Memphis Belle Page #17

VAL:

Thirty seconds to delivery.

95.

227 INT. COCKPIT

Flak is still pummeling the outside of the plane. Black

smoke is smeared all over the sky. The plane wobbles.

DENNIS:

Bombardier, I need those bombs on

target. The whole group is bombing

with us.

VAL (V.O.)

If I can't see, I can't see.

Dennis reaches down and puts his hand on the auto pilot.

Luke looks at him in shock.

LUKE:

What do you think you're doing?

DENNIS:

We came here to bomb a factory.

We're going to bomb a factory even

if it means going around again.

LUKE:

Are you crazy? You go around on a

bomb run, that's like sending out

an engraved invitation to the Nazis

to blow us away!

DENNIS:

Luke, I'm in command!

228 INT. NOSE

Val puts his finger on the bomb release button.

VAL:

Dennis, what do you want me to do?

ON PHIL:

At his desk, watching Val, terrified.

229 INT. COCKPIT

Dennis has taken his finger off the auto pilot switch.

DENNIS:

Bombardier, give me a report.

VAL (V.O.)

Visibility zero.

(CONTINUED)

96.

229 CONTINUED:

Dennis reaches for the switch.

LUKE:

You do it and we're dead.

Dennis flips the auto pilot to "off."

DENNIS:

We're going around again.

LUKE:

F***!

DENNIS:

Danny, give me C channel again.

230 INT. NOSE

Val takes his finger off the bomb release button and

adjusts the bombsight. Phil lunges for the button. Val

sees him out of the corner of his eye and grabs Phil's

hand just before he can push it. He shoves Phil back,

then snaps the safety catch back on the button. Phil

sits in his chair, shaking.

231 EXT. MEMPHIS BELLE

The Belle banks into a sharp turn to the left. Baby

Ruth and Mother and Country follow.

DENNIS (V.O.)

It'll take us five minutes to get

back to the start of the bomb

run. Navigator, give me a

postition.

232 INT. NOSE

Phil is sitting at his table, but unable to work, to

focus.

DENNIS (V.O.)

Navigator, did you hear me?

Phil looks up and meets Val's gaze. They look at each

other a long moment. Then Phil turns back to his maps.

PHIL:

Yes, sir.

He tries to pull himself together and begin to work.

97.

233 INT. COCKPIT

Dennis banks out of the turn and straightens out the

plane.

DENNIS:

Everybody listen. I know you want

to drop the bombs and get the hell

out of here. But there's civilians

down there, there's a school right

next door and if we don't get

these bombs right in the pickle

barrel, a lot of innocent people

are going to be killed.

LUKE:

They're all Nazis, what

difference...?

DENNIS:

Luke, shut up!

Luke glares at him.

234 INT. WAIST

Jack and Eugene are both listening. Eugene clutches his

St. Anthony medal, the broken chain dangling.

DENNIS (V.O.)

I don't want to go around again

any more than you do. But we were

sent here to bomb a factory and if

we don't do it, somebody's going

to have to come back here again

and do it for us.

235 INT. BALL TURRET

FLAK is BURSTING right outside Rascal's turret and

PATTERING against it. He's shivering from the cold

blowing in the broken window.

DENNIS (V.O.)

Nobody promised us it would be

fun and games. It's our job.

Ours, nobody else's.

236 INT. TAIL

Clay looks at the odds he wrote on the condensation on

his side window:
3 to 1.

(CONTINUED)

98.

236 CONTINUED:

DENNIS (V.O.)

If we do it right, it's something

we can be proud of our whole

lives. That's all I want, believe

me.

With a swipe, he wipes them away. All bets are off now.

237 INT. COCKPIT

Luke has not taken his eyes off Dennis.

DENNIS:

Now, let's get back to work, stay

alert and call out those fighters

soon as you see them.

Silence. The flak has stopped. Dennis feels Luke's

stare and looks over at him. They exchange a long, long

look, then Dennis breaks it. Suddenly, Virge calls out.

VIRGE (V.O.)

Bandits, three o'clock high!

238 EXT. MEMPHIS BELLE

The plane has straightened and Baby Ruth and Mother and

Country have closed in tight beside it. A squadron of

fighters appears high in the sky, queued up, ready to

come in. They dive down at the formation, one after

another.

EUGENE (V.O.)

Ten o'clock, too!

JACK (V.O.)

Two of them, coming in at eight.

RASCAL (V.O.)

I don't like being in the lead.

CLAY (V.O.)

Yep, we're the piece of sh*t the

flies are headin' for.

VIRGE (V.O.)

Here they come, here they come!

239 INT. BALL TURRET

Rascal spins the turret and starts FIRING.

99.

240 INT. WAIST

Both Eugene and Jack open up, FIRING out of their sides

of the plane.

241 INT. COCKPIT

GUNS are FIRING all over the plane. Virge's GUN throbs

right behind the cockpit. Luke is jumpy.

VIRGE (V.O.)

Bandit, twelve o'clock high!

Cockpit, look out, he's heading

straight for you!

Luke looks up in terror at the fighter zooming in at

him, FIRING away.

LUKE:

What am I supposed to do, spit at

him?

Luke ducks his head down, as the FIGHTER BUZZES right at

them. Dennis doesn't even glance up. The fighter passes

overhead. Luke comes up from his tuck. He's jumping out

of his skin.

LUKE:

Tail gunner, how are you doing

back there?

CLAY (V.O.)

Jus' fine, Lieutenant.

LUKE:

Let me know if you need help.

242 INT. TAIL

Clay calmly FIRES at a fighter barrel-rolling under the

Belle. It's already on fire.

CLAY:

Sure will. But I'm doin' just...

He hesitates. He remembers. Then, a little too

obviously:

CLAY:

Oh, right, Lieutenant! I do

need some help back here!

100.

243 INT. COCKPIT

Luke pulls off his oxygen mask, yanks out his intercom

cord and starts to get up.

DENNIS:

Tail gunner, what's wrong?

CLAY (V.O.)

I'm runnin' out of ammo.

LUKE:

I'll take care of it.

DENNIS:

Can't somebody else do it? Right

waist, left waist?

JACK (V.O.)

Captain, we got fighters all over

us back here.

LUKE:

Dennis, I'm the only one not

doing anything.

DENNIS:

(a beat; then)

Okay, but make it fast.

Luke steps over the control box, squeezes past Virge

and heads into the bomb bay.

244 INT. RADIO ROOM

Luke goes past Danny, who's FIRING up into the sky, then

through the aft bulkhead doorway. From here we see Luke

go the length of the plane to the tail.

245 OMITTED

246 INT. NOSE

Val is bent over the bombsight, making adjustments,

turning dials. Phil takes off his mask to talk. So

does Val.

PHIL:

Val, I'm sorry. I don't know

what's wrong with me.

(CONTINUED)

101.

246 CONTINUED:

VAL:

You're a coward, that's what's

wrong. A big f***ing coward and

you're in real trouble when we

get back down on the ground. Now

leave me alone and let me do my

job!

Val refastens his mask and turns back to the bombsight.

Phil turns back to his maps.

247 INT. TAIL

Luke comes into the tail and changes places with Clay.

He kneels in front of the guns with Clay behind him,

watching over his shoulder.

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