All the King's Men Page #10

Some newsmen are waiting on the top landing.

NEWSMEN:

Have you heard about Pillsbury? What

do you intend to do about Pillsbury?

How about it, Governor?

Willie pushes by them.

WILLIE:

Later, boys, later.

(to Jack)

Say, Jack, go back and get the Judge.

Let's get him over to my hotel just

as soon as you can.

They all hurry after Willie as he rushes down the stairs.

Interior:
Lobby State Capitol, Day

Anne is about to go up the stairs when she meets Willie and

the others on the way down.

ANNE:

(to Willie)

I waited for you.

(she sees Sadie)

Hello.

(back to Willie)

You promised we could... uh... discuss

my charity project... Children's

home?

WILLIE:

Well, I'm very sorry. Something very

important came up. You'll call me

later, won't you?

ANNE:

Yes, certainly.

SADIE:

We're late.

Anne watches as they cross the lobby and exit.

DISSOLVE TO:

Interior:
Stark's Hotel Suite, Night

Close shot of Willie, seated, with his feet propped up on a

table. Pillsbury stands before him. Jack, Sadie, Duffy, and

Sugar Boy are also in the room.

WILLIE:

Look at you, Pillsbury. Fifty years

old, gut-sprung, teeth gone, never

had a dime. If the Almighty had

intended for you to be rich he'd

have taken care of that a long time

ago. The idea of you being rich...

that's plain blasphemy. Ain't that a

fact?

Pillsbury doesn't answer.

WILLIE:

Answer me!

PILLSBURY:

Yes.

WILLIE:

Louder, man. Don't mumble. Speak up.

Say it's a fact, a blasphemous fact.

PILLSBURY:

It's a fact, a blasphemous fact.

Sugar Boy laughs loudly. The phone rings and Sadie picks it

up.

SADIE:

Yeah?... Oh, I see.

(hangs up)

Dumond can't come. He says his wife

is sick.

WILLIE:

I don't care if she's dying. Sugar,

get the car. Get him and bring him

over here.

Sugar Boy exists. Willie turns back to Pillsbury.

WILLIE:

Now, you know what you're supposed

to do, don't you, Pillsbury? You're

supposed to stay poor and take orders.

Oh, there'll be some sweetening for

you from time to time... but Duffy'll

take care of that. Don't you go

setting yourself up on your own again,

do you understand that?

PILLSBURY:

Yes.

WILLIE:

Louder, man. And say, I understand

that.

PILLSBURY:

I understand that.

WILLIE:

Give him a pen and some paper, Sadie.

There is a knock on the door.

WILLIE:

See who that is, Duffy.

Judge Stanton enters.

WILLIE:

Oh, hello, Judge. Sit down. I'll be

with you in just a couple of seconds.

(back to Pillsbury)

Now write what I tell you to write...

Dear Governor Stark. I wish to resign

as auditor due to ill health, to

take effect as soon as you can relieve

me. Respectfully yours.

(after a pause)

Did you sign it?

PILLSBURY:

No.

WILLIE:

(roaring)

Well, sign it! Don't put any date on

it. I can fill that in when I need

it.

Pillsbury signs the paper.

WILLIE:

Now bring it to me.

Pillsbury moves slowly, so Sadie yanks the paper out of his

hand and passes it to Willie.

WILLIE:

Now get out.

Pillsbury slinks out of the room.

JUDGE:

The papers have the story.

WILLIE:

Yeah, I know.

JUDGE:

They're talking about impeachment

proceedings.

WILLIE:

(rising)

Against who?

JUDGE:

This time, Pillsbury.

WILLIE:

I got that "this time," Judge.

JUDGE:

How true is it?

WILLIE:

It's too true.

The phone rings.

SADIE:

Yes?

(hands phone to Willie)

This is it, Willie. Jeff Hopkins on

the wire.

Willie takes the phone, but puts his hand over the mouthpiece

so that he can speak to Jack.

WILLIE:

What have we got on Hopkins, Jack?

(as Jack riffles

through the black

book)

Hello, Jeff. About that Pillsbury

business...

(reads from black

book Jack holds out

for him)

Here's what I want you to do when it

comes up in the legislature. Now,

wait a minute, wait a minute. You

listen to me.

(still reading from

book)

You got a mortgage coming due on

that place of yours in about five

weeks, haven't you? You'd like to

get it renewed, wouldn't you?

(pause)

All right, Tiny'll talk to you in

the morning.

He grins and hangs up the phone.

WILLIE:

Get going, Tiny.

Duffy leaves.

JUDGE:

You haven't answered my question.

Why are you saving Pillsbury's hide?

WILLIE:

I'm not a bit interested in

Pillsbury's hide. It's something

much more important than that. If

the McMurphy boys get the notion

they can get away with this, there's

no telling where they'll stop.

JUDGE:

(quietly)

Or where you will... Pillsbury is

guilty. As attorney general of this

state, it's my job to prosecute.

WILLIE:

Judge, you talk like Pillsbury was...

was human. He isn't. He's a thing.

You don't prosecute an adding machine

if the spring goes busted and makes

a mistake. You fix it. Well, I fixed

him. I'm not a bit interested in

Pillsbury. It's something much bigger

than that.

JUDGE:

(getting up)

Yes, it is.

JACK:

He's right, Judge. Can't you see

that he's right?

JUDGE:

He's right because you want him to

be right. Because you're afraid to

admit you've made a mistake. Do it

now before it's too late.

(to Willie)

I'm offering my resignation as

attorney general. You'll have it in

writing by messenger in the morning...

dated.

WILLIE:

(softly)

It took you a long time to make up

your mind, Judge. A long time. What

made you take such a long time?

JUDGE:

I wasn't sure.

WILLIE:

And now you are?

The Judge nods.

WILLIE:

I'll tell you what you are. You're

scared. You sat in that big easy

chair of yours for thirty years and

played at being a judge. Then all of

a sudden I came along and put a bat

in your hand, and I said, go ahead,

Judge, start swinging. And you did.

And you had a wonderful time. But

now you're scared. You don't want to

get your hands dirty. You want to

pick up the marbles... but you don't

want to get your hands dirty. Look

at my whole program, Judge. How do

you think I put that across?

JUDGE:

I knew how, but I never knew why.

He starts to leave.

WILLIE:

You're not by any chance thinking of

going over to McMurphy's boys, are

you?

JUDGE:

I'm through with politics.

WILLIE:

I'm happy to hear that.

(extends his hand)

No hard feelings.

JUDGE:

(ignores the hand)

Goodbye, Governor.

(to Jack)

Are you coming with me, Jack?

Jack turns away.

JUDGE:

You're making a mistake.

He goes. Willie closes the door behind him.

WILLIE:

Do you think he means it when he

says he's through with politics,

Sadie?

SADIE:

No. No, I don't.

WILLIE:

What about you, Jack?

JACK:

I've known the Judge all my life.

He's always meant everything he's

said.

WILLIE:

All right. All right. Take it easy.

I'll take your word for it.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Willie's Hotel, Night

Willie's car draws up to the curb. Sugar Boy hops out to

open the door for Willie.

Sadie is watching him from a window upstairs in the hotel.

Anne is in the back seat; Willie leans down to talk to her.

WILLIE:

Sugar, take Miss Stanton home.

(to Anne)

When am I going to see you again?

She doesn't answer.

WILLIE:

What's the matter, Anne?

ANNE:

Please take me home now, Sugar Boy.

WILLIE:

You've got to understand me.

ANNE:

(turns away)

I understand you. It's myself I don't

understand.

WILLIE:

Do you think I like sneaking around

corners any more than you do? But

right now, with the Pillsbury business

and with your uncle quitting... If I

got a divorce...

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