don't know
who they're playing with.
They don't shut down
our picture.
You people gonna be long?
Otherwise,
l'll put away the equipment.
l don't know what l'm doing.
l think l'm supposed
to be writing a song.
What kind of song?
ls there anybody there named...
Schumann?
-Schuster?
-Schumacher.
l got a great idea.
Old shoe, new shoe.
Daddy had a hound dog...
used to call him Blue.
Follow me 'round...
stick to me like glue.
His favorite thing
to play with...
used to be a good ol' shoe.
Wait a minute.
Used to be.
You hit that 16-16.
Well, l wish l had a woman...
who was half as good and true.
Anybody here know Morse code?
What you gonna do?
Give me the fax.
Sergeant William Schumann,
U.S. Army...
serial number 2131284262.
Good ol' shoe...
Here's the deal.
Good Ol' Shoe.
Whatever you walk in...
he will get you through.
He's in a sweater...
and he's...
We drop him behind enemy lines.
He's trapped.
The sweater.
-ln the sweater.
-Good.
ls there a way we can make it
sound old and scratchy...
with, like, a hiss?
With an old label.
l see where you're going.
Stand up straight and tall...
the way he taught you to.
l'll write a speech.
l'll help you with the speech.
The president reveals
that William Schumann...
was trapped behind enemy lines.
This is good.
Heartfelt.
Touching.
People will weep.
Soul of a good ol' shoe.
He might even get to heaven...
on the soul of his good ol'...
shoe.
Here's the president's speech.
Put this
in the Library of Congress.
Folk music section, 1930.
Right away, please.
Get it in
the Library of Congress now.
Oh, God.
Who's seeing
the CBS guy tonight?
Tonight, you remember some song
from the folk song days--
about a good old shoe.
Tonight?
You're with him watching
the president's speech--
What if he's busy?
-Lure him.
-What are you saying?
l don't have to be
your confessor, darling.
Tell him you've got info
on the sex scandal...
it's on your conscience.
He'll drop whatever he's doing.
This is a shitty business.
lt needs no ghost from the grave
to tell us that...
but, Lord willing,
eight days from now...
l'm gonna take you
into the second term.
Wait till you hear the speech.
The 303 speech. Great.
Where's that Fad King?
l'll get him.
Could we go now?
A good plan today is better
than a perfect plan tomorrow.
How are they doing
on Sergeant Schumann?
They're working on him,
they're finding him.
Good. lt's working.
lt's all happening.
lt's taking place around us.
lt is in the works.
lt is being addressed.
We are being proactive.
We are going out with what
may be the finest example--
Get me an update on the army,
the Pentagon.
Get this guy Schumann.
Have him standing by.
l gotta tell you,
l see a lot of glum faces.
Please don't be disconsolate.
This is politics at its finest.
This is where the rubber
meets the road.
We've got a leader
going out tonight...
to 95 million American homes.
He's gonna turn
this thing around.
You think this is tough?
l was 4 months into production
on The Song of Solomon...
found out l didn't
have the rights.
Turn it up. lt's our spot.
Tough? This is nothing.
Will you look at that shit?
'Cause you don't change
horses in midstream.
Don't change horses.
This speech is good.
We're kinda locked into it,
Mr. President.
For the future
of our families...
The music.
Where did they get that?
-Pain in the ass.
-What?
He won't do the speech.
What do you mean?
What choice does he have?
He won't do the speech?
He says it's corny.
lt's what? lt's corny?
Of course it's corny.
We wouldn't have him say it
if it wasn't.
lt's not a question.
This is the center
for rest of the thing.
Don't tell me it's corny.
We're locked into the speech,
right?
We're locked in.
We are playing way past this.
We are past this.
This is what l need.
Get me 30 secretaries
and put them in an office now.
l need to see the president.
l need 5 minutes.
Know what