l-l thought you might like it, Dad.
So do you remember Herbert Stempel ?
Remember him ? l still can't believe l beat him.
Stempel tells me that Dan Enright made him take a dive from the show.
What ?
He tells me that Dan Enright made him take a dive.
- [ Chuckles ] That's ridiculous. - Yeah ?
A little odd, though, don't ya think ? l mean, losing on such an easy question ?
You know, frankly, Dick, if Stempel can just run around...
and smear a man like Dan Enright to the United States Congress--
No, nobody's smearing anybody. l'm just trying to figure out the truth here.
Could you just untie the bowline there and shove us off ?
All right.
Dick, could you raise the jib for us, please ?
The jib. Just, uh-- Yeah.
Do you remember what it was like for guys like us when we were in school ?
Being smart was like being cross-eyed.
But you should see the letters l get.
Kids are excited about-- about books...
and learning and general knowledge.
Dan Enright had a lot to do with that.
Yeah, but don't you think he wanted you to win ?
l mean, if you look at the ratings, they're staggering.
[ Chuckles ] Well, what did he say, they ''made'' him take a dive ?
- Well. - Well, how did they ''make'' him take a dive anyway ?
He didn't want to jeopardize any future he might have in television.
- [ Chuckles ] - Yeah, well-- [ Chuckles ]
Anyway, how many people did you say testified in front of the grand jury ?
Why ? What's your point ?
Well, if what you're saying is true, then everybody lied.
- [ Freedman ] Hi. Al Freedman. - Hi. l'm Danny.
Good to see you. l'm sorry for the delay. Come on in. Have a seat.
- Would you like a cup of coffee or a soft drink ? - Anything ?
- l'm fine. Thanks. - You sure ?
- We're very well stocked up here. - Nothing ? - l'm fine.
- No trouble. - l understand you've spoken to Charles Van Doren.
- And Herbert Stempel. - Oh, l was afraid of that.
He says and l quote, that he was made to ''take a dive.''
Believe me, l'm quite familiar with Herb's allegations. l could recite them by rote.
Forty-six witnesses swore up and down Herbie's a lying tub of shit.
- Al. - Sorry.
- Why the big secret ? - Well, to protect people's reputations.
l mean, frankly, you never know what the public is gonna believe, you see ?
There's that and, um--
And what ?
- Look, Dick, l wa-- Can l call you Dick ? - Sure, Dan.
After the loss, Herb came to visit me in an agitated--
- Well, l suppose the clinical term would be, uh... what ? - The guy's nuts.
- Manic. He was in a manic frame of mind. - Manic.
And l took the precaution of tape recording that meeting.
Al, would you... play the tape ?
Listen to this.
[ Stempel ] You get me that panel show...
or l'm gonna bring you down, you lousy lyin' prick !
You and Charles Van fuckin' Doren !
[ Enright On Tape ] What is this, Herb ? Are you blackmailin' me ?
l need that money, Dan. l need to get back on television. You get me that panel show...
- or l'll tell everyone it's a fraud. - You know that's not true.
Who cares if it's true ? ''The fix is in this week on Twenty-One.''
Okay.
So he needed more money after all that money he won.
Gambling. And that's the least of it.
l mean, if the judge was protecting anyone, he was protecting Herb.
Given-- Well--
- His medical condition. - [ Scoffs ] His medical condition ?
- Oh, yeah. - Al, get the bills.
l mean, put yourself in his shoes.
He's no longer in the public eye.
He's remembered, if he's remembered at all, as ''the guy that lost to Van Doren.''
Television is like a monkey on his back,
and we're not talking about someone who is necessarily stable to begin with.
- No. - So you paid for his psychoanalysis ?
- l felt responsible. - You're too nice.
- No, l'm not. - lf it were up to me, l would've sent him to the skating rink the fast way.
- Five sessions a week ? - Five, and not a dent.
Herb is so angry with himself for losing, and it was on such a simple question too.
- Marty. - Marty. His ego couldn't handle it.
He blames Charles Van Doren for his downfall.
And of course, the real downfall of Herbert Stempel has always been Herbert Stempel.
Herbert Stempel. Absolutely. You met him. Does he seem stable to you ?
Well, l definitely have an inkling of what you're talking about.
He told me this whole story about how when a Jew is on the show,
he always loses to a Gentile, and then the Gentile wins more money.
Right ? [ Chuckles ] Who could dream up a scheme like that ?
A symptom of his Van Doren fixation.
The thing of it is, l looked it up. lt's true.
We could check it.
[ Toby ] Herbie, l wanna go home.
l took you to dinner, didn't l ? Just hold your horses.
This is ridiculous. Wha--
Where have you been ? Why don't you return my phone calls ? Did you talk to Van Doren ?
- l'll tell you who l spoke to. l spoke to Dan Enright. - Forget Enright.
Goodwin, 1535. You threatened to blackmail him if he didn't get you on a panel show ?
What ? When ? l didn't blackmail him. What are you talking about ?
- He's got the whole thing on tape. - He promised me that panel show.
What tape ? What are you talking about ?
Listen, Goodwin, don't think l don't see what you're doin'.
You're building this great case against me. A pile of evidence,
an army of witnesses against me, Herb Stempel.
And meanwhile, you and Van Doren are off giving each other the secret lvy League handshake.
Herb, you're makin' me look like a jerk.
l know what they're doin' to you. They did it to me.
Just because you went to Harvard, you think you have some stake in the system ?
- He didn't pay for your psychiatrist bills ? - The point is...
Van Doren got the answers.
He did not get the answers. lf anything, he gave them answers.
- l know he got the answers. - Ah, bullshit, Herb. How do you know he got the answers ?
Because l got the answers.
You got the answers ? What do you mean, you got the answers ?
Not very many answers. l just wanted to get out from under the financial thumb of my in-laws.
l don't understand. l thought you were a victim in all this.
l didn't hold myself up to be the crowned prince of education.
l didn't preen myself on the cover of Time magazine with a face full of phony humility--
Good night, Herb.
[ Elevator Doors Close ]
Toby.
Toby, where do you think you're going without me ?
You never told me you got the answers.
l knew the answers to a good part of the questions anyhow. The ones l didn't, they fed me.
- l'm sure l must've mentioned it. - lt's not a thing you mentioned.
What else did you do that you didn't mention ?
Enright sat right in our kitchen and said, ''How'd you like to make $25,000 ?''
l don't know any man in America who would turn that down.
- lt's dishonest. - Let me tell you about honest.
You know what my father used to tell me ? ''Work hard and you'll get ahead.''
Was that honest ? Look at Geritol.
''Geritol cures tired blood.'' And l'm the one who's supposed to be ashamed.
You never said that you were getting the answers.
Let them believe whatever they want. What do l care ?
- What do l care if a bunch of saps-- - l was one of those saps, Herbert.
He got the answers. Now why would he admit that ? He's only implicating himself.
- Well, maybe it's the truth. - Yeah, well l have a hunch it is the truth.
Though meanwhile, we'll have to have him testify in a straitjacket.
But Van Doren isn't crazy. Maybe you should put him on the stand.
- What's Van Doren got to do with this ? - They gave Stempel the answers.
Why would Van Doren be any different ?
You have no idea what these people are like.
- lt's all Thurber and Trilling and Bunny Wilson. - Bunny ?
Yeah, Edmund Wilson. That's what they call him.
Well, that doesn't mean you have to.
Look, my point is, why would a guy like that jeopardize everything he has ?
- Which is what ? - Sandra, the man is on the cover of Time magazine.
He's not gonna be on the cover of Time as Mark Van Doren's son, Dick.
[ Barry On TV ] Boxing. How many points would you like to risk ?
l'll risk eight points, Jack.
All right. For eight points, name the three heavyweight champions...
immediately preceding Joe Louis.
- Well, my father would know that. - [ Barry Chuckles ]
- That'd be James J. Braddock. - Correct.
Max Baer lost the belt to Braddock.
Yes. And the fellow Baer beat ?
[ Charles ] Oh, now, l remember he knocked him down 12 times before he finally succumbed.
- Would you like to guess ? - Primo Carnera.
[ Barry ] Correct ! You have 21 !
[ TV Audience Applauding ]
[ Jack ] Second base is Eddie Stanky.
[ Fred ] No, it's Red Schoendienst.
[ Goodwin ] l hear that Pat Boone plays on the White Shoes.
- No, that's Daniel Boone. - [ Charles ] Ace-King bets.
- Check. - Check. - Bet five.
- l'll raise that a dollar. - l'm out.
You better watch out, Fred.
Dick's one of the brightest young lawyers down in Washington.
[ Fred ] Great. All my money already goes to Washington. Taxes.
- lt's nothin' but organized theft. - [ Goodwin ] No, property.
- What ? - ''Property is theft,'' l believe.
That's the locus classicus from Proudhon.
- [ Groans ] - l warned you.
- Oh, great, another one. - [ Jack ] Ace bets five.
- And another one. - l'll see that.
- What are you working on, Charlie ? - l raise five dollars.
- l'd love to know what you got under there, Charlie. - The truth has its price.
Everything has its price.
- So where'd ya prep, Dick ? - Dick's up here on a witch hunt. He thinks Twenty-One is rigged.
ls it ?
[ Men Chuckling ]
Hey, uh... which face cards are in profile, without looking ?
Jack of spades, king of diamonds, jack of hearts.
Can we play cards ? lt's bad enough my wife makes me watch this crap.
Okay, you're writing a book on Lincoln. The night he was shot, who was the doctor...
at his deathbed ?
Joseph K. Barnes was the doctor.
- Whoa. - Who was the detective on the case ?
[ Charles ] The detective was Clarvoe. John Alexander Clarvoe.
- Who embalmed him ? - Come on.
Black or brown, Charles D. Brown.
Then he was murdered with estate taxes. Let's play.
- You're not impressed ? - Ace checks.
Check.
Um--
- [ Jack ] Whoa. - Now l'm impressed.
Go ahead, Dick, call 'em.
- [ Fred Chuckling ] - What do you say, Dick ?
l know you're lying.
- [ Jack ] Whoa-oh. - [ Chuckles ]
Bluffing. The word is bluffing.
[ Chuckles ]
Too rich for my blood.
- [ Jack ] Try Geritol. - Sandwich time.
- [ Groaning ] - How 'bout a drink ?
This game could use a little juice, huh ?
[ Men Chattering ]
[ Enright ] Charlie ? Charlie ?
The only people who can implicate you directly are all in this room.
Just think about that.
- You think that nudzh is gonna get me to talk ? - He may be a nudzh,
but he was also first in his class at Harvard Law School.
- Oh, Harvard ? - Will you please stop that ?
- Al, stop it. - Sorry. Charlie, they could kill me, l wouldn't talk.
They could subject me to any kind of torture, um--
- The rack ? - Thank you. They could put me on the rack--
- The iron maiden ? - Whatever.
- The bastinado ? - Charlie, l'm not tellin' 'em a godamned thing.
- Correct me, Dan, if l'm wrong. - No, you're right.
Plus, what did you do wrong ? Everybody knows the magician don't saw the lady in half.
- lt's not exactly the same thing. - lt's entertainment.
l am a college professor !
- [ Groans ] - [ Knocking ]
They need the professor in make-up.
Oh-ho, well. [ Chuckles ]
- Aren't you Charles Van Doren ? - [ Chuckles ]
l'm sorry, Dad. l didn't mean to wake you. l just had to get out of the city.
You're always welcome, Charlie.
Sometimes it's hard sleeping in the city.
- l hope you don't mind. l took the rest of the cake. - You look like you could use it.
- Under a little strain lately. - That's the way it always is when you're finishing a book.
Oh, no, actually, it's the... television show.
Ow, Jesus, l just realized, we watched your show.
Did l tell you ? Mother and l moved the television to the den.
- No, no, you didn't mention it. - Anyway, what was it ?
Something about the Galapagos lslands ?
You know what ? l'll try some of that.
The origin and the destination of the voyage of the Beagle.
That's right. Biology for six points.
Good God, the pressure !
All those lights, the money, those strange little booths,
that man talking so fast, like being in a bull ring.
l don't think l could remember my name.
You know, l always had a good head for that kind of stuff.
lt's just amazing that you could make it look so easy.
But your mother always said you were the actor in the family, Charlie.
[ Chuckles ] Yeah.
As long as it doesn't interfere with your teaching, why not ?
Dad.
Huh ? What ?
Something on your mind ?
You never told me you felt pressure...
you know, um... like finishing a book.
Oh-ho, are you kidding ?
When l was finishing the Hawthorne book, l tossed and turned so badly...
your mother threatened to check into a hotel.
Oh, sure. [ Chuckles ]
You know, l think the old bird's finally getting the hang of this.
You know, l just had the strongest memory.
Coming home from school, going to the fridge.
lce-cold bottle of milk, big piece of chocolate cake.
lt was just the simplicity of it.
l-l can't think of anything that will make me feel that happy again.
Not 'til you have a son.
[ Barry Over Kinescope ] That would be our most difficult question on American Literature.
For 11 points, l'll read you lines from America's greatest poets.
You must identify the author. First:
''l hear America singing the very carols l hear.''
That would be... Walt Whitman.
That's right. Second:
''l shot an arrow in the air. lt fell to earth l know not where.''
- [ Contestant ] Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. - Right again, Jim !
Finally: ''Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.''
[ Jim ] That is, uh... actually by one of my favorite poets,
Emily Dickinson.
l'm sorry, Jim. Did-- Did you say Emily Dickinson ?
Oh ! Well, yes ! All right !
[ Kinescope Stops, Rewinds ]
- ...Dickinson. - l'm sorry, Jim.
Did-- Did you say Emily Dickinson ? Oh ! Well, yes !
...favorite poets, Emily Dickinson.
l'm sorry, Jim. Did-- Did you say Emily Dickinson ?
- Oh ! Well, yes ! - [ Kinescope Stops ]
- Who is it ? - Mr. Snodgrass ?
- Yeah ? - My name is Richard Goodwin.
- Yeah ? - Hi. l'm a Federal lnvestigator on a congressional subcommittee.
- The committee's been investigating the quiz shows. - [ Chuckles ]
l was just looking at a kinescope of your appearance on Twenty-One, and l noticed--
- Mr. Snodgrass ? - [ Snickering ]
- This is good. - Yeah ? What is it ?
[ People Chattering ]
- Drive on by. - What ?
- Go around to the back entrance. - Okay.
- [ Phone Ringing ] - [ Woman ] Mr. Kintner's office.
Excuse me. Do you think he might see me before the peacock molts ?
- Who are you with again ? - l'm with the U.S. Congress. Perhaps you've heard of them.
Oh, your name is Gold-- Excuse me, not you. Your name is Goldwyn ?
- Goodwin. - Ah, yes. Please have a seat, Mr. Goldwyn-- Goodwin.
- l'll see if he's available. - Right.
-Yes, that's red, long stem. Thank you. -[ Sighs ]
Well, l'm sure he'd be available if my name were Geritol.
- Perhaps if you could come back another time. - [ Door Opens ]
- Good night, Rose. - Good night, Mr. Kintner.
- Mr. Kintner. My name is Richard Goodwin. - Oh ?
- l'm with the Congressional Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight. - Congratulations.
- How's Chairman Harris ? - Oh, he's fine.
Still in that sand trap where l left him ?
l am here to give you a chance to cooperate.
We'll cooperate in any way we can. Now will you excuse me ?
Twenty-One is rigged, and l can prove it. Who won, how long they were on,
it was all a scheme to keep the ratings up, and NBC made millions off it.
Young man, l am the President of the National Broadcasting Company.
l have no idea what the day-to-day operations of Twenty-One are.
Does Chairman Harris know every little thing you're up to ?
l have Enright cold. And, sir, that means l have you.
- Really ? - Really.
Then why are you the one that's sweating ?
[ Barry ] This week's challenger from New York, New York, welcome Mrs. Vivienne Nearing.
And returning this week with $139,000, our champion, Charles Van Doren.
[ Audience Applauding ]
- A very cordial welcome to the show, Mrs. Nearing. Mr. Van Doren. - Jack.
You're back again with a lot of money at stake.
Mrs. Nearing, let's tell the Professor and our audience a little something about you.
[ Announcer ] A sometimes painter, pianist and Double-Crostics fan,
she has a Bachelor's Degree from Queens College, New York,
and a M.A. and L.L.B. from Columbia.
She and her husband Victor are lawyers in New York.
- Quite a bean inside that pretty head, huh ? - She's terrifying.
All right, l think you both know how to play the game. Don't forget to put your earphones on.
The very best of luck to both of you. Let's play Twenty-One.
Some of the most important airplanes of World War ll were the following:
the P-40, the P-47, the P-51,
the B-24, the B-25 and the B-26.
Give me the nicknames the Air Force gave to these planes.
That's much harder than the question they asked that woman, and hers was ten points !
-Do you know the names of those planes ? -Of course not. Sit down.
Who would know the names of those planes ?
- He's not the Secretary of Defense. - Shh, shh.
As we enter our final round, Mrs. Nearing leads by a score of 21 to 16.
lt is the moment of truth, as it were, for Charles Van Doren, our reigning champion,
after a record-breaking 14 weeks.
Will he hold onto his title ?
Wow. Mrs. Nearing.
- Yes ? - You have the required 21 points.
We're going to let you listen in on this last round.
Please do not divulge your score or speak in any way.
Mr. Van Doren, the category is royalty.
- Royalty. Yes, sir. - [ Charles ] Royalty.
- How many points would you like to try for ? - Well, let's see.
l'll take five, five points.
[ Barry ] All right. Name the kings of the following countries:
Norway, Sweden, Belgium and lraq.
- Could l take the third part last ? - Certainly.
Take as much time as you need, Charlie. You have a lot riding on these answers.
l sure have. Well, Norway, that would be Haakon. King Haakon.
- [ Barry ] That's right - And Sweden, um, Gustavus.
- Right again, Charlie. The King of lraq ? - lraq, uh--
Turn it-- Turn it off. Turn the damn thing off !
- Good God ! What got into you ? - lt's just too nerve-wracking.
l remember that's his, um...
great-uncle in that wonderful book, The Seven Pillars Of Wisdom.
Um, Do-- No, um--
- Fais-- Oh, King Faisal. - Correct. And Belgium ?
Belgium. Belgium. Belgium. Belgium. Let me see-- That's the third part ?
- [ Barry ] That's right. - Um--
King of Belgium, um--
Um-- Um--
Let me see--
Professor, would you like more time ?
[ Charlie ] Belgium, the King of Belgium.
l can picture him, Jack.
Right down to that Hapsburg lip that they--
l can't seem to summon the name. Um--
He's gonna dump it.
[ Ringing ]
ls Garroway here ?
[ Ringing Continues ]
Professor, l'm sorry. l'm going to have to ask for your answer.
lt seems like an easy one.
Leopold.
- No. - [ Crowd Gasps ]
[ Barry ] No, l'm-- l'm sorry, Charlie. The answer is Baudouin.
King Baudouin.
Leopold is Baudouin's father, the former king.
What a stunning turn of events.
- Mrs. Nearing, you have just unseated our champion. - Baudouin. Of course.
- Come out here, both of you. - [ Crowd Applauding ]
[ All Chattering ]
Listen, you don't know what to do ? Give him another chance, that's what.
Call it a bonus round, but get him on that show again.
- Someone will call if he loses, won't they ? - l'm sure.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
Changing of the guard, as it were. You take home $10,000 of Mr. Van Doren's money.
We'll try not to hold that against you. Please, come back next week.
Tell us you want to continue playing. l sure hope you do. How 'bout a warm hand...
- for our new champion, Mrs. Vivienne Nearing. - Thank you.
[ Applause ]
[ Barry ] Whoa, who is that in our wing ? ls that Dave Garroway ?
Dave Garroway of the NBC Today Show, ladies and gentlemen.
- [ Applause ] - Hello, Dave.
- How are you, Charlie ? - Fine, thank you, Dave.
- l was wondering, what are you gonna do now ? - Well, l was, um...
hoping to enjoy some peace and quiet now and a chance to get back to my books.
You know, eventually, this sad day had to come, but we don't wanna lose you.
So, at the Today Show, we decided why not make Charlie our special cultural correspondent,
to the people and to the school children of America.
Well, l-- l hope you're not firing the chimp.
[ Laughs ] How does $50,000 a year sound to you, Professor ?
[ Applause ]
Um, well, l--
l was hoping to, um-- [ Chuckles ] to get back to my teaching.
Well, this is the largest classroom in the world, Professor: television.
So, if you will, just sign right here on the dotted line.
Charlie, walk away. Come on. You don't need it.
[ Chuckles ]
- Congratulations, Charlie. - [ Applause ] - Thank you.
[ People Chattering ]
- Did Mr. Garroway leave ? - Yes, sir.
- Good show, Dave. - Thanks.
- Mrs. Nearing, congratulations. lt was a wonderful show. - Thank you.
Gentlemen, this is Mrs. Nearing. You know Al Freedman.
- [ Mrs. Nearing ] Yes, we've met. - [ Enright ] You're gonna be needed tomorrow.
You're a very disruptive young man.
Okay, let's bring the camera out, and let's bring the blackboard in.
- You remember James Snodgrass ? - Who ? And can we get Mrs. Nearing in there ?
- James Snodgrass. - Get her in there with her family.
- He was a contestant on your show. - You know how many contestants we've had ?
- This man was an artist. Maybe that'll jog your memory. - Al digs these people up.
- God knows where he finds them. Now, a picture with her mother. - He's in Greenwich Village.
There was a question about the first line of a poem by Emily Dickinson.
Barry apparently expected he was going to say Ralph Waldo Emerson and get it wrong.
- Really ? l'm very busy now. - Yeah, and l have it on the kinescope, okay ?
- lt's clear as day. The man literally did a double take. - [ Chuckles ]
He did a double take. And-And who told you this ? ls this Herb again ?
- Or is this the Greenwich Village beatnik ? - Oh, that's interesting.
Why is he a beatnik ? Because he's not Charlie Van Doren ?
Yeah, you're damn right. He's not Charlie Van Doren.
You got crackpots comin' out of the woodwork. You're snoopin' around askin' questions.
- You don't have a shred of concrete evidence. - Let me tell you somethin'.
ln this envelope are all the questions that James Snodgrass was asked on Twenty-One, okay ?
The odd thing about this envelope is he appeared on the show on January 13,
yet somehow he mailed this to himself January 11, registered mail.
l'd say that's pretty goddamn concrete, wouldn't you ?
[ Barry ] Look right into the camera.
[ Freedman ] l wasn't in there, was l ? You didn't see me ?
[ Photographer ] No, you were out. lt's okay.
Why would he do that ?
How's that trap feel clamped on your leg ?
He sent it to himself registered mail ?
Why should you be the fall guy here when NBC and Geritol are makin' the real money ?
[ Sighs ] Dick.
[ Chuckles ] Dan.
You want me to implicate the network ?
You don't owe them a thing.
lf l even hinted that the network knew,
and they didn't... know,
they'd never let me through the door again.
l got a sneakin' suspicion you're not going through that door anyway.
Television's my life, Dick.
lt's over. Why don't you go talk to your family ?
l just had a thought.
Would you be interested in your own panel show ?
- Seriously. - [ Chuckles ]
What ?
l'll get back to you on that, Dan.
[ Doorbell Buzzes ]
- Excuse the robe. - That's all right.
First decent night's sleep l've had in months. Would you like coffee ?
l thought l'd drop by before l head back to Washington. l got a 10:00 train.
We're going to announce our hearings later today.
Oh, really ? As l exit the stage, you enter.
Well, don't forget the world's biggest classroom.
Oh, that. Well, it's-- [ Chuckles ] lt's the world's biggest something.
Uh--
How do you like it, Dick ? You seem like a black coffee man.
Yeah, black's fine.
Here we go.
A toast to... escape.
''lt is the basket in which the heart is caught...
when down some awful Battlement the rest of Life is dropt.''
King Baudouin.
Emily Dickinson, actually.
The one you lost on.
Oh, that.
Well, it seems the Belgian Consulate has formally protested my ignorance.
Up at Cornwall, Charlie, your father said he felt like Leopold, remember ?
You lost on one you knew. Same as Stempel.
Well, l-- l must have had a mental block.
l was there last night.
l could swear a smile crept across your face when you lost.
[ Sighs ]
l wanted to get off the show. You can understand that.
l feel like l've been holding my breath for 14 weeks.
Why ? What'd you think it was ?
Look, l spoke to the committee, okay ? We're going to hold the hearings without you.
l am not out to destroy you or your family.
- You go on and you live your life, and God bless you. - Okay.
But l wanna know, man to man, did you get the answers ?
- ''Man to man'' ? - Yeah, just between us.
What is this ? ls this still that business with Stempel ?
l mean, Dan says he's not the most reliable fellow.
There's a problem, Charlie. l found another contestant, a man named James Snodgrass.
- He says he got the answers too. - Are you sure these people are telling the truth ?
He put the questions in a sealed envelope and sent them to himself, registered mail.
- That was two days before he appeared on the show. - That doesn't prove anything.
- You don't have to be a genius to connect the dots. - Don't connect them through me.
Don't treat me like l'm some member of your goddamned fan club !
Are you telling me everybody got the answers but you ?
- You're so persistent. l envy that. - Was it just the money ?
You'll forgive me, but anyone that thinks money is ever just money couldn't have much of it.
You wanna insult me, fine. But you can't envy me at the same time.
Jesus ! lf someone offered you all this money to be on some rigged quiz show,
instant fame, would you do it ?
- No. Of course not. - No, no.
Throw the whole thing in: Cover of Time; Dave Garroway; 50,000 to read poetry on TV;
would you do it ?
No.
And l would ?
[ Sighs ] Honestly, Dick.
All right. Look, do me a favor. Don't embarrass me.
Keep your mouth shut. Don't say anything. Don't talk to the papers.
Just disappear for two weeks.
Please, don't make me call you.
More coffee, Dick ?
Nope. [ Sighs ] l better go.
l don't wanna miss my train.
[ Gavel Pounding ]
[ Man ] The subcommittee will be in order.
The special Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight...
was created pursuant to Section 136...
of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946...
to conduct a general investigation into the operation...
of the federal regulatory agencies.
l'll ask if you were assisted in any way. You answer, ''Yes.'' l'll say, ''How ?''
You say, ''l was given the questions and answers in advance.''
- Why don't you just sit on my pants ? - l'll ask, ''Was this done routinely ?''
- You answer, ''Yes.'' - Not that tie. The television tie.
- [ Alarm Ringing ] - [ Groans ]
- We've gone over this five times already. - Just try to relax.
Be confident. Look at the Chairman directly when you answer.
Enough ! You're worse than Enright ! l'm telling the truth.
lf they prefer to be lied to, they can just turn on the television.
- There's a lot riding on this. - You're telling me there's a lot riding on it, yeah.
- What do you think, Toby ? - What do l think about what ?
Ready to watch your husband give 'em hell ?
- l don't know what you're gonna accomplish. - As soon as Enright realizes--
What do you want, the two-tone or the oxford ? You should wear the oxford.
When Enright realizes he's alone up there and they're gonna cut him loose,
he will implicate NBC and Geritol like that, and believe me, you're gonna see somethin'.
l know what you're gonna accomplish. l just don't know what he's gonna accomplish.
You wanna know what ? lf l do nothing else, l will convince them...
that Herbert Stempel knows what won the goddamned Academy Award...
for best goddamned picture of 1955.
- That's what l'm going to accomplish ! - l'm sick of all this.
The subcommittee calls Herbert Stempel.
[ Goodwin ] So, in other words, you kept on winning.
- Yes, sir, that is correct. - At any time during this championship run,
were you ever assisted in any way ?
[ Stempel ] l was given the questions and answers in advance.
Generally, l would receive the questions and answers on Friday.
Then we'd have sort of a rehearsal on Monday.
- This is from the very beginning ? - Yes.
Dan Enright came to see me in my kitchen and he said,
''How'd you like to make $25,000 ?'' And l said, ''Who wouldn't ?''
What do you mean by rehearsal ?
Well, for example, he told me how to breathe heavily into the microphone...
and sigh such as this.
- [ Heavy Sighing ] - [ People Laughing ]
He taught me how to stutter and say in a plaintive voice,
''l will take, uh, n-nine-- uh, nine points.''
- lt was all choreographed. - How to bite my lip. How to mop my brow.
He told me specifically not to smear my brow, but rather to pat for optimum effect.
Of course, l'm shvitzing the whole time because they turned off the air conditioning.
- Excuse me ? - [ People Laughing ]
- That's funny. - [ Goodwin ] Mr. Chairman.
With your permission, we might at this point, view a portion of the program, Twenty-One.
Whenever you're ready.
Herb Stempel, with your $69,500 still at stake--
although now at $2,500 a point-- the category is...
newspapers.
How many points you wanna try for ?
- There ! There's the lip biting. - [ People Laughing ]
[ Chairman ] Yes, we see.
Finally, l was told to open my eyes...
and with a dazzling smile, give the answer and explode when Jack Barry says, ''That is right.''
The Emporia Gazette ?
- [ Barry ] That is right ! - [ Stempel Chuckles ]
l don't know where he got it all. Some article on mass psychology he read in Esquire.
[ People Laughing ]
[ Stempel Chuckles ]
- l'll try eight points. - Watch Van Doren.
- He's better at it than l am. - Mr. Stempel, if l might refer you--
- Are you suggesting that Charles Van Doren was also coached ? - Of course he got the answers.
Why would they give me the answers and not give him the answers ?
Why would they make me take a dive unless they knew the other guy would get to 21 ?
lt's illogical. You don't fix one guy without fixing the other guy.
lt's implausible, mathematically.
[ Barry ] lt would be, and you have eight points.
You see ? Look at him. You see with the brow ? Patting, not smearing.
Mr. Stempel, have you ever received any psychiatric treatment of any kind ?
What ?
- Uh, Mr. Stempel, l was wondering-- - Mr. Goodwin, please.
Five sessions a week. That's pretty extensive, isn't it ?
Well, l believe we can all use a little help at various times in our lives.
ls it possible that any of your testimony is motivated...
by an irrational animosity toward Mr. Enright ?
l-l-l don't know. lf a man doesn't live up to his agreement--
A morbid fixation on Mr. Van Doren ?
lf a man promises certain things just to shut me up--
''How'd you like to make $25,000 ?'' And you said, ''Well, who wouldn't ?''
ln retrospect, look at Van Doren. l should've held out for a lot more.
You prostituted your intellectual ability for money.
That's the difference between me and Van Doren.
l admit it. l have my morality.
Charles Van Doren is a professor at Columbia University.
A Master's degree in astrophysics.
A Ph.D. in literature.
Hails from one of the most prominent intellectual families in this country.
lsn't it just possible, Mr. Stempel,
that you got the answers and he didn't ?
[ Crowd Chattering ]
[ Woman ] So l told my husband, ''We really need a vacation.''
My husband says, ''What are you gonna do with the cat ?''
- Uh-huh. - And l said, ''l don't know.''
Good morning.
Will you excuse us ?
Charlie, l'm Bob Kintner.
- Oh. - Don't get up.
- lt's about time we met. - Hi. lt's a pleasure.
- This whole... quiz show mess, - Uh-huh.
- and hearings and all that. - l've been following that in the paper.
Well, our legal department has prepared this for you.
We'd like you to hold a press conference.
Oh, there's a split infinitive here in the second paragraph.
[ Chuckles ] Shall l schedule it ?
Well, look, um...
l haven't been subpoenaed, and l can't think of anything that'd sound guiltier...
than a man who hasn't been accused of anything protesting his innocence.
Charlie, speculation in our society has a way of becoming fact.
Television is a public trust.
We can't afford even a hint of a scandal in our company.
Well, l-- l'd rather not do it.
l'm sorry.
Haven't we been good to you ?
Haven't we treated you like part of our family ?
We have great expectations for you, Charlie.
l know you're gonna do the right thing.
- l'm sorry, Mr. Van Doren. - ls he in ?
- He's gone, Mr. Van Doren. - He's gone to Washington ?
Mr. Freedman's gone to Mexico.
l still don't understand how you can hold a quiz show hearing without Van Doren.
Van Doren had no contact with NBC or Geritol.
Don't you understand, they deal with Enright. Enright's the key here.
The key to what ? The jury hears the public. The public doesn't know Dan Enright.
The purpose is not to reform the souls of the contestants. The purpose is to reform TV.
- lt's like the Barenblatt and the Sweezey cases. - You don't wanna call him.
Fine, Dick. Just don't patronize me with your legal bullshit.
- She's got a point, Dick. - Bob, maybe it's time for you to go home.
How'd you like Dick's steak done, Bob ? Medium ?
- There's absolutely no need to drag the man into the spotlight. - You dragged Herb Stempel in.
The man has to be dragged from the spotlight with his teethmarks still on it.
Yeah, well, nobody forced Charles Van Doren to go in front of 50 million people either.
This is not McCarthyism. We are not here to expose for the sake of exposing.
- This is not the point ! - That is the point ! That is not your point !
You are ten times the man Charles Van Doren is.
Ten times the brain and ten times the human being.
Meanwhile, you're bending over backwards for him.
You are like the Uncle Tom of the Jews.
l'm glad it's so easy for you to destroy a man's life. l'll have to keep that in mind.
Bob, sit down.
The quiz show hearings without Van Doren is like doing Hamlet without Hamlet.
The Chairman's instructions are for me to get you up there as promptly as possible.
The questions are to take no longer than 15 minutes.
You're to receive the questions in advance,
and l'm to thank you for the courtesy of attending this hearing.
Mercy. What a grueling line of inquiry.
Must have a familiar ring, the questions in advance.
Would you excuse us for a moment, please ?
Take this, please. Thank you.
- [ Door Closes ] - Young man--
The ratings went up if the same contestant came back week after week.
There was only one way for that to happen. You had to know that.
Young man, l sell over $14 million a year worth of Geritol.
Geritol. That's the kind of businessman l am.
That show, Twenty-One, cost me three and a half million year in, year out.
Sales went up 50% when Van Doren was on. Fifty percent.
So the very idea that l was unaware of every detail of that show's operation,
frankly, it's very insulting.
- So you knew. - That's even more insulting.
- You had to know-- - lt's not about what l know. lt's about what you know.
- You don't know what l know. - You know that Dan Enright ran a crooked quiz show.
He never informed you ?
Did he ?
[ Chuckles ] Let's see what he says.
Dan ? Look, Dan Enright wants a future in television, okay ?
You have to understand that the public has a very short memory.
But corporations, they never forget.
He's not that stupid. He knows he's through.
No. Oh, he'll be back. NBC is gonna go on. Geritol's gonna go on.
Makes me wonder what you hope to accomplish with all this.
Don't worry. l'm just gettin' started.
Even the quiz shows'll be back. Why fix them ?
Think about it. You could do exactly the same thing by just making the questions easier.
The audience didn't tune in to watch some amazing display of intellectual ability.
They just wanted to watch the money.
lmagine if they could watch you.
You're a bright young kid with a bright future. Watch yourself out there.
l turned in my clubs after that day.
[ Kintner ] Well, you weren't too good when you were out on the links with me that day.
l can't wait to get you out there again.
- Stuck in that sand trap for an hour. - No more for me.
Would you state your name and profession ?
My name is Robert Kintner. l'm the president of the National Broadcasting Company.
[ Man ] My name is Martin Rittenhome. l run Pharmaceuticals lncorporated.
l take that responsibility very seriously, Congressman.
We immediately commenced our own internal investigation.
To ferret out this corruption wherever it may exist.
Nobody brought the article in Time Magazine to your attention ?
l was in Europe. l didn't see it.
You didn't see it. You were travelling.
l didn't see it. l was travelling at the time.
You sure you never asked about particular contestants or about the ratings, nothing ?
- That was their department. - l relied on the excellent reputation of Dan Enright.
Dan Enright was more in the nature of an independent contractor.
Do you remember what you thought when you found out ?
l was as shocked as you are. l mean, this was a terrible thing to do to the American people.
l never, never imagined...
they could perpetrate this fraud on the American public.
l'd like to say one other thing. l think all that money should be returned.
Mr. Goodwin, any further questions ?
No, sir, thank you. No further questions.
[ Chairman ] On behalf of the subcommittee, l wish to thank you for your appearance...
and your testimony here.
Van Doren's made a statement.
l look like the mark in a shell game here, and you look like the shill.
- Sir, if you-- - Shut up !
- When is Van Doren coming here ? l don't see him on the schedule. - He's not on the schedule.
Wait a minute. We discussed this. The contestants are not the villains.
We were gonna only bring in the ones who would come in voluntarily.
All l know is in the last hour, l've gotten over 200 telegrams from people askin' me...
why l won't let poor Charles Van Doren defend himself.
l've got every woman in Arkadelphia squealin' like a pig under a gate.
- Let me tell you somethin'. These women vote. - l cannot believe this.
- [ Lishman ] Where is Freedman ? - The marshals are bringing him back from Mexico.
By what ? By mule ?
Sir, please, just tell me what it is that he said.
''Mr. Van Doren made himself available to the subcommittee staff.
He has advised them at no time was he supplied with any questions, answers--''
[ Whistling ]
That statement of yours took me a bit by surprise.
l know. l know. We had a deal.
l asked myself, ''Why would he make a statement like that ?
He knows l'll come after him.''
But then it occurred to me:
He knows l'll come after him.
l can't decide if you think too much of me or too little.
Charlie, l wanna think the best of you.
Everyone does.
That's your curse.
- Did you bring a subpoena ? - Right here.
Well ?
l remember five, six years ago, my Uncle Harold told my aunt about this affair he had.
- lt was a sort of mildly upsetting event in my family. - Mm-hmm. Mildly ?
You have to put it in context. The thing of it is, the affair was over like eight years.
So, l remember askin' him, ''Why'd you tell her ? You got away with it.''
l'll never forget what he said.
lt was the ''getting away with it'' part he couldn't live with.
l might take that chance.
A chance is what l'm givin' ya.
- Don Quixote is life. - [ Boy ] l still don't see...
how this old guy with a horse and a fat old sidekick can think he's a knight.
lt means if you wanna be a knight, act like a knight.
Okay.
Act like a knight ? You act like a knight.
[ Boy #2 ] l am a knight.
- l shall miss them. - What is this ? That retirement business again ?
[ Chuckles ] That'd be like a snail retiring from his shell.
l can't go on doing this forever. lt's for you now, Charlie.
- So, what's the news ? Did you read Norman Mailer in Dissent ? - l only glanced at it.
Everyone's talking about it. They don't know whether he's a genius or a fool.
Have you heard there's this congressional committee that's, um--
Well, they're investigating the quiz shows.
l read that. What's it about ?
Well, evidently, certain of the contestants were given the answers in advance.
Cheating on a quiz show. That's like plagiarizing a comic strip.
Well, at any rate, it seems the committee wants to call me to, to testify.
Oh, l've testified before. Funding for the arts. lt's nothing.
- l think this is a little different. - You'll run circles round them.
lt's not exactly Jefferson and Lincoln down there anymore.
l think this is a little different.
l'd think you'd be glad at a chance to clear your name.
Otherwise, people might believe--
People will believe whatever they want to believe. That's not the issue.
Just tell 'em the truth. You'll do fine.
The real issue, Charlie, is how this keeps distracting you from your teaching.
This and that program in the morning, though you insist that it doesn't.
Dad, l can't simply just tell 'em the truth.
Can't tell them the truth ?
Why on earth not ?
lt's, it's complicated.
Complicated ?
[ Sighs ] Yeah, l can't. l ca--
Charlie, from what l understand, it's just this bunch of frauds...
showing off an erudition they didn't really have.
- All you have to do-- - The problem is...
is it seems l was one of those frauds.
What ?
What-- What do you mean ?
They gave me the answers.
They gave you the answers.
They gave you the answers !
Well-- No, no.
At first, they asked me questions they already knew l knew the answers to.
We ran through those, and l still didn't want them to give me the answers,
so l had them give me questions and l'd go look up the answers,
as if that were any different.
We ran through those in a couple of weeks.
Then l just didn't have the time. Finally, it just seemed silly.
They gave you all that money to answer questions they knew you knew ?
- Now, that's inflation ! - You're not being very helpful.
l'm sorry, Charlie. l'm an old man. lt's all a little difficult for me to comprehend.
lt's television, Dad ! lt's, it's just television.
You make it sound like you didn't have a choice.
What was l supposed to do at that point ? Disillusion the whole goddamn country ?
- You took the money ! - Yes, l know ! l took the money.
- ls that what this was about ? - No. No. l don't know.
lt was a goddamned quiz show, Charlie.
- ''An ill-favored thing, sir. - This is not the time to play games.
- But mine own.'' lt was mine. - Your name is mine.
Charlie.
l'm sorry.
l'm really sorry, Dad.
You'll be, um...
dragged into all this, you and Mother.
Oh, my God, Charlie.
How are you gonna tell that committee ?
Will you come down there with me ?
[ Chairman ] The, uh, subcommittee calls Charles Van Doren.
[ Crowd Chattering ]
[ Reporters Firing Questions ]
- [ Gavel Pounding ] - Photographers will please clear the room.
- Will you please state your name ? - Charles Van Doren.
- l've gotta get in there. l've gotta get in there. - Excuse me, sir.
Wait a minute ! Hey, you, come back here !
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth,
- the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God ? - l do.
Now, we are advised that you have...
a prepared statement that you would prefer to give at the outset ?
- Yes, sir. Might l first have a glass of water ? - Of course you may.
You may proceed.
l would give almost anything l have to reverse the course of my life in the last year.
The past doesn't change for anyone.
But at least l can learn from the past.
l've learned a lot about life.
l've learned a lot about myself...
and about the responsibilities any man has to his fellow men.
l've learned a lot about good and evil. They're not always what they appear to be.
l was involved,
deeply involved, in a deception.
l have deceived my friends.
And l had millions of them.
l lied to the American people.
l lied about what l knew, and then l lied about what l did not know.
ln a sense, l was like a child who refuses to admit a fact in the hope that it'll go away.
Of course it did not go away.
l was scared,
scared to death.
l had no solid position.
No basis to stand on for myself.
There was one way out and that was... simply to tell the truth.
lt may sound trite to you, but l've found myself again after a number of years.
l've been acting a role,
maybe all my life, of thinking l've done more,
accomplished more, produced more than l have.
l have had all the breaks.
l have stood on the shoulders of life, and l've never gotten down into the dirt to build,
to erect a foundation of my own.
l have flown too high on borrowed wings.
Everything came too easy.
That is why l am here today.
[ Chairman ] Mr. Van Doren,
l want to compliment you for that statement.
Thank you, sir.
Uh, Mr. Van Doren, l would like to join the Chairman in commending you...
for the soul-searching fortitude displayed in your statement.
- Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. - [ Rogers ] Mr. Van Doren,
l just wanna add my kudos.
l have listened to many witnesses, in both civil...
and criminal matters,
and yours is the most soul-searching confession l think l've heard in a long time.
[ Van Doren ] Thank you, sir.
[ Congressman ] Mr. Van Doren,
l'm also from New York; a different part of New York.
l'm happy that you've made the statement, but l cannot agree with most of my colleagues.
You see, l don't think an adult of your intelligence ought to be commended...
for simply at long last telling the truth.
[ Scattered Applause ]
[ Gavel Pounding ]
lf the committee has nothing to add, Mr. Van Doren, you are dismissed.
- [ Reporters Chattering ] - Charlie ! Over here !
[ Crowd Chattering ]
Let him out, boys.
- [ Chairman ] The subcommittee will come to order. - [ Clears Throat ]
Our next witness will be Mr. Daniel Enright.
[ Reporters Chattering ]
- Charles, you're gonna have to answer some questions. - Okay, one at a time.
- How do you feel, Charlie ? - Relieved.
...the truth, the whole truth and nothin' but the truth, so help you God ?
- l do. - Who helped you write that statement ?
- Did you know you'd been fired by NBC ? - No, l didn't know.
- What do you have to say to the young people ? - Are you proud of your son ?
- l've always been proud of Charlie. - Proud of what he did ?
The most important thing now is for Charlie to get back to his teaching.
Did you know Columbia trustees are meeting right now ?
They're going to ask for Charlie's resignation.
Professor Van Doren, you spent your whole career at Columbia. What's your reaction to that ?
Prof. Van Doren ?
Dad, go ahead with Mother. l'll meet you outside.
- No reaction. Charles, a few more questions. - [ Reporters Chattering ]
Did the network or sponsor bring pressure on you...
to bring the same contestant back week after week ?
No, sir.
Did they express any approval or disapproval of any particular contestant ?
Never. Not to me.
Were they aware that you were supplying the contestants with the answers ?
No, sir. They had no knowledge whatsoever.
Herb Stempel. Herbie, how 'bout a picture, you and Van Doren together ?
- No. Not now. Christ, look at the guy. - Come on, the both of you.
You know what the problem with you bums is ?
You never leave a guy alone unless you're leaving him alone.
- Who do you blame, Charlie ? - Professor, one more shot.
Did you feel the committee treated you fairly ?
How'd the pressure up there compare to Twenty-One ?
So you freely admit that you helped rig these shows ?
- [ Enright ] What else could we do ? - Congratulations.
- For what ? - Van Doren.
l thought we were gonna get television.
The truth is... television is gonna get us.
[ Congressman ] And you obviously don't think you did anything wrong.
[ Enright ] Yes, we did one thing wrong. We were too successful.
[ Congressman ] You were too successful.
[ Enright ] Those advertising dollars came from somewhere.
Why do you think the newspapers and magazines are making such a big thing about this ?
[ Chairman ] Mr. Enright,
you make it sound like you are the victim here.
[ Enright ] The sponsor makes out, the network makes out,
the contestants see money they would never see in a lifetime and the public is entertained.
So who gets hurt ?
[ Chairman ] Mr. Freedman,
you freely admit that you helped rig these shows ?
- [ Freedman ] Yes, sir. - Yes, sir ? That's it ?
[ Freedman ] Well, sir, l don't know what else to say.
Give the public what they want. [ Chuckles ] lt's like your business.
[ Chairman ] Do you see a need for government regulation in this area ?
You know, it's not like the quiz shows are a public utility, sir.
lt's entertainment.
We're not exactly hardened criminals here.
[ Chuckles ] We're, we're in show business.
See the shark with
Teeth like razors
You can read his
Open face
And Macheath
He's got a knife, but
Not in such
An obvious place
On a beautiful
Blue Sunday
See the corpse
Stretched in the Strand
See a man dodge
Round the corner
Mackie's friends will
Understand
Mr. Meier
Reported missing
Like so many
Wealthy men
Mack the Knife
Acquired his cash box
God alone knows
How or when
Jenny Towler
She turned up lately
With a knife stuck
Through her breast
While Macheath
He walks the Embankment
Nonchalantly
Unimpressed
And the ghastly
Fire in Soho
Seven children
At a go
ln the crowd stands
Mack the Knife, but
He isn't asked
He doesn't know
And the child-bride
ln her nightgown
Whose assailant's
Still at large
Violated
ln her slumbers
Mackie, how much
Did you charge
Yes, the child-bride
ln her nightgown
Her assailant's
Still at large
Violated
ln her slumbers
Mackie, how much
Did you charge
Mackie, how much did you charge
How much did you charge