Trumbo Page #3

DALTON TRUMBO:

No, we have a good government. But

anything good can be better, don’t

you think?

NIKI:

Is Mom a Communist?

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 12.

CONTINUED:

DALTON TRUMBO:

No.

NIKI:

Am I?

DALTON TRUMBO:

Let’s give you the official test.

Mom packs your favorite lunch...

NIKI:

Salami.

DALTON TRUMBO:

...and you see someone at school

with no lunch -- what do you do?

NIKI:

Share?

DALTON TRUMBO:

You don’t tell them to get a job?

NIKI:

(aware she’s being teased)

No.

DALTON TRUMBO:

Offer a loan at six percent?

NIKI:

Dad.

DALTON TRUMBO:

Then just ignore them.

NIKI:

No.

He studies his oldest daughter with great affection.

DALTON TRUMBO:

Well, well. You little Commie.

INT. EDWARD G. ROBINSON’S MANSION - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Elegant, tasteful, its walls glowing colorfully with: Six

spotlit French Impressionist paintings. Seated under a

Renoir, Trumbo is debating with Robinson and a small

gathering of DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS, ACTORS and WRITERS.

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 13.

CONTINUED:

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Trumbo, as usual, you only make

sense to you. Let ’em call you a

Communist, me a Democrat -- both

legitimate parties, yours is just

meaner and duller but nothing

illegal about any of it.

DALTON TRUMBO:

Yet.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Hunter, tell your friend to dial

down the paranoia and have a drink.

This to screenwriter IAN McLELLAN HUNTER, 32, quick mind, sad

eyes, sharp wit, always puffing on a pipe:

IAN MCLELLAN HUNTER

I don’t think he’s being paranoid

enough.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Not you, too.

Trumbo pulls several booklets of mimeoed paper from a valise.

DALTON TRUMBO:

I’ve drawn up a little pamphlet.

(passing them out)

Subject:
“Congress Unaware of

Little Thing Called First

Amendment.”

ARLEN HIRD (O.S.)

They’re aware...

Everyone turns to the man saying:

ARLEN HIRD (CONT’D)

...they just don’t give a sh*t.

ARLEN HIRD is 40s, caustic, dyspeptic; the BUTLER offering

him a canape, which he waves off --

ARLEN HIRD (CONT’D)

All they care about is this nice,

new war of theirs -- these guys

love war -- and this is a great

one, scary, vague and expensive.

Anybody for it’s a hero, anybody

against it’s a traitor.

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 14.

CONTINUED:
(2)

DALTON TRUMBO:

And anybody who thinks it’s about

movies is an idiot. Which is why

I’m going to go have a chat with

the other side.

IAN MCLELLAN HUNTER

You don’t mean the Alliance.

DALTON TRUMBO:

I do.

A CHORUS of disbelieving MOANS and startled LAUGHS.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Are you out of your mind -- ?

DALTON TRUMBO:

They’re actors, writers, directors,

just like us --

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

They’re Nazis, they’re just too

cheap to buy the uniforms -

IAN MCLELLAN HUNTER

They invited Congress out here -

DALTON TRUMBO:

(to the room at large)

And are they all Sam Wood and Hedda

Hopper? Let’s not demonize people

we don’t really know.

ARLEN HIRD:

Go for it. Be fun. ’Cause ya know

who you’re gonna be talkin’ to?

JOHN WAYNE (PRE-LAP)

I wanna say one thing about a place

I love. No, not Hollywood...

And WE REVEAL WE’RE -

INT. HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT HOTEL - BANQUET ROOM - NIGHT

JOHN WAYNE:

...I like Hollywood...

Alone on stage, John Wayne, six-feet, four inches of bass-

voiced movie icon.

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 15.

CONTINUED:

JOHN WAYNE (CONT’D)

...but I love America!

As WE REVEAL a sign near the stage announcing this is:

THE MOTION PICTURE ALLIANCE FOR THE PRESERVATION

OF AMERICAN IDEALS

WE SEE the HUGE CROWD of movie pros, from below-the-line crew

to above-the-line stars, all CHEERING and APPLAUDING Wayne.

JOHN WAYNE (CONT’D)

And when we talk about America I’m

talking about freedom! The kinda

freedom we just fought a world war

to save! You wanna be a Commie, go

be a Commie... but some friends of

mine in Washington think you got

some questions to answer!

AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM

Trumbo, Hird, Hunter and Edward G. Robinson all stand,

studying Wayne, awed and disturbed by his power.

IAN MCLELLAN HUNTER

I never knew he was this good.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

’Cause he’s not acting, that’s him.

UP ON STAGE:

Wayne’s voice RISES with the MOB’S CHEERS.

JOHN WAYNE:

Still wanna be a Commie? Be a

Commie! In Russia! But off ya go

’n’ enjoy the Bolshoi Ballet!

INT. HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT HOTEL - LOBBY - LATER THAT NIGHT

Trumbo, Hird, Robinson and Hunter offer copies of Trumbo’s

pamphlet to THOSE who ignore or shoot them dirty looks. Or

put on their hats and throw smug smiles. Including --

SAM WOOD:

(as he accepts a pamphlet)

Do svidaniya.

Russian for “goodbye,” as he tears it to shreds.

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 16.

CONTINUED:

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

This? Is a nightmare.

IAN MCLELLAN HUNTER

If it were, I’d be in bed.

An elegantly turned out, in-the-flesh Hedda Hopper

approaches.

HEDDA HOPPER:

Hello, Dalton.

DALTON TRUMBO:

Hedda, here you are, of course.

Good evening to you.

HEDDA HOPPER:

Eddie, darling.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Hedda. New hat?

HEDDA HOPPER:

Daily, dear, daily.

(to Trumbo)

Been to the movies lately?

(before he can answer)

Duke!

John Wayne has crossed the room with IATSE Union Leader ROY

BREWER, 40, jowly, jovial and shrewd.

HEDDA HOPPER (CONT’D)

Wasn’t he? Mag. Nificent.

JOHN WAYNE:

Just sayin’ what needs sayin’.

(then)

Hiya, Eddie.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Duke.

JOHN WAYNE:

Hear you ’n’ your pals got a

“pamphlet.” Any takers?

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

Not yet...

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 17.

CONTINUED:
(2)

ARLEN HIRD:

(offers one to Wayne)

Would you like one? We’re

Communists.

EDWARD G. ROBINSON

(shrugs)

He’s a writer.

JOHN WAYNE:

(to Robinson)

Ya won’t get any takers. Not here.

DALTON TRUMBO:

Why not?

Wayne now turns and regards an affable Trumbo.

DALTON TRUMBO (CONT’D)

All it says is, Congress has no

right to investigate how we vote,

where we pray, what we think, say

or make movies about.

(holds out the pamphlet)

Hello, I’m Dalton Trumbo.

JOHN WAYNE:

(takes the pamphlet)

Congress has the right to go after

anything they think is a threat.

DALTON TRUMBO:

We disagree. That’s the point --

we both have the right to be wrong.

A LOOSE, CURIOUS GROUP has begun to gather, sensing trouble.

JOHN WAYNE:

You wanna talk about rights, first

show me whose side you’re on.

Russia’s no friend, not anymore.

You better wake up.

(then)

’Cause it’s a new day. A new day.

DALTON TRUMBO:

And?

JOHN WAYNE:

Maybe it’s not for your kind.

DALTON TRUMBO:

My kind, what kind is that?

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 18.

CONTINUED:
(3)

JOHN WAYNE:

Kind that has no idea why we just

won a war.

Wayne crumples Trumbo’s pamphlet, tosses it and starts off.

DALTON TRUMBO:

That’s the second time you’ve

brought that up. I was a war

correspondent in Okinawa -

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