Network Page #6

-Tonight we go back to straight news.

-Okay.

Fifteen seconds, 14, 13....

Yeah? What?

Max, I'm telling you, he's fine.

He's been sharp all day.

He's been funny as hell. Had everybody

cracking up at the rundown meeting.

I told him. I told him.

Up. Cue VTA.

Ready, two.

Cue announcer.

The UBS Evening News

with Howard Beale.

Take 2, cue Howard.

Last night, I was awakened

from a fitful sleep...

...shortly after 2:00 in the morning...

...by a shrill, sibilant, faceless voice.

I couldn't make it out at first

in the dark bedroom...

...and I said, "I'm sorry,

you will have to talk a little louder."

-What do you want me to do?

-Nothing.

And the voice said to me,

"I want you to tell the people the truth.

Not an easy thing to do because

the people don't want to know."

And I said, "You're kidding.

What the hell should I know

about the truth?"

But the voice said to me,

"Don't worry about the truth.

I will put the words in your mouth."

I said, "What's this, the Burning Bush?

For God's sake, I'm not Moses."

The voice said to me, "And I'm not God.

What has that got to do with it?"

The voice said to me:

"We're not talking about eternal

or absolute or ultimate truth.

We're talking about impermanent,

transient, human truth.

I don't expect you people

to be capable of truth...

...but at least you're capable of

self-preservation."

And I said, "Why me?"

And the voice said,

"Because you're on television, dummy.

Beautiful.

You have 40 million Americans

listening to you.

After this show, you could have 50.

I'm not asking you to walk the land

in sackcloth, preaching the Armageddon.

You're on TV, man."

So I thought about it for a moment...

...and then I said, "Okay."

Close the door, Harry.

Howard, I'm taking you off the air.

I think you're having a breakdown.

Require treatment.

This is not a psychotic episode.

This is a cleansing moment of clarity.

I'm imbued, Max.

I'm imbued with some special spirit.

It's not a religious feeling at all.

It's a shocking eruption

of great electrical energy.

I feel vivid and flashing,

as if suddenly...

...I'd been plugged into some

great electromagnetic field.

I feel connected to all living things.

To flowers...

...birds, all the animals of the world...

...and even to some great

unseen living force.

What I think the Hindus call prana.

It is not a breakdown.

I've never felt more orderly in my life.

It is a shattering and beautiful sensation.

It is the exalted flow

of the space-time continuum...

...save that it is spaceless

and timeless and...

...of such loveliness.

I feel on the verge

of some great ultimate truth.

And you will not take me off the air

for now, or for any other spaceless time.

Oh, boy.

Is he okay?

He's just fainted.

I'd better get him back

to my house again tonight.

Help me get him up.

Everyone's going crazy.

The whole place has gone crazy.

Sitting in their house

and they don't do anything about it.

Wake up, Max, because Howard's gone.

I'll make you some coffee.

You don't know where he is?

The son of a b*tch is a hit, goddamn it!

Over 2000 phone calls.

Go down to the mail room.

As of this minute, over 14,000 telegrams!

The response is sensational! Tell him.

Herb's phone hasn't stopped ringing.

Every goddamned affiliate

from Albuquerque to Sandusky.

The response is sensational!

Yes. All right. For you, Herb.

Get back to your office.

Moldanian called me.

Joe Donnelly called me.

We got a goddamn hit, goddamn it.

Diana, show him the Times.

We got an editorial

in the holy goddamn New York Times.

-"A call to morality."

-I don't know where he is.

That son of a b*tch Beale

has caught on.

-Don't tell me you don't know.

-Could be jumping off a roof for all I know.

The man is insane.

He's not responsible for himself.

He needs care and treatment.

And all you grave robbers

think about is that he's a hit.

You know, Max,

it's just possible that he isn't insane.

That he is, in fact, imbued

with some special spirit.

My God,

I'm supposed to be the romantic...

...you're the hard-bitten realist.

All right.

Howard Beale obviously fills a void.

The audience out there wants a prophet,

even a manufactured one...

...even if he's as mad as Moses.

By tomorrow he'll have a 50 share,

maybe even a 60.

Howard Beale is processed,

instant God.

It looks like he may just go bigger

than Mary Tyler Moore.

I am not putting Howard back on the air.

It's not your show anymore, Max,

it's mine.

I gave her the show, Schumacher.

I'm putting the Network News show

under programming.

Mr. Ruddy has had a mild heart attack

and is not taking calls.

In his absence,

I'm making all network decisions...

...including one I've been wanting

to make a long time.

You're fired.

I want you out of this building by noon.

I'll call the security guards and have you

thrown out, if you're still here.

Well, let's say, "F*** you, Hackett."

You want me out, you're gonna have to

drag me out kicking and screaming...

...and the whole division

kicking with me!

Gonna quit their jobs for you?

Not in this recession.

When Ruddy gets back

he'll have your ass.

I got a hit, Schumacher,

and Ruddy doesn't count anymore.

He was hoping I'd fall on my face

with this Beale Show, but I didn't.

It's a big, fat, big-titted hit and I don't have

to waffle around with Ruddy anymore.

If he wants to take me up

before the CCA Board, let him.

Think Ruddy is stupid enough

to go to the CCA Board and say:

"I'm taking our one hit show off the air"?

And comes November 14,

I'm going to be standing up there...

...at the annual CCA

management meeting.

I'm gonna announce projected earnings

for this network...

...for the first time in five years.

And believe me, Mr. Jensen's going

to be sitting there rocking back and forth...

...in his little chair and he's going to say:

"That's very good, Frank, keep it up."

Don't have any illusions about who's

running this network. You're fired!

I want you out of your office before noon

or I'll have you thrown out.

You go along with this?

Max, I told you I didn't want

a network hassle on this.

I told you I'd much rather work the

Beale Show out just between the two of us.

Well, let's just say,

"F*** you too, honey."

Howard Beale may be my best friend.

I'll go to court.

I'll put him in a hospital before I'll let you

exploit him like a freak.

You get your psychiatrists,

I'll get mine.

I'm gonna spread this whole

reeking business in every newspaper...

...on every network, group

and affiliate in this country.

-I'm gonna make a lot of noise about this.

-Great. We need all the press we can get.

Something going on

between you and Schumacher?

Not anymore.

-How do you do, Mr. Beale?

-I must make my witness.

Sure thing, Mr. Beale.

Oil ministers of the OPEC nations meeting

in Vienna still haven't decided...

...how much more to increase

the price of oil.

-Ready, VTA?

-Yeah. Okay.

He came in the building

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