Back Alley Rip-Off

Transcript (Download)

Now here I am, trying to get a drink of wine.

I'm you talking your jazz.

Don't worry about it, Holloway.

I didn't mean to drink wine.

Listen, we don't have to worry no more.

We don't have to worry no more.

Man, listen, I told you I just hit the thing, man.

I just hit the thing.

$450 ,000 sweet steak ticket.

Look at the hood.

The decay of the black community.

We can't even get 50 guys together to pick at the crackin' supermarket that sells our people decayed meat.

Or the revolution is over.

The revolution is over.

The revolution is over.

The revolution is over.

$450 ,000, did you hear? Yeah, man.

To get the brothers to get their hands together without that bullshit ass wine.

Now nigga, where is that ticket? Here it is, boss.

Damn, this police station there would be an end.

We're gonna let this be your lucky day.

I'm gonna do something for you.

I'm gonna let you enjoy life alone.

I'm gonna give you a brand new Shining Lincoln Continental so you can go out and enjoy life alone.

Here, have a drink.

Let's be friends.

It's gonna be fine.

Want a little taste of this? Sure thing.

Listen, now there's just a little something that we're gonna have to do about giving you this nice new Shining Lincoln.

What it be, sir? I want that sweepstake ticket that you and your buddy have.

Come on, Darcy.

Come on, double.

You know I got a friend out of this thing that I want to build this whole west side of.

Down to my shit.

I want to sit it down.

What's this dollar? What's them fools gonna do with it besides drinking it all up? Oh Lord, I need some help here, Jesus.

You know, you know what I've been trying to do in the community.

To get you a temple and some place to worship.

To get my congregation.

You understand? I let them understand that I am man and I'm the connection.

And they got to have this to be able to meditate.

Teaching the power of meditation.

I want to save these fools.

See you guys later.

I know you, we're going right with you.

You know damn well I'm coming back.

Everything's gonna be all right, Oliver.

Everything's gonna be all right.

Shit, let's go.

What the hell happened to him? They say my son is so happy and gay.

Shit, we had everything made.

I can't even find out where the hell he is.

God damn, we had a wedding ticket.

I know he had the other two, three numbers and got this.

I have to find this boy.

I don't know where the hell he is.

God damn, I can't find out where the hell he is.

He wants me to be in some goddamn drunk.

I'm fighting this day.

Look at all that blood.

Sit back there and go call the ambulance.

I really don't know.

What is happening? What the hell is going down around here? God damn.

I'm trying to make it.

Hey man, what's your problem, man? Oh, I really don't know.

They ripped off my boy and my partner's thing.

I need, I can't go along with it.

By myself, I need another partner.

Hey man, what you want me to do, man? I'm gonna check me out.

I got a ticket.

And I had to go get the other part of the ticket.

Where's the other part of the ticket at, man? In the graveyard, man.

Hold out, brother.

I'm talking about this money, man.

I ain't bullshitting.

I want some parcels.

I ain't bullshitting, man.

Give me all the power to see my partner.

There you go, brother.

I ain't bullshitting.

Hey, get over there, man.

Identifier

F.2013-02-0057

Date Of Production

1970

Abstract

An unfinished narrative film by artist Don McIlvaine, shot in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago with local actors. It follows two men that win a sweepstakes lottery, and the people who want to take the winning ticket from them (including a mobster and a man who wants to use the money to improve the neighborhood). The Art & Soul Gallery and several of McIlvaine's murals can be seen.

Back Alley Rip-Off is discussed briefly in Rebecca Zorach's 2019 book Art for People's Sake: Artists and Community in Black Chicago, 1965-1975. Zorach describes that McIlvaine "wrote a treatment and portion of a script and shot sample scenes" and that "the script is inspired both by local context and by the sense of possibility in Hollywood's newfound interest in Black subject matter that spawned the blaxploitation trend."

Run Time

0:08:08

Format

16mm

Extent

315 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Print

Genre

Comedy
Drama

Form

Short
Amateur

Subject

City and town life
Economic and social conditions
African Americans
Alcoholic beverages
Chicago (Ill.)

Related Collections

SERIES I: Back Alley Rip-Off

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago

Main Credits

McIlvaine, Don (is director)

McIlvaine, Don (is producer)

Additional Credits

McIlvaine, Don (is writer)

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