Wings in the Dark

It looked swell, Sheila.

Thanks. It was a perfect day for it.

Yeah, but holy smokes, what a way to dot an "I."

Well, it got dotted, didn't it;

I'll say it did.

Take Bonzo in and give her a drink. I'll be using her tomorrow.

All right.

Hi, boys. Hi.

Hi, Sheila. Did you make it; And how.

Hello, Top. Hello, Sheila.

Cup of coffee and chocolate parfait.

What was it this time, Sheila,

a parachute jump into Sheepshead Bay for dear old Dooley's Little Liver Pills;

Nope, just a simple little spelling lesson for the morons.

Not skywriting; Miraculous.

Oh, dear, oh, dear, I'd love to be a flyer, wouldn't you; Way up there in the air.

It must give one a sense of freedom, like, like...

Like a bird; Yeah, a bird.

That's it. Just like a bird.

All right, you monkeys, kid if you like, but $50 is $50.

Did they pay you $50 for doing that;

Sure. Me they did. Go out and get yourself a reputation.

What do you mean, reputation; I only got 7,000 hours in the air.

And 10,000 hours in the seat of your pants on that chair.

I guess that grounds you, my friend.

What'd you use, Sheila, that crate of yours;

Sure, why not;

Better watch it. I'll have to ground you.

What do you mean, Top; Bonzo's still good for 200 hours.

It's not me, it's the government. I only work for them.

Quit worrying, Top. The kid's got luck.

Sure, just like me.

I remember one time I was flying an old girl who had a son in Omaha with a toothache.

Hi, boys. Hi, Sheila. Hi, Top. How'd you make out;

Well, I'm here. Good. Here's your money, minus my fin.

Now about tomorrow, I got something swell.

How swell; Well, 25 bucks.

But you don't have to do practically nothing.

And just what is nothing;

You don't think I'd ask you to do anything dangerous, do you; I'm your manager.

I got everything to lose. Go on.

Now, look, there's a little joint out in New Jersey, see; And they got a bridge.

And they want somebody to fly under it; Yes.

What'd they build a bridge for, anyway; Civic pride.

Now look, you can do it with your eyes closed.

It's about 20 feet high and 40 feet wide and a nice little river underneath.

That's in case I miss. You can't miss.

After that, all you gotta do is a parachute jump.

Oh, that's all; Sure.

Is that before the bridge or after the bridge or under the bridge;

Now, Sheila, it's a cinch.

Okay. What time does this cinch take place;

4:00. The sun's right at your back.

You think of everything, don't you;

Why don't you hire this guy to shoot you, Sheila; Save a lot of trouble.

Now quiet, Top, quiet!

Hey, Top, ain't that Ken Gordon coming in;

Ken Gordon;

Where; Over the south runway. Don't you see him;

That's Ken, all right, flying that blind goose of his.

We've just passed over the field.

Right.

I'm going to turn and go down.

Now, take it easy, Chief!

What's he doing here;

Flying blind in a hop from his own field.

Flying blind, now;

Yes, I've been expecting him.

I think I'll take a peek at that jalopy.

Me, too.

Here we go.

I'm leveling off.

Well, I hope Top saw that landing. It'll save an awful lot of conversation.

Right.

What a flyer.

Did you ever meet him, Sheila;

Once, but he wouldn't remember me.

Hey, what's he got that we haven't;

He's a flyer, son.

Well, we fly, too, you know.

I know, but when you go out and pick a couple of people off ice floes

and fly serum through a blizzard to a lot of sick Eskimos,

then I'll buy your violets.

See that landing;

Anything wrong with it; Nope.

Was it blind; Yes, and the take-off, too. Take a look.

I'd like to.

Some board you've got up here.

Certainly is blind, all right.

We gave her the works didn't we, Mac;

I'll say. And we brought her down

in our own field last week with the fog zero-zero.

Even the birds were walking.

Looks like you're in. I am in. When do I go;

Paris is a long way off, Ken, blind.

It's a long way off any way you take it, but I'm going.

It's your funeral, not mine.

Come on, Top. Get on the phone to Washington

and tell those red-tape artists what you saw today. I can't miss, I'm telling you.

When do you want to take off;

Why, right away. Tomorrow, if the weather's right.

I'll see what I can do. All right, but keep it under your hat.

I don't want any ballyhoo until after it's through.

Okay.

Like to take a ride;

Me; In that; I'm working for the government, not dying for it.

Hi, Ken. Hi, Nick.

Nice little plane you got here.

Like it;

They tell me you fly her blind.

That's how I landed.

What are you going to do with her; Just kick it around.

Get you lots of publicity with this.

You know, those ballyhoo flyers you work for are getting you down.

You got the wrong slant. Now, let me handle you

and I'll put you on every front page in the country

and boy, how that front page pays off.

Yeah. Some day a front page is going to walk right up

and bite you, and you'll be sorry.

All right, all right, just talking for your own good. You'll learn.

Well, I got to be going. Be seeing you. Keep after that, Top.

Right.

All clear;

Clear.

Contact.

How'd you like to fly to Paris with that guy;

How'd I like to what;

if you're a good girl, I might be able to fix it.

Hold it.

How's it coming;

Eighty-five here, Chief.

How many all around;

Six hundred gallons.

How much oil; Full up.

You'd better be right.

Right.

Need any help there;

No. A new bolt and she'll be singing.

How's your weather report; Made to order, Mac.

All we're waiting for now is the permit. Sure you're ready;

You can leave in two minutes.

Radio checked; Right.

Instruments; Right.

Plenty of coffee; Right.

Eight hours two points off East.

Mac, if that tail wind holds off the banks, I'll make Paris under 20 hours.

Right.

Where the devil's that permit;

Give me a dime, Mac.

Give me a dime!

Right. You Scotchman.

Operator, get me Top Harmon at Roosevelt Field Government Office.

Boy, when I burn up half that load of gas, she'll cruise over 200.

She's a bonnie ship, my lad.

You should have seen my first one.

Four cigar boxes and a quart of glue.

Did she fly;

From the top of the shed to the ground in one straight hop.

Hello, Top;

Oh. Well, where is he;

Yes. Well, have him call Ken Gordon the moment he comes in, will you; Yes.

Never mind, he's here. Yes. Yes, thanks.

Oh, boy, am I glad to see you! I've never waited for anything so long in my whole life.

What's the matter;

You're not going, Ken.

What;

I didn't get the permit.

They wouldn't send it.

They wouldn't send it; Why not; I'm ready to go now.

I told them that, Ken, but then... But what;

What's wrong;

I'm afraid they're not going to send it.

You mean not at all;

They sounded like they meant it.

Look,

I don't mean to appear to be stupid, but I just don't follow you.

You seen this;

The department figured that we couldn't publicly sanction a man

going out to commit suicide.

I see.

Sorry, Ken.

I don't have to ask you if you did this;

What do you think;

Well, there goes the bubble, Mac.

Four years we've been working, isn't it;

And a few months.

Sort of hits you financially, too, doesn't it;

It's all rotten. Just because somebody wants to spill a lot of type,

I'm grounded by an eight-column banner.

Hey, Mr. Gordon, carload of guys with a dame moved in on us outside.

Who are they; I don't know.

Some of them's got cameras.

Oh, they have;

We tried to keep them out but they piled in anyway.

Fix that tie, babe. Here.

There we are. Now, keep that nose up. Sheila, keep that nose up.

That's it, that's it. Tilt your hat a little bit.

That's the idea. Show them you can look as well as fly.

All right, boys. PHOTOGRAPHER: Smile, Miss Mason.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Look at the plane, honey, like you loved it.