RKO 281 Page #7

Applause and laughter from around the table. Then:

HEARST:

(quietly)

You are evidently a man who knows a great deal

about bull.

Some nervous titters. A beat as Welles' smile fades and he stares at

Hearst.

HEARST:

Of all man's malignity -- of all his sadism -- none

is more depraved than cruelty to animals.

Silence

Mank gives Welles a desperate warning look to keep quiet Welles cannot

resist speaking:

WELLES:

In Spain the cruelty would be in denying the beast

a fighting end.

A beat as Hearst rivets Welles with a cold, bland stare Deafening

silence around the table.

Then:

HEARST:

Who are you, sir?

WELLES:

My name is Orson Welles

HEARST:

The actor

WELLES:

And director.

HEARST:

I see. And you are in California for what reason?

WELLES:

To make pictures.

HEARST:

And what pictures have you made?

A beat.

WELLES:

None.

A beat. Hearst smiles

HEARST:

Well, I wish you luck. It is a treacherous

business.

WELLES:

So I've been told.

HEARST:

In Hollywood the fiercest bulls are the most

brutally killed.

WELLES:

I'll remember that.

A tense beat. Marion quickly diffuses the situation;

MARION:

Enough Hollywood talk! Can't anyone talk about

anything else?

MANX:

Heard some juicy gossip from Metro.

MARION:

(eagerly)

Ooh, dish.

Laughter. Even from Hearst. Then the dinner chatter continues.

Welles cannot keep his eyes off Hearst, the press baron draws Welles in

like a siren.

Marion gives Hearst a little kiss and grabs Carole Lombard and they

leave the table. Hearst leans into Clark Gable to continue talking.

Welles sits back and reaches for a cigar. Mank takes his arm and

indicates he should stop, nodding his head in Hearst's direction.

WELLES:

(quietly)

The man doesn't allow drinking or cigars? This is

monstrous.

MANK:

The old man has his own way of doing things

WELLES:

He's nothing but a hypocrite. He preaches morality

every day in his sordid little papers for everyone

else in the world but he lives openly with his

mistress.

Mank sneaks another shot from his flask

MANK:

Buddy, when you own the largest publishing empire

in the universe you can do whatever the hell you

want. Think about it, pal. Every day one out of five

Americans picks up a Hearst publication. 30

newspapers, a dozen magazines, a bunch of radio

stations and the grand dragon of them all. Little

Miss Louella Parsons. Tends to give you some of that

ol' noblesse oblige.

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