CUT TO:
 
(16) INT.  CLUB (1st  AVE.  ST.  BAR) -- NIGHT
 
Prince onstage performing "Let's Get
Crazy."   He's locked into a guitar
solo, moving provocatively with Wendy.
The CROWD is packed onto the DANCE
FLOOR, thick against the stage.
 
Jerome makes his way through the crowd,
blazing a path for Morris who is
surrounded by a dozen BABES.
Occasionally Morris glances at Prince --
discloses by his look that he doesn't
care much for his act -- or his music...
 
He breaks off from the Girls, follows
Jerome to the backstage entrance where
they're joined by other MEMBERS of The
Time -- JESSE and JELLYBEAN among them.
Morris casts another glance toward
Prince, breaks into a self-satisfied
grin--
 
MORRIS
We're going to slay him...
(screams)
Whawhak!
 
"Let's Get Crazy" continues as we...
 
CUT TO:
 
(17) EXT.  CLUB -- NIGHT
 
COMMOTION! The CROWD has become
unwieldly -- TRAFFIC is snarled all
around.  HORNS are BLARING.   COPS try
desperately to ward off the inevitable
grid lock.
 
Vanity runs against the light, moves to
the head of the queue to the
accompaniment of JEERS and CATCALLS.
She doesn't budge an inch, KNOCKS
rapidly on the glass door, catching the
attention of CHICK, a burly, 6'5", 285
pound bouncer with a white beard and
long flowing hair.  An ex-Marine,
Chick's function is obvious.  He cracks
the door--
 
CHICK
What?
 
VANITY
I have an appointment with the
manager.
 
CHICK
No you don't -- he doesn't see
anybody.
 
 
Suddenly a FIGHT breaks out at the
INSIDE MONEY WINDOW.  Chick spins
instantly, SLAMS the door -- but Vanity
jams her boot into the narrow space.
The door crashes against her instep, she
winces in pain --but Chick doesn't
notice.  He's already upon the
OFFENDERS,  heaving them against the
wall.
 
Vanity streaks inside, blazes up the
stairway, ducks behind a GROUP of
GIRLS...
 
CHICK turns instantly -- the door is
closed -- VANITY, gone.  His eyes dart
up the stairway -- nothing.  He shrugs,
drags the Two Guys off.
 
(18) INT.  CLUB -- UPPER BAR AREA -- NIGHT
 
VANITY watches as he moves away.   She
jumps up, lunges onto the dance floor,
CRASHES into a waitress, JILL, whose
tray SMASHES to the floor--
 
JILL
What are you retarded or
something?! Why don't you look
where you're going?
 
She's 18 years old, blonde and pretty in
a cute, innocent way.   A Daisy Mae-type
whose emotions form so quickly, she has
trouble sorting them out.  Right now
she's mad as hell -- she thinks--
 
VANITY
Sorry ... where's the office?
 
Jill squats, picks up the broken glasses-
-
JILL
Do you think you can just come
in here and take over?
 
VANITY
I said I'm sorry -- what do
you want me to do?  Where's
the office?
 
Jill points -- Vanity hurries away  --
 
JILL
(triumphantly)
No one's in!
 
Vanity stops dead in her tracks, does a
slow burn.  She walks back to Jill--
 
VANITY
Okay, so you got  me back,
fine. Listen, I'm from out of
town. I have to see the
manager, it's important.  I'm
a real good singer and dancer.
I know he could use me.
 
JILL
Do you have any experience?
 
Vanity simmers, enunciates every word--
 
VANITY
Yeah...definitely.
 
JILL
Follow me.
 
And she turns on her heels, makes her
way through the club, moving into the
vicinity of the stage.  Vanity follows
her reluctantly, casts a look to the
band.   She spots Prince for the first
time -- stops instantly...
 
His effect on her is instantaneous.
Passion surges through her like a tidal
wave.  His hair, face, eyes -- it all
conspires to make her weak.  It's like
meeting someone for the first time, but
seeing so much of yourself in them, that
their lips, eyes, mouth -- you're
certain you have touched, and the desire
to be with them becomes so strong that
the very act of touching will release
you in a way you never thought
possible...
 
Prince brines "Let's Get Crazy" to a
rousing, blistering end.  Suddenly the
stage is plunged into darkness. The
CROWD goes WILD!
 
...Vanity snaps out of it.  Jill is
tugging at her arm, a puzzled look on
her face--
 
JILL
Here, fill this out -- I'll
have him call you.
 
VANITY
I don't have a phone.  When
will he be back?
 
JILL
Well...you can try tomorrow.
 
VANITY
You can count on  it.
 
Vanity hands the card back  to her --
Jill reads the name, address -- looks up
puzzled--
 
JILL
Vanity??
 
BACKSTAGE
as Morris and The Time pass Prince on
their way to the stage--
 
MORRIS
Why don't you stay awhile, see
how it's done.
 
The Band Members bust up -- but Prince
ignores them, then--
 
MC
Ladies and gentlemen -- please
welcome The Time.
 
 
CLUB
Sudden APPLAUSE and CRIES.  Vanity and
Jill turn directly into the path of
Prince, descending the Steps of the
stage.  Vanity gasps, LOCKS eyes with
him.  Jill seems to jump out of her skin
-- it's obvious she has a crush on him
something  awful--
 
JILL
Hi ya,  Prince -- God I liked
that song, it's real fun.
 
She fidgets uncontrollably, Vanity's
card buring a hole into her hand.
Prince glances at the card, then stares
at Vanity,  the ripeness of her look
paralyzing.   He tears his eyes away,
puts on his sunglesses, looks toward the
stage.
 
(18A) INT.  CLUB -- NEAR STAGE -- NIGHT
 
MORRIS and The Time rip into a funk tune
called "Jungle Love." Their stranglehold
on the audience is instantaneous.
Morris struts across the stage like a
panther, playing to the audience with a
relish.  His eyes fastened on Prince --
his pride umistakable.
 
PRINCE watches Morris a moment, then
eyes Vanity again.  The heat between
them is apparent.  Vanity's heart is
pounding, she's not sure what to do.
She keeps her eyes on Morris, hoping
that a Solution will present itself.
 
PRINCE watches as Jill tacks the card to
a board behind the bar.  Sizing up the
situation quickly, he again glances at
Vanity -- but her eyes are fastened on
Morris.  Feeling terribly shy and
thinking there's nothing he can do to
divert her attention away from him, he
reluctantly heads for the front door.
Vanity finally hits upon something to
say, turns--
 
VANITY
I really liked your song
too...
 
But he's gone.  Her eyes scan the room
frantically -- catches a glimpse of him
leaving.  She takes a sudden step, then
stops, paralyzed with indecision.  Jill
regards ger coldly.
 
MORRIS meanwhile is beside himself.
Some gorgeous, dark-haired babe, eyes
wide as saucers was starlng at him from
the bar.  Prince has left, and this girl
is his.  He motions to Jerome,  and they
direct their act in her direction.
 
JILL gazes at Vanity, fidgets intensely,
suspicious and resentful of her.   She
glances up and notices Morris, look.
She seizes upon an idea,  forces a
friendly smile, taps Vanity on the
shoulder--
 
JILL
Hey ...
 
She points to the stage.  Vanity looks
at Morris, and he goes crazy,
entertaining her with his own special
blend of showmanship.  The CROWD loves
it!  Vanity is held a moment, but her
thouchts are elsewhere. She finally
comes to a decision, pulls away, cuts
through the club.
 
(18B) INT.  FOYER AND STAIRWAY -- NIGHT
 
as she runs down the stairs, cuts behind
Chick, BURSTS out the door.
 
(19) EXT.  CLUB -- NIGHT
 
FRANTIC!  The STREETS are thick with
TRAFFIC.  She scans them wildly --
nothing.  Suddenly Prince, astride his
motorcycle, BLAZES past her from the
opposite direction.  She starts running,
shouts--
 
VANITY
Hey  wait!
 
But Prince is too far away, the traffic
too coneested for him to hear.  He whips
down the street, disappears around the
corner.
 
Vanity continues running, then slows,
dejection overcoming her in waves.  She
looks around -- KIDS are staring at her,
passing  jokes.  Embarrassed, She moves
to the front door but Chick is there,
his eyes upon her cold, impassionate.
 
Exhausted and slighlty tearlul, she cuts
across the street, heads back to her
apartment.
 
(20) EXT. PRINCE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
 
Prince WHIPS down the street, cuts his
motor, coasts up the drive. He comes to
a stop against a wooden gate.  His house
is a nondescript, one-family structure
with a wide front porch.  He lives in a
neat and tidy, homogeneous, lower middle-
class neighborhood whose occupants are
hard-working type fiercely protective of
their privacy.
 
He climbs the steps to the porch, opens
the front door...
 
...his mothers SCREAM is like ice in his
veins.  Fear trickles into the hollows
of his body like cold water,  His pain
commands him to move, but the impulse
short circuits somewhere at the waist,
leaving his legs twitching
uncontrollably.  Then another SCREAM
from his mother, and his father's voice
now, LOUD and FURIOUS--
 
FATHER (O.S.)
Listen to me!  You come home
when I say come home!  You've
got no business in the
streets!
 
WHACK!  His mother SCREAMS -- Prince
BURSTS into the room.
 
(21) INT. Prince's LIVING ROOM --  NIGHT
 
Prince's MOTHER is at the far side of
the living room CRYING uncontrollable.
She's in her early 40's, a dark-haired,
faded beauty, with large, wild, anxious