Flying Tigers (1942) Movie Script
attention, flight "a"!
Flight "a"!
Japanese aircraft sighted
over kunsing area.
Aggie blue from aggie blue one.
Go ahead.
- Blue two okay, skipper.
- Blue three, check.
Blue four
receiving you r5-s5, sir.
- Blue five, okay.
- Blue six, okay.
Eighteen attack bombers, three
points to your right. About 15,000.
What do you know, only three to
one. That won't even wake me up.
- Gordon to dale, over.
- Go ahead, sir.
Listen, dale,
this is your first time up.
Don't try to win this war
all by yourself.
- Stick close. Tail them in formation.
- Yes, sir.
What time
is it?
11:27. Those boozers are overdue.
All safe and accounted for? Of course.
Of course.
Look, captain jim!
Looky! Wham, wham!
Termites.
Better get a new oxygen tank.
She only registers 500.
Hap.
You got something on your mind? Me?
Nothing but japs.
Why?
You're not pulling out of
your dives fast enough. Oh?
I'll watch it.
It only takes one.
I know, jim.
Hate to look around one day and find out
you're the little man who wasn't there.
You and reardon better go up this
afternoon and simulate a diving attack.
Mustn't get rusty.
Okay, jim.
A little rough in spots, dale, but I
think when you iron a few things out-
Dale?
Dale?
Bill, take care of dale.
Mike?
Yes, sir? Did that box of
instruments come up from rangoon?
Yes, sir.
Fix the panel in dale's ship.
This belonged
to dale too.
come in.
Quite a collection.
He should have stayed
in college where he came from,
But he begged for a chance.
Begged for it like some kid
asking to go to the circus,
And I gave it to him.
What happened?
He didn't watch his tail.
And outnumbered, as usual.
He did bring
his ship back.
Yeah... He did.
But tomorrow
or the next day,
There will be
somebody else in it...
With three of them
on his tail.
Or six or ten-
jim.
How's miller? Just a flesh
wound in the shoulder.
I'll give him back
to you in a week.
How are you?
You can have me
back anytime.
Why don't you go home?
You need a nurse.
Suppose you
cut yourself shaving?
When did you sleep last?
Monday. It was
a very good day for it.
Well, try thursdays. They're
good days too. Excuse me.
larry?
Get me the weather on m5,
and check on those oil drums.
Find out what's holding them up.
As if I didn't already know.
Think hap could run this show
for a couple of days? Yes. Why?
I've got to run down to rangoon. The
colonel promised me some replacements.
I'm gonna need them now that dale
- when will you be back?
Oh, I don't know.
Might keep right on going
till I get to san francisco.
Nice town,
san francisco.
Yeah.
There's a place
on fisherman's wharf-
They serve oysters
you have to cut with a knife.
Ever try simpsons
in london?
Roast beef
you can cut with a fork.
No floor show though.
No floor show.
Take me with you.
No, brooke, we can't
do anything like that.
I know. I couldn't
leave anyway.
There's a new batch of evacuee
children coming this afternoon.
Wanted
to see me, jim?
Yeah, I want you to take care
of the store while I'm away.
Got to go to rangoon.
Sure.
Larry, have the station wagon brought
around and put my things in it.
Got to catch a plane
for rangoon.
Did that gasoline shipment
arrive yet?
I wish somebody would figure out
a ship that would fly on rice.
Want to check
the scoreboard?
Mccurdy will fly number two
while you're in charge.
Make sure that second-string
pitcher does some work on his guns.
Zero.
Two."
I thought you and jim-
Didn't I tell you to credit
my ship only to dale?
Look, jim, I got nobody back in the states.
I thought dale's folks would find that
$1,000 bonus handy around the farm.
Or is it
a gas station?
You got your halo
on crooked, pal.
Car's ready.
Right.
Start working on selby
and mcintosh as a team.
I think they're about ready. Okay, jim.
Don't worry about a thing. I'll take
care of things while you're away.
Okay. And no gin rummy with brooke.
She's my pigeon. Bye, pigeon. Bye-bye.
What do you see
in that guy?
San francisco.
Huh?
never mind.
Any more on flight 8
from hong kong?
The airport informs me the plane has
been delayed. The storm, you know.
Oh, there were two
gentlemen here expecting me.
I believe
they just came in.
You'll find them in the
cocktail lounge with mrs. Bales.
Mrs. Bales?
If anything more comes in on
that plane, let me know. Yes, sir.
Squadron leader gordon, I'm
lieutenant barton. How are you?
Hello, blackie. Hello, jim. My wife, jim.
How do you do?
What are you
doing here, blackie?
I heard you needed pilots,
and I needed the job.
I didn't know at the time
that you were head man.
I'll run upstairs and pack.
Excuse me. Train leaves for
lai chau at 6:00 in the morning.
Be on it.
Yes, sir.
She knows, jim.
I hate to turn you down, but I've got to.
Look, jim, I don't want to
put this on a personal basis,
But you know me,
you know my work.
I'm a good flier, jim.
I know you are.
You could work for me
anytime. We get along, but-
I haven't been on that stuff for a long
time, jim. Honest. That's just soda pop.
It isn't that. I'm trying to
hold on to a fine bunch of men.
It isn't always easy
to keep peace in the family.
Some of them would remember
that lefty matson case.
But, jim, I was cleared of that. I know.
The army gave you
a clean bill of health,
But you'd be flying with a
lot of men that knew lefty.
I'm really doing blackie
a favor, mrs. Bales.
I don't want any favors. I just
want a chance to get back on my feet.
This is the last outpost
for me, jim.
Oh, it just wouldn't work out. I'm sorry.
Good-bye, mrs. Bales,
blackie.
Any news yet? No, sir. Not yet.
Mr. Gordon, I made some
excuse so I could talk to you.
No matter what happens, please
don't ever tell blackie that I did.
Of course.
Mr. Gordon, I hate
to butt in like this,
But you've got to give him
another chance to fly.
Mrs. Bales, I can't jeopardize
the morale of an entire squadron...
Just to give
your husband a job.
But it isn't just a job. Though we
need the money, it's something more.
I married him right after
that happened.
He told me the whole story.
I thought I could
make it up to him, but I can't.
There's some things that even a
wife can't do for the man she loves.
He's got to find it
himself...
Doing the things
he loves best,
Even if means
paying with his life.
It isn't easy for me to say no. You
don't know what you're asking me to do.
Oh, I do.
Do you know what losing
your self-respect means?
That's what's happened to him.
I know.
I live with him.
I've caught him looking out
of a window, watching a plane.
Watching it till
he couldn't see it any more.
Afraid to turn around
and look me in the face.
Mrs. Bales
- mr. Gordon, you know men. You command a squadron.
You've seen them die.
Some of them go out smiling.
Have you ever seen the look
on a man's face...
When you tell him
he can't fly anymore?
No.
It's a living death,
mr. Gordon. I know.
Please don't say any more.
I'd rather he went with you
and took what came...
Than to live with him
the rest of his life...
Watching him
die a little every day.
Have him on that train
tomorrow morning.
Thanks.
You can't go with him,
you know.
Yes, I know.
And please don't ever
tell blackie I spoke to you.
I just received news for that
plane from hong kong, sir.
It was attacked by a
japanese fighter squadron.
Is it down? No, sir. It's coming
in on one wing and a prayer.
Get me a cab.
Yes, sir.
Rangoon calling again, woody.
Jason, flight 8. Go ahead,
rangoon. What do you want now?
Am I gonna bring the
plane in? No, you dope!
I'm gonna park it up here on the clouds
and wait till the storm blows over!
We did everything
to cover your landing, jason.
Fire and crash trucks
are standing by.
- Bring her down easy.
- "easy"?
Rangoon calling jason, flight 8.
What's your position?
My instruments tell me
I'm flying upside-down...
5,000 feet
below lake michigan.
But I must be wrong because I
can see the lights of the field.
Head for cover.
I'm coming in!
I can see them,
mr. Raffkin.
Bring that mike
outside.
Lower the landing gear,
alabama.
If he walks away from this
one, he's a miracle man.
Pull up, woody!
You're coming in on one wheel!
thanks.
Woody, this is jim gordon.
what are you doing up so
late, pappy? Never mind that.
The runway at the north end
of the field is mud and water.
Your only chance is to get that wheel up and
skid in on your belly, but watch the wind.
Stop worrying, pappy. Just
get that mob out of the way...
Or somebody will get a
hot engine in their lap.
Pull up
that landing gear.
You're gonna spill, woody!
You're coming in crosswind!
Mm-mmm.
Good ol' real estate!
Jim! What do you say, pappy? Woody!
Nice landing.
Did you like it?
Why, you lucky-
What do you mean, "lucky"?
Coming in crosswind.
Why not? I wanted the wind to
blow the fire away from the cabin.
Meet my better half while he's
still awake. This is alabama smith.
This is captain jim gordon of
the flying tigers. How are you?
That's enough. Jason, that was magnificent!
Save it. I'm gonna find
a promotion for you.
Listen, you can take my job, the
rangoon airways, the burmese...
And the rest of this cockeyed country
and give it back to marco polo!
Chop, chop.
But mr. Jason-
I didn't sign on to be a target
for a bunch of four-eyed japs!
You're not resigning. No, I'm
quitting, definitely and for good.
And me too.
And forward mr. Jason's mail
to kunsing airfield.
Thank you very much,
mr. Raffkin.
Here come the replacements.
Take these men
over to the barracks.
What's this thing?
Headquarters.
It looks like the taj
mahal with a hangover.
What's that?
The milk bar?
No, the barracks. Pick out a cot
with four legs if you can find one.
Dump your stuff and report
back to me at the hangar.
What hangar?
That's a hangar? I like the
green roof, but isn't it drafty?
I didn't promise you
la guardia airport.
Look, pappy,
if I'd have known this,
I wouldn't have come
out here for $612 a month.
How did you get mixed up
in this anyway?
You never used to like
chop suey. You'll find out.
Get yourself all set,
and I'll see you later.
Okay, pappy.
What are those things you wear
on your backs, laundry tickets?
No, in case you're forced down
in chinese territory,
They'll know you're
an american volunteer.
What if you're forced down
in enemy territory?
Then you've got
nothing to worry about.
You all set, woody? The red
carpet's a little threadbare,
The brass band's
a little out of tune,
But outside of that,
I'm all set.
Would you like the blue
or the pink bridal suite, sir?
The blue comes
with a sunken tub.
What did you expect,
the la guardia airport?
Huh?
Drop this off for me,
will you?
I've got to make
a reconnaissance.
I'm getting that old feeling.
jim, is that you?
I won't be a minute.
I'm just finishing a bath.
Be right out.
How was rangoon?
Did you have fun?
How many replacements
did you bring back?
You would come back just
when I was stealing a bath.
Then, of course, the boiler
went burst and the water ran out-
Oh, hello.
Jim gordon with you?
Won't I do?
Say, tell me something.
You always use jim's tub?
Yes, we all do.
Cozy.
It happens to be the only
bathtub in kunsing.
I see. It must be a very
chummy spot on Saturday night.
Do you sing and dance too or
is your act limited to patter?
Oh, fine, fine.
You're one of the new
replacements, aren't you?
Oh, no, not one
of the replacements.
Jim told me he was having
a little trouble out here,
So I thought
I'd give him a hand.
And I think
I'm going to like it.
I'm so glad.
If there's anything we can do to make you
comfortable, don't hesitate to call on us.
Oh, I will, I will.
How about dinner?
Sorry.
I never get
quite that hungry.
Oh, and if you should use the tub,
you'll be sure and empty it, won't you?
We've no plumbing.
So sorry.
What happened to that one? I
overshot the field yesterday.
Came in a little too high,
I guess.
I'll watch it.
jim!
Brooke! Been behaving yourself? Mm-hmm.
No, she hasn't. She's been taking
me at gin rummy since you left.
oh, woody.
Miss elliott, mr. Jason. We've met.
What do you think
of glamour boy?
He's a difficult man
to get to know. So shy.
Anybody in my spot would
have done the same thing.
Hap davis,
woody jason.
Glad to have you with
us, jason. Thank you, hap.
I'm gonna put him
in your hands, hap.
I don't need a nurse.
I've already got one.
If you'll excuse me, I have
to go on duty. Wish me luck?
You don't really need it,
do you?
Did I do something wrong? Do
you ever do anything right?
Pappy, why don't you
stop picking on me?
Come on. I'll introduce you
to the rest of the fellas.
I don't like to point, chum, but
she happens to be the skipper's girl.
Great. She's got a sense of
humor, hasn't she? We all have.
In fact, we wake up two or three times
a night, laugh and go back to sleep.
I would have hated to have been in that
burning plane with anybody else but woody.
You don't have to sell jason to
us. We know he's got a good record.
But out here,
everybody starts even.
Oh, yeah.
Does that go
for me too?
Sure.
Sure, it does.
Thanks, fellas.
Thanks.
Selby.
Yeah?
I got your 30 pasted together. Okay.
We're not sticklers for discipline
here, woody, but we expect results.
Relax.
Gentlemen, this is woody jason. Hi, fellas.
Hi, woody. His bark is worse than his bite.
Shake hands
and count your fingers.
I'm mccurdy from brooklyn.
How are you, brooklyn?
You ever know a little girl
by the name of sally gray?
No, you wouldn't.
You're not her type.
My name's norton. I'm from
- don't tell me. I know.
A state of beautiful women. You ever
know the mcdott sisters from fort worth?
I'm from dallas.
Oh.
Reardon, maine. I don't think
you'd know anybody I'd know.
now, there's where you're wrong. I
knew a redheaded girl by the name-
Selby, michigan. Selby mi-
Hello, michigan.
What a football team.
I used to date a little
- what do you call those? Majorette.
Yeah, a majorette.
What a football team.
My name's mcintosh. How are you, mac?
I come from nowhere.
You got a girl there?
Uh-
bentley's that gal's name.
A tall brunette with a p-40
figure and plenty of armor.
Boy, I can't wait till I get back. "back"?
Yeah, you don't think I'm gonna
make this my life's work, do you?
Give him time, boys.
He'll catch there's a war on.
I know there's a war, but you
fellows have no part of it.
We're all out here
Dough.
Sure, that we are, but it's good
to know every check you cash in...
Means a jap's
cashed in too.
Wait a minute, fellas. We're
all making the same salary:
600 bucks a month
and 500 a jap, right?
Back home most of us would kill rattlesnakes
whether there was a bounty on them or not.
I know, but you're protecting your
own home. This is not our home.
It's not our fight. It's a business.
And I hope business is good.
What's the matter with him? His
brother crashed behind enemy lines.
We found him after the japs
got through with him.
I didn't mean anything personal
- we know you didn't, woody.
Let's take a walk.
Yeah, but-
get down!
Tails up!
Let's go.
Come on, alabama! Where are we going?
The bank's open!
Is anybody hurt?
Not yet.
Which one do I take? Are you crazy?
Wait till you get combat training.
"training"? Me?
I'm losing dough!
And I'm running this outfit! Get back!
1,500 smackers up there,
and that guy cuts me off!
There's a shelter at the first
aid. What are we waiting for?
I don't know,
but I came out here to fly.
Hey, woody!
That ain't the way!
Stop, stop!
No! No!
Come back here!
Smart fellow taking plane
- no bullets! No ammunition?
what?
No got-
Contact him by radio.
Him no take earphone.
Let's contact jim!
Yeah!
Aggie dispersal calling
aggie blue one, gordon.
Aggie dispersal calling aggie
blue one, gordon. Go ahead.
Aggie blue one, gordon, back
to aggie dispersal. Go ahead.
Hello, gordon. Wingman
jason took off in p-40 ship.
He's unarmed and without
radio communication.
Request you locate and signal him to
return to base immediately. Go ahead.
Okay!
Get your checkbook out, general.
Woody! Woody! Woody!
Woody, are you all right?
Oh, I'm all right.
Well, I walked away
from that one.
Hey, whose side
are you on?
Report to my office
immediately.
Okay, pappy.
A few more landings like that,
and he'll be a japanese ace.
Where do you think you are, with
some broken-down flying circus?
It would have been a cinch. I was riding
the murder spot right above those japolas.
If I had ammunition, I'd have
blown them clear out of china.
And you washed out
a good ship.
You talk like that crate
is more important than me.
I can't afford to lose
either planes or pilots.
Pappy, it's like I told you
down at the barracks:
All I get out of this is the dough,
so you can't blame me for trying.
In a skeet match, the guy who knocks
down the most pigeons wins the cup.
I can't have grandstanders
trying to hog the show.
Results here are based on
cooperation and understanding.
Discipline in the air is strict
because that's the only way...
An outfit like this
can operate.
Wait, hap. All right,
I'll admit I was wrong.
I made a mistake.
Okay.
In this kind of warfare, a fella likes to
feel he's flying with somebody he can trust.
What do I care? It's every man for
himself, isn't it? Not these days.
Wait till you look back and see
a jap sitting on your tail...
In a ship
that you can't outmaneuver.
Then you'll know what I'm
talking about. Okay, pappy.
From now on, I'll study my lessons
and practice the piano every day.
There won't be
any more trouble.
I'll be a modest, respectful
soldier if it kills me, I swear.
okay, woody.
you got a cigarette?
Keep them.
Thanks.
You got a match?
Afraid you're gonna have a little
trouble with that ball of fire, skipper.
Oh, woody's all right.
Gets a little off beam
once in a while,
But he's gonna develop into
the best flier in this squadron.
That's what counts.
You see how he went after those
three japs? That took nerve!
Yeah, he's got nerve,
all right.
Got a cigarette?
These are the planes
you'll be tangling with.
Know them
so you can identify them.
Plenty of these planes carry
detachable auxiliary gas tanks,
Which give them
great range.
These tanks are dropped when
they reach the objective,
So they don't lessen the
plane's fighting efficiency.
The kawanishi 96 can carry about a
half a ton of bombs as well as scout.
But the most modern fighter, and the
toughest one to crack, is the nakajima.
It isn't fast,
but it's light and maneuverable.
If you find yourself in trouble and have to bail
out, there's one important thing to remember:
Do a closed-chute fall.
Drop as far as possible outside the
combat area before pulling the cord.
That's to prevent our little brown
friends from following you down...
And machine-gunning you while
you're hanging helplessly in the air.
It's a quaint little habit
of theirs.
And watch for the man
who's hit the silk.
Protect him
whenever possible.
You know what I'm not
gonna do, pappy?
I'm not gonna ask you what to
do if that chute doesn't open...
Because you'll say-
take it back to the factory.
oh, yeah.
No hits, no runs,
no errors.
There must be something
I'm doing wrong.
Yesterday I unloaded
a whole case of shells...
Before I seen I was firing
at my own shadow on a cloud.
You keep shooting at those clouds,
the angels are gonna get sore at you.
Thirteen for our team and
nobody benched. Nice work, boys.
Thirteen? You ain't superstitious, are you?
If you are, the next time
I go up, I'll make it 14.
Yeah, I'll bet.
I could take that scoreboard down
to the bank and cash it in right now.
Two thousand smackers,
and today's only Thursday.
Any of you hangar pilots
top that?
I knew a fellow who tied it once,
only he didn't live to spend it.
It's too bad he waited. If I hit my
stride, you guys can take a vacation.
At my expense, of course. How
does it feel to be a one-man team?
I don't get it. You're not
the first ball carrier...
That didn't appreciate
his interference.
Give me that
in straight english.
Twice I've been on the tail
of a nakajima...
When you've cut in
for the kill and the credit.
- Hold it, blackie.
- Wait a minute.
Let him talk.
There's only one guy
Woody jason.
Listen, sorehead,
Every time I ever cut in on
you I probably saved your life.
If I were you, I'd be the last
guy to talk about cutting in.
I saw the tunnel that my pal lefty
matson dug in the cleveland air races.
Probably figured his turn wrong.
Everybody saw what happened.
Oh, sure. It was all cleared
up in the investigation.
But they forgot
to smell your breath.
Quit it! Save it!
attention, "a" flight,
Elements "a," "b" and "c."
Enemy aircraft in force
over mekong bridge. Tails up!
Get moving, you two guys!
I'm not through with you yet.
Okay, tom.
You know where I live.
Hear about jason?
He got another nippo today.
Yeah. It's too bad they
don't pay off on dead pilots.
Hey, wait a minute, fellas.
You can't pin this on me.
If blackie hadn't opened his parachute
so soon, it wouldn't have happened.
Maybe if you'd have followed blackie
down, it wouldn't have happened either.
You were nearest to him. What
happened? A mitsi got in my way.
I guess it's easier to see 500
bucks than a pal of yours in trouble.
Hey, you got five planes now.
That makes you an ace.
"ace"?
How do you spell it?
Mike, that ship gassed?
Yeah, him full to top. Okay.
Oh, jim, do you mind if I use that ship?
Where are you going? Up for some fresh air.
It's a little heavy
in the barracks.
Go ahead.
Thanks.
Woody.
I got to know the truth
about one thing:
Could you have prevented
blackie bales' death?
No, jim. I saw him fall, but I
didn't see him open his chute.
I was sure he'd wait
until he was safe.
If I thought he was in danger,
I'd have looked after him.
That's good enough
for me.
thanks, pappy.
I never saw anything like the
way he went after those ships.
It was something. First one
and then another and then-
None of us want to go,
mrs. Bales.
We'd all like
to live to be 108.
But few of us get a chance to go out...
In a blaze of glory
like blackie did.
H-he wasn't afraid.
Blackie wasn't afraid
of anything.
You know, we got a pretty
tough bunch of guys up there.
They've got to be for
what they're up against.
But when it came to real fighting
spirit, none could touch blackie.
D-did they like him? Oh,
they were crazy about him.
He was great
to be around;
Always making cracks and
keeping people's spirits up.
I'm glad.
I suppose you'll be
going back to the states.
This belonged
to blackie.
So much?
Oh, sure. He knocked a
couple down the week before.
He never wrote me. That shows
you what kind of a guy he was.
He wouldn't even tell his
wife how well he was doing.
Well...
I got to be going.
Good-bye...
And good luck to you.
Good afternoon, nurse. Good
afternoon, madam montier.
are those our children
laughing?
Yes. It's that wonderful young
man you sent to us. I sent you?
You were a saint
to think of it.
He's the first ray of sunlight
these children have known in months.
I think I'll take a look
at mr. Sunbeam.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. You're just about
to witness that great, that colossal,
That stupendous mystery known as
the disappearing half dollar or-
Or now you see it
and now you don't.
Now I need a young lady to assist me.
Will any young lady step up, please?
Some young lady,
any young lady?
You, come on.
Come on. Aw, come on.
Come on.
Aw, come on.
That's the girl.
thank you.
Oh, boy. This will amaze
you before your very eyes!
In my hand here I have
a brand-new half dollar.
It's brand-new. I made
it myself this morning.
you can still
smell the mint on it.
Uh, I will make it disappear
into my elbow. Watch very closely.
Here it goes. Don't take
your eyes off of my hand.
Well, now, watch me very closely.
Watch very closely what happens.
See? Oop, it slipped!
Watch it closely. You see?
Watch my hand. Everybody
watch it very closely.
Here it goes.
One, two, three.
Hocus-pocus, bowlegged locust.
What happens? It's gone!
What do you know about that?
How do you like that, huh?
I wonder where it is now.
I wonder where it could be.
I think I know.
Yes, I do.
I see it.
Here it is,
right behind your ear!
What do you know
about that?
How do you like that?
Isn't that wonderful?
Yes, well,
thank you very much, miss.
And now-
excuse me.
don't tell them, but that's
the only trick I know.
my public won't let me go.
If you persuade your public inside, I
might be able to change some bandages.
Absolutely.
Hurry, hurry, hurry!
Right this way to see the beautiful
nurse perform the greatest trick.
She is lovely, she is
beautiful... And she's mad at me.
Hurry, hurry.
come quickly.
well, I guess
they're going away.
I hope so.
Have the children get ready.
I'll change their bandages now.
Careful. She's slipping. They're pretty
tough to hold when they're this young.
Some of them
never get any older.
Where did you dig up
all these kids?
Most of them were "dug up," as
you put it, after the bombings.
Are they all orphans?
The little girl you're holding walked
almost 1,000 miles across china to get here.
She lived on roots or whatever
else she could find to eat.
How did she
find this place?
I don't know. Some
instinct brings them here.
Or, perhaps,
one child tells another.
But always after a bombing,
here they are:
Starved, patient, silent.
I had no idea.
Very few people do.
Well-
There you are,
darling.
What's she selling? She's brought
you these rice cakes as a tribute.
Tribute? For what? That corny
trick with the half dollar?
No, for your courage and loyalty
as a member of the flying tigers.
Oh.
What else did she say?
Um, we are humbly grateful and beg you
to accept these useless rice cakes...
Even though they are not worthy of
so honorable and so brave a warrior.
yeah, well,
tell her okay and thanks,
And I'll keep them flying.
Thank you.
Why don't you have dinner with me
tonight, and we can have these for dessert?
Sorry.
No?
I'm having dinner
with jim.
Hey, these are good!
You want I should come back
again or you want to order now?
What's good tonight?
We have special
american dishes:
Egg fu yung,
candied duck or chop suey.
Have you any roast beef
you can cut with a fork?
You surely have oysters
you can cut with a knife?
No floor show? No, sir. No floor show.
But music...
Very nice.
Can't you turn that record
over? Has it only got one side?
Oh, him turn over,
no music,
But him turn over.
never mind.
We're getting so we like it. Thank you.
Look, chin,
why don't you surprise us?
Bring us something new
like... Chow mein.
Ah, very nice. Very good
chow mein. American dishes.
Oh, I'm sorry, brooke. Sorry?
What are you talking about?
Well, you know,
all this.
If we were back in the states, we'd be
having dinner at some good restaurant,
Dancing once or twice,
might even go out to a show.
What's the matter with this?
The food here is excellent.
As for the music, there's a
wonderful orchestra on that record.
a little hoarse by now,
but we can still dance.
Ask me and see.
Miss elliott,
may I have this dance?
I've promised it to that dashing
lieutenant in the horse marines...
But I don't think
he'll mind.
What's wrong?
This came for you.
It's in code, so I thought
it might be important.
I hate to break in on
you two. That's all right.
I'll have to get back to the
field and decode this. Of course.
Sorry, brooke. I guess we can
never really plan anything-
Ah, it's ready.
Nice dish, very nice.
Sorry, chin. We got to run
along. What I do with this?
You eat it.
Me eat this?
No, sir. No, sir.
I dragged you all out of bed and
every place else because this arrived.
I haven't had any mail for months.
I didn't know that any of
your friends could write.
well, here it is.
"commencing the first-"
that's tomorrow.
Your squadron assumes continuous night
reconnaissance in alternating patrols."
Signed r.T. Lindsay
and so forth.
In simple language, that means we
start a night patrol as well as day.
But, jim, we're not
set up for night flying.
We have no beacon
and no landing lights.
We'll use the headlights
on the trucks. How?
We have six vehicles. We'll line
three up on each side of the runway.
That's all right for takeoffs,
but what about landings?
Those lights can be seen from
5,000 feet up on a clear night.
Fine. Suppose there's a
ground fog. What happens then?
Well, woody, all you have
to do is use your fog knife.
"fog knife"?
What's that?
- Don't tell me jason hasn't got one of those.
- Every ace has one.
Sure. When you're
caught in a heavy fog,
All you do is cut a hole
in it with your fog knife...
And drop down
like in an elevator.
You must have fallen through
one of those holes on your head.
Easy, easy. Let's save that
for the annual barbecue.
Now pay attention. No
pilots must leave the post.
All leaves are
automatically canceled.
Starting tomorrow morning at
10:00, every man on the field...
Must report to dr. Singh
for a physical checkup.
That's all.
Scatter and get some sleep.
Woody.
Yeah?
Got a minute?
Sure.
What are you gonna do,
stand me in the corner? No.
I'll be leading flight "a," and
hap will be leading flight "b."
I want you to take over
hap's old position,
Number two in back of me
and my flight.
Okay, pappy.
Don't worry about a thing. Good night.
Good night, skipper.
Good night, hap.
Some of you guys don't seem to understand
the reasons for these special tests.
Sure we do. It's to find out
if we need a seeing eye dog.
okay, okay.
It's funny now.
The first time
you're on a night flight...
And a string of tracers come
hissing out at you from the dark,
You'll be glad we rechecked your
eyesight and reflexes. Sure. We know that.
Night patrol calls for peak efficiency
and perfect physical fitness.
Right.
Where did you dig that
up? I've been studying.
Don't, doc. That's cold, and I'm ticklish.
Nothing wrong
with his reflexes.
alignment blocks,
please.
is everything
all right?
All these reports go
to squadron leader gordon.
The final decision
rests with him.
I sure would hate
to miss out on night patrol.
I hear those japos
glow in the dark like bugs.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Having your oil changed?
Is my eyesight failing me or is
it that beautiful hunk of man?
You keep that up and someday
they'll put you on the radio.
Come on, fellas. Let's go to the gasoline
dump and get a breath of fresh air.
You asked for that. Okay,
okay! I'm not beefing, am I?
Where's the gadget you wanted me to come
back for, doctor? Yes, over here, please.
When I examined mr. Jason this
morning, this had not arrived yet.
I asked him to come back
with the others.
Is that what you wanted? Yes, thank you.
Thank you. You know, jason,
people that fly upside down...
Get a pretty twisted picture of
what's going on all around them.
Yeah, thanks, hap.
Thanks a lot.
You well enough
to travel, alabama?
Huh?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
all right, mr. Hap.
Think I'll fall apart, doc?
You should outlive
confucius.
That's good enough for me.
You want to see me, skipper?
Sit down, hap.
I've made a change.
Tex norton will lead flight "b"
instead of you. That's okay, jim.
I'd rather be up there in my old
spot anyway, protecting your tail.
It isn't that, hap.
I gotta hand you one
on the chin.
But I'd rather it came from me
than from somebody else.
Go ahead, jim.
You're through flying.
The doc said I'd live
to be a hundred.
If you stay
on the ground.
Oh.
I see.
okay.
Was there anything else? No.
Wait a minute.
I can't send a man up that doesn't know
whether he's flying upside-down or not.
Take a look at that physical.
Your depth perception's a mile off.
I know you've been gunning 'em since they
were box kites with broomsticks for rudders,
But, you gotta believe me,
I'm doing this for you!
You've been close winging in
formations, overshooting your landings-
You don't have
to say any more!
I'm sorry.
I was kind of figuring on
going back to the states anyway,
Maybe get me a chicken ranch
or something.
I hear there's a lot
of dough in eggs. Eggs?
Who are you trying to kid?
You haven't been
saving any money.
You've been giving it away
as fast as you make it.
Look, hap,
I need you here.
What could I do now?
Taking care of these crates on
the ground is just as important...
As flying them upstairs.
I got to have a man
I can trust on the ground.
I wish you'd take that job,
hap.
You're not doing this to
- no.
I really need you.
Well, ground kind of
hurts my arches,
But, well,
I'll think about it.
Thanks, hap.
Wait a minute.
I didn't swing at that one.
come on.
Okay. I never could bat
without my spike shoes anyway.
Come on, come on.
You're out.
Come on,
let her go.
woody.
Hello!
How are things going? You
better not be seen talking to me.
I'm poison ivy. Everything I
touch breaks out into a rash.
I, um, I just got a letter from mrs. Bales.
What's she writing you about? I sent her
blackie's things. She wrote to thank me.
Oh. She said to be sure
and give you her regards.
Well, um
- you are a difficult man to get to know, aren't you?
Why don't you have dinner with me
tonight and get to know me better?
you don't take no
for an answer, do you?
Why should I, when it's
just as easy to say yes?
Isn't it?
Yes.
Well, swell! I'll meet you
tonight at the orphanage at 8:00.
Right? Okay. See you later.
Uh, wait a minute.
Don't say anything to anybody
about mrs. Bales, will you?
I don't want to spoil my record. All right.
And be on time!
Hey, 'bama.
Those guys only got seven lucky
hits off of me in three innings.
Yeah, swell. I'm going off the
reservation tonight. I got a date.
What about night patrol?
You're on "a" flight.
Oh, don't worry about it.
I'll be back in time.
But if anyone asks any
questions about me, you cover me.
I'm getting
that old feeling.
All right, fellas, synchronize
your watches at 10:55.
It's now 10:54 and 57...
58, 59, mark it.
Tex, "b" flight must relieve
us at exactly 11:55. Right.
otherwise, we might mistake you
for the enemy. That's about it.
Take off in four minutes.
I thought jason was here.
Well, I thought I saw him getting
dressed just a few minutes ago, sir.
Well, get him on the field. Yes, sir.
Warm 'em up.
Did you see woody? I just
stalled the skipper. No.
He'll wring my neck too if he
finds out woody left the field.
Against orders? Yeah, but
he said he'd be right back.
Well, he's jim's number two man.
He'd better be back.
Tell pilot jason
takeoff is in two minutes.
Yes, sir.
- All right, warm it up, mike.
- Okeydokey.
Waiting for mr. Jason, please. Yeah, yeah.
Tell him he'll be right there. Yes, sir.
I still don't think this is
right. You keep your mouth shut.
But if anybody's gonna take
woody's flight, it ought to be me.
Are you crazy? I've been flying
number two for jim for over a year.
I know every one of his
quirks, every one of his moves.
We're a team. Don't you
understand? Yeah, I know, but-
It's like he was the ball carrier
and I was his interference.
Yeah, sure,
but I still don't like it.
You're to stay on the ground.
Not so long as jim is in the air.
missed the 5:15 again.
You're gonna have a hard time talking yourself
out of this one. Who, me and pappy? No.
I wonder who's flying number
two? Where have you been?
I'm late. So what? So hap
took your flight, that's what.
All right, I'd do as much for him,
wouldn't I? But hap was grounded.
Yeah.
"a" leader to "a" two.
Go ahead.
What's the matter, jason?
Have you gone to sleep?
"a" two to "a" leader.
What do you want? Go ahead.
Hap! Where's jason? What are
you doing here? Go on back!
Sorry, jim. Remember me? I'm the
little man who's always there.
Besides, it's too late.
"a" leader to flight "a." nakajima
fighters on port quarter. Combat formation.
Attaboy, skipper!
Give 'em the old one-two!
Don't worry, jim.
I'm climbing his back porch now.
Pull out, hap!
Pull out!
I hope you two
had a good time...
'cause hap paid the check.
Jim.
There's an army truck out of here day
after tomorrow for lai chau. Be on it.
Don't say that, jim. Until then,
you're confined to your quarters.
But I'm still a good flyer.
I'll knock down ten of those
rats for every one of our boys.
It's out of my hands now. None of
these men will ever fly with you again,
And they have to fly.
yesterday...
December 7, 1941...
A date which will live...
In infamy.
The United States
of america...
Was suddenly
and deliberately attacked...
By naval and air forces...
Of the empire of japan.
The United States was
at peace with that nation...
And at the solicitation
of japan...
Was still in conversation...
With its government
and its emperor...
Looking towards the maintenance
of peace in the pacific.
I believe that I incorporate
the will of the congress...
And of the people
when I assert...
That we will not only defend
ourselves to the utmost,
But will make it
very certain...
That this form
of treachery...
Shall never again
endanger it.
hostilities exist.
There is no blinking
at the fact...
That our people,
our territory...
And our interests...
Are in grave danger.
With confidence
in our armed forces,
With the unbounding
determination...
Of our people,
We will gain...
The inevitable triumph...
So help us, god.
I ask that the congress
declare...
That since the unprovoked...
And dastardly attack
by japan...
On Sunday,
December 7, 1941...
A state of war
has existed...
Between
the United States...
And the japanese empire.
How are you, jim? Good, colonel. And you?
I don't have to tell you what
our entrance into the war means...
To the volunteer group
in china.
Our responsibility is grave. You and your
men will have to take greater risks now.
I think they know it, sir.
This hits them where they live.
I don't think any of them will
let you down. I'm sure they won't.
Come here.
Intelligence reports that the japanese
are starting a new drive from this point.
But to camouflage that move, they're
starting a fake attack from this point.
Under cover of which, they intend to
bring up supplies and munitions from here.
We must destroy this bridge and delay
the supply trains which pass over it.
I see. That's the only way we can
give general chiang kai-shek...
Sufficient time
to establish his defenses.
I know that area. It's a nest of
antiaircraft and nakajima squadrons.
Thank you. They can send
up an anac umbrella...
High enough to make
any attack ineffective.
I warned you what
we'd be up against.
But there's a way to do it, I think. Yeah?
A bomber squadron, even with our
protection, wouldn't stand a chance.
But a single ship might get through. How?
By flying through the canyons
instead of over them.
Taking off at dawn and hugging the
sides of the hills away from the sun,
A pilot might bring his ship through
the pass and directly over the bridge.
Sounds like hedgehopping to suicide. Maybe.
But if you think it can be done,
I'll order a bomber here right away.
I think we can use that transport. What?
They've been flying over
enemy territory for five years.
They get potted at, of course, but they don't
attract as much attention as a military ship.
What about bombs? It's got no bomb
rack, no bomb release, nothing.
We can figure that out.
There's eight or nine cans in our
munition dump marked, "nitro u.S.A."
I think I can find
a messenger boy to deliver them.
A job for a volunteer,
of course.
Of course.
Doggone it. You ought to
be tar and feathered, woody.
Getting yourself slung out of this outfit
just when things are getting exciting.
What's going on out there?
Huh? You heard me. What's happening?
That's the skipper's idea.
He's gonna go fix breakfast
for the jappies.
Gonna serve them soup.
Who's going with him? Nobody.
If you ask me,
it's a one-way trip.
These reports must go out daily to keep
colonel lindsay informed on our status.
Yes, sir. Ship norton to ground operation,
Selby and evans
to night patrol, flight "a."
Miller ought to be about ready now to start
in again with reardon as a team. Right.
That's about all, except you'll have to keep
after kunming for gas, oil and supplies...
And toungoo for replacements.
Take good care of the
store, mac. I will, sir.
I-
good luck to you.
thank you, mac.
Come in.
Yes?
I have dr. Singh's
report on barton.
How is he?
You can have him back
in a week.
Colonel lindsay's waiting
outside, jim. Right.
Jim!
Good luck.
Thanks.
I haven't wanted
to question you, jim,
But I thought you were
gonna call for volunteers.
It only takes one,
doesn't it?
thank you, colonel.
Mike, rev it down!
Mike, cut those motors!
What do you think you're doing?
Cut those motors!
Get into your parachute.
I'd land and throw you out if I could
take a chance on that cargo back there.
Bail out at 1,500.
You can't handle this crate all by
yourself. It's a job for two of us.
Somebody's got to handle this stick
while the other guy drops the stuff.
You know that as well as I do.
Not the way I got it rigged.
I know I've been a lot of trouble to
you since we first got to be friends.
You're the only guy I know
who stuck by me.
If you're trying to alibi the way
you've been living, we'll run out of gas.
Maybe I did start out just
to have a bunch of laughs-
Woody, anyone who looks ahead
in this racket is crazy.
I don't blame you
for grabbing what you can today.
You don't mean that. If you did,
you'd have dropped me long ago.
Hit the silk.
Look, jim...
I had to talk to you.
I don't know where
I'm going from here or...
When I'll see you again.
It's like
brooke said:
I don't know anything
about anything:
Why we're here, why we're
fighting, all that sort of stuff.
She tried
to straighten me out too.
Although half the time she was
talking about you and roast beef...
And san francisco and
all those crazy things.
- See what I mean?
- 1,500.
Are we gonna say good-bye
like this? Bail out!
Okay.
I got it coming to me.
But there's one thing
you gotta get straight on.
A whole lot of us just
don't grow up. We stay kids.
The most important thing to a
kid is the street he lives on.
It's his life.
It's his whole world.
That was me when I first
joined up with you.
Hong kong, shanghai,
chungking-
They didn't mean
anything to me.
Just a lot of names
in a geography book,
Not towns where millions of people
were being maimed and killed by bombs.
If you called them texas,
maine or michigan...
That would have been different.
They were my street. That's
why I acted the way I did.
Not because I was a heel,
but because I was still a kid.
It cost another man's life
to make a man out of me.
If you don't think that will
stay on my mind as long as I live,
Then you don't know any more about me
than... I think you did in the first place.
Well... That's all,
and happy landing.
Sit down, woody.
Check the course.
Okay, pappy.
Well, here we go
into the tunnel of love.
Pull her up!
Did you know I used
to drive a roller coaster?
Delivering nitro?
Yes.
Were you killed?
Uh-huh.
Take over. I want to get
into this chute. Right.
Looks like
the supply trains are moving.
But the bridge ain't.
You may serve
the soup course now, pappy.
Get her closer.
If I get any closer to that bridge
we'll have to pay a toll charge.
- Let her go!
- Not yet!
Give the gentleman
a cigar!
If they want to cross that
river, they'll have to swim it.
you all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
This crate's got enough lead in
its belly to sink a battleship.
Don't look now, but our
tail feathers are on fire.
Huh? This is it, pappy.
Let's take a powder.
Six cans of nitro aboard
and that train's still running.
Yeah, but this is one train we're
gonna have to miss. Come on, let's go.
Right.
Throw it on automatic.
Come on!
Hit the silk, woody!
Here we go!
Happy landing, jim.
"do me a favor,
will you, pappy?
"give my leather jacket to
reardon. He's a cold character.
"divide my address book evenly
between the boys in the barracks.
"and give my silk scarf to the next
head-chopper that thinks this is an easy racket.
Woody."
come in.
You sent for me, sir?
Yes, barratt.
This is your first time up. Don't
try to win this war all by yourself.
Stay close to formation. If you find yourself
in trouble, pour on the coal and head home.
Yes, sir.
Just a minute.
This is for you.
Gee, thanks.
Take good care of it.
It belonged to a pretty good flier. Sure.
flight "a." flight "a."
Reconnaissance patrol,
two minutes.
How about having dinner with me? I
hear chin has a new record. Swell.
Flight "a"!
Japanese aircraft sighted
over kunsing area.
Aggie blue from aggie blue one.
Go ahead.
- Blue two okay, skipper.
- Blue three, check.
Blue four
receiving you r5-s5, sir.
- Blue five, okay.
- Blue six, okay.
Eighteen attack bombers, three
points to your right. About 15,000.
What do you know, only three to
one. That won't even wake me up.
- Gordon to dale, over.
- Go ahead, sir.
Listen, dale,
this is your first time up.
Don't try to win this war
all by yourself.
- Stick close. Tail them in formation.
- Yes, sir.
What time
is it?
11:27. Those boozers are overdue.
All safe and accounted for? Of course.
Of course.
Look, captain jim!
Looky! Wham, wham!
Termites.
Better get a new oxygen tank.
She only registers 500.
Hap.
You got something on your mind? Me?
Nothing but japs.
Why?
You're not pulling out of
your dives fast enough. Oh?
I'll watch it.
It only takes one.
I know, jim.
Hate to look around one day and find out
you're the little man who wasn't there.
You and reardon better go up this
afternoon and simulate a diving attack.
Mustn't get rusty.
Okay, jim.
A little rough in spots, dale, but I
think when you iron a few things out-
Dale?
Dale?
Bill, take care of dale.
Mike?
Yes, sir? Did that box of
instruments come up from rangoon?
Yes, sir.
Fix the panel in dale's ship.
This belonged
to dale too.
come in.
Quite a collection.
He should have stayed
in college where he came from,
But he begged for a chance.
Begged for it like some kid
asking to go to the circus,
And I gave it to him.
What happened?
He didn't watch his tail.
And outnumbered, as usual.
He did bring
his ship back.
Yeah... He did.
But tomorrow
or the next day,
There will be
somebody else in it...
With three of them
on his tail.
Or six or ten-
jim.
How's miller? Just a flesh
wound in the shoulder.
I'll give him back
to you in a week.
How are you?
You can have me
back anytime.
Why don't you go home?
You need a nurse.
Suppose you
cut yourself shaving?
When did you sleep last?
Monday. It was
a very good day for it.
Well, try thursdays. They're
good days too. Excuse me.
larry?
Get me the weather on m5,
and check on those oil drums.
Find out what's holding them up.
As if I didn't already know.
Think hap could run this show
for a couple of days? Yes. Why?
I've got to run down to rangoon. The
colonel promised me some replacements.
I'm gonna need them now that dale
- when will you be back?
Oh, I don't know.
Might keep right on going
till I get to san francisco.
Nice town,
san francisco.
Yeah.
There's a place
on fisherman's wharf-
They serve oysters
you have to cut with a knife.
Ever try simpsons
in london?
Roast beef
you can cut with a fork.
No floor show though.
No floor show.
Take me with you.
No, brooke, we can't
do anything like that.
I know. I couldn't
leave anyway.
There's a new batch of evacuee
children coming this afternoon.
Wanted
to see me, jim?
Yeah, I want you to take care
of the store while I'm away.
Got to go to rangoon.
Sure.
Larry, have the station wagon brought
around and put my things in it.
Got to catch a plane
for rangoon.
Did that gasoline shipment
arrive yet?
I wish somebody would figure out
a ship that would fly on rice.
Want to check
the scoreboard?
Mccurdy will fly number two
while you're in charge.
Make sure that second-string
pitcher does some work on his guns.
Zero.
Two."
I thought you and jim-
Didn't I tell you to credit
my ship only to dale?
Look, jim, I got nobody back in the states.
I thought dale's folks would find that
$1,000 bonus handy around the farm.
Or is it
a gas station?
You got your halo
on crooked, pal.
Car's ready.
Right.
Start working on selby
and mcintosh as a team.
I think they're about ready. Okay, jim.
Don't worry about a thing. I'll take
care of things while you're away.
Okay. And no gin rummy with brooke.
She's my pigeon. Bye, pigeon. Bye-bye.
What do you see
in that guy?
San francisco.
Huh?
never mind.
Any more on flight 8
from hong kong?
The airport informs me the plane has
been delayed. The storm, you know.
Oh, there were two
gentlemen here expecting me.
I believe
they just came in.
You'll find them in the
cocktail lounge with mrs. Bales.
Mrs. Bales?
If anything more comes in on
that plane, let me know. Yes, sir.
Squadron leader gordon, I'm
lieutenant barton. How are you?
Hello, blackie. Hello, jim. My wife, jim.
How do you do?
What are you
doing here, blackie?
I heard you needed pilots,
and I needed the job.
I didn't know at the time
that you were head man.
I'll run upstairs and pack.
Excuse me. Train leaves for
lai chau at 6:00 in the morning.
Be on it.
Yes, sir.
She knows, jim.
I hate to turn you down, but I've got to.
Look, jim, I don't want to
put this on a personal basis,
But you know me,
you know my work.
I'm a good flier, jim.
I know you are.
You could work for me
anytime. We get along, but-
I haven't been on that stuff for a long
time, jim. Honest. That's just soda pop.
It isn't that. I'm trying to
hold on to a fine bunch of men.
It isn't always easy
to keep peace in the family.
Some of them would remember
that lefty matson case.
But, jim, I was cleared of that. I know.
The army gave you
a clean bill of health,
But you'd be flying with a
lot of men that knew lefty.
I'm really doing blackie
a favor, mrs. Bales.
I don't want any favors. I just
want a chance to get back on my feet.
This is the last outpost
for me, jim.
Oh, it just wouldn't work out. I'm sorry.
Good-bye, mrs. Bales,
blackie.
Any news yet? No, sir. Not yet.
Mr. Gordon, I made some
excuse so I could talk to you.
No matter what happens, please
don't ever tell blackie that I did.
Of course.
Mr. Gordon, I hate
to butt in like this,
But you've got to give him
another chance to fly.
Mrs. Bales, I can't jeopardize
the morale of an entire squadron...
Just to give
your husband a job.
But it isn't just a job. Though we
need the money, it's something more.
I married him right after
that happened.
He told me the whole story.
I thought I could
make it up to him, but I can't.
There's some things that even a
wife can't do for the man she loves.
He's got to find it
himself...
Doing the things
he loves best,
Even if means
paying with his life.
It isn't easy for me to say no. You
don't know what you're asking me to do.
Oh, I do.
Do you know what losing
your self-respect means?
That's what's happened to him.
I know.
I live with him.
I've caught him looking out
of a window, watching a plane.
Watching it till
he couldn't see it any more.
Afraid to turn around
and look me in the face.
Mrs. Bales
- mr. Gordon, you know men. You command a squadron.
You've seen them die.
Some of them go out smiling.
Have you ever seen the look
on a man's face...
When you tell him
he can't fly anymore?
No.
It's a living death,
mr. Gordon. I know.
Please don't say any more.
I'd rather he went with you
and took what came...
Than to live with him
the rest of his life...
Watching him
die a little every day.
Have him on that train
tomorrow morning.
Thanks.
You can't go with him,
you know.
Yes, I know.
And please don't ever
tell blackie I spoke to you.
I just received news for that
plane from hong kong, sir.
It was attacked by a
japanese fighter squadron.
Is it down? No, sir. It's coming
in on one wing and a prayer.
Get me a cab.
Yes, sir.
Rangoon calling again, woody.
Jason, flight 8. Go ahead,
rangoon. What do you want now?
Am I gonna bring the
plane in? No, you dope!
I'm gonna park it up here on the clouds
and wait till the storm blows over!
We did everything
to cover your landing, jason.
Fire and crash trucks
are standing by.
- Bring her down easy.
- "easy"?
Rangoon calling jason, flight 8.
What's your position?
My instruments tell me
I'm flying upside-down...
5,000 feet
below lake michigan.
But I must be wrong because I
can see the lights of the field.
Head for cover.
I'm coming in!
I can see them,
mr. Raffkin.
Bring that mike
outside.
Lower the landing gear,
alabama.
If he walks away from this
one, he's a miracle man.
Pull up, woody!
You're coming in on one wheel!
thanks.
Woody, this is jim gordon.
what are you doing up so
late, pappy? Never mind that.
The runway at the north end
of the field is mud and water.
Your only chance is to get that wheel up and
skid in on your belly, but watch the wind.
Stop worrying, pappy. Just
get that mob out of the way...
Or somebody will get a
hot engine in their lap.
Pull up
that landing gear.
You're gonna spill, woody!
You're coming in crosswind!
Mm-mmm.
Good ol' real estate!
Jim! What do you say, pappy? Woody!
Nice landing.
Did you like it?
Why, you lucky-
What do you mean, "lucky"?
Coming in crosswind.
Why not? I wanted the wind to
blow the fire away from the cabin.
Meet my better half while he's
still awake. This is alabama smith.
This is captain jim gordon of
the flying tigers. How are you?
That's enough. Jason, that was magnificent!
Save it. I'm gonna find
a promotion for you.
Listen, you can take my job, the
rangoon airways, the burmese...
And the rest of this cockeyed country
and give it back to marco polo!
Chop, chop.
But mr. Jason-
I didn't sign on to be a target
for a bunch of four-eyed japs!
You're not resigning. No, I'm
quitting, definitely and for good.
And me too.
And forward mr. Jason's mail
to kunsing airfield.
Thank you very much,
mr. Raffkin.
Here come the replacements.
Take these men
over to the barracks.
What's this thing?
Headquarters.
It looks like the taj
mahal with a hangover.
What's that?
The milk bar?
No, the barracks. Pick out a cot
with four legs if you can find one.
Dump your stuff and report
back to me at the hangar.
What hangar?
That's a hangar? I like the
green roof, but isn't it drafty?
I didn't promise you
la guardia airport.
Look, pappy,
if I'd have known this,
I wouldn't have come
out here for $612 a month.
How did you get mixed up
in this anyway?
You never used to like
chop suey. You'll find out.
Get yourself all set,
and I'll see you later.
Okay, pappy.
What are those things you wear
on your backs, laundry tickets?
No, in case you're forced down
in chinese territory,
They'll know you're
an american volunteer.
What if you're forced down
in enemy territory?
Then you've got
nothing to worry about.
You all set, woody? The red
carpet's a little threadbare,
The brass band's
a little out of tune,
But outside of that,
I'm all set.
Would you like the blue
or the pink bridal suite, sir?
The blue comes
with a sunken tub.
What did you expect,
the la guardia airport?
Huh?
Drop this off for me,
will you?
I've got to make
a reconnaissance.
I'm getting that old feeling.
jim, is that you?
I won't be a minute.
I'm just finishing a bath.
Be right out.
How was rangoon?
Did you have fun?
How many replacements
did you bring back?
You would come back just
when I was stealing a bath.
Then, of course, the boiler
went burst and the water ran out-
Oh, hello.
Jim gordon with you?
Won't I do?
Say, tell me something.
You always use jim's tub?
Yes, we all do.
Cozy.
It happens to be the only
bathtub in kunsing.
I see. It must be a very
chummy spot on Saturday night.
Do you sing and dance too or
is your act limited to patter?
Oh, fine, fine.
You're one of the new
replacements, aren't you?
Oh, no, not one
of the replacements.
Jim told me he was having
a little trouble out here,
So I thought
I'd give him a hand.
And I think
I'm going to like it.
I'm so glad.
If there's anything we can do to make you
comfortable, don't hesitate to call on us.
Oh, I will, I will.
How about dinner?
Sorry.
I never get
quite that hungry.
Oh, and if you should use the tub,
you'll be sure and empty it, won't you?
We've no plumbing.
So sorry.
What happened to that one? I
overshot the field yesterday.
Came in a little too high,
I guess.
I'll watch it.
jim!
Brooke! Been behaving yourself? Mm-hmm.
No, she hasn't. She's been taking
me at gin rummy since you left.
oh, woody.
Miss elliott, mr. Jason. We've met.
What do you think
of glamour boy?
He's a difficult man
to get to know. So shy.
Anybody in my spot would
have done the same thing.
Hap davis,
woody jason.
Glad to have you with
us, jason. Thank you, hap.
I'm gonna put him
in your hands, hap.
I don't need a nurse.
I've already got one.
If you'll excuse me, I have
to go on duty. Wish me luck?
You don't really need it,
do you?
Did I do something wrong? Do
you ever do anything right?
Pappy, why don't you
stop picking on me?
Come on. I'll introduce you
to the rest of the fellas.
I don't like to point, chum, but
she happens to be the skipper's girl.
Great. She's got a sense of
humor, hasn't she? We all have.
In fact, we wake up two or three times
a night, laugh and go back to sleep.
I would have hated to have been in that
burning plane with anybody else but woody.
You don't have to sell jason to
us. We know he's got a good record.
But out here,
everybody starts even.
Oh, yeah.
Does that go
for me too?
Sure.
Sure, it does.
Thanks, fellas.
Thanks.
Selby.
Yeah?
I got your 30 pasted together. Okay.
We're not sticklers for discipline
here, woody, but we expect results.
Relax.
Gentlemen, this is woody jason. Hi, fellas.
Hi, woody. His bark is worse than his bite.
Shake hands
and count your fingers.
I'm mccurdy from brooklyn.
How are you, brooklyn?
You ever know a little girl
by the name of sally gray?
No, you wouldn't.
You're not her type.
My name's norton. I'm from
- don't tell me. I know.
A state of beautiful women. You ever
know the mcdott sisters from fort worth?
I'm from dallas.
Oh.
Reardon, maine. I don't think
you'd know anybody I'd know.
now, there's where you're wrong. I
knew a redheaded girl by the name-
Selby, michigan. Selby mi-
Hello, michigan.
What a football team.
I used to date a little
- what do you call those? Majorette.
Yeah, a majorette.
What a football team.
My name's mcintosh. How are you, mac?
I come from nowhere.
You got a girl there?
Uh-
bentley's that gal's name.
A tall brunette with a p-40
figure and plenty of armor.
Boy, I can't wait till I get back. "back"?
Yeah, you don't think I'm gonna
make this my life's work, do you?
Give him time, boys.
He'll catch there's a war on.
I know there's a war, but you
fellows have no part of it.
We're all out here
Dough.
Sure, that we are, but it's good
to know every check you cash in...
Means a jap's
cashed in too.
Wait a minute, fellas. We're
all making the same salary:
600 bucks a month
and 500 a jap, right?
Back home most of us would kill rattlesnakes
whether there was a bounty on them or not.
I know, but you're protecting your
own home. This is not our home.
It's not our fight. It's a business.
And I hope business is good.
What's the matter with him? His
brother crashed behind enemy lines.
We found him after the japs
got through with him.
I didn't mean anything personal
- we know you didn't, woody.
Let's take a walk.
Yeah, but-
get down!
Tails up!
Let's go.
Come on, alabama! Where are we going?
The bank's open!
Is anybody hurt?
Not yet.
Which one do I take? Are you crazy?
Wait till you get combat training.
"training"? Me?
I'm losing dough!
And I'm running this outfit! Get back!
1,500 smackers up there,
and that guy cuts me off!
There's a shelter at the first
aid. What are we waiting for?
I don't know,
but I came out here to fly.
Hey, woody!
That ain't the way!
Stop, stop!
No! No!
Come back here!
Smart fellow taking plane
- no bullets! No ammunition?
what?
No got-
Contact him by radio.
Him no take earphone.
Let's contact jim!
Yeah!
Aggie dispersal calling
aggie blue one, gordon.
Aggie dispersal calling aggie
blue one, gordon. Go ahead.
Aggie blue one, gordon, back
to aggie dispersal. Go ahead.
Hello, gordon. Wingman
jason took off in p-40 ship.
He's unarmed and without
radio communication.
Request you locate and signal him to
return to base immediately. Go ahead.
Okay!
Get your checkbook out, general.
Woody! Woody! Woody!
Woody, are you all right?
Oh, I'm all right.
Well, I walked away
from that one.
Hey, whose side
are you on?
Report to my office
immediately.
Okay, pappy.
A few more landings like that,
and he'll be a japanese ace.
Where do you think you are, with
some broken-down flying circus?
It would have been a cinch. I was riding
the murder spot right above those japolas.
If I had ammunition, I'd have
blown them clear out of china.
And you washed out
a good ship.
You talk like that crate
is more important than me.
I can't afford to lose
either planes or pilots.
Pappy, it's like I told you
down at the barracks:
All I get out of this is the dough,
so you can't blame me for trying.
In a skeet match, the guy who knocks
down the most pigeons wins the cup.
I can't have grandstanders
trying to hog the show.
Results here are based on
cooperation and understanding.
Discipline in the air is strict
because that's the only way...
An outfit like this
can operate.
Wait, hap. All right,
I'll admit I was wrong.
I made a mistake.
Okay.
In this kind of warfare, a fella likes to
feel he's flying with somebody he can trust.
What do I care? It's every man for
himself, isn't it? Not these days.
Wait till you look back and see
a jap sitting on your tail...
In a ship
that you can't outmaneuver.
Then you'll know what I'm
talking about. Okay, pappy.
From now on, I'll study my lessons
and practice the piano every day.
There won't be
any more trouble.
I'll be a modest, respectful
soldier if it kills me, I swear.
okay, woody.
you got a cigarette?
Keep them.
Thanks.
You got a match?
Afraid you're gonna have a little
trouble with that ball of fire, skipper.
Oh, woody's all right.
Gets a little off beam
once in a while,
But he's gonna develop into
the best flier in this squadron.
That's what counts.
You see how he went after those
three japs? That took nerve!
Yeah, he's got nerve,
all right.
Got a cigarette?
These are the planes
you'll be tangling with.
Know them
so you can identify them.
Plenty of these planes carry
detachable auxiliary gas tanks,
Which give them
great range.
These tanks are dropped when
they reach the objective,
So they don't lessen the
plane's fighting efficiency.
The kawanishi 96 can carry about a
half a ton of bombs as well as scout.
But the most modern fighter, and the
toughest one to crack, is the nakajima.
It isn't fast,
but it's light and maneuverable.
If you find yourself in trouble and have to bail
out, there's one important thing to remember:
Do a closed-chute fall.
Drop as far as possible outside the
combat area before pulling the cord.
That's to prevent our little brown
friends from following you down...
And machine-gunning you while
you're hanging helplessly in the air.
It's a quaint little habit
of theirs.
And watch for the man
who's hit the silk.
Protect him
whenever possible.
You know what I'm not
gonna do, pappy?
I'm not gonna ask you what to
do if that chute doesn't open...
Because you'll say-
take it back to the factory.
oh, yeah.
No hits, no runs,
no errors.
There must be something
I'm doing wrong.
Yesterday I unloaded
a whole case of shells...
Before I seen I was firing
at my own shadow on a cloud.
You keep shooting at those clouds,
the angels are gonna get sore at you.
Thirteen for our team and
nobody benched. Nice work, boys.
Thirteen? You ain't superstitious, are you?
If you are, the next time
I go up, I'll make it 14.
Yeah, I'll bet.
I could take that scoreboard down
to the bank and cash it in right now.
Two thousand smackers,
and today's only Thursday.
Any of you hangar pilots
top that?
I knew a fellow who tied it once,
only he didn't live to spend it.
It's too bad he waited. If I hit my
stride, you guys can take a vacation.
At my expense, of course. How
does it feel to be a one-man team?
I don't get it. You're not
the first ball carrier...
That didn't appreciate
his interference.
Give me that
in straight english.
Twice I've been on the tail
of a nakajima...
When you've cut in
for the kill and the credit.
- Hold it, blackie.
- Wait a minute.
Let him talk.
There's only one guy
Woody jason.
Listen, sorehead,
Every time I ever cut in on
you I probably saved your life.
If I were you, I'd be the last
guy to talk about cutting in.
I saw the tunnel that my pal lefty
matson dug in the cleveland air races.
Probably figured his turn wrong.
Everybody saw what happened.
Oh, sure. It was all cleared
up in the investigation.
But they forgot
to smell your breath.
Quit it! Save it!
attention, "a" flight,
Elements "a," "b" and "c."
Enemy aircraft in force
over mekong bridge. Tails up!
Get moving, you two guys!
I'm not through with you yet.
Okay, tom.
You know where I live.
Hear about jason?
He got another nippo today.
Yeah. It's too bad they
don't pay off on dead pilots.
Hey, wait a minute, fellas.
You can't pin this on me.
If blackie hadn't opened his parachute
so soon, it wouldn't have happened.
Maybe if you'd have followed blackie
down, it wouldn't have happened either.
You were nearest to him. What
happened? A mitsi got in my way.
I guess it's easier to see 500
bucks than a pal of yours in trouble.
Hey, you got five planes now.
That makes you an ace.
"ace"?
How do you spell it?
Mike, that ship gassed?
Yeah, him full to top. Okay.
Oh, jim, do you mind if I use that ship?
Where are you going? Up for some fresh air.
It's a little heavy
in the barracks.
Go ahead.
Thanks.
Woody.
I got to know the truth
about one thing:
Could you have prevented
blackie bales' death?
No, jim. I saw him fall, but I
didn't see him open his chute.
I was sure he'd wait
until he was safe.
If I thought he was in danger,
I'd have looked after him.
That's good enough
for me.
thanks, pappy.
I never saw anything like the
way he went after those ships.
It was something. First one
and then another and then-
None of us want to go,
mrs. Bales.
We'd all like
to live to be 108.
But few of us get a chance to go out...
In a blaze of glory
like blackie did.
H-he wasn't afraid.
Blackie wasn't afraid
of anything.
You know, we got a pretty
tough bunch of guys up there.
They've got to be for
what they're up against.
But when it came to real fighting
spirit, none could touch blackie.
D-did they like him? Oh,
they were crazy about him.
He was great
to be around;
Always making cracks and
keeping people's spirits up.
I'm glad.
I suppose you'll be
going back to the states.
This belonged
to blackie.
So much?
Oh, sure. He knocked a
couple down the week before.
He never wrote me. That shows
you what kind of a guy he was.
He wouldn't even tell his
wife how well he was doing.
Well...
I got to be going.
Good-bye...
And good luck to you.
Good afternoon, nurse. Good
afternoon, madam montier.
are those our children
laughing?
Yes. It's that wonderful young
man you sent to us. I sent you?
You were a saint
to think of it.
He's the first ray of sunlight
these children have known in months.
I think I'll take a look
at mr. Sunbeam.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. You're just about
to witness that great, that colossal,
That stupendous mystery known as
the disappearing half dollar or-
Or now you see it
and now you don't.
Now I need a young lady to assist me.
Will any young lady step up, please?
Some young lady,
any young lady?
You, come on.
Come on. Aw, come on.
Come on.
Aw, come on.
That's the girl.
thank you.
Oh, boy. This will amaze
you before your very eyes!
In my hand here I have
a brand-new half dollar.
It's brand-new. I made
it myself this morning.
you can still
smell the mint on it.
Uh, I will make it disappear
into my elbow. Watch very closely.
Here it goes. Don't take
your eyes off of my hand.
Well, now, watch me very closely.
Watch very closely what happens.
See? Oop, it slipped!
Watch it closely. You see?
Watch my hand. Everybody
watch it very closely.
Here it goes.
One, two, three.
Hocus-pocus, bowlegged locust.
What happens? It's gone!
What do you know about that?
How do you like that, huh?
I wonder where it is now.
I wonder where it could be.
I think I know.
Yes, I do.
I see it.
Here it is,
right behind your ear!
What do you know
about that?
How do you like that?
Isn't that wonderful?
Yes, well,
thank you very much, miss.
And now-
excuse me.
don't tell them, but that's
the only trick I know.
my public won't let me go.
If you persuade your public inside, I
might be able to change some bandages.
Absolutely.
Hurry, hurry, hurry!
Right this way to see the beautiful
nurse perform the greatest trick.
She is lovely, she is
beautiful... And she's mad at me.
Hurry, hurry.
come quickly.
well, I guess
they're going away.
I hope so.
Have the children get ready.
I'll change their bandages now.
Careful. She's slipping. They're pretty
tough to hold when they're this young.
Some of them
never get any older.
Where did you dig up
all these kids?
Most of them were "dug up," as
you put it, after the bombings.
Are they all orphans?
The little girl you're holding walked
almost 1,000 miles across china to get here.
She lived on roots or whatever
else she could find to eat.
How did she
find this place?
I don't know. Some
instinct brings them here.
Or, perhaps,
one child tells another.
But always after a bombing,
here they are:
Starved, patient, silent.
I had no idea.
Very few people do.
Well-
There you are,
darling.
What's she selling? She's brought
you these rice cakes as a tribute.
Tribute? For what? That corny
trick with the half dollar?
No, for your courage and loyalty
as a member of the flying tigers.
Oh.
What else did she say?
Um, we are humbly grateful and beg you
to accept these useless rice cakes...
Even though they are not worthy of
so honorable and so brave a warrior.
yeah, well,
tell her okay and thanks,
And I'll keep them flying.
Thank you.
Why don't you have dinner with me
tonight, and we can have these for dessert?
Sorry.
No?
I'm having dinner
with jim.
Hey, these are good!
You want I should come back
again or you want to order now?
What's good tonight?
We have special
american dishes:
Egg fu yung,
candied duck or chop suey.
Have you any roast beef
you can cut with a fork?
You surely have oysters
you can cut with a knife?
No floor show? No, sir. No floor show.
But music...
Very nice.
Can't you turn that record
over? Has it only got one side?
Oh, him turn over,
no music,
But him turn over.
never mind.
We're getting so we like it. Thank you.
Look, chin,
why don't you surprise us?
Bring us something new
like... Chow mein.
Ah, very nice. Very good
chow mein. American dishes.
Oh, I'm sorry, brooke. Sorry?
What are you talking about?
Well, you know,
all this.
If we were back in the states, we'd be
having dinner at some good restaurant,
Dancing once or twice,
might even go out to a show.
What's the matter with this?
The food here is excellent.
As for the music, there's a
wonderful orchestra on that record.
a little hoarse by now,
but we can still dance.
Ask me and see.
Miss elliott,
may I have this dance?
I've promised it to that dashing
lieutenant in the horse marines...
But I don't think
he'll mind.
What's wrong?
This came for you.
It's in code, so I thought
it might be important.
I hate to break in on
you two. That's all right.
I'll have to get back to the
field and decode this. Of course.
Sorry, brooke. I guess we can
never really plan anything-
Ah, it's ready.
Nice dish, very nice.
Sorry, chin. We got to run
along. What I do with this?
You eat it.
Me eat this?
No, sir. No, sir.
I dragged you all out of bed and
every place else because this arrived.
I haven't had any mail for months.
I didn't know that any of
your friends could write.
well, here it is.
"commencing the first-"
that's tomorrow.
Your squadron assumes continuous night
reconnaissance in alternating patrols."
Signed r.T. Lindsay
and so forth.
In simple language, that means we
start a night patrol as well as day.
But, jim, we're not
set up for night flying.
We have no beacon
and no landing lights.
We'll use the headlights
on the trucks. How?
We have six vehicles. We'll line
three up on each side of the runway.
That's all right for takeoffs,
but what about landings?
Those lights can be seen from
5,000 feet up on a clear night.
Fine. Suppose there's a
ground fog. What happens then?
Well, woody, all you have
to do is use your fog knife.
"fog knife"?
What's that?
- Don't tell me jason hasn't got one of those.
- Every ace has one.
Sure. When you're
caught in a heavy fog,
All you do is cut a hole
in it with your fog knife...
And drop down
like in an elevator.
You must have fallen through
one of those holes on your head.
Easy, easy. Let's save that
for the annual barbecue.
Now pay attention. No
pilots must leave the post.
All leaves are
automatically canceled.
Starting tomorrow morning at
10:00, every man on the field...
Must report to dr. Singh
for a physical checkup.
That's all.
Scatter and get some sleep.
Woody.
Yeah?
Got a minute?
Sure.
What are you gonna do,
stand me in the corner? No.
I'll be leading flight "a," and
hap will be leading flight "b."
I want you to take over
hap's old position,
Number two in back of me
and my flight.
Okay, pappy.
Don't worry about a thing. Good night.
Good night, skipper.
Good night, hap.
Some of you guys don't seem to understand
the reasons for these special tests.
Sure we do. It's to find out
if we need a seeing eye dog.
okay, okay.
It's funny now.
The first time
you're on a night flight...
And a string of tracers come
hissing out at you from the dark,
You'll be glad we rechecked your
eyesight and reflexes. Sure. We know that.
Night patrol calls for peak efficiency
and perfect physical fitness.
Right.
Where did you dig that
up? I've been studying.
Don't, doc. That's cold, and I'm ticklish.
Nothing wrong
with his reflexes.
alignment blocks,
please.
is everything
all right?
All these reports go
to squadron leader gordon.
The final decision
rests with him.
I sure would hate
to miss out on night patrol.
I hear those japos
glow in the dark like bugs.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Having your oil changed?
Is my eyesight failing me or is
it that beautiful hunk of man?
You keep that up and someday
they'll put you on the radio.
Come on, fellas. Let's go to the gasoline
dump and get a breath of fresh air.
You asked for that. Okay,
okay! I'm not beefing, am I?
Where's the gadget you wanted me to come
back for, doctor? Yes, over here, please.
When I examined mr. Jason this
morning, this had not arrived yet.
I asked him to come back
with the others.
Is that what you wanted? Yes, thank you.
Thank you. You know, jason,
people that fly upside down...
Get a pretty twisted picture of
what's going on all around them.
Yeah, thanks, hap.
Thanks a lot.
You well enough
to travel, alabama?
Huh?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
all right, mr. Hap.
Think I'll fall apart, doc?
You should outlive
confucius.
That's good enough for me.
You want to see me, skipper?
Sit down, hap.
I've made a change.
Tex norton will lead flight "b"
instead of you. That's okay, jim.
I'd rather be up there in my old
spot anyway, protecting your tail.
It isn't that, hap.
I gotta hand you one
on the chin.
But I'd rather it came from me
than from somebody else.
Go ahead, jim.
You're through flying.
The doc said I'd live
to be a hundred.
If you stay
on the ground.
Oh.
I see.
okay.
Was there anything else? No.
Wait a minute.
I can't send a man up that doesn't know
whether he's flying upside-down or not.
Take a look at that physical.
Your depth perception's a mile off.
I know you've been gunning 'em since they
were box kites with broomsticks for rudders,
But, you gotta believe me,
I'm doing this for you!
You've been close winging in
formations, overshooting your landings-
You don't have
to say any more!
I'm sorry.
I was kind of figuring on
going back to the states anyway,
Maybe get me a chicken ranch
or something.
I hear there's a lot
of dough in eggs. Eggs?
Who are you trying to kid?
You haven't been
saving any money.
You've been giving it away
as fast as you make it.
Look, hap,
I need you here.
What could I do now?
Taking care of these crates on
the ground is just as important...
As flying them upstairs.
I got to have a man
I can trust on the ground.
I wish you'd take that job,
hap.
You're not doing this to
- no.
I really need you.
Well, ground kind of
hurts my arches,
But, well,
I'll think about it.
Thanks, hap.
Wait a minute.
I didn't swing at that one.
come on.
Okay. I never could bat
without my spike shoes anyway.
Come on, come on.
You're out.
Come on,
let her go.
woody.
Hello!
How are things going? You
better not be seen talking to me.
I'm poison ivy. Everything I
touch breaks out into a rash.
I, um, I just got a letter from mrs. Bales.
What's she writing you about? I sent her
blackie's things. She wrote to thank me.
Oh. She said to be sure
and give you her regards.
Well, um
- you are a difficult man to get to know, aren't you?
Why don't you have dinner with me
tonight and get to know me better?
you don't take no
for an answer, do you?
Why should I, when it's
just as easy to say yes?
Isn't it?
Yes.
Well, swell! I'll meet you
tonight at the orphanage at 8:00.
Right? Okay. See you later.
Uh, wait a minute.
Don't say anything to anybody
about mrs. Bales, will you?
I don't want to spoil my record. All right.
And be on time!
Hey, 'bama.
Those guys only got seven lucky
hits off of me in three innings.
Yeah, swell. I'm going off the
reservation tonight. I got a date.
What about night patrol?
You're on "a" flight.
Oh, don't worry about it.
I'll be back in time.
But if anyone asks any
questions about me, you cover me.
I'm getting
that old feeling.
All right, fellas, synchronize
your watches at 10:55.
It's now 10:54 and 57...
58, 59, mark it.
Tex, "b" flight must relieve
us at exactly 11:55. Right.
otherwise, we might mistake you
for the enemy. That's about it.
Take off in four minutes.
I thought jason was here.
Well, I thought I saw him getting
dressed just a few minutes ago, sir.
Well, get him on the field. Yes, sir.
Warm 'em up.
Did you see woody? I just
stalled the skipper. No.
He'll wring my neck too if he
finds out woody left the field.
Against orders? Yeah, but
he said he'd be right back.
Well, he's jim's number two man.
He'd better be back.
Tell pilot jason
takeoff is in two minutes.
Yes, sir.
- All right, warm it up, mike.
- Okeydokey.
Waiting for mr. Jason, please. Yeah, yeah.
Tell him he'll be right there. Yes, sir.
I still don't think this is
right. You keep your mouth shut.
But if anybody's gonna take
woody's flight, it ought to be me.
Are you crazy? I've been flying
number two for jim for over a year.
I know every one of his
quirks, every one of his moves.
We're a team. Don't you
understand? Yeah, I know, but-
It's like he was the ball carrier
and I was his interference.
Yeah, sure,
but I still don't like it.
You're to stay on the ground.
Not so long as jim is in the air.
missed the 5:15 again.
You're gonna have a hard time talking yourself
out of this one. Who, me and pappy? No.
I wonder who's flying number
two? Where have you been?
I'm late. So what? So hap
took your flight, that's what.
All right, I'd do as much for him,
wouldn't I? But hap was grounded.
Yeah.
"a" leader to "a" two.
Go ahead.
What's the matter, jason?
Have you gone to sleep?
"a" two to "a" leader.
What do you want? Go ahead.
Hap! Where's jason? What are
you doing here? Go on back!
Sorry, jim. Remember me? I'm the
little man who's always there.
Besides, it's too late.
"a" leader to flight "a." nakajima
fighters on port quarter. Combat formation.
Attaboy, skipper!
Give 'em the old one-two!
Don't worry, jim.
I'm climbing his back porch now.
Pull out, hap!
Pull out!
I hope you two
had a good time...
'cause hap paid the check.
Jim.
There's an army truck out of here day
after tomorrow for lai chau. Be on it.
Don't say that, jim. Until then,
you're confined to your quarters.
But I'm still a good flyer.
I'll knock down ten of those
rats for every one of our boys.
It's out of my hands now. None of
these men will ever fly with you again,
And they have to fly.
yesterday...
December 7, 1941...
A date which will live...
In infamy.
The United States
of america...
Was suddenly
and deliberately attacked...
By naval and air forces...
Of the empire of japan.
The United States was
at peace with that nation...
And at the solicitation
of japan...
Was still in conversation...
With its government
and its emperor...
Looking towards the maintenance
of peace in the pacific.
I believe that I incorporate
the will of the congress...
And of the people
when I assert...
That we will not only defend
ourselves to the utmost,
But will make it
very certain...
That this form
of treachery...
Shall never again
endanger it.
hostilities exist.
There is no blinking
at the fact...
That our people,
our territory...
And our interests...
Are in grave danger.
With confidence
in our armed forces,
With the unbounding
determination...
Of our people,
We will gain...
The inevitable triumph...
So help us, god.
I ask that the congress
declare...
That since the unprovoked...
And dastardly attack
by japan...
On Sunday,
December 7, 1941...
A state of war
has existed...
Between
the United States...
And the japanese empire.
How are you, jim? Good, colonel. And you?
I don't have to tell you what
our entrance into the war means...
To the volunteer group
in china.
Our responsibility is grave. You and your
men will have to take greater risks now.
I think they know it, sir.
This hits them where they live.
I don't think any of them will
let you down. I'm sure they won't.
Come here.
Intelligence reports that the japanese
are starting a new drive from this point.
But to camouflage that move, they're
starting a fake attack from this point.
Under cover of which, they intend to
bring up supplies and munitions from here.
We must destroy this bridge and delay
the supply trains which pass over it.
I see. That's the only way we can
give general chiang kai-shek...
Sufficient time
to establish his defenses.
I know that area. It's a nest of
antiaircraft and nakajima squadrons.
Thank you. They can send
up an anac umbrella...
High enough to make
any attack ineffective.
I warned you what
we'd be up against.
But there's a way to do it, I think. Yeah?
A bomber squadron, even with our
protection, wouldn't stand a chance.
But a single ship might get through. How?
By flying through the canyons
instead of over them.
Taking off at dawn and hugging the
sides of the hills away from the sun,
A pilot might bring his ship through
the pass and directly over the bridge.
Sounds like hedgehopping to suicide. Maybe.
But if you think it can be done,
I'll order a bomber here right away.
I think we can use that transport. What?
They've been flying over
enemy territory for five years.
They get potted at, of course, but they don't
attract as much attention as a military ship.
What about bombs? It's got no bomb
rack, no bomb release, nothing.
We can figure that out.
There's eight or nine cans in our
munition dump marked, "nitro u.S.A."
I think I can find
a messenger boy to deliver them.
A job for a volunteer,
of course.
Of course.
Doggone it. You ought to
be tar and feathered, woody.
Getting yourself slung out of this outfit
just when things are getting exciting.
What's going on out there?
Huh? You heard me. What's happening?
That's the skipper's idea.
He's gonna go fix breakfast
for the jappies.
Gonna serve them soup.
Who's going with him? Nobody.
If you ask me,
it's a one-way trip.
These reports must go out daily to keep
colonel lindsay informed on our status.
Yes, sir. Ship norton to ground operation,
Selby and evans
to night patrol, flight "a."
Miller ought to be about ready now to start
in again with reardon as a team. Right.
That's about all, except you'll have to keep
after kunming for gas, oil and supplies...
And toungoo for replacements.
Take good care of the
store, mac. I will, sir.
I-
good luck to you.
thank you, mac.
Come in.
Yes?
I have dr. Singh's
report on barton.
How is he?
You can have him back
in a week.
Colonel lindsay's waiting
outside, jim. Right.
Jim!
Good luck.
Thanks.
I haven't wanted
to question you, jim,
But I thought you were
gonna call for volunteers.
It only takes one,
doesn't it?
thank you, colonel.
Mike, rev it down!
Mike, cut those motors!
What do you think you're doing?
Cut those motors!
Get into your parachute.
I'd land and throw you out if I could
take a chance on that cargo back there.
Bail out at 1,500.
You can't handle this crate all by
yourself. It's a job for two of us.
Somebody's got to handle this stick
while the other guy drops the stuff.
You know that as well as I do.
Not the way I got it rigged.
I know I've been a lot of trouble to
you since we first got to be friends.
You're the only guy I know
who stuck by me.
If you're trying to alibi the way
you've been living, we'll run out of gas.
Maybe I did start out just
to have a bunch of laughs-
Woody, anyone who looks ahead
in this racket is crazy.
I don't blame you
for grabbing what you can today.
You don't mean that. If you did,
you'd have dropped me long ago.
Hit the silk.
Look, jim...
I had to talk to you.
I don't know where
I'm going from here or...
When I'll see you again.
It's like
brooke said:
I don't know anything
about anything:
Why we're here, why we're
fighting, all that sort of stuff.
She tried
to straighten me out too.
Although half the time she was
talking about you and roast beef...
And san francisco and
all those crazy things.
- See what I mean?
- 1,500.
Are we gonna say good-bye
like this? Bail out!
Okay.
I got it coming to me.
But there's one thing
you gotta get straight on.
A whole lot of us just
don't grow up. We stay kids.
The most important thing to a
kid is the street he lives on.
It's his life.
It's his whole world.
That was me when I first
joined up with you.
Hong kong, shanghai,
chungking-
They didn't mean
anything to me.
Just a lot of names
in a geography book,
Not towns where millions of people
were being maimed and killed by bombs.
If you called them texas,
maine or michigan...
That would have been different.
They were my street. That's
why I acted the way I did.
Not because I was a heel,
but because I was still a kid.
It cost another man's life
to make a man out of me.
If you don't think that will
stay on my mind as long as I live,
Then you don't know any more about me
than... I think you did in the first place.
Well... That's all,
and happy landing.
Sit down, woody.
Check the course.
Okay, pappy.
Well, here we go
into the tunnel of love.
Pull her up!
Did you know I used
to drive a roller coaster?
Delivering nitro?
Yes.
Were you killed?
Uh-huh.
Take over. I want to get
into this chute. Right.
Looks like
the supply trains are moving.
But the bridge ain't.
You may serve
the soup course now, pappy.
Get her closer.
If I get any closer to that bridge
we'll have to pay a toll charge.
- Let her go!
- Not yet!
Give the gentleman
a cigar!
If they want to cross that
river, they'll have to swim it.
you all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
This crate's got enough lead in
its belly to sink a battleship.
Don't look now, but our
tail feathers are on fire.
Huh? This is it, pappy.
Let's take a powder.
Six cans of nitro aboard
and that train's still running.
Yeah, but this is one train we're
gonna have to miss. Come on, let's go.
Right.
Throw it on automatic.
Come on!
Hit the silk, woody!
Here we go!
Happy landing, jim.
"do me a favor,
will you, pappy?
"give my leather jacket to
reardon. He's a cold character.
"divide my address book evenly
between the boys in the barracks.
"and give my silk scarf to the next
head-chopper that thinks this is an easy racket.
Woody."
come in.
You sent for me, sir?
Yes, barratt.
This is your first time up. Don't
try to win this war all by yourself.
Stay close to formation. If you find yourself
in trouble, pour on the coal and head home.
Yes, sir.
Just a minute.
This is for you.
Gee, thanks.
Take good care of it.
It belonged to a pretty good flier. Sure.
flight "a." flight "a."
Reconnaissance patrol,
two minutes.
How about having dinner with me? I
hear chin has a new record. Swell.