Skip to main content <#maincontent> We will keep fighting for all libraries - stand with us! Internet Archive logo A line drawing of the Internet Archive headquarters building façade. Search icon An illustration of a magnifying glass. Search icon An illustration of a magnifying glass. Upload icon An illustration of a horizontal line over an up pointing arrow. Upload User icon An illustration of a person's head and chest. Sign up | Log in Web icon An illustration of a computer application window Wayback Machine Texts icon An illustration of an open book. Books Video icon An illustration of two cells of a film strip. Video Audio icon An illustration of an audio speaker. Audio Software icon An illustration of a 3.5" floppy disk. Software Images icon An illustration of two photographs. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. More Hamburger icon An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. Internet Archive Audio Live Music Archive Librivox Free Audio Featured * All Audio * This Just In * Grateful Dead * Netlabels * Old Time Radio * 78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings Top * Audio Books & Poetry * Computers, Technology and Science * Music, Arts & Culture * News & Public Affairs * Spirituality & Religion * Podcasts * Radio News Archive Images Metropolitan Museum Cleveland Museum of Art Featured * All Images * This Just In * Flickr Commons * Occupy Wall Street Flickr * Cover Art * USGS Maps Top * NASA Images * Solar System Collection * Ames Research Center Software Internet Arcade Console Living Room Featured * All Software * This Just In * Old School Emulation * MS-DOS Games * Historical Software * Classic PC Games * Software Library Top * Kodi Archive and Support File * Vintage Software * APK * MS-DOS * CD-ROM Software * CD-ROM Software Library * Software Sites * Tucows Software Library * Shareware CD-ROMs * Software Capsules Compilation * CD-ROM Images * ZX Spectrum * DOOM Level CD Books Books to Borrow Open Library Featured * All Books * All Texts * This Just In * Smithsonian Libraries * FEDLINK (US) * Genealogy * Lincoln Collection Top * American Libraries * Canadian Libraries * Universal Library * Project Gutenberg * Children's Library * Biodiversity Heritage Library * Books by Language * Additional Collections Video TV News Understanding 9/11 Featured * All Video * This Just In * Prelinger Archives * Democracy Now! * Occupy Wall Street * TV NSA Clip Library Top * Animation & Cartoons * Arts & Music * Computers & Technology * Cultural & Academic Films * Ephemeral Films * Movies * News & Public Affairs * Spirituality & Religion * Sports Videos * Television * Videogame Videos * Vlogs * Youth Media Search the history of over 835 billion web pages on the Internet. Search the Wayback Machine Search icon An illustration of a magnifying glass. Mobile Apps * Wayback Machine (iOS) * Wayback Machine (Android) Browser Extensions * Chrome * Firefox * Safari * Edge Archive-It Subscription * Explore the Collections * Learn More * Build Collections Save Page Now Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. Please enter a valid web address * About * Blog * Projects * Help * Donate * Contact * Jobs * Volunteer * People * Sign up for free * Log in Search metadata Search text contents Search TV news captions Search radio transcripts Search archived web sites Advanced Search * About * Blog * Projects * Help * Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape * Contact * Jobs * Volunteer * People Full text of "Boretz Collection Thunder of Jerimiah Jones " See other formats “THE THUNDER OF JEREMIAH JONES” By Alvin /Boretz le 26 he le "THE THUNDER OF JEREMIAH JONES" FADE IN EXT. A COLONIAL VIRGINIA STREET. DAY It 1s Sunday morning and the town is filling with people pre= paring for church. Several arrive in wagons and carriages and Others on foot, It is also a time for people to greet one another again and to exchange newse A horseman goes by slowly, dressed in his church going clothes. ANOTHER ANGLE bringing the church into vlew at the end of the street. Near us, several people are clustered at a public announcement board, reading the newse The horseman, William Jones by name, a lean, quiet man in his early forties, reins in his horsemd dismounts to join the group at the announcemmt boarde THE BOARD A newspaper, RICHMOND TIMES, is posted and its bold type headline reads PATRICK HENRY SFEECH TO * -CONVEN TION Declares Virginia Must Join In Liberation JONES as he studies the apeadt, Norris Rigby, a man of similar aes jo ins hime RIGBY It's a convention of madmen, Mr Jones. And traitors to thebargain, - He looks at Jones. RIGBY (cont) I trust that's your opinion as well. JONES I'm-not a political man, Mr Rigby. A troop of horses is heard approsching Occe Se 6. Te - §8, 9o 10. ee CONT : RIGBY | In these days, my friend? You're a rare man, indeede MED SHOT catches s troop of British cavalrymen riding through tow. Major Dudley, adept and thirty, is at the head. Camera picks up the faces of the townspeople as the troop rides through. Some of the Americans show open hostility, some remain impssive. A few, such as Mr Rigby, remove their hats as a . sign of respect. But the troop has brougut a sudden, tense silence. ‘EXT. THE CHURCH as Dudley and his men ride by, on their way out of town, the minister 1s opening the doors. INT. CHURCH FOYER as the minister places his bible down on a chair and climbs to the alcove where the rope for the church bell hangs. THE ALCOVE The minister reaches fort he rone and gathers his strength for the pull. He yanks..but nothing hapnense Puzzled, he pulls again and still there is no sound. He looks up.e.confusede Rigby enters with some people, Jones just behind. Rigby sees the minister having difficulty. RIGBY What's the trouble? . MINISTER The belle. I can't seem to move Lte BELL TOWER STAIRS looking down at the minister who now appesrs at the foot and proceeds up to use As he looks at the belfry, he stops in shock. POV-MINISTER The bell is goneo.Lts cut rops instead tied to a beam. RIGBY ; is stunnede.end very angrys RIGBY It's the rebels who've taken Lte Stolen it to use for gunse _SHASH CUT TO llA. 30 INT. THE JONES FOUNDRY CU-THE CHURCH BELL As we pan up, we see that the bell is on a small platform that is being cranked slowly forward toward an open, roaring ovene Jeremiah Jones is at the crank handle. Intent on his task, he seems almost manly but his face betrays him as a youth of no more than sixteen. Richard, a boy of the same age, is equally intent on the action as he wields an fron rod, to keep the oven door ajar. The thematic music of the film hits and the title now super over the following action, Camera looks at Jeremiah's face, intense and absorbed. What we can see of the room now in this brief moment, reveals it to be Of moderate size. There is moulding equipment, a beehive brick Oven and a chimey work, We move with the bell..as {£t comes closer and closer to the flames, And as it slides into th oven and the flames envelop Lb. eeWOes FADE OUT END TEASER 12. 13. Lhe 156 16. Ge ACT ONE FADE IN EXT. A COUNTRY ROAD. DAY The countryside {s rich and green but we have only a moment to look at it as we hear a horse galloping wily. Seconds later, the horseman appears around a bend andw see it is Jones. TRAVELING SHOT Anxiety seems to propel hime . EXT. THE YARD BEFORE HIS HOUSE AND FO: .IDRY. DAY We see Jones hurrying up. He stops and dismounts quickly, JONES Jeremiaht There ts no reply. He moves swiftly across the yard to the foundrye INT. FOUNDRY as he hurries ine The room is empty. Jones glares around. Now he crosses to the oven and pulls open the door. He pokes sround ee-finds some embers. He looks about againe.then goes to the toolse They are all in their proper places. He lifts up a ladle..examines {te.and picks some raised metel off with his finger. He studies. it carefully. JEREMIAH (0ece) Hope the church was crowded. ’ NEW ANGLE as Jones turns to see Jeremiah enteringe JERE TAH (cont) The Reverend counts heads llke a school mster. Jeremish goes past him, avoiding his father's face. He glances into the oven and shuts the doors JEREMIAH (cont) I cast those plates Mrs Newcome wantede _ JONES With bronze? De r~ 166 CONT: { Jeremieh stiffens fora moment, his back still to his father but now he tums. JONES Lies between us? Is that the way it's to be now? Jeremiah comes to hime JEREMIAH I'm sorry, Father. But you'd only have stopped M6 JONES And you think the torfes won't? They've dis- covered the bell's gone and it's not a child's prank in their eyese They Imow it's to be melted down for weapons and where are they to come but here? Oh, Jeremiahe.how foolishe JEREMIAH It's all done. There's nothing they can finde JONES What have you done with tht metal? JEREMIAH | It's safe enough. Hidden in the woods whe re only Richard and I knowe JONES And that's where it's to stay. Jeremiah hesltetes thenoee JEREMIAH It cantte I'm going to recast Lt, And there's no time for me to walte JON ZS 2 You've listened to too many drummer boys., And the sound is so loud, you don't hear the truth, 16.6 CONT: JEREMIAH The war's begune That's ell I have to knowe JONES It's not a war for boyse JHREMIAH Every day 1t's someone else who's gonee Last week Lt was Thomas Pryor and after that his brother too. Monday I saw Will Newman and he was going north to Pennsylvania and General Washington. JONES There's plenty more that's stayinge The colony's split three waysdown the middle. Thsere're tories and rebels and those who don't care which side wins. JEREMIAH Well, I care. We just can't keep hiding awaye JONES You think thatta a lesson that needs teaching? Least of al)...for me? The father's sudden explosion of anger stills the boy's own. He turns awaye JEREMIAH My friends are going and they're not having to run from thelr families to do ite JONES They're different than use If you go, there is no family. 17. REVERSE ANGLE looking across the boy at his father as Jones comes up to him, softening for a momente needing to explain his refusal. cONT es 17. CONT s JONES You're not going to make me feel ashamed, sONe -. No way you can do thate I lnow what Lt cost me to como here and TI know what it cost to let me stay. There's nobody I ‘can't facee JEREMIAH I don't care what they say. It's what I feel. JONES I know thats And still, I'm asking you not to gO. Can you ask yourself why? GONT Te 18. MED CLOSE as the boy turns poe to hime JEREMIAH I can't stay. JONES I lost your mother to what we built here. I don't want to lose youe JEREMIAH But sixteen isn't a boy anymore. Not the way you think of me. JONES You are a boy. They're fighting about this rebel idea in every county seat from here up to Canada. But you understand it better than all of them, don’t you. You talk like war is some sort of game. There are men dying and the way things are going .. . the others are more dead than alive. JEREMIAH Beciuse they need use They need helpe The sound of a carriage begins to intrude. JEREMIAH (cont) Well, I'm not going to just sit here anymore. I took that bell and I melted it down. But it's not going to be for just any ordinary gun. I'm going to forge a cannon. An officer showed me plans. I know how... and I can do it. From the sound of the carriage, & has come into the yard. Jones has been so disturbed by what Jeremiah's been saying that he only now hears the carriage. JONES You don't even hear what you're sayinge A cannon. Why not a warship while you're at ite He hurries to the windows 21. 226 236 THE YARD Rigby is alighting from his carrlagee JONES turns away from the windowe | JONES IT told u they'd come heree It's Mr zee 38 he finds it WAS Poe He ponedae to the door. ‘THE YARD as Rigby comes up to the door and finds Jones coming out.The latter keeps himself bétween Rigby and the door. Rigby nais curtly.e - RIGBY Missed you at services, Mr Jones. You left in’ something of a hurry. JONES Come Sunday, you always talk like a deacon. Just thought I'd put in an appearance, -then go on about my businesse Rigby is staring up at something and Jones turns to follow his Zazee POV “panning up to the chimey over the ‘foundry. There {s no smoke issuing. TWO SHOT as Rigby turns back to Jones. JONES. We don't offend with work on the Sabbath. RIGBY There are other offenses, Mr. Jones. You know the bell's been. taken. As Jones seems about to indicate ‘surpriseees CONT 2h. Je CONT: RIGBY You seem surprised. JONES Just that you've come all the wey out here to tell me what I saw for myself. RIGBY I came for more than that, sire Could we go inside? JONES Didn't megan to forget my manners. Some nice hot tea wouldn't go badly. He starts toward the house, leaving the foundry door unguarded and expecting Rigby to follow but the latter hesitates for a moment then moves quickly to the foundry. Jones looks back and SeeSe ; ‘ JONES Rigby$ But Rigby is entering the foundry. INT. FOUNDRY | as Rigby enters. Jeremiah is stoking coke into the ovene The boy turns as Rigby's glance swiftly takes in the room. Jones enterse.e.angrily. JONES There's nothing here that concerns you. ; RIGBY Then why were you so anxious to keep me oute He looks at the Wene RIGBY (cont) That oven's been used today. (to Jeremiah) ‘What have you done in there? Pad 2h. CUNT? Jones moves forwarde JONES If its brass candlesticks you want, then we can give you a pair. There!11 be ready by the mominge RIGBY - And whatwas it you were working on, Jeremiah? Could Lt have been the church bell that's now been melted down. Jeremiah stares at him,unflinching. JONES Rigbyee ' RIGBY Let the boy answer for himself.ee-if he cane , F Rigby ls challenging him. Jones looks at Jeremiah then nods. , JERENTAH There's been no bell here, Mr Rigby. RIGBY Your father says he's not a political men. But it's not that way with you, ts Lt? You're a man of revolution, aren't you? JONES He's told you what you came to inoue RIGBY Do you think me unreasonable to have cone here? Who else could have stolen that bell unless it were someone who knows weights and pulleys and how to move heavy motals about. And who else can take eighty pounds of bronze and tum it into weapons? Was that so stupid of me, sir?