Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II (1976) s01e05 Episode Script

Chapter 5

Last on "Rich Man, Poor Man": You asked me to find out about Charles Estep and his Tricorp outfit.
Tricorp is into various manufacturing companies.
- At least three, maybe more.
- What about the man? Spends most of his time in Dallas on a ranch about the size of Connecticut.
One of the richest men in the world.
Then how can you close down Jordache's plant? Wildcat strike.
Get something straight.
I'm not choking on a silver spoon cos I never had one.
That's my uncle's house, it's not mine.
It's big and it's expensive, and a lot of times I feel out of place there.
That was really heavy, what you laid on me about my mother.
I didn't know.
It really blew my mind.
Yeah.
I guess I - I'm sorry.
I really am.
- It wasrt your fault.
Like I said, it goes one way or the other.
Ramona! Come on, join the walk.
- What's goir on? - What does it look like? We're on strike.
- How come? - Talk to my father, president of the local.
- Hey.
What's with you? - Nothing.
I'm sorry about our night out in New York.
I got a little drunk.
A little drunk? You were zonked out of your mind.
- Billy said he got you home all right.
- Yeah.
He comes on a little strong sometimes, but he's a really good guy.
Yeah.
- He was OK, wasrt he? - What do you mean? I don't know.
It's just something in your voice.
Billy didn't do anything out of line, did he? No, he was fine.
- Your father give you any flak? - Yeah, he blew his top.
But he's calmed down now.
It's OK.
Here.
Afraid it'll bite you? Uh, it's just, see, I celebrated getting a job by going out and buying myself a bike.
It looks beat up, but the motor's in great condition.
I bought it from a lady who used it to go to church.
So, fine.
Pull it out of there and park on the road.
Yeah, only I'm paying it off.
25 bucks a month.
- How will I make the payments? - That's what you're worried about? And I don't like the idea of somebody else deciding whether I work or not.
I'm saying nobody told me what this is all about.
You got skipped over when we passed word around.
- It was kinda sudden.
A wildcat.
- A what? Westco's on war contracts.
The union calls a strike and a judge can fine us, sue us for damages.
So we just walked out on our own.
OK? What is this? We go out on a date, everything's groovy, we have a beautiful time.
All of a sudden you're treating me like a dead fish.
We want a clause in our contracts that gives us a raise every time the cost of living takes a jump.
That make sense? Yeah.
Sure.
I guess.
Before I decide to strike for it, I wanna hear the company's side.
- Why are you getting so mad? I said - I heard what you said.
In that fancy house it's hard for you to understand.
There are people who can't support their families.
Oh, come on.
Have you ever been hungry a day in your life? Maybe they've got a real beef.
All I'm saying is You don't know how these people live.
I do, cos it's how I lived.
Ten years old, my father was out of work for 14 months.
A pair of jeans and a dress were all I had to my name, and if that dress got a rip in it it was the worst thing in the world.
I'm gonna tell you something.
My father's a proud man, and when my mother died he had to go around to his friends and borrow money to bury her.
So don't you talk to me about paying for your lousy motorcycle.
(horn) - Can I talk to you? - Yeah.
- Alone.
- OK.
- Get in.
- I'll walk.
- I thought we had a deal.
- I don't make deals with management.
OK, an agreement.
Any grievances, you were gonna come to me.
Have it out face to face.
Not a word of warning, and I got a picket line! Why? - We got serious problems.
- Then why didn't you ask for a meeting? Because I know those meetings.
You bring company lawyers, accountants, experts with their briefcases full of paper to prove you're going broke.
Do you see any lawyers here? Huh? OK, let's go sit down right now.
Oh, no, no.
You got a high-class education.
You can talk rings around me.
- I doubt that.
- How are we gonna see eye to eye? Up there, that's where you see things from.
It looks different from down here.
- OK, Scotty, come on.
What is it? - What do you mean? That day we met in my office, you promised you'd deal with me.
You're not the kind who goes back on a promise.
- Now, what the hell happened here? - Get off my back.
Will you get off my back? Come on.
I want a list of all management people who came up from the line.
What jobs they did on the floor, whether they think they can still handle them.
That's what it boils down to.
Either I shut down or I try to keep running.
I'll get a judge to hit them with an injunction.
- That won't stop them.
- It'll keep them from blocking the line.
Get me Marsh Goodwin in Washington.
I just can't believe how quickly it happened.
Yeah.
And Scotty down there, I tried to talk to him.
He seems scared.
Could be he's under pressure from someplace.
The national union? When Tricorp was trying to move in on Duncan Calderwood, that material you gave me on the way they operate, it happened more than once - a company Estep's trying to take over finds itself in the midst of labour trouble.
Estep.
You think he has something to do with this? Wild guess.
I don't know.
The way life's going these days, anything's possible.
All right, let's go for that injunction.
He said, "Kid, have you rehabilitated yourself?" I walked over to the sergeant and I said, "Sergeant, you've got a lot of gall to ask me if I've rehabilitated myself.
" "I mean I'm sitting here on the Group W bench cos you wanna know if I'm moral enough to join the army - burn women, kids, houses, children, villages - after being a litterbug.
" He walked up to me, said, "Kid, we don't like your kind, and we're gonna send your fingerprints off to Washington.
" I really hate the Village.
It's so tacky.
Joints like this are where it's happening, where you catch the new talent.
I'd still rather we go someplace uptown.
I know some bars in the 50s that are really wild.
I'm not here to play, baby, I'm here to work.
there's only one thing you can do, and that's walk up to the shrink, wherever you are, walk in and say: You can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant and walk out.
Imagine one person walking in and singing a bar of "Alice's Restaurant".
- What's that for? - Oh in case I hear somebody who isn't on a record yet.
It gives me a chance to sit back and check on what's going down later.
You're cute.
Imagine three people walking in, singing a bar of "Alice's Restaurant", walking out.
- You're dynamite.
- They might think it's an organisation.
Can you imagine 50 people a day? 50 people walking in, singing a bar of "Alice's Restaurant" and walking out.
Friends, they might think it's a movement.
That's what it is.
The Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement.
All you gotta do to join is to sing it the next time it comes around on the guitar.
With feeling.
Here it is.
You can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant You get can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant Walk right in, it's around the back Just a half-a-mile from the railroad track And you can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant That was terrible.
You know, if you wanna end war and stuff, you gotta sing loud.
And I've been singing this song for 20 minutes.
I could sing it for another 20 minutes.
I'm not proud or tired.
So we'll just wait here till it comes around and then when it comes around again, we'll sing it in four-part harmony and feeling.
We're just waiting for it to come around, is what we're doing.
Too bad Arlo's got a manager already.
If I'd have been around six months ago, I'd have nailed him.
Here it is.
You can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant Excepting Alice You can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant Walk right in, it's around the back Just a half-a-mile from the railroad track And you can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant Da da da da da da da da At Alice's Restaurant (applause) OK.
Celebration time.
I'm just back from Nam and I hooked the job I've been looking for - A&R man.
How 'bout that? You're supposed to pick up new talent, right? What about me? When do I get my chance to record? Soon, baby, soon.
I'm working on it.
Sugar.
- What'll you have? - Really? Celebration time? I think I'll have filet mignon, please.
Here? - You're crazy.
- Meaning "take a hamburger"? Meaning, wait and I'll take you to Toots Shor's, where you can have a real steak and a bottle of champagne.
We'll have us a pitcher of beer.
- Hi.
- Hey.
It's almost one.
What are you doing up? I don't know.
Thinking.
Trying to sort something out.
You wanna talk about it? Come on.
What's on your mind? It's the strike.
I guess I'm not too clear what it's all about.
I was talking to Scotty's daughter, Ramona, and she says that I mean, haven't they got a point? - I mean, the cost of living's going up.
- Yeah.
It's getting tough to make ends meet.
But it's something I'm willing to discuss.
That's the problem.
They didn't come to me.
They never once tried to talk about it.
But that's not fair.
- Are you gonna keep the plant open? - I've got army contracts.
If I can't fulfil them, Westco could be out of business.
Your father ever tell you anything about how we lived when we were kids? Our old man was a baker.
He worked some days from four o'clock in the morning till midnight - pounding that dough, slaving over an oven, just barely scratching out an existence.
Not the details.
We lived in this ratty little apartment over the shop.
Practically from the time Tom and I could walk, he put us to work.
Me on my bicycle.
(laughs) Racing around town making deliveries.
Wesley, believe me, I know what it's like to go for weeks with nothing but bread and potato soup for supper.
The idea of making those people on the picket line go through that isn't a very easy thing to live with.
If you decide to keep the plant open, I'm with you.
(Ramona) It was terrific, it really was.
That's what I'm here for.
Night.
Say good night to Wes for me.
Cinderella.
Like I said, it goes one way or the other.
See you.
- Be on the picket line tomorrow? - What's that mean? The way you cosy up to the boss's kid, I wasrt sure.
- What? - How does it go? The old strike song.
"Which side are you on?" Is that supposed to be a joke? You brought me up saying, "Union, union!" I've had it drummed into me ever since I was a kid.
When did they get stalled? - What? - The negotiations.
They elected me to run this local.
When I need your help I'll ask for it.
- I'm a member.
I pay my dues.
- And my daughter.
That calls for respect.
- I'm sorry.
- You respect my decisions.
You respect my wishes.
That includes staying away from that Jordache kid.
Bad enough you go waltzing off to New York without my permission, staying out till 3am.
I gotta look out the window to see you kissing him.
It wasrt OK, I know what you're saying.
"I'm not a baby any more.
" - "I expect you to trust me.
" - That's right.
Do you think it's easy, bringing up a daughter all by myself? No.
Hey, you OK? You're not in any not in any trouble or anything? I'm fine.
- My girl.
- Always.
Thank you.
Every once in a while somebody comes along who's really special and tonight there's a friend of mine here.
She writes and sings her own songs.
This is the first time she's played.
I'd like you to welcome Annie Adams.
(applause) What I'd like to do is record with a seven-, eight-piece backup group.
What do you think about that? Billy? Billy! Billy, I'm talking to you.
Hold it, would you? Don't know when I'll be back or if I'll be all right But I do figure on being pretty late So, Mama, leave the front door open tonight I've seen a lot of things that made me think Standing here beside you at the kitchen sink Oh, now the mountains in the desert stand mighty proud and tall But they just don't compare to this feeling at all I used to stand straight I felt pretty strong I knew who I was till he came along Then he showed me some things I never knew Now I don't know what to do Oh, Ma, he makes me feel like a bed of hot coals He hit me so hard and I'm full of holes So just give me a smile and everything will be right Mama, leave the front door open tonight (applause) Be back in a sec.
Excuse me.
Dressing rooms? Excuse me.
- Billy Abbott, Greenway Records.
- (Arlo) Howdy.
- I thought you were pretty good.
- Thanks.
I was wondering, have you got a manager? I'd like to talk to you.
(TV) at the National Democratic Convention in Chicago.
It started as a peaceful demonstration that escalated into violence as, for no reason that could be determined, police attacked protesting youths.
Chicago, Chicago.
That's my kind of town.
- Talk about massacres.
- That's awful.
Look at those cops beating on them hippies.
(Annie) Oh, my God.
Those are our friends.
Uh, this isn't the time to talk business.
I'll check back with you later.
Just remember the name - Billy Abbott, Greenway Records.
Where's the lady, the girl that was sitting with me? I think she split.
Said to tell you thanks for the celebration.
Your check.
- $28? - A pitcher of beer and what your chick ordered.
Ramona.
I got something to tell you.
Ramona.
Come here.
Before they called this strike they should've tried negotiation.
- That's up to my father.
- Yeah? I don't think it's right.
Meaning what? If you didn't agree with it wouldn't you cross the picket line? Never.
It's just something I was brought up with.
Something you don't do, like spitting on the flag.
That's stupid.
I just wanna work.
You know what we call somebody who crosses a picket line? A scab.
It's the most miserable excuse for a human being you can think of.
If you go in there, so help me, I'll never talk to you again.
Scab! Scab! Scab! You rotten scab! - (Billy) Just listen.
- To what? Listen.
You're gonna hear something that's gonna take your breath away.
Don't do me any favours.
I already got enough trouble breathing.
You can get anything you want At Alice's Restaurant Walk right in, it's around the back Just a half-a-mile from the - Enough! - That's not what I wanted you to hear.
What is that? Yelling, screaming - that you call music? - What I want you to hear - The youth revolution.
Everywhere you turn it's the youth revolution.
Music?! That sounds like a bunch of maniacs.
I've had it with the youth revolution.
- The girl is not like that.
- Dylan, Schmylan.
A bunch of maniacs! I'm telling you your stuff is out, man.
Mitch Miller and those Broadway tunes are finished.
It's the kids who buy records.
That's mine! Who gave you permission to take it? - I thought - I didn't hire you to think! You're not an A&R man or a producer.
You're a schlep who sets up chairs and runs out for coffee.
That's your job! And if you wanna keep it, don't come bringing me any more of this garbage! Now, go on, get outta here.
Just the sight of you gives me heartburn.
(Arlo) # Just a few more weary days and nights I'll fly away To that land where joy will never end I'll fly away I'll fly away, oh, glory I'll fly away When I die, hallelujah, by and by I'll fly away I'll fly away, oh, glory I'll fly away When I die, hallelujah, by and by I'll fly away - Hey, Annie.
Remember me? - Yeah.
About your manager situation There's a lot I'd like to know about you before I seriously consider taking you on.
Some other time, OK? Hey, look.
It's a long haul trying to make a career in singing.
If we work something out you'll have to let me call the shots.
- You'll have to trust me.
- Well, I don't trust you with your pretty little nose just like the TV commercials.
- Come on, Annie, let's rehearse.
- Some other time.
We'll put you on the show tomorrow night, but you should sing a different song.
Come on.
Come on.
Let's do it while we have the time.
What is it? What's wrong? He's just giving me weird vibes.
No offence, Dad, but I wonder if you wouldn't mind cutting out.
You're having a kind of bad effect on the lady.
So why don't you just leave? OK? Don't worry.
I'm not gonna touch you.
I wouldn't touch you with a 10ft pole.
The only reason I hung around here was to ask you something, if you got the guts to hear me out.
Who do you think you are? Who in hell do you think you are to treat me like dirt? You don't know me.
So where do you get the idea that I got no feelings? - I'm sorry.
- I don't need your apologies! I paid my dues.
I've had enough rough bumps to last a lifetime.
I don't need you.
I don't need anybody, because I'm a survivor.
I knew this person that was in a concentration camp under the Nazis and after he got over to this country, he got into the agent business.
And he lied, cheated and conned people after all he'd been through.
That just blew my mind, but it taught me a lesson.
Being a survivor doesn't mean you're nice.
And that's what you are, huh? Nice.
Clean, pure.
Well, if you're planning a career in music and wanna keep that image, better have somebody do your dirty work for you.
- Like you.
- Exactly.
People like me keep people like you out of the sewer.
Hey.
- Are you rich? - It's none of your damn business.
Rich enough to buy me a hamburger? Washington, DC.
In spite of this year's epidemic of assassinations, the House of Representatives today rejected a proposal requiring licensing of hand guns.
Beautiful.
And another idea - posters.
Every kid in the country's going nuts about 'em.
They're plastering them all over their walls.
OK.
We put a poster inside the album.
The only way they can get it is by buying the record.
You're a very shrewd man.
Check, please.
- Keep it.
- Thanks.
- So what do you say? We got us a deal? - I'm thinking about it.
I just don't know if you're a person I can count on.
- When you need me, I'll be there.
- Will you? Like, it's 4am and I feel like jumping off a bridge and I call up Sam and he says, "Don't worry about a thing.
I'm coming over.
" And he never shows.
He means to hold my hand, but some time from the time he hangs up the phone to the time he gets in his car to come over to my place it just slips his mind.
Do you know what the most powerful thing in creation is? Raindrops.
I look at ditchwater and I say, "Hey, man, that is where life began, in a pool of slime.
" If there's anything magic in this world at all, it's water.
Look in that puddle.
Right now, something could be translating itself into life.
It's amazing.
Oh, my place.
So, have we got ourselves a deal? I don't have anything on tape that's good enough so I'll have to go into the studio and cut a demo.
Can you set it up? - We got a deal.
- OK.
You're gonna be rich, baby.
You want that? Yeah, sure I wanna make money.
Lots of it? Well, not for fancy cars and $300 dresses.
The real thing money can buy is freedom.
Freedom from all those hustlers and con artists who try to push you around and rip you off.
I wanna be rich enough to say, "Shove it", any time I like.
Or maybe I'll just be a lady and say, "No, thank you.
" - Just to save you the suspense - Of what? Of waiting to see if I'm going to ask you in.
I'm not.
OK.
Good night.
Anthony, I'm off to church.
- I'll make up the couch when I get back.
- OK.
You remember what day it is? It's the anniversary of Papa's death.
Oh, yeah? That's terrific.
I'm having a mass said for him.
You wanna come? No, thanks.
Can you believe the Yankees took another shellacking? Would you look? How long since you've been to church? I don't know.
- Remember me? I'm the lost soul.
- I'd like you to come with me.
Maria, I just finished my first week on the docks and I'm bushed, and I Besides, I don't have anything to wear.
I've saved some of Papa's suits.
- They're about your size.
- Let me tell you something.
I wouldn't wear that gorilla's clothes if my life depended on it.
Don't talk that way about him.
He's dead.
You shouldn't talk that way about the dead.
What's this? Give me that.
Give it to me! A gun? What are you doing with a gun? That's my business.
Hey, Maria.
You remember the man I told you about, the senator that put me away? - Well, he's still after me.
- Why? He sent you to jail for five years.
Isn't that enough? You don't understand people like him.
Once they set out to get revenge they never quit.
A man with all that money and power, there's a million ways he can hit me.
I walk down the street, I gotta have eyes in the back of my head.
That's why I bought this, to protect myself.
I don't like it.
It scares me.
You see, that's why I didn't tell you, you know, cos I don't want you to worry.
Anthony, please.
Hey.
Everything's gonna be OK.
Anthony's gonna take care of himself.
- Be careful.
- Hey.
You do me a favour.
You go into Papa's mass and you light a candle for him from me.
Hm? (door closes) And light one for Jordache.
(door buzzer) Hello.
Hi.
Come in.
New hairdo? I wasrt expecting visitors.
Well, I figured there were a few things we'd better discuss.
- Too important to wait till morning? - Actually no.
I was a little Ionely.
And suddenly you were the one I felt like seeing.
- Bad timing.
- No, it's, um a letter from my daughter.
Minor crisis.
Anything I can do? No, it's her father's problem at the moment, I'm afraid.
Look, let's get one thing straight from the top.
I'm not gonna say it.
- What? - "Excuse the mess.
" (laughs) - Drink? - Uh, glass of wine.
- Chablis? - Perfect.
OK.
How are things going with the injunction? Oh.
I took it before Judge Friedman.
We'll get it.
Good.
We're in production, but just barely.
- Have you had dinner? - I was hoping we'd go out.
Oh, I'd have to get dressed.
What I'm really in the mood for is an omelette.
I was just going to make one.
I'll throw in a couple more eggs.
- Let me make it.
- In this kitchen? You take a deep breath, you start knocking jars off the shelves.
I'll manage.
OK, cheese, tomatoes.
Oh, and butter.
Uh-huh.
Butter.
Oh, here, let me.
At least I can crack the eggs.
- Mm-hm, and beat them.
- And beat them.
Oh, and nice and hard with the whisk if you like it fluffy.
Oh, and here.
Sprinkle in a little oregano.
Oh, that's lovely.
That's just like me.
A real klutz.
Is that the way you see yourself? I guess when you're a kid, you get this image of what you look like and you never quite get rid of it.
I was flat chested, wore braces and size-ten shoes.
Every time my mother took me to buy a pair of sneakers it was terrible.
I've noticed women all think there's something wrong with their bodies.
Tell me about it.
Thank you.
I mean, either their breasts are too small or too large, or their behinds are too wide I suppose it's the movies.
TV has given us a picture of what we're supposed to look like.
If I really care for a lady, whatever way she's made seems perfect.
Now, that wasrt too smart, was it? I mean, I am your lawyer.
You are my client.
This is a business relationship.
Get into anything more than that, it would mess things up.
I mean, emotions get involved, you've important decisions to make - it's really a problem.
So maybe the best thing is just to keep it nice and cool and friendly.
Anything more than that is just too damn dangerous.
Well, the best thing to do is not have dinner at all, but maybe just for me to leave.
I think so.
Do you? Yes.
Oh, my God, I really do want you.
(PA) Attention, please.
Passengers leaving for upstate New York will board their bus at gate number two.
The final destination is Whitby.
All aboard, please.
Thank you.

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