The Rocketeer Page #2

a condolence call.

[ Grunting ]

[ Cliff ]

Come on, Peev.

[ Peevy ]

Here goes.

[ Peevy ] Well, I'm lookin' at it

but I don't believe it.

- Peevy... the stake!

- Get down!

That thing'll

cut you in half.

We lost it.

I told you I should have

tested it myself.

Yeah, you'd be halfway

to Kansas by now, chowder head!

[ Rumbling ]

Turn her off!

Turn her off!

That must've woke up

the whole valley.

Pick her up.

Let's get out of here.

Peevy, you'd pay to see

a man fly, wouldn't you?

Ha!

- You've gotta be outta your mind.

- I'm talkin' about making real money.

Not just 10 bucks a show but enough to get

us back on our feet and into the nationals.

Are your eyes painted on? This thing is like

strapping nitroglycerine to your back.

- The feds are mixed up in this.

- I don't want to keep it.

I just want to borrow it

for a while.

When you borrow something and don't

tell nobody, they call that stealing.

As soon as we can afford

a new plane, we'll give it back.

Did you see what

this thing did back there?

You're always telling me what

a genius you are! Fix it.

We're gonna need

one hell of a lawyer.

I think we're gonna

need a helmet.

- [ Honking ]

- Whose is it?

Yours.

'Evening, Miss Pye.

You know my rules;

no gentlemen after 6:00 p.m.

- Well, I'm no gentleman.

- You can say that again.

- Hello.

- Hi.

- Good night, Mrs. Pye.

- Have a good time.

If he tries anything, deck him.

Don't forget the curfew.

- I lock up at 11:00 sharp.

- [ Cliff ] Yes, warden.

Guess what?

I think I got the part.

- That's great.

- I won't know for sure 'til tomorrow,

but the director said he

liked my reading the best.

- You have lines this time.

- Just one.

- But it's to Neville Sinclair.

- Okay!

Let's hear it.

"Oh, my prince.

would that you'd

drink of my lips as deeply."

And then he kisses you?

No. He's too busy

killing someone.

- Now you tell me.

- What?

The maiden voyage.

How'd she fly?

She flew great.

Landing had a few bumps.

We'd better scram if we're

gonna catch this Cagney movie.

Uh-uh-uh.

It's my turn to pick.

Uh-oh.

There's a new

Neville Sinclair movie.

Oh, Jen, you know

Cagney's better.

You won't catch Cagney

lounging around his penthouse,

walking poodles in the park,

or doing any of --

Or getting shot down

behind enemy lines?

- What are you talking about?

- The movie,

"Wings of Honor."

- Neville Sinclair?

- Uh-huh.

Oh, brother.

This I gotta see.

[ Announcer ] Hitler assures

the western powers

he is not massing troops at the Czech border.

Here comes the Fuhrer's latest

symbol of German progress,

the airship "Luxembourg,"

beginning its American tour...

- to promote world peace.

- [ Cliff ] World peace!

What he means is

a piece of the world!

Excuse me.

-...on the first stop of their goodwill tour.

- Their last goodwill tour

- buried half of Europe.

- Shh.

Though filled with

explosive hydrogen --

Your Gee Bee could fly

circles around that thing.

After the short visit, it was

into the clouds to continue a journey...

that will carry the "Luxembourg"

to Chicago, St. Louis,

across the Rockies...

and finally to Los Angeles.

Look us up, boys,

when you get to Hollywood.

[ Hospital Pager:

Indistinct ]

[ Radio ]

[ Radio:

Comedy Routine ]

[ Moaning ]

Who's there?

Who is it?

- What do you want?

- Where is it?

- Where's what?

- The rocket.

I don't answer to nobody

but Eddie Valentine.

[ Laughing ]

Okay, okay!

Ease off!

I pulled a switch. I got

the package stashed real good.

It's at the airfield, hangar 3.

It's in some old plane.

[ Radio ]

[ Screaming ]

- Hey, open this door.

- Are you okay?

- What is it? What happened?

- [ Scream ]

[ Cliff Laughing ]

And then,

get this, fellas,

at the end of the movie...

he flies over enemy trenches

and drops a bottle of champagne.

And let me guess. It hits the general

and we win the war.

It was symbolic.

He was being chivalrous.

Where'd he get the champagne? They didn't

have liquor stores at the front, did they?

Not that I recall.

[ Jenny ]

It doesn't matter where he got it.

That's not the point.

It's just --

Forget it.

Malcolm,

the wheel came off.

Oh, let me see, princess.

Sure, we'll fix her up.

Did I ever tell you about the time

I got shot down by the Red Baron?

No?

There I was flying over

the Ardennes on patrol...

when he comes screaming

out of the sun, guns blazing.

And then, smack!

- Bull's-eye, ace.

- I'm sorry, Jenny.

It's okay, Malcolm.

Thanks, Cliff.

You know, Cliff,

it wouldn't hurt to try someplace new...

away from the airfield.

Like where? The Copa?

The Brown Derby?

Why not the South Seas Club

while you're dreamin'.

Okay, how 'bout this.

We'll go have a real night

on the town...

after you win

the nationals.

[ Cliff ] Yeah, swell,

after I win the nationals.

You gonna fly

in the nationals after all?

Glad to hear it after

that landing today.

[ Millie ]

How about a warm-up, Malcolm?

You said there were

a few bumps.

Boy, I'll say. She folded like a kite

when she hit the runway.

We thought Cliffie's number

was up, with the fire and all.

I was gonna tell ya.

I didn't want to ruin

your evening.

It's very thoughtful of you.

You'd rather make a fool of me?

I'm sorry.

I don't want you

to be sorry.

I want you to stop treating me

like... a stranger.

When something goes wrong,

I should be the first to know.

I shouldn't be the last.

Everyone knows because

they were at the airfield.

I had an audition.

It was important to me.

I understand.

Just like the last time

when I flew the regionals.

You got a big part. You stood

behind Myrna Loy with a bowl of grapes.

Good night, Millie.

Thank you for the soup.

[ Millie ]

Well,

go after her,

you dope.

Jenny!

[ Sigh ]

Cliff, I, uh --

- I'm sorry, I really stuck --

- Malcolm, it's okay.

It's not your fault.

- Did you have a good time?

- Yeah.

Go ahead and stick that

welding torch in my ear.

We'll call it the end

of a perfect day.

What're you two

scrappin' about this time?

I don't know, Peev.

I just can't figure

this girl out.

She hangs around with

this Hollywood crowd all day,

talkin' about movie stars

and nightclubs --

That's her work. She don't care about them

phoney-baloneys. She cares about you.

I want her to think

I'm makin' something of myself,

Not that I'm just

an out-of-work pilot.

You got a good thing

goin' with that girl.

If she flies the coop,

I'm tellin' you...

it's gonna be

your fault.

What do you know

about women, Peev?

You haven't had a date

since 1932.

Flora Maxwell.

There was no point

in datin' nobody after her.

[ Rooster Crowing ]

He's got to be kidding!

- [ Grunting ]

- Ha, ha, ha.

What? Kill me as I stand?

I thought you were a sporting man.

True. I'd hate to stain my

legend on a villain such as you.

Prepare to die that we may learn

the identity of the Laughing Bandit.

- Why wait?

- [ Gasp ]

Good heavens!

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