RKO 281 Page #13

MANK:

You read Louella?

Welles shudders

WELLES:

No, but I can imagine. What am I today? A "puny

upstart" or a "spoiled dilettante" -- no, she

wouldn't know how to spell that

MANK:

(reads)

"And how is the country to feel when this industry

continues to employ bedraggled foreigners and

swarthy refugees instead of real Americans? Doesn't

Hollywood know there's a Depression on? Don't real

Americans deserve work?"

WELLES:

(laughs)

Well, at least she's off KANE today

MANK:

No she's not. Don't you get it, ya lunk? She's

using code language to the studio bosses.

"Bedraggled foreigners and swarthy refugees" -- who

the hell do you think she's talking about?

WELLES:

(playfully)

Hedy Lamarr?

MANK:

Jews. She's talking about Jews.

beat

Welles' smile fades.

MANK:

Who owns this town? Who runs every goddamn studio?

The tribe, baby. These f***ers hear the word "Jew"

and they start sweating. Like Ester Williams' pool

they start sweating.

WELLES:

(growing tense)

So they're Jews. . .

MANK:

This is just the first shot. Maestro. Sooner or

later she's gonna use the word. And all those boys

know that there is only one thing this country hates

more than the coloreds and that's the Jews.

WELLES:

Christ.

MANK:

Me, I'm proud to be a Jew, I got no problem. You

don't like it, f*** you. But with these guys it's

like a dirty word. All they wanna be is good red-

white-and-blue Americans, and the way they see it

you can't be a good American and a Jew. So Sam

Goldfish becomes Sam Goldwyn and David Selznick

becomes David 0. Selznick -- like anyone's gonna

think he's Irish for f***'s sake--

WELLES:

What does this have to do with--?

MANK:

(dead serious)

Believe you me, they're gonna do anything -- and I

mean absolutely anything -- to stop that word from

gettin' out.

WELLES:

(sharply)

What?! Are they going to kill me? Is that what

they're going to do?!

One of the sound technicians turns to Welles:

SOUND TECHNICIAN Sorry, Mr. Welles, I can't really hear

Welles, Mank and Toland quickly decamp to a hallway outside the

recording stage...

INT. HALLWAY_FOLLOWING

They emerge into the hallway. Mank lights a cigar.

MANK:

(quietly)

Let me tell you a story, son So this was 1924,

right? Hearst was throwing a birthday party for

Thomas Ince, the old movie producer. They were all

on the old man's yacht taking a nice jaunt from

Pedro down to San Diego. Real foggy night it was.

This was Hearst, Marion, Ince, Charlie Chaplin,

Louella, the usual gorillas. So Hearst notices

Marion slip off with Chaplin -- she was screwing

everyone then -- and the old man goes nuts. Grabs

his revolver and starts shooting. Just like Tom Mix,

standing there blasting away through the fog. Boom -

- boom -- boom -- and Thomas Ince takes a bullet

through the head. So now there's this dead guy lying

on the deck. You'll see how this could be quite an

embarrassment. So the empire goes into action. Nice

and quiet and Ince was cremated lickety-split. No

inquest and no police. It was right after this that

Hearst gives Louella her life-time contract. Just to

keep her all hush-hush.

A beat as Mank gazes at Welles.

A beat

MANK:

If he had known about KANE before you made it,

you'd be dead already.

WELLES:

(weakly)

It's too late. The movie's made

MANK:

They won't let it out. Not Hearst. Not the other

studio heads--

WELLES:

You wrote the damn thing, Mank Aren't you going to

fight for it?!

MANK:

(bitterly)

I told you this was going to happen! I told you he

was going to come after us! So we took the chance

anyway and we lost. That's how it goes, okay? I got

my check, kid, and so did you -- and that's what

it's all about -- so f*** it and move on.

Welles leans forward in a sudden explosion of anger

WELLES:

I WILL NOT MOVE ON! Let them do their worst! These

petty tyrants! These monstrous, small men Do they

think they can stop us? I Who are they?! Who are

they?! THEY ARE . .. ACCOUNTANTS I

Bernard Hermann appears at a doorway from the recording stage.

BERNARD HERMANN:

We're ready. You want to hear it?

Welles goes with Hermann into the stage. Toland and Mank stand in

silence. Then:

TOLAND:

His next picture ... he wants to play Christ.

MANK:

Hope he's planning to start with the crucifixion.

76 INT. RECORDING STAGE_FOLLOWING

Welles sits at the back of the stage, deep in thought

Bernard Hermann raises his baton and prepares to conduct. The opening

shots of KANE -- fog shrouded Xanadu -- are projected on the screen.

Hermann conducts and the orchestra plays.

We watch the first images of the film with the brilliant music.

We pull back to reveal we are at

INT. SAN SIMEON. SCREENING ROOM_NIGHT

Hearst and Marion are sitting in the plush San Simeon screening room,

surrounded by a passel of dachshunds. Five or six friends are also

spread around the room. Joe Willicombe is also present.

We watch their faces as they watch CITIZEN KANE

During this sequence we hear bits and pieces of KANE as we watch Hearst

and Marion react.

We see Marion's initial amusement give way to a forced neutrality.

We see Hearst becoming increasingly uncomfortable, reacting physically,

almost writhing, as his soul is laid bare. Then his face grows cold.

Drained.

We see Joe Willicombe, offended.

We see the other guests, horrified and afraid to even so much as glance

at Hearst.

Finally, we hear the ending of the movie:

"RAYMOND"

"Throw that junk in, too.

We hear Bernard Hermann's closing music begin to play out

Hearst abruptly stands, the final images of the film washing over his

face.

HEARST:

Switch it off SWITCH IT OFF

The film suddenly stops and lights come up around the screening room.

Silence No one looks at Hearst.

HEARST:

(quietly)

Would everyone please leave

The guests and Joe Willicombe solemnly file out A pause

MARION:

Well -- he got us, didn't he?

She stands and goes quickly to pour a drink. A forced laugh

MARION:

Nailed us, hub? The crazy old man and his whore.

HEARST:

Marion--

MARION:

Bought and p-p-paid for. Just like one of his

goddamn statues. Well at least in the movie he

married her!

HEARST:

This picture--

MARION:

(deeply)

I am not that woman.

A beat.

I know what I could have been. I know what I gave up to stay with you.

MARION:

(pained)

I mean he's even got the goddamn jigsaw puzzles

She dissolves into sobs. He cradles her in the empty screening room

A beat

MARION:

Why did he do that to us?

INT. SAN SIMEON. ASSEMBLY ROOM_NIGHT

Hearst is as we have never seen him before. He is in a titanic rage.

He paces back and forth violently like a caged animal, becoming

increasingly manic and uncontrolled, clenching his fists and barking to

Joe Willicombe:

HEARST:

And now of all times -- NOW -- when I am grasping

on with my fingernails to live at all this Orson We

lies -- this insect -- this reprehensible insect --

has the nerve TO CHALLENGE ME! To show my life as

some cheap sideshow -- A FREAK SHOW -- A DYING,

IMPOTENT OLD FREAK IN HIS CASTLE!

He smashes a collection of figurines and sends them sailing across the

room. Hearst's rage gives way to a darker passion:

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