The Rocketeer

Keep her straight... level.

It's your first time up, so don't do anything interesting.

- Who me? - Yeah, you.

Remember, she stalls out at about 100.

Keep the air speed up, otherwise you'll be drifting all over.

- If the ailerons start to shimmy-- - I've flown a plane or two.

Not like this one. This one's a handful.

You sneeze and you'll end up upside down in a field.

- That's fresh paint, damn it! - Do you want me to crash?

Gum ain't gonna keep your butt in the air.

Treat her nice, Clifford. She's gonna take us all the way to the nationals.

- Let's make some history. - Yeah.

Crank her up, Goose!

- Make her hot! - Hot and brakes.

Watch this, Peevy!

National air race is our next stop!

You tryin' to save ammo? Nail 'em!

I can't get a clean shot. Wish that black-and-white would get out of the way.

Careful what you wish for.

This is the 3rd car in a month. Hoover'll be spittin' nails.

The heck with Hoover!

- Outta my way. I can't see. - Keep drivin'!

Quit movin'. You're ruining my shot!

Get back. Get --

Let's go, Lenny. We can't get caught with--

Lousy feds!

Somethin' ain't right.

- - Sorry, Lenny.

It is him

He's gettin' away.

Get it off!

- Get him out! - Peevy!

Hit the latch! Hurry!

Get the hell outta there!

Where you goin'? Cliff!

You all right? You okay?

Well... that's the end of that!

- All right, get it outta here. Wait a minute.

You chase crooks across our runway,

crash into my pilot, and it's our fault?

No offence, pops, but we got more important things...

than get all sweaty about whose fault it was.

Listen, buddy, building that plane took three years and every cent we had.

File a claim with Uncle Sam. You could get lucky.

And wait six months... a year? We made a livin' with that plane.

Well maybe it's time to get a real job.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa! - Relax! Relax!

You got that one free, kid. One more and you'll be eatin' soft food for a month!

Yeah?

- Relax. - That fly boy hangs one...

on my kisser and you let him waltz?

Maybe you had it comin'.

- We need a word with the patient. - In private.

Your buddy's getting fitted for a pine overcoat.

If you make it to County General, Alcatraz is your new digs.

Spit it out, Wilmer. Where's the package?

Blown to hell.

Why don't you go look for it?

- Get him outta here. - Hey, Fitch?

- Take a look at this. -

That must be the gizmo, all right.

Okay, button it up.

- Call 'im, Wooly. - Why me? I called last time.

- But he likes you. -

There's no mistake about that, Wooly?

I'm afraid not. We got what's left of it.

I see.

- It was damn sloppy. - It could've been worse. We got the gizmo.

- Yes, it could have. - We'll take it down to headquarters.

Was that Wolinski?

They chased it to an airstrip in the valley.

There was a wreck on the runway.

The X-3 was destroyed.

Better lost than in the wrong hands.

- How soon can you rebuild it? - Rebuild it?

Not a chance.

My people in Washington will have something to say about that.

Your people in Washington want to turn anything that flies into a weapon.

Apparently someone else had the same idea.

I'm afraid, we must insist.

I don't work for the government.

I cooperate at my discretion.

Two of my best pilots were killed during the test phase.

God knows how many more men would have died if it had flown.

No, gentlemen.

I'm sorry I ever dreamed the damn thing up.

Sir, I wish you'd reconsider.

What do we tell the president?

Tell him the dream is over.

Tell him Howard Hughes said so.

What's this 300 gallons here?

We don't burn that much fuel in two years!

You burned it in two seconds when my fuel truck went up. It's all itemized.

I didn't blow up your truck. The guy in the car did.

After bouncing off you.

Pilots are responsible for a safe landing.

Where we gonna get this kind of dough? We've gotta sell the Gee Bee for scrap!

I'm sorry fault. I hate to kick you when you're down.

But business is business. I'm out of pocket here.

Of course, I could always use the old clown act.

We don't do the clown act no more.

Peevy, it's worth fifteen bucks a shot.

10 bucks a shot; 5 bucks goes toward your bill.

Think it over. See it my way or see me in court.

The clown suit is in the storeroom.

First show's at nine. Don't be late.

Lousy nickel-nurser.

Clown act!

Good thinkin', Clifford! You just set us back four years.

Plus which "Miss Mabel" here is a flying coffin.

She never let us down before. I'll go real easy on her.

Number five piston is shot, nothing left but spit and wire.

I could fly a shoe box if it had wings, Peev.

- Ouch! - What's the matter?

There's somethin' under this seat.

That's my duffel bag.

- What've you got in there? - I don't know, but it's heavy.

- Peev, clean that table off. - All right.

Open her up.

Oh, my! What've we got here?

Take the bag.

- That's a piece of work, isn't it? - Yeah.

What do you suppose it is, a bomb or somethin'?

Too complex to be a bomb.

I don't see any moving parts.

I wouldn't touch that if I were you.

- The housing's still cool. - Huh.

Runs on alcohol.

What's the damn thing for?

- Hold it, Peev. - Huh?

Hold it!

Tip her over. Tip her over.

- Easy, easy! - I got it.

Watch it.

What's goin' on, Sinclair? Lenny is dead.

Wilmer's wrapped up like a mummy in County General.

You didn't play straight with me.

I'm sorry about your boys, Eddie... truly.

- What went wrong? - It's the feds that went wrong.

This was supposed to be a simple snatch-and-grab. What the hell is going on?

I didn't say it'd be simple.

Snatch-and-grab is what you're supposed to be good at.

That's what I pay you for.

Now where's the package?

Nothing's gonna happen until you tell me...

why this merchandise is so important to the feds.

Send me a cheque.

- Let's get out of here, boys. - It's a rocket.

A rocket?

Yeah... Like in the comic books.

- What happened to it? - I don't know.

Wilmer knows. He's in the hospital surrounded by cops.

- In a couple of days -- - We don't have a couple of days.

- What room's Wilmer in? -

Mr. Movie Star!

He's gonna walk in with a smile on his face and a handful of posies.

He's gonna charm the feds to death.

That's not exactly what I had in mind.

Who cares what you had in mind?

You don't need my services any more.

You can take it from here. I'll tell you what.

You pay me what you owe me 'cause you're half lunatic.

Yes, shoot!

I want that rocket, Eddie, not next week, not tomorrow... now.

We have a deal?

You bring me that rocket and I'll double your price.

You'll triple my price.

What's a movie star need a rocket for anyway?

Bloody amateurs!

Yes.

Lothar, I've got another job for you...

a condolence call.

Come on, Peev.

Here goes.

Well, I'm lookin' at it but I don't believe it.

- Peevy... the stake! - Get down!

That thing'll cut you in half.

We lost it.

I told you I should have tested it myself.

Yeah, you'd be halfway to Kansas by now, chowder head!

Turn her off! Turn her off!

That must've woke up the whole valley.

Pick her up. Let's get out of here.

Peevy, you'd pay to see a man fly, wouldn't you?

Ha!

- You've gotta be outta your mind. - I'm talkin' about making real money.

Not just 10 bucks a show but enough to get us back on our feet and into the nationals.

Are your eyes painted on? This thing is like strapping nitroglycerine to your back.

- The feds are mixed up in this. - I don't want to keep it.

I just want to borrow it for a while.

When you borrow something and don't tell nobody, they call that stealing.

As soon as we can afford a new plane, we'll give it back.

Did you see what this thing did back there?

You're always telling me what a genius you are! Fix it.

We're gonna need one hell of a lawyer.

I think we're gonna need a helmet.

- - Whose is it?

Yours.

'Evening, Miss Pye.

You know my rules; no gentlemen after 6:00 p.m.