All the King's Men Page #16

LUCY:

Willie!

(turns and goes into

Tom's room)

Tom... Tom.

Willie looks up at Jack and Pappy.

WILLIE:

Give me a drink, Jack.

Jack hands him a bottle and he takes a slug.

WILLIE:

She'll go.

Pappy shakes his head.

PAPPY:

No good, Willie. No good.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Stark Farmhouse, Night

Pappy stays behind on the porch as Tom is carried in his

wheelchair down the steps and into Willie's car. Lucy follows.

The motorcycle escort leads them away from the farm.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Highway, Night

As the cars speed to Capital City.

Interior:
State Legislature, Night

There is great excitement in the assembly room. One senator

steps forward and addresses the speaker of the house.

SENATOR:

Mr. Speaker, I offer a house

resolution. Whereas Willie Stark,

governor of this state, has been

guilty of incompetence, corruption,

and favoritism in office -- yes, and

other high crimes -- that he is hereby

impeached, and ordered to be tried

by the senate.

His resolution is met with a mixture of cheers and boos.

Exterior:
State Capitol, Night

A huge crowd is gathered outside. Pillsbury, Sadie, and Duffy,

waiting with the crowd, step forward as they see Willie's

car approach. Newsmen take pictures as Willie gets out of

the car.

WILLIE:

(as he meets Duffy)

What's the score?

DUFFY:

They're lined up against you solid.

They had a meeting.

WILLIE:

How do you know? Were you there?

DUFFY:

Me? What would I be doing there?

WILLIE:

Selling me out.

He starts up the steps of the building.

DISSOLVE TO:

Interior:
Willie's Executive Offices, Night

WILLIE:

How many votes have we got?

SADIE:

(going through some

files)

Eleven.

WILLIE:

We need twenty.

DUFFY:

We might be able to dig up a few

more.

WILLIE:

Yeah. Do you know how?

DUFFY:

No.

Willie turns to Jack.

WILLIE:

Oh, Jack. Come here. What have you

got in your black book about that

old friend of yours?

JACK:

Who do you mean?

WILLIE:

You know who I'm talking about...

your old friend, the Judge.

JACK:

If and when you need it.

WILLIE:

If and when? I need it right now.

He's got four senators wrapped up in

his hip pocket. Come on, come on,

boy... what have you got?

JACK:

I'm going to give him a break. If he

can prove it isn't true, I won't

spill it.

WILLIE:

I ought to bust you, Jack.

JACK:

I promised two people I'd do it this

way.

WILLIE:

Who are they?

JACK:

Myself... and someone else. It doesn't

matter who. I'm going to give him a

break.

WILLIE:

All right, give him a break. But if

you got the facts, you got the facts.

The truth is sufficient... just like

it says in the Bible.

JACK:

That's the way it's going to be.

WILLIE:

All right, boy... I'll trust you.

Where are you going?

JACK:

(on his way out)

I'll be around.

Willie turns to go into his private office.

SADIE:

Who else do you think he promised,

Willie?

Willie shrugs.

SADIE:

You'd be smart... play square with

him. You're going to need people

like us around.

WILLIE:

(as he shuts his door)

Are you sure?

DISSOLVE TO:

MONTAGE:
THE IMPEACHMENT

Willie's car speeding down a road.

Willie, with Lucy and Tom seated behind him, addressing crowd.

Willie speaking from the back of a train to a railroad station

audience.

JACK:

(voice over)

The chips were down, and Willie knew

it. He was fighting for his life. He

roared across the state making one

speech after another. And all of

them added up to the same thing...

"It's not me they're after, it's

you!"

Close-ups of Willie, speaking to the people.

JACK:

(voice over)

Willie hollered foul. Willie knew if

you hollered long enough, hard enough,

and loud enough, people begin to

believe you. Just in case they didn't,

he organized spontaneous

demonstrations.

Sign on back of a car: FIGHT WITH WILLIE

Crowds carrying signs: WIN WITH WILLIE

Willie talking on the telephone. Sadie listens.

WILLIE:

Tell the boys to get the hicks out.

Bring 'em in from the sticks, empty

the pool halls. Turn 'em out. Turn

the yokels out.

More men with WIN WITH WILLIE signs. Man directing crowd

from top of bus. Other bus loads of people are seen, all of

them bearing signs.

JACK:

(voice over)

In case anyone hollered back, he

organized spontaneous slugging. Willie

pulled every trick he ever knew --

and added a few more.

Crowd looks on as two uniformed police drag a man away.

Willie's car waiting. Two thugs talk things over with a man

on his doorstep.

Willie discussing matters with a man in his office. Two cops

stand with him.

Willie and Jack in the car. Sugar Boy drives. It is night.

Sugar Boy drives fast, and has to swerve to avoid colliding

with a truck.

JACK:

Hey, Sugar!

(To Willie)

You'll never live to be impeached!

WILLIE:

Boy, I'll live to be President...

Jack and Sugar wait in the car as Willie leans out the car

window to talk to a senator. He offers the man a piece of

paper.

WILLIE:

I've got fourteen senators to vote

against impeachment. If I win, you're

out of politics.

SENATOR:

(refuses to sign)

I'll do whatever the Judge says.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Highway, Night

Willie's car, as it races down the highway.

JACK:

(voice over)

And always the trail led to one

place... Burden's Landing... and the

Judge.

Exterior:
Ferry to Burden's Landing, Night

Willie's car coming across on the ferry.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Stanton Home, Night

As Willie's car stops and they all get out.

WILLIE:

You sure you don't want me to go in

with you?

JACK:

I'm sure.

WILLIE:

Well, hurry it up, boy. We've got

places to go.

Jack goes into the house alone.

DISSOLVE TO:

Interior:
Judge Stanton's Study, Night

Jack and the Judge are seated opposite each other.

JACK:

Judge, I beg you, as a favor to

yourself, to me... call up, release

your votes.

JUDGE:

I made a mistake once, Jack... when

I resigned. It was too easy then,

just resigning, pulling out. No,

Jack, I've made my choice. I have

nothing more to lose.

JACK:

Judge, you know what Stark is capable

of. Think it over. I'll leave now.

I'll come back tomorrow and we'll

talk about it again. You can give me

your answer then.

The door opens and Willie and Sugar Boy enter.

WILLIE:

I can't wait until tomorrow. I'm a

very impatient man.

JACK:

(rising)

I told you not to come in here.

WILLIE:

(ignoring him)

Is it true, Judge, that you're behind

the impeachment proceedings?

JUDGE:

Yes, it's true.

Willie takes a seat in an easy chair.

WILLIE:

I wanted to hear you say it with

your own silver tongue.

JUDGE:

Well, you've heard it. If that's all

you came to hear you could have saved

yourself a trip.

Willie picks up a decanter off the table.

WILLIE:

Mind if I pour myself a drink? How

about you, Judge, will you have one?

You better... You're going to need

it.

Jack and Judge Stanton remain standing, silently watching

Willie.

WILLIE:

What'd he say, Jack?

JACK:

You'll get your answer tomorrow.

WILLIE:

Are you kidding? Did you show it to

him, or didn't you?

JUDGE:

Show me what?

WILLIE:

That's what I figured. Let's get

down to cases, Judge. Do you remember

a man with the name of Littlepaugh?

The Judge shakes his head. He doesn't.

WILLIE:

Remember the Fortune Electric Company?

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