The Dam Busters Page #3

---

Bit surely, I only want to make a few

half size dummy prototypes of my bomb.

A new weapon like this

would need highly skilled labour,

special machine tools,

factory space.

Our factories are stretched

to the last inch of their capacity.

And you know the acute shortage

of skilled labour.

But you're making

new weapons all the time.

We're always trying to improve

upon weapons of known value.

It's a different matter when we come

to revolutionary ideas,

I might almost say fantastic ones,

like this.

You mustn't think

we're unimaginative or lukewarm.

We all see the possibilities

and we'd like to go ahead.

But at present, I'm afraid it's out of

the question. Possibly next year.

For goodness sake,

let's go as far as we can now

even if it doesn't go beyond

these half size prototypes.

You could practically make those

in a bicycle shop.

Even if we made a few dummy bombs,

you say you need a Wellington bomber

for test drops.

They're worth their weight in gold.

Do you really think the authorities

would lend you one?

What possible argument could

I put forward to get you Wellington?

Well, if you tell them that I designed it,

do you think that might help?

Looks a bit choppy down there.

Smooth or choppy, it's all the same

with this bomb, Mutt.

- Ready?

- Yes.

How is the speed, Mutt?

Set at 180.

Are we all right for height?

We're all right. Bet you half a crown

it doesn't work anyhow.

Look!

It's all right, it works!

Oh!

Well, I imagine with the

success of the trials,

they'll let me go right

ahead with the real thing.

Personally, I'd like to see you

go straight ahead,

but the position is more difficult today

than it was last month.

How so?

We can't even produce enough of

existing types of bombs,

much less begin to

work on something

completely new and

completely unpredictable.

Surely they must realise if we can burst

those dams and flood the Ruhr valley

they can save the thousands of bombs

that they're dropping on the factories.

I can only pass on to you

the decision of the Ministry, Mr Wallis.

It might help if you could get the support

of somebody with personal influence.

Whom do you suggest?

Why not go and see

Sir Edward Hughes?

I've seen him twice.

- Or Sir George Burnett?

- I've seen him three times.

Well then of course

there's Lord Mansell.

I sat outside his office

all yesterday morning.

He was too busy.

Oh... Well, why not see

Sir Geoffrey Haines?

- I sat outside his

office all the afternoon.

- I see.

Well, in that case for the present I think

you've done everything you possibly can.

- Have you seen Mr Summers?

- I think you'll find him

in the testing shed.

Right.

- How did you get on?

- It's hopeless.

- What happened?

- Nothing.

I walked up and down Whitehall,

in and out of offices,

up and down stairs,

sat outside rooms, l...

I felt like a pedlar

trying to sell clockwork toys.

I wish there was something

I could do.

- There is, Mutt.

- What?

Let's take the whole thing

straight to Bomber Command.

- Harris?

- Yes. You really know him.

If he sees the films and gets interested,

well, it'll only need one word from him.

Why not?

There's a bit of a snag there.

You see, he gets so inundated

with fantastic inventions...

That's ridiculous! Everything he's using

had to be invented.

Look, if you tell him that it's worthwhile

he'll listen to you, won't he?

I'll do what I can, but don't blame me

if he throws us both out of the window.

Will you come in, please?

Mr Summers

and Mr Barnes Wallis, sir.

- Hello, Mutt. Wallis.

- Good morning.

What is it you want?

I've got an idea for

destroying the Ruhr dams.

The effect on Germany

would be enormous.

I know all that, I read the report.

But you really think you can knock down

a dam with that thing?

Yes.

It looks clever enough on paper,

but that goes for all these wizzy ideas.

You try to make them work,

they fall down flat.

- This one doesn't.

- How do you know?

We've tested it and proved it.

I've got some films here

I'd like you to see.

If you've proved the thing,

why hasn't it been taken up?

I don't know. But the films

only take five minutes to run.

You could see them

and decide for yourself.

Well...

all right.

Send the projectionists

out of the room.

If this thing is as good as you say,

there's no point in letting everybody know.

Thornby can run the film.

- Is that you, Barnes?

- Hello.

It's raining a bit, I shouldn't

be surprised if it turns to snow.

Yes, it is cold, isn't it?

How did you get on?

With Harris? Oh, he was all right.

What's he like?

Is he very fierce?

Oh, no. He listened to what I had to say

and saw the films.

- Was he interested?

- Yes, I think so.

It doesn't make any difference now anyway

because the whole thing is over.

Washed out and done with.

That's impossible.

What happened?

When I got back to Weybridge, they sent for

me and told that the people in Whitehall

had decided that I was making

a nuisance of myself

wasting everybody's time, including my own

and that the whole thing was dropped.

What did you do?

Well, the only thing I could do:

I resigned.

- Resigned? From Vickers?

- Mm-hm.

Surely this doesn't affect

your other work.

Sweetheart, when you believe in a thing

as much as I have believed in this

there really isn't any other work

until you have seen it through.

What will you do?

Oh, I haven't thought about that yet.

It's a new experience

to find myself unemployed.

The first thing you'll

do is to have a rest.

We'll get away somewhere.

No, I don't think so. It wouldn't

be much fun in a farm house in winter

or in some dreary wartime hotel.

There's plenty to do here too.

I must see about the tool-house door,

see if I can get it to work properly.

I've meaning to repair the chicken run

for years.

After that, I can look around

for someway of earning a living.

I suppose I can get a job

teaching somewhere.

Oh, a secretary rang up

just before you got in.

The Ministry of Aircraft Production

want to see you in the morning.

I've had enough of the Ministry of Aircraft

Production and all the rest of them.

- But they said it was important.

- Yes, it is to them.

They'd enjoy giving me a lecture

on minding my own business.

Personally, I'd prefer to dig the garden.

If it doesn't snow,

I think I'll put in a few broad beans.

- Isn't it a bit too early?

- I don't know. They're very hardy.

One year I planted a row in November

and they come up a couple of inches

by Christmas.

I think you ought to go, Barnes.

Perhaps you're right.

It would be a good thing

if I told them exactly

what I think of the

whole bunch of them.

Mr Wallis, sir.

Oh, hello, Wallis. I was trying all over

the place to get hold of you yesterday.

- You needn't have troubled.

- What do you mean, I

needn't have troubled?

They told me the news at Vickers.

If you've got to tell

me officially, well...

I suppose you've got

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes