Truman

A dramatic meeting between President Truman and his advisors at the start of the 1951 Abadan Crisis with Iran.

This was an assignment done for the StoryboardArt.org Story Artist Mentorship program in 2020.

Transcript

39. Truman: "So what have we got?"
40. Bradley: "It's mine field, Mr. President . . ."
41. Bradley: "It's mine field, Mr. President . . ."
42. Bradley: "It's mine field, Mr. President . . ."
43. Bradley: ". . . plain and simple."
44. Bradley: "For Iran . . . "
45. Bradley: ". . . for Britian . . ."
46. Bradley: ". . . for Britian . . ."
47. Bradley: ". . . for the whole. . ."
48. Bradley: ". . . for the whole. . ."
49. Bradley: ". . . for the whole. . ."
50. Bradley: ". . . free world."
51. Bradley: ". . . free world."
59. Truman: "McGhee?"
60. Truman: "McGhee?"
69. McGhee: "Agreed. . ."
70. McGhee: "The Iranians want the heads of all Brits."
71. McGhee: "The Iranians want the heads of all Brits."
75. McGhee: "And anyone . . ."
76. McGhee: ". . . percieved as being a friend of the Brits."
77. McGhee: "Including us."
78. McGhee: "Grady in Tehran calls the situation . . ."
79. McGhee: ". . . and I quote . . . "
80. McGhee: " . . .'most explosive' ."
90. Truman: "And Britian?"
92. Acheson: "They're seriously poised to invade."
93. Acheson: "That oil company is their country's single biggest income source. "
94. Acheson: "Lose it . . . "
95. Acheson: " . . . and their whole economy . . ."
96. Acheson: " . . . starts teetering."
98. Acheson: "They'll stop at nothing . . ."
99. Acheson: ". . . to get it back."
105. Truman: "We've got to jump in now or it's all going to explode."
108. McGhee: "Beg pardon, Mr. President . . ."
109. McGhee: "Beg pardon, Mr. President . . ."
110. McGhee: ". . . jump in and do what?"
111. McGhee: "If we tell Britain to back off . . . "
112. McGhee: ". . . we'll just get into a fight with them."
113. Bradley: "Which . . ."
114. Bradley: ". . . if it spirals out of control . . ."
115. Bradley: " . . . could split the whole . . . "
116. Bradley: " . . . Western Alliance. "
117. Truman: "Leaving the Soviets unopposed in Europe."
118. Bradley: "Exactly, sir."
119. Truman: "Hoo boy."
120. Truman: "And if we were to just let Britian invade? Then what?"
121. Bradley: "Among other things, the Soviets would be highly motivated to step in on Iran's side."
122. Acheson: "The Soviets vs. the West."
123. Acheson: "God knows how many countries would get sucked into that fight."
124. Bradley: "World War Thr--"
125. Acheson: "Tst! Omar, let's not--"
126. Truman: "The point is . . ."
127. Truman: ". . . we're screwed no matter which we do."
135. Acheson: " I see one slim option, sir . . . "
137. Acheson: " . . . very slim."
139. Acheson: "First, we press Britian to stand down just for now. "
140. Acheson: "First, we press Britian to stand down just for now. "
141. Acheson: "Draft a letter to Atlee personally."
142. Acheson: "Draft a letter to Atlee personally."
143. Acheson: "Draft a letter to Atlee personally."
144. Acheson: "Hope to god we can stall him."
145. Acheson: "Hope to god we can stall him."
146. Truman: "And?"
147. Acheson: "Then we work quickly . . ."
148. Acheson: "Pry open even a small window for dialogue. "
149. Acheson: "We then step up as mediators and hammer out a deal for everyone."
150. McGhee: " A window for dialogue?"
151. McGhee: "Meaning get Mossadegh to agree to talk to the Fraser gang?"
152. McGhee: "Meaning get Mossadegh to agree to talk to the Fraser gang?"
153. Acheson: "Yes."
154. Bradley: "Uh! Are you dreaming, Dean?"
155. Bradley: "Uh! Are you dreaming, Dean?"
156. Bradley: "Even if we could . . ."
157. Bradley: ". . . get a diplomat safely into Tehran right now . . . "
158. Bradley: ". . . which is doubtful . . . "
159. Bradley: " . . . who in the world's . . ."
160. Bradley: " . . . good enough to cajole . . . "
161. Bradley: " . . . Mossadegh into that?"
165. Acheson: "Harriman." Truman: "Harriman."
170. NARRATOR : " W. Averill Harriman.
171. NARRATOR: "Yale Skull and Bones, racer of Thoroughbreds, director of the Marshall Plan in Europe "
172. NARRATOR "Called "infallible" in diplomatic circles ..."
173. Harriman could talk the talons off a hawk without disturbing a feather.