Trumbo Page #8

INT. U.S. CAPITOL - ROTUNDA - DAY

Congressman Thomas moves with a small CLUSTER of many of the

same REPORTERS from Scene 30, all now his acolytes -

CONGRESSMAN THOMAS

...I’m going to introduce

legislation so in the event of

national emergency, all Communists

will be sent to internment camps...

REPORTER 2

Does the president support this?

CONGRESSMAN THOMAS

He’d better.

Stripling now appears at Thomas’ shoulder, WHISPERS in his

ear as he shows him a sheaf of monetary columns.

Both Stripling’s hushed, unheard words and the document’s top

sheet get Thomas’ full attention.

CONGRESSMAN THOMAS (CONT’D)

(to the Reporters)

Excuse me, gentleman.

He and Stripling peel off, away from the Reporters.

CONGRESSMAN THOMAS (CONT’D)

I’ve told you, Bob, these are

legitimate, salaried employees from

my home state -

STRIPLING:

What you didn’t tell me is, every

one of them is a relative.

CONGRESSMAN THOMAS

Which is completely legal.

STRIPLING:

Except none of them have paid

taxes.

(as Thomas tries to explain)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 43.

CONTINUED:

STRIPLING (CONT'D)

Don’t say anything else without a

lawyer.

EXT. LAZY-T RANCH - DAY

Cleo gets out of her car, carrying mail and The L.A. Times.

She walks past a half-finished addition, abandoned at

framing. She scans the front page of the paper.

CLEO:

(suddenly shaken)

...no...

JEFF, their contractor, sun-baked, 30s, has been waiting.

JEFF THE CONTRACTOR

Mrs. Trumbo? Ma’am, I gotta get

paid.

She looks up, truly at a loss.

JEFF THE CONTRACTOR (CONT’D)

Please, I got men with families.

CLEO:

Jeff. We owe everyone. But my

husband can’t get work.

Before Jeff can respond, Trumbo speeds up in his car and

skids to a stop and bounds out with two bottles of champagne.

DALTON TRUMBO:

(ecstatic once again)

We’re rich!

INT. LAZY-T RANCH - KITCHEN - DAY

Trumbo signs a check with a flourish and hands it to Jeff.

JEFF THE CONTRACTOR

Thanks. You sure lead exciting

lives. Boy.

He pockets it as Trumbo reaches for the champagne.

DALTON TRUMBO:

It sold, Cleo, Roman Holiday,

Paramount, credited to our dear

Hunter and what, what’s the matter?

CLEO:

Justice Rutledge died.

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 44.

CONTINUED:

DALTON TRUMBO:

No, Justice Murphy, last -

CLEO:

And Rutledge. This morning.

She hands him the Times. As he reads, she holds him.

INT. ROBERT KENNY’S LAW OFFICE - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

ROBERT KENNY:

The two most liberal judges on the

Supreme Court...

Trumbo, a still-frail Arlen Hird and members of The Ten sit

solemnly before a heartsick Kenny.

ROBERT KENNY (CONT’D)

...back to back. This is just...

He lets it hang in the air. A long, ten-man silence.

DALTON TRUMBO:

Well. I’ll be goddamned if I know

what to say.

ARLEN HIRD:

One upside, anyway.

ROBERT KENNY:

Our appeal’s gonna be denied.

You’re all going to prison.

INT. ROBERT KENNY’S LAW OFFICE - ELEVATOR - DAY

Trumbo helps Hird in. Hird pushes the button, then leans on

his cane.

Both men stare straight ahead as they descend. As sick as

Hird is, Trumbo is paler. He looks gutted. The CLANKING

descent seems eternal. Then:

ARLEN HIRD:

I wouldn’t change a thing. Not

one. Would you?

Trumbo considers this carefully before:

DALTON TRUMBO:

Let’s ask each other in a year.

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 45.

EXT. LOS ANGELES AIRFIELD - NIGHT

June, 1950. NO SOUND at first, just MUSIC as Trumbo, Cleo,

Niki, Chris, 9, and Mitzi, now 5, cross the tarmac to a

waiting DC-3 prop passenger plane. Suddenly aware of -

A CROWD gathering at the edge of the light, moving toward

them. Then, TWO PEOPLE raise a banner, the words spread out

on a sheet between two poles:

DALTON TRUMBO IS GOING TO JAIL! FREE THE HOLLYWOOD 10!

The crowd closes around the surprised Trumbos. Hands are

offered and shaken. More signs raised. More PEOPLE cluster.

Cameras are brought out and --

MOMENTS LATER - TRUMBO

Slightly embarrassed, is surrounded by family, well-wishers

and more huge, handwritten signs bearing his name and plight.

MINUTES AFTER THAT - A MONTAGE

Capturing the final, sad moments of Trumbo’s goodbye:

-Tiny Mitzi hugs Trumbo. She can’t be pried off.

-Trumbo whispers into Chris’ ear:

DALTON TRUMBO:

I’m counting on you. Your mother

needs to laugh. Once a day. At

least. Deal?

Chris nods and refuses to cry. Father and son shake hands.

-Trumbo hugs Niki.

DALTON TRUMBO (CONT’D)

Don’t be afraid.

NIKI:

I’m not.

She’s angry at herself for tearing up. Trumbo hands her his

silk pocket square.

-Trumbo kisses Cleo one last time on the lips.

-Trumbo is led off by TWO U.S. MARSHALS.

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 46.

CONTINUED:

-Trumbo is up on the ramp of the plane. A FLASHBULB POPS.

The moment is FROZEN into an old sepia photograph.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

The Trumbo family car rumbles home from the airport.

INT. TRUMBO FAMILY CAR - DRIVING - CONTINUOUS

In the backseat, Niki consoles Mitzi. Up front, Chris rides

alongside Cleo, who is driving. Everyone is grieving in

their own way. Then -

CLEO:

(suddenly blurting)

I was married before.

Well, this certainly gets the attention of all the kids.

CLEO (CONT’D)

Your father’s my second husband.

NIKI:

Holy sh*t.

CLEO:

Niki...

NIKI:

Mom, gimme a break, you can’t just

say that and not -

CLEO:

I’m saying it for a reason. When I

met your father, I had a boyfriend.

CHRIS:

What was his name?

CLEO:

Hal.

CHRIS:

Hal. Heh.

NIKI:

Did you love him?

CLEO:

That’s not the point.

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 47.

CONTINUED:

CHRIS:

What’d you think of Pop back then?

CLEO:

I couldn’t stand him.

NIKI:

So how’d you end up marrying him?

CLEO:

I was waitressing. He came in for

a hamburger, we talked a little, I

brought him the check and he

proposed.

CHRIS:

Seriously?

Cleo catches Niki’s look in the rear view, a smile that says,

that’s Pop.

CLEO:

I said he was crazy but he kept

coming back, night after night.

Talking and talking. And the tips!

On a ninety-cent check, he’d leave

ten dollars! After a year, I had

over a thousand dollars. I saved

every penny, I wasn’t going to let

him think he could buy me. But...

also... I just, I’d never met

anyone like him, ever, I couldn’t

stop thinking about him. And guess

who didn’t like that much?

NIKI:

Hal.

CLEO:

Hal. Who got mad, then jealous,

then went and got a wedding license

and a judge.

CHRIS:

That must’ve made Pop mad.

CLEO:

No. He just asked if I could see

myself with Hal in twenty years and

I burst into tears -- I couldn’t

see myself with him for twenty more

minutes. He was big and crude and

had all these rules...

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

TRUMBO - JOHN MCNAMARA 48.

CONTINUED:
(2)

CLEO (CONT'D)

(then)

Your father was such a good friend,

I’d never had anyone like him in my

life... and do you know what he

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