Elmer Gantry Page #9

There.

That's what I've been working for.

No more tents. No more

running around like a circus.

No more haggling with committees.

My own tabernacle.

A permanent home. A clinic for

sick bodies. A free soup kitchen.

A place of worship for

everybody of every faith.

That's my first love.

What have you got to match that?

Nothin'. Nothin' at all.

I'm just a hick from Kansas,

and you're real class, Shara.

The only class I've got is the name

Falconer. That's why I picked it.

I'm Katie Jones from shantytown.

That's right. Shantytown.

But does that make a liar out of me?

I am Sharon Falconer now. I've made her.

I've put her together piece by piece

till I've got a right to be her. I am her.

I started building this tabernacle

two years ago,

and when this revival is ended,

I'll have enough money to own it.

Do you think it was blind luck

that brought us to Zenith?

Do you?

Of course not.

- It was God's will.

- Of course.

- Now do you understand why we... ?

- Of course. Of course.

- Nothing's going to take it away from me.

- Nothing.

- Nobody must spoil it.

- Nobody.

- I've never...

- Of course.

- Never.

- Naturally.

Yes.

(man) Sister Sharon?

Sister Sharon?

Jim Lefferts is an honourable man.

But so was Brutus.

And we all know that Brutus was

an anarchistic, alcoholic assassin.

Jim "Lucifer" Lefferts calls you good

People of Zenith suckers, slickers, saps

He attacks the way you worship I don't

notice him attackin' booze or prostitution

Lucifer Jim says he wants to save you

How? By stabbin' Jesus with dirty lies?

By assassinatin' God?

I have here in my pocket -

and thank heaven you can't see them -

lewd, dirty, obscene...

And I'm ashamed to say this.

. . French postcards.

They were sold to me, in front of

your own innocent high school,

by a man with a black beard. A foreigner!

- Shocking!

- And last night...

last night, right here on Main Street,

I was accosted by three painted women!

- The tramps.

- Your streets are made unsafe

by shameless, diseased hussies,

rapacious pickpockets,

and insidious opium-smokers

And Elmer Gantry.

(bell rings)

This newspaper... this newspaper

says everybody's against me.

The mildewed Methodists, Episcopalians,

and Baptists are against me.

Even the ossified, petrified, horizontal,

perpendicular presbyterians

are against me!

But this newspaper lies!

Some of the preachers

might be against me.

Unitarianism, Russellism,

Spiritualism - they hate me!

And what hates me

most of all is Harvardism,

Yaleism, and Princetonism!

But you're some of God's best people.

- And you don't hate me, do you?

- No!

- Smack 'em down, preacher!

- Kill 'em! Murder 'em!

Can you hear me, Jesus?

I'd like you to save this

old friend of mine, Jim Lefferts,

who's been writin' all these dirty, black

lies about me. But I'll warn you, Jesus.

You better wear rubber gloves

and use a strong disinfectant.

But if you can save sinner Jim...

I'd like for you to do it.

What the hell's he trying to do?

(bell rings)

Shara, they've played

your introduction twice now.

This is the biggest crowd we've ever had.

Please, Shara.

# Glory, glory, hallelujah

# Glory, glory, hallelujah

(Gantry) We're all sinners,

every blessed one of us

Booze! Booze put a bullet

through Lincoln and McKinley!

Booze is the way white slavers rob the

virtue of 60,000 American girls every year!

The bootleggers, the white slavers,

and that newspaper are tryin'

to scare me and Sister outta town!

(crowd boos)

But as long as I got a foot, I'll kick booze!

As long as I got a fist, I'll punch it!

And as long as I've got a tooth, I'll bite it!

And when I'm old and grey

and toothless and bootless,

I'll gum it, till I go to heaven,

and booze goes to hell!

That's a hell of a speech.

It's been eight days. It's been eight days

since I gave you the addresses

of 11 blind tigers, two cocaine peddlers,

and 16 brothels.

And what's been done about it?

- Nothing, Captain.

- (cheering)

We're gettin' sick and tired of scoldin' sin.

We're gonna abolish it!

We'll show 'em how to clean up

this town tonight! Right now!

Charge!

Elmer, be careful.

Courage, Sister. Courage.

(crowd sings

"Onward Christian Soldiers")

Brother Jim! Glad to see you

on the side of the angels.

Aren't you afraid some of these

desperate bootleggers carry guns?

- No bullet could pierce the Holy Bible.

- They might not aim at the Holy Bible.

Very good! Onward!

- Smash that speakeasy door!

- What for? Just knock. They'll open up.

Captain. My good man.

Hold it! All right, Reverend.

(women scream)

- Sinful woman!

- That's a dirty lie! We pay protection!

- Shame! Shame!

- Take 'em away, men!

- Whisky!

- Why didn't you give me a phone call?

Don't break the furniture!

- Should've seen what this one was doing.

- Harlot! You ought to be asha...

Arrest this woman!

#. . soldiers, marching as to war

Captain Holt, may I suggest you release

these poor unfortunate creatures?

- What? But you told me...

- I know.

But throwing a prostitute into jail

will not remove her sin.

And it certainly won't get rid of

prostitution. No pictures. No publicity.

Captain Holt, I want to compliment

you and your men on a fine, patriotic job.

Why, thank you, sir.

See these girls leave town. And quick.

(applause)

Excuse me, Mr. Gantry.

That Mr. Gantry,

he's absolutely incredible.

The fabulous thing about Mr. Gantry

is, he's absolutely credible.

- (man) Excuse me, please.

- She's here, Mr. Gantry.

- (man) Oh, Mr. Gantry...

- Not now. Not now. Later. Later.

There you are. Sister'll see all of you

as soon as she's had a moment's rest.

Mayor, congressman, the governor,

and lookie here, Shara.

Offers... from England, Japan,

Australia, Madison Square Garden...

- From me to you.

- . . the circus.

Shara, you shouldn't have.

How about you sneaking away

with Katie Jones on a real fun picnic?

No telegrams,

no newspapers, no sermons.

The only business of the day will be us.

Just the two of us.

Oh, Shara.

- We can't.

- But why? I've got the escape planned.

The car's out front. We'll disappear

before they even know we've gone.

You're gonna cinch a contribution

from the ladies' committee.

At 11 o'clock, we dedicate your

Waters of the Jordan Tabernacle -

the mayor, fireworks,

the brass band, everything.

where you say grace for 200 salesmen.

- And at two o'clock...

- I'll be exhausted, irritable and hateful.

Shara... we'll celebrate tonight.

- Late.

- Tonight's a thousand years away.

Shara, baby...

Oh, very well. Bring in those smug

little ladies with their fat little hands,

- fat little souls and fat little...

- Don't forget their fat little chequebooks.

- Ladies. Dear ladies.

- Mr. Gantry? You're wanted on the phone.

Thank you. Bill. I'll take it right here.

Lovely morning, isn't it?

- Hello?

- Mr. Gantry, it's so nice meeting you.

- Sister joyously awaits you.

- Oh, Mr. Gantry.

Thank you very much. Hello? Yes,

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