Body and Soul

[eight reel version]

1
The Rt. Reverend Isiaah
  T. Jenkins, alias,
"Jeremiah, The Deliverer"
-- still posing as a "Man of
God".

	- - - Paul Robeson

2
While in the meantime.

3
The Negro in business.

	... Marshall Rodgers

4
"Good liquor."

5
"Yessuh. Dat's what ah
   tries tu carry."

6
"Uv co'se I gits a li'l
 money fo' it fum de
 rest a mah customuhs;
 but beins it's you - -
   dat's dif'ent."

7
"In the meantime, how
 about that contribution?"

8
"What contribution,
     brudder?"

9
"I've laid off you an' this
 house of Hell; but I'm
 thinking about preaching
 on the subject - - soon!"

10
Late that night.

11
A stranger reaches 
   Tatesville.

12
Yellow-Curley" Hinds,
  of Atlanta.

	... Lawrence Chenault

13
"Ah done had a ter'ble
        dream!"

14
"It is late, mother, and you 
   are tired. Won't you 
   please come to bed?"

15
"Yessuh, dis is de Autum
 Leaf Social Club, 'n I'se
     de proprietor."

16
"Ah tries tu intertain de
   boys when dey's off
          wo'k."

17
"Specially on pay nights...."

18
"De place yuh wants to
 gib'm de once obuh is
  at de ch'ch Sunday."

19
"Fine, I'll have you take
 me over and introduce 
      me 'round."

20
"Runs a li'l game...."

21
"Sells a li'l liquor."

22
"- - an' maniges tu keep
  outa de hands ob de
         law."

23
"But chu'ch - naw, naw!"

24
Sunday.

25
Deacon Simpkins.

 ... Chester A. Alexander

26
Brother Amos.

 ... Walter Cornick

27
Memories - -

28
A joke.

29
"'And', said he. 'Dem dat
 am lookin' at me now
 an' says nuthin', dem,
   will I see latuh.'"

30
After the services.

31
So Reverend Jenkins "Sees 
       him latuh."

32
"I tell you that I was not 
 seekin' you out, but 
 dropped off here to find 
 girls for 'Cotton Blossom's 
 Shoulder Shakers' -- and
 this little Isabelle -- she
      appeals to muh!"

33
An idea!

34
Tatesville - - other fish
  in the sea!

35
"Syl-Sylvester and I - -
        we - -"

36
"Would like - - to - - to
          marry."

37
"Mayn't we?"

38
"What's that niggah got
     tu marry on?"

39
"Don't say 'niggah,'
 mother. It's vulgar."

40
"Don't you pass no 'sin-
 uations about my pastuh;
    that Godly man!"

41
A few minutes later.

42
"An all de money I been
 savin' is tu buy de home
 which I'se gwine gib
 you when you becomes
 de wife ob my pastuh."

43
"-- is a drunkard --
    and a sinner!"

44
"Oh, God!"

45
"You wilful girl - - you
 sinful, ungrateful girl!"

46
"But mother, listen!"

47
"Sis" Ca'line and "Sis"
  Lucy, District Grand
Matron, of the "House-
hold of Ruth."

	... Lillian Johnson
	... Madame Robinson

48
"Lawdy, if it ain' Reverend 
        Jenkins!"

49
"I sent her to the dress-
 makers; but I'll run
 right out and fetch her!"

50
The offering.

51
"Ah, Isabelle, you're late.
 I've called to talk with
  you about your soul."

52
"Since I've called to try to
 save this young woman's
 soul, I'll excuse you, dear
 Sisters. Praise be unto the
 Lord. Bless His holy
   name - - amen."

53
"It is the work of the devil
 -- and that no account 
 brother of mine! I've
 warned you, Sister Martha
 Jane, about letting this 
  child become worldly!"

54
Later.

55
"'Scuse me Elduh; but has
   I retuhned too soon?"

56
"It was a great struggle, 
 Sister Martha; but the
 Lord's Will be done.
        He won."

57
"And now as I must carry
 his work into the byways
 for other sinners, I'll be
    moseying along."

58
"What makes mah baby
   act so cu'is?"

59
"Is she tiahed?"

60
"Is she hongry?"

61
"Dat's what it is. My baby's
 hongry. Go lay down an'
 res' while mama steps in 
 de kitchen and cooks heh
      some suppuh."

62
A strange confusion.

63
"Ah undustands now. She's
 tiahed ob de grub I'se
 been feedin' heh. Ah'll
 run out to de sto' and buy
     sumpin' fresh."

64
Something vague, disquieting
-- bewildering!

65
But of course - - it was
only the work of the
Lord!

66
Crushed - - body and soul!

67
"I been lookin' all over
       for you."

68
"That niggah that runs
 the club cleaned me,
 I'm broke and you got 
 to slip me a few dollars."

69
"How dare you hold me 
 up, a minister of the 
 gospel, on the street like 
          this?"

70
"And unless you come across
with some 'jack', I'll tell them 
       you're a faker."

71
"Shut your yaller mouth
   and come with me!"

72
"You're a nuisance."

73
"His games are crooked
   -- all of them!"

74
"When Isabelle comes back,
 ah'm gwine show you all
 how much money we'se
     got saved up."

75
"Mah money."

76
"Mah liquah."

77
"An' all ah gits - - is
        nuthin'."

78
"Well, since Isabelle must
 a gone visitin' guess us'll
      count de money."

79
"Ah keeps mah money in
 de bible 'cause ah feels
 dat de wustes sinnuh
 wouldn't dauh touch hit
 in dis sacred place."

80
"Befo' we counts de
 money, ah wants to
 show you all du dress
  Mis' Lucy Grange
    done gimme."

81
"Genuine sateen wid lace
       trimmin's."

82
"Ah    knows    what's
 happened! Isabelle's hid
 de money tu skeuh me."

83
But a comfort short lived!

84
"Dares sumpin' behind dis.
 Isabelle ain' stole mah
 money and runned away
     fo' nuthin'"

85
Hours later.

86
Atlanta.

87
Under the viaduct on
   Decatur Street.

88
Months afterward.

89
"Meat balls, tree cents."

90
"Half cheekin, feefty cents."

91
"Thank you, sir, thank you.
    May God bless you."

92
"Mah baby!"

93
A few minutes later.

94
"But honey, why is you
 libin' like dis? What
 has you done wid all 
      de money?"

95
"I have no money, mama.
 I never had the money."

96
"What do you mean?"

97
"I ran away because I
 knew it was useless to 
 try to explain. You
  would have never
    believed me."

98
"But who got the money?"

99
"Reverend Jenkins."

100
"Oh, Isabelle how can
 you - - how can you!"

101
"Upon your bed of
 affliction -- to accuse
  that good man; that
      Godly man!"

102
"I said you wouldn't believe 
 me, mother; I knew you 
 wouldn't believe anybody 
 who said anything about 
 your pastor. But the time 
 has come when you must 
     hear my story."

103
"Do you recall the Sunday 
 night we were caught in 
 the storm? And didn't
 come home until morning?"

104
"We could not seem to 
 find our way; just going 
      in a circle."

105
"It must have been near 
 midnight when we finally
 found a deserted cabin."

106
"I observe that this house has 
 other rooms. I'll step into one 
 while you remove and dry 
      your clothes."

107
"I was in the act of 
 drying my clothes."

108
A half hour later.

109
"Withal that had passed, I
 made myself feel that
Sylvester would understand
 my helplessness and forgive
 and help me. It was then
 we came for your consent 
 to marry. But refusing, you 
 left me alone again with 
     him that day.--"

110
"No sooner were you out-
 side than he advanced 
        on me."

111
"I screamed for you at 
 the top of my voice."

112
"He seemed to be killing 
 me and I could resist 
  telling no longer."

113
"The bible in the bureau,
 eh? All right, get it."

114
"That's what I mean!
 Get it NOW -- and
 be quick about it!"

115
"When he started twisting 
 my already sore arm, I 
     had to yield."

116
Blood money!

117
"My courage, destroyed
 under the stress of physical
 pain, had returned. I 
 walked up to him and
 demanded that he return
 the money at once, - -
      but he - -"

118
"You white-livered, lying,
 hypocritical beast - - to
 steal my poor mother's 
        money!"

119
"Stole it? Why, I never
 took it. It was you --
  you who stole it!"

120
"Of course you took it.
 Do you deny it? You
 stole it - - and gave it
        to me."

121
"You contemptible cur - -
 I'm going to tell my mama;
  tell her everything!"

122
"Oh, you will, eh? Do you
 suppose that she would
 believe you? You know she
       wouldn't!"

123
"Well, daughter, guess
 I'll be moseying along."

124
"And she wouldn't believe 
     that, either!

125
"The best thing for you 
 to do now is to throw 
 a few things together 
 and beat it on the 4;30
      to Atlanta."

126
"How am I going to get 
 there? I haven't - - a
         cent!"

127
"There's ten dollars. That'll
 pay your fare and keep
 you for a week. In the
 meantime, I may decide to 
 run over and marry you."

128
"And just then, you 
     returned."

129
Memories - - an incident
   of the past.

130
"And I was not worried 
 at all, knowing that in
  your care, she was 
   perfectly safe."

131
And then came the day of
days, for on this Sunday,
Reverend Jenkins had
promised to preach that
sermon which is every black
preachers ambition - - "Dry
Bones - - in the Valley."

132
An hour later.

133
"God bless my - - these
 women, God bless 'm!"

134
"Dry bones - - in the 
   valley."

135
"Hallelujah!"

136
"Gwine to mah Jesus!"

137
"Aw Lawdy, Lawdy!"

138
"I been washed in de
 blood ob de Lamb - -
 'n I'se whiter'n snow!"

139
But suddenly - - !

140
"What's the meaning of 
 this, Sis' Martha Jane?"

141
"Don't 'Sis' me! You know
 what's the mattuh! I'se
 just come fum Atlanta wha
   I bu'ied Isabelle!"

142
"Yes, mah brudders an' 
 sistahs! Isabelle is dead
 - - and there stands the 
   man who killed her!"

143
And then, between sobs,
she told the pitiful story - -

144
Night - weary and
     exhausted.

145
"- you pampered me!"

146
"- and you -"

147
"- ruined me!"

148
"But with your prayers, Sis'
 Martha Jane, God's Will be
 done - you can save me!"

149
"Dey's got a blood houn' on
        his trail!"

150
"- and de trail led in dis 
        d'rection."

151
"You po' sweet chile, we's
 gwine in de kitchen and cook
      you some suppah."

152
"You is too heartbroken to
eat. Us ole women's gwine
run along and let you res'."

153
Forgiven.

154
With the dawn.

155
"Mama."

156
While the agonies of the
  night before pounded
away in her brain.

157
Familiar voices from 
      outside.

158
All a dream - only the 
  night-mare of a tortured
          soul!

159
"Oh, mama! Sylvester's
 discovery has been 
 accepted, and he is to 
 be paid three thousand
 dollars, advance royalty,
    in sixty days!"

160
"You won't ha'f tu wait
 ontel Sylvestuh gits his
 money, honey, 'cause yo'
       mammy - -"

161
Home again after a honey-
     moon up North.