Cockfighter (1974) - full transcript
Frank Mansfield has wanted to win the Cockfighter of the Year medal for ages. Frank never speaks. After shooting his mouth off one too many times then losing a champion rooster in a casual hotel room cockfight, he swore never to speak again until he's won that award... He makes a bet with old crony Jack to be settled at the upcoming meet. Frank puts his car and his trailer on the line; he loses. Jack gets the trailer, and Frank's part-time girlfriend who goes with it. Frank's long-time girlfriend Mary Elizabeth wants him to get serious and settle down. But Frank has to raise some money for a new cock - $500 - then he can form a partnership with fellow cocksman Omar Baradansky and make another try for that medal...
I learned to fly a plane.
I lost interest in it.
Water skiing.
I lost interest in it.
But, uh, this is something you don't conquer.
Anything that can fight to the death
and not utter a sound, well.
The person that puts the most and
works the hardest Is supposed to win.
And usually that's the way it comes out.
The drive in it is to be the best.
We call it sharpness.
When you can hit that peak.
When that bird is at his best,
then he'll win for you,
because you make your luck.
I can pick out the best bird
by his conformation,
his bone structure.
But I can't look into his heart
and tell you how game he is.
You know what you said
in your sleep last night?
You said, Randy, you mother. I'm gonna
kick your shit ass clear across this room.
You remember that?
Who's Randy?
You can't fool me. If you can talk when you
are asleep, you can talk when you're awake.
I just want you to know I know it.
That's some mighty Sandspur, huh.
Well, what kind of money
we talking about this hack?
What, $100?
Shit.
I figured on taking you for at least $1,000.
I'm risking my $200 ace
against your $100 bet.
Uh, I don't know.
I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll put up
another $900 against your car and trailer.
Even money.
That's the car and trailer plus the $100, ok?
I'll catch you later.
When I was doing to Sandspur's bill
wasn't exactly illegal, but
I didn't feel too proud about it.
Only wanted to boost
the betting odds by making
the gamblers think that
Sandspur's bill was cracked.
$750.
They want this all on Sandspur.
Forget it.
You know I can't get a four to one bet.
Cracked bill?
Hell.
Now I don't know who to bed, you or Burke.
Maybe I'll be able to get some out.
Five pounds, two ounces, even.
- You handling Jack?
- No, Ralph's going to handle him.
He's about half pounds over, you're going
to have to cut away, Frank.
Uh he can have the half pound.
He can have shit, you know
there's no two ounce leeway.
Official SCT hack.
What I meant was, uh, it
don't make no never mind to me.
It makes a difference to the better, Jack.
Five two, even.
See that, Jack?
He's got a cracked beak.
Yeah?
Well if I'd known he had a cracked bill
I'd give you some odds.
Who wants to call it?
Tails it is.
That's a short guess.
Set him low and outside there.
What was that?
Burke was a long gaff man,
But I preferred the short heels.
Sandspur was a cutter and all
the best would short gaffs.
I mean David was used to long,
three-inch heels.
By me winning the toss, I'd given Sandspur
A slight advantage over little David.
Ladies and gentleman, this is
an extra hack between
Mr. Jack Burke, Burke's Farm,
Mr. Frank Mansfield, Mansfield Farms,
Decatur.
The official southern conference hack,
no time limit, no draw,
Both birds with short gaffs.
Mr. Ralph Hansen will handle for Mr. Burke.
That's enough.
Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Handle.
Get ready.
Handle.
That broken beak lost your
bird his pecker power, Frank.
The winner is Mr. Burke.
Well, got it all down, Frank,
yours and mine, three to one.
Great Sandspur, game but lame.
You ought to give up this shit, Frank.
Well, don't look for me
in Milledgeville this year.
I was getting ready to wash them.
I never heard of anybody so mean they'd
take a family's Mobile home away from them.
Now, little lady, we made a bet,
you see, and we shook hands on it.
Nobody shook my hand.
What about me, what happens to me?
No, I don't know about that, Frank. I got,
I got me a lady friend up in Kissimmee.
Little David'll meet any challenges, any
5 2 challenges you want to show against him.
Only put your money where your
mouth is in Milledgeville.
Frank!
Please take me with you.
Please Frank.
How will I staying with old Mr. Burke?
He must be 40 years old.
I felt sorry for her in a way.
But I didn't worry about her.
She was pretty and young.
A good lay.
Hell, she'd get by anywhere.
Piss on her and the horse she rode in on.
That's an old trick you tried today, Frank.
I've done it myself and I've
gotten away with it, too.
The trick, you see, is not
to cut the groove too deep.
If you cut too deep, it's liable to cost
You your car and trailer.
Two years ago, this medal
could have been in your hand.
But you had to shoot your mouth off and lose
the bird you needed to win.
I've got the finest five pound
chicken alive, Jack.
Right here in my hands.
The very finest.
You want to know something, boy?
I am the finest trainer and
conditioner in the whole world.
And my bird here, he can beat
anything you got to show, man.
Anything.
Anything.
Hey listen, I'm, I'm getting tired of
listening to you Brag, Frank, goddammit.
Why don't you put some money
where your mouth is right now.
C'mon, Frank's just talking.
Jack, it's 2 o'clock in the morning.
No, wait a minute, he's Been doing all the god
damn bragging, let's see a little action now, all right?
No, we're going to find out right now, ok?
$200, flat out, no odds.
$200? $200 even, ok,
give your money to Lucille.
All right Lucille, keep the change, sweetie.
You ready?
Do it, let's go.
Ok, bill them up.
Get ready.
Hit them!
Jack wins, Frank.
Have you got another five pound rooster you
can use in the derby tomorrow?
It's too bad, Frank.
Now you'll have to withdraw from the derby,
Which means you ain't got a fighting
chance for the medal this year.
You got two little faults, Frank.
You drank too much and you talk too much.
Yeah.
I ought to keep my mouth shut.
I am. I'm going to keep my mouth
shut until I win that medal.
I'll tell them to stick it up their ass.
All those sons of bitches.
It's 5:30.
You gonna sleep all day?
Come on out the yard.
We can have breakfast later.
Except for these battered greys,
White Lightning here's the
only game cock I've got left.
Haven't fought him yet.
Just about everything I've ever learned
about breeding's Gone into this one.
And when the time comes,
he'll out cock and out shuffle
every game cock in the South.
If a cock's legs hang down
in perfect alignment with his body,
he's a close hitter.
This cock's legs were perfect.
You want this chicken, Frank?
He's yours, then.
For $500.
I know the price is unreasonable.
But pay me, and you can take him.
I wouldn't be selling him if I hadn't
promised Martha I'd quit cock fighting.
He's yours when you bring the money.
Go out and have some breakfast,
and I'll drive you down to the bus station.
Where did I want to go?
The lease on my Decatur
farm had two more years
to run, and it was all paid up.
But without any game file and, uh,
without any funds to buy any, wasn't
any point in going out there.
First thing I had to do was get some money.
Frank!
You devil.
You would have to catch me looking like this.
Well, stop grinning like an
ape sit down, I'll feed you.
Coffee's all ready.
You may have lost your voice,
but you can still write.
We haven't heard from you in six months.
Well if it ain't the junior bird man.
Welcome home, bubba.
How long you gonna stay?
The, uh, enigmatic response Frank.
I suspect, uh,
you've come home to collect
that honest debt I owe you?
Too bad, bubba, because
I have a hard time raising $25,
Let alone $2,500.
But it's your house, so,
you're welcome to stay
As long as you like.
Would you like a job, honey?
My old room was at the end of the
front hall next to the bathroom.
Nothing had changed much in two years
except for all the junk that
had been stored in there.
Things sure have a way of getting out
of place after a time.
Frank, you busy?
There's somebody here to see you, Frank.
And I bet you can't guess who.
At least you could put your shoes on.
He's on his way.
Still his gentle, warm-hearted self.
Come on in the kitchen, Randall.
What for?
She's pretty quick on the horn,
is she all right out there?
She's fine.
It's just mama.
It's the nurses' day off, I have
to drop her by Mrs. Roswell's.
When I mentioned your name,
you should have seen her face,
she got all excited.
I know she remembers.
Frank!
My goodness, what do you think
I am, the welcome wagon?
I haven't seen you in six months,
and you expect...
i don't know what you expect.
It's hard to get inside
of a stone wall's head.
Francis said there was a chance you
might decide to stay this time.
Is there any truth to that wild rumor?
Joe Lee asked me to marry him.
Got myself a piece of land.
Joe Lee gets me, he's getting a bargain.
I told him I'd give him and answer.
You hungry?
Want to get a hamburger or something?
Was getting kind of hungry myself.
Mama?
You remember Frank,
he was one of your favorites.
He was everybody's favorite.
I ever tell you about Johnny Erwin?
Boy who peed on the wall in study hall?
Teacher wouldn't let him go the bathroom.
So he kept raising his hand, saying, teacher,
I can't hold it, I ain't kidding.
So finally, she wouldn't let him go to
the bathroom after 30 minutes,
and he just got up,
walked back to the corner,
and peed on the wall.
She took him down to the principal's office,
and Mr. Tomlin says, son, you are expelled.
And he says, I don't give a shit,
I'm join the Marines.
He did!
He jumped, he jumped in his '52 Chevy,
and started out to San Diego, and then,
when he got to New Mexico,
he ran into a bridge post and killed himself.
He never would have made Marine,
anyway, I maintain.
I think it was suicide.
You know what it proves?
The value of self control.
If he hadn't had to pee, he'd be alive today.
Just like you and cock fighting.
Something over which you have
absolutely no self control.
I want.
I want to get married and have children.
I wanna have them here
where we both have roots.
I'm not going to marry you and live
some old game Cock farm in Decatur.
I'm not going to wait for you forever.
I waited long enough.
Jake, would you please tell me
what's going on here?
Good morning, Mr. Mansfield,
we're here to move your house.
Frank, what's happening?
Randy!
What's going on?
What are they doing?
They've come for the house.
Frank sold it.
Well he can't do that.
Can he?
You better call you daddy and
tell him he's having company.
Put it away.
No game cock's worth $500.
I'm sick of game fowl anyway.
Let's go get your rooster.
Those two battered greys
are in fine feather again.
You can have the hen, too.
Can't you wait till Frank
finished his breakfast?
I'm not rushing him.
I can get you a good deal on a dozen
Melhorn blacks, If you're interested.
I got the wire.
Mr. Omar, he helped me get the Melhorns
last night From the Express Depot.
White Lightning.
Mighty pretty bird, Mr. Frank.
He's soft now, but he won't be long.
Those Melhorn blacks
look awfully good, Frank,
but we had to water them at the station.
The baggage people must be afraid
to water chickens En route.
This here ace I don't know about him.
Yeah, I can see his high spurs,
but he's an ace cock.
That is one game chicken.
I guess I'm pretty good, huh Frank?
Nothing else to do, I reckon.
I don't know, Buford.
That was a $75 rooster with two wins already.
I'd have pitted him in the pit first.
He'd be tough all right.
But Mr. Frank, he say when a
bird got high spurs like that,
he miss more than he hits.
So?
When did he tell you that?
There's a lot of things I don't like
about cock fighting,
But it's a business.
You're either in or you're out.
And I'm all the way into cock fighting.
Frank, you and I need each other.
Why don't we form a partnership,
just for the season.
Wait, before you answer me,
think it over for a day or two.
If you conditioned and handled, and I took
care of the business details.
Well let it go for now.
But bear in mind, I'm filthy with capital.
Well, no matter what you decide,
why don't you come over for dinner tonight.
I'll take that high-spurred
rooster home with me.
Tonight you and I'll feast on stewed
Melhorn black and dumplings
with a bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse.
Stewed chicken for two, $37.50 a plate!
Farmer says I gotta get a young rooster
in here and shake up these hens.
So the old rooster hears him say that.
Farmer drops a young rooster
in there we're and the old rooster
says I gotta tell you something
about staying in condition.
He says, c'mon with me.
He says, we're going to run around
this cock-house about three times.
You've gotta stay in condition
if you're going
to take over this barnyard
and take care of these hens.
He said, I'll show you something.
Then well she says ok.
He says, now you follow me.
First we'll crow, we'll wake up
the farmer, c'mon.
He says, ok.
So he goes like that, and the young one goes
the farmer wakes up
and he's looking out the window
and the old rooster keeps raising like that.
He's looking back over his shoulder
and the young rooster is six paces
behind him, see.
And the old farmer takes one look,
and he picks up a shotgun
and he goes, blam!
And he knocks off the young rooster.
And he goes, dammit.
That's the third faggot rooster
I had this week.
Whaddya say, Frank?
Partners?
For the season?
Partners!
Oh, baby.
You'd better stay out late tonight because
we got an early start in the morning.
Like people, every game cock
has to be handled differently.
You know, a chicken's brain's
about the size of a BB,
but within those brains,
there's an infinite variety
of character and personality traits.
The game cock is the most
stupid creature on earth,
and the most intelligent fighter.
I ran the cocks.
The game cock has to fight fast.
And the running strengthens his legs.
I ran them 20 times the first day,
30 second,
increasing the number of runs 10 a day
until they reach 100.
Now he can run like a striped-ass ape.
Well if all that doesn't bother him,
he can fight in Times Square
on New Year's Eve.
How you getting along with
Frank since he stopped talking?
Hell.
I like him better now.
Before his big mouth lost him the cock
fight of the end medal?
He was on to my tail all the time.
Buford do this, Buford do that.
Now he do what he has to do
and I do what I do.
Everything's nice and quiet.
Get ready.
Hit.
Kick it up!
Get ready!
My cock was bored, how could he be a runner?
A runner's a cock that runs, Omar.
Pete wins, dammit.
Y'all's cock left the pit.
Pete.
He was confused.
He wanted to get back to the pit,
he just forgot where it was.
You heard what the referee said.
Yeah, I heard him.
Mr. Mansfield?
Saw you 52 up on the board.
Our roosters won two fights this year.
Least the guy I bought him from
said he won two fights.
I'd like to bet you $25 even money.
You got yourself a bet, son.
You're going to have to fight him short heel.
Got a pair?
I ain't got no heels.
Yeah, no problem, I'll lend you a pair.
Want me to heal them for you?
No, I don't need nobody to heel them for me,
I heel lots of birds.
This here's and extra hack.
Mr. Mansfield's white against Junior's Grey.
Both birds weigh 5.2, fighting in short heel.
Bill them up.
That's enough.
Flush your birds.
Flush her one time.
Flush her.
On your score.
Hit!
Foul!
Whaddya mean, foul!
You stuck your finger up that cock's ass!
I was told if you stick your finger up there and rub his
balls a little bit, then it puts some life in your chicken.
Who told you that?
My daddy did.
When you stick you finger
in a cock's ass like that...
C'mon, now, is it a foul?
With that sharp fingernail, that's a foul.
That's the way to throw a fight.
Mr. Mansfield, look, I didn't know that.
I swear I didn't know it
and I apologize to you.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
You're blacklisted from this pit,
and all Southern conference pits.
How long's the blacklist?
Forever, boy, and your daddy too.
Oh, right, I owe you $25, don't I. Uh.
I'll tell you, Mr. Mansfield,
I didn't bring no cash with me.
You know, I was so sure I was gonna win,
I just left it all at home,
but I got some at home,
and as soon as I get there, I'm gonna get it,
I'm gonna bring it here and give it to you.
Oh god damn!
Let go of my chicken!
Dear Mary Elizabeth.
We have got to make a decision about what
to do with our lives.
Until you've been to a cock fight,
or seen me in the cock pit, we won't ever
have any understanding.
I'm sending you two tickets to
the Milledgeville tournament
For March the 15th and 16th.
All my love, Frank.
PS
You've got to give me a fighting chance.
Good luck, Mr. Mansfield.
For this last derby fight.
You fellas get ready.
Get ready.
On your lines.
Hit 'em.
Don't suppose you heard the good news.
Get ready.
On the line.
Hit 'em.
Remember Dody White?
I married her, Frank.
Foul.
But the wins.
Frank, she's uh, she's got the wild idea
from somewhere that you can talk.
And she's afraid you're gonna say something
about, uh, you and her.
And, well I know it's a lot of crap,
But you know how women are.
Mr. Pete Chocolate,
the derby winner,
and Jack Burke, the close second.
Well, anyway, I'll tell her I talked to you.
Here's the big one you been waiting on,
folks. Shakes and no weight limits.
You bill 'em up, gentlemen.
I got $25, $20.
I call $25, $20.
I'm on the black chicken.
I'll lay $25, $30
I'll lay it.
You're on.
I'll lay $25, $30. $25, $30 on the red.
I'll lay $30, $20.
I'll lay $100, $80.
I'll lay $50, $75. $50, $75 on the black.
$25, $30.
Oh you got 50 on the black,
I got the black rooster.
Hit 'em.
What were the odds on Mrs. Burke?
Well, if we don't count out dead chickens,
we're $3,800 ahead on the derby
in the main winnings.
Now, if you want to, we can skip
either Chattanooga or Biloxi,
and spend the extra time
conditioning for Milledgeville.
When the pressure's on, gentlemen,
a promoter's just gotta do the best he can.
When the SPCA got its dander up, why,
the Sheriff just had to go along with them,
that's all there is to it.
County elections, you see.
But I got next to the city
officials without no trouble.
So instead of fighting out
to the game club, why,
we can stage our little derby right
here in the hotel Without no trouble.
Just take a feel of this,
this wonderful pit floor.
Why, a, a carpet like this, all nylon,
makes a wonderful period.
and you don't have to worry about damages,
neither, because that's my look out.
We also got exclusive use
of the service elevator
out here to bring that cocks
up from the basement garage.
There won't be many spectators,
but you'll be able to get any bets covered
because there are three really big money men
flying in this afternoon from Nashville.
Frankly, gentlemen, I...
I've got a question.
What do we with the dead cocks, Mr. Reed?
That's an excellent question, Mr. Whipple.
The dead cops will be stacked in the bathtub.
Any more questions?
Yes sir, what do we use for the drag pit?
The VIP suite will be used for the drag.
But the main pit will be
right here in this room
with all the furniture removed.
You can heel in that other bedroom
past the bathroom
that where Mr. Baradansky's standing.
Any more questions?
Well that's it then.
The fighting starts at 10 AM in the morning.
Mimeograph schedules will be run off
and slipped under your doors tonight.
Now if you gentlemen will give me
a list of all your weights,
why, I'll get started on the matching.
Yeah, you're right,
We could lose our chickens an array.
But we could get fat off
those Nashville gamblers.
Why don't you take our derby
birds on to Cook's Hollow.
I'll take the other birds in a truck,
go to a motel outside of town,
come back, do some gambling anyway.
I should have brought another handkerchief.
When I ask Fred Reed for that
entry fee back, he's gonna cry.
I see on the board,
you'd looking for a 5.2 to fight.
Well, you give away an ounce, we got
A 5.3 I figure would take him.
Mine, Mr. Mansfield.
Little Joe.
Ever hear tell of Little Joe?
All right, Mr. Mansfield hadn't fought in
this neck of the woods in some time, Tom.
Well, he's a six time winner.
Can't fight him here though,
'cause he's crowd shy,
but you come out to our place,
and we can give you a private hack.
Tell you what.
I'll give you two to one,
and you can name the amount.
We ain't gonna...
Little Joe just on $50, uh uh.
$500.
And you gave him two to one.
Little Joe can take him, daddy.
You got yourself a bet.
You just follow us on out
whenever you're ready.
Trick, Frank.
People has gotta square
of linoleum in his cockpit.
He rubs rosin on Little Joe's feet,
and on that slick wax surface,
the other cock hasn't got a chance.
I got a chunk of rosin for you here.
That way at least you start out even,
except that Little Joe's
won at least 16 fights.
Leave the coops here and come back
after it's all over if you want to.
This is a stick up.
Hands over your heads.
Anybody moves gets their head blasted off.
You get that chicken?
You get those.
Get out of the pit and up against the wall.
I'm just gonna say this once
and only once, so pay attention.
When I point this thing at you,
you pull down your pants,
throw them over there on that heap,
but not before I tell you to.
Then put your hands back up over your head.
Keep your tobacco.
Freeze!
I'll hold him for you, Mr. Mansfield.
Feels just like a baseball.
It was a shame for Little Joe to kill
a pretty Little chicken like this 'un.
Shush, calm down.
We just about finished, Mr. Mansfield.
C'mon boy.
May as well let Tom be referee
is that's all right with you.
Let's... let's bill them
a little, Mr. Mansfield.
Oh, that Little Joe, he likes to fight.
Flush 'em.
Get ready.
Hit!
You killed Little Joe!
You killed him!
You killed him!
Ah, you didn't have
to hit him so hard, there,
that Little Joe was his pet.
He had a right to be mad,
losing him so quick, like.
I'm, uh, little short a $1000, Mr. Mansfield,
but I'll give you $350 now,
you've gotta take the rest of the game fowl.
We'll go on down to run, you can
pick yourself out six roosters.
Well, most of my stocke's all greys,
but I've got three Palmettos.
You can't get no better
cutters than Palmettos.
Oh, ten's all the stock I got.
You can't take all 10.
Aw, c'mon there.
You'd best not hold him under
that too long, Mr. Mansfield.
He'll like to get drowned.
The champagne hour!
Let's drink a toast!
To victory at Milledgeville!
I wait, gentlemen.
Light passes this way but once,
notwithstanding the hinders.
And I say, celebrate a victory twice.
Once before the magic event,
and once afterwards.
A ritual is what it is.
Religious.
Mystical in it's power to invoke
the gods of lightning victory.
As the top glass fills,
it overflows into the next,
and on down into eternity.
The mystical realm of the great cock.
A monument.
To all, all american cock fighters.
A hearty salute.
The Anglo-Polish team of Mansfield
and Baradansky salute you.
Gentlemen!
Cocksmen!
Into the faith!
Milledgeville!
Senator Vauxhall awarded the medal to
to the man he thought deserved it.
You didn't have to win the tourny to get
the Cockfighter Of The Year Award.
The senator hadn't given the award
to anybody in three years.
And it was possible that he wouldn't
give the medal again this year.
I didn't think want to think about it.
Your room will be assigned
to you up at the house.
There's someone mighty anxious
to see you up there.
Well you go ahead, Frank, I'll unlock.
I've never seen someone
so anxious to see Mr. Middleton.
Ed Middleton?
Frank though you meant his fiance.
Frank.
You didn't expect to see me here did you?
Well I'm not here as any spectator.
I'm chief referee.
And don't think I won't be
watching every move you make.
You know, I uh, promised Martha I'd quit,
but Milledgeville only comesonce a year,
so she slipped my car for a few days.
Say, uh, you've got a partner now.
I guess I'll have to ask him how my
little white chicken's getting along.
C'mon, I'll buy you a drink.
Another thing I want to know is,
how come they didn't catch you with
your pants down in Chattanooga?
It looks good, Frank.
You're gonna win
the Cockfighter Of The Year medal.
Oh you don't have to go downtown.
I'll phone down for the hotel reservations
for Mary Elizabeth if you want me to.
Hey Frank.
No matter how we come out tomorrow,
I'll always be grateful to you
for getting me this far.
Frank?
Talk to you a minute?
Hey pal, let's... let's make the bet an even
$1000 between Little David and your chickie.
Ed and Pete's ok as long
as we tally the score.
Frank?
Jack said I had to apologize to you.
Frank's partner, Senator.
Mr. Baradansky.
Oh yes.
Russian, are you, Mr. Baradansky?
Uh, no.
Polish.
You look russian.
Well anyway, you're in good
hands with Frank Mansfield.
I knew Frank's granddad.
And if you listen to Frank, Mr. Baradansky,
you'll learn a lot about
the game fowl business.
Isn't that right, Ed?
Frank could teach us a lot of things,
If he won't have to say them.
That's what I mean.
General Severus, before
he invaded Great Britain,
made his Roman legion watch
cock fights for three days.
The example was enough.
Dinner is served.
They don't feed game fowl
right in Poland, Mr. Baradansky.
Game cocks can't fight on raw potatoes.
I'll keep that in mind.
Four generations in Evanston, he talks to me
like I just got off the boat.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to the Southern Conference tourny.
And we want all of you to have a good time.
There's only one rule.
Conduct yourselves as ladies and gentlemen.
Uh, before the tourny's over, you may want
to place a small wager.
Know who you bet with,
because there may be
internal revenue agents in the crowd.
I'll take $100 on the red bill.
One more $100, now get in.
Hit.
Handle.
Ready, hit.
Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Hit.
Handle.
Hit.
Handle.
Let's go to the drag pit.
Looks like this one's going
to drag on all day.
All right.
Hit.
Get ready.
Hit.
I'm referee in this fight, Mr. Mansfield.
Get ready.
C'mon, Grey.
Number five wins.
I commit some kind of a foul?
We're pushing on the center score.
The first time I wasn't sure.
Nor the second, when number five whistled.
But the third time it was obvious.
Didn't you gentlemen see him push?
Are you arguing with my decision?
You damn right, I am.
That's a $50 fine.
Anything else?
Will you take a check?
Hey Frank. We're due in the
pit in less than five minutes.
You wanna handle?
So far, it looks pretty even.
You think we'll win tomorrow?
Well, you wanna raise the bets two thousand?
If you five us two to one odds, we will.
David's been on a country walk all season.
White Lightning here's has to fight
just to qualify.
You asking for odds, Frank?
While the final results of
the tourny are being tabulated,
There'll be an extra hack
between entries four and five.
Both 5.2, Peach.
Both birds are 5.2 and
they'll fight in short heels.
All right, let's fill 'em.
I got $20 on the white!
Get ready.
Handle.
Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Get him, red!
Handle.
Handle.
Watch that rough handling.
Get ready.
Handle Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Get ready.
One handling the bird only.
Hit.
Count.
Count's going on?
That's what I call
a dead game chicken, Frank.
One for Mr. Mansfield.
I'm picking up, Ed, my rooster's dead.
Hell they're both dead, but you're still
entitled to two more counts.
Oh Jesus.
Get ready.
I'm carrying out.
The winner... Mr. Mansfield.
That's close enough.
I don't want you to touch me, ever.
I should have watched you
in the ring long ago.
You are not the man I fell in love with.
Now I know you never were.
I didn't watch those poor chickens fighting,
I watched your face.
No pity, no love, nothing.
I think that bird has more of
a heart than you ever will have.
He sure as hell has more of a voice.
Thank you.
If this is your substitute for a heart,
at least it'll serve to remind me
what a damn fool I have been.
Hey Frank, Frank.
Did you hear the announcement?
Senator Vauxhall just awarded you
Cockfighter Of The Year!
C'mon, let's hustle.
As your partner, I'm entitled
to a little reflected glory.
Maybe you can sleep with your medal, Frank.
And eat it all at the same time.
Maybe it'll give you some comfort
in your old age.
Everything all right between you and her?
She loves me, Omar.
You go collect the winnings,
and I'll go get that medal.
I lost interest in it.
Water skiing.
I lost interest in it.
But, uh, this is something you don't conquer.
Anything that can fight to the death
and not utter a sound, well.
The person that puts the most and
works the hardest Is supposed to win.
And usually that's the way it comes out.
The drive in it is to be the best.
We call it sharpness.
When you can hit that peak.
When that bird is at his best,
then he'll win for you,
because you make your luck.
I can pick out the best bird
by his conformation,
his bone structure.
But I can't look into his heart
and tell you how game he is.
You know what you said
in your sleep last night?
You said, Randy, you mother. I'm gonna
kick your shit ass clear across this room.
You remember that?
Who's Randy?
You can't fool me. If you can talk when you
are asleep, you can talk when you're awake.
I just want you to know I know it.
That's some mighty Sandspur, huh.
Well, what kind of money
we talking about this hack?
What, $100?
Shit.
I figured on taking you for at least $1,000.
I'm risking my $200 ace
against your $100 bet.
Uh, I don't know.
I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll put up
another $900 against your car and trailer.
Even money.
That's the car and trailer plus the $100, ok?
I'll catch you later.
When I was doing to Sandspur's bill
wasn't exactly illegal, but
I didn't feel too proud about it.
Only wanted to boost
the betting odds by making
the gamblers think that
Sandspur's bill was cracked.
$750.
They want this all on Sandspur.
Forget it.
You know I can't get a four to one bet.
Cracked bill?
Hell.
Now I don't know who to bed, you or Burke.
Maybe I'll be able to get some out.
Five pounds, two ounces, even.
- You handling Jack?
- No, Ralph's going to handle him.
He's about half pounds over, you're going
to have to cut away, Frank.
Uh he can have the half pound.
He can have shit, you know
there's no two ounce leeway.
Official SCT hack.
What I meant was, uh, it
don't make no never mind to me.
It makes a difference to the better, Jack.
Five two, even.
See that, Jack?
He's got a cracked beak.
Yeah?
Well if I'd known he had a cracked bill
I'd give you some odds.
Who wants to call it?
Tails it is.
That's a short guess.
Set him low and outside there.
What was that?
Burke was a long gaff man,
But I preferred the short heels.
Sandspur was a cutter and all
the best would short gaffs.
I mean David was used to long,
three-inch heels.
By me winning the toss, I'd given Sandspur
A slight advantage over little David.
Ladies and gentleman, this is
an extra hack between
Mr. Jack Burke, Burke's Farm,
Mr. Frank Mansfield, Mansfield Farms,
Decatur.
The official southern conference hack,
no time limit, no draw,
Both birds with short gaffs.
Mr. Ralph Hansen will handle for Mr. Burke.
That's enough.
Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Handle.
Get ready.
Handle.
That broken beak lost your
bird his pecker power, Frank.
The winner is Mr. Burke.
Well, got it all down, Frank,
yours and mine, three to one.
Great Sandspur, game but lame.
You ought to give up this shit, Frank.
Well, don't look for me
in Milledgeville this year.
I was getting ready to wash them.
I never heard of anybody so mean they'd
take a family's Mobile home away from them.
Now, little lady, we made a bet,
you see, and we shook hands on it.
Nobody shook my hand.
What about me, what happens to me?
No, I don't know about that, Frank. I got,
I got me a lady friend up in Kissimmee.
Little David'll meet any challenges, any
5 2 challenges you want to show against him.
Only put your money where your
mouth is in Milledgeville.
Frank!
Please take me with you.
Please Frank.
How will I staying with old Mr. Burke?
He must be 40 years old.
I felt sorry for her in a way.
But I didn't worry about her.
She was pretty and young.
A good lay.
Hell, she'd get by anywhere.
Piss on her and the horse she rode in on.
That's an old trick you tried today, Frank.
I've done it myself and I've
gotten away with it, too.
The trick, you see, is not
to cut the groove too deep.
If you cut too deep, it's liable to cost
You your car and trailer.
Two years ago, this medal
could have been in your hand.
But you had to shoot your mouth off and lose
the bird you needed to win.
I've got the finest five pound
chicken alive, Jack.
Right here in my hands.
The very finest.
You want to know something, boy?
I am the finest trainer and
conditioner in the whole world.
And my bird here, he can beat
anything you got to show, man.
Anything.
Anything.
Hey listen, I'm, I'm getting tired of
listening to you Brag, Frank, goddammit.
Why don't you put some money
where your mouth is right now.
C'mon, Frank's just talking.
Jack, it's 2 o'clock in the morning.
No, wait a minute, he's Been doing all the god
damn bragging, let's see a little action now, all right?
No, we're going to find out right now, ok?
$200, flat out, no odds.
$200? $200 even, ok,
give your money to Lucille.
All right Lucille, keep the change, sweetie.
You ready?
Do it, let's go.
Ok, bill them up.
Get ready.
Hit them!
Jack wins, Frank.
Have you got another five pound rooster you
can use in the derby tomorrow?
It's too bad, Frank.
Now you'll have to withdraw from the derby,
Which means you ain't got a fighting
chance for the medal this year.
You got two little faults, Frank.
You drank too much and you talk too much.
Yeah.
I ought to keep my mouth shut.
I am. I'm going to keep my mouth
shut until I win that medal.
I'll tell them to stick it up their ass.
All those sons of bitches.
It's 5:30.
You gonna sleep all day?
Come on out the yard.
We can have breakfast later.
Except for these battered greys,
White Lightning here's the
only game cock I've got left.
Haven't fought him yet.
Just about everything I've ever learned
about breeding's Gone into this one.
And when the time comes,
he'll out cock and out shuffle
every game cock in the South.
If a cock's legs hang down
in perfect alignment with his body,
he's a close hitter.
This cock's legs were perfect.
You want this chicken, Frank?
He's yours, then.
For $500.
I know the price is unreasonable.
But pay me, and you can take him.
I wouldn't be selling him if I hadn't
promised Martha I'd quit cock fighting.
He's yours when you bring the money.
Go out and have some breakfast,
and I'll drive you down to the bus station.
Where did I want to go?
The lease on my Decatur
farm had two more years
to run, and it was all paid up.
But without any game file and, uh,
without any funds to buy any, wasn't
any point in going out there.
First thing I had to do was get some money.
Frank!
You devil.
You would have to catch me looking like this.
Well, stop grinning like an
ape sit down, I'll feed you.
Coffee's all ready.
You may have lost your voice,
but you can still write.
We haven't heard from you in six months.
Well if it ain't the junior bird man.
Welcome home, bubba.
How long you gonna stay?
The, uh, enigmatic response Frank.
I suspect, uh,
you've come home to collect
that honest debt I owe you?
Too bad, bubba, because
I have a hard time raising $25,
Let alone $2,500.
But it's your house, so,
you're welcome to stay
As long as you like.
Would you like a job, honey?
My old room was at the end of the
front hall next to the bathroom.
Nothing had changed much in two years
except for all the junk that
had been stored in there.
Things sure have a way of getting out
of place after a time.
Frank, you busy?
There's somebody here to see you, Frank.
And I bet you can't guess who.
At least you could put your shoes on.
He's on his way.
Still his gentle, warm-hearted self.
Come on in the kitchen, Randall.
What for?
She's pretty quick on the horn,
is she all right out there?
She's fine.
It's just mama.
It's the nurses' day off, I have
to drop her by Mrs. Roswell's.
When I mentioned your name,
you should have seen her face,
she got all excited.
I know she remembers.
Frank!
My goodness, what do you think
I am, the welcome wagon?
I haven't seen you in six months,
and you expect...
i don't know what you expect.
It's hard to get inside
of a stone wall's head.
Francis said there was a chance you
might decide to stay this time.
Is there any truth to that wild rumor?
Joe Lee asked me to marry him.
Got myself a piece of land.
Joe Lee gets me, he's getting a bargain.
I told him I'd give him and answer.
You hungry?
Want to get a hamburger or something?
Was getting kind of hungry myself.
Mama?
You remember Frank,
he was one of your favorites.
He was everybody's favorite.
I ever tell you about Johnny Erwin?
Boy who peed on the wall in study hall?
Teacher wouldn't let him go the bathroom.
So he kept raising his hand, saying, teacher,
I can't hold it, I ain't kidding.
So finally, she wouldn't let him go to
the bathroom after 30 minutes,
and he just got up,
walked back to the corner,
and peed on the wall.
She took him down to the principal's office,
and Mr. Tomlin says, son, you are expelled.
And he says, I don't give a shit,
I'm join the Marines.
He did!
He jumped, he jumped in his '52 Chevy,
and started out to San Diego, and then,
when he got to New Mexico,
he ran into a bridge post and killed himself.
He never would have made Marine,
anyway, I maintain.
I think it was suicide.
You know what it proves?
The value of self control.
If he hadn't had to pee, he'd be alive today.
Just like you and cock fighting.
Something over which you have
absolutely no self control.
I want.
I want to get married and have children.
I wanna have them here
where we both have roots.
I'm not going to marry you and live
some old game Cock farm in Decatur.
I'm not going to wait for you forever.
I waited long enough.
Jake, would you please tell me
what's going on here?
Good morning, Mr. Mansfield,
we're here to move your house.
Frank, what's happening?
Randy!
What's going on?
What are they doing?
They've come for the house.
Frank sold it.
Well he can't do that.
Can he?
You better call you daddy and
tell him he's having company.
Put it away.
No game cock's worth $500.
I'm sick of game fowl anyway.
Let's go get your rooster.
Those two battered greys
are in fine feather again.
You can have the hen, too.
Can't you wait till Frank
finished his breakfast?
I'm not rushing him.
I can get you a good deal on a dozen
Melhorn blacks, If you're interested.
I got the wire.
Mr. Omar, he helped me get the Melhorns
last night From the Express Depot.
White Lightning.
Mighty pretty bird, Mr. Frank.
He's soft now, but he won't be long.
Those Melhorn blacks
look awfully good, Frank,
but we had to water them at the station.
The baggage people must be afraid
to water chickens En route.
This here ace I don't know about him.
Yeah, I can see his high spurs,
but he's an ace cock.
That is one game chicken.
I guess I'm pretty good, huh Frank?
Nothing else to do, I reckon.
I don't know, Buford.
That was a $75 rooster with two wins already.
I'd have pitted him in the pit first.
He'd be tough all right.
But Mr. Frank, he say when a
bird got high spurs like that,
he miss more than he hits.
So?
When did he tell you that?
There's a lot of things I don't like
about cock fighting,
But it's a business.
You're either in or you're out.
And I'm all the way into cock fighting.
Frank, you and I need each other.
Why don't we form a partnership,
just for the season.
Wait, before you answer me,
think it over for a day or two.
If you conditioned and handled, and I took
care of the business details.
Well let it go for now.
But bear in mind, I'm filthy with capital.
Well, no matter what you decide,
why don't you come over for dinner tonight.
I'll take that high-spurred
rooster home with me.
Tonight you and I'll feast on stewed
Melhorn black and dumplings
with a bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse.
Stewed chicken for two, $37.50 a plate!
Farmer says I gotta get a young rooster
in here and shake up these hens.
So the old rooster hears him say that.
Farmer drops a young rooster
in there we're and the old rooster
says I gotta tell you something
about staying in condition.
He says, c'mon with me.
He says, we're going to run around
this cock-house about three times.
You've gotta stay in condition
if you're going
to take over this barnyard
and take care of these hens.
He said, I'll show you something.
Then well she says ok.
He says, now you follow me.
First we'll crow, we'll wake up
the farmer, c'mon.
He says, ok.
So he goes like that, and the young one goes
the farmer wakes up
and he's looking out the window
and the old rooster keeps raising like that.
He's looking back over his shoulder
and the young rooster is six paces
behind him, see.
And the old farmer takes one look,
and he picks up a shotgun
and he goes, blam!
And he knocks off the young rooster.
And he goes, dammit.
That's the third faggot rooster
I had this week.
Whaddya say, Frank?
Partners?
For the season?
Partners!
Oh, baby.
You'd better stay out late tonight because
we got an early start in the morning.
Like people, every game cock
has to be handled differently.
You know, a chicken's brain's
about the size of a BB,
but within those brains,
there's an infinite variety
of character and personality traits.
The game cock is the most
stupid creature on earth,
and the most intelligent fighter.
I ran the cocks.
The game cock has to fight fast.
And the running strengthens his legs.
I ran them 20 times the first day,
30 second,
increasing the number of runs 10 a day
until they reach 100.
Now he can run like a striped-ass ape.
Well if all that doesn't bother him,
he can fight in Times Square
on New Year's Eve.
How you getting along with
Frank since he stopped talking?
Hell.
I like him better now.
Before his big mouth lost him the cock
fight of the end medal?
He was on to my tail all the time.
Buford do this, Buford do that.
Now he do what he has to do
and I do what I do.
Everything's nice and quiet.
Get ready.
Hit.
Kick it up!
Get ready!
My cock was bored, how could he be a runner?
A runner's a cock that runs, Omar.
Pete wins, dammit.
Y'all's cock left the pit.
Pete.
He was confused.
He wanted to get back to the pit,
he just forgot where it was.
You heard what the referee said.
Yeah, I heard him.
Mr. Mansfield?
Saw you 52 up on the board.
Our roosters won two fights this year.
Least the guy I bought him from
said he won two fights.
I'd like to bet you $25 even money.
You got yourself a bet, son.
You're going to have to fight him short heel.
Got a pair?
I ain't got no heels.
Yeah, no problem, I'll lend you a pair.
Want me to heal them for you?
No, I don't need nobody to heel them for me,
I heel lots of birds.
This here's and extra hack.
Mr. Mansfield's white against Junior's Grey.
Both birds weigh 5.2, fighting in short heel.
Bill them up.
That's enough.
Flush your birds.
Flush her one time.
Flush her.
On your score.
Hit!
Foul!
Whaddya mean, foul!
You stuck your finger up that cock's ass!
I was told if you stick your finger up there and rub his
balls a little bit, then it puts some life in your chicken.
Who told you that?
My daddy did.
When you stick you finger
in a cock's ass like that...
C'mon, now, is it a foul?
With that sharp fingernail, that's a foul.
That's the way to throw a fight.
Mr. Mansfield, look, I didn't know that.
I swear I didn't know it
and I apologize to you.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
You're blacklisted from this pit,
and all Southern conference pits.
How long's the blacklist?
Forever, boy, and your daddy too.
Oh, right, I owe you $25, don't I. Uh.
I'll tell you, Mr. Mansfield,
I didn't bring no cash with me.
You know, I was so sure I was gonna win,
I just left it all at home,
but I got some at home,
and as soon as I get there, I'm gonna get it,
I'm gonna bring it here and give it to you.
Oh god damn!
Let go of my chicken!
Dear Mary Elizabeth.
We have got to make a decision about what
to do with our lives.
Until you've been to a cock fight,
or seen me in the cock pit, we won't ever
have any understanding.
I'm sending you two tickets to
the Milledgeville tournament
For March the 15th and 16th.
All my love, Frank.
PS
You've got to give me a fighting chance.
Good luck, Mr. Mansfield.
For this last derby fight.
You fellas get ready.
Get ready.
On your lines.
Hit 'em.
Don't suppose you heard the good news.
Get ready.
On the line.
Hit 'em.
Remember Dody White?
I married her, Frank.
Foul.
But the wins.
Frank, she's uh, she's got the wild idea
from somewhere that you can talk.
And she's afraid you're gonna say something
about, uh, you and her.
And, well I know it's a lot of crap,
But you know how women are.
Mr. Pete Chocolate,
the derby winner,
and Jack Burke, the close second.
Well, anyway, I'll tell her I talked to you.
Here's the big one you been waiting on,
folks. Shakes and no weight limits.
You bill 'em up, gentlemen.
I got $25, $20.
I call $25, $20.
I'm on the black chicken.
I'll lay $25, $30
I'll lay it.
You're on.
I'll lay $25, $30. $25, $30 on the red.
I'll lay $30, $20.
I'll lay $100, $80.
I'll lay $50, $75. $50, $75 on the black.
$25, $30.
Oh you got 50 on the black,
I got the black rooster.
Hit 'em.
What were the odds on Mrs. Burke?
Well, if we don't count out dead chickens,
we're $3,800 ahead on the derby
in the main winnings.
Now, if you want to, we can skip
either Chattanooga or Biloxi,
and spend the extra time
conditioning for Milledgeville.
When the pressure's on, gentlemen,
a promoter's just gotta do the best he can.
When the SPCA got its dander up, why,
the Sheriff just had to go along with them,
that's all there is to it.
County elections, you see.
But I got next to the city
officials without no trouble.
So instead of fighting out
to the game club, why,
we can stage our little derby right
here in the hotel Without no trouble.
Just take a feel of this,
this wonderful pit floor.
Why, a, a carpet like this, all nylon,
makes a wonderful period.
and you don't have to worry about damages,
neither, because that's my look out.
We also got exclusive use
of the service elevator
out here to bring that cocks
up from the basement garage.
There won't be many spectators,
but you'll be able to get any bets covered
because there are three really big money men
flying in this afternoon from Nashville.
Frankly, gentlemen, I...
I've got a question.
What do we with the dead cocks, Mr. Reed?
That's an excellent question, Mr. Whipple.
The dead cops will be stacked in the bathtub.
Any more questions?
Yes sir, what do we use for the drag pit?
The VIP suite will be used for the drag.
But the main pit will be
right here in this room
with all the furniture removed.
You can heel in that other bedroom
past the bathroom
that where Mr. Baradansky's standing.
Any more questions?
Well that's it then.
The fighting starts at 10 AM in the morning.
Mimeograph schedules will be run off
and slipped under your doors tonight.
Now if you gentlemen will give me
a list of all your weights,
why, I'll get started on the matching.
Yeah, you're right,
We could lose our chickens an array.
But we could get fat off
those Nashville gamblers.
Why don't you take our derby
birds on to Cook's Hollow.
I'll take the other birds in a truck,
go to a motel outside of town,
come back, do some gambling anyway.
I should have brought another handkerchief.
When I ask Fred Reed for that
entry fee back, he's gonna cry.
I see on the board,
you'd looking for a 5.2 to fight.
Well, you give away an ounce, we got
A 5.3 I figure would take him.
Mine, Mr. Mansfield.
Little Joe.
Ever hear tell of Little Joe?
All right, Mr. Mansfield hadn't fought in
this neck of the woods in some time, Tom.
Well, he's a six time winner.
Can't fight him here though,
'cause he's crowd shy,
but you come out to our place,
and we can give you a private hack.
Tell you what.
I'll give you two to one,
and you can name the amount.
We ain't gonna...
Little Joe just on $50, uh uh.
$500.
And you gave him two to one.
Little Joe can take him, daddy.
You got yourself a bet.
You just follow us on out
whenever you're ready.
Trick, Frank.
People has gotta square
of linoleum in his cockpit.
He rubs rosin on Little Joe's feet,
and on that slick wax surface,
the other cock hasn't got a chance.
I got a chunk of rosin for you here.
That way at least you start out even,
except that Little Joe's
won at least 16 fights.
Leave the coops here and come back
after it's all over if you want to.
This is a stick up.
Hands over your heads.
Anybody moves gets their head blasted off.
You get that chicken?
You get those.
Get out of the pit and up against the wall.
I'm just gonna say this once
and only once, so pay attention.
When I point this thing at you,
you pull down your pants,
throw them over there on that heap,
but not before I tell you to.
Then put your hands back up over your head.
Keep your tobacco.
Freeze!
I'll hold him for you, Mr. Mansfield.
Feels just like a baseball.
It was a shame for Little Joe to kill
a pretty Little chicken like this 'un.
Shush, calm down.
We just about finished, Mr. Mansfield.
C'mon boy.
May as well let Tom be referee
is that's all right with you.
Let's... let's bill them
a little, Mr. Mansfield.
Oh, that Little Joe, he likes to fight.
Flush 'em.
Get ready.
Hit!
You killed Little Joe!
You killed him!
You killed him!
Ah, you didn't have
to hit him so hard, there,
that Little Joe was his pet.
He had a right to be mad,
losing him so quick, like.
I'm, uh, little short a $1000, Mr. Mansfield,
but I'll give you $350 now,
you've gotta take the rest of the game fowl.
We'll go on down to run, you can
pick yourself out six roosters.
Well, most of my stocke's all greys,
but I've got three Palmettos.
You can't get no better
cutters than Palmettos.
Oh, ten's all the stock I got.
You can't take all 10.
Aw, c'mon there.
You'd best not hold him under
that too long, Mr. Mansfield.
He'll like to get drowned.
The champagne hour!
Let's drink a toast!
To victory at Milledgeville!
I wait, gentlemen.
Light passes this way but once,
notwithstanding the hinders.
And I say, celebrate a victory twice.
Once before the magic event,
and once afterwards.
A ritual is what it is.
Religious.
Mystical in it's power to invoke
the gods of lightning victory.
As the top glass fills,
it overflows into the next,
and on down into eternity.
The mystical realm of the great cock.
A monument.
To all, all american cock fighters.
A hearty salute.
The Anglo-Polish team of Mansfield
and Baradansky salute you.
Gentlemen!
Cocksmen!
Into the faith!
Milledgeville!
Senator Vauxhall awarded the medal to
to the man he thought deserved it.
You didn't have to win the tourny to get
the Cockfighter Of The Year Award.
The senator hadn't given the award
to anybody in three years.
And it was possible that he wouldn't
give the medal again this year.
I didn't think want to think about it.
Your room will be assigned
to you up at the house.
There's someone mighty anxious
to see you up there.
Well you go ahead, Frank, I'll unlock.
I've never seen someone
so anxious to see Mr. Middleton.
Ed Middleton?
Frank though you meant his fiance.
Frank.
You didn't expect to see me here did you?
Well I'm not here as any spectator.
I'm chief referee.
And don't think I won't be
watching every move you make.
You know, I uh, promised Martha I'd quit,
but Milledgeville only comesonce a year,
so she slipped my car for a few days.
Say, uh, you've got a partner now.
I guess I'll have to ask him how my
little white chicken's getting along.
C'mon, I'll buy you a drink.
Another thing I want to know is,
how come they didn't catch you with
your pants down in Chattanooga?
It looks good, Frank.
You're gonna win
the Cockfighter Of The Year medal.
Oh you don't have to go downtown.
I'll phone down for the hotel reservations
for Mary Elizabeth if you want me to.
Hey Frank.
No matter how we come out tomorrow,
I'll always be grateful to you
for getting me this far.
Frank?
Talk to you a minute?
Hey pal, let's... let's make the bet an even
$1000 between Little David and your chickie.
Ed and Pete's ok as long
as we tally the score.
Frank?
Jack said I had to apologize to you.
Frank's partner, Senator.
Mr. Baradansky.
Oh yes.
Russian, are you, Mr. Baradansky?
Uh, no.
Polish.
You look russian.
Well anyway, you're in good
hands with Frank Mansfield.
I knew Frank's granddad.
And if you listen to Frank, Mr. Baradansky,
you'll learn a lot about
the game fowl business.
Isn't that right, Ed?
Frank could teach us a lot of things,
If he won't have to say them.
That's what I mean.
General Severus, before
he invaded Great Britain,
made his Roman legion watch
cock fights for three days.
The example was enough.
Dinner is served.
They don't feed game fowl
right in Poland, Mr. Baradansky.
Game cocks can't fight on raw potatoes.
I'll keep that in mind.
Four generations in Evanston, he talks to me
like I just got off the boat.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to the Southern Conference tourny.
And we want all of you to have a good time.
There's only one rule.
Conduct yourselves as ladies and gentlemen.
Uh, before the tourny's over, you may want
to place a small wager.
Know who you bet with,
because there may be
internal revenue agents in the crowd.
I'll take $100 on the red bill.
One more $100, now get in.
Hit.
Handle.
Ready, hit.
Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Hit.
Handle.
Hit.
Handle.
Let's go to the drag pit.
Looks like this one's going
to drag on all day.
All right.
Hit.
Get ready.
Hit.
I'm referee in this fight, Mr. Mansfield.
Get ready.
C'mon, Grey.
Number five wins.
I commit some kind of a foul?
We're pushing on the center score.
The first time I wasn't sure.
Nor the second, when number five whistled.
But the third time it was obvious.
Didn't you gentlemen see him push?
Are you arguing with my decision?
You damn right, I am.
That's a $50 fine.
Anything else?
Will you take a check?
Hey Frank. We're due in the
pit in less than five minutes.
You wanna handle?
So far, it looks pretty even.
You think we'll win tomorrow?
Well, you wanna raise the bets two thousand?
If you five us two to one odds, we will.
David's been on a country walk all season.
White Lightning here's has to fight
just to qualify.
You asking for odds, Frank?
While the final results of
the tourny are being tabulated,
There'll be an extra hack
between entries four and five.
Both 5.2, Peach.
Both birds are 5.2 and
they'll fight in short heels.
All right, let's fill 'em.
I got $20 on the white!
Get ready.
Handle.
Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Get him, red!
Handle.
Handle.
Watch that rough handling.
Get ready.
Handle Handle.
Get ready.
Hit.
Get ready.
One handling the bird only.
Hit.
Count.
Count's going on?
That's what I call
a dead game chicken, Frank.
One for Mr. Mansfield.
I'm picking up, Ed, my rooster's dead.
Hell they're both dead, but you're still
entitled to two more counts.
Oh Jesus.
Get ready.
I'm carrying out.
The winner... Mr. Mansfield.
That's close enough.
I don't want you to touch me, ever.
I should have watched you
in the ring long ago.
You are not the man I fell in love with.
Now I know you never were.
I didn't watch those poor chickens fighting,
I watched your face.
No pity, no love, nothing.
I think that bird has more of
a heart than you ever will have.
He sure as hell has more of a voice.
Thank you.
If this is your substitute for a heart,
at least it'll serve to remind me
what a damn fool I have been.
Hey Frank, Frank.
Did you hear the announcement?
Senator Vauxhall just awarded you
Cockfighter Of The Year!
C'mon, let's hustle.
As your partner, I'm entitled
to a little reflected glory.
Maybe you can sleep with your medal, Frank.
And eat it all at the same time.
Maybe it'll give you some comfort
in your old age.
Everything all right between you and her?
She loves me, Omar.
You go collect the winnings,
and I'll go get that medal.