stairs.
It said thank you for a funky
time,
Call me up when ev'r you want
to grind.
 
VANITY
stands suddenly, fighting back tears.
She backs from the table quickly, knocks
the chair over.  Morris tries to help
her, but she sweeps past him, hurrying
for the exit.
 
(85) INT. STAIRWAY/EXT. STREET -- NIGHT
 
as she comes down the stairs stumbling
slightly, tears streaming down her face.
Chick sees her, reached out to help--
 
CHICK
Hey ...
 
But she pulls away, runs out the door,
cuts across the street.
 
(86) INT. CLUB -- NIGHT
 
PRINCE
brings the SONG to a blistering end.
The stage is plunged into darkness.  He
strips off his guitar, cuts from the
stage, ignoring the grave looks from his
Band Members.
 
(87) INT. HALLWAY -- NIGHT
 
as Prince twists aggressively past a
handful of FANS, rudely disregarding
their attention.  He Cuts into the
dressing room.
 
(88) INT. DRESSING ROON -- NIGHT
 
He's agitated, paces back and forth in a
frenzy.  Suddenly the DOOR flies open.
Billy Sparks enters angrily--
 
BILLY
What the fuck's wrong with
you, Prince?!
 
PRINCE
I don't have time for your
bullshit, Billy.  What do you
want?
 
BILLY
My stage is no place for your
personal shit!
 
PRINCE
That's life, man.
 
BILLY
Life my ass, motherfucker!
This is a business, and you're
not too far gone to see that.
(a beat)
I've told you this before.
You're not pulling them in
like you used to.  The only
person who gives a fuck about
your music is yourself.
 
PRINCE
Fuck off!
 
But Billy can't help laughing--
 
BILLY
Just like your old man...
 
Prince shoots him a threatening look--
 
BILLY
Yeah -- you got it.  Tell me
I'm wrong.
(a beat)
You're not blind.  Look around
you.  No one's digging you.
 
Prince turns away--
 
BILLY
Look at your band.  Are they
in here right now?  They're
out there 'cause they can't
stand being in the same room
with you.
(a beat)
What a fucking waste...like
father, like son--
 
PRINCE
Lay off that!
 
Billy turns to go--
 
BILLY
Take your head out of your
ass, Prince, check it out --
unless you like the view up
there.  Your music doesn't
make sense to anyone but
yourself.
 
He closes the door behind him.  Prince
stands dully a moment, then sits heavily
in a chair.  Exhaustion suddenly
overwhelms him.  He rests his head in
his hands, moments tick by...
 
He shakes himself awake -- Morris and
Jerome stand by the door--
 
JEROME
That was fucked up what you
did man.  Morris doesn't like
it. And being a part of this -
- I don't like it either.
 
PRINCE
I don't care.
 
MORRIS
Hee, hee...huh, it's obvious
you don't have what it takes
to be on top.
 
He pulls an envelope from his pocket--
 
MORRIS
But to show you that I'm
sympathetic to your problems -
- here's a pass to our show
tomorrow night.  Enjoy it.
 
They leave.  Then Morris sticks his head
into the doorway--
 
MORRIS
Don't forget to bring a
girlfriend.  Whawhak!
 
(89) EXT. THE TASTE -- NIGHT
 
COMMOTION.  CARS are THICK in front of
THE TASTE, a small NIGHTCLUB located in
the poorer part of the city.  Because of
its location, The Taste books different
dance bands four nights a week and then
hosts a Variety Night the remaining two.
Aspiring comedians, dancers and jugglers
flock to Variety Night, desirous of
trying their material in front of a live
audience -- and hoping to catch the
discering eye of a talent scout on the
prowl.
 
Billy Sparks pulls up to the curb, gets
out with a beautiful WOMAN and cuts
inside.
 
(90) INT. BACKSTAGE, THE TASTE -- NIGHT
Jerome stands BACKSTAGE fidgeting
nervously, staring appreciatively at the
closed dressing room door.  Various
PEOPLE in COSTUMES pass by sporadically.
Suddenly a burst of APPLAUSE and
LAUGHTER wafts into the hallway.  Jerome
walks to the curtain and peers out--
 
(91) INT. THE TASTE -- NIGHT
 
JEROME'S POV--
Billy Sparks and his Girlfriend being
seated at a front table.  A COMEDIAN is
on stage juggling KNIVES and HATCHETS.
The CROWD is ROARING their approval.
 
(92) INT. BACKSTAGE -- THE TASTE -- NIGHT
 
Just then a CLOWN passes Jerome, stops,
and hands him a flower.  Jerome tries to
smile, but his nervousness is simply too
strong.  The Clown hands him another
flower, trying to elicit a favorable
response.  Jerome is patient, but
attempts to ignore the Clown in a polite
way, indicating he'd rather be alone.
The Clown persists, however, going
through a little routine, handing him
flower after flower...
 
Suddenly Jerome throws them into the
air, grabs the Clown by the throat and
flings him headlong down the hallway.
The Clown gives Jerome the finger and
walks off in a huff.
 
MORRIS
cuts from the dressing room, closes the
door behind him.  He joins Jerome at the
curtain, and they move down the back
stairway to the CLUB--
 
MORRIS
(nervously)
I guess this is it.
 
JEROME
I guess so, M.D.
 
MORRIS
I think I'm going to be sick.
Why does this have to be
happening to me?  Has it
crossed your mind that we're
about to make the biggest
mistake we've ever made?
 
JEROME
I don't think it's all that
bad.
 
MORRIS
That's why I do all the
thinking.
 
(93) INT. THE TASTE -- NIGHT
 
as Billy Sparks spots Morris, waves.  Morris manages a weak
smile, offers a half-hearted wave back.  Just then we HEAR a
firce DRUM BEAT, and--
 
TASTE M.C.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please
welcome Vanity Six.
 
Respectful APPLAUSE--
 
MORRIS
Oh, God--
 
He sits quickly, followed by Jerome --
they both put on sunglasses.
 
A HUSH descends over the CROWD.  The
CURTAIN rises slowly...and Brenda, Susan
and Vanity are frozen in a provocative,
vampy stance.  Their effect on the
audience is galvanizing --   the Crowd
bursts into APPLAUSE and WHISTLES--
 
MORRIS
(surprised)
What??
 
Wearing sexy lingerie and moving
seductively to the beat, the Girls
launch into "Sex Shooter" with complete
abandon.  The MUSIC is slick and fierce,
the Girls sexy and sure.  Wearing black
bikini panties, black tails and boots,
Vanity dances center-stage and begins
SINGING.  She's mesmerizing, her look so
alluring, so profound that the audience
sits slack-jawed in amazement.  The
SPOTLIGHT is hers and she soaks it in,
radiating a sexiness that has the
audience at her feet.  The entire
concept -- dress, dance, music and
staging -- is overwhelming, with just
the right degree of playfulness to allow
the Crowd easy passage into the fantasy
world the Girls create.  Brenda and
Susan play off her wonderfully, sharing
secret looks with the Crowd, balancing
the wickedness of the act with an
innocence that is enticing.  They're
working strongly as a unit now, the
AUDIENCE roaring their approval...
 
MORRIS
and Jerome are beside themselves with
happiness.  The pull off their shades
immediately, sit back and glow in the
audience's response.
 
PRINCE
stands in the back, his eyes glued to
Vanity.  Her strength and sureness in
front of the Crowd is breathtaking.  The
audience loves her and he suddenly feels
very alone -- as if another wall has
gone up between them.  He looks away a
moment and spots...
 
...Morris looking at him with a self-
satisfied, triumphant grin on his face.
Prince looks away, moves out of his
eyesight.
 
"Sex Shooter" comes to an end.  The
stage is plunged into darkness.  The
CROWD goes WILD, leaps to their feet,
begging for more.  The Girls, slighly
over-whelmed by the response and
flushing deep red, hold one
another.tightly and take repeated bows.
 
PRINCE
watches the Girls bowing to thunderous
APPLAUSE.  Suddenly Vanity looks at him
and touches the earring she's wearing --
it's his Mother's.  His knees weaken
instantly, and he locks eyes with her.
The heat between them is unmistakable.
She smiles vividly, gives him an
endearing wave and steps back as the
curtain closes.
 
He's MOVING through the Crowd before he
knows it, trying to get to the backstage
door.  The Crowd is thick, his path
momentarily blocked.  He spots Billy
Sparks cutting across the floor and
congratulating Morris and Jerome.
Prince turns from them, tries once again
to make his way through the Crowd.
 
(94) INT. DRESSING ROOM, AND HALLWAY -- THE TASTE -- NIGHT
 
VANITY
and the Girls rush into the dressing
room and jump up and down with
excitement.  They are beside themselves
with happiness, kissing and hugging one
another avidly.  Suddenly Vanity pulls
away, indicates she will be back and
cuts out the room.
 
HALLWAY
as she runs down the hallway to the
backstage area, peers from behind the
curtain, scanning the club earnestly.
 
(95) IN'T. -- THE TASTE -- NEAR CURTAIN -- NIGHT
 
as Prince waits impatiently in the long
line.  Billy Sparks comes by, spots him
and stops--
 
BILLY
Morris is squeezing you,
kiddo.  You better kick ass
tomorrow night or else.
 
He cuts outside, disappears into the
Crowd.  Prince stands there steaming,
the wind knocked out of him, his joy a
memory.  He turns back to the line, but
it has grown, the Crowd now jammed up
against the door.  Frustrated, he cuts