All the King's Men Page #2

WILLIE:

I'll have some orange pop if you

don't mind.

Duffy roars with laughter.

DUFFY:

Orange pop! All right, Sugar Boy.

Bring him some orange pop.

SUGAR BOY:

(stutters)

Th-th-the p-p-pop's s-s-sold out.

DUFFY:

Did you hear that, boys? The p-p-

pop's s-s-sold out.

They all laugh.

PILLSBURY:

Now ain't he a card?

WILLIE:

(his face hard)

He stutters, Mr. Duffy, but you...

you don't say anything.

(to Jack)

Let's go, mister.

They turn and go out.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Dirt Road, Day

Jack is driving Willie home to his farmhouse. They pass a

farmer and his family walking by the side of the road. Willie

smiles and waves to them.

Exterior:
Stark Farmhouse, Day

As the car pulls into the drive we see Pa Stark in his rocking

chair on the porch, and Lucy, who stands at the top of the

steps, waiting to welcome Willie.

WILLIE:

(as they go up the

steps)

This is my wife, Lucy, Mr. Burden.

JACK AND LUCY:

How do you do?

WILLIE:

That's my pa.

Jack reaches out to shake his hand.

DISSOLVE TO:

Interior:
Stark Farmhouse, Night

Willie finishes chewing his food, pats his mouth with a

napkin, and pushes his plate back.

WILLIE:

Now we'll talk.

Camera pulls back to include Jack, Lucy, and Pa, all seated

around the dinner table.

JACK:

You've been talking for a long time,

Mr. Stark.

PAPPY:

Willie's got a lot to say.

LUCY:

You sleepy, Pappy? You want to have

a nap?

PAPPY:

No, I want to hear it.

Lucy gets up and turns on a light in the kitchen.

LUCY:

I'm worried about Tom. It's getting

dark. He should have been home.

WILLIE:

He's a strong boy. Don't worry about

him. He can take care of himself.

JACK:

How old is the boy?

WILLIE:

Fifteen.

JACK:

How long have you been married?

WILLIE:

Nine years.

Willie grins at Jack's look of surprise. Lucy comes back

into the room.

LUCY:

(laughs)

He was a neighbor's boy. They were

poor folks. Both died. I couldn't

have any children, so... He's a good

boy.

WILLIE:

Oh, he's the best. I couldn't love

him any more if he was my own flesh

and blood.

JACK:

(to Lucy)

And now you, Mrs. Stark?

LUCY:

Oh, there isn't very much to tell

about me.

JACK:

How did you meet?

LUCY:

I was teaching school and one day a

pupil walked in. It was Willie. I

couldn't have a grown man in the

class and Willie wanted to learn so

badly... so I married him.

JACK:

Is that the only reason?

LUCY:

(pressing Willie's

arm)

Except that I loved him.

WILLIE:

Get the coffee, Lucy.

She goes back into the kitchen.

JACK:

When did they fire you, Mrs. Stark?

LUCY:

(as she serves the

coffee)

A couple of weeks ago. I'd been

teaching for a long time and nobody

ever said I wasn't all right. But I

don't care. I don't want to teach in

a schoolhouse that they built just

so somebody can steal some money.

And Willie doesn't want to be

Treasurer, either, if he has to

associate with those dishonest people.

WILLIE:

(glumly)

I'm going to run. They can't keep me

from running.

JACK:

If you don't mind the truth, Mr.

Stark, you haven't much of a chance.

WILLIE:

I'm going to run. They're not going

to kick me around like I was dirt.

LUCY:

I don't care if Willie loses... just

so he gets the truth to the people.

Isn't that true, Willie?

Willie is silent. Jack looks at him.

LUCY:

Isn't it, Willie?

WILLIE:

Hmmm?... Yeah, yeah, sure, that's

right.

LUCY:

Well, if you lose you can give a

little more time to studying your

law books.

JACK:

Oh, you studying law too?

WILLIE:

By myself, at night.

PAPPY:

Willie's a smart boy.

WILLIE:

If I ever find the time I'm going to

take a course at the university.

The door opens slowly and Tom comes in from the porch. His

clothes are torn and his face is dirty and bloody. He still

carries some of the handbills. They rise to their feet and

cluster around him.

LUCY:

What happened, Tommy boy? What's the

matter?

TOM:

(head down, muttering)

I gave out the handbills, Pa.

WILLIE:

Speak up. Speak up.

LUCY:

Let him tell it his own way. Go on,

Tommy.

TOM:

This time they were waiting for me.

They took them away from me. Threw

them in the dirt and beat me up. I

brought some of them back.

WILLIE:

(pats him on the back)

Good boy. Have you eaten yet, Tom?

LUCY:

Let him wash up first.

As Tom and Pappy go into the other room, a rock comes crashing

through the front window, shattering the glass. Willie, his

face filled with anger, throws open the door and stalks out

onto the porch. Jack stands at the door, watching Willie

shout into the darkness around him.

WILLIE:

I'm going to run... and you're not

going to stop me. I'm gonna run even

if I don't get a single vote.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

Interior:
Jack Burden's Desk, Day

Jack's fingers type out a story, the last line of which reads

"an honest man with courage." He pulls the sheet out and

hands it to Madison.

JACK:

Here you are... the last of the Willie

Stark articles. Now can I go?

MADISON:

Yes. You've earned your vacation.

You've been writing these like you

really mean them.

Jack rises and walks toward the door.

JACK:

I do.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Ferry To Burden's Landing, Day

Jack's car is ferried across the bay to the slip of Burden's

Landing.

JACK:

(voice over)

I hadn't been home in a long time.

Only a hundred and thirty miles from

Kanoma City. It was separated from

the mainland by a body of water. For

the first time I wondered if it wasn't

separated by more than that.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Mrs. Burden's Home, Day

As Jack arrives, Mrs. Burden and her husband, McEvoy, are

seated at a lawn table near the boat landing.

JACK:

Hello, Mother.

She runs forward to meet him.

MRS. BURDEN

Floyd, Jack's home. Oh, he looks

fine... doesn't he look fine?

(to Jack, coquettishly)

How do I look, Jackie boy?

JACK:

You look beautiful, Mother.

MRS. BURDEN

I've got so many things planned for

you... parties and... it'll be just

like old times. But first, let's

have a drink.

MCEVOY:

Can't that wait until this evening?

She goes ahead and pours the drinks.

MRS. BURDEN

Floyd... honey... my son's home.

MCEVOY:

How long do you plan on staying?

JACK:

(coldly)

Two or three weeks. If that's all

right with you.

MRS. BURDEN

I'm sure your father would be --

JACK:

Stepfather, Mother.

MRS. BURDEN

(reproachfully)

Now, Jackie... here we all are. Floyd,

Jackie, myself.

(raises her glass for

a toast)

To the best time we've ever had

together.

JACK:

Yes, Mother.

They drink. Mrs. Burden gulps hers down avidly. Jack looks

at her and then at McEvoy.

JACK:

Excuse me... I...

He turns and walks back toward the shore. He boards a small

motorboat and heads toward a house that can be seen across

the water.

DISSOLVE TO:

Exterior:
Stanton Home (Burden's Landing), Day

As the boat approaches the shore. Adam Stanton reaches down

and pulls the boat up on land. He throws his arm around Jack,

and the two climb the hill toward Judge Stanton, who stands

waiting to greet him.

JACK:

Dr. Stanton, I presume.

STANTON:

(laughing)

Is my shingle showing?

JUDGE:

Good to see you, boy. Very good.

JACK:

Good to see you, Judge. How have you

been? What have you been doing?

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