Executive Suite

It is always up there close to the clouds--

on the topmost floors of the sky-reaching towers

of big business, and because it is high in the sky,

you may think that those who work there

are somehow above and beyond

the tensions and temptations of the lower floors.

This is to say that it isn't so.

- Goodbye, Julius. - A pleasure, Mr. Bullard.

Caswell.

Mr. Bullard.

Good afternoon, Mr. Bullard.

Straight wire.

That'll be $1 even, please.

Out of $5?

And $4.

Thank you.

Taxi!

Hey, there-- taxi!

Taxi-- aah! Oh, no...

Your friend Avery Bullard

didn't come all the way up here from Millburgh

just to taste the steamed finnan haddie

in our private dining room.

Salty today.

And all those hints about his

upcoming earnings report?

He was just softening us up

for another debenture deal--

another five million teeth for us to pull

for his Tredway Corporation.

Such talk from a member of his board of directors.

The only reason he put me on

was to wrap up Steigel and company for bond issues.

Tredway's board-- a rubber stamp for Bullard.

- You've heard of it. - But always black ink.

Last year-- $5.5 million net after taxes.

That's beside the point.

Julius, you know how tough it is to sell

these investment fund boys on a one-man corporation.

Bullard hasn't had an executive vice president

since Fitzgerald died.

They want to see continuity of management--

a second in command in case anything happens.

My next birthday I'm 71. Avery Bullard is only 56.

Fitzgerald was 50 the day they buried him.

Why hasn't Bullard replaced him?

He's got five vice presidents down there--

All with equal authority, all waiting, all wondering.

And if you ask me they won't be

waiting and wondering much longer.

Always Avery Bullard likes to take his top executive

from inside the company,

but always first he likes to convince himself

there's nobody better on the outside.

It is my opinion, Mr. Caswell,

that at lunch today you were crossed off the list.

Me?

Obvious.

You didn't warn me. You didn't say a word.

You wanted it?

Of course not.

So...

Julius, come here-- quick!

What is it?

No-- no, it isn't!

It just looks like--

It's Bullard.

Only a minute ago he was...

Avery Bullard.

Get me Phil Wingate-- and hurry.

A one-man company without its one man.

Hello, Phil. This is George Caswell.

You've got 43 minutes before the close.

I want you to start selling Tredway common short.

That's right-- short.

Feed out all you can before the bell.

Yes, I said all you can.

Everything you can get rid of.

Do it in your name, not mine, okay?

Get to it.

When the street finds out in the morning

that Bullard is dead,

Tredway is going to break wide open.

Tomorrow is Saturday. The market is closed.

Well, alright, Monday.

Give them the weekend to digest the bad news.

This is the kind of gamble I like-- a sure thing,

and I'll be able to buy that stock back

for 10 points less than I sold it.

There are some ways it don't seem right to make money.

Alright, break it up, break it up.

Let's move along now. Move along.

Canady reporting. I got a John Doe here.

Dropped dead in front of the Chippendale building

around 2:45.

Beekman Downtown took him to the morgue.

No. No identification.

Coming through, please. Going up.

Hey, uh, wh-what you got there?

Telegram for Miss Martin.

I deliver all messages to executive suite.

Yes, well, will you send it to Miss Martin, please?

You wait here.

Yes, I'll see that Mr. Bullard takes a look at them.

Thank you. We'll be in touch with you.

Telegram, Miss Martin.

Oh, thank you, Luigi. How's your cold?

Alright. Thank you.

Good.

Mr. Bullard's coming in. He's arriving on the 5:49.

You want me to tell Eddie to be there with the car?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, tell him not to have it

sitting out in the sun again.

Uh, Mr. Bullard is coming here to the tower?

Called a meeting for 6:00.

Oh, then I tell Maria not to wait with my supper.

Oh, no need, Luigi.

The night man can take us down.

No, I don't mind waiting for him.

- Oh, Miss Martin. - Is he busy?

- Group insurance meeting. - Oh.

Come in.

Excuse me. Jim.

There's a wire from Mr. Bullard.

He's called an executive meeting.

- Tonight? - 6:00.

Uh, just a minute, Miss Martin.

Gentlemen, we'll, uh, continue this on Monday.

Alright, I'll check with Collins in the meantime.

- Good. - Have a nice weekend, Fred.

Thank you. Goodbye boys.

Do you have any idea what this is about?

No.

Uh, did he say anything else in the wire?

No, Mr. Alderson.

Yes, sir.

Phone my home, please. Tell Mrs. Alderson

if I'm not there when the guests arrive,

not to wait for me.

Is he in?

Oh, gosh, Miss Martin, you just missed him.

He got an early start on the weekend.

Well, you'll have to call him back.

Mr. Bullard wants him at 6:00.

There's an executive meeting.

Oh, he'll hate me.

I know he's already on his way to the bay,

and I don't see how I can reach him.

Well, call the Turnpike toll station.

They know Mr. Grimm.

Well, tell them to turn him back.

And has once again overrun

the first-half estimate for experimental work,

this time by $23,254.

In view of the consistent high profit curve

achieved by our budget-rated K-F line,

I should like, at your earliest convenience,

Mr. Bullard,

to discuss with you the economic soundness

of Mr. Walling's experimental program.

I'm sorry, Miss Martin.

Executive meeting at 6:00, Mr. Shaw.

There must have been some development in New York.

Apparently.

Miss Martin, was there any information

Mr. Bullard might want at this meeting?

Anything you suggest that I have ready for him?

Mr. Shaw, I don't know what the meeting is about.

I wasn't probing, Miss Martin. Just asking.

Of course.

Eva?

Why don't you wear bells or something?

May I go in?

Mr. Dudley is on the phone.

In fact, he's in the phone.

Oh! Well, maybe you better tell him then.

Executive meeting at 6:00.

But he-- Mr. Dudley has to take

the 7:00 plane to Chicago--

the furniture show.

Mr. Bullard's orders, not mine.

Mr. Bullard's orders, not mine.

I didn't say I'd have dinner with them at the club.

You did! Look, will you hold it?

Sylvia, please, listen to me for a minute.

Bullard's getting ready to appoint

an executive vice president, and I-- well, be bored then!

It happens to be the way I make my living!

Hold it. Please, hold it a minute.

You don't care whether I'm with you or not.

It's just if I'm not there,

you won't have anything to complain about.

Sylvia? Hello, Syl--

Would you like a transcript of that?

You told me to monitor all important calls.

You made no commitments.

Nothing was said by either party

that could be construed as binding

either on this company or--