The Founder Page #7

Dick’s eyes go to the U.S. map. A whole country, just waiting

to be filled in with push pins.

37.

DICK MCDONALD:

I can’t put you through that again.

ON MAC-- looking at Dick gazing longingly at the map.

MAC MCDONALD:

I know how bad you want this. You

should have it.

DICK MCDONALD:

Last time, you very nearly wound

up——

MAC MCDONALD:

We’ll do it different this time.

Learn from our mistakes.

DICK MCDONALD:

How so?

MAC MCDONALD:

We keep a much tighter leash. Total

oversight, every change has to go

through us.

DICK MCDONALD:

Who says he’s gonna listen?

MAC MCDONALD:

We draw up a contract. Lay it out,

clear as day in black and white.

ON DICK-- pondering. Seemingly warming to the idea.

MAC MCDONALD (CONT’D)

Whaddaya say?

INT. LAW FIRM - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

Ray Kroc sits across a table from the brothers and their

LAWYER. Kroc is skimming through a BIG FAT CONTRACT. Full of

clauses and sections and paragraphs.

ANGLE ON contract. Amidst a wall of legalese:

...ANY AND ALL MODIFICATIONS TO THE SPEEDEE SYSTEM OR ANY

MCDONALD FRANCHISE, EITHER PHYSICAL OR CONCEPTUAL, MUST BE

FORMALLY SUBMITTED IN WRITING FOR APPROVAL BY BOTH RICHARD

MCDONALD AND MAURICE MCDONALD...

RAY KROC (O.S.)

Fine.

38.

Kroc has a rushed air about him, eager to get to the dotted

line. He continues skimming. A glimpse of another page:

...KROC SHALL RECEIVE ONE AND NINE-TENTHS PERCENT (1.9%) OF

NET PROFITS GENERATED BY FRANCHISEE(S), WITH ONE-HALF OF ONE

PERCENT (0.5%) OF SAID NET PROFITS PAID TO RICHARD MCDONALD

AND MAURICE MCDONALD...

RAY KROC (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Fine.

SHORT TIME LATER-

Three copies of the contract are laid out before Kroc, open

to the last page. The brothers’ lawyer slides him a fountain

pen. He readily signs in triplicate.

RAY KROC (PRE-LAP)

We are a dynamic, fast-growing

company.

INT. MIDWAY SAVINGS & LOAN - DAY (ONE MONTH LATER)

Kroc, dressed in his best suit and tie, sits across from a

LOAN OFFICER.

RAY KROC:

And now, we’re poised to make major

inroads nationally.

The loan officer looks at a set of BLUEPRINTS on his desk

titled MCDONALD’S #6 - DES PLAINES, ILL.

RAY KROC (CONT’D)

In addition to giving us a foothold

in the Midwest, the Des Plaines

location will serve as a lure for

prospective franchisees.

The loan officer looks over the blueprint. Something catches

his eye.

LOAN OFFICER:

What are those?

Kroc follows his gaze to the arches. He smiles proudly.

RAY KROC:

Oh, that’s just my little way of

separating us from the pack. “The

Golden Arches”, I call ‘em.

39.

The loan officer picks up a bound prospectus prepared by

Kroc. Artist renderings, projected earnings, etc.

ON KROC-- anxiously watching as he leafs through it.

RAY KROC (CONT’D)

(filling the air)

There’s nothing like it in the

entire food-service sector.

The loan officer looks up from the materials.

LOAN OFFICER:

You look familiar. Have we met?

RAY KROC:

(a drop uneasy)

I don’t believe so.

ON LOAN OFFICER, staring, determined to place the face. He

snaps his fingers-

LOAN OFFICER:

The Fold-A-Nook!

(hint of smirk)

“It’s Like A Murphy Bed... For Your

Kitchen!”

EXT. MIDWAY SAVINGS & LOAN - MOMENTS LATER

Kroc exits the bank in defeat.

INT. ILLINOIS FIRST FEDERAL - LATER

Kroc sits across from another LOAN OFFICER, watching as he

looks over the prospectus.

RAY KROC:

There’s nothing like it in the

entire food-service sector.

The officer looks up at Kroc.

LOAN OFFICER #2

Have we met?

The man searches his face. Kroc squirms.

LOAN OFFICER #2 (CONT’D)

The paper-cup guy.

ON KROC-- silent a long beat.

40.

RAY KROC:

(embarrassed, broken)

Among many other things.

The loan officer stares at Kroc, taking in his vulnerable,

Willy Loman-esque visage. A wave of compassion/pity comes

over him.

LOAN OFFICER #2

I tell you what. Let me refer you

to one of my colleagues. Somebody

who may be better suited to meet

your needs.

A FEW DESKS DOWN - MOMENTS LATER

Kroc sits before a different LOAN OFFICER. The man is filling

out an APPLICATION FORM for Kroc.

LOAN OFFICER:

Address?

RAY KROC:

143 Juniper Road, Arlington

Heights, Illinois.

ANGLE ON the form as the man fills in Kroc’s address. It’s a

HOME-MORTGAGE LOAN APPLICATION. A desk plaque tells us this

is HARVEY PELTZ - HOME MORTGAGE REPRESENTATIVE.

HARVEY PELTZ:

Home telephone number?

RAY KROC:

Let me give you my office number.

Kroc glances at his WEDDING RING.

RAY KROC (CONT’D)

That’s the best place to reach me.

INT. KROC’S OFFICE - DAY

ANGLE ON blueprints for the Des Plaines McDonald’s covering

Kroc’s walls.

RAY KROC (O.S.)

Did you schedule the stakeout with

the engineer?

JUNE MARTINO (O.S.)

All set.

41.

ON KROC-- at his desk, plowing through a lengthy to-do list

as June takes notes.

RAY KROC:

Where are we at on fire department

approval for driveway design?

JUNE MARTINO:

Left a message yesterday.

RAY KROC:

Call again. Excavation permit?

JUNE MARTINO:

Meeting with them today.

RAY KROC:

Insurers?

JUNE MARTINO:

I left a message yesterday.

RAY KROC:

Call again. What about the zoning

office?

JUNE MARTINO:

All set. On file with the city.

RAY KROC:

San Bernardino?

JUNE MARTINO:

I just spoke to Dick. He says

they’re working on it.

RAY KROC:

Working on it?

He lets out a heaving, irritated sigh.

RAY KROC (CONT’D)

It’s been a week.

INT. MCDONALD’S (SAN BERNARDINO) - OFFICE - SHORT TIME LATER

Dick is at his desk. An EMPLOYEE sticks his head in.

EMPLOYEE:

Ray Kroc, line one.

DICK MCDONALD:

Hiya, Ray.

42.

RAY KROC (O.S.)

You boys are killing me.

INT. KROC’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

(Intercut as necessary.)

RAY KROC:

What’s the hold up? I break ground

in two weeks.

DICK MCDONALD:

These things take time. You’re

proposing substantial alterations.

RAY KROC:

I’m adding a basement and furnace.

DICK MCDONALD:

We need our architect to thoroughly

review it to make sure everything’s

safe and up to code.

RAY KROC:

Has he looked at it yet?

DICK MCDONALD:

I’m not sure, to be honest.

RAY KROC:

I can’t afford to let this drag.

DICK MCDONALD:

Ray, you need to take a breath. It

hasn’t even been a week.

RAY KROC:

I’ve got bulldozers rolling up on

the 23rd.

DICK MCDONALD:

I’m not the one who scheduled that.

RAY KROC:

Do you have any idea what it’d cost

me to push?

DICK MCDONALD:

Hopefully, it won’t come to that.

43.

RAY KROC:

Every restaurant in the Midwest has

a basement and a furnace. This is

standard stuff.

DICK MCDONALD:

I understand. But you have to

understand, it’s our name on that

building. God forbid the floor

caves in and people get hurt or

worse because of some design flaw

we missed, we’re the ones on the

hook. So let’s just slow down a

minute and make sure it’s done the

right way. Alright?

ON KROC-- pondering Dick’s words of reason.

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