Mr. Smith Goes To Washington Page #11

Synopsis: When the idealistic young Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) winds up appointed to the United States Senate, he gains the mentorship of Senator Joseph Paine (Claude Rains). However, Paine isn't as noble as his reputation would indicate, and he becomes involved in a scheme to discredit Smith, who wants to build a boys' campsite where a more lucrative project could go. Determined to stand up against Paine and his corrupt peers, Smith takes his case to the Senate floor.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Production: ITVS
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 12 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.2
Metacritic:
73
Rotten Tomatoes:
83%
NOT RATED
Year:
1939
129 min
Website
2,336 Views


At this instant two middle-aged men, slightly hard-faced,

named Cook and Griffith, descend on the party.

COOK:

Joe!

GRIFFITH:

Hello, Chick.

MCGANN:

H'ya, Carl--h'ya, Bill!

PAINE:

Jeff--meet Mr. Cook and Mr. Griffith--

members of our State headquarters

here.

Cook and Griffiths fall on Jeff, wringing his hand and again

Jeff can't get a word in. He has put his pigeons down.

COOK:

Great pleasure, Senator! Yes *sir*.

Great appointment! You'll do the old

State proud!

GRIFFITH:

Welcome, Senator. This wild life

around here is a little different

from what you're used to. They wear

high heels! Hah! Hah!

PAINE:

Well, let's get started. Bill--you've

made reservations at the hotel for

the Senator and Chick--

COOK:

All fixed. Same floor with you, Joe.

SUSAN:

(with lifted eyebrows)

How nice.

PAINE:

All right, we'll take Jeff with us--

SUSAN:

I'm afraid we won't have room in the

car, Father. Senator Smith can follow

with Mr. McGann and the pigeons.

JEFFERSON:

Sure.

SUSAN:

Well, we *must* see a lot of you,

Senator. Come, Father.

Paine is being pulled away by Susan. The girls, waving good-

bye to Jeff, follow. Griffith walks along a bit with Paine.

PAINE:

(calling back--

cautioning)

Chick--

MCGANN:

I've got 'im, Joe. Be right along.

PAINE AND GRIFFITH are now seen together.

PAINE:

Are you ready for him, Bill?

GRIFFITH:

All set. Foley's rooms in the Senate

office building--nice, big clean

desk--lot of Senator stationery to

write his little boys on--and Foley's

secretary, Saunders, to make it look

like the real thing--

PAINE:

Good. Are the newspaper men at the

hotel?

GRIFFITH:

Yup--Sweeney, Flood, Farrell--waiting

for you--

PAINE:

Fine. The first thing to do is--

present Mr. Smith to the press--in

the *right* way. Hurry him along,

Bill.

GRIFFITH:

How do you feel, champ?

PAINE:

All right, why?

GRIFFITH:

Your name's spreading like wild-fire

out here--you are the winterbook

favorite to get on the National

ticket.

PAINE:

Oh! Go away.

Newsmen come up with cameras to photograph Paine.

JEFFERSON, MCGANN AND COOK are seen together.

MCGANN:

All right, Senator--let's get these

bags and the livestock together--

JEFFERSON:

(suddenly pointing)

Look! There it is!

MCGANN:

What? Who?

We see what Jeff is pointing at--the CAPITOL DOME, up on

"The Hill"--framed in one of the station portals.

JEFFERSON'S VOICE

The Capitol Dome!

The GROUP looks at Jeff dryly.

COOK:

Yes, sir--big as life. Been there

some time now.

MCGANN:

Yes, sir.

(Busily, to porters)

All right, boys--let's go.

Jeff has taken a few steps in the direction of the Dome.

Griffith joins them, and McGann, Cook and Griffith start off

with porters.

MCGANN:

This way, Senator.

McGann, Cook and Griffith are seen moving on, not conscious

that Jeff isn't following.

GRIFFITH:

Say, we thought--maybe we ought to

meet him in short pants--you know--

with hatchets.

Cook points to the pigeons a porter carriers.

COOK:

What's he bringing pigeons for?

MCGANN:

(sour and sore)

What for? Why, suppose there's a

storm--all lines are down--how you

gonna get a message to Ma?

Cook and Griffith give McGann alarmed looks.

JEFF is seen, with his eyes fixed ahead, through the portals,

on the Dome; he is drawn unconsciously in that directions.

MCGANN, COOK AND GRIFFITH are approaching the door to the

outside.

MCGANN:

(looks back)

Okay, Senator--right through here--

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes

Waldo Salt

Waldo Miller Salt was an American screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the era of McCarthyism. He later won Academy Awards for Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home. more…

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