Original subtitles

The writings of Adolf Hitler

are about to be introduced into this community

through the sincere, if misguided, efforts

of a young man we all admire.

Son, it's alright for you to take risks for your newspaper

but I can't stand by and see my family put in danger.

The quiet strength of Walton's Mountain

always seemed to shelter our house

from the rest of the world.

In 1937, it was hard for our family and neighbors

to believe that we could ever be touched by the trouble

that was reaching out from Europe.

In Berlin, Adolf Hitler assures the world

that Germany has no hostile intent towards its neighbors.

Still, he continues to amass arms

and armies at a staggering rate.

Even the young are not exempt from military service.

Why this tremendous buildup of weaponry and military might?

Some say the dictator has his eye on Austria,

its small neighbor to the south.

Since the Treaty of Versailles,

Austria has been separated from Germany,

but now Hitler has repudiated

the Versailles Treaty of World War I.

Is this a step toward an attempted takeover of Austria?

In his book, Mein Kampf,

Hitler vows to lead the Germans to world dominance.

A dynamic, spellbinding speaker,

Hitler exhorts his devoted followers

to cries of "Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!"

Hail Victory. Hail Victory.

Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!

Okay, let's go.

We've only seen the movie once.

I got you all in free.

Let's not overextend the privilege, alright? Come on.

Jim-Bob, come on.

And listen, thank you so much for all those passes.

I've been real pleased with the results of my ad in your paper.

The customers come in from reading it in The Chronicle.

Well, I'm glad to hear that. I sure am. Okay?

-Thank you. -Time to go home. Jim-Bob.

Thank you very much.

My pleasure, John-Boy.

Elizabeth.

Thank you.

Mrs. Brimmer? Mrs. Brimmer, you said something about some pie?

Yes, I'll take care of that.

That's fine. That's fine. Alright, so we're getting the...

Wonderful. Fine.

So we're taking care of the food.

John, Reverend Fordwick is here.

Don't you think he ever hauls off and kisses his wife?

Not on the back of the neck. They're very strict Baptists.

Where do very strict Baptists kiss, huh?

I've got no time to talk religion with you now.

That committee meeting going on all night

or is there a chance of getting supper?

What's more important, Grandpa,

your stomach or the Jefferson County Day program?

It's time this filibuster was ended.

Grandpa.

Now, now, now, Liv. Don't blame Pa.

He's just crazy with hunger.

-John. -How are you doing, Reverend?

-John. -All rested from your revival?

Well, I'm rested but still exhilarated, Mr. Walton,

from such a rich harvest of souls

-How you doing, Buck? -Keeping just fine, Zeb.

Zeb, you'll spoil your supper.

Reverend, last year, the committee bought the bunting

for the celebration in Charlottesville.

Now, I'd just like to remind the committee

that I stock it in my store.

So do we.

Then we could buy half of what we need from you, Buck,

and half from the Godseys.

Esther, why don't you invite everybody for supper?

We're trying to have a meeting, Zeb.

Are there any questions before we close the meeting?

Well, looks like it's closed whether we like it or not.

Hi, you young ones!

Well, now, how was the picture show?

It was wonderful! It made me cry.

You should have seen the newsreel. Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!

-It's not funny, Jim-Bob. -It looked funny to me.

John-Boy, don't be stick in the mud.

I'm not a stick in the mud. Adolph Hitler is no joke.

Politics. Yuck!

I don't know why these children want to make a joke out of it.

The man's obviously a maniac.

Yet you announced in last week's Chronicle

you intend to print excerpts from his book in coming issues.

That's right.

Mein Kampf? Why would you want to print such trash?

'Cause I think people ought to know about it.

After reading your article about book burnings in Germany,

I don't need to know any more about Hitler or the Nazi party.

That's exactly how I feel.

Any man that would burn the Holy Bible is a heathen.

In my opinion, a responsible newspaper

should reflect the interests of the community,

and passages from Mein Kampf just don't belong.

Precisely. People hereabouts are mostly interested

in the social events of Jefferson County

and not some goings-on in a foreign country.

Don't mind, I'll just publish my newspaper the way I see fit.

Sorry, John-Boy.

I thought a friendly advice might save you some trouble.

Well, we should be going. Mrs. Walton

thank you for your generous hospitality.

Good evening, Mrs. Walton.

As my husband says, toodle-lee-doo, all.

See you in church, John.

Bye, Mama.

-You off to the Dew Drop, Ben? -Where else?

-Be home at a decent hour. -I will. John-Boy?

-Yeah, I'm coming. -Hurry up!

I'm coming. I'm coming.

Mama, goodnight.

I thought you were working tonight.

-I gotta do some research. -Wait for me!

Don't tell me you're marching off, too.

Well, I was hoping to.

He's gonna help me get some advertising for the paper.

Well, dance halls have to have advertising, too. Goodnight.

-You boys drive careful. -We will!

You alligators do some of those fancy steps for me.

Hey, look up ahead, there's neckers!

-Shine your lights on them! -Hey, Ben! Ben!

How would you feel if you were out necking?

And somebody shined their lights on you?

I think I've seen that car before.

Yeah, it's David Spencer's car.

I wonder what Mama would say.

I don't think there's any reason Mama has to know. Do you?

Fellows.

I've got to get you home.

I am home. You're my home.

I love you, Mary Ellen.

No, we have to be sensible.

You be sensible.

You know what'd happen if your daddy came walking?

He'd shoot you.

Did anybody ever tell you you're crazy?

No. Am I?

No, I am.

-You say that all the time. -What's the matter, Jim-Bob?

What can I do?

What do you want to do?

I don't know.

Can't help you, then.

Come on.

Hey, everybody, look at Erin!

Erin's book seems to have gone to her head.

Isn't she graceful, Mama?

Wouldn't it be easier without the book?

This is how fashion models train, Mama.

-So does Brenda Frazier. -Aha!

I guess there's some point to all that, huh?

I'm going to enter the Jefferson County Day beauty contest.

Well, good for you.

Well, Flossie Brimmer told me that the Dunbar woman

was coming up with a new wrinkle for the celebration.

-This is her idea, isn't it? -Yes, ma'am.

Well, good for Zuleika.

A beauty contest should pep the Jefferson County Days up.

-Naturally, you'd think so. -Naturally.

John, you remember four, five years back

when that little old girl from Satsuma, Alabama did the shimmy?

The one with the grass skirt?

You remember that one, Liv?

That was one sideshow I missed.

-We get to wear bathing suits. -Good Lord!

Grandma, you can't have a beauty contest

without some part of it in a bathing suit.

It seems the Jefferson County Day program got along before

without young girls parading around half-naked.

Mama, we're not gonna be parading around half-naked.

That's right. You're not.

Daddy.

I'm not gonna have you shimmying around in front of strangers.

Does that mean you're not gonna let me enter the contest?

That's the idea.

I never get to do anything I want, ever!

You know, you're not being fair to Erin.

I bet if she entered, she'd win!

-What can I do? -Go to bed.

Good idea.

Liv, I mean it. I don't want Erin in that contest.

Neither do I.

The congregation will be seated.

I have some closing announcements.

Jefferson County Day will be celebrated Saturday afternoon.

You are all invited to attend.

In these troubled times,

we should be aware of our roots,

and the hard work of the early settlers

who opened up this part of the country.

At the same time, we must protect our heritage

against those who would alter or destroy it,

and that's why I feel compelled to mention

that the writings of Adolf Hitler

are about to be introduced into this community

through the sincere, if misguided,

efforts of a young man we all admire.

It is now believed that the Nazis are planning

to remove the Bible from German churches

and replace it with Mein Kampf.

In the name of reporting what is going on in the world,

it has been announced

that this book be reprinted for us to read.

In Proverbs, it is written,

"A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself,

"but the simple pass on and are punished."

Our responsibility is to spread love, not hatred,

to pass on the word of God, not the writings of the godless!

I fervently hope that The Blue Ridge Chronicle

will share that responsibility with us

and use forbearance in what it chooses to print.

Let us pray.

Come in.

You having trouble getting your thoughts together, Son?

There's a lot to say, but I wanna say it right.

Your mother told me what happened in church this morning.

Don't you think Germany is a little far away

to worry about what's going on over there?

Didn't seem so far away in 1917.

No, but they learned their lesson, then.

I don't figure they're gonna start any trouble now.

You agree with Matt Fordwick.

I guess most people figured

The Chronicle was gonna cover local news, Son,

leave the major world events to the city newspapers.

Daddy, the world's getting smaller every day,

soon, any piece of news is gonna be local news,

and one book burning, one treaty violation,

one threat to human dignity ought to be reported

in every local newspaper across this country.

I gotta be free to pass on to my readers

anything that I think is important.

That right's been done away with in Germany, completely.

You know what Adolf Hitler says?

He says that free press is drivel.

If there's a book he doesn't agree with, he burns it.

He burns every copy. I don't wanna see that happen here.

I don't wanna see that happen, either, Son.

I'm proud of you.

Acting on what you believe.

"It was many and many a year ago

"In that kingdom by the sea

"That there lived a maiden that was known by all

"As the beautiful Annabel Lee"

Annabel.

"And this maiden she lived with no other thought

"Than to love and be loved by me"

Grandpa?

Who were you just talking to?

Nobody.

Well, I was remembering a long-lost love.

What would Grandma say?

She'll never know.

-Or will she? -No.

Grandpa, why does our family have to be so old-fashioned?

What?

Well, Florabelle Tait gets to go to the movies on Sunday,

and her parents let her enter the beauty contest.

Well, I haven't any objection at all to bathing-beauty contests,

but I can see why your mama and your daddy

wouldn't want a bathing beauty in the family.

Well, they let the others do what they want.

John-Boy can run a newspaper.

Mary Ellen gets to go to nursing school,

and Jason spends all his time on music.

Well, I suppose that's what you call increasing your talents.

But I don't have any talents.

What are you talking about?

Being pretty is a real talent.

Grandpa, I know it would take a miracle,

if I could enter the contest,

I know I have a good chance of winning.

Well, I don't know about miracles,

if you give me a day or two to think it over,

I think I could come up with something.

Really? Thank you, Grandpa.

* When the ways come roling in *

* We go back and swim *

*And go flirt and fool around the water *

* So why should we care *

* I wanna be beside your side beside the sea *

* Beside the sea side by the beautiful sea *

Zuleika, thank you.

I would've given anything to see your figure in those days.

It was nonsense, of course, but everybody said

I should've gone out to Hollywood,

become one of those Mack Sennett girls.

Why not?

But then, one evening, Mr. Dunbar came backstage,

and he... Well, he just swept me off my feet.

Mr. Dunbar's gain was Hollywood's loss.

Zebulon, you do have a way with words.

Anyway, it was that first experience

that made me wanna stage a beauty pageant right here.

That's a great idea. Great!

Thank you. And I insist that you be one of the judges.

There's nothing I would like better.

I have had considerable experience in the past

judging pulchritude, feminine beauty.

However, I don't believe that Esther would take too kindly

to my responsibilities in such a contest.

I think I'd best decline.

Zeb, you know, I am disappointed.

But may I make a suggestion?

Of course! Anything, Zebulon!

There you are, Mrs. B.

Good morning, Zeb. What brings you by?

Well, I got your rocker fixed,

I thought I'd bring it by personally.

Well, I certainly appreciate it.

You thatched it perfectly, too.

Zuleika here has been entertaining me.

I don't doubt it a bit.

-By the way, Zeb... -Yeah?

Is John-Boy still planning to write that Hitler article

he was talking about?

As far as I know, I think he just has to set it to type.

Zebulon, I'm anxious to hear your ideas

about the beauty pageant.

Excuse me.

It wasn't my idea, Zuleika.

I got the notion from seeing you do that little number.

You flatterer!

Come in.

Alright if I come in, John-Boy?

Mrs. Brimmer. Of course.

This is where you do your printing?

Yeah, this is it.

That's my press right there. I shouldn't say it's my press.

Mostly, it still belongs to Mr. Johnson.

Would you like to see me work it?

No, thank you.

What I came to talk to you about was your article.

The one on Hitler and Mein Kampf.

That's gonna be it right there.

John-Boy, if you quote from that book,

you just might stir up a real hornet's nest.

Some people don't take kindly to foreign ways and ideas.

Sometimes it makes them do terrible things.

Mr. Brimmer,

God rest him, was a good man,

but he was German-born.

I didn't know that.

No one does here on Walton's Mountain.

That's how we wanted it when we moved here.

Mr. Brimmer had become an American citizen and a good one,

but during the Great War that didn't mean much,

not when people found out where we came from.

Terrible things happened.

Neighbors turned against him,

men he worked with,

even my own family.

So we moved several times.

It wasn't until we came to Walton's Mountain

that we finally found a place where we could keep our secret,

where we could live in peace.

Don't stir up those hates again, John-Boy.

Mrs. Brimmer...

What happened to you

happened out of ignorance,

because people didn't know the truth, and they became afraid.

That kind of ignorance is a very, very dangerous thing,

and that is exactly why I have got to print this article here.

I also have to hope that my readers will understand that.

You'll keep my secret, John-Boy?

I'll keep your secret.

About suppertime, isn't it?

But my advertisers are canceling out. I gotta go talk to them.

Thought about changing your stand?

Yeah, I thought about it, but I'm not going to.

Beginning to hate that newspaper.

It's nothing but trouble.

Liv, this whole thing is real important.

I know what he's saying is important.

People can get all riled up over things like that.

I'm afraid he's gonna get himself hurt.

Let's have some supper. Things'll look better.

Food solves everything?

Not everything.

Come on. Come on, Esther. Come on.

It won't take but a minute.

Zeb, supper's almost ready.

Good, you won't have an excuse for not working. Sit down. Down!

There, there, old dear. Livie. John, come on over here.

Immediate seating in the box enclosure.

What's going on?

Ladies and gentlemen, there has been considerable

dissention and discussion

concerning Miss Erin Walton's entry

in the Jefferson County Day beauty contest.

We've been through that already, Pa.

Before your final decision becomes absolutely final,

the young heart at the Waltons wish to present an entrance into

the bathing-beauty division.

Hit it, Jason.

Now, for your edification, the incomparable, the one and only,

Miss Erin Walton.

Miss Erin Walton is presenting the latest

in a long series of bathing-beauty styles.

This represents circa 1910.

Zeb, I have a feeling you had something to do with this.

Well, it was a brilliant suggestion on my part,

but Zuleika liked the idea and even made the bathing suit.

Well, what's the decision of the judges?

Daddy?

I give up.

Right here, you see, she's got plenty of 'em.

Ben tells me you're withdrawing your ad from The Chronicle.

Now, you told me before you were pleased with it.

Well, I have been, but I can't afford to take chances.

People say you're spreading Nazi propaganda.

They see my ad in the paper, they think I'm backing you.

Well, they'd be wrong, wouldn't they?

Wrong, right, what's the difference

if it hurts me at the ticket office?

You wouldn't consider backing off, would you?

You're in business, same as I am.

You can't afford to offend your customers.

Unfortunately, in my business,

I can't always worry about whose feelings get hurt.

Well, you think it over, John-Boy.

If you change your mind, you let me know.

Hey! Hey, get out of there!

Heil Hitler! Heil Hitler!

Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!

Hot off the press, latest edition.

-Good afternoon, John-Boy. -Ike.

-John-Boy. -Corabeth.

I'm gonna have to ask you not to bring your newspapers anymore.

We don't want it said that

Ike and Corabeth Godsey's General Merchandise

store is guilty of promoting the ideals of Adolf Hitler.

Are you serious?

John-Boy, we know you don't hold with that Nazi thinking.

But as long as you pass it on in your newspaper,

it's the same as if you condone it.

But you haven't even read this yet.

You might as well burn words as ignore them.

Well, in the case of Mein Kampf, that wouldn't be a bad idea.

Ike?

I gotta look out after my business.

I understand.

It's awful empty around here without the children.

I hope Elizabeth eats something besides toasted marshmallows.

Marshmallows? What are the young ones up to tonight?

The BYPU is having a weenie roast.

Weenies? I wish I'd known. I could have tagged along.

It's the Baptist Young People's Union. It's for young people.

Young? Well, I'm young, young at heart,

a lot younger tonight than John-Boy.

Looks like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders.

I'm sorry about that.

You should have gone to the BYPU.

Well, I wouldn't want to cramp Ben's style.

What does that mean?

Well, you know, that boys and girls take that opportunity

to do a little courting.

Courting? No. Not at the BYPU.

Afraid so, Grandma.

What are you smiling at?

Nothing. I was just thinking of a few of those outings

you and me went out on when we were young.

I still don't see what's so funny.

Liv, you remember the time down by Sneedons Hollow when...

-Did anybody hear a car? -Tell her about it.

-Tell her about Sneedons Hollow. -What happened?

I don't think Liv wants me to talk about it.

I don't remember it at all.

Think you must have me confused with somebody else.

-Anybody home? -I knew I heard a car.

Come on in. Sit down. Have something to eat.

We grabbed a snack at the cocktail party.

At the what party?

Once a week, all the interns get together in the biology lab.

We have a few laughs, a couple of drinks.

Yeah, they have to relax. David puts in a 14 or 15-hour day.

We had so much fun. They were... They were serving drinks

in all the laboratory equipment.

There was this specimen frog that someone was dissecting,

and somehow one of the legs got in David's drink.

What kind of drink?

Just punch, Mrs. Walton.

They ran away, whoever they are.

Cowards usually do.

John's coming back.

-They're gone. -They had a car down the road.

-Did you get a look at them? -No.

Should I go for the Sheriff?

They're gone. There's no use for that.

-John-Boy. -Mama?

Son, it's alright for you to take risks for your newspaper,

but I can't stand by and see my family put in danger.

I'm sorry.

-Grandpa. -I got it.

I'm supposed to be doing that. It's my job.

Well, I live here, too, you know, John-Boy.

Come on, lend a hand. Let's get it in.

-Everybody off to County Day? -Yeah, here we go. This way.

Yes, your grandma wanted to get there early

because she thinks she's running everything.

Mary Ellen and your mother are fixing up Erin's outfit.

The young ones wanted to get over to play games,

so your daddy drove them over early.

What do you think of Mary Ellen and her new boyfriend?

-I think they're in love. -I know they're in love.

They're so close, you couldn't put a crowbar in between them.

You figured what you're gonna do with that newspaper yet?

I've been all over Rockfish to find a place to put the press.

Nobody seems particularly interested in renting to me.

Of course, I probably couldn't even afford it if they were.

-Would move out on us? -Sure, I would.

I got payments to meet on the press.

I got newsprint to buy. I got operating expenses.

It just goes on and on and on.

-What's the answer? -The answer?

Keep my readers happy but uninformed.

Please the advertisers. Stay out of trouble.

Sounds kind of dull to me.

"Meeting-the-train news" is what it's called.

Getting their pictures in the paper, that's what

people are interested in around here.

You have gotta bring them along gradually,

the way a good fisherman would.

I'm not as good a fisherman as you are, Grandpa.

Do you remember, John-Boy, that big old perch

that hung down there by the bridge, huh?

Until you come along.

Well, I didn't just come along, you know.

I'd go down there in the dusk of the evening

with a can of worms, I'd throw one in and another in.

He'd gobble 'em up one after the other.

He thought he was on a government handout.

And one day I fooled him. I put a worm on a hook.

And then I yanked him in. What a fight he put up!

You know, he was as big as The Saturday Evening Post,

'cause that's what I measured him with.

You gotta handle your readers the way a fisherman would.

You play along and give them those meeting-the-train stories,

and then you put a hook on it and yank them in.

I read that story you wrote, John-Boy.

I learned a lot from it.

I liked it. I liked it a lot.

And now, from the town of Nellysford

comes the lovely Miss Florabelle Tait!

Why don't you clap?

You're clapping enough for both of us.

One, two, three. Keep your chin up.

Erin's next.

And now, from Walton's Mountain,

Miss Erin Walton!

John-Boy, may I speak to you for a moment?

Ladies and gentlemen, we have an announcement to make.

The young ladies will put on their gowns

which they themselves have made,

and the winner will be announced.

I was very sorry to hear what happened

at your house last night, John-Boy.

Some storm trooper paid us a visit.

I've never hidden how I feel about your article,

but I don't like to see disagreement settled by a rock.

I never said you threw it.

I'd like to put our troubles behind us, John-Boy.

Reverend, don't worry about it anymore.

I've gone as far as I can trying to push my point.

From now on, people are gonna get what they want,

which is nothing more controversial than the weather.

I've planned a ceremony for later,

something that might help patch things up.

I hope you'll be there.

-I'll be there. -Fine. I'll see you then.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know you're all as excited as I am

to find out who will be Queen of Jefferson County Day.

Well, I must tell you, it was a difficult task to decide among

these lovely young ladies,

but the judges have made their decision.

The winner is...

Miss Florabelle Tait!

You were just like... Just like a movie queen, you were.

I heard Florabelle wears peroxide on her hair.

I'm sorry you lost, Erin, but I hope it taught you something.

Well, all the other girls thought I'd win.

It's John-Boy. He's turned every one in this county against us.

Honey, you don't know that.

I've always been the one in the middle.

Everybody in this family has done something special but me,

and this was my one chance to be somebody,

-and John-Boy ruined it! -Wait there, Erin.

Erin.

I don't know why you need an excuse.

If you lost, you lost, and you took that chance

when you entered the contest.

-I didn't have a chance! -I'm sorry you feel that way.

And if I'm responsible, then I'm sorry for that, too.

I wish you understood how I feel about it.

I wish you understand your right to speak out

is important than being told you're beautiful by some judge.

Forget it, John-Boy. All you care about is words,

I don't wanna hear any more.

Erin!

As this celebration concludes,

I would like to take note of some differences

in this community that has resulted in ill feelings

and even violent acts.

It's said that we shut our eyes to what's going on in the world.

Well, tonight I've planned a little surprise

to demonstrate we are greatly concerned

by the trouble in Germany.

You've read how the Nazis have been burning our American books.

This is an action that should not go unprotested.

Now, everybody knows Buck Vernon there

can find you anything you're looking for.

It's most appropriate that he found for me

a real piece of junk,

Mein Kampf.

I propose

that tonight we have a symbolic book burning of our own.

Hitler may replace the Bible with his own book in Germany,

but it shall never happen here!

Well, now,

while I was at it, I found a whole bundle of German books.

I just had 'em to keep the fire warm.

John-Boy, stay out of it!

-You stop that right now! -Now, hold on, you young...

I said, you stop it!

I didn't mean to go this far.

Get your hand off me!

This is my fault.

I started this whole thing with my newspaper. I know that.

But you misunderstood me.

I was trying to show you what people are capable of

out of ignorance and out of fear and out of hatred!

Do you realize that this is happening all over Germany?

All over Germany!

And now Germany and Walton's Mountain are not very far apart.

I read that a foreign tyrant

was publishing his plans to take over the world

and was carrying out those plans.

You ought to have the opportunity to know about it,

just like I'd like to tell you

if there was a blight that was threatening your crops,

or some candal that was threatening your government.

That's freedom, as far as I can see.

If you chose not to know that's freedom, too,

If you take a book and you burn it, you can't know about it,

and you had your freedom taken away. You understand me?

And if there's anybody here who feels that this book

is more dangerous in one piece than burned into ashes in fire,

I want you to come up here. take it out of my hand.

I want you to throw it in the fire right now!

Throw 'em all in the fire!

My Lord.

Lord, I wish there was someone here who could read German.

Mrs. Brimmer?

Mrs. Brimmer, would you read this to us, please?

[Reading in German]

Alright, now, you read that for us in English, alright?

Just that part.

"In the beginning, God created heaven and earth.

"And the earth was without form, and void,

"and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

"And God spoke,

"'Let there be light.'"

These books should be in good hands, John-Boy. Both of them.

I would like to sing.

Would you all please sing with me?

* Faith of our fathers living still *

* In spite of dungeon, fire and sword *

My first experience at expressing an unpopular idea

nearly turned into a disaster.

Fortunately, my family was able to overcome the problems

I had helped create for them.

The trouble soon died down when people realized I was trying

to let them know that something was stirring in the world

that even Walton's Mountain could not keep out.

Ben?

How was the Baptist Young People's picnic?

Well, I was just there part of the time.

Where were you then?

He and Jennie Prior went for a walk.

Up to Sneedons Hollow.

-What were you doing up there? -They were necking.

-Good Lord! -Enough out of you, Elizabeth.

Nothing changes. Does it, Liv?

Go to sleep

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