Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines

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1

Ever since man started to

think, he's wanted to fly.

But flying was strictly for the birds...

and continued to be so

for thousands of years.

Man, eternally optimistic,

kept trying.

Encouraged by his many successes,

man kept trying.

Through his genius

and his inventiveness,

he managed to get

his machines off the ground,

and sometimes

he brought them down again.

Bravo! Bravo!

All over the world, early pioneers

were making flying history.

And in Italy,

Count Emilio Ponticelli...

made what many people claimed

was the first long-distance flight.

There was no doubt about it,

by 1910, flying had become the rage.

Man had conquered the air,

and people everywhere

were all agog about...

those magnificent men

in their flying machines.

Those magnificent men

in their flying machines

They go up tiddly up up

They go down tiddly um down

They enchant all the ladies

and steal all the scenes

With their up tiddly up up

And their

down tiddly um down

Up, down

Flying around

Looping the loop

and defying the ground

They're all

frightfully keen

Those magnificent men

in their flying machines

They can fly upside down

with their feet in the air

They don't think of danger

They really don't care

Newton would think

he had made a mistake

To see those young men

and the chances they take

Those magnificent men

in their flying machines

They go up tiddly up up

They go down tiddly um down

They enchant all the ladies

and steal all the scenes

With their

up tiddly up up

And their

down tiddly um down

Up, down, flying around

Looping the loop

and defying the ground

They're all

frightfully keen

Those magnificent men

In their flying machines

Hello, Richard!

Oh, Richard! Oh, Richard,

please take me up.

Oh, no, not today.

No, it's much too windy.

Come on.

We'll swing her round.

And anyway, strictly speaking,

I'm still on duty. Lift!

It isn't too windy

for you to fly.

Come on.

Give a hand.

Oh, Richard,

look at that bird.

It can go wherever it likes,

whenever it likes.

- You're so lucky.

- Yes, I know.

Oh, I'd like to soar through the

air and look down on the world.

Right, let her down.

I think I'd make

a very nice bird.

Yes, I daresay.

Thank you, Carter.

Richard, isn't the rigging

a bit tight?

It seems to be

stretching the fabric.

You're getting rather good

at noticing things.

Well, I should jolly well hope so.

Thank you, Carter.

After all the work I've done

on this contraption.

Uh, Patricia,

did you get a chance to talk

to your father about my idea?

Yes, he's very interested, but

you'll still have to talk to him.

Oh, well, I can do that,

all right.

Tell him it will increase the

circulation of his newspaper.

Wave the flag. You know,

Britannia rules the sea,

but she doesn't rule the sky,

and all that sort of thing.

Yes, I know

exactly what to say.

Good. Then, when he's agreed

to your idea,

you're to ask him

if you can take me flying.

Hmm. Yes, I might.

This afternoon?

- All right.

- Oh!

Patricia, not now.

I'm in uniform.

Oh, Richard,

don't be so silly.

Follow me in your motorcar.

I'll try not to go too fast.

Oh.

- What's the trouble?

- Oh, nothing.

- Father doesn't know about this.

- Oh.

Won't be a minute.

- Well?

- Very nice.

You look just like a girl.

Thank you.

You know, one of these days, your

father's going to find you out.

Mmm, I know.

Exciting, isn't it?

The trouble with aviation today

is that too many good ideas.. .

are being dissipated

in too many aeroplanes.

If we could bring together all these

different types from all over the world,

then everyone could learn

from each other.

From all over the world?

If possible, Lord Rawnsley. The French

and the Americans are well ahead of us.

- I never knew that.

- Well, it's our own fault.

Believe it or not, no Englishman

flew until three years ago.

Really?

Britannia may rule

the waves, sir,

but she doesn't rule the

skies, not yet anyway.

Have some more Madeira.

Oh, you haven't finished.

Damn it.

We should rule the sky.

I can see you're going to be

a real enthusiast, sir.

Anytime you should

care to come up-

No, thank you, Mays.

I may be an old fogy,

but I think that if the Lord

had intended me to fly,

he would have

given me... wings.

You travel by train, Father,

but you haven't any wheels.

Do you really mean no Englishman

flew until three years ago?

That's right, sir.

Hmm.

Come and see me again

in a few days.

Meanwhile, I'll discuss your idea

with my circulation people.

Oh, thank you, sir.

Thank you very much.

Uh, by the by, sir,

there's one other thing.

I wonder if I might take

Patricia up this afternoon.

Up? Where?

Oh, into the sky,

Father, flying.

Certainly not! I absolutely

forbid you to go up,

and I absolutely

forbid you...

to take my daughter flying,

today or any other day.

- Is that understood?

- Yes, sir.

Absolutely, sir.

Thank you, sir.

"I absolutely forbid you to take my

daughter flying, today or any day.

- Patricia, darling-

- Is that absolutely understood?"

"Oh, yes, sir. Absolutely,

sir." Three bags full, sir!

It's not my fault. Now, Patricia,

you can't blame your father...

for thinking that flying

is dangerous. It is.

But when he gets enthusiastic about

the idea, he'll change his mind.

Now, you'll see.

Oh, Patricia.

No, Richard.

You're in uniform.

If you won't take me flying,

I shall find someone who will.

Oh, all right.

I suppose you wouldn't like

to go have lunch at Windsor.

You could drive

the car if you like.

- Me?

- Yes.

Oh! Come on.

Well, that's my idea,

gentlemen.

Not a festival but something which

will fire the imagination of the world,

which will bring together all the

different types of flying machines...

and, at the same time, increase

the circulation of my newspaper.

An air race, gentlemen,

initiated, sponsored

and rewarded by the Daily Post.

An air race which will show that

Britannia not only rules the waves...

but intends, in future,

to rule the skies.

An air race between the two most

important capitals of the world-

London and Paris.

But that means flying

across the English Channel.

Well, of course it does.

That's the whole idea, Gascoyne.

Well, the French fellow

did it last year.

I presume some progress

has been made since then.

- Of course there has, sir.

- Very well.

I shall leave the details

to be worked out by my staff.. .

and you gentlemen

of the Royal Aero Club.

You, Gascoyne,

will be my liaison officer,

an aeronautical correspondent.

I shall expect you to go

aloft as often as possible.

Yes, sir. Um, may one ask

what the prize will be, sir?

10,000.

10,000?

Most generous, sir.

That should attract fliers

from all over the world.

That's the idea.

Nevertheless,

I shall expect the prize

to be won by an Englishman.

"Great London-Paris air race.

"Daily Post offers 10,000 prize.

Competitors will actually fly across

English Channel." That's not bad, eh?

Could you add, um, "Foreign

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