The Man Who Came to Dinner Page #7

- Then your advice is to go ahead?

- It is. Marry him tonight.

- You mean that, Mr. Whiteside?

- No.

No, you should marry

Walter Winchell.

If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't say it.

Should I say it again?

- Daisy, I can't wait any longer.

- There's Dad. Come on.

- Forgive us for trespassing.

- Not at all, it's Christmas, you know.

- Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.

- Yes, merry Christmas.

- Come along, Daisy.

- What has happened to your forehead?

Have you had an accident?

No, Mr. Whiteside, I am taking

boxing lessons. All right, Daisy.

Dear Mr. Whiteside, I've been trying

all day to see you to give you this.

Why, Miss Stanley,

a Christmas gift for me?

Oh, it's just a trifle.

But I wanted you to have it.

It's a picture of me

as I used to be.

It was taken on another

Christmas Eve many years ago.

Don't open it

till the stroke of midnight, will you?

Merry Christmas, dear Mr. Whiteside.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Miss Stanley,

and thank you.

Mighty nifty-looking package.

I had quite a struggle with myself...

...before I decided not to open it.

- Here you are, Maggie.

- I'm so excited.

Here, sign for it, will you, please?

Know what I'm giving my wife?

- A pipe.

- A pipe?

That doesn't sound very sensible.

Just as sensible as the vacuum cleaner

she's giving me.

Oh, look how beautifully it's wrapped.

Why, Bert, how wonderful.

Here's a typewriter.

That's what brought us together.

Remember the day

you fixed the ribbon?

And a pair of ice skates to remind you

never to go skating again.

This little heart with the arrow through

it, they just had that in the catalog.

Bert, this is the nicest Christmas

I've ever had.

Well, I just never happened

to be around before.

I'm certainly glad that Sherry fell

and fractured his hip.

Oh, there's a little something

engraved on them.

Here, it starts here.

"Faint...

...heart ne'er...

...won fair lady.

Nor iron...

...bars...

...a cage."

Bert, it's a very nice sentiment,

but isn't it a bit grim towards the end?

- It should've ended after "fair lady."

- Thank you, sir.

I guess he just had some extra charms

laying around.

Oh, heavens, I've got to get back.

Sherry broadcasts at 7:00.

Come on. Merry Christmas.

Thank you, ma'am. Merry Christmas

to you. Merry Christmas, Bert.

If you ever get married,

how many children are you having?

- Six or seven.

- Goodbye.

- Hey! I'll make it four.

- Well, that I might consider.

Cosette, take everything on

to the hotel.

I'm going right out to see

poor Mr. Whiteside.

Give me something to wear, dear,

I feel so naked.

There.

- Taxi?

- Taxi, lady?

- Taxi?

- Taxi, lady?

This way, miss.

- This is the Stanley residence, isn't it?

- Yes, it is.

I've come to see Mr. Whiteside.

Tell him Miss Sheldon is here.

Lorraine, my blossom girl!

Darling!

Darling, look at that poor,

sweet, tortured face.

Let me kiss it. Oh, darling, how drawn

you are.

Sherry, my sweet, I want to cry.

You've made a very nice entrance.

Now relax.

But I've been so worried.

And now seeing you in that chair...

This chair fits my contours

as nothing else ever has.

I'm feeling better than I have in years.

My only concern is news of the world.

So take off that skunk, dear,

and tell me everything.

I'm so relieved. You look perfectly

wonderful. My dear, do I look a wreck.

I jumped on the train the minute you

called. Palm Beach has been so hectic.

Fun, but simply exhausting. Jock

Whitney, Cary Grant, Barbara Hutton.

Just too exhausting. I never got to bed.

I don't know where to start.

Start with the dirt first, dear.

That's what I want to hear.

Let me see. Oh, yes, Cybil Cartwright

was ordered right off the beach.

It happened the day before I left.

She had a new cellophane bathing suit.

- You could see the waves breaking.

- Poor old Cybil.

And Louise Curtis...

You know her, Sherry.

She divorced her fourth husband

and remarried her second.

It was awfully messy

because before he could remarry her...

...he had to divorce his third wife,

Louise's mother.

But it was a beautiful wedding.

And before I forget it...

...EIsa Maxwell gave me a message

for you.

She wants you to take off 25 pounds

and send them parcel post.

She needs them.

They shall be packed in ice.

Now, come on. What about you?

What about you and that splendid bit

of English mutton, Lord Bottomley?

- Haven't you hooked him yet?

- Sherry, please.

- He's just a very dear friend of mine.

- Now, blossom girl, this is Sherry.

Don't try to pull the bedclothes

over my eyes.

You would like to be Lady Bottomley

with 100,000 pounds a year...

...and 12 castles. By the way,

has he had his teeth fixed yet?

Every time I order Roquefort cheese

I think of those teeth.

Sherry, really.

Cedric may not be brilliant...

...but he's rather sweet, poor lamb.

And very fond of me.

After all, if I can marry him,

I don't see why I shouldn't.

Shall I tell you something,

Sherry, darling?

I think from something he said to me,

he's finally coming around.

Nothing definite,

but don't be surprised...

...if I am Lady Bottomley before long.

- Lady Bottomley.

Won't Kansas City be surprised?

However, I shall be a flower girl...

...and I shall give the groom

an iron toothpick as a present.

Come on, my blossom.

I want some more of your skullduggery.

- Well...

- Oh, Mr. Whiteside...

- No, no, I'm busy now.

- Yes, but I...

- Go away!

- Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

- What was that?

- He's fixing the plumbing.

- Now, come on, I want some news.

- But, darling, what about this play?

After all, I came all the way from

Palm Beach, even on Christmas Eve.

I've been so excited ever since

you telephoned me.

- When can I read it?

- Here's the situation.

This young author,

his name is Bert Jefferson...

...brought me the play to send it

to Katherine Cornell.

It's a magnificent part,

and heaven knows, I feel disloyal to Kit.

There you are. I've done this much. The

rest's up to you. He's young, attractive.

Just how you'll go about persuading him

I'm sure you know more about than I do.

Oh, darling, how can I ever thank you?

Does he know I'm coming?

This young man?

No! You're just out here visiting me.

You'll meet him, and that's that.

Get him to take you to dinner

and work around to the play.

I don't have to tell you how.

How'd you get those other parts?

Sherry.

I'll run to the hotel

and get into something more attractive.

I just dumped my bags and rushed right

over here. You're wonderful.

All right. Run along

and get into your working clothes.

Then come back and spend Christmas

with me. I'll have Mr. Jefferson on tap.

And by the by, don't mention a word

of the play in front of Maggie.

You know what a friend

she is of Cornell's.

- I'll just be polite with Maggie.

- I've got a little surprise for you.

Who do you suppose

is paying me a visit tonight?

None other than your old friend

and fellow actor, Beverly Carlton.

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