The Majestic Page #7

with you.

If I should not come back, know that

I will never truly leave you.

Should you be walking years from now

on a spring day...

...and feel a warm breeze

graze your cheek...

...that warm breeze will be me,

giving you a kiss.

Remember, finally, above all...

...that I love you.

Luke.

Mr. Appleton?

Are you a Communist?

Anything you want to say?

The Committee will come to order.

Well have order in the chamber!

Let me begin by saying

we have a full agenda.

I admonish those here to view

testimony today to keep order...

...or this chamber will be cleared.

The witness will please stand

and raise his right hand.

Do you swear the testimony

youre about to give...

...will be the truth, the whole truth

and nothing but the truth?

-I do.

-Be seated.

State your full name and residence.

Peter Appleton, Hollywood, California.

Im informed you have a prepared

statement youd like to read.

-Yes, sir.

-Mr. Chairman...

...before he reads his statement,

Id like to ask a few questions.

Just to clear the air.

Americans deserve to know the extent

of the Communist conspiracy...

...that threatens our way of life.

We were told the witness would

be allowed to read a statement.

So he will, but hell answer

a few questions first.

Mr. Appleton, you mentioned

your home is Hollywood.

But for the last several months you

made your home in the town of Lawson?

Yes, thats true.

Have you ever met

an Albert Lucas Trimble?

No, sir.

Thats not possible.

Luke Trimble is dead.

That didnt prevent you from

masquerading as Luke while in Lawson.

Order!

I wasnt masquerading.

I was mistaken for Luke.

There was an accident.

Im sure anyone who reads the paper

is familiar with your accident.

An accident which came hard upon

being named by this Committee.

What I find hard to understand is why

you were in such a hurry to leave L.A.

One might view that

as a flight from authority.

I wasnt fleeing, sir.

I simply went for a drive and had

an accident that affected my memory.

Order!

What is the state of your memory now?

-My memory is fine.

-Im glad to hear that.

You might recall the item before you.

Its the attendance roster for

the Bread Instead of Bullets Club...

...dated October 3rd, 1945.

Referring to line 37, does your name

and signature appear there?

-It does.

-Mr. Appleton...

...tell us about

the Bread Instead of Bullets Club.

If the Committee will note line 36

of the document.

-"Lucille Angstrom"?

-I was courting Miss Angstrom.

I attended the meeting

only to be with her.

Are you asking us to believe

you attended a meeting...

...of a Communist organization

because of a girl?

Yes, sir.

Even someone like yourself

must be familiar with the concept.

-Please confine your answers.

-Im sorry.

Im having trouble reconciling

your testimony here.

Youre prepared to purge yourself

of Communist ties.

Yet when questioned, you claim

not to have gone as a member.

-I didnt.

-Then what did you attend as?

Im hesitant to say.

You agreed to be forthcoming.

I insist you do so.

Well, I went as...

...a horny young man.

Order in the chamber!

Order!

He doesnt want to spar

with these boys.

-Theyll eat him alive.

-Yes, they will.

Good.

Believe me, you do not want

to incur our wrath!

What is the purpose of this?

Mr. Appleton came here

to cooperate fully with you.

Yet hes treated as a hostile witness.

Point taken. Lets cut to the chase

and have him read his statement.

If hes not pleading the 5th,

I do have further questions.

Elvin.

Lets not open this any further.

I want this little turd to read

his statement and get out of here.

The Committee sees no cause

for further questions.

Mr. Appleton may proceed

with his statement.

"I, Peter Appleton...

...by way of purging myself...

...of my indiscretions...."

Mr. Appleton?

Im sorry, Mr. Chairman.

I think I need some water.

Go ahead, son.

I cant do this.

Ill make this simple.

You read that statement,

or go straight to jail for contempt.

-Jail?

-Jail.

Just read the damn statement.

"I, Peter Appleton...."

Mr. Appleton, the Committees patience

is wearing thin.

I understand that, Mr. Chairman.

Im sorry.

Im sorry.

It occurs to me theres a bigger issue

than whether or not Im a Communist.

Bigger issue?

There is no bigger issue.

Actually, not to be contrary,

I think there is.

Gosh, I dont quite know what to say.

Fact is, I....

Ive never been a man

of great conviction.

I never saw the percentage in it.

And quite frankly...

...I suppose...

...I lacked the courage.

See, Im not like Luke Trimble.

He had the market cornered

on those things.

I never met the guy, but I feel

like Ive gotten to know him.

The thing is, I cant help wondering

what hed say...

...if he were standing here right now.

I think hed probably tell you...

...the America represented

in this room...

...is not the America

he died defending.

I think hed say your America

is bitter...

...and cruel and small.

Come to order!

I know his America was big.

Bigger than you can imagine!

With a wide-open heart!

Where every person has a voice!

Even if you dont like

what they say--

Enough! You are out of order!

If he were here,

I wonder how youd respond...

...if you could explain to him

what happened to his America.

You are skating

on the edge of contempt!

Thats the first thing

Ive heard today that I agree with!

My client is clearly under

an enormous strain as a result...

...of the questioning of Mr. Clyde.

Hes not responsible for his comments.

-We wish to invoke the 5th Amendment.

-No, we dont.

-We do.

-No, we dont, so knock it off!

Shut up and let me get through this.

The 5th Amendment is off the table.

But there is another Amendment

Id like to invoke.

I wonder if anyone here

is familiar with it.

"Congress shall make no law respecting

an establishment of religion."

Youre out of order!

"Shall make no law...

-...respecting--"

-My chamber will come to order!

"An establishment of religion...

...or prohibiting

free exercise thereof...

...or abridging freedom of speech,

or of the press...

....or of the right to petition

for a redress of grievances."

Do not presume to lecture

this Committee!

The First Amendment. Its what

were about, if wed live up to it.

Let him talk. Hes hanging himself.

Its part of the contract

every citizen has here.

Even though the Constitution

and the Bill of Rights...

...are just pieces of paper

with signatures on them...

...theyre the only contracts we have

that are definitely not subject...

...to renegotiation.

-Not by you, Mr. Chairman.

-Mr. Appleton!

-Not by you, Mr. Clyde.

-Stand down!

Not by anyone, ever.

Too many people have paid in blood.

Enough, sir! You are out of order!

People like Luke Trimble...

...and all the sons

of Lawson, California.

Damn right.

And they deserve better than this.

All you boys do.

I will have order

or I will clear this chamber!

When you get

right down to it, fellas...

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