Original subtitles

Hello, I'm calling for Lipschitz. I'd like to confirm a call. How much money

involved? Was it over $1 ,000?

Was it over $10 ,000?

Linda, you messed up on that story.

Which story, Lou?

The police shooting. Where's the fourth graph?

Just under the third graph.

Please, Linda, it's a crack of dawn. Where's the original fourth graph?

We dropped it. No room. Why did you cut from the bottom of the story?

Because the fourth graph lifted right out.

That was our only quote.

You made it look like we wrote the story from the office.

Sorry, Lou.

Rossi chased that police chief around all day to get that quote. He's going to

be plenty sore when he finds out it's gone.

Go back to sleep, Lou.

You've still got a couple of hours.

Right.

Good

morning,

Ms. Bichon.

Good morning, Mr. Grant. Hello, Julie.

I returned your call yesterday, but you'd already gone for the day.

Good. Well, I didn't want you to think I was stuck in your call.

Wish I could remember why I called.

Hi, Liz.

Hi. Oh, yes.

The current call memo.

Well, I haven't gotten a memo yet, but any way that we can be protected from

nuts who call the city room would be great.

That's not what the memo says. I asked you to be courteous to the nuts who call

the city room.

Oh, Mrs. Pinchot, I just don't have time for that. Everyone deserves an

attentive ear when they call this paper. In theory, that's terrific, but the

reality is a dozen or more lunatics each day.

They all got loose and they all got dimes.

The reality, Mr. Grant, is that my mechanic called you with a story idea

recycling used inner tubes for shower caps. You called him dumb.

You sure I use those words?

My engine's been knocking ever since.

I'll do my best.

I appreciate it.

Oh, Lou.

Hey.

Problems in composing? Oh, nothing but problems. That's not what I came up for.

Oh?

Lou, you remember you told me that if ever I had a gangbuster story, I should

come and see you?

Hmm? Where do you go? Read this.

Tomorrow's trip?

Yeah. Just makes me sick to see something like that in a paper I work

Hey, Lou, why didn't we send anyone out to the police shooting yesterday?

We did.

Nightside dropped our only quote.

You read Jack Tom's column before we run it, don't you, Charlie?

Somebody's got to do it.

Have you read Tomorrow's? The item about Dan Familia?

No, maybe on my desk.

Southern California's favorite consumer maverick, currently running for national

office, may regret having publicly proclaimed to his secretary, I can't

without you.

Towne refers to him subtly as the family man.

Says that he's poor environment and Catholic. Says he's got a wife and six

Family man.

Familiar. Cute.

Towne says he's been fooling around with the secretary.

Towne says that he paid for his secretary's abortion.

Oh, boy.

I don't believe it happened.

Really?

Are you going to check it out with Towne? Yeah, I'll talk to him. Oh, I

know. I don't go for this wards business.

Morning, guys.

Lou, Charlie, give us an opinion.

What? The North American News Awards. The deadline's today. None of us is

pickable when I enter. I'm not so sure I want to enter.

What are you talking about?

Well, there's plenty of competition in my life already. And whenever I get into

that me -against -them mindset, I'm not really sure that's so healthy.

Come on. Entering is not like a real competition, a tennis match or

Just send in your story. You wait to see who wins.

I don't want you to do anything you're feeling easy about.

But if you won, you'd be winning for the trip, too.

Yeah? Besides, you're worrying about winnings purely academic. You and I'd be

competing in the same category.

Got a pen?

What are you going to answer, Sam? Oh, I haven't got a clue.

You know what I like? That story you did on, uh, handicapped law students. Oh,

yeah. Nah.

Nah. Why? That was good work. I mean, so straight, so unsentimental. Yeah, but

what made that story good had nothing to do with me.

I'd feel funny looking for an award because I just reported on the

of those students.

Oh. Come up with some possibilities. I'll give you my reaction.

Thanks, Charlie.

Mm -hmm. No, oh, he just walked in. I'm talking to Charlie. Hang on. I'll get to

him when I can.

Decent kid.

Yeah, I think maybe we could slide him over to county government for a few

months. Getting used to writing every day. Sure.

Just don't lose him there. Well, I guess we just got our wires crossed.

City desk.

Huh?

Oh, Mr. Jacobson, you got it.

The Animal Dentistry Association.

They're in town, huh?

Uh -huh. Uh -huh.

Well, I don't think I have a talk for the spirit of all you guys around

Disneyland. No, I've tried to put... Just because I write it off doesn't mean

has to be a business dinner. Where do you want to eat?

Jack, I don't have any stories for your column. No gossip, no leads, no goofy

personalized license plates. I've seen nothing. I'm sorry.

What size shoes are you? Jack. I got this grateful pal. Keep sending me

No. No, you're right.

If I can find one, I'll send you home. All right.

Bye -bye. Wait, Lou, we got to talk.

You like those sneakers with the stripes? Oh, Jack, please, no.

Excuse me, buddy. Morning, Jack. Morning.

Yeah, what's up?

I think I know about Dan Famiglia.

Yeah, shame.

Who fed it to you, Jack?

You mean, what kind of a tip did I get?

A reliable source.

Fool, Jack.

Lou, a lot of good men and women have sacrificed their careers to keep the

Amendment strong.

It's not you and me we can... You won't tell me. I gave my word.

What was the name of the secretary, Jack? What physician performed the

What hospital?

I don't know.

Queen of something.

Can I look at the hospital? Maybe it was Mercy something. You know how I am on

names. That's the wonderful thing about being a columnist. You don't have to

clutter up your prose with a lot of detail.

Did you hear that?

I saw the item, too.

Something about it... Thanks.

How'd you like to check it out? I'd love to.

Bossy, what are you doing today?

I just made a copy of my entry for the North American News Awards.

I was thinking more along the lines of work.

Well, I just started finishing my story, Inflation and the Small Business Man.

Let her wait. I want you at City Hall.

Why?

Because the bead guy's on vacation and the relief guy's too busy.

Yesterday, the city auditor called the mayor's trip to Tokyo freeloading.

And the mayor called the auditor a bloodless mole.

They're both scheduled to address the city council today, and there's going to

be fireworks.

I don't see you getting on your jacket. Didn't I give you enough of a why?

I'm going.

I'm going.

See?

Let me try a story on you.

Yeah. You know the nuclear waste from the Buena Vista plant?

Sure, they're shipping it out to the desert. By train through most of San

Bernardino County.

A lot of the residents want to keep those freight cars out of their town.

They're planning to demonstrate.

Mm -hmm. Why don't we send Rossi out there? Who's covering the matter?

Well, I think we should send somebody.

People are pretty angry.

We just did a five -part series on nuclear safety. 25 ,000 words.

It'll tie in.

Look, I know you think the nuclear industry is the biggest bad guy since

Green Street. Under normal circumstances, I'd be happy to indulge

Don't indulge me. My feelings have nothing to do with this. I'm talking

something that could be a major news event.

City desk, Lou Grant.

Can you speak up, honey? I can barely hear you.

Well, you see...

Helping people spell is really not what we do here.

Yeah, I have a dictionary.

Okay, wait a minute.

Lou, we need to make a decision right away.

The decision was made five minutes ago. Knock it off, Bart, that's all.

All right, what was that word?

You mean stationary like writing paper or stationary standing still?

Huh?

heard the two of them.

Why doesn't Lou want to send Rossi to San Bernardino?

It's just one of those days.

Lou's sort of single -minded.

You're a kinder man than I am, Charlie.

He'll kick himself if that nuclear story blows.

You want me to take it up with him again?

No. I want you to sign something.

Oh, Charlie, I... He'll thank us for this, believe me.

Okay.

Burroughs?

When's Lou's vacation?

Well, commit herself. Keeps putting it off.

Uh -huh. And when's my vacation?

I'm not kidding.

No, ma 'am, I can assure you we're not all communists here.

I bet you there can't be more than three or four communists in this city room

right now.

Wayne? Yeah? We'll find you a photo. You're going after that freight train

the hot waves.

Right.

Read up on the way and let the photo drive.

If it's Levinson, I'm not letting him drive.

Fine. If it's Levinson, you drive and let him read the stuff to you.

Tell whoever to meet me in the garage.

Okay. I have to tell Lou to put someone else on the switch.

I'll handle Lou. You just go.

Make sure you handle him while I'm still out of town, will you?

You want something you wanted me to see? Come in, come in. I didn't mean you to

come all the way up for this.

I have a meeting.

Walk me to the boardroom.

Sure.

Police Chiefs Association Convention.

They're asking for a speaker.

Someone from editorial.

Police and press. Now's the time to talk.

I think we should accommodate them. I'd be happy to go.

You can't.

Why? It's the weekend of the 5th. We have the publisher's meeting.

Oh, yeah.

I was going to suggest to Mr. Grant.

He's built a little like a cop, don't you think?

Yeah. Well, would you let him know?

How about Ben Ryerson instead? We could put him in a gray suit.

I thought Mr.

Grant was the perfect person.

Not right now.

Why?

Well, we've been awfully busy lately.

Are we always busy?

Yeah, but it seems that he's been sort of jumpy.

He's got a short fuse. I just don't think that he's the man to send on a

mending assignment.

Well, fine. Get Mr. Ryerson.

Mr. Grant isn't well.

It's just overworked. You know, Lou, he can't delegate the job.

Never has, he never will.

Ryerson will be fine. Good.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &B.

It better be important.

I have a dozen members of the Fortune 500 in the boardroom fighting over six

pecan rolls.

It is important. I wouldn't have interrupted the feature deadlines in an

Oh, I told them I was going for butter. What is it?

I think Jack Town's column for tomorrow should be pulled.

I don't.

Is that it?

Town's written an item about Dan Familia paying for his secretary's abortion.

I wish you'd run it past the lawyers. I think it's libelous.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr.

Grant. I've read the column. The unfamiliar's name does not even appear.

How are things in the city room lately?

Fine, fine.

Not getting too hectic, I hope?

No, no.

Mrs. Pinchot, I think Jacktown's story's a lie.

If one of my people tried to slip an unsubstantiated item into the paper,

hit the roof.

You're spitting in the wind, Mr. Grant.

Jacktown writes a gossip column, not news.

It is the most popular feature in the Los Angeles Tribune.

Circulation figures, he's worth about 35 ,000 readers.

Will you look in those cupboards, see if there's anything in there?

You and I are both very much aware of how sensitive Jack is about

There's sugar cubes, Rudy Toots, and pretzel muzzles. Well, bring the

Both crackers.

I've got half a jar of mint jelly here. I don't know what I'm so worried about.

They'll eat anything.

Mrs. Pinchon, I'm not sure I've explained clearly the problem we've got.

The problem we've got is that I cannot afford to lose Jack Town.

Now, I don't care if you can't admire him or share a drink with him, but I do

expect you to keep out of his way.

Jack Town's column is none of your damn business.

Regina Kelly, I work on the Todayside.

Oh, sure, sure. You did the thing yesterday on foam rubber necklaces.

Surf jewelry, right.

Not my proudest professional moment.

Listen, I remembered it. That's worth something.

I guess.

So, how do you like the trip?

Well, I've been here two years now.

Oh, right.

Everybody's been very good to me. It's just that Todayside is... Listen, I

Irene Ma is doing a heck of a job with that section.

Heck of a job.

Oh, sure.

I just want you to know that I'm working like crazy to get over to Metro.

Well, good.

Boy, I'd really like to talk to you sometime about how I could improve, what

skills I might need to make the crossover.

You should talk to Billy Newman. She did it. I have. She has such great things

to say about you, Lou. I'd just love it if we could talk sometime.

Well, this week is bad.

Yeah, I understand. Just keep me in mind. Lunch, dinner, you know, whenever

can talk. Oh, I will. I will. Yeah.

Oh, give her a chance, Lou.

You're breaking her heart.

I'm back.

I just got off the phone with Dan Familia. Yeah?

He admitted to paying for his secretary's operation.

Yeah? Town had it right.

Town had it wrong.

Marjorie Kirkland didn't have an abortion. She had a cyst removed.

Can we be sure?

Dan Familia was really angry.

He confirmed the quote about not being able to live without her, but said it

because she does her job so well. And he also said it was nobody's business what

she'd gone through.

That's not enough.

Right. So I called again. This time I talked to Marjorie Kirkland. She gave me

names of the hospital, the doctor. She even offered to show me the x -rays.

Lou, she's 50 years old.

Now have we got enough?

Put your notes together, will you?

Sure. For in -house?

Yeah. No.

Right, this is a story.

Familiar and dapper react to abortion rumor.

Okay.

I want you to work up something else, too.

Sure, this shouldn't take too long. What is it?

There's a little feature.

National Foreigner will be loaded with gloom and doom for page one.

So, I want to be able to offer Charlie something light at the budget. Like

The whistling grandma.

Uh -huh.

She claims to be able to do 92 different whistles. See if she'll talk to you

today.

I'll sell it at the budget as you're only as old as you feel.

Okay, that's what you'll get.

Uh, you know, I was the one who got assigned to the man who made coffee to

old masters out of breakfast cereal.

No, no.

That was only last week.

I know. Do you object to this story?

I just don't want permanent possession of the soup, Peter.

Fine.

Brose?

Where's Brose?

He's on his way to San Bernardino County to cover the nuclear waste caravan.

And I hope at least I get points for candor.

You sent him?

After I said no?

It's worth covering.

Get him back.

Lou, he's at least 40 or 50 miles away by now. Get him back and give him his

story. You're calling Burroughs back?

You know about this, too?

I talked it over with me. I made the assignment. Okay, you can second -guess

you know. You are the boss around here. It's well within your rights.

But it'd be a big help if you didn't second -guess me behind my back.

How am I supposed to do the work you pay me for when I don't know where my

reporters are?

See ya.

Yeah.

Oh.

Hello, Regina. How are you?

Um.

No, I don't mind at all.

Right now?

No.

As a matter of fact, that'd be very nice.

Uh -huh.

Goodbye.

I'll be at McKenna's for lunch. I'm sure you can spare me.

I'll slide my editor.

Well, you know, Irene, she can't get with a computerized type setting.

It's not surprising she's burnt out. She's in year three.

What's that?

You know, editors wearing out after three years.

Wonderful.

Lou, you're the exception that proves a rule. No one can understand how you have

held it all together.

People talk about... Me holding it all together? Sure.

What were we talking about?

Burnout.

No.

Before that.

Oh, yeah, yeah. The assignments they get.

It's all this physical fitness stuff. They think because they run, it's the

thing that I'm interested in.

I run, too.

No fooling.

Where? Mostly around Silver Lake near my house.

We gotta run together sometime.

You know Bannister and Landy?

Um, media consultants?

Well, they're right over your head.

Oh, they're old -time runners.

Roger Bannister broke the four -minute mile.

He was the first man in the world to ever do that.

Oh.

He and Landy met in 1954 head -to -head in Vancouver.

They gave it a big build -up.

What a match.

It's got to be the best kind of competition.

You both run full out, and you both finish under four minutes.

Who won?

I don't remember.

But that's not the point.

The point is, it was a wonderful race.

They run the mile a lot faster now, don't they?

Louie, Louie.

Boy, am I good.

Wonderful. That story you sent me on was a stiff.

Don't worry, I shot it anyway. But I got you something better.

I'm on my way in.

And I pass the Symphony Hall construction site. These guys are

crazy. Yeah, they're on double shift because they're trying to get

finished by the end of the year.

Okay. These are the four I like best.

But they're so busy, what are these guys doing?

That's the second shift.

They're resting while the first shift is working.

Never stops.

I love the way I got it all in this one picture. Okay, print them up and I'll

pitch them at the budget.

We got trouble, Lou.

The sheriff's department at San Bernardino says that the nuclear waste

was met by a citizen protest at Redlands. People lying on the tracks.

They called in for help.

Oh, God.

I'll call Burroughs and send him back out. I already did.

Walker, you're doing the main story.

Rosenthal. I passed Rosenthal on the way in.

Let Leon go get him. No, I'll get it.

It's been three years, right?

Almost four.

He's aged about 20.

We've seen the man grow old.

It's the pressure.

I know that, but it's still sad.

You spare the sympathy, Billy. If you want to talk, do it to my face, not

my back.

Huh? What do you mean, Lou? We were talking about the president.

What president?

Our president.

You see the picture of him this morning?

Yeah, oh yeah, of course. President.

Looks a little tired, that's all.

Yeah, doesn't he?

You going down, Luke?

No, go ahead.

Go ahead.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

You know, Rossi at City Hall. Familiar denial that he paid for an abortion.

I want to lead with a demonstration in Redwood. What do you have by six?

A rewrite from the wire story.

With Burroughs.

We turn him around again.

Again? Again, again. He's on his way back to Redlands.

Do you have art?

Nothing's cleared the wires yet.

Levinson's with Burroughs.

So it'll be four hours minimum.

Not good.

Do you have anything else for page one?

Animal shots of Symphony Hall construction.

We can sign that into my story on trouble in the construction industry.

Why is this one larger?

That's Animal's way of indicating his favor.

I like it.

Well, the hole we've got right now is vertical.

There's three guys in the foreground who'll make the picture.

You want to crop it?

All right.

Give us three guys dozing.

All right.

Vertical enough?

That'll be fine.

Excuse me, gents.

Jack, you need me?

It's about item four on the Metro budget.

Familia denies rumor of abortion.

Yeah, Lou figured that since you weren't willing to check the facts of the

story, we should.

I'm going to run it. I don't think you understand how something like that makes

me look.

Sure I do, Jack.

It makes you look like a horse's hiney.

Despite my loyalty to the memory of your late husband, and there'll never be

another one like him, despite my fondness for my office overview of the

Biltmore's dumpsters,

And despite the fact that you finally put bar soap in a men's room... Your

about Dan Familia is not true.

That's not the point.

The point is my right to do my job without being hamstrung. I think you

hogtied. You're right.

The lady would have made some editor.

Mr. Towne, I don't like lies appearing in the Tribune. Your gossip about Mr.

Familia is a lie.

I'll pull the item from subsequent editions of your column.

And replace it with four lines of poetry.

I can't do that.

Fine.

Mr. Hume, let advertising know they have four lines to sell in the middle of

Angel Town.

Mr. Grant, the article refuting Mr. Town's allegation should have run in all

editions. Right.

Kiss me goodbye and you're kissing goodbye 35 ,000 readers.

I wouldn't dream of kissing you goodbye.

Goodbye.

I'll pack up this afternoon.

Don't take the soap from the men's room.

You did the right thing.

You did.

$1 ,312 ,500.

What's that?

That's the cost of calling Mr. Towns Bluff.

You remember.

How terrific I am next year when no one gets raises.

And in addition to working on my master's, I also edited the Stanford

year.

No, I don't get a chance to read as many college papers as I'd like.

The range of story ideas is terrific.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm happy to say that we've done a few of these stories ourselves.

Yeah, see? See?

We did a piece on handicapped law students.

One of my roommates gave me the idea.

She's the student that said passing the bar exam was easy compared with getting

up the steps every morning.

Yeah. Geez, I should show you ours. We had a kid who said practically the same

thing. Actually, law school's a pretty good place for someone with a physical

disability. It's competitive, but the physical part is less of a hindrance.

Yeah, that's what our guy said, too.

He had this wonderful quote at the end where they've posted the results of the

bar outside the office of the Sacramento Bee.

And this guy can't see past the others because he's in a wheelchair. So he

yelled out, Hickman R .J., the first one to tell me I've passed the bar, gets a

beer?

Yeah, that's what the guy said.

Really? When was your story in the Trib?

Last month. When did you write yours?

Last year.

He's not in the room.

Where's Sam Huntington? The Chinese trade mission at the convention center.

called in about an hour ago.

I think we're going to have to terminate him.

He's out.

Stealing from a student.

Leon!

How do you think we should handle it?

I'll handle it.

We're going to need a retraction.

I'll write it.

Yeah, Luke? Sam Huntington's desk is the one with a cactus on it.

Yeah? Put all of his personal things in boxes and send them outside the double

doors. Files, too? Everything that's not the property of the paper.

Okay.

I don't want him setting foot in this room again.

Don't you think we should explain to him?

There's no way Sam accidentally lifted that.

Every person in that room knows plagiarism is grounds for firing.

Shouldn't we at least ask him why he did it? I don't give a damn why he did it.

He did it. He's out.

I don't want to rule out the possibility of tarring and feathering, Lou. That

always makes an impression.

I'm back.

What happened at City Hall?

May the auditor have it up? Let me refer to my notes so I don't miss any

critical details.

At 11 .50, the mayor appeared before the council. He looked calm, under control,

like nothing was bothering him. He proclaimed Saturday, eat your spinach

smiled when a reporter suggested that Sunday be proclaimed, pick the spinach

of your teeth day.

Where was the auditor?

He was on the agenda for after lunch. The council ran late, it's on for

tomorrow. He never showed. You want me to work up a little non -story story on

this? Nothing happened, right?

That's right.

Then I want you to forget it.

Can I get back to my inflation and the small businessman story?

For a deadline?

Yeah, tomorrow's. All right. Go on.

Jeez. Heads up, will you?

The story about the whistling grandmother is complete and locked into

electronic brain, which, with any luck, will retain it forever.

How long is it? 200 words.

Is it cute?

Cuter than hell. Good. Charlie wants it page one.

You're kidding.

Congratulations.

You know, that's the first time in over two months, and it's a story about a

little old lady who's spending her golden years with her fingers in her

That's plenty, Billy.

I would like to talk about this, Luke.

You know, I pitch a lot of stories to you. For six months, I've been trying to

get you to let me find out what would happen to smog in the L .A. basin if

manufacturers had to equip with scrubbers, and I always get a no.

You think there's some connection?

I think the Trib's in love with cute.

We've got the comics, Lou, and the horoscope and the entertainment section

crossword puzzles.

And lucky us, we've got Jack Town.

Don't you think that's enough cute for one paper?

You know what people read in a trip?

I know.

But you don't read the research. I do. I don't like it that people mainly read

the sports and the stocks and the comics, but that's the way it is. Guys

Jack Town sell papers so the reporters like you can do more important things.

Well, be sure to thank him for me the next time you see him.

We just got word from Redlands. The sheriff's department has confirmed that

of the freight cars is leaking nuclear waste.

We called for a complete evacuation of everyone within a five -mile area.

Burroughs is still 20 miles from there.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

That's so good. There's an E at the end of Royale.

Convert paragraph three and four and add another hundred words.

What are you giving me this for? It's Adam.

I've got three interviews in San Pedro tomorrow. I'll be in at four.

Let's go, brother. The whole day.

Hold on.

Do I get a stringer on the line? The pilot that flew in down there wants to

if you've come back.

What line?

Three.

Listen, we're paying that pilot by the hour. Tell him to stay at that field in

Redlands until our guide gives him the film. We'll have someone at LAX waiting

to pick it up at this end, okay?

Right. All right, this is priority one, Bill.

Okay, bye -bye.

Walker and Rosenthal just touched down at Redlands. We should be getting copy

within an hour.

Where's Burroughs?

Still driving.

Kind of like the Trib's own Flying Dutchman. Trapped forever between LA and

Redlands. That blew it, all right.

They screw it up.

You've been right all day and I've been wrong all day. Now we're playing catch

up and you'll be in a good sport.

I'm sorry. You want me to rub it in? I want you to let me admit that I screwed

up. Everybody hear that?

I screwed up.

You got that?

Lou, you really screwed up.

What did you do to the hard hat picture?

We used the one you wanted. You used a piece of the one I wanted. Animal, we

get edited.

Edited, Lou.

You run it next to the story on rising construction costs. You crop out the

who are working. And the picture becomes a crummy joke about lazy hard hats.

Well, I don't see it that way.

Lou, this picture is a lie.

Let me change it. It's too late. It's already shipped.

No, no, you can change it. Look, use the other side of it. That's it, animal.

It's gone.

Is it true that Jack Town is going to the Tons?

Sam Huntington is out, too. I know.

I think Lou piling his stuff outside the door is cruel.

Lou, I think piling Sam's stuff outside the door is cruel.

That's my style.

Let me give you a hand.

No, no, I can handle it. It's fine.

Sam? I insist.

Are all these going in?

Yeah. Where do you want them?

Your desk.

These are your things.

Don't tell me they finally fixed my drawer.

No, no.

Sam,

I know about this drawer you took from the Stanford Daily.

Oh, God.

I can explain that. You can?

Sure.

A friend sent me the clip from the Daily.

It was a terrific story and a terrific idea for a story.

So I pitched it to you and you said, go ahead, but put something together fast.

So I talked to people, but the quotes I got were terrible.

And I had to choose between a bad story that wasn't written and a good story

that was.

I was up against a deadline and I was coming down with something.

Do you remember that flu that went through this place?

I never did that with a story before or since Lou.

Really.

Your explanation is that you did it.

I was dead wrong.

Sam, I'm sorry I had your things set outside.

It was wrong of me not to let you explain.

Oh, Lou.

That's okay.

I understand.

Take all the time you need to get your things packed.

Make sure you've got everything.

Think about everyone.

Sun don't shine again. I love him. Hey, Lou.

Got change for a 50?

Well, two quarters do, or do you need dimes? Ah, forget it.

I'll let the lady pay for the cab.

What are you planning to leave?

Well, the curtain's not till 830, but she wants to meet me for drinks, so I

gotta get a move on.

Jack, when are you leaving the paper?

I'm not leaving the paper.

I saw you quit this afternoon.

Well, I've thought about it since then.

I decided I wasn't going to let you drive a wedge between me and the old

Sometimes you got to lead with your heart, not your head, you know.

The opposition never made you an offer, did they?

As far as I'm concerned, there were never any other offers. My home is here.

Here.

Right you are.

Let's see if you were free for dinner.

Oh, no.

We've got a couple of things.

You got a minute?

Sure.

Sit down.

What is it?

Well, it's not a big thing. Like it's worth a what is it.

I just wanted to say what a nice time I had at lunch, Lou.

Any old war stories doesn't wear you out, huh?

Yeah.

Oh, gee.

I've just been telling you how great I am with words.

I really like you, Lou.

And I'd like to be with you.

A lot.

Whenever you say.

Oh, gee.

Regina.

I never thought I'd say this.

I should be flattered that you're interested in me. I am flattered.

You know I'm in my 50s, don't you?

Sure. And you're 20 what? Six?

Four. Next month.

You don't have to apologize for your age, Lou.

Apologize? Of course I don't.

How can I explain?

I don't see the two of us together.

I feel like I'd have to fill you in on something before we could argue about

I just don't have the energy to be somebody's mentor right now.

Even someone as pretty as you.

What I'm trying to say is... You're not old enough for me.

Oh, gosh.

Okay. I feel terrible.

You ain't the only one, kid.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here on A &E.

How you doing?

Okay. Did you find a good merchant to single out?

He's perfect. Been in business at the same address since the Depression was a

drugstore. Good.

You know what might be nice?

Comparing the business 40 years ago with today.

Yeah, I've got him reminiscing some.

I'm talking about that as the focus of the piece.

But the neighborhood has changed.

There's inventory, advertising practices.

There's a standard of living better or worse now. Wouldn't that be something?

I'm on the last graph.

Why didn't you suggest this earlier?

I only just thought of it.

Make the story special, Ross.

Don't do this for me, for Pete's sake. Do it for yourself.

Making the story better.

I just read my story. You know something, Lou? It's pretty good.

If I do what you want, it'll be different, but not better.

Oh, see, I don't want an argument right now. I've already told you what I want

you to do.

This makes no sense. The last time I talked to you was two days ago. I did

exactly what you wanted with the story.

I can't work this way. He's driving me nuts.

Am I the only one who cares what goes in that paper?

That's right, Lou. You're the only one. If not for your total devotion, this

entire paper will go up in smoke.

I will go back and rewrite the story for no good reason. Because what I've done

is fine.

And it's the best I can do.

But I'll go back and do what you say.

And it's crazy.

It's nuts.

Lou.

Come on in a minute, Lou, will you?

Did you hear that? Did you see what just happened?

Yeah, yeah, I did.

Is it me?

I can't figure it.

How can people just walk away from something they know can be better?

Everybody finds it so damn easy to leave a story unfinished.

Every story's unfinished, Lou, every day.

Oh, I know. It's when people treat this business like it's just another job.

I mean, you gotta stay until you do it right.

I don't see anything so crazy about that.

Do you think I do my job well?

What? Would you say that I'm a good managing editor?

Yeah, sure you are.

But I'm not the best, Lou.

What are you saying? You're terrific.

Why is that such a terrible admission? I'm not the best.

I mean, I'm very good at what I do. I'm very fond of this newspaper, but it is

not my whole life.

Now, you know that I had a kind of close call this year with Marion.

We almost broke up.

And I decided then that nothing that goes wrong at work is going to destroy

we have. The price is just too high.

Yeah. Hey, so, I've been delegating the work lately.

Tell me something, have I been dumping too much in your life?

It could be my fault that you're so swamped.

I'm not swamped.

I was going to suggest maybe you should dump some of your work on Donovan.

When are you taking a vacation?

I don't know. This just isn't a good time for me to think about that.

Let me get through the next few days and I'll let you know.

Lou, I am telling you, I want you to delegate, and I want you to make plans

get away from here.

It's okay. I'm fine.

You're not fine.

We're all worried about you.

You're kidding.

I mean it. I want to know about your vacation tomorrow.

Redlands. He wants to know whether to stay with the cleanup or head for the

area. Send Burroughs to the center. Keep Walker at the site.

Fine.

Lou, I'm going.

Sure.

The thing is, I have this appetite for rack of lamb at the Biltmore.

So?

So, they don't make it for one. They only make it for two.

So, you know what I think?

But I am going to ease my arm into yours. We are going to walk out of this

out of this building, cut across Pershing Square to the Biltmore, and

maitre d' a fiver for the table by the heart.

What do you say we slip the maitre d' a fiver for a table away from the heart?

Okay.

Lou, what do you want to do here?

We can get photos off the wire. We can take a chance on hanging the street

edition 15 minutes for Levinson stuff.

What I want to do is have my dinner.

Why don't you handle it?

Sure. I'll be glad to.

Good night.

Good night. Good night.

Good night, Billy.

Come on, Rossi.

I'm working as fast as I can.

Come with us.

I can't. I'm busy.

I can wait, Joe.

We're all going out for a rack of lamb.

For three.

You mean it?

Yeah.

Okay.

You ever hear of Bannister and Lambie?

The mildest here.

I don't race Bannister, ma 'am. Both of them break in the four -minute mile.

Remember who won?

Um, no.

Neither can I. Who won?

I have no idea.

This is Mike Wallace.

The ground shakes.

Buildings crumble.

In seconds, devastating destruction.

Earthquakes living on the edge on the next 20th century.

Tonight, only on A &E.

Now, a fingerprint expert lends a hand when a murderer terrorizes the city on

Police Story.

Next on A &E.