INT. SMALL NO-LONGER-BARE OFFICE - DAY

Mrs. Dubray is sitting with Ann trying to talk a little sense into her.

Peter is over by the window smoking, and the ashtray is filled with cigarette stubs.

Mr. Toohey walks in a photographer. Ann looks up surprised, and still puffy-eyed looking.

MR TOOHEY

Perfect.

He gestures to the photographer who starts taking photos of Ann and Mrs. Dubray together. Mrs. Dubray instantly adopts the look of put upon woman who will weather the storms life sends her way, grieved but noble.

ANN

But - no - What are you doing? I - I’m a mess.

MR TOOHEY

You’re perfect my dear. - Now Peter have you been to the police to tell them everything you know?

PETER

I don’t know anything Ellsworth.

MR TOOHEY

You know that Roark designed Cortlandt Homes, that he insisted on a contract that stated the design would not be changed in any way, and when it was he was furious.

PETER

You really think I should go to the police?

MRS DUBRAY

You mean to tell me you haven’t been yet?

INT. WYNAND’S SITTING ROOM - EVENING

Gail, Dominique and Howard are having coffee in the sitting room.

HOWARD

Selfish? Is that what they call me? Well I am. I live by the judgment of my own mind and for my own sake.

GAIL WYNAND

Let them say what they please. By the time you come to trial, no jury will convict you. The public will think what I want them to think. The Banner will save you. Dominique, do you see why I love the Banner? I hold power.

DOMINIQUE

Are you sure of it, Gail?

GAIL WYNAND

You’ll see the demonstration for yourself. I rule that city. I’ve never lost a battle.

DOMINIQUE

It’s your first test of a real issue which[]

The TELEPHONE RINGS. Gail picks it up.

GAIL WYNAND

Yes? ... I see. ... O.K.

He hangs up the receiver.

GAIL WYNAND

Peter Keating has made a statement to the police stating that Howard designed Cortlandt Homes. It’s going to be on all the front pages tomorrow. Including the Banner’s.

HOWARD

I’m not counting on public opinion one way or the other so don’t be afraid for me.

GAIL WYNAND

I’ll fight for you if it takes everything I own.

INT. GAIL WYNAND’S OFFICE - MORNING

Gail is sitting at his table looking at a folded copy of this morning’s copy of THE BANNER.

On the top of the front page is a large photo of Ann and Mrs. Dubray sitting at a desk. Ann has a handkerchief to her nose as she is crying and Mrs. Dubray has her arm around her and is looking straight into the camera. The headline reads DISGUSTED, DISILLUSIONED BUT DETERMINED.

Gail opens it to see the full page. There is a photo Peter walking up the steps to a police station.

There is another large photo of their college class with circles around Peter, Ann and Howard. The second heading reads THEY WANTED TO HELP. ROARK HAD OTHER IDEAS.

There is another small photo of Mrs Dubray standing with a collection of other Devitt Towers residents on the bomb site.

Gail’s face darkens. He looks up at the man standing across from him.

EDITOR

All the papers were running with Keating’s statement to the police. Only Toohey had the inside scoop. We had to run with it. He threatened to take it to another paper.

GAIL WYNAND

Bring him to me.

INT. THE BANNER - OFFICE FLOOR, EVENING

There are only a couple of people on the floor and the desks look as if they have been emptied quickly, there are sheets of paper and things here and there.

Gail is with the editor ranting about the situation.

GAIL WYNAND

When I can’t fire anyone on my paper, I’ll close it and blow your brains out or mine.

EDITOR

They’ve walked out on us. The whole city room. Our best boys. They’re Toohey’s best friends. They won’t work without him.

GAIL WYNAND

Ellsworth Toohey is fired and stays fired.

EDITOR

I can’t understand how Ellsworth got so much power. I never noticed it but he got his gang in little by little and now he owns them.

GAIL WYNAND

And I own the Banner.

Toohey appears, looking like the cat who’s caught the mouse that’s been annoying him.

MR TOOHEY

Do you, Mr. Wynand? So you were after power, Mr. Wynand and you thought you were a practical man. You left to impractical intellectuals like me the whole field of ideas to corrupt as we please while you were busy making money. You thought money was power. Is it, Mr. Wynand? You poor amateur. You’ve never been enough of a scoundrel for your own ambition. That’s why I’ll be back on this job and when I am, I’ll run this paper.

GAIL WYNAND

When you are. Now get out of here.

MR TOOHEY

Of course. I must be boring you so.

EXT. THE BANNER OFFICES, DAY

There are protestors marching outside The Banner demanding Toohey’s reinstatement and calling for a boycott of the Banner.

INT. COCKTAIL PARTY, EVENING

There are two couples having drinks. The little paper coasters being served with the drinks read WE WONT READ WYNAND

WOMAN 1

How clever, my dear.

WOMAN 2

Yes, it is, isn’t it? We must do what we can for the cause. I just fired my cook because I caught her reading the Banner.

HUSBAND 1

Really is Martha available?

WOMAN 2

Oh - no. Ah ... Martha is on holidays. We replaced her replacement.

HUSBAND 1

Oh.

EXT. STREET, NIGHT

Some youths are attacking a news cart carrying The Banner. They set it on fire. A couple of the youths were among the teenagers who were with Mrs. Dubray walking around the bombed Cortlandt Homes.

The police chase them as they scarper.

INT. THE BANNER - OFFICE FLOOR, DAY

EDITOR

Gail, what are we gonna do? I can’t get anyone. They refuse, no matter what salary I offer. Nobody wants to work for the Banner. Nobody wants to read it. How long can we go on like this?

GAIL WYNAND

To the end.

INT. GAIL WYNAND’S OFFICE, DAY

Dominique is sitting his office waiting for Gail.

DOMINIQUE

Gail, give me back my old job. I shall be proud to work for the Banner now.

GAIL WYNAND

Come on. Take these to the back room, pick up the wire flimsies and bring them. Then report to Manning at the city desk.

INT. LOADING BAY/ WAREHOUSE OF THE BANNER, NIGHT

There are stacks of newspapers in the warehouse and more being delivered all the time.

WORKER 1

All returns, eh?

WORKER 2

Yup. Gives me the creeps. Looks just like slabs in the cemetery.

WORKER 1

Guess nobody buys the Banner anymore.

WORKER 2

They’re killing themselves. Work night and day and still newspapers come back unread.

INT. THE BANNER - OFFICE FLOOR, EVENING

Dominique is at a desk running through the mockup for tomorrow’s edition with a man. For once she doesn’t seem at all mannered; she’s completely consumed by the project at hand and seems at ease, exhilarated by the work and happy.

DOMINIQUE

His column was a mess. I rewrote it. Don’t tell him. Say Gail did.

MAN 4

Alright.

The man leaves. Dominique picks up a tray with coffee and a sandwich.

INT. GAIL WYNAND’S OFFICE, EVENING

Dominique walks in. Gail is asleep on the desk, under the glare of his desk lamp. She leaves the tray on the desk for him, turns off the light and turns to go.

He stirs and she goes to him, giving him a comforting hug.

DOMINIQUE

It’ll be all right, Gail. It will be all right.

GAIL WYNAND

The Banner is not helping Howard. It’s ruining him. It’s turning more people against him.

DOMINIQUE

He doesn’t care about that but stand by him. Don’t give in to them.

GAIL WYNAND

I can’t save him.

DOMINIQUE

He’ll win in his own way.

GAIL WYNAND

I can’t save him. I have no power. I never had any power. Nobody’s ever listened to me because nobody’s ever respected me. I wasn’t a ruler of the mob. I was its tool.

DOMINIQUE

If you don’t give in, you’ll save yourself and the Banner.

GAIL WYNAND

I never ran the Banner. They did. The men in the street. It was their paper, not mine. There’s nothing to save now.

DOMINIQUE

Gail, don’t give in to them. Don’t give in.