MovieReal: The Aviator Page #11

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Equitable after Senator Brewster...

...destroys your reputation and you can't

find additional capital for the airline.

The hearings will also show Hughes Aircraft

to be mismanaged and incompetent...

...and it will go bankrupt too.

But you won't be insolvent.

You'll still have Tool Co.

Perhaps you'll head back to Houston

to rebuild your empire.

I rather hope you do.

By that time,

Pan Am will have bought TWA...

...and painted all those magnificent

Connies blue and white.

So when you do return,

it will be on a Pan Am plane.

Well...

You seem to have me

in a corner here, buddy.

Not a position in which

I'm very comfortable.

I think you're gonna be less comfortable

at Senator Brewster's hearings.

Very public, Howard.

Lots of cameras and newsmen.

I understand you're not

particularly fond of crowds.

Perhaps we should spare you that.

Well, thank you for your concern, Juan.

I find that...

...very moving.

It's been a real pleasure.

Noah will see you back

to the airport now.

You fly safe.

You fly safe.

Thank you, Howard,

and you take care of that cold.

Don't you worry.

I certainly will.

Bye-bye.

If you let him appear at those hearings,

the whole world will see what he's become.

People should remember him as he was.

He'll have a subpoena in three days

to appear in Washington.

If you can get him out of there by then.

Mr. Hughes?

I don't have any shoes.

- Could you get me some shoes?

- Shoes.

Yeah.

How nice of you to dress for me.

Can I come in?

Yeah, you can come in.

Thank you for coming.

Now, let's get a drink.

Wait, wait, wait, honey.

You can't move. You're safe here.

You're in the germ-free zone now.

You understand?

- I'll take my chances.

- No, no, honey. Wait, wait.

Love what you've done with the place.

Now, let me look at you.

When do you go to Washington?

A week.

No, no. Just under a week.

I don't know the date today,

but I have to be...

All right, take it easy.

There's nothing there, Howard.

I see things.

I know, baby.

Rinse your face off, now.

Put your hands in the water

and wash off the soap.

I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere.

- Does that look clean to you?

- Nothing's clean, Howard.

But we do our best, right?

Yeah.

What do you think?

- Well, I look all right.

- You look great.

Will you marry me?

You're too crazy for me.

I gotta go, baby.

Okay.

Thanks.

You'd do it for me.

Hi, Howard. How you doing?

The committee will come to order.

Ladies and gentlemen, I must insist that

we maintain quiet during these proceedings.

All right, Mr. Hughes,

will you stand and be sworn?

Do you solemnly swear that in the matter

now pending before this committee...

...you will tell the whole truth

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

- I do.

- Pardon me for speaking loudly...

...but I know you have difficulty hearing.

- That's quite all right.

I mean, everybody knows I'm deaf.

I'm not gonna try to hide it.

Mr. Hughes, it is the intention

of this committee...

Mr. Hughes has a statement.

All right, you may proceed

with this statement, Mr. Hughes.

Mr. Hughes, do you have a statement?

I'm gonna attempt to be honest here.

I mean, my reputation's being destroyed,

so I might as well lay the cards on the table.

Senator Brewster, if you hadn't

gone too far overboard...

...if you hadn't put

the red-hot iron in my side...

...I might have been willing to take a

shellacking in this publicity spree of yours.

I may have been willing to sit back and take

a certain amount of abuse simply because...

...well, I am only a private citizen.

Whereas you are a senator...

...with all sorts of powers.

But I think this goddamn circus

has gone on long enough!

- That's quite sufficient.

- You have called me a liar, sir, in the press.

You have called me a liar

and a thief and a war profiteer!

- The witness will restrain...

- Why not tell the truth for once, senator?

Why not tell the truth that this investigation

was really born on the day that TWA...

...decided to fly to Europe? On the day that

TWA first invaded Juan Trippe's territory!

- Sit down.

- On the day TWA first challenged...

...the generally accepted theory that only

Juan Trippe's great Pan American Airways...

...had the right to fly the Atlantic!

- You are not here to make a speech.

I asked for silence!

I asked for quiet in this room...

We have in our possession receipts

in the amount of $ 170,000...

...acquired from Mr. John Meyer.

Mr. Meyer works for you, does he not?

- He does.

- And what is his official title?

I don't exactly know, senator.

A lot of people work for me.

Can you explain why your press agent

would pay out...

...more than $ 170,000 to representatives

of the United States Air Force?

- I don't know. You'd have to ask him.

- Well, would you produce him?

- Produce him?

- Will you cause him to appear?

You had John Meyer on the stand

for three days last week.

Be that as it may,

we would like him to reappear.

Would you ask him to return?

No, I don't think I will.

Will you try to have him return?

- No, I don't think I'll try.

- You don't think you'll try?

No, I don't think so.

The $ 170,000 paid out to the Air Force

in the form of hotel suites...

...TWA stock...

...female companionship.

Now, is it possible that

these could be considered bribes?

I suppose you could call them that, yes.

Would you repeat that?

I said, I suppose you could

consider them bribes, yes.

Well, would you like

to explain that, Mr. Hughes?

I'm afraid you don't know how

the aviation business works, senator.

See, wining and dining Air Force dignitaries

is common in our business.

It's because we all want the big contracts.

All the major aircraft companies do it.

I don't know whether

it's a good system...

...I just know it's not illegal.

You, senator, you are the lawmaker.

If you pass a law that states no one

can entertain Air Force officers, well, hell...

...I'd be happy to abide by it.

Your story is a pack of lies. I can

tear it apart if allowed to cross-examine.

- We're not gonna have this bickering.

- Yes. Somewhere between two and 500...

...if you'll let me get started.

- Lf you believe your wealth and power...

...can intimidate any member

of this committee, you're mistaken.

- Now submit your questions.

- I'll put this very simply.

On February 12th,

at the Mayflower Hotel...

...did you or did you not tell me

that if I were to sell TWA to Pan Am...

...that this entire investigation

would be called off?

I did not. And I have asked you

to submit your questions in writing.

- How long have you known Juan Trippe?

- I've known him for some time now.

- And that's not the question.

- Is it not true that Juan donated $20,000...

...to your last campaign? I mean,

he spoke to me as if you worked for him.

I have a personal friendship with...

Is it true you accept free Pan Am tickets

to circle the globe...

...in support of your C.A.B. Bill?

- No, it is not true.

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