by Lee Hall
Production Assistant Eighteen … seventeen … sixteen … fifteen … fourteen … thirteen … twelve … eleven … ten …
President Ford – to those who want to undercut all that’s good in America.
Director Clear make-up. Prepare sound.
Floor Manager Clear make-up. Prepare sound.
Production Assistant Seven … six … five … four … (three, two, one).
Floor Manager And … cue Howard.
Howard is back on air.
Howard Ladies and gentlemen, I would like at this moment to announce that I will be retiring from this programme in two weeks’ time because of poor ratings –
Director Pull out to Camera-B.
Howard But since this show was the only thing I had going for me in my life, I have decided to kill myself …
Director And cut to Camera-A.
Howard I’m going to blow my brains out right on this programme a week from today.
Production Assistant Ten seconds to commercial. Nine … eight … seven … (Etc.)
Howard So tune in next Tuesday. That’ll give the public relations people a week to promote the show. That ought to get a hell of a rating, a 50 share at least. I’ll be back after these messages from our sponsors.
Production Assistant Three … two … one.
Director And commercial break. Cue VT-A. (To Howard through the public address system.) Thank you, Howard.
C’mon, just one drink won’t harm you.
Floor Manager Jesus Christ. Did you hear what he said?
The ad for cat food is playing. Howard calmly takes a glass of water.
Director What?
Floor Manager Howard just said he was going to blow his brains out.
Director What are you talking about?
Floor Manager Didn’t you hear him?
Harry Hunter Are you serious?
Floor Manager Howard just said he was going to kill himself on the show next Tuesday.
Director What do you mean, he said he was going to kill himself next Tuesday?
Harry Hunter He was supposed to do a tag on Ron Neeson and go to commercial.
Director (to Howard, through the address system) Did you say you were going to kill yourself on air?
Howard Yes.
Production Assistant We are on air in thirty seconds.
Harry Hunter (through the address system) What the fuck is going on, Howard?
Howard fiddles with his ear piece.
Howard I can’t hear you?
Floor Manager They want to know what the fuck is going on, Howard.
Howard Can I have more water?
Harry Hunter runs into the studio from the control booth.
Harry Hunter Jesus Christ, Howard. Is this some kind of joke?
Howard No. I am going to kill myself on air next Tuesday.
Production Assistant Twenty seconds …
Harry Hunter What the hell’s going on, Howard, have you completely lost the plot?
Floor Manager What d’ya want me to do?
Director We’ve still got to do the Ron Neeson tag and the piece on Iran. (Through the address system.) What the fuck’s going on down there?
Howard I don’t see what all the fuss is about.
Harry Hunter JI think we have to get him off.
Howard, I’m afraid we’ll have to take you off.
Howard I am not going anywhere.
Harry Hunter Howard, I am asking you to step down from the chair.
Howard Absolutely not. I am reading the news.
Production Assistant Ten seconds and counting …
She counts down over:
Floor Manager What the hell are we gonna do?
Director Ready, Camera-A … ready, sound.
Harry Hunter What the fuck are you doing, Howard? Get off that seat.
Director What the hell is going on down there? We’re back to the studio in six seconds.
Harry Hunter I am the Associate Producer of this programme and I order you to stand down.
The crew start scrabble back to their places. Harry and the Floor Manager hesitate.
Floor Manager What should I do?
Harry Hunter Get him off.
The Floor Manager tries to drag Howard away. Howard clings to the desk. Harry Hunter runs on to help.
Come on, Howard. Let go of the fucking desk.
Production Assistant Three … two … one …
Director Camera-A … action.
Howard tries to speak but is being assaulted by Harry Hunter and the Floor Manager.
Howard Welcome back to the Nightly News with / Howard Beale –
Floor Manager For chrissakes, will somebody help us here. He won’t let go of the fucking desk.
Other crew members join in the struggle to wrest Howard away.
Harry Hunter Turn off the sound, you stupid son of a bitch. We’re going out live!
As the gang of crew members try to pull Howard away from the desk, the Director can be heard from the control booth shouting:
Director What the fuck is going on down there?
Howard Get your hands off me, you bastards.
Howard punches the Floor Manager. Harry Hunter’s image is everywhere, screaming:
Harry Hunter Chrissakes! Black it out! This is going out live to sixty-seven affiliates!
Suddenly the live images cut from the screens. A sign appears:
THERE IS A TEMPORARY TECHNICAL PROBLEM DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET
SCENE FOUR
THE AFTERMATH
Then the barrage of news stations running the footage, a cacophony of presenters on all the other news channels telling us: ‘Tonight UBS anchorman, Howard Beale shocked viewers by announcing his intention to shoot himself on air.’ ‘Stunned viewers tuned into UBS’s nightly news show to hear Howard Beale announce …’ etc., etc.
Then:
Howard dejected. Frank Hackett in black tie. Max, the Director, Harry Hunter, etc., all shell-shocked.
Hackett You’re off the air as of now. First rule of news. You do not become the news.
I’m at supper with the whole of CCA and I’m dragged away for this freak show. And clear out the fucking lobby, every goddam TV station in the city’s down there. It’s the leading item on every network in the country.
Production Assistant We’ve had nine hundred calls complaining about the language.
Hackett So what the fuck are we doing to do about it?
Max We’re flying Snowden up from Washington. Holloway’s gonna read out something at the end of the late show to the effect that Howard’s been under great personal stress, etc.
Hackett All right. We’ve got a stockholders’ meeting tomorrow at which we’re going to announce the restructuring of the management plan and I don’t want this grotesque incident to interfere with any of it. I’ll suggest Mr Ruddy open with a short statement washing this whole thing off and you, Max, better have some answers in case some of those nuts that always come to stockholders’ meetings start to …
Max Mr Beale has been under great personal and professional pressures.
Hackett I’ve got some goddam surprises for you too, Schumacher. I’ve had it up to here with your cruddy division and its annual 33-million-dollar deficit.
Max Keep your hands off my news division. We’re responsible to corporate level, not you, Hackett.
Hackett We’ll goddam well see about that!
Chaney All right, take it easy. Right now, how do we get Beale out of here? I understand there’s at least a hundred reporters in the lobby.
Max We’ll get a limo at the freight entrance. Howard, you’re not gonna talk to anybody till this whole thing calms down, understand?
Hackett And I’ll see you at the stockholders’ meeting tomorrow afternoon, Schumacher.
SCENE FIVE
THE SCREENING ROOM
Darkness. A film is projected. Grainy footage of a terrorist talking.
Terrorist We live in a society which has never been more tec
hnologically able to meet the needs of its people – yet year by year the technology, far from enobling its users, is increasingly an instrument of political quiescence and social control. What is the effect of this ‘emancipatory’ technology? The rich are becoming exponentially richer whilst the majority are impoverished. Economic segregation runs along racial lines, the ecology of the entire planet is imperilled by the rapacity of the increasingly powerful few, the denuding of everyday life has led to the personal desperation of millions of Americans, we have been lied to by generations of politicians, basic civil liberties are at threat as society becomes increasingly repressive to fuel a capitalist model which not only does not work but is bankrupting our entire economy.
Interviewer’s Voice But do you think it’s ethical to wage an armed struggle against it?
Terrorist Someone’s gonna have to.
The film runs out.
Max Why the hell are you bringing me this? You are Programming. This is News, not Entertainment and Features.
Diana Just wait …
The image flickers – now we see something handheld. Footage of people getting out of a car and running across a sidewalk.
Max And what are we looking at now?
Diana You’ll see.
We see that the people with the camera person are carrying guns.
Max Jesus Christ, what is this?
They run into a building, start shooting.
Oh my God.
There is chaos. It is verité footage of a terrorist attack, something like the Bataclan incident.
Diana It’s the massacre in Detroit.
It is truly horrifying. The tape runs out and Diana is standing in the light of the projector.
Max Where did you get this?
Diana The Ecumenical Liberation Army itself. Admit it. It’s pretty sensational.
Max What are you suggesting?
Diana I thought you could use it – make a running feature. Don’t you see? We have potential access to actual footage of terrorist actions: hijackings, assassinations, massacres. Each week’s segment opens with authentic footage, follow it up with human interest stories of the aftermath.
Max Are you crazy? I can’t do that.
Diana Why not?
Max It’s completely immoral.
Diana We’re not in the business of morality, Mr Schumacher. We are in the business of business. Your antiquated news division is in freefall, Max. Don’t you see, the American people want someone to articulate their rage for them. This network hasn’t one show in the top twenty. We’re an industry joke. I thought I was doing you a favour. If you don’t want it I’ll have it in Features.
Howard has come in. They both look at him.
Howard Max.
Max What the hell you doing here. I told you to stay at home.
Howard Listen, Max, I’d like another shot.
Max Oh come on, Howard.
Howard I don’t mean the whole show. I’d like to come on, make some kind of brief statement, then turn the show over to Jack Snowden. I have twenty-five years at this network, Max. I have some standing in the industry. I don’t want to go out like a clown. It’ll be simple and dignified. You and Harry can check the copy.
What do you think?
Diana It could take the strain off the show.
Max I’ll never get it past Hackett.
Howard Ask him, Max.
SCENE SIX
THE STOCKHOLDERS’ CONFERENCE
A huge image of Hackett on screen. A spotlight on him as he addresses the shareholders’ meeting on camera. Max is sitting with Chaney, Ruddy and other executives listening the address.
Hackett But the business of management is management. And at the same time CCA took control, the UBS-TV network was foundering with less than seven per cent of national television revenues, most network programmes being sold at station rates. I am therefore pleased to announce I am submitting to the Board of Directors a plan for the coordination of the main profit centres and with the specific intention of developing divisional responsivity to management. Point one. The division producing the lowest return is the News Division with its 98-million-dollar budget and its annual average deficit of 32 million. I know historically news divisions are expected to lose money but to our minds this philosophy is a wanton fiscal affront, to be resolutely resisted. The new plan calls for local news to be transferred to Owned Stations Divisions. News Radio would be transferred to UBS Radio Division, and in effect the News Division would be reduced from an independent division to a streamlined, cost-efficient department accountable to the network.
Hackett steps down from the podium. As the audience applauds:
Max What the hell is this about?
Ruddy Really, this is not the time, Max.
Max Why wasn’t I told about this? Why was I led on to this podium and publicly humiliated? Goddammit, I spoke to John Wheeler this morning and he assured me the News Division was safe. Are you trying to get me to resign?
Ruddy We’ll talk about this at our regular meeting in the morning. Stick out of the corporate politics, Max. Concentrate on the news.
SCENE SEVEN
BACK IN THE STUDIO
The usual preparations are being made for the start of the news programme.
Production Assistant Two minutes to broadcast.
Director Camera-A.
Floor Manager Check.
Director Camera-B.
Floor Manager Check.
Director Sound.
Floor Manager Check.
Director Can you fix that thing on the front of the desk for me?
Snowden is at the desk being made up.
Jack, are you ready?
Floor Manager (to make-up and wardrobe) OK, guys, clear it.
Max marches in with Howard in tow.
Max You need to mike up, Howard. Jack, I’m putting him on. One last time.
Director What is going on down there?
Floor Manager Are you serious?
Max I am putting Howard on air.
Harry Hunter comes rushing in.
Harry Hunter Has Hackett sanctioned this?
Max This is my show, Harry. Howard is going on.
Harry Hunter You can’t do this. This is completely irresponsible.
Max I take full responsibility. Howard deserves a chance to go out with some dignity. (To Snowden.) I’m sorry, Jack.
Snowden I understand.
Snowden steps down. Howard is miked up and prepared for broadcast.
Harry Hunter I absolutely forbid you to do this. We had a categorical edict from Mr Hackett.
Max Screw you, Hunter. Pull the show if you want to. I am putting Howard on.
Production Assistant Thirty seconds to broadcast.
Harry Hunter Someone call Hackett.
Floor Manager Thirty seconds, clear the stage. Howard is going on. Checks.
Director Sound.
Floor Manager Check.
Director Camera-A.
Floor Manager Check.
Director Camera-B.
Floor Manager Check.
Max You OK, Howard?
Howard Thank you, Max.
Max withdraws. Howard sits, receives some last-minute attention from make-up as the ads are on the bank of screens.
Production Assistant Fifteen seconds.
Max appears in the control room to watch the show
Director Pictures too thick on Camera-B.
Floor Manager Camera-B.
Production Assistant Ten … nine … eight … seven … six …
Director Continuity.
Continuity Announcer (on monitor) It’s time for Tonight with … J— Howard Beale.
Director Cue music.
Production Assistant Five … four … three …
Director Titles, credits, camera, and Howard!
Howard Good evening. It is Wednesday. September the twenty-fourth and I am Howard Beale, and this is my last broadcast. Regular viewers will know I announced on this progr
amme that I would commit public suicide, admittedly an act of madness. Well, I wanted to respectfully explain what happened. I just ran out of bullshit …
Harry Hunter Jesus Christ. Cut him off.
Max Leave him on.
Harry Hunter Take him off. That’s an order.
Max If this is how he wants to go out – this is how he goes out.
Howard Am I still on air?
Max Yes. Say what you have to say, Howard.
Howard (to camera) I don’t know any other way to say it except I just ran out of bullshit.
Harry Hunter You are finished, Schumacher.
Howard Bullshit is all the reasons we give for living and if we can’t think up any reasons of our own, we always have the God bullshit.
Harry Hunter Holy Mary, Mother of Christ. Not that demographic as well.
Howard We don’t know why we’re going through all this pointless pain, humiliation and decay, so there better be someone somewhere who does know. That’s the God bullshit.
Hackett comes into the studio.
Hackett What the hell’s going on?
Max He’s saying that life is bullshit and it is. What are you screaming about?
Howard If you don’t like the God bullshit, how about the man bullshit? Man is a noble creature who can order his own world, so who needs God?
Hackett grabs the Floor Manager’s headset to talk to the control room.
Hackett I told you to take the motherfucker off the air.
Max You did.
Hackett Well, get him off the air.
Max Go fuck yourself, Hackett. If you want him off, you go on there and take him off.
Howard Well, if there’s anyone out there who can look around this demented slaughterhouse of a world we live in and tell me man is a noble creature, believe me, that man is full of bullshit.
Hackett This is going out to sixty-seven affiliates.
