Libeled Lady

Press Room.

Okay.

Hold everything for a new front page!

We're killing the Allenbury yarn.

Hey, Mack, hold everything.

Wait for a makeover.

- What happened, Allen?

- Don't load anymore.

- Hold it, boys.

- Unload all of them.

We're trying to kill a story.

Have any trucks gone out?

- How about it, Joe?

- Number 7.

Call him back.

But he's gone.

Times Square and Columbus Circle.

Rush a motorcycle after him. Hurry up!

We've got to get those papers back.

Every one.

Pete, get on your machine

and stop truck number 7.

Okay.

Phone all the stands on that route

not to sell any papers.

Are you ringing Haggerty?

All right, all right! Try him again.

- Go to Haggerty's apartment. 52nd Street...

- I know where he lives.

Won't he be at church?

Isn't he getting married at noon?

You grab a taxi to the church.

Bring him here.

- I can't bust up his wedding.

- If we don't, it's our funeral.

Step on it! Keep on ringing him.

Don't answer it. I've had enough gags

pulled on me this morning.

Maybe Miss Benton again. I'm afraid...

You're afraid? I'm marrying her,

and you're afraid.

That's loyalty.

She say before, "If you're late,

she going tear down church. "

Even that won't stop it.

No, Ching, I promised I'd meet her

at the altar at the stroke of 12:00.

And there'll be no reprieve

from the governor this time.

- I hope you'll be very happy.

- Yes, said the spider to the fly.

- Very pretty.

- I'm the groom, not the bride.

Take my advice, Ching.

Don't ever get married.

Maybe not so bad, Mr. Haggerty.

My mother and father, they get married.

You're kidding.

Here's to the last mile.

A merry marriage

and many happy comebacks.

Mr. Haggerty!

- What's wrong?

- You're wanted at the office right away.

Good old governor. Good old office!

Run to the church

and tell Miss Benton I've been delayed.

It's awful to bust up your wedding.

Never mind the wedding.

Something break?

- The story they had to kill.

- What story?

The London correspondent

cabled last night.

A swell story on the Allenbury girl.

Connie Allenbury? What kind of story?

She was mixed up

in some scrape at a garden party.

Tried to steal another girl's husband.

- Not Connie Allenbury?

- Yes, sir.

All right, what happened?

Jackson cabled this morning.

It was all a mistake.

It was somebody else.

She wasn't at the party.

And we printed the story?

Holy mackerel! Come on.

Wait. You said not to stop for anything...

but you've got to have your pants.

Yeah, yeah. I gotta have my pants.

Can't I stay away for one day

without somebody pulling a boner?

You call yourself a newspaperman.

Where's your nose?

- My nose?

- Yes, your nose!

That thing fairly reeks of alcohol!

Jackson was drunk.

You got to smell things like that.

You don't need any brains.

All you need is a nose!

- I knew the boss hated her father...

- And her father hates us!

He'd blow us up,

and you hand him dynamite.

The one girl that we should handle

with kid gloves...

and you spread her name

over the front page! What?

- What'll we use for a headline?

- I don't care.

"War threatens Europe!"

- Which country?

- Flip a nickel!

Yes, sir.

The boss is here. He wants you right away.

Does he want me or my job?

Have you got a drink?

There's a fresh bottle on your desk.

I thought you'd need one.

I'll need it, and how.

I knew I'd find you

with a drink in your hand.

- What are you doing here?

- What are you doing here?

What? Didn't Ching tell you?

Yes, Ching told me, and I told him,

and now I'm telling you.

I won't stand for it.

You can't do this to me, Warren Haggerty.

Not to me!

First it was a fire at sea.

Then it was a kidnapping.

- What's the gag this time?

- Darling, there's no gag.

- The newspaper's made a mistake.

- So has little Gladys.

Engaged to a newspaperman.

Joe Simpson never treated me like this.

- Then why did you divorce him?

- I've asked myself that many times.

Gladdie, after all, you got no kick.

I haven't?

First, you said a trip to Bermuda.

- You went to Bermuda.

- But alone. Then it was Europe.

If I wait another year,

it'll be Little America. I won't.

- I tell you, I can't get away.

- It's not Europe. It's the church.

It only takes 20 minutes to get married.

- But, Gladdie, the trip.

- I'll take Battery Park.

I'm going to take you

on the greatest trip a girl ever had...

just as soon as we settle the suit.

Nothing doing. For two years

I played second fiddle to this paper!

But the boss is waiting for me.

The preacher's waiting, too. Get your hat.

I can't go...

the paper's in a jam!

We're facing a libel suit!

You're facing a breach of promise suit!

If you don't want to marry me, say so!

Gladdie, you're getting yourself

all upset, darling.

- A little drinkie, maybe?

- Not today I don't.

Today, I get married!

- Well, I...

- Didn't they say I wanted to see you?

Say, what is this?

Do I own a paper or a lunatic asylum?

- You just took the words out of my mouth.

- Mr. Bane, my future wife.

Nonsense! I'll be in my office!

Get rid of this woman!

Take it easy, that's the owner of the paper.

I don't care who he is. Nobody talks

to me like a house detective.

How do you know

how a house detective talks?

Don't you think I read? Where are you...

No, you don't. If you think that you can...

Gladdie, darling.

Now, you tell the preacher to wait...

and I'll phone you just the minute I'm free,

and we'll get married today.

Now, that's a promise.

Tomorrow at this time,

you'll be a married woman.

I swear to it. Joe, come here.

Will you show Miss Benton to a taxi?

And this is supposed to be

the happiest day of a girl's life.

Yes, ma'am.

Why doesn't London answer?

I want J. B. Allenbury.

This is terrible, Haggerty.

- A mistake like that can ruin...

- What do the lawyers say?

An open-and-shut case. Pure libel

and slander. We haven't a leg to stand on.

And now, I've got to get on my knees

to Jim Allenbury...

a man I fought for 20 years,

never giving an inch.

They're ready with London, Mr. Bane.

Wait a minute. Let me talk to him.

You know how he hates you.

I'll take all the blame.

You know nothing,

not even that I'm phoning.

- Then if I fail...

- You mustn't.

Tell him it was just a mistake.

Maybe he doesn't know anything about it.

Only 50 of those papers got away.

Hello? Hello, London? Yeah, we're ready.

Hello? Hello, Mr. Allenbury?

This is Warren Haggerty of the

New York Evening Star.

You know the Star?

Well, I'm sorry you feel that way

about us, Mr. Allenbury.

Yes. I realize that we've

fought in the past...

but it's always been a good, clean fight.

No. Nothing serious.

But the early edition of the paper

carried a little item about your daughter.

Not that the item was serious at all,

but I just thought I'd phone you...

Yes. Yes, that's it, exactly.

The spirit of fair play.

I appreciate that spirit of fair play,

Mr. Haggerty...

but you see, my office cabled me

a copy of your little item.

What?

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