State of the Union Page #15

Synopsis: Kay Thordyke loves Grant Matthews and helps him become Republican nominee for President. The party machine begins to worry as Grant begins to speak for himself. At an important dinner his wife Mary condemns corrupt politicians and Grant learns to speak out even more boldly..
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director(s): Frank Capra
Production: MGM
 
IMDB:
7.4
APPROVED
Year:
1948
124 min
683 Views


and protective

and productive agriculture...

All right, Mrs. Draper,

here's your big moment.

We're ready.

Anyway, for president.

Mary, have a heart.

You've to be ready.

You're gonna miss Grant

on the air.

I am different from Grant.

I'd rather be tight

than be president.

You're on a spot.

You have to be ready

to do some quick thinking.

Don't worry about me.

I'm a very thick quinker.

Oh, brother.

Honey, you got twisted up

on that one.

I did?

Sure.

I didn't.

What did I say?

You said "thick quinker".

I think I presented

the farmers' case

if I do say so.

Indeed. Who can speak

for the farmer better

than you, Mr. Lauterback.

Thank you, Mrs. Matthews.

Not at all.

Who else could make hay

in the Capitol lobby?

I thought it was funny, too.

Oh, my dear.

I haven't

enjoyed myself so much

since Huey Long died.

What's the matter, honey?

Oh, Lulubelle, I don't know

what's the matter with me.

I don't want to do any more.

I just want him...

Kay,

you better get in this.

Bill's holding

a pistol at my head.

What do you mean?

He's welching.

I am not welching.

You want me

to go on that radio

to support Matthews?

Certainly.

Then I name the labor members

of the National Labor Board.

Grant made no such deal.

Jim and I did.

We did not.

You misunderstood me.

I said you could

veto the appointments.

You're next, Mr. Hardy.

Not till I get this settled,

get Matthews.

Never mind Matthews.

You can't have that.

Labor as a whole must make

those appointments.

If I support Matthews,

I am labor as a whole

as far as he is concerned.

If Hardy gets what he wants,

then I name Agriculture.

Hold on,

I've got a stake here.

Butt out, Parrish.

We don't need kibitzers.

Kibitzers?

I am raising

the money here,

and money still talks.

Hardy, one minute to go.

You better get Matthews

in here.

Hold it, Spike.

You wouldn't be here

if you could've made

a better deal anywhere else

and you're staying

until the end of the ride.

When the time comes,

I'll take care of the details.

I want to hear that

from Matthews.

He's the candidate.

As far as you're concerned,

I'm the candidate.

You'll do as I say.

So help me,

I'll break you

in my newspapers.

Twenty seconds.

Make up your mind.

All right.

I'll go. I'll go.

As for the rest of you,

you'll stick to your bargains.

Grant's not to be bothered.

If you've any problems,

come to me.

I'll say one thing for you,

Kay.

You have the courage

of your convictions.

You've had

a wonderful evening,

wise-cracking, clowning,

but now, you've got to get

a grip on yourself.

Get some black coffee.

In a few minutes,

you have to introduce

your husband to the country.

Mom!

Come on in. The man said

we make our speeches next.

He said not to be nervous.

I'm not nervous, Mom.

Are you?

Judge, your big moment.

Okay.

Relatives listening.

Grandpappy staying up to hear.

Put the children to bed.

They're not making any speech.

But Mommy?

What are you

talking about?

Wait a minute.

Great gosh Almighty, Mary.

They're not going on.

Mary, what's the matter?

What's happened here?

And I am not going on either.

What?

I am not tight, Kay.

Not anymore.

Not after watching

you vultures picking

at Grant's dead body.

And if that wasn't enough

to sober me up,

the sight of my children did.

Mary...

I am not going on. I can't.

To millions of people

I am suppose to say

I know my husband

to be honest,

uncompromising, fearless.

I could've said that

once and meant it,

but not anymore.

Not after he met up with you,

Jim Conover, and you,

and you, and you,

and you, Kay Thorndyke.

You and your mad ambition.

Catering to his conceit,

dealing and double-dealing.

You were going to make

a big man of him, weren't you?

You couldn't see

that he was a big man.

You killed him.

That won't be Grant Matthews

those people hear tonight.

It'll be a shadow, a ghost,

a stooge mouthing words

that aren't yours,

thoughts that aren't your own.

You've killed Grant Matthews,

and he's a party

to his own murder.

Well, I won't be.

You wanted a cause,

you've got one.

A cause of lies, fear,

and corruption.

Hallelujah.

There goes the ball game.

She's gone crazy!

She called us a lot of crooks.

What did you expect her

to say? It's the truth.

What do you mean...

We don't have to

kid ourselves, do we?

She has the right to say

what she thinks.

That's how I want her to be.

I'm going after

the nomination.

That's what we've all

been working for.

Where's Mary?

The kids are on next.

The kids aren't going on.

Neither is Mary.

Tell that quartet

to sing again.

Come on, sit down here.

You're going on

in Mary's place.

One of the kids is sick.

You're a friend of the family.

Emergency.

You've stepped in

to read Mary's speech.

Change the word... here.

Don't let Kay

take your place now.

Leave me alone, Spike.

You love Grant Matthews.

That big mug

is your whole life.

You know you do.

If you don't get in there now,

you're going to lose him.

Spike? Spike?

Mary, take it from a guy

who knows his horseflesh.

Grant Matthews loves you.

Deep down, he loves you.

He's just run into

a blind spot, that's all.

Spike MacManus.

Kay's being stupid.

She's trying to put Grant

into the White House.

The one place

she can't follow him.

And you, you're trying

to keep him out of it.

Out where the hunting is open,

out where Kay can grab him.

Be smart, Mary.

If Grant is elected,

you'll be the first lady

in more ways than one.

Are you going to throw that

out of the window?

It's too late, Spike.

Okay, Mary.

I had the idea you were still

in love with him.

Looks like the old MacManus

crystal ball finally cracked.

All right, read it.

Like any mother,

Mrs. Matthews thinks

a sick child

more important

than any broadcast.

She's remaining upstairs

with her daughter.

Her speech will be read

by a friend and neighbor.

This is what Mary Matthews

wanted to say.

Great, every woman in America

will be bawling.

Grant, you follow me.

Give it everything you've got.

Does anybody

listen to me?

Ladies and gentlemen,

Mrs. Grant Matthews.

"This is Mary Matthews.

"I am prejudiced

in my husband's

favor naturally.

"Though I know

he has his faults.

"He likes the morning paper

all to himself at breakfast

"and a toothache

becomes a world crisis.

"I guess he's much

like all husbands in that."

She's marvelous, Grant.

"But all in all,

he's quite a man,

Grant Matthews.

"A good father

and a good husband,

"but I see in him

more than that.

"I see a man who is honest,

uncompromising,

"fearless, a man

of great vision

and enormous courage."

Mary?

"Above all, my Grant...

Mary, stop it!

Stop it! Stop it!

What happened to you?

What changed you?

I thought you were

going to stay honest.

we'll resume

from the Matthews' home...

Ladies and gentlemen,

this is Grant Matthews.

I am sorry to interrupt

but I can't take

any more of this.

Don't you shut me off.

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Anthony Veiller

Anthony Veiller (23 June 1903 – 27 June 1965) was an American screenwriter and film producer. The son of the screenwriter Bayard Veiller and the English actress Margaret Wycherly, Anthony Veiller wrote for 41 films between 1934 and 1964. more…

All Anthony Veiller scripts | Anthony Veiller Scripts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "State of the Union" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/state_of_the_union_18829>.

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