Original subtitles

True can turn the world on with her smile True

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 it Love is all around, no need to waste it You

can have the town, why don't you take it?

You're gonna make it after all.

You're gonna make it after all.

Listen, would you just hold on for a minute, please? Yeah.

Mary, Mary, will you get in here?

Me too, Lou?

Uh, in just a few minutes. Well, uh... Well, uh, what is it,

Lou?

I've got the new owner on hold. He's been firing people right and left, and

he wants me to evaluate Ted.

You want to take it, Mary?

Not on your life.

Okay.

Here goes.

Yeah. Yeah.

I'm sorry I had to put you on hold. I was pulling up my socks.

Yeah.

Yeah, I know. You want me to evaluate Ted.

Well, I think you can judge for yourself how good he

is just by looking at the show.

Uh -huh.

Yeah. Okay.

Right.

wants to meet with us all in his office tomorrow morning.

And I want to prepare you a little. I don't need any preparation. Just say,

everything is okay.

Everything is okay.

Say it.

Ted, I can't say that.

He can't say that.

Why can't he say it? Because the owner's been asking about you.

About... how important you are to the station.

What'd you tell him, Lou?

He told him to watch you do the news and decide for himself.

Oh, my God!

Gee!

I'm sorry, Ted, but I don't know what I can do about it now.

Hey.

I got it. I got it. It's the simplest thing in the world when you go and see

Coleman. You tell them if I get fired, you quit. All of it.

Oh, well... See?

Mary's game.

Thanks a lot. God bless you, Mary.

How about you, Mary? You're not going to turn down your best friend.

Since when did I become your best friend, Ted? I don't know, but I never

you this before, but... I love you, Mary.

Okay, two votes for Ted.

I hate these small offices. There's no room to crawl.

The chips are down, Lou. I'm calling in my IOUs.

You don't have any IOUs.

I've got a wife and two kids, Lou.

Please?

have to stop.

As you know, I have a big decision to make today, one that affects our news

program. As much as I hate to do it, I believe that you've got to get rid of

anything that's pulling you down.

Hi, guys.

I'm sorry I'm late, Mr. Coleman, but I had a number of personal errors to take

care of, and I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to have you meet

some of my...

Dependents.

This is my wife, Georgette. How do you do?

This is my son, David.

Hello, David.

Hi. And that's his little sister in there, Mary Lou.

And this is our dog.

And what's his name? We call him WJN.

Georgette, isn't there something you wanted to say? Ted, I really... We've

over it enough, Georgette. You said if you really loved a man, there was

something...

I hope you don't mind our coming along, but we only have the one car.

And as soon as we leave here, I have to go to the doctor, take the baby to the

pediatrician, David to the dentist, and the dog to the vet.

Bad back, bad cough, bad teeth, bad dog.

Well, it's nice meeting you all, but we still have some business to discuss with

Ted. Oh, just a second.

Now, as I was saying, when the ratings are as bad as they are on the 6 o 'clock

news, you have to decide where the problem is.

Is it in front of the camera or behind the camera?

It's not exactly a science, but I have to go with my instincts.

Ted, you're staying.

And the rest of you guys, I'm going to have to let go.

Just a second, Coleman.

These people are my friends.

I spent a lot of years with them. They mean a lot to me.

A lot more than any job as an anchorman at WJM.

Ted, what's the point? The point is this, Coleman.

If I were getting fired, these people were ready to go down the line for me.

I think that's the least I can do for them.

Either they stay or I'm quitting.

Ted, I wish you would reconsider.

Be okay, I'll stay.

They just told me I was being let go along with the rest of you.

Is that true?

be a terrible feeling.

Being fired is like being violated.

Leave it to Murray to find a bright spot.

That was a terrific speech you made up there, Ted.

You think so, Murray?

Gee, I thought you'd be mad because I didn't quit, too.

No, that's okay, Ted.

When a donkey flies, you don't blame him for not staying up that long.

I know you're trying to let me down easy.

Do you know what bothers me? Here you are, the people I work with, my best

friends. You're all of you losing your jobs, and I'm keeping mine, and I don't

feel that bad.

I want to cry, I want to sob, but it just isn't in me.

You know what I'd love to say to you all?

Don't worry about money.

Whatever you need, I'll give it to you.

But I can't say it.

I'm not going to give you any money.

What's wrong with my emotions?

Is there nothing behind this handsome facade except talent?

If I'm going to find another job, I better go out and collect some

I wonder where the 31st Armored Division is bivouacked these days.

I know this is going to sound silly if I say it. Try it.

I'm not sure I was fired.

No, Mr. Grant, really think about it. Mr. Coleman did say very clearly, Ted is

staying, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to let the rest of you guys go.

See? Now, I'm not a guy.

Well, I'm not. I'm not.

And I was just thinking, you know, that...

Maybe he was embarrassed to tell me that I'm staying in front of you.

You know, I'm not even sure I would stay anyway.

But I just think it would be good to find out whether he meant me or not.

He meant you.

Maybe he meant me.

We don't know that.

No maybe, Mary.

Well, it's not going to hurt to double check.

No, go ahead. Go ahead.

Hello, Mr.

This is Mary Richards in the newsroom.

I was just up in your office with the guys.

And I was just wondering, Mr. Coleman, when you were dismissing some of the

staff, did you intend to fire me, too?

Especially me.

I'm very sorry I troubled you.

You little runt.

Mr.

Grant. Hi.

What are you doing here?

Well, you look so sad when you left on Friday that I took some money out of

petty cash and I bought you a little gift.

Oh, Mr. Grant.

No little gift is going to cheer me up.

Don't be so sure. There was 800 bucks in petty cash.

Now, all I want you to do is close your eyes.

And like Tinkerbell, I'm going to wave my little wand.

And when you open your eyes, you are going to see something which will make

smile.

But, Mr. Grant. No, no, no. Just go ahead.

Eyes closed.

Slowly. count to ten.

One.

Two.

told us when he called. Yeah, it's obviously a case of sexual

Oh, no, no, Phil. They fired the guys, too.

Oh, Mary, you little goof.

That was just to cover their tracks.

So, Mary, how's it going with you? I mean, how are you doing? Well, Rhoda,

Isn't that typical of you, Rhoda?

We spent all that time riding in from the airport together, and you didn't

ask... How things are with me. And here you are with Mary for two seconds. All

right. And you just... All right, all right, Phyllis. Phyllis, forgive me,

please. I'm so sorry. How are things with you?

How's Beth?

How's good old Lars?

Old Lars is dead, Rhoda. Same old Lars.

No.

I mean, he really passed away.

What?

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Phyllis. I didn't... Mary,

didn't you tell me? I thought surely Phyllis had told you. Phyllis, why

you tell me?

I was afraid you might want to come to the funeral.

Wonderful being with you again, Phyllis. So, how's Joe?

Oh, well, Joe and I have split up. I thought you'd heard.

I had.

You know, I mean, a lot of people lose their jobs. Right. Mary, you know what I

think's a good idea? Listen to this. What? Come to New York for a while.

you could stay with me. What fun, huh?

You wouldn't have any expenses, and you know, there's lots of job opportunities

in New York. I don't know why she can't stay with me in San Francisco.

I mean, why don't I get to pick up the pieces?

All right. San Francisco is lively. All right, Phyllis, we will compromise. Mary

will stay in Minneapolis.

Hey, listen.

about things like that. It's going to be okay.

Now, we're going to have a terrific time.

What do you want to do?

I want you to stop that. Would you please stop that?

Mary, we didn't come a collective 3 ,000 miles to watch you keep a stiff upper

lip. Right.

Not to watch you keep a stiff upper lip.

Go ahead.

Feel bad if you want. Feel bad if you want.

Mary, I mean, look, you're the one that was fired, right?

And here you are trying...

Hey, Noss, now look, we're here for you. We are, man. If you feel good, feel

good. But if you feel sad, come on, just let it go.

Oh, Rhoda.

I know, sweetheart.

Anyway, it's our last day together.

Yeah. Our last day.

Now, you just hold on there, you two.

I don't want to see anybody moping around here.

Yeah, I get your point, Lou. I mean, why make it worse than it is?

Exactly. Exactly. All right, all right. I will act happy.

If you'll just let me say this one thing that I thought about last night that I

want to say to all of you.

And it's really very simple.

No.

I want happy.

High job seekers.

Not that happy.

I found a job. Oh, that's terrific, Sue Ann. Doing what?

Well, it's hard to explain.

There's this elderly gentleman who's taking a cruise to the Mediterranean.

traveling with him as sort of a practical nurse.

Well, that ought to be a nice change for you, Sue Ann.

Cruising at sea.

Oh, I can't tell you how sad I am that we're parting.

We'll miss the chance to grow old together.

I'll never see your scalp turn to silver.

Mr. Grant, I know you don't want to hear this, but I don't think I can keep it

in any longer.

So I just want to say... Not now, Mary.

The news is on.

Causing the out -of -control truck to crash through the wall of Mrs. Ray's

bedroom.

Fortunately, the 93 -year -old Mrs. Ray was not at home at the time, having died

the night before.

Now, a personal note.

Due to some very good opportunities that have opened up elsewhere, news director

Lou Grant, news producer Mary Richards, news writer Murray Slaughter, and news

hint Sue Ann Nivens are going to leave after tonight's program to begin

new ventures in broadcasting.

Last night, as I lay awake in my bed, I wondered, how do I tell these dear

friends and colleagues how I feel about them?

How, I wondered, do you speak?

From here.

Instead of here.

Well, I finally got an idea.

Up here.

Finally, the words came to me. I put them down on paper and put them in here.

I think I'm going to be sick here.

I think what I was feeling was... best expressed in the lyrics of that

old song.

It's a long way to Tipperary.

It's a long way to go.

This is Ted Baxter saying good night and good news.

Tipperary?

You know, I'm never going to forget what Ted said tonight, but I'm sure as hell

going to try.

Hey, guys.

Wasn't that a great send -off?

Ted, you couldn't have said anything that would make us feel better about

leaving.

You know something, Mr. Grant?

Now that it's over, I don't feel as bad as I thought I was going to.

In fact, I feel pretty good. I really do.

And I owe it all to you.

Thanks.

What's the matter?

You got ice water in your veins?

Realize this is the last time we'll all see this room?

Of course. Of course I realize it, Mr. Grant.

I don't really feel good.

That's why I wanted to say to you... Mary, you promised.

Mr. Grant, why won't you let me say what I want to say?

Because you'll just make a big deal out of it. That's why, and I don't want

that.

But, uh... Don't, uh... Let me spoil your evening.

Let's...

Let's make this simple.

And, uh... In case... I don't see you again...

I'd just like to say...

So long.

It's nothing.

I was thinking of that truck going through that old lady's wall.

Mr. Grant.

I

treasure

you people.

I think we all need some Kleenex.

There's some on Mary's desk.

Mr. Grant?

Could I say what I wanted to say now?

Please.

Okay, Mary.

Well, I just wanted you to know that sometimes I get concerned about being a

career woman.

I get to thinking my job is too important to me.

And I tell myself that the people I work with are just the people

I work with and not my family.

And last night I thought,

What is a family anyway?

They're just people who make you feel less alone and really

loved.

And that's what you've done for me.

Thank you for being my family.

Now for the hard part.

How do we leave this room?

That's not so hard.

Remember what Ted said?

What is that, Lou?

It's a long way to Tipperary.

It's a long way to go.

It's a long way to Tipperary. To the

sweetest girl I know.

Goodbye to Piccadilly.

Farewell, Western Square.