The Hoax

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0:00:02 > 0:00:10This film contains very strong language

0:01:27 > 0:01:30Dana? Dana, can you hear me?

0:01:32 > 0:01:34Just follow the instructions.

0:01:34 > 0:01:36No! No "N"!

0:01:41 > 0:01:45- Harold?- It's very becoming, though. I like that.

0:01:46 > 0:01:49(BABBLE OF VOICES)

0:01:49 > 0:01:53Guys, there's nothing I can do. The meeting's going to be cancelled.

0:01:55 > 0:01:58Top four floors are closed off. Don't know what's going on.

0:01:58 > 0:02:01It doesn't matter. Nobody's supposed to be there.

0:02:01 > 0:02:04Just follow the instructions. Is that so hard? Clifford...

0:02:04 > 0:02:08It's 2.30, and my interns are stranded. Where is he?

0:02:08 > 0:02:11- He's coming. - He's coming?- He's coming.

0:02:11 > 0:02:12OK.

0:02:13 > 0:02:16- I think we got something. - Oh, my God. Is that him?

0:02:16 > 0:02:19- Do you see it? - That's him!- Oh, my God!

0:02:19 > 0:02:23- He's here! He's here! - Clear the roof!

0:02:23 > 0:02:27- Get your things! - Go! Come on!- All right, all right!

0:02:34 > 0:02:37He keeps his promises.

0:02:44 > 0:02:48Fake. Fake.

0:02:48 > 0:02:52- Yes.- Malika, Clifford is the man who wrote Fake,

0:02:52 > 0:02:57excellent book about the...guy... artist...I'm blanking...

0:02:57 > 0:03:00- (ALL) The art forger. - Exactly.

0:03:00 > 0:03:05Elmyr de Hory was his name. He forged Picassos, Matisses...

0:03:05 > 0:03:08- Modiglianis... - The whole theory of, er...

0:03:08 > 0:03:10- ..in museums. - ..forgery as art, what is art...

0:03:10 > 0:03:14- Very subversive kind of act. - The book sold poorly.

0:03:15 > 0:03:18- It could've done better... - Let's not talk about that.

0:03:18 > 0:03:20The new one! Fiction.

0:03:20 > 0:03:23- Yes. - Rudnick's Problem.

0:03:25 > 0:03:28I like it. You were right.

0:03:28 > 0:03:31- Malika liked it, too. - I did. It was stunning.

0:03:31 > 0:03:35It scared the hell out of me. It's an angry book.

0:03:35 > 0:03:38But funny! I read it. I think it was hilarious.

0:03:38 > 0:03:41It wasn't angry to me. It was nice. It made me laugh.

0:03:41 > 0:03:46- But anger's important. We need it. - Which will help us in Germany.

0:03:46 > 0:03:47Regardless.

0:03:47 > 0:03:50- Marry us and have our children. - (ALL LAUGH)

0:03:50 > 0:03:55Brad Silber at Life is reading it right now for serialisation rights.

0:03:55 > 0:03:59- Harold McGraw himself is reading it this weekend.- You're kidding me!

0:03:59 > 0:04:01- It's just a formality. - You have waited, Cliff.

0:04:01 > 0:04:05You've watched, as less talented writers have bypassed you.

0:04:05 > 0:04:07Justice at last!

0:04:07 > 0:04:11They're going to push this one hard. They're going to bet the bank.

0:04:11 > 0:04:14- Is that a promise? - You can set your watch by it.

0:04:14 > 0:04:17- I don't have a watch. - Well, buy one. Trust me.

0:04:17 > 0:04:20'You can afford it.'

0:04:26 > 0:04:30Calls unreturned... They don't read you for six months...

0:04:30 > 0:04:32They're indifferent! And overnight...

0:04:34 > 0:04:37- Dick, can you hear me? Dick! - Hmm?

0:04:37 > 0:04:40- Here, try these. They're bigger. - (MUFFLED) They're fine.

0:04:40 > 0:04:44We're doing a vacation, a gentlemen's celebration thing.

0:04:44 > 0:04:46You got harpoons? The ones that shoot?

0:04:46 > 0:04:50- Yeah, most of them shoot. - Good. He looks like a sausage.

0:04:50 > 0:04:54I'll take the whole outfit. Set me up an account. Monthly payments...

0:04:54 > 0:04:57You are a brick, Robert! You played me like a harp.

0:04:57 > 0:05:00Whitewalls, leather... Is this guy a salesman?

0:05:00 > 0:05:05When my accountant comes by with the cheque, should he talk to you?

0:05:05 > 0:05:09He should speak to me, yeah. The cheque. Y-Yeah.

0:05:11 > 0:05:15Call the police! There's a beautiful woman in front of my house!

0:05:15 > 0:05:18(SCREAMS)

0:05:18 > 0:05:21- I love you! - (BOTH LAUGH)

0:05:22 > 0:05:27- What's the matter? You haven't seen a best-selling author before?- Oh!

0:05:27 > 0:05:30Yes! You didn't think I was going to do it, did you?

0:05:30 > 0:05:33Stop, please. Look! They are taking the sofa.

0:05:35 > 0:05:38- Oh, I loved that sofa. - Hey, guys.

0:05:38 > 0:05:41How you doing? Ah, fuck the sofa.

0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Close your eyes.- What? - Close them. Close them.

0:05:45 > 0:05:48OK.

0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Oh, Cliff! Cliff! - (BOTH LAUGH)

0:05:51 > 0:05:54Perfect. You're a beautiful man.

0:05:54 > 0:05:59- I am sure you would desert me. - No. "Will" desert you.

0:05:59 > 0:06:02- The tense is future active. - Don't correct the grammar.

0:06:02 > 0:06:04You are not this perfect person.

0:06:07 > 0:06:10Honey, it's finished. I told you, it's finished.

0:06:10 > 0:06:13It's finished, Pear.

0:06:13 > 0:06:16- Good night. - Cliff?

0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Keys. - Yeah.- To my new car.

0:06:18 > 0:06:20- Bye, honey. - Have fun.

0:06:20 > 0:06:23(LIVELY JAZZ MUSIC)

0:06:26 > 0:06:31Andrea? Andrea! Hi! Isn't this amazing? Isn't this wild?

0:06:31 > 0:06:33- Can I talk to you? - Let's talk on Monday.

0:06:33 > 0:06:37It's important. Look, 30,000 copies is not going to do it.

0:06:37 > 0:06:41A short run like that sends out a message, and it's not a good one.

0:06:41 > 0:06:44- We're not publishing the book. - Exactly. With 30,000 copies,

0:06:44 > 0:06:47it's like we're not really publishing...

0:06:47 > 0:06:49Brad Silber hated it.

0:06:49 > 0:06:52He called it "a third-rate Philip Roth knock-off".

0:06:52 > 0:06:56He told Harold, and it was awful. It just rolled like a snowball.

0:06:57 > 0:06:59I wanted to tell you on Monday. I'm sorry.

0:07:02 > 0:07:05- Fine. We'll do The New Yorker. - You're not listening.

0:07:05 > 0:07:09McGraw Hill is not publishing your book. Book gone.

0:07:09 > 0:07:12The bomb has dropped. It's... It's over.

0:07:14 > 0:07:17But you said that this was a formality.

0:07:17 > 0:07:21Well, apparently I was mistaken. Look, if you have other ideas,

0:07:21 > 0:07:24my door is always open to you.

0:07:54 > 0:07:59"The enemy...very deceitfully has taken advantage of the truce."

0:07:59 > 0:08:03They are potatoes. All of them - potato people.

0:08:03 > 0:08:07And you are brilliant, strong man

0:08:07 > 0:08:10who will have all his dreams.

0:08:10 > 0:08:12All of them.

0:08:12 > 0:08:14(WAR REPORTAGE CONTINUES ON TV)

0:08:24 > 0:08:27You know what I'm getting for dinner? Swordfish steak.

0:08:27 > 0:08:31Sounds good! Sounds enticing. Oh, come on, Cliff.

0:08:31 > 0:08:34- Forget it. Forget it. - (SIGHS)

0:08:34 > 0:08:38All right, enough. Enough. I want to talk about my friend.

0:08:38 > 0:08:42- Tell me about your children's book. - Oh, Richard The Lionheart?

0:08:42 > 0:08:46- It's going OK. I should be done by the end of the year.- Good.

0:08:46 > 0:08:50It's a great subject. War, sodomy... The war part's great. Kids love war.

0:08:50 > 0:08:55But what do you do with the sodomy? I want to be historically accurate...

0:08:55 > 0:09:00And you'll make it so, because you are a superb researcher.

0:09:01 > 0:09:03And a fine writer.

0:09:03 > 0:09:05Thank you.

0:09:09 > 0:09:12Bumped by this adolescent coffee boy!

0:09:12 > 0:09:15My lit professor at Cornell compared me to Hemingway!

0:09:16 > 0:09:19The middle of my life is at hand. I don't have a couch.

0:09:20 > 0:09:25Think about this. Henry Miller was 38 years old, unpublished.

0:09:25 > 0:09:27His wife left him for a lesbian.

0:09:27 > 0:09:32You're kind to tell me that, Dick. You're a very good man.

0:09:32 > 0:09:36- You're a good friend. Need a loan? - Always.

0:09:36 > 0:09:39- No, no. I was kidding. Cliff... - You got a pen?- I was kidding.

0:09:39 > 0:09:43- Your house is going into foreclosure!- I'm post-dating it.

0:09:43 > 0:09:46Stop being the hero. Go to bed.

0:09:46 > 0:09:48I got it, I got it. Walk away. Go.

0:09:48 > 0:09:51I got it. I got it.

0:09:51 > 0:09:53- Go to bed. - I will.

0:10:01 > 0:10:04(HUBBUB OF VOICES)

0:10:04 > 0:10:07Everyone will be relocated to another hotel.

0:10:10 > 0:10:12Excuse me. Can you...

0:10:12 > 0:10:16Someone told me that Howard Hughes is moving into this hotel.

0:10:16 > 0:10:18What is this? What's going on?

0:10:18 > 0:10:23It's an executive decision to close the facility for the weekend, sir.

0:10:23 > 0:10:25- You are being relocated. - Executive decision?

0:10:25 > 0:10:29Howard Hughes wants to the pool to himself, so he's kicking us out?

0:10:29 > 0:10:32I don't know about that, sir.

0:10:32 > 0:10:35(ALL BABBLE)

0:10:35 > 0:10:38That's power.

0:10:59 > 0:11:02(WHISPERS) It's a friendship between Tom Mix...

0:11:02 > 0:11:05and Pancho Villa.

0:11:05 > 0:11:08Mexican revolution.

0:11:09 > 0:11:11(CONTINUES TO WHISPER)

0:11:11 > 0:11:15Mr Clifford? Andrea's running late.

0:11:15 > 0:11:19She said we should go ahead and start the meeting without her.

0:11:19 > 0:11:21"Mr Clifford"?

0:11:21 > 0:11:23Wait a minute. Er...

0:11:23 > 0:11:26A meeting with you?

0:11:27 > 0:11:29Mm-hm.

0:11:29 > 0:11:31(SIGHS)

0:11:39 > 0:11:42Oh, no... Er, excuse me!

0:11:44 > 0:11:46Mr Clifford!

0:11:46 > 0:11:49- (KNOCKS) Excuse me. Hello. I'm sorry, everybody.- I did tell him.

0:11:49 > 0:11:53Cliff, I'm in the middle of a conference meeting.

0:11:53 > 0:11:57Andrea, our personal history demands that I bring this to you first.

0:11:57 > 0:11:59Bring what?

0:12:01 > 0:12:05I'm working on the most important book of the 20th century.

0:12:05 > 0:12:08It's unprecedented. I'm going to discuss it tomorrow.

0:12:08 > 0:12:10I'm going to present the details tomorrow...

0:12:10 > 0:12:13- OK. - ..morning, 9am.

0:12:13 > 0:12:17- Thank you. - At Nathan's Bowling Alley in Queens.

0:12:17 > 0:12:20- Did I ever take you there before? - Sir...

0:12:20 > 0:12:22OK, I'm going.

0:12:23 > 0:12:26You'd better be sure that I don't have anything.

0:12:26 > 0:12:28Cos Simon & Schuster's coming.

0:12:28 > 0:12:33"Of the century"? Couldn't you have just said "of the decade"?

0:12:33 > 0:12:36- All right, all right. - And why a bowling alley?

0:12:36 > 0:12:39Make a contribution here. First thing that comes to your mind.

0:12:39 > 0:12:43- Potato famine.- Too Irish. - A history of agriculture.

0:12:43 > 0:12:45- That's a best-seller(!) - Shedding new light on World War I.

0:12:45 > 0:12:48- What's the new light? - Write about Picasso.

0:12:48 > 0:12:51- Everyone loves Picasso. - I don't.- Charlemagne.

0:12:51 > 0:12:55- Too French. - History of the Vatican.

0:12:55 > 0:12:57- Oh, I'm dying. - Well, gimme a clue here.

0:12:57 > 0:13:01I'm being self-destructive. I've got to call Barbara.

0:13:01 > 0:13:04I'm burning bridges, Edith.

0:13:04 > 0:13:07They never appreciated you there.

0:13:08 > 0:13:11- I need lunch. - I'm having a breakdown.

0:13:11 > 0:13:15My gallery show is in three weeks.

0:13:15 > 0:13:18I don't have time for the drama now, darling.

0:13:18 > 0:13:20(SIGHS)

0:13:22 > 0:13:24Shit!

0:13:41 > 0:13:44Dick!

0:13:45 > 0:13:47Size seven.

0:13:48 > 0:13:52- How?- No-one knows where he is. I show up. I've seen him!

0:13:52 > 0:13:55I've seen the Snowman. I send him my de Hory book.

0:13:55 > 0:14:00He reads it. It's a positive portrayal of a very complex man.

0:14:00 > 0:14:03Oh, my God, I get a response! Correspondence, sparks fly.

0:14:03 > 0:14:06We become best of friends. What do you think?

0:14:08 > 0:14:11- What is it? What's the book? - Wait. Wait.

0:14:29 > 0:14:31Where's Simon & Schuster, Tolstoy?

0:14:40 > 0:14:43This is the key to it. A strong, continuous line.

0:14:43 > 0:14:47Keep the pen on the paper... like that.

0:15:03 > 0:15:06'All these articles say the same thing.'

0:15:06 > 0:15:09Hughes runs a billion-dollar network of companies,

0:15:09 > 0:15:12but he only communicates by handwritten memos.

0:15:12 > 0:15:15There's no direct contact. That's why it's going to work.

0:15:15 > 0:15:19Tell me my dick grew five inches last night. I'll still use a ruler.

0:15:19 > 0:15:23No, I had an address from a friend of a friend, so I sent...

0:15:23 > 0:15:26Howard Hughes?! Howard Hughes, the billionaire?

0:15:26 > 0:15:29His exclusive, authorised autobiography.

0:15:29 > 0:15:35He wants Cliff to write it with him, and they want us to publish it.

0:15:35 > 0:15:39Handwriting analysis? Can we bring it over right now?

0:15:39 > 0:15:42"It would not suit me to die without having stated the truth

0:15:42 > 0:15:44- "about my life." - My life.

0:15:44 > 0:15:48"I therefore authorise Clifford Irving

0:15:48 > 0:15:51"to act as intermediary as to any arrangements

0:15:51 > 0:15:54"regarding the publishing of my memoir."

0:15:54 > 0:15:57"It would not suit me to die

0:15:57 > 0:16:00"without having certain misconceptions cleared up

0:16:00 > 0:16:03"and without having stated the truth about my life."

0:16:06 > 0:16:08So...

0:16:08 > 0:16:12- taking you at your word... - Yeah.

0:16:12 > 0:16:15..how does Mr Hughes propose we proceed?

0:16:17 > 0:16:19I, er...

0:16:19 > 0:16:22(LAUGHS) This is all very strange.

0:16:22 > 0:16:25I'm just getting the lay of the land here myself.

0:16:25 > 0:16:29But what...what I can gather so far

0:16:29 > 0:16:32is that he refuses to go outdoors.

0:16:32 > 0:16:36He will only initiate, never accept, phone calls.

0:16:36 > 0:16:39(PHONE RINGS) Those two rumours seem to be true.

0:16:39 > 0:16:43But he did say he would provide handwritten contracts

0:16:43 > 0:16:47for legal purposes, and, er, whatever questions you...

0:16:47 > 0:16:51If you give them to me, I'll pass them on when he makes contact.

0:16:51 > 0:16:53Beyond that, I don't know what to say.

0:16:53 > 0:16:56(SIGHS THOUGHTFULLY) Why you, Cliff?

0:16:56 > 0:17:00He could have any writer in the world do this for him.

0:17:00 > 0:17:02I have absolutely no idea.

0:17:02 > 0:17:06This is the strangest thing that has ever happened to me. Best guess?

0:17:06 > 0:17:09He likes me.

0:17:09 > 0:17:13So, matching against the reprinted letters from Newsweek Magazine,

0:17:13 > 0:17:16Osborn Associates' preliminary opinion

0:17:16 > 0:17:20is that the handwriting samples are genuine.

0:17:23 > 0:17:26- OK. Well. - Excuse me one second.

0:17:26 > 0:17:28Sure. Yeah.

0:17:30 > 0:17:33(ALL CONFER IN WHISPERS)

0:17:37 > 0:17:39- Clifford? - Yeah?

0:17:39 > 0:17:44Did you and...Howard discuss how much you both wanted?

0:17:44 > 0:17:48Because we would like to make you an offer...today.

0:17:52 > 0:17:54We did, Andrea. We did.

0:17:54 > 0:17:58We... We...we did discuss that.

0:18:09 > 0:18:12- Can I weigh in here? - No. A man walks in.

0:18:12 > 0:18:15He says something completely implausible.

0:18:15 > 0:18:18For that exact reason, he's believed.

0:18:18 > 0:18:22It's an Aquarian phenomenon. Very, very spiritual.

0:18:22 > 0:18:26Lawyers are not spiritual! Presumably this is going to make news.

0:18:26 > 0:18:29Howard Hughes hasn't spoken to the press in 15 years.

0:18:29 > 0:18:32What are you so nervous about? You can't think. No thinking.

0:18:32 > 0:18:36Once this gets out, this guy could sue our asses off.

0:18:36 > 0:18:40Three words. "TWA shareholder lawsuit."

0:18:40 > 0:18:44Howard has a judgement of 137 million bucks waiting to hit him

0:18:44 > 0:18:47if he walks into any courtroom, so the book comes out,

0:18:47 > 0:18:51- it doesn't matter. He can't sue. - He can still say it's a fake.

0:18:51 > 0:18:53He doesn't say anything about anything.

0:18:53 > 0:18:57He uses ripped-up Kleenex boxes for slippers. He drinks his own piss.

0:18:57 > 0:19:00- He's psychotic. - Have you heard of Intertel?

0:19:00 > 0:19:03He has his own private CIA. Ruthless advisors!

0:19:03 > 0:19:06His advisors don't know about the book

0:19:06 > 0:19:09because he's too paranoid to tell 'em. He'll never come out of hiding

0:19:09 > 0:19:13long enough to denounce me because... he's a lunatic hermit.

0:19:13 > 0:19:17And I am the spokesperson for the lunatic hermit,

0:19:17 > 0:19:20so the more outrageous I sound, the more convincing I am.

0:19:20 > 0:19:23Can you believe this? The perfection!

0:19:24 > 0:19:28- (They offered half a million.) - (Half a million dollars?)

0:19:28 > 0:19:30- 400 grand for Howard, and 100 grand for us.- Oh.

0:19:30 > 0:19:34- I thought you meant half a million for us.- It's all for us!

0:19:34 > 0:19:38There is no Howard Hughes! Dick, are you paying attention to me?

0:19:38 > 0:19:40- Yeah! - The problem is this.

0:19:40 > 0:19:44It's an oral agreement. The lawyers are going to jump all over this.

0:19:44 > 0:19:47So we have to leave right now, to become experts on this man's life!

0:19:47 > 0:19:50- Here.- And if we find dirt, and it rings true,

0:19:50 > 0:19:54the top guys will shove this deal right down the lawyers' throats.

0:19:54 > 0:19:57Cliff...

0:19:57 > 0:20:00No visits with special friends, right?

0:20:03 > 0:20:06I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise what we've rebuilt.

0:20:06 > 0:20:10- OK?- You just said to warn you when you get excited.

0:20:10 > 0:20:14- You seem excited. - (CHUCKLES) Well...

0:20:19 > 0:20:21I love you.

0:20:33 > 0:20:35(MUSIC OVER SPEECH)

0:20:43 > 0:20:45(CROWD CHEERS)

0:20:53 > 0:20:55(Cliff?)

0:20:56 > 0:21:00(Hughes's testimony at the Senate Committee hearings in 1947.)

0:21:00 > 0:21:03It's got his speech patterns, his syntax... It's perfect.

0:21:09 > 0:21:11Take a picture.

0:21:11 > 0:21:14You can't photograph a government document! It's a felony!

0:21:14 > 0:21:17- You going to memorise it? Take a picture!- I'm a researcher.

0:21:17 > 0:21:20- I'm not a jewel thief. - You own 25% of this book.

0:21:20 > 0:21:25You want it to be good? You take a picture.

0:21:30 > 0:21:33You know, I've always had a dangerous side.

0:21:33 > 0:21:37Barbara's often remarked on it. But to take down the Library of Congress...

0:21:37 > 0:21:40- God, the adrenaline! - You took a nice picture of your leg.

0:21:40 > 0:21:44- Or is that your ankle?- Where? - Right there. Right there.

0:21:45 > 0:21:47- It's my ankle. - Oh.

0:21:47 > 0:21:51- It's all out of focus anyway. - Jesus!- Want another drink?

0:21:51 > 0:21:53- Yeah. - Yeah. Me, too.

0:21:53 > 0:21:55Oh, fuck!

0:22:06 > 0:22:09Harold, this book will sell more copies than the Bible.

0:22:09 > 0:22:13Our competitors will kill to get it, and if they can't get it,

0:22:13 > 0:22:16they will do anything they can to destroy it.

0:22:16 > 0:22:19I say we sign this contract immediately,

0:22:19 > 0:22:21- and institute total secrecy. - Total.

0:22:21 > 0:22:23Not even wives can know.

0:22:24 > 0:22:26Within reason.

0:22:26 > 0:22:30From now on, we refer to Hughes... as Octavio.

0:22:30 > 0:22:34The book is called Project Octavio.

0:22:34 > 0:22:36- Get Ralph Graves on the phone. - That's the code name.

0:22:36 > 0:22:41I want our journalist friends in on this before I sign this paper.

0:22:45 > 0:22:49Look at all the security personnel. This is a secure facility.

0:22:49 > 0:22:52We need the information in portable form.

0:22:54 > 0:22:59Just look comfortable, buoyant. Hell, they could let anybody in here!

0:22:59 > 0:23:02- But what if I'm a Russian? - Be a buoyant Russian!

0:23:02 > 0:23:04Records? What for?

0:23:04 > 0:23:08You don't know what's going on with your own company?

0:23:08 > 0:23:13(LAUGHS) Well, to be honest with you, sergeant, no, we don't.

0:23:13 > 0:23:16Mr Hughes doesn't like to share information.

0:23:16 > 0:23:19- That's very frustrating for us. - You want frustration?

0:23:19 > 0:23:22Call Hughes Aircraft to find out when your plane's going to be ready.

0:23:22 > 0:23:26I've seen decorated individuals sobbing like six-year-old girls

0:23:26 > 0:23:29after dealing with you people.

0:23:29 > 0:23:32Could my associate use your facilities, sergeant? Could he?

0:23:36 > 0:23:39- Thank you. - To your left.- I'll level with you.

0:23:39 > 0:23:42We've had some problems, stories about delays.

0:23:42 > 0:23:46Well, I can't get anybody on the phone. It's frustrating.

0:23:46 > 0:23:49- If you can go into more detail... - I've been on the phone

0:23:49 > 0:23:53three times to a girl who doesn't know what she's talking about

0:23:53 > 0:23:57- and can't tell me about my planes. - Which office? May I write this down?

0:23:57 > 0:24:00- Sure. - This was complaints, or acquisition?

0:24:00 > 0:24:03Acquisitions, as far as I know.

0:24:03 > 0:24:07My people been dealing with her, or somebody down there,

0:24:07 > 0:24:09- for three months! - This is an outrage.

0:24:09 > 0:24:13That the military should be treated that way...

0:24:15 > 0:24:17Oh, I'm not doing it.

0:24:37 > 0:24:38Thank you.

0:24:42 > 0:24:44(PANTS)

0:24:46 > 0:24:49- You all right?- Yeah, yeah. Keep moving. Keep moving.

0:24:49 > 0:24:52- It's just a palpitation. - Yeah, it's OK.

0:24:52 > 0:24:55- Just a little bit more. Keep moving. - That's good.

0:24:55 > 0:24:58Are you all right?

0:24:58 > 0:25:01Breathe. You're fine. You're fine. Fight or flight.

0:25:01 > 0:25:04It's an animal thing, like you're being chased by a cheetah.

0:25:04 > 0:25:07- OK. OK. - I'll be fine.

0:25:12 > 0:25:14- You OK? - Yeah, I'm good.

0:25:14 > 0:25:17Look. Noah Dietrich, on the right.

0:25:17 > 0:25:21Hughes's right-hand man for 30 years. Retired to Vegas.

0:25:21 > 0:25:23- The other guy I don't know. - Vegas...

0:25:23 > 0:25:27My guess is, this guy Dietrich's going to be really cagey.

0:25:29 > 0:25:31Information, Las Vegas, Nevada, please.

0:25:31 > 0:25:33(PHONE RINGS)

0:25:38 > 0:25:40- "Hello." - "Mr Dietrich?"- "Yeah."

0:25:40 > 0:25:44"Sorry to bother you at home. My name is Clifford Irving.

0:25:44 > 0:25:47"I'm writing a book about the history of aviation.

0:25:47 > 0:25:51"I'd be grateful if you'd share your expertise with me."

0:25:51 > 0:25:52"Oh, great! Come on over."

0:25:56 > 0:26:01You like geranium tea? Huh? It helps your bowels.

0:26:01 > 0:26:04Follow me. Watch your step.

0:26:04 > 0:26:08- Hey...you're a writer! - Yes, I am.

0:26:08 > 0:26:10I should show you something.

0:26:10 > 0:26:13This is an account of my years at Toolco.

0:26:13 > 0:26:17You know Toolco? Howard Hughes's company.

0:26:22 > 0:26:25Has, er...has anyone seen this?

0:26:25 > 0:26:27Nobody's seen it. It's sensitive.

0:26:27 > 0:26:30I'll come right to the point.

0:26:30 > 0:26:33I'll give you 500 to clean up the grammar,

0:26:33 > 0:26:37- cos I'm bad with spelling.- Yeah. Well, er...I have to read it first.

0:26:37 > 0:26:41- When can I get it back to you? - Oh, I can't let it out of the house.

0:26:41 > 0:26:45Why don't you read it right now, sitting here?

0:26:45 > 0:26:47- Now? - Now!

0:26:47 > 0:26:50(CHUCKLES) Right here?

0:26:54 > 0:26:57- Take your time. See you later. - Thank you.

0:27:01 > 0:27:04- (BOTH WHISPER EXCITEDLY) - Do you know what this means?

0:27:04 > 0:27:07It's gold! This is... (SPLASHING)

0:27:07 > 0:27:09You got to get it out of the house.

0:27:09 > 0:27:14Copy... I need a copy of it... Get up. Stand in front of me.

0:27:14 > 0:27:17- Smile.- It's great in the water! - What's he doing?

0:27:17 > 0:27:21- Ah, yeah! - Tell me if he gets out. Grab it.

0:27:21 > 0:27:23Tell him to come in. The water's beautiful!

0:27:23 > 0:27:26Now copy that and get back here, right away!

0:27:43 > 0:27:45(WHIRRING)

0:27:52 > 0:27:53Thank you!

0:28:02 > 0:28:04Sit down, sit down. Thank you.

0:28:04 > 0:28:06All right? Ready?

0:28:07 > 0:28:10All right, I'm done!

0:28:10 > 0:28:14Sir, honesty is my policy. This is atrocious. It's not publishable -

0:28:14 > 0:28:18its run-on sentences, its mangled verbiage...

0:28:18 > 0:28:22I'm very sorry, but you benefit and I benefit from honesty.

0:28:22 > 0:28:24God bless.

0:28:26 > 0:28:30This is badly-spelled gossip from someone absolutely in the know.

0:28:30 > 0:28:32It's perfect, Cliff! Perfect. Oh, my...

0:28:32 > 0:28:36You know what? We should give Andrea some good news.

0:28:43 > 0:28:46(TV CHATTER)

0:28:49 > 0:28:52This is amazing. Everybody hates Howard Hughes.

0:28:52 > 0:28:55They call him cheap, everything else...

0:28:55 > 0:28:58But they're in his thrall. They can't stop talking about him.

0:28:58 > 0:29:01He's Howard Hughes. Who the fuck are they?

0:29:01 > 0:29:04"He rarely took vacations, but when he did,

0:29:04 > 0:29:07"he booked a remote hotel in the mountains

0:29:07 > 0:29:09"called the Salina Cruz."

0:29:09 > 0:29:12- Remote, R-E-M-O-A-T... - I'm going out for a walk.

0:29:12 > 0:29:14- I'll be back soon. - OK.

0:29:15 > 0:29:18What is it?

0:29:21 > 0:29:24You told me not to call you ever again, so I didn't.

0:29:24 > 0:29:27I say a lot of stupid things, you know?

0:29:27 > 0:29:29"Yeah."

0:29:29 > 0:29:32It was funny, seeing you the other night.

0:29:34 > 0:29:36I would've given...anything...

0:29:36 > 0:29:39to get this call a year ago.

0:29:39 > 0:29:44- "It's too late. I, er..." - Clifford!

0:29:44 > 0:29:47- You ran out of time. - "Wait. I need to see you."

0:29:47 > 0:29:49Bye.

0:29:52 > 0:29:56(JAZZ-SWING MUSIC)

0:30:04 > 0:30:07Listen to this. This is from the Dietrich manuscript.

0:30:07 > 0:30:11There's a full transcription of a conversation between Howard Hughes

0:30:11 > 0:30:13and Frank McCullough from Time magazine.

0:30:13 > 0:30:18They mention Intertel, the Mormon guy, George Gordon Holmes...

0:30:18 > 0:30:20- It's fantastic. - Listen to me.

0:30:20 > 0:30:24- Nina called from New York last night. - Oh. Here we go.

0:30:24 > 0:30:28Dick, it took me a year to make things right with Edith.

0:30:28 > 0:30:33- Keep an eye on me, will you? - It's my second profession.

0:30:37 > 0:30:39Thanks.

0:30:41 > 0:30:43Cliff, er...

0:30:45 > 0:30:47I've been talking to Barbara,

0:30:47 > 0:30:51and she's found some kind of publishing contract,

0:30:51 > 0:30:54and I was wondering if maybe we could talk about...

0:30:54 > 0:30:57some kind of credit deal,

0:30:57 > 0:31:00or just some more money for me.

0:31:00 > 0:31:03You're not happy with what we talked about?

0:31:03 > 0:31:07No, it's not that. It's just that I sort of feel that...

0:31:07 > 0:31:10(PHONE RINGS) No, don't...!

0:31:10 > 0:31:12Hello, darling. We have a problem.

0:31:12 > 0:31:16- It's just me. She only knows about me.- Hi, Andrea.

0:31:16 > 0:31:20- Who is this? - You can't say your name!

0:31:20 > 0:31:23- This is Dick. - No, no!- Er, Dick Suskind.

0:31:23 > 0:31:26- Dick, how do you know my name? - Don't tell her!

0:31:26 > 0:31:28Er... Cliff mentioned you.

0:31:28 > 0:31:31What are you doing out there with Clifford?

0:31:31 > 0:31:33- (WHISPERS URGENTLY) - I'm the, er...

0:31:33 > 0:31:36- Dick!- I'm... I'm... - (The coordinator!)

0:31:36 > 0:31:39- (The travel coordinator!) - I'm the co-author

0:31:39 > 0:31:42- of Project Octavio. - "Excuse me?!"

0:31:42 > 0:31:46- Is... Is Cliff there? - "Yes, certainly."

0:31:46 > 0:31:49- Put him on the phone, please. - I didn't know what to say!

0:31:49 > 0:31:52- You were talking, she was talking... - I know what you're doing.

0:31:52 > 0:31:57- I know what you're doing. Hi, Andrea. - Who the hell was that, Clifford?

0:31:57 > 0:32:00That is, er... my associate.

0:32:00 > 0:32:02I was intending to talk to you about him.

0:32:02 > 0:32:04He's working with me on this.

0:32:04 > 0:32:08All right. You need to be in New York at 9:00am on Monday.

0:32:08 > 0:32:10You have a meeting with Ralph Graves.

0:32:10 > 0:32:14- He's the editor of Life magazine. - Yeah! I know who he is.

0:32:14 > 0:32:17You need to go over all your contacts with Octavio.

0:32:17 > 0:32:22Life knows a lot about him, so get your memory clear and be specific.

0:32:22 > 0:32:25"I don't want to lose the deal over their knee-jerk suspicions."

0:32:25 > 0:32:29What do you mean, lose the deal? What suspicions?

0:32:29 > 0:32:32Just tell them the truth.

0:32:33 > 0:32:35(ALL CHANT)

0:32:45 > 0:32:47He gave me a prune.

0:32:47 > 0:32:49He gave me a prune.

0:32:49 > 0:32:52Visualise the Mediterranean or something.

0:32:52 > 0:32:56- You're sweating like an animal. - It's nervy of these publishers

0:32:56 > 0:32:59- to put us through this inquisition. - Well, you can't sit it out now!

0:32:59 > 0:33:01You're a co-author.

0:33:04 > 0:33:08History... Quite a responsibility.

0:33:09 > 0:33:13The second analysis told us your letters from Mr Hughes

0:33:13 > 0:33:16- are, er... authentic. - 100%.

0:33:16 > 0:33:20No surprise there. Experts want to provide their employers with...

0:33:20 > 0:33:23- good news. - He gave me a prune.

0:33:26 > 0:33:28What?

0:33:29 > 0:33:31Er...

0:33:32 > 0:33:34(STAMMERS)

0:33:34 > 0:33:39He... It was in a bag. He gave me a prune. Howard Hughes!

0:33:39 > 0:33:43Dick is jumping forward a bit. It was a memorable moment for him.

0:33:43 > 0:33:47- Anyway...- No-one... No-one really likes to be accused.

0:33:47 > 0:33:51I really don't think anyone's making accusations.

0:33:51 > 0:33:54Are we going to stand around looking at photos? We're here about Hughes.

0:33:54 > 0:33:58He gave me a prune. He gave me a prune on the beach at Nassau.

0:33:58 > 0:34:03I thought you met Hughes the first time in Mexico.

0:34:06 > 0:34:09Ralph, what happened was this. I got a phone call,

0:34:09 > 0:34:14really out of the blue, from a man named George Gordon Holmes,

0:34:14 > 0:34:17long-time associate of Howard Hughes.

0:34:17 > 0:34:21He says he wants us to fly down to Mexico City, wait for a call.

0:34:21 > 0:34:23So we go ahead and do this. We fly down there,

0:34:23 > 0:34:26we check into this fleabag hotel...

0:34:26 > 0:34:2918 hours we wait. No air-conditioning,

0:34:29 > 0:34:32sand-crabs in the bathtub. I say, "The hell with him,"...

0:34:32 > 0:34:36when we spot an envelope, shoved under the door.

0:34:36 > 0:34:40'.."he usually booked into a remote hotel"...'

0:34:40 > 0:34:45It says, "There's a pilot waiting to take you to Juchitan."

0:34:47 > 0:34:51'So at 6:00am, we're flying low over the mountains.'

0:34:51 > 0:34:54'And I'm nervous, but he's got touch, this bush pilot.'

0:34:54 > 0:34:58He brings it right down onto a grey pebble landing strip.

0:34:58 > 0:35:03Out of the corner of my eye I see a jeep coming down from the mountains.

0:35:03 > 0:35:05'Mexican military?'

0:35:05 > 0:35:07'No.'

0:35:07 > 0:35:09'It's Holmes.'

0:35:09 > 0:35:11- Mr Irving? - Yes, that's right.

0:35:11 > 0:35:15- Mr Holmes? - Who is this?- Dick Suskind, sir.

0:35:15 > 0:35:18He's a little surprised to see Dick, but I explained

0:35:18 > 0:35:21that Dick was my researcher, and I couldn't do without him.

0:35:21 > 0:35:25We get in the jeep, and he takes us on this endless ride

0:35:25 > 0:35:29up through the mountains. We circled round the top of this hill,

0:35:29 > 0:35:32and we got to this hotel, which was called, er...

0:35:32 > 0:35:34Salina Cruz.

0:35:36 > 0:35:39'Holmes motions for us to follow.'

0:35:41 > 0:35:43'It's quiet.'

0:35:43 > 0:35:46'Ssh. Ssh.'

0:35:47 > 0:35:51'And there's a room, way in the back, like a hut.'

0:35:51 > 0:35:54'Doesn't even have a view of the ocean.'

0:35:58 > 0:36:00'We can barely see.'

0:36:00 > 0:36:05'And there's a little slip of a man on a bed,

0:36:06 > 0:36:08..sitting like a monk.'

0:36:11 > 0:36:13'Howard Hughes!'

0:36:17 > 0:36:19Howard Hughes.

0:36:19 > 0:36:22Howard Hughes is sitting right there.

0:36:23 > 0:36:25(CHUCKLES) My heart...

0:36:25 > 0:36:27It just went...

0:36:28 > 0:36:33And then he was reaching out through the mosquito netting...

0:36:34 > 0:36:37..and he offered Dick a...

0:36:37 > 0:36:39A prune.

0:36:39 > 0:36:42A prune.

0:36:42 > 0:36:44'Dick takes the prune...

0:36:55 > 0:36:57..eats the prune...'

0:36:57 > 0:37:00'Not bad!'

0:37:00 > 0:37:01'(LAUGHTER)'

0:37:01 > 0:37:06He started talking about the value of Mexican soil, organic farming,

0:37:06 > 0:37:09organic food... The two of them started jabbering like old friends.

0:37:09 > 0:37:14We talked a little bit about business, and Dick and I went home.

0:37:15 > 0:37:19- I'm a little hungry. - Let's eat.- (LAUGHS)

0:37:19 > 0:37:21Ralph, pick something fabulous.

0:37:21 > 0:37:24I think... the Latour, please. '61.

0:37:24 > 0:37:27- (ALL MUTTER APPROVINGLY) - Oh, yes.

0:37:27 > 0:37:31- And some beluga, shall we, gentlemen?- Sounds good.

0:37:31 > 0:37:34You know, Howard Hughes doesn't like caviar.

0:37:34 > 0:37:38- Really?- Really. In fact, he made a special point of saying so.

0:37:38 > 0:37:41I remember that. I... It was such a non sequitur.

0:37:41 > 0:37:47It was just after Clifford finished talking about the, er...

0:37:47 > 0:37:49The crash. You know, in Beverly Hills.

0:37:49 > 0:37:53His plane hit the top of that house. He parked it on top of the house.

0:37:53 > 0:37:56- He hurt his back, but he walked away. - And he said, er,

0:37:56 > 0:37:59people in Beverly Hills eat caviar. He doesn't like it.

0:37:59 > 0:38:02And then he crashed his plane.

0:38:03 > 0:38:07OK. Then, let's make it two beluga appetisers, please.

0:38:07 > 0:38:09Three, maybe.

0:38:09 > 0:38:14- Er, three. Yeah. Make it three. - Andrea? Yeah? Good.

0:38:16 > 0:38:19Did you get any sense of his business acumen?

0:38:20 > 0:38:22- Go ahead. - Well, it's interesting.

0:38:22 > 0:38:25It's very interesting.

0:38:25 > 0:38:29He said that people often think of business as business,

0:38:29 > 0:38:32which, of course, it is, but in business there is also pleasure.

0:38:32 > 0:38:37Pleasure can be a business. Business has pleasure. It's both

0:38:37 > 0:38:40at the same time. I didn't really understand it,

0:38:40 > 0:38:42but after a while it sunk in, and I realised...

0:38:42 > 0:38:45that's his genius!

0:38:54 > 0:38:57This is your cheque for writing services.

0:38:57 > 0:39:01The second cheque, for Mr Hughes... or Octavio, sorry...

0:39:01 > 0:39:04is going to take a little longer to process.

0:39:04 > 0:39:07I understand you're authorised to receive Mr Hughes' payment.

0:39:07 > 0:39:10Yeah, I am. Don't take too long, all right?

0:39:10 > 0:39:13Life magazine is prepared to offer 250,000

0:39:13 > 0:39:17for worldwide exclusive rights to serialise the Howard Hughes story.

0:39:20 > 0:39:23That's a record, Harold.

0:39:24 > 0:39:28I'm wondering if it's enough of a record, Ralph.

0:39:31 > 0:39:34- Oh, jeez. - The money makes this real!

0:39:34 > 0:39:37- You can still back out, but you got to tell me now.- Back out?!

0:39:37 > 0:39:40- Yeah. - No! We're the goddamn musketeers!

0:39:40 > 0:39:45Good. Don't spend any money, though! Better we keep it in case we need it.

0:39:45 > 0:39:46Absolutely.

0:39:46 > 0:39:50"The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the TWA shareholders' case

0:39:50 > 0:39:53"against reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

0:39:53 > 0:39:56"A loss could cost Hughes 137 million,

0:39:56 > 0:39:58"and devastate his financial empire.

0:39:58 > 0:40:01"The Nixon justice department has..."

0:40:01 > 0:40:05We go for texture, gritty details. We need blood, money...

0:40:05 > 0:40:09juice, Shakespearean, big stuff. You want to critique a sitting president

0:40:09 > 0:40:13who's also a war criminal? You can. You can impact culture with this.

0:40:13 > 0:40:17I want to make some money and not get caught. It has to be plausible.

0:40:17 > 0:40:19Dick, I handed them three yellow letters.

0:40:19 > 0:40:22They gave me 500 grand. Is that plausible?

0:40:22 > 0:40:25I don't think so. (LAUGHS)

0:40:27 > 0:40:30You want to get a drink? I'm going to change my shirt.

0:40:30 > 0:40:32I'll be right out.

0:40:32 > 0:40:36- I'm heading home. - I got it. I'm sitting for a while.

0:40:36 > 0:40:38See ya, Tom.

0:40:57 > 0:41:01- Tommy, can I use your phone? - Sure. Go right ahead.

0:41:04 > 0:41:07I saw Elmyr a few months ago in Ibiza.

0:41:07 > 0:41:11- So, how is our old friend Elmyr? - I was having dinner with friends,

0:41:11 > 0:41:14and he was at the bar, sitting all alone, drinking.

0:41:14 > 0:41:18He came up to me and said, "I always found your affair with Clifford

0:41:18 > 0:41:22"to be common and immoral." And he stormed out.

0:41:22 > 0:41:24- (BOTH LAUGH) - You're lying.

0:41:24 > 0:41:27- Elmyr didn't say that. - Oh, I'm the liar?!

0:41:27 > 0:41:32Who's writing a fake book about the most famous man in the world?

0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Got to get back. - (GASPS) No!

0:41:37 > 0:41:40No. The clock is broken. You stay.

0:41:42 > 0:41:44OK, just to confirm... you're still rich

0:41:44 > 0:41:49- and you're still not going to leave him. - Oh, I want to, Cliff. I want to.

0:41:49 > 0:41:53But, no, I'm not going to.

0:41:57 > 0:41:59I'm shallow, Cliff.

0:42:00 > 0:42:04My greatest desire is to be an American movie star.

0:42:04 > 0:42:07- How shallow is that? - It's pretty shallow.

0:42:08 > 0:42:12Why does it bother you so much that I'm your mistress?

0:42:12 > 0:42:16- Brecht, Hemingway, they all had mistresses.- The lying...

0:42:16 > 0:42:18- gives me a headache. - Oh, I forgot.

0:42:18 > 0:42:23You're a devoted husband. I think I forgot while you were screwing me.

0:42:26 > 0:42:28Oh, sorry!

0:42:29 > 0:42:32Sorry. I know I shouldn't have called you.

0:42:32 > 0:42:34I'm not going to go through this again.

0:42:35 > 0:42:38I can't do it to her. I can't.

0:42:40 > 0:42:42I'll see you next time?

0:42:46 > 0:42:48- (GROANS) - "Oh, Dick, Nina..."

0:42:48 > 0:42:52"There's no future with her. She weakens me."

0:42:52 > 0:42:55- Thank you so much. - "Edith is stability. She's my rock."

0:42:55 > 0:43:00- Gimme a break, will you, please? - Did you tell Nina about the book?

0:43:00 > 0:43:03Are you out of your fuckin' mind?

0:43:03 > 0:43:06I got the "I'm an asshole" part down pretty good.

0:43:06 > 0:43:09It's the "what do I do" part I need help with. Be my friend!

0:43:09 > 0:43:12- Are you my friend? - Yeah, I'm your friend.

0:43:12 > 0:43:16I don't know what I want to do if asks me where I went.

0:43:16 > 0:43:18Come clean.

0:43:18 > 0:43:21She'll leave me. For good.

0:43:21 > 0:43:24It's the best I got. What else can I tell you?

0:43:24 > 0:43:27You want to hear this?

0:43:28 > 0:43:31- Yeah. - This is the Senate hearings, 1947.

0:43:31 > 0:43:35'I'm not even sure if that's a correct statement,

0:43:35 > 0:43:39'but the fact remains that if I made 15 million,

0:43:39 > 0:43:42'I made it selling oil-well tools and beer,

0:43:42 > 0:43:45'beer, to people down in Texas...'

0:43:45 > 0:43:49- (IMITATES HIM) Beer, down in Texas! - (LAUGHS)

0:43:49 > 0:43:53'..and I don't think the public should be led to believe...'

0:43:53 > 0:43:55Led to believe!

0:43:55 > 0:44:00- '..wartime threats, when I did not. Furthermore...'- Furthermore!

0:44:00 > 0:44:02- Furthermore... - Senator...

0:44:02 > 0:44:05- '..a little money somewhere...' - (LAUGHS)

0:44:05 > 0:44:08(IMITATES HIM WELL) A little pocket change of 5 billion,

0:44:08 > 0:44:11- in my pocket! - (LAUGHS)

0:44:11 > 0:44:14'Mr Hughes, where would you like to begin?'

0:44:16 > 0:44:20Family, friends, father... Yeah. Father. Father.

0:44:22 > 0:44:24(IMITATING HUGHES) Er...

0:44:25 > 0:44:29..people called my father... Big Howard.

0:44:31 > 0:44:34Big Howard... Big Howard made his money...

0:44:34 > 0:44:38leasing drilling bits in the oil business.

0:44:40 > 0:44:42He said to me... He said, "Sonny"...

0:44:44 > 0:44:47"Sonny, these drill bits are your bread and butter!"

0:44:47 > 0:44:50"Don't ever let 'em go!"

0:44:52 > 0:44:55Big Howard died when I was, er...

0:44:55 > 0:44:57when I was 18.

0:44:59 > 0:45:05His bunch of Texas roughneck friends tried to sell his company.

0:45:07 > 0:45:10Pushed me out of the picture. I don't like being pushed!

0:45:11 > 0:45:15Now, when two parties negotiate,

0:45:15 > 0:45:18you got a lion and a donkey.

0:45:21 > 0:45:25One party, through bluster or leverage,

0:45:25 > 0:45:29claims control of the situation right away. That's the lion.

0:45:31 > 0:45:36At 18, I sued these men trying to sell my father's company.

0:45:36 > 0:45:39I sued them, I attacked them, I blackmailed them.

0:45:39 > 0:45:42I pushed every which way I could!

0:45:44 > 0:45:46I learned to be a lion.

0:45:59 > 0:46:01Jesus, Cliff.

0:46:10 > 0:46:13- Read the women's rags lately? - Hey.

0:46:13 > 0:46:16Excerpts from Howard Hughes's autobiography

0:46:16 > 0:46:20in the Ladies' Home Journal, from the book by Robert Eaton!

0:46:22 > 0:46:25Life's lawyers are gnawing the flesh from my bones.

0:46:25 > 0:46:29- Tell me what the fuck is going on! - I don't know anything about this.

0:46:29 > 0:46:33This Eaton supposedly has the same hand-written memos that you've got.

0:46:33 > 0:46:37So either you're selling this twice, using Eaton as a pen name...

0:46:37 > 0:46:40I won't dignify that with a response.

0:46:40 > 0:46:45Or, more likely, your demigod lunatic friend is using two writers.

0:46:45 > 0:46:48You get it? All the sharks at my company have is you.

0:46:48 > 0:46:51Which means they will sue your skinny ass

0:46:51 > 0:46:54for every cent of the advance, plus damages,

0:46:54 > 0:46:58- for making false representations... - I made no false representations!

0:46:58 > 0:47:00You said you could deliver!

0:47:00 > 0:47:03- So she said that they would sue us both?- Yeah.

0:47:03 > 0:47:05- Both? She mentioned me by name? - Yes!

0:47:05 > 0:47:09- I can't believe the sonofabitch had the same idea.- I spent the money.

0:47:09 > 0:47:13I told you we might have to give it back! Jeez, Dick!

0:47:13 > 0:47:17It wasn't a huge percentage to begin with. Just pay the money,

0:47:17 > 0:47:19tell them that Hughes has changed his mind,

0:47:19 > 0:47:23- and I'll owe you the difference. - Can't. I'm down most of it myself.

0:47:23 > 0:47:27Well, borrow it. This isn't a prank any more, Cliff.

0:47:27 > 0:47:31If we go to the press with this, we'll have Howard Hughes chasing us.

0:47:31 > 0:47:35And Intertel! They'll stab us with sodium pentothal!

0:47:35 > 0:47:38They'll kill us, or - or - or tie us up or something.

0:47:38 > 0:47:42Howard won't be coming after us. His advisors, maybe, but he won't.

0:47:42 > 0:47:46- Oh, really? What, he tell you that over breakfast?- Yeah.

0:47:46 > 0:47:50What if this other book's the real thing? Have you thought about that?

0:47:50 > 0:47:53What would Howard do in a situation like this?

0:47:53 > 0:47:55I dunno. Buy a fucking airline.

0:47:57 > 0:48:01Diversion. End run. Surprise.

0:48:01 > 0:48:04Well, who are you now? General Patton?

0:48:05 > 0:48:08"Viruses and bacteria are the most powerful enemies"...

0:48:08 > 0:48:11(KEYBOARD CLATTERS)

0:48:12 > 0:48:15- (SIGHS IMPATIENTLY) - Luce, Luce, Luce...

0:48:15 > 0:48:19- .."the human body has got." - Luce... Henry Luce!

0:48:23 > 0:48:26Dick, I think you should take a little holiday.

0:48:26 > 0:48:29You got everything? Your passport, the letter?

0:48:29 > 0:48:31You're going to be fine. Bye.

0:48:31 > 0:48:33# Only you know and I know

0:48:34 > 0:48:37# All the love that we've got to show

0:48:38 > 0:48:41# So don't refuse to believe it...

0:48:41 > 0:48:44- (HORN BLARES) - # By reading too many meanings

0:48:46 > 0:48:48# Cos you know

0:48:48 > 0:48:50# That I mean what I say

0:48:50 > 0:48:52# So don't go

0:48:52 > 0:48:54# And ever take me the wrong way

0:48:54 > 0:48:58# You know you can't go on getting your own way

0:48:58 > 0:49:02# Cos if you do it's going to get you some day

0:49:02 > 0:49:05- '(PHONE RINGS)' - 'Hello. This is Andrea.'

0:49:05 > 0:49:08'It's Cliff. Shelton Fisher needs to be at the meeting.'

0:49:08 > 0:49:11- 'Do you know who he is?' - 'Chairman of McGraw Hill.'

0:49:11 > 0:49:14'And he has to be at the meeting. It's not me! It's him.'

0:49:14 > 0:49:17'No negotiation. No Fisher, no meeting.'

0:49:27 > 0:49:31Mr Irving, it would appear that either you

0:49:31 > 0:49:35or your illustrious sponsor is jerking someone's chain.

0:49:35 > 0:49:39I assure you, that chain will not be connected to Life Magazine.

0:49:39 > 0:49:44So, why don't you begin by telling us who Robert Eaton is

0:49:44 > 0:49:47and why he's selling the book you're supposed to be writing.

0:49:50 > 0:49:53Shelton, have you received your mail today?

0:49:53 > 0:49:56Excuse me?

0:49:56 > 0:49:58Ralph, I was talking to Shelton.

0:49:58 > 0:50:01As a side comment, watch your tone with me.

0:50:01 > 0:50:05I've been up for two nights negotiating with a very stubborn

0:50:05 > 0:50:08billionaire and my quota for verbal abuse has been reached.

0:50:09 > 0:50:12Could you get the mail, please?

0:50:14 > 0:50:16Life Magazine has been known to have

0:50:16 > 0:50:19a slight impact on writers' careers, my friend,

0:50:19 > 0:50:23and we... we are not afraid of civil litigation.

0:50:23 > 0:50:26There's the tone. Right there, you got that? Watch it.

0:50:36 > 0:50:38That it?

0:50:38 > 0:50:43Shelton, while you're reading this, assuming Howard wrote what he told me

0:50:43 > 0:50:46he was going to write, I will give a summary to the group.

0:50:46 > 0:50:50Howard doesn't know who Eaton is. The book is a fake.

0:50:50 > 0:50:54But that doesn't really matter now because he found out that McGraw-Hill

0:50:54 > 0:50:59sold the serialisation rights to Life Magazine, without his authorisation,

0:50:59 > 0:51:03he became... what's the word? Apoplectic.

0:51:05 > 0:51:07You got a problem, Ralph.

0:51:07 > 0:51:10Your magazine is owned by Henry Luce.

0:51:10 > 0:51:13What's the matter with Henry Luce?

0:51:13 > 0:51:15According to Howard?

0:51:15 > 0:51:17Well, Luce is in bed with Trippe,

0:51:17 > 0:51:20at Pan Am, he's a goddamn socialist and he's a lousy golfer.

0:51:20 > 0:51:23It's just... It's a rant.

0:51:23 > 0:51:27It's basically a three-page rant about what a bastard Luce is.

0:51:27 > 0:51:31That's Howard's words, it's not mine. I don't have a problem with Luce.

0:51:31 > 0:51:33The postmark is Nassau.

0:51:33 > 0:51:37That is completely irrelevant. And we are talking about

0:51:37 > 0:51:42a business agreement that will hold up in a court of law.

0:51:42 > 0:51:46We... We had a business agreement. Not any more.

0:51:47 > 0:51:52I pleaded with him... to reconsider, but I was unsuccessful, so...

0:51:54 > 0:51:57..per Howard's instructions...

0:51:57 > 0:51:59I am...

0:51:59 > 0:52:01returning...

0:52:01 > 0:52:05this 100,000 advance cheque to you.

0:52:08 > 0:52:12You can chase it in court. Meanwhile, we'll look for another publisher.

0:52:12 > 0:52:15Wait, no. Clifford, er, Mr Irving,

0:52:15 > 0:52:18we have a contract with you,

0:52:18 > 0:52:21which means that our company owns the property.

0:52:21 > 0:52:26Wrong. Through all of my pleading, hours of it, believe me,

0:52:26 > 0:52:30it could be yours, Shelton, it could. You could make a public announcement

0:52:30 > 0:52:34within the week and he's all right with Ralph still being involved with this,

0:52:34 > 0:52:39provided... you increase his advance to one million dollars.

0:52:39 > 0:52:41And not a penny less. (ALL GASP)

0:52:41 > 0:52:44- What?! - A million dollars?

0:52:44 > 0:52:49- Yes.- (LAUGHS) A million dollars? - I think we should try

0:52:49 > 0:52:52- to maintain an atmosphere of goodwill and trust here.- Trust?!

0:52:52 > 0:52:55- Yeah.- The man's a Texan copperhead. Trust.

0:52:55 > 0:52:58- Right. Thank you. - Where are you going?

0:52:58 > 0:53:03Where are you going? Wait! Let me tell you something. The book's mine.

0:53:03 > 0:53:07Signed and sealed. And I'm not paying any goddamn million dollars.

0:53:07 > 0:53:10You understand that? You listen to me, Mr Clifford fucking Irving,

0:53:10 > 0:53:14- you go and tell -- I'm not Clifford Irving. I'm Howard Hughes!

0:53:14 > 0:53:16Howard's mouth, Howard's words!

0:53:16 > 0:53:20One million dollars or we walk across the street to Doubleday, your choice.

0:53:27 > 0:53:31Shelton, I just want to share this with you, one of Howard's

0:53:31 > 0:53:33alternate ideas. He said,

0:53:33 > 0:53:36"Why don't I just buy a controlling interest in McGraw-Hill?"

0:53:36 > 0:53:39What was it he said? "I'll just keep the printing presses

0:53:39 > 0:53:42and get rid of the idiots." That's an exact quote.

0:53:44 > 0:53:46Bye.

0:53:52 > 0:53:56# "Up Around The Bend" - Creedence Clearwater Revival

0:54:02 > 0:54:06- That's it. Thank you. - Sure.

0:54:06 > 0:54:09# There's a place up ahead and I'm going

0:54:09 > 0:54:12# Just as fast as my feet can fly #

0:54:15 > 0:54:17Whoo.

0:54:17 > 0:54:21- Why are the boys so glum?- In the midst of our brilliant scheme,

0:54:21 > 0:54:25we forgot to figure out how to cash a cheque made out to Howard Hughes.

0:54:27 > 0:54:29Open up a Swiss account,

0:54:29 > 0:54:32- in his name, for yourself. - We were going to do that,

0:54:32 > 0:54:36and then we found out that you need Social Security numbers

0:54:36 > 0:54:38and it's traceable, even in Switzerland.

0:54:38 > 0:54:41We've gone over everything.

0:54:41 > 0:54:44What if a woman deposits the cheque?

0:54:44 > 0:54:47No, the same person who opens the account has to be the same person

0:54:47 > 0:54:50who cashes the cheque. Has to be a man.

0:54:51 > 0:54:55Tell his publisher he changed his mind.

0:54:56 > 0:55:00He wants the cheques written to his initials now.

0:55:00 > 0:55:02H R Hughes.

0:55:02 > 0:55:05Then... a fake passport, a fake name.

0:55:05 > 0:55:10Harriet Rhonda Hughes. Helga Rhinoceros Hughes.

0:55:10 > 0:55:14- (BOTH CHUCKLE) - And I can cash the cheque.

0:55:14 > 0:55:17- No, you're not going to Switzerland. - Jesus, that's a great idea.

0:55:17 > 0:55:20- That's going to work. - She's my wife.

0:55:20 > 0:55:24I know. I've reminded you of that fact from time to time.

0:55:24 > 0:55:27You know...

0:55:27 > 0:55:29when he doesn't call, stuff like that.

0:55:32 > 0:55:36- We've talked about it already. - No, I...- It's just about anonymity.

0:55:36 > 0:55:40- That's all. Great. Which one's mine. - No, that's the old...

0:55:40 > 0:55:43- Are you going to destroy this? OK. - There you go, OK?- Thanks.

0:55:43 > 0:55:47It's going to take at least a week for the cheque to clear

0:55:47 > 0:55:51so you're going to have plenty of time to enjoy Zurich.

0:55:51 > 0:55:55"McGraw-Hill book company and Life Magazine announced publication..."

0:55:55 > 0:55:58"..claims that he interviewed Hughes on many occasions."

0:55:58 > 0:56:02"..urging buyers to place an order now for what may prove to be

0:56:02 > 0:56:05"the most controversial book of the century."

0:56:05 > 0:56:10I have phone calls, telegrams, I have cease and desist orders,

0:56:10 > 0:56:13'Miss Tate. Am I going to pay this man a million dollars,'

0:56:13 > 0:56:17for a book that he is going to sue me for publishing?

0:56:17 > 0:56:21My back is broken. What did you order?

0:56:22 > 0:56:25If you were concerned, maybe you could ask Howard

0:56:25 > 0:56:28'to stop the more adamant denials.'

0:56:28 > 0:56:30Yeah.

0:56:37 > 0:56:39"Amidst controversy, McGraw-Hill

0:56:39 > 0:56:42"to publish Hughes autobiography."

0:56:42 > 0:56:45"Hughes' lawyer calls book complete fabrication."

0:56:45 > 0:56:49- That's it, we're liars. - (MUFFLED CONVERSATION)

0:56:52 > 0:56:56A month ago, you wanted more credit!

0:56:56 > 0:56:59Hughes' people, they're all ex CIA, you know that?

0:56:59 > 0:57:02They're all trained in martial arts.

0:57:02 > 0:57:06Good! I hope they drop kick some sense into you. Shit!

0:57:06 > 0:57:09- What is that?- It's over with her?! Over with her?!

0:57:09 > 0:57:13I don't know what this is! Edith, Edith, she did this deliberately.

0:57:13 > 0:57:16Maliciously, because I cut off communication with her.

0:57:16 > 0:57:20- She wanted to separate us. - Did you see her?

0:57:20 > 0:57:23- No, don't.- (CAR HORN TOOTS) - I don't want to know.

0:57:23 > 0:57:25I don't want to know.

0:57:25 > 0:57:29I don't want you to go to Switzerland.

0:57:29 > 0:57:33- It might be dangerous. I don't care about the money!- Bullshit.

0:57:33 > 0:57:37You care only about the money. Oh, and being a famous man.

0:57:37 > 0:57:39Anyway, fuck you, it's my money too.

0:57:42 > 0:57:44Fuck you!

0:58:35 > 0:58:37Oh, God.

0:58:37 > 0:58:40Oh, my God.

0:58:42 > 0:58:44(MUMBLES)

0:58:44 > 0:58:47- Dick! Dick! - What?

0:58:47 > 0:58:51- Dick, we got it, we got it.- Got what? - You won't believe this.

0:58:51 > 0:58:54OK, listen. Rebozo.

0:58:54 > 0:58:56"Rebozo accepted 100,000 in cash

0:58:56 > 0:58:59"to redecorate Nixon's home."

0:58:59 > 0:59:03"The acceptance was understood to mean that a TWA appeal

0:59:03 > 0:59:07"and the Air West matter would be of highest priority."

0:59:07 > 0:59:10Also, 1956, Hughes gave Nixon's brother 205,000

0:59:10 > 0:59:13to secure Pentagon contracts.

0:59:13 > 0:59:17This... This is money laundering, it's bribery! It's the end!

0:59:17 > 0:59:19This is... We publish this...

0:59:20 > 0:59:24..Nixon... Nixon, the President,

0:59:24 > 0:59:28is impeached. Do you understand the power this gives us?

0:59:39 > 0:59:42- Cliff, I'm not sure I want the power this gives us.- Well, I do.

0:59:42 > 0:59:47You publish this, you will have a storm of shit rained down on you.

0:59:47 > 0:59:50And there are people now, God knows who,

0:59:50 > 0:59:54Nixon's political enemies, Hughes' advisors,

0:59:54 > 0:59:56- they know where you live! - Yes.

0:59:56 > 0:59:59- I say you forget you ever saw this. - Forget it?

0:59:59 > 1:00:04This is like a Torah! Sent down from God!

1:00:04 > 1:00:07Make us part of history! And you want to forget it?

1:00:07 > 1:00:11Come here, let me show you something. Postmarked Nevada, Hughes' country.

1:00:11 > 1:00:15- What are you saying?- He wants us to help him bust Nixon.

1:00:15 > 1:00:19He's with us, Dick! Howard is with us!

1:00:28 > 1:00:31How did you know the Dillon Read Hydraulic Systems were faulty?

1:00:31 > 1:00:35(IMITATES HUGHES) You're not listening, Clifford, goddamn it!

1:00:35 > 1:00:38I made sure they were faulty through a couple of well-placed bribes.

1:00:38 > 1:00:42Why not go to Defence with the information and get the contract?

1:00:42 > 1:00:46Well, I couldn't have handled the contracts then.

1:00:46 > 1:00:49Instead of tattling on them, I... fixed their planes.

1:00:50 > 1:00:53I... intertwined our technologies,

1:00:53 > 1:00:56I ate that company from within.

1:00:56 > 1:00:59And they let me, because they were hypnotised.

1:00:59 > 1:01:03That's the way, Clifford. When your rival is powerful,

1:01:03 > 1:01:06find an opportunity, create a crisis for him.

1:01:06 > 1:01:09But instead of taking short-term advantage,

1:01:09 > 1:01:12save the day for him.

1:01:12 > 1:01:15Nothing confuses a man more

1:01:15 > 1:01:18than a kind gesture from his enemy.

1:01:18 > 1:01:22Nothing renders him... more vulnerable.

1:01:23 > 1:01:27(PHONE RINGS) It's Edith. Turn it off, turn it off.

1:01:33 > 1:01:35"I made sure they were faulty..."

1:01:35 > 1:01:38It was Andrea! We got a problem.

1:01:43 > 1:01:46Keep it down, guys, you're going to wake the neighbours(!)

1:01:46 > 1:01:50Clifford, I don't believe you've met Frank McCullough.

1:01:50 > 1:01:53- No, hi, Frank. - How are you?

1:01:53 > 1:01:56- Dick Suskind. Dick? - Hello.

1:01:57 > 1:02:01Er, I got a phone call yesterday, from Chester Davis,

1:02:01 > 1:02:04- whose Hughes' personal attorney. - Yes, yes.

1:02:04 > 1:02:08Er, apparently, at 1pm, our time, Howard Hughes is going to call,

1:02:08 > 1:02:11to speak to an intermediary by telephone.

1:02:11 > 1:02:15And, as the...last journalist to have spoken to Mr Hughes,

1:02:15 > 1:02:20we mutually agreed that Mr McCullough should receive the call,

1:02:20 > 1:02:23because of his ability to identify Mr Hughes by voice.

1:02:23 > 1:02:26Mr McCullough has also assured us, at least for the moment,

1:02:26 > 1:02:29that all of this will remain off the record.

1:02:29 > 1:02:34Mr Davis also insisted that Ralph Graves be present at the time of the phone call,

1:02:34 > 1:02:37which, I have to say, Cliff, that one surprised me.

1:02:37 > 1:02:41Given Hughes' representations of Life

1:02:41 > 1:02:44in your alleged communications with him.

1:02:45 > 1:02:48Er, if you'll excuse me.

1:02:48 > 1:02:51I have to go to the bathroom.

1:02:55 > 1:03:00Shelton, this... (LAUGHS) What am I supposed to say?

1:03:00 > 1:03:03This is an ambush! You know exactly what the guy's going to say.

1:03:03 > 1:03:07That's why Mr McCullough's here, to identify the voice

1:03:07 > 1:03:10- of the man in question. - I'm neutral here, Mr Irving.

1:03:13 > 1:03:16So...now we wait.

1:03:27 > 1:03:29(PHONE RINGS)

1:03:32 > 1:03:34I can't watch this charade.

1:03:34 > 1:03:37You'll find me in the lobby.

1:03:37 > 1:03:41- Stay close, Clifford. - Hello?

1:04:04 > 1:04:08- It says exit, there's no exit.- Shit! (ALARM SOUNDS)

1:04:09 > 1:04:13- We can't get out. - Howard Hughes? My God!

1:04:13 > 1:04:16All right, we have no reason to believe that that was him.

1:04:16 > 1:04:20McCullough hasn't heard from him, hasn't spoken to him in 12 years!

1:04:20 > 1:04:23- Breathe.- There's an angry billionaire, he's chasing me.

1:04:23 > 1:04:27- Hating me. - Walk. We're going up here.

1:04:31 > 1:04:36Keep going, come on. Come on.

1:04:36 > 1:04:39Cliff, I can't. I gotta take a piss.

1:04:39 > 1:04:44I'll confess, I'll do anything they want. Just let me use the bathroom.

1:04:44 > 1:04:47OK, right here, right here. Hide in there.

1:04:47 > 1:04:49Watch your head. Hide.

1:04:49 > 1:04:53- You gotta piss your pants, go ahead. Just stay there.- All right.

1:04:53 > 1:04:55I'll be back.

1:05:06 > 1:05:08What happened?

1:05:08 > 1:05:11We don't know yet. McCullough asked us to leave the room.

1:05:17 > 1:05:21The man I just spoke to was Howard Hughes. His speech patterns

1:05:21 > 1:05:24and inflections would be impossible to imitate.

1:05:24 > 1:05:27And he told me that he's never met you.

1:05:27 > 1:05:29And that your book is a fraud.

1:05:30 > 1:05:33A hoax.

1:05:33 > 1:05:36Mr Irving?

1:05:36 > 1:05:41- I'm listening.- Now, knowing Howard, I don't find this to be conclusive,

1:05:41 > 1:05:43at all. He is a very strange man.

1:05:43 > 1:05:47Um... but, considering the scarcity of proof that you've provided,

1:05:47 > 1:05:50my best guess, at this moment,

1:05:50 > 1:05:53is that you are a charlatan.

1:05:53 > 1:05:56If there is even a whiff of impropriety to this,

1:05:56 > 1:06:00if you have exaggerated or changed even the slightest detail,

1:06:00 > 1:06:03I will prosecute you to the full extent of the law for grand larceny

1:06:03 > 1:06:08and mail fraud, unless you tell me just what the bald fuck is going on.

1:06:11 > 1:06:13I have... (COUGHS)

1:06:17 > 1:06:21'I have betrayed... your trust.'

1:06:22 > 1:06:25'The book, the entire story is false.'

1:06:28 > 1:06:31'I've... lied to the entire world.'

1:06:31 > 1:06:34'And, no matter what happens now,

1:06:34 > 1:06:36'I am so...

1:06:36 > 1:06:39'relieved.'

1:06:41 > 1:06:44I have...

1:06:44 > 1:06:48off-the-record material on that two-faced prick

1:06:48 > 1:06:51that puts him in fucking jail! I'm going to tell Howard,

1:06:51 > 1:06:55either he shows his ant-bitten face...

1:06:55 > 1:06:57or I release it!

1:06:57 > 1:07:00I've had it!

1:07:03 > 1:07:07You have three days to produce Howard Hughes and the manuscript!

1:07:07 > 1:07:10Grand larceny, Cliff? Mail fraud.

1:07:10 > 1:07:14Jesus, you know what? This is just too much, too much.

1:07:14 > 1:07:17- I've got a move, there is a move here.- Move, move. Stop the car.

1:07:17 > 1:07:21- I've gotta make a call. - What are you doing?- What am I doing?

1:07:21 > 1:07:24I'm calling Barbara, that's what I'm doing.

1:07:27 > 1:07:29Hi, it's me.

1:07:35 > 1:07:37What?

1:07:38 > 1:07:41It's over, Cliff, I can't go to jail.

1:07:41 > 1:07:46And, with you or without you, I'm going to tell them tomorrow

1:07:46 > 1:07:49that Howard Hughes called and he pulled out of the deal.

1:07:49 > 1:07:52You can pay them back the money. I talked to Barbara,

1:07:52 > 1:07:56- she had very strong feelings about this.- Sure she did.

1:07:58 > 1:08:00You're an honourable man, Dick.

1:08:01 > 1:08:05Aren't you? Are you an honourable man?

1:08:05 > 1:08:08Did you make a commitment to me, Dick?

1:08:08 > 1:08:11- Did you say you were in this till the end?- Yeah.- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1:08:11 > 1:08:15Reaching a worldwide audience, taking down a corrupt president,

1:08:15 > 1:08:17that's the end! Not this!

1:08:19 > 1:08:22- It's finished, Cliff, it's finished.- Sure!

1:08:22 > 1:08:25- Sorry I disappointed you. - Good.

1:08:44 > 1:08:46(SPEAKS GERMAN)

1:08:49 > 1:08:52Helga Hughes, Helga R Hughes.

1:09:10 > 1:09:12(LAUGHTER)

1:09:13 > 1:09:18- Yeah.- No, I encourage people to read. That way, they read my books

1:09:18 > 1:09:20and I sell books and make money.

1:09:20 > 1:09:24That's why I love it when people say, "I'm a reader."

1:09:24 > 1:09:28- I say, "Good for you and good for me."- Hey, we gotta go.

1:09:28 > 1:09:32- No, I don't want to go.- Yes, you do. (ALL TALK AT ONCE) We gotta go.

1:09:32 > 1:09:36- Ladies, I know, I know. Gotta get you home.- Have a drink, have a drink.

1:09:36 > 1:09:40- It's true.- No, you can't jazz them up. You have to be a star.

1:09:40 > 1:09:43I need to find...

1:09:43 > 1:09:45a great book, the one book...

1:09:45 > 1:09:48- Tommy, two, two more doubles. - Sure.

1:09:48 > 1:09:51His two main pre-occupations, am I right,

1:09:51 > 1:09:54were war and sodomy.

1:09:56 > 1:09:58Now, this is my problem.

1:09:58 > 1:10:02- It's a hazardous business, sodomy. - That's what we hear.

1:10:02 > 1:10:05(LAUGHS) It's what you hear.

1:10:06 > 1:10:10"That's the way, when your rival is powerful."

1:10:10 > 1:10:14"Find an opportunity, create a... a crisis for him."

1:10:14 > 1:10:17"But, instead of taking short-term advantage..."

1:10:18 > 1:10:22..save the day for him. (HORN TOOTS)

1:10:28 > 1:10:30Hi.

1:10:40 > 1:10:42Cliff?

1:10:55 > 1:10:57(DOOR SHUTS)

1:11:01 > 1:11:03What happened last night?

1:11:05 > 1:11:07I smell...

1:11:12 > 1:11:14I smell like...

1:11:17 > 1:11:19(SOBS)

1:11:22 > 1:11:25Oh, God, no, please.

1:11:27 > 1:11:29Oh, I didn't.

1:11:32 > 1:11:34I didn't, no, I didn't.

1:11:40 > 1:11:43It's all right.

1:11:44 > 1:11:46Dick, listen to me.

1:11:48 > 1:11:50It was a mistake.

1:11:53 > 1:11:56- She's wanted security for a long time, hasn't she?- Yes.

1:11:56 > 1:11:59- She has. - (SOBS)

1:11:59 > 1:12:02You can give her that now.

1:12:02 > 1:12:05I promise you, we will make this work.

1:12:05 > 1:12:08We'll make this work.

1:12:08 > 1:12:10I promise.

1:12:14 > 1:12:17"I intertwined our technologies,

1:12:17 > 1:12:20"I ate that company..."

1:12:31 > 1:12:33"..from within. And they let me

1:12:33 > 1:12:36"cos they were hypnotised."

1:12:49 > 1:12:52"The mayor of New York planned his parade through his voting..."

1:12:52 > 1:12:55"..was a thieving, lying jackal."

1:12:55 > 1:12:59"I flew around the world in 1938 for the only decent reason

1:12:59 > 1:13:03"a young man does anything, because he feels like it."

1:13:17 > 1:13:21They set a meeting, Mr Octavio, and he's going to show up here!

1:13:21 > 1:13:26This is perhaps the most...bizarre communique I have ever received.

1:13:26 > 1:13:29And I need your help in implementing its requirements.

1:13:29 > 1:13:33At 1pm tomorrow, the top four floors of this building

1:13:33 > 1:13:37are to be evacuated. All the carpeting on the 14th floor

1:13:37 > 1:13:41is to be removed. Floors are to be washed and waxed.

1:13:41 > 1:13:45All the materials are to be covered with black material,

1:13:45 > 1:13:47the kind which does not accumulate dust.

1:13:47 > 1:13:51- Does that apply to my windows also, Mr Irving?- Er, yeah. I'd go ahead

1:13:51 > 1:13:55and cover them up, Harold, I think it's the best thing. Play it safe.

1:13:55 > 1:13:57This is sensitive material.

1:13:57 > 1:14:00I'm still deciding whether or not to put this in the book.

1:14:00 > 1:14:04- I think you should put it somewhere safe.- Of course.

1:14:04 > 1:14:07All right, then.

1:14:08 > 1:14:10Here's our manuscript.

1:14:16 > 1:14:19- Hope you like it. - Hope to God I do too.

1:14:20 > 1:14:24All right, I'll bring down Howard as soon as he gets here.

1:14:24 > 1:14:26All right.

1:14:30 > 1:14:33All right, check this! Check the western... Make sure

1:14:33 > 1:14:37- the diameter's exactly right.- OK? - Yeah, don't worry about me.

1:14:37 > 1:14:40- You're doing good. - Yes, on the spot.

1:14:41 > 1:14:44(VOICES ARGUING)

1:14:48 > 1:14:52- We might not want to let this fly off the building.- Give me that.

1:14:52 > 1:14:56- You copied this by hand?- Yes. - From the original?- Cliff... - No photocopies?

1:14:56 > 1:14:59No! I'm fully aware of the restrictions, Cliff.

1:14:59 > 1:15:03- I did it by hand.- Why do I always want to strangle Brad?

1:15:03 > 1:15:05Every time.

1:15:05 > 1:15:08Is that... Is that him?

1:15:08 > 1:15:12- (CHOPPER BLADES WHIRR) That's him!- Oh, my God!

1:15:12 > 1:15:15- He's here! - Clear the roof!

1:15:15 > 1:15:18- Get your things. Go! Come on! - Quickly.

1:15:51 > 1:15:54Where is he going?

1:15:54 > 1:15:56- I don't know. - Oh, no, this is not happening!

1:15:59 > 1:16:02Shall we head back?

1:16:03 > 1:16:05(RETCHES)

1:16:05 > 1:16:09He was 50 feet from the fucking building!

1:16:09 > 1:16:13- All right, my diagram is fine! - Do you have the original?

1:16:13 > 1:16:16It's not outside the scope of my capabilities, diagramming -

1:16:16 > 1:16:20- We'll find out.- I can do that. - You switched east and west. Why?

1:16:20 > 1:16:24- Why did you... Look!- No, I wrote what was on the damn page.- No! Look!

1:16:24 > 1:16:28He's an eccentric genius, he likes things the way he wants them.

1:16:28 > 1:16:31Why did you change it? A three year old wouldn't have fucked that up.

1:16:31 > 1:16:35- Pray that you die, you snivelling twat.- I swear to Christ,

1:16:35 > 1:16:38I wrote what was on this page. Exactly the same.

1:16:49 > 1:16:52Your book is genuine. There's no way your material

1:16:52 > 1:16:55could have come from anyone but Howard Hughes.

1:16:55 > 1:16:57The colloquialisms,

1:16:57 > 1:17:00the idiosyncratic philosophies.

1:17:00 > 1:17:03Hey, you have got a near-perfect account of a conversation I had

1:17:03 > 1:17:07- with Howard that I didn't tell another living soul about.- Really?!

1:17:07 > 1:17:10- Typical Howard Hughes, write it and deny it.- It was so... I was... Yeah.

1:17:10 > 1:17:13He really put you on one hell of a limb, didn't he?

1:17:13 > 1:17:17It wasn't easy, no, it wasn't, but I got a lot of help.

1:17:17 > 1:17:20- It's a masterpiece. - Yeah?- A masterpiece.

1:17:20 > 1:17:23- You liked it? - I loved it.- Yes!

1:17:23 > 1:17:25Yes!

1:17:42 > 1:17:46- (ALL SHOUT AT ONCE) - Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me.

1:17:46 > 1:17:49Hughes is threatening civil action.

1:17:49 > 1:17:52Why is he fighting so hard if the book is authentic?!

1:17:52 > 1:17:54(TV PLAYS)

1:17:57 > 1:18:00I wouldn't be surprised if they've got surveillance devices

1:18:00 > 1:18:04- all over my home, right now. - "..the Clifford Irving book

1:18:04 > 1:18:07"on Howard Hughes is apparently, of real concern..."

1:18:09 > 1:18:14"If you ask my advice, the election of George Bush as United States

1:18:14 > 1:18:18"Senator will be good for Texas, I know it will be good for America..."

1:18:18 > 1:18:22"But in any event, he pulled out a bag, reached in

1:18:22 > 1:18:25"and pulled out a prune. And he looked at it, offered it

1:18:25 > 1:18:28"and said, 'Would you like a prune?'"

1:18:28 > 1:18:31"And then took the prune,

1:18:31 > 1:18:34"and said, 'It's an organic prune.'"

1:18:34 > 1:18:38"When this book comes out, all the naysayers will be amazed

1:18:38 > 1:18:41"at the wealth of depth and quality of the material..."

1:18:41 > 1:18:45And you are so royally full of shit.

1:18:45 > 1:18:48"I feel very humble, being a conduit

1:18:48 > 1:18:50"for this kind of revelation."

1:18:50 > 1:18:55"It's not just about this man, but about our age,

1:18:55 > 1:18:58"who we are as people." (PHONE RINGS)

1:18:58 > 1:19:00Hello?

1:19:00 > 1:19:03"I have the money, I am safe now."

1:19:03 > 1:19:06- Edith, where are you? - "I'm at the airport."

1:19:06 > 1:19:11"Someone is watching me and following me and..."

1:19:11 > 1:19:13Edith?

1:19:13 > 1:19:15Edith!

1:19:44 > 1:19:46No!

1:19:54 > 1:19:56(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRR)

1:20:13 > 1:20:15Where's Howard?

1:20:15 > 1:20:19You know, Clifford, I have worked in various capacities for Mr Hughes

1:20:19 > 1:20:24for 19 years, and never once have I referred to him by his first name.

1:20:24 > 1:20:28You don't seem to abide such formalities.

1:20:28 > 1:20:31- He and I wrote a book together. - Assume for a moment that I know

1:20:31 > 1:20:35you didn't, and that it's not the topic of the evening.

1:20:35 > 1:20:39- What is?- The world Mr Hughes has created is vast, Clifford.

1:20:39 > 1:20:42It covers many industries and many endeavours.

1:20:43 > 1:20:47There are...fiefdoms and factions,

1:20:47 > 1:20:50traitors and minor rebellions.

1:20:50 > 1:20:54You see, Clifford, the men Mr Hughes uses as his instruments in the world

1:20:54 > 1:20:58are often themselves the makers of history.

1:20:58 > 1:21:00You mean Nixon.

1:21:00 > 1:21:05Mr Hughes wants to know if you included the information sent to you

1:21:05 > 1:21:07in the galleys of your book.

1:21:08 > 1:21:12Howard wants to bury Nixon, doesn't he?

1:21:12 > 1:21:15Because his dog isn't doing tricks any more. And TWA...

1:21:15 > 1:21:19- and the Air West merger...- I'm not arrogant enough to speculate

1:21:19 > 1:21:23on Mr Hughes' motives, Clifford, we just want an answer to the question.

1:21:24 > 1:21:27I'll just say this,

1:21:27 > 1:21:31nothing stops this book from being published exactly the way I wrote it.

1:21:34 > 1:21:38He wants my help... he has to speak to me directly.

1:21:38 > 1:21:41Are you dictating terms to Howard Hughes?

1:21:41 > 1:21:44- I'm the messenger for Howard Hughes. - Why such a burning commitment

1:21:44 > 1:21:48- to a man you don't know? - Oh, but I do know him.

1:21:48 > 1:21:51And I deserve to see him.

1:21:54 > 1:21:57Presidents have said the same thing to me, Clifford...

1:21:57 > 1:22:01I will tell you what I told them.

1:22:02 > 1:22:05It's not a matter of getting through a door, Clifford,

1:22:05 > 1:22:07there is no door to get through.

1:22:07 > 1:22:12If, though, Clifford, if there were a door...

1:22:12 > 1:22:17you would now be hearing the sound of it closing.

1:22:21 > 1:22:23(SCREAMS)

1:22:36 > 1:22:38(SCREAMS)

1:22:43 > 1:22:47Mr Hughes wants that information in the book, Clifford.

1:22:48 > 1:22:50I knew it.

1:22:50 > 1:22:55So, I put the dirt in, Howard will let the book go forward, right?

1:22:55 > 1:22:57That's the deal.

1:22:59 > 1:23:02Do I have any assurances?

1:23:04 > 1:23:06Take it on faith, Clifford.

1:23:06 > 1:23:09(CHUCKLES)

1:23:40 > 1:23:44It makes sense that he would choose Cliff and not someone like Mailer,

1:23:44 > 1:23:48- then it would be Mailer's book. - Thanks.

1:23:48 > 1:23:51There are claims, from some corners,

1:23:51 > 1:23:55that Mr Irving has concocted this book from old cloth.

1:23:55 > 1:23:58Well, for those of us who have read it, we know that

1:23:58 > 1:24:01only a Shakespeare could have accomplished such a feat.

1:24:01 > 1:24:05And, while Mr Irving is a fine man, he is no Shakespeare.

1:24:05 > 1:24:09- (LAUGHTER) - Ladies and gentlemen,

1:24:09 > 1:24:11Mr Clifford Irving.

1:24:22 > 1:24:24Thank you. Thank you.

1:24:33 > 1:24:37You could change the world with this, Harold! I want this in the book!

1:24:37 > 1:24:40Cliff, we will be sued for libel by the President.

1:24:40 > 1:24:42You'll win, you will win. (BEEPING)

1:24:42 > 1:24:46- Yes?- To put this out, unsubstantiated is,

1:24:46 > 1:24:50- at best, unwise and, at worst, unethical.- Wait.

1:24:50 > 1:24:52Could you give me a moment, Cliff, please?

1:24:52 > 1:24:55- Yeah, sure. - Thank you.

1:24:55 > 1:24:58Ralph, if the President took cash bribes

1:24:58 > 1:25:01- then we have every... - (BEEPING)

1:25:01 > 1:25:05Harold, I'm sorry to interrupt but the Zurich District Attorney's

1:25:05 > 1:25:08- office is on the line.- Hang on, Ralph. Yes, this is Harold McGraw.

1:25:09 > 1:25:11Who told you that?

1:25:11 > 1:25:13Where did you hear that?

1:25:20 > 1:25:22"The case involves a Swiss bank,

1:25:22 > 1:25:26in Zurich, where the cheques were cashed by H R Hughes,

1:25:26 > 1:25:30but H R Hughes was a mysterious lady named Helga R Hughes."

1:25:30 > 1:25:33"The police are looking for her and the normally-silent

1:25:33 > 1:25:37- "Swiss bankers are talking." - Mr Irving, who cashed the cheques, sir?

1:25:37 > 1:25:40"Who opened up the Swiss bank account?"

1:25:40 > 1:25:44The account holder in Switzerland is a woman named Helga Hughes.

1:25:44 > 1:25:47They suspect she forged the endorsements.

1:25:47 > 1:25:51This has become sleazy and demeaning. I'm a publisher, Shelton.

1:25:51 > 1:25:54You're an employee, Harold, I don't care what your name is.

1:25:54 > 1:25:57We paid for a book and we're going to publish it.

1:25:57 > 1:26:00Just...roll the goddamn presses.

1:26:05 > 1:26:08I'm doing this, sir, because...

1:26:08 > 1:26:11I felt the President deserved a warning.

1:26:13 > 1:26:17No, of course not. Absolutely no-one.

1:26:18 > 1:26:22You should receive it by messenger this afternoon.

1:26:22 > 1:26:25# I'd like to teach the world to sing

1:26:25 > 1:26:28# In perfect harmony

1:26:28 > 1:26:29# Perfect harmony

1:26:29 > 1:26:32# I'd like to buy the world a Coke

1:26:32 > 1:26:35# And keep it company... # (DOOR SLAMS)

1:26:35 > 1:26:37# That's the real thing... #

1:26:37 > 1:26:41Thank God! Honey, are you all right?

1:26:41 > 1:26:43Let me help you.

1:26:43 > 1:26:45I am not staying!

1:27:10 > 1:27:13- What's in the book? - Everything.

1:27:13 > 1:27:17Hughes' loans to the President, the real amounts of the loans.

1:27:17 > 1:27:20The shit about Bebe in Florida.

1:27:20 > 1:27:23And you're saying the President thinks this is authentic?

1:27:23 > 1:27:27- How else could they know?- I gotta talk to Fisher. He's gotta kill it.

1:27:27 > 1:27:30- Hughes is using it to get to the Chief.- The President's hit the roof.

1:27:30 > 1:27:35Terrified the book's been leaked to the Democratic National Committee.

1:27:35 > 1:27:38- Shit.- He thinks they're sipping tea at the Watergate Hotel reading it.

1:27:38 > 1:27:43I'll call Hans and have him send his guys in, see if the DNC has a copy.

1:27:43 > 1:27:47And prepare something for the President if this breaks early.

1:27:47 > 1:27:50- If he has to address the nation... - To say what?

1:27:50 > 1:27:53That Checkers had puppies. How the fuck should I know?

1:27:54 > 1:27:59I was on the plane and I was thinking, for a long... time.

1:27:59 > 1:28:03I was thinking about all of your lies from before.

1:28:03 > 1:28:05I guess, maybe, I am not

1:28:05 > 1:28:08beautiful or...very sexual.

1:28:08 > 1:28:12- No, honey, no, no, it's not true. - You have made me feel that.

1:28:13 > 1:28:16So...I'm leaving.

1:28:16 > 1:28:19And I'm giving back all of...

1:28:19 > 1:28:21the money, all of the book money.

1:28:21 > 1:28:24Look, you've worked so hard.

1:28:24 > 1:28:26On us and the book.

1:28:28 > 1:28:32- Punish me but don't punish yourself. - You're always so careful

1:28:32 > 1:28:34when you talk, always so...

1:28:36 > 1:28:40..soft, like a cushion for what you want.

1:28:40 > 1:28:42But I am leaving.

1:28:44 > 1:28:47But before I go, I give you something.

1:28:47 > 1:28:50You are exhausted from your lies.

1:28:55 > 1:28:57So tell the truth.

1:28:58 > 1:29:03Tell me the truth. About what you did with her.

1:29:03 > 1:29:05This time.

1:29:05 > 1:29:07It is your moment.

1:29:07 > 1:29:09To be clean.

1:29:20 > 1:29:22I saw her.

1:29:24 > 1:29:26When?

1:29:26 > 1:29:29Last month.

1:29:32 > 1:29:36It was in town. Down in the village.

1:29:40 > 1:29:42We were...

1:29:42 > 1:29:45talking about the past and...

1:29:45 > 1:29:47I...

1:29:47 > 1:29:49I was tempted.

1:29:49 > 1:29:53I was tempted enough that I... I, er...

1:29:54 > 1:29:56..I went with her...

1:29:56 > 1:29:59back to her apartment.

1:30:03 > 1:30:05And I kissed her.

1:30:07 > 1:30:10And, er...

1:30:22 > 1:30:25..and then something happened and I...

1:30:28 > 1:30:31..something physically, I just...recoiled

1:30:31 > 1:30:34and, um...

1:30:35 > 1:30:39..I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't do it.

1:30:39 > 1:30:42I, er, just left her standing there and...

1:30:42 > 1:30:44I ran down the stairs.

1:30:46 > 1:30:50I know you're making a really big decision right now, I understand.

1:30:50 > 1:30:52I, er...

1:30:54 > 1:30:58I just want you to know that's the truth. That's the truth.

1:31:13 > 1:31:15I hate you.

1:31:15 > 1:31:18(SOBS)

1:31:18 > 1:31:20Yeah, I love you.

1:31:20 > 1:31:22I hate you.

1:31:22 > 1:31:26I think I'm coming down with something.

1:31:32 > 1:31:34(ROARING)

1:31:49 > 1:31:53"Human relationships are impossible. Especially with females,

1:31:53 > 1:31:57"Clifford, we try, of course,

1:31:57 > 1:32:01"to police ourselves so that they might be... happy."

1:32:01 > 1:32:05"Believing that their happiness might become our own."

1:32:07 > 1:32:10We're intertwined now, son, and I'm glad.

1:32:10 > 1:32:13It's for the best.

1:32:33 > 1:32:36Hi.

1:32:37 > 1:32:39You broke?

1:32:42 > 1:32:46Why don't you ask your friend for another birthday present?

1:32:46 > 1:32:48Hmm?

1:32:51 > 1:32:53"2,400 of our boys..."

1:32:53 > 1:32:5812 years, 12 years I've been doing free...free research for you.

1:32:58 > 1:33:01I cover up all your sleazy affairs. Why? Because I thought it was

1:33:01 > 1:33:05an investment, I thought there was someone in there. Jesus Christ!

1:33:06 > 1:33:09You paid her.

1:33:09 > 1:33:11You paid that hooker!

1:33:11 > 1:33:14I could lose my wife, Cliff!

1:33:14 > 1:33:18(SIGHS) Always the Cassandra, always bad news.

1:33:18 > 1:33:21Cliff, I'm not like you, I confessed.

1:33:21 > 1:33:25- You need your freedom, Dick.- What's that? What is that, your opinion?

1:33:25 > 1:33:28- You ruined my life because of your fucking opinion?!- I wanted it

1:33:28 > 1:33:32for you more than for me. The whole thing, I always did and we did it!

1:33:32 > 1:33:35Damn it, we did it. Look at this, look at this.

1:33:35 > 1:33:37(LAUGHS)

1:33:37 > 1:33:40Look at that.

1:33:40 > 1:33:43- I don't care about that. - It's yours, take it.

1:33:43 > 1:33:47- I don't care about that!- It's all yours. Take it, it's yours.

1:33:47 > 1:33:50- What's going on here? - Shhh.

1:34:01 > 1:34:03(Intertel.)

1:34:06 > 1:34:09(Intertel, sons of bitches.)

1:34:09 > 1:34:13(Motherfuckers broke into my house last night. They were here.)

1:34:13 > 1:34:17They took me in a car and flew me to Nassau. And there, they...

1:34:17 > 1:34:20they threatened me. They beat me up and chucked me out a window.

1:34:20 > 1:34:23I said, no, this book goes for... (This book goes forward.)

1:34:23 > 1:34:27Nothing was going to stop it. I was firm. Assurances were made. This...

1:34:27 > 1:34:30- This Howard Hughes will not be interfered with!- This Howard Hughes?

1:34:30 > 1:34:33- This Howard Hughes... - Cliff, Clifford Irving.

1:34:33 > 1:34:37- Intertel kidnapped you and flew you to Nassau?- Yes!

1:34:37 > 1:34:40CIA, ex-CIA henchmen, martial arts, you were right!

1:34:40 > 1:34:44- You were absolutely right!- I was here last night, Cliff, I came for

1:34:44 > 1:34:47lessons on how to lie to my wife. You being an expert in that field.

1:34:47 > 1:34:51Jesus Christ, I was outside that fucking window. I saw you in here,

1:34:51 > 1:34:54you were sitting on the floor, drunk outta your head.

1:34:54 > 1:34:56You don't believe me.

1:34:57 > 1:35:00You, of all people.

1:35:07 > 1:35:10- Take your fucking money. - Jesus, Cliff.- Take your money!

1:35:10 > 1:35:15- Fuck you!- Take your fucking money! All the fucking percentage you get!

1:35:15 > 1:35:18- Fuck you!- Yeah, fuck you! Take your fucking money and get out of here!

1:35:18 > 1:35:21Don't throw money at me!

1:35:21 > 1:35:23You stay away from me, you fucker!

1:35:23 > 1:35:25Stay away!

1:35:35 > 1:35:38No-one flew you to Nassau, Cliff.

1:35:40 > 1:35:42You're not that important.

1:35:49 > 1:35:52One moment, please.

1:35:53 > 1:35:58- Sir?- "Yes?"- Chester Davis, Howard Hughes' attorney on line one.

1:36:02 > 1:36:04You're sure?

1:36:04 > 1:36:07What time will it be on?

1:36:08 > 1:36:11I can't thank you enough, Chester.

1:36:11 > 1:36:13The President owes you one.

1:36:13 > 1:36:16"Of course, I have massive files

1:36:16 > 1:36:20"of photographs and other recorded material

1:36:20 > 1:36:24"tracing my life from an early age."

1:36:24 > 1:36:27"I have volumes and volumes and rooms full."

1:36:27 > 1:36:32"Mr Hughes, did you co-operate, or do you know..."

1:36:34 > 1:36:36Congratulations again.

1:36:36 > 1:36:39- Thank you.- Wonderful. - Thank you, thank you very much.

1:36:45 > 1:36:48I want to know why the hell we weren't warned about this.

1:36:50 > 1:36:52Why weren't we warned? Clara!

1:36:57 > 1:37:00"I have volumes and volumes and rooms full."

1:37:00 > 1:37:03"Mr Hughes, did you co-operate, or do you know,

1:37:03 > 1:37:06"a man named Irving,

1:37:06 > 1:37:11"who claims to have taped this biography with you?"

1:37:11 > 1:37:14"Well, this must go down in history,

1:37:14 > 1:37:17"I only wish I was still in the movie business

1:37:17 > 1:37:21"because I don't remember any scripts as wild or stretching

1:37:21 > 1:37:24"of the imagination as this guy has turned out to be."

1:37:24 > 1:37:27"I take it, sir, you do not know a man named Clifford Irving then?"

1:37:27 > 1:37:30"No, I never saw him. I never even heard of him until

1:37:30 > 1:37:34"a matter of days ago when this thing first came to my attention."

1:37:34 > 1:37:37"It is so fantastic and so utterly beyond

1:37:37 > 1:37:40"the bounds of anyone's imagination."

1:37:40 > 1:37:42(GASPS)

1:37:42 > 1:37:46"It seems to me, the motive for Irving could be money

1:37:46 > 1:37:48"but McGraw-Hill and TimeLife

1:37:48 > 1:37:51"don't have to deal in fake manuscripts."

1:37:51 > 1:37:56"They surely have a business that operates at a higher plane."

1:37:56 > 1:37:59"There's gotta be a bank record, somewhere,

1:37:59 > 1:38:02"of this transaction, so I just don't have any idea."

1:38:04 > 1:38:08- "There had been reports that you have had dealings..."- He just lied.

1:38:08 > 1:38:11"..Nixon's friend Bebe Rebozo

1:38:11 > 1:38:14"and also dealings with the President himself."

1:38:14 > 1:38:17- "Care to comment on those reports?" - (PANTS)

1:38:17 > 1:38:22"A warrant was issued today for the arrest of Irving's wife, Edith."

1:38:22 > 1:38:25"She is charged with fraud and forgery."

1:38:25 > 1:38:30"She deposited, in a Swiss bank, money intended for Howard Hughes..."

1:38:30 > 1:38:32No! No! No! No!

1:38:32 > 1:38:34No! No! No!

1:38:34 > 1:38:36Edith?

1:38:39 > 1:38:42(TV PLAYS)

1:38:54 > 1:38:56Edith!

1:38:56 > 1:38:58Edith?

1:38:58 > 1:39:00Edith!

1:39:00 > 1:39:02"Nina!"

1:39:04 > 1:39:07"Is it safe to say this was an intimate relationship?"

1:39:07 > 1:39:10"Yes, the relationship was physical."

1:39:10 > 1:39:14"And you can confirm that Mr Irving, in fact, did not meet with Mr Hughes

1:39:14 > 1:39:18- "on the date in question?"- "He could not have meet Howard Hughes

1:39:18 > 1:39:21"in Nassau because he was with me at the Plaza Hotel."

1:39:21 > 1:39:24"Did he confide in you regarding the book?"

1:39:24 > 1:39:27"No, I knew nothing about it."

1:39:27 > 1:39:30"I'm completely flabbergasted by all of this attention."

1:39:30 > 1:39:34"What exactly do you do, Miss Van Pallandt?"

1:39:34 > 1:39:36"I'm an actress."

1:39:36 > 1:39:39"And a singer."

1:39:39 > 1:39:43- "Lawyers for Hughes..." - Nina.

1:39:44 > 1:39:48It's always the details that undo us.

1:39:50 > 1:39:53- Can I run something by you, George? - Certainly, Clifford,

1:39:53 > 1:39:57- that's what I'm here for. - This was a really bad year for Howard, wasn't it?

1:39:57 > 1:40:03The TWA thing, the Air West merger unravelling.

1:40:03 > 1:40:07He lost control of... Nixon, his fixer, too, didn't he?

1:40:07 > 1:40:10He needed something. He needed...

1:40:10 > 1:40:14some leverage, keep him back in line.

1:40:14 > 1:40:18"A loss could cost Hughes 137 million."

1:40:18 > 1:40:23So one day, he opens his disinfected newspaper and there we are.

1:40:23 > 1:40:25Us, with our little book.

1:40:25 > 1:40:29When your rival is powerful... find an opportunity.

1:40:29 > 1:40:32Create a...a crisis for him.

1:40:32 > 1:40:35Hardly had to do anything, just... just a little push.

1:40:37 > 1:40:40Then he fed us some dirt.

1:40:40 > 1:40:43To get Nixon's attention, a little more dirt.

1:40:43 > 1:40:46President thinks this is authentic?

1:40:46 > 1:40:49Nixon gets hysterical, thinks the book is real.

1:40:49 > 1:40:52Instead of taking short-term advantage,

1:40:52 > 1:40:54save the day for them.

1:40:55 > 1:40:58And then Howard makes it good for the President.

1:40:58 > 1:41:00Cashes in his chit.

1:41:00 > 1:41:03And we get buried.

1:41:03 > 1:41:06"I take it, sir, you do not know a man named Clifford Irving then?"

1:41:06 > 1:41:10"No, I never saw him, I never even heard of him until..."

1:41:10 > 1:41:14I'm not angry, George... I'm disappointed.

1:41:14 > 1:41:16You know, I thought that, maybe...

1:41:18 > 1:41:22..I thought we were partners, Howard and I.

1:41:22 > 1:41:25You must not take it personally, Clifford.

1:41:25 > 1:41:28Just as...the trees must not take it personally

1:41:28 > 1:41:31when a forest is razed for lumber.

1:41:31 > 1:41:34They're part of a grand design.

1:41:34 > 1:41:38I played it good for a while though, didn't I?

1:41:38 > 1:41:42You were tremendous, Clifford. Mr Hughes commented on it.

1:41:42 > 1:41:46- Really? - Would I lie to you?

1:41:54 > 1:41:56Thank you. Thank you.

1:42:00 > 1:42:04MUSIC: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones

1:42:20 > 1:42:23# I saw her today

1:42:23 > 1:42:25# At the reception

1:42:26 > 1:42:29# A glass of wine

1:42:29 > 1:42:31# In her hand

1:42:31 > 1:42:34# I knew she was going to meet

1:42:34 > 1:42:36# Her connection

1:42:36 > 1:42:38# At her feet

1:42:38 > 1:42:41# Was a foot-loose man

1:42:43 > 1:42:47# You can't always get what you want

1:42:49 > 1:42:53# You can't always get what you want

1:42:54 > 1:42:57# You can't always get what you want...

1:42:57 > 1:43:00I'll co-operate.

1:43:00 > 1:43:04In exchange for leniency for Dick, especially for Edith.

1:43:04 > 1:43:06# You get what you need!... #

1:43:06 > 1:43:10"Mr Irving received a sentence of two and a half years in prison."

1:43:10 > 1:43:13Mr Suskind, six months in prison.

1:43:13 > 1:43:16In addition, they will pay full restitution to McGraw-Hill

1:43:16 > 1:43:19and the Internal Revenue Service, totalling 1.3 million.

1:43:19 > 1:43:22Mrs Irving received a suspended sentence but we have no control

1:43:22 > 1:43:26- over what the Swiss authorities do. - Are you happy with the outcome?

1:43:26 > 1:43:29I'm not sure you're ever ecstatic when a bargain is reached.

1:43:29 > 1:43:32"In a surprise reversal, the Nixon justice department

1:43:32 > 1:43:36"approved the acquisition of Air West Airlines by Howard Hughes' Toolco."

1:43:36 > 1:43:39"This on the heels of last week's Supreme Court decision to dismiss

1:43:39 > 1:43:43"the TWA shareholder's lawsuit, rescuing Mr Hughes from paying

1:43:43 > 1:43:47"£137 million, made it a very good week for the eccentric billionaire."

1:43:47 > 1:43:49"Other news, five men were arrested

1:43:49 > 1:43:55"breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters, located in the Watergate Hotel."

1:43:55 > 1:43:58# Oh, baby, yeah

1:44:02 > 1:44:04# I went down

1:44:04 > 1:44:07# To the Chelsea drugstore

1:44:08 > 1:44:09# To get your

1:44:09 > 1:44:12# Prescription filled

1:44:13 > 1:44:15# I was standing in line

1:44:15 > 1:44:16# With Mr Jimmy

1:44:18 > 1:44:21# And, man, did he look pretty ill

1:44:21 > 1:44:23# I said to him

1:44:23 > 1:44:27# You can't always get what you want

1:44:28 > 1:44:32# You can't always get what you want

1:44:33 > 1:44:37# You can't always get what you want

1:44:37 > 1:44:40# No, but if you try sometimes

1:44:40 > 1:44:41# You just might find

1:44:43 > 1:44:45# You get what you need

1:44:45 > 1:44:47# Oh, yes

1:44:47 > 1:44:49# Whoo!

1:45:20 > 1:45:23# You get what you need... #

1:45:23 > 1:45:25That's them. Don't choke on the dust.

1:45:25 > 1:45:27# Oh, babe

1:45:27 > 1:45:30# Oh, yeah

1:45:30 > 1:45:33# I saw her today

1:45:33 > 1:45:35# At the reception

1:45:36 > 1:45:39# In her glass was a bleeding man

1:45:40 > 1:45:42# She was practised

1:45:42 > 1:45:45# At the art of deception

1:45:46 > 1:45:47# Well, I could tell

1:45:47 > 1:45:50# By her blood-stained hands

1:45:51 > 1:45:55# You can't always get what you want

1:45:56 > 1:46:00# You can't always get what you want

1:46:01 > 1:46:05# You can't always get what you want

1:46:06 > 1:46:08# But if you try some time

1:46:08 > 1:46:10# You just might find You just might find

1:46:10 > 1:46:12# You get what you need

1:46:12 > 1:46:14# Oh, yeah... #