Elmer Gantry Final Speech?
What was Elmer Gantry’s final speech about love in the movie?? Does anyone know it or know where i can find it?? Is it the same as the one he recites in the bar at the beginning or is it different? Thank you!
p.s. the one at the beginning goes like this:
Love, gentlemen. Jesus had love in both fists! And what is love? Love is the mornin’ and the evenin’ star. It shines on the cradle of the Babe. Hear ye, sinners. Love is the inspiration of poets and philosophers. Love is the voice of music. I’m talkin’ about divine love – not carnal love.
This is all I’ve found so far:
Elmer Gantry (Burt Lancaster) is a huckster who sells shoeshines and vacuum cleaners. Gantry is lustful, coarse, loud, ambitious, motivated by an easy dollar, golden-tongued, and often drunk. His first memorable appearance on screen in a speakeasy demonstrates his high-energy eloquence with words in this impromptu Christmas sermon:
…You think, uh, religion is for suckers and easy marks and molly-coddlers, eh? You think Jesus was some kind of a sissy, hey? Well, let me tell you, Jesus wouldn’t be afraid to walk into this joint or any other speakeasy to preach the gospel. Jesus had guts. He wasn’t afraid of the whole Roman army. (Pointing to a picture) Think that quarterback’s hot stuff? Well, let me tell you, Jesus would have made the best little All-American quarterback in the history of football. Jesus was a real fighter – the best little scrapper, pound for pound, you ever saw. And why, gentlemen? Love, gentlemen. Jesus had love in both fists! And what is love? Love is the mornin’ and the evenin’ star. It shines on the cradle of the Babe. Hear ye, sinners. Love is the inspiration of poets and philosophers. Love is the voice of music. I’m talkin’ about divine love – not carnal love.
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It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the movie, and I don’t recall if the latter speech is word for word, but he does repeat most of it. I’ll keep looking for a site with the script.
MystMoonstruck | Dec 09, 2008