Ida Tarbell Page #20

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drunk. I’m also broke, as it turns out. It

wasn’t even my money to begin with. It was

my wife’s money. And now that’s gone.

IDA:

I’m so sorry.

103.

SAM MCCLURE:

Don’t be. I did this to myself. My father

was a drunk and a gambler too. Funny how

history has a habit of repeating itself.

Silence. Then:

IDA:

We can take down John D. Rockefeller.

He looks at her.

SAM MCCLURE:

You don’t quit, do you?

IDA:

He wants to silence his critics and

bend the nation to his will. And the only

way he can do that is if people like you

and me allow him to.

SAM MCCLURE:

(growing upset)

I have had my life threatened. My office

ransacked. My wife is leaving me. And every

single penny I own is tied up in that

magazine. What do you want me to do?!

IDA:

Help me print this.

SAM MCCLURE:

Tell me you’re not actually serious?

(sees that she is)

Do you have any idea what you’re asking me

to do?

IDA:

Yes. I do.

SAM MCCLURE:

And did you ever think for a minute that

you might have some responsibility for what

you’re doing? You are ruining a man’s life

after all.

IDA:

(eyes blazing)

And how many lives has he ruined, and it

didn’t even cost him a night’s sleep.

A beat. This hits home for Sam.

SAM MCCLURE:

You know damn well that if I print this,

nobody is going to win.

104.

IDA:

If you don’t print this, everybody loses.

SAM MCCLURE:

And what do you think it’s going to change?

IDA:

Probably nothing. But at least we’ll go

down swinging.

A long beat.

SAM MCCLURE:

How? There’s a gag order on us. We could go

to jail.

IDA:

(thinks)

I think I know somebody who might be able

to help us.

INT. IDA’S APARTMENT - DAY

Ida types a letter to President Roosevelt.

IDA (V.O.)

“Dear Mr. President, with regard to your

Elkins Bill, I have now discussed the

matter with my publisher, Mr. McClure. And

while we cannot publicly endorse any

legislation in our magazine, we feel it

might best be served...

INT. WHITE HOUSE - DAY

Teddy Roosevelt, in the Oval Office, is being briefed by his

PRESS SECRETARY and his CHIEF OF STAFF.

PRESS SECRETARY:

(reading aloud)

“...by means of a high profile example to

illustrate why it is even necessary...”

CHIEF OF STAFF:

(cutting in)

She wants you to come out against

Rockefeller. You do that now, you risk

alienating all of his supporters on Wall

Street, and he still has plenty. Too risky

in a year of election, if you ask me.

ROOSEVELT stands, looking out the window.

105.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT:

(ponders)

Maybe. But on the other hand...if people

understood what the bill could do for them,

then we wouldn’t need to sell it in the

first place, would we? People always prefer

a tool when they can see it in action.

CHIEF OF STAFF:

Sir, even if Elkins did pass, we cannot

ensure that the ICC would even uphold it.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT:

(angry)

And I can’t ensure a damn thing until this

bill passes through congress!

The two presidential advisors are silenced.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT:

What does she want from us?

PRESS SECRETARY:

(skimming the letter)

She wants you to veto an order by the

Attorney General, and um...the one time use

of our printing press.

Roosevelt smiles to himself. Impressed by the nerve.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT:

Well, if they don’t like the carrot, then

maybe it’s time we show them the stick.

(nods)

Do it.

CUT TO:

THE PRINTING PRESSES ROLLING -

The final edition of McClure’s Magazine goes to print, Ida’s

story on the front page.

“THE SHAME OF CLEVELAND” By Ida M. Tarbell.

February 1905.

EXT. NEWSSTAND - NEW YORK - DAY

The magazine is now displayed at a newsstand. Beside it, the

New York Dailies trumpet their own catchy headlines:

“NEW EVIDENCE TIES ROCKEFELLER TO SECRET PRICE FIXING”

“NEW TROUBLE FOR ROCKEFELLER”

106.

“THE TRUST IS BUST!”

Ida approaches, buys a copy of McClure’s magazine. She holds

it in her hand, marveling at it. Three full years of toil,

sacrifice and dogged investigative work have all led up to

this. For Ida, a PRIVATE MOMENT of great personal triumph.

She tucks the magazine under arm, walks off smiling.

INT. BROADWAY THEATER - DAY

A satirical sketch in a vaudeville show. A man in drag (Ida

Tarbell) whacks a cartoon plutocrat (Rockefeller) over the

head with her handbag, chasing him across the stage. The

audience ROARS with laughter.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL: HENRY ROGERS sitting in the audience

with his wife, the only person not laughing.

EXT. 26 BROADWAY - DAY

A GROUP OF JOURNALISTS jostle outside the entrance to

Standard Oil, some of them holding up copies of McClure’s

Magazine. Mr. Gates caught in the crossfire.

MR. GATES

For the record, let me just state: this

story is totally without merit or any basis

in fact, and we aim to prove that. John

Rockefeller is one of the greatest public

servants this country has ever seen. All

else is a bunch of lies. Thank you.

He pushes past the journalists’ shouted questions, refusing

to answer any of them.

EXT. BAPTIST CHURCH - DAY

We see where HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE have gathered outside the

church to catch a glimpse of Rockefeller. A dozen PINKERTON

GUARDS loiter. Beefed up security for the Rockefeller family.

INT. BAPTIST CHURCH - DAY

Sunday service on Euclid avenue. A PREACHER is at the lectern

reading aloud from the gospel of Mark, 8:36.

PREACHER:

“For whosoever will save his life shall

lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life

for my sake and the gospel's, the same

shall save it.”

107.

REVEAL:
Rockefeller and Cettie, in their usual pew, looking

very pious. Directly behind them sit Junior and Abby.

PREACHER:

“For what shall it profit a man if he shall

gain the whole world, and lose his own

soul?”

CLOSE ON ROCKEFELLER: squirming in his seat. Is the preacher

speaking directly to him? Sure feels that way.

INT. KYKUIT - LIBRARY - DAY

Rockefeller sits, petting his Wolfhound. He seems oddly

detached from what follows. Opposite him are Junior and Mr.

Selz (the lawyer), in full-on crisis management mode.

SELZ:

For your own comfort and safety, I would

recommend leaving New York immediately. Get

as far away from here as possible. Florida,

Key West, California. Doesn’t matter where.

ROCKEFELLER:

(playing with the dog)

Look at these teeth. Can you believe he’s

still a puppy?

JUNIOR:

It’s only for a short while, until all this

blows over.

SELZ:

You’ll want to avoid any public places, be

on the lookout for process servers. You

could easily get a subpoena. But if they

can’t find you, they can’t serve you.

ROCKEFELLER:

How much am I paying you, Mr. Selz?

A beat.

SELZ:

Sir?

ROCKEFELLER:

I pay you a not insubstantial amount of

money to be my legal counsel, do I not?

SELZ:

Yes sir. I’m adequately paid.

108.

ROCKEFELLER:

And your job is to protect me from the very

situation that I now find myself in, is it

not?

SELZ:

Yes.

ROCKEFELLER:

So if you cannot adequately provide this

service, then why are you here?

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