The Sound Barrier

# Daddy wouldn't buy

me a bow-wow, bow-wow

# I've got a little cat,

and I'm very fond of that

# But I'd rather have a

bow-wow-wow-wow-wow... #

Well, do you like it?

- What?

- Well, the parting, you clot.

- What's the matter with it?

- Well, it's on the other side.

Why?

I don't know, I... thought it gave

me a sort of intellectual look.

It conceals the incipient baldness.

- I thought Sue was on leave.

- No, she's due back this evening.

Hello. It looks like you've been

jumped on by a 20-plus flock of wolves.

- I tried to pull out of a flat-out

dive just now. - Oh, good show.

The damn stick needed Carnera to move it.

The harder I pulled, the

more the nose went down.

It felt for a moment as if

the controls were reversed.

- And were they?

- Of course not, you clot, or I wouldn't be here.

There was a lot of buffeting too. It was

almost as if I'd suddenly run into a...

a solid sheet of... water, or something.

Really?

Why don't you marry her?

You know, all prospective

father-in-laws are a bit frightening.

- After all, mine was.

- Yours wasn't the great John Ridgefield.

- What, because he makes a few aeroplanes?

- A few aeroplanes?

He owns a hundred ruddy acres of

factory, he's a millionaire twice over

and Sue's his only daughter.

Anyway, heiress of not, I'm meeting her train,

I shall take her for a quiet little drive

and ask her to marry me

simply, firmly and directly.

What's the matter?

Oh, I don't know, I just thought it

was a good place to stop for a breather.

Oh, how nice.

Sue, what do you think of me?

- As a driver?

- Er, no.

As a man.

Oh. Well, I...

I told you, I...

I think I prefer you with your

hair parted on the other side.

- Sue, I...

- Yes?

- Sue...

- Yes, Tony?

Tony, I've got my answer ready. In fact,

I've had it ready for an awful long time.

Oh, gosh.

Is that all you can say,

Tony? Just, "Oh, gosh"?

- You have looked at this from every angle?

- I haven't left an angle out, I promise you.

- I mean, you know the sort of chap I am.

- I know the sort of chap you are.

- Not on your level at all.

- Miles above.

Oh, gosh.

Please, Tony, stop saying "Oh, gosh".

Can't you think of anything else to say?

I love you so very much.

I shan't be a tick.

It's time this came off.

Give it to me, I'll keep it as a souvenir.

Mrs Garthwaite.

Mrs Garthwaite.

Mrs Garthwaite? Mrs Garthwaite. I suppose if

I say it often enough, I shall get used to it.

- Hello, Eddie.

- ? Tony, you old basket.

- Got anything going to Ridgefields?

- Sure, we're bound to have.

Why Ridgefields, though?

- Because I went and married a Ridgefield.

- You don't say? - I'm off to get

the once- over from her old man.

Well, I'll have to treat

you with respect from now on.

- Oh, congratulations.

- Thanks.

You're welcome.

An Anson here, takeoff 14:30.

- Fine.

- Sign here.

There you are, darling. Ridgefields.

- And it's all your

father's? - Mm-hm.

We're landing.

Hi. Susie!

Hi!

- Your father?

- No, Will Sparks, our chief designer.

- Oh, Will!

- I saw you from the office windows.

Susie, darling!

- How are you?

- Very well, thank you, Will.

- What have you done? You're thinner.

- Oh, I've gone on the wagon.

- Will, why?

- With all these Americans about, you can't get it.

I hate beer! Though I'll be

off it tonight in your honour.

- So this is the gent.

- This is the gent.

I've heard a lot about you.

I've heard a lot about you. I'm glad

you had the sense to pick a flyer.

For a moment, I thought

you were my father- in-law.

- Glad to meet you and welcome to Ridgefields.

- Thank you.

Oh, your dad's at a board meeting. I was asked

to tell you he won't see you before dinner.

- Are you coming to dinner?

- I haven't been asked.

- Oh.

- Well, I suppose he wants to keep it family.

But you are family, Will.

- Of course, I am coming to the do tonight.

- Oh dear, is there a do?

Slap-up. Champagne, the

whole board of directors.

- How are you, Mason?

- Very well, thank you, Miss Susan.

I'll come as far as the office block.

I wish I worked union hours.

- How many people work here?

- Twelve thousand.

- Twelve thousand?

- Yes, we've got another 8,000 over at Hillbank.

- What's that? -

Top-secret, sir.

Those are test-beds, aren't they?

- Is this top-secret going to win the war, Will?

- A good deal more than that, if you ask me.

- Hello, Factor, how are you?

- Very well, thank you, madam.

- This is my husband.

- Welcome, sir.

He called me madam. I realise now

I've been "Miss" for far too long.

I simply love being madam.

However hideous your threshold,

do you know what my duty is?

- No, what?

- I'll show you.

- Tony, no!

- Hang on to your hat.

- This could be quite a drop.

- Tony!

Tony, drop me. You're not strong enough.

- Not strong enough?

- No, you're not.

- Which way?

- This way, sir.

- Right, here we go.

- This way.

Take my cap off.

This way, sir.

Blimey.

Tony.

Oh!

Oh.

Oi.

Chris!

- How are you, darling?

- Hello, Sue.

- Meet your new brother-in-law. - How

do you do? I've heard a lot about you.

- I suppose it's too late to say congratulations.

- Not at all.

Congratulations.

- Oh, Chris, what is that?

- It's the RAF badge.

You get it when you pass the interview.

- Oh, I thought you were going into the navy.

- I've changed my mind.

- Did you get my present?

- Oh, darling, thank you so much.

- It was lovely. We adored it, didn't we?

- Oh, yes, rather. We adored it.

Good. Er, let's have a drink.

- What was it?

- Paperweight.

- When are you going in?

- About six months, I think.

In the meanwhile, I'm learning to fly. Dad's

got one of his ex-pilots teaching me at Hillbank.

Tiger Moth.

- Darling, how exciting. Have you gone solo yet?

- Not yet. I think I may tomorrow.

- Whisky?

- No, thank you, darling.

Not for me, thanks. No, it's too early.

- Since when have you been swigging whisky?

- I'm not at school now, Sue, I'm in the RAF.

Well, practically, anyway.

- Cheers.

- Cheers.

- Good luck tomorrow.

- Thank you.

- How many hours dual have you done?

- Rather a lot.

- Fourteen.

- Oh, that's not too bad.

I knew a fellow who did 20 before he passed.

I don't suppose his name

was Ridgefield, though.

How many hours dual did

you do before you went solo?

Tony's an exceptional case. One

of the great geniuses of the air.

Like Dad.

He went solo after only

two-and-a-half hours dual.

Really?

Would you like to know something

rather shocking? I get airsick.

- You shouldn't worry, you'll soon get over that.

- Yes?

Yes.

- What the heck is that?

- Dressing gong.

Chris, give me a quarter of an hour for

my bath and then come up and talk to me.

- I won't be a

second. - Mm-hm.

- Approve?

- Terrific.

He's just been telling me about

that do on the Gestapo prison.

You must have used a thumbscrew

to get that out of him.

I had to, practically.

It was a wonderful thing, Sue. They came in

at 50 feet and flew slap down the main street.

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