You guys were good tonight.
Oh, God. What are you doin' here?
Brantley, darling, I heard you calling me telepathically- I'm very psychic -
so of course I rushed right over.
- I would've used the phone. - Mental telepathy's much more reliable.
Aren't you gonna ask me in?
Yeah. Sorry.
Just a minute.
Father used to live like this before he founded Pemrose.
Aunt Vera...
I had a hell of a day, and I really have to get some sleep.
Brantley, you're a young man.
Young men have lots of energy.
Look.
- We have a problem. - What?
Your husband is my boss.
Oh, him. We won't tell him.
Besides, Howard's working late tonight.
On whom, I have no idea.
You look very beautiful tonight, Christy.
Thank you. Now, there are some business things we should discuss.
Do you think that this restaurant has an upstairs with beds in it?
Howard, please!
I don't feel altogether good about what's happened between us.
You are married.
- I'm not married. - You are married!
Well, yeah, I am married, but she and I have an understanding.
- I love you. - I don't really think so.
Well, then I lust after you. That oughta be worth something.
To you, perhaps. Now, let's talk business.
I pitched the need for cutbacks at the meeting today...
but a dissenting opinion was offered by Carlton Whitfield.
Who's Carlton Whitfield? I didn't hire any Carlton Whitfield.
Somebody did.
- Oh, my God. Donald Davenport. - What?
He may be a plant for Davenport, gathering information on the takeover.
It's just like him. I want you to get close to this guy Whitfield.
Find out what he's up to.
- You want me to spy on him? - No, I don't want you to spy on him.
I want you to get to be friends with him...
then rifle through his papers and tell me what you find.
That's spying, Howard.
Look, you have got to drop this incessant innocence.
Life is harsh and ugly, and only the strong survive.
Or didn't they teach you that at Harvard?
- What you got in there? - My lunch.
Your lunch? In a briefcase?
Yeah. Ran out of brown bags.
One of you guys got a spare pair of laces?
Hey, man, I had a babe last night you wouldn't believe.
"Ta-Na's" out to here, man. She was fine. Where'd he go?
- Coming through. Excuse me. - Take it easy. Come on.
Sorry.
- What a nightmare. - Stuck again?
- I'm all right, though. I'm fine. - You okay?
- You all right? - Don't worry about me. Thanks.
Jean, transcribe these notes. There's some things on there I need right away.
Make copies of this, copies of this.
- Did you get those supplies I needed? - Yes, sir.
Good. I'll be back later.
- Gentlemen. - Good morning.
- Goddam that thing! - This thing stuck again?
These elevators are stuck again?
I'm sick and tired of these elevators always gettin' stuck.
Hi, Jean. Will you take those to the cleaners?
These are some of the notes I found in Whitfield's office.
If you want anything more, you can go after it yourself.
Do you think he's working for Davenport?
I have no idea. I'm out of the spy business.
We can't wait for Whitfield any longer. Let's get started.
Davis here has prepared what I'm sure is a thoroughly incompetent analysis...
but let's listen to him read it before we start criticizing.
Fine. I won't read it at all. Is that all right?
You have a bad attitude, and I am gonna tell Mr. Prescott about it.
Does anybody else have anything to say?
Hi. Sorry, I'm late.
Sorry. Hi, everybody.
Casual attire today, Whitfield?
Yeah, trousers, yeah.
New product line. Testing 'em out. Pretty good.
- Good fabric. - Good idea.
- Christy, you have something to say. - Yes.
I came up with some more cuts in the Middle States area.
Let me pass these out.
Why can't you be more like her, Davis?
Mr. Prescott! Well, what a surprise!
Art, I haven't received the full report on the cutbacks yet...
so I thought I'd drop in and see what the problem is.
No problem. No, sir. Everything is tip-top.
Whitfield has pointed out a few wrinkles...
and we are going to iron those wrinkles out.
You don't mind if I stay for a few minutes, do you?
Yes, sir.
- Which one of you is Whitfield? - Oh, my God!
Nosebleed! Dry heat! Get 'em all the time!
Oh, God! No sight for the squeamish.
Who was that?
Well, that's the new boy, Whitfield.
Sorry.
Needed some supplies.
Well, back to business.
A few of these, and -
Oh, God!
You're from Receiving, aren't you?
I see you're a workaholic.
Yeah, well...
I got a lot of work to do.
- What are you doing here so late? - I'm a workaholic too.
Wow. You mean we have something in common?
So, what's all this supposed to be?
It's the heart and soul of an idea you hated: expansion in the Midwest.
I don't hate it. I just think it's risky.
Furthermore, Mr. Prescott doesn't want it.
It's a waste of time to pursue it.
But if something's right, how can it be a waste of time?
There is no right or wrong. There is only opinion.
You know, in some states, you can get arrested for saying that.
All right. Convince me.
Convince me then that your opinion is the right one.
All right.
Take a look at this. And this.
And, yeah.
Peruse that.
Why do you keep saying the exact opposite of what I say?
- 'Cause you keep saying stupid things. - Will you look at these figures?
They prove that the elimination of salaries...
would create a war chest for the defence of the Pemrose Corporation.
- Can't you see that? - No, I can't. I'll tell you why.
Closing those factories is just gonna send a panic through the market.
- That might happen or that might not. - No, it will happen.
All right, close the centres, put thousands of people out of work.
You're gonna waste all your profits on unemployment contributions...
severance pay, union lawsuits.
Are you all right?
- My blood sugar's dropping. - What?
It's just my mind wandered in the middle of what you were saying.
It means I need food. Do you wanna get a bite?
- Yeah, come on. I'll buy you dinner. - No, no, no. Dutch.
Just tell me one more time what your solution is to this crisis.
- We don't cut. We expand. - I agree.
Expansion is a positive reaction to the universe.
While retraction or cutting back or pulling off -
Those are all negative forces.
I used to be very negative, and then I took this personality workshop.
My whole life turned around.
Hiya. My name's Sheila.
You make a good-lookin' couple. How long you been goin' together?
- About 20 minutes. - First date, huh? Good luck.
No, we're business colleagues.
Colleagues! Who needs that?
You should go together. You look good together.
Did you wanna order?
- Yeah, we need to see some menus. - Menus! I'm sorry.
I'm studying to be an actress. I'm a better actress than I am a waitress.
Concentration, that's my big problem. I'll be right back.
Well, Sheila's in favour of expansion.
We should bring her to our next meeting. Art Thomas would like her a lot.
Sheila is also in favour of us seeing each other.
- Yes, well, Sheila is clearly a nut. - I heard that.
You should try to be more positive with your life...
or you're gonna wind up miserable.
She heard me.
I'm having a nice time. How 'bout you?
Yes, very nice.
Well, it's pleasant walking.
I mean, I don't want to imply anything.
About your expansion plan, I did some checking...
and we can get some tax breaks if we put up a facility in the Midwest region.
You checked? Earlier today?
That's great.
The powers that be seem to want the cutting, but I -
I've been trying to stay open to your ideas- your business ideas.
That's great.
Okay, so you're open to my business ideas.
Now, how about my after-work ideas?
Don't push. Yesterday, I thought you were obnoxious.
You know, a lot of people start out that way.
- They usually end up gettin' married. - Don't hold your breath.
Come on.
Look, I think you're secretly crazy about me.
And I think you'd feel a lot better if you'd just admit it.
Come on. You'll like me. I'm an acquired taste.
My dad insisted on buying me this.
A round-trip ticket back to Kansas.
I almost traded it in a couple of times.
But now, it's kind of a symbol.
The day I use this ticket...
is the day New York has beaten me.
You know, I just noticed something.
- You're kind of a mess. - Thank you.
- Did anybody ever tell you that? - You're the first.
So what I was wonderin' was...
how you can be so incredibly beautiful...
and be such a mess?
When two people get involved on a project together...
there's a danger of getting emotionally involved.
That would be bad.
They confuse the intensity of their involvement on the project...
and mistake it as a relationship.
- What are you, a shrink? - It's happened to me.
It's actually still happening to me, I guess.
And then...
the project ends and they find they don't have anything to talk about.
Okay, it's settled then.
We won't get involved while we're working on this project.
Right.
So who is he?
Who?
Who? My competition.
Just a guy.
All right, so why don't we call this guy?
Tell him you met a new guy. The whole thing is off.
- I can't call him. - Why not?
His wife might answer the phone.
- Big mistake. - Yeah, well, let's not talk about it.
- I've done a lot of stupid things... - I bet you have.
- But I have never... - Ever?
been involved with a married man.
Well, he was sort of separated when we started.
Yeah, well, it turned out to be a lie.
The whole thing was a mistake.
But we live and we learn and we move on -
That wasn't bad.
Thank you.
Can you do it again just as good?
I could try.
- Where were you all weekend? - At least begin with "good morning."
I'm madder than hell!
I want to know why you weren't answering your phone.
I owe a lot to you, Howard.
I'll always be grateful for the chance you gave me in this company...
and the things I've learned.
What is this? What are you leading up to?
I wanna work with you.
I respect you more than you know, but...
I can't be involved with you outside the office any more.
Hello?
Yes, I'm looking for the transportation costs from Toledo dating September -
I'll call you back.
Look, I'm not gonna pressure you on this.
I want you to take your own time...
and decide what's best for you.
Thank you.
I do think the timing's a little ironic, though.
I was gonna tell you last night...
that Vera and I have agreed on terms for a divorce.
I only wish that Vera and I could have worked things out sooner.
That way, you and I might have had a chance.
This arrived this morning by messenger.
Davenport has called an emergency meeting...
of the board of directors for Monday morning...
and he's offering to take over the company.
I'm inviting all key personnel to spend the weekend at my house in Litchfield.
I'd like you to be there too.
Of course I'll be there.
One more question- personal.
Just out of curiosity, who were you with last night?
Whitfield. Carlton Whitfield.
It was all business. Some of his ideas are brilliant.
I'm looking forward to hearing 'em. I have to talk to him today.
Those notes that I took from Whitfield's office- I'd like them back, please.
Of course. I'll get them to you.
Heads up. Thanks.
What's your hurry? What's goin' on?
I got a special delivery here marked "urgent."
I'm watching you, Foster.
Just remember, every minute...
God is watching you.
Excuse me, Miss, I'm a reporter for the Times, and I couldn't help noticing...
you look like a woman who's recently been made love to.
- Not here. - You weren't made love to here.
Was it anywhere within the New York State lines, because we usually let...
the Philadelphia Gazette handle Pennsylvania.
What's up? You seem kind of upset.
I hate men.
Well, I'm glad I'm not one of 'em.
Listen, there's something I gotta explain to you.
I have something to tell you too. I did something I wish I hadn't, and -
All right, look.
- This weekend? - Can't.
- I have some loose ends to tie up. - Good!
- I'll take care of it. - Have a nice weekend. See you Monday.
Excuse me, Miss. I'm sorry. Excuse me!
You didn't see me. I wasn't here.
- Where is he? Where'd he go? - I didn't see him. He wasn't here.
You still here?
You look great.
The end of the second lap, you still got a comfortable lead.
Excuse me again.
- Hi, boss. - Shit!
Bye, boss.
- Hi. - What are you doing here?
Looking for Whitfield. Got a delivery for him.
Why are you wearing a suit?
- Because of the funeral. - Whose funeral?
A friend. He died. We buried him.
What is all this stuff?
Production performance charts for the Midwest region, I guess.
Where is Whitfield?
He's not here?
- Have you ever seen Whitfield? - Yes, sir.
Well, lots of times.
I deliver here every day. Great guy.
How does he get all this information?
Well, it's available in most quarterly stock reports...
probably.
- Take this up to my office. - Yes, sir.
- You're not comin'? - I'll be there in a minute.
One question: What the hell are you doin'?
- Having a nervous breakdown. - No wonder.
Look, nothin' good can come from this. If you get caught, you get canned.
If you don't get caught, you become one of them- a suit.
- It's a no-win situation. - I'm still a half a step ahead of them.
I hear music when I look at you
Aunt Vera, hi. How are you?
I'm in the mood for love
Simply because you're near me
A medley. Gee, that's nice.
Why are you singing a medley?
I get no kick from champagne
- Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all - Please, don't sing any more.
Oh, God!
I haven't sung in years. You see what you do to me?
He's on his way up.
He's gonna be here any minute. Why are you doing this?
- I'm going to have you for lunch. - Can't I get you a ham and cheese?
Look at that cute little Adam's apple.
Listen. Oh, shit. Since the last time we met, there's been a change.
Yes, nice suit, Brantley.
Look, what I mean to say is - Oh, Christ!
- I'm not free any more. - You're gonna charge me?
You're getting awfully cynical. Does your mother know about this?
- No, I mean I'm not available! - Good, you're not gonna charge me.
Don't worry, Brantley. I don't wanna marry you. I'm already married.
- I just wanna love you. - Love.
I don't mean love as in two star-crossed virginettes running through the clover.
Nothing icky like that. I'm a practical woman. You should be a practical man.
If you just let me, I could steer you through these shark-infested waters...
of this stupid company just like I steered Howard.
Look, I like you. I really like you. But I gotta tell you.
I've become seriously and emotionally involved with someone who isn't my aunt.
- I forgive you, Brantley. - Listen!
- There is someone else in my life! - I got it. I don't care.
There's someone else in my life too.
Maybe we should introduce your girlfriend and my husband.
Look, I don't wanna get rough with you, but I'll belt you around if I have to.
Jesus Christ, Vera! I'm gonna get fired. Gimme a break.
Don't whine, Brantley. Life is too short.
Before you know it, you'll be 25, wondering where it all went.
- What the hell is this? - He fainted.
Fainted?
- Dead away. - Actually, he hit his head.
- It was like fainting. Knocked out. - Hit his head on what?
- The floor. - The ceiling.
- Which one? - Both.
- Neither. - What the hell happened?
Uncle Howard, it was like this.
I walked into your office...
and I saw this beautiful woman...
who I had never seen before in my life.
And imagine my surprise when I found out it was my Aunt Vera.
Well, he was so excited, his blood pressure shot up...
and then he fell and hit his head on the floor.
Out like a light. So I crawled deliriously to the sofa.
- And I rushed to his aid. - And you walked in.
And shame on you for not telling me our nephew's working for the company.
Our nephew works for the company.
I've got a million things to take care of today.
- Why are you here? - Lunch.
- We were supposed to have lunch. - I've had my lunch.
- You don't seem to realize - - I do realize, Howard.
So, you won't mind if Brantley and I go out to lunch to get better acquainted?
- Fine. - I can't. I gotta go to a funeral.
You said you already went.
You know, in my grief, I forgot.
Why don't we bring Brantley out to the house this weekend for the party?
I mean, he is family.
Yes, you know, that might be a very good idea.
No, I don't think I'd fit in, Aunt Vera.
But you do fit in, Brantley.
I'll make sure he has a wonderful time.
All right. It's settled. Now, can I get back to work here?
It'll be nice to have a playmate for the weekend.
- You wanted to see me, sir? - Oh, yeah, Brantley.
I want you to know I've been watching you very closely lately.
- You have? - I know everything you've been up to.
- You do? - Everything.
Sir, I can explain this. See, I didn't know who that was -
I know, for example, that you've been working hard in the mailroom.
You've kept your eyes open and your nose clean.
You stayed out of trouble.
I'm gonna reward you for that one of these days.
But first I'd like to ask a favour of you.
You name it, sir.
We'll talk about it while we work out.
You like to sweat, don't you, Brantley?
Your Aunt Vera seems to have taken an instant liking to you.
- I hadn't noticed. - It's obvious.
I think she'd like to get to know you a lot better.
I want to encourage that.
I'd like you to spend lots of time with Aunt Vera...
at the party this weekend.
Men like us can't be locked in to one woman, Brantley.
We need variety. Keeps us young, energetic, competitive.
You get my meaning? Of course you do. We're men of the world, right?
Now, a problem has developed.
- I have a friend, a companion - - A girl.
She's been getting a little antsy lately.
Wants me to leave my wife.
Well, I'm not about to leave my wife - not for her, not for anyone.
I just need a little time to get the situation under control again.
- Understand? - Not altogether.
Well, I'm inviting her out to the party this weekend...
and we're gonna spend a little time together...
which is why I need you to keep your Aunt Vera...
occupied as much as possible.
- Get the picture? - Yeah, wide-screen.
- But I got some big plans this weekend. - Fine. I won't forget this favour.
- No, you don't understand. See - - Great. It's all settled then.
I've got my eye out for some rapid advancement for you, Brantley.
You seem to be a young man with a lot on the ball. Keep it up.
Schmuck.
That's nice.
Excuse me. Brantley, darling, I was afraid you wouldn't come.
I'm going to introduce you to the most powerful money men in New York.
If you can do to them what you've done to me -
- I can't do that. - I mean bowl them over, darling.
You're irresistible when you turn on that boyish charm.
- Hi, Whitfield. - Whitfield?
Yeah, it's my middle name. Brantley Whitfield...
- Hi, Carlton. - Carlton Foster.
- You go by all those names? - Yeah, I got a lot of 'em.
My parents couldn't make up their mind. My monogram looks like an eye chart.
You're always surprising me, Brantley. That's your most attractive quality.
Promise me you'll never stop.
- I promise. - Good. Now.
Roland Owens, First Federal. Very rich. We start with him.
He made his money the really old-fashioned way.
He inherited it.
And see the man playing tennis with the elbow brace...
the knee strap and the glove?
Vernon S. Fletcher, Wall Street's iron man.
If he likes you, you can write your own ticket, and he'll like you.
Who's the tall guy with all the girls?
Good eye, Brantley. Harley McMasters, First Multinational.
Recently divorced. They're all dying to be the second Mrs. First Multinational.
Listen, you're not gonna tell anybody I work in the mailroom, are ya?
Trust me, Brantley.
I got Howard his key to the executive washroom.
I can do the same thing for you.
Here are Whitfield's notes.
- Impressive. - Thank you.
This is supposed to be a business trip, remember?
Baby, how can I concentrate on business?
Howard, let me go!
What are you doing here?
Would Carlton Whitfield miss a party?
- I'm so glad you're here. - So am I.
Quick!
Stop! Not here!
You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Wait. I gotta tuck. You go first. Go first.
- How do I look? - Come on. Come on.
Well, I've had a look at that preliminary report...
and I'm satisfied that the proposed cutbacks are our best line of defence.
Thank you, sir. We have tried to cut hard and to cut deep.
- Yes. The job was adequately done. - Thank you, sir.
I think Whitfield is right, and this report is wrong.
- Have you seen Christy? - No, I haven't, sir. Not for a while.
- Have you seen Christy? - Sorry. No, I haven't.
- Jack. - Yes, Howard.
Have you seen Christy Wills?
She's talking to Whitfield.
No? Come on. That's my best- trust me.
It's my best one.
Would you excuse us for a minute, Christy?
Brantley, did you know that Whitfield is here?
Yeah, I think he was here earlier, but he left.
No. Somebody saw him a few minutes ago talking to Christy.
Now, I've got my reasons.
I want you to stay close to Christy...
and keep Whitfield away from her.
Can you do that for me?
Hey, I'm your man.
Good. I knew I could count on you.
What was that all about?
Well, he wants me to stay as close to you as possible.
- He told you that? - Yeah.
I don't know. I guess he thinks we make a good couple.
Are you awake?
Darling?
Sweetheart, it's Howard.
- Go away! - Let's make this a night to remember.
Darling, I know you're angry with me...
but think of all the things that we've meant to each other.
I want to marry you, Christy.
Don't be that way, baby.
What do you say? Will you marry me?
No, but I'd like to beat the shit outta you!
Wait till I get my -
Who is that?
Oh, my God!
The sexual revolution is over. Everybody, out of bed.
What are you doing in Christy's bed, Brantley?
- I'm talking to you, Howard. - Who's Brantley?
Brantley is the guy who just found his stolen notes in your bag.
Those are Whitfield's notes, and they are not stolen. He gave them to me.
You were so grateful to him, you climbed into bed and asked him to marry you.
What are you talking about? I climbed into bed with you.
Baloney!
You thought you were climbing into bed with her.
Wait. When I came in, he was in bed with Whitfield.
Whitfield? He wasn't even here.
- Are you blind? Who's that? - That's Brantley.
So this is the bimbo you've been screwing around with at the office?
- Who are you calling a bimbo? - If the shoe fits -
What's that supposed to mean?
Why didn't you ask for those? I would have given 'em to you.
I was gonna tell you about that. It happened before I really knew you.
So when we were in bed, that whole thing was James Bond time, right?
- No! - You went to bed with Brantley?
Don't worry, Howard. She's probably got microfilm pictures of the whole thing.
What were you doing in bed with my nephew?
- Whitfield's your nephew? - This is Brantley Foster.
He works in the mailroom.
The mailroom? You mean you're not an executive?
Let me get this straight. Brantley is Whitfield?
That's right.
Brantley is Whitfield. Whitfield is Brantley.
And Christy is the bimbo.
Well, now that we've had Mouseketeer roll call...
I'm just going to go call my lawyer.
Wait. Christy is not the bimbo I was screwing around with at the office.
People better stop calling me "bimbo."
It was an entirely different bimbo.
That's fine. How many bimbos would you say there were?
I misspoke myself. There weren't any bimbos at all.
- Except Christy. - Right. No!
The question is, how many people did you sleep with to get to the top?
That was a very expensive vase, you bitch.
Shut up! Now listen. Whatever I did was my business, not yours.
No, you mean it was company business.
That's right, and that's all it was: business.
Let me tell you somethin', sweetheart.
You're very good at your job.
You mean I was workin' for a guy from the mailroom?
- You're not an executive? - He's too good to be an executive.
- Disappointed? - Yes!
I was having fun on this job.
You had all this energy, and all these crazy ideas.
And you kept takin' your pants off.
I don't want you to go.
Here.
Just a little somethin' to remember me by.
- Thank you. - Brantley, why you lookin' so sad?
I don't know. I just thought it'd work out better, you know?
The job or the girl?
The job. To hell with the girl.
Yeah. You sound real convincing.
Well, look at it this way, pal.
For a few weeks, you sat up here in the lofty atmosphere of the big cheeses.
You had a nice view of Manhattan and a clean lunchroom to eat in.
Hell, you did more in two months than most people do in a lifetime.
Yeah, I'm gonna miss it.
The job or the girl?
- Goin' back to Kansas? - No, I'm not goin' back to Kansas.
I came to New York to succeed.
I hear there's an opening in the mailroom.
You should talk. You're just as unemployed as I am.
Not for long. I have contacts all over town.
- There's always another Prescott around. - Low blow, Foster. Dirty pool.
- I call 'em like I see 'em. - Yeah, you're perfect, right?
- I never slept with the boss. - No, you slept with the boss's wife.
She seduced me.
He seduced me. What's the difference?
I couldn't help it. You went willingly.
- I see. You were tied up in chains. - I'll tell you what the difference is.
- I thought you were a nice guy. - I am a nice guy!
You're a rat!
You lied to me, deceived me, then acted as judge and jury...
in a situation you knew nothing about.
- I know you were spying on me. - I wasn't spying on you!
- And I won't be spying on you any more! - No, you won't, 'cause if I see you -
Sorry. This car is full.
- We could never pull that off. - How do you know?
I'm a kid from the mailroom who moved into a top executive position.
Are you gonna tell me I can't pull it off?
But you didn't.
I almost did. We could pull this off.
- I'm gonna need your help, both of you. - Is it somethin' I could get fired for?
- Absolutely. - I like it.
Jean, see if you can find Harley McMasters' phone number.
And get some food up here. Chinese sound good to you?
Mr. Davenport, we realize you'll want to move some of your own people...
into the medium control positions here at Pemrose.
Naturally.
What we're concerned about, frankly, is the upper management positions.
- Most of 'em will have to go. - Oh, no.
I see.
But a handful of 'em...
who have been so helpful...
like yourselves, of course...
will be stay in' as long as you like.
Well, then I see nothing to stand in the way...
of the immediate merger of our two companies.
Is this the place? It is! Hey, good. Sorry we're late.
- Get them out of here. - I'm sorry. This is a private meeting.
- I have to ask you to leave. - Hold these, will you? Thanks a lot.
- Call building security. - Howard, relax. Listen.
On behalf of the personnel in the mailroom...
the girls in the secretarial pool, the female executives here at Pemrose...
we wanted to give our blessing to this little merger.
- Who in hell are these people? - Is that Don? Donny!
How ya doin'? You mind if I stand up? I think better when I'm movin' around.
Gotta tell you, Don...
at first, the idea of this merger made me as nervous...
as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
But then I realized I was wrong.
The combination of our products and your distribution capabilities...
could vault Pemrose right to the top of the market.
So glad you approve...
whoever you are.
Now if you get the hell out of here, we'll finish the job.
I can't do that for you, Don.
See, the problem here is management.
Things were bad enough when Howard was running the company.
- Now we got you to deal with too. - Get them out of here, now.
He can't, Don. You see, Brantley made arrangements...
to buy five percent of the stock...
in your company, Davenport Enterprises, this morning.
- We're buying you out. - What?
Get in there!
That's right!
We've initiated a takeover of Davenport Enterprises...
in a proxy fight for the Pemrose Corporation.
- This way, Mr. McMasters. - Gentlemen, good afternoon.
These are my financial advisers.
They agreed to lend me the money to finance this takeover.
Surely you're not going to invest in some crackpot scheme...
cooked up by a kid who used to work in our mailroom.
Not at first, Howie, but I had an ace in the hole:
a major stockholder in the company with the clout and support I needed.
Don, I want you to meet...
the new chairperson of the Pemrose Corporation...
and the daughter of the founder...
Vera Prescott.
Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Brantley and I are very old friends...
and when he told me his wonderful ideas for running the company...
I knew he was the man for the job.
I think we all understand your real motivation here, Vera.
I admit I felt...
some attraction towards Brantley at the beginning...
but as you've always told me, Howard...
love is love...
but business is business.
You've run Daddy's company into the ground, Howard...
and I believe these people here can bring it back to where it belongs again.
Now, up, Howard, out of that chair.
Don't be ridiculous. I'm not about to resign my position.
You don't have to, Howard. You're fired.
What?
- Vera, you can't! - Yes, I can.
You see, Mr. Davenport...
as of this afternoon, I control 50.1% of the voting stock.
You, too, Art. You're history.
Brantley, Christy, Jean, Melrose.
Gentlemen, just in time.
Mr. Prescott and his aide have disrupted a very important meeting.
Would you please escort them out of the building?
Vera! Why this open hostility?
I don't understand. How did you get so -
Would you take charge of the meeting now, Brantley?
- What did I ever do to deserve this? - Excuse me.
Feel free to do that amongst yourselves if you want.
- So have you been to Kansas? - No. What's in Kansas?
Well, I figured we'd take the private Pemrose jet...
drop in on the folks.
They're gonna want to meet you.
Why haven't I met you before?
Baby, you ain't been hangin' out in the mailroom.
The mailroom. I like that sound.
Charlie, we got that same problem with elevator three again.
I don't believe this.
This elevator's stuck again.
- Where to, sir? - The opera, Rattigan.
Yes, sir.