Meet John Doe Page #12

JOHN:

(calling)

Hey. Get me a pitcher's glove! Got

to get some practice.

ANGELFACE:

Say, he's giving it away! I'm gonna

get me some of that!

BEANY:

Hey, come back here, yuh heelot!

JOHN:

(on the phone)

Will you send up five hamburgers

with all the trimmings, five

chocolate ice cream sodas, and

five pieces of apple pie? No, apple,

with cheese. Yeah. Thank you.

JOHN hangs up.

The COLONEL has just reached the door when it flies open

and Ann comes in with photographer EDDIE—she sees JOHN all

dressed up.

ANN:

Hello there. Well, well! If it

isn't the man about town!

EDDIE:

All set, Ann?

ANN:

(coming out of it)

Huh? Oh, yes. Let's go.

(she backs away)

Now, let's see. We want some action

in these pictures.

JOHN:

Action?

ANN:

Um-hum.

JOHN winds up in pitching pose—his left leg lifted up high.

EDDIE:

That's good.

ANN:

No, no, no. This man's going to

jump off a roof.

EDDIE:

Oh.

ANN:

Here. Wait a minute. Let me comb

your hair. Sit down. There. That's

better.

CLOSE SHOT:
She combs his hair—straightens his tie—etc. He

inhales the fragrance of her hair and likes it—winks to

the others. She poses JOHN's face and looks it over.

ANN:

You know, he's got a nice face,

hasn't he?

ANGELFACE:

Yeh—he's pretty.

JOHN gives him a look and starts to get up slowly.

ANN:

Here. Sit down!

(to ANGELFACE)

Quiet, egghead!

(back to JOHN)

All right, now, a serious

expression.

JOHN:

(laughing)

Can't. I'm feeling too good.

ANN:

Oh, come on, now. This is serious.

You're a man disgusted with all of

civilization.

JOHN:

With all of it?

ANN:

Yes, you're sore at the world.

Come on, now.

JOHN:

Oh, crabby guy, huh?

He tries scowling.

ANN:

Yeah. No, no!

(laughing)

No! No, look. You don't have to

smell the world!

(the men laugh)

JOHN:

Well, all those guys in the

bleachers think—

ANN:

Never mind those guys. All right,

stand up. Now let's see what you

look like when you protest.

JOHN:

Against what?

ANN:

Against anything. Just protest.

JOHN:

(laughing)

You got me.

ANN:

Oh, look. I'm the umpire, and you

just cut the heart of the plate

with your fast one and I call it a

ball. What would you do?

JOHN:

(advances toward

her)

Oh, yuh did, huh?

ANN:

Yes!

JOHN:

Why can't you call right, you bone-

headed, pig-eared, lop-eared, pot-

bellied—

ANN:

Grab it, Eddie, grab it!

Eddie takes the picture.

A MONTAGE:
OF NEWSPAPER INSERTS FEATURING JOHN DOE'S

PICTURE.

"I protest against collapse of decency in the world." "I

protest against corruption in local politics." "I protest

against civic heads being in league with crime." "I protest

against state relief being used as political football." "I

protest against County Hospitals shutting out the needy."

"I protest against all the brutality and slaughter in the

world."

CLOSE-UP:
SUPERIMPOSED over all of the above is a

CIRCULATION CHART—showing the circulation of the Bulletin

in a constant rise.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. GOVERNOR'S STUDY

MED. SHOT:
The GOVERNOR paces furiously. In front of him

are several associates.

GOVERNOR:

I don't care whose picture they're

publishing. I still say that this

John Doe person is a myth. And you

can quote me on that. And I'm going

to insist on his being produced

for questioning. You know as well

as I do that this whole thing is

being engineered by a vicious man

with a vicious purpose—Mr. D. B.

Norton.

Rate this script:3.6 / 7 votes