The Wings of Eagles Page #7

Well, what do you need?

Pencil and paper?

- Well, what do I write about?

- People. Navy people.

Hey, what's the big idea?

Laugh that off, will you?

Hey, what's the idea?

That was on the level.

It was. I came down

here to knock your block off.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

That's it. Fight.

Fight.

Get out of here.

- Well, that was very...

- Oh, nice work.

Tell George that was

a good job of directing.

Congratulations, commander.

- How'd you like that kid with Beery?

- Great. Sign him up.

Spig, I've been thinking

about that title, Hell Divers.

Great title. Of course, we'll have

to take it up with the Hays Office.

You can't say "hell"

on the screen, you know.

Listen, Spig. You might

just as well face it.

Writing is the loneliest job

in the world.

There's nobody there but you.

And I'll give you 50...

I'll give you 100-1...

...your play won't be a success.

- You're not listening to me.

- Do you blame me?

Not a bit.

Spig, I know the stage,

I know the screen.

I've toured every tank town from East

Burlap, Maine, to West Burlap, Oregon.

I even played in this thing once.

- Ulysses?

- Yep.

You played in Ulysses?

Bowling Green, Kentucky.

I played Robert E. Lee.

Look, Spig, you got a beautiful home here,

half paid for, half empty.

But no, you got to go

to New York and do a play.

I'll give you 1000-1 you'll have

the worst flop that ever hits Broadway.

- Nice going, Mr. Wead.

- Thanks, Joe.

Looks like you got a hit.

- Jughead.

- Yes, sir. Carson, late of the U.S. Navy.

I thought you were running

a chicken farm.

I was running one. I gave it up.

Chickens get up too early.

Early to bed, early to rise.

Might as well be dead.

Big playwright now, huh?

Rich as Croesus.

Never could find time to drop a guy a line,

though. Not even a Christmas card.

- Okay, Carson. So I'm a stuffed shirt.

- That's right.

- So I'm a horse's rump.

- Correct.

Well, that was yesterday.

- Where are we going?

- We're going to a saloon.

Where else?

This chicken ranch of mine was six miles

from my nearest neighbor.

She was a Polish lady

that weighed 258 pounds.

And when she started

looking good to me, I blew.

What are you gonna do

with all your loot?

- You know who it's for.

- For who?

The kids. Who else?

- How are they doing?

- Well, they're both in school.

But I'm gonna get them

out there with me.

How old can we get?

You ever hear from her?

She's doing fine.

Has a job in San Francisco...

...and she's happy.

- Is she married?

- Yes. To me.

Well, you're gonna get the kids,

why not her?

Buy yourself a yacht.

Take a trip around the world.

I'll sail it for you.

I'm no good for her.

I can remember when they gave you

two chances to live: Slim and none.

But you made it.

And I can remember you had

two crutches and 14 bucks...

...which you parlayed into a fortune.

Of course, that's before you

became fat and baldheaded.

Them days all you ever asked for

was a chance.

Do you think I've got

a chance with her?

Well, what makes you think you ain't?

Come on.

- Where you going?

- To the airport.

I'm putting you on a plane for San Francisco.

After that, you're on your own. Here.

Don't you know rich guys like you

never pick up a tab?

Come on, we got 46 minutes

to catch that plane.

Just a minute.

- Hi.

- Hi, Min.

Big playwright.

I was gonna call you, and then

I decided to get cute again.

Here, let me take your coat.

Cashmere.

- Here, let me help you.

- No, I...

Sure, go ahead.

Well, what are we gonna talk about?

You heard from the kids?

Sure. I hear from them every week.

That's how I know about you.

Your pictures, your plays, your books.

Somehow or other you always

manage to stand out in their letters.

- Second-year college.

- Yeah.

Spig...

...you mean an awful lot to them.

Why don't you have them

with you for a while?

I want to.

That's one of the reasons I'm here.

I think you should.

I think they need you.

And I need them too.

I need more than that.

I need you.

Hard to believe?

A little.

Just believe it, Min.

Don't analyze it...

...or take it apart or look at it too hard.

I've done all that.

Just believe it.

I don't know, Spig.

I've made a new life for myself.

At least I can be what I am

and what I want to be.

- I've got somewhere. It's small...

- Sure, sure. You're somewhere.

The kids are somewhere,

and I'm somewhere.

But we're really nowhere

unless we're together.

If it isn't a family, it's... It's nothing.

I don't know. Maybe it's...

...too late. Maybe...

O'Faolain.

O'Faolain. Bridy.

Bridy O'Faolain.

The Widow O'Faolain, if you please.

What are you dressed up for?

Where you going?

To mass on the Sabbath.

It wouldn't do you any harm someday.

Perhaps you're going

to confession too.

I might. And what put that

in your evil mind, pray?

This room.

The kitchen.

And the bar.

And the ashes.

And the dust. Unmitigated sloppiness.

- I'm guilty.

- We're both guilty.

But we're gonna reform, O'Faolain.

Because in just a few seconds,

I'm going over...

...pick up that phone, call my wife,

and she's coming here to live with us.

- Herself?

- Herself.

- You mean your wife is coming here?

- She is.

Oh, God bless you.

And God bless her

for her foolishness.

The poor girl.

I'll say me beads for her.

Long distance?

I want San Francisco.

Sutter 23969.

Crestview 4510.

How long of a wait?

Yes, ma'am.

I'll be right here. Thank you.

The radio. The Japanese. Pearl Harbor.

- What are you talking about?

- The newsboy just told me.

- The Japanese bombed.

- Turn on the radio.

- Appeared over Diamond Head

and launched an attack...

... on the giant U.S. Naval base

at Pearl Harbor.

The planes appeared

utterly without warning...

... apparently coming from

aircraft carriers...

... which had been moved

forward during the night.

The enemy craft were over the island

of Oahu for one hour and 20 minutes...

... bombing the naval base

and nearby Hickam Field.

The White House has just announced

that one old battleship capsized...

... several others were hit,

and a destroyer was sunk.

- Casualties were said to total 3000...

- Turn it off.

... of which 1500 were killed.

Hello.

Min?

Did you hear it?

I just turned off the radio.

Of course you'll try, Spig.

Well, I'll try.

You know I've got to try, Min.

I'll go there.

To Washington.

Talk to them.

Maybe they won't have me,

I don't know.

If they don't have you, Spig...

...I will.

Well, that's all I need.

That's all I've got, Spig.

I said that's all I've got.

Bye, Spig.

Min...

... well, goodbye, sailor. I...

Stop. Stop. Stop.

And you want active duty?

- Combat?

- I've never been under fire.

You know that, sir.

- Are you looking for a thrill?

- Just a fight.

Spig, let's talk like what we are,

old friends.

Old, I said.

Even a sailor must do it, get old.

Like Nimitz, Halsey and Pete Mitscher?

Spig, you know better than this.

A war gets fought at a desk

just as hard as it does on a flattop.

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