The Carpetbaggers Page #8

Well, who's going

to direct the picture?

I am.

I just discovered I know as much

about directing as he does.

Hold it, Mr. Cord,

please, for a picture.

Thank you.

Still... good.

The work looks all right...

what there is of it.

We're more than a week

behind the schedule we set up.

What happened?

Well, I, uh...

I don't know, Jonas.

Maybe I was wrong

about the schedule.

Maybe I should have

allowed more time...

Cut it out, will you, Morrissey?

The only thing wrong

with our schedule is you.

Every bolt,

every screw, every nut

has to have your personal

thumbprint on it.

You act as if we've never

seen an airplane before.

Only the great Jonas Cord

knows everything.

You expect us to work

all day for the company

and all night for you?

Well, Jonas Cord

might be a genius,

but Morrissey and me

are human beings

who get annoyed,

frustrated and damn tired.

You just wasted another minute.

I expect you to make that week

up whether you sleep or not.

Now, if you can't do it, I will.

You'll never do it playing

amateur movie producer

and a cavalry officer

on your casting couch.

Let's get back

to what we started.

Hello, Jonas.

Hello.

Do you have time for your wife?

No.

Make time.

I'm going to talk to you, Jonas,

and I'll do it

in front of Buzz and Phil

if that's what you want.

I think I'll get a drink.

We're married.

We live in the same town,

but you never come home.

I don't have a home.

They won't even let me

in your hotel room.

I'm rarely there anyway.

The only time I see you

is in the newspapers

with some other girl.

They aren't

very good pictures.

Jonas, how much can I take?

There aren't any stress tables

for brunettes.

Would you stop talking

like a damn footnote?

Why don't you just...

say something that makes sense?

This makes sense-- I'm busy,

I don't want to be disturbed.

Jonas...

Get out of here!

All right, Jonas.

Go talk to your lawyer.

I don't have a lawyer

and I don't want one.

Good!

Its the Battle of

Bull Run, Armistice Day

and the stock market crash

all rolled into one.

The picture killed them,

or should I say Rina did?

Thank you, thank you.

Listen to this, listen, Jonas.

"Excellent".

"Excellent". "Excellent".

"Superior".

"Superior". "Excellent".

All the cards are

coming through that way.

She's outside.

Yeah, the crowd

doesn't want to leave.

They're trying to tear

her clothes off,

get her autograph

or just to touch her.

Jonas, she's the biggest

thing to hit this town

since the Spanish landed.

Its incredible.

Yeah, all you can smell

in there air is gold.

You ought to be here.

I don't have to be there, Dan--

I knew it would happen.

Give her 15 more minutes

with the crowd,

then hustle her out of there.

I want her here in my hotel

suite at 11:
15 promptly.

I don't think I can tear her...

Dan, I don't care.

Just tell her.

Hello.

Jonas!

How are you?

Your hotel, 11:
30?

I'll be there on the minute.

Good-bye.

Come in.

Signed, sealed and delivered.

Rina Marlowe, the cowboy's

home companion,

reporting for duty

as ordered.

And overdressed.

The bedroom's that way.

The Jonas Cord

Collection Agency.

We never sleep...

alone.

You're too cheerful about it.

By the way, I told Nevada

I was coming up here.

Why the hell did you do

a stupid thing like that?

Because Nevada and I

are going to be married.

I told him I wanted

to be the first

to give our closest

friend the word.

You can't marry him,

he's on his way out.

After this picture's released,

you'll be the biggest star

in the business.

So they tell me.

You've got nothing

to gain by marrying him.

I gain a man who helped me once

and who needs me now.

Making you

a star was my idea.

I didn't ask you for it!

I never wanted it!

You even built up my part

as a monument to your own ego

while you cut his to the bone.

I didn't see you trying

to stop me.

He's on the booze.

We both know his days

are numbered.

That's why he needs me

more than ever.

Why do you think

I did all this?

As always, just to give

and take on your own terms.

Besides, what do you care

about Nevada and me?

You're already married.

Miss Marlowe,

I'd like you

to meet my wife, Monica.

Monica, this

is my stepmother.

Would you like a drink or what?

I've seen what

you brought me here to see.

I'll file for divorce

in the morning.

Oh, you dirty, filthy,

perverted monster.

You can do better than that.

You are the meanest, cruelest

most loathsome thing

I've ever met.

Except for yourself.

Oh...

We belong together.

We're a set.

I promised to marry Nevada.

Who said anything

about marrying?

Oh, you really are

completely no good.

But that's what's always

excited you, isn't it?

You're just like me.

You can't make love

to anyone you like.

We've known that, both of us.

Haven't we?

Oh, yes, yes.

Oh, damn it, yes!

By the authority vested in me

by the State of California

I now pronounce you

man and wife.

You may kiss the bride.

All right, now.

Break it up, break it up.

I'll take my ten percent now.

Calling Dr. Kelly.

Calling Dr. Kelly.

Report to superintendent

on floor five.

Jonas.

Hello, Monica.

You know, I heard about

the passenger flight.

I think

that's so marvelous.

I don't know how

you do it so quickly.

Monica, about the baby...

Did you see her?

Yes.

Isnt she absolutely

beautiful?

I'm no expert on babies.

You can see that she is.

I'm calling her Joanne.

Just a name I liked.

I hope you don't mind.

Whose baby is it?

Its mine, of course.

That's not what I mean.

Who's the father?

You are, Jonas.

I'm not.

But you are.

When I filed for divorce

I didn't know I was pregnant,

but I was.

Are you sure?

Sure?

I don't have to prove anything.

I'm the mother,

and you're the father,

and that's the way it is, Jonas.

Don't worry

about the great Cord name.

I'm calling her

Joanne Winthrop,

so you have no worries,

no responsibilities,

no fears.

Now, get out of here.

Am I listed on the birth

certificate as father?

Of course you are.

You expect me to put down

"father unknown"?

I just wanted to know.

I'm on my way to Europe.

Well, stay there

and don't ever come back.

If you need anything

for the child--

money for clothes...

nurses...

special teachers...

That baby only needs

what you can't give it,

'cause you don't have it--

faith!

Faith in yourself,

faith in your child

and faith in the future!

What do you mean?

Oh...

You know exactly what I mean,

Jonas Cord, Jr.

Seven or eight years went by.

The world was crippled

by the Crash

and the Depression.

Everyone suffered from it,

except Jonas.

He was above it.

We can carry

eight more passengers in this

and one more crew member

and cruise 60 miles

an hour faster.

That's with an

increased gas load.

How much of an increase?

A thousand miles.

New York's fogged in,

we can still make

Washington, Philadelphia,

Boston with fuel to spare.

Point that out

in the advertising.

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