State of the Union Page #7

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don't you, Mary?

You know that

I'm neither happy

nor successful,

not as a man, a husband,

or a father.

You want to know

something else?

I'm glad I'm down here

on the floor.

It's where I belong.

I knew that tonight when

we started to talk about

going back to Victoria.

Mary, you won't believe this,

but I don't know how

those glasses got in here,

but I'm glad you found them.

I started to tell you,

it was Kay who brought me

down here,

but I lost my nerve.

I guess I was afraid

it would send you home.

"There are moments

in the life of every man

when he glimpses the eternal."

You read that to me, remember?

I've had moments

like that, Mary.

A couple of them.

When I was up

in a plane alone.

Moments when the earth

and the sky and the plane

and me

all seemed to fuse together

into something that

would live forever.

And I had a moment

like that today, Mary,

when I was alone

with all those great men.

They were happy men, Mary.

Do you know why?

They had a cause.

They had a cause

they could die for.

Some of them did.

I have no cause, Mary.

Beating your competitors.

No cause to die for.

Really isn't very much

to live for.

Always me first

and everybody else second.

But, way down deep

in my gizzard, I...

Maybe this trip,

maybe this whole absurd idea

of Conover's...

Well, anyway,

I'm going to stay on the floor

through the whole trip.

And maybe when it's all over,

well,

one way or another,

everything should be clean

and honest between us, right?

Well, you've answered

one question.

What?

You're still not

in stage three.

There, mon cher

monsignor Matthews,

is something to gladden

the heart of every citizen

west of the Rockies.

What is it?

The Seattle speech.

A masterpiece of rhetoric,

if I do say so.

Who's going to make it?

You are, of course.

Really? I thought maybe

they set up a change

and you were the candidate.

No, I'm saving myself

for '52.

Well, you better

save the speech, too.

How do you like that?

What do I do?

Just sit around here

with egg on my face?

I'm the expert

that keeps you from

climbing out on limbs.

That's where

the big red apples are.

Where?

Out on the limbs.

Mama.

All right,

all right, if you don't want

to be President.

You just line up the babies

for me to kiss, son,

and I'll be a cinch.

That reminds me,

do I know any babies

in Seattle?

Hey, boss, we got company.

Huh?

Who?

Joe and Rusty!

Joe Crandall, manager

of our Cleveland plant.

He's a wonderful guy.

Just flew up to see us.

He's hooked onto us!

Rusty at the controls.

Joe and Rusty!

Here's where

I make some money.

I'm going to take over.

You're not going to

fly this thing.

You got to learn sometime,

come on, shove over there.

Shove over.

Aren't you going to stop him?

I suggest you better

strap yourself in.

What for?

Just do what Mama tells you.

If you have any loose teeth,

hang on to them,

Rusty's our chief test pilot.

He and Grant like to play.

I'm not going to

like this.

Look at those guys.

Kind of close.

They came up to play.

What do we got up here?

Oh!

I got it.

Okay.

How you doing, Rusty?

Hi, boss.

I'm testing the new

plane-to-plane radio.

It's coming along fine.

What's the matter with you?

You getting scared?

Can't get any closer?

Hey, boss,

can you still fly?

I can pat your ears

down anytime.

You got any dough?

I'm loaded.

A buck I lose you.

Put your money

where your mouth is, brother.

Okay, you're on.

Hey, you're hooked up?

Yes.

Hang on!

Mary, what's he doing?

You better stay away from me,

I'll cut your tail off.

Hello? Where is he?

There he is.

If your husband

must have a hobby,

why can't he play the piano,

like any normal president?

Come on, Rusty,

do something!

Uh-oh, a loop.

What's the matter,

Spike, can't you take it?

Kid, you're in a rut.

You're running out of stunts,

aren't you?

Boss, you're not going

to spin this thing?

Why not? I built it.

Hope the wings stay on.

So do I.

Did they stay on?

I'm afraid to look.

Not bad for an old man.

Never mind the

"old man" stuff.

That's a buck

you owe me.

We're over the airfield.

Five more says

I beat you down.

Make it 10

and you've got a deal.

Get your money ready.

I'll take half of it.

What's going...

Hey.

Why, the son of a gun

pulled a jump on me.

Take it over.

Get me right over it.

Grant! Boy, am I glad

to see you.

Sit down, pal.

What do you

think of that?

Say, that was swell fun.

Enjoyed every minute of it.

Grant, don't you think it...

What do you think of that,

fella?

I got a

$10 bet with him.

Yeah,

but don't you think...

Now, what?

Coming over.

Cut down that left engine.

Give my love to Conover.

Grant!

Mary, he fell out!

Did you happen to notice

was he wearing a parachute?

Parachute?

You mean he did that for $10?

Did it open?

Did it open?

Did it open?

Yeah, it opened.

We're a cinch to get

the screwball vote.

Well, well.

The fourth estate,

what goes? Another war?

Hi, Jim, stuffed any

ballot boxes lately?

You're to go right in,

Mr. Conover.

Could it be

we're in politics,

gentlemen?

Looks that way.

What's the convention

out there?

My editors.

I had them fly in.

But some of them

recognized me.

Don't worry, Jim,

we're in business.

"'Public response

to my line of guff astounding.

"'If I throw my hat in rings,

does my head go with it?'

Grant Matthews."

Well, the bug's beginning

to bite, huh?

You're so right.

Now, we can

really go to work.

My reports on him

have been terrific.

What've you heard?

Nothing.

Goes over with the mob,

no doubt about that.

Who told you that?

Made a big hit

in the Northwest.

Los Angeles was fine, too.

Of course,

that's a push-over town.

It's the Mid-West that...

I know.

He's in Wichita this noon,

big labor rally.

Detroit tonight.

Big business banquet.

That's it.

Got my fingers crossed.

If he gets by those two,

we are in business.

How do your political friends

feel about him?

Well, now,

that's what I want to

talk to you about.

Ed Lauterback wants in.

Well?

Wanted to see if

you'd stand for Lauterback.

We'll stand for anyone

if they've got delegates.

Even Bill Hardy?

You're dragging them out

from under the rocks,

aren't you?

Those are the ones

who do the work,

the hungry ones.

Okay, Jim,

Bill Hardy, too.

Good.

Send them in, Helen.

Yes, ma'am.

Would you come

over here, Jim?

Hmm.

Good morning,

Miss Thorndyke.

Good morning.

Sorry to have kept

you gentlemen waiting.

You know Mr. Conover,

our new political advisor?

Gentlemen.

First of all, I'd like

to thank you all for the

very fine job you've done.

You haven't always followed

my advice in the past.

You've been very lenient,

considering your boss

is a woman and still under 60.

I've asked you all

to come here today

because in this matter,

at least,

there can be no deviation

from my instructions.

I want the Republican

Convention deadlocked.

Who are we working for,

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