Inherit the Wind Page #4

for the time being.

Mr. drummond,

is the defense ready to proceed

with the selecti on of the next juror

Defense is ready, your honor.

Col. Brady, is the prosecution ready?

Prosecution is ready, your honor.

All right, Mort, call a venireman

to fill the 12th and last seat on the jury.

Ap! Jessie H. Dunl

Yes, sir.

You're next, Jessie.

order in the court!

Order in the court!

I want to warn the spectators

that the court will not tolerate

any undue disturbance at any time.

the 11th juror has been selected...

Now, I thought I made myself plain.

I'm not going to warn you again

about those photographs,

11 down and 1 to go...

and you reporters have just one more minute

on those telephones.

as you know, for all last night and today,

the legion of the unwashed and holy

have been rivering out of the rustic

back ways

to listen to their plump messiah coo

and bellow.

Their high priest of mumbo jumbo

Matthew Harrison Brady

has alternately been stuffing himself

with fried chicken

and belching platitudes

since his arriva I here 2 days ago.

All right, can we continue, Col. Brady

Your honor, before we continue,

will the court entertain a motion

on a Matter of procedure

Will the learned prosecutor state the motion

It has been called to my attention

that the temperature in this courtroom

is now 97 degrees fahrenheit

and it may get hotter!

Ha ha! Amen! Amen!

I do not think the dignity

of this court will suffer

if we remove a few superfluous

outer garments

Does the, uh, defense have any objection

to Col. Brady's motion

Well, I don't know if the dignity

of this court can be upheld

with these galluses I've got on.

We'll, uh, take that chance,

uh, Mr. Drummond.

Those who wish to remove

their coats may do so.

Is the, uh, counsel for the defense

showing us the latest fashion

from the great metropolitan city of Chicago

Glad you asked me that.

I brought these along special.

it just so happens

I bought these in peabody's general store

in your hometown, Mr. Brady...

Weeping Water, Nebraska.

Let us proceed

with the selection of the final juror.

Mort.

State your name and occupation, Jess.

Jessie H. Dunlap, farmer.

Mr. Davenport.

You, uh, believe in the bible, Mr. dunlap

I believe in the holy word of God,

and I believe in Matthew Harrison Brady.

Amen!

Hallelujah, brother.

This man is acceptable to the prosecution.

Mr. Drummond

No questions. Not acceptable.

Does Mr. Drummond refuse this man

a place on the jury

simply because he believes in the bible

If you find an evolutionist in this town,

you can refuse him.

I object to the defense attorney

rejecting a worthy citizen

Without so much as asking

him a question

All right, I'll ask him a question.

How are you

Well... kind of hot.

Me, too.

Excused.

You are excused from jury duty, Jessie.

You may step down.

Your honor,

I object to the note of levity

which the counsel for the defense

is introducing into these proceedings.

The court agrees with you in spirit, Col.

Brady.

And I object to all this Col. Brady talk.

I am not familiar with

Mr. Brady's military record.

Well, he was made honorary colonel

in our state militia the day

he arrived in Hillsboro.

Well, the use of the title prejudices

the case of my client.

It calls up a picture of the prosecution

a stride a white horse

a blaze in the uniform of a military colonel

and with all the forces of right

and righteousness

marshaled behind him.

Well, we certainly want to give you

a fair hearing in this courtroom.

We don't want anything prejudicial

to your client.

What do you suggest we do, counselor

Break him. Make him a private.

I have no serious objection

to the honorary title of Private Brady.

You better do something about this, Jason.

Get him up here.

Oh, Mr. drummond.

You know our mayor, Mr. Drummond.

Yes.

I believe he has a suggestion to make

By, uh, by authority of, uh...

well, I'm sure the governor won't have

any objection...

I hereby appoint you, Mr. Drummond,

a temporary honorary colonel

in the state militia.

Well...

Well, gentlemen, what can I say

it certainly is not every day

that a man attains the exalted position

of temporary honorary colonel.

I thank you.

Col. Brady,

Col. Drummond,

You will examine the next venireman.

Mort.

George Sillers!

You're next,

George.

State your name and occupation, George

George Sillers. I work at the feed store.

Tell me, sir, would you call yourself

a religious man

Well, I guess I'm as religious

as the next fellow.

in Hillsboro, sir, that means a great deal.

Tell me, Mr. sillers,

Do you have any children

Uh, not as I know of.

If you had a son, Mr. Sillers, or a daughter

what would you think if that sweet child

came home from school

and told you that a godless teacher-

Objection! We're supposed to be

selecting jury members.

The prosecution is denouncing the defendant

before the trial has even begun.

Objection sustained.

Mr. Sillers, do you have

any personal opinions

with regard to

the defendant

that might prejudice you on his behalf

Cates

Hmm.

I don't hardly know the man.

Though he bought some peat moss

from me one time.

H- he paid his bill.

Mr. Sillers impresses me

as an honest, god-fearing man.

I accept him.

Thank you,

Col. Brady.

Col. Drummond

Now, Mr. Sillers,

You, ah, you have just said that, ah,

you were a religious man.

Do you work at it very hard

Well, I'm pretty busy down at the feed store

My wife tends the religion for both of us.

Oh, I see, I see.

You take care of this life,

and she takes care of the next

one, is that it

that is objected to as immaterial

and argumentative.

objection sustained.

Now, tell me, Mr. Sillers,

While your wife has been taking care

of the religion for the family

have you ever heard of a fellow called

Charles Darwin

Oh, not till recent.

Well, tell me something.

From what you've heard of

this fellow Darwin,

do you think he's the kind of a man

you might invite up for Sunday dinner

Your honor, my worthy opponent from Chicago

is cluttering up the issue with

hypothetical questions.

I have already established

that Mr. Sillers is not working

very hard at religion.

Now, for your sake

I'm trying to establish

that he is not

working at evolution.

Oh, I'm just working at the feed store.

Mr. Sillers, do you think

you can render impartial...

Objection! The prosecution has

already accepted this man.

But all I want is a fair trial.

So do I.

Unless the state of mind

of the members of the jury

conforms to the laws

and patterns of society...

Oh, conform, conform. what

do you want to do

run the jury through a meat grinder

to have them all come out the same

Take a box seat there, Mr. Sillers

Your honor! Your honor! this is ludicrous!

Gentlemen, you are both out of order.

The bench rules that the jury

has been selected.

Due to the excessive heat

court is adjourned until

10:
00 tomorrow morning.

Ah, one moment, please. one moment

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