SPEECH FROM A CLASSIC: MEET JOHN DOE Frank Capras Quintessential Everyman Delivers a Timeless Message (John Doe [Gary Cooper] reading speech) Ladies and gentlemen: I am the man you all know as John Doe. (clearing his throat) I took that name because it seems to describe—because it seems to describe (his voice unnatural) the average man, and thats me. (repeats, embarrassedly) And thats me. MED. SHOT: The COLONEL and MIKE. The COLONEL realizes JOHN is not going to make SPENCERS speech, and his face breaks into a broad grin. He takes MIKES hand and slaps the envelope into his palm. Over the shot we hear JOHNS voice. JOHNS VOICE Well, it was me—before I said I was gonna jump off the City Hall roof at midnight on Christmas Eve. Now, I guess Im not average any more. Now, Im getting all sorts of attention, from big shots, too. MED. SHOT: To include JOHN and ANN. MED. SHOT: Around SPENCER, as MIKE enters to him and hands him envelope. MIKE (whispering) Weve been double-crossed! SPENCER stares at the envelope, frothing at the mouth. SPENCER We have!? MED. SHOT: Featuring JOHN and ANN. JOHN The Mayor and the Governor, for instance. They dont like those articles Ive been writing. Suddenly they are startled by SPENCERs voice. SPENCERS VOICE Youre an imposter, young fella! Thats a pack of lies youre telling! QUICK FLASHES: Of reaction from audience, CONNELL and others. SPENCER Who wrote that speech for you? (pointing accusing finger at JOHN) CONNELL Beany, get that guy! MED. SHOT: Around SPENCER. It is as far as he gets. Several attendants, BEANY among them, have reached him and start throwing him out. CUT TO: INT. D. B. NORTONS STUDY MED. SHOT: D. B. and TED SHELDON are listening to JOHNs speech over the radio. D. B. is astonished at the disturbance in the program. D. B. (recognizing the voice) Thats Spencer! CUT TO: INT. BROADCASTING STAGE: CLOSE SHOT: Of ANNOUNCER. M.C. Ladies and gentlemen, the disturbance you just heard was caused by someone in the audience who tried to heckle Mr. Doe. The speech will continue. MED. SHOT: Featuring JOHN and ANN. JOHN Well, people like the Governor (laughing—ad libs) People like the Governor and that fella there can—can stop worrying. Im not gonna talk about them. ANN smiles admiringly. CLOSE-UP: Of JOHN. He is becoming strangely absorbed in what he is saying. JOHN Im gonna talk about us, the average guys, the John Does. If anybody should ask you what the average John Doe is like, you couldnt tell him because hes a million and one things. Hes Mr. Big and Mr. Small. Hes simple and hes wise. Hes inherently honest, but hes got a streak of larceny in his heart. He seldom walks up to a public telephone without shoving his finger into the slot to see if somebody left a nickel there. CLOSE-UP: Of ANN. Her eyes are glued on JOHN. JOHNS VOICE Hes the man the ads are written for. Hes the fella everybody sells things to. Hes Joe Doakes,[8] the worlds greatest stooge and the worlds greatest strength. (clearing throat) Yes, sir. Yessir, were a great family, the John Does. Were the meek who are, er, supposed to inherit the earth. Youll find us everywhere. We raise the crops, we dig the mines, work the factories, keep the books, fly the planes and drive the busses! And when a cop yells: Stand back there, you! He means us, the John Does! CUT TO: INT. D. B. S STUDY: MED. SHOT: D. B. and TED listen near the radio. TEDs eyes flash angrily. TED Well, what kind of a speech is that? Didnt you read it? D. B. stops him with a gesture of his hand. He doesnt want to miss a word. CUT TO: INT. BROADCASTING STAGE MED. SHOT: Toward JOHN. JOHN Weve existed since time began. We built the pyramids, we saw Christ crucified, pulled the oars for Roman emperors, sailed the boats for Columbus, retreated from Moscow with Napoleon and froze with Washington at Valley Forge! (gasping) Yes, sir. Weve been in there dodging left hooks since before history began to walk! In our struggle for freedom weve hit the canvas many a time, but we always bounced back! MED. SHOT—PANNING: Around audience—to get a variety of interested faces. JOHNS VOICE Because were the people —and were tough! CLOSE-UP: Of JOHN. JOHN Theyve started a lot of talk about free people going soft—that we cant take it. Thats a lot of hooey! . . . A free people can beat the world at anything, from war to tiddle-de-winks, if we all pull in the same direction! MED. SHOT: To include radio announcer and other radio officials. Their interest centers on JOHN. JOHN I know a lot of you are saying What can I do? Im just a little punk. I dont count. Well, youre dead wrong! The little punks have always counted because in the long run the character of a country is the sum total of the character of its little punks. INT. D. B.S STUDY MED. SHOT: D. B.s expression of disturbance has vanished. It is now replaced by one of thoughtfulness and interest. He looks off toward the foyer, and impulsively goes in that direction. CUT TO: INT. FOYER MED. SHOT: D. B. crosses to a pantry door and pushes the swinging door open slightly. INT. PANTRY MED. SHOT: All we can SEE through the slightly open door is one side of the room. Clustered around the radio on a table are all the household help. They listen, fascinated. INT. FOYER CLOSE-UP: Of D. B. His eyes begin to brighten with an idea. Meantime, over the foregoing shots, JOHNs voice has continued. JOHNS VOICE But weve all got to get in there and pitch! We cant win the old ball game unless we have team work. And thats where every John Doe comes in! Its up to him to get together with his teammate! CUT TO: INT. BROADCASTING STATION - MED. SHOT: CLOSE-UP: Of JOHN. JOHN And your teammates, my friends, is the guy next door to you. Your neighbor! Hes a terribly important guy, that guy next door! Youre gonna need him and hes gonna need you . . . so look him up! If hes sick, call on him! If hes hungry, feed him! If hes out of a job, find him one! To most of you, your neighbor is a stranger, a guy with a barking dog, and a high fence around him. MED. SHOT: Somewhere in audience. JOHNS VOICE Now, you cant be a stranger to any guy thats on your own team. So tear down the fence that separates you, tear down the fence and youll tear down a lot of hates and prejudices! Tear down all the fences in the country and youll really have teamwork! MED. SHOT: Around BEANY and the LUGS. They, too, are interested. JOHNS VOICE I know a lot of you are saying to yourselves: Hes asking for a miracle to happen. Hes expecting people to change all of a sudden. Well, youre wrong. Its no miracle. Its no miracle because I see it happen once every year. And so do you. At Christmas time! Theres something swell about the spirit of Christmas, to see what it does to people, all kinds of people . . . CLOSE-UP: Of ANN. Her eyes go from JOHN to the audience—as she watches their reaction. FULL SHOT: Shooting toward audience over JOHNs shoulder. JOHN Now, why cant that spirit, that same warm Christmas spirit last the whole year round? Gosh, if it ever did, if each and every John Doe would make that spirit last three hundred and sixty-five days out of the year, wed develop such a strength, wed create such a tidal wave of good will, that no human force could stand against it. CLOSE-UP: Of JOHN. He has become visibly affected by the speech himself. JOHN Yes, sir, my friends, the meek can only inherit the earth when the John Does start loving their neighbors. Youd better start right now. Dont wait till the game is called on account of darkness! Wake up, John Doe! Youre the hope of the world! He has finished—but does not move. He drops his head to conceal the moisture in his eyes.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 05:25:26 +0000
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