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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/2193216-Screenplay
by Waters
Rated: 13+ · Script/Play · Drama · #2193216
Short script based on a short story.
Death of A Prizefighter


Based on the short story by Robert Switzer


INT. DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

A crowd of men, including a DOCTOR, boxing manager BILLY
MURDOCH, as well as several boxers and reporters stand around
a deceased young pugilist, TONY CASINO, whose body lies on a
rubbing table. A dangling ceiling light illuminates a dark
bruise on the boxer's left temple.

SUPERIMPOSE: BOSTON, 1949

The Doctor lifts the stethoscope from Casino's chest.

DOCTOR
He's dead. Cerebral hemorrhage,
probably.

BILLY MURDOCH
This is terrible. He had a solid
record, a promising career.

A dark skinned lightweight BOXER, and a REPORTER speak.

BOXER
He was too tall for a welter.

REPORTER
He should have been a middle with that
height, only his bones weren't big
enough.

BOXER
You gotta have that bone, bone soaks
it up.

REPORTER
He was knocked out in Philly last
month. He went down like he'd been
shot.

DOCTOR
(sharply to Murdoch)
Was he unconscious long? Last month, I
mean.

BILLY MURDOCH
No, I've seen them out longer. It
happens a lot more than you'd think.

A man with the bearing of a police officer, OFF-DUTY COP,
tall with a military style haircut, gets involved.

OFF-DUTY COP
How long was he out?

BILLY MURDOCH
Not very long.

OFF-DUTY COP
About how long?

BILLY MURDOCH
It was only a few minutes.

OFF-DUTY COP
How long is a few minutes?

BILLY MURDOCH
I don't remember exactly, but he was
in great shape for tonight's fight.

The room goes silent.

BOXER
I was there. Tony was out at least ten
minutes, maybe more.

BILLY MURDOCH
So what? I'd like to have a nickel for
every guy that's been out ten minutes.

BOXER
He looked awful pale when he came out
of it. Said he was feeling dizzy. I
sat with him for a while after Mr.
Murdoch left. He was sick too, but he
couldn't throw up anything. Just some
of that green stuff that burns.

OFF-DUTY COP
(to Murdoch)
Hmm. Did you ever see him dizzy?

BILLY MURDOCH
No. Not on my watch.

REPORTER
I saw him fight in Cleveland about six
months ago. He took one of the worst
beatings I've ever seen. It was enough
to finish most fighters.

DOCTOR
Did he lose often?

REPORTER
No. He had a whole lot of guts and was
usually a safe bet.

Murdoch slowly edges away from the rubbing table.

REPORTER
How was he between rounds tonight?

BILLY MURDOCH
I asked him how he was. He said he was
all right.

REPORTER
They're always all right. How did he
look?

BILLY MURDOCH
He didn't look perfect, but he was
alert.

OFF-DUTY COP
Where's the handler.

The HANDLER steps forward.

HANDLER
Right here.

OFF-DUTY COP
How did he look?

HANDLER
He looked bad. I don't think he could
see.

OFF-DUTY COP
(to Murdoch)
And you let him continue?

BILLY MURDOCH
You're trying to blame me? I don't
have to take this.

Murdoch walks to the door.

OFF-DUTY COP
I wish I could figure out a way to get
you bastards!

Murdoch hurriedly exits the room.

INT. BOXING ARENA TUNNEL - NIGHT

Murdoch is moving quickly through the tunnel when a sleazy
looking, disheveled overweight BOXING PROMOTER catches
up to him.

BOXING PROMOTER
Billy, you leaving town?

BILLY MURDOCH
I'm flying out first thing in the
morning. A couple of my boys are on
the undercard in Detroit tomorrow
night.

BOXING PROMOTER
If I was you, I'd hop on the next
plane outta Logan. Word's out. The
papers are gonna have a field day with
this. It'll be better if you're not
around.

BILLY MURDOCH
I can handle them.

BOXING PROMOTER
I'm tellin' ya, no one's gonna come up
to bat for you on this one.

BILLY MURDOCH
Maybe I will head out tonight.

BOXING PROMOTER
About the kid, who do we contact?

BILLY MURDOCH
I don't know. I think his folks are in
Brooklyn.

BOXING PROMOTER
Don't worry about it, I'll take care
of it.

The boxing promoter waves then departs. Murdoch takes off in
the opposite direction.

BILLY MURDOCH
(mumbles)
Guess you're keeping the purse, you
bighearted rat.

INT. AIRPORT - NIGHT

Murdoch, looking pale and stressed out, walks towards the
waiting area with a small suitcase in hand when a reporter,
REPORTER # 2, approaches him to get a statement.

REPORTER # 2
I heard your fighter died tonight. Can
I get a statement about what happened?

BILLY MURDOCH
Tony was hit harder than any of us
realized.

REPORTER # 2
Did you consider stopping the fight?

BILLY MURDOCH
He seemed normal. You can't stop the
fight every time your boy gets hit.
What would happen to the sport if you
stopped a fight every time somebody
got hit?

REPORTER # 2
How long were you his manager for?

BILLY MURDOCH
About a year and half.

REPORTER # 2
Were you two close?

BILLY MURDOCH
Whatta you mean?

REPORTER # 2
(insincerely)
Was he like a son to you?

BILLY MURDOCH
What's wrong with you? This isn't a
joke.

Murdoch walks away and continues to the waiting area.

INT. INSIDE OF AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT - NIGHT

MURDOCH is sitting in the rear of the plane. He closes his
eyes and replays the fatal fight in his mind.

INT. A SMALL ARENA - NIGHT - FLASHBACK

A boxing match is taking place between Tony Casino and
another WELTERWEIGHT (140-147 lbs.). In Casino's corner
there's Billy Murdoch and the handler. In the welterweight's
corner there's a short stocky TRAINER and an older grey-
haired SECOND. The crowd is cheering and jeering. Both
fighters' corners are yelling out instructions to their
respective fighters.

BILLY MURDOCH
Watch the hook! Stay off the ropes!

TRAINER
That's it! Keep working the body!

SECOND
Quit dropping your head!

In the last seconds of the round Casino suffers a heavy blow
to the left temple. The bell rings and he stands dazed.
Murdoch and the handler get inside the ring and walk him over
to his corner. The handler treats Casino's cuts and bruises
as Murdoch throws water on his face to snap him back into
alertness.

BILLY MURDOCH
How you feeling?

TONY CASINO
I'm all right.

BILLY MURDOCH
Good. Good. Now listen. Stay away from
him. Just keep away from him this
round.

TONY CASINO
Okay.

The bell rings. Casino goes in and moves around trying to
avoid getting hit. He is unable to maintain a proper defense
and is struck with a left jab, followed by a right cross. He
falls to the canvas unconscious.

INT. A CORRIDOR - NIGHT - FLASHBACK(CONT'D)

Murdoch, the handler, and the lightweight boxer are rushing
down the corridor carrying Tony Casino on a stretcher to the
dressing room. Several other fighters as well as reporters
are following closely behind.

BOXER
He's barely breathing.

BILLY MURDOCH
C'mon, stay with me kid.

INT. A HOTEL ROOM - DAY - BACK TO PRESENT

Murdoch is sitting beside a desk drinking coffee and reading
the Detroit Free Press. He puts the paper down, stares at
the back page with the large bold headline, "25-YEAR-OLD
BOXER KILLED IN RING. WHO'S TO BLAME?" then shakes
his head in frustration. He puts his coat and hat on, grabs his
small suitcase, and leaves the hotel room.

INT. TAXI - DAY

Murdoch closes the door and settles into the backseat. The
CAB DRIVER, a man in his late 40s, drives away.

CAB DRIVER
Where you going?

BILLY MURDOCH
Drop me off at the Motor City Gym.

CAB DRIVER
You got it.

BILLY MURDOCH
Thanks.

CAB DRIVER
You in the fight game?

BILLY MURDOCH
Small venues here and there, nothing
big.

CAB DRIVER
That's a tough racket. A young fella
just got killed. It's all over the
news. They're talkin' about shutting
the whole thing down. It'll never
happen.
(looks at Murdoch in rear-view
mirror)
People need champions.

BILLY MURDOCH
Yeah, and they're willing to ignore
the brutality of boxing to get those
champions.

CAB DRIVER
Ain't dat the truth.

The driver drops Murdoch off in front of the MOTOR CITY GYM.

INT. MOTOR CITY GYM - DAY

Promoter MAX GREEN is standing near the ring watching a
sparring match. On the other side of the ring there's a coach
also observing the match. Several men are training (jumping
rope, striking heavy and speed bags) at one end of the gym.
As Murdoch walks over to talk to Max Green he's startled
when he sees a pallid Tony Casino shadowboxing in front
of the wall mirror, a large black bruise on his left temple.

MAX GREEN
I heard you were in town. Your name's
getting dragged through the mud.

Green points to a metal folding chair near the ring which has
a newspaper on it. Murdoch glances over and sees a headline
on the back page of the Detroit Times. It reads, "MANAGER
ACCUSED OF PRIZEFIGHTER'S DEATH."

BILLY MURDOCH
I can't do anything about that. I'll
be there with my boys tonight. I'm not
letting a bunch of rabble-rousers stop
me from doing my job.

MAX GREEN
Lyle and Ramirez are still on, but I
don't want you around. There might be
trouble. It's one of those messes and
I don't want any part of it.

BILLY MURDOCH
I'll go to a movie, grab something to
eat.

MAX GREEN
I wouldn't do that either. My advice
is you head back to New York and dig
in there for a while. A man's better
off at home in these kinds of
situations.

BILLY MURDOCH
They're not gonna run me out of every
city.

MAX GREEN
So stay. Stay and get your skull
bashed in by some asshole. They'll
find you; it'll keep them excited.

BILLY MURDOCH
When do I receive my cut of the bouts?

MAX GREEN
(annoyed)
You'll get paid. When have I ever
stiffed you?

BILLY MURDOCH
I didn't mean nothing by it. This is
getting out of control. The minute
something goes wrong you're treated
like a leper.

MAX GREEN
Can't argue you with you there.

BILLY MURDOCH
(walking away)
We'll talk soon.

MAX GREEN
Take care, Murdoch.

Murdoch leaves the gym through the same door he came in.

EXT. MIDTOWN MANHATTAN - NIGHT

Murdoch is standing on the corner of 9th Avenue & West 56th
Street. Across the street, two men, who have been following
him, are approaching. He reaches into his coat pocket and
pulls out brass knuckles. He slips them onto his hand and
positions himself in a southpaw stance. Both men slow down
as they get closer. They continue walking without looking back.
Murdoch holds his ground until the two men are out of sight.
He walks down 56th St. towards 10th Ave. then goes inside
the GARRISON HOTEL.

INT. A HOTEL HALLWAY - NIGHT

Murdoch stands in front of the door of room # 688. He takes a
deep breath and knocks a couple of times. The door opens and
he walks in.

INT. A SMOKY HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Boxing managers, JACK LATIMER, PETE TORELLI, and MANNY GOLD
are in the middle of a poker game.

JACK LATIMER
(holds door open)
Look who's back. Good to see you. Come
on in.

BILLY MURDOCH
(shakes Jack's hand)
I was expecting to get thrown out of
here too.

JACK LATIMER
If you keep giving us a bad name we
might have to.

Murdoch sets his suitcase, coat, and hat down. Pete Torelli
and Manny Gold remain seated at a table littered with clay
chips, ash trays, and beer bottles.

PETE TORELLI
Hey, how you doing? You got a tough
break. Don't let it get to you.

BILLY MURDOCH
I appreciate that, Pete.

MANNY GOLD
You know the drill. Every so often
they gotta yell. They'll move on to
something else. Sit down and play a
hand. It'll take your mind off things.

Murdoch sits down at the table. Jack Latimer is across the
room pouring a drink for himself.

JACK LATIMER
What do you like in your Scotch,
Billy?

BILLY MURDOCH
Water, just plain water. Thanks.

JACK LATIMER
I'ma make it a double. It'll settle
your nerves.

BILLY MURDOCH
That's awful good of you.

A while later, a slightly inebriated Murdoch stands up.

BILLY MURDOCH
I'd like to say a few words. We've
lost a good man. He was honest and
hard working. Maybe I shouldn't have
pushed him so hard.

PETE TORELLI
Don't beat yourself up, Billy.

BILLY MURDOCH
No, I gotta say this. I been in this
business a long time and I haven't
always made the best decisions, but I
won't apologize for wanting my boys to
be top contenders.

MANNY GOLD
That's right.

BILLY MURDOCH
I'll have to live with Tony's death on
my conscience. We all know the risks.
This is what we choose to do. It's
what he chose to do.
(raises his glass)
To Tony Casino! May his soul rest in
peace.

JACK/PETE/MANNY
(raise their glasses)
To Tony!

The four boxing managers resume their poker game.


THE END




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