Mr. Smith Goes To Washington Page #5

JIMMY:

Sure. Didn't you see about the

terrific forest fire all around

Sweetwater?

HUBERT:

I did. What about it?

PETER:

Well, Jeff put that out himself.

HUBERT:

Himself!

JIMMIE:

Well--Jeff and the Rangers. He was

out camping with 'em--and they saved

hundreds of people and millions of

dollars--

OTIS:

And not one boy even scratched!

JIMMIE:

Now, if you really want a Senator--

HUBERT:

I do *not* want a Senator. And I do

*not* want any more of this nonsense!

Emma!

EMMA:

Why, I think it's very sweet of the

children--

OTIS:

He's the greatest *American* we got,

too, Dad. Can tell what George

Washington said--by heart. An' "Boy

Stuff's" got the swellest stuff in

it.

HUBERT:

What stuff?

PETER:

"Boy Stuff." That's the name of Jeff's

magazine. He prints it.

(Pulling one out of

his pocket excitedly)

Look--here's one--oh, it's great--

*everybody* reads it--all the kids

in the State--a million of 'em. Look,

Pop--let me read you a--

HUBERT:

Peter, I'm in no mood to hear childish

prattle!

JIMMY:

Prattle!

PETER:

You're all wet, Pop! Listen to this:

(Flipping back to a

page)

"What makes a man humane to man--to

give and not to take--to serve and

not to rule--ideals and not deals--

creed and not greed--." How about

*that*?

OTIS:

No, *sir*! You couldn't do better,

Dad.

HUBERT:

Than what?

OTIS:

Jeff for Senator.

HUBERT:

(his anger rising)

Emma! Will you *please*--?

PETER:

(leaping in on the

attack)

Want to get out of a pickle, don't

you?

OTIS:

(leaping right in,

too)

Always looking out for votes, aren't

you?

PETER:

Yeah--an' here's fifty thousand kids

with two folks apiece--and *they

vote*!

JIMMIE:

(attacking too)

If you want to do yourself some good

in this State, Dad--

OTIS:

If you're ever going to stand up

like a man some day and tell Taylor

to go to--

EMMA:

Otis!

HUBERT:

(rising frantically)

That settles it! I will not be

attacked and belittled by my own

children in my own home! My nerves

are strained to the breaking point!

He throws his serviette down and rushes from the dining-room.

EMMA:

Hubert!

LITTLE JANE:

Papa's mad, Mama.

The scene dissolves to Hubert Hopper's STUDY, at night. Hubert

is pacing miserably as Emma enters, carrying his dinner on a

plate and setting it down on his desk.

HUBERT:

(in quiet, heart-

breaking appeal)

Emma! I'm a man at the end of his

rope.

EMMA:

No wonder--without your dinner.

HUBERT:

Emma, which is it--Horace Miller or

Henry Hill?

EMMA:

(starting out)

Well, your children are very bright--

and *they* say Jefferson Smith.

And Emma, without pausing, passes on out. Hubert is beside

himself, and begins to pace again.

HUBERT:

(to himself,

distractedly)

Henry Hill--Horace Miller--Henry

Miller--Horace Hi--uh--Henry--

Then on a desperate impulse, he takes a coin from his pocket

and gets ready to flip.

HUBERT:

Heads--Hill. Tails--Miller.

He shuts his eyes and flips. The coin falls on the library

table. He rushes to it. His eyes pop.

The COIN is seen standing on edge, leaned against a small

stack of magazines and papers.

HUBERT is at his wit's end. Then his eyes travel over to the

paper on top of the pile. We see the NEWSPAPER HEADLINE:

GRATEFUL CITIZENS POUR GRATITUDE

ON HERO JEFF SMITH

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