All language subtitles for lou_grant_s01e13_christmas

Tell me something.

How do you people get the Christmas
spirit when it's 80 degrees outside?

You'll get used to that. I felt the same
way my first Christmas here. I'm going

to get a card made showing eight tiny
little reindeer with prickly heat.

If Christmas isn't for ten days, maybe
we'll have a cold snap.

In Minneapolis, we used to have a white
Christmas.

In Minneapolis, we used to have a white
Easter.

Morning, Donovan. Good morning, Lou.

What do we have in the Christmas pile?

Well, let's see here.

Got the school for Santas. Now, that's
always interesting.

It's never interesting.

Really boring.

However, this year the city's forcing
them to hire a couple of women.

That's progress.

Women have won the right to wear a
beard.

And there's this beware of pickpockets
in the busy season piece.

How stores catch shoplifters. The
dangers of faulty wiring on Christmas

Great stories.

Dripping with warmth, every one of them.

Oh, warmth you wanted. Billy's got
something.

Show them that piece you got off the
police beat.

A motorcycle cop found an entire family
living in a tent next to the freeway

this morning.

Oh, yeah? Let me see that.

Right out of the Grapes of Wrath.

No money, no home, no nothing.

They came to California thinking it was
the land of opportunity.

And their dream went sour.

I think we know something here.

A Christmas story?

You bet. Get out there with animals and
see what you can find.

And, Billy.

Yeah, Lou?

Don't let me see the parade.

No room at the inn.

You're going to really make this a
challenge for her, aren't you?

Lou.

This is our city editor, Lou Brand,
county assessor Walter Harper.

Look, I've got to get to a meeting, but
I'm sure that Lou will get this cleared

up. He'd better.

Hello, Mr. Harper. What's the trouble?
This is the trouble. This whole article.

Mr. Harper feels that he's been
misquoted on the subject of tax.

This is pure fiction.

Mm -hmm.

Rossi.

Hello,

Mr. Harper.

Rossi, Mr. Harper says you misquoted him
about raising taxes. No way. Every

word's a direct quote.

Can you document it? Not to worry.

Mr. Harper, I stand by my reporter.

Do you indeed?

Well, I have an appointment with your
publisher in five minutes. Perhaps you'd

like to stand by him up there.

Okay. Fine.

I'd, uh... I'd love to join you, but...
I know.

You have a meeting.

Excuse me.

It's flagrant and at the very least
criminally irresponsible.

Both. What do you say, Mr. Rossi? He
said both.

I asked Mr.

Rossi what he had to say in his own
defense. Do you have your notes, Mr.

Full and complete notes.

All up here.

What? Total recall.

I said, what about a tax hike, Mr.
Harper? And he said, no way to make up

deficit without one.

And I said, why haven't you mentioned it
in your speeches?

And he said, the voters would kill me.

And I said, they have to find out
sometime. And he laughed and said, well,

there's time enough after the election.
See, total recall.

The man didn't take a note.

Now, he can stand here now and say any
fool thing he wants. Meanwhile, I've

made to look like a hypocrite by your
paper.

With a memory like mine, I frankly don't
know why I even bother to use one of

these. Oh, now, wait a minute.

I think there may just be a law about
using electronic eavesdropping devices.

Please, Mr.

Harper, let's listen to this.

in your speeches, the voters would kill
me.

They have to find that sometime.

There's time enough after the election.

Now, give me that.

What are you going to do, erase it?
Everybody heard it. No, no, you didn't

back far enough.

Can I ask you a couple more questions?

I've said all I wish to say.

Anything else will have to be off the
record.

What about a tax act, Mr. Harper?

You heard it. It was all... off the
record.

I don't believe in off the record to
help a guy shaft the people.

Doesn't off the record mean anything in
your paper anymore, Mrs. Pinchon?

Yes, it does, Mr. Harper.

And you have my assurance we will deal
with this.

I would hope so.

Fundamental tenets of newspaper
reporting. I do not intend to condone

behavior. Do you hear me?

But, Mrs. Pinshaw, I... Do you hear me,
Mr. Rossi? Yes.

Yes. Good.

Now, will you please leave us?

Wait for me downstairs.

I want to talk to you.

What do you intend to do to discipline
that young man?

Leave it to me.

When you're dealing with a man of his
talents, you have to be careful.

He's very high -strung, very
temperamental, but he can be handled.

It's a matter of understanding human
psychology.

I know how his mind works, and therefore
I know the right psychological level on

which to approach him.

I'm going to kill you, Rossi.

Let's not make irresponsible threats.
It's not irresponsible. It's carefully

thought out. I'm going to kill you.

Look, Lou.

Not physically, you understand, much as
I'd enjoy it. No, I'm going to kill you

intellectually. I'm going to break your
spirit.

What does that mean? That means that
I've given you some careful thought.

A lot of effort is going to go into
choosing your next assignment.

Listen, Lou. Now, I know you don't have
much respect for old newspaper cliches,

but off the record, you're going to wish
you'd gone into your father's

fertilizer business.

Instead, I work in this fertilizer
business.

You'll have a little fight left in you,
huh, kid?

Yeah.

You won't.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

Finally, I was soloist instead of... My
husband was one of those people who

didn't believe in insurance. He never
planned. I can see that.

But he always took care of us somehow.

It wasn't until he died that I realized
how little we had in the way of money,

that is. And you were left to take care
of the five children yourself?

Four. Four children.

I'd have liked to have more, but I
believe in population control.

Right. Sit.

Thank you. And you had to raise them
yourself.

So I'm not complaining.

I'm grateful we're all together. No
one's sick.

We're lucky.

It's a pretty place.

There were some beer cans and the like
scattered around, but we cleaned them

But they won't let you stay here, will
they? I bet they'll leave us alone until

after Christmas.

I sure hope so. We're putting up our
decorations.

Why don't you hold up your little
sister?

Yeah.

And after Christmas?

We'll find someplace else. We only can.

The grass is free and the sun is warm,
at least in California.

I think you're amazing.

No, we're not.

Honey, people survive.

Our rent is free, no medical bills so
far, and we're together.

I wasn't kidding. I think we're lucky.

Great.

Oh, Mr. Roffy, if it's got too much
trouble, may I have a word with you?

You'll be excited to learn that I've
chosen your next assignment.

You're really going to go through with
this thing, huh?

I don't make idle threats, Bossy.

In your case, I've spent some time
selecting a story tailored to your

skills, both as a writer and as a
reporter.

And I'm about to toss you a ball that
you can really run with.

Terrific.

The assistant commissioner of motor
vehicles has just completed 25 years on

job. No kidding.

25 years.

Now, he spends half of his time in
Sacramento, but fortunately, he's down

at his home base right now.

Come on.

I'm sure a hotshot reporter like you can
find a story in that.

The angles are endless. For instance...

Does he have to pass a test to get a
license?

Lou, I'm sorry about the off -the
-record thing.

Kenny Parallel Park.

That is something that I, as a reader,
would sure like to know.

Really sorry. You don't know how sorry.

How many licenses does he issue each
day?

Each week? Each year?

For God's sake, Lou.

How many times a year does he commute
between L .A. and Sacramento?

I didn't even think of that one.

I apologize. Is that what you want?
Maybe you could spend a typical day

traveling with him between cities.

L .A. to Sacramento.

Sacramento to L .A.? No.

Do you want me to grovel? Is that it?
No.

I want you to go out and cover this
story.

Now, go bring me back a good, long, sexy
feature on 25 years of motor vehicle

registration. Now, get cracking.

Rossi.

Be sure and keep your mouth shut. We
want this story to be an exclusive.

like it?

You had to use the phrase no room at the
end, didn't you?

I couldn't resist it.

What did you think of it outside of
that?

Pretty good.

And? What do you mean and?

That's as gushy as I get.

Billy, I saw your byline in the trip
about the family in the tent and all. It

was a wonderful article.

Thank you very much.

Just beautiful.

Thank you. I was terribly moved by it.

Mr. Grant was just saying the same
thing.

I tell you, when I read that... I have
some more coffee, please. Oh, right

Billy, I wonder... I'd really like to
help that family.

I know it's not much, but... Would you
give me this?

Oh, no, I can't.

Look at that.

Vivian! No, no, no, no, don't do that.

She wants you to give it to them. Don't
want to make her feel stupid if you give

it back.

Well, what'll I do with it?

Give it to those people.

Two dollars?

You may get some more.

If you touch Vivian, you'll probably
touch some others. I'll bet you get some

more. You think so?

I wouldn't be at all surprised.

I don't believe it.

Please forward this check for $20. It
may help a little.

Here's another one with money in it.
Cash, ten bucks.

Please give this to those poor people.

Who sends cash in the mail?

When I realized how lucky my family is,
instead of buying Christmas presents

this year, we decided... You're going to
have to open a bank account for these

deal and deposit all this stuff.

I know.

Oh.

Please tell them not all Americans are
selfish and give them this check.

The whole city's opening in part. There
isn't one negative letter.

Yes, there is.

Don't encourage welfare bums and left
-wing perverts.

I have evidence communists killed
Herbert Hoover.

Signed, T .J. Eckert, professor of
romance languages, Glendale College.

That one doesn't count. He sent that
every week.

I appreciate you giving me your time,
Commissioner.

Oh, that's okay.

Go on in. Sit down.

Make yourself comfortable.

You caught me on a slow day, and I only
have five of those a week.

I know some people hate talking to
reporters.

No, I don't mind at all.

I don't, for the life of me, know what
story there is in me, but then I don't

know much about newspapers.

I do read them, and this sure sounds
dull to me.

Well, to tell you the truth, I couldn't
agree with you more.

It's my boss's idea.

I'm being punished.

Well, now, that's flattering as hell.
You know that.

Oh, I'm sorry. No, no, listen. Don't be
sorry.

I mean, there is simply no story in
Malcolm Finley.

But I've got to do it. So what I thought
I'd do is I'd go to your home, take

some pictures. Of what?

Your wife, your kids, your dog.

Anything to pad.

Oh, no.

I can't agree to that.

Why not?

Because my wife, Mrs. Finley here, has a
thing about reporters.

And she's a very private person.

I'm just talking about pup stuff. You
know, wife of the commissioner.

Does she worry about her driving?

Do her friends come to her to try to get
their tickets fixed?

I know, but she just does not want her
family in the public eye.

She's shy and uncomfortable with
interviews.

Well, let's face it.

She does have a right to her privacy.

Try doing that in your ear. You can turn
yourself on.

It's so hot, my shirt is sticking on my
body.

Oh. Well, here's the new weather
forecast.

It's going to cool off on Christmas Day.

Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah. A real cold snap.

The mercury will be plummeting all the
way down to 80.

Then I guess I won't bother to wax the
runners on my sled.

You remember the winners when you were a
kid?

Yeah. Actually, they were pretty much
like this.

My father was a naval officer. I lived
in Hawaii until I was 12.

I can really get nostalgic about
Christmas.

I go down to the beach, take off my
shoes, wiggle my toes in the sand.

Fine, Donovan, swell.

Play White Christmas on my ukulele.

Okay, okay.

All set?

I got some dandy stuff for the kids in
the tree. Should we rush it back to the

lab to see if we can't make the home
edition?

Listen, I am really sorry about the dog
not being here, you know, but he's at

the vet. He's being wormed.

Oh.

Well, I'll just try to work that right
in.

Oh, no.

Can you bear it? We're going to be
celebrities.

Daddy's home.

Daddy. Hi, sweetie. Hello, poor Joey.

I thought I asked you not to, Mr. Rossi.

Oh, but now, Mr. Roth, he couldn't have
been nicer.

Mr. Finley, you have a very lovely
family. I think you're going to be very

pleased with the pictures.

I'm sorry, but I can't let you have the
film.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment.

You're on B &B.

So far, the amount comes to $9 ,416 .25.

$9 ,000?

I can't get used to that word, thousand.

Now, if you said hundred, I might be
able to believe it.

No, no, I still wouldn't believe it.

Here's your bank book. All you have to
do is sign this card.

And it's all in here.

You see that, kids? We're rich!

Well, I wouldn't say rich exactly, but
you won't have to spend Christmas in a

tent at any rate. Oh, that's for sure.

There's one thing I've got to tell you,
though.

I'm kind of ashamed to say it, but
you'll have to show me how to use this.

You see, I never had a bank account
before.

Don't worry, there's nothing to it.
Spending money is like swimming. Once

learn, you never forget.

Meanwhile, here.

We've got a whole bag of these at the
office, but I thought I'd show you a

selection.

I'm going to answer every one of these
personally.

Every one.

Oh, my, would you look at me.

And there's more coming in.

Indebted toys this year.

Thanks. for teaching my family the true
meaning of Christmas.

They're moving into a real apartment. I
thought we could all chip in and send

them over to Christmas tree.

It's not a bad idea. We ought to get two
while we're at it. We need one around

here. The city room?

We should have something.

What's this?

Lou wants something to make it feel like
Christmas around here.

How about a drink?

That might help.

Hey, seriously, we are going to have a
party, aren't we?

A party? What do you mean?

Christmas party. We're going to have a
Christmas party Christmas Eve.

Right after we put the city dish in the
bed.

We've got to have a Christmas party.

I think most people would rather go home
on Christmas Eve, Lou.

They can go home any night.

Christmas Eve should be something
special.

What do you say, huh? We'll get some
decorations?

Some eggnog, huh? We'll get some booze?

Oh, I really think most people would,
uh...

Rather be with their families.

Yeah.

Okay, sure.

You know, if it were any other night...
Sure.

Do you have any plans?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Don't worry about me.

I wasn't worried. I just wondered.

Sure.

Big plans.

A place off Hollywood Boulevard that
sells out -of -town newspapers.

Figured I'd pick up one of the
Minneapolis papers and read it with my

dinner.

In the drugstore.

I said, well, then afterwards I'd try to
find one of those all -night movie

houses. Maybe one that's showing Miracle
on 34th Street.

I love that movie.

Good little party, Bill.

Well, people get home an hour later, so
what?

Exactly. Christmas comes but once a
year.

All right, I'll start spreading the
word.

Well, you sure it's no trouble.

What trouble?

A little eggnog, a little booze.

I'll bring the decorations.

Here's some more mail, Billy, about that
family. Put it on your desk? No, give

it to me, Ivan.

Show this to Mrs. Pinchot. She will be
so tickled. In the follow -up I'm doing,

I describe the response.

Yeah, but I want her actually to see
these letters. I mean, this is tangible

proof of what kind of job we've been
doing.

Charlie, she already knows what kind of
job we've been doing.

In fact, I have a better idea.

Donovan, find the animal, send him up to
the tower.

What for?

To shoot Mrs. Pinchot behind a desk
piled with mail.

Look at him.

He looks sort of like an Ivy League
Santa Claus.

Who'd ever believe that beneath that
gentle, kindly exterior was a gentle,

kindly man?

He really gets into the old Christmas
spirit, doesn't he?

Have you ever been to his house at
Christmas?

It's really wonderful.

They decorate the bathrooms.

I'm not kidding.

I'm not kidding.

Right on the back of the John one time,
I looked down, and there was this tiny

little Santa and all his reindeer.

That's beautiful.

My father was like that. He used to
build snow sculptures on our front lawn.

Not just snowmen, whole castles.

And angels.

Ah, that's Christmas.

Where'd you grow up, anyway?

Bismarck, North Dakota.

Yeah, that's cold.

Cold? You know what we used to do when
we were kids?

We used to have to put our bus money in
our mittens before we left the house.

Because it was so cold, you couldn't
take your mittens off to get the change

of your pocket.

Yeah. Don't you wish you were back there
right now?

What for? It's ten below zero.

I love this warm weather.

It must have been a big disappointment
to your father.

Come in.

Oh, Mrs.

Pitchard's called.

When you see this, Mrs.

Pitchard... Hey, this is only... a small
sample. We had

three bags this size yesterday. I expect
at least two more today, and I figure

that if each bag... Mr. Hume, why are
you doing this?

Because... You see, I visualized, Mrs.
Pinch, on a really striking publicity

picture. Just a demonstration of, you
know... Are you drunk? That's the only

acceptable explanation for your
behavior.

Well, I did have lunch with the
advertising department today.

Good.

Now, what are... What are you going to
do with these?

City desk.

Oh, hello, Rossi.

Where are you?

Sacramento. What are you doing up there?

I'm just following the commissioner
around.

Don't get smart with me, Rossi. Don't
try to teach me unless when I'm teaching

you a lesson.

Lou, I'm just doing the best I can with
an impossible assignment.

Listen, Rossi, if you've learned your
lesson, you can come on home.

No, no, no. I'm going to stick with this
one.

No, no, I'm not with the commissioner,
exactly. I'm just sort of watching him

from afar.

I gotta go now, Lou. And Lou,

thanks for the assignment.

Will you see how the kids decorate the
tree while you were gone?

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

Followed by mildew.

That's your version of a white Christmas
out here.

That's my Emily's kids.

Hi, Frankie.

Attaboy. I used to make a few bucks
myself polishing cars.

You didn't have to do that.

Oh, just little things.

For the younger kids.

I like buying toys.

That's something for your granddaughter.

Yeah, it works out nicely. She likes
breaking toys.

Why, Miss Newman, how nice to see you.
Emily, this is Lou Grant, my editor.

Pleased to meet you, Mr. Grant.

Lou, pleased to meet you, Emily.

You're a plucky woman.

I'm a lucky woman. Come on in.

Your newspaper changed our life.

I can see that.

Let's make a deal.

Now, you all hush up if you want Frankie
to take you for a ride. I mean it.

Frankie got a new car.

You should see it.

You mean that car is his?

Yeah. Isn't it a pretty color?

Oh. Why don't you sit down?

Emily, how...

How did you buy a new car and all this
with $9 ,000?

Don't tell me. I know.

Wouldn't begin to do it. Just barely
covered the down payments.

Down payments?

What happens when it's time to make the
rest of the payments?

Well, that's not for 60 days.

Right now, my children are going to have
the Christmas they always dreamed of.

This is a Christmas Rockefeller never
dreamed of.

How could you do this?

I don't understand.

We never thought the money would go for
this.

Were we supposed to check with you
before spending it? You didn't tell me.

Well, no, but we never had any money,
Miss Newman. We always been poor.

So was I.

I spent a couple of Christmases in a
depression, so don't tell me about it.

Why? I can remember what my mother used
to do. Why? I don't care. It's mine.

This looks better.

It's Mondo.

Hey!

I'm talking about my mom.

We're a poor two, but my mother saved up
all year.

Do you know what she gave me for
Christmas when I was his age?

A pair of socks.

Brown socks.

Being poor is no excuse for this.

It's just dumb.

Lou.

Well, it is.

That money could have been used to set
up an education fund for these kids.

Instead, it's a down payment for a lot
of junk that'll all have to go back when

you can't pay for it. That's dumb.

He's right, Miss Newman.

I know he's right.

We should have spent the money on what
you wanted us to instead of what we...

I'm no good with money. I just don't
know how to say no to kids.

I never had to say no before.

There was no reason to.

All I wanted was to make my children
happy for Christmas.

I didn't buy nothing for myself, not
even a new dress.

But if they were happy, then it'd be a
lot easier for me.

I wasn't thinking about their future.

And that is dumb.

And I'm dumb.

And I don't deserve the money.

I mean,

how do you say no at Christmas?

You don't.

Nobody does.

Christmas is a time to splurge.

In fact, I came here to invite you

to the Christmas party we're having at
the newspaper tomorrow night.

Really? Yeah.

Sure. So we'll see you tomorrow night,
huh?

What about these?

What?

Those?

No, uh, these are just, uh, my lungs.

Am I right?

I'm sorry I had to wait out here, Mr.
Lussie. Sorry I had to disturb your

evening.

got to disturb a lot more than my
evening, aren't you?

I'm afraid so.

Well, would you like to take a little
walk?

Sure.

How? That's the obvious question. How
did you come to be married to two women

the same time?

Well, it's easier than you think.

You have to understand, Mr. Ross, he...

What's unusual about me is simply that
I'm a very ordinary man to whom

extraordinary has happened.

How long has this been going on?

Thirteen years.

Thirteen?

Wow.

My job makes me travel back and forth
almost constantly between Sacramento and

Los Angeles.

It was on a trip to Los Angeles that I
met Kay.

And I began to see her.

More and more than that.

I suppose that sort of thing happens
quite often.

But other men don't marry their
girlfriends, at least not without

their wives first.

I love my wife, Alma.

I still do.

But gradually I began to find myself
falling in love with Kay, too.

Kay's a very old -fashioned girl.

That thing's like bigamy.

No, she didn't know I was married. She's
old -fashioned about premarital

affairs.

And she thought that if I didn't want to
marry her, then I didn't love her.

But I did love her.

So?

How could I not?

What about Alma, Alma?

Yes. I love her.

I love them both.

And I've been happy with them.

My God, I think I've made them happy.

Virtually none.

Although six specialists have been
unable to do anything about my ulcer.

Outside of that, there are virtually
none.

Unless... Unless you want to count
yourself, you know.

Ah, but who's going to come out sooner
or later?

Well, maybe.

To you, it's just a story.

Forgive me for that.

Sure, sure.

Let me ask you a favor, then, if I may.

Can I see a copy of the story before it
appears?

You know, not much before, but just
enough to give me some time to prepare

before they see it.

I'm sorry, really.

We just don't do that. It's our policy.
It could lead to real problems in some

cases. Yeah.

Yeah, I guess I can understand that.

Well, what can I say?

Thank you for talking to me.

I'll show you a copy of the story before
we print it.

Hello. Oh, how was Sacramento?

Theater still as good up there as ever?

I have got a story, a real story.

Fine. Go write your story. I don't have
to. The story will write itself.

Hey, what's this? Are you staying for
the party?

Oh, gee, Lou, I don't know. It's
Christmas Eve.

I know it's Christmas Eve. That's why
we're having a party.

Everything except for the party? I'll be
there.

How many people do you have lined up?
I'll be there.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

I'm starting to look like Christmas
around here.

Listen, Lou.

You're staying for the party.

Well, actually, Lou, I... wouldn't miss
it.

All right. It's Christmas Eve.

Right. Now listen, Lou.

Mrs. Pinchon wants to see us right now.

For you?

What for?

I don't know. But as you say, it is
Christmas Eve.

Aha.

A time at which... It is not unheard of
to award small cash rewards to trusted

and loyal employees.

That's what I always like about
Christmas.

The traditions.

Come in, gentlemen.

you could join me.

Well, it's Christmas Eve again.

Do you ever get the feeling that whoever
is in charge of the time machine is

turning that handle just a tiny bit
faster every year? Seems like yesterday

summer. It was.

It was 85 degrees.

And now it's Christmas.

Oh, yeah.

We're having a little office party.

Oh? Mm -hmm. The whole staff.

Everybody chipping in.

Have a little booze, maybe sing some
Christmas carols. What do you say? Would

you like to come?

Lord, no.

It's Christmas.

Yes, Christmas. And time once again to
review the triumphs and failures of

another year.

Frankly, gentlemen, I have no hesitation
in stating I think our triumphs have

far outnumbered our failures.

We've made some mistakes, too. I know
that.

But I like to think... think that even
our mistakes had flair.

We're somehow larger than life.

You know, Fiorello LaGuardia once said,
when I make a mistake, it's a beaut.

I like to think of the Trib's mistakes
as being beauts. I like to think that

too, Miss Fisher.

You know, I was talking to a friend of
mine about her newspaper.

Oh, Catherine Graham?

Well, Mrs. Graham is just one of my many
friends. There are several of us who

own newspapers, Mr. Graham.

We have a kind of club.

Some women our age may raise money for
the Philharmonic or the ballet, but the

simple pleasure in the twilight of our
lives is to control the press in major

cities and wield ruthless power.

Of course, I'm only joking.

No one would call me a tyrant.

That's right.

Now, this friend of mine runs a
newspaper in Nebraska.

It's a good paper.

Not as good as ours. Of course, she
wouldn't agree with that.

We like to compare notes from time to
time.

Enlightening and helpful, Mr. Hume.

Now, my friend told me her paper ran a
story a month or so ago.

Seems there was an indigent family,
mother and four children, living in a

on the outskirts of Omaha without a
penny to their name.

Until my friend's paper ran a story and
managed to raise $5 ,000 for the poor

unfortunates.

You don't think it's the same family?

Not only do I think so, so did Mr.
Grant.

It

was only

$4 ,000.

You mean to say... If they say it was $5
,000, then somebody on that paper kept

$1 ,000 of our money.

Makes you wonder about people, doesn't
it? How can you say it was your money?

People send it in for us.

Oh, well, you take your chances.

In Dallas, for example, when they ran
that story, we didn't get paid.

Uh -uh.

Of course, that was in August. And you
can't make people feel much sentiment in

August.

I'm not going to read it. I just brought
you a drink.

You brought me a drink. What's the
occasion?

What's... Rossi, the occasion is called
Christmas Eve in this part of the world.

Have a drink.

No, thanks.

Oh, come on. If I can treat you like a
human being one day of the year, you can

reciprocate. I'm working.

Yes, I see that. We all see that, Rossi,
and we're impressed with how... That's

not the point.

Yes, it is.

Rossi, the total pro, has no time for
sentiment.

Branded, it would only take five minutes
to come over, have a drink, and say

Merry Christmas.

But that would damage the image.

You're as hard as nails, and tomorrow's
just another day, right? Wrong.

Okay, but back to your story. Don't keep
the world waiting.

If you'll pardon the expression, Merry
Christmas.

and people are nice enough to give us
money.

It's how we survive.

It's all we know.

But I've got to tell you this. That Miss
Newman, she wrote the nicest piece

about us we ever had.

This can't go on indefinitely.

Mr. Graham, how many papers would you
say there are in this country?

About 1 ,500, 1 ,600.

God bless the American press.

Christmas to break it to her.

Then you can tell her about Santa Claus.

No, I'm sorry.

I really have to get home.

Oh, that's okay.

Thanks for coming.

Tell your wife Merry Christmas for her.

Wait, wait, wait.

Give these toys to your kids.

My kids are grown up.

Good, then they won't break.

concerning a pilot program to reevaluate
the driving skills of people over the

age of 65.

This is the Motor Vehicle Commissioner
Malcolm Finley. He said the program is

patterned after similar programs in
other states.

What's this?

It's the most boring crud I've ever read
in my life.

This is the story that you came up with?

The one that was going to write itself?

I guess I was wrong.

I thought you could find a story in
anything.

Apparently I can't.

happens to the best of us.

pains are filled with glowing reviews.

But once elected, many politicians fall
from favor. From the Kennedys to the

Clintons, we'll explore the love -hate
relationship between the presidents and

the press.

On Investigative Report, tonight.

And now a rookie cop lets a purse
snatcher get away.

Kurt Russell catches black from members
of the force on police stories.

Next on the news.