“Gone Fishing”
1952, small town USA
The DOCTOR examines CLEAVER JACKSON, Chief Executive of Cleaver Inc in his high rise office. The prognosis is not good, the doctor warning him about high blood pressure from overwork. JACKSON is irritable and bad tempered to both the doctor and the new mailroom boy, JESS.
One summer’s evening CLEAVER and his daughter, PERDITA are being chauffeured along a country road when the car nearly hits two bikers, JESS and PETER. The bikes swerve but both boys escape serious injury.
The car stops and CLEAVER recognises JESS. The group is driven to CLEAVER’s mansion. They are not there for long when HARVEY, the young financial director of the company, arrives.
The following day at work, CLEAVER gives JESS a landing net that he used as a boy. JESS returns the net out of respect and suggests CLEAVER start fishing with it again.
The following Satuday CLEAVER goes fishing, much to the surprise of PERDITA and HARVEY who are used to him working on Saturdays.
CLEAVER joins JESS and PETER who are fishing by a river bank. PERDITA and HARVEY follow CLEAVER and spy on him from the bushes.
The DOCTOR is surprised at how far CLEAVER’s blood pressure has dropped on his next visit. Fishing – taking time out to relax – had helped to calm CLEAVER down.
HARVEY suggests to PERDITA that JESS is a spy from Amalgamated drawing CLEAVER’s attentions away from his work. PERDITA reports her fears of JESS back to CLEAVER. In response, CLEAVER refuses a fishing trip with JESS.
HARVEY sets JESS up by accusing him of losing a package in front of CLEAVER. CLEAVER sacks JESS.
PERDITA realises a mistake has been made. PERDITA tells CLEAVER of JESS’ innocence and HARVEY’s scheming.
CLEAVER has an early meeting at work with DIRECTORS and HARVEY. CLEAVER exposes HARVEY as a crook working for Amalgamated, who has been manipulating company performance for personal gain. CLEAVER sacks HARVEY.
CLEAVER announces that he is going fishing.
