My Son John Page #9

Mother.

I was expecting you, John.

I see you avoided your father.

I came here to find out

about you.

Why did you leave the office?

We'll get around to that.

Oh, mother,

you had me worried sick.

Yes, mm-hmm.

Did you tell father

about your little trip?

I didn't tell him all about it.

If I had, it would kill him.

Or he'd kill you.

He... I've sent him

for the doctor.

What would kill him, mother?

I mean, I don't follow.

I don't understand.

If he knew that the FBI

is after you, John.

Mother, I thought

I explained to you

all about the FBI.

Now, no more fancy lies, John.

You'll spend your tomorrows

in a federal prison

unless you can explain the key

to that carlin girl's apartment.

Well, now, what makes

you think that I...

because it fits.

It opens the door.

You mean you went

to her apartment?

I went there

and I opened the door

with your key.

Mother, are you

out of your mind?

Not yet.

You lied to me so much, John,

that I had to know the truth.

Do I know it now?

Are you guilty, John?

Mother, I'm guilty

to this extent.

Now, wait just a minute.

You see, darling,

Ruth carlin and I

were intimate, quite intimate.

And naturally,

I hesitated telling you.

Only one...

one sin in the constitution

and that...

and that's treason.

I don't know what's happened

to my morals for the moment,

but is... is that all?

Is that all you have done?

That's all, mother.

That's bad.

But it's good.

That's right.

But who would believe it,

mother?

Besides you and me.

Mr. stedman

would believe it.

He'd understand.

We could get him on the phone.

Well, no, mother,

that isn't necessary, dear.

We must explain it.

But, darling, this is a secret

just between us.

But we have to tell

Mr. stedman, Johnny,

he won't let it go any further.

Oh, I'll be so happy

to tell him.

Mother, have you seen him again?

Yes, he came up to me

in the park

and he took me to see her.

To see...

But I... I didn't recognize

her voice, John.

He took you down to the jail?

Well, that's why we can't

tell him, mother.

I mean, he...

It's his job to persecute

innocent people.

No, he'd believe us, John.

Un... unless

you're lying again.

You are lying.

Look at you.

You are guilty.

Mother, darling.

"Mother, darling."

Listen to you!

Pleading for love, mercy,

all the things

you've scoffed at.

Now you're asking

for mother love.

Confess to the FBI, John.

You've given up your faith,

but your church would have

sent you to them anyway.

I'll reach

my own decisions, mother.

You have to make one big one

right now, John.

Mother, if you will stand by me,

I know that I can show you

the light.

After I make my speech

to the graduating class...

after you what?

Oh, no, you're not.

Just because my son

has been poisoned,

I'll... I'll not

let him infect

other mothers'

sons and daughters.

Are you planning

to make them over

to your pattern?

Made in your image and likeness?

God, help him.

Look, before father gets back,

please give me the key.

The key?

Yes, the key,

the key to your freedom.

So you'll be free to go on

making other young people

as wretched as you are.

Spreading despair.

Oh, disguised as hope.

Well, now, uh, mother?

How do you plan to stop me?

I'll tell all I know if I must.

And if you don't, I must.

But I haven't lost

all faith in you.

There are issues in the world

today, mother,

that transcend a mother and son.

Yes, there are things

that are far greater

than you and me

and we have to face them,

not as mother and son,

but as individuals.

The cord is severed.

All right.

So, as an individual,

I believe in human dignity,

truth.

Wow, you certainly

aren't talking

as a mother now.

But you're ill, dear.

You're talking insanely.

Am I?

Within your state of mind, dear,

no one would believe

what you're saying.

And I'd be forced

to agree with them.

A woman in your time

of life, dear,

under a doctor's care,

two boys in uniform,

a husband, my father,

inflaming you

with patriotic fanaticism

about spies and traitors.

John, you couldn't.

Do...

do you mean that...

You might perhaps have me

put in a sanitarium maybe?

I wish your father would come.

I want to give him the key.

Dan, I can't fight much longer.

Is it in your purse?

No, it isn't.

What are you going to do, John?

Use force and violence

on your mother?

Someday, mother,

you'll understand

how big our fight is.

I do now, I do now.

No, you don't.

There are millions on my side.

Millions on my side.

And what a fight you have

on your hands.

Wait a minute, mother.

Don't say a word about this.

Why not?

Dan, Dan.

Hello,

Mrs. Jefferson.

Come in,

Mr. stedman.

This is my son, John.

Well, I'm sorry,

Mr. stedman,

you couldn't have come

at a worse time.

My mother is very ill.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that.

But my father will be here

any minute with the doctor,

but we're terribly worried

about her.

She's, um, she's been imagining

all sorts of things.

No.

He came at a good time.

He came at a good time.

Come in, Mr. stedman.

You, too, John.

Go ahead.

You start it,

Mr. stedman.

I would like to ask

a few questions.

Yes, indeed, I am...

and that is

if your mother's condition

will permit.

Well, obviously, it doesn't,

I'd like to ask you

a few questions

myself first.

We gather information,

we don't give it up.

Mr. stedman, you know

that it's within our rights

to ask you to leave this house

immediately.

No, John, this is my house.

It has a mortgage on it.

You know that, John.

We always thought it was

such a wonderful mortgage.

Maybe, uh, the bank will, uh,

come and throw us all out.

I'd like to get rid

of this house.

It's old fashioned.

Just an old fashioned

American home.

Well, now, that should give you

an idea of my

mother's condition.

Mrs. Jefferson,

I would like to ask you,

where did you go after you left?

Oh.

You.

You take over

whenever you want to.

Uh, so, after you left me,

I...

Could I tell this in my own way?

Certainly.

I'll get back to your, um...

All right.

I went to a church

because I was

a confused stranger down there.

And a... a church is, um,

a traveler's aide

to people who don't, uh,

know which way to turn.

That would straighten out

a lot of people.

Oh, yeah.

They... they should

try the church.

Then they'd begin to remember

things that they've, uh, lost,

like honor.

My sacred word of honor.

Tell people.

Tell them about their

sacred word of honor.

I'll tell them.

Mother will be to drum next,

singing "glory hallelujah"

and maybe you

will march behind her.

Don't talk like that

about your mother.

There's nothing petty

about your mother,

is there?

No.

You be nice to her,

you promise.

Promise.

I promise.

Those... two two boys

of yours,

those two halfbacks,

they're gonna be marching soon,

aren't they?

Yes.

They'll sing with us.

He died to make men holy

They may die to make men free.

There they are, yeah.

They called me

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