It Started with Eve

Wet, wet print.

Copy.

Ain't it pretty?

Well, his inheritance tax ought to make the country

- about even. He was born too late.

Two hundred years ago, he'd been a pirate,

- Captain Kidd himself. Look at that stomach.

I watched him eat once at a banquet.

He didn't order a steak, he ordered a cow.

You have to hand it to him.

He loved to live.

- Yeah? Have you gone crazy? Let's go to press.

We've only got 18 minutes to catch the mail train.

I got the greatest first page here

since the Chicago fire.

Old man Reynolds is dying, and I'm going to get

the flash he's dead any minute.

- Let him die the next edition. - What?

And let the Herald beat us?

He's going to die for me, exclusive.

- He's mine. - But the mail train!

He dies for me, not the Herald.

But the advertisers.

Tell the advertisers to go...to the Herald!

Well, what are you standing around

with your face hanging out for?

Give me two columns on Reynolds' son flying in from Mexico.

- Right. - You know, lump in the throat stuff,

"Only son flies to father's deathbed.

"Will he make it? Won't he make it?"

Slobber all over the place, but keep it classy.

And write it both ways.

If he makes it, or if he doesn't.

As long as he has to go,

please have him go not later than 9:20.

That dirty Herald's been getting all the breaks.

Yeah?

What do you mean, he isn't dead yet?

Frank, I gotta have some action.

What am I supposed to do, hit him over the head?

Listen, I've been standing here in a foot of water, and I caught a cold.

You've got a cold. Reynolds is dying.

But at least he's doing it in a nice, warm bed.

I got something.

Two ravens from the National Museum are inside the house,

ready to take his death mask.

Seems you gotta do it right away.

No, I didn't get their names.

Wait a minute.

Somebody's coming.

It's a car.

Must be Reynolds' son. How do I know?

'Cause he came up the wrong way on a one-way street.

Achoo!

Frank, I'm warning you.

If Reynolds isn't dead within a half hour,

don't come back here.

Go ahead, threaten me. I got pneumonia.

He's getting out of the car.

It's the Reynolds kid, all right.

He's going in the house. There he goes!

Hello, Roberts.

It's good you got here in time, sir.

Hello, Johnny.

- How is he, doctor? - Not so good.

There's a chance, isn't there?

Isn't there?

He's had a rich, full life.

A man couldn't ask for more than he's been given.

No, I guess not.

He'll be glad to see you.

He's been asking for you all the time.

Hello, Dad.

I leave town for a month, and find you in bed.

Out in the rain without your rubbers, eh?

Well, you look fine, Dad. Just fine.

You'll probably be out of here in a week.

Oh, say, the fishing in Mexico,

the--there's nothing like it.

It's not really fishing,

it's kind of, uh, big game hunting.

They have fish with teeth and horns.

Throwback to the buffalo.

You go out in the boat,

and the fish charge at you,

and you--and you--you just gotta catch them in self-defense.

You and I and two machine guns

are going down there fishing next month.

No more fishing for me, Johnny.

What are you talking about?

Why, Dr. Harvey says--

You all right, Dad?

Tell me about her.

About her?

The girl you're going to marry.

Oh. Oh, she's wonderful.

She's wonderful; I met her at the Williams'.

An old Boston family.

Been in Mexico a number of years.

We hit it off right away.

I wanted to marry her the first week,

but I--I thought I'd let you see her first.

Why didn't you bring her?

Well, I--I dropped her at the hotel.

We brought her mother along, too.

I thought you'd be resting.

The excitement.

Want to see her.

Yes, Dad.

First thing in the morning.

Uh, now.

Bring her to me.

Just want to see her, that's all.

You're going to get better, Dad.

Hurry, Johnny.

Go and get her.

Go and get her.

Sure, Dad.

Sure.

He looks awfully bad, doctor.

Better get the girl.

But hurry, it may be a matter of minutes.

Yes.

- My hat and coat, Roberts. - Yes, sir.

- Miss Pennington, please. Miss Gloria Pennington. - Yes, sir.

- Miss Gloria Pennington, please. - Room 20, please.

- Good evening, Mr. Duncan. - Good evening.

- Let me talk to her. - Did you order this weather?

- It hasn't been ideal, has it? - No.

Thank you, I'm sorry, sir, Miss Pennington doesn't answer.

She doesn't answer? She must be in her room--

When does the Broadway Limited arrive, please?

Information desk can tell you that, madam. Right over there.

Maybe she's in her mother's room, would you try Mrs. Pennington, please?

- Yes, of course. Mrs. Pennington, please. - Thank you.

- Please send this, and charge it to my room. - Yes, Mrs. Fields.

- Do you want that straight wire or night letter? - Oh, could you wait

just a minute, this call is awfully important, please.

Young man, this telegram is very important, too.

- Send it straight wire. - Thank you. Yes? I see.

- Is she in? - I'm sorry, she doesn't answer either.

I don't understand it, I left them here

just a minute ago. Are their keys in the box?

No, but people sometimes take them with them.

- Would you like me to have Miss Pennington paged? - Oh, yes, yes.

Would you, please?

- I've got to find her. It's very important. - Yes, sir?

- Page Miss Gloria Pennington. - Hurry, son, would you, please?

- Yes, sir. - Do you have a Mr. John Simms registered here?

- Maybe if you'd call her room again. - Just a moment.

Paging Miss Pennington. - Now, if you'll just have a chair,

- we'll do our best to find Miss Pennington for you. - Thank you, I'm awfully sorry.

Miss Gloria Pennington.

Paging Miss Pennington.

Paging Miss Pennington.

Miss Gloria Pennington.

Paging Miss Pennington.

- Check your coat, sir? - Yes?

What is it?

Well, your coat, sir.

Oh, oh, no, no, I--I--

Well, don't you think I'm right?

- Of course you're right. - Thirty-seven and 38.

- Thirty-seven and 38. - What does the whole thing amount to?

$40,000.

Say it's $50,000.

For a measly $50,000, you'd expect me to give up

two weeks of my vacation.

Why, the government gets half of that, anyway.

And all you'll be getting is $25,000

and sitting in a hot office for two whole weeks.

Oh, they must think you're an idiot.

This must be a new $5 coin they're putting out.

Looks like the same old dime to me, though.

How's business?

They're diming us to death.

Still raining?

Buckets.

Aah.

Is your tongue supposed to be white?

Everybody's wearing it this season.

I just figured out why drugstores have lunch counters.

They lose a lot of money on food,

but they make a big profit of bicarbonate of soda.

Pardon me.

- Did you find her? - No, sir. - You didn't?

- Did you try everywhere? The beauty shop too? - Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir. - Isn't there someplace else you can look?

- I've really got to-- - We're doing the best we can, sir.

If you'll just sit down again,

I'll call you the moment...

My dear, he's the handsomest doctor I've ever had.

- How marvelous. - And he's simply priceless.

He found everything the matter with me.

How perfectly divine.

Miss?

I beg your pardon, but could you do me a tremendous favor?

- Huh? - Well, I'm--I'm in a very bad spot.

Could you help me?

- Why, I--I just got to have something-- - Yes.