Mr. Smith Goes To Washington Page #53

BUTLER:

(raising his voice)

Mr. Taylor, calling from Washington,

sir!

HAPPY:

(above the clamor)

What? Who?

KIDS:

Taylor, Pop!

From Washington!

Now is your chance, Pop!

Happy switches off the radio and leaps up from the table,

rushing out of the dining room. The kids, with yells of

"Zowie," "Wow," and "Taylor, huh?"--rush out of the room

after Happy.

EMMA:

(calling after them)

Hubert! Boys!

Now in TAYLOR'S HOTEL SUITE in Washington, Taylor is on the

phone, his coat off; in the background a battery of men,

phones, teletype machine, desks.

TAYLOR:

(into the phone)

Happy? What's the matter with you?

*Collapsed*? McGann says you're

sitting home! I want some action!

Get into this!

In the HOPPER LIBRARY, Happy is surrounded by the children,

shouting:

KIDS:

Go ahead--tell him, Pop!

Talk up, Pop!

Tell Taylor it's a frame! Tell him

what you think!

Tell him to go fly a kite!

HAPPY:

(into the phone)

Y-yes, Jim!

(To boys)

Please!

In TAYLOR'S HOTEL SUITE:

TAYLOR:

What's the racket?--You heard me,

Happy--stop stalling--*move*!

He slams the receiver. Cook is waving a phone at him.

COOK:

Clark, Jim--

TAYLOR:

(grabbing the phone)

Clark?... Jim Taylor--in Washington.

This Smith filibuster--your chain of

papers in the Southwest must know

that this bill he's blocking affects

your section as well as any--it's

the patriotic duty of every newspaper

in the country to--

In a SENATE CHAMBER, Paine, the Vice-President, and several

Senators are seen talking.

FIRST SENATOR:

I've seen filibustering, but this is--

SECOND SENATOR:

Gentlemen, this can't go on, it's

ridiculous!

THIRD SENATOR:

Henry, we've got to get this man off

the floor.

PRESIDENT:

Boys, as long as Mr. Smith holds

that floor legitimately, he's going

to continue to hold it. If you ask

me, that young fellow's making a

whole lot of sense.

PAINE:

Sense. Do you call blackmail sense,

Henry?

FOURTH SENATOR:

Now look, Joe, I didn't like this

boy from the beginning, but most of

us feel that no man who wasn't sincere

could stage a fight like this against

those impossible odds.

PAINE:

Well, I'm very glad to know that,

Martin. After twenty years of working

with you fellows, I'm very glad to

know you're ready to take his word

against mine. That's fine.

SENATORS:

Ridiculous!

Nothing of the sort!

PAINE:

Oh, yes, that's what it means. If

he's just that much right, I'm wrong.

THIRD SENATOR:

Joe, listen, can't we work out some

deal to pull that Willet Dam out and

let the Deficiency Bill go through?

PAINE:

It isn't a question of Willet Dam.

It's a question of my honor and

reputation and the integrity of the

Committee on Privileges and Elections,

the integrity of the Senate itself.

Well, if you want to throw out Section

forty, go ahead. I'll resign and

we'll have the whole thing over with.

SENATORS:

Now, wait a minute, Joe.

Wait, wait, wait.

SECOND SENATOR:

Wait a minute. This is a lot of

nonsense. Joe's right. A deal's

impossible. We've got to go on just

as we've been doing and break him,

keep him talking, no relief, maintain

a quorum in relays. Is that how you

feel, John?

FIRST SENATOR:

For once I agree with him. Gentlemen,

it's time to relieve the men on the

floor.

FOURTH SENATOR:

How can a man as green as that know

as much as he does? He can't go on

much longer.

The scene dissolves to the SENATE CHAMBER at night, a crowded

chamber--the gallery full and attentive. Of the Senators,

some are at their desks, some with backs turned to Jefferson

and reading, a couple of them dozing, one with his head thrown

back and a newspaper over his face.

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