Network (1976)

Robert Duvall: Frank Hackett

Photos 

Quotes 

• Nelson Chaney : The affiliates won't carry it.

  Frank Hackett : The affiliates will kiss your ass if you can hand them a hit show.

• Frank Hackett : I argued that television was a volatile industry in which success and failure were determined week by week; Mr. Jensen does not like volatile industries and suggested with a certain sinister silkiness that volatility in business usually reflected bad management.

• Nelson Chaney : All I know is that this violates every canon of respectable broadcasting.

  Frank Hackett : We're not a respectable network. We're a whorehouse network, and we have to take whatever we can get.

  Nelson Chaney : Well, I don't want any part of it. I don't fancy myself the president of a whorehouse.

  Frank Hackett : That's very commendable of you, Nelson. Now sit down. Your indignation is duly recorded; you can always resign tomorrow.

• Frank Hackett : Well, the issue is: Shall we kill Howard Beale, or not? I'd like to get some more opinions on that.

  Diana Christensen : I don't see we have any options, Frank. Let's kill the son-of-a-bitch.

• Frank Hackett : Mr. Jensen is unhappy with Howard Beale and wants him discontinued.

  Diana Christensen : He may be unhappy, but he isn't stupid enough to withdraw the number one show on television out of pique.

  Frank Hackett : Two billion dollars is not pique! That's the Wrath of God! And the Wrath of God wants Howard Beale fired.

• Nelson Chaney : So, what do we do about this Beale son-of-a-bitch?

  Frank Hackett : I suppose we'll have to kill him. I don't suppose you have any ideas on that, Diana?

  Diana Christensen : Well, what would you fellas say to an assassination? I think I can get the the Mao Tse-Tung people to kill Beale for us, as one of their shows. In fact, it would make a helluva kickoff show for the season. We're facing heavy opposition on the other networks on Wednesday nights and "The Mao Tse-Tung Hour" could use a sensational opener. It could be done right on camera, in the the studio. We ought get a fantastic looking audience for the assignation of Howard Beale as our opening show.

• Diana Christensen : Did you see the news this morning? Did you see the Times? We got press coverage on this you couldn't buy for a million dollars. Frank, that dumb show jumped five rating points in one night. Tonight's show is gonna be at least fifteen. We've just increased our audience by twenty or thirty million people in one night! And you're not going to to get something like this in your lap for the rest of your days and you can't just piss it away. Howard Beale went up there last night and said what every American feels, that he's tired of all the bullshit! He's articulating the popular rage! I want that show, Frank. I can turn that show into the biggest smash on television.

  Frank Hackett : What do you mean you want that show? It's a News show. It's not your department.

  Diana Christensen : I see Howard Beale as a latter day prophet. A magnificent messianic figure in vain against the hypocrisies of our times! A strip Savonarola, Monday through Friday, that I tell you Frank will just go through the roof! And, I'm talking about a six dollar cost per thousand show. I'm talking about a hundred, a hundred and thirty thousand dollar minutes and you ought to figure out the revenues of a strip show that sells for a hundred thousand bucks a minute! One show like that could pull this whole Network right out of the hole. Now, Frank, it's being handed to us on a plate, let's not blow it.

• Man on Phones : So far, over 900 fucking phone calls complaining about the foul language.

  Frank Hackett : Shit.

• Frank Hackett : I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna impale the son-of-a-bitch with a sharp stick through the heart. I'll take out a contract on him. I'll hire a professional killer; no, I'll do it myself. I'll strangle him with a sash cord.

• Frank Hackett : [Discussing Beale's poor ratings]  Where's that put us, Diana?

  Diana Christensen : That puts us in the shithouse. That's where that puts us.

• Frank Hackett : For God's sake Diana, we're talking about putting a manifest irresponsible man on national television.

  Diana Christensen : [nods affirming] 

• Frank Hackett : Four hours ago I was the Sun God at CCA, Mr. Jensen's handpicked golden boy, the heir apparent. Now I'm a man without a corporation.

• Frank Hackett : The business of management is management.

• Max Schumacher : When Ruddy gets back, he'll have your ass.

  Frank Hackett : I got a hit, Schumacher, and Ruddy doesn't count any more! He was hoping I'd fall on my face with this Beale show, but I didn't. It's a big, fat, big-titted hit, and I don't have to waffle around with Ruddy any more!

• Frank Hackett : The business of management *is* management. And at the time CCA took control of UBS TV Network was floundering with less than 7% of national television revenues. Most Network programing was being sold at station rates. I am therefore pleased to announce I am submitting to the Board of Directors a plan for the coordination of the main profit centers and with the specific intention of making each division more responsive to management. Point one: the division producing the lowest rate of return has been the News division with its 98 million dollar budget and its average annual deficit of 32 million. I know that historically News divisions are expected to lose money. But, to our minds this philosophy is a wonton fiscal affront to be resolutely resisted. The new plan calls for local news to be transferred to owned stations divisions. News radio would be transferred to the UBS radio division and, in effect, the News division would be reduced from an independent division to a department accountable to Network.

• Walter C. Amundsen : You would describe Mr. Jensen's position on Beale as inflexible?

  Frank Hackett : Intractable and adamantine.