Airplane! Page #17

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CITY STREET - NIGHT - (STOCK)

SCREAMING firetrucks, police cars, and ambulances.

EXT. AIRPLANE - NIGHT

Lightning and THUNDER.

INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT

DR. RUMACK

Will the hospital equipment be at the

airport?

STRIKER:

Yes, everything they've got. How are the

passengers doing?

DR. RUMACK

I won't deceive you, Mister Striker. We're

running out of time.

STRIKER:

Surely there must be something you can do.

DR. RUMACK

I'm doing everything I can! -- And stop

calling me Shirley!

Rumack leaves.

STRIKER'S THOUGHTS (v.o.)

I've got to stay calm. If I can just keep

my wits about me, I can't mess this one

up.

ELAINE'S THOUGHTS (v.o.)

Maybe I have been too harsh with him. If I

had given him more support in the

beginning, maybe things would be

different.

STRIKER'S THOUGHTS (v.o.)

Forget it. It's not your fault.

ELAINE'S THOUGHTS (v.o.)

That's sweet of you, Ted. I appreciate the

thought.

We hear both of their thoughts simultaneously.

STRIKER'S ELAINE'S

THOUGHTS (v.o.) THOUGHTS (v.o.)

You know, Elaine, I just It's just that I feel so

wanted to tell you... helpless and...

STRIKER'S THOUGHTS (v.o.)

Go ahead.

ELAINE'S THOUGHTS (v.o.)

No, no. You were first.

INT. PASSENGER CABIN - ANOTHER AREA - NIGHT

Jack is seated across the aisle from Mrs. Hammen. He falls

asleep and slumps over.

MRS. HAMMEN

(hysterically)

He's dead. He's dead!

Jack wakes up. Disgustedly:

JACK:

No, I'm not dead.

INT. PASSENGER CABIN - ANOTHER AREA - NIGHT

Mrs. Schiff is holding the bottle to her shoulder and

patting it. It BURPS.

INT. PASSENGER CABIN - NIGHT

Sister Angelina is singing to the two black dudes.

SISTER ANGELINA:

'What you want,

Baby I got,

What you need,

You know I got it.

All I'm askin' for

Is a little respect

When you come home.'

INT. PASSENGER CABIN - STEWARDESS' ALCOVE - NIGHT

Rumack pours a cup of water. Randy begins to weep.

DR. RUMACK

Randy, are you all right?

RANDY:

Doctor Rumack, I'm scared. I've never been

so scared. And besides, I'm twenty-six and

I'm not married.

DR. RUMACK

Randy, we're going to make it. You've got

to believe that.

Mrs. Hammen enters alcove.

MRS. HAMMEN

Lorison, do you have any idea when we'll

be landing?

DR. RUMACK

It will be pretty soon. How are you

bearing up?

MRS. HAMMEN

Well, to be honest, I'm very scared. But

at least I've got a husband.

EXT. AIRPORT - NIGHT

Revolving radar antenna.

INT. CHICAGO WEATHER CENTER - CLOSEUP

of typewriter. CAMERA PULLS OUT to REVEAL Dispatcher typing

message.

RADIO (v.o.)

National Weather Service reporting Chicago

ceiling zero, visibility one hundred feet.

With great care the Dispatcher turns the knob on carriage

until the paper comes out clean. Relishing his victory, he

talks in Donald Duck voice.

DISPATCHER:

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

As he starts toward the door, the room caves in on him.

INT. CHICAGO DISPATCH - NIGHT

McCroskey and Kramer are at watercooler. McCroskey is

filling cup while Kramer drinks.

McCROSKEY

Rex, I've decided that the best thing to

do is to foam the runway -- let him do a

wheels-up landing. It'd be a lot simpler.

Kramer throws cup into wastebasket. McCroskey drinks.

KRAMER:

(filling up another cup)

No, the risk of fire is too great. If she

starts burning, you write off all those

people who can't get out of there on their

own power.

McCroskey throws cup into wastebasket. Kramer drinks.

McCROSKEY

(filling up another cup)

Well that's better than writing them all

off? Are you going to play God with a

hundred and 38 lives?

Kramer throws cup into wastebasket as McCroskey drinks.

KRAMER:

(filling up another cup)

No. A belly landing isn't all that simple.

It takes a good pilot to keep from

smearin' himself all over the runway.

McCroskey throws cup into wastebasket as Kramer drinks.

McCROSKEY

(filling up another cup)

If Striker has the guts to try this, he

deserves the best shot we can give him.

We've gotta foam that runway.

Kramer throws cup into wastebasket as McCroskey drinks.

KRAMER:

(taking another cup)

His only shot's with the wheels down. I've

seen foam tear a man's guts out.

McCroskey throws cup into wastebasket. Kramer throws cup

into wastebasket.

McCROSKEY

And if Striker goes to pieces?

KRAMER:

(taking another cup)

That's a risk we'll just have to take.

Kramer throws cup into wastebasket. McCroskey throws cup

into wastebasket. They burp.

INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT

Striker is looking at controls. Lightning is flashing on his

face.

INSERT - ALTIMETER

SUPERIMPOSE fighter plane. Then STOCK FOOTAGE of early

experimental planes crashing.

VOICE (v.o.)

Stay in formation. Targets just ahead.

Target should be clear it you go in low

enough. You'll have to decide.

(echoing)

You'll have to decide. You'll have to

decide...So, decide already.

INT. COCKPIT - NIGHT

Sudden dramatic MUSIC. The cockpit shakes. Engine number

three is flaming out.

INSERT - CONTROL PANEL - GAUGE FOR ENGINE #3

BACK TO SCENE:

STRIKER:

Rats! I've lost number three.

ELAINE:

What happened, Ted? What went wrong?

STRIKER:

Oil pressure. I forgot to check the oil

pressure. When Kramer hears about this,

the sh*t's gonna hit the fan.

INT. DISPATCH - CLOSEUP - FAN - NIGHT

The sh*t hits it. PULL BACK to include:

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