*For Introduction with submission guidelines go to Oct 13
For easy access to the beginning of the script and older excerpts go to the homepage.
*Heywood Gould is the author of 9 screenplays including “Rolling Thunder,”Fort Apache, The Bronx,”Boys From Brazil”and “Cocktail.”
EMPIRES OF CRIME
By Heywood Gould
HOUR V
ACT FOUR (CONT)
NEWSREEL…1944 (STOCK) Allied troops land at Anzio.
NEWSCASTER
After months of careful
preparation the battle to
rescue Europe from Nazi
tyranny has begun as
American troops fight
their way onto the beaches
of Sicily… American
commandos working behind
enemy lines with Italian
resistance forces helped
pave the way.
INT. PRISON COMMISSARY. DAY
The INMATES cheer as the troops hit the beach.
INT. GREAT MEADOWS PRISON. DAY
In a sunny, spacious cell filled with the comforts of home, Charley and Meyer confer while Polakoff sits discreetly out of earshot.
MEYER
A million GI’s learned how
to shoot crap and play black
jack in the Army. They’re
gonna come home lookin’ for
action. We gotta expand.
Invest…
CHARLEY
But the boys don’t see it
that way, right?
MEYER
Benny’s buildin’ the biggest
hotel in the world right now,
but they’re cuttin’ him off.
CHARLEY
They’re not businessmen,
kid, they’re hoods. Always
were, always will be. Tell
‘em to give Benny what he
needs, but he’s gotta give
them more points.
MEYER
You won’t be sorry. We’re
gonna be drownin’ in cash…
CHARLEY
Not me. I’ll be in here.
MEYER
Mo. How we gonna get Charley
outta here?
POLAKOFF
Why would you want to leave
this place. It’s almost as
nice as the Waldorf.
CHARLEY
Yeah, but the door opens
from the outside.
POLAKOFF
McCook gave you a sentence
with no parole. We could
ask for executive clemency,
but Dewey’s running for
President and I don’t see
him releasing a notorious
gangster in the middle of
the campaign. The Navy’s
working for you. In the
long run we’ll get you out.
CHARLEY
In the long run I’ll be
dead, Mo. Somebody oughta
tell Mr. Dewey–in a nice
way–that he allowed the
Navy to send me, a
notorious gangster on top
secret missions. That he
allowed the Navy to make
deals with known criminals.
And that the story might
just leak out.
MEYER
It could also come out that
we contributed ninety G’s
to his campaign.
POLAKOFF
That’s blackmail, Charley.
CHARLEY
Like I told Red, I’m a
patriot but I’m not a crum.
Somebody should tell that
to Mr. Dewey. In a nice
way…
NEWSREEL…Dewey supporters on the railroad track, waving placards reading DEWEY WILL WIN and IT’S A DEW DEW DEWEY DAY…
EXT. WHISTLE STOP. DAY
Tom speaks to a cheering crowd.
TOM
Washington is going to
have the surprise of its
life. Things will move.
Incompetents will vanish.
Crooks will go to jail.
The snap and efficiency of
youth will prevail…
INT. GOVERNOR’S OFFICE. DAY
Tom listens, seething, as Haffenden pleads for Charley..
HAFFENDEN
I’ve submitted a two
hundred page classified
report detailing the
services Luciano rendered…
TOM
I read it. You disobeyed me
by giving Luciano the run
of the city, Commander. You
spirited him out of the
country on a secret mission.
I never would have permitted
that. But now I’ll be held
responsible.
HAFFENDEN
The Navy will never release
this information.
TOM
But Luciano will. Don’t you
see, he’s outsmarted us, He
didn’t have to ask for
anything because he knew he
would get it– by blackmail.
And now in order to protect
state secrets the Navy is
asking me to tarnish my
reputation.
HAFFENDEN
All I know is that this man
helped us save lives and
shorten the war. He deserves
some consideration for that
no matter who he is.
INT. GREAT MEADOWS PRISON. DAY
A “going away party”. Polakoff pops a bottle of champagne and pours for the GUARDS. In a corner, Haffenden explains the terms of Charley’s deal.
HAFFENDEN
You can go anywhere you want
essentially. But you can’t
come back to the US. Dewey
also retains the right to
revoke the deportation
order and rearrest you if
you reveal any details of
your wartime service.
CHARLEY
I served my country so well
that they’re gonna kick me
out.
HAFFENDEN
Cheer up, Charley. You won.
CHARLEY
So how come I feel like a
loser?
The Guards gather around him and toast:
GUARDS
Here’s to you Charley…
Good luck…
Charley raises his glass.
CHARLEY
And here’s to New York City,
the greatest city in the
greatest country in the
world. I’m gonna miss it.
INT. GOVERNOR’S MANSION. DAY
A noisy, combative press conference as Tom shouts down REPORTERS.
TOM
In return for services
rendered during the war,
Mr. Luciano is being
allowed to return to the
country of his birth. He
represents no threat as
he will be exiled for
life, never to return.
REPORTER
What services did he
perform?
TOM
I can’t comment on that.
REPORTER#2
Some people are suggesting
that this deportation is
payment for contributions
Luciano made to your
campaign.
TOM
Those people are probably
Democrats.
REPORTER#3
Some say you framed Luciano.
TOM
Prohibition made some very
bad men very rich. Their
power had to be broken
one way or another. Putting
Lucky Luciano in jail was
one of the best things I
ever did as a public
servant. My conscience is
clear.
EXT. NEW YORK HARBOR. DAY.
A wintry dawn, 1946. REPORTERS,PHOTOGRAPHERS and NEWSREEL CAMERAMEN wait outside The LARA KEENE, a battered liberty ship as a convoy of DARK SEDANS drives onto the pier. Charley, Meyer and Teddy get out of one car, while Anastasia, Costello and several SHOWGIRLS get out of another, followed by more MOB GUYS, GIRLS and WAITERS. The REPORTERS rush up, but are blocked by Meyer.
MEYER
There’s no story here. Go
home before I dump you in
the drink.
INT. STATEROOM. DAY.
Sun drenched and flower strewn. A COMBO serenades Charley.
ANASTASIA
pops a bottle of CHAMPAGNE.
ANASTASIA
This is a happy day for
all of us. Our friend
Charley is free. He
deserves a medal and a
parade, but we’ll take
a one way ticket to
Sicily, won’t we
Charley?
Charley barely nods; he is absorbed in urgent conversation with Meyer.
CHARLEY
All my pals seein’ me
off will be lookin’ to
push me out, Meyer.
You gotta protect my
interests.
MEYER
I’ll keep all your
percentages in a separate
account. The Commission
has agreed to send you
twenty five G’s a month
walkin’ around money as
an advance.
(passes him a bulky
envelope)
This’ll keep you goin’
until we can start sendin’
couriers.
CHARLEY
I’m gonna pick up Vito’s
drug business. I figure we
can make Sicily the transit
point for all heroin
deliveries into the US. We
can ship to Cuba and then
into New Orleans and Miami.
You gonna help me in Havana?
MEYER
Take a few months to get
the lay of the land, Charley.
The FBI’ll be watchin’ you.
You know you can’t trust,
Vito.
CHARLEY
(insistent)
I asked you a question,
Meyer? You gonna help me
in Havana?
MEYER
Lemme get set up first.
Lemme start makin’ money
for these guys…
CHARLEY
That sounds like a no to
me…
Meyer shrugs apologetically and is about to answer when:
BENNY
bursts into the stateroom. He is tan and sporty and drags VIRGINIA HILL a buxom redhead in a tight suit into the room.
BENNY
Awright, everybody against
the wall, this is a raid…
MEYER
(surprised)
Benny…
Everybody rushes to greet him. Only Anastasia hangs back with a jealous look
BENNY
(hugging Meyer)
Don’t worry, Meyer I locked
the safe.
(to Charley)
I heard they were kickin’
you outta the country,
Charley. All I gotta say
is it’s about time…
(hugs him)
You’re all skin and bones.
Better hit the macaroni.
C’mon in girls, don’t be
bashful for the first time
in your lives.
TWO BUSTY PARTY GIRLS enter and surround Charley.
BENNY
These ladies have
volunteered to keep you
company on the trip over.
Teach ‘em how to play gin.
At your age that’s all you
can do anyway.
CHARLEY
In case of a shipwreck they
won’t have no trouble
floatin’.
BENNY
(turns to Teddy)
Is this the new Mrs. Lansky?
MEYER
This is Teddy, Benny…
Benny sweeps Teddy off her feet with a hug.
BENNY
Meyer teach you all about
double entry bookkeeping?
You get bored with his card
tricks come out to Hollywood,
we’ll show ya a good time,
won’t we baby…
(he pushes the redhead at
Meyer)
Meyer, I want ya to meet
the love of my life,
Virginia Hill. She’s little
tipsy from three days of
drinkin’ on the train…
HILL
Yeah, you were boozin’ just
as much…
BENNY
On me it looks better…Now
on’t embarrass me in front
of my friends, they’re very
old fashioned. Especially
this little guy…
Suddenly emotional, he drapes his arms around Charley and Meyer.
BENNY
My old pals. We’ve been
through thick and thin
together.
MEYER
We always looked out for
each other.
BENNY
And we always will. We’re
gonna make Las Vegas the
biggest gambling town in
the world, Charley. We’re
gonna be bigger than ever.
The men raise their glasses in assent. ”Bigger than ever.” Charley returns the toast in a defiant tone with a pointed look at Meyer.
CHARLEY
To all my friends, who
been with me since the old
days. I’m just takin’ a
little vacation in the old
country. Before you know it,
I’ll be back on Broadway.
Back where I belong.
END HOUR FIVE
Next: HOUR SIX/Part 30/Act 1: Vegas
In a new department the Daily Event will reoffer some of these scripts. Read them and decide: would you like to have seen this movie?
Our first script is EMPIRES OF CRIME. Seven years in development it is a six part mini-series commissioned by a broadcast network and later reacquired by a cable station.
The story is about the founders of Organized Crime, Meyer Lansky, and “Lucky” Luciano, their fifty year partnership and the empire they created. Their friendships and families, lives and loves. It is also about their implacable enemy Thomas Dewey, a young Republican attorney who built a political career prosecuting the Mob that propelled him to the NY Governor’s Mansion and almost to the White House.
*For Introduction with submission guidelines go to Oct 13. Use Contact Us, above, for submissions.
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