Original subtitles

Who can turn the world on with a smile?

Who can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?

Well, it's you, girl, and you should know it.

With each glance and every little movement you show me, love is all alone,

need to waste it. You can never tell, why don't you take it?

You're gonna make it after all

You're gonna make it after

all

Is

everybody here?

Well, do you want a roll call, Lou, or will a simple little head count do it?

Phone, Ted.

Uh, call for me. Uh, transfer it in here. Ted, you're not transferring any

in here. I'm starting a meeting.

I'm with you, Lou.

Listen, even if it's an important call, you don't want me to take it. I won't

take it.

Ted, is it important?

No, no, no, I don't have to take it, Lou. Is it important? No, it's not

important. It's not really important.

Take it, take it.

Hello?

Oh, hi.

Okay.

The thing is this.

It's been too long between location features.

I figured we'd do one this week.

Yeah, well, broiled chicken is fine.

What's it? I don't know.

Hey, are pearl onions the itty -bitty ones?

Uh, I'll talk to you later.

location feature.

But... But

I

want to make sure it's something fresh, not something that's been done over and

over so that every time you turn on a set, that's what you see.

Any ideas?

I don't want the energy crisis or how to grow vegetables in your backyard or

Hubert Humphrey's drugstore.

Or a day in the life of an anchorman.

You know what might be kind of good? How about a nostalgia piece?

You know, I look back ten years ago to the mid -60s. I mean, we could talk

about, well, what the clothes were then, what the hit records were, and, well,

how dumb and funny things are when you look back at them, you know?

Like, I remember ten years ago, I had this terrific crush on a guy, you know,

and at the time, it was really, it was tragic.

You know, but now... It seems, you know, kind of funny.

You know, now that I'm, you know, looking back.

His name was David.

I hate nostalgia.

I didn't like it then and I don't like it now.

I hate it too, Lou.

this is what you're looking for. Oh, come on. Come on, Murray.

Well, a lot of times when I'm coming home after I pick up something from

at the market, I have to go past this place.

It's a new singles club, Valentino's.

And there's a lot of people standing up there in line waiting to get in, you

know, and there I am holding my grocery bag with all the wrong things sticking

out of the top, you know, some milk and magnesium, our copy of Family Circle.

I was just thinking that, you know, I think this singles bar would make a

story.

I like it, Murray. Yeah, I like it, too.

I like it a lot.

A lot. It's tops, tops, tops.

It's terrific.

Newsweek had its biggest circulation of the year with its singles cover story.

Now, the two of you will go there a few times. Take in the atmosphere.

Don't tell them who you are.

And then we'll move the cameras in and take them to a remote. That's terrific,

Lou. Terrific. We won't tape it.

We'll do it live, right in the middle of the newscast.

It'll have that off -the -cuff feel. It'll be great.

It does sound very nice, Murray.

Very nice.

Could be filled with much human interest and make an interesting comment.

It's settled. We go with it.

Okay? Okay, but I still vote for my idea.

Vote? Oh, have we started to vote in my newsroom?

Yeah, vote.

Mary wants to vote. That's really funny.

Where do you think we are, Mary? Russia?

Okay, we're going to do it Friday, so the two of you better get started

tomorrow. Right, Lou.

Lou,

I didn't want to say anything in front of the others, but I think it's a good

idea.

I mean, I've been going to single bars for many years and I haven't had an

intelligent conversation yet.

Morning, Murr. Morning.

So, tonight we swing with the singles, huh? Not me.

What's wrong?

Oh, nothing's wrong.

No, it's just that I was talking to Marie.

She's really wonderful.

She has this crazy idea that this singles bar is some wild place.

that the minute I walk in, all the women are going to dive at me.

She thinks I'm dynamite.

Anyway, I was talking to her and tried to tell her she was wrong, you know,

until about 4 .30 this morning.

It's just that I don't think any news feature is so important for me to make

wife cry.

Understand, ma 'am? Oh, Murray, I not only understand, I think it's really

of sweet.

Thanks.

I don't think Lou's going to think it's too sweet.

You know, it's going to be pretty hard to go in there and tell him I can't go

the singles bar because I'm dynamite.

You want me to tell him for you? No, no, no, I'll do it.

I'll just do it.

I think it would be easier if I told him for you.

I'm going to do it.

Yeah?

research we're supposed to do tonight for the feature story.

Wouldn't it make more sense, since it is a story about singles, and I'm single,

for me to take it alone, and then, you know, at some future date, if we did a

story about married people, then Marie could take it alone.

Marie's wife won't let him go, huh?

No, no, it's not that she won't let him go. It's just that it's making her

unhappy. And it's making me unhappy.

Because now we have to cancel that feature.

But that's all right.

We still have that film we took of graduation day at the barber college.

Oh, Mr. Grant, why do you have to cancel it? Why can't I take it alone?

Mary, these places.

What do you think the men are there for?

You think they're sitting at home and suddenly they say to themselves, boy,

better get over to the singles bar.

I haven't gotten any great conversation in weeks.

Oh, Mr. Grant.

Okay, okay.

All right. But I'm going to have to go with you.

You can't have a thing like this.

Yeah, you're right.

You're absolutely right. I can't possibly handle it myself. So, I tell

Why don't you go alone and I'll stay home?

Okay.

Okay.

You're... You're one of the best associate producers I ever saw.

If you can't handle this job alone, no one can.

Thanks. Call me every 20 minutes.

You're new here.

Yeah.

Listen, I just want to tell you, if anybody hits on you and you don't want

to, just call me. My name's Dino. Oh, well, thank you very much, Dino.

Listen, I wonder if you'd mind if I asked you... Dino, I've been...

needs somebody, sometimes.

Everybody.

Right.

Listen, do you come to this place very often? Now, don't tell me. I'll bet I

guess your name.

Guess my name? It's, um... Mary.

Yeah, it is. It is? That's right. That's my answer. It is? I guessed it. Yes,

you did. That's great.

It's amazing. Let me try the last one. Maybe I'm hot.

The last one? No, I don't think you can do that. Mary, Mary Green.

No.

Mary LeBlanc.

No, you know, you're not going to get it. Anderson?

No. Ginsburg?

No. O 'Reilly?

No. Really? Lopez? No.

Look, am I in the ballpark?

It's Richards.

I was going to say that next.

Okay,

now I answered your question. Could you answer some questions for me?

Listen, maybe later, around closing time, if neither of us is involved, we

go out later, all right? Uh -huh.

Hi.

Hi. I'm Mary.

I'm Tony, and this is Alan. Uh -huh.

It's my first time here.

Seems like a nice place.

You come here often?

Yeah. It's better than sitting home pasting plastic daisies in my bathtub.

Yeah, right. It wasn't a joke.

Oh, well, what about you? Do you come here a lot? Oh, well, she's just, um...

She's just... Hey, hey, the word is separated.

Hey, you don't have to treat me like kids loves around here.

Well... No, really, everything's all right. I'm fine.

You see, my husband and I, well, he felt...

And I agree that it would be really a terrific thing if we had a trial

separation.

And I agree.

So that each of us would be able to live, to meet new people, to get into

relationships, to grow.

Hiya. Did I buy you a drink?

Bug off.

you that I would like to know.

Yes? Really?

Yeah, really.

Well, listen, it's very hard to talk in here.

Why don't we go somewhere where we can really talk?

Where?

Where could we go?

Where would be a good place?

Where?

I have it.

Why don't we go to my place? Come on.

Thank you, Billy.

Why, come on. What are you afraid of? I'm not afraid. I'm an adult woman. I'm

perfectly capable of taking care of things myself.

But what do you expect? If she's not, I am.

Mr. Grant, you weren't supposed to come here. I was handling everything just

fine. You were not supposed to be here.

Okay, okay.

I'm getting a drink. I'll leave you alone.

Do your own work.

Thanks.

I've got to go do some research.

Right.

Say, bartender.

Oh.

I'd like a scotch on a... Hey.

Hey, bartender.

Please.

This is very hard for me.

What? I'm very shy.

This is very hard for me.

My telephone number is...

Bartender, listen.

I'm sorry about the little rumble we had back there. Oh, forget it, forget it.

No, no, no, no. It just amazes me how a guy like you, you know, can walk

in here and steal a girl away from Big Dino.

Okay, okay.

Bartender. No, no, I gotta know. You gotta tell me.

What's your secret?

I mean, here you are.

a guy that is a little, well, let's face it, who's seen a couple

too many sunrises.

How do you do it? How do you get the girls? What do you see?

I'm a terrific dancer.

I get them drunk.

So about how many times a week do you come here?

Oh, about once or twice.

Unfortunately.

Hey, Alice, I'm sure everything's going to work out. Some good will come of

this. You'll meet people.

Listen, let's keep it loose.

But later, around closing time, if we're both free, let's see if we can arrange

something. You want to?

I guess so.

Maybe I'll see you later. No commitment.

we have so far?

We don't have anything so far, Mr. Grant. We keep crossing everything out.

We've been going to that place for a week now.

Tonight we're moving in there with cameras and we still haven't come up

anything new to say.

Neither have the men at the bar.

Maybe we ought to just cancel.

No, no, no. We can't cancel it. We've been running promos on it all week.

WJM explores the no -holds -barred morality of the swinging single scene.

Live as it happens when it happens.

There has to be an angle to this somewhere. All we have to do is find it.

know, Mr. Grand. I've been going crazy trying to get a new insight into this.

I mean, we closed up that bar every night this week.

And all I've come away with is a purse full of wet change and some funny

cocktail napkins with phone numbers on them. Well, yeah, let me see.

Ted, they're men's phone numbers.

Oh, my.

It's a lousy idea to begin with. It's nobody's fault.

It's a good idea.

Now, let's try to make it work.

Lou, here's something.

How do you get down from an elephant?

Not now, Ted.

Mr. Grant, maybe I've been going about this the wrong way. You know, I mean,

I've been treating this as a story about a place, and it isn't, you know. It's a

story about people.

All right.

Now, what are we going to say about those people?

Come on, Lou. Sometimes the laugh lightens the load. How do you get down

elephant?

Well, rather than saying those same dumb things, why don't we just don't say

anything at all?

I mean, Mary knows the brightest people in that bar, right?

Why don't we just put the camera in there and let them do the talking? Maybe

we'll get lucky.

Yeah, maybe it'll be a first.

Baldo.

All right, Ted, how do you get down from an elephant?

I was hoping you knew.

The answer is you don't get down from an elephant, Ted. You get down from a

duck.

I don't get it.

They call ducks' feathers down.

My decision, and if she didn't like it, it was just too bad.

So, uh, my suit look okay for tonight, ma 'am?

Oh, sure, Murph.

Oh.

Uh, well, I just wanted to look okay.

No, that's a lie.

Mary, the truth is, I want to look... I can't believe I'm telling you this, but

I want to look hip.

I want to walk into that singles place in one brief, shining moment. I want to

feel... Not bald.

No. Murray, you look very nice.

That's just what I didn't want to hear.

Ah, Ted.

You know all about the remotes for tonight, right? We'll all be at the

bar. You'll be here at the studio.

Here's your script.

What do you mean you'll all be at the singles bar?

You mean I'm going to be alone?

I've never done the news alone before.

Ted, you'll be fine.

Lou, I didn't know I was going to be all alone tonight.

Ted, you'll be fine. Yeah, but Lou, I don't think I can do everything.

we'll leave your little nightlight on in the hall.

Oh, good, good. It's crowded tonight. There'll be a lot of people to talk to.

Terrific. So, here's Murray's daughter, and here's a singles bar.

Look, there are some chicks.

So, here's Murray's daughter, standing in a single bar, looking at some chicks.

The outside are called girls, but once they cross that threshold, They're

chicks.

Yeah, Mary, I'm going to check on the camera crew. Right. So I'm inside.

I'm finally inside.

So why do I still feel I'm carrying a bag full of groceries?

Hi, Mary. Oh, hi.

Mary, I want to introduce you to a couple of people, and then we'll explain

them about the show.

Tony, Alice, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Murray Slaughter.

Hi, Mary. Hi. Well, actually, Murray is more than just a friend. We work

together, and that's going to involve all of you, too.

It's just that, uh... Mary, excuse me. Could we go over the rundown? One, two,

three. Ted, we're in the commercial now. You want to give us a voice level over

there? Hello, hello.

Hey, can they really hear the way across town?

Hello, Scarlet.

Frankly, Scarlet, I don't give a damn.

Hey, let me see if I can remember how to do bogey.

Don't do bogey, Ted.

We hear you fine.

What's going on here? Ah, yes, I was starting to tell you. See, we're going

do a news feature for the WJM 6 o 'clock news.

minutes you are both going to be on television now it's going to be a lot of

just relax have fun with it just talk to me about the same things you've been

talking to me about all week and you'll be just great oh no we're supposed to be

on the news yeah

The singles.

What are they looking for?

Where are they going?

To the Rainbow Room.

We take you now to one of Twin Cities' most popular singles bars, Valentino's.

Everything happening while you see it, as you see it.

Packed, jammed to the rafters every night, Valentino's is the newest

the growing phenomenon of singles bars.

Let's, uh... Let's...

Talk to the people here and see why this place is such a big success.

Well, here's someone who might tell us of his feelings.

He looks like a typical single.

Hi.

Hi.

Tell us, why do you like to come to a singles bar?

Perhaps you'd like to talk to somebody else, Mary, Mary, Mary.

Well, maybe you can explain to us why this place is so packed

every night.

Well,

there actually were a lot of people here earlier. I mean, I know it doesn't

look, you know, like there were a lot of people here, but you can see that...

There were remnants.

Tell us, how did you learn about this place?

He told me.

Do you think you can form a lasting relationship after meeting someone in a

singles bar?

Well, I would say that, you know, that would depend upon the people.

You're fun.

Friendship. Well,

you have companionship. Well, don't you agree, sir?

Maybe that's all we found out.

I guess it's our blessing and our affliction

that people need people.

My name is Lou Grant.

Lou?

We still have four minutes to fill.

Minneapolis, so let's observe four minutes of silence.

I thank you.

Yes, yes, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, thank you for calling. Bye.

It's neat.

They all seem to like it.

Newsroom.

Well, thank you.

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the show.

Oh, who did you want us to try to locate for you?

The cute single guy at the end of the bar.

Just a moment, please.

Hello?

Oh, hello, Marie.