The Americanization of Emily Page #3

- Good night, Sheila.

- Champagne, Charlie.

- It's being chilled.

It'll be outside your door in half an hour.

Where...

I sent her in.

Your car's here, General.

It's $34, all right.

At Adm. Jessup's request,

I've had The Scotch House...

send you three yards of tweed, sir.

It's for Mrs. Hallerton.

It won't get him

his Marine division, Charlie...

but it's generous of him.

Thank him for me.

It was good to see you again, sir.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Miss Barham,

there's a car downstairs for you...

- if you'd like me to take you down...

- No, thank you. I'll manage.

I had a lovely evening, Commander.

Please ask me again.

Was I rude, Charlie,

in leaving all those good-byes to you?

It wasn't noticed, sir.

I've got the damnedest headache.

I'll fix you a drink

before your bath, Admiral.

Charlie, in seven weeks,

I've got to go back to Washington...

and testify before the Joint Committee

on Military Affairs.

On the agenda is a review of the Army's

new long-range bomber program.

And there'll be speculation...

as to whether that doesn't make

carrier-based aircraft obsolete.

In short, they're out

to scrap the Navy again.

Charlie, the Air Corps is coming out of

this war the darling of the services.

The Army and its Air Corps.

The Navy will be the runt of the litter.

They'll scrap us...

like they do after every war.

Limit our capital ships...

reduce our crews to cadres,

strip us back to Pearl Harbor level.

Then they'll scream

how ill-prepared we are...

when somebody hits us

with another Pearl Harbor.

All Washington is bug-eyed

over this invasion of Europe.

And this invasion of Europe

is an all Army show.

That's why we're here, Charlie.

To remind the Congress

of the United States...

and the American public...

that this invasion of Europe

is also a Navy show.

I just threw in that Marine division

for openers.

They turned me down.

Now they owe me something.

But what?

What?

I don't know what to shoot for.

I've got to come up with something.

It's driving me crazy.

Charlie, fix me something for this head,

will you? It's killing me.

Sure, Admiral.

Sure, George, sure.

Sure. Support that damn peanut.

Damn Chinese.

Communist. Five years at the most.

Here's your drink, sir.

Murderers, boy. Murderers.

You're on the nose there, George.

Andrew, for one.

Take the steam out of it.

And your damned Army in China, anyway.

I'll leave your drink on the bed table, sir.

Come to think of it, I don't have a girl.

I don't have a man.

You think we can keep it on that level?

Not a chance.

It's going to be just one of those things,

you and I.

I like your spirit, Commander.

- I'm not your type, you know.

- Like hell, you're not.

I would have thought you'd fancy heroes.

I'm yellow, honey, clear through.

That's your most attractive quality.

I've had it with heroes.

Every man I've loved has died in this war.

You'll never get caught in the shooting.

That's one thing I'm sure of.

You can't imagine how attractive

that makes you to me.

Easy, tiger. That's a tailored shirt.

Shut up and let me kiss you.

The first dead man on Omaha Beach

must be a sailor.

You read me, sir?

The first dead man on Omaha Beach

must be a sailor.

Put your mind on that, sir.

Dear me, what was that about?

What did he say?

I think he said, "The first dead man

on Omaha Beach must be a sailor. "

That's a very piquant thing to say,

don't you think?

Yes, I think I'd call it piquant.

Does he do that often?

No. I don't think I ever remember him

doing that before.

Excuse me a minute, will you, please?

Hello, Charlie.

The first dead man on Omaha Beach

must be a sailor.

Think about that for a minute.

In what reference, sir?

The Unknown Sailor.

Let me kick that around

in my own mind for a minute.

Charlie, I want the whole team

in my office tomorrow morning at 0900...

to discuss just that.

To discuss just what, sir?

Arrange that, Charlie.

Good night, Charlie.

Good night, sir.

- Who is it?

- Always barging in...

- Bus, the strangest thing happened.

- Close the door!

The Admiral came into my room

in his nightshirt...

yelling, "The first dead man

on Omaha Beach must be a sailor. "

What's up? You can see

the obvious state of affairs here.

The Admiral's ripped a braid.

He came barging in, yelling,

"The first dead... "

- For Pete's sake, tomorrow morning...

- Tomorrow morning at 0900...

the Admiral wants the team

in his office to discuss...

"The first dead man on Omaha Beach

must be a sailor. "

Yeah. Swell. Great.

Where are my ruddy shoes?

Tomorrow morning, Charlie?

- Bloody rude Americans!

- All right.

- They're all the same!

- Tomorrow morning.

I think Charlie's flipped his screw.

This hotel's like a ruddy circus,

if you don't mind me saying.

I mean, really!

Now, it's okay, baby.

We've got about a month.

I want a movie made that shows

the Navy's contribution to D-day.

From the procurement of vessels

to the actual landings.

Gentlemen, 4,000 ships and boats...

battleships, destroyers,

landing crafts, spit kits...

excursion steamers,

channel boats, private yachts...

tugs, tubs and Chinese junks.

The greatest armada

ever assembled by man...

is going to cross that channel.

They're going to have to do it at night...

across one of the nastiest waters

in the world...

the English Channel.

Every inch of that channel

is mined in the bargain.

It'll be the most incredible

naval achievement in history.

If Hitler could have done it,

he'd have had the world in his pocket...

and it's the Navy that's the essence

of victory in this invasion.

- I want a movie that makes that clear.

- Sir...

I especially want a movie

that shows the Navy demolition units...

who are going to be

the first men on those beaches.

Casualties...

are estimated at 50%

in the first assault waves.

A lot of brave men are going to die

on D-day, gentlemen...

and I want a movie that shows...

the first brave man to die

on those beaches was a sailor.

If that's a Roger Charlton,

I'll be there directly.

Yes, sir.

Adm. Jessup's office.

Yes, sir. He'll be there directly.

Thank you, sir.

Now, here's what I want done.

I want a photography team assigned

to the demolition engineers...

to record their activities on film

right up to the beaches.

I'm leaving this in your hands, Bus.

I consider it urgent.

There are six photography teams

assigned to the first assault wave.

I don't care about other photography

teams. I want one of my own...

to record the heroism

of those Navy engineers.

I want this film made, Commander.

You get some photographers' mates

and start making it.

Aye, aye, sir.

Any questions?

No, sir.

How's that for a cockamamie assignment?

He's been getting these eccentric flashes

ever since his wife died last year.

Yeah. He's got something in the back

of his mind.

I'll check and see

if I can't find photographer's mates.

Where are you going?

Call in about noon, Charlie.

I don't know what's the matter

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