Citizen Hughes - Michael Drosnin [160]
“Re the list of invitees from the news media,” he inquired, “do you think the list should be slightly expanded?
“I dont know. I am just asking.
“I see you have nobody from the radio stations. I am not criticizing. Only asking.”
It went on like that for days, the guest list ballooning to embrace everybody as qualified as those already included, until Maheu finally suggested two separate parties to accommodate all the proposed guests, a pre-opening preview to be followed by the big opening gala.
Hughes, however, had not yet actually approved any invitations. And now he started to move in reverse, questioning every name on the list, eliminating entire categories.
“I have reviewed carefully the new integrated complete lists,” he advised Maheu. “I suggest you make new lists as follows:
“Why dont you eliminate all out-of-towners plus as many locals as you feel would not be harmful.
“Studio Execs—all out of town, so understand will be eliminated.
“Union Officials—urge you review with objective of shortening slightly and eliminating any questionables.
“Local Business Men—I urge that you, Bob, personally go thru this list. I would like to see it slightly shorter if it can be done without hurting too many feelings.
“Airline and Aircraft Industries—I feel all of these can be eliminated.
“Hotel Industry—this seems an awful long list, Bob.”
For the third time in three days, Maheu revised the guest list for the still unscheduled party. Hughes was not satisfied. He demanded the same absolute consistency in excluding guests as he had in including them, dropping all who were equally unqualified, and the once swollen list was now shrinking at an alarming rate.
“These will be my final comments on the invitation lists,” Hughes assured his harried underling, as he started to prune the undesirables, slashing away with wild abandon.
“Do you really think so many hotel executives should be included?” he asked dubiously. “If I am going to eliminate all of my friends in the movie business and in the aircraft business, such as my friends at Lockheed, then I just wonder about such names as those I have noted.”
Having decided not to invite his old friends for fear they would insist on seeing him, having eliminated all out-of-towners to cover their exclusion, Hughes now questioned every name still on the list. Why invite a bunch of strangers, if not his friends?
“Please give me your views,” he encouraged Maheu, not at all close-minded, “but bear in mind that I am not inviting about 500 highly qualified candidates of mine in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, and Houston.
“You may say: ‘Go ahead and invite them.’
“But we have discussed that and agreed that there are many disadvantages.
“I just feel that if all of my out-of-town friends are going to be excluded, it will be easier for me to explain if the list is confined to the people who would normally be included under almost any kind of analysis.
“This surely includes Laxalt, Baring, Bible, etc.,” he continued, citing the governor, Nevada’s only congressman, and one of its two senators.
“Whether it includes a man, because he is the biggest meat packer in town, or not—I just really dont know, Bob, and that is why I solicit your advice.
“Please feel free to resubmit to me a reccomendation for reinstatement of any of the names,” Hughes concluded generously, “together with an explanation of what specific qualifications you desire to use as the controlling guidelines in reinstating them.”
Maheu had reached his limit. He had been filing an endless series of reports, justifying his proposed lists, explaining the qualifications of each proposed guest, quickly agreeing to drop those Hughes challenged, to add those he suggested, to drop the names added as the billionaire suddenly questioned invitations he had just insisted upon, submitting revised lists and revising the revisions.
It was all futile.
Every name added and every name deleted called into question all the other names, causing Hughes to re-analyze