72. INT. CHASEN’S RESTAURANT – PRIVATE DINING ROOM – NIGHT
A large Hollywood press conference is about to begin. REPORTERS are grazing at the sumptuous buffet provided for them. FRANKIE and HYMIE walk into the room.
REPORTER #1
Here he comes!
The reporters bombard Frankie with questions as he tries to make his way to the speaker’s platform.
REPORTER #2
Frankie, you gonna to sue for libel, and for how much?
REPORTER #3 (Army Archerd)
My paper checked Clinton records and they do have you on the books down there for prostitution and for procuring.
REPORTER #4 (James Bacon)
Yeah, how are you going to explain that, Frankie?
REPORTER #3
That’s not easy to explain.
HYMIE
Quiet, boys! Hold it down, please!
FRANKIE
I explain it by telling you to go three days without anything to eat. By workin’ the road for a handful of bucks so you can get a bunk for the night. Sure we were arrested. We were short-changed by a crook and when we put up a beef we were booked on those charges, but we were just trying to make a decent living.
FEMALE REPORTER
(insinuating)
In smokers? With a stripper?
FRANKIE
Yeah, Tiger. With a stripper, in smokers. Because that was all we knew how to do. We were flat broke, we didn’t have any skills, so we made out the best way we could. And we’re about as guilty of those charges as you are. And nobody’s going to be asking the girl, Laurel Scott, about it because she isn’t here to defend herself. She’s dead.
REPORTER #3
Frankie, there’s talk around town this was a smear tactic by one of the other Oscar nominees to put you out of the running.
FRANKIE
I flatly reject the idea. These are four of the most highly respected members of our community. I can’t believe one of them would do such a thing.
REPORTER #3
Then who’s behind it?
FRANKIE
I don’t know, probably some crank, some very sick person.
REPORTER #5
Do you think this will hurt your chances for the Oscar?
FRANKIE
Only the voters can answer that. I can only tell you what is a lie and what is the truth. I’ve always tried to level with you before, and I’m leveling with you now. I hope you believe me.
As Frankie continues to talk to the reporters, we hear Hymie’s words over his.
HYMIE (V.O.)
Frankie should have won the Oscar right then and there for the performance he gave. He set his scene and sold his case. He wrapped up the package of being the maligned underdog and every newspaper man left there believing it. Didn’t matter to Frankie that he had dug a girl out of her grave to sell his point. Frankie used them whether they were living or dead.
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