Responsibility (1953)

[Music] hello I'm Jim Gordon the people I work with call me Mr Gordon at least when I'm around they do they're about your age that's right your age you see I'm principal of Lincoln High School my job is to help boys and girls be the kind of young men and women they'd like to be capable educated and responsible this sheet of paper is mighty important to two of our young people I don't know what's on it but I do know that it could make a big difference in the lives of Hank Evans and Lloyd Smith however the contents of the paper would make the most to Hank Evans before I look at it I'd like to tell you some things about Hank Evans and I know more about him than he thinks I know Hank Evans came to Lincoln High School from L School his older sister Vera had been one of our best students and we were glad to have another Evans at Lincoln it was the opening day of school and Hank was in the midst of Jane Cox here Henry Evans here you're Vera Evans brother aren't you I had Vera last her brother but can't I be just playing Hank Evans Lloyd Smith here Hank Evans had a right to expect that he'd be treated as an individual not just as ver evans's younger brother but it's the things that come out after you've known a person a while that really tell you about him for instance about the Third week of school in Miss Jackson's English class Hank decided very important to discover why Shakespeare introduced the ghost into now just a moment now just a minute will you please follow through on chapters 9 and 10 just as you did chapter 8 today and be ready to discuss you got that now chapters N9 and 10 all right we may go now Hi Sam how you oh why don't they let us out of class on time I've got to go clear over to the other side of the building I know what you mean I got the same Miss Jackson I'm sorry but I didn't get the complete assignment for tomorrow there was so much noise in the hall I know and I'm sorry it's chapters 9 and 10 read them and be ready to discuss them tomorrow chapters 9 and 10 read and be ready to recite in class as we have have been doing is that it that's it and I promise not to wait until the end of the period to make the assignment next time thank you I'm glad that's done homework in every class with Miss Jackson's it's a wonder she didn't say she did say something about two chapters but what and what two chapters all finished with it yeah all I can get I think I was supposed to do some English but I don't know and you better find out a gee whiz how can I she threw some stuff at us right at the end of the hour nobody could have got it if I didn't they might have why don't you call someone oh all right I'll call Lloyd Smith maybe he'll know 2903 Lloyd Hank hey what did Miss Jackson assign for class tomorrow well she said to read chapters 9 and 10 I guess she met so we could decide on them just as we have been doing anyway that's what I'm going to study if we don't do it tomorrow we'll have to do it later anyhow but you don't know for sure well thanks Lloyd goodbye chapters 9 and 10 maybe if it's not 9 and 10 well then I've read them for nothing besides I've done enough for one night perhaps Hank wasn't entirely to blame that he wasn't prepared for English class the next day but Beverly Anderson was prepared she had taken it upon herself to make sure what she was supposed to do and had written it down so it wouldn't slip her mind Lloyd Smith could contribute to the class discussion too because he had learned that you can't let things slide and expect to keep up and Hank oh he had a couple of bad moments moments he hardly knew what was being talked about but he managed to avoid being called on to recite and no one except himself was the wiser I could unfold this slip of paper right now and see whether we the teachers and I have been wrong and Hank Evans has been right does it make any difference if you let things slide once in a while but let me tell you another incident in Hank's career he and Lloyd Smith used to get their lessons together it wasn't even up proposition neither one of them did more work than the other x - 3 * x - 5 hey look here Lloyd this isn't going to prove out we've got a mistake somewhere well maybe it's up here in this first substitution hey how'd that five get in there hey that's it how' we miss that let's see well it's going to factor now sure it is of all the dumb mistakes and that finishes the problems too yeah as soon as we can Cofe old Cy him over what for well I figured all over the place Mr Ellis will never be able to find my answers I draw a circle around the answers he wants to see how we got them doesn't he well sure I intended to put in all the figuring but but like there where you marked out all that stuff don't you want to copy it over so it'll look better ah is this art or Algebra I got all the answers and they're all right that's all I care about well I think I'll copy mine suit yourself it may not be quite fair to say that this attitude toward his work was what you remembered about Hank Evans Hank was friendly intelligent popular and head away with people most of the time he was an asset to Lincoln High and to himself but there were times say did you get your theme finished yeah I think it's going to be pretty good I've only got about four more pages to type to type why are they supposed to be handed in this morning but miss gramby said they were doing the 27th I've got news for you boy this is the 27th Wednesday the 27th but we always hand themes in on Friday I didn't look it up I just naturally thought Friday was the 27th how'd you ever let a s like that SLI for probably the first time Hank couldn't make anyone see how reasonable his error had been miss grandby asked him to see her after class Hank I wanted to talk with you for some time I have your theme Here the one that came in 2 days late I told please Hank let me finish this is an excellent theme it's well written and for once you've taken the trouble to make it neat but it was late there's more Hank not all we asked for is here a part of the assignment was to make an outline for the theme too an outline you knew you were supposed to make an outline why didn't you I didn't think it was important if I can write a good theme without making an outline why do I have to that's not the point Hank I can teach you how to punctuate and spell and how to write themes but more important you must learn to face responsibility while you're a student at Lincoln high it's your job to know what the lesson is how it's to be done and when it's expected I can't make you responsible that you have to do for yourself that's all Hank thank you that's appreciation for you after all the work I went to huh my responsibility she says I know what's the matter my sister Vera always made Straight A's and everybody thinks I've got to be just like her all the teachers who taught Vera will be on my neck no matter what I do well maybe Hank Evans did get something from that talk because after that he took special pains to find out the what when and how in Miss Gran's classes but people don't change completely as a result of one conversation over one assignment often it takes something big to convince a fellow he's on the wrong track and really needs to mend his ways maybe this is the something big for Hank Evans what is it didn't I tell you this is one vote in the school election but there's one story about Hank I would like to tell you before I tell you about the election last year Hank Evans went out for the debate team he and Beverly Anderson were selected for the affirmative against Wilson High in the practice session Hank and Beverly were pitted against Lloyd Smith and Elsie Taylor since our opponents have failed to establish any basis for a change we must realize that this contention should stand as stated fine job Hank I wish I could make things sound as good as you do oh was nothing nothing at least Bev doesn't think so well what's the matter don't you like the way your partner mold us down oh sure he's great with his gift of gabs but all the facts are in my file box oh be's a great one for facts you ought to see inside that file box it's full of resolutions and quotations well all I can say is somebody's going get wise that his arguments are nobody's opinion but his own me I like to be prepared oh that's a good Scott hey I'm rich come on I'll buy you all a soda good deal let's go Hank didn't make many notes or collect many facts he didn't think it was worth doing and the idea that he wasn't doing his share didn't even occur to him not until a debate tournament got underway then not being sure of his facts and faced by students from Wilson who knew their facts Hank began to suffer from a strange terrible melady stage Fright with Stage Fright his ability to make his argument sound convincing evaporated it was pretty bad he knew that he had let Beverly down and not just Beverly but the school the tournament was lost of course Lincoln lost because of Hank Evans the guy who could have prepared himself but didn't could he be trusted again another test was coming up very soon for Hank Evans not an ordinary test it might be better to call it a judgment of Hank by his fellow students Hank was nominated for president of the student body and the other candidate was his friend Lloyd Smith the election was held this morning during the first period for president Hank Evans and Lloyd Smith vote for one which one Hank he's friendly popular good-looking he'd give Outsiders a good impression of the school or would he Lloyd Smith not quite so sure but a good student Dependable always responsible he never lets you down Hank Evans or Lloyd Smith vote for one which one each of the boys had something to recommend him and each had his followers we knew the election was going to be close look it's a tie votes of look what are we do now Mr Gordon it's a tie Hank and Lloyd both have the same number of votes are you sure we've check and recheck it comes out the same a deadlock does this mean we have to hold the election over well perhaps not doesn't your Constitution provide for an absentee ballot yeah but was anybody absent well let's have Miss Jenkins check to see if there are any absentees this morning if there were they should should be allowed to vote too wonder this morning there was only one person absent this morning and his vote will determine who will be elected how is he voted for Hank the more popular one or for Lloyd the more responsible one here it is the one vote that decides the election is it for Hank or for Lloyd how would you vote why oh