"THE INVISIBLE MARK"

FADE IN: CLOCK - 9:59:53

SUPER: EDWARDS SET

(DOLLY IN ON EDWARDS - 7 SEC.)

LIGHT CUE - TAKE OUT SUPER)

EDWARDS:

Good evening, everybody, coast to coast. This is Douglas Edwards.

Tonight ... a story that touches the lives of over five million Americans ... and their families.

Men, women and children ... from everywhere. As different from one another as the face of the land itself. And yet, for the most part, all of them the same.

People imprisoned by a world of ignorance and neglect. Condemned to wasted years and forgotten lives. Tonight ... you will see their story ... and that of a man who has dedicated his life to change their despair ... in-to hope ...

I - 2

EDWARDS: (VO) (Cont'd)
of society. Shut away in
a state institution for the
mentally retarded. Here ...
where an exciting discovery
is about to be made ...

The fact ... that these
three people ... can be
helped. And that one of
them ... does not even be-
long here at all.

(PAN UP TO WINDOW
.. WITH BARS ALL
THE WAY UP)

(SUPER CRAWL)

1. THE INVISIBLE MARK

2. BY ALVIN BORETZ

3. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
ROBERT COSTELLO

4. PRODUCED BY
JACQUELINE BABBIN

5. DIRECTED BY
WILLIAM CORRIGAN

I - 9

(CLYDE TURN - X OFF DOWN S.L.

CORRIDOR - ARTHUR X'S SLOWLY U.S.)

(PAN TO SASSER'S OFFICE DOOR. SEE
"SUPERINTENDENT")

CUT TO: SASSER'S OFFICE

(SASSER STANDS U.S. OF DESK. LYLE
IN FRONT OF DESK. PURK BEHIND DESK
U.S. ANTHERS D.S. OF HIM)

SASSER:

(PICKS UP A WORN LENGTH OF ROPE
FROM HIS DESK)

I thought I knew everything about
this place ... but I found some-
thing else this morning. When I
took these gentlemen around.
There's a room in B cottage ...
an empty room. With bars on the
door.

LYLE:

Yes, it's ...

SASSER:

I saw the marks on the wall ...
where people had dug in with

1 - 12

SASSER:

No, you listen. I want you to
try to understand. There was
a big iron fence around the
hospital. And the patients were
always there ... every afternoon
... watching us play ball. I was
used to them ... until that time a
car stopped ... and some people
got out. Men ... and a few women.
They threw rocks ... they laughed
... they had a good time. And
the men inside the fence ... most
of them just stood there. And
it was on their faces. Why fight
back ... when there wasn't any
hope. Lyle, I chased that car ...
'til I couldn't run anymore.
'Til all I could do ... was cry.
A kid can't do anything else.
But now ... I'm not helpless any-
more.

LYLE:

Wait a second ...

SASSER:

No. You're fired ... (MORE)

1 - 15

PURK:

Al ... there are dozens of places
like Glenwood. All over the
country.

SASSER:

But this is where we are.

(RISE - SHOW PAPER)

Here ... statistics. Eighty
percent of those in Glenwood
have never had a psychological
examination. Not even for their
I.Q. Who's going to believe
something like that? In the
year 1957 ... in a civilized
country. In the United States.

ANTHERS:

Testing some of them now may be
twice as hard. They've been
neglected so long.

SASSER:

We can't do anything for them
unless they **are** tested. Until
we know something about each
one. It's our only chance to
help.

(SIT)

1 - 21

GEORGE:

Fff ... ine.

WILMA:

Let me see. Is that in the book
... yes, here it is. You said
that once ... so I'll put a mark
next to it right here. But how
many times did you say feet?

Look ... you said feet five
times ... so that means another
gold star. Here ... you can put
it on.

(CLYDE STEPS IN DOOR AS SHE HANDS
BOY A GOLD STAR FROM A BOX. THE
BOY WETS IT AND PLACES IT ON THE
PAGE NEXT TO THE WORD FEET)

WILMA:

All right, George, let's take
another word. How...

(SHE SEES CLYDE - RISES - X'S
TOWARD HIM)

Oh, I'm sorry ... may I help
you?

(HE COMES IN...CLOSES THE DOOR)

1 - 23

CLYDE:

Ruth is deaf ... and she doesn't
talk. She can't.

WILMA:

Mr. Sasser has ordered everyone
to be tested.

CLYDE:

But I know she can't hear. If
you speak to her, simply and
slowly she reads your lips a
little. That's about all.

WILMA:

We won't know about her hearing
for certain unless we test her.
Why don't I do it now?

(SITS AT TABLE)

George ... you come tomorrow...
same time ... all right?

(GEORGE NODS, STARTS TO RISE)

WILMA:

No ... tell me you understand.

GEORGE:

Y...yes.

WILMA:

Good boy.

1 - 28

SASSER: (Cont'd)

us. I want you to tell people
in the town.

CLYDE:

Tell them what, Mr. Sasser?

SASSER:

What you've seen.

CLYDE:

I've only seen what they have.
We've seen you come in here and
bring a cyclone with you. We've
seen men and women fired from
here. After they've worked for
years. You've *changed* things.
And for what.

SASSER:

For hope.

CLYDE:

If there was a chance for any,
we'd have known it long ago.
We're not fools, Mr. Sasser.
The town doesn't hate this
place. It's got the name of
Glenwood too. And who says
we're against change. Only

1 - 30

SASSER: (Cont'd)

rights. Well, what about the
<u>right</u> to be <u>helped</u>?

CLYDE:

There's no man can argue that,
Mr. Sasser. But you're telling
people it can all be different.
They're going to expect something.
Those who've got kids in here.

SASSER:

That's why we need all the help
we can get. We can't be an
island here. We have to belong.

(SIT)

CLYDE:

People need more than talk.

SASSER:

You know the things we've started.
The rehabilitation ... the school
... the speech clinic. And Ruth
... you've watched her.

CLYDE:

What did I find out? That if I
yell and holler ... maybe she'll
hear a whisper? What good is it...

1 - 31

CLYDE: (Cont'd)

if she hasn't anything else?
What can you really change?

SASSER:

Their faces. Every day is going
to be new for them now. Every
day they've got a chance. Change,
Mr. Clyde ... it's going to happen.
Whether the town ... or you ...
or anyone else ... likes it or not.

CLYDE:

It's fine, Mr. Sasser ... fine to
give people hope. But suppose
you turn out to be wrong. What
happens to them after that?

Now ... you say you want my help.
The town's help. All right...

1 - 35

SASSER:

And now?

ECKSTEIN:

They're being torn in half.

They know now. As they've
really known for a long time.

PURK:

Why'd they apply?

ECKSTEIN:

Mrs. Fulton says their daughter
is starting to stammer ... that
she's having trouble in school.

ANTHERS:

The father looks almost apathetic
to me.

ECKSTEIN:

Like I said ... he's given up.

He's accepted the facts ... and
that's that.

SASSER:

What facts? What kind of kid is
he? Doc?

DOC:

(LOOKING AT SOME PAPERS)

He tests out around a forty I.Q.
in intelligence. But I want to

1 - 36

DOC: (Cont'd)

do some personality testing. He
may be showing the emotional
effects of the family and com-
munity reactions. That could
easily complicate his problem.
The boy asked me only one ques-
tion. Would the kids in here...
make fun of him.

(CLOSING HIS FOLDER)

I think he ought to be admitted
now.

ECKSTEIN:

I agree. The parents have no
more hope ... and he'll get
worse at home. Not better.

SASSER:

How about referring Mrs. Fulton
for case work so the boy can
stay home a little longer? I'd
like him to come when she wants
him with us. Not just to dump
him.

ANTHERS:

I don't think he can wait. The
sooner he's here the better.

1 - 39

BILLY JOE:

Momma?

(SHE TURNS TO HIM)

MRS. FULTON:

You go with the lady, Billy Joe.

You go on now.

(ECKSTEIN PUTS OUT HER HAND, BILLY
JOE RISES - SHE TAKES HIM U.S.)

(FATHER TURNS TO WATCH - MOTHER
DOESN'T. SASSER HAS OBSERVED SCENE
FROM HIS OFFICE DOORWAY - X'S D.S.
TO THEM.)

SASSER:

(TO MR. FULTON)

I'd suggest you wait a few weeks
before visiting, Mr. Fulton. Give
your boy a chance to get used to
us.

MRS. FULTON:

We're not coming back.

SASSER:

You'll be welcome.

MRS. FULTON:

We're not coming. Why do you
think we brought him here? It's
over now. He's yours.

1 - 41

MR. FULTON: (Cont'd)

It's the law. And you're an employee
of the state. You have no choice.

SASSER:

(STEPS TO HER)

We think we can help him. But
he'll need you, too.

MRS. FULTON:

(TURNS TO HIM)

Why do you say such things?
Do you think I'm a stupid woman?
Do you think it's easy to walk
out and leave him? But I know
it's all I can do. I'm crying...
but it's not just for now. It's
for what my son could have been.
I know you can't do anything. Mr.
Sasser...we lost him the day he
was born.

(SHE EXITS D.S.)

(FATHER X'S ABOVE SASSER - EXITS)

DISSOLVE TO: SPEECH CLINIC

1 - 43

WILMA: (Cont'd)

one ... two ... three ... blow.
(RUTH COMPLIES ... GETTING THE "TH"
SOUND)

Fine ... do it again ... again
... again ... see? You can do
it. Now let's try that sound
in a word. ... How about ...
your name ... Ruth ... Ruth ...
Ruth...Ruth...Ruth...

(RUTH TRIES BUT CAN'T MANAGE IT)

Watch me now, Ruth. Tongue be-
tween the teeth. Ruth ... Ruth
... Ruth ...

{RUTH TRIES ... CAN'D DO IT ...
TEARS COME TO HER EYES)

WILMA:

Don't worry ... We'll do it
again ... tomorrow.

(AS WILMA MAKES A NOTE IN HER FOLDER)

DISSOLVE TO: SASSER'S OFFICE

EDWARDS: (V.O.)

(ARTHUR OPENS
DOOR, LOOKS IN)

Another of the "lost"
children.

(MORE)

1 - 45

SASSER: (Cont'd)

because they were ignorant...
mistakes have been made. Bad
mistakes. Arthur ... you don't
belong here. You're not retarded.

(ARTHUR - TURNED AWAY - FIDDLES WITH THE CLASP OF HIS SHOULDERS STRAP...)

Well...don't you want to say something?

ARTHUR:

Yes sir. But you see...I always
knew I was normal.

SASSER:

Didn't you tell anyone?

ARTHUR:

A long time ago. But they didn't
believe me. I even ran away once
...and when they brought me back...
they whipped me. And then ...
after a while ... I knew I was
never going to leave. So I just
didn't try anymore. And I stopped
minding.

SASSER:

You're going to leave now. We'll

1 - 47

ARTHUR:

You don't have to start any
trouble on my account ... I
can't leave here.

(SASSER LOOKS UP)

Not any more. It's too late
for me.

SASSER:

I don't know how long it'll take.
But it'll happen. Some day you'll
be out there where you really be-
long.

FADE OUT

FADE UP FLIP: A. C. THEATRE

EDWARDS: (OVER)

In just a few moments we will
return with the Second Act of
The Invisible Mark on the
Armstrong Circle Theatre.

DISSOLVE TO: COMMERICAL II (TAPE 2:11)

2 - 58

EDWARDS: (V.O.)

(WILMA SEATED
S.R., RUTH U.L.)

Without funds this
step forward would
end.

RUTH:
Pih..pih..pih...pih..

WILMA:
Good, Ruth... try it again...
pih..pih...

RUTH:
Pih..pih...

(CLYDE STEPS IN DOORWAY)

WILMA:
I think that's just fine, Ruth.
Really...you're doing very well
today.

(SASSER X'S IN FROM MAIN ENTRANCE TO
BEHIND CLYDE)

Now...we'll try to use the sound
in a word. How about the word....
pear. Let's say pear.

(CLYDE BECOMES AWARE OF SASSER AND
TURNS TO HIM)

CUT TO: MAIN CORRIDOR

2 - 62

CLYDE: (Cont'd)

He's changing. And Ruth. All
those lessons she's getting.
That didn't happen before, did
it?

(PACE BACK)

She _is_ going to be all right.
This place can't be separate
anymore. Like you told me. It
has to be part of the community.

SASSER:

Mr. Clyde...

CLYDE:

I didn't think much of this whole
idea when you started. But I've
come around. I've seen it with
my own eyes. You're going to fix
up these people. Make them into
something. Just like Ruth is go-
ing to be.

SASSER:

(RISE)

Mr. Clyde, I never promised that.
No two people are alike. Nobody
anywhere is.

2 - 63

CLYDE:

(X TO DOOR)

Arthur's out of here now ..
isn't he? There's more proof
for you. And Ruth _is_ going to
talk. I _know_. Mr. Sasser...
I believe in you. You were
right.

DISSOLVE TO: MAIN CORRIDOR

(MRS. FULTON BY WINDOW ACROSS FROM
SASSER'S OFFICE - MR. FULTON D.S.
OF HER - SASSER ACROSS FROM THEM)

MRS. FULTON:

You were wrong, Mr. Sasser. You
shouldn't have sent for us. But
your letter said to come soon
as we could. Why didn't you
tell us he wasn't sick.

(A CHILD RUSHES BY FROM U. S. BETWEEN
SASSER AND THE FULTONS)

SASSER:

(STEPS U.S. - INDICATE THEY ENTER)
Please come in.

2 - 64

(MRS. FULTON X'S HIM IN TO OFFICE.
MR. FULTON FOLLOWS - X'S ABOVE HER)

CUT TO: SASSER'S OFFICE

AS THEY ENTER SASSER CLOSES DOOR -
MRS. FULTON TURNS TO HIM)

MRS. FULTON:
Tell us the truth, Mr. Sasser.
Is he all right?

SASSER:
I can't say he's well....because
he isn't.

MRS. FULTON:
What is it?

SASSER:
Well, to put it simply, I think
he wants to see you. Both of
you.

MR. FULTON:
Mr. Sasser....you practically
wrote he was sick.

SASSER:
I din't mean to alarm you. But
when I wrote it was important,

2 - 65

SASSER: (Cont'd)

I meant it. We're here to help
your child but we can't do it
when he feels he's been aban-
doned. The boy's pining away
...and that can be just as
final as any disease.

MRS. FULTON:

What good is it seeing him.
He can't go home with us. I
told you...he's never going
to be anything.

SASSER:

Nobody knows that - maybe he'll
only get up to the mental age
of a five year old. We don't
know. But I'll tell you this.
No matter how helpless...how
badly hurt...there's no such
thing as a human vegetable.
Mrs. Fulton..he's a person.
Love him.

MRS. FULTON:

He's my son. I put my life in-
to him. He was everything. Who

2 - 67

MRS. FULTON: (Cont'd)
thing for him. Roy ... we can't
go through it all over again.
And he has to get used to it, too.
It's not fair to anyone.

(ANTHERS ENTERS)

ANTHERS:
Al --

(HE STOPS IN DOOR)

MRS. FULTON:
It's not right to see him. We
have to go home.

(MR. AND MRS. FULTON EXIT BETWEEN
THEM - ANTHERS AND SASSER EXCHANGE
A LOOK)

(SOUND: PHONE)

(SASSER X TO BEHIND DESK - PICK
UP PHONE - ANTHERS DRESS TO CHAIR
ABOVE DESK)

SASSER:
Yes?....this is the superin-
tendent...who.....where is he
now...well, what happened..?

(SASSER SITS)

Yes..I see....yes, you can do

2 - 70

SASSER:

But what were you doing there?

ARTHUR:

I remembered it. From a long
time ago. I was there before ...
and I wanted to find him.

SASSER:

Find who?

ARTHUR:

My father. It wasn't him who
sent me here. I thought .. may-
be if I stayed there awhile ...
he'd know I was all right now.
That I was outside ... for good.
I was just sitting there. Then
... they came.

SASSER:

You didn't do wrong. And I don't
have to tell you that. You walked
into a different world, Arthur. A
new world for you. Sights and
sounds you never even knew existed.
But you see ... there's no sign on
you ... no badge to say that you
were in here most of your life.
If people knew you'd been here ...

2 - 71

SASSER: (Cont'd)

they'd understand. And your
wandering around ... your look-
ing at everything in sight ...
would mean something to them.
But those people who saw you
watching their houses ... they
didn't know. So they called
the police.

ARTHUR:

I looked different to them.

SASSER:

I tell you no. You look just
like everybody else - The police
followed you. Saw you had no
place to go. They saw you sitting
near a grave. Now, you're a smart
man, Arthur ... and you know why
they did what they did.

ARTHUR:

I'm not angry, Mr. Sasser. And
you've been good to me. Every-
body tried. But you can't do
nothing with all those people out
there. They don't understand ...
and no one's going to make them.

3 - 81

ANTHERS: (Cont'd)

(ANTHERS LOOKS UP)

They're from all over the State.
We're not alone now - people
want us to keep trying.

(SASSER REACHES FOR LETTER)

DISSOLVE TO: DORMITORY

(BILLY JOE LYING IN S.R. BED -
EYES CLOSED - ECKSTEIN CROSSES IN
TO BELOW HIM)

ECKSTEIN:

Billy Joe ...

(HE OPENS HIS EYES)

How are you today?

(HE TURNS HEAD L.)

(SHE SITS)

I brought you a present ... A
friend of yours asked me to give
it to you ... Look.

(HE ROLLS HEAD BACK TO LOOK)

(SHE SHOWS HIM CLOWN HAND PUPPET)

Hello, Billy Joe... I'm Poppo

3 - 82

ECKSTEIN: (Cont'd)

the clown. Do you want to play
with me.

(BILLY CLOSES HIS EYES - ECKSTEIN
PUTS TOY DOWN AND CROSSES OFF S.L.)

DISSOLVE TO: RECREATION HALL

(ARTHUR SEATED AT ROUND TABLE -
U.S. - WORKING ON STATUE OF WOODEN
BIRD. ANthers SLIDES INTO CHAIR -
S.R. OF HIM AND SITS AND WATCHES)

ARTHUR:

Hello, Mr. Anthers.

ANTHERS:

May I see it?

(ARTHUR HANDS IT TO HIM)

You know how to handle wood all
right.

(LOOKS UP AT ARTHUR)

Too bad it's not that easy to
handle people.

(HANDS BACK BIRD - ARTHUR BEGINS
CARVING)

(MORE)

3 - 85

SASSER: (Cont'd)

mine. You and Mrs. O'Connell
helped get the forgotten kids
campaign started.

(OPENS DRAWER)

Here - I've made copies of these
letters for you.

CLYDE:

(TURNS AWAY)

No. I don't want to see them.

SASSER:

(MOVE DOWN TO S.L. OF HIM)

There are two thousand of these.
All alike. They respond to the
children here. They respond to
everyone in Glenwood. And there's
a wonderful thing in most of their
letters. You see ... they don't
pity them. They love them. As
children. As people.

CLYDE:

Don't you think I love them?

SASSER:

I don't know.

3 - 88

SASSER: (Cont'd)

it happens. It's lightning ...
hitting without plan ... without
reason. And ... it's very demo-
cratic. It doesn't check your
bank account or your college
degree. Every time a child is
born ... it's a gamble. But a
good one.

CLYDE:

But if it had happened to me ...
... I couldn't have gone through
it all over again.

SASSER:

You stayed away from the place
your sister was in. Yet ... you
come here. Why?

CLYDE:

It wasn't my fault people didn't
care. The way my sister and the
others were treated.

SASSER:

(X TO BELOW HIM)

That was a long time ago, Mr.

Clyde. Now there's a chance to
make each one whatever they can
become. Don't you want that?

3 - 91

SEN. BURNS:

(X'S HIM TO 2ND POST)

It's very pleasant out here.

(SASSER FOLLOWS TO BELO HIM)

I took one forty down here. It's
a nice ride.

SASSER:

Very.

SEN. BURNS:

Mr. Sasser, the committee has
gone over your budget several
times since you appeared before
us. We haven't been putting you
off ... as you might have thought
... which I suppose you have.

SASSER:

Yes sir.

SEN BURNS:

Mr. Sasser ... why did you take
this post? It's a thankless job
really ... isn't it?

SASSER:

That depends.

SEN. BURNS:

On what?

3 - 92

SASSER:

What all of us here get from it.

SEN. BURNS:

We're sparring, Mr. Sasser. Do
we have to?

SASSER:

My answer is quite simple, Senator.
All of us feel something about being
here ... about working with the re-
tarded. As to why ... we've all
got our reasons. For me, maybe it
was discovering the existence of
cruelty quite early in my life.
But for all of us ... this is where
we want to be. What we want to do.

SEN. BURNS:

It's not going to fall in your
lap. You may get some of the ap-
propriation .. you may get none.
There won't be any open doors.

SASSER:

There haven't been any so far.
But we haven't been stopped yet.

SEN. BURNS:

There'll be opposition. Some will
say you're just out to make a name

3 - 95

MR. FULTON: (Cont'd)

going to be something? Anything
at all?

SASSER:

I don't know.

MR. FULTON:

No one has to come to see my son.

(TURNS U.S., THEN TURNS BACK)

I will. And someday ... my wife
will come. It's ... it's very
hard for her. But she'll come.

(X'S OFF U.S.)

(SASSER X TO OFFICE DOOR - ANTHERS
X IN FROM FRONT DOOR)

CUT TO: SASSER'S OFFICE

(ANTHERS ENTERS)

ANTHERS:

Al .. a wire from Des Moines.

(THEY STEP INTO OFFICE)

SASSER:

Committee still in session. Feel
you have good chance of approval

... Senator Burns.

3 - 97

(ARTHUR X TO FRONT DOOR - EXIT)

CUT TO: SPEECH CLINIC

(RUTH SEATED S.R., WILMA U.C. -
CLYDE IN DOOR - RUTH TAKES STAR,
WETS AND PASTES IN BOOK - WILMA
SEES BOX IS EMPTY - RUTH NOTICES
CLYDE)

WILMA:

I'll have to buy some more gold
stars for you. All these words
you're learning. Let's see now.
What's the next sound we ought
to practice a little more. How
about ...?

(SEES RUTH LOOKING AT CLYDE - RISES
- X'S TO L.OF HIM)

CLYDE:

Good morning.

WILMA:

Hello, Mr. Clyde.

(CLYDE X'S TO RUTH)

RUTH:

Ruth ...

1 - 30,31 (REV.)

SASSER: (Cont'd)

CLYDE:

There's no man can argue that,
Mr. Sasser. People need more
than talk.

SASSER:

CLYDE:

What did I find out? That if I
yell and holler ... maybe she'll
hear a whisper? What good is it...
if she hasn't anything else? What
can you really change?

SASSER:

CLYDE:

You say you want my help. The
town's help. All right...

1 - 36 (REV.)

DOC: (Cont'd)

do some personality testing. He
may be showing the emotional
effects of the family and community
reactions. That could easily com-
plicate his problem. The boy asked
me only one question. Would the
kids in here... make fun of him
(CLOSING HIS FOLDER)

ECKSTEIN:

I agree.

ANTHERS:

2 - 69 (REV.)

DISSOLVE TO:PORCH

(TIGHT ON ARTHUR. HE SITS S.L.
IN A CHAIR. SASSER SEATED U.R.
OF HIM)

ARTHUR:

I walked. I walked for a long
time. I walked down the streets.
All the streets I could find. The
ones with the houses. I wanted to
see them. And the people inside.
I just wanted to look. I didn't
mean to bother nobody.

SASSER:

The police found you in a church
yard. And the gate was supposed
to be locked.

ARTHUR:

It was open.

2 - 71 (REV.)

ARTHUR:

I looked different to them.

SASSER:

ARTHUR: