The Real King's Speech Page #4

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to help him.

The speech was made in the same room

where his father had delivered

his Christmas message.

They find an old desk,

they set it up in a room.

It's exactly the right height

for him to broadcast from because the

King likes to broadcast standing up.

This is because Logue wants to

encourage him to breathe deeply

from the diaphragm.

'Please stand by.'

I used to listen to the radio

with professional interest

because I knew

the difficulties he had.

We all listened with bated breath.

No more bated than my breath,

I tell you!

'Many of you will remember

'the Christmas broadcasts

of former years...

'when my father spoke

to his people...

'at home and overseas

'as the revered...

'..head of a great family...'

We listened with great respect

just because...b-because...

because it was a voice coming

from somewhere un-un-unknown.

And, um, like a sort of mystical

chief of a tribe or something.

Those agonising moments,

which must have been very intense

when you're listening to them over

a crackling wireless in the 1930s,

wondering whether the whole system

had gone down or not.

'..His words

'brought...'

And then, back he comes again.

'..happiness

'into the homes and into the hearts

'of listeners

'all over the world...'

I was listening to him,

outwardly willing him to...

make the right movements

of his mouth and teeth and lips.

'..I cannot aspire

'to take his place...'

I think Logue must-must have taught

the King to pause

and not mind if he pauses.

I mean, to take the pause.

'..During this unforgettable year,

'now drawing to its end...'

The slow and deliberate delivery

that Logue taught the King

had an unexpected benefit -

he spoke with gravitas

and the public soon warmed to him.

'..is a pledge that we shall...

'always keep.'

The King had invited Logue

to spend the whole of Christmas Day

with the Royal family.

I think that the very fact

that Lionel Logue was invited

to share the Royal family's Christmas

was a mark of his standing.

They really got to

know each other well.

They're not mates in the sense that

'two equals could be mates.

'There's always a degree of respect,

there's always a degree of distance.

'The King would write,

"My dear Logue" in his letters

'and Logue would

address him as Your Majesty.'

He never talked about the King.

Occasionally he'd say, "I had dinner

at the palace the other day."

'Logue was always discreet about

his relationship with the King.

'For a man who loved the stage,

'he seemed happy

to stay in the royal wings.'

There are still a lot of questions

about him that remain unanswered.

'How does an Australian elocution

teacher and am-dram fan

'go to becoming the speech therapist

to the King of England?'

# As we frolicked about

# From a girl came a shout

# Why, look there

All the men without trousers... #

We've had a very good show

here tonight...

..and I thank you all very much

and I wish you good night.

CHEERING:

'Logue used his elocution

and drama techniques

'in his speech therapy, but it

didn't work for all his patients.'

He certainly didn't cure me

and I don't think he...

I don't think he helped me

in my ordinary life.

'W-W-What Logue tried to

make me do was act it.'

(DRAMATICALLY) I hear I am accused of

being...the atrocious crime

of being a young man, you see.

(NORMAL VOICE) And what Logue

tried to do with me,

he tried to make me be an actor

or a politician,

who wants to sing, make a speech.

'But th-then I went out of

Logue's consulting room

'and I went back to my friends

and I said...'

(DRAMATICALLY) "Hello!

How have you been? Nice to see you!"

I thought, "Well, hell!

I would rather stammer, almost."

CROWD CHEERS:

'May 1938, Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow.'

(COMMENTATOR) 'For success is

the keynote of the opening speech

'by His Majesty the King.

'King George VI

opened the Empire Exhibition

'in front of a crowd of 100,000.'

Of the thousands of your subjects

gathered in this stadium,

and of a much greater audience

'The King's speech

was filmed that day,

'but the full extent

of his speech impediment

'was edited to make him appear

more fluent than he was.'

The Queen and I...

are very happy

to be in Scotland once more.

We shall see today,

the completion of a great scheme

whose inception we saw

when we were last...in Glasgow

ten months...ago.

'This is the longer version

of the speech,

'unissued and unused at the time.

'After years of work with Logue,

it visibly remained a struggle

'for the King to speak in public.

'Logue's former patients are going

to watch it for the first time.'

The Queen and I...

are very happy to be in Scotland

once more.

A whole...

A whole town...

of more...than 100...

individual...

..a-palaces...

..and pavilions.

This is a remarkable...

The movement of the tongue

to make a T-H, "th",

he wasn't doing.

..My first...

..a-word...

He finds W quite difficult.

"My first w-w-word."

He finds W quite difficult.

"My first w-w-word."

..must be one of praise...

..for...

..the enterprise...

..enthusiasm and hard work,

which have made it possible.

That's brilliant.

Brilliant.

The task has been shared...

by many people...

..those who have served

on the organising bodies...

..the Empire governments

which are taking part,

the directing staff,

and not least...

Breathe, breathe. Breathe.

Breathe, breathe. Breathe.

..the workmen.

It has been...

..performed...

(Performed.)

..willingly and whole-heartedly...

..by all

and I warmly congratulate them.

The exhibition...

is an Empire...

..undertaking,

but we do well to...remember...

..that it owes its origins...

..and to a great extent...

its execution,

to the people of Scotland.

It is a significant...effect

that...

..that the plans...

were being...

One of the things

about stammering is

one can never tellwhenone's

going to get stuck.

..when...

..a-when...

..this country...

..was still under the cloud

of a long industrial depression.

I have the greatest pleasure

in declaring it...open.

I would have said that that was

quite an extraordinary demonstration

of what he has had to overcome.

'Although people would realise

the King was, em,

'was h-having difficulties,'

they sort of wouldn't think...

he was m-m-making an ass of himself

b-b-because he wasn't

making an ass of himself -

he was just stopping...

and talking in a sort of

measured...way,

which did have its...

which did have its own...rhythm.

'12 years after the King

first saw Lionel Logue,

'this is the most enormous'

progress for a man

who was absolutely determined

to conquer this speech impediment.

'By 1939, war was imminent.

'The British public would need

not just a King,

'but a symbol of courage

and resolve.

'Could a king who stammered lead

his country in her darkest hour?'

RECORDING OF GEORGE VI:

'In this grave hour...

'..perhaps...the most fateful

in our history,

'I send...to every household

of my people,

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