The Founder

INT. ED’S DRIVE-IN - KITCHEN - DAY

The kitchen of a drive-in restaurant outside St. Louis. It’s

1954. Traveling salesman RAY KROC (52) stands before a sample

MIXING MACHINE, making his pitch to the OWNER.

RAY KROC:

Now, I know what you’re thinking:

“What the heck do I need a five-

spindle for? I barely sell enough

shakes to justify my single

spindle.” Right? Wrong.

(BEAT)

Mr. Paulsen, are you familiar with

the notion of the chicken and the

egg? I mention it because I believe

it’s applicable here: Do you not

need a Multimixer because you’re

not selling enough milk shakes? Or

are you not selling enough milk

shakes because you don’t have a

Multimixer? I firmly believe it’s

the latter. You see, your

customers, they know that if they

order a shake from your

establishment, it’s going to be a

terrific wait. They’ve ordered one

before, and by golly they’re not

gonna make that mistake again. But

if you had, say, a Prince Castle-

brand five-spindle Multimixer with

patented direct-drive electric

motor, you could greatly increase

your ability to produce delicious,

frosty milk shakes fast. And before

long, mark my words, dollars to

donuts, you’d be selling more of

those suckers than you can shake a

stick at. Increase supply, demand

will follow. Chicken and the egg.

You follow my logic? Of course you

do. You’re a bright, forward-

thinking fella who knows a good

idea when he hears it.

(BEAT)

So whaddaya say?

ON THE OWNER-- pondering thoughtfully.

OWNER:

Nah.

(BEAT)

Thanks anyway.

2.

EXT. ED’S DRIVE-IN - PARKING LOT - SHORT TIME LATER

Kroc lugs the heavy Mulitmixer back to his car. He lifts it

into the trunk, wincing from his bad back.

INT. KROC’S CAR - MOMENTS LATER

Kroc sits in his car checking his APPOINTMENT BOOK. His next

sales call:
DEE DEE’S DRIVE-IN - 1 P.M.

He checks his watch. It’s 12:05. He turns on the car, pulls

into a customer spot in front of Ed’s Drive-In.

He looks at the MENU BOARD, taking in the vast, seemingly

random assortment of items: BBQ beef sandwiches, hot tamales,

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chili dogs, etc.

INT. KROC’S CAR - SHORT TIME LATER

Kroc sits in his car, waiting for his food. He looks at his

watch. It’s 12:50. He lets out a heaving, exasperated sigh.

KROC’S POV, the view out his windshield: a rowdy TEEN-HANGOUT

SCENE. Rock-and-roll blasting from cars; female CARHOPS on

rollerskates dodging grabby male patrons; leather-jacketed,

cigarette-smoking hoodlums smacking each other around.

Kroc is the oldest customer by a mile--and seemingly the only

one with anywhere to be. He HONKS his horn, summoning his

CARHOP. She comes skating over holding a tray of Cokes.

RAY KROC:

Miss, how much longer?

CARHOP GIRL:

Should be any minute.

RAY KROC:

You said that 20 minutes ago.

CARHOP GIRL:

I’m sorry, we’re real-

She JUMPS-SQUEALS, startled. The tray of Cokes goes flying

into the car, SPILLING ALL OVER KROC’S LAP. Several glasses

and plates fall on the ground, SHATTERING.

Carhop Girl spins around, sees a GUY behind her cracking up.

He just pinched her butt.

3.

CARHOP:

Dennis!

(re:
Kroc, soaked)

Look what you made me do!

DENNIS:

Sorry, gramps.

Dennis scampers off toward his pack of laughing friends. The

carhop goes chasing after him, mad but not actually mad.

ON KROC-- looking down at the pool of bubbly brown liquid in

his lap. He HONKS, leans out the window.

RAY KROC:

Could I get some napkins?

No one hears him.

INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

ANGLE ON the pants drying on the shower’s curtain rod.

RAY KROC (O.S.)

It’s going great.

CUT TO:
the NEXT ROOM. Kroc sitting on the bed, on the phone.

RAY KROC (CONT’D)

Lot of good leads today. Real

strong leads.

Through the phone, a tiny passive-aggressive sigh.

RAY KROC (CONT’D)

(prickly)

What?

ETHEL KROC (O.S.)

Nothing. That’s wonderful.

RAY KROC:

There’s tremendous interest.

ETHEL KROC (O.S.)

I’m sure there is.

RAY KROC:

You don’t believe me?

ETHEL KROC (O.S.)

Of course, Ray. Why wouldn’t I?

4.

SHORT TIME LATER-

Kroc sits on the edge of the bed, roiling from the call. He

takes off his shirt, undressing for bed. His bare torso bears

numerous surgery scars: heart, gall bladder, etc.

He reaches over to the night stand, grabs a fifth of Canadian

Club. Unscrews the cap.

SHORT TIME LATER-

Kroc, in pajamas, stands before a PORTABLE PHONOGRAPH. He

drops the needle on a record.

SHORT TIME LATER-

Kroc lies in bed in the darkened room, eyes closed. A

soothing baritone fills the air-

RECORD (O.S.)

Nothing in the world can take the

place of persistence. Talent will

not; nothing is more common than

unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius

is almost a proverb.

ANGLE ON record sleeve next to the phonograph: “THE POWER OF

THE POSITIVE” BY DR. CLARENCE FLOYD NELSON

RECORD (CONT’D)

Education will not; the world is

full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone

are omnipotent.

QUICK CUTS to other snippets of the record:

RECORD (CONT’D)

So I grabbed that brush, and I

shined up those boots so bright,

Pastor Walker could see his

reflection in them!

Later-

RECORD (CONT’D)

The lesson there being, it’s not

what you do but how you do it. Any

job worth doing is worth doing

well.

5.

Later-

RECORD (CONT’D)

As I like to say, it’s not the size

of the dog in the fight, it’s the

size of the fight in the dog.

Later-

RECORD (CONT’D)

Misfortune is just a stepping stone

to fortune.

Later-

RECORD (CONT’D)

And I said to myself, “Clarence,

you’ve got to muddle through this!”

Later-

RECORD (CONT’D)

How a man handles adversity is the

true measure of a man.

Later-

RECORD (CONT’D)

Heck, anyone can paddle in a

sunshower!

INT. JOE’S DRIVE-IN - KITCHEN - NEXT DAY

The kitchen of another drive-in, Kroc pitching to the OWNER.

The scene is virtually identical to the previous day’s.

RAY KROC:

Increase supply, demand will

follow. Chicken and the egg. You

follow my logic? Of course you do.

You’re a bright, forward-thinking

fella who knows a good idea when he

hears it.

(BEAT)

So whaddaya say?

EXT. PARKING LOT - SHORT TIME LATER

Kroc lugs the sample Multimixer back to his car.

6.

INT. KROC’S CAR - SHORT TIME LATER

Kroc is pulled up to a customer spot in front of Joe’s Drive-

In. The scene before him is very much like the one at Ed’s

Drive-In, a riot of teenage rowdiness.

He looks at his watch. It’s 12:45. He HONKS, shouting out to

no one in particular:

RAY KROC:

Could someone tell me when my...

He trails off as a female CARHOP approaches with a tray. She

hooks the tray onto his car door.

CARHOP:

Enjoy.

She heads off. He lifts the cover off his plate, primed to

dig in. His face falls at the sight of the hamburger beneath.

He leans out the window, honks.

RAY KROC:

I ordered the barbecued beef!

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