REVISED PINAL SCRERNPLAY “Toocrt or En” BADGE OF EVIL February 5, 1957BADGE OF EVIL Revised Final Screenplay by ORSON WELLESQ #1851 CHARACTER LIST RAMON MIGUEL VARGAS (Known to Susan as "MIKE") SUSAN HANK QUINLAN ow A special investigator, attached to the Minister of Justice, in the Mexican Govern- ment =~ in other words a federal official rather than a policeman. Mike, whose father was in the diplomatic service, was educated in Switzerland and Englend, He is an ideal~ ist; but not at all of the impradtical, starry-eyed variety, His life is dedicated to the preservation of democratic inatitu- tions, He believes in the law; he is con- cerned with law enforcement, but his dislike of the abuses of police power is every bit as intense as his opposition to erime itself. Six weeks ago, at a diplomatic party, Mike net a young American tourist -- They fell in love quickly and without any warning to their parents, were married. Susie is extremely attractive and quick and bright. Her alert and almost world-wise air in no way reduces an essential freshness and innocene.in her personality; a peculiar- ly American combination, this mingling of cleverness and simplicity -- it st£il some- times bewilders her Latin husband. To the extent: that a policeman's achievement is measured by the number of convictions he is responsible for, Quinlan ts something close to a great man, But he is also @ bully and a bigot, He regards himself, not @s @ servant of the public, but as an almost @ivinely inspired instrument of justice. He is the perfect opposite of everything Mike stands for, and his personal dedication is quite as complete as Mike's own, Before his story is over he has become not only a crimi- nal, but a murderer, but this is not because of any compromise or defection from his own perverted principles -- it develops logically from the extension of those principles.