Love and War (The War Bride)

AIR-RAID SIREN

AIRCRAFT ENGINES ROAR

EXPLOSION

BOMBS WHISTLING

ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE

EXPLOSIONS

LOUD EXPLOSION

AIR-RAID SIREN

FIRE ENGINE BELL RINGS

VOICES SHOUTING

Hey! Just over there! Up there. Right oh.

You should've been there last night. They were gorgeous.

Tell her about his mate. You've got no taste.Hold on, you slut. It wasn't me who dated that bleeder!

What was his name?Peter.Yeah, Peter, the hedgehog, with the big teeth!Yeah, yeah, big teeth!

Very big lips!

LAUGHTER

SWING MUSIC

SHOUTING AND WHOOPING

Whoo!

Hiya!

Hey, hey!

Come on.

What are you having, girls? Can we get two G and Ts and a port and lemon, please?

Hello, darling.

Look at him, he's drooling.Eugh!

Where are they?I don't know. I can only see ours.

Hey, Charlie, come on. Come on.

Oh, my God,they're here. Look! Oh, God, look at them!

All right, cowboy, where's your 'orse? Come over here and I'll show you!

Here, Rosie, look at those two. 'Ere, are they Yanks? I don't recognise the uniform.

Get in there.

Look at that one!He's smashing!

He's staring at you. Well, he can forget it.

He wants to dance with you. Look at him.He's gorgeous.

Go on!I'll dance with him if you don't want to. Go on. He's bloody gorgeous!

Well, maybe just the one. Go on!Go on!

Look at the way he's looking at her!

He's really got a fancy for her.

MUSIC INCREASES TEMPO

Whoo!

Come on, Moira.

"Moonlight Serenade" - Glenn Miller

Let's get a drink, eh?

So what's your name, Corporal?

Charlie Travis, Spring Hill, Alberta. And you must be Ginger.

Why do you say that?

Well, I could've sworn I was dancing with Ginger Rogers out there.You!

All right, what's your hurry, soldier?There's a war on. So I've heard.

Oh, come on, this might be our last night on Earth.

We could all end up as dust tomorrow.You've got some cheek!

My name's Lily.That's pretty, like that song, Lily Of Laguna. My dad used to whistle it when I was a kid.

Your dad in Spring Hill, Alberta?

Well, he was. He, uh...

He died. Now it's just my mother and my sister.

My dad disappeared when I was five.

Did your mum look after you? Kidneys copped it when I was born. Never met her.

You had no home? Of course I had a home, silly!

Northford School was home to me and my mates over there.

Cheeky!

They're the closest thing I've ever had to a real family.

But it's not the same, I reckon, having a mum and a dad and all that.

No. I don't think it's the same at all.

You're a real softie, aren't you? And you being in the army, acting so tough.

"In The Mood" - Glenn Miller

CHEERING AND WHISTLING

What is it?That's my buddy Louie causing all the commotion. Man, can he kick!

Let's go and dance.They learn that kind of thing in Montreal, you know.

WOLF-WHISTLES

Here, what was your bloke like?

So-PHIE!I didn't know they spoke French in Montreal.

Well, my family has a spread on the prairie.Really?

Yeah, just outside of Spring Hill, Alberta.

Where's Spring Hill, Alberta? It's near Hollywood, I think.Yeah, like a big old ranch on the prairie.

Just around the corner from John Wayne.Now I know you're kidding!

AIR-RAID SIREN, BOMBS EXPLODE

Oh, my Lord! >

SIREN CONTINUES

Where is...? There we go, look.

LAUGHTER

Where's the bit about the suit? Right, here we go. Listen.

"If someone asks where were you in the winter of '41,

"you should answer, 'In a coloured suit.'" I don't like that material. It's awful.But the shape's good.

"It's your duty to be beautiful. The hands at work today can be both beautiful and busy."

Look, I've got red ones!

Right, you lot, back to work! Don't you know there's a war on?

Come on. Come on. Hurry up!

SIREN GOES OFF Oh, no.

Oh, not today. We're behind as it is. Well, come on then.

Cheers, love.

DISTANT EXPLOSIONS

Give us one then. Come on, don't be tight.

We'll be late.Let's take the Underground.You can't get trains. It's used as a bomb shelter now.

Come on, let's have a look anyway.

You're lucky, you are.Why?

You don't get bombs dropped on your head in Spring Hill, Alberta.

That's why we came here, so we could get a taste of it.Are you scared? Of you?No, silly, the war?

Yeah, I'm a little scared of the war. But I am petrified of you.

AIR-RAID SIREN, VOICES OUTSIDE

Charlie!

Quickly now!

Oh, dear me. Over there!

EXPLOSIONS OVERHEAD

Not bad for an old tablecloth. Do you reckon that's even? Oh, you look beautiful!

That's the best bit. Look at that.

Whoo!

Do they wear white in a synagogue? You look gorgeous.Thanks, love. Just got to heave that up a bit.

And have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring and by joining of hands.

I pronounce that they be man and wife together in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Amen. You may kiss the bride.

GIGGLING

We've got a regular bed.

What happened?The war.

It's not gonna happen any more.

I'll take care of you.

I'll take care of you for ever.

I'll miss you, my darling! I'll miss you too.

It's only been six days. Only two for you and me, Lou. Don't be upset, Sophie.

I'll send you a silk scarf from Europe.I've got to go.I don't want you to go!I've got to go.

You just get home in one piece, all right? Come here, sunshine.

You write to me, yeah?Every day.

Throw your stuff in. >

I've got something to tell you. Travis!Yes, sir!I wasn't going to tell you, but...What?

Oh, Charlie...NOW, Corporal Travis! I'm coming!

I might be pregnant.

What?I don't know for sure, but...

Charlie, you don't want to be AWOL before we even ship out.These things happen.Come on! Let's go!

I love you! Corporal Travis. Private Maldoff.

And boys, keep your peckers up! What?What?

Your peckers! Keep 'em up.

Louie!

That's it.Aagh!Come on. Push! Push! Push! Push! Push!

PUSH!

Come on.

BABY CRIES

It's a girl.

SOBBING

Oh, she's lovely.

She's beautiful!

Hello.

Hello.

Hello.

Lil.

Charlie!Hello, Lil.Charlie! They gave me three days.

Lindy, meet your daddy.

She's perfect.Isn't she?

Every single time I look at her face, I just see you.

God, I've missed you so much!

I remember you.

Oh, Charlie!

Do you want to take her?

Who's that?

She's...

She's got your nose.

Oh, no.

OK...

SHE SIGHS

Let's say goodbye here.

I gotta go.

Gotta go.

Lily!What?Lily!

Lily!

They've come Special Delivery. What? Two of them?

Well, surely they can't both have copped it at once?

We're going to bloody Canada.

Oh, my God! We're going to Canada! "Report to the Royal Canadian Army Regional Transportation Office

"at Euston Station at 8pm, 20th March, 1943.

"Baggage should be marked only with the individual's name and code.

"And tell no-one." Well, March 20th, that's in three days' time.Yes!

We've got to leave in three days' time?The whole neighbourhood has already gone!13 days!

I've seen my husband for a total of 13 days.

But we're going to bloody Canada!

SCREAMING

We've got to pack.What time have we got to be at the station for? We've got a lot to do in three days.

'Canada welcomes the British wives and ladies of Canadian servicemen.

'Montreal takes care of the new arrivals, war brides and babies on their way to various parts of Canada.

'Married in Britain, a new life awaits these mothers and children, who are to become Canadian citizens.

'All that initial strangeness will disappear in the warmness of Canadian hospitality,

'so freely given to these war brides and babies.'

# Here I go again

# I hear those trumpets blow again

# All aglow again

# Taking a chance on love

# Here I slide again

# About to take that ride again

# Starry-eyed again

# Taking a chance on love

# I thought that cards were a frame-up

# I never would try

# But now I'm taking the game up

# And the ace of hearts is high... #

Come on, sweetheart. All right then. Time to wake up, love. Say goodbye to Auntie Soph.

Ma'am, need any help? >

All right, baby?Thank you.

I shouldn't have come. Oh, no, we shouldn't have come. Of course you should.

Sophie Maldoff? Mrs Louie Maldoff Junior?

Oh, Lord! I've hit the bleeding jackpot!

Is it Sophie? Come here.

Elle est jolie.We're together now.

You take care, love, all right?

Don't blub!I'm trying.