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.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
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)
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.
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
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)
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)
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)
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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"Trumbo" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/trumbo_578>.
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