12 Angry Men Page #3

looked out, and saw the kid running down the stairs and out of the house. Then he called the police. They found

the father with a knife in his chest.

FOREMAN:
And the coroner fixed the time of death at around midnight.

NO.3:
Right. Now what else do you want?

NO. 4:
The boy's entire story is flimsy. He claimed he was at the movies. That's a little ridiculous, isn't it? He

couldn't even remember what pictures he saw.

NO. 3:
That's right. Did you hear that? (To NO. 4) You're absolutely right.

NO. 10:
Look, what about the woman across the street? If her testimony don't prove it, then nothing does.

NO. 12:
That's right. She saw the killing, didn't she?

FOREMAN:
Let's go in order.

NO. 10:
(loud). Just a minute. Here's a woman who's lying in bed and can't sleep. It's hot, you know. (He gets

up and begins to walk around, blowing his nose and talking.) Anyway, she looks out the window and right

across the street she sees the kid stick the knife into his father. She's known the kid all his life. His window is

right opposite hers, across the el tracks, and she swore she saw him do it.

NO. 8:
Through the windows of a passing elevated train.

NO. 10:
Okay. And they proved in court that you can look through the windows of a passing el train at night

and see what's happening on the other side. They proved it.

NO. 8:
I'd like to ask you something. How come you believed her? She's one of "them" too, isn't she: I'd like to ask you something. How come you believed her? She's one of "them" too, isn't she?

[NO. 10 walks over to NO. 8:]

NO. 10:
(sarcastically) You're a pretty smart fellow, aren't you?

FOREMAN:
(rising) Now take it easy.

[NO. 3 gets up and goes to NO. 10:]

NO.3:
Come on. Sit down. (He leads NO. 10 back to his seat.) What're you letting him get you all upset for?

Relax.

[NO. 10 and NO. 3 sit down.]

FOREMAN:
Let's calm down now. Number. 5, it's your turn.

NO. 5:
I’ll pass it.

FOREMAN:
That's your privilege. (To NO. 6) How about you?

NO.6:
(slowly). I don't know. I started to be convinced, you know, with the testimony from those people across

the hall. Didn't they say something about an argument between the father and the boy around seven o'clock that

night? I mean, I can be wrong.

NO.11:
I think it was eight o'clock. Not seven.

NO. 8:
That's right. Eight o'clock. They heard the father hit the boy twice and then saw the boy walk angrily out

of the house. What does that prove?

NO. 6:
Well, it doesn't exactly prove anything. It's just part of the picture. I didn't say it proved anything.

FOREMAN:
Anything else?

NO. 6:
No.

[NO. 6 goes to the water fountain.]

FOREMAN:
(to NO. 7). All right. How about you?

NO.7:
I don't know, most of it's been said already. We can talk all day about this thing, but I think we’re

wasting our time. Look at the kid's record. At fifteen he was in reform school. He stole a car. He's been arrested

for mugging. He was picked up for knife-fighting. I think they said he stabbed somebody in the arm. This is a

very fine boy.

NO. 8:
Ever since he was five years old his father beat him up regularly. He used his fists.

NO.7:
So would I! A kid like that.

NO. 3:
You’re right. It's the kids. The way they are—you know? They don't listen. (Bitter) I've got a kid. When

he was eight years old, he ran away from a fight. I saw him. I was so ashamed, I told him right out, "I'm gonna

make a man out of you or I'm gonna bust you up into little pieces trying." When he was fifteen he hit me in the

face. He's big, you know. I haven't seen him in three years. Rotten kid! You work your heart out.... (Pause) All

right, let's get on with it.

3:
You’re right. It's the kids. The way they are—you know? They don't listen. (Bitter) I've got a kid. When

he was eight years old, he ran away from a fight. I saw him. I was so ashamed, I told him right out, "I'm gonna

make a man out of you or I'm gonna bust you up into little pieces trying." When he was fifteen he hit me in the

face. He's big, you know. I haven't seen him in three years. Rotten kid! You work your heart out.... (Pause) All

right, let's get on with it.

[Looks away embarrassed.]

NO. 4:
We're missing the point here. This boy—let's say he's a product of a filthy neighborhood and a broken

home. We can't help that. We're not here to go into the reasons why slums are breeding grounds for criminals.

They are. I know it. So do you. The children who come out of slum backgrounds are potential menaces to

society.

NO. 10:
You said it there. I don't want any part of them, believe me.

[There is a dead silence for a moment, and then NO. 5 speaks haltingly.]

NO. 5:
I've lived in a slum all my life.

NO. 10:
Oh, now wait a second!

NO. 5:
I used to play in a back yard that was filled with garbage. Maybe it still smells on me.

FOREMAN:
Now let's be reasonable. There's nothing personal.

[NO. 5 stands up.]

NO. 5:
There is something personal! [Then he catches himself and seeing everyone looking at him, sits down,

fists clenched.]

NO. 3:
(persuasively). Come on, now. He didn't mean you, feller. Let's not be so sensitive.

[There is a long pause.]

NO. 11:
I can understand this sensitivity.

FOREMAN:
Now let's stop the bickering. We're wasting time. (To NO. 8) It's your turn.

NO. 8:
All right. I had a peculiar feeling about this trial. Somehow I felt that the defense counsel never really

conducted a thorough cross-examination. I mean, he was appointed by the court to defend the boy. He hardly

seemed interested. Too many questions were left unasked.

NO. 3 (annoyed). What about the ones that were asked? For instance, let's talk about that cute little switchknife.

You know, the one that fine, upright kid admitted buying.

NO. 8:
All right. Let's talk about it. Let's get it in here and look at it. I'd like to see it again, Mr. Foreman.

[The foreman looks at him questioningly and then gets up and goes to the door. During the following dialogue

the foreman knocks; the guard comes in; the foreman whispers to him; the guard nods and leaves, locking the

door.]

NO. 3:
We all know what it looks like. I don't see why we have to look at it again. (To NO. 4) What do yo: We all know what it looks like. I don't see why we have to look at it again. (To NO. 4) What do you

think?

NO. 4:
The gentleman has a right to see exhibits in evidence.

NO. 3:
(shrugging). Okay with me.

NO. 4:
(to NO. 8). This knife is a pretty strong piece of evidence, don't you agree?

NO. 8:
I do.

NO. 4:
The boy admits going out of his house at eight o'clock after being slapped by his father.

NO. 8:
Or punched.

NO. 4:
Or punched. He went to a neighborhood store and bought a switch knife. The storekeeper was arrested

the following day when he admitted selling it to the boy. It's a very unusual knife. The storekeeper identified it

and said it was the only one of its kind he had in stock. Why did the boy get it? (Sarcastically) As a present for

a friend of his, he says. Am I right so far?

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