Pearl Harbor Page #7

ADMIRAL KIMMEL:

Step up surveillance of Japanese

communications. They're gonna do

something somewhere. I can feel it.

EXT. THE SKIES ABOVE OAHU - DAY

A seaplane takes tourists on an excursion above Pearl Harbor

and around the island of Oahu. One Japanese tourist shoots

pictures rapidly...first of the ships as seen from overhead;

then he leans to the other side of the plane and shoots

pictures of the airfield below them.

EXT. PEARL HARBOR - DAY

Another Japanese tourist hikes through the hills above Pearl

Harbor. He takes an excellent camera from his picnic basket,

and shoots pictures.

CLOSE - THE PICTURES, being carried down a hallway, into --

INT. JAPANESE PLANNERS OFFICE - DAY

The courier places the pictures onto the table in front of

Yamamoto, Genda, and the other JAPANESE OFFICERS.

GENDA:

Look at the ships -- all grouped. Perfect

targets!

JAPANESE OFFICER

And the planes! They are -- what is that

American expression? Sitting geese?

YAMAMOTO:

Sitting ducks.

JAPANESE OFFICER

How can they be so foolish?

YAMAMOTO:

They think no one would be stupid enough

to attack them at Pearl Harbor.

GENDA:

Or perhaps they think no one is capable.

Look at this...

He moves to a diagram displayed on the wall -- a simple

display showing water depth and ship displacement.

GENDA:

Pearl Harbor's depth of only forty feet

makes them feel safe. A torpedo dropped

from an airplane plunges to one hundred

feet before it can level off. That is a

conventional torpedo. But we have been

experimenting.

From a stand beside his diagram he takes a set of wooden

fins, attached to a circular metallic band.

GENDA:

Wooden fins. We are testing them

tomorrow.

EXT. JAPANESE ISLAND - DAY

Yamamoto and his planners have flown to a quiet Japanese

island, sunlit and pleasant. They are gathered on the shore

of the island's natural harbor. Wooden targets -- basically

huge plank barriers -- are sunk into the water like ships at

anchor. A squadron of Japanese planes zooms overhead, taking

up attack positions.

GENDA:

We have chosen this place because its

depth is exactly the same as Pearl

Harbor's.

Genda speaks into a field radio. A lone plane drops out of

formation and goes into a low-level approach, speeding up and

dropping its torpedo.

BELOW THE SURFACE we see the torpedo as it plunges at two

hundred miles an hour into the sunlit sea. With the wooden

fins the torpedo makes a sharp dip and levels off above the

sea floor.

ABOVE THE SURFACE the planners see the path of the torpedo;

it hits the wooden barrier with a satisfying THUNK. The

planners are impressed -- but Yamamoto is not satisfied.

YAMAMOTO:

Uncharged torpedoes have different

balance.

GENDA:

I have arranged a live fire drill -- with

your permission.

Yamamoto nods; Genda speaks again into his radio, and another

plane swoops down and drops a torpedo. Genda holds his hands

to his ears, causing the others to do the same; even though

they wonder at the need.

The torpedo hits the barrier, and the explosion is deafening,

and of shocking force; the entire barrier is blown to

toothpicks.

GENDA:

Of course against a ship the explosion

will not be dissipated, and will have

more force.

The planners, nearly blown off their feet, nod as if they

knew that all the time.

INT. MILITARY BASE - PILOTS' BARRACKS - NIGHT

The pilots are getting slicked up.

BILLY:

Are you sure they're here?

ANTHONY:

If Evelyn's here, the rest are here!

Red moves up beside him to frown at the mirror. His hair is

plastered down and parted, his uniform's immaculate.

ANTHONY:

Looking good, Red.

RED:

Shut up.

Red moves away, to polish his shoes.

ANTHONY:

What is it with Red? I've never seen him

this way.

BILLY:

He's been like that all day. Hey Danny,

you coming?

DANNY:

Nah, I'm gonna stay here. Read.

Anthony and Billy look at each other; Danny's in his bunk,

and he's not reading, just staring at the ceiling.

INT. NURSES' BARRACKS - PEARL HARBOR - NIGHT

The nurses are primping to go out; Evelyn is in her uniform

getting ready to go back to work.

BARBARA:

Now listen, it's hands off Billy. I

mean, you can put your hands on him if

you want to, but then my hands will break

yours.

BETTY:

He was that good?

BARBARA:

No, I was.

EXT. NURSES' QUARTERS - OAHU - NIGHT

Creeping through the vegetation, Red leads Anthony and Billy

to a spot outside the nurses' barracks; they can see the

girls through the barracks window.

BILLY:

Red, Peeping Tom stuff can get us court-

marshaled.

RED:

Shhh!

Anthony and Billy are baffled, even more so when Red strides

into the open, right outside the nurses' window.

And then, Red begins to sing.

RED:

(singing)

Oh...Betty, Betty, Betty, you're the one

for me, Betty, Betty, Betty, Betty, can't

you see...

Anthony and Billy look at each other, dumbfounded. The

nurses move to the open windows. Red's singing is pretty

good -- though not that good. But he doesn't stutter when he

sings.

RED:

(singing)

I'll be yours for eternity, Betty, Betty,

Betty, Betty, Betty!

Anthony and Billy are hysterical, trying to keep their

laughter hidden. But then they see the effect this is having

on the women -- especially on Betty. She's smitten.

Red repeats the verse, really getting into it; when he

finishes, Betty runs out and hugs him, as all the nurses

applaud. They move off into the darkness, arm and arm.

The nurses go back to their primping.

Anthony and Billy are changed men. Anthony stands up;

Billy's baffled. Anthony moves out and starts singing.

ANTHONY:

(singing)

Oh Sandra...I like you...love you...

He's terrible. The nurses pelt him with hairbrushes,

curlers, shoes...

EXT. BASSINGBORNE AIRFIELD - BRITAIN - DAY

Coming out of the blustery skies at the end of another deadly

day, a squadron of Spitfires chirps in for landings. The

planes are shot up and battered.

Rafe is one of the pilots; the fuselage below his cockpit is

marked with four swastikas, symbols of his victories. He

taxis to a stop, and is met by IAN, a Scottish mechanic, who

is dismayed at the state of the plane.

IAN:

Leapin' Jesus!

RAFE:

(climbing down)

The struts are loose, the hydraulics are

leaking, and the electrical system's

shorting out in the cockpit.

IAN:

Well which of those three ya want fixed?

RAFE:

All of 'em.

Rafe starts away, and Ian calls to his back --

IAN:

If ye'd wanted a bloody Cadillac ya

should'a stayed in the bloody States!

RAFE:

And if you don't give me a plane that can

handle combat, you better start learning

to speak German.

IAN:

Fook ya!

RAFE:

Learn English, then!

IAN:

Fook ya dooble!

Rafe moves to the barracks; Ian keeps the fueling hose going,

and moves to help the armorers reload the guns.

INT. BRITISH AIRFIELD BARRACKS - NIGHT

Rafe falls down onto his cot, exhausted. The other pilots do

the same, everybody spent from the day's combat. Then they

hear the SIREN. Rafe's out of his bunk, with the others,

everybody running.

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