DOG DAY AFTERNOON

by

Frank Pierson


"DOG DAY AFTERNOON"

FADE IN:

EXT. ELECTRIC SIGN

It FILLS THE SCREEN (designed to exactly FILL THE FRAME size
of whatever ratio we're shooting in). It says:

2:51

This message will be a little cryptic to the movie audience
on an essentially BLACK SCREEN. HOLD for a beat, then it
changes: the lights flash this sign, which should explain it
to everyone:

94°

And a slow distant ROLL OF THUNDER in the far distance; now
the SOUND of media begin to come up loud, under:

EXT. FLATBUSH AVENUE - DAY

LONG SHOT down the Avenue, 400 mm lens, heat waves
shimmering, thousands of old people, and people with children
in strollers moving restlessly about in the heat on those
endless miles of benches.

The SHOT is ON SCREEN only for a beat or two, then gone...

SOUND TRACK COMES FROM A THOUSAND TRANSISTOR RADIOS, TV
SETS, AUTO RADIOS, BLENDED IN THE OPEN AIR...

RADIO ANNOUNCER 1 (V.O.)
... the situation continued tense
in the Middle East today, as...

EXT. SHEA STADIUM (TV CLIP) - DAY

An unnamed player swings and hits a high pop up...

ANNOUNCER 2 (V.O.)
... hits a high inside pitch foul
into the upper stands...

ANGLE ON CROWD

as the ball comes down they scramble and fight for it...

A touch of viciousness...

ANNOUNCER 3 (V.O.)
... B-52's meanwhile, unleashed the
heaviest bombing of the war...

EXT. MOVIE HOUSE TO MACDONALD'S - DAY

We are SEEING HEIDI, though we don't know it yet - she's
just another pretty 175-pound Italian girl with two kids,
KIMMY, JIMMY, about four and five years old. Right now she
is a lump of browning flesh, shining with oil among rows of
similar ladies (mostly thinner, but all with a certain
unhealthy softness about them) laid out in rows and groups
across the sand. SHOOT LOW AND LONG, so heat shimmers rise,
as though the heat were baking the oil out of this mob,
visible suntan oil pollution... Heidi's transistor blasts
ROCK MUSIC into the air.

LYRICS (OVER)
(Roberta Flack)
REVEREND LEE, SHE SAID, LORD KNOWS
I LOVE YOU, REVEREND LEE - DO IT TO
ME
(etc., etc.)


ANNOUNCER 3 (V.O.)
... the American High Command
announced the famed 25th Cavalry
Division would be coming home! The
25th Cavalry, long since afoot,
hardened in battle in the jungles
of World War II...

FAR DISTANT THUNDER ROLLS...

INT/EXT. SONNY'S CAR - STREET - DAY

It is parked in a drab Brooklyn street. Beside the car
stands SAL, medium height, also good-looking in an intense
boyish way. His eyes dart about suspiciously, the ever-
watchful Sal.

There is a watchful reserve in Sal that contrasts to Sonny's
outgoing bounciness: first impression is Sonny is all bark;
Sal is the bite. Sal is dressed in impressive blue suit
style, he looks like a kid trying to impress the Godfather.
He even wears a hat. Now, matching Sal's preparations
inside the car, he checks his tie's alignment, shoots his
cuffs and is ready...

Meanwhile, on their car radio:

ELTON JOHN
(Amoreena)
AND SHE DREAMS OF CRYSTAL STREAMS
OF DAYS GONE BY WHEN WE COULD LEAN
LAUGHING FIT TO BURST UPON EACH
OTHER...

ANOTHER ANGLE BY CAR

As he turns, from the back of the car, JACKIE appears with a
huge florist box, tied with ribbon. Jackie is an eighteen
year old with bad complexion and in contrast to Sonny and
Sal is dressed in teenage sloppiness. Adidas, T-shirt,
bowling jacket, jeans. He is uncertain: waits for directions
from Sonny. Sonny takes the florist box from him.

We see a water truck drive down the street, followed by
Sonny's car, which drives up near bank. It stops, Jackie
gets out, crosses to bank window, peers through, then

ANGLE INSIDE CAR

returns to car. Leans in, has fake conversation with Sonny.
They are waiting. Sonny checks his watch, turns to Sal in
back seat:

SONNY
30 seconds, Sal...

They wait. At appropriate moment, Sal exits car, walks
toward bank. Slowly Sonny gets out.

INT. BANK - DAY

A slightly seedy little branch bank, old yellow brick, blond
varnished wood, a rubber plant, an American flag. Through
the windows we SEE HOWARD, the aged black bank guard, in
uniform, taking down the American flag from outside. Past
him comes Sal carrying an attache case. He passes Howard
coming toward us through the door into the bank. As he
passes CAMERA:

INSERT: BANK CLOCK

as it CLICKS from 2:57 to 2:58 PM.

MOVING SHOT WITH SAL

as he moves toward the left-hand deposit-slips desks.

He picks out a car-loan application slip, then walks toward
the manager's desk (as the sign on the desk proclaims) of
PATRICK MULVANEY. Sal sits down, his back to Mulvaney,
facing the front door of the bank. Mulvaney is on the phone.

ON DOOR

as Sonny bustles through in his bouncy dancer's walk. He
carries the large florist box. He moves toward the left-
hand deposit-slips desks, takes one out and begins to fill
one out.

ON HOWARD

as he pulls out the keys, attached to the belt of his
uniform. Jackie approaches the door of the bank and stops,
neither in nor out, as though he can't make up his mind.
Howard watches him, waiting patiently, keys in hand, folded
flag under his arm.

CLOSE - SAL

still sitting, back to Mulvaney, watching Jackie's approach
and entrance, ready to move on cue.

ON DOOR

on Howard as he looks at Jackie, still half in, half out.
Howard speaks to him:

HOWARD
Closing time; you want in or out?

Jackie steps in and as Howard locks the door to prevent more
customers from entering, Jackie walks toward Sonny, filling
out a slip at the left-hand area. CAMERA FOLLOWS Jackie.
He stops at deposit-slips desk, next to Sonny.

CLOSE - SAL

as if by pre-arranged signal, Sal now stands up, moves to
the side of Mulvaney's desk.

SAL
You the manager?

ON MULVANEY

who is still on the phone. He gestures at the sign on his
desk that says so, and gestures for Sal to sit down.

ON SAL

as he sits, producing as he does a machine pistol, which he
holds on Mulvaney's chest, out of sight from others in the
bank.

MULVANEY

His mouth simply stops, and he stares at the gun. Mulvaney
is a comic opera Irishman in his early fifties, florid ...
cheerful, bushy eyebrows; he acts out everything he says...

SAL
Just go on talking, like nothing
was happening, okay?

MULVANEY
(into phone)
Listen, lemme call you back.

He hangs up, and looks from the gun up to Sal's blank hard
face. To his own amazement, he grins: a hopeful grin that
says: "Like me - don't hurt me." And he's embarrassed by it.
As we watch, his smile turns sour.

HIS POV - FLASH

Sal's absolutely unmoved face.

TWO SHOT - SONNY AND JACKIE

Jackie moves over to Sonny.

JACKIE
Sonny, I'm gettin' real bad vibes.

SONNY
Jackie - what are you talking about?

JACKIE
Maybe we can take something
smaller... like a Spanish grocery.

SONNY
(indicating what's
happening with Sal
and Mulvaney)
It's too late - just get away from
me - don't talk to me now - go over
to your place...

Jackie moves to another deposit-slips desk - takes one out
and begins to fill it out.

ON TELLER'S CAGE AREA

as a LADY with a BABY in a stroller moves away from the
Teller and starts to walk toward the front door. DEBORAH is
marking figures on a piece of paper at 1st Teller's cage.
SYLVIA and MIRIAM stand behind her - their backs to Sonny.
Howard, who has put the folded flag in a plastic bag in a
front desk, follows Lady toward the door. He unlocks the
door and hands the Baby a lollipop, courtesy of the bank,
and she exits the bank.

CLOSE - NEW ANGLE - SONNY

glancing at clock, taking a sharp deep breath...

SAL

staring at Mulvaney.

MULVANEY

the ruins of his smile still on his face.

HOWARD

straightens up from locking the door; the figure of the Lady
and the Baby can be seen receding outside...

SONNY

seeing that the bank is closed, locked in, with no customers,
crosses toward the front teller's cage area, carrying the
florist box. As he reaches the other side, he rips open the
box and takes the rifle out and aims it level onto SYLVIA
BALL, the teller, who automatically takes the "closed" sign
and holds it in front of her face as though to protect
herself from the rifle.

SYLVIA
(holding sign in
front of her face)
Sorry, this window is shut...

TWO SHOT - MULVANEY AND SAL

as Mulvaney stands and yells to Sylvia...

ANGLE ON BACK OF BANK, REST ROOM AREA

as MARGARET, an accountant, comes out of the ladies' room,
starts to cross downstage toward her desk, sees what is
happening, and momentarily freezes in her tracks.

SONNY

The cues have got all fucked up, but he's so programmed and
ready, he can't adjust, so the speech he had ready comes out
now:

SONNY
Okay, this is a stickup! Nobody
move! This is a fucking stickup!
Just freeze now, goddammit! Get
away from your desk... get in the
center - get in the center!

Sylvia and Edna start to move toward the rear of the bank,
toward Margaret's desk.

MULVANEY

aghast at his own outspokenness ... Sal holding the gun
levelled on him.

MULVANEY
Okay, okay... we know it's a stickup!

SONNY
(to Jackie, re: Howard)
If he moves - blow his guts out...
Cover him!

TWO SHOT - SONNY & JACKIE

Jackie, staring at the real guns, turns to Sonny...

JACKIE
I'm sorry, Sonny... I can't make
it...

Jackie starts to move toward the front door.

SONNY
Hey, for christ's sake... now...
fuckin' asshole...
(turns to Sal)
He can't make it.

SAL
Fuck him - let him out!

Sonny yells out at frozen Howard.

SONNY
Hey... let him out!

MULVANEY
(yells)
Do what the gentleman says, Howard.

Sonny sees that Howard is useless, so he runs to Howard,
grabbing the keys from him and pulls Howard along with him
to the front door. Jackie unlocks the door, and Jackie,
with a last apologetic glance, gives his gun to Sonny and
vanishes into the sweltering afternoon. Sonny then frisks
Howard and has a sudden afterthought as he locks the door
again. He quickly unlocks it and shouts out at Jackie.

EXT. BANK - DAY

SONNY
Hey, don't take the car!

JACKIE
(on sidewalk)
Well, how'll I get home?

SONNY
Take the subway. We need the car.
(as Jackie starts to
walk away)
Hey, gimme the keys - the keys!

Jackie stops, fumbles for keys, crosses back to Sonny with
them.

JACKIE
(points to fig. desk)
Sonny, there's somebody under that
desk over there... I'm sorry...

SONNY
It's okay... it's okay...

Sonny turns into the bank once more, as Jackie walks off
toward the subway, pointing inside at a desk near the window
as he does, to point something out to Sonny.

INT. BANK - DAY

Sonny, re-entering the bank, speaks to Howard.

SONNY
Lock it.

Sonny now crosses to desk that Jackie indicated, as everyone
watches him, as though it's all in the game.

SONNY
(taps loudly on top
of desk)
Hey... get outta there! Nobody's
gonna hurt you.

JENNY, a young, frightened girl, peeks out from under the
desk, obviously afraid to reveal herself.

Sonny starts to move toward the front of the bank. Sal
turns so he can cover everyone. Sonny turns to order Howard.

SONNY
Pull the drapes.

Howard doesn't move.

SONNY
(continuing)
Pulla drapes!

Howard belatedly leaps to work, pulling drapes that screen
off the interior from outside. The door has no drapes or
blinds and thus when the drapes are closed there is a
corridor of space across the street we will always be able
to see. And from which people outside will always be able
to see in. As Howard finishes the task, he then walks back
to the huddled group on the rear.

SONNY

on his way to the back of the bank, is digging into his
jacket pocket; he swings around as he passes the camera that
is bolted to a wall bracket covering the tellers' area. He
whips out a spray can and gives the lens a shot of red paint.
There are three cameras in all, each of which he sprays.

SONNY
(grinning)
No replay, folks... no alarms...

After spraying the three cameras, he has reached Mulvaney's
desk area. The girls are scattering to group farther back
and Sonny and Mulvaney are heading for the vault.

MULVANEY
(on cross to vault
with Sonny)
We're hip... let's just get you all
fixed up and on your way!

MIRIAM, a young, awkward, overweight Jewish girl, chewing
gum with nervous machine-like rapidity, moving toward the
vault. The gate is closed, and she holds one key and
Mulvaney the other. They pass Sal, who now holds the others
in the bank under his gun while at the vault gate.

SONNY
Okay, is the vault open?

MULVANEY
I can take care of that.

NEW ANGLE

Mulvaney is about to insert his key in his lock. Sonny
quickly reaches out and grabs Mulvaney's hand, and looks at
the key he has extended. He explodes.

SONNY
Son of a bitch!

He almost hits Mulvaney with his fist.

SONNY
What the fuck you tryin' to do?
Trip the alarm? Use the spur key?
Use the other one...

He's grabbed the keys from Mulvaney and holds up the key
Mulvaney was going to use... we're in a:

VERY TIGHT TWO SHOT - MULVANEY AND SONNY'S HEADS

Sonny holds the key right in the middle of the FRAME where
Mulvaney and the audience can SEE the key has a tiny
projection or spur at the end. If this key is used, the
spur triggers a silent alarm.

MULVANEY
I must of been outta my mind.

SONNY
(furious)
Well, you get your mind right. I'm
a Catholic and I don't wanna hurt
nobody, but goddamn it, don't you
play no games with me. Unnastand?!?

Mulvaney nods and picks out a key that is identical except
for the spur. He shows it to Sonny. Sonny nods.

NEW ANGLE

as Mulvaney carefully uses the safe key to unlock the gate.
Miriam is crying as she unlocks her side. The gate swings
open. Sonny shoves Mulvaney inside and, as he passes
Miriam, notices her tears.

She just stands there staring into his face like a hypnotized
chicken, the tears streaming down her face.

Sonny stops, staring at her. Mulvaney, starting to open the
gate, moves inside the vault, impatient...

MULVANEY
Okay. Let's get you on your way.
Miriam - open the safe.

Miriam hesitates.

SONNY
What's the matter with you?

MULVANEY
(to Miriam)
Come on, lemme load you up...

MIRIAM
There isn't any money...

Sonny looks at Mulvaney, alarmed...

MIRIAM
They picked it up this afternoon...

SONNY
No money?!
(moves inside the vault)


MIRIAM
There's only about four thousand in
singles, and maybe a few hundred in
larger bills... he's going to kill
us!

Sonny storms into the vault.

NEW ANGLE IN VAULT

as Mulvaney pulls a cash drawer out to show Sonny: even we
can see there isn't much there. Sonny searches for more,
finds nothing.

SONNY
This is it? What am I gonna do
with this? Holy shit!

MULVANEY
It's all we got.

SONNY
Okay, don't worry about it. Stick
it in the bag...

At this, Sonny pulls out a plastic bag from his pocket,
hands it to Miriam, who opens it and puts the money into it.
As he turns, we see that Miriam is still staring at him,
terrified, and as his rifle swings around, she reels back
with a little screech of terror...

SONNY
(continuing)
Ah, Jesus...

SAL
Let's go, Sonny.

SONNY
(suddenly gentle)
What are you crying for? Jesus
Christ. It's not your fault
there's no money...

MULVANEY
She's afraid you're gonna shoot...
(hands Sonny the bag
of money)


Sonny starts out of the vault toward the teller's area with
bag of money. He speaks to Mulvaney.

SONNY
What the hell would I shoot her for?

Miriam follows Sonny to teller's cages gate. He carries the
bag.

PHONE STARTS TO RING (#1)

SONNY
Answer the phone!

Mulvaney crosses to his desk, picks up the receiver. Sal
follows him, yanks receiver from one ear to the other, so he
can hear conversation.

SONNY
(to Miriam)
Okay... open this.

Miriam crosses to gate, presses the necessary button and the
gate opens from them. Sonny watches this carefully, noting
where the buzzer button is. He crosses in front of the
drawer at the first cage. He tries to open the drawer.
It's obviously locked.

SONNY
Okay, who's the head teller here?

SYLVIA
I am.

SONNY
Open this up!

Sylvia comes forward and unlocks the first drawer, and
begins to remove the cash, but Sonny grabs her hands...
alarmed...

SONNY
Don't take it all out!

He grabs a piece of paper or cardboard...

CLOSE SHOT - SONNY'S HANDS AND CASH IN DRAWER

He takes all the singles but one out of the singles slot in
the drawer, leaving the bottom single in place. It is held
there by a metal clip. He carefully slips the paper under
the clip and then removes the single.

It is clear this is an automatic alarm - meanwhile...

SONNY
Boy, I can't trust a one of you...
I worked in a bank, I know the
alarms, so don't try to fool around
with me!

BACK TO SHOT OF SONNY AND SYLVIA AND MIRIAM

as they move to 2nd cash drawer at 2nd teller's cage.
Sylvia unlocks the drawer and starts to reach in for the
cash, but Sonny pushes his hand into the drawer instead. He
begins to stuff the money into the bag. Some fives, packaged
with rubber bands, in the drawer, he holds up so Sal and all
can see them... He laughs!

SONNY
Decoy money, right, it's marked!
Shit!

He throws it into the air so the bills flutter all around
him, gaily... In the background, Mulvaney, having finished
with the phone conversation, is moving to the rear with the
rest of the girls. Sonny now moves to the 3rd cage's cash
drawer... Mulvaney ends phone conversation and Sal moves him
over to group at vault.

SONNY
(mimicking Sylvia)
'This window is shut...'

Again, the same procedure begins. Sylvia unlocks the cash
drawer and Sonny starts to scoop it out and put it into the
opened plastic bag that Miriam holds.

SAL
Cheer up, you'll be the veteran of
a robbery, the bank sends you a
dozen red roses, you know that?

At this point, THE PHONE BEGINS TO RING AGAIN (#2)

SONNY
(yelling to Sal)
Sal, let him answer the goddamn
phones, they're driving me crazy!
Look at this chicken shit!

Again, Mulvaney starts to cross back to his desk, again
followed by Sal. Sonny yells out to Mulvaney as he crosses
to answer the phone.

SONNY
Hey, you, manager... Don't get any
ideas, fucker... See that man there?
I bark and he bites!

MULVANEY
Believe me, I'm on your side.

SONNY
My side, shit!

They move to Drawer #4.

SYLVIA
Listen, we got young girls here...
you could watch your language.

SONNY
I speak what I feel.

MULVANEY ON THE PHONE

MULVANEY
Hello... I'm sorry I can't talk to
you right now... I suggest you call
during banking hours tomorrow.
What is your name?

BACK ON SONNY, SYLVIA AND MIRIAM

SONNY
Gimme the traveler's checks and the
register.

They cross toward the last drawer area (#5). Miriam is
still crying silently. Sonny holds out the plastic bag for
the checks for her. She drops it.

SONNY
Please... quit that. It's not
necessary.

With everything in the bag, Sonny now takes the register and
starts to move the two girls toward the rear near the vault.

MULVANEY
Can you hurry it up?

BACK TO SONNY

as he moves toward the rear (Sylvia and Miriam now re-
joining other women), to get a wastebasket. Accomplishing
this, he starts to burn the pages of the register, tearing
out pages as he does so. It's smokey as hell, but not
burning well. He drops it, smoking, into the wastebasket.

SONNY
(to Howard)
Hey, you! Give me the keys...
We're gettin' outta here.

HOWARD
(gasping for breath)
Huh?

MULVANEY
Howard?

HOWARD
Huh?

ON HOWARD

The old man is panicked, great patches of sweat spreading
around his armpits. He breathes in asthmatic gasps; now he
flinches at his name, as though he's been hit.

MULVANEY
(stands, receiver
still to ear, then
covering it with his hand)
Howard, give him the keys...

SONNY
Gimme the keys to get outta here!

Howard is unable to move. Seeing his predicament, Edna
moves to him and starts to unfasten his belt to remove the
keys. Mulvaney continues with his phone conversation.

ON SONNY

who now crosses to Howard and Edna, losing patience with the
situation. As he moves closer, Howard backs away from him,
frightened by his rifle. Seeing that, Sonny puts it down
and looks over to Sal for coverage.

SONNY
Sal...

As Sonny approaches Howard, he realizes that he can't get
close enough.

SONNY
Take it easy... just gimme the keys.
I'm not gonna hurt you. Listen,
calm down, huh? You're gonna have
a heart attack. Just gimme the
keys... that's all I want.

Howard gives him the keys and as Sonny starts to walk back
toward the burning register...

ON SAL

with Mulvaney still on the phone.

SAL
(looking past camera,
falling onto the
floor behind Mulvaney)
Sonny... who's that? Across the
street.

ON SONNY

who now starts to move quickly toward the front of the bank,
being sure to hide behind the posts as he moves.

MULVANEY (O.S.)
(on phone)
No, it was the credit rating. The
credit rating. I don't know, you;d
have to find that out from him.

Sonny has now reached the front of the bank. He carefully
peeks out through the closed draperies to look outside.

ANGLE ON STREET - SONNY'S POV

A man, in a business suit, sweaty and harassed-looking, is
walking from an insurance office across the street directly
toward the bank... The man continues coming straight toward
them and us...

REVERSE

Sonny starts to run back to get his gun from Margaret's desk.
Mulvaney is still on the phone.

MULVANEY
It was something a couple of years
ago in St. Louis, I don't know...

Sonny grabs the gun from the desk top and moves over to
Mulvaney.

ANGLE ON DOOR AT FRONT OF BANK

The man walks straight toward the glass door, already
lifting his hand to shadow his eyes, so when he reaches the
door, he'll be able to see inside.

REVERSE ON SAL AND MULVANEY

Sal brings the gun up so he can shoot the man, at the same
time, crabbing himself aside so he is concealed behind
Mulvaney and the desk. Mulvaney sees the approaching man
and cups his hand over the phone.

MULVANEY
It's the insurance guy across the
street. He probably saw the
goddamn smoke!
(motions toward
smoking register)
Please! Put out the fire!

ON MAN

The last few feet from the door.

ON SONNY

who rushes through the teller's cages gate toward the
register, grabs the smoking register, throws it onto the
floor near Edna's desk, and starts to stamp it out.

MARGARET
I'll get some water!

Before anyone can move, Sonny grabs the gun on them all.

SONNY
Nobody move! Freeze!

The women now begin to scream as real hysteria sets in.
Deborah screams, collapses.

CLOSE - ON SAL

bringing gun up on:

DOOR

The man actually kicks the glass with his foot, then leans
against the glass, shades his eyes, trying to see in.

MULVANEY (O.S.)
Sorry... I can't talk now... I'll
call you back.

SOUND of hanging up. The man is looking all around.

SAL AND MULVANEY

SAL
Get rid of him.

MULVANEY
Howard, wave him off. Tell him
we're closed. Whatever...

ON HOWARD

who is useless.

ON MULVANEY

who starts to move toward the front door, looking over at
Sonny trying to put out the fire.

CAMERA FOLLOWS MULVANEY TO THE FRONT DOOR; Sonny moves with
him, covering him all the time.

ANGLE ON FRONT DOOR

as Sonny stands behind closed venetian blinds to listen to
the conversation and to cover Mulvaney.

SONNY
The gun's right on your back...

MULVANEY
Give me the keys...

Sonny hands him the keys.

VERY CLOSE SHOT - SAL

He raises the gun and sights it now, and in this moment, we
should sense a kind of luxurious relaxation into anticipation
on Sal's part. He is smiling a little, and for the first
time, looks happy, and that's what makes him seem dangerous.
He's looking forward to an excuse to kill. It's here now:
survival. There is something almost sexual about the way he
settles his body down behind the weapon, getting ready for
the squeeze on the trigger, the report, the violent shove of
recoil against his muscles and sinews.

In the background, we see Sylvia bringing Howard a cup of
water.

ANGLE ON DOOR

emphasizing the small of Mulvaney's back. The man is
somebody he knows from across the street. He looks worried
and mystified...

MULVANEY
(unlocking door)
What is it, Sam?

SAM
Everything's all right? You okay?

MULVANEY
Yeah, just a cigarette got in a
wastebasket.

Silence. Sam stares around... thinking.

SAM
You all right?

MULVANEY
Little smoke: like a Polish four-
alarm fire, is all.

SAM
Yeah. Well, you're okay?

MULVANEY
Yeah, thanks for keeping an eye out.

SAM
Okay.

He's not satisfied, but he can't see anything and he can't
think of anything more to say, so...

MULVANEY
Thanks again, Sam.

SAM
I'm glad it's okay.

MULVANEY
It's okay. [Regards to the family,
Sam.]

Mulvaney locks the door and walks inside the bank, giving
the keys back to Sonny.

MULVANEY
For God's sake, will you please go
now? We gave you every nickel we
got.

SONNY
You're goin' outside with me. If
there's no cops around, we just
split. Otherwise, you go with us.

Mulvaney and Sonny starts to walk back toward Sal. As they
do, the PHONE BEGINS TO RING AGAIN (#3).

SONNY
(to Mulvaney)
Answer it.

Mulvaney shrugs helplessly. Picks up the phone, standing at
desk opposite his.

ON SAL

SAL
He's gone?

SONNY
Yeah - it's all right... let's go.

MULVANEY ON PHONE

MULVANEY
Hello, Mulvaney here...

TWO SHOT - SONNY & SAL

SONNY
Sal, get 'em in the vault.

SAL
Where's the money?

SONNY
Get 'em in the vault!

As Sal starts to herd them into the vault (Sylvia helping
Howard, still with the cup of water), Mulvaney is still on
the phone. Sonny moves down to get the money bag atop the
teller's cages and we hear Mulvaney on phone.

MULVANEY
(tired)
What property is that, Mrs. Anterio?
The Third Avenue property - you
already got a second mortgage on.
We discussed it before...

ANGLE AT VAULT

The girls are afraid; Miriam unlocks the gate as Sonny uses
Mulvaney's keys to the matching lock.

JENNY
(from inside vault area)
You won't close the vault? How can
we breathe?

SONNY
No, that's okay... just close the
gate...

Sylvia, helping Howard, is the last to go through the gate.
As Sonny is about to lock the gate, she turns to him.

SYLVIA
Listen, I'll never make it. I'll
have to go to the toilet.

SONNY
What's the matter... they never
housebroke you?

SYLVIA
It's not a joke. I got this
terrible fear of being locked in...

SAL
Goddamn women...

SONNY
Ah shit. Okay... go ahead. Anybody
else have to go?

EDNA
Me, too, please.

SAL
You see... now they all gotta go.

As Sylvia starts to move out, Sonny starts to cross ahead of
her.

SONNY
Wait a minute - I want to check.

Mulvaney finishes his phone conversation. He moves toward
the group at the vault.

NEW ANGLE

as Sonny sprints for the door to the Ladies' Room.

INSIDE LADIES' ROOM

It is a little lounge; sitting on a couch under the window,
making up her face (or painting her toenails) and listening
to her tiny transistor radio, oblivious to all that's
happened, is MARIA, heavily-painted and voluptuous Latin
girl. Sylvia, following him in, is shocked. She's forgotten
about Maria. Now she runs over to her, puts her arms around
her.

SYLVIA
Oh - Maria!

SONNY
Who the hell is that? God damn it!
What the...

Maria is about to protest, but Sylvia grabs her and starts
to hustle her out.

SONNY
What are you trying to pull?

SYLVIA
I forgot she's in here.

SONNY
Come on, nobody's going to the
bathroom - come on...

He moves with them back to the vault area, herds them into
it. At this point, PHONE RINGS AGAIN (#4). Sonny moves to
get the empty wastebasket, shoving it into the vault for the
girls to use in case of emergency. Mulvaney moves to his
desk and phone.

Mulvaney has by this time answered the phone, and is now
holding it out to Sonny. HOLD THE BEAT...

MULVANEY
(to Sonny)
It's for you.

ON SONNY AND SAL

They both stare at Mulvaney. Sonny slowly moves toward
Mulvaney. For the first time since he entered the bank,
he's quiet and slow. He takes the instrument and slowly
puts it to his ear. The group from the vault now slowly
starts to move out to listen to the conversation.

SONNY
(into phone)
Yeah.

MORETTI (V.O.)
What are you doin' in there?

SONNY
Who's this?

MORETTI (V.O.)
This is Detective Sergeant Moretti,
asshole, we got you completely by
the balls. You don't believe me,
I'm lookin' you right in the eye.
Right now, I can see you...

SAL
Who is it?

Sonny turns and looks out through the door. Sure enough, in
the window of the barbershop across the street, the dim
figure of a man on a telephone can be SEEN looking out
toward us. He wears a hat in spite of the weather and a
cigar is clamped in his mouth. He is an old-time, hard-
nosed, uneducated, street-wise, sarcastic New York cop,
outspoken, rude and sentimental. Right now he's a distant
silhouette and a voice on the telephone.

CLOSE ON SONNY

holding the phone. Listening to the voice of his death
speaking in New York accents.

MORETTI (V.O.)
Okay? Let's be reasonable and not
stupid and not get anybody hurt.
You come to the front door with
hands folded on your head, unnastand?
Nobody's gonna shoot or...

Sonny slowly, almost sadly, puts the telephone receiver back
down, cutting off the little voice at the other end. He
looks up at Mulvaney, then to Sal.

SONNY
(to Sal)
It's the cops. Shit!

SAL
How'd that happen?

MULVANEY
(backing away from Sonny)
I swear to God... on my salary, I'm
not gonna be any hero...

SONNY
I took too long.

SAL
It was the fire, asshole!

Sonny paces.

MULVANEY
I told you, just go, get out when
you could, but no, you just got to
hang around.

Sonny is pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to
do.

SONNY
Oh, shit! I gotta have time to
think.

SYLVIA
What is it? Did you just barge in
here... He doesn't have plan. It's
all a whim.
(sarcastic)
'Rob a bank! What not?'

SONNY
... Just give me time to think...

PHONE STARTS TO RING (#5).

MULVANEY
We're all in the barrel together...

Phone continues to ring. Sonny finally grabs it (desk
opposite Mulvaney).

SONNY
(into phone)
All right, bastards! You keep away
from the bank or we start throwing
bodies out the front door one at a
time. You got that?

A startled apologetic man's voice speaks:
Now ANOTHER PHONE BEGINS TO RING (#6).

MAN'S VOICE (V.O.)
I just called to ask Jenny what
time she's gonna get off.

SONNY
Who's this?

MAN (V.O.)
It's her husband.

Sonny abruptly holds the phone out from his body at arm's
length, disgusted.

SONNY
Is there a Jenny here?

Nobody moves. They all stare at him. Finally he singles
her out.

SONNY
It's your husband.

Jenny starts to move toward Sonny.

JENNY
What do I say?

SONNY
Tell him the truth! Tell him
whatever you tell him!

OTHER PHONE CONTINUES TO RING (#6).

As he puts down the phone for her to pick up, Sonny reaches
for the other phone that is RINGING.

SONNY
What a fuckin' comedy!
(into phone)
WNEW plays all the hits.

MORETTI (V.O.)
Listen, first off, is anybody hurt
in there?

SONNY
... But you keep away from the bank
or we start throwing bodies out the
front door one at a time... You got
it? Okay?

He hangs up the phone. Sal looks at him.

SAL
You mean that?

SONNY
What?

SAL
... The bodies out the door.

SONNY
I want him to think that.

SAL
But do you mean it?

At this moment, Jenny, phone in hand, is turned to him,
respectfully like a child in an authoritarian household,
addressing her father:

JENNY
He wants to know what time you
think you'll be through.

ON SONNY

stares at her. For the first time, he realizes how
frightened she is, how serious, grotesque, and funny it all
is. He takes the time to be tender with her, as though she
were a not-too-bright child in the presence of a tragedy
she'll never understand.

SONNY
Tell him I don't know.

Now Sonny turns to speak to Mulvaney.

SONNY
Where's the back door?

MULVANEY
It's locked on the inside.
(beat)
It's through that passageway and to
the right.

Sonny disappears toward the back door. Jenny continues her
phone conversation.

MAN (V.O.)
Jenny?

JENNY
He says he doesn't know. Why don't
you cook whatever's there?

MAN (V.O.)
It looks like a whole roast.

JENNY
Honey, send out for Kentucky fried
chicken. The baby, just open a
bottle of prunes, and one of the
beef. The bottles are in the fridge.

MULVANEY
(to Jenny)
Hurry up!

MAN (V.O.)
I know how to fix the bottle. They
got guns?

JENNY
(with the baby on her mind)
What guns?

MAN (V.O.)
The robbers in the bank. They got
guns?

JENNY
Yeah. A lot of guns.

MAN (V.O.)
Well, stay away from them. Don't