Hal tells Alan that he went to Hollywood, was "discovered," was going to be re-named "Brush," etc. He also tells Alan how he was picked up by two babes in a convertible who made him "perform" in a motel. The question is: was Hal just a "blow-hard" who made up these stories, or might there have been something to them? I lean toward the view that they had a slim basis in fact but that Hal greatly exaggerated them.
shareI, for one, believe the stories to be true. He admitted he drank too much with the two women, then they took his lousy $200.00, then said even the cops didn't believe his story. If he was exaggerating, I think he would have bragged more about how great the threesome was and that they took more money than $200. (although he did say he was going to a "big oil deal").
And his talk of the "babe" in Hollywood didn't seem too pumped up, at least to me, because he really didn't go over the top and say he got a bunch of movie offers, or how great the babe was who got him the screen test - said she was kind of beat up, but not bad.
And when Benson first asked him where he'd been, he started talking about the filling station and the Army. And then I believe it was Alan who said he heard that Hal went to Hollywood.
Alan did put Hal in his place at the picnic, though, when Hal started talking about the grain business. I think Hal's endorphins were running on high.
My take, anyway. I really wanted Hal to succeed, especially with Madge in his future.