Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Page #34

FARMER:

(scarcely audible)

Oh!

MED. SHOT - THE GROUP

The man slumps into a chair and the gun drops to the floor.

Cobb bends quickly and picks it up. Longfellow never moves.

FARMER:

(dead voice - staring

into space)

I'm glad I didn't hurt nobody.

Excuse me.

He turns his head slowly and peers at them with non-seeing

eyes, then suddenly he hides his face in his hands and

sobs.

FARMER:

(muffled)

Crazy. You get all kinds of crazy

ideas.

Longfellow watches him pityingly.

FARMER:

Sorry. I didn't know what I was

doing.

The rest of it seems to come out of him effortfully - his

voice breaking.

FARMER:

Losing your farm after twenty years'

work - seeing your kids go hungry -

a game little wife saying

"Everything's going to be all

right."

(stridently)

Standing there in the bread lines.

It killed me to take a handout.

(pathetically)

I ain't used to it.

(resigned)

Go ahead and do what you want with

me, mister.

(scarcely audible)

I guess I'm at the end of my rope.

He sobs openly. While he was speaking, Longfellow was

peering into the man's face intently. As the man finishes

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. INTIMATE DINING ROOM

223. CLOSE SHOT

At the table that was all set for Babe. The man sits,

eating. He seriously bends over his food. Longfellow sits

opposite him - his eyes glued on the man, absorbed in

profound thought.

MAN:

(tentatively)

Can I take some of this home with

me?

Longfellow nods.

DISSOLVE TO:

INSERT:
NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

"LONGFELLOW DEEDS TO GIVE FORTUNE AWAY Huge farming district

to be divided into ten acre farms - fully equipped - at a

cost of eighteen million dollars."

WIPE OFF TO:

INSERT:
SECOND NEWSPAPER HEADLINE "DEEDS' PLAN STARTLES

FINANCIAL WORLD"

WIPE OFF TO:

INSERT:
THIRD NEWSPAPER HEADLINE "STAFF OF WORKERS

INVESTIGATE APPLICANTS"

WIPE OFF TO:

INSERT:
FOURTH NEWSPAPER HEADLINE "THOUSANDS OF UNEMPLOYED

STORM DEEDS HOME FOR FARM DONATIONS"

WIPE OFF TO:

EXT. LONGFELLOW DEEDS' HOME

224. LONG SHOT

A mob of shouting men and women clamor at the gates, being

jostled around by the police.

INT. LONGFELLOW'S DRAWING ROOM

225. FULL SHOT

It has been transformed into an office. Longfellow sits at

one end of the room. Clerks are at several desks. On one

side and leading out into the hall, is a long line of men

waiting to be interviewed.

VOICE:

Go on. Step lively.

226. MED. SHOT

At Longfellow's desk. He has a two days' growth of beard

and looks worn. Next to him is a clerk. In front of him is

an applicant.

LONGFELLOW:

(as the camera moves

in on him)

Are you married?

APPLICANT:

Yes, sir.

LONGFELLOW:

Any children?

APPLICANT:

No, no children.

LONGFELLOW:

All right, Mr. Dodsworth. I think

you'll qualify.

(he hands him a

form)

Take this to that desk over there

for further instructions.

APPLICANT:

(gratefully - exiting)

Thank you very much.

LONGFELLOW:

Next, please.

A man steps forward and stands in front of his desk.

MED. CLOSE SHOT AT DESK

Longfellow, clerk and applicant.

LONGFELLOW:

(to clerk)

How many does that make?

CLERK:

You've okayed 819.

LONGFELLOW:

(wearily)

Is that all?

CLERK:

That's all.

LONGFELLOW:

It's going awfully slow. We need

1100 more.

(phone rings)

Hello . . . oh, yes. Yes. The water

development seems okay - but I

don't like the road layout yet.

Come up tonight about ten and bring

the maps. Right.

He hangs up.

228. WIDER ANGLE

As the farmer in previous sequence approaches.

FARMER:

Here's the order for the plows. We

got a good price on them.

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