Wilson

[My country, 'tis of thee plays]

* of thee I sing

* land where my fathers died

* land of the pilgrims' pride

* from ev'ry mountainside

* let freedom ring

hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

Fight, fight, fight! Sis sis sis!

Boom boom boom ba!

Princeton! Princeton!

Princeton! Princeton!

Yay! Yay! Yay!

If coach only has sense enough

to put in felton at left half.

Is felton good, father?

He's the greatest rogan field runner

since Willy hessen of Michigan.

Oh.

Run!

Run!

Run!

Go, felton, felton!

Run! Run! Run! Run!

Run! Run! Run! Run!

Ohh! Ohh!

Stop him!

Stop him! Stop him!

[Band plays boola boola]

Felton.

* fight, fight for Yale

* the sons of Eli are out for glory... *

felton!

Yes, sir?

Never mind, felton.

You played a great game.

Everyone's entitled to a fumble now and then.

Thank you, sir.

There you are, young man.

Thank you, sir.

All right, my dear.

Mister!

Mister!

Are you Mr. Wilson?

Yes.

Are you the president of Princeton?

Yes.

Why the heck don't you get a football team?

I've been thinking about that myself, young man.

If you know anybody who wants to swap a good halfback

for a moth-eaten Professor of economy,

here's your man.

* put on your old gray bonnet *

* with the blue ribbon on it *

* while I hitch your dobbin to the shay *

* through the fields of clover *

* we'll drive up to Dover *

* on our golden wedding day *

* put on your old gray bonnet *

* with the blue ribbon on it *

* while I hitch your dobbin to the shay *

* to the shay

* through the fields of clover *

* we'll drive up to Dover

* on our golden

* wedding

* day.

Mr. Wilson in?

Yes, sir.

Will you tell him, please,

that senator Edward Jones would like to see him?

Will you come in, please?

Thank you.

[Pianist playing the old folks at home]

Will you come into the study?

Is that him?

Yes.

What kind of a Professor is he?

Shh.

I'll tell Mr. Wilson you're here.

Thank you.

Hmm. Not a bad layout for a schoolteacher.

The college owns it.

They just let him live here.

You know, I think it'd be kind of nice

if the state did something like this for us boys.

"History of the American people,

"constitutional government...

Mere literature."

Say, did you know he wrote these himself?

Good evening, gentlemen.

Good evening, Professor.

I am senator Jones.

Big ed?

That's right.

This is my nephew Jim beeker.

How do you do, sir?

My old friend ed Sullivan. Professor Wilson.

Mr. Sullivan.

Won't you sit down?

Thank you. Thank you.

Excuse me, senator. I'll take your coat.

Yes. Thanks.

Well, senator,

what can I do for you?

Mr. Wilson, how would you like

to be governor of new Jersey?

Governor?

There's a strong progressive movement

running in this country.

People are looking for a change.

Yes, but why me?

I'm not a politician.

No, but your fight to abolish these social clubs

and run Princeton on an equal footing for everybody

has a lot of people talking.

I was under the impression

I'd been defeated in that fight.

Oh, people don't take those schoolboy matters

as seriously as you do, Professor.

All they can see

is that you're against special privilege.

That's enough for them.

Besides, your books on how to run a government

are known all over the world.

Oh, you read my books, Mr. Sullivan?

Well, I, uh...

Let's say we've heard them spoken of very highly.

Of course, gentlemen,

this is all very flattering,

but to be perfectly Frank with you, senator,

you're barking up the wrong tree.

I'm a schoolteacher,

which must make me something of an idiot

in the eyes of a lot of good people.

Ha ha. Ha ha.

It's even worse.

I'm a Southern democrat

in a yankee stronghold.

Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!

We just won't tell anybody about that, Professor.

Besides, you must realize

this isn't the sort of decision I can make overnight.

Take your time, Professor.

There's no hurry.

Convention's still a long way off.

We won't take any more of your time.

We know how busy you are.

Here you are, sir.

Thank you, Sullivan.

I'm going to say it.

I'd be afraid...

Mr. Wilson,

I have a feeling that this casual meeting

will be the beginning of a delightful association

for all of us.

Indeed, it is the beginning

of a new era in the state of new Jersey,

one upon which we will all look back

with everlasting pride.

Good night, sir.

Good night, senator.

And you will think it over, Professor?

I'll do better than that, senator.

I'll have my wife think it over.

Good night.

Good night, Mr. Wilson.

Was that really big ed himself?

In person.

What did he want?

Oh, nothing of any importance.

He... he merely wants me to run for governor.

Governor?

Jerusalem!

You governor?

And why not?

What did you tell him?

Oh, that I'd think it over

and, of course, ask your permission.

Woodrow, you didn't.

Have I ever done anything foolish

without asking your permission?

Woodrow,

I know you haven't any personal ambition

just to hold office,

but you must admit

the opportunity is rather unusual.

So it is. So it is.

You must get awfully tired sometimes

of a mere talking profession.

You're quite right, my dear.

I will admit there are moments

when the academic life has its drawbacks,

but the idea of a man my age

suddenly giving up a nice, comfortable way of life

and launching out on a sea of ifs and buts

sounds like the account of a fool.

But you've always been interested in politics.

Only as an observer on the sidelines, my dear.

How about the time you were a student

at the university of Virginia