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Back from Eternity (1956)
Doing all bets.
Coming out. Here they come. 2 sixes. The loser, take the line. Coming out again. Here they come. Coming up. Coming out again. 7 the loser. Take the pole. Coming out again. Here they come. Coming out, another shooter and a good one. No more chips tonight. Orders from Paul. Come on, girls. Paul... Who are your friends? They tell me outside no more chips. That's right. Why? Well, let's say good citizenship. I just learned your papers weren't quite in order. Where did you hear that? A government friend. You promised me when you brought me from Europe-- yes, I know. I promised you'd be safe here. I thought you would be. But that man in Vienna-- the one we got your papers from... He must have been a careless workman. Then find another man here. Oh, no. Not with the immigration people breathing down our necks. I'm glad you said "our necks," Paul, because you are in this just as much-- time you were on the move again, Rena. Pity, all the countries that won't have you. Europe... And now the United States. But I've found a brand-new country for you, in South America. Hot there, but they say blondes do well. Tony's got your things in the station wagon. He'll drive you to L.A. and see that you catch the right plane. Airline ticket, passport, couple of bucks for cigarettes, letter of introduction to a friend of mine in a place called Boca Grande. Boca Grande, young man. Our destination is Boca Grande. Can't you read English? You've already seen our tickets once. Trenton, Nebraska, to El Paso; El Paso to Mexico City-- Mrs. Spangler, all I'm trying to do is to attach these baggage checks to your ticket. Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? Thank you very much. Flight now loading. Flight now loading. Stay right where you are, Dean Simms. We mustn't have you come out on the field and catch your death of cold. Have a nice time, Martha. Thank you. I'm sure Henry will. Oh, young man? There's a small bag I want you to put on my seat. Uh, sir? Doctor in the house. The faculty wanted me to give you this-- a diary, which we hope you'll keep. Well, that's very nice of you. Heh! I hope I find something interesting to write in it. Ha ha! We know your research, when completed, will reflect glory on all of us. Professor? We're from the school paper. We'd like to take a photograph. Would you mind stepping over by the Gate, please? Well, thank you. Dean? Doctor. doctor? Good-bye, sir. Flight 134, from New York and Chicago, arriving East Concourse, Gate number 4. Pete. You got everything straight? Yeah, I suppose so. Well, let's hear you say it. Miami, Panama, Boca Grande, to look up a Mrs. Sophie Raditz in a joint called The Blue Moon Casino. I'm to rent a house from her with the dough you got stashed in the bank down there. And get a couple of women servants. That's just it, boss. Why don't you get a woman here and send her instead of me? Because I don't know any woman that carries a gun. Then go yourself, boss. You've got it made. I'm not getting on till I get exactly ready to, not a minute before. They're not scaring me out, ever. Petey, you gonna do this thing for me? I suppose if I gotta, I gotta, but, believe me, I don't like playing nursemaid. Daddy? Since Pete doesn't want to take me, can't I just stay with you? Hey, now you're talkin'. Shut up. Tommy, you remember what you promised me, about being a good soldier? Yes, daddy. Well, sometimes good soldiers have to do hard things, only this really isn't so hard after all. A week or so in Boca Grande, and I'll be there with you, doing all the things we talked about. Passengers boarding. And if anything goes wrong-- what more could go wrong? Say good-bye to daddy, Tommy. Bye, daddy. Please hurry. Be a good soldier, huh? Yeah. all right. Off you go. Captain Brown, there is a call for you at the accommodations telephone. Captain Brown, please. The luggage for incoming PSA passengers is now available at the fleet entrance, area 6. Tom, we'd better get going. Henry, Henry, wake up. What'd you say, Martha? I said wake up. It isn't respectable to be sleeping in a public place. No, not respectable at all. How is the champagne coming? It is almost ready, senor. Good. I want it nice and cold. Ah, Si. Did you get me some milk yet? Si, senor. Thanks. PSA flight 32, now boarding on Gate number 2 for Miami. All aboard, please. Here, kid. Take a nice big slug of this. I'm not thirsty. Come on, don't you want to grow up and be nice and strong like your old man? Come on, now. Take a drink of this, will ya? "I ain't thirsty, I ain't hungry," and I ain't no nursemaid. Here. I'll be back in a minute. Hey. hey, miss. Come here. Un momento, por favor. Yes? What'd you find out about the kid? Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Boswick, but I haven't had a chance to speak to the operation manager. Well, come on, will ya? I ain't got all day. I will, as soon as I finish with these passengers. I got to know now. It will not be more than 5 minutes, senor. The Los Angeles plane-- she is here now. Well, it's about time. What Gate? The passengers are already in immigration. How long will that take? A moment or two for each. Thank you. Light? Thanks. Oh, excuse me. Oh, Louise. Louise, I thought you'd never get here. Well, that's fairly obvious. Who's your slinky friend? Who? oh, her. Well, wasn't she on your plane? Well, what's that got to do with it? Well, just that. I never saw her before in my life. I was just trying to be helpful. Really? well, one of you was certainly a fast worker. Not me. Scout's honor. She came up to me while I was looking for you and asked me if I had-- oh, you monkey, you. Ha ha. Hi, darling. I ought to slug you, rather than laying out good money for champagne. Champagne? where? Right over here. Probably frozen solid by now. Oh, that's all right, darling. I like it that way. Oh, darling, I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry the plane was late. Not half as sorry as I am. You know, we missed the plane to Rio. Well, is that such a tragedy? I told you we had to be in Rio by tomorrow to get the concession papers signed. Oh. well, I thought we had to be here today in order to get married. Of course, that's the big thing, but... Sweetheart, would you mind very much if we wait until we got to Brazil? See, I found a plane that makes another connection to Rio tomorrow morning at a place called Boca Grande. Now, it leaves in 10 minutes. And, besides, it isn't proper for a girl to get engaged and married at the same time. It isn't? This should come first. Oh, Jud. It's perfectly beautiful! I always have been a firm believer in long engagements. Come in. Yes, he was told, Barney. I told him yesterday. How the blazes should I know? You try his hotel? Well, talk to the desk clerk. He should know. Who are you? Brooks, sir. Joe Brooks. Are you a drinking man, Mr. Brooks? Well, of course not, sir. Well, that will be something of a novelty for this part of the world. I see you found your gear all right. Mr. Grimsby? Yeah? I have a problem. Problem? You don't even know how to spell. Grimsby here. Never came in at all? Well, check around. Trouble about Bill? There seems to be a slight mix-up. He's never missed a flight yet. Something tells me he has now. You two met? No. Miss Alvarez, our youngest eagle, Joe Brooks. He's supposed to be your copilot. Hello. I'm not much of an eagle, miss Alvarez. This is my first regular job and... Well, all I hope is I do all right. I'm sure you will, Mr. Brooks. You can start out doing right by getting the weather, Joe. And then bring the ship around to the ramp. Yes, sir. Don't worry. Everything is going to be all right, Mr. Grimsby. Keeps your fingers crossed, or we're going to have to wash out the flight. They're crossed. Ok. now, what's the problem? A man and a little boy, both booked to Boca Grande. He wants to send the child on alone. Somebody there to meet the kid? Mrs. Raditz of The Blue Moon Casino. Aunt Sophie. Well... That's something new for her. I don't see there's much we can do, Maria. The kid's got a ticket. He's entitled to use it. Tell the man it's ok. All right. How do you like her? Hello. Hiya. Oh, you must be Larnigan. That's right. I'm Joe Brooks. Yeah, they told me. Would you hand me that thermos on the deck, by your chair there? Ah. Strong, black coffee. Nothing like it in the morning. You seen Mr. Grimsby? No, I never talk to Grimsby. He uses bad language. Look, I got a lot of important things to do: Change my clothes, shave, gargle. Gargle? Yeah, it helps flying. Why don't you go aft and help Maria? Passengers will be aboard in a minute. The captain said I was to help you with the passengers. Yes, that's the custom. It reassures them to see a man. Here's the list. Thank you. Have you flown with him for a long time? Yes, I have. I wonder if he's the fella I think he is. Who do you think he is? Just about one of the greatest. Chief pilot for transpacific and air Asia. Why, he must have over 10,000... engine hours in his logbook. Yes, that's Bill, only it's more than 20,000 hours. What happened? Only Bill knows. Besides, nothing happened. I'd rather fly with Bill than any pilot in the world, and you're lucky to be his copilot. Will you take over for a minute? I have an errand to run. Sure. This got the latest American news? Yes, sir. Keep it. Thank you. The plane is ready now, Tommy. Is Pete coming? I'm afraid not. But don't worry. He'll be all right. Flight PAN LATINA from Panama to San Dimas and Boca Grande. Passengers may board their plane at Gate number 5. Don't worry, mi hijo. I'll introduce you to the pilots. Maybe they'll let you fly the plane. Would you like that? Is this the Boca Grande plane? Si, senor. I was told we'd have first-class accommodations. I want 2 seats together in the rear roped off, and I'm willing to pay a little extra for them if I have to. Somehow, I don't think he understood you. Well, then, we'll find somebody who does. I've never traveled second-class before, and I don't intend to begin now. Come on. Excuse me, but may we second-class passengers go aboard? Well, I don't suppose they ever heard of reserved seats anyway. Come on, dear. They've practically finished boarding. Good. Well... Let's see if the Wright brothers knew what they were doing. Hey, hold it! Wait a minute! I got a ticket. Here, here! Hold it! Thank you very much. Thank you. Tommy? hiya, pal. I decided that I, uh-- what I mean is, I found out I didn't have to go back to the States at all. I drank all that milk you gave me. That's my boy. Maybe I'd better fasten your seat belt, huh? Fasten your seat belts, please. Fasten your seat belts, please. Tower 1-6-5, tower 1-6-5, taxi instruction, please. 1-6-5, hold. What about the checklist? The "before starting" procedures? Shouldn't we have gone through it before starting the engines? Yes. Cabin lights? Check. "Seat belt" and "no smoking"? Should be on, but the bulb's usually busted. Position lights? Check. Circuit breakers? Ok. Hydraulic pump? Oh, just a minute. Uh... See, it used to be down here somewhere... Yeah. check. Landing gear pressure? Fine. fuel quantity? Check. Static selector? Good. Altimeters? Uh, just a minute. Let me see now. Yeah, they're... They're all set. Man, on radio: 1-6-5, clear to runway 2-1. Tower 1-6-5, Roger. Hey... You went over all this when I was back there. Well, I generally look out to see if both engines are firmly attached, and, uh, then... Give me that. I was just looking at the pictures, Pete. I don't care what you was looking at. Y-you shouldn't read in here. Uh, bad light. It's no good for your eyes. Well, how's the copilot getting along? Heh heh heh! Fine, skipper. Sit down, kid. You're rocking the boat. Young man, I can't make head or tail out of this schedule. Martha, he's the captain. Well, what if he is? He can answer a question. Yes, ma'am, that's the main reason airlines have captains. What time do we leave San Dimas, and how long do we stay there? We're due to land about 5:00. We'll have time for a bite to eat if you want, in about 35 minutes. Thank you. Captain? This place we end up at--Boca Grande-- would it be possible to get married there? Married? Well, I never exactly heard of anybody getting married there, but... They say it's a wide-open town. Captain? Have you got a cigarette? Certainly. Are you, uh... Getting off at San Dimas? No, Boca Grande. Do you have friends there? One. A lady. Could it be Sophie Raditz at The Blue Moon Casino? How did you know? If I were you, I'd get off at San Dimas. Excuse me. You seem unusually full of courtesy today. Company policy-- courtesy mingled with charm. How sore was Grimsby? I think very sore. Bill, you know how much he likes you, but he can't protect you forever. Who wants him to? I don't need anybody's protection, and certainly not Grimsby's. Now how about that sandwich? Our first meal in South America, Martha. I hope they have something fit for human consumption. Arroz con pollo. I have always wanted to try that. Oh, no. You'll have toast and 2 soft-boiled eggs. Do you understand? Si, senora. 2 orders, please. You'll find the food pretty good here. Pedro, buenos Dias. Senor Bill. Everything all right? Yes, thanks. Take your time. It will be a little longer than I thought. Anything else? No, thank you. Senor Bill, will you have your especial? You better make it a double especial, Pedro. Si, senor. Now, you stay right here until uncle Pete gets back. Do you understand? Don't move. Stay right here. What on earth is that man showing to that child? That looks like a shrunken head. That's exactly what it is. Stop that. No, thank you. Come on. You come over here and talk to me. What's your name? Tommy. Well, Tommy, where is that nice friend of yours? You mean Pete? Mm-hmm. He told me to stay here. He did? That's all right. I will take care of him until he gets here. Well, that's really very nice of you, but he's quite safe with me, thank you. Come on, Tommy. There we are. May I ask you a question? Sure. Why did you advise me to get off here? Because I know aunt Sophie and The Blue Moon Casino. So what? Do you know what a blue moon girl does? Sits with the customers. Soft drinks at first, and then she graduates to the hard stuff. It's a gay life and a short one. Usually, Sophie's come older, not so nicely packaged. Then I should do quite well there. You like the idea? Pedro. Senor? Another. Another? Tomato juice. And vodka. Tomato juice! And if I want to slug myself with vodka, that's my business. I was just thinking you might lose your job. Yes, I might. Thanks for the warning. And now, if I may very politely suggest-- captain, the cargo hatch is full. There are a couple cylinders of compressed air leftover. All right if we leave them for the next flight? Who do they belong to? It's, uh... South Atlantic Oil. That's a big customer and, I suspect, a big stockholder. We'll have to deliver them. Tell you what, put them in the passenger cabin. There's a space forward of Maria's service compartment. You can latch them to the bulkhead there. Right. I'm sorry that I made you angry. I was wrong about the tomato juice and about you. What about me? I just thought maybe you had some problems like the ones I have. No. No problems. You see before you a man who is about to become a member of the idle rich. I'm going to be a sun dweller on the prettiest stretch of beach you ever saw. Florida? No, it's near Boca Grande, but it's real quiet. I'm going to sit in the sand and listen to my beard grow. How would you like a neighbor? No. no problems. I see you made some friends, huh? Yes, Pete. Well, thanks for looking after the kid. It wasn't any bother at all. I better find him a spot to get some rest. Just found out in the telegraph office we may be stuck here for quite a while. Well, that's great. Why? Got me. Say thank you. Thank you. Good-bye. bye. See you later, son. Well, the pilot doesn't seem concerned. No, he seems to be enjoying himself. I'll have a talk with him. Oh, now, darling, don't make a fuss. I'll handle this. Captain? If you don't mind my interrupting you, I have a connection to make in Boca Grande. It's very important for me to get there, and I don't intend hanging around here waiting for you to get ready. You'll probably make your connection, Mr. Ellis. We shouldn't be here too long. "Probably"? Well, is there something wrong with the plane? Not that I know of. Then why don't we take off? I have orders to wait for another passenger. Another passenger? Why, there's 7 of us cooling our heels here now. He'll be cooling more than his heels in a couple of days. Who is this man? I don't know, but he has a pressing appointment in Boca Grande, too-- with a wall, a blindfold, and a firing squad. Firing squad? Why? Well, among other things, murder. Don't be glum, darling. You said it would be exciting, and it is. Well, bless my buttons. If it isn't Crimp-- the famous international man hunter. Heh heh heh! Right, amigo. And with his man, as usual. Took me 4 months to find him. He's worth $10,000 to me in Boca Grande. I intend to make sure that he gets there. Find him a nice seat by himself. Put me right behind him. May I take this little boy aboard? He's sleeping. Yes, sure. Go ahead. Thank you. Let me see the passenger manifest. Mr. Boswick? Yeah? Your Boca Grande address is The Blue Moon Casino. You a friend of Mrs. Raditz? What about her? Heh! I'm afraid I'm going to have to search you. Look, the day anybody searches-- this must be the day. Suppose this is what you're looking for. Just don't forget, that's my property. Still is. Will be sent to your destination in bond. All right, you can all go aboard the plane now. Someone should report this to the American consul. Afraid it wouldn't do any good, Mrs. Spangler. The authorities here have asked us to cooperate with Mr. Crimp, as the special representative of the friendly neighboring countries. Oh, miss? Your destination's The Blue Moon Casino, too. Yes. Well, I guess I'd better just take a look. Say, spirited. Heh heh! I like that. Passengers settle down? Yeah... Except for that Ellis character. Still squawking, eh? Yeah. That girl with him. What about her? Well, she seems so nice. Wonder what she sees in him. Well, they're aiming to get married. It's none of our business. I can still wonder. Would you and the little boy like to have something to drink? No. not yet. Thanks. Is that an American paper? Yes. there you go. Mrs. Spangler, would you like a pillow? Why, yes, I would. Thank you. You know, Martha, if we were a couple of hundred miles inland, we'd be passing over a most interesting territory-- the home of one of the few tribes of headhunters left in the world. That is, if they're still there. Oh, they're still there. I can assure you that, professor. If you excuse me for interrupting... Of course. But I've been there to study their habits and their culture. Matter of fact, you could say that the study of all people is a hobby of mine. Oh, indeed? Yes, I was born in Europe, which you've probably surmised, but I have lived and traveled most of my life in South America. Well, fascinating. Henry. hmm? Martha, how many people do we know who have actually been in the country of the, uh... Yevarros. hmm? Yevarros--that's what they're called. Oh, yes, yes. It's a very fascinating tribe. The symbol of wealth there-- instead of mink coats and diamonds, they use a shrunken head of an enemy. I hope you don't mind me talking like this, Mr. Crimp. Why should I? Well, in a way, you're like the yevarro, you know. Instead of bringing only the head home, you return with the entire body, no? You bet. You ever hear how they shrink the captured heads, professor? Something to do with baking, I believe. Yeah, well, it's a little bit more complicated than that. You don't mind me describing it, Mr. Crimp? Go right ahead. All right. First, they make a small slit in the base of the skull, you see. And then after a series of deft operations, bit by bit, they remove the whole skull. And sometimes, the slit is so tiny that the human eye can't even detect it, you see? The next step, sometimes over a period of weeks and months-- hot sand is poured through the slit. But after each application, the skin shrinks further and further and further, until the head is-- well, it's no larger than a good-sized orange. Do you understand me, Mr. Crimp? It's astounding. Hey, here's something that's really astounding. Mr. Big Shot U.S.A.-- Thomas J. Malone got knocked off last night on his way-- shut up! What's the matter with you? Pete, was somebody talking about my daddy? No, kid, h-he was talking about some other guy. Affirmative, Panama. I receive you. What is it, Bill? We're heading into some weather. You better get your passengers snugged down. It'll get worse before it gets better. All right. Roger. weather north of Boca Grande. 1-6-5, out. Panama reports a tropical storm over the coast north of Boca Grande. Yeah, it's the hurricane season. They suggest we cut inland, approach from the Southwest. What course are you setting up? 1-8-0. Panama radio, 1-6-5. I'm changing course to 1-8-0 magnetic. There we go, buddy. How's my number-one passenger? Oh, fine. Hey, you know, you were right about them motors. It ain't as noisy back here. I have to fasten your seat belt, so you won't fall out. Eh? how's that, huh, captain? It's like a rolly coaster. Heh heh! Ok. Tonight we sleep on a rolly coaster, ok? Ok. That change of course didn't help much. Well, we're taking an awful beating down here. I'm going upstairs. Any oxygen on board? Uh-uh. 9,500. 10,000. Yes, sir? What's going on? I can't take much more of this. I am sorry, sir, but the pilots are doing the best they can. You seem to have the authority. Why don't you tell them to turn out of the storm? I'm sure the pilots know much more about this than we do. Trying to relax, Mr. Crimp? Why don't you shut up? Why, yes, sir. 10,500. 11,500. 12,500. The passengers are beginning to feel the altitude. 13,000. 14,000. That's about as far as we can go. The rest of you may be crazy, but I'm not! Please! you must sit down! Get away from me! All right! Think I can't get this plane turned around? I'll show you how! Aaah! What's that? Turn this plane around and get us out of here! You heard what I-- the fire is out! Everything's under control! Get him back to his seat. I'll fix his belt, thank you. Oh! Aaah! Hold on! Everybody just sit down! Tommy! Fasten your seat belts. Tommy! Sit down! Fasten your seat belts. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down. Fasten your belts. More trouble-- right engine. Oil and manifold pressure both dropping. We'll have to take our chances on the weather underneath. Altimeter reading? 13,000. 12,500. 11,000. 10,000. Airspeed? I can't read it. The instruments have gone haywire. She's throwing oil all over the place. We've had it. Feather red... Turn off right engine gas selector. Hydraulic-pump to left engine. Drop your number-one flare. Number one. See anything? Just jungle, and we're dropping fast. Drop the other flare. See anything at all? No. Oh, wait a minute. Yeah, to the right-- a valley, about 5:00. That'll have to be it. Well, it's about 2:00 now. Right. Check hydraulic pressure. Check. Give me half-flaps. Half-flaps. Stand by to drop gear. Drop landing gear? That's what I said. Full flaps. Full flaps. Landing lights. Drop gear. Drop gear. Keep them inside while I look around. Anybody hurt? Well, shaken up, but aside from bruises, all right. The old lady's unconscious. Just fainted, I think. That detective guy's still knocked out. Keep them in the plane till the rain stops. I'll chock the wheels and put in the gear pins. All right. Isn't this the most forsaken spot you've ever seen? On the contrary. I think it's very pleasant. There's no accounting for taste. Well, if you were being taken back to be executed, I'm sure you'd find it very pleasant, too. How long we going to be stuck here? We're not stuck here, but the thing is, we don't know how soon we'll get out. Should have turned around like I wanted-- who's got my gun? All right, who picked it up last night? Well, come. You want to search me? Come, come now. Come search me. I'll search you. And are we satisfied? No, I'm not satisfied! All right, where'd it go? It must have gone out the door. It may still be on the plane. I'm going to take a look. What about the plane's radio? We can send for help, can't we? It's burned out. You all might as well know what's going on. You'll find out anyhow. We've come down in the center of one of the most isolated areas anywhere-- miles of jungle and mountains, all unexplored. 'Course, there will be search planes, but the storm blew us miles out of our course, and this is the cloudy season. They'll have trouble finding us. Our chances? Even money. Even money? I'm still trying to find out what you pilots intend doing about it, if anything. But that's not fair. He's only trying to tell us what we need to know to help ourselves. After all, we're certainly all of us old enough to face the truth. Miss Millhorn's right. We've formulated a plan. Shall I tell them? Yeah. go ahead. Well, I suppose we ought to let the ladies take care of the cooking. Mrs. Spangler, you'll be in charge. Well, I'll be glad to do whatever I can. And today, the men will be split into 2 work groups. Mr. Crimp, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Boswick will chop wood for the fire. What are we supposed to use for tools? Well, there's a small ax on board the airplane. You can use that on the bigger pieces. The smaller ones, you just pick up. We'll need plenty of wood. Why so much? In the center of the valley, we'll have to build a big bonfire-- kindling underneath and wet wood on top-- for smoke, in case a plane shows up. Can I help with the fire, too? Sure. We'll also follow standard procedure in laying out an sos. Some towels and clothing from your luggage. Now, in unloading the luggage, professor Spangler will help Joe and me and Vasquel. Nobody gives Vasquel orders except me. He's my prisoner. I think we ought to straighten something out right now. From now on, only one person will give orders around here. Who is that? Me. The officers of a wrecked plane have the same authority as the officers of a wrecked ship. That's a law. So what if it is? How's he going to enforce it? Maybe you'd like me to show you. Gentlemen. In the middle of a jungle, let's not fight amongst ourselves. In any form of society, the person that's in charge should have an emblem of authority. I think we'd better get to work, huh? Right. Maybe we can use some of these things. I wish it was food. It's going to be rough. There should be plenty of fish in the stream. And, if I'm not mistaken, there's plenty of... Edible plant life around here. Lots of wild game, too. Haven't got any ammunition to spare, and I'm not much of a shot. How about you? Oh, no, no, no. Why don't you ask mister... Mr. Boswick, there? I'll talk to him. Come on, professor. All right. Good hunting. Pete. Yeah, hi. How we doing? Great. Are you really pretty good with one of these things? Well, I don't like to brag, but-- there's supposed to be some game around here. You want to take a crack at it? Well, I never shot any four-legged animals before, but there's always a first time, huh? The professor here will help you with the tracking. We'd better head for the stream first, I think. I got to admit, that meat was sure delicious! Uh, what was that you call them again, professor? Well, never mind. I wouldn't remember it anyhow. Captain, where are you planning on having us sleep tonight? Ladies and Tommy in the plane, men under the wing. What are you doing about guards? Joe and I can keep an eye on everything. Well, don't you think we should all take turns standing watch? You trying to tell us we're in some sort of danger? No, no, I was, uh... Merely thinking if a search plane flew over, we'd want someone awake to alert it, so we could light the signal fire. You sure that's all you're thinking? Well, yes, of course. Come on, Tommy. It's time for bed. Will you please say my prayers with me? Sure, I will, Tommy. I don't think it would be such a bad idea if we all joined Tommy. Years ago, Martha and I used to say "the lord's prayer" every night with our youngster. Seems particularly fitting now. "Our father, who art in heaven," "hallowed be thy name." "Thy kingdom come," "thy kingdom come." "Thy will be done, on earth as it is heaven." "Give us this day our daily bread" "and forgive us our trespasses" "As we forgive those who trespass against us." "Lead us not into temptation," "lead us not into temptation," "but deliver us from evil." "But deliver us from evil, amen." amen. Henry, thinking: "Despite my fears, no evidence yet of hostile natives. "The body of the plane is undamaged, "but the left prop is twisted "and the right engine seems beyond repair. "Our signal fire is useless. No search plane has come near." yeah, I know. Off course because of the storm. No radio message, so they must have smashed into something. Army and Navy pulling out. The low clouds obscuring the terrain always at this time of the year. Area combed by every ship of the giant PAN Latin airlines, all 9 of them. 80,000 bucks spent so far, and New York hollering like crazy! You know, besides Maria, I'll Miss Larnigan. The airline won't seem the same without him. Ok, call it off! And schedule 17 out of here tomorrow! Now get going! Business as usual! Well, good night, everybody. Good night. Henry, don't you think it's time for bed? In a moment, dear. How much did you say I owed you, professor? $84,000, and it will be 85 when this game's over. Oh, yeah? That's what you think! Listen. I heard something out there. Heard what? It sounded like drums. Did you hear anything, Pete? Naw. There's a nice hot one for you, professor. Smoke that in your pipe. Ha ha ha! 85,000. How do you like that! Are you sure I never met you in Las Vegas? No! One more game, huh? Double or nothing. Can you get off the ground with one engine? No. Then why torment yourself? Maybe I'm the tormented type. But I have an idea the other engine can be fixed, too. I took a little metallurgy in school. A cracked cylinder's no real problem-- a simple welding job, if you have enough heat. We can pull that cylinder, too. Even without the right tools. At least, I think Larnigan can. Oh, you mean you can take it right over to the fire? Mm-hmm. Yeah, but the trouble is, a regular wood fire doesn't give enough heat. There must be some way to use that cylinder of compressed air in the cabin to boost the temperature. Why don't you two stop dreaming? Jud, it's just something to talk about. Even with two good engines, no pilot in the world could take off here. Larnigan could. Why doesn't he get busy? I'll tell you why. Because he's smart enough to know that it's hopeless! We're doing our best! You going to sit here all night, Louise? I-I'm sorry. It's all right. Good night. Good night. Hello. Hello. How about a drink for me? You want one? Not really. You just came here to find out if I was drinking, huh? You're not very friendly today, are you? I happen to know aunt Sophie doesn't like her... Personnel working on their own time. I have a feeling I will never see aunt Sophie. Actually, it was a good break for both of us... Being marooned here. What about that nice stretch of beach in Boca Grande? What's the difference? Were you ever married? Yeah. What became of your wife? She's dead. I was on the far eastern run at the time. I wasn't home much. She was lonely. Driving over to spend a couple nights with her sister in Jersey. Hit by a truck. Lost my job after that. In fact, uh... I lost several jobs. I think I understand. Yeah, people always say that. Want to know the real reason I hit this stuff? I've had it. What about you? Have you had it? Could be? What's the problem? Mostly passports. Oh. A lot of countries with a lot of papers that didn't stand up, huh? And a lot of friends-- people that says they are friends. Men? Men. Now I understand. But...I didn't come here to talk about us. What did you come here to talk about? Engines. Engines? Oh, you mean that compressed air and fire routine? Who you been talking to? Joe. Don't you think it's a good idea? Yeah, I think it's a great idea. Actually, I've been sitting here... Thinking how we might do it and...I think I got a solution. We'll get started in the morning. Are you sure, uh... You don't want a drink? Are you sure you want one? I guess not. We'll never straighten that out. We can saw it off. With what? Hacksaw. there was one in the crate of mining equipment. What about the other blades? We'll do the same with them to compensate. Be a tough job, won't it? Henry, thinking: "Bill and Joe have shown great ingenuity "in planning to repair the right engine. "Today we will build a scaffold, then try to make a forge." hold it. Watch it. Are you thirsty, Joe? Yeah. thank you. Hard work. How would you know? What do you mean by that? I mean if you'd spend a little less time taking care of the pilots and a little more time working, we'd probably all be better off. You don't mean pilots. Really? what do I mean? Joe. Hey! Hey, what's going on? Uh... for Pete's sakes, don't tell him! We're just taking a swim. Go away, will you? Go away! Thanks! Thanks. Vasquel. yeah? Vasquel, I'm very disturbed. Disturbed about what? About some things I've seen in the jungle. You mean the footprints? You've seen them, too? Yeah, I've seem them various places. What do you think? I think we're in grave danger if this is headhunter territory. Well, isn't there anything we can do? My friend, there's something we can do. We can pray we get the plane fixed in time before the drums begin the war dance. You mean they'll attack? Sure. from their point of view, we're...Invaders. I wonder...Should we tell the others? No, there's no reason to do that. We'll only disturb them further at this point. Well-- please, believe me. The natives make lengthy preparations. First they send messages, then the drums begin the war dance. When the drums begin, our friends will know they're in real danger. So. Ok, skipper. Midnight shift reporting for duty. Things seem all right. Joe will relieve you at 4:00. Fine. Stay awake. Yeah. you get some rest, too. Skipper! Skipper! Pete, what's up? Crimp. he took it on the lam. He's got the gun. Oh, my head! Let's catch him before he gets too far! Don't be foolish now! We're unarmed. Crimp is both armed and I believe insane. Otherwise, he'd never go in the jungle alone. I've been watching it grow on him for days now. We'll have to double the guard after this. Come on. Let's get him in the tent. No more meat because our official guard has allowed Crimp to run away with the gun. Perhaps we can make some snares. I remember when I was a boy-- when you were a boy! Don't make me laugh! No gun, no meat. Simple arithmetic. But maybe Crimp will come back. He might be prevented. I suppose you're going to start blabbering about those Indians again, like you did in the plane. Oh, are there Indians around here? Oh, you bet there are. Crimp told me. Very bad Indians. They get you, and then they cut your-- Jud, will you stop it! That's right. Now stop scaring everybody, or I'll bust you in half! Uncle Henry, are there really Indians around here? Oh, we're just playing games, Tommy. If they catch Mr. Crimp, will they cut his head off? Of course not, darling! Anyway, Indians or no Indians, we'll be out of here in a couple of days. Yep! repairs completed! Oh, how wonderful! It's a question of putting the engine together again. That plane will never take off again, and you know it. Idiots! all of us idiots! Shut up. You're drunk. Look who's talking. Give me the bottle. Try and get it. You better turn in. When are you going to start putting those motors together? We ought to be able to start in the morning. And if they run, we'll soon be back to our normal lives. Oh, that's great! Just great! It's the best news we'll ever hear! I think I'll get some sleep. Good night. Good night. Louise. Please, I want to talk to you. Well, I'm--I'm very tired, Jud. Let's talk tomorrow. No, no, no. Let's talk now. No. there just isn't anything I want to say to you now. We're engaged, aren't we? We'd have been married if... If this thing hadn't happened. Now, only--only a short time left. Please leave me alone. Why should I? You're my girl. Don't, Jud. Please, don't. No! Hey, knock it off! Why don't you mind your own business? I'm sorry. But I'm always saying that to you, aren't I? He's going to be all right. He's just a little mixed up, that's all. Yes, I know. Any man's liable to go a little haywire in a situation like this. But Bill didn't, did he? Not the professor, not Vasquel, not Pete. Or you. Maybe he's right about one thing. What's that? Minding my own business. Probably isn't my business, not when you're wearing his ring. You're not very observant, are you? I'm not wearing any ring. Good night. Good night. Let me help you, ma'am. Here you are. You, too? Vasquel. Yeah? We...well, we've come to know each other pretty well, so it's no longer just idle curiosity, but...well... Would you tell us what you did? Murder. Uh, maybe that's the wrong word. Maybe assassination would be a better word. It was general Gomez. The dictator? That's right. But he's still alive. I know. Unfortunately, I was a bad shot, you know, so I missed him and nearly killed the minister of war. Hey, Vasquel, if you had it to do over again, would you still do what you did? Oh...I don't know. I've done a lot of thinking lately. Mostly it's been about myself. See, my father was a victim of political persecution, so then I left the old world, came to the new world in the search of freedom, and instead, I found more...More persecution. Then again, since I've been here at the camp-- I don't know-- I find something new. Let's call it, uh... Birth of a new faith. It's a long time since I was in a house of worship. All those words I was taught when I was young, they come back to me now. Words are much stronger than any bullets I fire at general Gomez. When I raised the gun then, I believed in violence for violence sake. Now time passes, and I find out that there was no belief. That was a loss of faith in my fellow man. So...So, I don't know. Maybe I changed, maybe I not changed, but...even if things were different, I don't think I have any desire to return to that... Wonderful thing they call civilization. Wonderful! congratulations! Well, we still got a lot of work to do. Cowling has to go on. Let's get started on the inside. Everything has to come out. Seats, fitting, cargo. Hey, this ought to be fun, huh? Ha ha ha! Good work, Joe. Just like downtown. You take charge of stripping her down. - Let's go. - All right. Folks, seats out first. Well, if everything's going to be taken out, where are we going to sleep? Well, if we have any luck, Mrs. Spangler, where your ticket reads--Boca Grande. Can I help you, uncle Henry, too? Oh, you can be water boy. ladies, if you'll take the suitcases and the blankets and pillows and other light things, the professor and Vasquel and I will unload some of these seats. Hi there! Don't go away! I won't hurt you! Yeah, I think that does it. Ah, that wasn't so tough, was it? We're going to need some help with this scaffolding. I'll get, Joe. Boy, I could sure use a drink of water. Where's our water boy? Tommy! How's it going? Fine. Where's Tommy? I haven't seen him, Pete. Little monkey probably fell asleep somewhere. No, not this time of the day. I wonder if he's over there playing by the water again. Let's find out. Tommy! Tommy! Tommy! Here. let's go over this way. Here's his-- here's his pail. He must be around here somewhere. Tommy! Tommy, where are you? Oh, I'll give it to him when I... Let's go over this way. Tommy. Tommy. Tommy. Tommy! Tom! Tommy! What's the matter with you? I ought to wham the daylights out of you, s-scaring everybody to death like this! Wh-where you been? Down there. I saw Mr. Crimp, too. He was sleeping. Down--down where? Down there. Show us, Tommy. Take the kid back to the plane. Quick! Go on! Have you figured out yet how you're going to get this thing off the rocks? I'm going to pivot on that wheel to clear the tail and ease her down to the flat. Take a lot of beef on the tail to hold it down. Bill! Bill! Take care of him, Mrs. Spangler. Thank heavens he's all right! Bill. What's wrong? Crimp. We found him. I knew he'd be all right. Quiet. But only part of him. Where's Pete? He's following behind. The drum starts, that means they start their war dance. As long as they keep dancing, we're safe. When the drums stop, that's when they attack. Everything's ready! let's get out of here! We're not leaving without Pete! Skipper! Skipper! Tommy. he's all right. No, no! Don't touch. Get him on the-- no. It's no use. He's dead. I'll get the engine started. Let's go. Everybody. Everybody! over here! Joe, get everybody on the tail. All right. Come on, folks. Down this way. When he starts the engines, we'll push. All right! Get them aboard! Where do you want us to sit? About midships and divide evenly. It broke again! All right. Let's take a look. What happened? Oil line let go. Can you fix it? We can try, if we have time. Those drums sound closer. You should be grateful they haven't stopped, Mr. Ellis. Do you want to tell them? I--I think you ought to tell them, Bill. Is, uh...Everything finished? We've all been hoping that sooner or later we'd get out of this, but I have to tell you this. We all can't leave here. The oil line's just about patched up, but the oil was low anyway. There's only a cupful or two left, then the engine's bound to conk out. Leaving one engine to get us over the mountain. And that engine with a sawed-off prop. We can't possibly make it out of here with a full load at this altitude. How many can get on the plane? No more than 4... And Tommy. Are you sure? Yeah, I did one-engine test flights with this ship at the factory. 5 of us might get out, but... The rest have to stay. I stay. I will stay, too. If anyone wants to be heroic,it's all right with me, but-- shut up, Jud. There's one rule we could always go by. Women and children first? I think the women ought to have a right to make a choice, too, as well as the men. Couldn't we... Draw lots? No, chance is always tricky. Very often unfair. No, we've got to be logical. Logic-- excuse me, now, but I'm afraid this is absolutely necessary. You can't shoot your way out of here, Vasquel. I don't intend to shoot my way out, Bill. I stay. Some of you want to live. Others of you deserve to live. It's not a question that can be decided emotionally. It must be decided by cold, hard logic. And since I'm to be killed by one kind of savage here or another in Boca Grande, I'm the only one you can depend upon to decide logically. Are we going to allow ourselves to be judged by a condemned criminal? In this tiny community, I'm not a criminal. I am the law. The supreme law... Mr. Ellis. Legally, the question should be settled by Bill or Joe, but you're right. We can't trust any of us. We can't confuse ourselves with what is legal. I am content to allow the decision to lie with Mr. Vasquel. Thank you. So, now... Whether you like it or you don't, I choose for you. I guess there's no harm in seeing what you come up with, but make your decision quickly. We'll be ready in a few minutes. Fine. Come on, Joe. Well, uh...Have you got any I-ideas what you're going to decide? Who gets to go? I think we should wait. I think we should wait until the plane's ready. Mr. Ellis. Louise. Vasquel will pick us, won't he? I don't know, Jud. Well, we're the logical ones. We've got everything to live for! He has to decide that now, doesn't he? If he decides that... One of us leaves and one of us stays, I won't have any other chance to tell you that I-- I know. Don't say it. I feel the same way, too. Crazy, isn't it? We'd have to say good-bye just when-- oh, it's crazy! Yeah. It takes a brave man to decide life or death for 9 people. Martha... Vasquel mustn't choose us. I know, dear. I know. I'll tell him. Henry... Yes? The same moon was shining when we were married. Oh...he was much bigger. He was 42 years younger then. Maybe like us, he's grown a little tired. I'm very grateful... For our lives together. Thank you, Henry. Vasquel. Yeah? My wife and I have grown quite fond of you. Well, I'm sorry, but, uh... Can't let that influence my decision. Yes...you can. Mrs. Spangler and I have only a short time left at best. The others have much to look forward to. Leave us behind. I ask it as a favor. Mr. Spangler... If there were more people in the world like you and your wife, there would be less people like me. Thank you. How is he? Asleep. Funny how motherly I became all of a sudden. Chances are you'll be going back with him. I don't want to go back, Bill... If you'll stay. No, no sale. Besides, I don't know if I'm staying or not. I would if I thought Joe could swing it, but...well...we'll see what Vasquel comes up with. Just in case... This is for the American consul in Boca Grande. It'll bring you a few bucks from a couple of insurance policies. That stretch of beach, if you want it. For the kid, too. Who's going to take care of him? It's kind of nice... Somebody to leave something to. You better get back with the rest. All right, we're ready. Come on, Vasquel. Let's have it. First, there's Bill. He flies the plane out. Second, of course, Tommy, the child, goes. Third, Louise Millhorn. Fourth, Joe Brooks. Why him? For 2 reasons. One, we must have a copilot in this situation, and the other you wouldn't ethically understand, Mr. Ellis. - Listen here, you-- - Fifth! Fifth... Rena... So she can take care of the child. Mr. and Mrs. Spangler have decided to stay at their own request. And as for me, there's certainly no bravery involved in my decision. They've stopped. I suggest you get on the plane quickly now. We can't leave the spanglers here. I'm staying. So am I. You get on the plane! Now, come on! I mean it! Come! All right. Come on. Come, come, come, come, come, come! Go! go! Come on! Come. Come, come, come. And you. Come on--up! Go on! It's like having youngsters of our own again. Yeah. 5 wonderful young people, all going back. Oh, darling! Now, now. |
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