Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Hey, listen, Corny, who do you think you're talking to?

If the Semple attorneys don't know who the heir is, who does?

Oh, come on, Corny. I've done you a lot of favors.

What do you say? Who's getting the Semple dough?

You're asking the wrong guy, Mac. I'm only a press agent.

- Newspaperman? - Wants to know who the heir is.

- Hang up. - Sorry, Mac, I can't...

- Yeah, Mac, sure, but I ain't the attorney. - Hang up.

Mr. Cedar is, and I haven't seen him in two days.

Listen, Cedar, we got to do something about the newspapers.

- I'm not interested in newspapers. - But it's a great story.

Somewhere in this country, a guy is walking into 20 million bucks.

Yes, I know. My first concern is to locate the lucky man.

When I do, it's your job to keep the newspapers away from him.

It's okay with me, as long as that weekly stipend keeps coming in.

We located him, Mr. Cedar.

- We found out where he is. - Good.

- Yes, John, we got him. - Here's the report.

Longfellow Deeds, single, 28, lives in Mandrake Falls, Vermont.

- Thank heaven. - Better wire him right away, John.

I'll do no such thing. I'm going there myself. You're going with me, too, Anderson.

- And you, too, Cobb. - Yes?

Make three reservations on the first train out to Mandrake Falls, Vermont.

- Where? - Mandrake Falls. M-A-N...

"Welcome to Mandrake Falls

"Where the scenery enthralls

"Where no hardship e'er befalls

Welcome to Mandrake Falls"

- That's pretty. - Are you sure this is the town he lives in?

Yes, sir, Mr. Cedar, this is the town, all right.

Well, I dropped everything at the office. I hope it's not a wild-goose chase.

No, sir, we checked it thoroughly. He lives here, all right.

Aha. I spy a native. Let's ask him.

- Good morning. - Morning, neighbors, morning.

Uh...

That's an excellent start. At least we've broken the ice.

I say, my friend, do you know a fellow by the name of Longfellow Deeds?

- Deeds? Yes, sir. Yes, indeedy. - Yes.

- Everyone knows Deeds. - Yeah, would...

Must be a game he's playing.

We'd like to get in touch with him. It's very important.

- Who's that? - Deeds. Who do you think I'm talking about?

Oh, yes, Deeds. Fine fellow. Very democratic.

You would have no trouble at all. Talks to anybody.

- I guess we better try somebody else. - No, we won't.

The next time that jumping jack comes out,

I'll straddle him while you ask him your questions.

Morning, neighbors.

Remember us? We're the fellows who were here a minute ago?

Oh, yeah, yes, indeedy. I never forget a face.

Listen, pop.

We've come all the way from New York to look up a fellow by the name of Deeds.

It's important. It's very important.

You don't have to get rough, neighbor. All you got to do is ask.

Then please pretend, for just one fleeting moment, that I'm asking.

- Where does he reside? - Who?

Longfellow Deeds. Where does he live?

Oh, that's what you want.

Well, why didn't you say so in the first place,

instead of beating around the bush?

Those other fellows don't know what they're talking about.

Come on. I'll take you there in my car.

If they'd only explained to me what they want, there would be no trouble.

Oh. Well, will you come in, please, gentlemen?

- Mr. Deeds in? - No.

He's over to the park, arranging the bazaar so as to raise money for the fire engine.

Mal, you should've knowed he was in the park.

Knew it all the time, but these men said they wanted to see the house.

Can't read their minds if they don't say what they want.

Come in, please. Come in.

- Can I get you a cup of tea? - No, thank you.

Sit down. Sure I couldn't get you a glass of lemonade or something?

No. That's very kind of you.

- Are you related to him? - No, I'm his housekeeper.

Well, we'd like to find out something about him. What does he do for a living?

He and Jim Mason own the tallow works, but that's not where he makes his money.

- He makes most of it from his poetry. - He writes poetry?

Oh, my goodness, yes. Longfellow's famous.

He writes all those things on postcards.

You know, for Christmas and Easter and birthdays.

Sit down, please.

Here's one. He got $25 for this one.

"When you've nowhere to turn and you're filled with doubt

"Don't stand in midstream hesitating

"For you know that your mother's heart cries out,

'I'm waiting, my boy, I'm waiting."'

Isn't that beautiful? Isn't it a lovely sentiment?

Yeah.

- - Here he is now.

Go. Go on.

I suggest you break it to him gently. He's liable to keel over from the shock.

They've been waiting a long while.

- Who are they? - I don't know.

- Mr. Longfellow Deeds? - Yes.

- How do you do? - How do you do?

I'm John Cedar, of the New York firm of Cedar, Cedar, Cedar & Budington.

"Cedar, Cedar, Cedar & Budington."

Budington must feel like an awful stranger, hmm?

- Mr. Cornelius Cobb. Mr. Anderson. - How do you do?

You gentlemen make yourselves comfortable.

Thank you.

Thanks.

New mouthpiece. Been waiting two weeks for this.

Kids keep swiping them all the time. They use them for bean shooters.

- What can I do for you gentlemen? - You gentlemen going to stay to lunch?

- I'd like to ask you a few questions. - All right.

Mr. Deeds, are you the son of Dr. Joseph and Mary Deeds?

- Yes. - Your parents living?

Why, no.

Well, Mr. Deeds, does the name of Martin W. Semple mean anything to you?

Not much. He's an uncle of mine, I think.

I never saw him. But my mother's name was Semple, you know.

Well, he passed on. He was killed in a motor accident in Italy.

He was? Gee, that's too bad.

- If there's anything I can do to... - I have good news for you, sir.

Mr. Semple left a large fortune when he died.

He left it all to you, Mr. Deeds.

Deducting the taxes, it amounts to something in the neighborhood

of $20,000,000.

How about lunch? Are the gentlemen going to stay or not?

Of course they're gonna stay.

She's got some fresh orange layer cake, you know, with the thick stuff on the top.

Sure. They don't want to go to the hotel.

Perhaps you didn't hear what I said, Mr. Deeds.

The whole Semple fortune goes to you, $20,000,000.

Oh, yes, I heard you, all right. $20,000,000, that's quite a lot, isn't it?

- Oh, it'll do in a pinch. - Yes, indeed.

I wonder why he left me all that money. I don't need it.

Mr. Cobb here is an ex-newspaperman.

Associated with your uncle for many years as a sort of buffer.

Buffer?

- Yeah. A glorified doormat. -

You see, rich people need someone to keep the crowds away. The world's full of pests.

And then there's the newspapers to handle.

One must know when to seek publicity and when to avoid it.

Cedar, Cedar, Cedar & Budington.

It's funny, I can't think of a rhyme for Budington.

Why should you?

Well, whenever I run across a funny name, I like to poke around for a rhyme.

- Don't you? - No.

- I've got one for Cobb. - Yeah?

"There once was a man named Cobb Who kept Semple away from the mob

"Came the turn of the tide And Semple, he died

Now poor Cobb's out of a job"

- Sounds like a two weeks' notice to me. - Huh?

I've gotten the sackeroo in many ways, but never in rhyme.

Oh, I don't mean that. I'm sure I'm gonna need your help.

Oh, that's different if it's just poetry.

- Are you a married man, Mr. Deeds? - Who, me? No.

No, he's too fussy for that. That's what's the matter with him.

There's lots of nice girls right here in Mandrake Falls

- that are dying to be married... - Don't pay any attention to her.

He's got a lot of foolish notions about saving a lady in distress.

- Now you keep out of this. - Ah.

Saving a lady in distress, eh?

Well, I suppose we all have dreams like that when we're young.

Well, incidentally, we'd better get started. You'll have to pack.

- What for? - You're going to New York with us.

- When? - This afternoon, 4:00.

I don't think we got any suitcases.

Well, we could borrow a couple from Mrs. Simpson.

You know, she went to Niagara Falls last year.

I'm kind of nervous. I've never been away from Mandrake Falls in my life.

- Kind of like to see Grant's tomb, though. - Son, I can understand that.

We'll take a walk around town. Meet you at the train at 4:00.

Congratulations, Mr. Deeds.

You're one of the richest men in the country.

I'll see you later. Good-bye. Thank you.

- See you later, kid. - Good day, sir.

Did you hear what he said? Do you know how much $20,000,000 is?

I don't care how much it is. You sit right there and eat your lunch.

You haven't touched a thing.

- I can't find him. - You can't?

I've looked everywhere, even went to his house. It's locked up.

Probably had a change of heart.

He wasn't very anxious to come in the first place.

- Here comes the train. - Get back. Get back.

- Look. - What?

That tuba player.

Well, now I've seen everything.

Good-bye, Mrs. Meredith!

Bye, Jim!

Bye, Buddy!

Gosh, I got a lot of friends.

- Have a drink? - No, thanks.

You'll have a cigar?

No, thank you.

I wouldn't worry if I were you.

Of course, a large fortune like this entails a great responsibility,

but you'll have a good deal of help.

So don't worry. Leave everything to me.