Gimmick (1959)

[Music] Harold city desk no this is bill Adams Mike isn't here yet oh okay I'll tell them money oh just a minute here he come my poison composing room you guys famous for copy already well don't you know how morning paper doesn't go to press until 5:00 yeah alright I'll check what Gibbs he says he wants a new makeup he says you've cut the daily to eight pages here's the memo for mr. Todd why no advertising look at all these cancellations you can't sell any new ads some advertising manager I'm beginning to think I couldn't sell Robinson Crusoe I'm running an ad for a rowboat well it's not your fault I've seen it coming for a long time you know Greenwood used to be kind of a hometown suburb of Steel City well city got bigger closed in around it now it's just a district of the big town Main Street jammed with cars going in and out of the city sky full of planes taking off with somewhere else people around here think of themselves as citizens of Steel City they buy steel City newspapers well that's where advertising went our circulation any day now well a lot of be telling the herald in the morning in the Steel City news at noon he forgot nice that's why I deliver the Steel City Star beat it traitor Sunday morning doing okay what are you gonna do then don't find another job you know you and I are gonna be looking for one too well not me Mike I guess I'll hang around as long as arrow laughs what for oh it's a mess but I guess you know I've been here ever since I was a copy boy a long ways back doesn't know when Todd was a crusading editor yeah you used to fight for all kinds of social and moral issues I remember how they even shot at him once but that didn't stop him from the gambler now Greenwoods got a racetrack and as you said it isn't a home town anymore lost its local pride Oh Mike I think that local pride could be brought back if mr. Todd starts fighting for things again well he was a great newspaper man one of the greatest cars that was 25 years ago now he's just a tired old man what this paper needs is young blood meaning who you well I might fall flat on my face but I'd sure oh well mr. Todd I'd like to see you in my office bill yes sir right away chief relax the papers gonna fold anyway tell me just what would you do if you had a chance to run this paper I guess I was talking out of turn mr. Todd now I want to know tell me well well I think I try to run the paper the way you used to the way I used to yes I I guess I am just a tired old man you know I've always dreamed of taking a long trip bill today I got to thinking the kids are grown nothing to hold me here but the paper The Herald was my first paper bill and my first love that's why I've held on to it up to now just couldn't bring myself into selling it but if I don't quit now I'll I'll never make that trip would you really sell the paper I might I've known you for a long time bill I know what you call right what you call wrong I know a lot about you would you really like to run this paper man I run it as your own there's still two years left on the lease I'll give you the use of the equipment while I'm on my trip you'll sink or swim entirely on your own oh that's quite an offer perhaps you can build a herald into a real influence for good in this community bill only God knows how much we need it if you can't I can still sell the equipment when I get back so what do you say that's a big decision I want to talk it over with your wife oh I know what Margaret is saying she'd say to do it and thank you for the chance no thank me yet son you may be heading into a whole mess of trouble and speaking of messes take a look at this desk I'll clean it out so you can use it there's nothing of value except these two books you know bill I've always said when you're dealing with the fortunes and misfortunes of people every day of the year an editor ought to run his paper with a dictionary in one hand and the Bible and the other that's what you'll be doing son running a paper [Music] honey I decided to bring you some coffee I thought you're going home to bed I couldn't sleep I didn't well why not I guess my conscience is bothering me you a copper defender on the car today oh but it wasn't my fault it's getting so a person takes her life in her hands to drive down that Main Street there isn't all women drivers either happening at that intersection at fourth and main where Jimmy Watson was killed yeah I know well don't worry about a crumpled fender I have more important things than that to think about do you realize what I took on today do i I've been as excited as a child ever since you called this afternoon and don't you worry about a thing my pet you're gonna become the best editor this town ever had do you want me to do anything for you yes you can tell me where to get $5,000 operating expenses because I certainly don't want to mortgage our house well of course you mortgage the house if you need to bill you can't make a success of this paper and unless you have faith in yourself and you can't have that unless I have faith in you Kenya so get the mortgage I don't you think they'll give us five thousand for our house yeah I guess that's why I love you you know dear what you just said about being willing to risk our home gives me an idea for what I want to do with the paper what do you mean well I've been dreaming around various angles trying to get a policy for The Herald but I haven't been able to find a pig to hang things on Mike Stacy was saying just today that Greenwood isn't a home town anymore maybe I could make people realize that Greenwood is their home women would like that you know there's a whole man going on almost everything well take the racetrack for instance think of the homes that are miserable because people turn their paychecks over to the bedding Jeanne's do you think I could fight that oh why not why not you know there's something else you remember that horrible accident last winter when the plane fell Oh No why does that happen cuz the airport doesn't belong in town it ought to be out in the country Oh bill there are thousand home angles better fire and police protection more schools wait wait remember that congestion on Main Street yeah well I've heard you say that there's an average of an accident a week there about five fatalities a year why not use that for your opening campaign yeah how do we start a new highway to go around the town and then that Main Street mess a bypass will make it easier for you to get to work to me didn't you know you're my new secretary and assistant editor Oh yes I like it I'm glad to hear it mr. Mason women make about 90% of the purchases in my store and if you language your paper toward the homes you've been telling me you'll have the women in the hollow of your hand well at least I hope we'll have them reading your advertising I'll give it a try thank you sir and that president of the Merchants Association I'll tell some of our members about this new slant of yours well thanks of course I'll be calling on them myself won't do any harm although I don't mind admitting that my recommendations carry quite a lot of weight how do you like that six advertising contracts in one morning I got an ADEA bill that whole mangos a great gimmick what's a gimmick oh it's a commercial idea with a hook not just a gimmick that's not the real reason for the home angle that's only a springboard for the things that I want to do with the herald Oh crusading it you can call it that if you want to but I'm gonna fight for the good of Greenwood of the next project is a traffic problem on Main Street I don't think the taxpayers are gonna like the idea of an expensive bypass but it's your newspaper bill but I think you ought to know I got a commercial gimmick - it's my paycheck minute it stops I get out of here [Music] Adams's I didn't know that this home angle of yours included such schemes as this do you realize how much your bypass dream would increase taxes do you think saving money is more important than saving lives don't be ridiculous this is sure to raise the tax rate and if your harebrained scheme went through what would happen to all the stores like mine no trade I think you've got the wrong slant mr. Mason take a look at this report out of the traffic engineer monthly Springfield put in a bypass star sales went up 26% during the first three months the same thing with Columbus their trade went up 24% within 60 days after the bypass was over and take a look at all the other cities now these charts are backed up with facts and figures as one thing this chart of yours doesn't show Adams that's the raise in taxes what good is it going to do with my business increases 24% I have to pay out 30% increase in taxes to pay for your bypass well you may disagree with me mr. Mason but there are others who are with me in this matter yes we were discussing that at last night's meeting of the Merchants Association which had been there to answer the questions the principal question was how much we should offer you as a salary salary if you were working for us we'd have to pay you wouldn't we well what do you mean working for you the Merchants Association needs a live wire man to handle its publicity and everyone at the meeting last night agreed that you were just the man for the job me how would you like 25,000 a year to handle our publicity exclusively of course exclusively you mean I'd have to give up the Herald is that it it's a lot more than you'd ever make from that paper and what if I refused the offer that's entirely up to you of course [Music] what did you tell him though I said I'd think about it over the weekend let him know Monday I wish you'd told him no right away being the editor of a newspapers what's a great trust I'm twenty-five thousand dollars is a lot of money you know do a lot of people twenty-five thousand dollars to be the chance of a lifetime and you can't forget that even a great editor like mr. Todd couldn't make a go of this paper ah who knows maybe they don't want a better city maybe we've mortgaged our home and spent our savings for for what Bill you know this is a legitimate offer it's a bribe to make you drop the bypass idea okay so it's a bride and I know it as well as you do I feel trapped I don't accept their offer we lose our advertisers and without them we go broke lose the paper anyhow well there must be another way there has to be I don't know maybe I just don't know give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever amen okay fellas now before we go be sure to mark your records so I can turn them in at the extension apartment down to church again I want to walk down in Jimmy is the two newest members of our Sunday School class and don't forget next Sunday at 5 o'clock sharp in the morning Joey I'll give him a ring it's after 6:00 9:00 you better get those papers delivered morning Mike yes Dean I don't guess you'd mind if I told you something would you know Steve what is it well you see last Sunday after I finished delivering the papers well I I went up to our church and I had a talk with the pastor yeah I remembered all the things that you told me and I asked God what to do and I joined the church did you accept Christ as your Savior Steve yes sir I did and I want to thank you for what you've done for me thank you for what you've done for me Steve and God bless you well I better get this paper soon right this is what you do on Sunday mornings huh now what are you doing here you give these kids a Sunday School lesson every week why you looking for the gimmick let's just say I'd like to get up early on Sunday mornings and I like to teach those kids something to make their lives a little bit brighter from God a little more personal you know Mike some of the most important men in our country started out as news boys those are great kids all I can say is this is one for believe it or not now suppose you tell me what you're doing here well Kelly the policeman on Main Street called me Joey was hit by a car Joey yeah when last night he was crossing Main Street and this car came well how is he well don't worry he's all right I just came from the hospital you've been there all night yeah now suppose you tell me Mike what the gimmick is in that booth out of my desk with you I'm going over the hospital and send a photographer over there because I want to get a picture of joy for tomorrow morning's page one Mike I'm staying with it we're gonna fight this Main Street battle harder than ever I'm gonna stay with it all the way [Music] [Music] yeah my I've been putting together a dummy of that four-page deal you want to start tomorrow now how's anybody in their right mind gonna pay money for a paper this size well I don't know what else we can do Mike advertising's being canceled circulation shot we haven't paid a bill for weeks the campaign for the bypass is getting nowhere people are talking about it talking about it yes what are they doing nothing maybe we can work out some kind of a gimmick yeah Matt gimmick what we need is not a gimmick what we need is cash the way things stack up right now circuit must be overloaded the fuse is blown don't bother Mike we can't afford a new fuse what are you talking about the power bill three hundred and eighty seven dollars and 49 cents and that's just about three hundred dollars more than we've got in the bank power company warned me but I thought maybe we Mike we've had it well that's what he said he'd do I feel worse about that and did anything yeah me too hey Roxy might as well go home well why we do not do we prayed to God for help and the Bible says all things work together for good to them that love God well we love God well if this is his well it's it's his will [Music] read that again Margaret no man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and Mammon hi back to work the lights are backdrop yeah all it takes is money you mean you went down yeah let's get back to work wait a minute Mike why did you do it because I never could see in the dark you said the day your paychecks stopped you were gonna die no well I get an advance on my Social Security come clean Mike why you don't over that Sunday morning I came down here and told you about Joey being in the hospital yeah and I found you teaching the Bible to those kids yeah well I began to learn then that you're the kind of a guy that does things without a gimmick you mean you believe in it I really got up after I found out about your turning down an offer of Mason's for 25 grand you knew about that now how did you find I know about a lot of things I know you're more concerned with the welfare of this town and your own why she could have taken that bribe and been on easy street but you decided to find it out even though the odds were against you you know I've always been a sucker for a guy with a lot of guts bill I'm gonna stick it out paycheck a new paycheck Mike you're wonderful we'll never mind about that cuz I've got a gimmick here I've got a an idea here that might just put this bypass deal of yours over now get this your fellows here's a chance to get in and pitch for Bill Adams we want a paper in the hands of everybody in town but we want them to read it you understand I don't sell it give it to him if you have to but staying over beat him on the head make sure that they read it I'll get going and don't come back till you run out of papers well I guarantee you that's gonna be the best pretty shoe you ever put out hand the strangest one nothing but accident pictures in an editorial statement says why the bypass has to be built tell me something Mike where did you get the idea for that headline Oh something I read somewhere three people mister thou shalt not kill [Music] [Music] yes we hope to continue along the same line well thank you very much sir Furcal Margaret that idea of mics has certainly stirred up this time we've had nothing but phone calls all morning I've got some new subscriptions to him we're gonna win this fight we're gonna win we went to the right place for help bill to God Mike didn't look like one of God's angels but he was certainly was Greenwood Harold well yes sir thank you sir yes we have some advertising space left for tomorrow yes sir we're on our way here I can take your copy right over the phone okay big furniture sale [Music] [Music] [Music] remarkable all this in two years you've done a good job bill well thank you mr. Todd we've had some hard knocks but I think you can see from the advertising we're now on pretty good shape financially yes I noticed mr. Mason is advertising in The Herald again I'll take my head off to you well I just took your advice mr. Todd what was that you told me that an editor should run his paper with a dictionary in one hand and the Bible and the other judging by some of the copy that I corrected that dictionary wasn't used very much but that Bible was sure open a lot they'll give me okay on this one yeah you know it's good to see a Christian at work serving God and serving his community well I found that's the only way I could run the paper that's the best way to run a paper and to run your own life - I'm sure when the great editor-in-chief goes to press with your final edition bill you'll have a well-earned byline in it [Music] this is the answer is brought to you with a sincere desire that it will make a contribution to your spiritual life and to this cause is dedicated to the glory of God this booklet contains the Bible's answers to some of life's most perplexing questions it will prove to be an invaluable guide to you as you seek to live a more abundant life for your FREE copy right - this is the answer Fort Worth Texas this is the answer Fort Worth Texas and now here's a preview of next week's presentation you won't you can't manager I won't let you do this to mom what are you talking about no good dad I know now wait a minute you that's not gonna solve anything this series is being presented by the Baptist churches of North America as a part of their Jubilee advance celebration heralding a heritage of 150 years of organized baptist witness in america to the saving power of christ [Music]