All the King's Men Page #18

The chant is picked up enthusiastically by the crowd.

Interior:
State Legislature, Day

The speaker is trying to speak over the clamor of the

chanting.

SPEAKER:

We will first proceed to take the

judgment of the senate on the question

of the impeachment of the governor.

SENATOR:

(rising)

Mr. Speaker, this is a farce to ask

us to vote in the face of the kind

of intimidation and pressure that

has been exerted here in the past

few weeks. Even that crowd outside,

yelling on cue, is part of that

pressure.

CROWD NOISE:

We want Willie. We want Willie.

Willie gets up, and goes to the window.

Exterior:
State Capitol, Day

The crowd, with Jack in the foreground. The crowd suddenly

goes wild as they see Willie appear at the window. In the

growing darkness he seems only a shadowy figure as he raises

his hands to wave to the crowd.

We see various shots of people straining to get a little

closer to the steps in order to see him better. Willie then

turns and goes back into the room.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
State Capitol, Day

The crowd again, still waiting. The camera pans upward to a

loudspeaker.

ANNOUNCER:

Attention, please. Attention, please.

This is a special announcement from

Willie Stark to you people out there.

He doesn't want any one of you to

leave...

The camera moves over the faces of the people listening.

ANNOUNCER:

He wants you to stay in front of

this state Capitol until the fight

is over. If you want Willie Stark to

win, stay where you are.

They cheer. Camera picks up Jack watching the crowd's

reaction, then up to a plaque over the entrance to the Capitol

Building. It reads THE PEOPLE'S WILL IS THE LAW OF THIS STATE --

GOVERNOR STARK.

ANNOUNCER:

Do you hear me... stay where you

are. Don't go away. Stay where you

are. Don't go away.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
State Capitol, Night

Newsmen, photographers stand about, bored. The crowd, every

bit as large, is quiet but expectant. Everyone holds still

as the announcer's voice is heard again.

ANNOUNCER:

Attention, please. Attention, please.

The balloting on the impeachment

proceedings against Governor Stark

has just ended. This is the result:

Willie Stark has won.

The crowd explodes. People break through the police barriers.

Mounted policemen ride in quickly to prevent a riot. Camera

picks up Anne in the crowd, trying to push through.

Jack stands on the steps of the Capitol, watching it all.

Suddenly Willie appears at the top of the steps, followed by

Sugar Boy. Sadie, Duffy, Pillsbury follow close behind. Willie

grabs hold of the mike and addresses the suddenly hushed

crowd.

WILLIE:

They tried to ruin me. But they are

ruined. They tried to ruin me because

they did not like what I have done.

Do you like what I have done?

Loud applause, and cries of "yes."

WILLIE:

Remember, it's not I who have won,

but you. Your will is my strength,

and your need is my justice, and I

shall live in your right and your

will. And if any man tries to stop

me from fulfilling that right and

that will, I'll break him. I'll break

him with my bare hands. For I have

the strength of many.

Having finished, he waves at them all. Then he notices Jack

and comes down the steps to greet him.

WILLIE:

Hello, Jack boy, I'm glad you're

here. I knew you'd come back.

He walks back up the steps, his arm around Jack's shoulders.

They start to go into the building that way when Willie sees

someone. He smiles and puts out his hand.

WILLIE:

Oh, doctor, I'm very glad to see

you.

Adam is seen, waiting at the entrance of the building. Before

Willie has taken a step Adam fires several shots into him.

Willie falls to the ground and Sugar Boy whips out his pistol

and fires at Adam. Three policemen with tommy guns open fire,

shooting into Adam's already fallen body. Then they turn and

point their guns at the mob of people rushing toward Willie,

forcing them back.

COP:

Stand back, everybody. Stand back.

Sugar Boy kneels beside Willie. Sadie stands against a pillar,

looking down on him.

SUGAR BOY:

(nearly crying)

D-does it hurt m-much, boss? D-d-

does it hurt much?

Jack looks up to see Anne struggling through the screaming

mob to get to Adam. She looks at Adam for a moment, then

turns away.

JACK:

Anne, Anne... Where are you going?

She doesn't answer, only walks away. He runs after her and

catches hold of her arm.

ANNE:

I don't know. Leave me alone.

JACK:

To do what?

ANNE:

I don't care.

JACK:

No, that's too easy.

ANNE:

I don't know, I don't know, I don't

know.

JACK:

I do.

ANNE:

Leave me alone, please.

JACK:

No, no more.

ANNE:

He's dead.

JACK:

We're alive.

ANNE:

My brother's dead.

JACK:

We've got to go on living.

ANNE:

How?

JACK:

So that Adam's death has meaning, so

that it wasn't wasted. Anne, our

life has to give his death meaning.

Don't you see that? Look at those

people...

He turns her around so that she can see the crowds still

struggling to get a look at Willie.

JACK:

Look at them! They still believe in

him. And we've got to make them see

Willie the way Adam saw him, or

there's no meaning in anything...

anything.

A policeman approaches.

POLICEMAN:

Mr. Burden... the governor's asking

for you. You better hurry. He's going

fast.

JACK:

(to Anne)

Will you wait here?

No reply.

JACK:

Will you wait here?

She nods her head slowly. Jack walks through the building to

the pillar against which Willie has been propped. Sugar Boy

is still beside him. He stands behind Sadie and Duffy, looking

down at Willie.

WILLIE:

It could have been the whole world,

Willie Stark. The whole world...

Willie Stark. Why did he do it to

me... Willie Stark? Why?

His head droops to the side and he dies.

FADE OUT:

THE END:

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