Rules Don't Apply Page #5

Daisies.

So unexpected.

Jean Peters is smart.

Mr. Forbes, Nadine is on the phone.

Where I come from,

daisies are cheap.

- Yeah?

- Frank, it's about...

Yes, hello, Nadine.

I've been on duty

at the hospital

a hundred percent of my time.

It's a little difficult

for me to count

how many gallons of gas

that I used

before Mr. Hughes

had his accident.

Thank you.

(slams headpiece)

You've moved up.

WOMAN:
Mr. Forbes.

It's been a while.

They need you.

Okay. Uh...

Bobby Darin's

not sending you daisies?

(jovial instrumental music playing)

Okay, fine. I get it.

I have to still

sit in the back seat.

But if we're going to lunch,

do we eat at the same table,

or...

No. I'm eating in the kitchen,

of course.

- (giggling)

- I think, you know what?

Why don't you just drive?

I should sit in the back seat.

I don't know why I'm,

you know...

I guess nobody can say

we don't follow the rules.

FRANK:
"For food

and all Thy gifts of love,

"we give Thee thanks and praise.

"Look down, Oh Jesus,

"from above and bless us all

our days. Amen."

MARLA:
Amen. I can't believe it.

He's finally out of the hospital,

and right away

you fly to Washington?

You're gonna miss my screen test.

I heard Eisenhower sent him

a telegram.

If Eisenhower was really smart,

he'd have Howard Hughes

just bomb Moscow,

and have communism over

and done with.

I think Howard Hughes

should be president.

There's nobody like him.

He's on another level.

Seriously, the poor man,

he's gotta deal with these

TWA stockholders

who are crabbing about moving

from propellers to jets.

At the same time,

he now has to convince

the United States Senate

that the Hercules can fly.

So you're gonna fly to Washington?

I will not be flying.

Thank you for asking. I will be taking

the train early in the morning.

When does Sarah move to LA?

Um, well, I... (stammering)

Don't know if Sarah and I are...

She still believes that

once you've been intimate

or gone all the way

with a person,

that in the eyes of God

you're committed to that person

for the rest of your life.

So she believes

since you and she have...

gone all the way,

that you're already married?

I agree with Sarah.

That's why I've never done it.

That's why I'm waiting,

because I have to be sure.

Well that's, I mean,

that's a little...

I'm not legally married.

(chuckles)

(train chugging)

HOWARD:
Senator,

I have come here to testify

of my own free will.

Senator, I have come here to

testify of my own free will.

Wait. (stammering) Senator,

I have come here to testify

of my own free will.

Senator, I have come here to

testify of my own free will.

(exhales)

(Howard sighs)

Any word on

the possibility of me...

getting a ticker tape parade?

They don't have ticker tape

parades in Washington, Howard.

There are no skyscrapers here.

Do you think I don't know

what you're planning?

What I'm planning?

What you're planning.

You think I'm nuts, right?

You think I'm nuts.

Howard, all I said was,

I think you should see someone.

HOWARD:
"See someone?"

I really think you need help, kid.

See someone?

What are you talking about?

Do you realize

that I'm trying to move

an entire airline

from propellers to jets?

And the stockholders could hear

that I am sitting in a loony bin

locked up with some psychiatrist

who can declare me

to be incompetent

and then I have to give

the whole goddamn business

over to some

goddamn conservator?

You do realize that?

- I'll be in my room, Howard.

- (breathes deeply)

(door closes)

What are you looking at?

You got any ideas?

Speak up.

I think you represent

to the majority of this committee,

what is great about capitalism

as opposed to communism.

I think these people

are scared of you,

and I think they wanna be you.

(scoffs) I don't think

you have to practice

what you're gonna say like this.

I think you can go in there,

and try not even knowing

what you're gonna say

until you say it.

And you're not, in my opinion,

gonna say the wrong thing.

Huh.

([laughs)

You know...

You know how old I was

when I took over my daddy's company?

I was younger than you.

Did I tell you that?

MALE DIRECTOR:
Roll film.

Okay. Darling, relax.

Tell us a little about yourself.

Okay. I'm from

Front Royal, Virginia.

I've always been interested

in speech and dramatics.

- I write songs.

- Turn to your left.

Can you raise

your chin up a little?

Great.

Keep talking.

I was going to go

to Mary Washington College,

where I intended

to major in English.

Okay, can you turn

to your right?

But keep talking, and chin up.

Major in English, go on.

Um...

But I decided

when I won a talent contest

that maybe I'd give it a go

in Hollywood.

Okay, can you turn

to your right?

Great, great, great. Okay.

Do you sing?

Well, sort of.

Should I keep talking?

Okay, turn to your left.

Do you swim?

Sure!

Wardrobe,

do we have any bathing suits?

If you ever wanted

to slip out for a bite or something,

I think we could do

that under the radar.

SENATOR FERGUSON:

Mr. Hughes,

the American people

wanna know if someone

is making a profit

on a plane that can't fly!

Senator...

I have come here to testify

of my own free will.

Nobody's making any profit.

This plane will be used

for testing and research

and advancing the art of

aviation in this country.

In a few more days, it'll fly.

I have stated that

if it were to be a failure,

I would leave this country

and never come back.

And I mean it!

- (applause)

- It'll fly, Senator.

It'll fly.

MALE NARRATOR:
Howard Hughes's

giant plane has flown.

And at the controls, the successful

designer, builder, owner,

airspeed record holder,

multimillionaire himself,

Howard Hughes.

- Bravo!

- (all cheering)

Billionaire, goddamn it,

not millionaire.

And what the hell happened

to the close-up of me

in the cockpit? You know,

the plane flew for one mile,

and nobody knows

if it'll ever fly again.

And they know what it cost.

That does me no good

at TWA. All right,

thank you, gentlemen.

Thank you very much. Greg?

GREG (on phone):
Yes, Howard?

Howard?

- Howard?

- (door closes)

I gotta know

what legal steps I gotta take

to keep these people

from sticking me with a psychiatrist,

and then committing me

to an insane asylum...

Then declaring me

to be incompetent,

and then turning over

my entire business to a conservator.

You gotta tell me

what I have to do...

To legally keep them

from doing that, okay?

Call me back.

(phone ringing)

Hello?

- (doorbell ringing)

- Hello, ma'am.

I was informed that

your television antenna

was defective.

I brought over the newest model.

And I was wondering

if you would...

I just saw your screen test.

You were great.

It was great!

Really?

Well...

I thought it was pretty awful!

You were great.

They just wanted to see me

in a bathing suit!

I didn't do it.

(stammers)

But they didn't say anything

when it was over.

You've got something these guys

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