Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic)

Knots Landing Scene of the Day: ‘You Won’t Cheat Old J.R.’

September 20, 2012 by Chris Baker 1 Comment

Fine lady, fine print

In “Knots Landing’s” second-season episode “Designs,” Abby (Donna Mills) meets with J.R. (Larry Hagman) in his hotel room.

J.R.: Now, you see? You didn’t need Gary after all, did you?

ABBY: No, but I wanted him.

J.R.: Disappointed?

ABBY: I’ll live. [Rises from her seat, shows J.R. a legal document]

J.R.: What’s this?

ABBY: A contract. A girl has to protect herself.

J.R.: In Texas, a man’s word is worth a whole lot more than a little piece of paper.

ABBY: We’re in California.

J.R.: [Chuckles, sits, signs it] OK.

ABBY: Aren’t you going to read it?

J.R.: No. You’re not going to cheat old J.R. [Hands her the paper] There you are. Now that’s finished, partner.

ABBY: For the time being.

J.R.: You know, now that we’ve consummated that, I’m getting a little restless.

ABBY: Well, maybe that you ought to learn how to relax.

J.R.: Oh, Abby, I know how to relax. [Pulls her onto the sofa, kisses her]

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Designs, Donna Mills, Knots Landing, Larry Hagman

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘That Has Nothing to Do With Me’

September 19, 2012 by Chris Baker 1 Comment

Conflicted

In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “The Mark of Cain,” Bobby (Patrick Duffy) is participating in a senate committee meeting on the Takapa Lake legislation – along with Chairman Harbin (David Healy) and fellow senators Dickson (Joseph Warren), Carson (John Hart) and Varela (John Arvilla) – when Dickson asks to speak.

HARBIN: The chair recognizes Senator Dickson.

DICKSON: May we speak informally for a few minutes, please?

HARBIN: If you’d like to, senator. [Toward stenographer] Please don’t record this.

DICKSON: I’d like to address what I have to say to our new senator, Mr. Bobby Ewing. [Smiling] Senator, do you think you can address this problem in a disinterested fashion?

BOBBY: [Puzzled] Senator?

DICKSON: I think there’s a conflict of interest here.

BOBBY: I wish to address this committee on the record.

VARELA: [Leaning forward] There is certainly a conflict of interest, senator. That great organization, the Daughters of the Alamo, they are behind the present injunction of the court and Mrs. Ellie Ewing is chairing the Save Takapa Committee.

HARBIN: Gentleman –

DICKSON: On the other hand, one of the directors of Unified Development is Mr. Jock Ewing.

BOBBY: That has nothing to do with me.

CARSON: Mr. Ewing, with all due respect, this is the way I see it. Your daddy’s people have the perfect right to try and build a resort at Takapa, if that’s their choosing. But how’s it gonna look if there’s a Ewing on this panel?

BOBBY: Mr. Chairman, I have no interest in Unified.

DICKSON: [Smiling] But you have an interest in Ewing Oil.

CARSON: Now, don’t get us wrong, Mr. Ewing. We’re not concerned that the newly elected senator’s in the oil business. After all, there’s a whole lot of people in Texas in the oil business, including some of our most distinguished members. [Harbin and Carson smile.]

DICKSON: The problem, senator, is that the Ewing family has a present financial interest in Takapa.

VARELA: The way I see it, senator, it would be best for everyone, and for this senate body in particular, if you were to ask the lieutenant governor to remove you from this panel.

Bobby looks surprised.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: David Healy, John Arvilla, John Hart, Joseph Warren, Mark of Cain, Patrick Duffy

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘You Both Sicken Me!’

September 18, 2012 by Chris Baker 6 Comments

Ouch

In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “The New Mrs. Ewing,” Jock (Jim Davis) slams closed the doors to the Southfork living room, where he stands alone with J.R. (Larry Hagman).

JOCK: I couldn’t believe it. My own son, letting some little no-account alley cat swing you by your big toe. Letting her screw up the deal with the cartel. I thought I brought you up better than that. A woman’s place is in the bedroom, sure as hell not in the boardroom.

Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) enters.

ELLIE: Very nice, Jock.

JOCK: Oh, didn’t hear you come in, Ellie.

ELLIE: Obviously.

JOCK: Now, look Miss Ellie, you know I didn’t mean to –

ELLIE: I know what you meant. You believe that the woman’s place is two steps behind the man – except when walking through a minefield.

JOCK: You don’t understand, Ellie. J.R. let that uppity Leslie Stewart spoil his deal with the cartel.

ELLIE: Well, you and J.R. should know all about spoilers, Jock.

JOCK: Now, what’s that supposed to mean, Miss Ellie?

ELLIE: Everything you touch you spoil. Relationships, people’s lives.

J.R.: Well, Mama, I think you’re exaggerating a little bit.

ELLIE: Am I? J.R., you and your daddy use people up and then throw them away. Even members of your own family. [She begins to leave, then turns to face them.] You both sicken me!

She leaves, slamming the door behind her.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Barbara Bel Geddes, Jim Davis, Larry Hagman, New Mrs. Ewing

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘Goodbye, My Darling’

September 17, 2012 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Farewell, my lovely

In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “Lover, Come Back,” Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) is preparing to leave Dusty (Jared Martin) for the evening.

SUE ELLEN: I have to get to Southfork, darling, but I’ll be back first thing in the morning. [She kisses him and begins walking away.]

DUSTY: No, Sue Ellen. Don’t come back. Ever.

SUE ELLEN: [She turns back toward him.] I have to. I couldn’t stand to lose you again.

DUSTY: You have lost me, Sue Ellen. You’re pretending we are as we used to be. We’re not.

SUE ELLEN: [She stands behind him, leans down and puts her arms around him.] But we love each other. That hasn’t changed.

DUSTY: The only thing we have left is a memory of how we were. And that was perfect. But I’d rather remember it like that than to be together now and have it die.

SUE ELLEN: [Moves around to face him, kneels down] But I won’t let it die.

DUSTY: I know you wouldn’t, Sue Ellen. You wouldn’t want to. You look at me now, you see me the way I used to be, and nothing else matters.

SUE ELLEN: And it never will.

DUSTY: Sue Ellen, someday it will. Not now, not a month from now, not a year, maybe even more than that, but someday you’re gonna walk in that door and you’ll see me – not as you want to see me, but as I really am. And then you’re going to realize that you’re married to a man who can’t walk again, who’s never going to make love again.

SUE ELLEN: [Crying] No, no.

DUSTY: And I’ll see it in your eyes. And you’ll cover it up, pretend that nothing has changed, but I’ll know. And that’s going to destroy me.

SUE ELLEN: No, I’d never hurt you. Dusty, I love you.

DUSTY: I love you. That’s the only thing I have left. If I didn’t know that, I might as well not have survived that plane crash. But if you really love me, don’t make me see myself in your eyes every day. Let me have my memories of you, and my dreams of you. Love me enough to do that.

SUE ELLEN: [Sobbing] You’ll never know how much I love you. Never. [They kiss.] Goodbye, my darling. [She rises, exits the room] Goodbye.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Jared Martin, Linda Gray, Lover Come Back

Knots Landing Scene of the Day: ‘You Don’t Have Any Courage’

September 13, 2012 by Chris Baker 9 Comments

No guts, no Gary

In “Knots Landing’s” second-season episode “The Loudest Word,” Bobby and Gary (Patrick Duffy, Ted Shackelford) sit next to each other in the hospital waiting room while Val undergoes surgery.

BOBBY: That was some phone call you made to Mama.

GARY: Yeah, I know. Sorry about that.

BOBBY: Are you better now?

GARY: Well, I’m not crazy, if that’s what you mean.

BOBBY: No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, are you better? Have you pulled yourself together? Do you know what you’re up against? Are you ready for that?

GARY: Don’t preach at me, Bobby!

BOBBY: Well, are you better or aren’t you?

GARY: I don’t know!

BOBBY: Well, you don’t have much time to find out. [Rises] If you’re gonna sit and wait that thing out, you’d better damn well be able to handle the outcome, no matter what the outcome is.

GARY: I don’t know. How can I? Would you know?

BOBBY: You’re damn right I would. I’d grit my teeth, I’d clinch my fist and rail at the injustice. But I’d be able to handle whatever came through that door. Because I couldn’t stand to live with myself if I broke down when the woman I love needed me to stand up.

GARY: Fine. You tell me how not to break, and I won’t break.

BOBBY: I’ll tell you how not to break. The same way I told Valene how not to die. Don’t. You just don’t.

GARY: I can’t handle the worst.

BOBBY: The worst is she dies, Gary. You understand that, don’t you? [Gary is silent.] Dying is the worst thing that can happen to Val. [Walks to Gary, grabs his shirt collar, forces him to his feet] Now, tell me that you know that death is the worst possibility. [Gary is still silent.] You’d rather that girl in there die than survive with a colostomy? [Releases Gary, steps away] You know, I can remember Daddy and Mama sparring with words. I was just a kid when you left, but I can still remember them talking about you. And Daddy would say that you didn’t have the Ewing guts. And Mama would say, “Well, thank goodness for that.” Because she thought you had Southworth gallantry – and that was a much better thing to have. Mama thought guts were low-grade courage, and gallantry was courage with grace. [Walks toward Gary] But she sent me here because she couldn’t stand to come herself. She probably heard it in your voice on the phone. You don’t have any kind of courage at all. And she just couldn’t bear to come here and see that for herself.

Gary walks away.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Knots Landing, Loudest Word, Patrick Duffy, Ted Shackelford

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘Never Cross Daddy’

September 12, 2012 by Chris Baker 5 Comments

Gruff daddy

In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “The Quest,” Miss Ellie vows to stop the Takapa Lake development project and exits the Southfork dining room, leaving Jock (Jim Davis), J.R. (Larry Hagman) and Bobby (Patrick Duffy) at the table.

BOBBY: Daddy? Daddy?

JOCK: [Looks up from his newspaper] What?

BOBBY: Don’t you think you should tell Mama you’re one of the Takapa developers?

JOCK: Look, Bobby, I run my business, and I decide when and where I’ll tell anyone about it. You understand?

Ray (Steve Kanaly) enters.

RAY: Morning. I don’t mean to rush you, Jock, but you were supposed to meet those builders over there at 10 o’clock.

JOCK: Well, you’re not rushing me, Ray. [Rises] I got nothing to say more here, anyway.

BOBBY: Daddy, I mean it. I think you should tell her.

JOCK: Are you telling me what I gotta do these days, Bobby?

BOBBY: No, sir. No, I’m not. I just think it’s fair that she knows, that’s all.

JOCK: [Crosses his arms] Well, how can a man be fair when his own wife barely speaks to him? You tend to your politics, Bobby, or whatever it is these days. Ray and I’ll take care of Takapa. You understand? Ready, Ray?

RAY: All set, Jock.

Jock and Ray leave.

J.R.: Bobby, I thought you learned something when you were a young boy. I guess I was wrong.

BOBBY: Learned what?

J.R.: Never cross Daddy when it comes to business. Never.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Jim Davis, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Quest, Steve Kanaly

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘You Have a Trashy Mouth’

September 11, 2012 by Chris Baker 4 Comments

Here they go again

In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “Start the Revolution with Me,” J.R. (Larry Hagman) comes home late to find Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) seated at their bedroom vanity.

J.R.: Well, you’re up late. Been out? [Places his cowboy hat atop the armoire]

SUE ELLEN: Why, yes, J.R., I have been.

J.R.: Anybody I know? [Removes his jacket, throws it on the bed]

SUE ELLEN: [Primping] You don’t really care.

J.R.: No, I don’t really care. [Sits in a chair behind her]

SUE ELLEN: J.R., you’ve been keeping yourself real busy lately. I heard you hired yourself a public relations woman.

J.R.: That’s right. Leslie Stewart.

SUE ELLEN: [Examining jewelry] You know, darling, I find it very interesting that you hired a woman to tell you how to run your business. It’s always been a Ewing creed that women were seen, not heard.

J.R.: Well, this woman is different. She’s intelligent, talented and creative – and she knows when to keep her mouth shut. [Loosens his necktie]

SUE ELLEN: Have you had her yet?

J.R.: [Sighs] Is that all you ever think about?

SUE ELLEN: No, darling. That’s all you ever think about.

J.R.: Leslie Stewart is a highly qualified professional. She’s doing a brilliant job.

SUE ELLEN: [Smiles] That means you haven’t had her.

J.R.: You have a trashy mouth. Do you know that?

SUE ELLEN: J.R., I know you better than anybody else. And if you haven’t had sex with Miss Leslie Stewart, that means the lady doesn’t want you, not that you haven’t tried. You might be losing your touch.

J.R.: You don’t know a damn thing about it. [Rises, grabs his jacket off the bed, heads for the door]

SUE ELLEN: J.R.? [He stops and turns to face her.] I know all about it.

He leaves, slamming the door behind him.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Start the Revolution With Me

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘J.R., You’re My Kind of Man’

September 10, 2012 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Sitting pretty

In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “Making of a President,” J.R. and Leslie (Larry Hagman, Susan Flannery) dine in a Japanese restaurant.

LESLIE: I was certainly surprised to hear from you so soon, J.R.

J.R.: Well, things have happened, and I thought maybe we ought to talk a little business.

LESLIE: [Noticing his use of chopsticks] You handle those very well.

J.R.: When I was in the service, I spent a lot of time in Japan. You’re doing pretty good yourself. You ever been to the Far East?

LESLIE: No. The first time I ever used them was in Chinatown, New York City.

J.R.: [Laughs] How about a little sashimi? What do you say? [Places food on her plate]

LESLIE: Thank you.

J.R.: And that yellowtail looks real good. Yeah. [To server] Arigato gozaimasu.

LESLIE: Any octopus?

J.R.: Well, I’ve never really acquired a taste for octopus. You like it, do you?

LESLIE: Oh, I adore octopus. I think it’s unusual and exotic … and dangerous.

J.R.: Well, I like a lady whose tastes run to the bizarre at times. Besides octopus, what else?

LESLIE: You.

J.R.: You find me bizarre, do you?

LESLIE: [Laughs] No. Dangerous. [Sips from a cup]

J.R.: Well, should I take that as a form of flattery or –

LESLIE: Not really. If it’s flattery that you want, then I would suggest that we just finish our meal, say goodbye and I’ll pick up the check.

J.R.: Leslie, what’s your angle?

LESLIE: Honesty. At least with my clients. All I’ve ever heard about since I reached Dallas is J.R. Ewing. The more I heard about you, the more I wanted to meet you.

J.R.: Why?

LESLIE: Because they said that you are the biggest cheat, the bigger liar and the biggest double-dealer this town has ever seen, and I think that must be going some.

J.R.: You’re getting closer to picking up that check.

LESLIE: Really?

J.R.: You better think of something to say fast.

LESLIE: J.R., you’re my kind of man. Besides, if you were on the side of the angels, you wouldn’t need Leslie Stewart.

J.R.: [Smiles] You are some kind of woman, you know that?

LESLIE: You put your image in my hands, J.R., and I’ll build you a halo so big, your shoulders will buckle just trying to carry it around.

J.R.: [Chuckles] You know, I’m beginning to believe you can do what you say you can do.

LESLIE: People will come from all over the country – all over the world – begging to do business with you.

J.R.: Well –

LESLIE: Just leave it to me. Trust me. I’ll guide you. I’ll be at your beck and call, day and night.

J.R.: Why don’t we work on those night calls, right about now. What do you say?

LESLIE: Oh, I think I ought to draw up a tentative contract and bring it to your office tomorrow.

J.R.: Now, I still think we ought to seal the deal, right about – [Using her chopsticks, she puts a piece of sushi in his mouth.] What’s that?

LESLIE: Octopus. I can’t think of a better way to seal a deal with you.

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: Larry Hagman, Making of a President, Susan Flannery

Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘He’s a Hell of a Son’

August 1, 2012 by Chris Baker 3 Comments

Family business

In “Dallas’s” fourth-season episode “End of the Road, Part 2,” Bobby (Patrick Duffy) summons Jock and J.R. (Jim Davis, Larry Hagman) to the Southfork living room.

BOBBY: Daddy, I want out of Ewing Oil. It’s all yours, J.R.

JOCK: Just what are you talking about?

BOBBY: I want out. I almost did something today that I never would’ve been able to forgive myself for.

J.R.: Almost? [Walks toward the bar] Does that mean you didn’t sign with Westar Oil? [Pours himself a drink]

BOBBY: So you know about Westar, do you? Well, I can’t say I’m too surprised.

J.R.: [Pouring himself a drink] Well, Bobby, I built Ewing Oil into a power because I knew everything that was happening in Dallas. I still do. That’s how you run a successful business. [Turns to face Bobby and Jock]

BOBBY: Well, maybe you’re right. And maybe you can’t care for the people. [Turns to Jock] But I wanted to run this company on the up-and-up, Daddy. Only after awhile, the deals became more important than the people. I was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, all the time pretending it was for the right reasons. And then I realized, after awhile, that you can only lie to yourself just so long, that I could pretend that whatever was good for Ewing Oil was alright, but it’s not. It’s not all right for me.

J.R.: Well, if you didn’t sign with Westar, that means you blew the deal with Jordan Lee and the cartel. And on top of that, we still owe them $12 million – money we don’t have.

JOCK: Is that true, Bobby? Did you go back on your word at the cartel?

BOBBY: [Sighs] I hate to disappoint you, J.R., but we’re just fine with the cartel. [To Jock] I phoned Jordan Lee and told him why I couldn’t go in on the deal with him. Then I put him together with Nick Hammond. Hammond Oil? Nick agreed to take over our part of the investment – completely – with the blessing of the cartel. We’re in real solid with them, Daddy. Till they find out J.R.’s back.

J.R.: You’re crazy, Bobby. You lost us millions of dollars.

BOBBY: I’m sure you’ll find a way to get it back. You’re very good at that sort of thing – a lot better than I wanna be. [Turns and leaves]

J.R.: [Turns to the bar] Well, if that don’t tear the rag off the bush. [Pours himself another drink] He almost bankrupts us. He leaves, and I gotta cover his tail. [Chuckles] I tell you. [Drinks]

JOCK: Just what are you talking about, J.R.? Nothing wrong with the company. We got a refinery we didn’t have before. Plenty of product. We’re even back in with the cartel. I’m proud of the way Bobby acted. He showed people the Ewing name stands for something. He’s a hell of a son – and a hell of a man. [Turns and leaves]

Filed Under: Dallas Scenes of the Day, Dallas Scenes of the Day (Classic), Features Tagged With: End of the Road Part 2, Jim Davis, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy