Twelve O'Clock High Page #2

I'll be right up.

They meant 9000.

When I get back

I'll give you an answer, Doc.

No, no mistake. It's 9000.

They've got to try.

We haven't hit those subpens.

I know, then twist it.

Had the same request all day.

The wailing wall is just

around the corner, Keith.

Oh, I don't know. I guess this is it.

Sit down.

If you don't level about this stuff,

they'll drop their bombs here.

Look, Frank...

It was tough enough at 19,000.

It'll be suicide at nine.

Whoever dreamed this up

ought to have his brain in a jar.

- Anything else?

- You've been a group commander.

You led the first 10 missions.

Tell them what it'll be like...

Keith. I signed the field order.

- Why? I wanna know.

- I'll spell it for you.

We haven't penetrated

the concrete in those subpens.

We can't get concentration

and accuracy from 19,000.

We've got to go in low,

get it done in one trip...

...instead of fighting

our way there for nothing.

Nine thousand feet.

When the old man cuts a field order,

he's thought about it.

There isn't time to take

every one of them apart.

If I were you, when I got one,

I'd go ahead and fly it.

I was gonna bring these to you.

Had to steal them from the RAF.

Hope they're the kind you wanted.

Yeah.

Yeah. Thanks, Frank.

I won't need them at 9000.

It'll be plenty hot.

I'd better get back.

Stay put. Thought I might

run down tomorrow to see you.

- How many do you expect to put out?

- Eighteen.

- Pretty bad luck today?

- Not good.

One broke through the runway

at takeoff. Threw us late.

He never made it up. Cost us plenty.

I don't know how anybody

outguesses that one.

No.

I'd like to help locate the trouble.

What about your formation?

I can tell you where the real trouble

is, and it isn't formation.

- Shoot.

- It isn't down in the groups either.

It's up here, where a bunch of boys

get to be nothing but numbers.

Do they know what my boys

have been taking?

They'll be up all night to get 18

in the air. How much can they take?

They fall asleep at briefing.

They'll crack!

- Take it easy, Keith.

- Bomber Command can take it easy!

They'll die for you,

but they need a chance.

A man's chances run out

in 15 missions.

Somebody's gotta give them a limit.

What do you think they're made of?

Look, Keith...

[INTERCOM BUZZES]

- Yes, sir?

MAN:
Got the reports. Come up, Frank.

I'll be there in a minute, sir.

Those things are coming.

Replacements. Combat limits.

But right now the deal is to hang on.

You've got to find a way

to save yourself a bit.

You can't carry all the load.

It's too big.

Don't worry about me.

Worry about the crews,

you and the old man.

You'd better go on up and see him.

- Give him my love.

- Lf I do, he'll send you his.

He rates you high.

Not according to Lord Haw Haw.

Good night.

Never mind the reasons. You can't

make anything else out of it.

Five missing, and they'll only put up

18 tomorrow. It gets worse.

I've just been talking to Keith.

He's low enough about it.

Did he tell you what happened?

No, he had tomorrow ahead of him.

What do you make of it?

Hard luck. There's always

some outfit picks up a jinx.

You don't believe that.

Fill yourself a drink.

Thanks.

Might scare off that bug of yours.

I don't believe in hard luck.

There's always a reason.

What have you got on your mind?

Spill it.

I'd rather not.

Let's have it, with the bark on.

You won't like it. I don't.

It's the group commander.

Keith?

It's always the group commander.

It's his job, isn't it?

That's funny. He's your friend.

- I didn't ask you to ask me.

- I didn't mean it like that.

It's okay.

I don't believe it, though.

I don't think I do.

On paper Keith looked like the best

group commander we've had.

He's flown every mission.

His men are loyal to him.

Courage, he works hard.

I don't know where to fault him.

If he can't cut it, we're in trouble.

What happened to change the picture?

Nothing.

Added this to it, though:

He's gonna bust wide open.

And he's gonna do it to himself too.

Why? Because he's a first-rate guy.

Because he's thinking about his boys

instead of missions.

Over-identification with his men.

I think that's what they call it.

You won't change it either.

I can't buy it, Frank.

Not yet, anyway.

- Is he still here?

- He had tomorrow to get ready for.

We'd better find out.

If it's true, we're in trouble.

Why should the other groups

hold together if the 918th can't?

Call my car, will you,

while I get my pants on?

- You want me to go there with you?

- You bet I do. It's your idea.

We were three minutes late

and got most of it here.

Deadly three minutes.

The idea was to get the groups

there simultaneously...

...so that enemy flak couldn't

concentrate on one group.

We sure were sitting ducks.

I figured they didn't want

to bring their loads back.

No man makes a perfect plan.

You couldn't foresee a plane

breaking through.

You should've gone

to the secondary target.

We could have caught up,

if it wasn't for stinking luck.

Luck? What luck was that?

- It was my fault.

- It wasn't.

I'd like to hear his version.

We had to alter the navigation in

flight to cross the enemy coast here.

We picked up a wind change.

And I missed a checkpoint here,

Saint-L.

By the time I caught it,

it had cost us three minutes.

We never made it up.

If there's any fault, it's mine.

I ordered the change in flight plan.

I think that covers it.

Thank you, lieutenant.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Zimmy. It's okay.

Don't worry about a thing.

I know you're tired,

but let's talk a little.

Sit down.

Let's talk about luck.

A pretty critical three minutes,

Keith. Five crews, 50 men.

- I know.

- Whose fault was it?

I told you, mine.

- Do you rely on your navigator?

- You have to rely on your navigator.

- Then it was the lieutenant's fault.

- It could've happened to anyone.

I know. He feels as rotten about it

as any of us do.

But what happens now, Keith?

I don't understand you, sir.

We're talking about luck.

I don't believe in it.

I believe that a man

makes his own luck.

Yours has been pretty bad.

It's getting worse.

Maybe the navigator's in point.

He blew it. What'll you do about it?

I don't believe in chopping off heads

because of one mistake.

I don't think that's any way

to run a group.

I feel sorry for the boy, Keith.

But what will your men think

when he navigates again?

That he messed up this one.

If they fall apart,

that won't be luck.

They'd stake their lives on Zimmy.

If it was anyone else.

He's got two strikes against him.

That boy's got a persecution complex.

He wants to make up for his parents

being in the German-American Bund.

They screened Zimmy plenty

before he got overseas.

We're not short of good navigators.

If you decide to relieve him,

I'll give you a good replacement.

You might as well ask me

to shoot him in the back.

I won't do it, sir.

I can't do it to him! I won't!

I want you to get to bed.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote