A Face in the Crowd Page #3

Thanks for calling. Bye.

Advertisers

actually calling to buy time.

Looks like this station will make

a little money yet.

MARCIA:

Go easy on the advertising.

I don't think he wants to stay.

J.B.:

Marcia, you found him,

it’s your job to get him to …

(Lonesome, who has been feigning sleep, chuckles)

Dissolve to Lonesome and Marcia in a bar, later)

LONESOME:
(pours whiskey into a glass. to waitress)

That’s the time, honey.

Whenever you see

this well running dry...

you just come over here and prime her again.

WAITRESS:

That’s right, Lonesome. (She gives him the eye as she walks away and

he stares back at her)

MARCIA:

I'm afraid that’s going

to be your name.

LONESOME:

My real intimate friends

call me Larry.

You call me Larry, huh?

MARCIA:

That’s a good chaser.

16

Did you always drink like that?

LONESOME:

Not always. Back in Riddle

they was pretty strict.

They didn't allow us to touch hard liquor

till we was 10 or 11.

MARCIA:

Now, is there really a town

called Riddle?

LONESOME:

To tell you the truth it’s just

sort of a what do you call it...

MARCIA:

Composite?

LONESOME:

Compost heap is more like it.

MARCIA:

Where are you from?

LONESOME:

From all over. Any town you mention for 500 miles,

I bet I lived in a day or two.

MARCIA:

What did your father do?

LONESOME:

He was a spieler

with a two-bit con.

"Now, if each of you hand me

your $1 bills...

I'm gonna favor you

with a five dollar gift."

MARCIA:

17

Sort of loved him, didn't you?

LONESOME:

Ran off and left us when I was

knee high to a beer barrel.

MARCIA:

You mother had to take care of you?

LONESOME:

Never mind about her.

MARCIA :

What about those aunts and uncles

you talk about?

LONESOME:

Uncles?

I wish I had a nickel for every time I

fell asleep waiting for my old lady.

When I'd wake up she'd say,

"Shh, Your uncle's sleeping".

I'd say "Uncle Lou?"

She'd say, "No, this is

your Uncle Mike, or Uncle Moe".

Seemed like there wasn't a town in Arkansas or

Missouri I didn't have an uncle in. Yes, ma'am. My old lady sure was

generous about taking in relatives.

MARCIA:

Yet you grew up

so happy-go-lucky.

(Lonesome laughs uproariously, and nearby the Sheriff turns around to

look.)

MARCIA :

You put your whole self

into that laugh, don’t you?

LONESOME:

Marcia, I put my whole self

into everything I do.

SHERIFF:
(comes over to their table. To Marcia)

You mean you turned down my invite

to go out with this tramp?

18

(He knocks Lonesome’s foot off the table.)

LONESOME:

You wanta fight?

(Lonesome and Sheriff fight)

MARCIA:

No! Stop it! Stop it!

(Radio station)

LONESOME:
(takes a big bite of a pie)

MMMMMMMMMM! Thanks for the pies, gals.

You're going to spoil me.

Well, I reckon I've sung at you

enough for one morning.

Maybe I'll wind up with a joke. Let’s see...

Yeah, I got one.

Sheriff Big Jeff Bess.

You say that ain't no joke?

(Cut to an old lady listening to the radio, who laughs)

The fact he's running for mayor

strikes me as kind of funny.

You know, back in my little town,

Riddle...

the way we elect fellas

to office is...

we try to figure which fella can

best be spared from useful labor.

Like, you take

the village half-wit...

Now, in most places, he's going

to be put on town relief...

but in Riddle, as an economy measure,

we make him the dog catcher.

But, now,

this sheriff of yours...

I don't say

nothing against him...

but if you've any mutts

you want rid of...

why don't you take them to his place

to see if he can handle the job?

(Cut to a man whittling)

MAN TO HIS DOG:

Here, Whitey!

Here, Whitey!

19

(Cut to yard outside the jail, crowded with people and barking dogs.

Sheriff comes out of the door to look. Marcia and Lonesome drive up,

and Lonesome leans out the driver side window and guffaws.)

LONESOME:

Hey, look at that fool!

MARCIA:

How does it feel?

LONESOME:

How does what feel?

MARCIA:

Just saying whatever comes in your head

and being able to sway people?

LONESOME:

Yeah, I guess I can.

Yeah, I guess I can.

(Cut to John Cameron Swayze on the air)

SWAYZE:

And now, an amusing example of

grass roots democracy in action.

It seems there's a small town

radio personality...

called "Lonesome Rhodes"

out in Arkansas...

who literally sent a mayoralty

candidate to the dogs.

(Outside LARRY’S MOTEL ROOM – Marcia and Abe Steiner)

MARCIA (knocking on Larry’s door):

Larry? Larry?

LONESOME (to disheveled waitress who hastily grabs

trayful of dishes)

Listen, Just plough out through and keep

Going. Leave the rest to me.

20

(He says the next line louder, for Marcia’s benefit.)

Thanks for bringing up

my breakfast, Florine.

MARCIA:

This is Mr. Steiner,

He’s come all the way from Memphis to see you.

STEINER:

Mr. Rhodes. I'm one of the oldest

theatrical agents in the mid south.

(Larry lies down on the bed in his underwear and picks up a magazine)

I book a lot of acts for

the Grand Old Opera.

I discovered Hank Snow,

and Webb Pierce...

and the first morning I heard you,

I said to myself...

"Abe Steiner, that man's got power."

Not just catchy songs

and funny stories, power.

How would you like

to come to Memphis, son?

LONESOME:
(pulls out a cigarette)

Memphis?

STEINER:
(chuckles)

You put me in mind of Will Rogers

when he first came to Memphis.

I can make you a star, boy,

if you put yourself in my hands.

LONESOME:

Shucks, mister, I'm just a country boy.

I'm not even sure I want to stay

in this danged old radio business.

STEINER:

I'm not one of these

hard pressure fellas.

But, do you mind

if I call you again?

LONESOME:

No. (They shake hands)

21

STEINER (Leaving)

Miss Jeffries.

MARCIA:

Grand Old Opera,

that’s the big time.

LONESOME:

It never hurt none to play

hard to get.

You ought to know about that.

MARCIA:

You don't seem to be pining

for lack of company.

LONESOME:

I get extra hungry

in the morning.

You cold fish respectable girls.

Inside you crave the same things

as the rest of them.

Tell Old Lonesome the truth.

MARCIA:
(leaving)

You're on in eight minutes.

(Cut to radio station; Lonesome on the air with his guitar; fan

blowing; fans look in through the windows)

LONESOME:

WOOO WEEE – It’s so hot this morning,

the creek just give up.

I mean it was bone dry.

So the young ones figure

they ain't got no place to swim.

But my boss...

old J.B. Jeffries,

he's got a fine swimming pool...

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