Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Page #6

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You guarantee this one

will fly better than the last?

There was nothing wrong

with my ornithopter,

just rotten piloting,

if you ask me!

You'll like this one.

Just start the engine,

and you're off, all right?

Contact!

Hmm? Oh!

Gentlemen,

prepare your weapons!

Gentlemen, I count 10...

and then you will fire!

One, two,

three, four,

five, six.

seven,

eight,

nine- Nein!

Get back to your position.

Monsieur Dubois!

Schweinehund, you are not

following the rules!

- We always follow the rules!

- No! You didn't!

The French always follow the rules!

Vive la France!

This time I'll count to five!

One, two, three,

four, five!

Fire!

Sabotage! Sabotage!

You idiot!

Ooh la! Ooh la!

Ooh la! Ooh la!

Ooh la la!

Ooh.

Colonel!

Rumpelstrosse!

Hello.

"With only 16 hours to go.. .

"before the start of the

greatest race of all time,

"temperatures have reached

boiling point here at Brookley.

"Not surprising perhaps,

"when so many different

nationalities are involved.

"You will be glad to know that

the slight technical difficulty...

"which it was thought would keep

Orvil Newton out of the race...

"has now been ironed out.

"Tonight, along with

the other competitors,

"he is attending a small

eve-of-the-race reception,

"a gathering which one hopes

may foster the spirit...

of peace and goodwill

amongst the aeronautists."

That's the idea. It won't take a minute.

If you could just turn round too, sir.

Could we just get your photograph?

Sir, if you turn this way-

Yes. Hand-to-hand, hands

across the sea. That's the idea.

Now, if you could just

give us a big smile.

That's the idea.

Now, hold it.

I always thought that

the English were noted...

for their sense of fair play.

- Oh, we are, indeed. Yes.

- I'm ready, gentlemen.

Well, you punched me

when I wasn't looking.

My dear fellow, if you continue to

pursue a certain party,

I shall take the greatest pleasure

in punching you when you are looking.

Well, you're gonna

have your hands full,

because I'm gonna marry

that certain party.

I'm afraid that's

going to be rather awkward,

because I'm going to

marry her also.

Gentlemen, could we have

a nice smile, please?

Thank you so much.

Oh! I beg your pardon.

Ooh! Buzz off.

Hello! Care for

a glass of wine?

No, thanks, old chap. I

only drink whiskey and water.

Oh. Sir Percy. Very kind. Is that mine?

Thank you very much.

Ahhh. Serves him right,

the greedy blighter.

Come, Courtney. We've got work to

do. We can't do nothing tonight.

There's guards

all over the place.

Besides, everybody's going

to sleep by their planes.

Not everybody.

Yamamoto's still inside,

and, uh. I've given

the Frenchman...

the address of

a very lovely young lady.

Oh-ho-ho. I'll bet she's a

bit of all right, governor.

Well, you should know.

She's your daughter.

But, governor, she's an innocent

young girl.

Not is, Courtney-

was.

Come on.

Now, drop me at

the American's hangar,

then pop into Yamamoto's and

see what you can do with this.

What are you gonna do

to the Yankee?

It's no business

of yours, Courtney,

but if you really

want to know,

I'm going to arrange that

one of his wheels falls off.

That's a bit dirty,

isn't it, governor?

If he can't land on one wheel,

he shouldn't be in the race.

Yeah, but he might

kill himself.

There are plenty more Americans

where he comes from.

Now, sir, just one

without your cap.

Certainly not.

I'm a naval officer.

Oh, well. perhaps

a bit of a smile, sir?

Oh, very well.

Just a bit of a one.

Lieutenant Parsons, where have you

been? Everybody's been waiting for you.

You've not got your logbook filled in

or your starter's forms or anything.

- Meet Nelson, my passenger.

- You can't take that with you.

- Why not?

- It'll muck up my starter's forms.

And for another, no one has

yet taken an animal aloft.

Nelson doesn't go,

neither do I.

Absolutely out of the question.

- Go on.

- Oh, very well then, fill these forms.

Well, that's everybody-

all 14 of you.

Oh, no, it isn't. Where

are those blasted Germans?

Over at the hangars, old man. I don't think

they know anything about your starter's forms.

Rumpelstrosse, the great

moment has arrived. Come.

Herr Colonel,

it is no good.

I'm a sick fellow.

I cannot fly.

You must fly!

For the emperor

and the fatherland!

For the emp-

Excuse me.

It's going to be

a busy day for our lads.

All spectators away

from the flying machines!

Spectators away from

the flying machines, please!

- Ought to be starting them, sir.

- Nonsense.

I haven't wished

the competitors good luck yet.

What's the Japanese

for "good luck"?

I have it here, sir.

One moment.

Here we are.

Thank you, sir.

Good luck.

Get out of it!

- Aren't you sitting the wrong way round?

- Of course I'm not.

You take me for an idiot?

This is my latest invention.

It's an idea

I had in the bath.. .

when sitting

with my back to the taps.

You see, the wind resistance

on the tail...

is less than it would be

on the wings.

Heh. I shall most likely

be in Paris...

before any of this lot

have even got to Calais.

It's pathetic, isn't it?

- I don't know what he's talking about.

- Neither does he, sir.

Well, let's see, now.. .

what was the French

for "give us the money"?

Ah, bonne chance,

Monsieur Dubois.

Ah, merci, monsieur.

Mmm. Mmm.

Wrong frog, sir.

Bonne chance,

Monsieur Dubois.

Ah. Bonjour, mademoiselle.

Really, Monsieur Dubois!

Uh, forgive me, mademoiselle.

I was carried away.

The spirit of the occasion,

sir. The entente cordiale.

If you ask me, too much

entente and far too cordiale.

The trouble with these international

affairs is that they attract foreigners.

Achtung!

Ja!

But I thought Captain Rumpelstrosse

was your pilot, Herr Colonel.

I am taking his place.

H is indisposed, sir.

I didn't know

you could fly.

Oh, there's nothing

a German officer cannot do.

So, "'Number One. Sit down."

Ah, so-

Surely, you're not taking

your family with you, are you?

You always make-a the joke.

They come to wish

their papa good-bye.

No, no. Sophia, no. No,

no, no, no, no. Sophia.

I see you have another

new flying machine.

Presented to me personally...

by his majesty

the King of Italy.

Generale Parlonni.

Fsst. Fsst.

Well, good luck to you

and the King of Italy.

Thank you, milord.

Thank you, milord.

No, no, Sophia.

Sophia, no, no, no.

- Can you tell me where you come from?

- Phoenix, Arizona.

Good luck.

If it wasn't for my

daughter's persuasiveness.. .

and my native sporting instinct,

you'd be out of this race.

Fortunately, I am

a very reasonable man.

Good luck to you.

At least if he breaks his neck,

my daughter won't be with him.

- Good luck, Orvil.

- Oh, thank you, Patricia.

Say, will I get to

see you in Paris?

There's something I want to talk to you about

- something very important.

Oh, yes,

I'll be there.

Mm. We're going over on

Father's private yacht.

Richard.

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