You Can't Take It with You

Good morning, Mr. Kirby.

Good morning.

- Good morning, A.P. - Good morning.

Good morning.

- No pictures. - New York Times, Mr. Kirby.

We'd like a statement on the business outlook.

The newspapers should know that Mr. Kirby never issues any statements.

Come on, come on. Let's go up.

I got your telegram, Mr. Kirby. They're all waiting in your office.

Good.

- Hello, A.P. You're looking well. - What can I say?

- How was the trip? - Good morning.

- Hi, Dad. - I'm glad to get home. Hello, Tony.

- How are you? - Good.

- How's your mother? - She's fine.

That's good, I nearly sent for you. I thought you might like the White House.

I'm sorry you didn't.

How do you like being a vice president?

Painless so far.

He still talks as if he were having a tooth yanked.

- What happened in Washington? - Yes, what did you find out?

A.P., how do we stand?

- Get me some bicarbonate of soda. - Yes, sir.

How do we stand, A.P.?

Well, gentlemen, there'll be no interference from the powers that be.

- There won't? That's marvelous. - Are you sure?

What about the senator with the anti-trust complex?

I said there'd be no interference. We're going ahead exactly as we planned.

It'll be the largest individual monopoly in the world, gentlemen, if we're smart.

Particularly now that Ramsey is lined up.

- Ramsey, too? - That's impossible.

No, the administration would never stand for that.

Why, we'd control every type of war material.

That's exactly it, gentlemen.

With the world going crazy, the next big move is munitions.

And Kirby and Company are going to cash in on it.

It's unbelievable.

Why, a war wouldn't be possible anywhere without us.

A.P., if I know Ramsey, he'll never let himself be absorbed by anybody.

- He won't? - No.

Well, we'll see if he will when I hand him a little surprise.

I own every inch of the 12 blocks that completely surround the Ramsey factories.

- No! - News to us!

Well, we certainly didn't know anything about that.

So, how is he going to fulfill his contracts without us?

Now, you'd better get busy.

Complete all your negotiations with the others.

I'll handle Ramsey myself.

- We'll hop right to it. - Right on.

I have a meeting with my nitrate group this afternoon.

Good.

Ten thousand a year for doctors and I'm still taking this stuff.

- Well, son, what do you think about it? - Don't ask me.

You know my cockeyed sense of values.

Get me that sour-faced real estate agent on the phone. What's his name?

- Blakely. - Yeah, yeah. Private line.

Dad, how do you feel?

Rotten. It's my stomach.

Yeah, I thought so.

These trips to Washington are getting me jittery.

But it's the last one. From now on, they come to me.

Say, Tony, do you realize

there won't be a bullet, gun or cannon made in this country without us?

Dad, now don't tell me you've forgotten the slingshot market.

Mr. Blakely on the phone.

Hello, Blakely. This is A.P. How's it going?

You what? What trouble?

Now, wait a minute. Don't bite my head off.

I've got all 12 blocks, everything,

with the exception of one little lot I can't get the man to sell.

Those 12 blocks are absolutely useless to me,

unless I get every inch of them.

But I'm up against some kind of an old crank.

His house isn't worth over $25,000.

I've already offered him $50,000, but he's standing pat.

If you can't get it with money

there's certainly other ways of getting it.

Now, that's up to you. Now, remember this, Blakely,

unless you buy up the whole 12 blocks, you won't get a penny commission.

That man has got ice water in his veins.

Well, the description fits only one man.

I've simply got to get a hold of that property, Bill.

You can't force a man to sell his home, John.

I've got to.

I'll make him sell if I have to drive him out with stink bombs.

Listen, a fortune has been invested in those 12 blocks.

And behind it is one of the most powerful men in the country,

and a silly old man,

with that silly little house is holding up the whole business.

- Now, how do you like that? - Excuse me, John, but I think it's great.

What did he say when you offered him $50,000 for his place?

Well, I'm not sure, but I think someone began singing.

Someone else danced

and Grandpa Vanderhof sat down and played a mouth organ.

Played a mouth organ?

- What are they, a bunch of nuts? - Fascinating ones.

- It's the old army game. - I doubt it. He's not interested in money.

Mr. Vanderhof is here.

Have him come in right away.

How did you get him to come here?

Not interested in money?

Miss Jones, just a minute. Don't send him in yet.

Have him wait a while. Let him cool his heels.

Yes, sir.

- He'll just be a minute, Mr. Vanderhof. - Thank you.

You imagine that guy wanting me to split commission three ways.

- What are you doing? - What?

My goodness. I made a mistake.

First time in 20 years.

That calls for the building to collapse, I suppose?

- Have some. - No, thank you. It'll spoil my appetite.

What are you doing that for?

I have to add up these figures to see if they're right.

Why?

Why? Because they have to check against these figures.

- Do you like this? - Like it?

- This work you're doing. - No, my goodness, no.

Land's sakes, what am I saying?

Well, why do you do it?

Look, they're very strict in this office and I...

Tell me, isn't there something else you'd rather be doing than this?

No.

Go along with you. I don't believe a word you're saying.

Go on, tell me, what would you rather be doing than this?

I make up things.

- Poetry? - No. Just things.

Go on. Let me see some of them.

Say, that's kind of cute.

It is, isn't it? I made it up myself.

Yes.

I have a lot of other ideas just like it.

Well, what do you mean fooling around with those dull figures?

It seems to me, Mr...

"Poppins." Yes.

It seems to me, Mr. Poppins,

that is the kind of work you ought to be doing.

Someday I'm going to do nothing else. Someday, when my ship comes in.

How'd you like to come over to our house and work on your gadgets?

Over to your house?

Well, I don't know. Thank you, but...

Go along. You'd love it.

Everybody over at our place does just what he wants to do.

Really?

That must be wonderful.

But how would I live?

The same way we do.

The same way.

Well, who takes care of you?

The same one that takes care of the lilies of the field, Mr. Poppins.

Except that we toy a little, spin a little, have a barrel of fun.

If you want to, come on over and become a lily, too.

A lily? Me? A lily of the field?

What's that?

Just a little something Mr. Poppins whipped up.

Why, Mr. Poppins.

Hey, Ethel, come here. Take a look at this. Alice, George, John.

- Isn't that the cutest thing. - Did you do that? How in the world?

- Isn't that clever? - Aren't you clever?

Where is he, Miss Jones?

What's going on here?

Well, well, welcome, welcome, Mr. Vanderhof. Come right into my office.

- No, thanks, Mr. Blakely. I was just going. - Going?

- Hello, Mr. Hughes. - How do you do?

What's happened? You were all right last time I saw you.

One of my granddaughters dared me to slide down the banister.

Too bad, is it serious?

No, just a sprain or something.

The thing I like most about it is the crutches.

I've been wanting to walk on them ever since I was a kid, haven't you?

Yes. Yes, yes, must be a lot of fun.

Well, Mr. Vanderhof, I believe we understand each other.

Now, I'm ready to do business.

Say, that's a bad twitch in your eye.

You've been working too hard. You ought to take a vacation.

Well, if it's all the same to you, Mr. Vanderhof,

let's quit playing games.

I'm a very busy man. Come...

A couple of weeks fishing will fix up that twitch, Mr. Blakely.

Well, I've got to go to the graduation exercises over at the university.

Look, I have a check here for $100,000. Now, if you're interested...

- Have you been to one lately? - No.

They're a truckload of fun.

You ought to hear the speeches.

Well, I'd better be going. I'll be late.

Look out for that twitch, Mr. Blakely.

Coming, Poppins?

I'd like to, but I don't think... I'd better not.

- Yes, sir. - This is all your fault. You and your toys.

You...

Wait a minute, please.

If you leave, Poppins, you needn't come back.

Wait. Wait, wait.

The die is cast.

I'm a lily.

Have some popcorn.

Did your grandpa go to the graduation exercises, Miss Essie?

Guess so.

I wonder how many folks Grandpa's gonna bring home for dinner tonight.

I don't know. It all depends on whether he goes walking in a park.

Well, let him bring 'em. I'll be ready for them.