All the King's Men Page #15

The empty, untraversed STARK HIGHWAY.

NARRATOR'S VOICE

When Stark boasts of his great school

system, his critics say: you can't

go to school and work in the fields

at the same time. And they question

the benefit of these projects,

charging that the need and the poverty

of the people is as great as before.

Shot of large school. Camera cuts to men working in the field,

then to ramshackle barn, and to a farmer walking across his

rotted cornfield.

NARRATOR'S VOICE

Willie Stark has never forgotten the

source of his power: the people who

supported him.

Willie talking to the farmers.

NARRATOR'S VOICE

He still keeps in touch with these

people of the backwoods, making

periodic trips to such places as

Kanoma City, now famous as his

birthplace...

Willie's official car and escort speeding through a street.

Sign reads:
KANOMA CITY, BIRTHPLACE OF WILLIE STARK

Shot of Willie having his picture taken with Lucy and Pappy

on the porch of the old farm.

Willie mending the fence on the farm. Willie feeding the

pigs.

NARRATOR'S VOICE

For those who say that Willie Stark

is a man of destiny, there are others

who claim that he is a man of evil,

a man who cares neither for the people

nor the state, but only for his own

personal power and ambition.

Willie making a speech to a huge crowd of cheering people.

Willie inspecting his police force.

Willie pounding the desk in the state legislature.

NARRATOR'S VOICE

Obviously, these ambitions go far

beyond the boundaries of the state.

Just how far, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, he is here...

Big close-up of Willie as he delivers a speech.

NARRATOR'S VOICE

...and from the looks of things, he

is here to stay. Willie Stark: messiah

or dictator?

The picture goes off and the lights in the room come on.

PRODUCER:

How do you like it, Governor?

Willie stands and faces the producer.

WILLIE:

How many theaters will this play in?

PRODUCER:

All over the country.

WILLIE:

Hear that, Jack. All over the country.

They start to leave. Willie stops for a moment.

WILLIE:

Oh, there's one thing in there I

didn't like too well. That messiah

or dictator.

PRODUCER:

That's our point of view, Governor.

And that's the way it stands.

There is a silence. Willie's face is hard. Then he grins.

WILLIE:

All right, all right, that's the way

it stands... as of now.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

NEWSPAPER HEADLINE

STARK BEGINS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN

STATEWIDE TOUR STARTS WITH VISIT TO KANOMA CITY

DISSOLVE TO:

EXTERIOR:
STARK FARMHOUSE, DAY

Tom and Pappy Stark are seated on the porch. Tom is in a

wheelchair. Lucy comes onto the porch as the sound of sirens

is heard, and Willie's two cars, motorcycle escort, and the

car of reporters turn onto the drive. Tom, upset, flips his

cigarette away as the cars stop in front of the porch. Lucy

puts her hand on his shoulder to calm him. Then Willie climbs

up the steps to greet Lucy.

WILLIE:

Hello, Lucy... How are you making

it, Pa?... How are you, Tom?

Tom doesn't answer. Lucy offers her cheek to Willie. Sadie,

Jack, and Sugar Boy wait at the bottom of the steps, along

with the reporters.

LUCY:

I made some refreshments for your

friends. I'll get them.

SADIE:

I'll help.

LUCY:

(firmly)

No, thank you. Thank you kindly.

JACK:

If you don't mind, Mrs. Stark... the

boys have to get back to make the

morning editions.

(to photographers)

Set 'em up on the porch, fellows.

We'll take some pictures out here,

first.

He starts arranging the family for the picture.

JACK:

Mrs. Stark, please... All right,

fellows, take one down there, will

you please... Shoot it up this way.

The cameras click.

DISSOLVE TO:

Interior:
Stark Farmhouse, Night

Willie is finishing his meal, seated at the table with his

family and Jack. Sugar Boy stands behind Willie. Sadie has

left the table and is examining the room.

WILLIE:

(on the last bite)

You're still a great cook, Lucy.

Great cook.

(gets up)

Well, I guess I better be getting

back to town. Nice to have spent the

day with the family.

(kisses Lucy on the

forehead)

Goodbye, Lucy.

(extends his hand to

Tom)

Tom.

TOM:

(ignores the gesture)

Goodbye.

WILLIE:

Take care of yourself, Pappy. Oh,

uh... how do you like the new radio

I got you?

(walks over to it)

You know how it works? You can get

police calls on it. Come here, come

here... I'll show you.

Pappy leans over as Willie demonstrates how it works.

WILLIE:

This one for police calls up here.

He turns the dial.

POLICE BROADCAST

Car sixty-two, proceed to five-

eighteen Oak Street. Tom Jones beating

his wife again.

Pappy laughs delightedly. He reaches out to turn the dial.

WILLIE:

All right, go ahead, go ahead.

ANNOUNCER'S VOICE

We interrupt this program to bring

you a special announcement. This

afternoon, the body of Richard Hale,

father of the girl who died in the

automobile accident involving the

governor's son, was found. A medical

examination revealed he was beaten

to death.

Tom starts to wheel toward Willie, but Lucy restrains him.

ANNOUNCER'S VOICE

The ugly charge of "official murder"

has been hurled at the administration

by a coalition of Stark's opponents,

led by Judge Stanton, lately an

outspoken critic of the

administration.

WILLIE:

(to Jack)

Your friend, the Judge.

ANNOUNCER'S VOICE

Thus an almost forgotten incident

provided the spark that might set

off the explosion needed to rock

Willie Stark out of power. The latest

report is that impeachment proceedings

may be instituted...

Willie turns off the radio. There is a silence. Then Willie

turns to Lucy.

WILLIE:

How long will it take you to pack? I

want you to go back to Capital City

with me tonight.

LUCY:

Why?

WILLIE:

Because I need you.

TOM:

What for?

WILLIE:

(still speaking to

Lucy)

I'll explain all of that later. Now,

Lucy, do like I say.

JACK:

I'll wait outside.

WILLIE:

You stay right here, Jack. I want

you bear witness to what I've got to

say.

LUCY:

(indicating Sadie)

She can be a witness too.

SADIE:

(starting toward the

door)

I'm going back to the capital and

get hold of Duffy.

WILLIE:

You stay right here, Sadie.

SADIE:

Somebody's got to go back to the

capital. I'll go in the other car.

WILLIE:

All right, then tell Duffy not to do

anything or say anything until I get

there.

SADIE:

Yes, Governor.

She leaves.

TOM:

Now he needs us. Now that he's in

trouble he needs us, so he can lead

us around like monkeys with rings in

our noses. So he can say to people,

look at me, feel sorry for me...

just a family man with a wife and a

crippled son...

WILLIE:

(shouts)

Shut up!

LUCY:

Willie!

TOM:

Why don't you leave us alone?

Tom wheels himself into his own room. Lucy starts to follow.

WILLIE:

Leave him alone. How many scrapes

have I gotten him out of? How many

girls?

LUCY:

Willie, stop.

WILLIE:

It's not him they're after. It's me.

How many halfwitted apes do you think

I'm going to have to pay to square

this one? What do you think this is

going to cost me?

LUCY:

What do you think it cost him?

Suddenly Willie turns his face away.

WILLIE:

(in a broken voice)

A man builds for his son. That's all

he builds for.

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