Executive Suite

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 five?

- And four.

- Thank you.

Taxi!

Hey, there, taxi!

Taxi...

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 know that.

But always black ink.

Last year,

five and a half 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...

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.

Well, 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 off.

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 gonna break wide open.

Tomorrow is Saturday.

The market is closed.

Well, all right, Monday. Give them

a weekend to digest the bad news.

That's the kind of gamble I like,

a sure thing.

I'll be able to buy that stock back

for 10 points less than I sold it.

There are some ways

that don't seem right to make money.

All right, break it up. Break it up.

Move along, now, move along.

All the way back.

Kennedy 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.

Twenty-two, please.

Going up.

- Hey, what you got there?

- Telegram for Miss Martin.

I deliver all messages to executive suite.

Yes, well, will you send up

the swatches, please?

You wait here.

That's right.

Send them to the Tower, not the house.

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?

- All right, 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?

Oh, tell him not to have it

sitting out in the sun again.

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.

Oh, Just a minute, Miss Martin.

Gentlemen, we'll continue this on Monday.

Right, I'll check with Collins

in the meantime.

- Good.

- Have a nice weekend, Fred.

Thank you. Bye, boys.

- Do you have any idea what this is about?

- No.

- Did he say anything else in the wire?

- No, Mr. Alderson.

- Yes, sir.

- Call 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.

Apparently, there must have been some

development in New York today.

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's about either.

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's 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. A furniture show.

Mr. Bullard's orders, not mine.

"Mr. Bullard's orders, not mine. "

I didn't say I'd have dinner with him

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, will... Please hold it a minute.

You don't care

whether I'm with you or not,

it's Just that 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.

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