Dinner at Eight Page #2

Miss Vance, I...

I just want to... I hope you won't mind...

but I can't help telling you

how exciting it is seeing you right here.

How sweet.

I shall never forget it.

I saw you when you played in Trelawney.

You were wonderful.

Yes. That was the last thing I did.

Yes. I remember it

as plainly as if it was yesterday...

though I was only a little girl at the time.

How extraordinary.

- It's wonderful seeing you like this.

- Yes, it is.

You know, we must have a nice talk

about the Civil War sometime...

just you and I.

I got rid of him.

What do you think

about me selling my Jordan stock?

I'd rather you didn't, just at this time.

We've been hit, just as everyone has,

of course.

I'm afraid you wouldn't get

what it was worth if you sold it now.

I'd expect to lose something on it.

But you know, ladies must live.

You see, Carlotta, it's like this.

The Jordan stock has never really been

on the market.

As a matter of fact, it's very closely held.

Only six or seven people in all.

Of course,

you've got a very small block of it.

Let's see, what did you pay for it anyway,

do you remember?

$61,240.

Why, Carlotta, you're marvelous.

No. I remember because it's the only stock

I ever paid for myself.

But then you said it was good.

And yes, it was for nearly 20 years.

The last two or three or...

Oliver, you wouldn't want to

buy it back yourself, would you?

Yes, I would, Carlotta.

But I'd find it rather difficult just now.

Why, Oliver...

I always thought of you

having all the money in the world.

I thought so, too, for a time.

When I think of Oliver Jordan III...

I dropped that years ago.

Dear Oliver, you were sweet.

So serious. So respectful.

I was very fond of you, Oliver.

I was very much in love with you, Carlotta.

You were the most entrancing creature

in the world, and I was at your feet.

So was all New York.

If you went to a restaurant, it was made.

If you wore a certain hat,

it became the rage.

I was rather gorgeous, wasn't I?

Remember? They named

everything after me.

Cigars, race horses...

perfumes, battleships.

They were a little previous on that.

But one thing I shall always remember.

The day you were 21...

you asked me to marry you, Oliver.

What a young fool

you must have thought me.

No, I thought it very sweet of you.

You see, I was 30-ish.

I remember I went home and wept a little.

They didn't often ask me to marry them.

You broke my heart when you refused me,

Carlotta.

So I buried my grief

in the shipping business.

Dear Oliver.

Mr. Packard is here now.

Tell him to come right in.

Do you mind, Carlotta?

He's quite a fellow, Dan Packard.

Used to be a miner.

Big Western stuff, you know.

How interesting. I'd like to meet him.

All right, Mr. Packard.

That's no elevator, that's a birdcage.

Jordan, what kind of a dump is this,

anyway?

I beg your pardon.

Dan Packard. This is Miss Carlotta Vance.

- Miss Vance.

- How do you do?

Wait a minute. Not Carlotta Vance?

Yes.

Why, I know you.

Jordan, you old son of a gun, you.

Yes. Saw me when he was a boy.

Nursie held him up

so he'd get a good look.

Your picture was on the wall of every

mining shack up there in Montana...

right alongside of John L. Sullivan.

Sutton's Opera House.

What was the name

of that piece you were in?

You wore pants.

Still do. That's my exit cue.

When will I see you, Lotta? Soon?

Millicent called me up this morning.

I'm dining with you next week, Friday.

Fine, of course.

I'm just dying to see Paula again.

I'm sure she's crazy to see you.

You were so sweet to her

when she was in London last year.

But where are you staying?

I'm stopping at the Hotel Versailles.

The old Versailles.

- O-O-O-O'Brien.

- That's it. Goodbye.

Toodly-oo, Lochinvar.

What did she call me?

Sit down, Dan.

- How've you been?

- Just fine.

I can only stay a minute.

Running down to Washington.

Seems like the President wants

to get down at the bottom of things.

The reason I asked you to come over, Dan,

was I wanted to put something up to you.

Sure. Go ahead.

It's about the Jordan Line.

Say, who put up this building,

Peter Stuyvesant?

Looks more like a museum than an office.

It was the last word

when the old gentleman built it.

It's been like this for 75 years.

I hope those old tubs of yours

don't date to this office.

What do you got on your mind?

You know all about our business.

I don't need to go into that.

Of course, this Depression

isn't going to last forever.

But if it takes a little longer

than we figure...

I want to know

if you and your associates...

would be in a position

to sort of tide us over.

I appreciate that I'd have to turn over

some of my holdings to you.

I'd rather not disturb

the other stockholders.

I don't know anything

about your business, Jordan.

But it looks to me like it's gone to seed.

All I have to do is look around this office.

To tell you the truth,

I don't think you have much to offer.

Now, look here, Packard.

Our ships have traveled the ocean

for a century.

We started from clipper ships.

We're not going to stop.

We're not through.

I'm sorry, Jordan. I didn't mean anything.

You know, I'm a businessman,

and everybody's bothering you.

- I apologize, Jordan.

- That's all right.

Now, I may be wrong.

Tell you what you do.

You get me some figures on this thing:

The assets, the stockholders,

a list of them, and the holdings...

You submit it to me,

I'll give you an answer within 24 hours.

That's very kind of you.

- What's the matter? Got a pain?

- Oh, no.

- It's a little indigestion.

- Indigestion? Half a lemon.

I get it all the time.

Half a lemon in hot water.

I got to travel, I'm in a hurry.

You send me all the dope.

I'll do whatever I can. So long.

Mr. Jordan, I wouldn't trust that man

as far as I could throw a bull by the tail.

I hope you're wrong.

I hope we're both wrong.

Why, what's the matter, sir?

I'm all right.

Hello.

Mrs. Jordan, sir.

Hello, dear.

Oliver?

Darling, I'm simply out of my mind.

I'm still shy one couple,

and I just can't find an extra man.

What am I going to do, dear?

You can do something for me, dear.

You can invite Dan Packard and his wife.

You're joking.

Ask that common little woman

to my house?

And that noisy, vulgar man?

He smells Oklahoma.

Oh, no, they're not as bad as that.

Anyway, it would be an enormous favor

to me if you did.

Of course, if it will help you, dear.

Hattie, you can't imagine.

Hattie just came in, dear.

Maybe she can help.

But do try to think of an extra man,

won't you, dear?

I will, dear.

Goodbye.

Those Packards. Really.

Another dinner party?

Only a small one, darling.

Otherwise, I'd love to have you and Ed,

you understand?

No need to apologize. A cousin is a cousin.

And Ed hates functions.

Ed hates anything that keeps him

from going to the movies every night.

I guess I'm what's called "a Garbo widow. "

Hello?

Who is it?

Mrs. Who? Jordan?

Mrs. Oliver Jordan. Just a minute.

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