ALL MY SONS

GEORGE

Chris: Helluva a way to do; what’re you sitting out there for?

George: Doctor said your mother isn’t well I…

Sue: How do you do?

George: You’re the people who bought our house, aren’t you?

Sue: That’s right. Come see what we did with it before you leave.

George: I liked it the way it was.

Chris: How about some grape juice? Mother made it especially for you.

George: Good old Kate, remembered my grape juice.

Chris: You drank enough of it in this house. How have you been, George? Sit down.

George: It takes me a minute. It seems impossible.

Chris: What?

George: I’m back here

Chris: Say, you’ve gotten a little nervous, haven’t you?

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

Chris: Just kind of medium. How’s the law?

George: I don’t know. When I was studying in the hospital it seemed sensible. But outside there doesn’t seem to be much of a law. The trees got thick, didn’t they? What’s that?

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

George: Why, afraid you’ll forget him?

Ann: When did you start wearing a hat?

George: Today. I decided to look like a lawyer anyway. 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. He’s a little man. That’s what happens to suckers you know. Its good I went to him in time. Another year and there’d be nothing left but his smell.

Chris: What’s the matter George? What’s the trouble?

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

Chris: What does that mean?

George: You’re not married yet, are you?

Ann: George, will you sit down and stop-

George: Are you married yet?

Ann: No, I am 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.

Chris: 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.

Chris: George, you don’t want to be the voice of God, do you?

George: I’m-

Chris: What kind of a statement is that to make? You’re a big boy now.

George: I’m a big boy now.

Chris: Don’t come bulling in here. If you got something to say, be civilized about it.

George: Don’t civilize me!

Ann: Now what happened. You kissed me when you left, now you..

George: 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. 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: Of course I know.

George: You can’t know. You wouldn’t be here. Dad went 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 there was over a hundred defects. 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 the out.

Chris: Are you through yet?

George: I’m not through yet! 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 am 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 knew he was a liar the first time but in the appeal they believed that rotten lie and now Joe is the big shot and your dad is the patsy. Now what’re you going to do? Eat his food, sleep in his bed? Answer me, what are you going to do?

Chris: What are you going to do George?

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

Ann: George, the court…

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

Chris: Lower your voice or I’ll-

George: She knows.

Ann: Dad told that whole thing in court and they-

George: The court did not know him, Annie!

Ann: You know how quick he can lie.

George: I’ll ask you something. And I want you to look me in the eye when you answer me.

Chris: I’ll look you in the eye.

George: You know your father.

Chris: 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?

Chris: 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 all the light were out?

Chris: The same Joe Keller.

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

Chris: The same man.

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

Chris: … but it didn’t work. But with a fool like you it works

George: Oh Chris, you’re a liar to yourself.

Chris: …why did you believe it all these years?

George: 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. Your dad took everything we have. I can’t beat that. But she’s the one item he’s not going to grab. Gets your things. Everything they have is covered in blood. You’re not the kind of girl that can live with that. Get your things.

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

George: How can he tell you? It’s his father. None of these things ever even cross your mind?

Chris: Yes they crossed my mind. Anything can cross your mind.

George: He knows, Annie. He knows.

Chris: The voice of God!

George: Annie why isn’t his name on it?

Chris: even when I don’t own it!

George: Who’re you kidding? Who gets it when he dies? Open your eyes. You know the both of them. Isn’t that the first thing they’d do, they way they love each other? J.O. Keller and Son? I’ll settle it. Do you want to settle it, or are you afraid to?

Chris: What does that mean?

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

Chris: But my mother isn’t well and I don’t want a fight here now.

George: Let me go to him.

Chris: You’re not going to start a fight here now.

George: What more do you want!

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.

Kate: Georgie, Georgie

George: Hello, Kate.

Kate: They made an old man out of you. Look, you’re gray.

George: I know, I…

Kate: I told you when you went away, don’t try for medals

George: I didn’t try, Kate. They made it very easy for me.

Kate: Look at him. why did you say he’s fine? He looks like a ghost.

George: I feel all right.

Kate: Sit down. I’ll make you a sandwich.

George: I’m really not hungry.

Kate: How we worked and planned for you, and you end up no better than us.

George: You… you haven’t changed at all, you know that, Kate?

Kate: and look like something!

George: Kate I feel hungry already.

Ann: Swell, I’ll help you!

George: The train leaves at eight-thirty, Ann.

Chris: No, it’s just a question of George, Mother, he planned on..

George: Now wait a minute, Chris-

Lydia: Georgie!

George: Hello, Laughy. What’d you do, grow?

Lydia: I only rearranged it.

George: You still make your own clothes?

Lydia: Oh, Stop that, Kate.

George: Didn’t I hear you had a baby?

Kate: You don’t hear so good. She’s got three babies.

George: No kidding, three?

Lydia: You’ve been away a long time, Georgie.

George: I’m beginning to realize

Kate: Yes, but not all the time.

George: They never took Frank, huh?

Lydia: Would you like to see my babies? Come on.

George: I don’t think so, Lydia.

Lydia: All right, Good luck to you, George.

George: Thanks. and to you… and Frank.

Kate: She got pretty, heh?

George: Very pretty.

Kate: She’s beautiful, you damned fool!

George: She makes it seem so nice around here.

Kate: I told you to marry that girls and stay out of the war.

George: She used to laugh too much.

Kate: While you were getting mad about Facism, Frank was getting into her bed.

George: He won the war, Frank.

Kate: I’m smarter than any of you.

George: She’s wonderful.

Mother: …and I’ll find you a girl and put a smile on your face.

George: Joe? Joe wants me here?

Joe: Georgie, good to see ya.

George: How’re you, Joe?

Joe: You comin’ to dinner with us?

George: No, got to be back in New York.

Joe: I wear the pants and she still beats me with the belt.

George: I saw your factory on the way from the station. It looks like General Motors.

Joe: So you finally went to see your father, I hear?

George: Yes, this morning. What kind of stuff do you make now?

Joe: So how’d you find Dad? Feel alright?

George: No, he’s not well, Joe.

Joe: Not his heart again, is it?

George: It’s everything Joe. It’s his soul.

Joe: Leave him be.

George: I’d like to talk to him.

Joe: I wish you’da told me you were going to see Dad.

George: I didn’t know you were interested.

Joe: I would like him to know that.

George: He hates your guts, Joe. Don’t you know that?

Kate: Steve was never like that.

George: He’s like that now. He’d like to take every man who made money in the wr and put him up against a wall.

Chris: He’ll need a lot of bullets

George: And he better not get any.

Joe: Thats a sad thing to hear.

George: Why? What’d you expect him to think of you?

Joe: You know that George.

George: Well, i-

Joe: You remember that.

George: Yes, but.

Joe: Like when he gave Frank that money to invest in oil stock.

George: I know that, I….

Joe: All the man did was give him a bad tip.

George: I know those things.

Ann: We’re eating at the late, we could have a swell time.

George: All right.

Kate: Size fifteen and a half, right, George?

George: Is Lydia…. I mean Frank and Lydia coming?

Kate: I’ll get you a date that’ll make her look like a..

George: I don’t want a date

Ann: You go up and pick out a shirt and tie.

George: I never felt at home anywhere but here. I feel so… Kate, you look so young, you know? You didn’t change at all. It.. rings an old bell. You too, Joe, you’re amazingly the same. The whole atmosphere is.

Kate: I thought he had pnemonia.

George: Why did you say he’s never..?

Joe: If I could’ve gone in that day I’d never allow Dad to touch those heads.

George: She said you’ve never been sick.

Kate: I said he was sick, George.

George: Ann, didn’t you hear her say?

Kate: Do you remember every time you were sick?

George: I’d remember pneumonia. Especially if I got it just the day the partner was going to patch up cylinder heads. What happened that day, Joe?

Kate: Why isn’t it possible? Why isn’t it possible, Chris!

George: Don’t you understand what she’s saying? She just told you to go. What are you waiting for now?

Chris: She’s not leaving, mother.

George: You heard her say it, he’s never been sick!

Kate: He misunderstood me, Chris!

George: He simply told your father to kill pilots , and covered himself in bed.

Chris: Now get out of here, George!

George: You tell me. I want to hear you tell me.