:47:02
Once again, the eastern seaboard is reminded
that winter is never over until Jack Frost...
:47:07
... gets a hotfoot that will send him
scurrying on his way. The winter-weary...
:47:11
It was the morning
of The Godfather premiere.
:47:13
Outside, New York was suffering through
the worst March blizzard of the decade.
:47:17
I was parked at the Carlyle Hotel,
making last-minute preparations...
:47:21
...when Ali came in from the cold.
:47:24
Against her wishes,
I'd packed her off to Texas...
:47:26
...to star with Steve McQueen
in The Getaway.
:47:29
Two months had passed, and I hadn't
once bothered to visit her on location.
:47:34
Quickly, we embraced.
:47:36
Instead of kissing her, I whispered, wait here.
I'm expecting a call.
:47:41
Weeks ago, I had invited
Henry Kissinger to the premiere.
:47:44
My timing couldn't have been worse.
:47:46
The North Vietnamese offensive had just
begun and, naturally, he begged off.
:47:50
Hello, this is Robert Evans.
May I please speak to Dr. Kissinger?
:47:53
"No. Dr. Kissinger's with the president.
He'll have to call you back."
:47:57
Have him call me as soon as possible.
Please, it's urgent.
:48:00
Quicker than a junior agent
at the William Morris Agency...
:48:03
...within 10 minutes,
Kissinger's on the phone.
:48:05
"Bob, Bob, what's the urgency?"
The Godfather.
:48:08
"What?"
:48:10
Tonight's the premiere. Win or lose, it would
be worth it if I could walk in with you.
:48:15
"I have a 7:30 breakfast I can't get out of,
Bob. I'm leaving the country tomorrow."
:48:19
Henry, you didn't hear me.
I said I need you tonight.
:48:22
Only later did I learn that his leaving the
country was a secret mission to Moscow.
:48:27
And the breakfast was
with the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
:48:29
...to resolve the mining of Haiphong Harbor.
:48:32
I hung up, quickly called Bluhdorn.
Charlie, Kissinger's coming.
:48:36
"Kissinger? Kissinger?
Evans, I love you. I love you!"
:48:39
That was Charlie Bluhdorn.
Not easy. But not bad, either.
:48:56
The doors opened.
:48:58
Enough flashbulbs went off to light
up the entire state of New Jersey.