The People vs. Larry Flynt Page #3

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Larry, just forget I brought it up.

Listen to what I'm saying, okay?

Listen to what I'm saying.

Would you marry me?

- It's not funny, a joke like that.

- I'm not joking. Would you marry me?

Would you do me the honour

of becoming Mrs. Larry Flynt?

You're not f***ing with me?

You mean it?

- No, I'm just kidding.

- You are?

- No, I'm serious. I'm serious.

- Don't.

- She's got a dick.

- She taped this on.

Taped this on. This is not real.

- Who would want to see that anyway?

- I do. I think it's genius.

It don't matter. It's like when people

slow down at a car crash to peek.

- We're breaking taboos.

- How about The Wizard of Oz?

- What do you mean?

- Okay, like, Dorothy is laying there

in Kansas, and there's the Tin Man

and the Scarecrow and

- Who's the other one?

- The Lion.

The Lion.

And they're all gang-banging her.

And there's Toto, maybe, even.

Althea, I think there's

You know, some things are sacred.

Shut up.

Althea, that is the best damn idea

I ever heard.

- Yeah.

- It can work.

- Where can I find Larry Flynt?

- Work it out. What is it?

Yeah, the Tin Man

could have a tin penis.

No, he's got that hat, like a funnel.

You know, he's got that funnel hat.

Larry Claxton Flynt?

Larry Claxton Flynt!

- Yeah.

- Stand up, please, sir.

- Hands behind your back.

- What's this?

You're under arrest on charges

of pandering obscenity in Cincinnati

- and engaging in organised crime.

- Organised crime?

Sit down. Shut up.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will

be used against you.

You have the right to an attorney.

If you can't afford one

one will be appointed.

Mr. Flynt?

You Larry Flynt?

- Who are you?

- Alan Isaacman. I'm your lawyer.

I got bail taken care of.

Don't worry about that.

We ought to talk about the case

when you've rested.

- Wait, wait. Who hired you?

- Your wife hired me.

- My wife?

- Yeah.

Are you doing her?

Wai Am I? Am I what?

I'm just kidding. I like you.

Give me a call after you

get out of law school.

- No, I'm out of law school.

- What are you, 22?

27. Harvard Law School. Three years

in the public defender's office.

Mr. Flynt, obviously you can get

whoever you want to represent you

but at least let me say

one thing to you, okay?

How should I ?

You're pretty far out there,

even for guys who do this stuff.

Okay? I am interested in your case.

The problem you've got

is definitely what I know best.

And I am good at what I do.

- What, do you specialise in porn?

- No, no. I don't specialise in porn.

I'll be perfectly honest.

I don't particularly like what you do.

I specialise in civil liberties.

You know, I don't understand

why they've singled me out.

Look, Mr. Flynt, this case is bigger

than just you and your magazine.

In your case, what's more troubling

is this organised-crime charge.

Organised crime?

Larry's not in the mob.

Mr. Flynt, I gotta ask you one time.

Do you have any connections

to organised crime?

Absolutely not.

Gotta ask.

- By the way, call me Larry.

- All right, Larry.

In that case, Larry,

this is a completely bullshit charge.

But we have to take this seriously.

You could be looking

at seven to 25 years.

Twenty-five years?

All I'm guilty of is bad taste.

My cousin Bobby

shot a preacher in the back.

- He got six months for it.

- Bobby shot a preacher?

- You didn't know?

- What denomination?

- Baptist.

- I always liked that kid.

Can we discuss Cousin Bobby later?

We need to discuss this seriously.

- If you want my opinion

- I'm serious. I'm taking notes.

Good morning,

ladies and gentlemen.

Before we begin

I must apologise

for the unpleasantness of this task.

What you're about to see

is going to take your breath away.

Hustler magazine

depicts men and women

posed together

in a lewd and shameful manner.

Hustler depicts women and women

posed together

in a lewd and shameful manner.

Hustler magazine

depicts Santa Claus

posed in a lewd

and shameful manner.

What's he talking about?

Jesus Christ, Larry.

Your Honour, the defence would like

to introduce into evidence

27 other men's magazines

sold in the Cincinnati area.

- Titles such as Penthouse, Playboy

- Objection!

Sustained.

Sustained?

Wait a second.

Your Honour, if I may.

These magazines

contain material that is

virtually identical to Hustler.

If these magazines are legal

and Hustler is not legal

then this is a case

of selective prosecution.

No.

I'm sorry. Did you say no?

I will not allow them into evidence.

They're irrelevant to this case.

But they are not irrelevant. They

demonstrate the community standard

- which is laid out

- No!

The jury is representative

of community standards

not a pile of magazines.

I won't admit them.

You won't admit them.

Mr. Flynt

would you please

turn to page 77?

Would you describe to the jury

what is on page 77, please, sir?

It's a picture of Santa Claus.

What is Santa Claus doing?

He's talking to Mrs. Claus

and holding in his hand

what appears to be

a large, erect penis.

And would you read the caption

under that cartoon, please?

It says:

"This is what I've got

to ho, ho, ho about."

Mr. Flynt, do you think

the Founding Fathers

had a cartoon like this in mind

when they wrote

the First Amendment?

No, but I don't think they had

Playboy or People in mind either

because I saw a couple

of four-letter words in there.

But isn't a community allowed

to set its own standards?

No. That's just a disguise

for censorship.

This country belongs to me as much

as it belongs to you, Mr. Leis.

And if you don't like Hustler

magazine, don't read it.

I don't.

But what about children who gaze

upon your magazine in our stores?

Well, look

you know, if a kid gets caught

drinking beer in a tavern

we don't ban Budweiser

across the nation.

Ladies and gentlemen

of the jury

you've heard a lot here today,

and I'm not gonna try

to go back over it all

again for you.

But you have to go back in that room

and make some decisions.

And there is one thing I want to make

very clear to you before you do.

I am not trying to convince you

that you should like

what Larry Flynt does.

I don't like what Larry Flynt does.

But what I do like

is that I live in a country

where you and I can make

that decision for ourselves.

I like that I live in a country

where I can pick up Hustler

and read it if I want to

or throw it in the garbage can

if that's where I think it belongs.

Or better yet, I can exercise

my opinion and not buy it.

I like that I have that right.

I care about it.

And you should care about it too.

You really should.

Because we live in a free country.

We say that a lot, but I think

sometimes we forget

really what that means,

so listen to it again.

We live in a free country.

And that is a powerful idea.

That's a magnificent way to live.

But there's a price for that freedom,

which is that sometimes

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