State of the Union Page #5

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if I just stayed

quietly at the hotel

and listened to him

over the radio?

I'm afraid it would.

It would defeat

the whole purpose.

Purpose? What purpose?

For a man

who may become

a political figure,

people like to know

his wife, like to see

what she looks like,

and most important of all,

they like to see

the two of them together.

Oh.

I see.

That explains

Grant's inviting me

to make this trip with him.

No, no, no,

Grant wants you to go along.

These public appearances,

they're my idea.

Just an old politician's

habit of cashing in

on an opportunity.

It all fits

a little too neatly,

Mr. Conover.

I don't know whether you know,

or perhaps you do,

that Grant and I

haven't been very close

recently.

Wouldn't you prefer to

create a contrary impression?

Then you do know.

Let's be open about this,

Mr. Conover.

These public appearances

that Grant and I

are going to make,

are they designed

to kill off any talk

about my husband

and Kay Thorndyke?

There's that kind of talk

about every important man.

If there are any rumors

about your husband,

this would be a good chance

to kill them. You see...

No, may I use your telephone?

Certainly. On the night table.

Thank you.

I want to get back

to New York tonight,

if I can.

Airport...

Executive 2345.

Thank you.

Mrs. Matthews?

I think any man who

has a chance to become

President of the United States

deserves that chance.

President of

the United States?

Yes. Don't you think

he'd make a good president?

Yes, I do.

A fine president.

Then you see

how this goes beyond

personal considerations.

We can't think of this

just in terms of

you and Grant.

And Kay Thorndyke.

And Kay Thorndyke.

I'm sure you'll

go along with this.

You're a good citizen.

Right now, Mr. Conover,

I'm not feeling like

a good citizen.

I'm feeling like a woman.

All right, as a woman, then.

As a woman,

no, I resent being used.

This evening has been

quite a kick in the teeth

to me, Mr. Conover.

I was hoping that

Grant's call meant

no more Miss Thorndyke.

It'd be fine

to kill these rumors.

It'd be even finer

to kill Kay Thorndyke.

Let's think of this

in terms of the country.

That's what I've had to do.

Frankly, your husband

is not the answer

to a politician's dream.

I've been wondering

why any political party

should choose Grant,

knowing the things

he stands for.

I want the country

to make the choice,

and I know the choice

they'll make.

Take my word.

Your husband is

a pretty big man.

There's no argument

about that.

I know he's a big man.

You know he's a big man.

My bad days

are when he knows

he's a big man.

You don't suppose

there's any way

of Grant's being

elected president

and keeping it

a secret from him, do you?

It wasn't as funny

as all that.

Yes, it was.

Your husband asked me

almost the same question.

He wondered if

he could be elected

without a wife

knowing about it.

Poor Grant.

Is he speaking in Seattle?

Yes. Why?

We were married in Seattle.

When I think of him

speaking there

as a candidate

for president...

He's not speaking now

as a candidate.

That's a deep, dark secret.

The whole idea of this trip

is to create the demand.

Oh.

That clears up something

you just said.

He's to be your choice first,

then the people's choice.

Well, I'm a citizen.

I have the right to a choice.

Long distance calling,

Mr. Conover.

Thank you, Norah.

May I take it here?

Am I in the way?

Not at all.

This will take just a minute.

Hello.

Yes. How are you?

Yes, I'm sorry, too, Joe.

You should have carried

that district.

Advice? My advice is to change

your whole campaign this year.

How many Poles have you

got down there? That many?

Tell them not to believe

what they read in the papers.

Tell them we love Poland

and we're going to lend them

a lot of money.

Oh, they don't feel

that way about it?

Well, tell them Poland

won't get one red cent

out of us.

The Democrats have

beaten us to that?

Well, promise them

something else.

They must want something,

just promise them!

You swing that district

and they'll have to give you

that Veterans' Hospital.

Otherwise, no dice.

Call any time. Thanks.

Sorry for the interruption.

I'm grateful for it.

It gave me a chance

to change my mind.

I'll make this trip

with Grant.

Well, that's fine.

That pleases me very much.

That's our first big

campaign contribution.

To you, my dear,

the loveliest plank in

your husband's platform.

That's a heck of a thing

to call a woman.

Still, you did say loveliest.

Think of any more

words like that,

don't repress them.

Don't tell me

you'd fall for

a politician's sweet syrup.

Mister, you're looking at

a mighty dry waffle.

I don't know.

This trip may kill

more than one rumor.

Is there someone

I don't know about?

There have been some rumors

about you.

About me?

Hmm. About you

and a certain major.

That's wonderful.

That's the best news

I've heard in weeks.

Does Grant know?

Not as far as I know.

You're going to tell him,

aren't you?

No.

I deserve something

out of all this.

I was hoping he'd told you.

No, I have a little

intelligence service

of my own.

I wish Grant had.

The places I've dragged

that poor, nice major,

just in the hopes

that Grant would see us.

I'm beginning to feel

like a new woman.

I think I'll put a new face

on the new woman.

And I feel like a new man

and I think I'll give

the new man a drink.

How about it?

We have even champagne here.

Don't ever tempt me that way.

The results can be disastrous.

No!

Has Grant told you

we haven't seen each other

in nearly four months?

No.

Our last encounter

was something to remember.

Kay has quite a technique

with husbands.

Other women's, that is.

She's a great builder-upper.

Grant was getting

the inflation treatment

that night.

Which, by the way,

he doesn't mind at all.

So, I inflated myself

a little, too,

starting with martinis.

And told her off.

Off and out of my house.

I played right into her hands.

I acted like a fishwife.

It's the olive

in the martinis.

That's what does this.

No, things were simmering

before that.

Grant needs a lot of room

to stretch in.

He likes to get up

on those mountain tops

and slap the hurricanes down.

He can do it, too.

He began to feel that

I was sort of small potatoes

and holding him back.

I was, I guess.

I'm a sort of a cozy

corner person, Mr. Conover.

I like those quiet valleys.

I'm afraid I even

have a weakness

for small potatoes.

I've got two wonderful ones

at home.

Yes, happy birthday.

There we were.

Grant had a bad case

of the mountains

and I became stubborn

about small potatoes,

and she stepped

into the picture as the

beautiful mountain guide.

Now I have no way of knowing

how far things have gone.

How do you mean?

There are three stages

in a man's,

whatever you want to call it,

to Kay Thorndyke.

First he follows her

with his eyes,

then with his feet,

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