feeds JJ an item about a great young piano player named Dallas Cochran who needs a break. JJ will print it. Susan is silently grateful. When Sidney leaves, JJ asks Susan to dance like they used to when she was a little girl. When she rejects him, JJ suspects Susan of seeing someone and counts on Sidney to tell him who that someone is. Thanks to JJ's rave review, Dallas is in New York headlining at the hip Café Elysian. JJ proudly introduces Susan to his discovery, Dallas. Then he sees Susan's loving reaction. Sidney tries to hustle JJ out of the club. Tony from the Voodoo has stopped by to see Dallas's success. Tony unwittingly drops the bombshell that Susan and Dallas have been an item for a while. JJ is incensed at having been duped by Sidney. Nobody lies to JJ. Sidney is trapped. Act 2 As Act Two opens, Sidney vows to JJ he'll clear up this Susan/Dallas thing. Clear it up? JJ insists that he break it up, or else! And Susan must never know JJ's behind it. Sidney tries every ploy he can think of to end the romance. Nothing works. Sidney's downfall is swift. He's blackballed from the column and loses all his clients. JJ, while pretending to be happy for Susan and Dallas, gives Sidney a deadline to demolish their relationship - by morning. In desperation to get back in JJ's favour, Sidney tries to plant a vicious smear about Dallas in the column of a rival gossip monger, Otis Elwell. However, the repulsive Otis will only print the item for a price. Sidney realises he has "the price" at home, where Sidney's girlfriend Rita is eagerly waiting for him. Sidney shows up with Elwell. His purpose is clear. Rita is revolted that Sidney would use her like this. Sidney needs Otis's column. He's desperate. He bullies and manipulates Rita into going along with his scheme. After Otis phones in Sidney's smear, Sidney leaves them together. The public descends on the morning edition. They revel in how the item will ruin Dallas. JJ is hosting a charity telethon. Susan comes backstage to show JJ this lie of a smear in a rival paper, and begs JJ for help. Sidney assures Susan that JJ will. JJ is enraged. Sidney advises JJ to do what Susan wants, get Dallas his job back, then leave Dallas alone with him for five minutes. He will wind Dallas so tight that Dallas will snap and the relationship with Susan will be over. JJ admires his protégé. JJ calls the Elysian and gets Dallas reinstated, then goes on with his telethon. Sidney then reveals to Dallas how he got his career-making gig. JJ returns in time to hear Dallas's angry disbelief at her deception. Dallas insults JJ and his column. Susan tells Dallas to leave. Sidney is triumphant. JJ tells Susan he's taking her to England for the Coronation immediately after the telethon. She agrees to go then runs after Dallas. She tries to explain that he'll never escape JJ's power. He won't be safe. JJ can't forget Dallas's insults. Not satisfied that Susan and Dallas have parted, JJ wants Sidney to "take Dallas apart." Sidney doesn't do stuff like that. Then JJ suggests Sidney call Lt. Kello to do it. Never. What if JJ gave Sidney his own column, what then? JJ gives him Kello's number. While JJ performs his old vaudeville routine on the telethon, Sidney calls Kello and sets Dallas up to be brutally and lethally beaten. Sidney informs JJ the deed is done. JJ announces to America that, while he's away in England, Sidney will write the column. Sidney is at the top. Susan interrupts his victory. She tells him Dallas has been found. Sidney won't let her miss that boat. JJ waits impatiently at the dock. Susan refuses to get on board. She produces Rita as a witness who saw Sidney plant drugs on Dallas and signal Kello for the attack. JJ feigns shock that Sidney would do such a thing. Otis Elwell appears. Susan has called him with a story. JJ and Sidney are terrified. The story is that she and Dallas are going to marry and leave New York. Yes, Dallas is alive. Otis goes, grateful for the scoop. Susan tells JJ that he'll never see her again. If he ever comes after her, she'll tell every columnist in town what JJ and Sidney did to Dallas. "I always wondered which of your enemies would bring you down. I never dreamed it could be me." She leaves. Sidney urges JJ to get on the boat. JJ wants Sidney to get rid of Rita. Rita knows too much. "Do it and the
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