Heather Sconyers

[Locked away in his projection room, a disheveled Howard approaches the door]

Howard Hughes: Hello? Who is it?

Juan Trippe: [on the other side of the door] Howard, it's Juan.

Howard Hughes: Juan! Juan, right. Yeah. We had an appointment, right? Yeah. I remember that. Look...

[trying to find an excuse]

Howard Hughes: I got a hell of a cold in here. A hell of a cold. So take a seat out there, because I don't wanna get you sick. I'd never forgive myself if I got you sick. I don't wanna get you sick. I don't wanna...

[clamps his hand over his mouth, realizing he's repeating himself]

Howard Hughes: [Noah has brought a chair for Juan to sit on the other side of the door]

Juan Trippe: [to Noah] Thank you.

[to Howard]

Juan Trippe: Okay, Howard I'm sitting. I've brought along our accountings. Now, Pan-Am is trading at 13 and five-eighths. TWA at four and a quarter. Now, if you take...

Howard Hughes: Ah, come on. Come on, come on, come on, come on! We both know I'm not gonna sell TWA. Besides that, you couldn't afford her anyway. Our domestic routes alone are worth more than twice Pan-Am!

Juan Trippe: Well, considering our stock is trading at three times yours, I find that a... dubious claim, Howard.

Howard Hughes: [frustrated] What I --

[sighs, clears throat]

Howard Hughes: What I mean is... you have no domestic routes, all right? I mean, you get TWA, you -- you span the globe. Now, I'm not gonna sell and you know I'm not gonna sell.

[taps the door]

Howard Hughes: Here's the point: Owen Brewster works for you!

Juan Trippe: Howard, I didn't elect Senator Brewster. We can thank the voters of Maine for that.

[Juan begins smoking his pipe. From the other side of the door, Howard can see the smoke creep in under the door and begins backing away fearfully]

Howard Hughes: Now... if I appear at his hearings, Juan. It could get nasty.

[coughs]

Howard Hughes: Real nasty for all of us!

Juan Trippe: Well, I think considerably more for you, Howard. While the good people of America were losing sons at Anzio, you produced a dirty movie and built planes that don't fly.

Howard Hughes: Well, that's just not fair, is it? I mean, the XF-11 flew quite well for an hour and 45 minutes. I mean, I wish you were up there with me, Juan. It was... it was exhilarating!

Juan Trippe: Be that as it may, you still have to answer for the Spruce Goose.

[From behind the door, Juan hears a large thump. Howard, now revealed to be stark naked, has just thrown a Kleenex box at the door]

Howard Hughes: IT'S CALLED THE HERCULES! AND IT WILL FLY, GODDAMN IT!

Juan Trippe: I certainly hope so. The American people deserve something for their $13 million.

Howard Hughes: I WON'T SELL TWA! I WON'T!

Juan Trippe: [beat] I know you won't, Howard. I know you won't. But I'm going to get it anyway. You're going to default on your loan from Equitable after Senator Brewster destroys your reputation and you can't find any additional capital for the airline. The hearings will also show Hughes Aircraft mismanaged and incompetent and it will go bankrupt too. But you won't be insolvent. You'll still have Tool Co. Perhaps, you'll return to Houston to rebuild your empire. I rather hope you do. By that time, Pan-Am will have bought TWA and painted all those magnificent Connies blue and white. So, when you do return, it will be on a Pan-Am plane.

Howard Hughes: Well,

[clears throat]

Howard Hughes: you seem to have me in a corner here, buddy. Not a position in which I'm very comfortable.

Juan Trippe: [stands from his seat] I think you're going to be less comfortable at Senator Brewster's hearings. Very public, Howard. Lots of camera, newsmen. I understand you're not particularly fond of crowds. Perhaps we should spare you that.

Howard Hughes: [sarcastic] Well, thank you, Juan! I find that... very moving! It's been a real pleasure. Noah will see you back to the airport now. You... you fly safe. You fly safe.

Juan Trippe: Thank you, Howard, and you take care of that cold.

Howard Hughes: Oh, don't you worry! I certainly will. Bye-bye.

[First day of Senate Committee hearings]

Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: Mr. Hughes, it is the intention of this committee...

Noah Dietrich: Mr. Hughes has a statement.

Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: All right. All right. You may-- you may proceed With this, uh, statement, Mr. Hughes.

[beat as Howard is still silent]

Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: Mr. Hughes, do you have a statement?

Howard Hughes: I'm gonna... I'm gonna attempt to be honest here. I mean, my reputation's being destroyed, so I might as well lay all the cards on the table. Senator Brewster, if you hadn't gone too far overboard, if you hadn't have put the red-hot iron in my side, I might have been willing to take a shellacking in this publicity spree of yours. I might have been willing to sit back and take a certain amount of abuse, simply because, well...

[chuckles]

Howard Hughes: Well, I am only a private citizen. Whereas you are a Senator, with all sorts of powers. But I think this goddamn circus has gone on long enough!

Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: [cracks his gavel] That's quite sufficient, Mr. Hughes.

Howard Hughes: You have called me a liar, sir, in the press!

[begins pounding on a stack of newspapers on the table]

Howard Hughes: You have called me a liar, and a thief, and a war profiteer!

Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: The witness will restrain his...

[Howard suddenly stands and everything goes quiet]

Howard Hughes: Why not tell the truth for once, Senator? Why not tell the truth that this investigation was really born on the day that TWA first decided to fly to Europe? On the day that TWA first invaded *Juan Trippe's* territory?

Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: [sternly] Sit down, Mr. Hughes?

Howard Hughes: [still standing] On the day that TWA first challenged the generally accepted theory that only Juan Trippe's great Pan-American Airways had the sacred right to fly the Atlantic!

[the crowd goes crazy; cameras are flashing]

Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: [cracking gavel again] I asked for silence! I asked for quiet in this room and we are going to have quiet!