*For Introduction with submission guidelines go to Oct 13
For easy access to the beginning of the script and older excerpts go to the Home page.
*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 VI
ACT FOUR (Con’t)
SEPTEMBER 1958
INT. RIVIERA CASINO. NIGHT.
BANNERS herald the GRAND OPENING. The MUSIC is frenzied. Every table is jammed with GAMBLERS. Meyer patrols the floor in a white dinner jacket,checking,the tables, joking with the Gamblers. He approaches a ROULETTE TABLE where THREE SOLDIERS stand guard, arms folded, over a CUBAN COLONEL in full dress uniform, who is betting huge sums at the wheel. Suddenly a WAITER comes out of the crowd and tugs on his arm.
WAITER
Stay away from the roulette,
Senor.
A WOMAN
pushes through the crowd at the wheel. She pulls a small SILVER AUTOMATIC out of her purse and fires. The COLONEL is hit. THREE YOUNG MEN run behind the Guards, firing. The Guards fall. The Assailants fire wildly to cover their retreat. Gamblers duck and scatter, screaming in fear.
THE WAITER
draws Meyer into a corner, speaking quickly before he runs away.
WAITER
You’re a fair man, Senor
you treat us better than
our own grandees. But
Fidel has said he would
rather execute the
gangsters than expel them.
Get out now before it’s
too late…
INT. RIVIERA CASINO. NIGHT.
A few hours later. The Casino is empty. Sheets cover the bodies Batista, deeply agitated, complains to Meyer.
BATISTA
They’re communist trouble
makers, nothing more…
MEYER
I know a professional job
when I see one. Who is
this Fidel?
BATISTA
He’s a gnat! A nothing!
I could wipe him out in
a week, but President
Eisenhower won’t send
troops to help me.
MEYER
I got a lotta money sunk
in this town, Fulgencio.
I gotta know if my
investment is safe.
BATISTA
Hundred per cent, Meyer,
you have my word. I have
been too gentle with these
Fidelistas, but I will crush
them now, I promise.
NEW YEARS’ EVE 1959
INT. RIVIERA CASINO. NIGHT.
New Year’s Eve and the casino is packed. As the confetti swirls and the band plays a mambo version of “Auld Lang Syne…” Teddy fights her way through a crowd of well wishers to:
INT, OFFICE. NIGHT.
Where Meyer is counting cash, and pounding on an ADDING MACHINE.
TEDDY
Meyer it’s New Year’s. Come
out and have a dance for
God’s sake.
MEYER
(exultant)
We’re three million ahead
for the year, Teddy. And
you know what’s even better?
The winnings have gone up
every week. We’re a smash.
INT. RIVIERA CASINO. NIGHT.
Pandemonium…Dancing in the aisles. Meyer and Teddy come out. Meyer looks around, anxiously.
MEYER
Band’s too good. It’s
keepin’ people away from
the tables…
TEDDY
Oh, stop worrying and enjoy
yourself for God’s sake.
Meyer kisses her.
MEYER
I love you, Teddy.
They kiss again, but are startled by an EXPLOSION. The building shakes. Plaster rains from the ceiling. ANOTHER EXPLOSION shatters the glass doors of the casino. Several CUBAN REVOLUTIONARIES in BATTLE FATIGUES burst in, waving rifles.
REVOLUTIONARY
Nobody move. This casino is
under the control of the
Revolutionary Government of
Cuba.
Meyer pulls Teddy back toward the office.
MEYER
Go upstairs and stay with
the boys.
INT. OFFICE, NIGHT
Meyer runs in and finds the Waiter, who warned him, now in BATTLE FATIGUES, placing a small dynamite charge by his safe. The safe blows. The door swings open.
MEYER
What’s this a stick up?
WAITER
An expropriation. This
money belongs to the people
of Cuba.
MEYER
It belonged to American
gamblers. Now it belongs to
the Riviera. And a piece of
it goes to President Batista.
WAITER
Ex President Batista has
loaded three planes with
everything he could steal
and escaped to his friend
Trujillo in Santa Domingo
(empties the smoking safe)
I warned you, Senor, but
you preferred to put your
money on Batista. Now you
will go home with nothing…
INT. CASINO.NIGHT.
A few hours later.MEYER AND TEDDY stand on the bar, trying to calm a crowd of distraught AMERICAN GAMBLERS, who are shouting angry questions…”When will we get our passports back?” “Is Eisenhower sending the Marines?”
MEYER
We’re all gonna get out of
here safe and sound.
There’s a bus coming from
the American Embassy to
take you to the airport.
TEDDY
Meanwhile, if anybody’s
hungry there’s chicken soup
and sandwiches in the
kitchen…
INT. CASINO. DAY.
Wrecked and empty and deathly still. Meyer stands at a shattered crap table, rolling the dice aimlessly. Teddy runs in carrying a small overnight bag
TEDDY
Meyer, the bus is waiting.
MEYER
We didn’t have time to
break even. We’re out
seven million…
TEDDY
(takes him by the arm)
Don’t sit shiva yet. The
Ambassador says Castro will
let us stay in business.
He won’t turn his back on
millions of dollars.
MEYER
Nobody knew who Castro was
six months ago, now
everybody’s readin’ his mind.
(as they leave the casino)
Fourteen million dollars I
spent on this hotel. You
know much I sunk into
those Mosaic bricks?
TEDDY
So next time use linoleum…
He turns for one last look.
MEYER
I always played the odds. I
made one come bet in my
whole life. And I crapped
out.
Next:Act 4 (cont):
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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