"Hello?" "Here's your breakfast." "A brownie?" "Bob, that's not a brownie." "That's a breakfast smidgen." "Do you know that one smidgen... is the equivalent of a half a grapefruit... three buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup... two eggs over easy, a side of ham and a big glass of milk?" "Gee." "I really didn't want that much to eat." "All I really wanted was a cup of coffee and some orange juice." "Why don't you just lick your fingers?" "Emily, the next time you try a breakfast experiment, try it on an astronaut." "Honey, I've gotta get to work, and you said you had to get in early." "Yeah, I do." "I have my first session with my out-of-work workshop." "Out-of-work workshop?" "Yeah." "A lot of my people are out of work... and I thought I'd bring them together as a group... and they could see how bad off everybody else is." "Come in." "We can't." "We?" "Well, come on in, Howard." "Bring your friends." "Well, here they are, Emily." "Take good care of them while I'm gone." " They're all I've got." " Okay, Howard." "I'll water them every day." "Yeah." "Distilled water and, plant food." "They like plant food." "Do they like breakfast smidgens?" "I don't think so." "But they like to be talked to." "Be sure you talk to them." "Oh, Howard, I just feel funny talking to plants." "You remember what happened last time you didn't talk to them?" "My rhododendron passed away." "All right." "I'll talk to them this time, and we'll take very good care of them." "Well, little fellas." "This is it." "Have a nice time here." "It's a real nice place." "And, real nice people." "I think you'll enjoy it." "And I'll be back in three days." "Unless something happens." "Unless, what happens, Howard?" "Excuse me, Bob." "Come here a minute." "Don't tell the plants... but, there's a navigators strike in the air." "We may walk." "Well, I hope you land before you walk, Howard." "Oh, Howard, I hope you don't go out on strike." "There are enough people out of work." "I was reading this article, and it said with the possible recession and the energy crisis... in some cities, one out of three people may be out of work." " One out of three?" "Wow." " Well, gotta go to work." "Yeah." "Me too." "Uh-oh." " Hi, Dr. Hartley." " Oh, hi, Mr. Herd." "Hi, everybody." " Go right in." "I'll be with you in a minute." " Hi, Doctor." "What's going on, Bob?" "I've never seen that group before." "That's because they've never been a group before, Jerry." "They're all unemployed, and I'm starting an out-of-work workshop." "What are you charging them?" "Haven't really thought about it." "They're all, broke right now." "Well, let's see." "As long as they're coming to you, they can't afford to pay you." "And when they can afford to pay you, they won't need you anymore." "If you're really successful in this, Bob, you may be in that workshop yourself." "Hi, Carol." "Hi, Dr. Hartley." "Sorry I'm late." "Hi, Mr. Carlin." "What are you doing here?" "I changed your session to Thursday at 10:00." "I left a message on the answering service." "Didn't they tell you?" "They told me, but they always get everything wrong, so I didn't believe it." "But they were right this time, Elliot." " Uh-oh." " What's wrong?" "Maybe my shirts are ready." "Mr. Carlin, I have a new group meeting in there." "Oh, a new group?" "I'll try it." "I'll try anything." "Mr. Carlin, I don't think you'd fit in." " Oh, I understand." "Yeah." " No, it isn't that." "It's just that, they're all unemployed, and you've got a pretty good job... and they're kind of depressed and despondent, you know." "Sounds like fun." "I'll sit in." "As long as you're here." "Oh, I guess you, you all know each other." "Yeah." "We all know each other from the unemployment line." "Except we don't know him." "Well, Mr. Carlin, you want to introduce yourself?" "Oh, fine." "Yeah." "I'm Elliot Carlin, and I'm a real estate tycoon." " You mean you're currently employed?" " That's right." "Then what are you doing here?" "I'm having a lot of trouble with my girlfriend." "You see, Mr. Carlin's been out of work before... and I thought we might benefit from his experience... if, you all go along with that." "It's fine with me, as long as he doesn't flaunt his job in our faces." " Okay." " All right." "Fine." "Let's get started." "Now, how's the job hunting coming?" "I just got through with an interview, and I didn't get the job." " You went to an interview looking like that?" " Of course." "I'm a hairdresser, and this is my demo." "Very professional, Shirley." "Mr. Vickers, how's everything going with you?" "Lousy." "Nobody has any use for you when you're 65." "I was with the same company 40 years." " What company was that, Vickers?" " Vickers and Sons, Incorporated." "Now It's just Sons, Incorporated." "The minute I turned 65... my son called me into the office and said..." ""Happy birthday, Dad." "You're finished."" "Well, at least they told you to your face." "Why don't you go along with that, Mr. Plager?" "Well, all I get are form letters and rejection slips." "I'll tell you." "It's not as easy as it looks to be a television writer." "What kind of stuff you write, Plager?" "Well, you know how the networks are always talking about fresh, new concepts." "I just spent three months developing... an offbeat musical variety show, and they turned it down." "I told you about that, Dr. Hartley." "Yeah." "I always felt it maybe was a little risky... to have a comedy show called the, The Nazi Hour." "Not if you don't use helmets." "Well, at least all of you have had a career." "You've had a lot of careers, Mr. Herd." "Yeah, but none that have lasted." "I guess it's because I've always been heavy, you know." "And all I ever wanted to do were thin things." " Like what, Herd?" " Well, I loved horses... so I tried to be a jockey." "That didn't work out." "So I joined a rodeo." "You know, bronc busting." "Well, I busted one up pretty good, so they asked me to leave." "Well, at least you're trying new things." "Um..." "I think the group might be interested to know that, that Mr. Herd is selling brushes door-to-door." "Vacuum cleaners." "Brushes didn't work out." " How many have you sold?" " None." "I guess my sales pitch isn't strong enough or something." "Well, why don't you, try your sales pitch on us?" "Maybe we can help." " I dunno." " Yeah." "Go ahead." "Try it on me." "I'm a pushover." " In this room here, in front of all these people?" " Yeah." "Well, we very often simulate actual working conditions." "Why don't you go outside the door and..." "Shirley will be the housewife with her hair in curlers." "Okay" "I've seen this in group before." "It really works." "You can knock, Mr. Herd!" " Yes?" "Hello." "My name is Ed Herd, and I represent the Suction King Vacuum Cleaner Company." "I know you already have a vacuum cleaner... but you don't have anything like this one, because this is the finest vacuum cleaner ever made." "All I want to do is come into your home and demonstrate it for you." " Gee, I don't think so." " Oh, okay." " Mr. Herd!" " Dr. Hartley, he's getting on the elevator." "Mr. Herd, you don't have to simulate leaving." "And sometimes it doesn't work at all." "All right, you guys." "Now, I want you to know I really feel stupid doing this... but if I don't talk to you, Howard is gonna blame me for this, and it's not my fault." "Now, I fed you, I watered you, and I gave you a place to stay while Howard is gone." "Now, he's coming back." "You know that." "He's a navigator." "You knew that when you signed on." "So just stop looking so droopy and melodramatic." "Hi, honey." "Bob." "What are you doing with a vacuum cleaner?" " I, bought it from Mr. Herd." " Why?" "Well, it was his first sale, and I thought it'd, you know, build his confidence." "I guess we can give the one we have to your mother." "I have one for my mother in the car." "That was his second sale." "Uh-huh." "I'm glad he wasn't selling mobile homes." "This is really a terrific vacuum cleaner." "Well, honey, we have a terrific vacuum cleaner." "Yeah, but we don't have one that'll suck the skin right out of the sofa." " What?" " No, it's true, Emily." "Every seven years, the human body sheds a layer of skin." "Bob, that is disgusting." "Not really." "Mr. Herd explained to me... how all the residual dirt and hair and skin... can be pulled right out of that sofa by this machine." " What are we having for dinner?" " Well, I certainly don't feel like talking about food now." "Hi, Bob." "Hi, Emily." "What are you doing here?" "You should be at one of those exotic cities you're always going to." "Oh, well, the strike hit in Milwaukee, if you call that exotic." "I was on the bus for, nine hours." "What is this?" "You only had them for one day." "Oh, Howard, I'm really sorry." "I could probably destroy the Everglades if I had them for a week." "Well, that's okay." "I'm gonna be able to spend some more time with them now anyway." "You don't seem very upset for somebody who's on strike." "It's not gonna be a long strike." "I mean, we hold all the cards." "Can't fly a plane without a navigator." "We haven't had a raise in three years... and our fringe benefits are way below average." "I mean, management is running scared." " How do you know they're running scared?" " They said if we went on strike... they'd replace us with computers." "I mean, you gotta be scared to say that." "Don't you?" "Oh, Howard, I almost forgot." "You got this telegram about an hour ago." "Oh, great." "The strike's over." "They probably want me to come back to work tomorrow morning." " Oh, congratulations." " Congratulations, Howard." "Yeah, Howard, you just won the shortest strike on record." "Howard?" "Howard?" "Emily, I have the feeling he's not as happy as we are to hear the strike is over." "Is, something wrong, Howard?" ""Dear Ex-navigator..." ""Services no longer required." ""You've been replaced by a computer." ""Severance check will be mailed." ""Ask about our special rates to Hawaii and Japan." "Fly us."" " Hi, honey." " Oh, good morning, sweetheart." " I wondered where you were." " Yeah, I got up early and..." "I didn't want to bother you, so I started jogging." " How far did you jog?" " To the lobby." "It looked like rain, so I did three laps around the security guard... and then I came up here." "I feel great." "I think I'll get back in bed." "Oh, honey, I wish I could join you, but Howard'll be here any minute." "Again?" "Yeah, Bob." "You know, I don't know what to do with him." "I mean, he hangs around here all day." "He's got all that time and nothing to do with it." "Do you know he offered to clean, dust and wax our floors?" "I don't know what to tell him." "Tell him not to forget to do under the refrigerator." "Oh, Bob, it's not funny." "It's like he's a servant or something." "Well, where do you want me to start?" "Howard," "Why don't you start with a nice, big breakfast?" "Would you like a bowl of oatmeal?" "Well, I might as well." "You are what you eat." " Guess I better change my clothes and get down to" " Work?" " That's right, Howard." " Must be a nice feeling." "I used to work." "I used to be the wings of man." "Howard, sit down." "Howard, you know, when I was in high school..." "I played drums in the marching band, and then... when I was stationed in Korea I was with the 193rd Combat, Support Orchestra." "They said I had the best wrists south of the 38th parallel." "So, when I got out of the service, I didn't even go to college." "I went right to New York, and I auditioned for the Buddy Rich orchestra." "And I really thought I did great, you know." "After the audition, Buddy came over, and he said..." ""You stink, man."" "And I was crushed, you know?" "I knew it was all over." "But, I mean, if that hadn't happened, I" "I wouldn't have gone to college, and I wouldn't have become a psychologist, and I" "I wouldn't have met Emily and I wouldn't be half as happy as I am right now." "You understand what I'm trying to say, Howard?" "Oh, I'm sorry." "I wasn't listening." "You know, Howard, I've been thinking about it for a while, and" "Well, I didn't know whether you were ready for it or not, but I" "I think you are." "I have a group down at the office- an out-of-work workshop- and I" "I think we might be able to help you." "It'd only take about an hour of your time." "Okay, Bob." "I'll go to the office with you, but I just want to tell you one thing." " What's that, Howard?" " I don't do windows." "How long does it take to get through dental school?" "Six years." "Six tough years." "Excuse me." " Am I in your way?" " Well, I have something to do." " What?" " I have to get over there." " Oh, I'm sorry." " What's the matter with you, Howard?" "I'm out of work." "Did I mention that I'm out of work?" "Yes." "Yes, you did." "Several times." "But why are you so jumpy?" "Well, I've never been in analysis before... and in a few minutes I'm going to join Bob's workshop." " That's not exactly analysis." " Look, Jerry." "You're a friend of Bob's." "Look." "When they're in the, When they close the doors, what goes on there?" "Is there any screaming?" "If there is I don't hear it." "There's always so much screaming in here." "Come on." "I mean, really, Jer." "Well, oh, all they do, I think, is they, sit there, and you talk about yourself." "Yeah, well, I'm too depressed to talk." "I'm out of work." " Did I mention that I was out of work?" " Yes, yes, yes." "Just cheer up, will ya?" "Look." "Here." "Have a balloon." "Oh, Howard, Bob's group is here, and they're ready for you." "Well, Jer, this is it." "I just, wanted to tell you that" "Well, I appreciate you giving me the balloon." " Okay, Howard." " Well, lead the way." "Follow me, my son." "Ow." "Bob, Howard." "Oh, hi, Howard." "Howard, this is the group." "Group, this is Howard Borden." "He's a neighbor of mine, a very good friend of mine, and he is gonna join us today" " Hi." " Welcome, Howard." " How you doing, Borden?" " Oh, not too good." "I lost my job." "Wonderful." "Have a seat." "Before you get started... would anybody like a cup of coffee?" " Black, with sugar." " I'll have a half a cup of coffee with cream." " Double cream, double sugar." " Hot tea." " Do you have any chicken soup?" " Mr. Carlin?" "Nothing for me, thanks." "I just had a huge, expensive meal." " Bob?" " No." "No, thanks." "Oh Carol, On second thought, I'll have my usual with half the cream." " I'm on a diet." " I'll have his cream." "I'm not on a diet." "Could you just put a little milk in my tea?" " On second thought, I will have a hot chocolate." " Hey!" "You got hot chocolate?" " Yeah." " I'll have that, but I'll still take sugar and cream in it." "Wow." "That was hard." "Boy, I bet she doesn't get that right." "Bet?" "How much?" "50 cents!" "A dollar?" "How about five dollars?" "Wow." "I don't know." "I'm out of work and" "I know she's gonna get it wrong, and I could use the money." "Okay, five dollars." " You're on." " Well, if all the bets are down now..." "I guess we can go on." "Since, Mr. Borden has never been to our group before... why don't we fill him in on some of the progress we've made this week?" "Well, my company bought a bank and repossessed three farms." "Mr. Carlin, I meant some of the members who are maybe less employed than you are." "Oh, that's right." "I wasn't supposed to do that, was I?" "But we did." "Mr. Vickers, you want to work first?" "Well, I took my oldest son out to dinner... and I asked him if I could come back to work." " What did he say?" " Well, he was very nice about it." "And he said, "Sorry, Dad." "You know the rules." "You made them."" "Then he said if I ever brought it up again, he'd never let me see my grandchildren." "Oh, boy." "Can I relate to that." "It reminds me of a lot of guys I've worked for." "They use you, and then they throw you away." "Shirley, why don't you tell us about your week?" "There's nothing to talk about." "I spent all week walking the streets again with no results." "You shouldn't have any trouble in this town." "This is the convention center of the world." "What do you mean by that?" "Shirley is a hairdresser, Howard." "Oh, that's good too." "That's good." "Well, I didn't have a bad week." "I think one of the networks is interested in an idea I have for a new TV series." "Is this another one of those..." "Third Reich-type shows?" "No." "This one takes place in Rome." "It's a situation comedy." "It's called Darn That Pope." "Think it has a chance?" "Well, the main thing is you're in there pitching." "How about you, Mr. Herd?" "You having any luck with the vacuum cleaners?" " Encyclopedias." " You switched?" "Yeah." "I only sold two vacuums." "You know, to you and your mom." "So they took away my territory." "Well, you got into something else real quick." "Yeah, I had to." "I gotta eat." "Excuse me, Mr. Borden." "Are you here to watch, or are you going to work?" "How can I work?" "I don't have a job." "No, Howard." "When we say "work" we mean talk." "Okay. all right." "What do you want to talk about?" "Well, we talk about work." "There isn't anything to talk about because I don't have any work." "Come on, Borden." "Spill it." "Well, what can I say?" "I mean, I had a job just like anybody else." " Only mine was up there." " Oh, what were you?" "A minister?" "No." "I was a navigator on a jumbo jetliner." " No kidding." "How long were you with them?" " Nine dedicated years." "Boy, I really flew my heart out for those guys, and where did it get me?" "I mean, replaced by a computer." "Oh, we've all been replaced." "So don't you come in here with a long face feeling sorry for yourself." "At least you're out of a terrific job." "You've flown to the four corners of the Earth." "That's right." "You've seen the world." "You've soared like an eagle." "You've had a life of excitement and challenge." "I think there's a series in this." "Cockpit Capers." "Howard, I think what the group is trying to say is" "I know what they're trying to say." "They're trying to say they don't like me." "Aw, we like you fine." "It's Carlin we don't like." "Oh, yeah?" "You don't like me?" "Welcome to the club." "Every girl I ever knew broke my heart." "Every friend I ever had deserted me." "Every dog I ever owned ran away from me." "You know, Elliot, all of a sudden..." "I like you." " Really?" " Yeah." "When you opened up just then, there was another side to you... that was warm and honest and vulnerable." "I'd, really like to get to know you better." "You're gonna break my heart, aren't ya?" "Wow." "That was really nice." "I'm glad you feel that way, Howard." "That's sort of what we do here in group." "You know, we relate to each other, we bolster each other." "I mean, there's a lot more to life than being employed." "You've got a lot to be thankful for." " Like what?" " Well, you have a fine son." "Oh, yeah." "Howie." "Yeah, he's a good boy." " How old is he?" " Ten." "Wait till he grows up." "He'll turn on you." "You have good friends, Howard." "Yeah." "I guess you're right, Bob." "I mean... you're a good friend, and Emily's a good friend, and..." "I think everybody here's a good friend, even though I don't know your names." "You know, I'm very glad about what's happening here, Howard." "You got a lot going for you." "Yeah." "I think you're right." "Things are bound to get better." "Okay." "Black with sugar." "Half a cup with cream." "Hot tea with milk." "Your chicken soup." "The usual with half the cream." "Hot chocolate and hot chocolate with cream and sugar." "You owe me five bucks, Borden." "Cough it up." " They look great, don't they?" " Yeah." "So does the set we already have in the den." "Yeah, but you can never have too much knowledge." "If we didn't have these and I wanted to look something up..." "I'd have to trudge all the way to the den." "Well, I could pack you a lunch." "Come in." "Ta-da." "What do you think, huh?" "You join the navy, Howard?" "No." "I joined a new airline." "A better one." "One that still uses navigators." " Oh, yeah?" "What's it called?" " Ed's." " Ed's Airline?" " Yeah." "E-D-S." "European Delivery Service." "I don't think I've ever ridden on that one, Howard." "Well, you would've had to have been in a crate." "It's, for cargo." "You know, for years I was in London and Paris and Madrid and Acapulco... but this has opened up a whole new world for me, you know." "I better get going." "I've, gotta get to, Craigloggen." "Craigloggen?" "Look it up."