High Tide

Fresney.

Fresney.

Fresney.

My leg's pinned under the car.

Can't move it.

You on your leg.

My back feels like it's broke.

I never did wanna die alone.

Glad you're with me, pal.

It's a pleasure.

- Say, fresney. - Yeah?

What time is high tide, got any idea?

No, why?

There'll be a lot of water

over this place in a little while.

We'll be under it.

Oh, that's all right, Slade.

We're not going anywhere.

- You and your insurance policy, you sure started something.

- You might have owned the paper and been my boss,

if you played your cards right.

Yeah, there's blood on those cards,

lots of it.

Sort of changed the spots.

- Think of all the trouble you'd have saved yourself

if you hadn't answered that telegram

I sent you in San Francisco.

Yeah, think of all the trouble you'd have saved.

- Who is it? - Telegram.

Come in.

Thanks.

Copy boy!

- Hi, Mac. - Hi, Hugh.

Hi.

I'm all set up for an extra.

I'm waiting for a flash from the death house now.

Brett's covering it.

That's 30 for cresser.

Well, put up a good fight.

Yeah, a good fight, with no dough,

a lawyer still wet behind the ears,

and this crusading sheik convicting him in the headlines

before the jury was even picked.

Shut up, cleve.

- His wife dropped in to see you awhile ago.

I said shut up.

She said she'd be back.

You oughta have that drawer fixed, Hugh,

just in case of an emergency.

You've got a nasty mind, cleve.

Wouldn't do you any good if I did get the business.

Running this paper takes more than you've got.

Greeting, gents.

Hi, Hugh. Cleve.

- Hiya, Slade, thought you were in San Francisco?

- Was, got a wire from a guy about a job maybe.

- Don't tell me the boss says all is forgiven,

and you're coming back to work?

- Don't worry, I won't tell you that, cleve.

Thought maybe you could give me a rundown on this guy, Hugh.

Yeah, perhaps.

Anything else on the schedule, cleve?

No, but Nick dyke's here.

Dyke, where?

In with the boss.

He is, huh?

Come on, Slade, this might be interesting.

Mr. Fresney, Mr. Vaughn's in conference.

I know, that's why I'm going in.

Wait here.

Pleasure.

Ah, I see Vaughn has redecorated since I was here.

Lovely color scheme.

You shouldn't embarrass Mr. Vaughn

by going over my head, dyke!

Besides, as owner, publisher,

and managing editor of "the dispatch",

he's much too busy to talk to you!

That's what you say.

What I say goes, Nick.

You may run the local gambling

rig, the rest of the rackets all you want,

but you can't buy this paper or run this city,

as long as I'm here.

That's a very pretty speech,

but it don't mean a thing, eh, Vaughn?

Your number's up, dyke.

I'm gonna break you just like I broke cresser

if it's the last thing I do.

It probably will be.

You're too emotional, Hugh.

Mr. Dyke and I were coming to a sensible understanding

before you came in and-

- no understanding, but Nick dyke makes sense?

Say, who is the boss around here anyway?

Well I...

Well, goodbye, Vaughn.

I'll see you later, fresney.

When I'm not looking you hope.

- I'd forgotten you meet such interesting people

in the newspaper business.

What's your name?

Did you wish to see Mr. Vaughn?

Not if I can help it.

I don't think he wants to see me either.

My name's Slade.

I've heard Mr. Vaughn speak of you.

- Bet he burned your ears off, didn't he, huh?

- Hello, Dana. - Hello-

hello, pop, how you been?

Oh, just fine, Tim, just fine.

- How are you? - Gmm.

Say pop, how about a formal intro, huh?

Ah, oh, sure, Tim.

Allow me to introduce miss Dana Jones.

Uh, Dana, Mr. Tim Slade, a good reporter gone wrong.

It's going to be a pleasure, Dana.

- We'll have to discuss this further, Hugh.

Are you waiting to see me?

No.

Good.

Hello, pop, what's new?

Nothing new, fresney.

You'll find that out when you get to be an intelligent

and broken down old newspaperman like me.

I should live so long.

How do you like "the dispatch" these days?

Murder, cheesecake, rotten politics.

Scum dredged up to offend the senses.

Circulation, pop.

You're riding for a fall, fresney.

How'd you guess?

Ain't no guess my boy.

- Okay, pop, but it's a swell ride while it lasts.

See you around.

How about dinner some night?

Second Thursday of next week.

- It's a date. - Mr. Fresney?

- Right, I, ah, cut it short, will ya, lady?

I'm pretty busy.

I'm Mrs. Cresser.

Oh, ah, yes, Mrs. Cresser?

Believe me, you have my deepest sympathy.

Sympathy, you rotten liar!

Why, I, I could kill you, you murderer!

Men like you shouldn't be allowed to live!

Now look, Mrs. Cresser.

All I do is run a newspaper.

Your husband was tried and found guilty according to law.

- They're killing him because every story you printed

in your dirty newspaper told them to!

He's innocent! I'm his wife, I know! (Sobbing)

Fresney.

Okay, Brett, shoot!

Wilson, grab number four,

it's Brett with the execution story.

We'll roll as soon as you've got the iede.

It's happened.

Yes, Mrs. Cresser.

Oh! (Sobbing)

Hey, Jake.

Let's have a picture of the widow.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Cresser.

- If the the law says a life for a life, I say so too.

Remember that, Mr. Fresney. (Sobbing)

Beginning to get the idea?

Yeah, and I don't like it.

That's why I sent for you.

You got a room?

Not yet.

Might as well stay with me.

Here's my address. Malibu beach.

- See you out there? - So long.

- Extra, extra, governor denies clemency plea!

Read all about it!

Cresser dies at midnight.

- Tomorrow we start in on Nick dyke. (Chuckles)

Complete picture layout of his gambling joint.

- I still think we ought to handle dyke with kid gloves.

Look, we're gaining circulation

at the rate of 16,000 a day.

That's money in the bank.

You don't do it with kid gloves.

But Hugh, it's not right.

We're making enemies.

Why every other paper in town is taking punches at us.

You know why, don't you?

Our new circulation used to be theirs.

My point is

dyke isn't like cresser.

He's got a powerhouse behind him.

We've got a car behind us.

Do you think they're following us?

- They're about sticking pretty close for some time.

I'm gonna step on it then we'll find out for sure.