Flyboys Page #2

I saw him fight in Paris.

He knocked a guy out in the eighth round.

Sixth.

(MEN SINGING)

Now, as for all of us being

on the same side,

until you actually do something,

you're not even in this war,

let alone in this room.

TODDMAN:
Why not?

We're all fighting for the French,

same as you.

Not the same as me.

Let's go, champ.

(MEN CHEERING)

SKINNER:
Still wanna rub my head?

(RAWLINGS LAUGHS)

Gentlemen, this is the Nieuport 17.

This plane is the newest French fighter.

When you are proficient enough,

you'll be among the first to fly it.

But remember, it is the man

and not the machine that matters.

His bullet is no faster than yours.

Go on your left. On your right.

Watch your back.

Okay, Skinner.

- That's good.

- I got that.

Watch the fuel.

If you run out of gas,

you will sleep with the Germans.

(COUNTING IN FRENCH)

Stop!

Come on, Toddman. Watch your balance.

No. Come on. Go, go, go.

(COUNTING IN FRENCH)

Come on, Jensen. Go, go, go, Jensen.

Come on, Rawlings. Go, go. Come on.

Watch your balance, no.

Poor Skinner.

A word about equipment.

This is the Escadrille scarf.

It is not just to make you

look good for the girls...

What would he know about that?

...but to keep your neck

from being irritated

from the constant turning

to spot enemy aircraft.

Contact.

- Go on, Rawlings!

- Go, Rawlings!

Go, Rawlings!

- What?

- See it?

(RAWLINGS WHOOPING)

(ALL CHEERING)

All right!

You're on your own, yeah!

He's going.

- Go, Skinner.

- Skinner, let her rip.

- All right, Beagle.

- Go get them. Get up there.

Keep it straight.

Come on, Lowry.

GIROUX:
Now that you are actually flying,

it is time to learn about tactics.

Left. Right.

- Both.

- Both.

Right. Left.

THENAULT:
In any form of attack,

it is best to fire in short bursts.

(IMITATING SHORT BURSTS

OF GUNFIRE)

Follow him.

(GUN FIRING)

SKINNER:
Give me right, give me right.

Good, give me left, give me left.

- More your left.

- Left.

Your primary goal is to get on their tail.

This is your best shooting position.

Beagle. The target, Beagle.

Come on, Beagle. The target, Beagle!

Go. Go, Rawlings. That's good.

That's good. Go, Jensen.

Go, Jensen. Good. Good, Skinner.

Good. Well done.

THENAULT:
We don't want you bringing

bullets home. We have millions.

Leave the bullets up there.

Let the Germans take them home.

(GUNS FIRING)

(MEN CHEERING)

MAN:
Good shot, Rawlings.

Not bad.

(SPEAKS FRENCH)

TODDMAN:
Good shooting, cowboy.

JENSEN:
Way to go, Rawlings.

GIROUX:
Rawlings.

I want you to go up with Beagle

and teach him how to shoot.

Why me? You're the instructor.

Because I'm tired of trying to teach him.

All right.

Beagle, you need to use

more right rudder when you dive.

I know, I know.

Get off my back.

Notify this Hun's next of kin.

(GUN FIRING)

Right rudder!

There's something wrong with the gun!

I know I can fly and I know I can shoot!

Yeah, you just can't do them

at the same time.

- Where are we going?

- I don't know.

BEAGLE:
Let's just fly around a little.

Have some fun.

It's a beautiful country.

Can see why the French fight for it.

- Hey, Rawlings.

- What?

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

- We're out of gas.

- What?

- You didn't check it when we took off?

- I thought you did.

You're the damn pilot!

RAWLINGS:
All right.

Beagle, put it down over there. Over there.

- No, there's more room over there.

- RAWLINGS:
That terrain's too rough.

- Put it over there.

- BEAGLE:
What terrain?

- RAWLINGS:
Watch your airspeed.

- I got it.

- We're going too fast!

- BEAGLE:
Just shut up!

(GROANING)

(CRASHING)

(WOMEN MURMURING IN FRENCH)

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

Where am I?

Where's my... Where's my plane? My leg.

Is this a... What do you call it?

Do you speak English?

- Hey, Rawlings, you came to.

- How'd we get here, ace?

Well, first of all,

you left the plane in kind of a hurry.

Then this one found you out back

and helped carry you in.

This ain't so bad.

(CLARISE SPEAKING FRENCH)

(ALL CHATTERING)

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

You want me to take my pants off?

Okay.

You seem to be in good hands here.

I'm gonna go see if anybody wants

to look after my leg.

Oh, girls?

So you're a prostitute?

I mean, you don't look like one.

You're very pretty.

You understand? Pretty?

Pretty...

Like...

Like the...

The flower is pretty.

And you are pretty like a flower.

And you are pretty like a flower.

Hey, Rawlings.

You know, they don't give medals

for running out of gas.

- You here to take us back?

- Yeah, but what's the hurry?

Hey, watch it.

What the hell?

She's a chippie, not a nurse.

You do realize that crash landing

your own plane doesn't count as combat.

Sorry about that.

Listen, it was...

It was really nice to meet you.

Yeah.

That was... That was for you.

(CHICKEN CLUCKING)

(SPEAKING FRENCH)

(WOMEN SPEAKING FRENCH)

That guy knows how to live.

(ALL CHATTERING)

Guess all his friends aren't dead.

Come on, Rawlings,

we've got a long drive home.

TODDMAN:
Hey, Rawlings.

Meet the new arrivals.

I was just showing them around.

Those circular tents at the back

are where the crew live.

And you guys already know

where the canteen is.

Nunn will be sneaking in there

looking for cookies.

He's got a sweet tooth. Right, Nunn?

- Nunn doesn't say a whole lot.

- I can, if something comes up.

TODDMAN:
That's the mess hall

and the officers' club.

No chapel?

Fellows, meet Porter.

- You religious?

- I keep my Bible close.

What's a man of God doing here at war?

Hopefully the same thing you are.

DEWITT:
How are the barracks, by the way?

TODDMAN:
Yeah.

- Nothing fancy.

- BEAGLE:
Yeah, nothing fancy.

(GROANS)

(ENGINES WHIRRING)

- Whose planes are these?

- They are yours.

Hey!

- Are those really ours?

- These really are amazing.

- We get to fly them?

- These are great.

Merry Christmas, boys.

- This one's mine.

- Almost makes you feel sorry for the Huns.

My, oh, my.

So why do they all have

Indian heads on them?

It is the Escadrille insignia.

Well, why that?

I mean, Indians were defeated.

Yeah, but they were brave. I like it.

You're allowed to have a personal insignia

on the forward part of the fuselage.

Well, that's good.

Let them know who we are.

I've already picked this one out

for myself, so hands off.

No, Skinner, find your own.

It's great. Looks just like it.

- Hey, Lowry, that's good.

- Thanks, Jensen.

I was going to be an artist,

until my father thought better of it.

Would you paint me a knight?

We're kind of like flying knights,

don't you think?

- Sure.

- Thanks.

(MEN CHATTERING IN FRENCH)

- RAWLINGS:
What's that, Nunn?

- A woodpecker.

That ought to really scare them.

I think it says we're gonna put

a whole bunch of holes in them.

I think that it says that you've got

a bunch of holes in your brain.

Whatever it is, get it done.

We're going to war in two days.

Knights of the air.

What? We are. We're like knights.

The Germans are moving

toward the Meuse River

as part of their push to take Paris.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes