The King's Speech Page #4

LIONEL:

"Now..."

Falters, begins again.

TKS/Seidler/09/17/08 14.

LIONEL (CONT'D)

"Now is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer by this sun of

York..."

His elocution is crisp and flawless. His acting, however, is

unconvincing.

LIONEL (CONT'D)

"And all the clouds that lour'd upon our

house

In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.

Now are our brows bound with victorious

wreaths..."

DIRECTOR:

(interrupts crisply)

Thank you. Beautiful diction...but I don't

hear the cries of a deformed creature

yearning to be King.

Lionel struggles to maintain a semblance of dignity.

LIONEL:

What do you suggest?

DIRECTOR:

Continue to do whatever you do, and hope it

gives you a great deal of satisfaction.

Crushed, Lionel retreats behind the curtain.

16 EXT. BUCKINGHAM PALACE - NEW EVENING 16

Cold and austere mausoleum illuminated by floodlights.

On the parade ground, Grenadier Guards in red coats and black

bearskin busbies drill stiffly like toy soldiers. Viewing stands

are beginning to fill.

The King's voice is heard:

KING GEORGE V (O.S.)

Stride boldly up to the bloody thing, stare

it square in the eye, and talk to it as you

would to any decent Englishman.

17 INT. THE KING'S STUDY, BUCKINGHAM PALACE - EVENING 17

The King's study resembles a naval captain's cabin. Both men

are uniformed for a state occasion. Bertie regards the BBC

microphone as though it were an alien.

TKS/Seidler/09/17/08 15.

BERTIE:

I d-d-don't thu-thu-think I c-c-can.

In the presence of his father, Bertie's stuttering returns in

full form, his breathing short and shallow, the muscles in

spasms.

KING GEORGE V:

Show who's in command. If you don't, this

devilish device will change everything.

Used to be, all a King had to do was look

reasonable in uniform and not fall off his

horse. Now we must creep cap in hand into

people's homes that smell of boiled

cabbage, and speak nicely to them. We're

reduced to that lowest, basest of all

creatures...we've become...actors! Don't

give me a look of defeated pathos. This is

a family crisis!

BERTIE:

Father, we're not a family, we're a firm.

His father shoots Bertie a surprised look. Does the lad have a

brain after all?

KING GEORGE V:

We're the oldest, most successful,

corporation in the world and sitting on

thrones is our business! But any moment now

we may be out of work. Your brother came to

me the other day, livid a certain lady has

been refused an invitation to my Silver

Jubilee. I pointed out she wasn't a lady

and most definitely wasn't his wife.

BERTIE:

What did David say?

KING GEORGE V:

She made him sublimely happy. I said: that

was probably because she was sleeping with

him. "I give you my word we've never had

immoral relations." "As my son, as Prince

of Wales, as my heir, do you solemnly swear

your friendship with this woman is an

absolutely clean one?" "I do", he said.

"Look me in the eye," I said. "On my

honour" he said. Stared straight at his

father... and lied.

BERTIE:

Oh my brother...

TKS/Seidler/09/17/08 16.

KING GEORGE V:

When I'm dead that boy will ruin himself,

this family, and this nation, within twelve

months. Who'll pick up the pieces? David's

friend, Oswald Mosley? His black-shirt

British Union of Fascists are marching

through London. Hitler terrorizing half of

Europe, Stalin the other half. Who'll stand

between us, the jackboots, and the

proletarian abyss? You?

A red light attached to the mike begins a series of warning

blinks.

BERTIE:

What're you going to say?

KING GEORGE V:

The usual guff. The Archbishop writes it.

My people love to hear me say it. Spoken

fluently, of course.

They're interrupted by the entrance of the BBC News Reader and

Technicians.

KING GEORGE V (CONT'D)

That's the chap who taught me how to use

this contraption. You touch your chin with

your thumb and the `thing' with the end of

your little finger. Splendid fellow.

SQUISH. Assisted by the Technicians, the News Reader sprays his

throat.

BBC NEWS READER:

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is

the BBC, broadcasting direct from

Buckingham Palace upon the occasion of the

Royal Silver Jubilee. His Majesty: King

George the Fifth.

KING GEORGE V:

(to the mike)

"I can only say to you, my very very dear

people, that the Queen and I thank you from

the depths of our hearts for all the

loyalty and - may I say so? - the love with

which this day and always you have

surrounded us. I dedicate myself anew to

your service for all the years that may

still be given to me."

The News Reader, terribly moved, whispers to his Technicians:

TKS/Seidler/09/17/08 17.

BBC NEWS READER:

That's how a King speaks.

(adds with splendid false

modesty)

I showed HM how to do it.

18 EXT. BUCKINGHAM PALACE - NIGHT 18

The edge of the crowd is visible. One can sense a vast sea of

humanity. When the glass doors of the upper balcony open the

murmur becomes a ROAR. When the King steps out, it becomes

tumultuous.

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