Darkest Hour Page #4

CHURCHILL:

Thank you. Thank you.

PAMELA raises her glass -

PAMELA:

A toast! Come on!

DIANA:

Yes!

Mary makes her way to sit on a cushion on the floor next toWinston.

She looks proudly at WINSTON -

CLEMMIE:

My darling husband--Something you

all might not know is that on theeve of our marriage I got “coldfeet”--but as I’d already calledoff two engagements by the age of21 I was in danger of gaining areputation for being a ‘bolter’-and

it would’ve been poor form to

call off a third!

LAUGHTER. WINSTON smiles.

RANDOLPH:

Hear hear.

DIANA:

Lucky for Daddy.

20.

CLEMMIE:

But the real reason for my wintry

feet was because I knew, even then,

that his priority would be public

life. It worried a young girl

greatly--this wretched thought of

coming second, eternally. But so it

has proven to be. And in due course

(Mary takes Winstons hand)

our children would also have to

make their own peace with this samefact.

(directly to Winston)

We all did, you see, in our ownways. And now, today, we allreceive our reward--proof that our

small sacrifice was for a far, far

greater good. I give you, yourfather, my beloved husband - thePrime Minister.

ALL:

Prime Minister!

They raise their GLASSES in a toast -

CHURCHILL:

Here’s to--(thinks) not buggering

it up.

FAMILY:

Not buggering it up!

EXT. BIG BEN / LONDON - DAY

BIG BEN starts the WESTMINSTER CHIME -

CAPTION:
MONDAY, MAY 13, 1940

INT. WESTMINSTER HALL/ PARLIAMENT - DAY

WINSTON approaches EDEN in the ancient hall and together theyclimb the steps beneath the great gothic WINDOW.

WINSTON:

Belgium was a ploy. They just

punched through the Ardennes into

France and crossed the Meuse in

under 24 hours!

EDEN:

No-one can cross the Meuse River in

24 hours.

WINSTON:

Apparently the Germans can.

21.

INT. CLOCK TOWER - DAY

BIG BEN strikes the hour - 3 PM.

INT. COMMONS/ PARLIAMENT - DAY

To the sound of the distant BELLS, WINSTON enters, with

EDEN, and small knuckle-knocking on woodwork, mainly from theLABOUR benches.

WINSTON looks around, not actually surprised at thecontemptuous reception.

WINSTON:

(to EDEN)

Contempt. Well, you have tostart somewhere.

In the LORDS GALLERY, above, HALIFAX enters and looks down at

proceedings, and on -

WINSTON, looking at his FOB-WATCH.

The HUBBUB dies down and WINSTON puts on his GLASSES.

SIR SAMUEL HOARE

(whispered, to SIMON)

Here we go.

WINSTON reaches into his waistcoat for his TYPED SPEECH, then

delivers his MAIDEN SPEECH as PRIME MINISTER...

WINSTON:

Mr Speaker. On Friday evening last-I

received His Majesty’s commission

to form a new administration...

ANGLE ON:
CONSERVATIVE MP’s, all looking worried.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

...It was the evident wish and will

of Parliament, and the Nation, that

this should be conceived on the

broadest possible basis, and thatit should include all parties.

INT. BEDROOM / 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY

CLOSE ON:
TYPED PAGE (with TEXT) being rapidly tugged from aTYPEWRITER CARRIAGE (to a LOUD explosive ratchet-whirr)!!!

CUT TO:

WINSTON (O.S.)

A War Cabinet has been convened...

22.

CLOSE ON:
TYPE-WRITER keys typing...”A War Cabinet has been

convened” -

WIDE:
ELIZABETH TYPES, as WINSTON dictates -

WINSTON (CONT’D)

Correction - “has been formed” -

ELIZABETH adjusts the PATEN, then types -“formed” above

“convened” -

INT. COMMONS/ PARLIAMENT - DAY

WINSTON:

- has been formed--of five members -

INT. BEDROOM/ 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY

WINSTON:

...representing, with theOpposition parties, the unity ofthe Nation.

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON:
A FRESHLY TYPED PAGE (ROUGH DRAFT) is set down onthe desk by ELIZABETH’s hand. The stationary bears the PrimeMinister’s monogram, and we see typed TEXT plus severalphrases struck out (between parentheses).

The CAMERA moves in on the paragraph that reads...

“The three party Leaders have agreed to serve, either inthe War Cabinet, or in (positions of authority*) highexecutive office.” (* denotes struck through phrase)

ELIZABETH (O.S.)

The three party Leaders have agreedto serve, either in the War Cabinet-

INT. COMMONS/ PARLIAMENT - DAY

ELIZABETH (O.S.)WINSTON

- or in high executive - or in high executiveoffice. office.

WINSTON (CONT’D)

The three fighting Services havebeen filled.

INT. HALLWAY/ 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY

OUTSIDE the BATHROOM DOOR - ELIZABETH LAYTON waits, with a

PAD and PAPER, taking down his dictation...

23.

WINSTON:

Sawyers is she there?

ELIZABETH:

Yes she is.. I mean, I am

WINSTON (O.S.)

Don’t come in!

SOUNDS of him taking a BATH, the SPONGE being squeezed overhis head...She starts to move away, but is arrested by -

WINSTON (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Don’t go away!

ELIZABETH LAYTON

No, no--I’m still here.

WINSTON (O.S.)

“With this agreement, I now invitethe House -

(water sounds)

-by the resolution which stands inmy name, to record its approval,

and to declare its confidence in

the new government.”

Sound of WINSTON getting out of the BATH.

WINSTON (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Miss? I’m coming out in a stateof nature!

ELIZABETH LAYTON flees, as the DOOR opens and as WINSTON(naked) looks up and down the HALLWAY to see where his TYPISThas gone.

INT. COMMONS/ PARLIAMENT - DAY

WINSTON:

I now invite the House by aresolution to declare its

confidence in the new government.

ANGLE on the CONSERVATIVE PARTY - unimpressed.

KINGSLEY-WOOD advises A JUNIOR CONSERVATIVE, ERNLE HASTINGS.

KINGSLEY WOOD:

Look to Chamberlain’s handkerchief.

If he waves it at the end of

Churchill’s speech, we showapproval, if not, keep quiet.

ERNLE HASTINGS looks over at CHAMBERLAIN.

24.

CHAMBERLAIN, still on the front bench but not in the PM’s

chair, draws a WHITE HANDKERCHIEF out of his BREAST POCKET

and folds it in his LAP.

ERNLE HASTINGS nods - understanding.

WINSTON:

It must be remembered that we are

in the preliminary stage of one of

the greatest battles in history...

INT. OFFICE/ 10 DOWNING STREET - NIGHT

CLOSE ON:
A HEAVILY MARKED-UP PAGE of TYPED SPEECH (ROUGHDRAFT) much worked-over, annotated, altered - with WINSTON’sHAND just then adding the latest change in the margins...wesee his HAND write (in his tiny cursive scrawl) -

and that many (arrangements*) preparations have to bemade here at home.

WINSTON (O.S.)

...and that many preparations have

to be made here at home.

WIDE:
WINSTON, alone in his OFFICE, hunkered at NIGHT, goesthrough the speech, meticulous, obsessive, a perfectionist.

WINSTON (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Sir, I take up my task withbuoyancy and hope -

INT. OFFICE/ 10 DOWNING STREET - DAY

CLOSE ON:
The TYPEWRITER hammers typing the CLEAN (FINAL)

DRAFT of the speech, on SMALLER SHEETS of PAPER, the TEXT nowset out like BLANK VERSE in a POEM, or in the BIBLE, each

phrase spaced apart from the next -

and say to the House, as I said to those whohave joined the government -

WINSTON (O.S.)

-and say to the House, as I saidto those who have joined the

government INT/

EXT. WINSTONS CAR, PARLIAMENT - DAY

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