Elmer Gantry Page #4

comin' to Jesus, they laughed.

But Sister Falconer didn't laugh.

She said "Go ahead, brother.

Give 'em hell. "

I'm going to give you

all the hell in the Bible,

and if you don't like it, fix it up with

the Lord because the Lord put it there.

Listen to me, sinners.

Listen to me, sinners.

You can't pray to kingdom come

and play bridge or poker. And, Mother,

you can't say your psalms and look

at God through the bottom of a beer mug.

And you, brother,

you can't go to church on Sunday

and cheat at business on Monday.

We're comin' back to you, God. We're

comin' back to the old-time religion!

And what is religion?

What is religion?

Religion is love.

And love is the morning

and the evening star.

Love, the eternal glorious musicmaker.

Love! Not the carnal love,

but the divine love.

And where does this great love

come from? It comes direct from God!

I admit I'm not smart like some of them...

some of them smart-alecky professors,

wise-guy writers and agitators.

I know nothing of theosophy, philosophy,

psychology, ideology or any other ology.

But I know this.

With Christ, you're saved,

and without him, you're lost.

And how do I know

there's a merciful God?

Because I've seen the devil

plenty of times!

Any punk ball player

can make a slide like that.

But how many folks have got the guts

to play ball on God's team?

And listen to this. The captain

of that team is Jesus Christ himself.

So, come on, man, woman, child.

Who'll be the first

to shake hands for Jesus?

Come on, now! Everyone!

Are you gonna make me beg and beg

when I'm offerin' you my Jesus?

Did the Saviour die in vain?

Did he suffer on the cross for nothin'?

Argh! My God, I can't stand it!

Oh, my God, no! Not any more!

Sinner, I'll fight you every day in the week

for God and twice on Sundays!

Help me. Brother Gantry, save me.

I sin every day!

Tell me what to do, please.

Tell me what to do!

- "Lifeline. "

- (band plays and people sing)

# Throw out the lifeline

# Somebody's drifting away

# Throw out the lifeline

# Throw out the lifeline

Bless you for bringing us

such a wonderful man.

- Sister Sharon.

- Bless you, Brother Gantry.

You've changed my whole life.

You're such a good man.

- This light supposed to be kept burnin'?

- Yep.

Sometimes folks come just to touch

where Sister Sharon stands.

Say, I heard you talk tonight.

- How'd you like it?

- Mister, I've been converted five times.

Billy Sunday, Reverend Biederwolf, Gypsy

Smith, and twice by Sister Falconer.

I get terrible drunk,

and then I get good and saved.

Both of them done me a powerful lot

of good - gettin' drunk, and gettin' saved.

Well, good night.

Are you praying, or planning to take over?

Shara!

Did I do all right?

I mean, did I do all right for you?

Yes, you were fine. Really fine.

I cried like everybody else.

No, but... Tell me the truth, please.

That's a truth of some kind.

- Morgan thought you were vulgar.

- Do you?

- Think I'm vulgar?

- Yes.

- But you like me.

- Yes.

- Very much.

- Not very much.

Shara.

Forgive me, Sharon.

- You've got me plumb hypnotised.

- No, you're just hungry, that's all.

But I can hypnotise, because

God chose me to do his work.

- Sure, me too.

- No.

I chose you. The big difference

between you and me is that I believe.

I really believe.

- You'd like to join us, wouldn't you?

- Oh, yes.

- Report at nine. We'll discuss salaries...

- I got swell ideas for promotions.

- Radio, the third ear of the human race...

- You smoke, don't you?

- Well...

- I can smell it. Will you stop it altogether?

- Well, yes...

- The drinking, too?

- Oh, sure. If that's what you want, I...

- It is.

Good night.

Evening, Brother Gantry.

Jim boy! Say, all the time Shara and me -

uh, Sister Falconer and me...

Yep. Sitting right over there.

- You're not gonna write about this?

- Boy kisses girl? Hell, that's not news.

You're slipping, brother. You know,

when you first hooked me on that train,

I thought you were a friendly,

likeable, self-respecting first-class bum.

And now... now look at you.

Where'd you get your style?

- Just let her rip, I guess.

- I've heard powerful Bible-wallopers,

but you not only put the fear of God

into them, you scared the hell out of 'em.

And the way you strung certain words

together - "America, home, mother".

"Heaven, hell... Love, hate, sin".

You know, it's a funny thing, Jim.

I get up here and I... I see them out there.

Next thing you know,

I'm howlin', they're moanin'.

It's like a mighty spirit

movin' inside of me.

Words and ideas come pourin' out

like... like riled-up strangers.

I feel so powerful and full of love,

I'm about to explode.

I do explode.

And then I just about love everybody

Especially the girls.

Yes, this is where I belong, all right.

Right here, in religion.

Even if it is a tent.

Every circus needs a clown,

Brother Gantry.

And you might turn out to be the funniest

clown of 'em all. And the most successful.

Clown!

Jim boy, you're terrific. Terrific.

Some of them smart-aleck college

professors are trying to prove

that this here ape is your

great-great-grandfather.

Come back here. Let folks see you.

Well, he might be Darwin's uncle,

but he certainly ain't yours or mine.

Right, Grandpop?

Just a monkey, folks. Just a monkey.

Would Jesus play poker?

Would St. Paul play the stock market?

What do you think will get you

into God's own glorious heaven?

This ace of spades?

Your bank book?

Or this pledge to be a good Christian?

Sin, sin, sin.

You're all sinners!

You're all doomed to perdition.

You're all goin' to

the painful, stinkin', scaldin',

everlastin' tortures of a fiery hell,

created by God for sinners, unless...

unless...

unless you repent!

Repent with Sister Falconer!

(howls)

(barks)

Let that man alone! Let him alone!

Go ahead and bark, brother.

Go right ahead and bark!

There he is! The devil!

Bark that devil outta this tent!

(rhythmic clapping)

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

(Morgan). . the most disgusting display

of bad taste in my experience.

A human barking dog.

A monkey in the pulpit.

It's preposterous.

That's why it can't go on.

And it's obvious to everyone - even

dangerous. Especially before Jim Lefferts.

And our newspaper friend...

He's about as friendly as a rattlesnake.

- Then you think it's wrong.

- Not wrong. Ridiculous.

One minute you're preaching

a happy, perfumed heaven,

the next, Gantry's damning everyone

to a scalding, stinking hell.

- I'd say we make a pretty good team.

- Yes.

Yes, like two cops

working over a criminal.

Gantry scares him with the electric chair,

you save him if he confesses.

The point is, our sinner does confess,

and he is saved.

- (Morgan) But it was ridiculous.

- Does the method really matter?

Who is this, uh, this Elmer Gantry?

And what do you really know about him?

His background, his reputation?

What does he want?

Money? My job? You? What?

- Bill...

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