Dallas s03e12 Episode Script

He mortgaged Southfork.
You're poking around in things that don't concern you.
This concerns me! What are the chances of oil coming in before payments are due? It's gonna be close.
I didn't marry you, Jock, to lose Southfork over an oil deal.
- You're scared.
- That an insight from your psychiatrist? It's the first time I've truly heard fear in your voice, J.
R.
The Ewings are gonna be destroyed, but not by your brother but mine.
A typhoon? Well, how much damage? Listen, Hank, I'm not interested in your digestive tract or your nervous system.
What I wanna know is how soon those oil-drilling rigs are gonna be operational again.
That's a half-million dollars a day! I know it.
I realize that you're the big expert on Southeast Asia and that's why I'm asking you for an estimate on the time.
Well, how far behind schedule? Hank, if you don't strike oil within the next week Ewing Oil is out of business, and so are you, boy! - Typhoon? - J.
R.
, I'm sorry.
That's not for you to worry about.
I'll write you a nice reference.
- You know I'd work for you for nothing.
- I know it.
Maybe Mr.
Leland will give you an extension on the mortgage.
- It's due next week.
- That is defeatist talk.
I don't wanna hear any more.
Go do some filing.
I got some phone calls to make.
Go on.
Barnes for Congress, can I help you? - Alan Beam.
- Just a minute.
Has anyone seen Alan? I guess he hasn't come in yet.
Can I take a message or a contribution? No, I don't wanna give any contributions.
Hello.
Yeah? I don't mind you having fun in the afternoon, but not on my money.
What do you want? South of Braddock, Road 27.
Forty minutes.
You be there.
- Morning, Miss Ellie.
- Hello, Ray.
- Anything I can do for you? - No.
I've been so busy with myself lately, I haven't paid much attention to Southfork.
Well, good to see you out here.
Thanks, Ray.
- Diablo's looking fine again.
- Yeah.
Dad says he's gonna be just fine now.
Slight viral infection.
Ray, I'm surprised you haven't started building a house on that section that Jock gave you.
Well, for a long time I just couldn't see myself rattling around alone in a big, new house.
- Has someone changed your mind? - I think so.
I'm just not sure yet.
Well, don't wait too long.
Build on it, Ray.
Put your roots down.
Your own land is the most precious thing you can own.
- You're late.
- Sorry.
Had to finish something.
- Anything I should know about? - No.
I think we're at the beginning of the end of our little charade with Cliff Barnes.
Tonight's speech at the anti-oil, anti-nuke rally ought to do it.
Well, I hope so.
- I poured enough money into that scheme.
- You'll find a way to write it off.
What do you need tonight in the way of contributions? Another 25,000 ought to just about do it.
- Just about, huh? - Well, it will do it then.
It better.
This is no time to stop trusting me.
All right, now, remember you're to use this money only, no one else's.
I don't want those people to get carried away and start making their own contributions.
- Understand? - Well, I handpicked them myself.
They've all got starry eyes and empty pockets.
He never asked where this money comes from? He doesn't have to.
He's not a candidate yet.
He has no idea you're the only one financing his campaign.
He's gotta declare soon, Alan.
I've got to get him out of the Office of Land Management and off my back.
It won't be long.
- This week.
- I can't give you an exact timetable.
Alan this week.
- Morning.
- Morning.
- Is J.
R.
in? - No.
- Where is he? - Well, he didn't say.
Kristin, come in my office.
Close the door, please.
Now, where is J.
R.
? - Bobby, he didn't tell me.
- Kristin.
He doesn't tell me everything.
You know your brother.
Yes, but I think you probably know him better than most of us.
- That's not fair.
- I'm not interested in fair, Kristin.
I have questions.
I need answers.
- Well, I'll try and help.
- Thank you.
Now, what do you know about the Southeast Asia deal? - I don't know what you're talking about.
- Come on, Kristin.
I'm not stupid.
J.
R.
must have dictated letters, signed orders.
- I don't know a thing about it.
- Well, I think you're lying.
Well, I'm sorry, Bobby.
I don't deserve that.
Kristin.
I'm not through yet.
Is the cartel in on the deal with J.
R.
? Why don't you ask one of them? Thank you.
You can go now.
Connie, get Jordan Lee on the phone, see if I can meet him for lunch.
I can't believe I'm eating here with you.
I thought you graduated from fast foods to restaurants.
I like white tablecloths and fancy service just as much as the next person but, I don't know, when I have a problem, I just feel more comfortable here.
- Kind of like going back to your roots? - Yeah, I suppose so.
I gotta make a speech tonight.
Gonna be a lot of important ecology groups there.
You've made speeches before.
I know.
This is different.
If I feel their support, I'm gonna declare my candidacy.
Well, you know how I feel about that.
I can win.
I know it.
That certainly will make Jock and J.
R.
happy to have you out of the OLM.
I can hurt them even more as a congressman.
Cliff, don't leave the OLM.
Stop putting all the pressure on Ewing Oil.
We can all live happily together.
Never.
Thanks for lunch.
Pam, please don't go.
I need a favor.
I need to see Sue Ellen.
- Oh, no.
- No, please, try to understand.
I'm about to make a very important decision in my life and I wanna talk to her.
Cliff, I'm not getting involved with this.
I can't call Southfork.
Now, she has to go someplace without J.
R.
She has to What, go to the hairdresser? Please, please try to understand how I feel.
Maybe the best way is for you to understand how she feels.
Sue Ellen's seeing a psychiatrist three or four times a week in the morning.
- She is? - Dr.
Simon Elby.
Make sure you don't hurt her again, Cliff.
I won't.
I promise.
Thanks.
And when I told him I didn't know anything, he called me a liar.
Bobby's a hothead.
He'll apologize.
He'd never be that rude to Sue Ellen.
I'm not so sure about that, darling.
He might be if he thought Sue Ellen knows as much as you do.
Now, just what did you tell Bobby about the Southeast Asia deal? Nothing.
- You sure? - Absolutely.
He wanted to know if the cartel was involved and I told him to ask one of them.
Here.
You just dry those pretty little eyes off.
I'll take you home, all right? Cartel, huh? Well, Bobby's not gonna get any information off those boys.
I shouldn't eat with a Ewing.
Your brother-in-law finds out, he'll cut off my oil production.
Jordan, I think we can sneak by with one lunch.
I suppose so.
Now, tell me what it is that you want.
Well, as you know, the OLM has us practically shut down here in Texas.
That's a fact.
Anyhow, I was thinking proposing to Daddy and J.
R.
that Ewing Oil start drilling overseas.
- You're kidding.
- No, I'm dead serious.
Hasn't J.
R.
told you he's already involved? No.
He never said a word.
I guess he plays things pretty close to the vest, doesn't he? That sounds like J.
R.
Well, here's to lunch anyway.
How much are you in for over there? No, not me.
I wouldn't get involved overseas.
Seth Stone or Wade or somebody? As far as I know, J.
R.
's in this thing alone.
Well, he always was one for taking chances.
That's what made Ewing Oil what it is today.
Well, maybe the Ewings can afford that kind of gamble.
After all, you're the only ones with enough collateral to get the loan it takes to drill overseas.
What kind of collateral? We don't have an oil well left open here.
I wasn't talking about oil fields.
Rumor is J.
R.
's put up something big.
Something real big.
Here you are, Mr.
Ewing.
If it's been recorded recently, you'll find it in this book.
Okay, thank you.
He mortgaged Southfork.
Cliff Barnes, sounding very much like a candidate for his party's nomination spoke tonight before a large ecological rally.
We have film now of that rally.
My work at the OLM has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can control the oil companies instead of the oil companies controlling us.
We've accomplished this in Texas and now it's time to do this vital work on the federal level.
Your representatives must take this country back from the oil companies.
And then all the people, all of us, you and I will determine what we do with our energy resources.
That is the message that you must send to Congress at the next election.
Thank you.
Cliff Barnes for Congress! Cliff Barnes for Congress! Cliff Was I right? According to those people, I could be president.
One step at a time.
When are you gonna make it official? - How's the money coming? - It's pouring in.
I'll let you know.
- J.
R.
- Bobby.
- I wanna talk to you.
- I'm going to bed.
- I wanna talk to you! - What? I thought you'd reached bottom when you tried to turn this ranch into an oil field.
- That's all over with.
- Explain something to me now.
You have explaining to do.
I found Kristin in tears today because you're poking around in things that don't concern you.
This concerns me! I had copies made at the Hall of Records today.
Well, this is just a formality, but - You call mortgaging Southfork formality? - Yes, I do! - What are you two fighting about now? - It's after midnight.
You wanna tell them? - J.
R.
, what is it? - Bobby and I are just talking business.
Don't lie to them, J.
R.
They're gonna find out soon enough.
Nobody would've had to find out until you started snooping around.
I could've saved everything this family owns and Mother and Father wouldn't lose sleep.
Well, as long as you got us up, why don't you fill us in on it? Sit down, Mama, Daddy.
Cliff told Pamela that one of the reasons he's considering running for Congress is to try and stop Ewing Oil in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia? I thought you said you wasn't going into that, J.
R.
That's what I was talking to Bobby about.
It's a good deal.
Where'd you get the money to buy the leases? From mortgages.
About $ 100 million worth.
A hundred million? - How, J.
R.
? - I had to go it alone, Dad.
Hell, you'd have done the same.
I wanna know how you raised This family has a lot of assets when you add them all up.
We only have one asset.
Southfork.
- You mortgaged Southfork? - Yes.
When those Asian wells come in, this'll be as if it never happened, Mother.
As if nothing happened? The first payment on those loans is due next week! How could you do this without talking to me first, J.
R.
? How in the hell could you involve Southfork? Dad, you and Mama have problems of your own.
Now, you made me the head of Ewing Oil.
I made the decision.
I felt it was worth a calculated risk.
Our home, a calculated risk? What kind of thinking is that? Mama, don't worry.
It's just business.
I'm capable of understanding business.
I don't mean to offend you, Mama, but I wanna handle this myself.
What are the chances of oil coming in before those payments are due? It's gonna be close, real close.
Close? - What do you mean, close? - Dad, I can't pinpoint it.
You know that.
J.
R.
, I wanna know when you expect to strike oil over there.
Well, there's problems.
- The weather.
- Well, how bad? A typhoon hit the platform.
Lot of damage.
Well, what you're saying is we've had it.
Finished! No, sir.
We're gonna make it.
You'll see.
Jock? My God, Ellie.
I don't know what to say.
I didn't marry you, Jock, to lose Southfork over an oil deal.
Daddy, it's not your fault.
Well, maybe it is, Bobby.
I trained J.
R.
, taught him everything he knows.
Gave him the fever for big business.
But I never taught him when to stop.
Well you've finally done it, haven't you, J.
R.
? You've lost everything.
Sue Ellen, what have you been doing? Hiding on the staircase, listening? No, I wasn't hiding, J.
R.
I was just listening.
Pamela and Lucy were doing the same thing.
Poor little Lucy.
I bet she doesn't know what to think.
She's happy to see you fall flat.
I don't know how she's gonna manage without all the Ewing money.
Lucy's gonna be fine.
So is the rest of the family.
Not this time.
You're scared, aren't you? Really scared.
Is that a little insight you picked up from your psychiatrist? No.
Just from listening to you for the past eight years.
It's the first time I've truly heard fear in your voice, J.
R.
Why don't you go to sleep, Sue Ellen? You know how haggard you look in the morning if you don't get your full eight hours.
Are you gonna visit my sister and spend the night? It's gonna be quite a change for her.
I don't think she's ever been to bed with a poor man.
Let's go upstairs, try and get some sleep.
I don't think I can.
You go on up.
I'll be up later.
I'm so sorry, Bobby.
I know how much Southfork means to you.
It's my home.
It's where I was brought up.
But I think I could stand losing it.
Daddy, J.
R.
, even Lucy could stand it.
But I don't know about Mama.
Southfork is more hers than anybody's.
She's been through so much.
It's all so unnecessary.
We could've survived until your brother was out of office.
But J.
R.
just couldn't wait.
You really don't think there's a way out, do you? I don't see one.
The irony of everything is that the Ewings are gonna be destroyed, but not by your brother but mine.
- Who is it? - J.
R.
Open up.
J.
R.
, I wasn't expecting you.
If you got anybody else in here, tell him to go on home.
I'll wait in the kitchen.
J.
R.
, there isn't anyone here.
There's no one else but you.
You're a pretty smart girl.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see you start to diversify your assets set up a little hedge against the sudden devaluation of the Ewing dollar.
J.
R.
, I don't care about the money.
I care about you.
That's something you're not gonna hear from my sister.
- Want a drink? - Yes, please.
What happened? You ought to be able to figure that out.
Bobby told Uncle Jock and Miss Ellie everything.
Get the other liquor for us.
I hate your brother.
I hate him for what he did this morning and what he's doing to you now.
Hey, don't be too hard on old Bobby.
He's a very simple, dedicated young man.
He tends to see things as either all black or all white but some people find that appealing.
As a matter of fact, if I remember correctly you had kind of a yen for him last year, didn't you? I was very young then.
Well, you're not exactly ancient now.
You staying tonight? I might.
I don't have anything waiting for me at Southfork.
Daddy.
Bobby.
It's not good for you to be out here like this all night.
You're a fine one to talk.
Look, families have suffered setbacks before.
We start over again, that's all.
And you can do it, Daddy.
You're a respected man.
You're trusted.
Not enough time left for me to do that.
Well, I'm here to help you.
I appreciate that, Bobby.
It's not the oil business that I'm worried about.
There's just no way that you can build another Southfork.
Not in six lifetimes.
- Mama said something, huh? - Not a word.
But she hurts and she hurts bad.
I was just beginning to get things patched up between us.
All this had to happen.
Daddy, there has to be a way out of this.
We can get an extension on the loans.
We can buy more time.
We'll try, Bobby.
We'll try.
But this feels like the end of forty years of sweat and hopes and dreams.
Hello? Operator, I got it.
This is J.
R.
Ewing here.
J.
R.
, I was just about to leave word with your service for you to call me.
I wanted you to know first thing.
- Know what? - Cliff Barnes just called me.
He's been up all night meditating or something.
I'm calling a press conference for him at noon today.
He's gonna run.
He's quitting the OLM.
You sure? - There's no slip-ups? - Absolutely.
Guaranteed.
Well I did it, didn't I? Well, son of a gun, I did it.
Alan, you call me right after that press conference, you hear? Alan, you deserve a bonus, boy.
A big one.
I did it.
Well, looky here.
I just made it in time for breakfast.
Hey, Teresa, give me some of those scrambled eggs and bacon and just load it up for me, darling.
Oh, some of them corn muffins too.
What do you say? Well, you're looking good this morning.
Get your rest? J.
R.
, just what the hell's going on? Well, Dad, I know how upset everybody was last night so I got myself into Dallas, checked into a hotel so everybody could get some sleep knowing everything looks brighter in the morning.
What'd you do, J.
R.
, strike oil in Southeast Asia? Better than that, Bobby.
A lot better.
- Come on, out with it, J.
R.
- All right.
Today at noon, Cliff Barnes is announcing his candidacy for the Congress.
He's resigning from the Office of Land Management and the Ewings can start pumping oil again all over Texas.
How do you know Cliff's resigning? Well, there's very little I don't know that goes on in Dallas.
Timing seems almost a little too perfect, J.
R.
Well, I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Bobby won't have to rely on your salary at the store and you just may be the sister of a congressman.
If Cliff is out of the OLM, we could open up all those wells he shut down.
- Might make a difference with the bank.
- That's right.
I doubt if they'll give us extension on the strength of Barnes' resignation alone, Bobby.
Please try, Jock.
- I will, Miss Ellie.
- Mama, don't worry.
This calls for a celebration, Daddy.
Nope.
We'll wait, J.
R.
Plenty of time to celebrate.
Hank, I wanna get your lowest estimate on getting those rigs into operation.
No, you gotta do better than that.
Yeah, I know what you told J.
R.
, but you're talking to Jock Ewing now.
You've got to be drilling in less than a week, you understand? All right, call me back when you get a long-range weather forecast, okay? Well, we'll be drilling again in two weeks, maybe less, if the weather holds up.
The banks just might give us a week's extension.
Well, Dad, you shaved off a week.
- That's pretty good.
- Well, that's not good enough.
Weather doesn't look too promising.
You know, it could all boil down to just how the banks feel about Barnes' resignation.
Daddy, talked to Vaughn Leland and the rest of the bankers.
Vaughn'll be here at 2:30.
He'll have a decision for us then.
If Cliff makes his announcement.
He's going to announce.
We are back in the oil business in Texas.
I don't know what you two are worried about.
Sue Ellen.
What are you doing here? - I had to talk to you.
- How did you find me? - Does it matter? - Well, it matters to me.
I already have one man who likes having me followed by private detectives and I don't need another man doing the same thing.
I didn't do that, believe me.
- Cliff, I'm in a hurry.
- Sue Ellen.
Except for a couple of brief meetings, we haven't talked since the baby was born.
The last time we talked, J.
R.
sent you away like a simpering mongrel.
Sue Ellen, I just need to know, is the baby well? Of course the baby is well.
Why shouldn't he be? He's being seen by the finest pediatrician in Dallas.
Okay.
Cliff, the baby's fine, healthy and robust.
Thank you.
I need to share one more thing with you.
I'm making plans, big plans for the future.
No.
Don't.
Goodbye, Cliff.
- Okay, Connie, those are ready to be filed.
- Okay.
Kristin, about yesterday, I am sorry.
You were hard on me, Bobby.
Yes, I know, but we've all been a bit on edge.
I understand.
Thank you for the apology.
Come on, Bobby.
It's noon.
Cliff Barnes plans to resign his powerful post as head of the Office of Land Management and declare himself a candidate for his party's nomination for Congress.
The Grab Barnes For Congress movement seems to have made a significant impact.
We have a live Minicam at Barnes headquarters where Cliff Barnes is expected to arrive momentarily.
Well, I sure hope you're right about this, J.
R.
We take you now to Phyllis Blaine at Barnes headquarters.
Well, Mr.
Barnes, have you made a decision? That's why I called the press conference.
Do you plan to step down from the Office of Land Management? - Hold it, hold it.
- Okay.
Campaign workers, members of the press, fellow Texans there's been a lot of soul searching on my part.
As you know, this is not my first time around as a candidate.
I lost once.
I would not like to lose again.
But the support this time seems very real and widespread.
So I have tendered my resignation to the governor as chief of the Office of Land Management.
I am a candidate for the House of Representatives.
Right on schedule.
- Golly damn, this calls for a drink, eh? - We're not out of the woods yet.
- Bobby? - I don't feel like celebrating.
Pam finds out what you did, that's the end of our marriage.
That's like killing two birds with one stone, I guess.
You can leave your celebrating to me.
Stop it! Now, let's wait to see if the banks will let us survive.
Ewing Oil.
No, I'm sorry, he's in a meeting.
Jock, please try to understand our position.
Now, I know Barnes has resigned, and I know that's good for Ewing Oil but we just don't know who the governor will appoint, or how soon.
It's too risky.
Do you mean to tell me that after all the years I've done business with you that you won't extend our loan a week or two? I can't.
Vaughn, we've been through some rough times together.
This is no time to get hard-nosed.
Now, I explained all this, J.
R, when I okayed the loans.
Look, if it was just up to me, I'd do it.
I've tried to convince the other bankers.
They won't budge.
This is ridiculous! With Barnes out of office, our oil rigs are gonna be pumping oil all over Texas.
We just don't know who the governor will appoint to replace Barnes.
Anybody would be better.
But we don't know when that appointment will be, or how soon you can start drilling.
You can think up more damn fool excuses.
We just can't wait beyond next week's deadline.
Is that your final word? I'm sorry.
I don't give a damn what Leland says.
I think the bank will give us a week, but they won't give us any more than that.
We better start praying that those rigs in Southeast Asia are operating ahead of schedule.
And we also better pray that we strike oil.
Otherwise, boys it's all over.
Not going to the office today, J.
R.
? Or don't you have an office to go to? I suppose your daddy's in the driver's seat now.
I can just imagine how Jock must feel.
He gave his oldest son the biggest toy a father can give, Ewing Oil and within two short years, you broke it.
Sue Ellen, can you just hold it down? I got a headache this morning.
You kept telling me how all your problems would be over once Cliff Barnes resigned from the OLM.
Well, he's out, darling but so are you.
Maybe, little John maybe it's better that it's happening before you're old enough to know the loss of all the power and the money.
No inheritance for you, little one.
You'll never know the beauty of this ranch.
I guess you were never supposed to know.
Go through those for me again, will you, Bobby? I can't find anything.
Is there anything that we own that J.
R.
hasn't mortgaged? Not that's gonna do us any good.
Damn! Yes, Connie? It's Sy Stevens in the governor's office for your father.
Thank you.
Daddy.
- Hello? - Jock.
Thought you'd be interested in knowing who the new head of the OLM is going to be.
Yeah, I sure would.
- Who's the governor appointing? - Bill Watson.
He'll make the announcement this afternoon.
Watson's a good man.
Sure hope he can do you some good.
- So do I.
Thank you, Sy.
- Any time, Jock.
- Is that Bill Watson? - Yeah.
A week, two weeks ago, might have made a difference.
I get to Austin, I can push his confirmation through the legislature.
Be no use, Bobby.
Watson's gotta have time to get settled into office and the bank just won't give us that much time.
Daddy, we can't just lie down and play dead.
There comes a time, Bobby, when you gotta face facts.
We've drilled a dry hole.
Morning, Connie.
- Daddy or Bobby in the office? - They're in Bobby's office.
Come on in.
I wanna talk to you.
J.
R.
I couldn't stop them.
Your daddy took everything.
All the files on the loans, all the Ewing Oil holdings.
Everything.
Is that right? - You gonna be home tonight? - Of course.
Haven't made any other plans or anything, have you? Well, no, why would I? Well, I know you Shepard ladies.
You and Sue Ellen like to be assured of a rosy future.
I'm just not certain I can provide that for you.
J.
R.
, don't.
I am not Sue Ellen.
Whatever happens, I wanna be with you.
Well, thank you, honey.
Thank you.
I'm gonna be at the Cattlemen's Club.
I don't think I'll be in this afternoon.
Will I see you tonight? You might.
Mr.
Jordan Lee, please.
Hello, Jordan.
This is Kristin.
Remember that standing invitation to lunch you made me? Well, I can make it today, as long as it's not at the Cattlemen's Club.
- Miss Ellie.
- Jock.
Ray said you took a tour of the ranch this morning.
Yes, I did.
Well, we've tried everything, Miss Ellie.
I'm sure you have.
J.
R.
, do you know how much Southfork means to me? To all of us? I'll never understand your motives as long as I live.
Mama.
Now, as I see it, the problem is this: Next week, the bankers who own the mortgages expect to be paid and we don't have the money.
Is that right? Yes.
And everything worthwhile is mortgaged.
Except one.
What? They can take this land but they don't have the right to drill for all that oil under section 40.
My daddy's will gave the mineral rights to me.
Mama, you can't do that.
You can't break Granddad's will.
He wanted that land preserved for ranching.
You think the banks will preserve the land? They will not.
However, I can release all of that oil for drilling.
Millions and millions of dollars worth.
And for that I'm sure the bank will extend the due date on the mortgage indefinitely.
- I could never ask you to do that, Ellie.
- It will save this ranch, Jock.
And for that, I'll go against my daddy's wishes.
Jock, 40 years ago Ewing Oil paid off the mortgage on Southfork and saved it.
Now I think it's time that Southfork repaid those debts.
Mama, Dad.
Why don't you sit at my desk over here, Mama? Thank you.
I have all the papers right here.
Maybe we all should sit down.
I'll explain everything to Mrs.
Ewing.
We'll stand, Leland.
- Jock? - Harve Smithfield looked it over, Ellie.
All in order.
I have a pen right here.
You can still change your mind, Miss Ellie.
Jock, let's go home.
I may never forgive you for this, J.
R.