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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?