Meet John Doe Page #19

ANN:

Okay! We're coming. Come on! Now,

listen, John. You're a pitcher.

Now, get in there and pitch!

(kisses his cheek)

Good luck.

For a moment he just stares at her, under a spell. Then,

turning, he exits. After a second of watching him, ANN

follows.

STUDIO OFFICIAL:

Give him room, let him through.

Come on.

Int. broadcasting stage: Med. shot: Camera retreats in

front of JOHN and the official, as they leave the office

and proceed to the microphones. Everyone stares curiously

at JOHN—whispering to each other.

MED. SHOT:
Shooting through glass partition, toward control

booth. We SEE the TWO MEN at the board. They glance

nervously at their watches—then at the clock on the wall.

CLOSE SHOT:
Of ANN. She has taken a position at a table

near the mike. Next to her sits CONNELL. ANN watches JOHN

with intense interest.

The COLONEL has followed JOHN up to the microphone.

COLONEL:

(to John)

Hey. Let's get out o' here. There's

the door right there.

M.C.

Hey, what're you doing here?

COLONEL:

That's what I'd like to know!

M.C.

Come on, out. Out.

JOHN:

Say, he's a friend of mine.

ANN:

(at John's elbow)

Never mind. Let him alone. He's

all right. I'll be right over there

pulling for you.

JOHN starts to follow ANN away from mike. ANN leads him

back to mike again.

ANN:

No, John—over here.

2ND M.C.

Stand by.

MED. SHOT:
At door. The COLONEL surreptitiously tries the

door, to see that it opens readily. Standing near him is

BEANY and the others.

MED. SHOT:
Group around SPENCER. They wait expectantly.

Their eyes sparkling with excitement.

SPENCER:

Phone the Chronicle . Tell 'em to

start getting those extras out.

MED. SHOT:
Toward control booth. The man with the earphones

on has his hand up ready to give the signal. He listens a

moment, then abruptly drops his hand.

CLOSE-UP:
The man near the announcer throws his HAND up as

a SIGNAL to someone off scene.

MED. SHOT:
An orchestra in a corner. The conductor waves

his baton—and the orchestra blasts out a dramatic fanfare.

CLOSE SHOT:
ANNOUNCER and JOHN. ANNOUNCER holds his script

up and the moment the music stops he speaks dramatically.

ANNOUNCER:

(rapid-fire)

And good evening, ladies and

gentlemen. This is Kenneth Frye,

speaking for the New Bulletin .

Tonight we give you something

entirely new and different. Standing

beside me is the young man who has

declared publicly that on Christmas

Eve he intends to commit suicide,

giving as his reason—quote: "I

protest against the state of

civilization." End quote. Ladies

and gentlemen, the New Bulletin

takes pleasure in presenting the

man who is fast becoming the most

talked-of person in the whole

country, JOHN DOE!

The man next to him waves his hand—there is an outburst of

music.

A FLASH:
Of ANN—she looks at JOHN intently.

MED. SHOT:
Group around BEANY. They all applaud, except

for MIKE and the COLONEL. MIKE, with his hand hanging down,

nudges the COLONEL.

CLOSE SHOT:
Of their hands meeting and we SEE the envelope

change hands. CAMERA PANS up to the COLONEL's face which

is twisted into a miserable grimace.

CLOSE-UP:
Of JOHN. He glances around, uncertainly.

CLOSE SHOT:
Of MIKE and the COLONEL. MIKE elbows the COLONEL

to throw his signal. The COLONEL looks toward JOHN and

nods his head.

CLOSE SHOT:
Of JOHN. He catches the COLONEL'S signal and

quickly his hand goes to his pocket. Just as he is about

to bring it out, his hand pauses. He turns and looks at

ANN.

CLOSE-UP:
Of ANN. A warm, pleading look in her eyes.

MED. SHOT:
Around JOHN. He is still staring at ANN, when

the ANNOUNCER reaches over and nudges him—pointing to the

mike. JOHN snaps out of it—turns his face to the mike—pushes

the paper back in his pocket—and starts reading ANN'S

speech.

JOHN:

(reading speech)

Ladies and gentlemen: I am the man

you all know as John Doe.

(clearing his throat)

I took that name because it seems

to describe—because it seems to

describe

(his voice unnatural)

the average man, and that's me.

(repeats,

embarrassedly)

And that's me.

MED. SHOT:
The COLONEL and MIKE. The COLONEL realizes JOHN

is not going to make SPENCER'S speech, and his face breaks

into a broad grin. He takes MIKE'S hand and slaps the

envelope into his palm. Over the shot we hear JOHN'S voice.

JOHN'S VOICE

Well, it was me—before I said I

was gonna jump off the City Hall

roof at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Now, I guess I'm not average any

more. Now, I'm getting all sorts

of attention, from big shots, too.

Rate this script:3.6 / 7 votes