Good Night, and Good Luck. Page #4

sponsored educational trips to Moscow...

...and on the Soviet payroll

in 1935. It's all there.

You wanna know

why that's not possible?

Why you'll lose this one?

Because everyone in this country...

...knows that Ed Murrow

is a loyal American, he's a patriot.

Did you know the word "gullible"

isn't in the dictionary?

- Can I give this to him?

- I'd love it! I have copies!

I think you guys go too far.

Well, if it walks like a duck,

talks like a duck.

Yes, Mr. Paley.

Right away.

Yes, sir.

No, he hasn't called.

Yes, sir, the second he calls.

If you're in a meeting, shall I?

Yes, sir.

Of course, sir.

Mr. Murrow!

Mr. Paley will see you now.

- Mr. Paley, Mr. Murrow is here.

- Thanks, Miss Mary.

- Hello, Ed. - Bill...

- Sit over here, will you?

How's Janet?

- Your son?

- All well, thanks. How's Babe?

She's fine. Her fundraiser

got rained on, so...

- Oh! That's why I never plan

on anything. - Really?

You'd never know.

Reading fiction?

I hope so. You tell me.

Now we know

how they're gonna come at us.

That's just the first shot.

Somebody's going to go down.

Have you checked your facts?

Are you on safe ground?

- Bill, it's time. Show our cards.

- My cards.

You lose, what happens?

I'm responsible for a lot more

than 5 goddamn reporters. Let it go.

McCarthy will self-destruct,

Cohn, all of them.

You said Corporate

would not interfere with Editorial...

...and that the News

was to be left...

We don't make the news,

we report the news.

he's marked as Communists.

If he goes too far,

the Senate will investigate him...

...and we will report on that.

But he's wrong 100% of the time when

he oversteps people's civil liberties.

And you're trying him in the press?

Does he get the right

to face his accuser?

You've decided on this

and you're presenting it as fact.

- What I am doing...

- I write your check.

I put you in your country house,

and I put your son through school!

You should have told me about this

before it went so far down the road!

Everyone of your boys needs to be

clean. Do you understand? No ties.

If Aaron's mother went to a group

fundraiser in 1932, he's out.

Hewitt, too. Anyone in that room.

You make no mistake...

...I will cut them loose. Corporate

won't interfere with Editorial.

But Editorial will not jeopardize

the hundreds of employees...

...of the CBS.

Do I make myself clear?

Yes?

Fellas, our next show is gonna be

about Senator McCarthy.

And we're gonna go right at him.

I don't need to tell you

how careful we have to be.

If we are to do this, Ed and I

need you to be straight with us.

We need to know,

for the good of the piece...

...if any of you have any connection,

if you subscribed to a newsletter...

...if you attended a party,

anything...

...anything that could compromise this,

anything at all...

...because now would be

the time to tell us.

Ed, I think I should excuse myself.

Palmer, you kidding?

My ex was a...

I wouldn't say she was a Communist...

...but she attended meetings.

It was before we were married.

I didn't even really know about it

until after the divorce.

But it was different then.

We were all on the same side.

I'm not telling you anything

you don't know. The thing is...

...somebody'll find out.

They'll hurt us with it.

I should have told you sooner, Ed,

I'm sorry.

Fred.

If none of us had ever read

a "dangerous" book...

...or had a friend

who was "different"...

...or never joined an organization

that advocated "change"...

...we'd all be the kind of people

Joe McCarthy wants.

We're gonna go with the story,

because the terror is in this room.

John! Jesse!

Go through the HUAC hearings.

Eddie! Palmer! Look at who

did the interviews and any speeches.

Okay, fellas, here we go.

His own words,

that's what we need.

...said that he wouldn't remove

a General from the Army...

...who supported a Communist Major.

I said, "Then, General..."

"...you should be removed

from any command."

"Any man who says, 'I will protect

and honor a General'..."

"...'who protects Communists', is not

fit to wear that uniform, General."

Ethically, we're fine.

But legally, if we air this, are we

leaking closed hearing testimony?

- But he chose to read it.

- We're not misquoting him.

- There are other reporters.

- If it's a legal issue, it's his.

I'll check with Campbell in Legal.

And wait till you hear

the bleeding hearts...

...scream and cry about our methods...

...of trying to drag the truth...

...from those who know

or should know...

...who covered up

a Fifth Amendment Communist Major.

But they say, "Oh..."

"...it's all right to uncover them,

but don't get rough doing it, McCarthy."

Did a Civil Liberties Union provide

you with an attorney at that time?

I had many offers of attorneys...

...and from the American Civil Liberties

Union, too. - The questions is:

...did the Civil Liberties Union

supply you with an attorney?

- They did supply an attorney.

- The answer is yes?

The answer is yes.

You know the Civil Liberties Union

has been listed...

...as a front for and doing the work

of the Communist Party?

Mr. Chairman, this was 1932!

I know this was in 1932.

Do you know that they since

have been listed...

...as a front for and doing the work

of the Communist Party?

I do not know

that they have been listed so, sir.

- You don't know?

- I have heard that mentioned...

All right, Leo. Turn it off.

- I need those three cans of Stevens!

- Has anybody read this book yet?

It would be nice

if this guy isn't a Commie.

- Did Millie give it to you?

- I wanna read the book.

- Nobody else, Joe.

- I hear you, boss.

I'll put it on a kinescope,

push through the end.

Palmer, cut it at 2:30.

I prefer it one on each end,

let it run through.

It'd be more powerful.

Cut Kennedy?

Joe, file it for me.

I'll see the Mundt piece later.

Are we gonna make it, Fred?

We lost the telecine,

but we'll make it.

Did you finish your closing piece?

It's Shakespeare.

Write your closing.

My argument was if you just show

the images of McCarthy...

...it doesn't make any difference.

If you agree with him,

you're gonna hate the piece.

If you don't, you'll love it.

Maybe they should wait

till they get more footage.

I don't think

we can take that chance.

We've got to hit McCarthy

before he comes after Ed.

The blue one. They haven't gone

after the Alsops or Herb Block.

Honey, the Alsops and Herb Block...

...didn't work for the Institute

of International Education in 1934.

Then I guess it's time.

You worried?

I didn't think I was.

I don't know why.

I was in the office on Friday.

And I answered the phone,

it was Howard calling from London.

And he asked what was going on

with McCarthy.

And before I answered him, I turned

and looked over my shoulder...

...to see who was listening.

- And who was listening?

Chairman Mao...

I'll see you at the office.

- Hey, your ring!

- Uh!

Name me another wife...

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