Peter Appleton:
I can't stand the constant nagging. I'm leaving you, Jerry. I'm leaving you - and I'm taking the monkey with me.
Adele:
Do you remember me?
Peter Appleton:
No, but I'll sure try.
Elvin Clyde:
Who did you go as?
Peter Appleton:
A horny young man.
Luke Trimble:
When bullies rise up, the rest of us have to beat them back down, whatever the cost. That's a simple idea I suppose, but one worth giving everything for.
Peter Appleton:
I thought this was a democracy.
Leo Kubelsky:
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, they're all just pieces of paper with signatures on them. And you know what a piece of paper with a signature is, a contract. Something that can be renegotiated at any time. Just so happens that the House un-American activities committee is renegotiating the contract this time around. Next time it will be somebody else, but it will always be somebody.
[
Inside the abandoned movie theater]
Harry Trimble:
That's why we call it The Majestic. Any man, woman, child could buy their ticket, walk right in. Here they'd be, here we'd be. "Yes sir, yes ma'am. Enjoy the show." And in they'd come entering a palace, like in a dream, like in heaven. Maybe you had worries and problems out there, but once you came through those doors, they didn't matter anymore. And you know why? Chaplin, that's why. And Keaton and Lloyd. Garbo, Gable, and Lombard, and Jimmy Stewart and Jimmy Cagney. Fred and Ginger. They were gods. And they lived up there. That was Olympus. Would you remember if I told you how lucky we felt just to be here? To have the privilege of watching them. I mean, this television thing. Why would you want to stay at home and watch a little box? Because it's convenient? Because you don't have to get dressed up, because you could just sit there? I mean, how can you call that entertainment, alone in your living room? Where's the other people? Where's the audience? Where's the magic? I'll tell you, in a place like this, the magic is all around you. The trick is to see it.
Adele:
This is a free country, you can be a communist if you want to be a communist!
Roland the Intrepid Explorer:
Taste my steel you dog!
[
Instead of a piano piece by Franz Liszt, Luke plays a boogie-woogie tune]
Irene Terwilliger:
Really, Luke! That's no way to treat Mr. Liszt. Stop that! Stop it, stop it! Who taught you to play like that? I demand to know. Where on earth did you learn to play such a thing?
Emmett Smith:
I taught him that... when you weren't looking!
Bob Leffert:
I knew Luke Trimble. I didn't like him much. Not saying he's a bad guy. Just rubbed me the wrong way. You know that feelin'? Somebody rubs you the wrong way, and you can't even explain why? You kinda rub me that way. Not that it makes you Luke. So, I wanna know is what kinda game are you runnin'? Who are you really?
Peter Appleton:
Just a guy trying to figure things out.
Bob Leffert:
This town's had enough heartbreak. Too much. Me, I think you're settin' everybody up for more. I hope I'm wrong. I haven't had to kill anybody since the war.
Emmett Smith:
I forget things sometimes, since the war.
Peter Appleton:
Yeah, me, too.
Jerry the Bartender:
I wouldn't know J. Edgar Hoover if he came in here wearing a dress.
Congressman Doyle:
Are you asking this committe to believe that you attended the meeting of a communist organization because of a girl?
Peter Appleton:
Yes sir... I'm sure that even a majority counselor like yourself has familiar with the concept of impressing a girl!
Emmett Smith:
[
after Peter comes down the stairs] You found me.
Peter Appleton:
Oh, sorry. I didn't know who was down here.
Emmett Smith:
Just me and the dog.
Peter Appleton:
What's his name?
Emmett Smith:
Dog.
Roland the Intrepid Explorer:
[
"Luke" watches Sand Pirates of the Sahara, starting to remember who he is when he knows the lines before the characters say them] Oh, Emily.
Sandra Sinclair:
[
as Emily] Oh, Roland!
Peter Appleton:
[
fully remembers who he is] Oh, shit!
Doc Stanton:
Your face really does seem... familiar.
Peter Appleton:
[
looking in the mirror] Wish I could say the same thing.
Peter Appleton:
The 5th Ammendment is out of the question. But there is another Ammendment I'd like to invoke. I wonder if anyone here is familiar with it. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
Congressman Doyle:
You're out of order!
Peter Appleton:
"Shall make no law... respecting - "
Congressman Doyle:
My chamber will come to order!
Peter Appleton:
"An establishment of religion... or prohibiting free exercise thereof... or abridging freedom of speech, or of the press... or of the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
Congressman Doyle:
Do not presume to lecture this Committee!
Peter Appleton:
The First Ammendment. It's what we're about, if we'd live up to it. It's part of the contract every citizen has here. Even though the Constitution and the *Bill of Rights*... are just pieces of paper with signatures on them... they're the only contracts that we have that are defintely not subject... to renegotiation. Not by you, Mr.Chairman.
Congressman Doyle:
Mr.Appleton!
Peter Appleton:
Not by you, Mr. Clyde.
Congressman Doyle:
Stand down!
Peter Appleton:
Not by anyone, ever. Too many people have paid in blood.
Congressman Doyle:
Enough, sir! You are out of order!
Peter Appleton:
[
holds up Luke's Congressional Medal of Honor] People like Luke Trimble... and all the sons of Lawson, California. And they deserve better than this.
Stan Keller:
[
in tears... to the patrons listening in Mabel's Diner in Lawson] Goddamn Right! They deserve better!
[
looks at Bob working the grill]
Stan Keller:
All you boys do...
Congressman Doyle:
[
banging his gavel] I will have order or I will clear this chamber!
Peter Appleton:
When you get right down to it, fellas... that's all I have to say to you.
[
turns and leaves the courtroom]
Emmett Smith:
[
coming downstairs] Luke, something's wrong! Harry missed the reel change.
Peter Appleton:
[
distracted] What?
Emmett Smith:
Harry missed the reel change.
Peter Appleton:
[
running up to the projector's booth] Harry?
[
he enters the projector's booth and see's Harry on the floor]
Peter Appleton:
Harry. Jesus!
[
he kneels by his side, he turns to Emmett]
Peter Appleton:
Go get Doc!
Emmett Smith:
[
calling] Doc! Doc! Harry's in trouble! Come quick!
[
Doc heads for the projector's booth]
Harry Trimble:
[
weak] Oh, no. No.
Peter Appleton:
What, Harry? What?
Harry Trimble:
I missed the damn reel change.
Peter Appleton:
[
quietly] It's all right. You just lay still. Doc's on his way. I'm here.
Peter Appleton:
[
Seeing Adele at the cemetery] I didn't know anyone was here.
Adele:
I was just... Saying goodbye.
Peter Appleton:
Adele, I'm sorry the way things turned out. I never meant to hurt anyone, least of all you.
Adele:
People get hurt sometimes, we can't always help it. So are you really a Communist?
Peter Appleton:
No, I'm really not.
Adele:
I didn't think so. Only a died in the wool Capitalist could have gotten The Majestic up and running.
Peter Appleton:
Great endorsement. Can I call you as a witness?
Adele:
Eh, if it helps. So what will you tell the committee?
Peter Appleton:
Tell them what they want to hear: "Sorry, I won't do it again, blah, blah."
Adele:
You're not serious.
Peter Appleton:
What's wrong with it?
Adele:
Everything.
Peter Appleton:
Could you be a little more specific?
Adele:
Aside from the fact that this is a free country, and you can be a Communist if you want to be a Communist. Leaving that aside, if you're accused falsely you have a duty as well as a right to stand up and suggest they drop dead.
Peter Appleton:
Emile Zola, you feel strongly about this.
Adele:
Damn right I do!
Peter Appleton:
Great, but it doesn't make the game any less rigged. There's a reason it's called a witch hunt
Adele:
And there's burden of proof, innocence before guilt.
Peter Appleton:
Maybe in law school. But the rest of us have to live in the real world and in the real world I mess with these guys I go to jail.
Adele:
All the more reason to fight them.
Peter Appleton:
Like Luke would've done? Go ahead say it.
Adele:
Yeah, like Luke would have done.
Peter Appleton:
God, here it comes. Tell me again what a great guy Luke was, 'cause God I haven't heard that enough!
Adele:
He wouldn've stood up to them.
Peter Appleton:
Yeah well, he's not here... to vouch for that is he? We have to take your word for it! And forgive me but everybody's memory of Luke is a little rose-colored in this town. Besides, I'm not Luke. While he was liberating Europe, I was running the PX. He couldn't wait to save the world! Me I was happy not to go overseas! Adele- Why? Ptere- Because I didn't want to end up like him. I wanted to survive! You stand for a cause you get mowed down. Look. Look! That's the real world. I want my God damn life back Adele...
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