEY
SAL
Get rid of him.
MULVANEY
Howard, wave him off. Tell him we're
closed. Whatever...
ON HOWARD
who is useless.
ON MULVANEY
who starts to move toward the front door, looking over at
Sonny trying to put out the fire.
CAMERA FOLLOWS MULVANEY TO THE FRONT DOOR; Sonny moves with
him, covering him all the time.
ANGLE ON FRONT DOOR
as Sonny stands behind closed venetian blinds to listen to
the conversation and to cover Mulvaney.
SONNY
The gun's right on your back...
MULVANEY
Give me the keys...
Sonny hands him the keys.
VERY CLOSE SHOT - SAL
He raises the gun and sights it now, and in this moment, we
should sense a kind of luxurious relaxation into anticipation
on Sal's part. He is smiling a little, and for the first
time, looks happy, and that's what makes him seem dangerous.
He's looking forward to an excuse to kill. It's here now:
survival. There is something almost sexual about the way he
settles his body down behind the weapon, getting ready for
the squeeze on the trigger, the report, the violent shove of
recoil against his muscles and sinews.
In the background, we see Sylvia bringing Howard a cup of
water.
ANGLE ON DOOR
emphasizing the small of Mulvaney's back. The man is somebody
he knows from across the street. He looks worried and
mystified...
MULVANEY
(unlocking door)
What is it, Sam?
SAM
Everything's all right? You okay?
MULVANEY
Yeah, just a cigarette got in a
wastebasket.
Silence. Sam stares around... thinking.
SAM
You all right?
MULVANEY
Little smoke: like a Polish four-
alarm fire, is all.
SAM
Yeah. Well, you're okay?
MULVANEY
Yeah, thanks for keeping an eye out.
SAM
Okay.
He's not satisfied, but he can't see anything and he can't
think of anything more to say, so...
MULVANEY
Thanks again, Sam.
SAM
I'm glad it's okay.
MULVANEY
It's okay. [Regards to the family,
Sam.]
Mulvaney locks the door and walks inside the bank, giving
the keys back to Sonny.
MULVANEY
For God's sake, will you please go
now? We gave you every nickel we
got.
SONNY
You're goin' outside with me. If
there's no cops around, we just split.
Otherwise, you go with us.
Mulvaney and Sonny starts to walk back toward Sal. As they
do, the PHONE BEGINS TO RING AGAIN (#3).
SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Answer it.
Mulvaney shrugs helplessly. Picks up the phone, standing at
desk opposite his.
ON SAL
SAL
He's gone?
SONNY
Yeah - it's all right... let's go.
MULVANEY ON PHONE
MULVANEY
Hello, Mulvaney here...
TWO SHOT - SONNY & SAL
SONNY
Sal, get 'em in the vault.
SAL
Where's the money?
SONNY
Get 'em in the vault!
As Sal starts to herd them into the vault (Sylvia helping
Howard, still with the cup of water), Mulvaney is still on
the phone. Sonny moves down to get the money bag atop the
teller's cages and we hear Mulvaney on phone.
MULVANEY
(tired)
What property is that, Mrs. Anterio?
The Third Avenue property - you
already got a second mortgage on.
We discussed it before...
ANGLE AT VAULT
The girls are afraid; Miriam unlocks the gate as Sonny uses
Mulvaney's keys to the matching lock.
JENNY
(from inside vault
area)
You won't close the vault? How can
we breathe?
SONNY
No, that's okay... just close the
gate...
Sylvia, helping Howard, is the last to go through the gate.
As Sonny is about to lock the gate, she turns to him.
SYLVIA
Listen, I'll never make it. I'll
have to go to the toilet.
SONNY
What's the matter... they never
housebroke you?
SYLVIA
It's not a joke. I got this terrible
fear of being locked in...
SAL
Goddamn women...
SONNY
Ah shit. Okay... go ahead. Anybody
else have to go?
EDNA
Me, too, please.
SAL
You see... now they all gotta go.
As Sylvia starts to move out, Sonny starts to cross ahead of
her.
SONNY
Wait a minute - I want to check.
Mulvaney finishes his phone conversation. He moves toward
the group at the vault.
NEW ANGLE
as Sonny sprints for the door to the Ladies' Room.
INSIDE LADIES' ROOM
It is a little lounge; sitting on a couch under the window,
making up her face (or painting her toenails) and listening
to her tiny transistor radio, oblivious to all that's
happened, is MARIA, heavily-painted and voluptuous Latin
girl. Sylvia, following him in, is shocked. She's forgotten
about Maria. Now she runs over to her, puts her arms around
her.
SYLVIA
Oh - Maria!
SONNY
Who the hell is that? God damn it!
What the...
Maria is about to protest, but Sylvia grabs her and starts
to hustle her out.
SONNY
What are you trying to pull?
SYLVIA
I forgot she's in here.
SONNY
Come on, nobody's going to the
bathroom - come on...
He moves with them back to the vault area, herds them into
it. At this point, PHONE RINGS AGAIN (#4). Sonny moves to
get the empty wastebasket, shoving it into the vault for the
girls to use in case of emergency. Mulvaney moves to his
desk and phone.
Mulvaney has by this time answered the phone, and is now
holding it out to Sonny. HOLD THE BEAT...
MULVANEY
(to Sonny)
It's for you.
ON SONNY AND SAL
They both stare at Mulvaney. Sonny slowly moves toward
Mulvaney. For the first time since he entered the bank,
he's quiet and slow. He takes the instrument and slowly
puts it to his ear. The group from the vault now slowly
starts to move out to listen to the conversation.
SONNY
(into phone)
Yeah.
MORETTI (V.O.)
What are you doin' in there?
SONNY
Who's this?
MORETTI (V.O.)
This is Detective Sergeant Moretti,
asshole, we got you completely by
the balls. You don't believe me,
I'm lookin' you right in the eye.
Right now, I can see you...
SAL
Who is it?
Sonny turns and looks out through the door. Sure enough, in
the window of the barbershop across the street, the dim figure
of a man on a telephone can be SEEN looking out toward us.
He wears a hat in spite of the weather and a cigar is clamped
in his mouth. He is an old-time, hard-nosed, uneducated,
street-wise, sarcastic New York cop, outspoken, rude and
sentimental. Right now he's a distant silhouette and a voice
on the telephone.
CLOSE ON SONNY
holding the phone. Listening to the voice of his death
speaking in New York accents.
MORETTI (V.O.)
Okay? Let's be reasonable and not
stupid and not get anybody hurt.
You come to the front door with hands
folded on your head, unnastand?
Nobody's gonna shoot or...
Sonny slowly, almost sadly, puts the telephone receiver back
down, cutting off the little voice at the other end. He
looks up at Mulvaney, then to Sal.
SONNY
(to Sal)
It's the cops. Shit!
SAL
How'd that happen?
MULVANEY
(backing away from
Sonny)
I swear to God... on my salary, I'm
not gonna be any hero...
SONNY
I took too long.
SAL
It was the fire, asshole!
Sonny paces.
MULVANEY
I told you, just go, get out when
you could, but no, you just got to
hang around.
Sonny is pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to
do.
SONNY
Oh, shit! I gotta have time to think.
SYLVIA
What is it? Did you just barge in
here... He doesn't have plan. It's
all a whim.
(sarcastic)
'Rob a bank! What not?'
SONNY
...Just give me time to think...
PHONE STARTS TO RING (#5).
MULVANEY
We're all in the barrel together...
Phone continues to ring. Sonny finally grabs it (desk
opposite Mulvaney).
SONNY
(into phone)
All right, bastards! You keep away
from the bank or we start throwing
bodies out the front door one at a
time. You got that?
A startled apologetic man's voice speaks: Now ANOTHER PHONE
BEGINS TO RING (#6).
MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
I just called to ask Jenny what time
she's gonna get off.
SONNY
Who's this?
MAN (V.O.)
It's her husband.
Sonny abruptly holds the phone out from his body at arm's
length, disgusted.
SONNY
Is there a Jenny here?
Nobody moves. They all stare at him. Finally he singles
her out.
SONNY
It's your husband.
Jenny starts to move toward Sonny.
JENNY
What do I say?
SONNY
Tell him the truth! Tell him whatever
you tell him!
OTHER PHONE CONTINUES TO RING (#6).
As he puts down the phone for her to pick up, Sonny reaches
for the other phone that is RINGING.
SONNY
What a fuckin' comedy!
(into phone)
WNEW plays all the hits.
MORETTI (V.O.)
Listen, first off, is anybody hurt
in there?
SONNY
...But you keep away from the bank
or we start throwing bodies out the
front door one at a time... You got
it? Okay?
He hangs up the phone. Sal looks at him.
SAL
You mean that?
SONNY
What?
SAL
...The bodies out the door.
SONNY
I want him to think that.
SAL
But do you mean it?
At this moment, Jenny, phone in hand, is turned to him,
respectfully like a child in an authoritarian household,
addressing her father:
JENNY
He wants to know what time you think
you'll be through.
ON SONNY
stares at her. For the first time, he realizes how frightened
she is, how serious, grotesque, and funny it all is. He
takes the time to be tender with her, as though she were a
not-too-bright child in the presence of a tragedy she'll
never understand.
SONNY
Tell him I don't know.
Now Sonny turns to speak to Mulvaney.
SONNY
Where's the back door?
MULVANEY
It's locked on the inside.
(beat)
It's through that passageway and to
the right.
Sonny disappears toward the back door. Jenny continues her
phone conversation.
MAN (V.O.)
Jenny?
JENNY
He says he doesn't know. Why don't
you cook whatever's there?
MAN (V.O.)
It looks like a whole roast.
JENNY
Honey, send out for Kentucky fried
chicken. The baby, just open a bottle
of prunes, and one of the beef. The
bottles are in the fridge.
MULVANEY
(to Jenny)
Hurry up!
MAN (V.O.)
I know how to fix the bottle. They
got guns?
JENNY
(with the baby on her
mind)
What guns?
MAN (V.O.)
The robbers in the bank. They got
guns?
JENNY
Yeah. A lot of guns.
MAN (V.O.)
Well, stay away from them. Don't
get close.
JENNY
Oh, yeah, I will...
Now Sonny returns from the rear door area, sees that she's
still on the phone and signals to her to hurry up.
SONNY
Hey, Jenny - let's go...
JENNY
Hon? I got to go.
MAN (V.O.)
I love you.
Jenny hesitates. Everyone is looking at her. They look
away, as though to give her privacy.
JENNY
Yeah. Well, I got to go now...
A beat of silence. Realizes she can't talk...
MAN (V.O.)
I'll kiss the baby for you.
JENNY
(past embarrassment)
I love you.
She hangs up and then crosses to the group by the vault.
NEW ANGLE
on Sonny as he moves to Sal, to reassure Sal out of some
guiltiness about trapping him in this situation. His tone
apologetic... almost tender...
SONNY
Sal, I'm sorry about this. But we
can get outta this thing. There's a
way outta this.
SAL
Are you serious? About throwin' a
body outta here if we have to?
SONNY
Well, I stalled him for a while.
When it comes the time, then we'll
work it out. Okay?
SAL
But do you mean it?... But you just
told him that if worse comes to
worse...
SONNY
I want him to think that.
SAL
But I want to know what you think.
SONNY
We won't have to.
SAL
I'll tell you right now - that I'm
ready to do it.
Now Sonny moves over to the group at the vault gate and speaks
to them.
SONNY
What I want to say is... everything's
gonna be all right... if we all
cooperate and we don't, you know...
carry on... I don't know you and you
don't know me... and what I'm tryin'
to tell you is that if you stay cooled
out, we can work this thing out and
nobody's going to get hurt... believe
me, I don't want to hurt anybody...
Everybody is going to have a chance
to do what they have to do... she's
gotta go to the bathroom - so you go -
and you can go after... Everybody's
gonna get a chance... Everybody's
gonna get a chance to use the phone...
Let's just take it a step at a time.
Sonny now turns toward Mulvaney. Howard lies down, head on
jacket, in the vault.
SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Now, you -- what's your name?
MULVANEY
Mulvaney...
SONNY
You and me are checking the other
ways in and out.
Sal takes a position where he can cover the door and also
the girls and Howard.
NEW ANGLE
as Sonny and Mulvaney move toward the rear of the bank.
SONNY
Let's go to the back door.
(referring to Howard)
How'd that guy get to be a guard?
MULVANEY
Well, they go to guard school.
SONNY
To what... learn how to shoot?
They don't get a gun.
MULVANEY
They make $105 a week to start.
They fold the flag, check the place
out in the morning. I don't know
what they learn, Sonny.
At some point in their move toward the rear door, Sylvia
exits the Ladies' room and moves back toward the group.
MULVANEY
Here we are... the back door.
They look at it. It is big, black, steel and seems solid.
Sonny tests it.
SONNY
They could shoot the lock... I want
to block it, so if they try comin'
here, we're gonna hear it. Here,
you pull on that side.
(puts gun aside)
He has found a big office machine, a Xerox or whatever, which
he now starts to push toward the door. On the opposite side,
Mulvaney starts to pull it toward the door. It's very heavy
and they have to strain to budge it at all. Meanwhile:
SONNY
You got kids?
MULVANEY
I got two kids... and I'd like to
see them again.
SONNY
Ah, I know! You're being very
cooperative. I got no complaint
against you whatever; you got bank
insurance?
Mulvaney has removed his suit jacket.
MULVANEY
You know I do. You seem to know a
lot about bank procedure.
Sonny laughs and pushes the machine. Mulvaney pulls from
the opposite side.
SONNY
Don't ask me questions. I got
connections. You find out who I am,
you're cold meat.
MULVANEY
I don't care who you are...
(shove)
I just want to get you outta here,
safe, right?
SONNY
What if I take you with me?
MULVANEY
(stopping to rest for
a beat, thinking)
If you take anybody, please take me.
SONNY
They'll shoot you; the fucking cops'll
shoot you... they don't give a damn.
In spite of that bank insurance.
You see what they did in Attica,
they shot everybody, the hostages,
prisoners, cops, guards, forty-two
people they killed, the innocent
with the guilty.
They have the machine almost to the door now, with Mulvaney
almost pinned between the machine and the door. He eases
himself out. Looks at the gun, then at Sonny, then they
shove the machine against the door. Sonny then gives Mulvaney
his jacket to put on again.
SONNY
Anyway, I'm not gonna take you.
I'm gonna take one of the girls, a
married one with a couple of kids.
The cops don't like it in the papers
when they kill a mother, especially
if she's got young kids.
Finished with the task, Sonny takes his gun and with Mulvaney,
they start to cross back toward Sal and the rest of the group.
SONNY
You're just a nice guy, Mr. Mulvaney.
Only don't fuck around with me, you
know what I mean?
MULVANEY
I don't fool around with you.
Mulvaney crosses back to his desk and sits down. At this
point, all the phones are off the hooks.
EXT. (AERIAL) ANGLE FROM INT. POLICE HELICOPTER (OVER BANK)
As it banks steeply we can see past Pilot to bank, and cops
around car. We see a small crowd being held back by a few
police still setting up barricades. It is the first
indication of the crowd event it became. It also sets the
geography for us, but very quickly another copter swims into
view and the two circle each other. The other copter --
only feet away -- is a TV news helicopter, with a big camera
sticking out the open door on our side.
It is turned down by the Cameraman to focus on the bank. A
COP in the police helicopter yells through his bullhorn at
the TV Cameraman.
BULLHORN COP
This is a restricted area. You are
flying in a restricted area...
The TV Cameraman swivels his camera up to focus on the Cop,
and as the lens hits us dead center...
INT. APARTMENT NEAR BANK
Though an open window a fire escape can be seen and beyond
it an angle of street and the bank. Near the window in a
corner is a TV set, and on the TV set we are seeing the shot
of the police helicopter and the Cop yelling on the bullhorn
as seen from the TV copter. A couple of Elderly Men are
sitting watching the TV set, ignoring the bank, which they
can see in the flesh, as it were. Outside we are HEARING
the copters, and on the TV set likewise, and the voice of
the Announcer.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
...police as yet have made no contact
with the bank robbers who are locked
in the bank...
There is a HAMMERING at the door, and the men at the TV set
barely have time to look around before several burly Cops
wearing flak vests and helmets and carrying sniper rifles
with telescopic slights move through the room, ignoring the
men. They move out onto the fire escape, a couple going up
higher, settling themselves down to aim in their rifles on
the front of the bank. A lot of AD LIB dialogue, but what
we note is the Cops, as a man, take a look at themselves on
the TV.
EXT. BANK - DAY
The FRAME is full of cop faces... tough, mesomorphic faces
with a layer of fat under the skin, increasing as age. They
have the look of cops: alert, curious, weighing. They are
city cops; they don't have that old-fashioned condemnatory
expression, there is an element of playfulness in their nature --
the fact is they love their work, which is criminals. There
is a peculiar delight in ferreting out the criminal impulse
in everybody, and a matching fury in punishing it -- which
is the action of repressing their own strongly developed
criminal unconscious. These are tense, funny, violent, and
rigidly controlled men.
MORETTI is an old-line cop, a lot more relaxed than the
younger men and the cold professionals of the FBI, who as a
group resemble astronauts, and like them hide (but do not
deny) the psychic chaos underneath.
Right now they are looking at the sky. We HEAR a heavy
helicopter track.
We feature SHELDON, the silver-haired FBI Agent-in-Charge,
who looks like an accountant, and Moretti, with hat and cigar,
and a face out of Warner Brothers movies of the Forties. In
spite of Sheldon's age, Moretti plays though he's a smart
kid who still needs a little help.
Sheldon is getting out of a gray car, wears a gray suit.
Three men with him are carbon copies of him at younger ages.
The three hang around him. They approach Moretti who looks
at them without moving.
MORETTI
(to no one)
Here comes the FBI.
(to Sheldon)
You men lookin' for protection? We
got all the police right here.
SHELDON
Why didn't you just wait and try to
take 'em out there in the street?
Moretti looks at him, cheerfully sarcastic.
MORETTI
I made an error in judgment. I
thought the sons of bitches would be
overwhelmed with remorse at the sight
of a police officer. And you know
somethin'? Nobody has said hostage
yet. Unnastan?
They are moving past Cops on the corner heading toward a
small barbershop across the street from the bank. We now
sense the growing crowd, standing quietly, just staring not
yet knowing what's going on.
NEW ANGLE
From down the street come a group of odd-looking men in suits,
carrying all kinds of electric junk: The NEW REPORTERS.
They run heavily, sweating martinis and cigarette smoke...
they run up to Moretti and Sheldon, who walk along, trying
not to catch an eye.
MOVING SHOT - MORETTI AND SHELDON AMONG NEWSMEN.
VOICES
How many in the bank?
Have they got hostages? Any shots
exchanged?
(Etc., AD LIB)
MORETTI
No, we don't know that yet. This
young fella without the hat is FBI.
I'm Detective Sergeant Eugene Moretti
... M-O-R-E-double-T-I. Eugene. I
don't give a shit, but my wife cries
if you spell it wrong.
They have arrived at the barber shop where Moretti fights
his way inside.
INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY
A COP is talking on the wall phone as MORETTI, BAKER, etc.
are trying to get inside.
COP
...no, just get hold of Al, tell him
to get the catering truck over to
26th and Avenue B, there's a bank
robbery in progress and big crowd.
Big! Tell him to bring ice cream --
I got to hang up.
He hangs up and immediately begins thumbing through a POCKET
PHONE BOOK. Throughout this Cop is engaged in personal
business on the fringe of this affair, and though he's on
duty he hardly knows what's happening on the robbery. He's
trying to get his brother-in-law with the ice cream truck
down here, etc.
Moretti has got the crowd cleared back, so that now we SEE
why this has been chosen as a tactical command post. From
here, while talking on the phone, Moretti can see the bank,
and through the uncurtained door he can even see some distance
inside.
Moretti picks up the phone.
MORETTI
(to phone cop)
You get the phone company?
PHONE COP
It's being set up... this phone'll
be a direct line into the bank.
Moretti is already dialing. The phone is answered.
INT. BANK - DAY
(Re Moretti's 3rd conversation on phone with Sonny.)
The group inside the bank have now been waiting approximately
twelve minutes since anything last happened. Sonny is seated
at Mulvaney's desk, all the phones off the hooks.
The rest of the group is huddled around the vault area where
Sal is keeping his eye on them.
Suddenly, Sonny jumps up and puts all the receivers back on
the hooks, crossing back to sit at Mulvaney's desk again.
PHONE STARTS TO RING and Sonny picks it up.
MORETTI
Okay, you're in there and we're out
here. What do we do now?
SONNY
I told you -- keep away. I don't
know what we do now.
MORETTI
Awright, but I wanna talk to you.
First off, we wanna know if the people
in the bank are okay.
SONNY
They're okay.
MORETTI
You alone, or you got confederates?
SONNY
I'm not alone.
MORETTI
How many you got in there?
SONNY
I got Sal.
MORETTI
Sal? What's that for? Salvatore?
SONNY
Sal. He's the killer. We're Vietnam
veterans so killing don't mean
anything to us, you understand?
A cop passing by presses a portable two-way radio into
Moretti's hand: He accepts it and holds as though he expected
it. The Cop passes the same type of set to certain other
officers. These sets are tuned in to each other, and
throughout the movie, there is a constant background talk on
these sets. This is police procedure; the orders are for
everyone to talk about everything. If anyone has a question,
has heard a rumor or a sound, whatever, it is immediately
responded to, so that there can be the fewest possible
surprises. Sample dialogue might go: "Did I hear a shot?"
"Over here, by the bank, there was a report like a gunshot,
inside." "Roger, we heard that from the barbershop... it
was inside the bank." "Barbershop, you can see inside?"
"Roger, we heard from the barbershop... it was inside the
bank." "Barbershop, you can see inside?" "Roger, this is
the barbershop, we see inside, the perpetrator is moving
toward the rear of the bank." "Who's that guy walking through
the barricade?" "The blue suit?" "Yeah." "Off-duty
Inspector come down to see can you use him." Etc. They
really do use the word Perpetrator, Felon, etc. The Cop
handing out radios makes Moretti sign for it -- which Moretti
does during the following:
MORETTI
Right -- got ya. Okay, so there's
you -- what's your name?
SONNY
What do you want to know that for?
MORETTI
Give me a name, any name, just so I
got somethin' to call you.
SONNY
Call me Sonny-boy.
MORETTI
Sonny-boy, one word?
SONNY
One word. You won't find it in the
phone book.
MORETTI
Listen, Sonny... can I call you Sonny
for short?
SONNY
Call me whatever you want.
MORETTI
Okay, Sonny, I want to see if the
people in the bank are okay, then
what I want to do is work out a way
to get them out of there. I want to
come over there, without a gun...
and you can frisk me. So you can
see you can trust me. So we can
talk and find a way outta this mess.
SONNY
I frisk you?
MORETTI
You frisk me.
SONNY
Right -- I'm with you, buddy.
MORETTI
I'd like just some sign I can trust
you too, Sonny. I don't want to
trust my body out where you could
just shoot me. Some sight... right?
SONNY
Sure... like... I'm not gonna shoot
you.
MORETTI
How about letting the people out of
the bank. Why put them in this
position?
SONNY
They're what's keeping me alive.
You think you're dealing with an
idiot? Talk to me then.
MORETTI
Okay, give us the women.
SONNY
Oh, no... Women is all we got.
MORETTI
You're all one way! I'm bein'
reasonable with you; give me
somethin'... Give me one of them,
anyway... Just one...
SONNY
So -- you want me to send one out
there... Okay. I'll see what I can
do.
Sonny hangs up and moves over to Sal. The rest of the group
has been trying to make out what's being said at the other
end of the conversation.
SONNY
(to Sal)
He wants one.
SAL
Dead or alive?
SONNY
Alive.
Now Sonny looks at the group.
SONNY
Okay... who's gonna go first?
Mulvaney now stands up at his desk, looks over at the group
near the vault. They look back at him, waiting for some
instructions.
MULVANEY
It's up to you ladies.
SYLVIA
Howard!
They are now unified. Sonny whispers something to Sal.
SONNY
To show that we're negotiating.
SAL
All right... send them the guard.
SONNY
All right... let's go.
Sylvia takes Howard by the arms and starts to lead him toward
the front door. Sal watches as they move toward front door.
SAL
Cover her, Sonny.
Sonny moves with them toward the front door, his gun aimed
at them during the walk.
Finally they arrive, and Howard moves toward the door by
himself. But the door is obviously locked.
SYLVIA
He needs the keys.
Sonny gives her the keys.
SAL
(from the rear)
Only one, Sonny.
Sonny covers Sylvia as she moves to unlock the front door
for Howard.
SYLVIA
Go along, Howard.
ANGLE OUTSIDE DOOR
As Howard is pushed out the door by Sylvia, a cop from a
nearby car rushes up to him and shoves him to a curbside car
where he bends Howard over the car, putting his hands behind
him for handcuffs and starts to frisk him.
HOWARD'S POV - QUICK CUTS
About 100 weapons ranging from machine guns to hand guns to
sniper rifles are whipped up and pointed straight at his
chest and head. The effect is as though he is about to be
blown entirely away.
ANGLE ON THE BARBER SHOP
Moretti rushes out, screaming to the cop with Howard.
MORETTI
Don't fire!
THE RADIO NETWORK SCREAMS
RADIO VOICES
Did he say fire? What fire? Do we
fire or what? Who fired?
(Etc.)
VARIOUS COPS
Confusion reigns. They don't know if the perpetrator or
not, since they haven't yet seen Sal or Sonny. Guns are
up, aimed, being pushed down... Cops run for better vantage
points.
ANGLE ON HOWARD
as Moretti reaches him. He pulls the cop away from him and
starts to give him hell for the rough treatment being given
the guard.
ANGLE IN DOOR OF BANK
With Sylvia in doorway, staring wildly at the street scene.
Sonny is beside her covering her with his rifle.
SYLVIA
My God! That's Howard! We voted to
send him out!
VARIOUS ANGLES
as the cops slowly realize their mistake. They stand back
from Howard, who is virtually catatonic with fear and shock
now. They get him up, a reluctant to believe they could
have made such a mistake...
ANGLE ON TV CAMERAMAN
Near barber shop, across the street, jockeying, trying to
focus in on him, elbowing each other, they yell out:
CAMERAMAN
Hey! Come out, get in the light.
Hey, out where we can get a shot,
huh? Who's the black guy?
(etc. AD LIBS)
LOW ANGLE - HELICOPTER (TO AND FROM)
swings in over street to try for a shot. Howard is being
taken in the direction of the barber shop.
MORETTI
to Cops.
MORETTI
Get him outta here!
DOOR OF BANK
Sonny back in the shadows with Sylvia, looking at Moretti,
appalled.
ON MORETTI
Behind him a mob scene. Howard is being led away, weeping.
Photographers, cops, a phalanx of cops have their weapons
levelled on Sonny like a firing squad. It is right on the
edge of violence... of blowing up. Sonny and Sylvia are in
the shelter of the doorway, Moretti stands on the sidewalk,
looking toward Sonny inside the bank.
MORETTI
Sonny - come out here a minute.
At this point, he removes his jacket and drops it to the
ground, showing Sonny that he is unarmed.
SONNY
You got these cops outta here.
They're comin' in too close.
MORETTI
Come on. I want you to see something.
SONNY
You want me to give up, huh? Look,
Sal's in back with the girls.
Anything happens to me - one move -
and Sal gives it to them. Boom boom.
How do I know you won't jump me?
MORETTI
I don't forget about Sal and the
boom boom room. I want you to see
this.
Sonny turns back to tell Sal he's going outside. Moretti
stands well out in the street, to reassure Sonny nobody is
going to try to jump him. Sonny stares around; he nudges
Sylvia out ahead of him. As they edge into sight of the
Media across the street:
NEWSMEN AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Out in the light. Hey, Lady! You're
on TV, Lady! Smile, any... god
damn thing...
ANGLES - SHOWING CROWDS
straining against police lines: this is where we begin to
sense the size of the event. People are eating popsicles
and ice cream. They are diverted and excited. Sonny and
Sylvia begin to emerge: CATCALLS and HOOTS of greeting...
CLOSER - SONNY AND SYLVIA
as he looks around, and the impact of his situation really
hits him: he's not only totally surrounded, he's an event.
Some of the crowd CHEER him. An army of Cops, and guns all
levelled on Sonny.
MORETTI
Let Sal come out, take a look. What
hope you got? Quit while you're
ahead. All you got is attempted
robbery.
SONNY
...armed robbery...
MORETTI
Well, armed, then. Nobody's been
hurt. Release the hostages, nobody
is gonna worry over kidnapping
charges, the worst you're gonna get
is five years -- you can be out in a
year.
Sonny stares at him, his face utterly blank.
SONNY
Kiss me.
Moretti stops, stares back.
MORETTI
What?
SONNY
(deadpan)
When I'm bein' fucked, I like to be
kissed a lot.
(bursting out)
Who the fuck are you tryin' to con
me into some deal? You're a city
cop, where's the FBI? This is a
federal offense, I got kidnapping,
armed robbery, they're gonna bury
me! You know it, you can't talk for
them, you're some flunky pig tryin'
to bullshit me. Now God damn it,
get somebody in charge here to talk
to me!
MORETTI
Calm down, you're not...
SONNY
Calm down... look at this, look at
him...!
Gestures at the cops, the wall of rifles and machine guns
levelled on him. It is incredible and terrifying...
SONNY
(continuing)
They wanna kill me so bad they can
taste it!
He takes a defiant step into the street. The crowd SCREAMS
as they get their first view, which is of Sonny telling the
Cops off. They don't need to hear the words, they can see
it.
SONNY
(screaming)
Attica! Attica! Go ahead! Blow
off the front of the whole God damn
bank!
He holds his hands wide offering himself as a target to the
hulking officer.
SONNY
(to the TV)
If it wasn't for you guys they'd
kill everybody and say it was me and
Sal.
(to Moretti)
You tell 'em to put the guns down.
I can't stand it.
He means it. Moretti gestures to the officers to back away,
lower the guns. The crowd YELLS: Sonny has beat the Cops.
He is momentarily their hero.
It's a breaking point. Moretti makes a decision.
MORETTI
(Cop language command
to put gun away)
All right - put the guns down!
He has to YELL it twice before the Cop slowly, angrily, stuffs
the gun into his holster.
SOUND: The crowd screams.
ON SONNY
hearing the Crowd APPLAUSE. He turns and grins and waves to
them. They SCREAM more. He turns and waves to the media.
They've been YELLING.
MEDIA
Hey, over here! Give us a wave!
It is at this point that newsman leans out a window of the
second floor of the bank, quickly lowering a mike boom.
Sylvia sees this above her head.
ON MORETTI
unhappy, looking around at Sheldon, who shrugs. He did what
he had to do.
ON SONNY
Suddenly realizing what control he has, enjoying it. He
turns mockingly his left and his right profile to cameras.
INT. TENEMENT HALLWAY
A FAT WOMAN runs heavily, stumbling, a delighted grin on her
face, up the stairs PAST CAMERA, yelling to someone unseen
upstairs.
FAT WOMAN
Vi! Oh, Jesus. Vi! Turn on the
TV, turn the TV on, you can see it's
him.
INT. VI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Small, jammed with little things of sentimental value and
cheap furniture, clean, but well-worn. VI, a small woman in
her fifties, with a perpetual smile, and the sweating Fat
Woman trot in, just as Vi's HUSBAND, a dour man in his
fifties, is exiting.
FAT WOMAN
...I swear to God it looked just
like him!
He hesitates in the doorway as the two women rush to the TV
which is already on, the station showing live coverage of
the bank robbery. On SCREEN, Sonny can be seen ordering the
cops around. Moretti looks furious.
ON THE TV SET
VI
(as the recognizes
Sonny)
Oh, My God in Heaven!
TV NEWSMAN
...the robber, whose identity is not
known, came out of the bank, with a
hostage, Mrs. Sylvia Ball...
FAT WOMAN
(proud)
Did I tell you? He looks good!
IMAGE OF SYLVIA ON TV
VI
What's he doin' this for? He didn't
tell me he needed money. He would
of told me.
TV NEWSMAN
...Mrs. Ball, is everyone all right
in the bank?
HUSBAND
Why rob a bank when you got a sucker
for a mother?
SYLVIA
Oh, yeah, the one girl was cryin',
but we're havin' a ball, so far, if
just nobody shoots...
VI
Why didn't he tell me?
NEWSMAN
What about the man inside the bank?
What is he doing?
HUSBAND
I just hope he gives the wrong name.
He reaches for TV to turn it off. Vi stops him.
SYLVIA
Sal? He never talks, only goes:
'Sonny, you want me to shoot that
one, this one.'
HUSBAND
Is that all there is -- that little
bastard down there in the bank?
TV NEWSMAN
Mrs. Ball, do you think they might
shoot, if they get desperate?
VI
You got money for the subway?
SYLVIA
Hey, wait, he's goin' back in.
(she turns OUT OF
PICTURE)
FAT WOMAN
Subway! It's a special occasion --
take a cab, for God's sake!
NEW IMAGE
Sonny returning toward bank.
EXT. BANK - DAY
TWO SHOT - SONNY AND MORETTI
as they shake hands. As Sonny starts into the bank first,
he holds the door open, waiting for Sylvia. In the meantime,
the 2nd-floor media man yells down to her.
SYLVIA
(looking up toward
them)
I gotta go now.
MEDIA (2ND FLOOR)
Hey, lady... you're out now. Stay
out!
Sonny, waiting patiently, holds door open for her.
SYLVIA
They're my girls. They need me in
there.
And she walks through the door past Sonny and into the bank.
Moretti yells up at the media to get the hell away and at
the same time, turns to a nearby cop and gives orders for
the air conditioning to be turned off inside the bank.
As the crowd realizes what has happened, they APPLAUD and
SCREAM. At the door:
ANGLE IN BANK DOOR
as Sonny turns to grin and wave back at crowd.
CUT TO:
INT. BANK - DAY
as Sonny and Sylvia walk into bank and head for the group at
the rear. Mulvaney is seated at his desk, but the rest of
the girls are standing around the vault area.
Sylvia heads for the girls as Sonny walks toward Sal.
SYLVIA
Hey, girls -- I was on television...
MULVANEY
(to passing Sonny)
What about Howard?
Sonny makes reassuring gesture to let him know Howard is
safe.
SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Turn on the TV.
Mulvaney turns on the TV set. In the meantime, Sylvia has
reached the other girls.
GIRLS
What happened?
And Sylvia begins to recount the events out on the street,
mainly about herself as a television celebrity.
ANGLE ON TV SET
as we see the image of a TV NEWSMAN across the street. Then,
as his director CUTS, we will see on the TV set an
ANGLE ON THE BANK AS SEEN FROM ACROSS THE STREET.
The TV Cameraman ZOOMS and the TV image ZEROES IN through
the door to show a partially-screened but quite clear image
of Sonny, talking to Sal.
SONNY
(to Sal)
The whole media is out there... it
looks a lot better for us than it
did before...
ON SAL
absorbing this...
TV NEWSMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
We can see the robbers inside the
bank, and we're trying now to
establish contact.
THE PHONE BEGINS TO RING.
TV NEWSMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
We're on the telephone to the bank
manager, Patrick J. Mulvaney... Mister
Mulvaney...
Mulvaney answers the phone.
MULVANEY'S VOICE (V.O.)
Yes, I can hear you.
SONNY
serious, nodding to Sal.
TV NEWSMAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
Can you put the robber on the phone?
Will he talk to us?
MULVANEY'S VOICE (V.O.)
You wanna talk to him... Sonny...
Sonny turns, trying to understand...
NEW ANGLE
SONNY
What?
MULVANEY
The TV... they want to talk to you...
He holds out the phone. Sonny walks over to him and takes
the receiver. On the TV screen, we can see him doing this.
SONNY
(into phone)
Yeah? Who's this?
WABC TV NEWSMAN
Sir, you're on the air. I wonder if
you'd answer a few questions.
SONNY
(to Sal)
Hey, Sal...
(to phone)
Sure.
TV NEWSMAN
Why are you doing this?
SONNY
Doing what?
TV NEWSMAN
Robbing a bank.
SONNY
I don't know... It's where they got
the money. I mean, if you want to
steal, you go to where they got the
money, right?
Jenny now edges over and sits on top of Edna's desk.
TV NEWSMAN
But I mean, why do you need to steal?
Couldn't you get a job?
SONNY
Get a job doing what? You gotta be
a member of a union, no union card -
no job. To join the union, you gotta
get the job, but you don't get the
job without the card.
TV NEWSMAN
What about, ah, non-union occupations?
SONNY
Like what? Bank teller? What do
they get paid -
(now looks over at
girls who offer the
information - $135.37)
they pay one hundred thirty-five
dollars and thirty-seven cents to
start. I got a wife and kids. I
can't live on that -- You want to
live on that? What do you make a
week?
TV NEWSMAN
(swiftly, evasive)
I'm here to talk to you, Sonny, not...
SONNY
Wait a minute... I'm talkin' to you.
I'm askin' you a question...
TV NEWSMAN
The audience is interested in you,
Sonny... not me.
SONNY
Yeah! We're hot entertainment, right?
You got me and Sal on TV... we're
entertainment you sell, right?
TV NEWSMAN
You're news, Sonny...
SONNY
How much you have to pay an
entertainer to fill this slot?
TV NEWSMAN
Newsman, not...
SONNY
Okay, newsman. How much you make a
week?
(beat)
You're not talkin'. You payin' me?
What have you got for me? We're
givin' you entertainment... what are
you givin' us?
TV NEWSMAN
What do you want us to give you?
You want to be paid for...
SONNY
I don't want to be paid. I'm here
with Sal and eight other people...
and we're dyin'! They're gonna blow
our guts out, man! You're gonna see
our brains onna sidewalk! How's
that for all you shut-ins and
housewives to look at! You gonna
help, or you just put it on instead
of AS THE WORLD TURNS? We're dyin'
here! What have you got for me?
TV NEWSMAN
You could give up.
SONNY
Oh yeah? Give up? You ever been in
prison?
TV NEWSMAN
Of course not...
SONNY
Then talk about somethin' you fuckin'
know about...
At that instant, the TV screen switches to a PLEASE STAND BY
card and we hear an announcer's voice over:
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Ladies and gentlemen, our transmission
has been temporarily interrupted.
Please stand by.
Sonny hangs up the phone, looks at Mulvaney, puzzled at the
outcome of the conversation.
SONNY
Why the hell did he do that? What
the hell did I do?
MULVANEY
I guess he didn't appreciate your
use of language. They don't speak
that way on television. It's a rule.
Do you realize you've cut off a
valuable source of communication?
Sonny now moves over to Sal.
SONNY
Okay, Sal... what do we do?
SAL
(no answer)
SONNY
I figure maybe we can get the FBI to
make a deal...
SAL
What kind of a deal?
SONNY
Maybe we can get outta this thing
alive... get 'em to drop the
kidnapping charges...
SAL
What do you mean? You talkin' about
coppin a plea?
SONNY
(starts to speak, but
Sal interrupts)
SAL
...because if you're talking about
coppin' a plea, I'm tellin' you right
now, there's no deal... I'm never
going back to prison... We got our
own deal already... Do you remember
the pact we made? You and me and
Jackie - that night in the bar... we
were talkin' about if we get trapped
in the bank, what are you gonna do...
Right? What did we say? What did
we say!
SONNY
We'd kill ourselves.
SAL
Does that still go?
PHONE RINGS.
SONNY
We're not there yet.
PHONE CONTINUES TO RING.
Sonny now walks over to the ringing phone on Edna's desk.
Jenny, sitting on top of the desk, thinks the call is from
her husband, starts to reach for it but as she does, Sonny
grabs it away from her.
SONNY
You're on the phone!
1ST CRANK (V.O.)
Kill them all. Now.
It's a heavy adhesive voice that can be heard clearly
throughout the bank.
SONNY
Kill them all now? You fuckin' creep!
Don't call here again!
Sonny slams down the receiver, looks around at the group.
SONNY
You see what we're dealing with?
They want me to kill all of you!
MULVANEY
What now, Sonny?
SONNY
Wait a minute... I've been looking
at this all wrong... Let's look at
it the other way...
He crosses over to Sal.
SONNY
Look, we gotta get a jet outta here...
outta the country. We gotta get a
helicopter. Okay, Sal? We get a
helicopter on the roof to take us to
the jet and we fly to the sunny
Caribbean. Algeria. We got to look
at the bright side. We got 'em by
the balls, we got the hostages, we
can get anything we want. They gotta
give it to us.
Edna exits ladies room as Sonny crosses back to the phone,
picks it up.
SONNY
(into phone)
Get me Moretti.
Now Sonny turns and speaks to the group.
SONNY
We're all gonna get outta here.
You're all gonna be all right. I'm
gonna ask for a helicopter and a
jet... and we're gonna get outta
here alive... You've all been all
right with me and as long as it stays
that way, then things are gonna be
all right - as long as you
cooperate...
(into phone)
Moretti, I want to talk to you. I'm
comin' out.
Sonny slams the phone down and walks over to Sal, rifle still
in his hands.
SONNY
You realize, Sal, that we're gonna
get outta the country, so if you
wanna talk to somebody, do it now...
You gotta Mother or a Father?
Friends?
(Sal nods no)
If we gotta be outside the country,
where do you wanna go? Any country.
Just name a country.
SAL
Wyoming.
SONNY
(stopped for a moment)
Wyoming... That's not out of the
country -- that's in the United
States... Look, I'll be back.
Sonny starts to walk toward the door. As he does, Sal calls
back to him.
SAL
Sonny! Gimme the gun. You don't
need that.
Sonny realizes what he's saying and crosses back to Sal and
hands him the gun, then moves toward the front door.
EXT. BANK - DAY
Much as before. Sonny steps out. The guns start to come
up.
SONNY
Put them down.
The Cops lower their weapons. Moretti comes out on the
sidewalk. He's eating an ice cream bar, and stands seemingly
at ease, an island of calm control in a storm of passion
about to be let loose. The Cops are always about to explode.
MORETTI
Sonny, ya want somethin'?
Sonny is about to open his mouth when a medium-size dark-
haired Man who has been standing among people behind the
barriers puts his head down and runs at astonishing speed
right across the street towards Sonny. He catches everybody
so by surprise he is already on Sonny before anyone can do
more than start to yell at him to stop. Sonny, himself,
can't believe it! He is slammed to the ground and the Man
begins to punch him and beat him viciously. Cops charge in
and with great difficulty pull him off.
YELLING on the radio network; TV Reporters and the crowd up
and SCREAMING for blood!
CLOSE ANGLE
as Moretti steps in. Sonny gets up, dazed. The Man goes on
kicking and fighting Cops...
MORETTI
Who the hell is that?
ANGLE SHOWING DOOR OF BANK
Mulvaney stands in the door...
MORETTI
(to Maria's boy friend)
Hey! What the fuck you tryin' to
do? You don't think the whole police
department can do the job?
MARIA'S BOY FRIEND
I think he's got Maria in there, and
I see blood, man! I wanta jam him
up...
MORETTI
Jesus, the Spanish! You gotta do it
yourself, right? Eye for an eye!
Go wan get outa here, we'll take
care of her.
(turns to Sonny)
You okay, Sonny? Boy, he hung a
couple good ones on you there!
MULVANEY
(from door; alarmed)
Sal wants to see Sonny. He says
he'll shoot unless he can see Sonny.
He means Sal. Sonny, dazed and bleeding, reels to the door
and calls in... Sal now stands alone behind 3rd pillar.
SONNY
It's okay, Sal.
He turns back to face Moretti, Sylvia, Mulvaney.
SONNY
(continuing; hurt,
wondering)
He wanted to kill me!
MORETTI
It's okay, you got a lot of
protection.
CLOSE - SONNY
Looking around, bewildered, the crowd is YELLING and now it
sounds unfriendly. He is really shaken up... He shakes
himself -- stops that line and starts over in a business-
like tone.
SONNY
I want a helicopter to get outa here!
And a jet to take us to...
(cagey)
...wherever we want to go. Outa the
country, so no little jets. A big
one with a bar and a piano lounge.
MORETTI
I don't know, Sonny. I don't know
if the helicopters can land in here.
I'll have to check it out. I got
superiors, unnerstan? They don't
always see eye to eye with me. I'll
do what I can.
Sonny looks him in the eye. Suddenly he makes kissing motions
and sounds with his lips. We know what he's referring to:
he thinks Moretti's trying to fuck him over.
MORETTI
(continuing)
Sonny, be reasonable!
SONNY
I want to see my wife. I want you
to bring her down here.
MORETTI
Okay, what do you give me?
SONNY
What do you want?
MORETTI
The girl hostages.
SONNY
Nothin' doin'. I give you one hostage
when you bring my wife, and one for
the helicopter, one for the jet, and
the rest can come home on the jet.
MORETTI
(kiss)
I'll see what they'll do.
Sonny smiles and pantomimes kissing.
MORETTI
Okay, you pick out who you're gonna
give us. Where's your wife?
EXT. ROCKAWAY BEACH - DAY
There's Heidi. Her body lies exactly as before, baking in
the sun. The transistor RADIO plays... she seems to be
asleep...
RADIO
...the leader of the pair, a Vietnam
veteran, Sonny Abramowicz, has
demanded in return for releasing one
of the hostages that police allow
his wife to visit him at the bank.
Police spokesman...
Heidi sits bolt upright, stares at the radio, which continues
to blather on. Abruptly she begins to gather up her things,
her children, in a characteristically scatter-brained and
hyperactive sort of way. Heidi is a one woman panic: she
hustles away across the broiling sand carrying the radio
wadded up in towels, and lugging a child, crying helplessly,
by one elbow, as though it were a handle, a silhouette against
the late afternoon sun, out of Fellini... meanwhile on the
SOUND TRACK we are hearing her voice. It is a breathless,
harsh childish voice that pours out the words in a torrent:
HEIDI (V.O.)
The transistor goes Sonny what? I
couldn't believe my ears, so I shut
the transistor, get outta here, who
needs this? I say Sonny didn't do
it. It's not him to rob a bank.
It's not him to hurt anybody, to
threaten anybody, to steal or do
anything wrong. 'Cause he's never
done nothin' wrong from the day I
know him.
She is stumping off into the sunset as she says these words
and we
CUT TO:
EXT. BROOKLYN STREET - DAY
Out of a subway crowd, she struggles, pulling the two kids
by the hand, a very ordinary woman in a most ordinary New
York scene...
HEIDI (V.O.)
...Only he tells me this and he tells
me that, he's with the Mafia, I say,
Sonny, where do you get the money,
you're on welfare, how can you rent
a new Eldorado, red, you don't like
the color you rent a yellow.
EXT. HEIDI'S APARTMENT HOUSE - DAY
A working class block, dirty, shops in the first floor, three
story walk-ups above... Heidi appears and runs up the stoop.
TWO COPS get out of a squad car where they've been staked
out and move up to her. They never really get in a word
edgewise. They follow her into the hall... Now as we CUT
CLOSER to her, we will SEE Heidi's mouth in SYNC with the
words...
HEIDI
So night before last we're at Coney
Island, he's on the rides with the
kids, an' I have this habit of goin'
in glove compartments an' all, an' I
see...
INT. HALL - DAY
Heidi struggles up the stairs, dragging the kids -- the cops
following...
HEIDI
this gun with bullets in there, an'
I go to myself, oh God, Sonny! That's
all I had to see, I didn't say
anything.
She's got her door unlocked. Below and on the stairs behind
the Cops, curious neighbors peer in...
INT. HEIDI'S APARTMENT - DAY
Chaos out of cut-rate furniture stores. Full of unwashed
glasses, kids' clutter. Throughout, the children rush around
unchecked. Neighbors enter without ceremony and listen.
The Cops stand, trying vainly to communicate... As they
enter...
HEIDI
(continuing)
And things are adding in my head,
how crazy he's been acting, and in
with a bad crowd, an' I look at him,
he's yellin' at the kids like a
madman. So inna car I said to him,
Sonny, what you gonna do with the
gun? You gonna shoot me and dump my
body inna river or what? I was so
scared of him, I never been scared
of Sonny never. You know, his mother
says the cops was always at our house,
we was always fighting. I hit him
with the jack in the car once, but I
only missed and hit myself, you should
of seen my leg. And all he would
ever do is put on his coat and go
out. So they say it's Sonny but I
don't believe it.
COP 1
Lady, you saw him. You saw his gun.
HEIDI
He might of done it, his body
functions might of done it, but not
he himself.
INT. BANK - LATE AFTERNOON - APPROX. 5 PM
The group is now situated like this:
1) MULVANEY'S DESK - the TV is on; seated in his chair, filing
her nails is MIRIAM.
Seated to her left, having pulled the chair a patron uses,
is MARIA, watching TV and listening to her transistor radio,
against her left ear, at the same time.
MULVANEY (at back water cooler - will eventually move back
to his desk, sit down to Miriam's right.)
2) EDNA - is now behind the Tellers' cages, straightening up
the mess; she picks up the loose money that Sonny had
scattered thru the air, puts them into packets and ties them
with rubber bands.
3) SAL - is seated in the rear Conference room, still holding
his rifle, feet up on the table.
4) MULVANEY & DEBORAH - at the rear water cooler (from which
she will move to see what's wrong with Margaret)
5) MARGARET - seated at her desk, obviously ill, wiping her
forehead, head bowed.
6) SYLVIA and JENNY - at far right table, doing a crossword
puzzle.
7) SONNY - pacing back and forth Mulvaney's desk, posing a
legal puzzle for Maria.
Sonny, his gun now lying across the top of Mulvaney's desk,
is pacing back and forth between the desk areas. He's talking
to Maria in particular, but anyone in earshot in general.
SONNY
Let's say I put a gun to your head
and I tell you to kill a cop... and
you did. Who'd go to the electric
chair... you or me?
MARIA
You would... you told me to do it.
SONNY
But you shot him.
MIRIAM
(joining in)
But you told her to.
SONNY
Yeah - But you did it.
Deborah crosses to Margaret who is ill. Deborah goes to
Sylvia - who returns with her her to Margaret.
It should begin getting dark in through here. It is very
hot and sweaty in the bank. OPEN SCENE ON:
CLOSE MULVANEY ON PHONE
He is sweating, worried. He is listening to a conversation
we can HEAR... as it goes on SHOT WIDENS to reveal the others
in various postures of waiting. Sal more disheveled, Sonny's
restlessness is unabated; he paces about like a caged animal.
The voice on the phone is breathy and youthful: Sonny has
been listening for a long time.
JESUS FREAK (V.O.)
Jesus Christ is coming back and he's
really pissed.
SONNY
(gently)
Yeah, well I don't blame him.
JESUS FREAK (V.O.)
You know, Sonny, I used to dope a
lot, and I was into dipping? And I
did a couple bank jobs, and the Lord
Jesus in his everlasting mercy saved
me, you know how?
Sonny is desperate to get off the phone but doesn't dare
risk the wrath of God by hanging up on this guy. He might