Come on, step on it!
Step on it!
You all know you're places. Wait for the signal.
-Will you autograph my balloon? -Sure.
Ladies and gentlemen,
this is what I came down here to tell you about.
Please, if you all just be quiet for a few minutes,
I can explain this whole thing.
As you all know, this paper is published
by a man by the name of D.B. Norton...
Get back, you!
Everybody, wait a minute.
Ladies and gentlemen,
My name is D.B.Norton.
You all know me.
I accuse this man of being a faker.
We've been taken for suckers and I'm the biggest of the lot!
I spent a fortune backing this man
in what I believed was a sincere and worthy cause, as you all did.
Now I find out it's nothing but a cheap racket,
cooked up by him and two of my employees for the purpose of
collecting dues from John Does all over the country.
That's a lie!
It's not a lie! Nickel and dimes to stuff in their pockets.
You can read about it in the newspapers there.
That's a lie! Don't believe...
This man had no intention of jumping off a building.
He was paid to say so. Do you deny that?
-That's got nothing to do with it. -Were you paid or weren't you?
Yes, I was paid, but...
And the suicide note. You didn't write that either.
-What difference does that make? -Did you write it?
-No, I didn't. -You bet your life you didn't.
Look in your papers and find
Miss Mitchell's signed confession that she wrote it.
I didn't write the letter...
Now you see, he admits it. You're a fake, John Doe.
For what you did to these people,
they ought to run you out of the country.
And I hope they do it.
Speak up, John. We believe you.
Please listen, folks.
Now that he's through shooting off his face,
I got some things to tell you.
The rest of you get in and riot. Break this crowd up.
I'm sorry folks, we can't hear him anymore.
Something's up with the speakers.
John Doe's a fake!
Please. They can't hear me.
This thing's not working.
Ladies and gentlemen...
This thing's bigger than whether I'm a fake.
Bert, you believe me, don't ya?
Sure. I believe you.
Walking my legs off picking up 5,000 signatures for a phony.
There you are, Mr. Doe.
5,000 names asking you not to jump off any roof.
Makes no difference, Bert. The idea's still good.
-We don't have to give it up. -Yeah, you can have it.
They're starting to throw things. Somebody's going to get hurt.
I'm afraid it will be John Doe.
Listen to that mob.
I've got to go to him.
-Sorry, lady. I can't let you out. -Let me go!
Please. They're crucifying him. I can help him!
-We got orders to hold you. -From who? It's a frame-up!
-Ann darling. -Mother, they won't let me go.
They won't let me go.
Listen, folks.
You gotta listen to me!
Back to the jungle, you hobo.
Just another racket!
Stick to your clubs.
We've been fed baloney so long we're getting used to it.
The idea is still good.
Believe me, folks.
John Does were the hope of the world.
A friend got him out of the park.
Be a miracle if he's not hurt.
Ladies and gentlemen, looks like the end of the John Doe movement.
Well, boys, chalk up another one to the Pontius Pilates.
I should have been there.
I could have helped him.
He was so all alone.
We ought to be ashamed of ourselves after tonight.
We didn't give him a chance.
More coffee, Long John?
No thanks, Colonel.
-Fake! -Racketeer!
-Liar! -Cheat!
-Impostor! -Why don't you jump?
Goodbye, Mr. Doe.
You're a wonderful man.
God bless you, my boy.
Now get in there and pitch.
You're a fake and I can prove it.
You're the big hero that's meant to jump off tall buildings.
Remember?
What will your precious John Does say when they find out
you had no intention of doing it?
That you were paid to say so?
Christmas Eve, at midnight.
Merry Christmas, sir.
Oh! Merry Christmas.
Who? John Doe?
Is that screwball still around?
That dame's been calling all day.
Sure, sure, I know. At midnight, huh?
Okay, lady. We'll have the place surrounded with nets.
They're laughing at me.
You're a sick girl, Ann. You better take it easy.
Who are you calling now?
You called that number, not ten minutes ago.
Hello. Mr. Connell. Have you seen him yet?
Listen, Ann. He can't get in without our seeing him.
I'm watching the side door. Colonel's out front. Stop worrying.
Thank you.
-Why Ann! -Ann, don't be foolish.
If this isn't the craziest,
the battiest, the looniest wild goose chase I ever heard of.
Shut up, Bert. Sourpuss is right.
If he is, I'm a banana split.
That man's gonna be on that roof.
Don't ask me how I know. I know as well as you do.
I'd like to believe in fairy tales,
but a guy that's a fake won't jump off any roof.
I don't think he was a fake. Not with that face.
-What he stood for wasn't a fake. -Okay, honey. Okay.
Elevators ain't runnin'.
-Colonel. -You shouldn't be out of bed.
-Has he been here? -No.
-Have you seen him? -Haven't seen him for a week.
-Where's Connell? -He's watching the other door.
You're swell.
No sense going up. I been here for hours. He ain't here.
Let me go, will ya?
That's crazy. It's 1 4 floors.
It's as far as the elevator goes. We walk up to the tower.
That tramp's probably full of Christmas cheer in a flophouse.
I've got to decorate my tree.
Well, I give up.
I don't what gave us the idea
he'd attempt anything like this.
I guess you're right.
I'm afraid the joke's on us.
I hope nobody finds out we've been here.
I wouldn't do that, John.
It'll do you no good.
The Mayor has police downstairs
with instructions
to remove all identification you may have on your person.
You'll be buried in Potter's Field. You'll have accomplished nothing.
I've already taken care of that.
I mailed a copy of this letter to Mr. Connell.
John, forget this foolishness.
Stop there, Mr. Norton, if you don't want to go over too.
I'm glad you gentlemen are here.
You killed the John Doe movement all right,
but you'll see it born again.
Take a good look, Mr. Norton.
John!
John! Don't do it!
I love you, darling.
Please.
Please don't give up.
We'll start all over again. Just you and I. It isn't too late.
The John Doe movement isn't dead yet.
It isn't dead or they wouldn't be here.
It's alive in them. They kept it alive by being afraid of it.
That's why they came up here.
Oh, darling!
Sure it should have been killed. It was dishonest.
But we can start clean now. Just you and I.
It'll grow, John,
because it'll be honest this time.
John, if it's worth dying for,
it's worth living for.
Please, John!
Please! Please God, help me!
John!
John, look at me!
You want to be honest, don't you?
You don't have to die to keep the John Doe idea alive.
Someone already died for that once. The first John Doe.
And he's kept that idea alive for nearly 2,000 years.
It was he who kept it alive and he'll go on keeping it alive
forever and always.
For every John Doe movement they kill, another will be born.
That's why those bells are ringing.
They're calling to us.
Not to give up, but keep on fighting, keep on pitching.
Don't you see, darling?
This is no time to give up.
You and I John, we...
No!
No, John! If you die, I want to die, too.
I love you!
Mr. Doe, you don't have to...
We're with you, Mr. Doe.
We just lost our heads and acted like a mob.
What Bert's trying to say is that we need you.
A lot of us didn't believe what that man said.
We were going to start up our Club again, with or without you.
Weren't we, Bert? A lot of others will do the same.
Mr. Sourpuss even got a letter from his cousin in Toledo...
I got it right here, Mr. Doe.
Only, it'd be a lot easier with you. Please...
Please come with us, Mr. Doe.
Long John!
Mr. Doe!
-We'll help. She'll be all right. -Take her down to the car.
There you are, Norton. The people! Try and lick that!