ALL MY SONS

Jim: (pulling her off) See you later... Take it easy, fella.  (they exit)

Thanks for driving him! How about some grape juice? Mother made it especially for you.

George: Good old Kate, remembered my grape juice

You drank enough of it in this house. How've you been, George? Sit down

George: It take me a minute. It seems inpossible.

What?

George: I'm back here.

Say, youve gotten a little nervous, haven't you?

George: Yeah, toward the end of the day.  What're you, big executive now?

Just kind of medium. How's the law?

George: I don't know.  When I was studying in the hospital is seemed sensible, but outside there doesn't seem to be much of a law.  The trees got thick, didn't they? (points to stump) What's that?  

Blew down last night.  We had it there for Larry.  You know.

George: Why, afraid you'll forget him?

Kind of remark is that?

Ann: (breaking in, putting a restraining hand of Chris) When did you start wearing a hat?

George: (discovers hat in his hand) Today. From now on I decided to look like a lawyer, anyway. (He hold is up to her) Don't you recognize it?

Ann: Why? Where...?

George: Your father's... He asked me to wear it.

Ann: How is he?

George: He got smaller.

Ann: Smaller?

George: Yeah, little.  (holds our his hand to measure) He's a little man. That's what happens to suckers, you know.  It's good I want to him in time... another year there'd be nothing left but his smell.

What's the matter, George, what's the trouble?

George: The trouble?  The trouble is when you make suckers out of people once, you shouldn't try to do it twice.

What does that mean?

George: (to Ann) You're not married yet, are you?

Ann: George, will you sit down and stop...?

George: Are you married yet?

Ann: No, I'm not married yet.

George: You're not going to marry him.

Ann: Why am I not going to marry him?

George: Because his father destroyed your family

Now look, George...

George: Cut it short, Chris. Tell her to come home with me.  Let's not argue, you know what I've got to say.

George, you don't want to be the voice of God, do you?

George: Thats

That's been your trouble all your life, George, you dive into things. What kind of statement is that to make? You're a big boy now.

I'm a big boy now.

Don't come bulling in here.  If you've got something to say, be civilized about it.

George: Don't civilize me!

Ann: Shhh!

Are you going to talk like a grown man or aren't you?

Ann: Sit down, dear. Don't be angry, what's the matter? Now what happened? You kissed me when I left, now you...

George: (breathlessly) My life turned upside down since then. I couldn't go back to work when you left.   I wanted to go to Dad and tell him you were going to be married. It seemed impossible not to tell him. He loved you so much. (He pauses) Annie... we did a terrible thing.  We can never be forgiven. Not even to send him a card at Christmas.  I didn't see him once since I got home from the war! Annie, you don't know what was done to that man.  You don't know what happened.

Ann: (afraid) Of course I know.

George: You can't know, you wouldn't be here. Dad came to work that day. The night foreman came to him and showed him the cylinder heads... they were coming out of the process with defects.  There was something wrong with the process. So Dad went directly to the phone and called here and told Joe to come down right away.  But the morning passed. No sign of Joe.  So Dad called again.  By this time he had over a hundred defectives.  The Army was screaming for stuff and Dad didn't have anything to ship.   So Joe told him... on the phone he told him to weld, cover up the cracks in any way he could, and ship them out.

Are you through now?

George: (surging back at him) I'm not through now! (Back to Ann) Dad was afraid. He wanted Joe there if he was going to do it.  But Joe can't come down... He's sick. Sick! He suddenly gets the flu! Suddenly! But he promised to take responsibility.  Do you understand what I'm saying? On the telephone you can't have responsibility! In a court you can always deny a phone call and that's exactly what he did. They know he was a liar the first time, but in the appeal they believed the rotten lie and now Joe is a big shot and your father is the patsy. (He gets up) Now what're you going to do? Eat his food, sleep in his bed? Answer me. What're you going to do?

What are you going to do, George?

George: He's too smart for me, I can't prove a phone call.

Then how dare you come in here with that rot?

Ann: George, the court...

George: The court didn't know your father! But you know him. You know in your heart Joe did it.

Lower your voice or I'll throw you out of here!

George: He knows.  He knows.

Get him out of here, Ann. Get him out of here.

Ann: George, I know everything you've said. Dad told me that whole thing in court, and they...

George: (almost a scream) The court did not know him, Annie!  

Ann: Shhh! ...But he'll say anything, George.  You know how quick he can lie.

George: (turning to Chris, with deliberation) I'll ask you something, and look me in the eye when you answer me.

I’ll look you in the eye.

George: You know your father...

I know him well.

George: And he's the kind of boss to let a hundred and twenty one cylinder heads be repaired and shipped out of his shop without even knowing it?

He's that kind of boss.

George: And that's the same Joe Keller who never left his shop without first going around to see that all the lights were out.

The same Joe Keller.

George: The same man who knows how many minutes a day his workers spend in the toilet.

The same man.

George: Any my father, that frightened mouse who'd never buy a shirt without somebody along... That man would do such a thing on his own?

On his own, and because he's a frightened mouse, this is another thing he'd do. Throw the blame on somebody else because he's not man enough to take it himself. He tried it in court but it didnt work, but with a fool like you it does

Ann: (deeply shaken) Don't talk like that!

Tell me, George. What happened? The court record was good enough for you all these years, why isn't it good now?  Why did you believe it all these years?

George: (after a slight pause) Because you believed it... That's the truth, Chris. I believed everything, because I thought you did. But today I heard it from his mouth. From his mouth it's altogether different than the record. Anyone who knows him, and knows your father, will believe it from his mouth.  Your Dad took everything we have. I can't beat that. But she's one item he's not going to grab.  (He turns to Ann) Get your things. Everything they have is covered with blood.  You're not the kind of girl who can live with that. Get your things.

Ann... You're not going to believe that, are you?

Ann: You know it's not true, don't you?

George: How can he tell you? It's his father. (To Chris) None of these things ever even cross your mind?

Yes, they crossed my mind. Anything can cross your mind!

George: He knows, Annie. He knows!

The voice of God!

George: Then why isn't your name on the business? Explain that to her!

What the hell has that got to do with...

George: Annie, why isn't his name on it?

Even when I don't own it!

George: Who're you kidding? Who gets it when he dies? (To Ann) Open your eyes, you know the both of them, isn't that the first thing they'd do, the way they love each other? ...J. O. Keller and Son? (Pause. Ann looks from him to Chris) I'll settle it. Do you want to settle it, or are you afraid to?

What do you mean?

George: Let me go up and talk to your father. In ten minutes you'll have the answer. Or are you afraid of the answer?

I'm not afraid of the answer. I know the answer. But my mother isn't well and I don't want a fight here now.

George: Let me go to him

You're not going to start a fight here now.

George: (To Ann) What more do you want! (There is a sound of footsteps in the house).

Ann: (turns her head suddenly toward house) Someone's coming.

You won't say anything now.

Ann: You'll go soon.  I'll call a cab.

George: You're coming with me. Ann: And don't mention marriage, because we haven't told her yet.

George: You're coming with me.

Ann: You understand? Don't... George, you're not going to start anything now! (She hears footsteps) Shhh!

End