The Big Clock

Whew! That was close.

What happens

if I get inside the clock

and the watchman's there?

Think fast, George.

That's a break.

He's off duty.

More guards. The lobby's

sewed up like a sack,

and they said,

"Shoot to kill."

They meant you, George.

You.

How'd I get

into this rat race, anyway?

I'm no criminal.

What happened?

When did it all start?

Just 36 hours ago

I was down there,

crossing that lobby

on my way to work,

minding my own business,

looking forward to

my first vacation in years.

Thirty-six hours ago

I was a decent, respectable

law-abiding citizen...

with a wife and a kid

and a big job.

Just 36 hours ago

by the big clock.

And it's the most accurate...

and the most unique

privately-owned clock

in the world.

Now, behind this huge

map of the globe...

is a single

master mechanism.

Built at a cost

of $600,000,

it is set so you can

tell the time

anywhere on the Earth:

London, Chicago,

Honolulu and so forth.

It also

synchronizes the clocks

in this building...

with those in the secondary

printing plants...

in Kansas City

and San Francisco...

and in the 43 foreign bureaus

of the Janoth organization.

Hey, mister,

I'd like to ask somethin'.

Yes, sir.

What happens

if the clock stops?

Oh, Mr. Janoth

would never permit that.

Good morning, Betty.

Good morning, Mr. Stroud.

Here it is.

Thank you.

We will now visit

the public exhibits...

displaying

the latest developments...

in the various fields

covered by the Janoth

publications.

Elevator is going up.

Going up.

This elevator

is going up.

Next car, please.

Hello, Joe.

Hiya, George.

Hello, George.

Hello, Lily.

You're looking mighty

smart this morning.

Well, thank you.

I should ride this

more often.

- Sportways.

- Hold it!

Ten, please.

Hello, Miss Gold.

Oh, hello.

Mister, would you mind?

The elevator doesn't run

unless the door is closed.

I'm sorry. Excuse me.

Do you work this shift

every day?

Airways.

We might feature

the reliability angle.

You're safer in an airplane

than you are in a bathtub.

Here's a sketch.

We've got nice elevators

in our building too.

Come on over sometime.

I'll give you a free ride.

Artways. Up.

Down?

What's the matter?

I got poison ivy?

We are not allowed

to speak to people

in the elevators.

Mr. Janoth

doesn't permit it.

Styleways, please.

Watch your step.

Gentlemen,

watch yourselves.

Newsways, please.

Newsways.

Newsways.

Crimeways.

Eleven?

"Age 63, frequents

Metropolite City Club,

Skyview Luncheon Club.

Background:
banking

business for 46 years..."

I'm expecting him any minute.

I'll tell him

the instant he arrives.

Hold it. Mr. Stroud,

Salt Lake's on the line, and

your wife's trying to reach you.

Put Salt Lake on.

All right, fine.

But they're on.

The conference.

It's almost 11:
00.

Plenty of time.

But Mr. Janoth...

Hello. Yeah?

Yes, this is Stroud.

Hello, Max.

How you makin' out?

But, George...

Ya have? Oh, wonderful!

Where was he?

What did I tell ya?

Once a seashell man,

always a seashell man.

They're waiting.

Will he talk?

Well, pretend you're

a fellow collector.

Ask him if he was gonna

spend the dough

on oysters or blondes.

Yeah. You've got an hour

and 53 minutes to get

the story. Attaboy, Max.

We've just located Fleming.

They're waiting for you.

Grace,

call the composing room.

We're gonna replate.

And get my wife.

George, you're

the only one not there.

Mr. Janoth

will be furious.

Time is money.

Fleming is in Salt Lake.

Milner's gonna

wire us a story.

Here are the proofs

of the story you had set up.

Go on, Roy. Go on. Hello?

Oh, hello, darling.

Yeah.

Huh?

No bath and no oatmeal?

Let me talk to him.

All right,

but he doesn't

believe he's going.

He thinks it's

just like last trip

and the time before...

and all the other trips

we didn't go on.

I'll let you talk to him.

George, Daddy wants

to talk to you.

Hello, Daddy.

But I don't believe

we're going.

But this is the McCoy,

an expedition. Your mother's

gonna do the cooking.

What? Yeah,

I know it's tough,

but you'll do the hunting.

That's why you should

eat your oatmeal,

build up your strength.

Ya better believe me.

Look under my pillow.

Oh, boy! Look, Mommy!

An atomic disintegrator!

I think you've

sold him, Wonderman.

I'll let you know at lunch.

A little child psychology,

dear.

All right, dear,

Bye, darling.

Today's agenda

is solely on the subject

of increasing circulation.

The figures

for the second quarter

have fallen off badly.

From a monthly high

of 33 million in January,

we've had

a six-percent recession,

a loss of almost

In some cases, we are below

the circulation levels we have

guaranteed our advertisers.

Mr. Janoth's very upset.

He's going to want ideas.

Sit down, gentlemen.

Sit down.

I resent this.

I resent this deeply.

There are

in the average man's life,

each tick of the clock

the beat of a heart,

and yet you sit here

uselessly ticking

your lives away...

because certain members

are not on schedule.

Where is George Stroud?

Roy's trying

to find him.

I do not propose

to be held up,

not even by Mr. Stroud.

Have you told the others

what we want?

Ideas to build circulation.

Not just ideas.

Dynamic angles.

We live in a dynamic age

with dynamic competitors...

radio, newspapers, newsreels...

and we must anticipate trends

before they are trends.

We are, in effect,

clairvoyants. Correct?

Yes, Mr. Janoth.

I have provided the tools:

a budget of $37 million,

a staff of 3,600,

bureaus from Reykjavik

to Cairo, Moscow

to Buenos Aires.

All this is waste, sheer

waste under a leadership

of chuckleheads.

Mr. Roberts, you have

exactly one minute to tell us

how you propose...

to add 100,000

subscriptions to Newsways.

Well, uh, I suggest

that we offer prizes...

for the best letters

from subscribers...

on, uh, how to preserve

world peace.

Sorry, Mr. Janoth.

A thousand dollars

each week...

and a grand prize

of $25,000

to be awarded...

The general theory

of the publishing business

is to sell magazines,

not to pay people

to read them.

Mr. Cordette is acting manager

during Stroud's vacation.

You have one minute to tell us

your ideas on how to add

Well, uh, I have

one suggestion

that might be of value:

a new feature to be called

"Solution of the Week."

Miss Perkins.

Yes, Mr. Janoth?

I'm listening, Cordette.

Hold the Boston call.

The most important...

or the most unique solution,

Steve, remind me

of the Boston business.

highlighting the fact

that crime does not pay.

It's educational...

Primigenous, stale,

a hash-up

of last week's news...

exactly what we don't want.

Fleming.

What was that,

uh, Stroud?

I was reminding him of Fleming.

The absconder?

Yes. His story will sell

a hundred thousand

extra copies next week.

If you mean his personal

story, I'd agree,

but haven't you overlooked

the necessity of finding him?

We have.

Found him.

Have what?

We have him in Salt Lake.

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