State of the Union Page #3

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for Napoleon.

That's what she calls me when

I get a little too big

for my britches,

which is quite often.

I know what Grant means.

The world is full of wives

who devote their time

to clipping

their husbands' wings.

Now Kay, that isn't

quite fair to Mary.

Mr. Conover, I don't want you

to get the wrong impression

about my wife.

She's a very attractive woman

and a very bright one.

It's just, you know,

a man can just take

so much criticism.

If you become a candidate,

you'll have to take

a lot of criticism.

Yeah. Your wife might be

good training for you.

Toughen you up.

We've got to kill

this gossip, Mr. Matthews.

The American people want to

see a candidate and his wife

campaign together.

It's an American tradition.

Otherwise you can forget

the whole thing.

I warned you I had

no talent for politics.

I wouldn't think of using

my wife as a smoke screen.

Would she have to know?

In answer

to your question, yes.

That's what I said.

You know, I haven't quite

made up my mind about you.

Mr. Conover, I'm going to

tell you something.

As things now stand,

I'm not too sure

that my wife would go out

and have dinner with me,

much less

make a trip like this.

But I still say,

I would've made

a darn good president.

Shall we dance?

Now what?

Senator Fosdick is here.

Ex-Senator Fosdick.

Blast, what does that

lame-duck want now?

Lame? The last election

broke both his wings.

Put him somewhere.

He may get elected

again sometime.

My room's the only one

that's not full up.

I can be out of mine

in 20 minutes.

No, no, no. Give him a drink,

we'll get him settled later.

Politicians seem to think

there's a law against

paying hotel bills.

Getting back to your wife,

Mr. Matthews, she's over 21.

Don't you think

the fairest thing would be

to let her decide herself?

Grant knows what's fair

and what isn't.

Besides, he has a much more

important call to make.

Remember?

My boy's birthday!

I should've phoned long ago.

May I use that?

Please.

Thank you.

What's the number here?

District 6530.

Use the private phone.

This one?

That's right.

This is district 6530.

I'm calling Greatwood,

Long Island.

Yeah, the number is 247.

Please.

The little guy

is eight today.

You'll talk to Mary, Grant.

You want me to?

I want anything that will

get you where you belong.

Invite her to stay here,

of course.

No way for a fellow

to be elected president

without his wife

knowing about it, is there?

Hello? Hello, Swenson.

Hello, Buck, how are you?

Put Mrs. Matthews on.

What's all the noise?

Oh, the birthday party.

Hello? Hello, Joyce!

How are you, sweetheart?

It's my daughter, she's 10.

Hmm.

Hello, Butch,

is that you, son?

How are you?

Happy birthday!

Well, uh,

I can't sing it now.

Yeah, Butch. Hello?

Hello, Mary.

Mary, could you get the kids

off the other phone?

Mary, I can't sing it here.

Yeah.

Now don't call me Nappy.

No...

Okay, okay. You'll love this.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Truman's gonna get

the musical vote.

Happy birthday, dear Grant

Happy birthday to you

Flat? I was not flat.

Look, Mary,

I'm here in Washington, D.C.,

and I'm going to make

a tour of the plants.

Hello, Butch...

Look, Mary, Mary,

it's a little too tough

over the phone.

Could you come down here,

do you suppose? Yeah.

We'll stay with Jim Conover.

Conover!

He's a sort of a ham.

I'll send you the address,

Mary...

Mary, come please, will you?

All right, dear.

Yes, yes, Butch.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

Yes, Joyce.

Goodbye, sweetheart.

Goodbye.

She's coming?

Yes, yes, heaven help me.

And when she gets here,

she's to be told

the whole story.

If she decides

to change her mind

and go back home,

nobody is to

interfere with her.

Is that understood?

Funny world.

I want you to be President,

so I go back to New York

and you tour the country

with your wife.

Politics make

strange bedfellows.

Come in.

Hello, Grant.

How's the people's choice?

This fantastic notion had me

thinking about myself so much,

I forgot there were others.

Just talking home on the phone

did that to you?

Mary and the kids

can't be dismissed

with a wave of the mind, Kay.

Still dragging around

some of those little chains,

aren't you, Grant?

What chains?

Those little chains of

middle-class morality

that've kept big men down,

all through the ages.

Nothing's dragging me down.

I just want everything

out in the open.

No more hiding in the dark.

No more playing both ends

against the middle.

And no White House.

No, Kay, no White House.

Sounded like a pipe dream,

anyway.

No pipe dream to me, Grant.

I believe in you.

I know you do, Kay.

And I know just what

you've meant to me.

But...

But, sit down.

Look, Grant.

Don't you suppose I knew

what was going

to happen to me

if you ran for president?

Don't you suppose I knew

there had to be a Mary

if there was going to be

any White House?

Your knowing it

doesn't make it easier.

Have I asked for it

any easier?

I'm the corner

of this triangle

that'll take the beating.

I'm not going to let you

take that beating.

Yes, you are!

Go after the biggest

and the best there is.

You'll make

a great president.

And if somebody suffers,

if I suffer, so what?

As my father used to say,

"Life is war,

don't count the casualties."

Look, Grant,

I think I know you.

And I know I love you.

If you're in the White House,

I'll be in the White House,

whether I'm in New York

or on the Moon.

You're a great gal, Kay.

Come in.

Oh? Conference? I'll be back.

No, no, no,

come on in, Jim.

I think I'll go down

and inspect the plumbing

at the White House.

I'll see you later.

There's a mighty

big man, Jim.

Yes.

Mighty big man,

with a mighty small chance.

Oh?

Kay, do you mind if

I let my hair down?

It's your hair.

Look, with no Roosevelt

to run against,

it's green pastures again

for Republicans.

So I dig up enough money

to rent this house

for two years

and think I'll angle myself

back into politics.

Do I get a bid from Dewey,

Taft, Vandenberg, and Stassen

to manage their campaigns?

I do not.

Harding-gang stink

is still on me, they say.

So this house becomes

a boarding house

for political has-beens

who can't get on

any bandwagon,

and you come along with

your airplane builder.

And me,

the best political brain

in this country

outside of Jim Farley,

I'm now nursing a rank amateur

like Grant Matthews.

A mixed up guy who sees ideals

out of one eye and ambition

out of the other.

A guy who hates politicians,

you heard him.

A guy with a busted-up home

that'll be poison

at the polls.

Jim.

Wouldn't you like to

become Chairman

in the Republican Party?

I'd give my right arm

up to here

to become Chairman of

the Republican...

Say, are you making

commitments for him?

Get that hair back up again.

What's the matter with you?

You getting old or something?

Keep that stomach in, chin up.

Why do you think

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