American Madness Page #3

MATT:

I'm not asking you to pay off the

Depression. I'm only asking you

for ten bucks!

Another teller is busy in the cage next to him. Matt

addresses him, referring to Charlie.

MATT:

That mug reminds me of a guy with

his second dollar.

TELLER:

Yeah, what did he do with his first

one?

MATT:

Bought himself a pocketbook!

The teller laughs heartily.

15. MED. SHOT

THE CAMERA PICKS UP Helen as she crosses the main floor of

the bank, reaches Matt's teller window and pushes it open.

MATT:

Hello, Helen!

HELEN:

(conspiratorially)

Matt, come here!

MATT:

Why?

HELEN:

Come here, honey!

He leans over, and she gives him a quick kiss.

MATT:

Hey, look out, somebody's likely

to see us!

HELEN:

(already walking

away)

Oh, is that so?

She quickly kisses him again, crosses back, and takes the

grand stairs up to the outer office of the bank president

as Matt watches with a grin.

INT. MAIN FLOOR OF BANK - FULL SHOT

Just then, a group of five or six important-looking men

enter scene on the way to the conference room. One of the

men looks towards Helen's desk.

17. MED. SHOT

On Helen and a secretary standing next to her.

SECRETARY:

(to Helen)

Oh, oh. Look who's here.

18. MED. SHOT

The other clerks and tellers, noticing the newcomers as

they file past.

TELLER:

Hey, psst!

OSCAR:

Oh, oh. Five ill winds.

TELLER:

(standing next to

Oscar)

And blowing no good for the old

man, either.

19. CLOSER SHOT ON HELEN'S DESK

Shooting toward Helen.

HELEN:

(acidly)

The four-and-a-half horsemen.

GIRL:

What are they doing here? There's

no board meeting today.

HELEN:

Search me.

By this time, the important group of men have reached Helen,

and are passing her by, with perfunctory nods.

CLARK:

(the most important

of the important-

looking men; to

Helen)

Mr. Dickson in yet?

HELEN:

Not yet, Mr. Clark.

CLARK:

When he comes in, tell him we're

waiting for him in the board room.

HELEN:

Yes, sir.

CLARK:

And tell him not to delay.

HELEN:

Yes, sir.

The group of men file through the board room door, and out

of sight.

GIRL:

(to Helen)

Looks like trouble for your boss.

HELEN:

Takes more than two tons of

directors to make trouble for my

boss.

GIRL:

(as she turns to go)

Sez you!

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - MED. SHOT

Taking in all of room. The directors are all here, and

some sit around a long, narrow mahogany table. Clark, the

sour-faced old bird we saw previously talking to Helen,

paces back and forth agitatedly.

CLARK:

I've sent for the cashier,

gentlemen. He has a list of the

loans that Dickson made last month.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - CLARK

As he stops in his pacing a moment and addresses the

directors further:

CLARK:

And as I told you at breakfast, it

is time we did something about it.

CLOSE SHOT - SCHULTZ

In thorough accord with Clark's violent attitude is Schultz,

a German, whose instinctive conservatism rebels against

Dickson's liberal banking methods.

SCHULTZ:

Mr. Clark's right. Dickson will

ruin this bank if we don't stop

him.

AMES:

(another conservative

stalwart)

Looks to me as if we're in hot

water already.

A very dignified but meek little old man, Jonathan Ives,

tries horning in:

IVES:

(feeble-voiced)

Gentlemen, I was just wondering—

23. MED. SHOT

As another of the directors, O'Brien, a large, bull-faced,

thunderous-voiced contractor, rises to Dickson's defense.

(O'Brien is always filing his nails, even while he talks.)

O'BRIEN

Personally, I think you're getting

panic-stricken about nothing.

Dickson's all right.

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