All the King's Men

Interior:
Jack Burden's Desk, The Chronicle, Day

Jack Burden is looking over the morning edition of "The

Chronicle." He reads the society page. A man enters and leans

across his desk.

MAN:

Burden! Jack Burden! The boss wants

to see you.

He folds his paper, rises, and walks by the presses into

Madison's office.

Interior:
Madison's Office, Day

Madison, the city editor, is correcting copy at his desk.

MADISON:

Hey, Jack, ever hear of a fellow

called Willie Stark?

JACK:

No. Who'd he shoot?

MADISON:

Oh, county... uh... treasurer, or

something like that.

JACK:

What's so special about him?

MADISON:

They say he's an honest man. What I

want you to do is to hop into your

car...

JACK:

Why, you promised me a vacation.

MADISON:

Well, that can wait.

JACK:

Yeah... but there's a... a girl I

know.

He opens his newspaper to the society page and shows Madison

a photograph of Anne Stanton.

MADISON:

Oh... Well, she can wait too.

Jack takes the paper back and looks at it.

JACK:

The question is... can I?

MADISON:

The answer is... get up there.

JACK:

Right.

(starts to go)

Oh... uh... what did you say his

name was?

MADISON:

Who?

JACK:

The fellow's name.

MADISON:

Oh, the... uh... Stark... Willie

Stark.

Madison goes on with his work.

JACK:

(as he leaves)

Willie Stark...

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Kanoma City, Day

As Jack Burden's jalopy pulls up before the Kanoma County

Courthouse of this back-country, one-street small town.

JACK:

(voice over)

I found him in Kanoma City. A typical,

hot, dusty, backwoods county seat.

He gets out of the car, and notices a crowd of people gathered

around a platform in the town square. As he walks over the

begins to hear the words that Willie Stark is speaking.

WILLIE:

...to lie to them in order to line

their own dirty pockets with the

taxpayers' money. When have the

citizens of Kanoma County ever

witnessed a campaign like this? Why

is the opposition so anxious to defeat

me? Why have they used every dirty

method known to make sure I'm not

elected county treasurer? Well, I'll

tell you why...

A man in shirt sleeves and suspenders, Tiny Duffy, comes out

of the local poolroom, listens for a moment to Willie's

speech, and signals to two uniformed men to go over and break

up the gathering.

Jack Burden stands close to the platform, next to Willie's

son, Tom, who waits patiently to distribute handbills.

WILLIE:

...Because they're afraid of the

truth... and the truth is this.

They're trying to steal your money.

Yeah, I said steal. The county

commissioners rejected the bid on

the schoolhouse. Why? Well, they'll

tell you their reason is the job

will be done better. The county

commissioners would have you believe

that they're interested in public

welfare. They're interested in

welfare, sure. But it's their own.

Let's look at the reason in the light

of the facts and the figures. That

brick factory is owned by one of the

commissioners. That same brick factory

uses convict labor.

The sheriff and his deputy push through the crowd.

SHERIFF:

Sorry, Willie, you'll have to move

on.

WILLIE:

Why?

SHERIFF:

City Ordinance Number One-Oh-Five:

more than five people congregating

is disturbing the peace.

WILLIE:

(ignores him)

If you folks'll be so kind as to

read these handbills, my boy will

pass them out among you.

SHERIFF:

There's an ordinance against that

too.

WILLIE:

(his face grim)

Pass 'em out, Tom.

The sheriff pushes Tom back, grabbing the handbills out of

his hand. Willie jumps down off the platform.

WILLIE:

Let him alone!

The sheriff collars Willie, then notices Jack on the platform

snapping a picture.

SHERIFF:

(to deputy)

Get that camera! Willie, you're under

arrest.

He takes Willie by the arm and leads him away. The crowd

follows them to the courthouse. Tiny Duffy wipes the sweat

off his neck and goes back into the poolroom.

DISSOLVE TO:

Interior:
Kanoma City Poolroom, Day

Two of Duffy's men, Pillsbury and a local commissioner, are

playing pool as Jack enters.

JACK:

Where can I find Tiny Duffy?

PILLSBURY:

Right over there, mister.

He walks over to Duffy. Some townspeople, who followed him

there, gather around him to listen.

JACK:

Uh, they told me I could get my camera

back here.

DUFFY:

Who told you that?

JACK:

People. Can I?

DUFFY:

You the reporter that's been snoopin'

around town?

JACK:

Are you Tiny Duffy?

DUFFY:

What paper?

JACK:

Chronicle.

DUFFY:

You sure come a long way to stick

your nose into other people's

business.

JACK:

That's true... Only my boss on the

paper can't see it that way.

DUFFY:

It ain't any of his business either.

JACK:

Whose business is it?

PILLSBURY:

Them as is tendin' to it. County

commissioners that the voters of

Kanoma County elected to tend to

their business and not take no buttin'

in from nobody.

JACK:

You a commissioner?

PILLSBURY:

Yeah. Name's Pillsbury. Dolph

Pillsbury.

2ND COMMISSIONER

Me too. I'm a commissioner too.

JACK:

Who isn't a commissioner?

DUFFY:

He's the head man.

JACK:

(to Pillsbury)

Then you're in a position to know

where --

DUFFY:

He's in a position to know nothin'.

And to say nothin'.

JACK:

I thought you said he was head man?

DUFFY:

(smiling)

He uses my head.

PILLSBURY:

(laughing loudly)

Oh, Tiny, you're a card... Ain't he

a card? Yeah, he's a card... Now,

who thought up those city ordinances

about arresting someone for making a

speech?

DUFFY:

Who's arrested? Nobody's been

arrested.

(looks toward the

door)

Hi, Willie.

Willie enters, accompanied by the sheriff and his deputy.

The others in the room, including Sugar Boy in his bartender's

apron, step aside to let him pass through.

PILLSBURY:

Hi, Willie.

DUFFY:

(to Sheriff)

Did you apologize to Willie?

SHERIFF:

(mumbles)

Yeah, I apologized to Willie.

DUFFY:

Did you give him his handbills back?

SHERIFF:

Yeah, I gave 'em back.

DUFFY:

Give him back his flag and his bag

and...

(points to Jack)

give this man his camera.

WILLIE:

I'm going to be on that same street

corner tomorrow, Mr. Duffy.

DUFFY:

You go right ahead, Willie. We all

believe in free speech. We got to...

it's in the Constitution.

WILLIE:

My boy is out distributing those

handbills now.

DUFFY:

It's a free country, Willie. If you

can convince the people to vote for

you... you go right ahead.

WILLIE:

What did you want to see me about,

Mr. Duffy?

DUFFY:

I wanted you to meet a fella came

all the way up from the state capital

to meet you. A reporter. Wants to

write you up... maybe put your picture

in the paper.

WILLIE:

(turns to Jack)

I'm happy to know you, sir.

JACK:

Burden's my name... Jack Burden. Can

we go somewhere where we can talk?

DUFFY:

Now that ain't polite. Don't you

want to hear both sides of the story?

Jack examines the camera that has just been returned to him.

JACK:

I know your side.

(finds the plate

missing)

What happened to the plate your men

took from my camera?

DUFFY:

Must have dropped out. Oh, come on,

fellas, let's relax. It's a hot day...

Hey, Sugar Boy...

SUGAR BOY:

Yeah?

DUFFY:

Bring some cold beer for the boys.

WILLIE:

None for me, thank you kindly.

PILLSBURY:

Now you know Willie don't drink,

Tiny. His wife don't favor drinking.

And Willie's the teacher's pet, ain't

you, Willie?

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