Female

Hey, Gus, you better tie your hat on before you go in there.

- The president's blowing the roof off. - Who's getting it?

Did you get me that seat...?

The president's waiting for that coffee.

Okay, Mr. Pettigrew.

Our figures prove that a minimum average of 3 million cars...

...must be built every year in order to maintain 21 million cars on the road.

Heretofore, the Drake Motorcar Company has supplied...

...17 and eight-tenths percent of the total.

Just a minute. I've been listening to you for over an hour...

...and all I've heard is a lot of statistics. You've all got statistic poisoning.

In case you don't know it, this business is slipping fast.

We're making better motorcars than when Father was alive.

- We're not selling them. Why? But, for the last three years...

That's the trouble with you. All I've heard is "the last three years."

Our problem is this year. And it's your business to sell cars.

That's all.

Oh, Cooper.

- Can I speak with you a moment, please? - Yes, Miss Drake.

- How long have you been here? - Sixteen days to be exact.

You like your work? - Oh, yes, indeed. Very much.

I've been trying to make an appointment to talk over a new sales plan of my own.

Well, I haven't got time to go into that now.

Suppose you come to my house to dinner tonight at 7:30. We'll talk about it then.

That's all.

Thank you very much.

Attractive fellow, don't you think?

Pettigrew, you're an old snoop.

Yes, just a moment please.

- I wanna see those advertising layouts. - Mr. Warren's waiting to see you.

Mr. Logan wants to talk about the paint.

- I haven't time. - I'm sorry, Miss Drake has...

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Hello, Logan. I'll give you my decision tomorrow. Yeah.

Miss Drake, will you sign these, please?

- Mrs. Brown is calling on you. - Mrs. Brown? Never heard of her.

Change the date on this. Contract starts on the15th.

She said to tell you... - Why will you worry me with visitors?

Very well. She said to tell you Harriet. She went to school with you.

- Harriet. - For you, Miss Drake.

Harriet Brown. Of course.

I suppose I'll have to see her. Well, tell her to come in.

Send those right away. That'll be all.

- Hello. How much for the reduction? This way, please.

No. No, I won't consider it. - Alison.

Hello, Harriet. Now, tell him to make me a better offer.

This is a surprise.

I just couldn't go by without stopping in.

Sit down. - I'm driving to Rochester alone.

- Don't you think I'm brave? - Positively heroic.

- How well you're looking. - So are you. Not a day older.

Why, I've got loads to tell you. And I wanna hear all about you.

Of course, I can't get over your running this enormous factory.

- Oh, I hope you're not busy. - Oh, no. No.

Markley wants to know about the Kazmo shipment.

Tell him to take that up with the branch manager.

- How is your husband, Tom? - You mean Dick.

- Oh, Dick, yes. He's fine.

He's treasurer of the company now.

Is he? There were two children, weren't there. Hello.

Three. Two boys and a girl.

Two boys and a girl. What? No, not yours, Bradley.

Yeah? Well, I told you what to tell him. Why didn't you do it?

Well, that's my answer and that's final.

Two girls and a boy. I'm so sorry. I mean, about the telephone.

- Where are you staying? - Hotel. I'm leaving in the morning.

Where are your bags? - Downstairs in the car.

What about that shipment to Los Angeles?

Take it up with Transportation.

Briggs, tell Pettigrew to get Mrs. Brown's bags.

- You're coming to stay with me tonight. Oh, I can't.

Nonsense. We'll have a beautiful old-fashioned visit. I'll be five minutes.

Briggs, take Mrs. Brown down to my car.

San Francisco calling. - Oh, San Francisco. Put them on.

- Hello. - Isn't this exciting?

No, of course not. Send them in later. Hello.

Good afternoon, miss. Good afternoon.

- Take Mrs. Brown up to my room. - Yes, miss.

- I won't be a second. - All right.

This way please, madam.

So, you've been fighting again. - No.

Didn't you promise to stay out of preliminaries at the stadium?

This was a main event.

Wanna be on your heels when you're 30?

And blind like those pork-and-bean fighters?

- A guy made a crack. What did he say about me?

Oh, it wasn't about you.

Now, listen, Puggy. Things people say about me don't bother me.

Thanks just the same.

- What a pretty little... Come on, Prince.

Come on, babies.

- You must relax, Miss Drake. All right, I'll try.

- Oh, Della. Yes?

Della, will you telephone the factory...

...and tell Mr. Pettigrew that I'll handle that Ajax Glass contract in the morning.

- Very well. You really must relax, Miss Drake.

- Lemon or cream, madam? - Cream and two sugars, please.

Cream and two sugars? My, you're a reckless woman.

- No wonder you look happy. - Yes, I'm afraid marriage agrees with me.

But come, you haven't yet told me what I want to hear.

- What? Any romance in the offing?

Romance? Me? Haven't got time.

Aren't you ever going to fall in love?

It's a career in itself.

It takes too much time and energy. To me a woman in love is a pathetic spectacle.

She's either so miserable she wants to die, or she's so happy you want to die.

- Aren't you ever going to marry? - No, thanks. Not me.

You know, a long time ago, I decided to travel the same open road that men travel.

So I treat men the way they've treated women.

You haven't much respect for men.

Of course, I know for some women men are a household necessity.

I'd rather have a canary.

My, but you've changed, Alison. You're not the same girl I knew in school.

Why, you used to be so romantic and so... Well, so different.

- You mean I've grown hard and cynical? Something like that.

Oh, well, perhaps you're right.

Darling, you can't work with men...

...for 14 hours a day for five years and not lose your girlish illusions.

If it does that to you, why did you go into business?

Necessity, because when Father died, I was the only who knew anything about it.

And now, here I am. I can't let go.

It's like holding a tiger by the tail. Oh, but I love it.

The battling and the excitement.

- I don't think I could do without it now. - But you're missing so much.

- The real things. - You mean men?

Yes. - Oh, I see lots of men.

But I've never found a real one.

Oh, give me a cap.

Ooh! Harriet, have some more tea.

[MUSIC PLAYING ON RECORD PLAYER]

Coffee, madam? Not for me.

Coffee, sir? Thanks.

Is there anything else? - Thanks, I'll ring.

- Very good, miss. - Cigarette, Harriet?

No, thanks. Well, I know you two want to talk business.

It's 9:30 and I promised to call my husband. Good night, Mr. Cooper.

- Good night. Good night, Alison.

Good night. See you. All right.

- Give my love to To... To Dick. - Indeed, I will.

Nice girl, Harriet. Goes to bed early.

- More coffee? - No, thanks.

- Are you sure? - No more, please.

Hmm.

Music.

- Isn't it lovely? - It certainly is.

Good. We're alone.

About my scheme, Miss Drake. I think the greatest way to boost sales...

...will be a series of pep meetings in all our branches throughout the country.

You see, when I was in college...

...we used to have these big pep meetings before every game.

I might have known you were a football player.

Yes. I played my freshman year...

...and I made the varsity in my sophomore year.

- Really? - Yes.

You see, the psychology of these pep meetings is to work up enthusiasm.

Are you naturally enthusiastic?

Oh, I have the loveliest room. Yes. No, darling, it's not raining here.

What? Your underwear? Well, I didn't know it was going to turn cold.

Now, don't forget to de-ice the icebox. And take your mineral oil every night.

Yes, yes. I'll tell her. I don't want to disturb her now.

She's downstairs in a conference.

Gee, I can't quite figure you out.

At the office, you're so strict and all business, kind of.

I mean, entirely mental.

But you wouldn't want me to be entirely mental all the time, would you?

No, I guess you would have to relax once in a while.

But I can't get used to seeing you this way.

- What way? - So... So human.

Oh, I'm really quite human. You'd be amazed.

Gee, at the office you're certainly pretty tough. Everybody's scared of you.

Oh, but that's at the office. You're not scared of me now, are you?

No, I should say not.

Maybe I shouldn't bother you with my sales promotion plan tonight.

Some other time...

...don't you think?

- Time for the vodka. Take my hand. - Thank you.

- Vodka, that's a Russian hooch, ain't it? - It is a devastating Russian liquor.

What's she putting that out for?

It was the custom of Catherine the Great...

...to serve vodka to her soldiers to fortify their courage.

General Motors 23 five-eighths.

Just a minute. I'll call you back.

All right?

Goodyear 25 seven-eighths, Steel 52 and a quarter.

American Radiator 18 and a half. Okay.

I'm seeing the Western Electric men at 11:00.

- What about the Chamber of Commerce? - I'm out of town.

Market's off this morning. - Oh.

Tell Chase to unload my amalgamated.

- Drink your coffee while it's hot. - What's the latest on you and Henry?

- Have you decided to take him back? - Yes, I had to.

He says without me, he's like a ship tossing on a wild sea.

He was tossing the last night I saw him. Has he promised to give up drinking?

He's only going to take a little beer with his meals.

You wouldn't have these problems if you were a fallen woman.

Oh, Miss Alison.

- Good morning. Good morning.

- Hello, Harriet. Good morning, dear.

Good-Iooking men, those secretaries.

- Are they? - And in your bedroom too.