Original subtitles

You free?

Free as anyone is today, pal.

How much to downtown?

Fifteen bucks plus tip.

That should work out to around 22 bucks.

Afternoon, Clark.

Hi.

Hi. Afternoon, Mr. Harlow.

How's it going, Tim?

Fine. Excuse me. Just a minute.

Mr. Duncan, hello.

Tim.

My name is Lou Grant. I have an appointment with Charlie Hume.

No. No, you're not here.

If you could call his office, uh...

Miss Apthorpe, this is the lobby.

There's a guy here who says he's got an appointment with Mr. Hume.

What?

Well, hold on a minute.

What was that name again?

Grant.

Grant.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

Here.

Put this outside your pocket.

Don't take it off. It's only good for the fourth floor.

Outside the elevator, first door on the right.

And don't go anyplace else.

Excuse me.

Can I have your name, please?

Why?

I'm not sure yet. Indulge me. What's your name?

Tim Butterfield.

What? Tim Butterfield.

Thank you.

Why do you need my name?

My Christmas list.

Next week, I hope to be a five.

Summary, please, people.

Excuse me.

Can you help me? Yeah.

I'm going to see Charlie Hume, the managing editor.

Right across the room.

Is that your city editor?

Johnston, have you got that summary?

No, no, that's Art Donovan. He's the assistant city editor. He's just filling

in.

I'm Lou Grant. Oh, yes.

Mr. Hume is tied up for a few minutes here. Could you please wait?

Yeah, I can wait.

Of course I can wait.

Excuse me. That's my desk, okay?

Yeah.

Could I have your name, please?

Bella Abzug.

Hello, this is Rossi. Yeah, get me Driscoll at the cop house.

Come and sit over here.

It ain't much, but it's home.

Thank you.

Hold it, hold it, hold it. I said some things before I didn't really mean.

All right, I meant them.

Look, you've been working that beat so long you think you're a cop, not a

reporter.

Hello?

Grisco?

Sure.

Mike? Hi, it's Carla.

Yeah, I missed you too.

Listen, uh, what are you doing tonight?

Terrific. I'll pick you up at nine.

Wear your jumpsuit.

You liked it?

It's not bad.

I'm Lou Grant.

No.

They call me the animal.

I can't understand a lie.

The animal.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Hey, gorgeous.

You see my byline this morning?

Hey, I'm talking to you.

Oh, I'm sorry.

When you said gorgeous, I thought you were talking to yourself.

I gave them ten books. They cut it to four.

They put you the heart out of it.

You're page one, column one.

Yeah, that's right.

Nice piece of writing.

You should have read it when I handed it in.

Well, I don't think they butchered it.

In fact, I would have jumped the whole third paragraph.

Listen,

I'd love to talk to you about it, but don't you want to catch up with the rest

of the tour?

You're missing the fun part where they give you a cream newspaper.

Mr. Grant?

Thank you.

Lou!

It's incredible!

How can a guy look the same as he did 20 years ago?

I don't. You sure don't. What happened? You lost weight, didn't you? About 40

pounds. I worked at it, now it's all off. I liked you better fat.

Everybody says that.

It's been too darn long.

Yeah, yeah, sure.

I mean, the old call bulletin we work for doesn't even exist anymore.

That kind of makes you feel a little strayed, doesn't it? And Hanno's is

Did you know that up in San Francisco?

I read that.

That was a hell of a bar.

Yeah.

Really one hell of a bar. Really was. Really was a... Lou.

Yeah?

This is very uncomfortable, interviewing an old friend for a job, Lou.

I have to do this as if we were strangers.

Strangers, Charlie?

What makes you think you should have the job?

That's easy.

I'm 50 years old and I have $280 in the bank.

No, I didn't mean why you want the job. I mean, why should we hire you?

What do you want me to do, take a typing test?

I mean, you know what I can do.

Are you going to tell me that you have any doubts at all that somebody with my

experience can't hold down a job in your city room?

Lou, the job is city editor.

I've been out in the newspaper business for ten years.

Charlie, I don't know half the machines you got out there.

I think you can do it.

Really? Sure.

What the job takes more than anything else is leadership.

I have that, huh?

You're one of the best natural leaders I ever met in my life.

Yeah.

Well, maybe I could do it. Sure you could.

The only trouble is I don't make the final decision.

You don't pick your own city editor?

Well, I could if I wanted to.

It's just that it's a little smarter to let Mrs. Pinch on than it's Margaret

Pinch on the publisher.

It let her kind of think it was her idea.

Well, she's a funny sort of a woman, and if I push for someone and he didn't

work out, like the last three city editors, she'd tend to blame me.

Oh, she would. She would.

Charlie, when did you lose your nerve? You were never like this.

We're not all of us blessed with your rugged independence, Lou.

I've got a monster home with taxes that make the mortgage payments look like

tips in a diner.

My daughter is at Stanford and very hung up on Italian shoes.

My son may get through high school if his 750cc bike doesn't kill him first.

I'm walking a tightrope, Lou.

How'd you get there?

How does anyone get there?

I fell in love.

Lou, if I have to, I'll put my neck on the line to get you this job.

Let's go to the tower.

I feel like Anne Boleyn.

What'd you tell her about me? Nothing. And don't mention you were working in

television. She hates it.

Well, what do I tell her I've been doing the past ten years? Tell her you were

in jail.

You can go right in, Mr. Kim.

Thanks.

Is that her? No, her dog, who she keeps with her constantly.

Constantly?

Barney, quiet.

A ten -letter word meaning high ground.

Why don't you get a dictionary?

Are you trying to impress me with rudeness?

May I present Lou Grant?

This is Mrs. Pinchon.

I think he may just possibly be the man for the city desk.

Are you recommending him, Mr. Hugh?

Naturally, your instincts in these matters are infallible.

Nonsense. Only my husband was infallible. He was wrong 60 % of the

You look like you're about to throw a punch.

It's a suit.

We've had three men at the city desk in the last eight months.

I told them.

One of them died in the men's room, one quit, and I fired the third.

Why'd you fire him?

I didn't like him.

I didn't like the one who died in the men's room, either.

I'll fire Nathan.

Hush, baby.

No. No, calm down. You're just a little dog. You like dogs?

Yeah, I like dogs.

Big dogs.

Thank you for coming, Mr.

Grant.

Mrs. Pinchot, I've spent several weeks reviewing candidates for this job, and

I'm inclined... It seems to me...

I feel very strongly that Lou would be the best possible man for the job, and

I'd like to go with him.

I think.

Then hire him.

Okay. Thanks.

Congratulations.

Promontory.

I beg your pardon?

Ten -letter word meaning high ground.

The word is escarpment.

That doesn't strictly mean high ground.

Perhaps not, Mr. Grant, but I happen to like it.

Won't fit the other words.

You don't know me very well.

I'll make it fit.

Oh, that's Art Donovan. Art New Grant.

Hi. How do you do?

Charlie. You're going to get me out of this chair. This job is screwing up my

social life. Then you'll be happy to meet the new city editor.

It's all yours.

Thank you. Have fun.

Please come to my desk.

Joe Rossi.

The animal.

And will one of the copy boys please go downstairs and tell Tim Butterfield that

the city editor would like to see him.

Here's that police awards banquet tonight.

I thought I'd let Carla cover it. It's not a big story. Send a new kid to

intern. Oh, I think we have to do better than that.

Take a look at this memo.

What's this?

It's a note from Mrs. Pinchon.

She writes her memos on napkins?

It's her newspaper.

Charlie, I just got this napkin that says that we have to send a top reporter

cover a simple awards ceremony.

Oh, yeah. She wants you to send Carla. Are you kidding?

We can get the speech from their PR guy and any kid can check out the rest.

Well, the bottom line here is that Mrs. Pinchon feels we've gotten a little

unbalanced with negative police stories.

We don't make the news.

Sure we do. By what we pick to cover.

Tonight's ceremonies, for instance.

Send Carla.

It's like using great booze to wash your socks.

Units 23 and 17. 23 and 17, southbound Harbor Freeway between Slauson and

Imperial. Overturn tanker. Traffic backed up 11 miles. Handle code 2.

14 Charlie 3 standby.

14L17, okay, sir. Rossi!

Yeah?

CHP just reported overturned tanker on the Harbor Freeway. Hey, listen, I'm

working on something.

I'm not ducking an assignment. This is special.

Send Chambers.

Chambers?

Animal!

Overturn tank on the harbor freeway. Imperial and Slauson, get over there.

Sounds messy.

Maybe I better change.

Don't want to ruin my good clothes.

What is it?

Let's go private.

Finish up for me.

Hi, what is it? I got a tip that something's cooking at the cop house to

my source a scandal of immensity involving a bunch of cops from one of

divisions. What kind of a scandal? I don't know. Neither did he. What about

cop house guy? What does he say?

Driscoll? You want my gut feeling?

I'm afraid so.

I think he's sitting on it.

What are you talking about?

A man's been covering a police beat for 30 years sitting on a story? He doesn't

know whose side to pick. I've seen it. He doesn't know if he's a cop or a

reporter.

Give me Driscoll.

You don't like Driscoll, do you?

He's a dinosaur.

It's all over. Whatever happened to him was over a long time ago.

I'm a dinosaur.

It would be nice if you argued the point.

It would be smart if you argued the point.

I didn't mean you.

Look, whatever you want to call him, the man is sitting on a story.

Hi.

Yeah?

Bliscoe. Lou Grant.

How's it going?

Oh, well, up and down, over and under, in and out. You can't complain.

Yeah, listen, there's a rumor floating around. Something's cooking over there.

You hear anything?

Something's always cooking. What'd you have in mind?

Something dirty over one of the divisions.

Uh, no, I, uh... No, I haven't heard anything like that.

Get off.

He's lying.

Yeah.

Listen, what are you doing for lunch? I thought we should get to know each

other. You buying?

Sure. Where's a good place?

McKenna's. That's 5th and Figueroa.

One o 'clock?

Gotcha.

What are you drinking?

Ginger ale, straight up.

Bumpy wagon?

Not so bad.

It's been three weeks now.

Hey, for an old judgment, I'd say it's pretty good.

It could be the old days almost.

Almost? It's good to be part of it again. I feel like I'm in touch with

Getting back on a newspaper is like... It's like being with a woman who doesn't

shave her legs.

Reality. Maybe you don't like it, but it's real.

You and I speak the same language. I didn't mean to get together with you.

Hash it all over, huh?

Yeah, it's like we went to the same school. Probably know the same people.

Do you work in Denver?

No.

Detroit?

No.

Seattle?

No. Maybe we don't know the same people.

What'll it be, sir?

Oh, I'll have an iced tea.

And a hamburger... Wait, wait, wait.

You don't have to do that for me.

Okay.

Forget the iced tea. Make it a scotch on the rocks.

Scotch? Rocks.

What's on your mind, Lou?

You didn't come over here to talk about old times that we never had together.

Okay. Okay, you got me. You got me.

I should know better than to try to count an old pro like you.

What's the matter?

I don't like that kid.

I'm not nuts about him either.

But he's good.

Real good.

Maybe.

But he's got no idea if you'll marry him.

He doesn't care.

Look.

George, he's gotten the same tip twice about a big scandal brewing, maybe

involving a whole police division here in the city.

And he thinks you've been sitting on it.

What about you?

I thought it was worth a check -out.

Is he right?

If I told you that there was some truth in it, would you let it go at that?

What kind of dumb question is that?

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we don't speak the same language.

Oh, believe me, it's nothing.

They're handling it themselves.

Internal affairs is on top of the whole mess, I know.

Because they told you?

You're not going to lie to me. They're my friends.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

You're a reporter.

You were hired as a reporter, and that's the way I carry you in a city room,

reporter and writer. So report.

Come on, Noah.

My only worth to the paper is my contact.

You take them away from me and I am finished.

I'm washed out to sea.

Just check me.

Is this an old -fashioned notion of mine that when we find out things, we put

them in our newspaper?

Because if we find out things and just keep them to ourselves, we'd have all

this empty white space in the morning.

Sixteen officers are being investigated.

For what? Which division?

That's all you get.

That's all I get?

Well, if it isn't Officer Driscoll. They give you a badge yet?

Rossi, your timing stinks.

Look, if you won't report the story, at least give me an interview, officer.

Get away from me!

No, really, I won't quote you. I'll just say an official police department

story. Take it, take it.

Rossi! Joe!

Stop it, dammit!

Stop it! Come on! You're making a scene!

I've got ginger ale inside my shoes.

Look, I'm sorry.

I already said I was sorry.

But I knew I was right about him. I was, wasn't I?

Okay, maybe you are right.

Maybe he is protecting his friends. But you don't even know the story and you're

ready to crucify the cops.

Now lay off, or I'll drop you in those tulips.

How'd you like to take a week off?

What is this, a soft way of shipping me out?

Oh, no, I mean it. Take a week off. Relax. Go fishing. I don't fish.

I didn't say you had to catch anything.

Look, I want you to take that week.

I want you out of the way.

I'm turning the kid loose, George. We're going for the story.

Whatever it is you're hiding, I mean to get it out in the light.

I have to do it.

There's no other way.

There has been recently, and I thank God for it, an increasing awareness of the

loneliness and the insecurities that are part and parcel of the active police

officer's life.

The average patrolman Facing the enemy in night alleys and deserted streets of

this city is no stranger to fear or to any emotion that you yourself might have

in the same situation.

That he conquers these fears... I don't know how late I'll be, dear. He wrote

this one all by himself.

Bye.

Evening, Commander. Joe Rossi.

Where's my buddy Driscoll?

Vacation. We're filling in for him. Good man. He deserves a rest. Boy, am I glad

I ran into you. I need some confirmation.

Oh, can't it wait till morning? I'm in my office by 8 .30. Well, I just want to

make sure I've got the facts straight about that investigation the

running.

How'd you hear about that?

Well, it's fairly common knowledge. I mean, after all, when 16 officers from

same division... Same division, right?

Look, I don't know how you got on to that.

But anything you print is going to jeopardize the investigation.

Look, I want, I really want you guys to get a fair shake.

Now, I know you'd rather have facts than gossip, right?

All I will tell you is that there were no 14 -year -old girls involved, nor any

15 -year -olds either.

Well, that is interesting.

Furthermore, not one of the parents has filed a complaint.

Then I can safely say 16 -year -old girls were involved in the, uh... I've

all I'm going to say.

We're handling it.

Well, if it weren't sex, they wouldn't be so jumpy about it getting out.

I hate that kind of story.

Yeah. Well, there's something here whether any of us likes it or not.

Well, what do we do?

We go ahead with it. We find out what division's involved.

I know the PM watch commander at a valley precinct. Okay, that's our first

How did Driscoll take it?

Take what?

Well, by rights, this should be his story.

He'll be okay. He's a pro.

Hello, sweetheart.

You made my day.

What are you up to? Oh, you know, a little off -duty visiting.

Oh, off -duty, huh?

What can I get you, darling? What do you want?

We have information that one of the divisions is being investigated.

None of my boys.

But you heard about it.

Maybe. So you know that underage girls are involved.

School kids.

So they say. How?

How were they involved?

Oh, come on, Matt. You know I'm not out for anyone's blood.

Look, um...

I'm going to be late for line -up.

Matt?

Which division?

Matt?

Merry Christmas.

What's that supposed to mean?

Christmas?

25th.

Afternoon. Is this Officer Torres of the 25th Division?

My name's Joe Rossing with the L .A. Tribune, and we're doing a story on the

departmental investigation being conducted right now.

Yes, I spoke with him last night, but what we're after is your side of the

story.

Well, can you give me the name of an officer who was involved?

Well, the gas explosion in Westwood turned out to be minor.

It's getting on.

Did Chambers check in on that demonstration?

Oh, yeah. He went alone.

He outnumbered the demonstrators.

Terrific. Let's get at least one local story on the front page, huh?

How you doing? Getting there. There are three possibilities.

One, the summer camp the LHBD run. Two, the community friendship project. Three,

the sports program.

Okay? Good one.

Pay dirt.

I assume that's your cute way of telling me that you have a lead. I found

someone. Officer Lester Traff, 25th Division. I'm on my way.

The reason I'm talking to you is that some of my friends called me after you

phoned.

I just wanted to tell you our side of the story before this thing gets blown

into something ugly.

Were you on duty at the time?

No.

One of us were.

The program was volunteer. It was an off -duty assignment.

That's why we got to pay for our own lawyers.

We've been informed that these charges aren't job -related.

What are the charges?

I don't know yet.

Contributing to delinquency.

Unlawful intercourse.

Doesn't sound too good, does it?

Did you know how old the girls were?

When this happened the first time, it was a victory celebration. After a

tournament up above Santa Barbara.

We were on a beach. We lit a fire. Some guy had a guitar.

There wasn't any discussion about how old people were. How old are you? How

am I?

My wife is only 19.

How old were the men?

26 to 37.

I guess it sounds to me as hell, but it was really kind of innocent.

I mean, those girls, they weren't girls.

They were women.

You should have seen them.

16, 17, 18 years old. They had no age. They had no age at all. They were what I

said they were. They were women.

You don't believe that, do you?

I'm not sure.

Sure you are.

They're going to kill us for it, too.

What do you think should happen?

I don't know.

I really don't know.

People love these kind of stories.

I want to see a cop get nailed to the wall.

I've only been on the force for three years.

Three years.

This is the whole ballgame right here.

I got a daughter who's eight months old.

See how you feel when she's 16.

A scandal of major proportions erupted today with the revelation of a sex club

involving nine police officers of the Hillside Division of the LAPD and young

girls entrusted to their care.

Some of the officers were middle -aged.

You're really mad at these guys, aren't you? Yeah.

Yeah, I can tell. I shouldn't be able to tell.

Well, it's true.

It's true?

Sex club? Huh? I take it you saw their membership card. Tell me about the team

jacket. What sort of emblem do they use for this?

Okay, I'll change that.

How many of these cops were middle -aged? One, for sure. That makes eight

not sure.

I didn't know you wanted a whitewash. You should have let Driscoll handle it.

You're not afraid of me, are you?

No.

Ah, too bad.

You did some good reporting on this, so I'm going to do you a favor.

What? I'm not going to embarrass you by printing this.

Redo it.

The fact remains they were cops old enough to know better, and the

schoolchildren and their charged schoolgirls were victims, willing or

Their job was to protect these kids, not seduce them.

Gentlemen, may I present Christine Farrell?

Hi. Hello.

Tell them who you are.

I'm all -star right wing in the girls' police soccer league.

Miss Farrell, 16.

I'm sure that look on your face is purely protective, huh, Rossi?

City desk.

I'm calling as a favor to an old friend.

Your cop house guy, George Driscoll, just fell off the wagon.

Could have sent somebody with a sponge and a basket.

Where is he?

B. Joe's on Alvarado.

Okay, thank you. I'll come get him.

What is it?

A guy I know fell down. I think I gave him the push.

Find her at the office and get her story.

I'll be back in an hour.

How do you feel?

Like I've been kissing a camel.

You sober?

No.

Good.

Then it won't hurt as much when I tell you.

I know, I'm canned.

You wish.

What time is it?

5 .30.

You left the desk.

Yeah.

I couldn't wait to give you your new assignment.

You'll enjoy working on the food section. Maybe they'll make you a wine

Oh, quit kidding me.

What do you want me to do, George?

Leave me alone.

Maybe I'll get lucky and I'll fall off a roof.

Come on. Look, I'm a drunk.

It goes with the suit.

Yeah.

Maybe you have been around the track once too often.

It's too bad.

I figured you still had some juice left.

Yeah. Look, I didn't know whether to call you or not.

Weren't you looking for Driscoll this afternoon?

I found him. Why?

Well, he came in a little while ago.

He's sitting at a desk.

What's he doing?

Nothing. He's just sitting.

Thanks, Sam.

Good night.

Summaries, anybody?

Hey, Lou, look at that.

What is it? Just found it on my desk. Check the byline.

Driscoll.

Any more summaries, let's go.

Lou, I rewrote the cop story.

I read it.

It's better.

I'd go with it if I didn't have this.

It's risco.

Read it.

Investigation, alleged misconduct, some of it sexual.

I've got all this. Keep going.

The investigation raises questions about the tenuous relationship between the

police and the press.

Several reporters received detailed information about the scandal and chose

withhold it because of professional friendships and fear of jeopardizing

sources on which they had come to depend.

I was one of those reporters.

What have you got, Al? The president signed the farm bill.

I see.

Yeah, we ran that piece on the migrant workers the other day.

I thought this would tie the whole thing together nicely.

Maybe the farm bill to lead and then a sidebar on what it means to the

I don't know. Why do we always have to lead with national if nothing major

down? I agree with you, Charlie, especially today when I got something

really nice. It's on the budget item five.

Oh, yeah, that police sex thing. Well, it was that police sex thing. Now it's a

lot more than that. It's a think piece on police press relations and personal

journalism and a life story.

Is there a puppy in there, Lou?

A little something for everybody.

I don't feel comfortable with that story.

It's not one for page one, anyway. Bury it somewhere.

Bury it?

What? Like, bury it.

It's a hell of a story.

It's balanced, incisive. It raises moral and political issues that should be

raised. Sorry, Lou, I can't agree with you on this one.

How many columns do you need for the Rhodesian flare -up? Two should do it.

mark it here with a run -over.

Charlie, can we talk about this?

Lou, it's not our kind of story, not the kind we want to play up. You promised

me a free hand.

You gotta understand the special feature.

Wait a minute, I never promised you a free hand.

Well, it almost worked.

Lou, trust me, I know Mrs.

Pinchon's feelings about this kind of story at this particular time.

Well, can I go to her? Go to her? Of course you can go to her.

Godel? Mr. Grant, I have enough pressures from politicians and labor

unions and churches and schools and Italian -Americans and Polish -Americans

and Mexican -Americans all incensed at one time or another because of something

we printed. Or didn't print.

When we moved the bridge column...

And the day that we kissed off little orphan Annie, do you realize how many

threats I received against my life?

Mrs. Pinchon, there's a... No, Mr.

Grant, I don't need you to generate any heat.

I get enough of that from my family, for want of a more descriptive word. I have

two nephews, each more disgusting than the other.

Each masking is avarice in solicitous murmurings and constant pressures and

little whisperings to sell this building, sell this paper that I love,

invest in something more sensitive, more lucrative, like taco stands.

A whole greasy chain of them, stretching like the Great Wall of China, from San

Ysidro all the way to the Oregon border. I mean, who knows?

Maybe beyond.

Taco stands, Mr. Grant.

And a few shares of majority stock I hold is my only shield between this

once great paper and a thousand -mile ribbon of inedible enchiladas.

I feel like a tin roof in a hailstorm.

Really? Well, I hadn't even gotten to you yet.

Yeah, well, I came up here to talk about a difference of opinion I'm having with

Charlie Hume over a story.

I am aware of that. And I understand that you left the city desk just before

deadline yesterday and you didn't come back for two hours.

What do you want to talk about?

You want to talk about journalism or you want to talk about how long I take for

lunch? Fine.

Let's talk about journalism.

Now, I think people are tired of reading negative stories about their police.

I'm tired of it.

You mean we're not going to run this story just because you don't happen to

it? That's right, Mr. Grant.

You know, we don't print everything that happens.

It's a constant, selective process. I mean, you do it a hundred times a day.

That's my job, deciding what's important and what isn't. And this story is

important. I don't hold the story back just because I don't like it.

Look, the difference between you and me is that you run the city desk and I own

this paper.

And we often hold back stories I do not like.

Can you accept that, Mr. Grant?

You hired me to do a job.

You said you wanted someone with a point of view.

With a strong point of view.

You didn't say you wanted it to be yours.

You know something?

You're a bad influence.

There's never been this many people in the bar after work.

I'm going to miss you.

You didn't quit?

I think she's going to fire me. She's probably up there right now dictating my

obit.

I never said you wouldn't make a fine delivery boy.

Look at the front page.

Oh, my God.

She ran my story.

Well, well.

We work on a newspaper.

A real newspaper.

It's a good story, George. I wish I'd written it.

As a matter of fact, it's so good.

People would probably think I did.

You need a lift?

Oh.

That's very nice of you. Well, I have to look at a house I may rent.

The lady said it's very cute and it's very Spanish.

It's in some place called Silver Lake.

Oh, well, get in. I'll drive you.

Well, it's in Silver Lake. Are you sure it isn't out of your way?

As a matter of fact, it is. I'll see you tomorrow.