Boys Town Page #3

for a thought like that on Christmas Eve.

Jingle bells, Jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Mr. Morris!

- Merry Christmas, Tommy!

- Merry Christmas, Mr. Morris!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everybody!

- Turkey and presents for everybody.

- Merry Christmas.

Am I late?

If ever in the world a man was on time.

Now, everybody sing.

Jingle bells, Jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

- Thank you, Father.

- Hello, Dave.

Hello, I came over as soon as I could.

What's up?

Now, let's get out of here, Dave.

It's pretty noisy.

Several new boys came in last week.

We're suffocating here.

Now, look, Eddie, just what do you want?

Dave, it's grand to see you.

You certainly have had a wonderful year,

haven't you?

It's been a wonderful year for both of us.

- Did you pay all your bills last month?

- Yes, sure. Most of them.

Skinny, what did I tell you

about biting your nails?

A few little odds and ends,

but I'll get the money for that.

That's what I was afraid of.

No, Dave,

that isn't why I wanted to see you.

No, I want you to take me for a little drive.

I want to show you something.

I'm a busy man.

That's just it, Dave.

Now, you've been working too hard...

with the new store and everything.

A little drive in the country will relax you.

Just what you need.

Just what we both need.

- Bye, Father Flanagan.

- Goodbye, boys.

Now remember what I told you.

Lovely country, isn't it?

Over 200 acres here of rich, fine soil.

You could really live and breathe out here.

- What about it?

- I want to buy it.

Now, look, Dave, I can get it cheap.

Just look at it, Dave.

We could build a real town

for the boys here.

They could have gardens, dormitories,

gymnasiums, classrooms...

Mortgages, and bills, and debts!

Be reasonable.

First you started with five boys,

then it was 20, then it was 50.

With this place,

you'd be looking for 100 boys.

- 500.

- All right, 500. What?

How you going to get the money?

How you going to do it? It's crazy.

Well, maybe you're right.

- What did you say?

- Maybe you're right.

Eddie, don't you feel well?

Maybe it's just a dream

that I'll never see fulfilled.

It seems a shame though,

a lot of boys cheated out of the chance...

to live a nice, decent life out in the open,

where they belong.

Stop it.

- How many acres?

- Over 200.

But you can't handle

as big a thing as this...

without a lot of public support,

contributions.

I haven't been a bad risk so far, have I?

No, you've paid back everything.

How, I don't know. It isn't that.

But this time you're biting off

more than you can chew.

The newspapers aren't friendly to you,

as it is.

- What do you think they'll say about this?

- I know.

- What do you suggest?

- Hargraves.

He owns the most powerful string

of newspapers in the Middle West.

And he's a tough nut to crack.

You get Hargraves behind you,

and maybe I can handle it.

That's fair, Dave.

All right, here you are. It's a bargain.

Nothing doing. Not till you get Hargraves.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

- How do you do, Father?

- Good morning, Mr. Hargraves.

We haven't met before, but I know of you.

Well, that shortens preliminaries.

- Can I help you?

- Do you want to?

If you mean, do I indorse your work,

I don't, I'm sorry to say.

Well, that's all right.

But why do you go out of your way

to hurt me?

There's a feeling in official circles

that you're setting up a tacit criticism...

of things as they are.

There was the same feeling when Newton

suspected the law of gravitation.

There's also a feeling that the sooner

you're discouraged, the better.

For yourself, too.

- No one questions your intentions.

- But I'm paving the lower regions, huh?

Mr. Hargraves, I have 50 boys I've taken

from the slums and the streets.

Right now they're on their way

to becoming confident human beings.

I can do the same with 500.

Boys like that get their chances

in institutions.

You know better than that.

Do I, Father Flanagan?

You have a string of newspapers.

You get reports on human derelicts.

You know the percentage of boys

who survive institutions.

Surely you must know, you above all men.

And you have no right to hinder me

in helping children.

That's pretty stiff, Father.

What little I've done, I've done on nothing.

These boys, thieves some of them,

have gone without clothes...

they've even gone without food,

but not one of them has deserted.

Not one, because they know

what I'm trying to do to help them.

But there are some impossible

young beasts who have to be manacled.

Look at this.

"Eleven-year-old boy convicted.

Guilty of murder in the second degree.

"Jury renders verdict

after 35 minutes deliberation.

"Court will sentence him to life in prison."

A semi-equipped young savage

who's right where he ought to be.

You'll admit that, won't you?

This boy saw his mother

being brutally beaten by a drunken father.

So he took a gun and killed him.

Suppose a man kills because his wife's

been unfaithful:
Temporary insanity.

But an 11-year-old: Just a savage.

What do you want of me?

I want your help for homeless boys.

I want you to let the world know

what I'm trying to do.

- No, I'm afraid I can't do that.

- Why not?

Because I don't believe in

what you're trying to do.

The very foundation is false.

"No such thing as a bad boy."

That's just a catch phrase,

sentimental nonsense.

Of course you know you're flying in

the face of the very best of public opinion.

I've seen you do that.

You lead public opinion.

On my convictions.

You want me to throw them

out the window.

A whole lot of good people

feel just as I do...

and we're not un-Christian monsters.

Well, if I'm right, you're pretty close to it.

And so far, I've proven my case.

Mr. Hargraves, when you got into trouble

at 11 or 12 years of age...

you had your mother or you had your

father to put their arms around you...

to talk things over with.

Can you imagine the fright

and the Ioneliness of a boy...

without that love and understanding?

This poor kid...

in prison for life.

I want a home for them,

where they can stay...

and where they can learn.

A town for boys...

governed by boys.

It's worth a shot, isn't it?

Your sincerity is worth a shot.

Father, I'm not going to fight a plan

as unselfish as yours.

But understand, when you fail...

I'll use you for a lesson in horse sense

to the world at large.

Fair enough.

There we are, Dave.

We've got three fine new buildings.

A grand beginning.

Yes, sir. And three fine mortgages

might make a grand finish.

- We've had mortgages before.

- Yes, little ones.

Look at the sweating you've done

to raise nickels, dimes, quarters...

penny contributions.

Now you've got to get dollars,

hundreds, thousands.

Wait a minute, Dave, wait a minute.

This doesn't have to be paid today.

- No, but the day will come.

- Dave.

Now, Eddie, I know.

I know you've always been in debt.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes