The Fatty Arbuckle case (1962)

Arbuckle, warming to the situation, made this proposition: "Here's $200. Tell Al to take you two girls shopping. You don't have to mention me. In fact I may not even have time to see you." Maude was inclined at least to try. Arbuckle was also a good contact, and the money would buy her some much needed clothes. They strolled to a telephone in a gas station. They met an actor named Harry Carey on the way. He kidded Arbuckle about beating him out in a popular Photoplay magazine poll. Arbuckle pointed out that he (Arbuckle) had beaten Francis X. Bushman, Lew Cody and Will Rogers. Maude warmed to the talk of important people and success. She called Al and put the proposition before him. Al's reaction was the same as Maude's had been. "She'd never go with us. I know Virginia. Shell spend the weekend studying her script." Seeing the two argue, Arbuckle took the phone. "It's a favor for me, Al," he said. "You may need a favor some day. The three of you go to the Palace Hotel. I'm at the St. Francis. IH take care of all the bills. I may never see you, but I'd like to know Virginia was up there. It's a whim of mine." Al said he'd try and that Arbuckle should call him back. Arbuckle took a sip of bourbon he carried in a flask in a large inside jacket pocket He offered the flask to Maude, who said she never drank before noon. While waiting to call Al back, Arbuckle clowned with the garage man. When a car drove into the station, Arbuckle ran to the front of it and cleaned the windshield. The surprised driver gulped to see a famous movie star cleaning his windows. In the meantime, Virginia was in the shower when the phone rang. Her aunt called her. She said she'd call Al back immediately, thinking it had something to do with her movie role. She felt a little better on this warm, sunny day and was thinking of going to church. The hours after that loomed formidably flat 22