The Way We Were

Who is it?

It's Lieutenant Finley. He's coming up the path.

It might be worth listening to him, Edna.

So he can tell me about D-day? I don't wanna hear about D-day.

Look what happened to my son.

Hold it, Peggy. Cut from D-day to:

"Don't tell me about the black market."

You're making me a bitch...

...to keep in your propaganda!

Peggy, I'll tell you...

Oh, Jesus!

Oh, Bill. Katie wants to keep in the black market. Bill!

Glad you're back. How did it go?

Goddamn Pentagon, all they see is red. Where's my coffee?

Get you some in a minute.

Don't cast that broad again.

Takes a reactionary to play one.

Where's my coffee? Can't the chintzy OWI afford a gofer?

And where's Roxanne?

She called and she said that she couldn't make it.

We'd like to get set up and go from the top again, Mr. Verso.

- What's the matter? - What is this?

Two lines I wrote. No good, huh?

Morosky, let me do the writing, will you?

Christ, I'm tired of being a patriot for no money.

- She can't come? - Nope.

Okay, Katie, you're in luck.

I'm taking you to El Morocco, courtesy of the Office of War Information.

All right, Americans, let's take it from the top.

One, two. One, two, three.

Clear the way.

Please clear the way.

Sir, we have a reservation.

- There are no more tables. - But we called...

...and you said... - Sorry, no tables.

- I told you... - But we called...

I'd like to know your name and also why you're not in uniform.

These boys have been in combat, you fascist rope-holder.

- Hi, Fred. Bill Verso. OWI. - Don't tip him.

- Get his name! - We were with a whole bunch of people.

- Hey, Verso! Merry old Bill Verso. - Hey, Tiny!

- Captain, you can't do that! - They're with us.

Come on!

Thanks, Tiny. Good to see you.

Listen, Katie... Hey, Jimbo! Hey.

Can't you leave your soapbox at home just once?

Coming through.

Oh, Christ.

What do you want to drink? I know. Dubonnet over ice.

Dubonnet over ice and a scotch, straight up.

Here's your Dubonnet, Morosky.

Oh, to be in uniform!

Hubbell Gardiner.

What?

That's his name.

Swell. What's hers?

I suppose they learn that balance onboard ship.

Absolutely. Let's dance.

What've you got to lose?

I'll probably go overseas soon. It's pretty hush-hush.

Save Loyalist Spain! Stop Franco for world peace now!

Write President Roosevelt!

Come on! Do something about it!

Save Spain! Stop Franco!

Stop the slaughter of innocent women and children. Do something!

Write your congressman today.

Katie, what are you selling?

The ROTC.

You can have it cheap!

Fascist.

Row, Hubbell! Row!

Gardiner! Gardiner! Gardiner!

A true peace rally...

...should cover the entire spectrum from extreme right...

...to extreme left. As our next speaker proves.

The president of the Young Communist League. She needs no introduction.

Miss Katie Morosky.

Guess I do need an introduction.

Back up, Katie.

Yeah, all the way to Moscow!

You can still take Communion and like the Soviet Union!

What's cooking in the Kremlin, Katie?

The Kremlin's worried about the civil war in Spain. Are you?

Thousands of Spanish citizens are being bombed and murdered.

Only one country is sending help. One country.

The Soviet Union.

Katie, be my comrade.

Okay!

What are you scared of?

The Russians don't want anybody in Spain but the Spanish.

Is that scary?

They're Communists, but they want total disarmament. Is that scary?

Hitler and Mussolini are using Spain as testing ground for what they want.

Another world war! Is that scary?

You're darn right it is!

There's only one thing to be scared of...

...and it's not me, it's not the Young Communist League...

...and it's not the Red bogeyman.

You be scared of anybody, any place...

...who will not stand up for world peace now!

You're really...

You're really something.

Really... You're really beautiful.

No, I mean it.

You're really beautiful.

You're the best...

...the brightest...

...most committed generation this country's ever had.

That's why you're here today, striking for peace.

Why, they're striking on almost every single campus in this country.

They're taking that pledge. Show your solidarity by taking it with them.

"I refuse to support"...

Come on, come on.

"I refuse"...Come on. On your feet!

"I refuse to"...That's right. On your feet. Everybody.

"I refuse to support"...

No, everybody. Everybody!

"I refuse to support...

...the government of the United States...

...in any war it might conduct."

The student council calls this a peace rally.

I call it a peace strike.

And I'm an English major.

It isn't that funny.

You fascists!

- We have to talk about this stuff. - Wait a second.

- You've been on that for two months. - Three.

It's a short story...

Frankie McVeigh, you're not funny.

- I know it. - Listen...

...would you do me a favor? Take the YCL meeting Monday night.

- You can't miss a meeting. - I have to.

The story is due on Tuesday and it's just gotta be good.

Look who's here, America the beautiful.

- How much do you have in the treasury? - Five hundred 42 dollars and 18 cents.

Possible themes for the prom.

"Caribbean Holiday," "Jungle Fever"...

Hey, you should be listening to this.

"Niagara Falls."

"Thirteen Colonies," "48 States."

"Thirteen Colonies," "48 States"...

J.J. J.J.

J.J., listen.

"The 48 States," "Starlight, Star Bright" and "In My Merry Oldsmobile."

How about "Bread Lines Can Be Fun"?

How about "The Stalin Shuffle"?

What are we gonna have? Hamburgers?

How about "The College Grad Meets The Leningrad"?

She's a million laughs.

- What do you want? - Coke.

What do you want?

- Coca-Cola? - Coca-Cola.

Excuse me.

You're all decadent and disgusting.

Come on, we weren't making fun of you.

You make fun of everything. You think politics is a joke.

You make fun of politicians.

- What else can you do? - Think Franco's funny?

- Franco? Is he here? - Yeah, Franco. He's a politician.

He's funny? Hitler has a funny mustache. Why not have a Nazi prom?

Well, we thought of that, but the uniforms itch.

Comes the revolution, maybe we'll have a sense of humor.

Two burgers, two cheeseburgers, four Cokes.

- Onion? - Yeah, in the Cokes.

If I read comparatively few of your stories aloud in class...

...it's because I think we learn best from what's good.

Or at least, talented.

Today I'm going to read, with a great deal of pleasure...

...a remarkably good story from a surprising new source.

The name of the story is "The All-American Smile."

And it's by Hubbell Gardiner.

"In a way, he was like the country he lived in.

Everything came too easily to him, but at least he knew it.

About once a month he worried that he was a fraud.

But then most everyone he knew was more fraudulent.

Sometimes he felt...

- there's really no reason for us to change.

But of course by then, they were too lost or too lazy.

It had always been too easy."

The trouble with some people is they work too hard.

Are you speaking to me?

Want a beer?

I don't drink.

One sip. One sip of beer.

Well?

- You carry your books all the time? - That's what I crossed the street for?

I'm celebrating.

What are you celebrating?

I got you to cross the street.

Listen, I'm sorry I...

I haven't told you that I really liked your story.

You're a good writer.

Thank you.

Mrs. Simpson married the Duke of Windsor. It's in tomorrow's paper.

How do you know that? The papers aren't out yet.

I work in the Linotype room two nights a week.

You never quit, do you?

Well...

...thanks for getting me across the street.

Hey.