State of the Union Page #9

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His wife's what?

He thinks Mary

should run for president.

Oh, that's silly.

No woman could ever

run for president.

She'd have to admit

she was over 35.

Politics certainly

agrees with you, Grant.

You're looking very fit.

I'm feeling very fit.

And I mean very fit.

Oh, dear, I wonder

if anything will fit.

You don't have much time

with Grant, Jim.

I've got people lined up

for him to see.

Due any minute.

Want to read some of these?

Grant, what are you

talking about here tonight?

This is the last speech,

Jim, it's got a little bit

of everything.

Anything controversial?

Not for anyone

who agrees with him.

You've got to get dressed,

Grant.

Yeah, yeah.

While you're dressing, have

you got a copy of the speech

I could glance at?

Well, it really isn't

a speech. I'm just going

to talk from notes.

I turned off the radio.

And you put up the window,

that's fine, son.

Good night and thank you.

You'd make a good secretary

of the Treasury. Good night.

Say, if you really want

to read something, Jim,

read this editorial.

And all those telegrams.

All of these?

They're just from people.

Just from people?

Yeah, you didn't

find any of them signed

State Chairman, did you?

Grant, you're going

to be late.

You know after I'm President,

you're going to

have to quit shoving.

See what I mean?

I told you, you sent

the wrong dame along.

Yeah, it's a crime.

Boys in the Northwest,

and along the coast

were behind him.

Then they had to stick out

his chin in Wichita.

How much damage

has he done?

We may have lost labor.

I must've had 30 calls

after that last speech.

In New York,

Kay'll straighten him out.

She's got

the Indian sign on him.

But that doesn't

fix us up for tonight.

What're you afraid of tonight?

I don't know.

Only she's too doggone happy.

I think it's a good sign,

Jim coming down here.

Afraid somebody else

will get his place

on the bandwagon.

Yeah, don't tell him what

you're talking about tonight.

Why not?

I don't know,

I don't like Jim turning up

all of a sudden like this.

Don't

underestimate this guy, Jim.

People don't just come up

and shake hands with him.

They're up there

with a light in their eyes.

If he gets away from us,

you may be heading

a "Stop Matthews" movement.

I don't want to stop him.

I know this Convention's

gonna be a rat race.

I think we can nominate him.

If we can keep him in line.

Well, now I've got some

good news for you.

The guy's vulnerable, Jim.

He's got the bug.

How bad's he got it?

He's seeing himself

on statues already.

Then I think

we'd better tell him

the facts of life.

Yeah, you do that, Jim.

Dinner!

Spike, you just

sang a symphony.

Grant, leave your

hall door open, will you?

I got a lot of people

coming in.

Okay.

Oh, you can eat mine, Jim.

Okay, here we go

with the first bunch

of patriots.

Remind Grant

they've got votes.

Spike does take the nobility

out of a crusade, doesn't he?

Am I supposed to be noble?

On my salary?

Mary, I can't go

to this banquet tonight,

it might start talk.

What is the boy orator

giving out with tonight?

I have a much better idea.

Hello. Hello,

would you have a radio sent

up to 2419 right away?

Thank you very much.

You better be

good tonight, Grant,

Jim will be listening in.

Say, are you Grant Matthews?

Yeah.

Let me

shake your hand.

Your speech was swell.

The best I ever read.

What's your name?

Emil. Emil Breakesby.

I'm glad you're with us.

Been here long?

Yeah, long time,

I inherited the job

from my father

at the old Cadillac.

Married?

Yeah, four kids.

Kind of expensive

these days.

Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

You're right about that.

Give it to them tonight,

Mr. Matthews.

All right, Emil, I will.

Hey, Grant, if you want

to rehearse that,

try it out on me.

Well, I'll give you

the start of it.

"Ladies and members

of the Industrial Council

of Detroit.

"What is the biggest

single question

"facing the American public

today?"

Who's with onions?

I guess I'm with onions.

Grant, your public is waiting.

My hamburger is waiting.

Hamburgers don't vote.

These are dairy farmers.

Just a little talk,

cows, butter,

American cheese.

What do I know

about American cheese?

Walk this way and meet

three perfect specimens.

And remember, Grant,

they've got votes.

Now I'll set them up

in the other alley.

Well, Jim,

what's the State of the Union?

What are your reports

on Grant?

First, let me give you

my reports on you.

You've done a great job.

I want to congratulate you.

I'd like to admit something.

I've enjoyed it,

every minute of it.

Jim, Grant's got something.

Don't try to

take it away from him.

When he's just cockeyed drunk

with sincerity,

people can't resist him.

Sounds as though

you couldn't either.

Oh, no. The state of our union

is strictly political.

I thought I saw

Grant throw you

a look or two tonight

that wasn't

entirely political.

You're a bachelor,

aren't you, Jim?

Theoretically. Why?

Well, if you were married,

you'd know that there were

little things that sort of...

Well, for instance,

when Grant found out once

that the girls at school

used to call me Maizie.

He knew I hated it.

So sometimes,

he used to call me Maizie

just to tease me.

Well, Maizie doesn't

live here anymore.

Another thing, he always

hated to hear me swear.

Whenever I let go

with something,

he used to

smack me on my sitter, hard.

I've done a lot of swearing

on this trip.

And no smacks?

It's a small request,

but I'd give anything

for one good smack

on my south end.

I certainly wish that I could

do something about that.

Well, how's

the farmers' choice?

Say, after

the beautiful things

I've just said about cows,

I certainly feel guilty

eating this hamburger.

It's like eating

one's dearest friend.

Back to the pasture.

Wipe off your feet and

come in to meet the A.F. of L.

You give me time to eat!

Yeah, let him eat.

This is a crisis. I have

to know you're holding

the A.F. of L. in there

while I sneak the C.I.O.

into the other bedroom.

Well, put them both

in the same room,

and I'll talk to them.

Little boy blue,

haven't you heard?

They ain't keeping

steady company anymore.

I'm serious about that.

You tell

those fellows in there

the C.I.O. are coming in,

then I'll come in

and talk to both of them

at the same time.

You're just

asking for trouble.

I don't mind you

having your head

in the clouds

but I wish you'd keep

your feet in the voting booth.

Those men are the kind

who are responsible

for the wildcat strikes.

If I can make them see

something bigger

than their own jobs

as head of their own locals

and what power

they get from that...

There may be...

You shut up!

Keep out of this.

That's one of the things

I came to talk about.

Your Wichita speech killed off

most of the labor leaders.

I know,

'cause I talked to them.

Why?

What did I say to them?

I just said when the members

stop running the unions,

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