All language subtitles for Hemingway.2021.S01E03_English

♪

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: WHEN HE
AWOKE, HE KNEW HE HAD BEEN

OUT OF HIS HEAD IN THE NIGHT,

AND AFTER EATING HIS BREAKFAST,
HE UNLOADED HIS PISTOL

AND PLACED THE LOADED
MAGAZINE IN ONE DRAWER

AND THE PISTOL IN ANOTHER.

AFTER THIS,
HE COMMENCED WRITING.

AT NIGHTS NOW HE WAS
ON THE BOAT, MOSTLY,

ALTHOUGH ON SOME NIGHTS
HE WAS IN UPPER MICHIGAN,

WHERE HE HAD LIVED AS A BOY.

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME
WHEN HE HAD BEEN REALLY
AWAKE IN THE NIGHT

AND STILL UNABLE
TO LEAVE THE DREAM.

HE KNEW
HE HAD BEEN OUT OF HIS MIND,

BUT HE DID NOT CARE AS LONG AS
HE COULD WRITE IN THE DAYTIME.

[KEYS CLICKING]

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HIM NOW
HE CONSIDERED OF NO IMPORTANCE

AS LONG AS
HE COULD WRITE.

HE WROTE WELL THAT DAY.

♪

NARRATOR: ON MAY 17, 1944,
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
ARRIVED IN LONDON,

ASSIGNED BY "COLLIER'S"
MAGAZINE TO COVER

THE ALLIED INVASION OF FRANCE,
NOW LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AWAY.

HE WAS 44 YEARS OLD BUT SEEMED
MUCH OLDER AND FELT THAT

THE LUCK THAT HAD KEPT HIM ALIVE
THROUGH TWO WARS WOULD LIKELY

NOT CONTINUE THROUGH ANOTHER

AND BLAMED HIS THIRD WIFE,
MARTHA GELLHORN,

FOR FORCING HIM TO COME.

GELLHORN WAS STILL AT SEA,
ON HER WAY TO ENGLAND

TO COVER THE CONFLICT.

ONCE HEMINGWAY SETTLED
INTO HIS SECOND-FLOOR ROOM

AT THE DORCHESTER HOTEL IN THE
FASHIONABLE MAYFAIR DISTRICT,

HE FOUND HIMSELF THE CENTER OF
ATTENTION AND HIGH-SPIRITED

GOOD TIMES.

FELLOW CORRESPONDENTS, RAF
PILOTS, AND OPERATIVES ENLISTED

IN THE CLANDESTINE U.S. OFFICE
OF SPECIAL SERVICES--THE OSS--

ALL GRAVITATED TOWARDS HIM.

ONE DAY AT LUNCH, HE STOPPED
BY THE TABLE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT

IRWIN SHAW AND ASKED TO BE
INTRODUCED TO HIS COMPANION,

A 36-YEAR-OLD CORRESPONDENT
FOR "TIME" AND "LIFE" NAMED

MARY WELSH.

HER SECOND HUSBAND,
AN AUSTRALIAN REPORTER,

WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY,
AND IN WARTIME LONDON SHE WAS

BEING PURSUED SIMULTANEOUSLY BY
SHAW AND A NUMBER OF OTHER MEN.

HEMINGWAY JOINED THE PACK.

[AIR RAID SIREN]

ONE NIGHT, RETURNING BY CAR
FROM A PARTY THROUGH THE

BLACKED-OUT LONDON STREETS,
HEMINGWAY'S DRIVER FAILED TO

SEE A WATER TANK
AND CRASHED INTO IT.

HEMINGWAY'S KNEES
WERE INJURED.

HIS HEAD SMASHED THROUGH
THE WINDSHIELD, CAUSING

ANOTHER CONCUSSION.

"HIS SKULL WAS SPLIT
WIDE OPEN," HIS FRIEND
ROBERT CAPA REMEMBERED,

"AND HIS BEARD WAS
FULL OF BLOOD."

WHEN MARTHA GELLHORN FINALLY
ARRIVED IN LONDON AND CAME TO

SEE HIM IN THE HOSPITAL,
SHE BURST INTO LAUGHTER

AT THE SIGHT OF HIM HOLDING
COURT AND DRINKING WHISKY

IN HIS ROOM, HIS HEAD
SWATHED IN BANDAGES.

SHE WAS SURE NOTHING
SERIOUS COULD BE WRONG.

"HE DID NOT LOOK THE LEAST
ILL," SHE REMEMBERED.

THIS WAS NO WAY TO BEHAVE
WHEN THE WORLD WAS AT WAR.

"WE'RE THROUGH," SHE SAID,
AND STORMED OUT OF THE ROOM.

HE WROTE TO HIS SON PATRICK.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY:
"WHEN HEAD WAS ALL SMASHED

"AND TERRIBLE HEADACHES,
ET CETERA,

"SHE WOULD NOT DO
ANYTHING FOR A MAN

"THAT WE WOULD DO FOR A DOG.

"I MADE A VERY GREAT
MISTAKE ON HER, OR ELSE
SHE CHANGED VERY MUCH.

"I THINK PROBABLY BOTH,
BUT MOSTLY THE LATTER.

"I HATE TO LOSE ANYONE WHO
CAN LOOK SO LOVELY AND WHO

"WE TAUGHT TO SHOOT
AND WRITE SO WELL,

"BUT HAVE TORN UP MY TICKETS ON
HER AND WOULD BE GLAD TO

NEVER SEE HER AGAIN."

KALE: HE JUST--HE COULDN'T DEAL
WITH THE FACT THAT SHE LEFT HIM.

HEMINGWAY REALLY,
UH, NEVER GOT OVER HER.

HE RETAINED HIS ANGER AT
HER FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

NARRATOR: MARY WELSH,
WHO ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL

WITH A BOUQUET OF TULIPS
AND DAFFODILS, PROVED FAR

MORE SYMPATHETIC.

IN FACT, HEMINGWAY'S INJURY
WAS MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN IT

SEEMED AT FIRST--
A SUBDURAL HEMATOMA,

BLEEDING BETWEEN
THE BRAIN AND THE SKULL.

AS A RESULT OF IT, FOR
11 MONTHS, DURING ALL

THE FIGHTING HE WOULD COVER
IN EUROPE, HE WOULD SUFFER FROM

BLURRED VISION, RINGING IN HIS
EARS, AND CONSTANTLY RECURRING

HEADACHES, AND WOULD HAVE
TROUBLE RECALLING WORDS

AND WRITING LEGIBLY.

NONETHELESS, HEMINGWAY WAS
RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL

AFTER JUST 4 DAYS AND CONTINUED
HIS PURSUIT OF MARY WELSH.

"I DON'T KNOW YOU, MARY.

BUT I WANT TO MARRY YOU,"
HE TOLD HER, BEFORE BOARDING

THE TROOP CARRIER THAT
WOULD FERRY HIM ACROSS

THE ENGLISH CHANNEL
ON D-DAY.

"I WANT TO MARRY YOU NOW, AND
I HOPE TO MARRY YOU SOMETIME.

SOMETIME, YOU MAY
WANT TO MARRY ME."

♪

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: AS WE
MOVED IN TOWARD LAND IN
THE GRAY EARLY LIGHT,

THE 36-FOOT COFFIN-SHAPED
STEEL BOATS TOOK

SOLID-GREEN SHEETS OF WATER
THAT FELL ON THE HELMETED HEADS

OF THE TROOPS
PACKED SHOULDER TO SHOULDER

IN THE STIFF, AWKWARD,
UNCOMFORTABLE, LONELY

COMPANIONSHIP OF MEN
GOING TO BATTLE.

[DISTANT GUNFIRE]

MAN: FIRE!
[EXPLOSION]

NARRATOR: DESPITE HIS THROBBING
HEAD AND BATTERED KNEES,

HEMINGWAY CLIMBED DOWN A ROPE
LADDER INTO A LANDING CRAFT

WALLOWING OFF THE LEFT
FLANK OF OMAHA BEACH,

WHERE 34,000 SOLDIERS
WERE ABOUT TO LAND...

[RAPID GUNFIRE]

BUT NO WAR CORRESPONDENTS
WERE PERMITTED TO GO ASHORE.

HE HAD TO STAY ABOARD
THE LANDING CRAFT
AND WATCH FROM THE BOAT

AS MEN WADED THROUGH THE SURF
UNDER DEADLY GERMAN FIRE.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: ON THE
BEACH ON THE LEFT WHERE THERE

WAS NO SHELTERING OVERHANG
OF SHINGLED BANK, THE FIRST,

SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, AND
FIFTH WAVES LAY WHERE THEY

HAD FALLEN, LOOKING LIKE SO
MANY HEAVILY LADEN BUNDLES

ON THE FLAT PEBBLY STRETCH
BETWEEN THE SEA

AND THE FIRST COVER.

[GUNFIRE]

NARRATOR: 1,000 ALLIED TROOPS
WOULD DIE THAT DAY.

BY EVENING, HEMINGWAY WAS
BACK IN HIS LONDON HOTEL ROOM.

HE WAS NOT PLEASED TO LEARN
THAT MARTHA GELLHORN WOULD

MANAGE TO DO WHAT HE HAD NOT--

GET ONTO OMAHA BEACH.

SHE SLIPPED ABOARD A HOSPITAL
SHIP, THEN LOCKED HERSELF

IN A BATHROOM AND WENT ASHORE
WITH THE AMBULANCE TEAMS,

HELPING BRING
BACK THE WOUNDED.

SHE HANDED IN HER PIECE
BEFORE HE DID AND HAD SEEN

AND EXPERIENCED FAR MORE OF
THE CARNAGE THAN HE HAD.

BUT WHEN THE NEXT ISSUE
OF "COLLIER'S" APPEARED,

ONLY HIS NAME
WAS ON THE COVER.

IN THE WEEKS AFTER D-DAY,

HEMINGWAY ACCOMPANIED RAF
PILOTS ON BOMBING MISSIONS,

BUT DESPITE THE ENEMY FLAK
THROUGH WHICH HE FLEW,

HE FELT TOO FAR FROM
WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON
THE GROUND IN FRANCE.

HEMINGWAY GOT HIMSELF
ASSIGNED BRIEFLY

TO GENERAL GEORGE
PATTON'S THIRD ARMY,

BUT HE DISLIKED ITS
SHOWY COMMANDER

AND HAD LITTLE INTEREST
IN TANK WARFARE.

THEN HE MANAGED TO
LIBERATE A GERMAN
MOTORCYCLE WITH A SIDECAR,

AND TRAVELING
ALONG AN UNSECURED ROAD...

[EXPLOSION]
WAS FIRED UPON BY A
GERMAN ANTITANK GUN.

THE EXPLOSION HURLED
HIM INTO A DITCH,

WHERE HIS HEAD HIT A ROCK

AND HE SUFFERED
YET ANOTHER CONCUSSION.

ENEMY TROOPS WERE SO CLOSE,
HE COULD HEAR THEM TALKING.

HE HAD TO STAY HIDDEN TILL
DARK FOR FEAR OF CAPTURE.

HE EVENTUALLY FOUND A HOME
WITH THE 22nd REGIMENT

OF THE 4th INFANTRY DIVISION--
THE "DOUBLE DEUCES"--

COMMANDED BY COLONEL CHARLES
"BUCK" LANHAM, WHO WOULD

BECOME HIS LIFELONG FRIEND.

LANHAM REMEMBERED HIS
FIRST SIGHT OF HEMINGWAY

WATCHING THE STREET FIGHTING
IN A NORMAN VILLAGE.

"ERNEST WAS STANDING POISED AS
ALWAYS ON THE BALLS OF HIS FEET,

"LIKE A FIGHTER,
LIKE A GREAT CAT--

"EASY, RELAXED,
ABSORBED, INTENT, WATCHFUL.

MISSING NOTHING."

WHEN TOWNSPEOPLE MISTOOK
HEMINGWAY FOR AN OFFICER

AND TOLD HIM THREE SS MEN
WERE HIDING IN A CELLAR,

HE SHOUTED
DOWN A WARNING,

THEN TUMBLED 3 GRENADES
DOWN THE STAIRS.

[EXPLOSION]

GRATEFUL VILLAGERS REWARDED
HIM WITH TWO MAGNUMS

OF CHAMPAGNE.

FOR A TIME, HE AND A
CONSTANTLY CHANGING CAST

OF CORRESPONDENTS OCCUPIED
A HOTEL AT MONT ST. MICHEL,

DRIVING OUT TO WATCH
THE WAR DURING THE DAY

AND DRINKING AND DINING
TOGETHER IN THE EVENING--

CHARLES COLLINGWOOD
OF CBS RADIO,

THE "NEW YORKER's"
A.J. LIEBLING,

AND THE MOVIE DIRECTOR
JOHN FORD AMONG THEM.

THE GENEVA CONVENTION
BARRED CORRESPONDENTS FROM

BECOMING COMBATANTS.

HEMINGWAY PAID LITTLE
ATTENTION TO THE RULES.

WITH PRIVATE "RED" PELKEY
AT THE WHEEL, HE TRAVELED

EVERYWHERE IN A JEEP
FILLED WITH MAPS, RIFLES,

AND GRENADES.

SOME REPORTERS
ADMIRED HIM FOR IT.

OTHERS COULDN'T STAND HIM.

"HE WAS ONLY A REPORTER
SAME AS US," ONE SAID,

"BUT HE THOUGHT
HE WAS THE SECOND COMING."

IN LATE AUGUST 1944,
AS AMERICAN FORCES MOVED

TOWARD PARIS, HEMINGWAY RAN
INTO COLONEL DAVID BRUCE,

AN OLD FRIEND NOW
SERVING IN THE OSS,

AND SOMEHOW PERSUADED BRUCE TO
LET HIM TAKE COMMAND OF A BAND

OF FREE FRENCH RESISTANCE
FIGHTERS IN THE VILLAGE

OF RAMBOUILLET, WHICH CONTROLLED
ONE OF THE TWO MAIN ROADS

LEADING TO PARIS.

["LE MARSEILLAISE" PLAYING]

ON AUGUST 24th, HEMINGWAY JOINED
THE FRENCH ARMY AS IT BEGAN

ITS TRIUMPHAL MARCH
INTO THE CAPITAL,

ARMED WITH THE INTELLIGENCE
HE, BRUCE,

AND THEIR IRREGULARS HAD GLEANED
ABOUT GERMAN DEFENSES.

[CROWDS CHEERING]

AT HIS FIRST GLIMPSE OF PARIS,
HEMINGWAY REMEMBERED, "I HAD

"A FUNNY CHOKE IN MY THROAT
AND HAD TO CLEAN MY GLASSES

"BECAUSE THERE, NOW BELOW US,
GRAY AND ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL,

WAS SPREAD THE CITY I LOVE
BEST IN ALL THE WORLD."

WOMAN: WE WERE LIBERATED
BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY WAS THE FIRST
AMERICAN THAT WE SAW, THAT WE

KNEW WHO ARRIVED IN PARIS.

HE ARRIVED WITH THE FIRST
ONES WITH GENERAL LECLERC.

I HEARD A NOISE OUT IN THE
STREET IN THE RUE DE L'ODEON

AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW
AND I SAW A STRING OF JEEPS

WITH THESE MEN IN THEM AND
THEN I HEARD PEOPLE CALLING

AND CALLING, "SYLVIA, SYLVIA,"
AND I HEARD THIS BIG VOICE

SAYING, "SYLVIA, SYLVIA,"
AND IT WAS ERNEST HEMINGWAY

AND HIS MEN, AND I RUSHED DOWN
THE STAIRS AND HE PICKED ME UP,

YOU KNOW, AND SWUNG ME AROUND
AND SWUNG ME AROUND.

[GUNFIRE]

NARRATOR: BUT THERE
WERE STILL POCKETS

OF GERMAN RESISTANCE.

[MAN SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

[GUNFIRE]

BEACH: THEN HE SAID,
"WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?"

AND WE SAID, "OH, LIBERATE US!
LIBERATE US!"

BECAUSE THESE--THE ENEMY WERE
STILL FIRING FROM THE ROOFS

AND THE RESISTANCE WAS FIRING
ALSO FROM THE ROOFS, AND THIS

SHOOTING WAS GOING ON ALL
THE TIME, DAY AND NIGHT.

SO, ERNEST HEMINGWAY
SAID, "OH, YES."

AND SO HE BROUGHT HIS MEN UP,

AND THEY ALL WENT
UP ON THE ROOF AND WE HEARD

GREAT DEAL OF SHOOTING GOING
ON FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN

THE SHOOTING STOPPED FOREVER.

WE HAD NO MORE
SHOOTING AFTER THAT.

THEN WE ASKED ERNEST HEMINGWAY
IF HE WOULDN'T STAY AND HAVE

SOMETHING WITH US, SOME
DRINK AND HE SAID, "OH, NO.

I HAVE TO LIBERATE THE
CELLAR OF THE RITZ."

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY, COLONEL
BRUCE, AND THEIR OUTFIT HEADED

FOR THE RITZ, WHICH HAD BEEN
HEMINGWAY'S FAVORITE HOTEL

BEFORE THE WAR.

THERE, THEY WERE GREETED BY THE
BARTENDER WITH 50 MARTINIS,

FOLLOWED BY WHAT
BRUCE REMEMBERED AS
"A SPLENDID DINNER."

AS SOON AS SHE COULD,
MARY WELSH ARRIVED FROM LONDON

AND MOVED INTO HIS
ROOM IN THE RITZ.

HEMINGWAY WROTE HIS SON
PATRICK THAT HE HAD A NEW

COMPANION NOW, A "FINE GIRL,"
WHO HAD LOOKED AFTER HIM,

"IN WORST TIME EVER HAD.
THINK YOU WOULD LIKE HER."

HE TOOK HER AROUND PARIS TO
SEE THE PLACES HE AND HIS

FIRST WIFE, HADLEY, HAD LOVED,
TOLD HER THAT NO MATTER HOW

MANY MEN HAD LOVED HER
HE LOVED HER MORE, AND TALKED

ABOUT THE NEW FAMILY HE
HOPED TO START WITH HER.

HE HAD 3 SONS, HE SAID,

AND BADLY WANTED
A DAUGHTER, TOO.

MARY WAS LESS CERTAIN OF
THEIR FUTURE TOGETHER.

ERNEST WAS SO ARDENT

AND INSISTED ON SUCH COMPLETE
DEVOTION, SHE REMEMBERED,

THAT SHE SOMETIMES
FELT OVERWHELMED.

HE COULD BE GENTLE AND KIND,
BUT HE WAS ALSO UNPREDICTABLE

AND EASILY ANGERED.

AND HE DRANK TOO MUCH.

WHEN SHE COMPLAINED THAT
HE AND HIS DRUNKEN FRIENDS

FROM THE 22nd REGIMENT
WERE MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE,

HE SLAPPED HER,
THEN APOLOGIZED AND SWORE IT

WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

BUT ANOTHER EVENING,
HE PLACED A PHOTOGRAPH
OF HER ABSENT HUSBAND

IN THE TOILET BOWL
AND SHOT IT TO PIECES

WITH A MACHINE PISTOL,
SHATTERING THE PORCELAIN

AND FLOODING THE FLOORS BELOW.

MARY AGREED ONLY TO TRY
LIVING WITH HIM

WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER.

BEEGEL: HE ALWAYS HAD
TO HAVE A WIFE.

HE HATED TO BE ALONE.

AND THAT MARY WASN'T SURE,
THAT SHE REALLY WANTED HIM TO

STOP DRINKING BEFORE
SHE WOULD COMMIT.

SHE CALLED IT "OVER-DRINKING."

NARRATOR: ONE DAY THAT AUTUMN,
A STAFF SERGEANT WHO HAD

WRITTEN SOME SHORT STORIES
KNOCKED ON THE DOOR

OF HEMINGWAY'S HOTEL ROOM.

HE'D NEVER MET HEMINGWAY
AND DIDN'T KNOW
HOW HE'D BE RECEIVED,

BUT HE WAS USHERED IN
AND GIVEN A DRINK.

HEMINGWAY HAD SEEN ONE OF HIS
PUBLISHED STORIES, ASKED TO

SEE ANOTHER, LIKED IT, AND
WROTE HIM A LETTER SAYING SO.

AFTERWARDS, THE YOUNG MAN TOLD
A FRIEND HOW THRILLED HE'D BEEN.

HEMINGWAY WAS A "GOOD GUY"
HE SAID, MODEST ABOUT
HIS OWN EMINENCE,

AND SURPRISINGLY
"SOFT" DESPITE THE HARDNESS

OF HIS CELEBRATED STYLE.

JEROME DAVID SALINGER WOULD
NEVER FORGET HEMINGWAY'S

KINDNESS AND GENEROSITY.

IN LATE FALL, HEMINGWAY
REJOINED BUCK LANHAM'S

22nd REGIMENT AS IT MOVED
TOWARD THE FIERCELY DEFENDED

GERMAN BORDER.

ONE EVENING, HE, LANHAM, AND
10 OTHERS WERE HAVING DINNER

TOGETHER IN A FARMHOUSE WHEN
AN .88 SHELL SMASHED THROUGH

ONE WALL AND OUT THE
OTHER WITHOUT EXPLODING.

THE MEN RUSHED TO THE CELLAR,
FEARFUL ANOTHER ROUND WAS

HEADED THEIR WAY.

HEMINGWAY CONTINUED EATING.

IN MID-NOVEMBER, THE 22nd
ENTERED THE HURTGEN FOREST.

THE BATTLE FOR THIS DENSE,
70-SQUARE-MILE EVERGREEN WOODS,

SOUTH OF THE GERMAN CITY
OF AACHEN, HAD BEEN GOING ON

FOR 2 MONTHS.

IT WAS A FRIGHTFUL PLACE TO
FIGHT--TREES 100 FEET TALL

AND ONLY A HANDFUL OF ROADS,
HEAVILY MINED AND METICULOUSLY

TARGETED BY ENEMY GUNNERS...
[EXPLOSION]

AND GERMAN SHELLS
THAT EXPLODED

AMONG THE TREETOPS, SENDING
SHRAPNEL AND SHARDS OF WOOD

INTO THE MEN HUDDLED BELOW.

MAN: TAKE COVER!

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: THE WOODS
WERE CLOSE-PLANTED FIR TREES,

AND THE SHELL-BURSTS
TORE AND SMASHED THEM,

AND THE SPLINTERS FROM THE
TREE BURSTS WERE LIKE JAVELINS

IN THE HALF-LIGHT OF THE FOREST,
AND THE MEN WERE SHOUTING

AND CALLING NOW TO TAKE
THE CURSE OFF THE DARKNESS

OF THE FOREST AND
SHOOTING AND KILLING KRAUTS

AND MOVING AHEAD NOW.

NARRATOR: AMERICAN
LOSSES WERE STAGGERING.

LANHAM'S REGIMENT WAS ASSIGNED
TO CAPTURE A SINGLE VILLAGE

AND 6,000 YARDS OF FOREST.

IN DOING SO, THEY
WOULD LOSE 2,733 MEN.

DURING ONE ESPECIALLY SAVAGE
FIREFIGHT, LANHAM REMEMBERED,

"MEN WERE FIRING AND ADVANCING
AND DROPPING AND FIRING.

"THEN I SAW ERNEST. HE WAS
MOVING WITH THE MOVING WAVE,

"BUT I NEVER SAW
HIM HIT THE GROUND.

AND THIS TIME THERE WAS NO
QUESTION AT ALL," LANHAM SAID,

"THAT HE WAS ARMED
AND USING THOSE ARMS."

HEMINGWAY HAD WITNESSED
SEVERAL WARS FIRSTHAND,

BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST
IN WHICH HE ACTED

AS A FULL-FLEDGED
COMBAT SOLDIER.

FIRING A MACHINE GUN ALONGSIDE
THE TROOPS EXHILARATED HIM.

THAT NIGHT, HE WROTE MARY
THAT THE DREAD HE'D FELT

AT RETURNING TO THE BATTLEFIELD
HAD SUDDENLY LIFTED.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: "YOU KNOW
HOW I WAS SPOOKED OF THE BATTLE

"BEFORE IT STARTED.

"BUT THEN ABOUT YESTERDAY

"AND THE DAY BEFORE,
JUST LIKE A GIFT,

"I GOT THE OLD FEELING
OF IMMORTALITY BACK I USED
TO HAVE WHEN I WAS 19,

"RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF A REALLY BAD SHELLING,

"NOT THE CAGEY
ASSESSMENT OF CHANCES,

"NOR THE ANGRY,
THE HELL-WITH-IT FEELING,

"NOR THE THROW-EVERYTHING-
AWAY FEELING.

JUST THE PURE OLD THING
WE USED TO OPERATE ON."

NARRATOR: BUT HE
HAD HAD ENOUGH.

HE LEFT THE WAR AND
WENT HOME TO CUBA.

THE SIGHTS HE'D SEEN IN THE
HURTGEN FOREST--A DOG TEARING

AT A CHARRED GERMAN CORPSE,

A GI's BODY FLATTENED BY
TANKS AND OTHER VEHICLES--

WOULD HAUNT HIS DREAMS
FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY:
"APRIL 2, 1945. DEAR BUCK.

"IT IS A HELL OF A THING
GOING AWAY FROM THE 22nd.

"IT PROBABLY SOUNDS WET,
BUT I WAS AND AM

"ABSOLUTELY HOMESICK
FOR THE REGIMENT,

"AND I MISS YOU
VERY BADLY, BUCK.

"I DON'T GIVE A
DAMN ABOUT WRITING.

"WILL HAVE TO GET OVER THAT.
I GUESS I WILL.

"HAVE GOTTEN OVER
EVERYTHING ELSE.

"CERTAINLY HAVE THE
BLACK ASS TODAY.

"I MISS MARY SO MUCH,
IT MAKES ME SICK.

"ALWAYS BEFORE, WE HAD OUR
DOUBLE DEUCE PROBLEMS AND SOME

"SORT OF FIGHT GOING ON WHEN
I WAS AWAY FROM HER AND I HAD

YOUR COMPANIONSHIP."

NARRATOR: IN THE SPRING OF
1945, WAITING FOR MARY WELSH

TO JOIN HIM AT THE FINCA,
HIS HOME IN THE HILLS

OVERLOOKING HAVANA, ERNEST
HEMINGWAY FEARED HE WOULD

NEVER BE ABLE TO WRITE AGAIN.

BEEGEL: WHEN HE CAME
HOME FROM THE WAR,

I THINK HE HAD JUST LOTS AND
LOTS OF TRAUMA AND HE HAD SEEN

SO MANY THINGS THAT
HE COULD NOT UN-SEE.

AND THEN, HE'S AN ALCOHOLIC.
SO WHAT DO ALCOHOLICS DO WHEN

THEY HAVE THINGS IN THEIR
LIVES THAT THEY CAN'T UN-SEE

IS THEY DRINK, AND HE WRITES
TO BUCK LANHAM LIKE,

"I'M DRINKING TO GO TO
SLEEP AT NIGHT.

"I'M DRINKING WHEN I WAKE UP.

"I GOT TO STOP DRINKING OR
MARY WON'T COME AND MARRY ME."

BUT I MEAN, IT'S--
IT'S A DISASTER.

KARR: THE PROBLEM WITH
ALCOHOLISM, AND I DON'T KNOW

WHY IT WORKS LIKE THIS.

IT MAKES YOU A LIAR,
PRIMARILY TO YOURSELF.

YOU'RE ALWAYS
LYING TO YOURSELF.

AND YOU'RE TRYING ALL
THESE DIFFERENT METHODS

TO TRY TO QUIT.

YOU'RE ONLY DRINKING BEER.
YOU'RE ONLY DRINKING WINE.

YOU'RE ONLY DRINKING
AFTER 5:00.

YOU'RE ONLY
DRINKING BEFORE 5:00.

BUT WITH THAT MASCULINITY,
WITH THAT STOICISM,

HEMINGWAY WAS DOOMED,
IN A WAY.

[PIANO PLAYING "I CAN'T GIVE YOU
ANYTHING BUT LOVE"]

NARRATOR: MARY EVENTUALLY
ARRIVED IN HAVANA, HAVING

REQUESTED A YEAR'S SABBATICAL
FROM HER JOB AT "TIME."

SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH HEMINGWAY
BUT STILL UNSURE WHETHER SHE

SHOULD MARRY HIM.

UNA MAE CARLISLE:
♪ I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING ♪

♪ BUT LOVE, BABY ♪

♪ THAT'S THE ONLY THING
I'VE PLENTY OF, OH, BABY ♪

FATS WALLER: YEAH,
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

♪ DREAM AWHILE,
SCHEME AWHILE ♪

WALLER: YOU'RE WRONG.

♪ YOU'RE SURE TO FIND ♪

WALLER: THAT'S WHAT YOU
THINK. I'M SURE TO FIND.

♪ HAPPINESS AND I GUESS ♪

♪ ALL THOSE THINGS
YOU'RE SURE TO PINE FOR... ♪

NARRATOR: HE SAW TO IT THAT
SHE HAD SPANISH LESSONS SO THAT

SHE COULD RUN THE FINCA, TAUGHT
HER DEEP-SEA FISHING SO THAT

SHE COULD BE HIS COMPANION,
ENCOURAGED HER TO QUIT HER JOB

ALTOGETHER SO THAT SHE COULD
DEVOTE HERSELF FULLY TO HIM

AS HIS FIRST AND SECOND
WIVES HAD DONE

AND MARTHA GELLHORN
HAD NOT DONE.

HEMINGWAY WANTED HIS WIFE TO
BE BOTH "COMPLETELY OBEDIENT

AND SEXUALLY LOOSE,"
SHE CONFIDED TO HER DIARY.

SHE ENJOYED THE SEXUAL PART,
CUT HER HAIR SHORT

AND BLEACHED IT PLATINUM
BECAUSE IT EXCITED HIM,

AND SOMETIMES PRETENDED
THAT SHE WAS A BOY

AND HE WAS A GIRL.

HE DYED HIS HAIR, TOO.

WALLER: ♪ I CAN'T DISH OUT
ANYTHING BUT LOVE ♪

♪ BABY... ♪

DEARBORN: I THINK IT'S
VERY BRAVE TO SAY

WHAT YOUR
SEXUAL PREFERENCES ARE.

HE REALLY HAD A THING ABOUT
ANDROGYNY,

AND HE LIKED TO SWITCH
SEX ROLES IN BED.

AND HE TELLS MARY, YOU KNOW,
"LET'S PLAY AROUND."

"I'M GONNA CALL YOU 'PETE.'

YOU CALL ME 'CATHERINE,'"

YOU KNOW, AND THEY
GO BACK AND FORTH ON THIS.

AND THEY PLAY AROUND WITH IT,
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEY

DO IN BED, BUT SOMEHOW SHE'S
SATISFYING THAT INTENSE DESIRE

OF HIS TO PLAY WITH
SEX ROLES THAT WAY.

WALLER: ♪ OH, TILL THAT
LUCKY DAY... ♪

DEARBORN: IT TOOK A LOT
OF GUTS FOR HIM.

AND IN A WAY, HE WANTED TO
BE A WOMAN WHO LOVED

ANOTHER WOMAN.

NOW THIS KIND OF THING,
IT'S ALL ON A SPECTRUM, RIGHT?

BUT THEN, IT WAS UNHEARD OF.

NARRATOR: "IN BED," SHE WROTE,
"HE HAS CERTAINLY BEEN BETTER

FOR ME THAN ANY OTHER MAN,"

BUT SHE CHAFED UNDER WHAT SHE
CALLED HIS "DICTATORSHIP."

SHE DISLIKED HIS LECTURES
ON HOW THINGS MUST BE DONE,

DETECTED THE GHOSTLY PRESENCE
OF MARTHA GELLHORN IN EVERY

ROOM OF THE HOUSE, FELT
CUT OFF FROM HER FRIENDS

AND FORMER LIFE.

"NOTHING IS MINE," SHE WROTE.

"THE MAN IS HIS OWN
WITH VARIOUS ADJUNCTS--

"HIS WRITING, HIS
CHILDREN, HIS CATS.

THE STRIP OF BED WHERE
I LIE IS NOT MINE."

WOMAN AS WELSH: "CAN ONLY
CONCLUDE THAT I'D BE AN IDIOT

"TO STAY HERE AND MARRY PAPA.

"I'D BETTER GO WHILE
THE GOING IS POSSIBLE

AND CAN BE WITHOUT
TOO MUCH BITTERNESS."

NARRATOR: BUT SHE STAYED,
AND IN THE SPRING OF 1946,

AFTER BOTH HAD LEGALLY SHED
THEIR SPOUSES, MARY WELSH

MARRIED ERNEST HEMINGWAY.

BEFORE THE WEDDING, SHE HAD BEEN
"AN ENTITY," SHE REMEMBERED.

AFTERWARDS,
SHE BECAME "AN APPENDAGE."

OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THEIR
UNION FOLLOWED THE SAME

TURBULENT PATTERN.

HE WOULD INSULT
OR HUMILIATE HER.

SHE WOULD THREATEN TO LEAVE.

HE WOULD BEG HER TO STAY
AND SOMETIMES THREATEN

TO KILL HIMSELF
IF SHE DIDN'T.

THEY WOULD RECONCILE IN BED
AND THEN START THE CYCLE

ALL OVER AGAIN.

MARY SOMETIMES LIKED TO CALL
HERSELF "THE SHORT, HAPPY WIFE

OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY."

EDNA O'BRIEN: MAYBE WRITERS
DISIMPROVE AS THEY AGE

BECAUSE THEY LIVE WITH A
PERMANENT FEAR THAT

THE GIFT HAS GONE.

IT GETS WORSE WITH AGE.

WHAT HAPPENS IN MID-LIFE,
IN YOUTH AND THEN MID-LIFE,

THE SPASMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE
FAMOUS CLICHE, "THE BLANK PAGE,"

HAPPENS WITHIN ONE
MORNING, A WRITER GETS UP

AND THINKS, "AH, ONE LINE,
JUST ONE LINE

AND OFF YOU ARE."

IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AS
MUCH IN OLD AGE.

IT DOES NOT.

ONLY BY SHEER PERSEVERANCE.

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY'S
WRITING WAS NOT GOING WELL.

IT HAD BEEN 6 YEARS
SINCE HE'D PUBLISHED
"FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS."

IT WOULD BE 4 MORE YEARS
BEFORE HE MANAGED TO PUBLISH

ANOTHER NOVEL.

[TYPEWRITER KEYS CLICKING]

HE WAS ONLY 46 BUT HAD BEGUN
TO BE SEEN BY CRITICS AS

A RELIC OF THE 1920s.

WHEN WOULD-BE BIOGRAPHERS
CONTACTED HIM,

HE FENDED THEM OFF.

HE RESENTED THE IMPLICATION
THAT HIS CAREER WAS

NEARING ITS CLOSE.

HE HAD AMBITIOUS PLANS--
A 3-VOLUME WORK

ENCOMPASSING THE WAR YEARS
THAT WAS TO BEGIN ON BIMINI

IN 1936 AND END WITH THE
BATTLE FOR THE HURTGEN FOREST.

BUT NOVELS ABOUT THE WAR BY
YOUNGER WRITERS--IRWIN SHAW,

JOHN HORNE BURNS, NORMAN
MAILER, ALL OF WHOM HAD BEEN

INFLUENCED BY HIM--SOON MADE
HIM WONDER IF READERS WOULD

WANT TO READ ABOUT HIS WAR.

HIS PLANS FOR A NEW FAMILY
DIDN'T WORK OUT EITHER.

MARY SUFFERED AN ECTOPIC
PREGNANCY, AND NEARLY

BLED TO DEATH.

HEMINGWAY WAS TOLD
TO SAY GOOD-BYE.

INSTEAD, HE FORCED AN ATTENDANT
TO OPEN A NEW VEIN

AND ADMINISTER PLASMA.

MARY SURVIVED BUT WAS TOLD
SHE COULD NOT BEAR CHILDREN.

HEMINGWAY WOULD NEVER HAVE
THE DAUGHTER HE'D HOPED FOR.

THERE WERE NOW PROBLEMS
WITH HIS BOYS, TOO.

BEEGEL: THEY HAD A
VERY GOOD TIME WITH PAPA

AND THEY LOVED
HIM DEARLY.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WERE
DEPRIVED OF THEIR FATHER

FOR WHOLE STRETCHES
OF THEIR LIVES.

HE WAS INCREDIBLY EXACTING AND
DEMANDING AND COULD TURN SOME

OF THAT VERBAL ABUSE ON THEM.

NARRATOR: HE WAS PROUD OF HIS
OLDEST SON JACK'S WAR RECORD:

BUMBY HAD JOINED THE OSS,
PARACHUTED INTO OCCUPIED FRANCE,

HAD BEEN WOUNDED AND SPENT TIME
IN A GERMAN PRISON CAMP,

BUT HIS FATHER GREW IMPATIENT
WITH HIS APPARENT INABILITY TO

DECIDE WHAT HE'D LIKE TO
DO IN PEACETIME.

GREGORY, THE YOUNGEST,
HAD A SECRET.

IT HAD BEGUN WHEN
GREGORY WAS A SMALL BOY.

HE'D FOUND BOTH SOLACE AND
EXCITEMENT DURING HIS PARENTS'

FREQUENT ABSENCES, FIRST BY
TAKING HIS MOTHER'S STOCKINGS

FROM HER DRESSER AND RUBBING
THEM AGAINST HIS CHEEK,

THEN BY PULLING THEM ON.

HIS FATHER KNEW ABOUT IT.
"HE HAS THE BIGGEST DARK SIDE

IN THE FAMILY EXCEPT ME AND
YOU," HE TOLD GREGORY'S

MOTHER, PAULINE, BUT HOPED
HE'D GROW OUT OF IT SOMEHOW.

PATRICK: MY BROTHER EXPLAINED TO
ME ONCE WHAT A WONDERFUL THING

IT WAS TO BE
IN DRAG, YOU KNOW.

IT WAS JUST MARVELOUS,

THE GREATEST THING
YOU COULD EXPERIENCE.

AND I THOUGHT, WELL,
NOT FOR ME, YOU KNOW.

NOT THAT I DIDN'T SYMPATHIZE,

BUT IT WAS AN INTOLERABLE
SITUATION FOR HIM BEING THE

SON OF WHO HE WAS THE SON OF.

I THINK THAT WAS WHAT
MADE IT SO AWFUL.

I MEAN THESE DAYS,
WHO WOULD GIVE A DAMN?

NARRATOR: BUT HIS MIDDLE
SON PATRICK WAS OF EVEN MORE

IMMEDIATE CONCERN.

WHILE VISITING HIS FATHER IN
CUBA IN THE SUMMER OF 1947,

HE HAD A SEVERE
PSYCHOTIC EPISODE.

HE HAD RECENTLY SUFFERED
A CONCUSSION WHICH DOCTORS

THOUGHT MUST HAVE
TRIGGERED IT.

PATRICK TORE OFF HIS CLOTHES,
REFUSED TO EAT, CURSED

AND STRUCK OUT AT ANYONE
WHO CAME NEAR HIM.

PATRICK: IT IS PRETTY HARD
TO TELL WHAT HAPPENED TO ME.

IF YOU WOULD GO BY
THE SYMPTOMS...

EXTREME SCHIZOPHRENIA.

HA.

BUT YOU KNOW PEOPLE DON'T
GET OVER SCHIZOPHRENIA,

DO THEY,
AS FAR AS I KNOW?

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY
REFUSED TO HAVE HIS BOY

INSTITUTIONALIZED, AND FOR
3 MONTHS SERVED AS HIS

TENDER AND SUPPORTIVE NURSE,
GETTING BY ON 4 HOURS OF SLEEP

ON THE FLOOR
OUTSIDE PATRICK'S DOOR.

PATRICK'S MOTHER, PAULINE,
CAME TO CUBA TO NURSE HIM, TOO,

AND SHE AND MARY BECAME
FRIENDS AS "ALUMNAE" OF WHAT

THEY CALLED
"HEMINGWAY UNIVERSITY."

WITH THE HELP OF A GERMAN
PSYCHIATRIST, WHO PRESCRIBED

ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY,
PATRICK EVENTUALLY RECOVERED.

[BELLS TOLLING]

♪

IN DECEMBER, 1948,
THE HEMINGWAYS WERE STAYING

HALF AN HOUR'S BOAT RIDE FROM
VENICE, FOR WHAT MARY HOPED

WOULD BE A
MUCH-DELAYED HONEYMOON.

BUT HEMINGWAY--GREY-BEARDED
AND BATTERED, STILL DRINKING

FAR TOO MUCH, WITH CONSTANT
RINGING IN HIS EARS

AND DANGEROUSLY HIGH
BLOOD PRESSURE--

MET AN 18-YEAR OLD
ITALIAN GIRL FROM AN OLD,
ARISTOCRATIC FAMILY--

ADRIANA IVANCICH--AND FELL
OBSESSIVELY IN LOVE WITH HER.

SHE WAS FRESH FROM CONVENT
SCHOOL AND WELL-READ, THOUGH

SHE'D NEVER READ ANYTHING BY
HEMINGWAY, AND SHE ENJOYED

LISTENING TO HIM TALK AT
HARRY'S BAR AND WHILE THEY

AMBLED TOGETHER
THROUGH VENICE.

HE CALLED HER "DAUGHTER" AND
ASKED HER TO CALL HIM "PAPA,"

BUT HE ALSO TOLD HER THAT HE
WOULD BEG HER TO MARRY HIM

IF HE DIDN'T KNOW
SHE'D SAY NO.

DEARBORN: AND IT WAS A GREAT
BLOW TO HIM THAT SHE DIDN'T

FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM.

EVERY TIME BEFORE THIS,
WHEN HE'S WANTED A WOMAN,

THAT'S IT. SHE'S HIS.

HE CAN DISCARD THIS
WIFE, TAKE THE NEW ONE.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD SAID HE
"WANTED A NEW--A NEW WIFE

FOR EVERY BOOK."

BUT, ADRIANA, THAT'S
DIFFERENT TO HIM, OK?

NARRATOR: MARY WORRIED THAT
HER HUSBAND WAS "WEAVING

A MESH WHICH MIGHT ENTANGLE
AND PAIN HIM," BUT ADRIANA

BECAME THE MODEL FOR THE LOVE
INTEREST IN THE NOVEL HE HAD

FINALLY BEGUN WORKING ON,
"ACROSS THE RIVER
AND INTO THE TREES."

ITS PROTAGONIST, INSPIRED
IN PART BY BUCK LANHAM,

IS A DYING 50-YEAR-OLD
AMERICAN INFANTRY COLONEL

FILLED WITH MEMORIES OF THE
HORRORS HE HAS WITNESSED

IN TWO WARS.

HE SPENDS HIS LAST 3 DAYS
IN VENICE WHERE HE MAKES LOVE

TO AN 18-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHOM
HEMINGWAY NAMES "RENATA"--

ITALIAN FOR "REBORN."

WHEN HE GOT BACK TO CUBA,
HE WROTE LIKE A MAN POSSESSED.

HE WAS ALMOST 50, BUT HE TOLD
HIS PUBLISHER THAT SUMMER HE

WAS WRITING AS IF
HE WERE 25 AGAIN.

WOLFF: I DON'T THINK HE
WAS EVER UNHAPPY TO HAVE US

CONFUSE HIM WITH
HIS CHARACTERS.

BUT BY THEN, I THINK HE
ASSUMED THE IDENTIFICATION WAS

SO COMPLETE THAT HE HAD
TO MAKE A ROMANTIC,

MANLY FIGURE OF
COLONEL CANTWELL

WITH THE ITALIAN MISTRESS.

[KEYS CLICKING]

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: SHE CAME
INTO THE ROOM, SHINING IN HER

YOUTH AND TALL STRIDING
BEAUTY, AND THE CARELESSNESS

THE WIND HAD MADE OF HER HAIR.

SHE HAD PALE, ALMOST OLIVE-
COLORED SKIN, A PROFILE THAT

COULD BREAK YOUR, OR ANYONE
ELSE'S HEART, AND HER DARK HAIR,

OF AN ALIVE TEXTURE,
HUNG DOWN OVER HER SHOULDERS.

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY HAD
CONVINCED HIMSELF THAT HE WAS

WRITING BETTER THAN EVER.

HE WAS NOT.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: THE WIND
WAS VERY COLD AND LASHED

THEIR FACES, BUT UNDER THE
BLANKET THERE WAS NO WIND NOR

NOTHING; ONLY HIS RUINED HAND
THAT SEARCHED FOR THE ISLAND

IN THE GREAT RIVER WITH
THE HIGH STEEP BANKS.

"PLEASE DON'T MOVE,"
THE GIRL SAID.

"THEN MOVE A GREAT AMOUNT."

THE COLONEL, LYING UNDER THE
BLANKET IN THE WIND, KNOWING

IT IS ONLY WHAT MAN DOES FOR
WOMAN THAT HE RETAINS, EXCEPT

WHAT HE DOES FOR HIS
FATHERLAND OR HIS MOTHERLAND,

HOWEVER YOU GET THE
READING, PROCEEDED.

DEARBORN: HE THOUGHT HE WAS
REACHING A KIND OF PERFECTION

AND ABUNDANCE IN HIS PROSE.

AND WHAT HE WAS WRITING
WAS "ACROSS THE RIVER
AND INTO THE TREES."

NARRATOR: HE WAS ALSO ACTING
STRANGELY, FIRING OFF LETTERS

FILLED WITH INCREASINGLY TALL
TALES AND IRRATIONAL BOASTING.

"ALL WRITERS ARE LIARS,"
HE LIKED TO SAY, ESPECIALLY

WHEN THEY'D HAD A FEW DRINKS.

BUT HE NOW CLAIMED 4 OF
HIS ANCESTORS HAD FOUGHT

IN THE CRUSADES, THAT HIS
GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER WAS

A NORTHERN CHEYENNE, THAT
HE HIMSELF WAS CONDUCTING

SIMULTANEOUS AFFAIRS WITH 4
VENETIAN COUNTESSES, HAD BEEN

WOUNDED 22 TIMES AND HAD
KILLED 122 ARMED MEN IN NOW

5 DIFFERENT WARS.

FRIENDS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT
SEEMED TO BE HAPPENING TO HIM.

HIS MOODS HAD ALWAYS SHIFTED.

NOW THEY WILDLY
SWUNG UP AND DOWN.

DEARBORN: HE WAS, SO FLORIDLY
MANIC, THINKING THIS TERRIBLE

BOOK IS HIS BEST BOOK
AND FALLING IN LOVE

INAPPROPRIATELY, BUT YOU WERE
ALSO SEEING THESE DEPRESSIONS.

AND WHEN HE WAS DEPRESSED,
HE WAS MEAN.

NARRATOR: HE DISAPPEARED
INTO HAVANA ONE DAY

AND THEN TURNED
UP FOR LUNCH ON THE "PILAR"

WITH A 17-YEAR-OLD
PROSTITUTE ON HIS ARM.

WOMAN, AS WELSH HEMINGWAY:
"DEAR ERNEST, AS SOON AS IT

"IS POSSIBLE FOR ME TO
MOVE OUT, I SHALL MOVE.

"MAYBE IT IS AMBIGUOUS
FOR ME TO EXPLAIN MY
REASONS FOR LEAVING,

"BUT I WRITE THEM DOWN BECAUSE
I THINK THIS TIME YOU SHOULD

"HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF
KNOWING PRECISELY HOW I FEEL

"ABOUT THIS MARRIAGE.

"IT BEGAN IN 1944 IN BED IN THE
RITZ HOTEL IN PARIS AND MY OWN

"REASONS FOR IT WERE TWO:
I THOUGHT YOU WERE A STRAIGHT

"AND HONORABLE AND BRAVE
MAN AND MAGNETICALLY

"ENDEARING TO ME.

"AND BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH
I WAS SUSPICIOUS OF
YOUR OVER-DRINKING,

"YOU SAID SO OFTEN THAT YOUR
CHIEF DESIRE WAS TO BE GOOD

"AND ADULT AND TO LIVE YOUR ONE
AND ONLY LIFE INTELLIGENTLY.

"I BELIEVED YOU
AND IN YOU.

"YOUR PRINCIPAL
FAILURE IS THAT,

"PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF
YOUR ACCUMULATING EGO

"AND YOUR INCREASING LAPSES
INTO OVER-DRINKING, YOU HAVE

"NOT BEEN THE GOOD MAN YOU
SAID YOU INTENDED TO BE.

"BOTH PRIVATELY AND IN PUBLIC,
YOU HAVE INSULTED ME AND MY

"DIGNITY AS A HUMAN BEING AND
A WOMAN DEVOTED TO YOU AND HAVE

"DEBASED MY PRIDE IN YOU
IN FRONT OF FRIENDS.

"I THINK WE MUST NOW BOTH ADMIT
THAT THIS MARRIAGE IS A FAILURE.

THEREFORE LET US END IT."

NARRATOR: "STICK WITH ME
KITTEN," HEMINGWAY RESPONDED.

"I HOPE YOU WILL DECIDE
TO STICK WITH ME."

MARY DID STICK WITH HIM,
BUT NOTHING WAS SETTLED

BETWEEN THEM.

A FEW WEEKS BEFORE HIS LONG-
AWAITED NOVEL ABOUT VENICE WAS

TO BE PUBLISHED, HE LOST HIS
FOOTING ABOARD THE "PILAR"

AND HIT HIS HEAD AGAIN.

AFTERWARDS, HE WROTE A FRIEND
THAT HE HAD REACHED WHAT HE

CALLED A "BAD LOW."

HE'D TAKEN "A LONG DEEP DIVE
IN THE GULF STREAM," HE SAID.

"IT WAS AWFULLY NICE DOWN
THERE AND I WAS TEMPTED TO

"STAY THERE,

"BUT YOU HAVE TO SET
A GOOD EXAMPLE TO YOUR

CHILDREN AND ET CETERA."

WHEN "ACROSS THE RIVER AND
INTO THE TREES" WAS PUBLISHED

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1950,
IT BECAME AN INSTANT

BEST-SELLER,

BUT IT WAS NOT THE GREAT
NOVEL OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

CRITICS WERE EXPECTING AND
HE RECEIVED THE WORST REVIEWS

OF HIS CAREER.

THEY CALLED THE BOOK
SENTIMENTAL, EMBARRASSING,

EVEN PITIABLE.

"IT IS NOT ONLY HEMINGWAY'S
WORST NOVEL,"

SAID THE "SATURDAY REVIEW OF
LITERATURE," "IT IS

"A SYNTHESIS OF EVERYTHING THAT
IS BAD IN HIS PREVIOUS WORK

AND IT THROWS A DOUBTFUL
LIGHT ON THE FUTURE."

THE BOOK MADE MARTHA GELLHORN
"SICK," SHE TOLD A FRIEND,

"SHIVERING SICK."

IT HAD THE "SOUND OF MADNESS
AND A TERRIBLE SMELL,

AS OF DECAY."

BEEGEL: "ACROSS THE RIVER
AND INTO THE TREES" COMES OUT,

AND IT RECEIVES THE WORST
IMAGINABLE REVIEWS.

PEOPLE CALL IT "MAUDLIN,"
THEY SAY HEMINGWAY IS

FINISHED, THIS BOOK IS SO BAD
THAT IT CALLS INTO QUESTION

HIS ENTIRE CAREER SO FAR.

HEMINGWAY'S DONE,
IT'S OVER, YOU KNOW.

IT'S A DISASTER.
IT'S A DISASTER.

NOT TO MENTION THE
LOVEMAKING IN THE GONDOLA

WITH THE BIRDS FLYING.
HA HA!

KATAKIS: SOMETHING IS STARTING
TO HAPPEN IN THE 1950s--

CALL IT FAME, CALL IT TOO MUCH
DRINKING, TOO MUCH OF TOO MUCH.

THERE IS A CONSTANT CHECK
OF BLOOD PRESSURE.

THERE IS A CONCERN FOR
MORTALITY IN HEMINGWAY

THAT HE ALWAYS KNEW
WAS THERE, AS WE ALL DO,

BUT AT THE SAME TIME DON'T
KNOW UNTIL ILLNESS OR

SOMETHING BEGINS
TO SHOW ITSELF.

TO SOME EXTENT, SOMEONE AS
VIBRANT AS THIS, I THINK THAT

CAME AS A BIT OF A SHOCK.

AND THE DRINKING AND THE
HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS

IN THE FAMILY HAD
TO BE ON HIS MIND.

HIS FATHER HAD TO
BE ON HIS MIND.

NARRATOR: IN EARLY 1951,
HEMINGWAY'S PUBLISHER
CHARLES SCRIBNER

SENT HIM GALLEYS OF
A WORLD WAR II NOVEL CALLED,

"FROM HERE TO ETERNITY,"
BY A YOUNG WRITER NAMED

JAMES JONES IN THE HOPE
HEMINGWAY MIGHT WRITE A BLURB.

AFTER SEEING COMBAT IN THE
PACIFIC, JONES HAD GONE AWOL

DURING THE SECOND
WORLD WAR AND BEEN GIVEN
AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE

FOR PSYCHIATRIC REASONS; HIS
PROTAGONIST WENT AWOL, TOO.

HEMINGWAY TOLD SCRIBNER
HE HATED THE BOOK.

THOUGH HIS OWN HERO OF "A
FAREWELL TO ARMS" HAD DESERTED,

JONES WAS A COWARD, A WHINER,
A "BATTLE-FATIGUE TYPE,"

HE WROTE, LIKELY TO
COMMIT SUICIDE ONCE "THINGS

CATCH UP WITH HIM."

HIS BOOK WAS SURE TO "DO
GREAT DAMAGE TO OUR COUNTRY."

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: "PROBABLY
I SHOULD RE-READ IT AGAIN TO

"GIVE YOU A TRUER ANSWER.

"BUT I DO NOT HAVE TO EAT AN
ENTIRE BOWL OF SCABS TO KNOW

"THEY ARE SCABS; NOR SUCK
A BOIL TO KNOW IT IS A BOIL;

"NOR SWIM THROUGH A RIVER OF
SNOT TO KNOW IT IS SNOT.

"I HOPE HE KILLS HIMSELF AS
SOON AS IT DOES NOT DAMAGE HIS

"OR YOUR SALES.

"IF YOU GIVE HIM A LITERARY TEA,
YOU MIGHT ASK HIM TO DRAIN

"A BUCKET OF SNOT AND THEN
SUCK THE PUSS OUT OF
A DEAD N R'S EAR.

"WOULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT HIM UP
IF YOU HADN'T ASKED ME.

NOW I FEEL AS UNCLEAN AS WHEN
I READ HIS FUCK-OFF BOOK."

YEAH.

IT'S--IT'S ANOTHER
MYSTERY WHY THIS MOST

FAMOUS WRITER OF
WRITERS, UH...

WOULD HAVE FELT SO, UH...

UNSAFE IN HIS POSITION
AND EMBATTLED IN IT

AND NEEDING TO FEND OFF ALL
OTHER WRITERS AS IF THEY WERE

CHALLENGING HIM.

WHY DIDN'T HE JUST SAY,
"I, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T
WARM UP TO THIS BOOK,

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD
SAY ABOUT IT," AND LET IT GO?

BUT NO.

DUDLEY: THE FACT THAT HE WOULD
REVILE A FELLOW WRITER DOESN'T

SHOCK ME AT ALL, BUT THE
HARSHNESS OF IT, YEAH.

THE RACIAL EPITHETS HERE,
SOMETHING THAT HE KNEW WOULD

PROBABLY SEE THE LIGHT
OF DAY AT SOME POINT.

YEAH. IT COMPLICATES
THINGS IMMENSELY.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT
TO SAY ABOUT THIS,

TO EXPLAIN IT AWAY.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU
CAN EXPLAIN IT AWAY.

VERGHESE: WE'RE
ALL DEEPLY FLAWED.

AND HEMINGWAY'S YOU KNOW
COMPLEX NATURE IS SOMETHING

THAT WE'LL NEVER SOLVE
WITH ONE PITHY PHRASE.

WE WON'T EXPLAIN THESE
AWFUL LETTERS HE WROTE.

WE WON'T EVER BE ABLE TO
FORGIVE HIM FOR THE AWFUL

THINGS HE SAID ABOUT PEOPLE,
THE WORDS HE USED THAT HAD NO,

NO REASON BUT HURT,
BUT THERE IT IS.

♪

ANDREW FARAH: IN CUBA,
HE WOULD ACTUALLY REHEARSE

A SUICIDE FOR FRIENDS.

HE WOULD HAVE FRIENDS OVER
FOR DINNER AND THEN HE WOULD,

UH, PUT HIS SHOTGUN ON THE
FLOOR AND PUT HIS BIG TOE

IN THE TRIGGER AND PUT THE
BARREL IN THE ROOF OF HIS MOUTH,

AND EVERYONE WOULD
LISTEN TO IT GO "CLICK."

AND HE WOULD LIFT HIS MOUTH
OFF THE BARREL, GRINNING.

NARRATOR: "I HAVE NOTHING
IN MY HEAD," HEMINGWAY TOLD

AN OLD FRIEND.

"I'M FED UP WITH LIVING.
I CAN'T WRITE.

I LOVE ONLY ADRIANA.
I'M GOING TO COMMIT SUICIDE."

HE TOOK OUT HIS DESPAIR AND
FRUSTRATION ON MARY, CALLING

HER A "WHORE, BITCH,
LIAR, MORON."

SHE TOLD HIS PUBLISHER SHE
FEARED SHE WAS WITNESSING

"THE DISINTEGRATION OF
A PERSONALITY."

[CATS MEOWING]

BEEGEL: IT'S A VERY TRAGIC
THING, AND I BELIEVE THAT

RELATIONSHIP DID GET PHYSICAL.

SHE'S JUST LITTLE AND HE'S
THIS HULKING, YOU KNOW,

6-FOOT-SOMETHING MAN.
IT'S--IT'S DANGEROUS.

FARAH: MARY HAD THREATENED
TO LEAVE HIM MANY TIMES.

THEY WERE VIOLENT
TOWARDS EACH OTHER.

HE WAS VIOLENT TOWARDS HER.

AND AT ONE POINT,
THEIR CUBAN DOCTOR TOOK THE

SHOTGUNS OUT OF THE HOME; THEY
WERE THREATENING EACH OTHER

WITH SHOTGUNS.

THEY WOULD GO AT EACH OTHER,
TOOTH AND NAIL.

BEEGEL: HE KNOWS HE'S
STRUGGLING TO WRITE.

HE'S GOT TO DO SOMETHING.
EVERYTHING HE'S LIVED FOR,

EVERYTHING HE'S WORKED FOR,
THE WHOLE IDEA OF BEING

AN IMMORTAL AMERICAN
WRITER IS AT STAKE.

[SHIP'S HORN BLOWS]

NARRATOR: THEN IN OCTOBER OF
1950, ADRIANA AND HER MOTHER

CAME TO CUBA FOR
AN EXTENDED VISIT.

HEMINGWAY WAS ELATED.

BEEGEL: HE GOES INTO TRAINING.

HE TALKS ABOUT GOING INTO
TRAINING LIKE A BOXER.

AND FOR A PERIOD OF WEEKS,
HE LOSES WEIGHT, HE STOPS

DRINKING EVERYTHING EXCEPT A
LITTLE BIT OF WINE, HE EATS

CELERY STICKS, LOTS OF
PROTEIN LIKE RAW WILD DUCK.

HE SWIMS LAPS IN THE POOL,
HE GETS INTO SHAPE.

DEARBORN: HE IDEALIZED LOVE
SO MUCH AND IT GAVE HIM

SO MUCH ENERGY.

IF YOU REMEMBER BEING IN
LOVE AS A TEENAGER,

YOU'RE SO HAPPY.

ADRIANA ALLOWED HIM
TO RE-CREATE THAT.

SHE MOVES MUCH MORE FROM BEING
A POTENTIAL LOVE RELATIONSHIP

TO BEING A KIND OF MUSE.

NARRATOR: INSPIRED BY ADRIANA,
HEMINGWAY BEGAN A NEW STORY.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: THE OLD MAN
WAS THIN AND GAUNT WITH DEEP

WRINKLES IN THE
BACK OF HIS NECK.

THE BROWN BLOTCHES OF THE
BENEVOLENT SKIN CANCER THE SUN

BRINGS FROM ITS REFLECTION
ON THE TROPIC SEA WERE

ON HIS CHEEKS.

THE BLOTCHES RAN WELL DOWN
THE SIDES OF HIS FACE AND HIS

HANDS HAD THE DEEP-CREASED
SCARS FROM HANDLING HEAVY FISH

ON THE CORDS.

BUT NONE OF THESE
SCARS WERE FRESH.

THEY WERE AS OLD AS EROSIONS
IN A FISHLESS DESERT.

EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM WAS OLD
EXCEPT HIS EYES AND THEY WERE

THE SAME COLOR AS THE SEA AND
WERE CHEERFUL AND UNDEFEATED.

NARRATOR: IT WAS A
FICTIONALIZED VERSION

OF AN ARTICLE HE'D FIRST
PUBLISHED IN "ESQUIRE" MAGAZINE

15 YEARS EARLIER.

HE WROTE THE NEW NOVEL
IN JUST 8 WEEKS.

"THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA"
TOLD THE STORY OF AN
OLD CUBAN FISHERMAN

ALONE IN A SKIFF,
WHO HOOKED A GREAT MARLIN THAT

TOWED HIM FAR OUT TO SEA
BEFORE HE COULD HARPOON

AND LASH IT ALONGSIDE.

BUT AS HE STRUGGLED
TO RETURN TO LAND,

SHARKS DEVOURED
MOST OF HIS PRIZE.

IN THE EVENINGS, HEMINGWAY
WOULD LET MARY READ WHAT HE

HAD WRITTEN THAT DAY.

"LAMB," SHE TOLD HIM AFTER
FINISHING THE MANUSCRIPT,

"I AM PREPARED TO PARDON YOU
FOR ALL THE DISAGREEABLE

THINGS YOU HAVE DONE TO ME."

WOMAN, AS WELSH HEMINGWAY:
THOSE WERE SWEET HOURS.

ONLY THE SIGHS OF A BREEZE IN
THE PALMS OR THE FARAWAY CHUFF

OF A LORRY ON THE MAIN ROAD
CAME THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOWS.

IF I MADE SOME
INVOLUNTARY WHISPER

OF APPROVAL, HE CAME OVER
TO READ, PEERING OVER

MY SHOULDER.

THIS WAS SIMPLE LINE-DRAWING
BEAUTY, I THOUGHT.

IT REMINDED ME OF BACH FUGUES
AND PICASSO DRAWINGS WITHOUT

CLUTTER OR FRILLS.

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY HAD
ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO INCLUDE

THE STORY AS THE CODA TO
A LONGER NOVEL, BUT HE NOW

WANTED IT TO STAND ON ITS OWN.

"PUBLISHING IT NOW," HE TOLD
SCRIBNER'S, "WILL GET RID

"OF THE SCHOOL OF CRITICISM
THAT I AM THROUGH AS A WRITER,

"THAT CLAIMS I CAN WRITE
ABOUT NOTHING EXCEPT MYSELF

"AND MY OWN EXPERIENCES.

"IT COULD EVEN SERVE AS AN
EPILOGUE TO ALL MY WRITING

"AND WHAT I HAVE LEARNED OR
TRIED TO LEARN, WHILE WRITING

AND TRYING TO LIVE."

MOST READERS SEEMED TO AGREE.

"THE OLD MAN AND
THE SEA" APPEARED
FIRST IN "LIFE" MAGAZINE

ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1952 AND SOLD
WELL OVER 5 MILLION COPIES.

THE HARD-COVER BOOK, WHEN IT
WAS PUBLISHED, WOULD REMAIN

ON THE BEST-SELLER
LIST FOR 26 WEEKS.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

NARRATOR: MOST REVIEWERS
LOVED THE BOOK, TOO.

"THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA"
PROVED, THE CRITIC

MARK SCHORER WROTE,
THAT "HEMINGWAY'S ART,

"WHEN IT IS ART,

"IS ABSOLUTELY
INCOMPARABLE.

"HE IS UNQUESTIONABLY
THE GREATEST CRAFTSMAN
IN THE AMERICAN NOVEL

IN THIS CENTURY."

EDNA O'BRIEN: THE TEST OF A BOOK
FOR ME IS HOW MANY TIMES YOU

WANT TO RE-READ IT.

IT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME
BECAUSE IT'S SO ORDINARY.

IT'S ADOLESCENCE.
IT'S SCHOOLBOY WRITING.

I'M SORRY.

IT'S THE WRITER.
HE'S THE BLOODY FISH.

HE'S STRUGGLING TO DO IT.

AND I FEEL, IN SOME WAYS,
SYMPATHETIC BECAUSE I KNOW HOW

HARD IT IS TO WRITE
EVEN ONE GOOD SENTENCE.

THIS IS NOT THE BOOK THAT
WOULD BE THE FINEST FLOWER

ON HIS GRAVE.
IT'S NOT.

VERGHESE: WITH "THE OLD MAN
AND THE SEA," YOU SEE THE

AGONY OF THIS OLD MAN, YOU
SEE HIS BRAVERY, YOU SEE HIS

DESIRE TO REDEEM HIMSELF AND
YOU SEE HIM SORT OF ARRIVE

WITH THE PRIZE, BUT THE
PRIZE IS IN TATTERS.

AND ISN'T LIFE LIKE THAT?

I MEAN, ULTIMATELY LIFE
IS SO IRONIC YOU KNOW.

YOU GET THE BIGGEST DAMN FISH
OUT THERE, YOU REDEEM YOUR

REPUTATION, BUT BY THE TIME
YOU GET IT TO SHORE, IT'S GONE

AND SO ARE YOU.

[LLOSA SPEAKING SPANISH]

CUSHMAN: THE REFRAIN,
AS HE'S TRYING TO COME IN

AND THE SHARKS KEEP HITTING THE
FISH AND KEEP TAKING IT AWAY,

AS HE SAID, "THE THING
I DID WRONG IS, I WENT

OUT TOO FAR."

I WENT BEYOND WHAT
I CAN CONTROL.

I WENT BEYOND WHAT I
CAN COMPENSATE FOR.

AND I HEAR THAT AS JUST
BEAUTIFUL AND AWFUL, AND FULL

OF PATHOS, AND
THAT IS HEMINGWAY.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: HE WAS PAST
EVERYTHING NOW AND HE SAILED

THE SKIFF TO MAKE HIS
HOME PORT AS WELL AND AS

INTELLIGENTLY AS HE COULD.

IN THE NIGHT, SHARKS HIT THE
CARCASS AS SOMEONE MIGHT PICK UP

CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE.

THE OLD MAN PAID NO ATTENTION
TO THEM AND DID NOT PAY ANY

ATTENTION TO ANYTHING
EXCEPT STEERING.

HE ONLY NOTICED HOW LIGHTLY
AND HOW WELL THE SKIFF SAILED.

NOW THERE WAS NO
GREAT WEIGHT BESIDE HER.

HE COULD FEEL HE WAS
INSIDE THE CURRENT NOW

AND HE COULD SEE THE LIGHTS

OF THE BEACH COLONIES
ALONG THE SHORE.

HE KNEW WHERE HE WAS NOW AND
IT WAS NOTHING TO GET HOME.

IT IS EASY WHEN YOU
ARE BEATEN, HE THOUGHT.

I NEVER KNEW HOW EASY IT WAS.

AND WHAT BEAT YOU, HE THOUGHT.

"NOTHING," HE SAID ALOUD.

"I WENT OUT TOO FAR."

♪

NARRATOR: IN JUNE OF 1951,
ERNEST'S MOTHER,
GRACE HALL HEMINGWAY

HAD DIED AT THE AGE OF 79.

SHE'D BEEN LIVING IN MEMPHIS,
TENNESSEE WITH ONE

OF HIS SISTERS.

HEMINGWAY HAD BEEN SUPPORTING
HIS MOTHER BUT HAD NOT

SEEN HER IN YEARS.

"I HATE HER GUTS,"
HE EXPLAINED TO A FRIEND,

"AND SHE HATES MINE."

HE DID NOT ATTEND HER FUNERAL
EITHER, BUT HE DID SOFTEN

A LITTLE AT HER DEATH.

"I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT
HOW BEAUTIFUL SHE WAS WHEN SHE

WAS YOUNG," HE WROTE, "BEFORE
EVERYTHING WENT TO HELL IN OUR

"FAMILY AND ABOUT HOW HAPPY
WE ALL WERE AS CHILDREN

BEFORE IT ALL BROKE UP."

MORE FAMILY HELL HAD FOLLOWED.

IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR,
19-YEAR-OLD GREGORY HEMINGWAY

WAS ARRESTED IN THE LADIES
ROOM OF A LOS ANGELES

MOVIE THEATER WEARING
WOMEN'S CLOTHES.

AFTER HIS ARREST,
HIS MOTHER, PAULINE,
HEMINGWAY'S SECOND WIFE,

RUSHED TO LOS ANGELES TO BAIL
HIM OUT, THEN SPOKE BY PHONE

WITH HEMINGWAY IN CUBA.

EACH BLAMED THE OTHER FOR WHAT
HAD HAPPENED TO THEIR SON.

THERE WAS SHOUTING AND TEARS.

PATRICK: THE TWO OF THEM WENT
AT EACH OTHER TOOTH AND NAIL

ABOUT WHO WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.

MY DAD AND MY MOTHER REALLY
HAD A TERRIBLE TELEPHONE

CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.

NARRATOR: THAT NIGHT,
PAULINE WAS RUSHED TO
THE HOSPITAL IN AGONY.

A RARE AND UNDIAGNOSED
ADRENAL TUMOR HAD BURST.

SHE DIED ON THE
OPERATING TABLE.

PATRICK: IT WAS A
DISASTER ALL AROUND.

AND FROM THAT TIME ON,
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GREG

AND MY DAD WAS TERRIBLE.

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY TOLD GREGORY
THAT THE SHOCK OF HIS ARREST

HAD CAUSED
HIS MOTHER'S DEATH.

GREGORY RESPONDED WITH FURY.

MAN, AS GREGORY: "WHEN IT'S ALL
ADDED UP, PAPA, IT WILL BE...

"HE WROTE A FEW GOOD STORIES,
HAD A FRESH APPROACH TO REALITY,

"AND HE DESTROYED 5
PERSONS--HADLEY, PAULINE,

"MARTY, PATRICK,
AND POSSIBLY MYSELF.

"WHICH DO YOU THINK IS
THE MOST IMPORTANT,
YOU SELF-CENTERED SHIT,

"THE STORIES OR THE PEOPLE?

"I SUPPOSE YOU WONDER

"WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO
ALL MY FILIAL RESPECT FOR YOU.

"WELL, IT'S GONE, ERNESTINE,
DEAR, IT'S GONE!

"IT'S GONE WITH THE HUNDRED
THOUSAND CRUELTIES YOU HAVE

"INFLICTED ON PEOPLE FOR THE
LAST 10 YEARS AND WITH THE

"THOUSAND RIGHTEOUS
DRUNKS OF THAT PERIOD.

"YOU'LL NEVER WRITE THAT
GREAT NOVEL BECAUSE
YOU'RE A SICK MAN--

"SICK IN THE HEAD AND
TOO FUCKING PROUD AND
SCARED TO ADMIT IT.

"IN SPITE OF THE CRITICS,
THAT LAST ONE WAS AS SICKLY

"A BUCKET OF SENTIMENTAL
SLOP AS WAS EVER SCRUBBED

"OFF A BARROOM FLOOR.

"THERE'S NOTHING I'D RATHER
SEE THAN YOU WRITE A BEAUTY

"AND THERE'S NOTHING I'D RATHER
SEE THAN YOU ACT INTELLIGENTLY,

"BUT UNTIL YOU DO,
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU JUST

"WHAT YOU DESERVE, AND IN
EXTRA-LARGE HANDFULS TO MAKE UP

FOR THE TROUBLE
YOU'VE CAUSED ME."

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: "I HAVE
LEARNED FROM YOUR LETTERS,

"IF I DID NOT KNOW IT BEFORE,
THAT I AM NOT ALWAYS

"A CHARMING CHARACTER.

"BUT I AM NOT A GIN-SOAKED
MONSTER GOING AROUND
RUINING PEOPLE'S LIVES.

"YOUR MOTHER WROTE ME
BEFORE SHE DIED THAT

"YOU STILL HAD FLASHES
OF YOUR OLD CHARM AND DECENCY

"AND THAT WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE
UP HOPE THAT YOU WOULD COME

"THROUGH WHATEVER WAS
HAPPENING TO YOU.

"RIGHT NOW, I COULD USE
A GOOD FLASH OF YOUR
OLD CHARM AND DECENCY.

I CANNOT USE ANY MORE OBSCENE
OR THREATENING LETTERS."

NARRATOR: GREGORY
WOULD LATER APOLOGIZE.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THOSE
THINGS," HE WROTE TO HIS FATHER.

HEMINGWAY WROTE BACK,
"NOW EVERYTHING IS STRAIGHT...

"NOT CHICKENSHIT
LIKE FORGIVENESS.

"RUBBED OUT.

ANY TIME YOU WANT TO
SHOW UP, SHOW UP."

THAT IT IS DANGEROUS
TO BE THE CHILD OF A WRITER IS

CERTAINLY SUSTAINABLE.

I THINK MY YOUNGER BROTHER
IS AS GOOD AN EXAMPLE AS ANY.

I MEAN, THE MOST
GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THIS

IS A GOYA PAINTING
"CRONUS EATING HIS CHILDREN."

IT'S PRETTY GOOD, YOU KNOW.

[ROAR]

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: THAT NIGHT
WHEN WE HAD GONE TO OUR OWN BEDS

BUT WERE NOT YET ASLEEP,
WE HEARD THE LION ROAR.

HE WAS NORTH OF THE CAMP AND
THE ROAR CAME LOW AND MOUNTING

IN HEAVINESS AND THEN
ENDED IN A SIGH.

"I'M COMING IN WITH YOU,"
MARY SAID.

WE LAY CLOSE TOGETHER IN THE
DARK UNDER THE MOSQUITO BAR,

MY ARM AROUND HER,
AND LISTENED TO HIM

ROAR AGAIN.

[LION ROARS]

"THERE'S NO MISTAKING
WHEN IT'S HIM," MARY SAID.

"I'M GLAD WE'RE IN BED
TOGETHER WHEN WE HEAR HIM."

NARRATOR: IN THE SUMMER OF 1953,
20 YEARS AFTER HIS FIRST VISIT,

HEMINGWAY RETURNED
TO EAST AFRICA WITH MARY.

FOR A MONTH, THEY WERE THE
SOLE FOREIGNERS PERMITTED

IN THE SOUTHERN GAME RESERVE,
40 MILES SOUTH OF NAIROBI.

PATRICK: THE KENYA GOVERNMENT
HAD SET HIM UP ON THIS.

THEY JUST HAD A
MAJOR INSURRECTION.

IT WAS AFFECTING TOURISM.

THEY WANTED HIM TO HAVE
A GOOD TIME.

AND BOY WAS HE
HAVING A GOOD TIME!

NARRATOR: PATRICK NOW OWNED A
FARM IN EAST AFRICA AND WORKED

AS A GUIDE AND HUNTER, DESPITE
A GUERRILLA UPRISING AGAINST

WHITE COLONIAL RULE.

[GUNSHOT]

THEY HUNTED FOR A TIME, BUT
HEMINGWAY WAS DRINKING EVEN

MORE HEAVILY THAN USUAL,
SHOT POORLY, ONCE FELL

FROM HIS JEEP.

HE FINALLY STOPPED SHOOTING
ALTOGETHER, DRIVING OUT FROM

CAMP INSTEAD EACH MORNING
WITH MARY, JUST TO SEE

AND PHOTOGRAPH THE ANIMALS.

"HE LOVED AFRICA," A MEMBER
OF HIS PARTY REMEMBERED.

"HE LOVED TO SIT IN
IT AND WATCH IT.

HE HAD NATURAL KNOWLEDGE OF
WHAT ANIMALS DO AND WHERE

THEY SHOULD BE."

BEEGEL: HEMINGWAY, I THINK,
WAS ALSO REALLY INTERESTED

IN THE PEOPLE AND WHO THEY
ACTUALLY WERE, A LOT MORE

INTERESTED THAN HE WAS IN THE
THIRTIES WHEN HE WAS JUST THERE

REALLY TO HUNT AND NOT
PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS

ACTUALLY GOING ON.

DUDLEY: WHEN HEMINGWAY
COMES BACK, EAST AFRICA

IN COLONIALISM,
IS LITERALLY UNDER ATTACK.

AND HE SEES AN AFRICA THAT IS
LESS TOLERANT OF SOME OF THE...

BEHAVIOR THAT HE
EXHIBITED EARLY ON.

IT WAS WRONG TO CALL,
SAY, THOSE GROWN MEN WHO WERE

SERVING HIM, "BOYS" AND NOT
WANTING TO ACTIVELY GET TO

KNOW THEM.

NARRATOR: HE NOW CONSIDERED
THE KENYAN GUIDES AND SERVANTS

"FRIENDS AND BROTHERS."

HE WROTE, "EVERYONE HAD
HIS DUTIES AND EVERYONE

HAD A NAME."

BUT WHEN MARY WENT OFF
TO NAIROBI TO DO SOME
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING,

HE SOMEHOW PERSUADED
HIMSELF THAT IN HER ABSENCE

HE SHOULD JOIN THE WAKAMBA
PEOPLE AND MARRY A YOUNG WOMAN.

HE SHAVED HIS HEAD, DYED HIS
CLOTHES TO IMITATE THEIRS,

AND TRIED HUNTING A
WARTHOG WITH A SPEAR.

DESPITE HIS BIZARRE BEHAVIOR,
IN AFRICA, HE AND MARY WERE AS

CLOSE AS THEY HAD EVER BEEN.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: MARY IS
A PRINCE OF DEVILS,

AND ALMOST ANY PLACE YOU
TOUCH HER IT CAN KILL BOTH

YOU AND HER.

SHE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO BE
A BOY AND THINKS AS A BOY

WITHOUT EVER LOSING
ANY FEMININITY.

IF YOU SHOULD BECOME CONFUSED
ON THIS, YOU SHOULD RETIRE.

SHE LOVES ME TO BE HER GIRLS,
WHICH I LOVE TO BE, NOT BEING

ABSOLUTELY STUPID.

IN RETURN, SHE MAKES ME AWARDS

AND AT NIGHT WE DO EVERY SORT
OF THING WHICH PLEASES HER

AND WHICH PLEASES ME.

I LOVED FEELING THE EMBRACE

OF MARY WHICH CAME TO ME
AS SOMETHING QUITE NEW

AND OUTSIDE ALL TRIBAL LAW.

ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 19th,
WE WORKED OUT THESE THINGS

AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER.

NARRATOR: AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT
FOR HIS WIFE, HEMINGWAY HIRED

A SMALL PLANE THAT FLEW THEM
OVER THE NGORONGORO CRATER,

THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON,
AND THE MIGHTY MURCHISON FALLS

IN UGANDA.

AS THE PLANE DIPPED LOW
ABOVE THE GORGE SO MARY
COULD TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS,

THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED
A FLOCK OF BIRDS,

DOVE TO AVOID THEM,
AND HIT A TELEGRAPH LINE.

THE PLANE PLUNGED
INTO THE BUSH.

MARY WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS,
TWO RIBS BROKEN.

HEMINGWAY SUFFERED
A TORN SHOULDER.

THEY SPENT THE NIGHT HIGH
ABOVE THE BANK OF THE NILE

FOR FEAR OF ELEPHANTS,
FORTIFIED BY A BOTTLE

OF SCOTCH THAT HAD
SOMEHOW SURVIVED THE CRASH

AND LISTENING TO
THE CRIES OF HYENAS.

A SEARCH PLANE SPOTTED THE
WRECKAGE BUT FAILED TO SEE

THE SURVIVORS.

WORD QUICKLY SPREAD AROUND THE
WORLD THAT THE GREAT WRITER

ERNEST HEMINGWAY WAS DEAD.

MEANWHILE, HEMINGWAY HAD
FLAGGED DOWN A PASSING LAUNCH

AND WHEN THEY REACHED A
LANDING ON THE EASTERN SHORE

OF LAKE ALBERT, A POLICEMAN
AND A BUSH PILOT OFFERED TO

FLY THEM ON TO THE
UGANDAN CAPITAL, ENTEBBE.

THEY CLIMBED ABOARD.

BUT AS THE ANCIENT PLANE
RATTLED DOWN THE RUTTED RUNWAY,

THE FUEL TANK
EXPLODED IN FIRE.

[ENGINE SPUTTERING;
EXPLOSION]

THE PILOT HELPED MARY AND
THE POLICEMAN GET OUT THROUGH

THE WINDOWS.

HEMINGWAY WAS TOO
BIG TO FOLLOW THEM.

TWISTED METAL BARRED THE DOOR.

FLAMES WERE RISING.

HEMINGWAY WAS TRAPPED.

HE HURLED HIS HEAD AGAINST THE
DOOR AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL

HE BATTERED IT OPEN.

HE INSISTED TO NEWSMEN
GATHERED IN ENTEBBE THAT HE

HAD NEVER FELT BETTER.

"MY LUCK, SHE IS
STILL GOOD," HE SAID.

AND HE LOOKED FORWARD TO
READING ALL THE PREMATURE

OBITUARIES THAT HAD
ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED

AROUND THE WORLD.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: IN ALL
OBITUARIES, OR ALMOST ALL,

IT WAS EMPHASIZED THAT I HAD
SOUGHT DEATH ALL MY LIFE.

CAN ONE IMAGINE THAT IF A MAN
SOUGHT DEATH ALL OF HIS LIFE

HE COULD NOT HAVE FOUND
HER BEFORE THE AGE OF 54?

BEEGEL: WHO ELSE GETS
IN TWO PLANE CRASHES IN
TWO DAYS IN AFRICA,

HAS THE WORD GO OUT ALL OVER
THE WORLD THAT HE'S DEAD,

AND READS HIS
OWN OBITUARIES?

NO ONE DOES THAT.

NEWSREEL NARRATOR: SURVIVING
TWO AIRPLANE CRASHES

IN THE INTERIOR OF AFRICA,
ERNEST HEMINGWAY AND HIS PILOT

ROY MARCH RETURNED TO
NAIROBI IN HIGH FETTLE.

ON THE SECOND CRASH,
HEMINGWAY SUFFERED A BAD BUMP

ON THE HEAD.

MRS. HEMINGWAY, HOWEVER,
CAME THROUGH UNSCATHED.

[NEWSREEL MUSIC]

NARRATOR: DESPITE HEMINGWAY'S
BRAVADO, DOCTORS CONFIRMED

THAT HE HAD NEARLY DIED.

HIS SKULL WAS FRACTURED AND
HE HAD SUFFERED STILL ANOTHER

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY,

SLURRED SPEECH,
DOUBLE-VISION,

RECURRING DEAFNESS.

HE HAD FIRST-DEGREE BURNS
ON HIS HEAD, FACE,

AND HAND, TOO,

TWO FRACTURED VERTEBRAE,

INTERNAL INJURIES,

RIGHT SHOULDER AND ARM AND
LEFT LEG BADLY SPRAINED.

KATAKIS: HE'S NEVER REALLY
QUITE THE SAME AGAIN.

DEPRESSION, HALLUCINATIONS,
AND THEN A KIND OF REPRIEVE.

HE'S ABLE TO DO MORE WORK.

HE'S TRAVELING ABOUT,
BUT WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING

OF WHAT IS GOING
TO BE THE END.

NARRATOR: HE MANAGED TO
DICTATE A 15,000-WORD ACCOUNT

OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED FOR
"LOOK" MAGAZINE, THEN TRAVELED

WITH MARY TO SHIMONI, A CAMP
ON THE KENYA COAST WHERE HE

HAD PLANNED TO FISH
WITH HIS SON, PATRICK.

BUT HIS PAIN PROVED TOO GREAT.

DOCTORS WARNED HIM THAT HE
WAS RISKING HIS LIFE BY

CONTINUING TO DRINK.

AND SOMETHING ELSE
WAS WRONG, AS WELL.

"DUE TO THE CEREBRAL THING,"
HE WROTE TO A FRIEND.

"I SAY TERRIBLE THINGS
AND HEAR MYSELF SAY THEM.

IT IS NO GOOD."

HEMINGWAY WAS FEARFUL,
SHORT-TEMPERED, IMPATIENT,

SO ABUSIVE TO MARY THAT SHE
AGAIN THREATENED TO LEAVE HIM,

SO VICIOUS TO HIS SON
THAT PATRICK DID LEAVE.

PATRICK: THE ATMOSPHERE
AT SHIMONI WAS BAD.

I MEAN MY DAD REALLY...

[SIGHS]
I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN,
IT WAS LIKE KING LEAR.

AND HE'S JUST,
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

AREN'T I KING?" YOU KNOW.

I SYMPATHIZED
WITH HIS PROBLEMS,

BUT YOU HAVE TO
SHOW SOME RESTRAINT.

THE LAST FEW WEEKS IN AFRICA,
HE JUST LOST ALL RESTRAINT.

AND FOR SOMEONE AS
POWERFUL AND AS...

HE--I REALLY HAD ENOUGH.

AND WE NEVER SAW
EACH OTHER AGAIN.

[DUKE ELLINGTON'S "I LET A SONG
GO OUT OF MY HEART" PLAYING]

NARRATOR: THE HEMINGWAYS
EVENTUALLY MADE THEIR WAY

HOME TO CUBA.

IT WAS THERE, ON THE
EVENING OF OCTOBER 28, 1954,

THAT ERNEST RECEIVED
A CALL FROM A REPORTER

FOR UNITED PRESS
INTERNATIONAL.

HEMINGWAY HAD WON WHAT HE
CALLED "THE SWEDISH THING"--

THE NOBEL PRIZE
FOR LITERATURE.

HIS HEALTH WOULD NOT PERMIT
HIM TO ATTEND THE CEREMONY

IN STOCKHOLM OR EVEN TRAVEL
TO THE SWEDISH EMBASSY

IN WASHINGTON TO ACCEPT
THE PRIZE, SO THE SWEDISH

AMBASSADOR CAME
TO HIM, IN CUBA.

PRIVATELY, HEMINGWAY BELIEVED,
"NO SON OF A BITCH WHO EVER

WON THE NOBEL PRIZE EVER
WROTE ANYTHING WORTH

READING AFTERWARDS."

TELL ME, DO YOU PLAN
TO GO TO SWEDEN TO

RECEIVE THE AWARD?

I'M SORRY THAT
I WILL NOT BE ABLE
TO GO TO SWEDEN

ON THE ORDERS OF MY
DOCTOR WHO SAYS

I'M DOING VERY WELL
AFTER...

NARRATOR: HE HAD
ALWAYS BEEN TERRIFIED

OF SPEAKING IN PUBLIC,
BUT HE RELUCTANTLY AGREED

TO BE INTERVIEWED BY NBC,
PROVIDED QUESTIONS WERE

SUBMITTED IN ADVANCE AND HE
COULD READ OUT HIS ANSWERS

FROM CUE CARDS....BAD FOR ME.

DO YOU HAVE A NAME
FOR YOUR NEW NOVEL?

I NEVER HAVE ANY
NAMES FOR ANYTHING THAT

I PUBLISH UNTIL IT IS
TIME TO PUBLISH IT.

AS I SELECT A GREAT MANY
NAMES AND THEN REJECT THOSE,

WHICH ARE WORTHLESS.
PERIOD.

MOST OF THEM
ARE WORTHLESS.
PERIOD.

COULD YOU TELL ME A SHORT
DESCRIPTION OF WHAT

YOUR NEW NOVEL IS ABOUT?

UH...THE BOOK THAT I AM
WRITING ON AT PRESENT IS

ABOUT AFRICA...

ITS PEOPLE, IN THE PARK
THAT I KNOW THEM,

THE ANIMALS,

COMMA, AND THE
CHANGES IN AFRICA

SINCE I WAS
THERE LAST. PERIOD.

NARRATOR: MUCH LATER, HE
WAS PERSUADED TO RECORD HIS

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
OFF-CAMERA.

EDNA O'BRIEN: WHEN HE WAS GIVEN
THE NOBEL PRIZE, AND HE COULDN'T

GO UP 'CAUSE OF ILLNESS,
IT WAS SO STRANGE.

WHAT HE WROTE,
IT'S SO PERFECT.

IT'S LIKE A PRAYER.

VOICE OF HEMINGWAY: NO WRITER
WHO KNOWS THE GREAT WRITERS

WHO DID NOT RECEIVE THE PRIZE
CAN ACCEPT IT OTHER THAN

WITH HUMILITY.

WRITING, AT ITS BEST,
IS A LONELY LIFE.

ORGANIZATIONS FOR WRITERS
PALLIATE THE WRITER'S

LONELINESS BUT I DOUBT IF
THEY IMPROVE HIS WRITING.

HE GROWS IN PUBLIC STATURE
AS HE SHEDS HIS LONELINESS,

AND OFTEN HIS WORK
DETERIORATES.

FOR HE DOES HIS WORK ALONE AND
IF HE IS A GOOD ENOUGH WRITER,

HE MUST FACE ETERNITY, OR
THE LACK OF IT, EACH DAY.

IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SUCH
GREAT WRITERS IN THE PAST THAT

A WRITER IS DRIVEN FAR OUT
PAST WHERE HE CAN GO, OUT TO

WHERE NO ONE CAN HELP HIM.

I HAVE SPOKEN TOO
LONG FOR A WRITER.

A WRITER SHOULD WRITE WHAT HE
HAS TO SAY AND NOT SPEAK IT.

AGAIN, I THANK YOU.

NARRATOR: REQUESTS FOR
INTERVIEWS NOW POURED IN.

MAGAZINES FEATURED HIM
ON THEIR COVERS.

HOLLYWOOD RUSHED TO MAKE A
REMAKE OF "A FAREWELL TO ARMS,"

A MOVIE OF "THE SUN
ALSO RISES" AND ANOTHER

OF "THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA."

BIOGRAPHERS AND MOVIE STARS
AND AUTOGRAPH-SEEKERS

FLOCKED TO SEE HIM.

HE COMPLAINED THAT SIGHTSEERS
WERE TURNING UP AT THE FINCA,

CLAMORING FOR A GLIMPSE
OF WHAT HE CALLED

"THE OLD ELEPHANT
IN THE ZOO."

HE WAS TOLD AGAIN AND
AGAIN TO STOP DRINKING.

KARR: THE THING I KNOW
ABOUT ALCOHOLISM,
FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE,

IS THAT IT'S PROGRESSIVE
AND IT'S FATAL.

AND THAT MEANS THAT IT
GETS WORSE AND WORSE,

AND THEN YOU DIE.

YOU EITHER KILL YOURSELF, YOU
GET PUT IN JAIL, OR YOU GO TO

THE LOONY BIN,
BUT THAT'S IT.

THOSE ARE YOUR 3 CHOICES,
OR YOU GET SOBER.

FARAH: WHEN YOU HAVE
HEAD INJURY, YOUR MIND IS--

AND YOUR BODY--ARE LESS
WELL-EQUIPPED TO TOLERATE

THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL.

IT MAGNIFIES THE DISINHIBITION
AND THE PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS,

BUT YOU JUST
TOLERATE IT LESS WELL.

NARRATOR: DOCTORS PRESCRIBED A
BEWILDERING ARRAY OF DRUGS TO

COMBAT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE,
LOWER CHOLESTEROL,

CALM ANXIETY, ENCOURAGE SLEEP,
LIFT HIS SPIRITS.

FRIENDS OFFERED HIM UNAUTHORIZED
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, AS WELL.

THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH ONE
ANOTHER AND WITH ALCOHOL

LIKELY EXACERBATED HIS
DEPRESSION AND DELUSIONS

AND PARANOIA.

HE'S SELF-MEDICATING
WITH PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING HE

CAN LAY HANDS ON.

HE'S USING SYNTHETIC
TESTOSTERONE, WHICH IS

A STREET DRUG IN SPANISH
CULTURES 'CAUSE HE'S

STRUGGLING WITH IMPOTENCE
BECAUSE OF ALL THE WAYS HE'S

ABUSED HIS BODY.

HE'S BOUNCING FROM
DOCTOR TO DOCTOR.

THERE'S NOT A DOCTOR
HE DIDN'T SEE

WHO WOULDN'T
GIVE HIM SOMETHING.

IT'S BAD.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY

THAT THE PEOPLE
IN THIS WORLD THAT GET

THE WORST MEDICAL CARE ARE
EITHER THE VERY POOR

OR CELEBRITIES BECAUSE
CELEBRITIES CAN HAVE WHATEVER

THEY ASK THE DOCTOR FOR AND
THE DOCTOR WON'T SAY "NO"

OR DISCIPLINE THEM,
SO HE'S IN BIG TROUBLE.

IT DOESN'T SOUND
LIKE THE DOCTOR SAID, "LOOK,

YOU SEEM TO BE MANIC,"

OR "LOOK, YOU SEEM TO BE

"REALLY A LITTLE CRAZY NOW.

I'M GONNA GIVE YOU
THIS TO HELP WITH IT."

NOBODY SAYS ANYTHING.

THERE'S A HUGE TABOO SO THAT
A HUSBAND AND WIFE DON'T EVEN

TALK ABOUT IT.

THERE'S SO MUCH STIGMA
ATTACHED TO IT THAT

NOBODY GETS HELP FOR HIM.

[GUNFIRE]

NARRATOR: MEANWHILE,
REVOLUTIONARIES,

LED BY FIDEL CASTRO,

WERE WAGING WAR
AGAINST THE CUBAN DICTATOR

FULGENCIO BATISTA.

A GOVERNMENT PATROL CAME ONTO
HEMINGWAY'S PROPERTY SEARCHING

FOR REBELS AND BLUDGEONED TO
DEATH ONE OF THE FAMILY DOGS.

THROUGH IT ALL, HEMINGWAY
CONTINUED TO WRITE, BUT NOW

SEEMED UNABLE TO
COMPLETE ANYTHING.

A NOVEL ABOUT SAILING
OFF BIMINI, THAT AFTER
HIS DEATH WOULD

BECOME "ISLANDS
IN THE STREAM;"

800 PAGES OF A BOOK

INSPIRED BY HIS SECOND AFRICAN
SAFARI, PARTS OF WHICH WOULD

ONE DAY BE PUBLISHED AS
"TRUE AT FIRST LIGHT;"

AND 42 CHAPTERS OF "THE GARDEN
OF EDEN", A NOVEL HE HIMSELF

THOUGHT TOO SEXUALLY
ADVENTUROUS TO BE PUBLISHED

DURING HIS LIFETIME.

KATAKIS: THE FACT THAT
HEMINGWAY ONCE AGAIN,

THE ARTIST, IS REALLY PUSHING
OUT, IS EXPERIMENTING,

IS DOING THINGS THAT SOME
PEOPLE WOULD FIND SHOCKING

ABOUT ERNEST HEMINGWAY--
THE FETISH ABOUT HAIR,

THE "YOU BE ME, I'LL BE YOU,"
THE SWITCHING OF ROLES.

AND HE'S NOT HIDING
HIMSELF VERY MUCH IN IT.

I THINK THIS IS REALLY QUITE
SOMETHING FOR A MAN WHO HAS

BEEN TRYING TO MAINTAIN
A CERTAIN PERSONA

FOR THE MAJORITY OF HIS LIFE.

MAYBE HE WASN'T TRYING
TO MAINTAIN IT, YOU KNOW.

HERE WE GO WITH
THE ENIGMA AGAIN.

WHERE ARE WE AND
WHAT'S HAPPENING AND
WHERE ARE YOU, ERNEST?

WHERE ARE YOU
WITH ALL OF THIS?

WHAT'S GOING ON?

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: I SAT IN
A CORNER WITH THE AFTERNOON

LIGHT COMING IN OVER
MY SHOULDER AND WROTE

IN THE NOTEBOOK.

THE WAITER BROUGHT ME A CAFE
CREME, AND I DRANK HALF OF IT

WHEN IT COOLED AND LEFT IT
ON THE TABLE WHILE I WROTE.

WHEN I STOPPED WRITING, I DID
NOT WANT TO LEAVE THE RIVER

WHERE I COULD SEE THE TROUT IN
THE POOL, ITS SURFACE PUSHING

AND SWELLING SMOOTH AGAINST
THE RESISTANCE OF THE

LOG-DRIVEN PILES OF THE BRIDGE,

BUT IN THE MORNING
THE RIVER WOULD BE THERE.

ALL I MUST DO NOW IS STAY
SOUND AND GOOD IN MY HEAD

UNTIL MORNING WHEN
I WOULD START TO WORK AGAIN.

IN THOSE DAYS, WE NEVER
THOUGHT THAT ANY OF THAT COULD

BE DIFFICULT.

NARRATOR: IN EARLY 1957,
HE RETURNED TO YET ANOTHER

PROJECT, A SERIES OF
LOVING SKETCHES OF PARIS

IN THE 1920s, WHEN HE WAS
YOUNG AND EVERYTHING STILL

SEEMED POSSIBLE.

IN IT, HE ALSO SETTLED
SCORES WITH OLD FRIENDS--

SCORES THAT DIDN'T SEEM
TO NEED SETTLING--

ATTACKING GERTRUDE STEIN,
RIDICULING SCOTT FITZGERALD,

BOTH OF WHOM HAD HELPED HIM,
EACH OF THEM LONG DEAD.

HEMINGWAY WAS THE HERO OF HIS
BOOK, HIS FIRST WIFE HADLEY,

THE UNBLEMISHED HEROINE,

PAULINE PFEIFFER,
HIS SECOND WIFE,

THE WOMAN WHO
CAME BETWEEN THEM.

HEMINGWAY WOULD NEVER
COMPLETE THE MANUSCRIPT,
BUT, EDITED BY MARY,

IT WOULD BE PUBLISHED
AFTER HIS DEATH.

FOR MANY READERS, "A MOVEABLE
FEAST," A COMBINATION OF WHAT

HAD REALLY HAPPENED AND WHAT
HEMINGWAY WISHED HAD HAPPENED,

WOULD BE HIS
FINAL MASTERPIECE.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: PARIS WAS A
VERY OLD CITY AND WE WERE YOUNG

AND NOTHING WAS SIMPLE
THERE, NOT EVEN POVERTY,

NOR SUDDEN MONEY, NOR
THE MOONLIGHT, NOR RIGHT

AND WRONG, NOR THE BREATHING
OF SOMEONE WHO LAY BESIDE YOU

IN THE MOONLIGHT.

♪

NARRATOR: IN THE SPRING OF
1959, THE HEMINGWAYS TRAVELED

BACK TO HIS BELOVED SPAIN
AND SETTLED INTO THE OPULENT

HACIENDA OF A WEALTHY
CELEBRITY-LOVING AMERICAN

ON THE COSTA DEL SOL.

THE TWO FINEST MATADORS IN
SPAIN WERE TO COMPETE AGAINST

ONE ANOTHER IN BULLRINGS
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

HEMINGWAY HOPED THEY WOULD
PROVIDE MATERIAL FOR A REVISED

EDITION OF "DEATH IN THE
AFTERNOON," BUT WHEN THE

EDITORS OF "LIFE" GOT WIND OF
HIS TRIP, THEY ASKED HIM TO

WRITE A STAND-ALONE PIECE.

[APPLAUSE]

VALENCIA, GRANADA, BILBAO,

LINARES, CORDOBA--

THE BULLFIGHTS WENT ON AND ON,
WITH HEMINGWAY AND A CAVALCADE

OF HARD-DRINKING FRIENDS
AND HANGERS-ON FOLLOWING

IN THEIR WAKE.

EVERYWHERE HE WENT, THE
AUTHOR OF "THE SUN ALSO RISES"

WAS TREATED AS SOMETHING
LIKE A PATRON SAINT,

BUT THE FRENZIED SEASON
EXHAUSTED HIM.

AFTER THE BULLFIGHTS HAD
ENDED, A FRIEND REMEMBERED,

HE SEEMED LIKE
"AN OLD MAN, WORLD-WEARY,

HIS EYES HALF-CLOSED."

WHEN HE FINALLY GOT BACK
TO CUBA AND TRIED TO WRITE

ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES,
HIS OLD-TIME DISCIPLINE SEEMED

TO HAVE DESERTED HIM.

"LIFE" HAD ASKED
FOR 40,000 WORDS.

HE PRODUCED 120,000 AND
THEN HAD TO ASK A FRIEND

TO DO THE CUTTING.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, WHO HAD ONCE
BEEN HIS OWN MOST UNFORGIVING

EDITOR, NO LONGER SEEMED ABLE
TO SEPARATE WHAT MATTERED

IN HIS WRITING
FROM WHAT DID NOT.

[NEWSREEL FANFARE]

NEWSREEL NARRATOR: HAVANA,
BEARING 26th OF JULY BANNERS,

JOYOUS FOLLOWERS OF FIDEL
CASTRO SWEEP TRIUMPHANTLY

THROUGH THE CUBAN CAPITAL
HOURS AFTER THEIR REBELLION

HAD TOPPLED THE REGIME
OF FULGENCIO BATISTA.

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY SYMPATHIZED
WITH CASTRO'S REVOLUTION.

IT REMINDED HIM
OF THE LOYALIST CAUSE HE HAD

SUPPORTED IN SPAIN.

NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER: ...THAT
BROUGHT BATISTA TO POWER.

NARRATOR: STILL, BEFORE
LEAVING FOR SPAIN,

HE AND MARY HAD BOUGHT
A HOUSE IN KETCHUM, IDAHO,

WHERE ERNEST HAD HUNTED
AND FISHED FOR YEARS.

IT WAS MEANT AS A FALL-BACK
IN CASE IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO

RETURN TO CUBA.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: I AM A GOOD
AMERICAN AND HAVE BEEN TO BAT

FOR MY COUNTRY AS OFTEN
AS MOST, WITHOUT PAY

AND WITHOUT AMBITION.

BUT I BELIEVE COMPLETELY
IN THE HISTORICAL NECESSITY

OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION.

I DO NOT MIX IN CUBAN POLITICS.
I KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT ABOUT IT

AND HAVE NOT GIVEN AN INTERVIEW
TO AN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER MAN.

THERE IS NOTHING
I CAN SAY THAT

WOULD NOT BE MISINTERPRETED
OR TWISTED.

NARRATOR: ONE EVENING IN
JANUARY 1960, THE HEMINGWAYS

DINED WITH FRIENDS IN KETCHUM.

FROM THEIR DINING TABLE,
HEMINGWAY SAW THAT THE LIGHTS

IN THE BANK DOWNTOWN WERE ON.

HE BECAME AGITATED.

"THEY'RE CHECKING OUR
ACCOUNTS," HE SAID.

THEY TRIED TO REASSURE HIM
IT WAS JUST THE CLEANING LADIES.

"NO," HE SAID.
"THEY'RE TRYING TO CATCH US.

THEY WANT TO GET
SOMETHING ON US."

"WHO'S 'THEY?'" MARY ASKED.

"THE FBI," HE REPLIED.

MARY HAD NEVER SEEN
HIM SO FEARFUL.

DEARBORN: HE DEVELOPS
DEPRESSION THAT'S SO EXTREME,

I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING

THAT MOST PEOPLE
SEE IN THEIR LIFETIME.

HIS FATHER
HAD IT, TOO.

AND I THINK IT'S A KIND OF
PSYCHOTIC DEPRESSION.

NARRATOR: HE BEGAN AGAIN TO
SPEAK OF KILLING HIMSELF,

BUT REFUSED TO GO TO A
PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL.

DEARBORN: HE WANTED IT HIDDEN.
HE WOULDN'T GO TO ANY KIND

OF PSYCHIATRIC PLACE,
WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN

A BETTER PLACE.

HE WENT TO THE MAYO CLINIC.

THE STORY WENT OUT THAT
HE WAS THERE GETTING TREATED

FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

WELL, HE MIGHT HAVE BELIEVED
THAT, EVEN, YOU KNOW?

TO SOME EXTENT, MARY
MIGHT HAVE BELIEVED IT.

BUT HE WAS BEING TREATED FOR
MENTAL ILLNESS AND NOBODY WAS

ADMITTING IT.

NARRATOR: HE REGISTERED UNDER
AN ASSUMED NAME BECAUSE,

HE SAID, HE DIDN'T WANT THE
WORLD TO THINK "I WAS LOSING

MY MARBLES."

BUT SOON, HE HAD A SIGN
HUNG ON HIS DOOR SAYING,

"FORMER WRITER.
DO NOT DISTURB."

FARAH: IT'S GOT TO BE
DISTRACTING TO HAVE

THE CELEBRITY PATIENT.

I THINK THAT'S WHY THE
BOUNDARIES GOT BLURRED, WHY HE

WAS ALLOWED TO DRINK WINE
IN THE HOSPITAL AT MAYO,

WHY HE WAS ALLOWED OVER TO
THE HOMES OF THE DOCTORS

FOR DINNER, OR TO GO SHOOTING
WITH THE DOCTORS--

THINGS THAT WOULD BE
COMPLETELY OFF-LIMITS NOW

AND A REAL VIOLATION
OF BOUNDARIES.

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY'S DOCTORS
REPEATEDLY ADMINISTERED THE

STANDARD TREATMENT
FOR SEVERE DEPRESSION--

ELECTRO-SHOCK THERAPY, ECT.

FARAH: YOU COULD SEE
THE IMPULSE TO TREAT HIM

WITH SHOCK THERAPY, WHICH IS A
GREAT THERAPY IF ALL YOU HAVE

IS MAJOR DEPRESSION WITH
PSYCHOTIC FEATURES.

CERTAINLY, HE HAD DEPRESSION.
CERTAINLY, HE HAD PSYCHOSIS.

BUT THEY WERE JUST
MANIFESTATIONS

OF A LARGER ILLNESS.

NARRATOR: HEMINGWAY HAD ALSO
SURVIVED SEVERAL CONCUSSIONS,

WHICH MAY HAVE PERMANENTLY
INJURED HIS BRAIN, ALTERING

HIS PERSONALITY AND
CORRUPTING HIS REASONING.

HIS MIND WAS ALREADY MUDDLED
BY DECADES OF DRINKING TOO MUCH

AND BY A JUMBLE OF
MEDICATIONS MEANT TO COMBAT

ALL THE DAMAGE ALCOHOL
HAD DONE TO BOTH HIS BODY

AND HIS MIND.

HE HAD ENTERTAINED THOUGHTS
OF SUICIDE SINCE AT LEAST HIS

LATE TEENS, LONG BEFORE HIS
FATHER TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.

BUT HEMINGWAY COULD STILL
SUMMON ENOUGH OF HIS OLD CHARM

TO REASSURE HIS DOCTORS
THAT AFTER JUST 6 WEEKS

IN THE HOSPITAL HIS PARANOIA
AND DELUSIONS HAD ABATED,

THAT HIS DEPRESSION
HAD LIFTED.

IN JANUARY OF 1961, HE WAS
RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL

AND RETURNED TO KETCHUM.

HE WENT TO HIS WRITING
TABLE EACH MORNING, ORDERING

AND REORDERING THE CHAPTERS
THAT WOULD BECOME

"A MOVEABLE FEAST."

IN THE AFTERNOONS, HE WOULD
TAKE A LONG WALK AND WAVE

AT LOCAL CHILDREN ON THEIR
WAY HOME FROM SCHOOL.

BUT THE CLOUDS SOON
CLOSED IN AGAIN.

A COMMON SIDE-EFFECT OF
ELECTROSHOCK THERAPY WAS LOSS

OF SHORT-TERM MEMORY.

THE DOCTORS HAD ASSURED HIM
IT WAS ONLY TEMPORARY.

HE DID NOT BELIEVE THEM.

WRITING WAS WHAT HE
WAS BORN TO DO,

AND HE HAD HOPED ONE
DAY TO DO MORE OF IT,

BUT HE NO LONGER
BELIEVED HE EVER WOULD.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: WHEN HE
FINALLY GAVE UP WRITING

THAT DAY, IT WAS AFTERNOON.

HE HAD STARTED A SENTENCE AS
SOON AS HE HAD GONE INTO HIS

WORKING ROOM AND HAD COMPLETED
IT BUT HE COULD WRITE

NOTHING AFTER IT.

HE CROSSED IT OUT AND STARTED
ANOTHER SENTENCE AND AGAIN

CAME TO THE COMPLETE BLANKNESS.

IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM
TO PUT DOWN THE NEXT

SENTENCE ON PAPER.

AT THE END OF TWO HOURS
IT WAS THE SAME.

HE COULD NOT WRITE MORE THAN
A SINGLE SENTENCE,

AND THE SENTENCES THEMSELVES
WERE INCREASINGLY SIMPLE

AND COMPLETELY DULL.

HE KEPT AT IT FOR 4 HOURS
BEFORE HE KNEW THAT RESOLUTION

AS POWERLESS AGAINST
WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

KARR: HE HAD BEEN SO GROUND
DOWN THAT HE LACKED THAT...

JUST THE STRENGTH,
THE PSYCHIC STRENGTH.

HE DESCRIBES IN THE BULLRING
THE BULL'S JOURNEY OF KNOWLEDGE.

INITIALLY,
THEY GO FOR THE CAPE.

AND THEN, BY THE END OF
THE BULLFIGHT, THEY'VE LOST

SO MUCH BLOOD THEY CAN'T
LIFT THEIR HEAD TO CHARGE.

AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT
HIM AS THIS TRAGIC FIGURE.

HE MUST HAVE FELT
VERY CORNERED.

NARRATOR: IN LATE FEBRUARY,
HE WAS ASKED TO WRITE A LINE

OR TWO OF TRIBUTE TO THE
NEW PRESIDENT, JOHN F. KENNEDY.

IT TOOK HIM A WEEK
TO PRODUCE 4 LINES.

WHEN HIS DOCTOR CAME TO TAKE
HIS BLOOD PRESSURE, HE FOUND

HEMINGWAY WEEPING
WITH FRUSTRATION.

IN MARCH, HE TELEPHONED
HIS FIRST WIFE, HADLEY.

THEY HAD NOT SEEN ONE
ANOTHER FOR 22 YEARS.

THERE WAS NOTHING
DISTURBING IN WHAT HE SAID,

SHE REMEMBERED.

HE ASKED IF SHE COULD REMEMBER
THE NAME OF SOMEONE

THEY'D KNOWN IN PARIS
AND SHE COULDN'T RECALL IT.

BUT HIS VOICE SEEMED
SO SAD, SO WEARY,

THAT WHEN THEY HUNG UP,
SHE FOUND HERSELF IN TEARS.

[GUNFIRE]

IN APRIL OF 1961, THE CIA
SPONSORED AN INVASION OF CUBA

AT THE BAY OF PIGS, IN AN
ATTEMPT TO OVERTHROW

THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
OF FIDEL CASTRO.

IT FAILED, ENDING ANY
POSSIBILITY OF NORMAL

RELATIONS BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND CUBA.

THE BAY OF PIGS IS REALLY
THE COUP DE GRACE, ISN'T IT?

THERE IS NOW NO ILLUSION, IF
THERE WAS ANY IN THE BEGINNING,

ABOUT "MAYBE THIS WILL BLOW
OVER AND I CAN GET BACK THERE."

THAT'S NOW DONE.

THAT'S NOW DONE.

JOHN F. KENNEDY:
IT IS CLEAR THAT THE FORCES

OF COMMUNISM ARE NOT TO BE
UNDERESTIMATED IN CUBA.

BEEGEL: HE HAD LOST HIS HOME,

HE HAD LOST EVERYTHING
IN THAT HOME...

KENNEDY: ...WILL NOT ACCEPT
MR. CASTRO'S ATTEMPTS
TO BLAME THIS NATION...

BEEGEL: HE LOST HIS BOOKS...

HE LOST HIS ART,

HE LOST HIS PETS,

HE LOST HIS COMMUNITY...

KENNEDY: ...LESSON FOR US ALL...

BEEGEL: HE LOST
HIS BOAT "PILAR,"

HE LOST THE LIFESTYLE
WHERE HE COULD GO FISHING.

HE LOST EVERYTHING
THAT HE HAD,

AND HE KNEW IN THAT MOMENT
THAT HE COULD NOT GO BACK,

THAT THAT WAS DONE.

AND HE WAS MAROONED IN
THIS VERY SPARE LITTLE
BLOCK HOUSE IN IDAHO.

NARRATOR: ON APRIL 21st,
MARY FOUND ERNEST

IN THE VESTIBULE
HOLDING A SHOTGUN.

TWO SHELLS WERE WITHIN
REACH ON THE WINDOW-SILL.

SHE MANAGED TO TALK HIM DOWN,
TELLING HIM HOW MUCH HE MEANT

TO HER AND HIS BOYS, HOW BRAVE
HE'D BEEN DURING THE WAR,

HOW MUCH THEY BOTH WANTED
TO GO BACK AGAIN TO AFRICA.

SHE INSISTED HE RETURN
TO THE MAYO CLINIC.

WHEN THE PRIVATE PLANE SHE
HAD ARRANGED TO TAKE HIM THERE

STOPPED TO REFUEL IN RAPID
CITY, HE TRIED TO WALK INTO

A SPINNING PROPELLER.

THIS TIME, HE WAS GIVEN A
ROOM IN THE LOCKED WARD.

HE UNDERWENT A SECOND SERIES
OF ELECTRO-SHOCK TREATMENTS.

HIS MEMORY
DETERIORATED FURTHER.

A.E. HOTCHNER: ONE OF THE LAST
CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAD

WITH ERNEST, I HAD A RENTED
CHEVY AND GOT PERMISSION THAT

HE COULD LEAVE THE HOSPITAL.

AND WE DROVE TO A LITTLE PLACE
THAT WAS A SORT OF A LITTLE

PARK-LIKE PLACE.

HE GOT OUT SO THERE WAS
NO QUESTION THAT THERE WAS

ANYTHING BUGGED.

AND I WAS TRYING TO--
TO BE POSITIVE.

AND I SAID, "LISTEN, SOON AS
YOU FINISH UP HERE, WHY DON'T WE

GO FISH DOWN THERE?"

AND HE TURNED ON ME.

HE SAID, "YOU DON'T
SEEM TO UNDERSTAND."

HE SAID, "WHAT HAVE I GOT
TO BE HANGING AROUND FOR?"

[TELEPHONE RINGS]NARRATOR: IN LATE JUNE,

MARY GOT A PHONE CALL
FROM THE MAYO CLINIC.

THE DOCTOR TOLD HER
HE HAD GOOD NEWS.

ERNEST WAS READY TO GO HOME.

WHEN SHE ARRIVED, HER HUSBAND
WAS ALREADY DRESSED

IN HIS STREET CLOTHES,
SHE REMEMBERED,

"GRINNING LIKE
A CHESHIRE CAT."

MARY WAS NOT CONVINCED,

BUT SHE DID NOT
PUT UP A FIGHT.

AN OLD FRIEND DROVE
THEM BACK TO KETCHUM.

HEMINGWAY'S PARANOIA QUICKLY
MANIFESTED ITSELF AGAIN.

ON SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 1st,
THE HEMINGWAYS AND A FRIEND

DROVE INTO TOWN FOR DINNER.

ERNEST WAS SURE TWO STRANGERS
SITTING AT THE BAR WERE

FEDERAL AGENTS.

MARY COULDN'T
CONVINCE HIM OTHERWISE.

BUT WHEN HE WENT TO HIS
BEDROOM THAT EVENING

AND CALLED OUT TO HER,
"GOOD NIGHT, MY KITTEN,"

"HIS VOICE WAS
WARM AND FRIENDLY,"

SHE REMEMBERED.

MARY HAD LEFT THE KEYS TO THE
BASEMENT CABINET WHERE HIS

GUNS WERE KEPT OUT IN THE
OPEN IN THE KITCHEN, JUST AS

THEY HAD ALWAYS BEEN.

SHE CONSIDERED HIDING THEM,
SHE LATER RECALLED,

BUT "DECIDED THAT NO ONE
HAD A RIGHT TO DENY A MAN

HIS POSSESSIONS."

AT ABOUT 7:00 THE NEXT MORNING,
SUNDAY, JULY 2, 1961,

MARY WAS AWAKENED
BY A LOUD BANG.

HEMINGWAY, STILL WEARING
HIS BATHROBE AND SLIPPERS,

HAD SLIPPED DOWN TO THE
BASEMENT, RETRIEVED A SHOTGUN

AND TWO SHELLS, AND CLIMBED
BACK UP TO THE VESTIBULE.

THERE, HE HAD BENT OVER,
PLACED THE TWIN BARRELS

AGAINST HIS FOREHEAD
AND PULLED THE TRIGGER.

HE WAS 61 YEARS OLD.

EDWIN NEWMAN: GOOD EVENING.

THE NOVELIST ERNEST
HEMINGWAY IS DEAD.

THE REPORTS FROM HIS HOME
IN KETCHUM, IDAHO ARE SPARSE

AND NOT VERY CLEAR, BUT WE
KNOW THAT HE KILLED HIMSELF,

THE SHERIFF SAYS ACCIDENTALLY,
WITH A 12-GAUGE SHOTGUN.

HEMINGWAY ONLY LAST WEEK WAS
DISCHARGED FROM THE MAYO CLINIC

IN ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA,
WHERE HE HAD BEEN TREATED

FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

THIS MORNING, THE NOBEL
PRIZE-WINNING NOVELIST WAS ALONE

IN HIS ROOM, PREPARING TO
GO HUNTING, WHEN THE FATAL

ACCIDENT OCCURRED.

HE WAS A LITERARY MAN WHO
PROBABLY HAD MORE INFLUENCE

ON THE STYLE OF THE WRITING OF
NOVELS THAN ANY OTHER WRITER

IN THE 20th CENTURY.

THAT WAS PARTLY BECAUSE OF
THE WAY HE WROTE, THE TERSE,

OFTEN FLAT AND SARDONIC STYLE,
ALMOST PAINFULLY MASCULINE.

HE WAS LESS AN INDIVIDUAL THAN
A CHARACTER, LESS A PERSON

THAN AN INSTITUTION.

HE WORSHIPPED VIRILITY AND
A SMALL RELIGION GREW UP

ABOUT HIM.

HEMINGWAY'S PLACE IN LITERATURE,
I THINK CANNOT NOW BE FIXED.

WE DON'T KNOW WHICH OF
HIS BOOKS WILL LIVE.

WE SUSPECT THAT "A FAREWELL TO
ARMS," THE TENDEREST AND MOST

MOVING OF THEM WILL LIVE.

WE BELIEVE THAT SOME OF
HIS SHORT STORIES WILL,

PARTICULARLY
"THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO"

AND "THE SHORT HAPPY LIFE
OF FRANCIS MACOMBER."

HE WAS, NEVERTHELESS, AN
INTENSELY AMERICAN WRITER.

HIS OWN CONTRIBUTION WAS
VERY LARGE, AND NOT ONLY TO

AMERICAN LETTERS, BUT TO
THE EXCITEMENT AND COLOR

OF THE LAST 4 DECADES.

EDWIN NEWMAN.
GOOD EVENING.

McCAIN: I WAS
PAINED AND GRIEVED,

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN--

I DON'T AGREE WITH IT--
BUT IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE

WHY HE DECIDED

TO END HIS LIFE WHEN HE HAD--

HIS TALENT HAD LEFT HIM.

WE SOMETIMES TALK ABOUT PEOPLE
AND WE IDOLIZE THEM AND WE

GIVE THEM EVERY
VIRTUE AND NO VICE.

HE HAD LOTS OF VICES.
HE HAD LOTS OF VICES.

HE WAS A HUMAN BEING.

AND THAT, MY FRIEND,
ERASES A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER

WHAT MAY BE
FAILINGS IN LIFE.

KATAKIS: HE KEEPS SPEAKING
TO US BECAUSE HIS WRITING WAS

BASICALLY HUMAN WITH
ALL THAT WE ARE--

THE DARK, THE LIGHT,
THE PASSIONATE, THE PETTY,

THE UGLY, THE BEAUTIFUL,
THE KIND, THE CRUEL.

I--I--JUST--HE JUST WAS
WRITING ABOUT HUMAN BEHAVIOR

AND HUMAN BEINGS.

AND I THINK HE WAS ABLE TO DO IT
BECAUSE HE SO LOVED THE WORLD.

"WHAT A SHAME
IT'S GOING TO BE

TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT,"
HE SAID.

EDNA O'BRIEN:
HE HAS IMMORTALITY,

AND HE DESERVES IT.

NOT MANY WRITERS GET THAT,
AND HE DESERVES IT.

MAN, AS HEMINGWAY: AND THEN
INSTEAD OF GOING ON TO ARUSHA,

THEY TURNED LEFT.

HE EVIDENTLY FIGURED
THAT THEY HAD THE GAS.

AND LOOKING DOWN, HE SAW A PINK
SIFTING CLOUD MOVING OVER

THE GROUND, AND IN THE AIR,
LIKE THE FIRST SNOW

IN A BLIZZARD, THAT COMES
FROM NOWHERE, AND HE KNEW

THE LOCUSTS WERE COMING UP
FROM THE SOUTH.

THEN THEY BEGAN TO CLIMB,

AND THEY WERE GOING
TO THE EAST, IT SEEMED,

AND THEN IT DARKENED
AND THEY WERE IN A STORM,

THE RAIN SO THICK IT SEEMED LIKE
FLYING THROUGH A WATERFALL.

[THUNDER]

AND THEN THEY WERE OUT
AND COMPIE TURNED HIS HEAD

AND GRINNED AND POINTED AND
THERE AHEAD, ALL HE COULD SEE,

AS WIDE AS ALL THE WORLD,
GREAT, HIGH, AND UNBELIEVABLY

WHITE IN THE SUN, WAS THE
SQUARE TOP OF KILIMANJARO.

AND THEN HE KNEW THAT THERE
WAS WHERE HE WAS GOING.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY.

[WIND BLOWING]

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