June 6, 1979

THE BLUES BROTHERS

Written by

DAN AYKROYD
and
JOHN LANDIS

FADE IN

1 EXT. JOLIET PRISON - DAWN - WIDE ESTABLISHING SHOT

as the sun begins to rise. Joliet, an ancient sandstone fortress. The morning sun lends a bright red hue to the walls and parapets. A dog barks o.s. A black 1974 Plymouth Fury, four-door sedan pulls up and parks. The driver cuts the motor -- it dies with a rumble. The motor and metal cool down with a series of pings. The driver hunches down in the front seat.

CUT TO

2 INT. JOLIET CELL BLOCK

four stories of tiers. The sound of many men snoring. Two GUARDS enter through electric doors and walk down the gangway on one of the tiers. They stop in front of a cell.

CUT TO

3 INT. CELL - GUARDS' POINT OF VIEW - A BLACK INMATE

in jockey shorts and T-shirt is lying on his back smoking a cigarette on the bottom bunk. A white man in a prison blue shirt and jeans sleeps on his side on the top bunk facing the wall.

GUARD #1
He slept in his clothes.

GUARD #2
Yeah. A lot of them do the night before.

GUARD #1
Deputy Warden told me to get this one out of the block early. He wants to get it over with fast.

GUARD # 2
Okay. Let's do it.

GUARD #1
Sssst! Hey! Sssssst! Wake up! Come on, it's time.

Guard #1 pokes his night stick through the bars, nudging the man in the top bunk in the ribs. He sits up wearily. We are unable to see his face.

GUARD #1
Let's go, Jake. It's time.

The BLACK PRISONER sits up and offers his cigarette to Jake. Jake takes a long drag. As Guard #l unlocks the cell door, Jake hands the cigarette back to the Black Prisoner.'

BLACK PRISONER
So long, Jake.

Jake and the Black Prisoner exchange a soul handshake.

4 INT. GALLERY AT CELL - DAY

Both Guards step back into the gangway and stand shoulder to shoulder, obscuring the prisoner who turns and walks out of the cell. Guard #1 slides the cell door closed.

4-A EXT. GANGWAY

They escort the prisoner down to the end of the gangway, away from the camera. The electric door slides open. They exit.

CUT TO

5 INT. CELL

The Black Prisoner watches Jake and the Guards as they disappear down the hallway.

BLACK PRISONER
Sleep tight, Jake.

6 INT. PRISON

Guards hustle the prisoner through a series of electric doors, a set of caged-in stairs, past a guard station down a hall to a thick door with a small, round, wire-mesh porthole. The Guard presses a button.

GUARD #1
Well, this is it.

A loud buzzer sounds as the door latch clicks open. The Guard and prisoner enter the room.

7 INT. PROPERTY ROOM

It is divided by a counter. Behind the counter is a wall of small cubicle shelves, like the stockroom of a shoestore. There are numbers over each shelf. A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER emerges from behind the shelves. He walks to the counter.

GUARD # 2
(reading off a clipboard)
7474505-B

OFFICER
What wing?

GUARD #2
Maximum wing, Block 9.

OFFICER
Standard release?

GUARD #2
Parole, three out of five, good behavior.

OFFICER
Okay. Give me a minute.

The officer behind the counter disappears into a row of shelves. The Guards move the prisoner tight to the counter.

CUT TO

8 CLOSEUP - COUNTER - PRISONER'S TORSO

His belly is pressed up to the counter, his hands are drumming a clear, rhythmic beat on the counter top. The Officer returns and enters frame, placing two boxes on the counter. He opens them, dispensing various articles.

OFFICER
One unused prophylactic, one soiled, one man's hair comb. One Timex digital watch, broken. Two gold-plated finger rings. One black suit jacket. One pair black suit pants. One yellow... er... white Arrow shirt. one black necktie. One pair sunglasses. Twenty-three
dollars and seven cents. Sign the receipt, please.

The prisoner signs with an "X".

GUARD #2
I don't want to see you again, Jake.

CUT TO

9 EXT. JOLIET - PRISON GATE - DAY

The huge electric gates slide slowly open with blinding light coming from within revealing the silhouette of the man: Joliet Jake in his suit, sunglasses, and hat. He adjusts his tie.

CUT TO

10 EXT. PRISON - JAKE'S P.O.V. - THE BLACK CPR

A man gets out. He wears identical sunglasses, suit, and hat. He is taller, greasy-looking. He is Jake's brother, ELWOOD.

EXT. PRISON - HIGH WIDE SHOT - THE BROTHERS

walk toward each other solemnly until they stand face to face. The huge electrical gate slams shut with a clang.

CUT TO

12 EXTREME CLOSEUP - JAKE

As music comes in hard, the first title is supered -- JOHN BELUSHI.

CUT TO

13 EXTREME CLOSEUP - ELWOOD

Second title is supered -- DAN AYKROYD

CUT TO

14 EXT. PRISON - WIDE SHOT

As the brothers embrace super title -- THE BLUES BROTHERS.

EXT. PRISON - JAKE AND ELWOOD

without a word get in the car, Elwood in the driver's seat.

15-A EXT. SIDE STREET

The car drives along the street running parallel to the prison walls, turns down a street behind the prison and parks a few buildings in.

16 EXT. WHOREHOUSE BEHIND PRISON - THE CAR

parks in front of a little brick bungalow. Jake and Elwood get out of the car and walk up to the front door of the house. Jake knocks intensely". The-door is opened. They are admitted.

17 INT. WHOREHOUSE - VESTIBULE - DAY

CECILLE
Hi. Are you from the prison?

JAKE
Yeah, I'm Joliet Jake, this is my brother, Elwood.

CECILLE
When did you get out, honey?

JAKE
Ten minutes ago.

CECILLE
Well, I'm Cecille. Come on in. I'm sure you're going to enjoy my new girls.

She shows them into a room off the hall.

CUT TO

18 - INT. GIRLS' LOUNGE

The room is furnished in bright orange shag carpeting, a couple of loud, plaid, convertible couches, chrome coffee table, a hot plate and toaster oven. A large poster version of "Sexual Positions of the Zodiac." There is a big 21-inch color TV console with a video game orogramned. There are three women in the room. CONNIE, a slight blonde, white, waif-like creature no more than 20, a runaway. She is playing the video game with PENNY, a young, well-rounded black lady. Another woman STREAK, watches them play. She is a mature, statuesque woman of thirty, who wears a short- cropped, black haircut with a pink streak down one side of it. All of these women are clothed in light housecoats.

CECILLE
Girls, I'd like to introduce a
Mr. Joliet Jake and his brother....

ELWOOD
El-wood.

CECILLE
Now, who wants to take Jake upstairs?

CONNIE
I'll take him.

CECILLE
Uh, uh, not you, honey ... Streak... ?

The girl with the streak opens the door to the hall and motions for Jake to go upstairs. Jake pauses, looks at her, raises his eyebrow above his shades, turns and goes out into the hall. She follows him, closing the door.

CECILLE
Now, Elwood, what can we do for you?

ELWOOD
How about a cup of tea?

CECILLE
A cup of tea? Why sure. Penny, put on the kettle. Connie, take care of Elwood.

Penny gets up from the couch and puts a kettle on the hot plate. Elwood sits next to the little blonde.

19 ELWOOD AND CONNIE

ELWOOD
So, what's on the TV?

CONNIE
Just some games, like you can put different games on.

ELWOOD
Ya ever watch Highway Patrol with Broderick Crawford? ... Used to be my favorite show.

CONNIE
No. Like this is cable TV. They don't got that show on cable. Like with cable you get movies and these games. Ya wanta play?

ELWOOD
Sure.

Connie gets up to program a video game..

20 WIDE SHOT - ROOM

The kettle whistles. The door opens and Jake walks in. He knots his tie.

JAKE
Okay, Elwood, let's go.

CECILLE
But your tea is ready.

ELWOOD
It's okay. We have to go.

Jake hands Cecille his $23.07.

CECILLE
'Bye now. Come again.

Jake and Elwood exit.

CUT TO

21 INT. BLUESMOBILE, - MOVING - CALUMET CITY - DAY

Jake puts a cigarette in his mouth. He punches the car's lighter.

JAKE
What's this?

ELWOOD
What?

JAKE
This car. . .this stupid car. . . our Cadillac ... ?

The lighter doesn't work. Jake tosses it to the -floor.

JAKE
The Caddy...where's the Caddy?

ELWOOD
The what?

JAKE
The Cadillac we used to have .... The Bluesmobile!?

ELWOOD
I traded it.

JAKE
You traded it?! you traded the Bluesmobile for this?!

ELWOOD
No ... for a microphone.

JAKE
A microphone!
(considers a moment)
Okay, I can see that, but what the hell is this?

ELWOOD
It's a bargain. I picked it up at the Mt. Prospect City Police auction last spring. It's an old Mt. Prospect Police car.

JAKE
Thanks a lot, pal. The day I get out of prison and my own brother picks me up in a police car.

ELWOOD
You don't like it?

JAKE
No, I don't like it.

22 EXT. BLUESMOBILE

as it pulls up and stops behind a line of traffice waiting behind a barrier at a split swing bridge.

CUT TO

23 ELWOOD

He boots the accelerator.

CUT TO

24 INT. BLUESMOBILE - MOVING - SWING BRIDGE - DAY - EXTREME CLOSEUP - SPEEDOMETER

Numbers from 0 to 140. Cantered are the words: MPH CERTIFIED CALIBRATION.
The needle jumps -from 30 to 65. Pan to Elwood

25 EXT. BLUESMOBILE

it swerves around the waiting traffic, around the barrier and up onto the elevating swing bridge.

26 INT. BLUESMOBILE - P.O.V. THRU WINDSHIELD

The car is travelling vertically up.

27 EXT. SWING BRIDGE - WIDE SHOT

The barge passes through the bridge. The car jumps the canal, landing safely on the far section of the swing bridge.

28 INT. BLUESMOBILE - MOVING - DAY

Elwood is proudly straightening his tie.

JAKE
Car's got a lot of pick up.

ELWOOD
It's got a cop motor, a four hundred and forty-cubic-inch plant. Cop springs. Cop shocks. Cop suspension. Con tires. It was a model made before catalytic converters, so it runs on regular gas. What do you say? Is it the new Bluesmobile or what?

JAKE
Fix the cigarette lighter.

CUT TO

29 EXT. ORPHANAGE IN CALUMET CITY - DAY

The Bluesmobile pulls up and parks in front of a narrow three-story red brick building wedged in between two-huge soiled factories. The building is one-third the size of the two buildings beside it with a small, fat stone cross on its roof, and a slab of stone below on which a legend is carved.

CUT TO

30 CLOSEUP - SMALL BUILDING

A block with chiseled letters. ST.-HELEN OF THE BLESSED SHROUD ORPHANAGE - 1923

31 ORPHANAGE

Dwarfing the little orphanage on either side are factories with expanses of small, gritty windows. Large sign on each top story. On the left: ILLINOIS DRAG LINE COMPANY. On the right: CHICAGO PRESSED HEADS METAL MILLING.

32 INT. BLUESMOBILE - PARKED AT ORPHANAGE - DAY

JAKE
Where are we?

ELWOOD
You promised you'd visit the Penguin the day you got out.

JAKE
Yeah, so I lied to her.

ELWOOD
You can't lie to a nun. We gotta go in and visit the Penguin.

CUT TO

33
thru 0MITTED
39

40 INT. 0RPHANAGE DORMITORY -DAY

A long, chamber with rows of little iron frame cots, a sink, table and chair next to each one. The windows have wire- mesh grating over them. Jake and Elwood enter and walkthrough the room. Elwood stops at one of the cots.

ELWOOD
Look, our old beds ....

JAKE
Yeah ... with chairs! Boy, these kids really got it plush.

41 WIDE ANGLE - DORMITORY

Jake and Elwood continue through the rows of beds to a small door in one corner of the room. Jake opens it.

42 JAKE'S P.O.V.

A small, narrow set of stairs leading high up into an artificially-lit crevice. Jake and Elwood start climbing. There is a gravelly woman's voice o.s.

VOICE
Close the door--!!!