Scum (1979)

John Judd: Sands

Photos 

Quotes 

• Mr Sands : Carlin! Carlin!

  [Carlin stands his ground] 

  Carlin : Sir?

  Mr Sands : OK, Carlin. You're really for it this time. Banks and Richards have both named you. You get three years for this, scum.

  Carlin : I don't know what you're talking about, sir.

  Mr Sands : You fuckin' well know, toe-rag. I run this wing. I'm not letting it disrupted by a back-street villain like you. You'll sign a statement downstairs.

  Carlin : I've got nothin' to say. I'd like to see the House Master.

  Mr Sands : You will, Carlin. You will.

  Carlin : And the governor, sir. I've got a witness.

  Mr Sands : Shit witness. I'm having you lad. You banged that officer at Roly. You must have thought you walked quietly away from that one. But he's here. He's me. He's every fucking screw in this borstal. Every one of us. Come on!

  [prods Carlin] 

  Mr Sands : Fancy taking a poke at me? Come on, big man.

  Carlin : I've banged no screw, I retaliated. There was two of 'em, kicking the shit out of me.

  [Mr Sands slaps Carlin] 

  Mr Sands : Well, retaliate here. Come on!

  [Mr Sands slaps Carlin again] 

  Mr Sands : I'll have you.

  [Prods Carlin] 

• Mr Sands : [grabs Richards]  Who was it, Richards? Who was it? Carlin? The coon?

  Richards : I slipped, sir.

  Mr Sands : I'll give you fucking slipped.

  [throws Richards to the ground] 

  Mr Sands : [to everyone]  Right, on your feet! Who did this?

  [everyone mumbles, "Don't know, sir."] 

  Mr Sands : Come on! Who did it?

  [everyone mumbles, "No-one, sir."] 

  Mr Sands : Where's Banks?

  [everyone mumbles, "Don't know."] 

• Mr Sands : [to Angel]  Hands by your sides! Attention! Name and number?

  Angel : 4736, Angel, sir.

  Mr Sands : Louder.

  Angel : [Slightly louder]  4736, Angel, sir.

  Mr Sands : Straight out the banana trees, eh? Well, you take it from me, nig-nog, you go stealing white man's motor cars and you get white man's stick, right?

  Angel : Yes, sir.

  Mr Sands : Now, get this cell scrubbed. At the double!

• Mr Sands : Carlin?

  Carlin : Yes, sir?

  Mr Sands : What happened to yer face, Carlin?

  Carlin : I fell, sir.

  Mr Sands : Where?

  [Carlin tries to talk but Mr Sands interrupts him] 

  Mr Sands : Quiet! Speak when I tell you! Somebody hit you, eh? Answer, somebody hit you.

  Carlin : No, sir.

  Mr Sands : We know about you, sunny. Who was it?

  Carlin : I fell sir. On the stairs. Wasn't used to the concrete steps. Me own fault.

  Mr Sands : I want none of yer tricks here, laddy. Understand that?

  Carlin : Yes, sir!

  Mr Sands : Any more of this and yer in trouble, real trouble! Understand?

  Carlin : Yes, sir.

  Mr Sands : Well move yerself, you light-fingered guttersnipe! Move!

  [Carlin moves] 

  Mr Sands : Yer on governor's report!

• [Mr Sands finds Banks on the floor] 

  Mr Sands : [grabs Banks and slams him against a wall]  Dozy bastard, Banks! You let him do you over, you twat!

  Banks : I slipped, sir.

  [Mr Sands slaps him] 

  Mr Sands : Don't come at me! Who d'yer think yer talking to? Carlin! I want you to name Carlin!

  Banks : I slipped, sir.

  [Mr Sands slaps him again] 

• [Angel, Davis and Carlin are all lined up against a wall] 

  Mr Sands : Right. I'm Mr. Sands, this is Mr Greaves. I'm the senior officer and I run 'A' wing. I run it. Right, Carlin?

  Carlin : Yes, Sir!

  Mr Sands : I come down very heavy on anyone who doesn't grasp that fact. Right? Right?

  Carlin : Yes, Sir!

  [Mr Sands walks up to Angel] 

  Mr Sands : Angel, you're in a single room. Some of the lads are what you might call... "prejudiced". You're well advised to keep yourself to yourself. It's your first borstal, innit lad?

  Angel : Yes, sir, apart from the Scrubs...

  Mr Sands : [interrupts Angel]  Forget the Scrubs! The holiday's over.

  Mr. Greaves : Move!

  [Angel moves] 

  Mr Sands : Davis, you were foolish enough to run away from an open borstal and you'll soon be wishing you were back there. You're in a single room. Now move!

  [Davis moves] 

  Mr. Greaves : [at Davis]  Move it!

  Mr Sands : [at Carlin]  Carlin, you're in a dormitory. Now, move!

  [Carlin moves] 

  Mr Sands : That's it! In there, on the left.

  [Carlin goes to the dormitory on the left and stops. Mr Sands walks in] 

  Mr Sands : [points at an empty bed]  That's yours, Carlin.

  [Carlin moves to the empty bed] 

  Mr Sands : You know the ropes and you know why you're here. I'll jump on you from a great height if you so much as breathe. Got that?

  Carlin : Yes, sir!

  Mr Sands : There's a lad, a big lad called Pongo in that bed. He heard you were coming. Now, grab that bumper and get to work on that floor. I wanna shave in it!

  [Carlin grabs the broom and scrubs the floor. As he scrubs the floor, Mr Sands deliberately drops Carlin's gear] 

  Mr Sands : Carlin?

  [Carlin stops momentarily] 

  Mr Sands : We don't leave our bed space in that condition in here. Make up your bed and your gear away. On the double!

  [Carlin puts the broom away and unpacks his gear] 

  Mr Sands : Next time, you're on report.

• [Mr Sands discovers Angel's room is a mess shortly after Angel's beating] 

  Mr Sands : What's this then? On your feet, lad! What do you think this is? Stand up! Name and number?

  [Angel stands up slowly] 

  Angel : Angel, sir.

  Mr Sands : Number?

  Angel : Can't remember, sir.

  Mr Sands : Can't remember? Your number, lad, that's all you are, a number! A number! Four digits. That's all you are! 4736! Name and number?

  Angel : 4736, Angel, sir.

  Mr Sands : Who did this?

  Angel : What, sir?

  Mr Sands : Don't give me lip, boy! Who did this?

  Angel : No-one, sir.

  Mr Sands : Fighting?

  Angel : No, sir.

  Mr Sands : Fell?

  Angel : No, sir.

  Mr Sands : Damaging government property are we, you black bastard?

  Angel : No, sir.

  Mr Sands : Come on, then what the hell are we doing then, you black Brixton slag.

  Angel : Nothing, sir.

  Mr Sands : Fighting, you're booked for fighting. Governor's report, right?

  Angel : I wasn't...

  Mr Sands : Right?