Street Life

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In Chapter 14 of FILLMORE, Fillmore and Peach arrive in San Francisco, where he puts her to work soliciting on a street corner. Meanwhile, police officer Dick Gamble has breakfast with his family and reveals his plans to start arresting white people so he can get 'that big promotion' ...


INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY
Plain, but nice. With that typical bland motel-room-like decor.
The door OPENS. In walks Slim and Peach.

PEACH
This is nice --

Slim pulls out a wad of cash. Starts counting it.

SLIM
It’ll do for now. We’re paid up for a month,
but you’re gonna have to get your fine ass to work right away.
You did good on the road, but now we’re in San Francisco, the big time.

PEACH
You mean -- tonight?

SLIM
(sits down next to her, takes her hand)
You wanna make me proud, right?

(off her nod)
We gotta make some real money, so we can live in high style.
And if I’m going to be with the most beautiful girl in San Francisco,
she’s gotta be decked out in the finest, right?

PEACH
Of course --

SLIM
And you want ol’ Slim to get that Cadillac, right?

PEACH
Sure. But I thought maybe we could --
(shy)
Make love?

SLIM
There’ll be plenty of time for that later.
There’s money to be made, and time’s a-wasting.

EXT. FILLMORE STREET - NIGHT
Slim and Peach walk down the sidewalk, checking out the action.
The street is clogged with cars, the sidewalk filled with
HOOKERS and STREET TRASH mingling about,
looking for action in a non-stop parade of hustling.

Peach is now wearing a barely-there mini-dress,
halter top and sky-high heels.

MEN stare at her as they go by.
They stop at a corner. Look around.

SLIM
This spot looks as good as any.

PEACH
Never worked on the street before --

SLIM
It’s the same as working inside at the bar, but much better.

PEACH
How’s that.
SLIM
Well, inside, you’re hidden away from the world --
but out here, your magnificent gorgeousness
is on display for the whole, wide world to see.

PEACH
'Magnificent gorgeousness?'

SLIM
I tell no lies, girl. I just call ‘em like I see ‘em,
and from where I stand, you’re an angel from heaven
brought down to earth to make people happy.

PEACH
Aw --

He smiles. SMACKS her ass. Walks away.

A WELL-DRESSED WHITE MAN (40’s) behind the wheel
of a Lincoln Continental pulls up to the curb in front of them.

WELL-DRESSED WHITE MAN
(out the window)
Excuse me.

Peach smiles. Moves over to the car. Leans in the window.

PEACH
Looking for a date?

WELL-DRESSED WHITE MAN
This must be my lucky night.

PEACH
(as she gets in)
That makes two of us.

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
A row of run-down apartment buildings on a crowded city street.
CAMERA finds one at the end.

We see a LARGE MAN (30’s)
trudge up the stairs and go inside.

INT. APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY
A tiny, cluttered room. Large Man walks in.
Meet DICK GAMBLE (40’s), vice cop. Looks exhausted.

But then, you’d be, too -- if you just worked a double shift.
We recognize him as the uniformed officer
that Slim watched arrest Skinny Pimp.

INT. APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DAY
Dick’s wife ANITA (30’s) is serving their four CHILDREN breakfast.
The place is a disaster area. Pots, pans and dishes everywhere.

She’s breast-feeding a BABY GIRL (1),
while the other kids are fighting over a box of cereal.

LITTLE BOY
It’s not FAIR. You had cereal YESTERDAY. Now it’s MY TURN.

ANITA
Give Reggie the box, Tommy. You can have toast.

TOMMY
But I don’t WANT toast.

Dick walks in.

DICK
Stop shouting. Listen to your mother.

ANITA
How was work?

DICK
These double-shifts are killing me.
But we need the over-time --

ANITA
Yeah, to pay the bills.
But what about starting the kids’ college fund?

DICK
Don’t worry, honey. We’ll get there.

ANITA
(sighs)
Okay.

DICK
Look. I know things are tight, but once I break a big case,
I can get on the homicide squad. More prestige, more money --

ANITA
(raises her eyebrows)
And then you’ll get to arrest white people?

DICK
One can dream --

TOMMY
You gonna arrest white people, Daddy?

DICK
Hush now. Let’s keep that a secret for now, okay?