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Assault on a Queen (1966)
[BOAT HORN HONKING]
[SIREN] All right, make way there, make way. How long was he under, Larry? Seven or eight minutes. He was talking and then suddenly just cut off. Any hope? Of what, reincarnation? This man's drowned. His suit burst. He didn't have much of a chance. With this suit, he had no chance. One of yours? Look, Doc, I rent them. I don't guarantee them. Look after him. Uh, just a minute Doc. What do we owe you? Not a thing. It's part of my job. I understand you're looking for sunken treasure. Mm-hmm. Spanish gallions. Hmm. Makes sense. Doctor. The diver--we didn't know him very well. Did he have a wife? No,my dear. He didn't have a wife, and he had no family. Bless you for the question. You know, for a little while, Ithought that nobody gave a damn. Did I draw? You drew. Light's bad. Throw the queen away. Queen? Queen. Before I catch you with the store. Queen. Awfully good choice. Gin. You have exceptional card sense, old friend. exceptional card sense. Application my dear Linc, just simple application. Next week, you can look at my hand. I'll ask the bartender. Excuse me, do you know a Mr. Mark Brittain? Is he here? Yes sir,Over there. Back of the trellis. Fellow with the cap? That's right. Thank you. Come on, Rosa. Well, Mr. Brittain. Fellow named Trench said I'd find you in here. You found me. I'm Victor Rossiter. How are you? don't you feel a little left out? Oh, come here. My name is Rosa Lucchesi. Yeah. Can we buy you a drink? Thanks, we got one. This fellow Trench says that you were a lieutenant, in a submarine. That I was, and I was many things.. Mm-hm, well, so was I. But I was also on a destroyer. You trying to start a legion post here, Mr. Rossiter? Trench also said that you were a good diver, and for a price, you'd put on a suit. For a good price, I'd put on a suit, but not one of Trench's suits. That would take more money than you've got and more of a death wish than I've got.. We'll order a new diver's suit. Haven't you had enough? You lost one diver today, right? Well that won't happen again. We've got a map, Brittain.. An authentic map. We've got a map, too. We got it at the gas station. A galleon went down 3 miles from here. It carried gold bullion worth millions of dollars. That it did, Miss Lucchesi. And 10 miles up the coast, a ship called the Sevilla hit a reef and sunk full of pearls and emeralds. North of the cove, there was a ship called the Almirante. It had its magazine blown up. It was carrying treasure to King Philip. Lady, I've lived here a lot of years.. I can read you every legend, in Spanish if you like. You name the ship, I'll draw you the riggings. This map shows exactly where that ship went down. None of us can dive, but you can. You name the price. You can have it in cash or a piece of the action. Piece of what action? Don't you realize that every 50 years some dedicated professionals get lucky and come up with a find? You're not dedicated professionals. You're a brotherhood of happy, free-swinging thinkers. You've got a crap shooter's instinct. Why don't you go to Vegas? You'd be better off. Please, look at this. [VICTOR] Hmmm? That's quite a map. But Mr. Langley and I are very busy. We charter a small but dependable fishing boat to people who like to go to sea and catch bass and not pieces of eight, which they can't. What part of Italy are you from, Miss Lucchesi? Naples. Must be beautiful there this time of year. Well... Well, you may change your mind. If we're not on board, you can find us at this motel right here. And if you'd like to charter a fishing boat, we're at the dock. Ask anyone. Imagine her drinking red wine with a 50 cent sharpie like him. That's a beautiful woman. She walks well. You're quite right. She walks well. [WHISTLING] Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Give me a stick. I'll beat it to death. Blessings on Thee, O Landlord. Barefoot boy with cheek of jowl. Stand aside while the crew boards. You ain't boarding this boat.. Not tonight. Maybe never. You're wrong, Mr. Trench. Short of a hurricane or your departing this earth, we're going to board this boat, and you're a minute away from losing your teeth.. Brittain, you owe me 190 bucks for dockage, $363 for gas, $88 for ice and supplies. That makes a total of $641 overdue and collectable. We never hung you up on a bill. I ain't going to let you. I ain't no credit union.. You bring the dough, you can get on this boat. You got till tomorrow night. Can't we sleep on board? You've got the keys. We can't go anywhere. You can't go anywhere because I'm keeping the keys. Gently, gently Trench, gently. Look Brittain, I'm going to tell you one more time... Don't poke, Trench. Don't you know how it can irritate a guy? Let that remind you to keep a civil tounge in your big, fat head.. And also to check out your diver's suits.. Can he swim? We'll check the morning papers. Good morning. Does Rossiter live here? That's correct. I'm one of his party. You're Brittain. Mm-hmm. Come in. Mr. Rossiter and Miss Lucchesi are in town hoping to find a new diver. I expect them shortly. Cup of coffee? Thanks, no. Forgive me. I'm Eric Lauffnauer. We have, uh something in common, Mr. Brittain. What's that? Iwas in the submarines also. Hmm. I wonderwho invaded Europe? Everbody I've met in the past 24 hours is an old salt. We have the makings of a select fraternity. That so? Rather fortunate Though, that we didn't meet during the war. I commanded the U-17. There is always two sides to every question, Mr. Brittain. True. What kind of sub were you on? Fleet type. I was in the Pacific. We operated in the Atlantic. Come out alright, did you? No. I was drowned off Okinawa. I mean your sub. The man's here to take the job, Mr.Lauffnaur. I only reminisce about the war on Memorial Day. We'll try it again after lunch. Well, well, well, well. Here you are, Eric. Thank you.. You decided to join us, eh Mr. Brittain? I decided to work for you. I am glad to hear that. One hour down,six hours off. Three days. That'll be 700 bucks, payable in advance. That's a little stiff, isn't it? I might be a little stiff before I find your galleon. That's the tab, Rossiter. It's alright. In advance. Yeah, fine, fine. It's a deal. We've got new equipment coming over from Orlando's. It'll be here tomorrow before lunch. It's a good start. Thank you. What kind of a compressor have you got? We're using Trench's Not with me you're not using Trench's. There's a marine store downtown called Daley's. You can rent one down there. Check your boat in. We'll use mine. [DOOR CLOSES] Firm type, huh? Knows what he wants. Wear slacks from now on will you, Baby? I don't want him frustrated. Everything fit? Itspassable. [STARTS ENGINE] Now let's go.. Checked out the compressor. And the helmet, too. Any special instructions? Nothing special. Just keep me alive. You bet. What's holding things up fellas? Patience, Victor, Patience. He's only good to us alive. You told us one hour at a time. I'd like you to put something into that hour. I've got afew thousand pounds of weight on me, so relax. It's going to take a while. [MARK] Hey, partner. What have you got, Mark? The fatigue and the blues. Pull me up, Linc. Now, wait a minute. You've still got 8 or 10 minutes of the hour left. Well, you can have them back, Buddy. Pull me up. Pull him up right away. Let's not have the same thing happen again. All right. Pull him up. Hold it. wait a minute. hold it. Did you find something? Think so, yeah. i/ What is it Mark? What is it? It's a sight to delight Mr. Lauffnaur's practiced eye. I wish you were down here, i/Herr Kapitan.i/ The nostalgia would kill you. Describe it. Hmm, very simple. i/ It's a German submarine, i/ Kapitan. Ask Rossiter if he'll settle for World War II souveniers, Or we could raise her and you could put her in your parlor as a memento. [MARK] All right, Linc.. Pull me up. What sre you looking for Eric, ghosts? Really incredible. She was one of the small jobs. Reported missing I think about 1943. Hmm, fascinating. Well, thanks for nothing, Brittain. I guaranteed a look, not a find, Buddy. What do you guess her tonnage to be? Oh, I don't know. I'd say maybe 300. She looked undamaged. My guess is that her ballast tanks are still full. What looked like the escape hatch was closed. I don't know if anybody got out of her, but she's probably full of sea water anyway. What if her valves held? They might have held. If her valves held, she's dry. So what?? With the tanks blown, we could raise her. Raise her? Raise her? What the hell would we do with a submarine? Refit her. Use her For sightseeing. Sell her to a museum. The possibilities are endless. Brittain, do you think you could find it? The sub, probably. Do you think you could find it right now? Again, probably, but why? I'd like you to attach a line and float a buoy. You mean right now? Right now. That'll be overtime. We'll pay you. Where do you get this "we"? Rosa's doing the financing, check with her. You have a reason? Yes. I'd like to think it out. Then I'll explain. That's good enough for me. All right, we'd better get to it. There's not much daylight. Lincoln, let's go. Hey, uh Captain? Mm-hmm? You ever get depth-charged? Yes, often. Slip and fall down and maybe hit your head a little bit? I'm quite sane, Mr. Brittain. Big deal. So now we lasso a submarine.. Would you like to explain why, Eric? If we can raise her and refit her... Why not play pirates. Good evening. Evening. You want Mark? Yes, I'd like to see him. Hey Mark. Yo! We've got company. Well... Oh, hello. I was afraid you might be sleeping. No, it's too early for that. Come on aboard. Thank you. Watch your head. beautiful night, huh? Like Naples? Stars are stars. Ever look at them, Mr. Brittain? On occasion, yes. For navigational purposes only. Mm-hm, but not romantically? Tell me something, Miss Lucchesi, is this a mid-week seduction or the opening gambit of a con job? Is that how I strike you? You're financing this whole operation, are you not? Yes, with all the money I have, Mr. Brittain. In Italy, during the war, I lost my family, my illusions, my patience. I want only one thing now-- To never be cold or wet or hungry again. Is that terrible for you? Well, it depends. If you're telling me that you'll settle for three meals a day and Vic Rossiter, then I got to say You got cheap tastes. But if you're looking for sable and a deluxe cruiser, well, that makes more sense. I want more than that. I want my life to be whipped cream and silk sheets. And without problems. You're not exclusive. Perhaps I am not. I'll steal, if necessary. But, uh I have certain reservations. That's interesting. Now, what kind of reservation? For instance uh, a hot stove you wouldn't steal? I wouldn't steal from those whocouldn't afford to lose. How do you like this? A blonde Italian Robin Hood. What about you, Mr. Brittain? Do you have a master plan or a set ofdreams? I don't need them. I just live my life as I see fit, and do what I want. I have a ball. I take things as they come. Then take this, will you? This is the sort of thing that comes one time in your life. Go on. Eric has an idea, an incredibleidea. If we could raise that sub, get it yo work, why not pirates? You're kidding me. You think I'm kidding? A hijack with a submarine? Mm-hmm. I got a better idea. We put you in a bikini and strap you to the wings of a 707, and we fly you over Fort Knox. While all the people on the ground are looking at you, we sneak in the back door and steal the gold. Please. Take me seriously. You I take seriously. But not some pipe dream about running off in a submarine to pull a heist on the high seas. That, Miss Lucchesi, is for laughs. Have you ever thought about what you could get by even pointing a gun at an ocean liner? 30 years, if we're lucky. Failing that, that leaky war memorial at the ocean bottom might wind up back at the ocean bottom, but this time with all of us in it. Will you come over to the motel and discuss this? I don't think so. If you're so difficult now, Mr. Brittain, how can we ever become friends? I got a funny feeling we are friends. Very good friends. Linc. What? There are three idiots over at the motel having a seance, and they need two more idiots to make a quorum. And they sent for us? Who else? We could stop the Queen Mary anywhere here, just off the coast of Abaco Island. We'll travel at night, surface, wait for her. Wait a minute. Just a moment. That submarine's been on the bottom of the ocean for 20 years. Brittain, let me ask you something. Can you guarantee that you'd be able to raise her? I guarantee you nothing. For argument's sake, Mr. Lauffnaur, let's assume she's dry. Let's further assume you can raise her and get her in operating condition. Enter the gracious Queen. What are you going to do with her? Or to her? There must be thousands of dollars in the bank and gold in her bullion room. We could take a million dollars. I'll bet it could even be more than a million. This could be the biggest heist ever. It could be a lot of things... Assuming you can get the Queen Mary to stop for you. Man has a big point. Think of it this way. Think of a submarine as a big pistol that holds men and machinery. Then you aim this pistol at the head of your victim... Full of blanks, mind you-- torpedoes with dummy warheads. But the victim, the Queen Mary, does not know this. I believe we can assume that our Queen won't take any unnecessary risks. She'll allow herself to be boarded. Then, as Rosa has suggested, it's gold bullion and cash. We go back to our submarine, submerge, leave the scene. Yeah, and figure the take. A million bucks or more. We could walk away from this with nothing to worry about for the rest of our lives. Yeah, I like it. It makes sense. It makes sense if you win the game. The game you're a playingis that you're holding an unloaded pistol at a stranger's head. You figure he's going to throw up his hands. Suppose the stranger spits in your eye and says, "Go ahead and shoot." What the hell are you going to do then? Now, hold on, this is all a joke, right? Nobody here thinks this is going to work? You just get this clear. If you don't think it can work, you don't belong on this trip. I don't relish the ides of being cooped up in a sub with a caramel-colored lush, anyway. Forgive him, Linc, please. He didn't mean it. I'll take your word for that. Hey, come on, this is ridiculous. Why the argument, huh? Let's get on with the, uh, with the business. Did you know this thing is so wild, it can work? It's so nutty it can work. Eric... You think it's possible. What about it? I take it you are willing. We all have special needs, Mr. Brittain. I wish it were catching. I'd like you along. Let's take it by steps. First we got o find an enclosed mooring somewhere down the coastline where it's nice and quiet, nobody around, check? Check. Then tomorrow, I'll go over and see if I can't raise that submarine. Lieutenant Brittain, what a pity we have never before served in the same navy. We should do very well together. You just see you run a taut ship, Commander, because in this little war, we're going to need one. Let's go. Look at the buoy. He must have reached the sub. How long will it take him, Eric? 15 minutes, half hour. Maybe longer. Not much longer. It better not take him much longer. What will he do? He'll go to the escape hatch. If the trunk underneath is flooded he might get it open. If he does, he'll move inside and close the hatch... Once he's inside the tube... he'll, uh, try to open the drain. Go on. Then what? At that point, either the water just stays there, unmoving, because the sub is filled with water, or it will drain away. If it does, he'll try to open the lower hatch. But if it's not possible, he'll come up? There's 100 feet of sea water 35,000 pounds on that hatch. He could never open it. Then you'll have to take up another card game, and we'll have missed another one. Victor, please. Hey, hey, come on Baby, What's the matter? Nobody dies in Italy? 58 minutes. Well, kiss him off. Eric, any...chance? He's got a job down there. He's got to stay on his lung, because if that sub is dry, It'll all be dead air and damn little of it. He'll blow the ballast if he can. But there's a lot of ifs. The valves of the air flask have to hold. There's got to be enough pressure to blow all the water from the ballast. He's got quite a job. Hey! Hooray! [ENGINE STARTS] Upsy-Daisy. Give me that light. Quite an exceptional gentleman... in his day. He was left here... probably at his own orders so that his men could get out. Then he, himself, filled the ballast tanks to let the sub sink. Then he just sat.... Waiting to die. Well, what do you want to do, stuff him and sell tickets, Hmm? We'll get hold of some fishing nets, some canvas... And bury him at sea? Yes. Would you help me? I'll find some canvas. I can think of a hundred better ways to die. All right, let's get this stuff ashore and burn it. Pass this along. Rosa! Yes. Pass this through. Victor! We're going backto the boat, Mark. Yeah, O.K. Come along as soon as you're through. Check. Well, what's the verdict? 4-0 is the verdict. She's in better shape than we dared hope. Not too much corrosion, little damage. Batteries are dead, naturally. That's probably what stopped her to begin with. Let's get started, Huh? What's the first thing? I want a drink first. What we need now is a mechanic. A good mechanic, somebody who knows sub engines inside and out. That's great. We'll put an ad in the paper. No need. I know such a man. I worked in the Brooklyn navy yard a while back. Met a chap named Moreno. He can strip an engine and put it together again in his sleep. He car repair anything from an ocean liner to a sailboat. He'd he well worth his cut. Eric, what would his cut be? Even shares all around. Isn't that what we decided? Sure, sure. But someJonny-Come-Lately greasemonkey who contributes a screwdriver... How does he figure to get a full share? Rosa, you know something, We start divvying this up too many ways, that's going to shrink the melon. If Eric says he's needed, he's s partner. He's a partner if he wants to be a partner. I think we're taking a little too much for granted, here. How do we know he'll sit still for this? You'd be amazed at what some people will sit still for. Mr Moreno and I have been involved in several transactions. I've never known him to fail me. Are you saying you got something on Moreno? Maybe a little more than he's got on me. At any rate, his morality is as flexible as ours. He is what your navy calls "Dishonorably Discharged". You think you can locate this man? I'll start tomorrow. It shouldn't be too difficult. Well, that settles that. Let's go ashore and get some sleep. It's getting late. No. I'd like a swim first. Well, now baby, it's past midnight. Why don't we settle for a hot bath? You got a bathing suit, I got some towels below. I'm sure you do, but the lady needs her sleep. Just so we don't misunderstand each other, Brittain. We don't share everything alike. What was owned before, that's not in the pot. So we don't have anymisunderstandings-- Nobody owns me. You have a few prerogatives, Victor, but that's a gift from me to you. I can revoke the license anytime. May I use your cabin, please? Thank you. I'll go with you. The young lady can swim her way back home. You step on my toes a lot, Brittain. I'm unaccustomed. Cry a little baby, so I'll know. You'll know, believe it. You don't get out of there, you're going to grow a fin. Ahh...Brrr! Ever been a masseur? No, but I could kick myself. Linc, throw me that that little jacket, will you? Thank you. Where'd you learn to swim so good, diving for coins in the Bay of Naples? I do everything with perfection, Mr. Brittain-- Swimming, dancing, fundraising, almost everything. And you? I play a little gin. I catch a little fish. If I catch a lot of fish, I get splendidly stoned. It's a living. I think I swim home now. Yes, but that's only half way. When you get on the shore, you have to walk the rest of the way in a wet bathing suit. Let me drive you to the pier. I'll be there before you can start the engines. That isn't exactly the Brooklyn navy yard. Mark, this is Tony Moreno. He tells me you're s shark with engines. Depends on the engines. Where's the boat? Right in there. Are you serious? I didn't say it was just launched. You didn't say it came out of a museum, either. I ain't seen one like this in 20 years. It grows on you. I got enough growing on me. When do I start? You've already started. Hey! Rossiter, Langley, Miss Lucchesi, My old friend, Tony Moreno. Hello. HI. Charmed. Italiana? Si, di Napoli. Lei? Io sono diMilano. Hmm, Bene. Are you looking for something special, or are you just browsing? You ever serves on these? Only on the engines. Anybody go down on one of these is crazy. How about you? Submarines. Officer? Check. Senior grade. Do I salute? Nope, not in this outfit, But we got a chain of command. He gives the orders, and we jump. Nice to have you with us, Moreno. Yeah. What do you think of him, Mark? How did you say he got that D. D.? The discharge? He hit the superior officer with a wrench. Almost killed him. Is that all? Ha! Hope he can work under pressure. Not too much pressure, mind you. After all, what are we asking him to do? Just to get the engines going so we can holdup a liner. That's not asking too much. Not too complicated. Let's go to work. Gaskets will have to be replaced. You'll need all new indicators. Gears look like they're in good shape. The clutch is frozen. We'll have the repack the whole thing. I've got new packing coming, A blowtorch, too. You'll need it. I hope the shafts are not rusted away. The mountings, fittings, surfaces are all corroded. The same goes for the compressor and the pumps. I'll need at least 10 days-- repairing, improvising, patching up. Maybe some reinventing. You want my my honest opinion? Well, yeah. Forget the whole thing. What's all that about? Tony, for the moment, just worry about your side of this. I know you can do this. Those batteries are going to give us nightmares. What do you mean? completely gone? They couldn't light a flashlight. We could use car batteries for emergency lighting. We'll have to get a generator, distilled water and acid. We'll get them. We still have to pray there's enough lead to take a half charge. And even then... Yeah? Even then? You'll have to ride the surface most of the time. You won't be able to keep her down there for more than one hour at a time. But if it gets us where we want to go... If? "The terrible ifs accumulate." Hmm? Winston Churchill. They better do all their accumulating while we're on this dry run. If those batteries die out 100 miles offshore, we can have a big farewell party on the bottom of the ocean. Tony, it's still worth the try. Yeah. Think of the money. [ITALIAN] Oh, boy! Five more minutes of this, and they can put me in a rubber room. Next time, I'll stick to galleons. Oh... Hey. Where'd you steal that Huh? What do you mean by that? Nothing, nothing it's just an expression. You don't strike me as the Tiffany type. The world's full of surprises. Yeah. You know, I got a thing for rocks. Anything shiny, you know. What about a little shiny sweat on the forehead? If I want my jewelry appraised, I'll send for somebody. Move over. [ENGINE STARTS] Hear that? That's what you should be worried about. Right now they're singing at me... but who knows? The engines are singing at him. I love Italians. They're so damned musical. Let's knock it off for tonight. That honest sweat you were looking for-- it' all used up. I haven't got any liquid left. Hey, what union you with? You keep short hours. What, suddenly you're the foreman? When I punch out, that's my business. Why don't both of you shut up. The temperature's no different over here. Ahh, let's stop. It's like an oven. It's like a nuthouse. That's what it is, a loony bin-- a happy German, queer for boats,our spaghetti eater, Mr. Brittain's wino freedom rider, and Mr. Brittain, himself, who I think would sell us out for 25 bucks in hard cash. Did I forget anybody? What do we do about him? Somebody make a suggestion. I think that'll do itfor this evening, gentlemen. Mark! Yeah? We're knocking it off for tonight. Let's go. There's still much to do. Tomorrow night, Mark and I will dive her right here at less than conning tower depth. Then we'll fill and blow all the ballasts and pump the trim tanks before we even go out. When we do take her out of here, we'll surface at night a few times if we have to. For now, let's all get a little sleep, O.K.? All right, Rosa. Let's go. Thank you. Arrivederci. So silent. So little to say? Just tryingto thinkof a rhyme for Rossiter. He doesn't appeal? I'm mad about him. Make allowances, Mark. He had a hard beginning-- The slums until 14 years old, then the reformatory. That would explain his angers, wouldn't it? I'll try to set asidean hour a day to extend my sympathy. How many hours a day will you devote? How many hours at night? I don't like that, Mark. There was a time when Victor Rossiter appealed to me-- when he filled a need. I make no excuses, Mark. I didn't ask for any. Rosa? Are you coming or not? I was thinking of saving this for the christening, but I seriously doubt this old tub would survive the blow. Know something, Mark? Not very much. We're digging ourselves a grave here. Each of us for his own particular reason-- love, loyalty, greed. The atmosphere is stifling. It's becoming extremely difficult to breathe. You want out, Linc? I signed onfor the duration. Funny thing, though. Ever since I went into long trousers, I've been running away from myself. I found a hiding place in a bottle. Where'll I hide after this, Mark? If we're lucky, Maybe in a suite at the Waldorf. You believe that? I do not. Drink up, Lincoln. You've got your problems and I've got mine. She's so deep in my gut, we breathe together. [MUSIC PLAYS] What time is it, please? Quarter to 2:00. Freshen it up? Just more ice, thank you. Well? Well, come on, Eric. What happened? She's ready. Well, so far, so good. Yeah, and that calls for a nice, tall drink. Hey, Rosa. Oh, Linc. It wasn't what you'd call a maiden voyage, but our lady went under 12 feet without a leak. And everyone's all right? As Mark says, 4-0. Same again? Please. For me, too, no ice. How did your little shopping trip go? Two of them? Just what we need. Linc... You were in the British navy, no? Wireless operator on a cruiser. How long have you known Mark? Quite some time. He recreated me. I'd been ill. He found me lying on the sidewalk one night. I weighed 104 pounds, And death was waiting just around the corner. Mark beat him to it. He picked me up, fed me. Shared his clothes with me. Then taught me to play gin. I owe him very much, Rosa. Certainly for my life. Among this whole motley crew, I think he has the most substance. Thank you, Linc. Right now I think he's looking at the stars. Linc said I'd find you under the stars. He sure narrowed it down, didn't he? What do the stars tell you tonight? Tonight the stars tell me I'm an idiot. A gold-plated idiot, for getting mixed up in this thing. You're not usually afraid, Mark. Why the second thoughts now? Do you seriously realize what we're getting into, Rosa? The minute we set foot on deck of the Queen Mary, we consign ourselves to South America. But do you think it would be so difficult to livein Rio De Janerio or Caracus? Live? That wouldn't be living, Rosa. We'd be running and hiding for the rest of our lives. It's not more wrong now than before. I didn't hear you say no. That's because maybe you weren't listening. Come to think of it, I wasn't talking. What held you? What held me? A blue-eyed, long legged Italian with hooks. That's what held me. I--I remove them, Mark. You're free. You wouldn't con me lady, not again? You--you never thought you might be important for me, from choice-- and not design? Well, in that case, Why don't you drop the other shoe? Stay a while. Heave! [WHISTLING] What about the explosive? Well, what about it? What are you, the floorwalker? I want to be sure you dump it far enough out so it doesn't float back in. Don't worry. this is my department. And weight that warhead with plenty of sea water. Oh, yes, sir, lieutenant. sir. Morning. [ERIC] Morning, Rosa. You always look this good in the morning? You'll have time to compare. There will be thousands of mornings. Let's get back to work. We should be ready to take her out when it's dark. Hatch secured! You know what to do with the ballast tanks? Yes, I know. Eric? Yes. They're running nice and cool. Good. Let's take her down. Remember, all of you. Don't only look for water, listen for it. If you hear it, sing out loud and clear. Did you hear that, Tony? Right. Stand by to dive. Stand by to dive. Right. Food them, Rosa. Pressure in the boat. Pressure in the boat. 15 degrees dive. 15 degrees. Victor, check for leaks in the torpedo room. Right. 8 Meters. Watch the trim gauges. Check. [LINC] 12 Meters. Level off at 16 meters. Close the vents, Rosa. 16 meters. Upperiscope. She's all dry in the torpedo room. All dry back there, too. We are now 50 feet under the surface. We are dry, breathing, we have eyes. Gentlemen, and lady, congratulations to us all. Now what do we do? Now we go up and talk strategy. Stand by to surface. All right, once more. No, I'm bleary. Let's pick it up tomorrow. Hold it, we'll do it once more. Good. The day after tomorrow the Queen Mary sails from New York. Three nights from tonight, We'll sail out to a predetermined point, surface, wait for her. Sailing procedure. We travel surface at just above negative boyancy-- only the tower up. We ride the vents, everyone at their stations, so long as we sight no other ships. But if we do? Under fast. Periscope up until their running lights are over the horizon. Good. Once we get under way, we'll have dry runs on the diving procedure. From now on until the moment we meet the Mary, I want every one of you to study the charts. Come up here. Remember the deck levels. Victor, you memorize your route here, from the bullion room to "R" Deck. Only take as much gold as you can drag. You've got a long way back. Mark and I will do the same from the bank to "R" Deck. if the elevator's tied up, we'll try the other side. If that fails, we'll take the stairs. This caper sounds less and less possible by the second. If everyone does his job-- You, Linc and Rosa on the sub, the three of us on the Mary-- with dispatch and complete accuracy, it is perfectly possible. O.K.Let's run through the time sequences again. All right. At the moment of contact, we'll have 30 minutes to get on the deck, five minutes to board, and for the elevator trip up to the bridge. Two minutes before sending the dummy torpedo. 15 minutes in the bank-- the same 15 minutes in the bullion room. Five minutes for us to reassemble on "R" Deck. Three minutes to depart. Eric, why all the clock watching? You're trying for a record? Hmm? Should you need a reminder, Only one man on the Mary has to call the bluff. A cabin boy, a stoker, a 10 year old, but it only takes one. The longer we're there, the more chance someone will call the bluff. Keep in mind we'll be three of us against all the passengers and crew. What if somebody does try to use muscle? I'd like to answer that. Forget it, kiss it off,, call the whole thing off. I'm afraid that's correct. Victor, we must begin your accent immediately. Now, wait a minute that's the one big snag. I'm not sure I can pass myself off as an Englishman. Leave that to Linc. Who? Linc. He's the only one who speaks EnglishEnglish. What time does school start? Tomorrow morning, 8:00 sharp. Be a good boy and bring teacher a nice shiny watermelon. [VIC] Good night. Rosa? YEAH? Stay on bands three and four. Eric. School's open again, Mr. Rossiter. Shall we try it? O.K., let's try it again. When you arrive on the bridge, what's the first thing you say? Commander Cunningham presents his compliments and wishes to express his sincere thanks. And? And I want to personally extend my gratitude to you sir. Very good. What is the name of your ship? the HMS Trident. And if the captain notices that your submarine looks strange? UH-UH. SORRY, SIR. Admiralty orders. Top secret. Rather hush hush and all that, you know. Not exactlyOxonian, but you'll pass. What is your name? Lieutenant-- Leftenant. Oh, damn. Leftenant. You must remember that. Right, right. That's important. Leftenant. Leftenant. Tony, it's your watch. Leftenant, Leftenant, Leftenant. Hey. Hmm? Rememberit's Leftenant. Listen, he can't even speak English. Are you having kippers instead of spaghetti, now? How are the batteries? They're old and tired, but they should be charged up in an hour. You are relieved. Want some coffee? Yeah, thanks. Tell me something, Tony. How'd you get the navy cross? Sheer raw courage and devotion to duty. I believe you. Ha. Well, don't Why? Me and the navy got divorced. I like the ships and the water all right, but the brass and the braid didn't sit. I got tired of saying "Yes, sir", to fraternity boys who'd done all their sailing in a bathtub. Didn't Lauffnaur tell you? I shaved an ensign's skull with a wrench. You didn't answer my question-- How did you get the medal? Just swam out, pulled some guys into a raft after we hit a mine. Not one of them was over the rank of seaman first. Boy, you got no idea how I hate the navy. I'll see you get relieved. Hey, you were a lieutenant, weren't you? Correct. Get me anothercup of coffee. Aye,aye, sir. [WHISTLING] You got a bayonet to go with that thing? Be prepared. Thay's my motto. That motto belongs to the Boy Scouts. Can I get a merit badge for blowing out one of your eyeballs? That'll do it. You don't need the gun, and I don't need the argument. Why don't you make your choice? I'm used to failure. I'm quite philosophical about it. But to lose because two idiots share the same passion and are willing to kill over you. This I can't live with! Do you likethe choice made public now, Commander? You think that this is the time? Rosa, we owe you a lot, but tell your two friends this is the Atlantic ocean. It is adequate for burials, but it is no field of honor. If they want to duel over you, tell them to wait until I've satisfied my passion! Running lights off the starboard bow! Stand by to dive! Dive! A tanker. A big, fat tanker. 12,15 knots and deep in the water. We could blow her apart with just one torpedo. Dead amidships. Just one torpedo. That's your pleasure, Eric, to sink a big, fat, tanker? My training, Mark. My instinct. Did you say 18, 36.4? Correct. Then that's it. Is that the end of the line? Unless the sun lies and I've forgotten my navigation, we're here. Tell Mark stop the engines. You know, I'm going to get you a big, big brother--Yeah! [WHISTLING] We're here, Linc. Rosa, get the uniforms ready, Subito. We're ready to submerge in about an hour. Make it longer. Those batteries can't last forever. We've a long trip back. From now on, keep changing bands. You're bound to pick up her transmissions or messages to her. She can't be too far away from us now. This the one? 50 pounds of flash powder, but she'll make as much noise as the atomic bomb. Be sure she runs shallow so everybody sees her. I can't wait to see their faces when this hits. Never mind their faces. Just make sure our watches synchronize with Tony's. Two minutes after we reach the bridge, He'll fire this torpedo. [LINC] I'm getting her loud and clear! HMS Trident, British submarine, calling Queen Mary. HMS Trident, British submarine, calling Queen Mary. Please reply with an extremely low-strength signal. We're on a secret mission here. HMS Trident Calling Queen Mary. Aha. Gentlemen, the Queen. Gentlemen, we're in the wrong clothing. HMS Trident callingQueen Mary. We do not wish our presence revealed. This is important. We urge that you call your captain before replying. Repeat--Urge calling your captain before replying. Get the Captain. HMS Trident callingQueen Mary. Get the Captain. Urgent! HMS Trident calling Queen Mary. We're a British submarine on a secret mission. This is the Captain of the Queen Mary. Who are you? Your name and rank, please. Low-strength signal! They're playing along! This is Commander Cunningham, Sir. Commanding the British submarine Trident. We're an experimental submarine on a secret mission on these waters under Admiralty orders. One of our main engines has broken down, Sir. We need a part Which we believe your engineers can supply. I urgently request permission to board, Sir. Board? You're asking me to stop my ship? I'm afraid I must, Sir. I cannot overemphasize the importance of my mission, Captain. It is absolutelyimperative that we have help, Sir, and equally imperative that we have it secretly from a British ship. We've been waiting on your course for three days, submerging at sight of other ships. We will delay you No longer than 20 minutes at the most. We are on Admiralty orders and request permission to board, Sir. Very well, Commander, But you'd better know what you're doing. We'll stop and lend assistance if we can, but this will be reported to the Admiralty as soon as we dock. Of course, Sir, and I'm deeply grateful. May I further request radio silence concerning our presence here? We do not wish to interfere with your normal transmissions, Captain, but you will request your operators to refrain from mentioning our presence here. I have already done so, Commander. Do you have a small boat you can board? Yes, Sir, we have a raft. Our chief engineer and two officers will set out immediately. See that you do. Gentlemen... Mr. Lawrence. Sir? All engines full astern. Mr. Porter, go down to "R" Deck and escort the boarding party to the bridge. Mr. Stewart. Tony, Linc will help you load the torpedo. Remember, no mistakes. She's preset and aimed. Don't fiddle with the mechanism. Come on. Be careful. Please. Miss Lucchsi... why the hell didn't you stay in Naples? Let's go. Easy, easy. Good. This elevator, gentlemen. Thank you. Where to, Sir? Sun deck, please. Very good, Sir. Sorry abut the delay. That's quite all right. I hope we have just what you need. I'm sure you do. Thank you. They're on a boat deck. Commander Cunningham presents his compliments and wishes to express his sincere thanks. Thank you, your name, Sir? Lieutenant Follett, Sir, and we're extrem-- We're extremely grateful. Ahem. Lieutenant Follett, is it? That's right, Sir. and are you a British sub? That's correct, Sir. HMS Trident. You're Canadian, aren't you? Why, yes, Sir. I'm surprised you could still tell, Sir. I've been in the Royal Navy just under four years now. I see. Now about this part you need, Leftenant, I hope it won't delay us too long. No, of course not, Sir. Captain, I wonder if we might speak with you, privately? Our mission... This way, please... Thank you. Now, what can I do for you, gentlemen? I have a schedule to meet. Would you kindly read this? "Maintain normal radio transmission." "Make announcement to pacify passengers and crew." "Lower a ship's boat." "Do not interfere with us in any way." "Open the bank and bullion room"? Mm-hm. Do you intend to rob this ship? Exactly. Are you insane? If you'll just follow the instructions-- Now, Eric. Captain, will you look to our submarine? That was a dummy torpedo, Captain. The rest of them are live. I don't believe you. Sink this ship, and you sink with her. That's true. You've read our instructions. If you don't follow them, I advise you to abandon ship. Gentlemen. Mr. Lobley? Sir? Attend to the radio as per instructions. Yes, Sir. Mr. Long? Sir. Make the necessary announcement. Yes, Sir. And, Captain, if you'll please detail someone To take three rather large empty sacks to the bank. Makeit an order with no explanation. Hmm? You're out of your minds. You're completely out of your minds. Do as he says. Yes, Sir. Give these keys to the Master-at-Arms. I commend your wisdom. It's taken care of, Sir. Mr. Porter and Mr. Stewart will escort you. The Captain requests the following information imparted to passengers and crew members. We've been boarded by members of a British submarine for military purposes. There's no cause for alarm. and we shall be under way shortly. Excuse me , Sir, you ordered three sacks? We did. Master-at-Arms. Sir? Come with me please. [KNOCK ON DOOR] Stand aside. Captain's orders. Open it up. I beg your pardon? Open it up. Don't interfere. What is going on? Open it up. What is it? The Queen Mary, Sir. She's dead in the water. Any radio message? No, Sir. Nothing at all. Contact her. Ask if she requires any assistance. Aye, aye, Captain. 15 minutes. O.K. Whoops. You two fellas want to give me a hand? Nah, I didn't think so. Out of the way! Lets go. Out of the way. All right, out of the way now. That's it. Mr. Lobley. Sir? Lower the ship's boat and take it aft to the accommodation ladder. Yes, Sir. Well? Oh, nothing, Sir. I was just wondering. I know. You were just wondering why we don't overpower them, take their uniforms and lead a boarding party against that filthy submarine. Something like that, Sir. I'd give a year's pay to be able to do it... call their bluff... but I cannot endanger this ship. I cannot, and I will not. The junior officer, in a hurry. Mr. Conroy. Sir? Captain... We contacted her... She requested we stop transmitting, then broke off. All ahead full. All ahead full. Aye, Sir. All ahead full. Steady as she goes. Aye, Captain. Steady as she goes. [LINC] Sunrise cslling Buccaneer. Buccaneer, this is Sunrise. Come in. Come in. Yes Sunrise this is Buccaneer. Something funny happening. Go on. Go on. I'm getting something on a close band. Another ship. Some kind of code, and then she broke off. But whoever it came from was close by. You chaps better hurry up. I mesn it. Will do. We got company. The other side. Captain... What do they say? Well, they uh... They what? What is it? They're being held up by a submarine. Ask them to repeat the message. Yes, Sir. Captain. Well? "We are being held up by a submarine." Sound General Quarters. General Quarters. Aye, Sir. General Quarters. [BELL RINGS] Back up, please. Out of the way. Stand aside, please. [WHISTLES] Let me see that, will you, lady? I beg your pardon. Oh, no! Help! No! No! No, don't shoot! [GUNSHOT] [GUNSHOT] Shove off! Whoever they are, they're coming fast! Here they come. Come on! Come on! It's a patrol boat! Let's get below. How close is he? He's gaining. Stand by to dive. What? Dive? What about this stuff? Shut the hatch. Mark, he's going to dive. Come on! What's the matter with you? You were going to leave us up there. We've got to get out! Stand by to dive. Where is Victor? He's dead, Rosa. Open the vents...now! Dive! Level off at periscope depth. Right. Mark, take a look. A Coast Guard cutter. What about her armament? She's got a few popguns. They can make holes in us. Not to mention the depth charges. Mark, take the wheel. Bow and stern. Planes. Full dive! Stay on that course. Check. Level off at 25 meters. We sare moving under the Queen. [SONAR PINGING] They've found us. [SONAR PINGING] How far behind schedule are we? Almost an hour, Sir. We'll get underway. Signal the cutter to stand by. Yes, Sir, Mr. Conroy. Sir. Left full rudder. Left full rudder. Hold it. [SONAR PINGING] Slow to 1/3. [TONY] Slow to 1/3. [ENGINE RUMBLES] We're close. Very close. That cutter is probably plotting our position and course right now. What do we do? They'll be dropping depth charges. Not while we're this close to the Queen they won't. When the Queen moves off, we can expect it then. They'll catch us. One way or another, they'll catch us. Sonar has them still under the Queen Mary. Well, we'll just wait on her. We got plenty of time. You keep your guns trained on that spot. What if they're too close? We'll ram her. Eric, the batteries are running down. We're going to have to surface. Well, we have no alternative. What the hell does that mean? Quite simple. We'll have to torpedo that cutter. Torpedo her with what? Tony. Torpedo her with what? You've got live fish in those tubes, haven't you? You've got live torpedoes in there. Yeah, they're live and ready to fire. We'll surface. reverse course. Give her both torpedoes. You read him? he wants you to sink that ship. What difference does it make? That's s United States Coast Guard vessel. When my head's on the block, I shut my eyes. Keep your eyes open. We're not going to sink that ship. [ENGINE RUMBLES] [SONAR PINGING] What is that? That's the Queen. She's stirring. She's getting under way. Grab on to something. Come on. Over here.. Hold on. Ohh! Surface. Blow all the ballasts! Left full rudder. Steady on course. 2-2-0. That'll give us a good shot to miship. Wait a minute. You can't do-- Stay right there, Mr. Brittain. Steady on 2-2-0. Hold it there. Tony, stand by to fire! [GUNSHOT] Aah! Aah! Aah! Fire on those torpedoes! Aah! On deck. Get up there. Tony. Tony. Stand by to ram! Stand by to ram! [SIREN] Aah! Captain, empty life raft-- there. Yeah, I see it. Give me 3/4 full on the original course. AYE, CAPTAIN. 3/4 full on the original course. We'll crisscrossfor a while in that direction My guess is they all bought it, Sir. Yep. O.K., climb in. [SHIP'S HORN BLOWS] Greatest heist in the world, and we wind up with this. We almost made it. Sure. We're alive, Mark. Be thankful for that. Exit the gracious Queen. Here, start paddling. South America is that way. [SHIP'S HORN BLOWS] |
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