Back Alley Rip-Off [2025 Preservation Print]

Transcript (Download)

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

Wait, don't worry about it.

I'm you talking your jazz.

Don't worry about it, Halloween.

I didn't give you a drink of wine.

We don't have to worry no more.

We don't have to worry no more.

Man, 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 cracker supermarket that sells our people decayed meat.

We need money or the revolution is over.

I'm you talking your jazz.

I'm you talking your jazz.

I'm you talking your jazz.

I'm you talking your jazz.

I'm you talking your jazz.

I'm you talking your jazz.

I'm you talking your jazz.

I'm you talking your jazz.

$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 he is, boss.

Damn, this police station I was being in.

We're going to let this be your lucky day.

I'm going to do something for you.

I'm going to let you enjoy life a little.

I'm going to give you a brand new Shining Lincoln Continental so you can go out and enjoy life a little.

Here, have a drink.

Let's be friends.

It's going to be fine.

Want a little taste of this? Good thing.

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

And what would that be, sir? I want that sweepstake ticket that you and your buddy have.

Oh, darling, come on, come on.

You know I got to get out of this thing, and I want to build this whole west side of it.

Falling away, it's going away.

Falling away, it's going away.

Falling away, it's going away.

Falling away, it's going away.

Down to my shit.

I want to sit it down.

Now what them fools going to do with it besides drink it all? I mean, why? 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 the man, and I'm the connection.

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

Teaching the power of meditation.

I'm going to save these fools.

See you guys later.

I know you, Harri.

We're going right with you.

You know damn well I'm coming back.

Everything's going to be all right, Harri.

Everything's going to be all right.

Shit, let's go.

Everybody say drive, don't drive, forget.

I got the picture, boy.

I'm going to get down.

What the hell happened to him? They'll say, my son, you're so happy and gay.

Shit, we had everything made.

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

God damn, we had a winning ticket.

I know he had the other two, three numbers.

And God damn, I have to find him.

I don't know where in the hell he is.

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

If he wants me to be in some goddamn drunk, I can find him today.

Look at all that blood.

Look at all that cold call of ambulance.

I really don't know.

What is happening? Nothing is going down around here.

I'm trying to make it.

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

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

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

By myself, I need another partner.

What you want me to do, man? Come on, 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.

Go down, brother.

Look, I'm talking about this money, man.

I ain't bullshitting.

I want some process.

I ain't bullshitting, man.

I ain't bullshitting.

Give me all the power to put you on par with, son.

There you go, brother.

Come on down here.

Well, I ain't bullshitting.

Hey, come on down, man.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

Don't know where, oh, where.

Identifier

F.2013-02-0066

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."

Format

16mm

Extent

337 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Notes

This 16mm preservation print was made in 2025, thanks to a Basic Preservation Grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Preservation print

Genre

Comedy
Drama

Form

Short
Amateur

Subject

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

Preservation Sponsor

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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