Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Page #46

CLOSE SHOT - BABE

Her eyes sparkle happily.

327. CLOSE SHOT - CEDAR AND CLIENTS

The clients look up at Cedar, concerned. Cedar comforts

them with a confident grimace.

328. MED. SHOT

To include Longfellow, Judge, and others around them.

Longfellow hesitates.

JUDGE:

Proceed.

LONGFELLOW:

Well, I don't know where to begin.

There's been so many things said

about me that I—

329. CLOSE SHOT AT WITNESS STAND

LONGFELLOW CONTINUES:

LONGFELLOW:

About my playing the tuba. Seems

like a lot of fuss has been made

about that. If a man's crazy just

'cause he plays the tuba, then

somebody better look into it, 'cause

there are a lot of tuba players

running around loose. Of course, I

don't see any harm in it. I play

mine whenever I want to concentrate.

That may sound funny to some people -

but everybody does something silly

when they're thinking. For instance,

the Judge here is an O-filler. . .

330. WIDER ANGLE

Front of courtroom.

JUDGE:

A what?

LONGFELLOW:

An O-filler. You fill in all the

spaces in the O's, with your pencil.

(points to desk)

I was watching you.

The Judge looks down at a paper in front of him.

INSERT:
OF A PRINTED DOCUMENT

Of some sort. All the O's and P's and R's have the white

spaces pencilled in.

CLOSEUP - JUDGE

As he looks up from the document. He is a trifle self-

conscious. Laughter comes from the courtroom.

LONGFELLOW'S VOICE

That may make you look a little

crazy, Your Honor, just sitting

around filling in O's - but I don't

see anything wrong 'cause that

helps you to think. Other people

are doodlers.

JUDGE:

Doodlers?

332. MED. SHOT - FRONT OF COURTROOM

LONGFELLOW:

That's a name we made up back home

for people who make foolish designs

on paper when they're thinking.

It's called doodling. Almost

everybody's a doodler. Did you

ever see a scratch pad in a

telephone booth? People draw the

most idiotic pictures when they're

thinking. Dr. Von Holler, here,

could probably think up a long

name for it, because he doodles

all the time.

Dr. Von Holler, who is in the middle of some doodling,

flinches. A roar of laughter comes from the spectators.

Longfellow reaches over to where Dr. Von Holler sits and

picks up a piece of paper.

LONGFELLOW:

(to Dr. Von Holler)

Thank you.

(returning to the

stand)

This is a piece of paper he was

scribbling on.

(scrutinizes it)

I can't figure it out. One minute

it looks like a chimpanzee - and

the next minute it looks like a

picture of Mr. Cedar.

(hands it to him)

You look at it, Judge.

The Judge, with a serious mien, takes the paper.

INSERT:
OF PAPER

It is a doodle face.

BACK TO SCENE:

Dr. Von Holler is somewhat uncomfortable.

LONGFELLOW:

Exhibit A - for the defense.

(after a pause)

Looks kind of stupid, doesn't it,

Your Honor? But I guess that's all

right if Dr. Von Holler has to

doodle to help him think. That's

his business. Everybody does

something different. Some people

are—

(demonstrates)

ear-pullers - some are nail-biters—

(pointing)

That Mr. Semple over there is a

nose-twitcher.

333. CLOSE SHOT - SEMPLE AND HIS WIFE

He looks up, startled, his nose twitching more violently

than ever. The courtroom rocks with laughter.

His wife, in her nervousness, pulls at her fingers.

LONGFELLOW'S VOICE

And the lady next to him is a

knuckle-cracker.

Mrs. Semple quickly drops her hands in her lap, as the

courtroom again fills with laughter.

CLOSE SHOT - COBB

He swings a key-ring around his forefinger. Suddenly he

realizes Longfellow might get to him, and he hastily palms

the keys and shoves them in his pocket.

335. MED. CLOSE SHOT - NEWSPAPER REPORTERS

One is leaning forward, listening intently - biting the

end of his pencil. The one next to him nudges him and

silently points to the pencil in his mouth. The reporter

gets the idea and, smiling sheepishly, yanks it out of his

mouth.

336. MED. CLOSE SHOT - FRONT OF COURTROOM

LONGFELLOW:

So you see, everybody does silly

things to help them think.

(in conclusion)

Well, I play the tuba.

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