Original subtitles

Downloaded from YTS.MX

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX

It is always up there close to the clouds--

on the topmost floors of the sky-reaching towers

of big business, and because it is high in the sky,

you may think that those who work there

are somehow above and beyond

the tensions and temptations of the lower floors.

This is to say that it isn't so.

- Goodbye, Julius. - A pleasure, Mr. Bullard.

Caswell.

Mr. Bullard.

Good afternoon, Mr. Bullard.

Straight wire.

That'll be $1 even, please.

Out of $5?

And $4.

Thank you.

Taxi!

Hey, there-- taxi!

Taxi-- aah! Oh, no...

Your friend Avery Bullard

didn't come all the way up here from Millburgh

just to taste the steamed finnan haddie

in our private dining room.

Salty today.

And all those hints about his

upcoming earnings report?

He was just softening us up

for another debenture deal--

another five million teeth for us to pull

for his Tredway Corporation.

Such talk from a member of his board of directors.

The only reason he put me on

was to wrap up Steigel and company for bond issues.

Tredway's board-- a rubber stamp for Bullard.

- You've heard of it. - But always black ink.

Last year-- $5.5 million net after taxes.

That's beside the point.

Julius, you know how tough it is to sell

these investment fund boys on a one-man corporation.

Bullard hasn't had an executive vice president

since Fitzgerald died.

They want to see continuity of management--

a second in command in case anything happens.

My next birthday I'm 71. Avery Bullard is only 56.

Fitzgerald was 50 the day they buried him.

Why hasn't Bullard replaced him?

He's got five vice presidents down there--

All with equal authority, all waiting, all wondering.

And if you ask me they won't be

waiting and wondering much longer.

Always Avery Bullard likes to take his top executive

from inside the company,

but always first he likes to convince himself

there's nobody better on the outside.

It is my opinion, Mr. Caswell,

that at lunch today you were crossed off the list.

Me?

Obvious.

You didn't warn me. You didn't say a word.

You wanted it?

Of course not.

So...

Julius, come here-- quick!

What is it?

No-- no, it isn't!

It just looks like--

It's Bullard.

Only a minute ago he was...

Avery Bullard.

Get me Phil Wingate-- and hurry.

A one-man company without its one man.

Hello, Phil. This is George Caswell.

You've got 43 minutes before the close.

I want you to start selling Tredway common short.

That's right-- short.

Feed out all you can before the bell.

Yes, I said all you can.

Everything you can get rid of.

Do it in your name, not mine, okay?

Get to it.

When the street finds out in the morning

that Bullard is dead,

Tredway is going to break wide open.

Tomorrow is Saturday. The market is closed.

Well, alright, Monday.

Give them the weekend to digest the bad news.

This is the kind of gamble I like-- a sure thing,

and I'll be able to buy that stock back

for 10 points less than I sold it.

There are some ways it don't seem right to make money.

Alright, break it up, break it up.

Let's move along now. Move along.

Canady reporting. I got a John Doe here.

Dropped dead in front of the Chippendale building

around 2:45.

Beekman Downtown took him to the morgue.

No. No identification.

Coming through, please. Going up.

Hey, uh, wh-what you got there?

Telegram for Miss Martin.

I deliver all messages to executive suite.

Yes, well, will you send it to Miss Martin, please?

You wait here.

Yes, I'll see that Mr. Bullard takes a look at them.

Thank you. We'll be in touch with you.

Telegram, Miss Martin.

Oh, thank you, Luigi. How's your cold?

Alright. Thank you.

Good.

Mr. Bullard's coming in. He's arriving on the 5:49.

You want me to tell Eddie to be there with the car?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, tell him not to have it

sitting out in the sun again.

Uh, Mr. Bullard is coming here to the tower?

Called a meeting for 6:00.

Oh, then I tell Maria not to wait with my supper.

Oh, no need, Luigi.

The night man can take us down.

No, I don't mind waiting for him.

- Oh, Miss Martin. - Is he busy?

- Group insurance meeting. - Oh.

Come in.

Excuse me. Jim.

There's a wire from Mr. Bullard.

He's called an executive meeting.

- Tonight? - 6:00.

Uh, just a minute, Miss Martin.

Gentlemen, we'll, uh, continue this on Monday.

Alright, I'll check with Collins in the meantime.

- Good. - Have a nice weekend, Fred.

Thank you. Goodbye boys.

Do you have any idea what this is about?

No.

Uh, did he say anything else in the wire?

No, Mr. Alderson.

Yes, sir.

Phone my home, please. Tell Mrs. Alderson

if I'm not there when the guests arrive,

not to wait for me.

Is he in?

Oh, gosh, Miss Martin, you just missed him.

He got an early start on the weekend.

Well, you'll have to call him back.

Mr. Bullard wants him at 6:00.

There's an executive meeting.

Oh, he'll hate me.

I know he's already on his way to the bay,

and I don't see how I can reach him.

Well, call the Turnpike toll station.

They know Mr. Grimm.

Well, tell them to turn him back.

And has once again overrun

the first-half estimate for experimental work,

this time by $23,254.

In view of the consistent high profit curve

achieved by our budget-rated K-F line,

I should like, at your earliest convenience,

Mr. Bullard,

to discuss with you the economic soundness

of Mr. Walling's experimental program.

I'm sorry, Miss Martin.

Executive meeting at 6:00, Mr. Shaw.

There must have been some development in New York.

Apparently.

Miss Martin, was there any information

Mr. Bullard might want at this meeting?

Anything you suggest that I have ready for him?

Mr. Shaw, I don't know what the meeting is about.

I wasn't probing, Miss Martin. Just asking.

Of course.

Eva?

Why don't you wear bells or something?

May I go in?

Mr. Dudley is on the phone.

In fact, he's in the phone.

Oh! Well, maybe you better tell him then.

Executive meeting at 6:00.

But he-- Mr. Dudley has to take

the 7:00 plane to Chicago--

the furniture show.

Mr. Bullard's orders, not mine.

Mr. Bullard's orders, not mine.

I didn't say I'd have dinner with them at the club.

You did! Look, will you hold it?

Sylvia, please, listen to me for a minute.

Bullard's getting ready to appoint

an executive vice president, and I-- well, be bored then!

It happens to be the way I make my living!

Hold it. Please, hold it a minute.

You don't care whether I'm with you or not.

It's just if I'm not there,

you won't have anything to complain about.

Sylvia? Hello, Syl--

Would you like a transcript of that?

You told me to monitor all important calls.

You made no commitments.

Nothing was said by either party

that could be construed as binding

either on this company or--

Please. Not now.

Mr. Bullard would like you at an executive meeting

at 6:00 tonight.

Shall I change your reservation?

Maybe you'll have to take the late plane.

Maybe I will.

Hello? Yes, he's here.

Oh, just a moment.

Mr. Walling, telephone.

- Take a message. - It's Mr. Bullard's secretary.

She says it's important.

Alright! Here we go!

How is the density?

Building up fine.

Yes, Erica.

Well, there must be some mistake.

Today is the day we test the new molding process.

Are you sure he wants me there?

Well, the wire says executive committee,

Mr. Walling.

Well, can't you put it off?

It would take months to reproduce this setup.

Either it comes off on schedule or not at all.

Yes-- yes, I'll be there.

What's the trouble?

Bullard wants me in a meeting at 6:00.

You're going to have to make this shot without me.

But how can we? Suppose something goes wrong.

Nothing is going to go wrong.

Do you think he forgot?

Bullard never forgets.

Then I don't understand why he--

Maybe we're not supposed to understand.

It's none of your business, none of mine.

If Bullard calls a meeting, he's got a good reason.

He's a big man.

It's been quite a day, Mr. Caswell.

That's a lot of stock Wingate sold for you in 45 minutes--

inactive issue like Tredway.

Where's that elevator?

Relax, Mr. Caswell. You said it yourself.

You sold 3,700 shares of stock you haven't got,

and you'll be covering it Monday morning

at 10 points less.

Why, that's a real killing,

so what do you got to worry about?

You're in good shape...

Unless maybe the man under the blanket

ain't Avery Bullard.

Julius...

No, no, no.

It was Bullard. I saw him. He was dead.

You saw him, too, Julius.

I'm an old man, Mr. Caswell.

My eyes don't see easy money so good anymore,

but I take your word for it.

Have you got the late finals yet?

Any minute now.

Can I drive you someplace?

It was right there.

Enjoy your weekend, Mr. Caswell.

- Late finals? - Yep.

- Journal, post, and telly. - After I count them.

Oh, come on, come on.

Taxi!

Stork Club.

Alright.

Hey, don't you want your change?

Good evening, Mr. Caswell.

- Be with you in a minute. - I thought you said 5:00.

Will you get me the Beekman Downtown Hospital?

Certainly, Mr. Caswell. Take booth three, please.

Is that "B" as in Benjamin?

Well, I'm sorry, sir,

but there's been no one by that name

admitted here during the past 24 hours.

Perhaps it was some other hospital.

Don't tell me-- it was Beekman Downtown.

I want you to-- Hello?

Thank you, Mr. Caswell.

I want to make a person-to-person call.

Mr. Avery Bullard.

B-U-double L-A-R-D, Tredway Corporation,

Millburgh, Pennsylvania.

Take it in booth four, please.

Okay.

Operator, this is plaza 3-1940.

Mr. George Caswell calling Mr. Avery Bullard,

Tredway Corporation, Millburgh, Pennsylvania--

person-to-person.

That's right. Time and charges, please.

You have a big nerve.

I told you I'd be right with you.

- What's happening here? - I've been waiting a half-hour.

Look, can't you see I'm busy? Wait for me at the bar.

- Mr. Caswell. - Yes?

- How long do you think-- - At the bar.

Mr. Caswell, Mr. Bullard isn't in.

They say he's on his way

and he'll be there in about 20 minutes.

20 minutes?

- Wallet? - None.

- Laundry marks? - None.

Ought to be a federal law. What about the suit?

No customer label.

How about Andruzzi-- the tailor?

Palm Beach police trying to locate him.

He closes for the summer.

We should have been tailors. Car keys?

GM is checking on it. All they know it's a '53 Cadillac.

Anything else?

Monogram on shirt-- "AB."

Cuff links engraved "AB."

Couple of predictions.

One-- it turns out to be a guy with the initials "AB."

Two-- at 6:00, I go home.

I'm on the green in 2. How much? $300 to $1,000.

"You're on," he says. So I took my 7-iron--

It's no good. You're going too fast.

What, are you trying to carbonize it?

Attaboy, Don. Give it to them.

Give me the check points on the time, temperature curve.

- So what happened? - What happened?

It took me four to get out of the rough

and two more to get on the green.

You lost the $300, huh?

Yes, but I got his French provincial order

for the whole year--

28 stores, 135,000 bucks on the line.

That bet convinced Milton Oberfelder

that I was the one guy in St. Louis

he beat that week who was really trying.

Were you?

The next time you play fresh meadows in St. Louis,

let me see you hook a brassie shot

in back of that tree.

Bill, those RF temperatures have to be uniform

over the entire surface. You know that.

- Walt. Jesse. - Hello.

Fred.

Do you know what this meeting is all about?

Didn't Fred tell you?

Oh, I'm sorry, Fred.

I assumed Mr. Bullard spoke to you.

I don't know. See that the lines are balanced.

You know it's something!

Everything going alright, Don?

Everything is going fine.

Shall I start tearing up my material rejection charts

right now?

You can start to reexamine them.

How about that, Jesse?

What does production got to say about that?

All I'm thinking about right now

is a mess of soft-shell crabs

fresh out of Chesapeake Bay.

We're rooting for you, Don.

I hope this thing doesn't string out.

I got a 7:00 date with a DC-6,

and I'd sure hate to stand her up.

- Taking Mrs. Dudley along, Walt? - Not this time.

I'll be too busy romancing the chain and mail order boys.

You're ready for some pressure on prices,

of course?

Dealers' stocks are up again.

I assume you've figured how far you can cut.

Well, no. I thought I'd work that out on the plane.

Like this?

You'll find a volume and price chart there

for each major item.

Where the curves intersect,

that's your relative net profit.

Maybe you ought to go to Chicago and try pushing the K-F line--

see how far you get with the boys

with your kind of intersecting curves.

Mr. Bullard must have missed the 5:49.

Eddie just called from the station.

He'll wait for the 6:10.

Well, I'm sure none of us minds waiting, Miss Martin.

Oh, Mr. Alderson, may I see you for a moment, please?

Pikes Peak, please.

- Julia Tredway is here. - Where is she?

In Mr. Bullard's office. She insisted on waiting.

Hmm. Uh, better let me know

when Mr. Bullard is on the way up.

Yes, sir.

Julia.

Nice to see you.

Miss Martin says he hasn't come back yet.

That's right.

I know I shouldn't be here. Mr. Bullard doesn't like it.

I, uh, I have to talk to him, Mr. Alderson.

- Perhaps I can help you. - Well, it's rather important.

I do think it best if I discuss it with Mr. Bullard.

He'll be pretty busy when he gets here.

Why don't you call him later, Julia?

It's about my stock, Mr. Alderson--

My Tredway stock.

You're thinking of disposing of it.

That's why I wanted to see Mr. Bullard.

Naturally.

Am I really as tiresome as all that?

Julia, I didn't say...

That I've come here to threaten Avery again?

To play on his fear that he might lose

control of the company if I did sell my stock?

No, no, Mr. Alderson, you didn't say it,

just as you didn't say that this is the only way I have

to make him pay any attention to me.

Oh, Julia.

I'm sorry.

How does he do it to us?

Your devotion. My imagination.

It does take imagination, you know,

to think up reasons for coming here--

because he won't come to me anymore.

I had a phone call a while ago,

a rather strange call from someone in New York.

This man said he had information

that was highly unfavorable

to the future prospects of the Tredway Corporation.

What's this man's name, Julia,

and what's the information?

I asked him that, but he said

it came from a confidential source.

Ahh. Oh, yes, of course.

Well, if I were you, I'd ignore rumors like that.

When you see our earnings report,

you'll realize how senseless

such mysterious phone calls are.

Then I wonder why Mr. Caswell

was so insistent that I sell.

- George Caswell? - Yes.

He said I ought to sell now and buy back later.

When did you say he phoned?

About 20 minutes ago.

But Caswell is one of our directors.

All he would tell me was that he had a customer

who didn't want his name known

who was willing to buy 3,700 shares of Tredway

at today's closing price.

3,700 shares?

Provided I would give him an immediate decision.

He said it would have to be a private sale.

Miss Martin, will you come in, please?

Mr. Bullard wouldn't want me to sell, would he?

You know that, Julia. You've always known it.

But you never let a simple thing

like gratitude stand in your way, do you?

Before Mr. Bullard goes into the meeting,

I want to see him.

Well, yes, Mr. Alderson , but I'm afraid that--

What is it?

I just had another call from Eddie at the station.

Mr. Bullard wasn't on the 6:10 either.

I called the Waldorf in New York.

- He hasn't checked out. - Have you told the others?

- Why, no. I thought-- - Let me do it then.

You, uh, you do understand, don't you, Mr. Alderson?

Hmm?

The reason I wanted to see Avery.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I did want to make sure

I didn't say the wrong thing to Mr. Caswell.

You see, I promised to call him back by 6:00.

Or don't you think I should call--

Do as you wish, Julia.

You can use the phone right there.

Oh... but it would end all this, wouldn't it,

if I did sell once and for all?

It would end a lot of things.

I'll check back with you.

I'll see you Monday.

Was that Mr. Bullard on the phone?

- No. Give anybody a lift? Don? - I'm going back to the plant--

I guess I can just about make it.

I'll run you out to the airport.

That's alright. I'll get a cab.

Any reason why I can't drop you off?

Okay, let's go.

- Goodnight, Fred. - Good trip, Walt.

Oh, uh, Shaw, you haven't by any chance been in touch

with Caswell lately, have you?

George? No, why?

Oh, nothing. Nothing special.

Uh, Miss Martin,

if Mr. Bullard gets in touch with you this evening,

would you ask him to call me? I'll be home.

- Yes, Mr. Alderson. - Thank you. Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Yes, Miss Tredway?

Yes. Mr. Caswell?

Plaza 3-1940.

Perhaps you'd like to order now, sir?

- I would. - No. Tell Enrique to come here.

- Yes, sir. - But I'm starving.

She said she'd call back by 6:00.

Who said?

Can't you talk to me?

What am I here for?

Well, what about that Millburgh call?

Sorry, Mr. Caswell, not yet.

Would you like to start your dinner now?

- Cherry stones, perhaps? - Make it two dozen.

Go back and check with the operator again.

Yes, sir.

One of these days...

You're going to stop talking.

- Oh, hello, Farrell. - Oh, hi.

What have you got there?

Tomorrow morning's Farrell, what else?

- Do you mind if I look? - No, go ahead.

You'll have to excuse my friend.

He likes to read while he doesn't eat.

"A.B."

"A.B."

Who's Abie?

Thank you.

Your Millburgh call, Mr. Caswell.

Oh, Enrique, tell the operator I'm not here

and you don't know where I've gone.

- But, Mr. Caswell-- - Get me the police department.

- Police department? - And a magnum of champagne!

Yes, Mr. Caswell.

Can we eat now, George?

Are you hungry?

Am I hungry?

Well, why didn't you say so?

Flight 79 to Pittsburgh and Chicago

now loading at gate 3.

You hear that? When Dudley dates 'em, they wait.

I'll park the car.

Never mind. I'll be taking off in a minute.

Good luck.

Don't worry. With this under my belt,

I'll really keep the K-F line moving.

Your attention, please.

Final call, flight 79 to Pittsburgh and Chicago

now loading at gate 3.

All aboard, please.

Your attention, please.

Final call, flight 79 to Pittsburgh and Chicago,

now loading at gate 3.

All aboard, please.

- Goodnight, Mr. Walling. - Goodnight, Bill.

Goodnight.

Forget it.

If only we hadn't come so close.

Why didn't I give it all we had?

That might have done it.

Stop knocking yourself out.

I was afraid to take the gamble,

blow all the mixture on one shot.

It wasn't your gamble to take. I should have been there.

- Hi, dear. - Hi.

- Hello, Bill. - Good evening, Mrs. Walling.

- There's room for one more. - I've got my car.

Thanks. See you tomorrow?

Not unless you're out at the ballpark.

Ooh, I almost forgot.

Goodnight, Bill, and stop blaming yourself, will you?

I'll try.

- Darling, I could cry. - Don't.

You were so sure this time. What went wrong?

I don't know. I wasn't there.

Bullard called a meeting.

How's Mike?

Oh, he's nervous as a pup over the game.

I had to chase him out to play next door.

- This late? - Well, sure.

I had to do something to get his mind off it

or he'd never sleep.

He'll be okay when he steps to the mound.

What was it for, Don?

What was what for?

Bullard's meeting.

He never showed up.

If I'd had the new equipment I asked for,

nothing would have gone wrong tonight

whether I'd been there or not.

Oh, Don.

I needed equipment. I didn't get it.

Shaw didn't approve.

Who listened to Shaw? Who canceled the order?

He doesn't understand.

Nobody's claiming that a new molding process

is going to revolutionize the industry.

It's just one attempt in 100

to make one improvement in 100.

Improve the profits but never the product,

that's Shaw's philosophy.

To him, the whole company's just a curve on a chart!

And to you, it's always somebody else,

never Avery Bullard.

Oh, darling, why can't you face it?

The dream is dead.

Bullard made you a promise. He said, "Plan what you want,

"Design what you want. Develop new ideas.

We need you, boy."

Sure, he needed you.

And it was good, a fine dream,

but it's over with, done, finished.

I tell you, it's Shaw.

And it's Bullard who listens to him.

Oh, he's changed, Don, and you're dying a slow death here

because you refuse to admit the truth,

the truth about Bullard.

I just don't know how long you can go on this way!

I'll walk.

He's out early.

Test at the plant must have failed.

You don't sound disappointed.

Should i?

Your plant.

Every brick, every machine,

every inch of every production line.

And I didn't need the boy wonders

and slide-rule experts to show me how.

You really think you'll be able

to say goodbye to it, Jesse?

I would have told Bullard tonight,

but he didn't get back from New York.

Monday.

Remember when you used to bring him home to dinner?

The two of you would sit up half the night talking.

A long time ago.

Sure that isn't what's bothering you?

Police have cleared up the five hour old mystery

of the identity of the man who dropped dead...

Will you get some music, Sara?

Don.

Why do we do this to each other?

- My fault. - No, it's mine.

Small boy stuff.

I'm selfish.

I'm only interested in loving you.

Never stop.

I'll fight anything, anyone-- even you--

if I think it will make you

into someone I can't go on loving.

- You know something? - What?

Mr. Walling, there's a man on the phone,

a reporter from the paper.

No, not now. No statement.

It's Bullard.

He's dead.

Oh, no.

Dead!

We were hating him, and all the time

he was lying there dead!

Darling, don't.

He was a great man...

The greatest man I've ever known.

Larry, let me see those Julia Tredway pictures we got

the night her old man jumped out of the tower.

Is this the residence of Jesse Grimm?

May I speak with him, please?

Joe, tell UP if they call once more...

Is there any way I can reach him?

- What about Miss Tredway? - Getting her right now.

Be careful what you write about her and Bullard.

That's libel.

Hello?

Yes, this is she.

As reorganized under Bullard's leadership,

Tredway Corporation rose to become the nation's

third-largest manufacturer of fine furniture.

Avery Bullard would have been 57 on...

Excuse me.

Got Fred pretty hard.

Well, you know how they were.

You realize what this means, don't you?

For Fred?

Dear?

There's nothing you can do for him now.

You've got to think of yourself.

You've worked for it, Fred,

29 years of it. You've earned it.

You have a right, and so have I.

You gave your whole life, lived in his shadow.

If it hadn't been for you, Avery Bullard would never--

Oh, Edith, Edith, please.

We've waited a long time.

I want something for those years.

I want us to be paid back.

Excuse me. Mr. Walling is here.

Don, he'll need your help.

It's incredible. Incredible!

I thought you'd want to get over to the tower.

Yes. That's right.

I guess I'll have to get on top of things right away.

Let's go.

- Goodnight, Edith. - Goodnight.

If there's anything more you need to fill out your story,

just get in touch with Lee Ormond here.

Thank you very much, Mr. Shaw.

Fred, Don, it's good you came down.

Perhaps you can make some suggestions here.

I've roughed out a plan with Lee for handling the news,

but it's possible we've missed something.

First of all I've taken the liberty of ordering

the immediate release of the earnings report.

I didn't authorize that.

I'm sure you'd agree that it's not only wise but necessary.

Why?

Served up cold the news of Mr. Bullard's death

would hit Tredway stock pretty hard at Monday's opening.

By countering with good news of our increased earnings,

we'll not only check the decline

but send Tredway stock up quite handsomely.

Not a bad way to start a new management, is it?

And there will be a special release for the Times,

Tribune, and Wall Street Journal

and the follow-up for the evening at Sunday papers.

The same basic story but with a stronger company slant

will be sent to the trades and the morning papers

in our factory cities.

Lee will telephone business editors of Time and Newsweek.

That pretty much takes care of the first-priority stuff.

Anything I've missed?

I'll follow through on everything, Mr. Shaw.

Gentlemen.

I hope, uh, Ormond there isn't handling this

like some publicity story.

I'm quite confident we can rely

on his good taste and judgment.

Don't you think so, Don?

With a situation like this, you can't be too careful.

That's why I got Ormand down here right away.

As a matter of fact, I almost didn't call him

when I was sure somebody must have thought of it before I did.

Apparently no one did.

I've made all the other arrangements.

The funeral will be Monday at 4:30 and I've asked--

No, it won't.

The funeral will be at 2:00.

- St. Martin's? - At St. Martin's, yes.

Perhaps I was misinformed.

When I checked the church calendar,

I found a wedding scheduled for 2:00.

Something can be done about the church.

There's another point I had in mind.

The, uh, highest proportion of older factory workers,

those who might want to attend the funeral,

are on the 7:00 to 3:00 shift.

What difference does it make?

The factories will be closed anyway.

- For the day? - Yes! For the day.

I suppose all you're thinking of

is the money it'll cost.

Not as a first consideration,

but I did happen to recall Bullard pointing out

at the time of Fitzgerald's death that a paid holiday

would represent a loss of the company

for approximately $87,000,

and that figure, of course, was before the last wage raise.

It would be somewhat more at the current rates.

There's another consideration,

minor, perhaps, but it did seem worth taking into account.

The 4:30 time would make it more convenient

to close our showroom--

Convenient!

That's always been your attitude, Shaw,

to make everything as convenient as possible for yourself!

Even Mr. Bullard's death has to fit into one of your charts!

I don't rate that, Alderson.

I don't rate that at all.

I have only one interest-- the good of this company.

Don, tell me, am I wrong,

or did the old boy seem shaky just then?

Don't you think he has a right to be?

You know, he was closer to Bullard than the rest of us.

Don, I was careful to take that into account.

Surely, you saw there was every reason for me

to be annoyed at his attitude and still I did my best not to--

Why don't we just skip it?

Don, I wish you wouldn't feel that way,

you particularly.

Why me particularly?

After all, we know things haven't been run

too perfectly around here.

That's one of the reason I've often wished we could

work more closely together,

and, frankly, I'd hoped that now I could,

well, count on your support.

I've always felt that you and I shared

a certain community of interest.

In your own words, Shaw,

I have only one interest around here--

the good of this company.

Erica.

Erica.

Oh, Don!

I'm sorry.

I'm terribly sorry.

Now, don't be.

Don't ever be sorry

for feeling the way you do about him.

Ohh!

Fred?

Sorry, Don. Made a mess of it.

Ah, look, Fred, nobody expected that--

You were disappointed in me.

I was disappointed in myself.

Thought I could do it, but I can't.

Look, nothing's settled.

Just because Shaw took advantage of--

Oh, it wasn't Shaw. It wasn't Shaw at all.

That was my mistake, thinking I was fighting him.

I was ready for him, could have handled him.

That wasn't it.

I don't know what you're talking about.

It was Avery Bullard I was fighting.

Can't you see that? I could have coped with Shaw.

It's easy to fight somebody you hate,

but I couldn't fight Avery Bullard. Never could.

Look, Fred, you're tired and upset. We're all upset.

- It's no use, Don. - Fred, listen to me!

Avery Bullard doesn't want me to be president.

He never wanted me to be anything but what I am,

a number-2 man, never more, never less.

I don't believe that!

Don, it's true. If it weren't,

he would have made me executive vice president

months ago. He didn't want me.

Then who did he want?

Fred, I assume you know where to reach Jesse Grimm.

Yes.

When you do, better make sure he knows

about the special meeting of the board tomorrow at 6:00.

When was that decided?

I'm sure we all agree, the sooner the better.

The wires have gone out to everybody.

I'll double-check Walt Dudley.

Goodnight, gentlemen.

One thing I can tell you--

It's not going to be him.

Who's going to stop him?

If it was five years from now, I could tell you who could.

- Good evening, Miss Bardeman. - Mr. Shaw.

I want to speak to Mr. Dudley.

Oh, you mean you want to know where to reach him.

Well, he's staying at the Blackstone in Chicago.

- I thought you knew. - I see.

I've got to talk to him right away.

Would you be good enough to let me use your telephone?

Well, just a minute!

The phone is over there.

Uh, Mr. Shaw...

Mr. Shaw!

Uh, I've got to talk to you a minute, Walt.

Which chart did you find this one on, Shaw?

is that all you're going to say to him?

Just who do you think you are, coming in here like this?

Eva, wait a minute.

This is my apartment! Why don't you tell him to get out!

- Eva! - What are you waiting for?

Don't you want to get back to your dictaphone

and make out your special report to the president?

Apparently you two haven't had the radio on tonight.

He's dead.

Bullard? Dead?

You're lying!

He had a stroke in New York this afternoon.

They identified the body this evening.

The old man?

Dead. I don't believe it.

The company will carry on with a minimum of confusion.

You can catch the 11:00 plane to Chicago,

get together with your men there in the morning,

brief them, let them take over.

You get back here on the afternoon plane.

There will be a meeting of the board tomorrow at 6:00

to elect a new president.

I'll want to talk to you before then.

And while you're in Chicago,

I'd rather you didn't take any calls--

Millburgh calls. Is that clear?

Naturally, Sylvia won't hear about this.

Look, Loren, this is not what you think.

I come here because--

Well, I don't know. It's home.

I guess it's what keeps me going.

She lets me say what I want, be myself.

Some people wouldn't understand,

I mean, not knowing Sylvia. But you--

All I ask of you...

This is a fine girl, Loren, and--

The corner of your mouth, on the ride side.

Put your clothes on. I'll drive you to the airport.

Would you wait in the car?

Eva.

Baby?

Don't worry, baby.

Everything's going to be alright.

Sure.

You'll-- you'll take care of everything

like you just took care of him.

Nothing will happen. Now, don't worry.

Look, honey, Mr. Bullard's dead and I've got to--

Well, Shaw's downstairs.

I've got to go now.

Honey, don't feel like that.

I promise you, it'll be alright.

I'll be home tomorrow on the afternoon plane.

Eva.

Eva, you alright?

You want me to call you from Chicago?

Don, you'll be a wreck.

I'll quit in a few minutes.

Did Fred stay long?

Mm, long enough.

Oh, I like that.

Did he change his mind?

Mnh-mnh. It's going to be Jesse Grimm.

Fred's going to get to him first thing in the morning.

You sound so positive.

Don't the stockholders have anything to say?

The stockholders had their say when they elected the board.

Seven directors will vote. Four votes will elect.

Jesse Grimm will have his own vote,

mine, Fred's, and Walt Dudley's.

I think Dudley's about as fed up with Shaw as the rest of us.

Well, what's this question mark

after Julia Tredway's name?

Just that. First her father, now Bullard.

Who knows what she thinks about the company?

Anyway, she's never even shown up at a board meeting.

Bullard had her proxy.

Then that means Shaw has only himself and George Caswell...

Who helped him come into the company.

Well, if it's all settled, why are you still up?

Don...

Maybe this is the time for you to leave Tredway.

No.

But you could do what you always wanted--

be on your own, design what you want,

build what you want.

Well, if it hadn't been for this room

the past few months, you couldn't have lived.

I've got to make sure that it can't be done right here

at Tredway, the way that Bullard made me believe it could.

You don't walk away from a thing like that,

not till you know it's hopeless.

Well, if you couldn't do it under Bullard,

how do you expect to do it with Jesse Grimm running the company?

Jesse's a fine production man.

You told me he lives in the past.

But he's our best chance to stop Shaw.

Is that all that matters?

Well, there's nothing we can do about it

this late at night, is there?

Fred wanted me to try for the presidency.

When?

Earlier tonight, back at the tower.

What did you say?

I told him to forget it.

I'm not going to die young at the top of the tower,

worrying about bond issues and stockholders' meetings.

That's not why I came here.

That's not what I'm working for.

I'm a designer, not a politician...

I think.

I think, too.

Well, anyway, I just wanted you to know

that you might have been the president's wife.

Well, come to bed, Mr. Ex-president.

Yes, that's right,

and when you get that call through,

tell the garage to send my car over.

Yes... yes.

Where are we driving to now?

We're driving no place. I'm going to Millburgh.

But you promised to take me to the track.

Did I know about this?

What about this?

You're a director of the company, aren't you?

And it says here,

"Tredway's increased earnings for the first--"

Do me a favor, will you? Read the funnies.

There aren't any in The Times. Don't you know that?

Then read "Situations wanted." You may need one.

Yes? Okay. Put Mr. Shaw on.

Yes. Loren? George Caswell.

What? Yes, terrible.

Yes, I-I was shocked.

Now look, Loren--

I certainly have seen it. I've got it right here.

Remarkable showing.

Now look, Loren, I'll tell you why I called.

Yes, I've got the wire about the meeting,

but it's very important that I see you before then.

Right.

I'll be expecting you.

Oh, did you send for Miss Martin?

She's outside.

What about the call to Miss Tredway?

Mr. Shaw, I checked with the telephone company

and they said it isn't just a busy signal,

her receiver's off the hook.

Keep trying. Send Miss Martin in.

Yes, sir.

Will you go in, please, Miss Martin?

Would you close the door?

- Sit down, please. - That's alright, Mr. Shaw.

Uh, well, first, uh,

I want you to know, Miss Martin,

that even though there will be certain

inevitable changes within the organization,

you have nothing to worry about.

Your closeness to Mr. Bullard

will naturally be of considerable aid to us

in handling those matters of personal policy

which were so vital in Mr. Bullard's running

of the company.

Uh, what I mean, Miss Martin, is that, uh,

it would be most helpful at this time

if I could be sure there were no facts

or no, uh, dark areas of misunderstanding

in Mr. Bullard's personal relationships

that could possibly hurt Tredway Corporation.

What are you trying to say, Mr. Shaw?

I want you to tell me everything you know

about Mr. Bullard's relationship with Julia Tredway.

Mr. Bullard saved the company

after the death of Miss Tredway's father.

He helped her regain her health when she broke down.

They became good friends.

Go on.

Those are the facts, Mr. Shaw.

- But surely-- - All the facts.

I don't think you quite understand

the seriousness of all this.

Perhaps I do, Mr. Shaw.

That will be all.

Strike three.

And Philly goes down swinging.

Pretty sharp there today, Lopat.

Oh, not Lopat. He's a lefty.

- I'm Allie Reynolds. - Alright, Allie.

Just be sure you do as well against the Eagles.

- Who's up? - Eddie Joost.

Dad.

Yeah, yeah.

Low.

Looked good to me.

Hold it.

Gee whiz mom will get it.

- Just a minute. - Fred Alderson?

- It's Bill down at the plant. - Oh. Hello, Bill.

Yeah... yeah.

You what?

Now, wait a minute. Give me that again.

Are you sure?

Well, of course that's it. It's got to be.

Now look, stay where you are.

Don't touch a thing. I'll be right down.

How do you like that? We had it all the time.

Oh, good.

Now if we can just duplicate the same thing

at the correct pressure.

Pick me up at the plant before the game.

- Pop, you coming? - Change in the lineup, Mike.

I'll see you later.

Aw, I would have struck Joost out.

- How do you feel, baby? - Okay, I guess.

- Perspiring? - Nah.

Well, then come on. Let's go to work.

Now, none of that soft stuff.

Mom, I don't want to hurt you.

Never mind "mom." You just burn 'em in.

Come on now, right in here.

It's better than Yogi Berra.

Ha. Are you kidding?

- Mom? - Yep.

Was Mr. Bullard a nice man?

Yes, he was.

When does pop become president?

Oh, Mike, get them up.

Don't you want him to be?

Mom.

Less talk and more pitch, sonny boy. Come on.

You'd better not wait.

That mixture's liable to kick over

and we'll be nowhere again.

- What do you say? - I'm with you.

- Joe? Steve? - Right.

Benedeck!

Benedeck, how long would it take your men

to reset the platens and get rolling?

Sorry, Mr. Walling.

Not this minute. I mean after the whistle.

Can't do it-- no work except straight production

until further notice.

What are you talking about?

Orders from the tower.

Okay, knock off. That's all for today.

When do you think we'll be able to have another go at it?

Maybe never.

Hello, Fred, any news yet?

He's still out on his boat.

Now, now, now, don't worry I'll get to Jesse

if I have to send the coast guard after him.

No, no need to.

Well, there's nothing for you to do.

Well, I checked with Walt's secretary,

and he's coming in on the afternoon plane.

So you go ahead. I'll know where to reach you.

Right.

Where do we go from here, Mr. Walling?

Four years since we've done anything good like that.

This is what we make now, the K-F line.

Look at it.

I remember when Mr. Bullard used to come down here,

see stuff not half as bad as this,

and just pick it up, and smash it against the wall.

"Not good enough," he used to yell.

"Not good enough."

Huh. Not good enough.

Why did he allow it, Mr. Walling?

What happened to him?

What's going to happen to us?

Hello, Mr. Walling.

Hello, Tom.

Hello, Mr. Walling.

Mr. Walling?

Yes, Liz?

Everything's going to be alright, isn't it?

Don't you worry about a thing.

But you weren't here in '33.

You don't know how it was in Millburgh

when Tredway shut down.

Now, nobody's going to shut down anything around here.

Mr. Bullard brought us a long way from that.

The trouble with us, George,

is we understand each other too well.

I know that all this talk of yours

about the earnings report is part of a campaign

to put me on the defensive

because you want something, and you know

that whatever it is, you'll probably get it.

So why don't you just save time and get to the point?

There are 50,000 shares

of unissued Tredway common stock

in the company reserve.

I want you to arrange

that 4,000 shares of that stock

are sold to me immediately

at yesterday's closing price.

How do you expect me to do that?

Well, there are ways. You'll find one.

Why 4,000 shares, George?

I have my reasons.

I mean, why the extra 300?

What are you talking about?

"Yesterday afternoon, between 2:51 and 3:29..."

Starting approximately six minutes

after Avery Bullard dropped dead

beneath your office window,

"Mr. Philip Wingate sold 3,700 shares

of Tredway common stock... Short."

- Wingate told you. - Unh-unh.

How do you know?

As you said, there are ways.

I had a sure thing.

If you hadn't released that... earnings report...

You knew. Is that why you did it?

Now... now look, Loren,

I can't go into the open market Monday morning

and cover that short sale. I have no liquid assets,

not a thing I can lay my hands on.

I-- you know the way I live.

I'll be wiped out inside of an hour.

Mr. Shaw, have you seen Mr. Alderson around?

- He hasn't been in today. - I wonder...

- Perhaps I'd better-- - What is it?

There's a call for him. I have a feeling it may be urgent.

- Who is it? - Miss Tredway.

Have it transferred in here.

Yes, sir.

Hello?

Uh, Miss Tredway, this is Loren Shaw.

No, Mr. Alderson isn't in right now.

Perhaps I can help you.

Yes...

I see.

Well, certainly.

As comptroller of the company, I--

Yes, I believe I can give you that information.

By all means.

In about an hour.

I'll be waiting for you.

Goodbye, Miss Tredway.

- Well, what's the answer? - Hmm?

Are you going to get that stock for me or not?

Why should I?

Because you want the presidency.

Do I?

It's the only reason you joined this company.

It's the kind of setup you've been dreaming about

ever since you came on the street

with that night school CPA in your hand.

For years, I've been working for it,

and now I'm going to get it,

but not by larceny.

And not without my vote.

You'll need four votes, Shaw.

Without me, you don't stand a chance

and you know it.

You realize, of course,

as comptroller, my hands are tied...

Do a Houdini-- untie them.

But as president,

I'll be in a better position to help you.

Suppose I vote for you and you don't come through?

The only chance you have to get that stock, George,

is if I become president.

Well, uh, I guess I don't have much choice then, do I?

That's right. I guess you don't.

6:00, George.

Miss Nordley,

right away, I want a complete breakdown

of Julia Tredway's holdings in this company,

And, uh, bring me

the personal file on George Caswell.

You know, the SEC Committee report

on the Luckheim case, and...

Strike three!

Attaboy, Sandy.

Set it down, kid, set it down!

Alright, now, Mike, they've had enough.

There's Fred.

Come on.

Play them close. Come on, Mike.

Well, I finally got Jesse on the phone.

He hadn't heard about Bullard.

I gave him the whole setup. He said no.

What do you mean "no"?

He won't take the presidency.

He's going to retire, made up his mind weeks ago.

Nothing I could say would change it.

You know Jesse.

Yes, I know Jesse.

Well, that's it then.

- Wait a minute. - What for?

- It's all over. - There's still a way.

Look, Fred, I told you last night--

Let me finish.

Jesse feels the way we do about Shaw.

So we still have four votes-- yours, mine, Jesse's,

Walt's, and maybe Julia's.

- Four votes for what? - For Dudley.

Oh, Fred.

Walt's got a lot of standing, Don--

He's been on two government commissions,

he's been president of the association,

made institutional speeches all over the country.

He knows how to keep people happy.

He's a darn good salesman, and that's all.

There isn't a man in the business who's more popular.

Bullard didn't build a company being popular.

We're not going to get another Avery Bullard, Don.

You've got to make up your mind to that.

Look, you can't put Tredway-- you can't put Millburgh

into the hands of J. Walter Dudley.

You'd rather have Shaw, is that it?

Okay, it's Dudley.

I'll get right to the airport and meet him at the plane.

Walt's going to need help running this company, Don.

That means he's going to need you.

Ball one!

Let's have a new pitcher!

Tighten up in there! Tighten up!

Ball two!

What happened?

Grimm won't take it. He's going to retire.

Fred's going to offer it to Walt Dudley.

Did you agree?

Yes.

Come on. Get it over! Get it over!

Ball three.

- Well, come on! - Come on, Mike.

Come on!

Strike two!

131 from Chicago and Pittsburgh...

Fred!

Now arriving at gate 4.

Is that his plane?

You didn't have to come. I could have handled it.

I'm not going to go through with it.

I don't care what I said. He hasn't the guts.

- He can't do it. - With you there to help him--

it wouldn't work. He's just dead weight--

something we'd have to ease out of place

every time we wanted to get anything done.

Alright then if not Dudley, who?

Me.

- Did you hear me? - Yes, I heard you.

- Well... - Forget it.

- Why? - You haven't got a chance.

Well, then what were you talking about last night?

That was last night.

You've had a chance to change your mind, is that it?

I'm not ready yet.

Five more years to be properly seasoned

while the company goes down the drain.

I've never had my picture in Fortune.

I get my hands dirty once in a while. I don't know the rules.

I'm not old and tired or weak and afraid.

- Now, listen to me. - Not anymore.

This was my idea, remember that, not yours.

Maybe I was wrong.

Maybe I didn't realize just how hot your head really is.

One thing Bullard always had was respect.

Now, look, Fred, I-- I didn't mean to--

Walt will be coming out. Now, we haven't got much time.

Don't you understand? It can't be Dudley.

Look, with you and Jesse behind me--

No, Don. Not Jesse.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this.

What?

When I talked to Jesse, I brought your name up.

- Well? - He wouldn't go along.

I don't understand.

Jesse and I have always worked together.

I can't believe he feels that way about me.

- He does, Don. - Why?

Oh, 20 years from now when you're Jesse's age,

maybe you'll understand.

At least now you can realize that giving Dudley

the presidency wasn't just an old man's crazy idea.

- Will you forget about Dudley? - Without Jesse--

I don't need him. I can do it without him.

- How? - Four votes. We're two.

- Yes. - Julia Tredway is three.

Why now? The fourth one is coming off of that plane.

You've got to talk to him, Fred.

- But how do you expect me-- - I don't care how.

It's got to be done.

Is that an order?

- Yes, that's an order. - Alright.

I'd better get over to Julia Tredway's.

Maybe you better let me talk to her.

There are things you don't know about her and Bullard.

You take care of Walt Dudley.

- Walt. - Fred.

It was good of you to come.

I still can't believe it about the old man.

I've got my car.

Well, no. I'm expecting someone to pick me up.

I thought we'd go to the tower.

- I want to talk to you. - What about?

- About the presidency. - Not now.

I just can't be with you now.

Look, we've got to talk before the meeting. This is important.

We're counting on you to help us stop Loren Shaw.

Not now.

You do feel the way we do, don't you?

I just told you I don't want to discuss it now.

Isn't that plain enough?

Very plain.

J. Walter Dudley, kindly report

to the United ticket counter.

J. Walter Dudley, report to the United ticket counter.

Oh, Mr. Dudley. I have a message for you.

Mr. Shaw won't be able to meet you here,

but he'd like to have you join him

at the federal club at 5:00.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

Edith, don't wait for me. I won't be home.

No, no, everything's alright.

I have a job to do for Don Walling.

Yeah. Goodbye.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Well, honey, how nice.

I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

You've got to understand about last night.

But I do.

I'm not helping you,

and you're certainly not helping me,

so I'm getting out of here.

I won't let you go.

Oh, yes, you will.

You've never faced an unpleasant situation

in your whole life. You never will.

You're too busy being popular.

Eva, what do you want me to do?

About me? Nothing. About yourself...

There's nothing you can do,

not while you're so afraid.

- Please, honey. - No.

You go find yourself another aspirin tablet.

Look, baby, I have to be at the club.

Drive me there and we can talk this over, huh?

Walt, the taxis are right over there.

Okay, Eva.

I-I don't know where you're going,

but this isn't the end.

Goodbye, Walt.

You don't know me as well as you think you do.

A guy can change, you know?

Want to bet?

Mary!

Mary!

- Right here. - Fred call yet?

- We just got home. - Then ask Louise.

- Oh, Don? - Yeah.

- Where are you? - In here.

Oh. Nobody called.

Well, try the Alderson house. He may be there.

Thanks.

Hello, Edith? Don Walling. Fred there?

Well, do you know where he went?

Oh, I see. No, never mind. Thanks anyway.

If I marry you, will you tell me what's going on?

- Where did you run off to? - The airport.

Oh, that explains everything. And now?

Julia Tredway's.

- What for? - Her vote.

- For Walt Dudley? - No, for me.

Well, did you hear what I said?

I'm going for the presidency.

Yes, I heard you.

Is that all you're going to say?

What would you like me to say?

Well, a good word. A few cheers.

Do you really think you can get it?

I've got to try.

- Why? - Why not?

Well, for one thing, because I love you,

and I wouldn't enjoy seeing you crack

that handsome head of yours against a stone wall

trying to do the impossible.

Nothing's impossible.

Bullard's line, not yours.

Still true.

Okay, I know what you're thinking,

but last night was years ago. I've changed my mind.

Look at your face in the mirror. Look at your hands.

It's because I'm in a hurry,

and you're not helping one bit, Mary. Will you--

Five years now I've stood by and watched you,

harassed, frustrated, and denied-- and for what?

To try to keep a dream alive.

I'm selfish, Don. I want the man I was in love with and married.

I won't let you do this to yourself.

And I'm not going to stand by and let the company

fall into the hands of a weakling like Dudley

or an adding machine like Shaw.

There are too many lives involved.

The whole town is at stake.

Tredway has got to be kept alive.

Avery Bullard's got to be kept alive, isn't that what you mean?

You want to sit in his chair, be his ghost.

You're even beginning to sound like Bullard.

Oh, let's not.

Don. Don.

- Hey, pop. - Later, Mike.

Gee whiz. He didn't even ask me who won the game.

Oh, don't worry, sweetie. He will.

Hello? No, he just left.

Mary, this is very important. I want you to call the tower,

get hold of Don, and have him delay the meeting

until I get there. That's right.

Tell him to hold up the voting. Right.

Are you sure Mr. Grimm will be coming through this way?

Yes.

Tredway corporation. Good afternoon.

Hello?

Over there, please, Luigi.

- By the window, please. - Yes, Miss Martin.

Thanks, Luigi.

Luigi, don't go in his office, please.

Erica, has Mr. Alderson arrived yet?

- I haven't seen him. - Well, did he call me?

- Any messages? - Why, no, Mr. Walling.

Is Miss Tredway here?

Yes, she's in Mr. Bullard's office.

She left some of her personal papers in his safe.

She insisted I open it for her.

Mr. Walling, is there--

is there anything I can do?

Thanks, Erica.

Miss Tredway, I'd like to speak to you for a moment.

I know how you feel.

Then let me alone.

I hate to bother you, but this is important.

Important?

- It has to do with the company. - The company.

I don't want to hear another word about it.

I've said all I'm ever going to say to Mr. Shaw.

Shaw?

I've given him full instructions.

Miss Tredway, I don't want you to think I'm here to--

To urge me not to sell out?

In another minute Mr. Alderson will come in also

not to urge me not to sell out.

- I don't know what you mean. - This, Mr. Walling!

The funeral pyre of nothing at all.

Bon voyage, Julia.

Sorry you couldn't stay longer.

Miss Tredway, you mustn't let this--

Oh, no, no. You mustn't, Julia.

You mustn't be unreasonable. We wouldn't want that, would we?

There, there, my dear. You'll be alright.

That's a good girl.

You've got everything in the world to live for--

money, brains, beauty.

So, you just sit here and wait.

And if you wait long enough, say 10 or 20 years,

maybe something else will happen.

Because, you know, Julia, no matter how horrible

things are, they can always get worse.

Miss Tredway.

You said something about instructions to Mr. Shaw.

Yes, Mr. Walling. The holdings of Julia Tredway.

39,500 shares of common stock of the Tredway Corporation.

There it is, there it was, and there it goes.

The liquidation will be prompt but swift.

I quote Mr. Shaw.

You're not going to throw your stock

onto the open market, are you?

I don't know and I don't care.

Mr. Shaw will take care of everything.

You can't do that! You're selling out the company

Avery Bullard's company, your own father's.

What did I ever get out of it but loneliness and sudden death?

What did I ever get out of them but the sight of their backs?

Bullard gave you everything you have.

There wouldn't be any stock if it hadn't been for him.

You wouldn't be here at all.

I gave him 10 years of my life and all my love--

Isn't that enough?

Please. Please go away.

Miss Tredway, at this meeting--

I'm not interested.

But surely you want to see us elect a man who will stand--

I told you I don't care, it won't make any difference to me.

Well, whether you care or not, your vote will count.

Mr. Shaw has my proxy. Now will you let me alone?

If you want to stab a dead man,

why don't you do it yourself,

instead of having someone else do it for you?

- Get out of here. - Go on, sell out!

Smash everything he lived for.

That's what you want to do, isnt it?

Pay him back for loving the company

more than he could love you?

Will you get out of here?

Aah!

- Hello, walling. - Caswell.

No use. I tried. It's only water.

Where's the rest of this seance?

Don't worry. They'll be here.

Oh, hello.

How about a little 3-handed gin?

Personally, I prefer to have

a little vermouth-played martini instead...

A must for the early bird who fails to catch the worm--

3,700 wriggling worms.

Evening, everyone.

- Everything alright, George? - Oh, perfect.

- Where's Fred? - I don't know.

Well, didn't he talk to you?

Don, why don't you sit down?

Well, gentlemen, shall we begin?

We can't begin.

Perhaps my watch is fast. I have 3 minutes past 6:00.

There are only four of us here.

Five-- Miss Tredway's proxy.

Miss Martin, am I correct in assuming that, uh,

five constitutes a quorum?

Yes.

Am I also correct in assuming

that four votes out of the total of seven directors

are sufficient to pass the usual motions,

as well as to elect?

Yes.

Then I see no reason why we shouldn't proceed.

Well, don't you think this is important enough

to wait for Fred and Jesse?

Mr. Alderson and Mr. Grimm have been officially notified

of this meeting, have they not,

and you've had verification

of their receipt of notification?

Yes.

George, any objections to proceeding?

No.

Walt?

- No. - Alright, let's get started.

Now then.

Gentlemen, I take pleasure in--

Miss Tredway...

Uh, you know everybody--

Mr. Caswell, Mr. Dudley, Mr. Walling.

Will you sit here?

This won't be necessary, Mr. Shaw.

I'll do it myself.

Walt?

Miss Tredway, gentlemen,

I take pleasure in nominating,

as the next president of our company,

the man whom I believe best qualified

to fill the terrible void left by the death

of our beloved president.

I nominate Loren P. Shaw.

Thank you, Walt. George?

I second the nomination.

Miss Martin?

Mr. Loren P. Shaw has been placed in nomination

for the presidency of Tredway Corporation

before this 116th meeting of the board of directors

on the 20th day of June, 1953.

There being present a quorum of the total number

of directors as of this date,

an affirmative vote delivered four times

shall constitute an elective majority.

Are there any other nominations?

Nominations on this first ballot are now closed.

If you'll please place your ballots in these envelopes.

Your ballot, Mr. Walling.

One "no" for Mr. Shaw.

One "yes" for Mr. Shaw.

Two "yes" for Mr. Shaw.

Three "yes" for Mr. Shaw.

One "abstain."

No decision on the first ballot.

Miss Tredway, could I speak with you for a moment?

Perhaps I failed to make my position clear

this afternoon.

How about a break before we go on with this?

Anybody got an aspirin?

In there.

Miss Tredway, I don't know how you just voted,

but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am

for what I said.

No matter how I feel about the company,

I had no right to do that.

Well, Loren, how does it feel?

What?

Not getting it.

I had her. I know I had her.

Oh, you still do.

It was you. Why? Why?

3,700 reasons.

I told you I was going to do my best for you, didn't I?

I didn't realize this afternoon

how much bargaining power I really had.

It's not just that my no keeps you out,

my yes puts you in.

Loren, I want the delivery of that stock guaranteed.

You blasted idiot. I have it for you right here.

Julia Tredway's pulling out of the company,

and I'm handling the sale of her stock.

Here's your 3,700 shares right here--

a letter of transfer signed by me as president.

Oh, do you mind?

Now let's go.

Alright now, Miss Martin.

Mary, is there anything wrong?

- Is it all over? - No, not yet.

Don, please don't hate me.

I did a terrible thing to you. I really did.

Honey, what is it?

Fred called you right after you left.

Where is he?

He said it was important for you to hold up the voting

until he got here.

I didn't call you, Don, and then when I did try to get through

I couldn't find you.

It's okay, honey. It's alright.

Oh, darling, I was so wrong.

If it's what you want, really want,

it's all that should matter to either of us.

Don is there still a chance in there?

Nothing's impossible, remember?

You're funny.

Am I?

We're getting ready for the second ballot, Don.

- Already? - Miss Martin?

At 6:19, after a brief recess, the meeting was resumed,

and Mr. Dudley once again placed the name

of Loren p. Shaw in nomination for the presidency

of Tredway Corporation.

Miss Tredway, gentlemen--

We all seem to be in a big hurry around here, don't we?

I'd like to second the nomination.

Maybe we're too accustomed to quick decisions in this room,

to directors' meetings that never really meant anything.

If you mean that's pretty much the way

Bullard ran this company,

we might all be inclined to agree with you.

After all isn't that why we're here,

to replace that kind of dictatorial leadership?

- With what, Loren? - Well, I was about to...

- Replace it with what? - Just a second, George.

I want to answer that question.

After all, Miss Tredway is a major stockholder

in this company, and if she

or anyone else wants to know where I stand--

I believe that a company is answerable first and last

to its stockholders.

To fulfill that obligation,

primary emphasis must be placed upon return on investment.

- Jesse. - Don.

- Anything happened? - Not yet.

I thought I could swing him. He's a mule.

Jesse, Fred, we're into the nominations,

and I was just trying to make clear to everyone here

what I believe to be the only sound basis

for corporation management today.

When the average stockholder buys Tredway stock,

he makes an investment.

Now, the only reason he makes it is to get a return,

and that's why I believe that a corporation today

must be governed to be what its owners want it to be--

A financial institution yielding the highest and safest return

on investment.

You know why more and more corporations today

are drawing their leaders from the ranks

of comptrollers and investment bankers?

Because the problems that come to the president's office today

are predominantly financial.

I get it. Manufacturing and selling don't count any more.

Of course they count, Fred, but they're not ends in themselves.

Only the means to the end.

It's a matter of management levels. I just said it.

At the presidential level, the emphasis must be financial.

Take our own case.

Jesse and his staff have done a wonderful job

of reducing costs on our finishing operation,

and we all appreciate the creative effort

that's been poured into our experimental program

at the Pike Street Plant,

but the truth is such efforts add comparatively little

to our net earnings, even when they succeed.

Last year, they contributed less than a quarter

of what we gained from one new tax accounting procedure

I got the government to approve.

You see, that one piece of work,

all purely financial--

Yeah, we see alright.

While Jesse and Don are turning out product,

you figure-jugglers and chart men

are busy flyspecking it with decimal points.

Well, some of us have had enough of it

and some of us are sick to our stomachs from it.

I've had enough of that attitude.

I know how I've been regarded around here by most of you.

Efficiency has become a dirty word.

Budget control has a bad odor.

Well, that's my job, that's my responsibility--

to plug every profit leak,

to run to earth every case

of waste and inefficiency in this company.

If I have to step on toes and hurt feelings in the process,

that can't be helped, but nobody's going to say

I ever had anything but the best interests

of this company at heart' while I was doing it.

You take a look at the record of the last three years.

Fight that record.

- My record. - Your record, Shaw?

It couldn't have been done without me.

Understand, I don't mean to belittle Mr. Bullard.

We all recognize his magnificent contribution

to this company during its period of growth.

In other words, Avery Bullard was the right kind of man

to save this company from disaster

to build it up and set it on its way.

But now we need a different kind of management--

one that will dedicate itself to paying

the maximum dividends to the stockholders.

Is that it?

I don't know that I'd express it in exactly those terms,

but, yes, that's substantially what I do mean.

Shaw, let me ask you something.

The president of a company like Tredway

would have to be a man of outstanding qualities.

- Wouldn't he? - Naturally.

A man prepared to make a good many personal sacrifices,

willing to devote himself to the company,

mind and heart, body and soul.

If he were the right man,

there would be no worry on that score.

Why? Why would he do it?

What would be his incentive?

You mean outside of salary?

There's such a thing as success, isn't there,

a sense of accomplishment?

Exactly.

Now, let's assume, Shaw, that you're the man

running the Tredway Corporation your way.

Would you be satisfied to measure your life's work

by how much you raised the dividend?

Would you regard your life as a success

just because you managed to get the dividend

to $3 or $4 or $5 or $6 or $7?

Would that be enough?

Is that what you want engraved on your tombstone when you die?

The dividend record of the Tredway Corporation?

Are you suggesting earnings aren't important?

I'm suggesting no such thing, and you know it.

Shaw is right when he says that we have an obligation

to our stockholders,

but it's a bigger obligation than raising the dividend.

We have an obligation to keep this company alive,

not just this year or next or the year after that.

Sometimes you have to use your profits

for the growth of the company,

not pay them all out in dividends

to impress the stockholders with your management record.

There's your way, Shaw. There's your inefficiency.

Stop growing, and you die.

Turn your back on experimentation

and planning for tomorrow

because they don't contribute to dividends today,

and you won't have a tomorrow

because there won't be any company.

Avery Bullard didn't seem to think

my policies were exactly destroying this company.

No. No, he didn't.

And he was wrong,

the way a lot of people are wrong these days--

grabbing for the quick and easy,

the sure thing.

That's just a lack of faith in the future--

Something that's in the air today,

the groping of a lot of men who know they've lost their faith

but aren't sure of what it is

or how they happened to lose it.

Avery Bullard was one of them.

He'd been so busy building a great production machine

that he finally lost sight of why he was building it,

of why he was the man he was, if he ever really knew.

Do you know, Mr. Walling?

Yes, I think I do.

Avery Bullard was driven by pride,

pride in himself, the urge to do things

that no other man on earth could do.

He was the man at the top of the tower,

needing no one, wanting no one,

only himself.

That's what it took to satisfy his pride.

That was his strength,

and that was his weakness, too.

Why shouldn't a man have pride

if he's earned it?

Alright.

But why should that set him apart

from the people he's working with?

The force behind a great company

has to be more than the pride of one man.

It has to be the pride of thousands.

You can't make men work for money alone.

You starve their souls when you try it,

and you can starve a company to death the same way.

Avery Bullard must have known that once,

but he'd become a little lost these last few years.

The company had been saved.

There were no more battles to win.

Now he had to find something else

to feed his pride--

bigger sales, more profits, something.

And that's when we started doing things like this--

the K-F line.

Walt, are your boys proud

when they go out and sell this stuff,

when they know the finish is going to crack,

the veneer is split off, and the legs come loose?

Now, wait a minute. That's price merchandise.

It serves a definite purpose

in the profit structure of this company.

- We're not cheating anyone. - Ourselves!

At that price, the customer knows exactly

what he's going to get.

This?

This is what Tredway has come to mean!

What do you suppose the people think of us when they buy it?

How do you suppose the men in the factories feel

when they make it?

What must they think of a management

that's willing to stoop to selling this kind of junk

in order to add a dime a year to the dividend?

Do you know there are men at Pike Street who've refused

to work on the K-F line?

Who's taken a seven and a half dollar a week

cut to get transferred to something else?

After all that's only a part of our business.

Eventually, we can cut down on the line.

We'll drop that line,

and we'll never again ask a man to do anything

that will poison his pride in himself or his work.

We'll have a line of low-priced furniture--

a new and different line,

as different from anything we're making today

as a modern automobile is different

from a covered wagon.

That's what you want, Walt, isn't it?

What you've always wanted.

Merchandise that will sell because it has beauty

and function and value,

not because the buyers like your scotch.

You think you're a good...

The kind of stuff that you, Jesse, will be able

to feel in your guts when you know it's coming off

your production line.

A product that you will be able to budget

to the nearest 100th of a cent, Shaw,

because it'll be scientifically and efficiently designed.

And something you'll be proud to have your name on,

Miss Tredway.

We're going to give the people what they need,

at prices they can afford to pay.

And as fresh needs come up, we'll satisfy them, too,

with something new and even more exciting.

And when we achieve that, we'll really start to grow.

We're not going to die. We're going to live!

It's going to take every bit of business judgement

and creative energy in this company,

from the factories to the top of the tower!

And we're going to do it together--

every one of us, right here at Tredway.

I'm with you, Don!

I take great pleasure in nominating

Mr. McDonald Walling for the presidency

of the Tredway Corporation.

Second. I move we make it unanimous.

All those in favor? Miss Tredway?

Yes.

Mr. Caswell?

Mr. Shaw?

So voted.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Loren.

Uh, Loren,

about that stock?

You're Mary walling, aren't you?

Yes.

You must be very proud of him.

I am. I'm a little frightened, too.

Because you don't quite understand him?

We never do, not completely--

not men like that.

It will make you very lonely at times

when he shuts you out of his life,

but then he'll always come back to you,

and you'll know how fortunate you are to--

to be his wife.

Will you tell him something for me?

Say, "Thank you for saving my life."

Congratulations, Mary.

Oh, darling!

- Oh, uh, Erica. - Yes, Mr. Walling?

Better call a committee meeting for 10:00 Monday morning.

We'll be appointing an executive vice president.

Yes, Mr. Walling.

- Goodnight. - Goodnight.

Hey, by the way, who won today?

We did.