Elmer Gantry Page #3

Not only scarifyin' and sensational,

but very funny.

Tell me somethin', Jim boy. I know

you got one of them Pulitzer prizes,

but you don't really believe in

all that evolution junk, now do you?

- Devoutly.

- Then you must believe

- that God himself is a gorilla.

- How did you arrive at that conclusion?

It says in the Bible

"God created man in his own image. "

Sister Sharon -

she's pretty important news, eh?

What's your interest in her?

- Can I be frank with you?

- Try.

- She fascinates me.

- You'll have to get in line.

You also have to get over

a hurdle first, name of Bill Morgan.

Say, I almost forgot. He's comin' out

to see you, right about now.

He's got some secret information.

Thanks a lot, Jim boy. Thanks a lot.

- You all right?

- Yes, fine. I was just wondering...

Later, honey.

I'm sorry, this seat is taken.

Even the Lord never turned

his back on a sinner.

I am not the Lord, but I am tired.

Now, will you please go away?

You weren't so tired and all of life

two years ago in Cato, Missouri.

- That's where we met.

- Met?

Yes. On a Friday night, it was.

Remember? Remember the riot?

Some roughnecks got to whoopin'

and hollerin' and fightin', and you yelled

- "Hit him one for the Lord!"

- That's what I said.

And that's exactly what I did.

I busted him one for the Lord.

Oh, it was a lovely fight!

When I saw you in Cato, I thought I was

seein' an angel, and you haven't changed.

- A very tired angel.

- It's no wonder,

givin' everybody else hope and courage,

nobody to lean on yourself.

I suppose this is a generous offer

to let me lean on you.

I wouldn't have the nerve, Sister.

- Yesterday, Mr...

- Gantry.

. . you said you were a preacher.

Well, uh, practically, yes. Uh, you see,

the semester I was to be ordained...

They kicked you out of college.

Well, it was a... a tragedy, kind of.

A girl.

Yeah. A girl.

A girl named Lulu Bains.

- Does she work for you, or you for her?

- We work together.

Would it be unethical to ask just what

you'll write about Sister Sharon?

- It would.

- Oh?

- I'm sorry.

- She's brilliant.

"Inspired" is a more appropriate word.

- It means "touched by the hand of God".

- Precisely.

Now, get the picture.

It's Christmas Eve. God's pure snow

driftin' down, and joy in the air.

I enter the Schoenheim church

late at night to pray for guidance.

And what do I find, right behind the altar?

Lulu Bains, my betrothed, my bride-to-be,

half-naked, locked in the arms of

her lover, a cardsharp from Chicago.

A couple of years later he was bumped

off in a gang war, God rest his soul.

Well, that's it, I guess.

I lost all interest in religion.

But when I saw you,

it was like a call from beyond.

Could I see you again?

Have breakfast with me?

What's your hotel room number

in Lincoln, hm? Tell me.

You're so completely... so outrageous.

I... I think I like you.

I guess I've been around

sanctimonious folks too long.

You're amusing,

and you smell like a real man.

Yes, I'll meet you by my tent.

That's where I breakfast. Good night.

- Oh, but, Sister...

- Oh, this time I mean it.

Pleasant dreams.

Evening, Brother Morgan. Oh, I wouldn't

bother her now. She's resting, poor child.

The wind will come from there, so keep

the centre poles where you've got them.

That way the canvas won't snap

and crackle all through the sermon.

Here they come.

Morning, Sister! Jim boy!

A lovely morning it is.

- Good morning.

- I woke with a terrific idea.

Later. Good morning, Captain.

- You can't erect that tent here, ma'am.

- Why not?

- Fire laws.

- Nonsense.

No, ma'am. No nonsense

at all. No, ma'am.

"Ma'am" is a contraction for "madam".

I am not a madam,

a calibre of woman I'm sure you

know well and do business with.

How many have been put out

of business by fire laws?

- Your tent holds over 1,000 people...

- Captain, this is Mr. Lefferts,

- a reporter for the Zenith Times-DisPatch

- Zenith? Welcome. This is Fire Chief...

Isn't it a fact, Mr. Lefferts, that the whisky

big shots want me closed down?

They certainly don't think

you do their business any good.

Know why? I'm not afraid to fight whisky

and repeal with police help or without it.

- If you're accusing me of not...

- I am. Do you enforce prohibition?

I certainly do.

How many speakeasies could you

take the captain to in his home town?

- Without a membership card? 50.

- (Sharon) Fire laws!

Do you see any of my workmen smoking?

Do you mind? This might start a fire.

- If they don't smoke inside...

- You're welcome to see tonight.

A little bit of salvation

will do you both some good.

Sister Sharon! Never did I ever see

anybody handle the cops the way you did.

All right. What's this terrific idea

you woke up with?

Yes, well... How would it be if I addressed

your meetin' as a saved businessman?

I could talk on the hard,

practical dollars-and-cents value

of Christ in commerce.

Tom, slacken off that rope. It's too tight.

By the way, what is

your business? Hold-ups?

You're a card. I sell

for Central Appliances.

- Don't you like your job?

- Why, sure. It's a great life.

I'm their crack salesman. Only last month

they wanted to make me a junior partner.

Would you believe that people in 14 states

call me by my first name? Elmer.

No use kiddin' you, is there?

It's no life at all.

Filthy, dreary hotel rooms.

Always chasin' trains.

Always tellin' dirty stories

to keep the buyers laughin'.

Always the pint bottle

to prove you're a sport.

That kind of fella's no success at all.

He's just a tramp in a silk shirt.

Well...

I could tell the sinners

I'm a... I'm a salesman, just like that.

I come into one of them...

miserable hotel rooms.

I'm discouraged.

I got no sales to chalk up.

Nothin' to read. I'm lonely.

I'm just dyin' for a drink. Some of them

salesmen drink somethin' terrible.

And I reach my hand into

a dresser drawer... and what do I find?

A Gideon Bible. That's what I find.

Yes. Yes, go on.

I reached my hand into a dresser drawer,

and I found a Gideon Bible.

(man) Louder!

I found a Gideon Bible.

I was so lonely and miserable,

I might as well have been in hell.

I was in hell. I knew

all the salesman's tricks.

Why wasn't I rich?

Why wasn't I successful?

I opened the Bible,

and I read the 18th Psalm.

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress. "

"The Lord is my fortress. "

Do you hear that? The Lord.

- Praise the Lord!

- The Lord is my rock!

The next mornin'

I walked into a general store.

"What are you sellin' today?

Gold-plated vacuum cleaners?"

"No, sir. You can get better vacuum

cleaners at Sears and Roebuck,

and you can get 'em cheaper, but

you can't beat our electric toasters. "

He sat down and wrote me

the biggest order of the year.

(man) Hallelujah!

Can you hear me, Lord? Thank you, Lord.

I didn't make that sale, Lord.

You did. Thank you.

(man) Hallelujah!

And when I told my pals...

when I told my pals I was

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes