Rules Don't Apply

(indistinct chatter)

MAN:
How do we know

he's not in Los Angeles?

TV NEWSMAN 1:
We were promised,

as you know, the call

would come to us at 4:00.

It's now 10 minutes after 4:00.

(indistinct chatter)

TV NEWSMAN 1:
We're waiting

here, in Los Angeles, for a phone call

from legendary billionaire,

Howard Hughes,

which could debunk...

(clearing throat)

We're waiting here,

in Los Angeles, for a phone call

from legendary billionaire,

Howard Hughes,

which could debunk a writer's

claim that he's written

an authorized autobiography

of Hughes,

and that Hughes is in

a permanent state of dementia.

TV NEWSMAN 2:

The location of Howard Hughes,

still a complete mystery to us.

And if he's unable to call,

as promised

by the Hughes organization,

and prove that he is of sound mind,

well, the organization's

defense contracts,

its medical foundation,

even its casino licenses

could be in jeopardy.

TV NEWSMAN 1:

If he doesn't call as promised,

it's gonna be hard for him

to defend himself

against the charges in Miskin's book.

TV NEWSMAN 2:

Yes, wherever he's hiding.

Yes, I'm told now

that we can only wait

for Mr. Hughes' phone call until 4:30.

TV NEWSMAN 1:

Very few private citizens

can be said to have developed

such an astounding amount

of influence,

celebrity and achievement.

TV NEWSMAN 2:
Always with

an eye out for new talent,

Hughes developed a reputation

for employing dozens

of young, aspiring actresses,

and keeping them under contract

- (telephone ringing)

- for years at RKO,

regardless of whether or not

they ever appear

in one of his pictures.

Hello?

TV NEWSMAN 1:
Howard Hughes

was once the American ideal.

A moviemaker, an aviator,

an inventor...

Howard?

TV NEWSMAN 1:
and an industrialist,

who, at the age of 18,

inherited a fortune

which gave him a monopoly

on the best device in the world

with which to drill for oil.

TV NEWSMAN 2:
This is

a man with relationships

with presidents,

military leaders and people who are...

Howard, you've got 18 minutes

left to place the call.

TV NEWSMAN 1:
In 1930, he produced

the most expensive movie ever made.

TV NEWSMAN 2:
Well, Miskin's book says

that Howard Hughes

cannot remember anything,

that he's completely

unable to communicate.

TV NEWSMAN 1:
Well, despite

his countless plane crashes,

all of which he survived...

Howard, can you hear me?

TV NEWSMAN 1:
His design set new speed

records in his own racing aircraft,

and he essentially

became an American hero.

TV NEWSMAN 2:
Of course,

he's an American hero.

But it's not as if

he's incapable of making a mistake.

He could be in the middle of making

a big mistake right now.

COLONEL WILLIS:
I think

you're mistaken, Mr. Hughes.

I think you're mistaken.

HOWARD (over radio): I don't

make mistakes, Colonel.

COLONEL WILLIS:
Okay,

he doesn't make mistakes.

The Department of Defense

has scheduled your flight...

HOWARD:
The Department of Defense

didn't invent this plane, Colonel.

I did. I paid for it,

and I'll land it when

I'm goddamn ready to land it!

You are picking up

the Apple Blossom Queen.

Her name is Marla Mabrey.

Go down there, get her,

and drive her straight to her house.

Remember, any driver

who tries any hanky-panky

with a contract actress is gone.

He's fired.

Thank you.

Miss Mabrey, I'm Frank.

Nice to meet you.

Congratulations on being

the Apple Blossom Queen.

The car's just over there.

I'll get the, uh...

I'm Lucey, Frank. I'm Marla's mother.

Oh.

(chuckles)

- Uh...

- This is Marla.

- Hi, I'm Frank.

- Hi.

Uh, this way, please.

("Hooray for Hollywood" playing)

Oh...

(all chuckling)

- Sorry, sorry.

- Okay. All right.

Thank you.

Let me get that for you.

- Thank you.

- Of course.

LUCY:
Maria's so excited

that she's actually

gonna finally meet Howard Hughes.

Will that be happening today?

That's hard for me to say, ma'am.

I'm new on the job.

I just, I got here from

Fresno two weeks ago.

Oh, my goodness.

Two weeks in Los Angeles

and you're working for Howard Hughes?

(clears throat) No harm

having high hopes, ma'am.

And what church do you go to, Frank,

if you don't mind my asking?

Well, it's First Methodist.

It's in Fresno.

Oh. All right, you're a Methodist.

- Right.

- I forgive you.

- Oh. She's kidding.

- We're Baptists.

(exclaiming) Blessed savior!

LUCY:
Oh, my goodness! What a view!

This is very, very nice. This is...

({orchestral music playing)

493595)

Where in the world

is that coming from?

That's the Hollywood Bowl down there.

I think they're rehearsing.

Really?

$400 a week on top of this?

And your father never saw

$400 a week

even as a full professor.

(piano playing)

Um, the bags are all upstairs.

The kitchen's stocked.

Uh, I'll be right in the...

Outside in the car, if you need me.

Do you know where the nearest

Baptist church would be?

I'll check on that right away, ma'am.

So it just doesn't seem likely

that we'll meet

Mr. Hughes this afternoon?

We assumed we'd meet him

as soon as we arrived.

And where is the script

for Stella Starlight?

Oh, I'm sorry, I don't...

Any idea when I do the screen test?

I'm sorry, I really...

- (furniture clattering)

- (gasps)

Excuse me, sorry.

Uh, I'll be right outside in the car

until your next driver comes on.

His name is Levar.

Oh, my stars!

(giggling)

LUCY:
Why are these chairs

so far back?

I'm gonna move them up.

MALE ANNOUNCER (on radio):

President Eisenhower

went on to say that

the government

has what he termed,

"all sorts of useful projects

on the shelf,"

to be put into action

against the recession

if and when they're needed.

HOWARD (on radio):

The economy of this country

is a lot stronger than

the spirit of those people

that I see.

"Bless us, oh, Lord,

for these, Thy gifts

"that we are about to receive

from thy bounty,

"through Christ, Our Lord.

- "Amen."

- Amen.

Well, from all I've read

about Howard Hughes

I hope he doesn't expect to

meet you in some hotel room.

Hi.

("Venus" playing)

Venus if you will

Please send a little girl

for me to thrill

A girl who wants

my kisses and my arms

A girl with all the charms of you

Venus, make her fair

A lovely girl

with sunlight in her hair

So, did you get caviar?

(sighs) Yes, I got caviar

but I still haven't met him.

Do you have any idea how many houses

he has for actresses under contract?

I think something like 14.

More like 22.

More like 26.

- Twenty six?

- Twenty six?

(indistinct chattering)

This is how we get paid?

Lord in heaven!

Nadine, am I meeting Mr. Hughes today?

(chuckles) Sit.

HOWARD:

This is an engineering problem.

You do know what these are?

MAN:
Are these hulls of an aircraft?

HOWARD; What?

MAN:
I don't know. Twin pontoons?

We do movies, Howard.

We don't know pontoons, propellers...

HOWARD:
Gentlemen,

the way that the dress fits

around the breasts

makes it look like they're padded.

If the brassiere incorporated

some kind of point at the nipple

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