It's the most exciting
and the most dangerous sport in the world.
They're at it everywhere.
On paved tracks, dirt tracks and
dry lakes, from Florida to Frisco.
And they'll race anything.
Stock cars, hot rods, jazzed-up jalopies,
super-tuned specials...
...but not everybody
can drive them.
High speed takes cold nerves
and split-second timing.
It takes luck and the tops in skill,
because one slide in the wrong place...
...can turn a $ 20,000 racing car
into a heap of flaming junk.
Death is never far away when a man has
his foot stomped down on that throttle.
He can blow a tire, throw a wheel,
crash a wall...
...or spin and tangle with another car,
and then flip over and over and over.
There's a thrill every minute.
Those lead-foot boys always put on a show.
When you get a track full of high-powered
cars, this can happen anytime.
It's a game with flying starts
and sensational finishes.
It looks dangerous and it is dangerous.
But the purses make up
for the risks the drivers take.
Twenty-six thousand at Milwaukee,
17,000 at Langhorne, 22,000 at Atlanta.
The biggest money of all is at Indianapolis,
that fast and furious 500-miler.
This gigantic spectacle of speed
pays off $ 200,000.
The winner gets his face welded
in bas-relief on the Borg-Warner Trophy.
Here's Johnnie Parsons...
...two-time winner Tommy Milton,
three-time winner Louis Meyer.
Another three-time winner, Wilbur Shaw,
and another, Mauri Rose.
Nowadays, most Indianapolis contenders
also drive those mighty midgets.
They're capable of 150 miles an hour.
They draw 30 million fans.
Here's the most successful
of this season's drivers...
...Mike Brannan, Number 17,
winning again.
He's copped top money four times
out of five and the crowds hate him.
They've made a villain out of him.
They don't like his driving.
They come to see him spin out, blow up,
but he's got everything under control.
If he lives that long,
he'll be one of the greats...
- There's your man.
- You all remember Mike Brannan.
One of the few Marines to get the
Congressional Medal while alive.
But he never got a good-conduct medal.
You can see Mike and other leadfoots
jockeying their Thunderbugs on the IMRA.
Don't miss them.
Four nights a week at four stadiums:
Rockaway, Trenton, Newark, Bridgeport.
It's a sellout every show.
And you can see them every Thursday night
at Newark Speedway.
- Is that all there is of him?
- No, the studio interview follows this.
Back in the studios once again. I have with
me none other than Mike Brannan in person.
You're a bad character, they tell me.
How do you manage to win so much
with everybody gunning for you?
- I'm lucky, I guess.
- You use your head too, don't you?
Well, I study the track,
if that's what you mean.
I know what you can and can't do.
Well, with you on the loose,
I'll take the subway.
You going to win the main event
at Newark tonight?
Somebody's gotta win.
I'll be in there trying.
Now, tell me, Mike,
what was your biggest thrill?
Well, it's a long story. You see,
I met this blond on 34th Street...
Okay, Mike, glad to have you.
Come back anytime.
- There are you, Mike Brannan.
- Cut it.
See him and the rest
of the win-or-bust boys tonight at Newark.
- Well, what do you think of him?
- Give me his background.
Wild Indian as a kid. Widowed father.
Eastern state college.
No interest in anything but cars.
A lone wolf.
I'll bet women don't leave him alone
with all that sex.
I could feel it
coming right off that screen.
Drove at Indianapolis before the war.
Never in the money.
The war taught him a lot.
Tank driver in the Marine Corps.
Five stars on his Pacific Ribbon.
Navy Commendation.
He was full of medals.
Nationwide hero, now he's a villain.
- Makes him interesting.
- He's a natural for your feature.
That sells papers, but it doesn't
make friends crucifying ex-celebrities.
With 40 million readers,
I've got a million-dollar business.
I'm not gonna crucify this guy.
It'll be a personality sketch, that's all.
We'll go over to the stadium
and catch his act.
But you've got the reception
for that U.N. Delegation.
- You should be leaving right now.
- I'll jam that in ahead.
This one's all right. Black on yellow.
You can see that a mile.
Let them know at Newark
I'll be out there.
Yes? Janie has Senator Brett on the wire
calling from Florida.
- I guess he didn't like yesterday's column.
- Not here.
Give him the brush, Janie.
Florida, did she say?
What's he doing in Florida, anyway?
Make a note about the boys playing hooky
while the Senate's in session.
But Senator Brett,
I haven't seen Miss Forbes all day.
- Would you like to talk to her manager?
- Oh, no.
I'll see she gets your message
as soon as she comes in.
I'll go and change. I won't have time. Pick
me up at the reception, we'll go to Newark.
- You can't go to Newark.
- Why not?
- What about Margaret?
- Margaret?
You know, the one who sings.
Well, tell her I'm sorry to miss
her recital. And send flowers.
- Are you going to eat?
- Something at the reception.
- They'll only have champagne.
- I'll fill up on hot dogs.
- Main event's gonna be terrific.
- Glad you're here.
Brannan's gonna have competition.
- Boys are all out to take him.
- That's him warming up now, Number 17.
- He's hard to beat.
- Right.
- He's mean and he never lets up.
- I've gotta watch him all the time.
Do you want to talk to him now
or after the race?
That'll cost you 10 bucks, Brannan.
- Are you all right?
- Yeah, I'm all right.
I'll talk to him now.
- What went on out there?
- Sock you 10 smackers.
- Were you trying to get a look at that dame?
- What dame? I was finding something out.
The track's heavier.
We gotta go lower in gears.
- Five-eighty?
- That'll do it.
- Take a look at that chassis.
- Nice-looking gal.
Hey, some dish.
- Looking for me, lady?
- Check these wheels.
Mike. Mike.
Somebody wants to talk to you.
This is the lady I told you was coming.
Mike Brannan, Regina Forbes.
- How do you do?
- How do you do?
What were you trying to do out there
just now, mow us down?
Well, I'm sorry. I didn't see you.
I'll be around when you're through,
Miss Forbes.
Well, what can we do for you
that hasn't already been done?
You can give your eyes a rest
and answer a few questions.
- I thought I'd do a feature on you.
- What's in it for me?
Nationwide publicity.
It's better than money in the bank.
Maybe it is to you.
Anything else to offer?
I suppose you have to be tough
to do this sort of thing.
You do if you want to win races.
You mean, somebody's got to lose,
but it isn't going to be you.
- That's how you used to fight your tank.
- That's how.
- Isn't that how you got where you are?
- Mike, you wanna take a look at this?
But where does all this get you?
Indianapolis again. Big car.
Okay, button it up.
After Indianapolis, then what?
Answer that yourself.
After you've put that column of yours
in every paper it'll go in, then what?
Well, we're talking about you.
For instance, what will you do
after the races tonight?
- What do you suggest?
- Watch it, lady.
Well, you know what I mean.
This is a tense business.
Dangerous.
How do you get your mind off it?
- You've had quite a few crackups.
- Everybody has them.
But you've had more than your share.
What about the one at Trenton?
We'll skip that.
Why skip it? Is that something
you don't wanna talk about?
Isn't that when the crowd
started hating you?
- What do they know?
- I don't know, I'm asking you.
All right, Number 17.
On the track for the main event.
- Let's get rolling.
- What happened at Trenton?
- I can't talk now. My race is coming up.
- Let's see what you can do.
- I'll come back afterwards.
- Suit yourself. I won't be here.
And in the same row,
on the outside in Car Number 15...
...that good-looking, fast-moving
boy from Rockaway, Red Jones.
On the pole, in the fifth row
in Car Number 6...
...that daredevil from virginia,
Crackerjack Wally Beeler.
Also in the fifth row
in Car Number 1...
...your all-time favorite,
champion Joe Youghal.
In the last row, on the pole in Number 4,
Dinky Devereaux.
- How did it go?
- Brannan's quite a guy.
- Are you through with him?
- No, not yet.
And in Car Number 17...
...Mike Brannan.
Yeah, Brannan, why don't you give up?
- Get that heap out of there.
- Drop dead, Brannan.
You ain't got a prayer tonight,
brother.
There they are, getting them going,
the 12 finest drivers in the east.
This is your main event.
It's gonna be a hot one.
The track's fast, the cars are faster
and everybody's all wound up.
They're coming for a rolling start now.
Fastest cars in the back.
- Why is that?
- Makes a tougher race.
Those boys in the back rows
have to drive plenty to win.
They're keeping nice formation
as they come out of the turn...
...approaching the starting line.
Keep your eyes on the green flag.
This may be a start. It is. There they go.
They're off.
In the first turn, it's Number 15.
That's Charlie Clint,
he's out in front by a whisker.
There's Number 17 skinning the fence.
Mike Brannan wide with his foot hard down.
He's gunning for Sam Kaderian,
Number 38.
Brannan's moving up fast on the outside
to get him as they come out of the turn.
It's a duel down the stretch.
These boys are burning rubber,
giving it everything.
Sam's a fighting fool in a brush like this
but Brannan's going ahead.
He can take them one-for-one
or in bunches. There he goes.
It's gonna take something to hold
that Brannan tonight.
Look out, he's in trouble.
Look at that slide.
He's out of it.
He's a driver, Brannan.
There he goes, right back into the action,
making time again.
Charlie Clint hanging on to the lead.
On his tail is Red Jones, Number 54,
and Wick Warren, beating him for second.
Joe Youghal's coming up through traffic
in Number 1, and 17's after him.
Everybody's bearing down now.
Watch Brannan moving up.
He's gunning for Johnny Kenna, Number 15.
Johnny's not gonna make it easy.
Got his foot on that throttle.
They're both open into the turn,
broadsiding like mad...
Wait a minute. Kenna's spinning.
He can't hold that car. He's lost her.
He's spinning in the infield,
but he's under control.
- What happened?
- They don't like what Brannan did.
- Chopped Johnny Kenna off. Spun him out.
- He's going right back.
Charlie Clint still in front.
There's Youghal blasting his way up there
with Brannan chasing him.
You can't miss those white cars.
They're standouts on any track.
Brannan and Youghal jockeying for position,
looking for a hole, trying to get through.
Youghal found one. He's moving up on 54,
challenging Red Jones.
He's gonna take him.
Jonesy can't hold him and there he goes.
Youghal's moving fast,
Brannan's tagging along.
Where Youghal goes, he goes too,
only Jonesy's not gonna let him by.
He's pouring it on. Boy, oh, boy,
what a dogfight. They're all in a heap.
Youghal, Jonesy, Mike Brannan
and Dinky Devereaux on the outside.
Brannan's loose. He's gone from 12th
to fifth and challenging for fourth.
That guy's in a hurry.
He must have a hot date after the race.
Charlie Clint still leading
and there's Youghal pouring on the coal.
He's trying to get away,
but Brannan's closing the gap.
They're both getting up,
Youghal into second.
Brannan's into third
with everybody after him.
The race is hot and getting hotter.
Brannan's in a slide.
Hold it. He held it.
Good thing he did with that free-for-all.
They're lapping slower cars.
Brannan's with Youghal, starting an
argument for second. They'll take Clint.
Youghal on the outside and Brannan's
moving up between him and Clint in 22.
That rip-roaring son-of-a-gun
from Arizona's led all the way.
Look at him give it the gun,
riding that white line, holding them off.
All three in a row
and nobody giving an inch.
Clint can't stay up there.
It's too hot.
Youghal and Brannan are moving ahead,
the two side to side.
Brannan's into the lead by half a wheel.
Now they're starting to lap slower cars.
Youghal is leading,
Mike Brannan is right with him.
In third, Charlie Clint. He's gonna stay
there and cop show money if he can't do better.
On their tails,
Red Jones and Dinky Devereaux...
...are leading the pack, going like crazy.
Anything can happen in this race.
Anybody can win.
Joe Youghal's jumping in the lead
out of that turn.
Everybody's yelling for their
favorite driver: Joe Youghal, Number 1.
Here comes Brannan.
Youghal can't get away from him.
And there's Charlie Clint.
He ain't licked yet.
He's still staying with them.
Brannan is trying to take Youghal.
They're working like mad,
fighting those cars in the turn.
They're battling for the lead.
Brannan, trying to get away but he can't.
Don't let him go, Joe. Hold him, Joe.
Hold him, Joe!
Joe in Number 1
knows every trick.
Every time Brannan tries to grab an inch,
it's Youghal that shuts the gate.
They're tying each other into knots
through the turn.
Look like they're tied together.
This is one for the book.
I don't know
where they get all the power.
- Don't let him, Joe.
- It's still anybody's race.
These boys are hitting the fastest pace
we've seen.
Gonna make it tough to stay in,
but Clint's still trying.
Something's got to give.
They can't keep up this pace.
It's beginning to tell. Brannan's pulling
ahead, Youghal can't hold him.
Youghal ain't giving up.
He's a hard guy to beat.
He's making another bid for it.
It's now or never.
They're coming into the last lap
and Brannan's got the edge.
But it ain't much of an edge.
Youghal's riding with him again.
He can make it and Brannan knows it.
Race ain't over.
They're lapping Sam Kaderian,
the Number 38.
He's in trouble. Look out,
he's headed for the wall. He hits it!
He bounces across the track.
Lost a wheel.
Only one car can get through. It's Brannan,
going straight ahead. Youghal riding right...
Brannan's all right.
He got away from a three-car crackup.
Here he is. He's the winner.
That was ruthless.
Will they let him get away with it?
- No rule against it.
- Didn't have to ride a guy into a wreck.
But he was in there to win,
so he just kept going.
Winner of the main event,
Number 17, Mike Brannan.
In second place,
in Number 22, Charlie Clint.
Third, Dinky Devereaux.
In that three-car crackup,
Sam Kaderian and Red Jones are unhurt.
No report yet on Joe Youghal.
Well, I guess that winds it up
for tonight, folks.
They're taking their time
picking Youghal up.
- I'm going over to the pits.
- You gonna make something out of this?
I wanna hear what Brannan has to say.
- It was just another crackup.
- Another crackup?
He killed that man
as surely as if he'd shot him.
Now, wait a minute. Listen.
What went on out there?
Oh, a thing like that happens. It's
happened before and it'll happen again.
Did it happen like that at Trenton?
You killed a man there, didn't you?
- A man got killed.
- How did it happen this time?
Well, you saw it. Why ask me?
They say he didn't have room
between the wreck and wall.
They say. Well, maybe they know.
- I was ahead and I never look back.
- They say you should've given him room.
What do I care what they say?
You've gotta look out for yourself.
If I'd been in Youghal's place, I'd have got
through. He just didn't think fast enough.
It was him or you,
but it wasn't going to be you.
That's the way you operate, isn't it?
Come on, Gregg, let's go.
He killed a man.
He killed a man and while the...
Yes? Never mind the Barrington stuff.
Hold the entire column.
I told you I'm rushing through another
to take its place.
He killed a man.
He killed a man and while the...
Corpse lay on the blackened grass,
he said:
"In this business,
you've got to look out for yourself. "
And then he lit a cigarette.
"He didn't give a hoot.
He said, 'It's happened before
and it'll happen again. '
He was right.
It did happen before, at Trenton.
He killed a man there
and was suspended for reckless driving. "
- You can read the rest.
- I've read it.
Her whole column's about you
and the crackup.
This thing can padlock every track,
close us down.
Why? Because of what she says
about me?
What she says about you don't affect us.
I'm getting at something else.
- We're having too many fatal crackups.
- You were in a couple.
Well, don't blame me. If they don't know
what they're doing out there...
...that's tough,
but this is a tough racket.
I don't care who did what
or who's to blame.
The point is if the paper starts saying
that our tracks are dangerous...
...we're out of business.
Oh, so that's what's worrying you.
And all the squawks
since this column came out.
A million phone calls. I had the line
disconnected to shut them up.
Well, you're working around
to something.
- What have you boys figured out?
- Figures only one way.
We've gotta do something
to head off the papers.
We've gotta get rid of you.
- You mean I'm barred?
- It's our only out.
- But that's as good as admitting she's right.
- I know that. I don't like to do this to you.
Losing you is losing money.
But that's the way it's gotta be.
You can see the spot we're in,
can't you?
Sure. Sure. You're scared.
Backing up a dame
who takes her first look at a race...
...and knows enough to tell you and me
and the rest of the world our business.
She says I ought to be barred,
so I'm barred.
She can print anything she thinks
about me and get away with it.
Nobody could print
what I think about her.
And that goes for you too.
There are plenty of other tracks.
Continental's begging me to race.
I don't need you.
Come on, take it easy.
This whole thing's gonna blow over.
What's that name again? Brannan?
Mike Brannan?
I could've used you.
Been glad to. Not now.
All I need is for you to crack somebody up
in one of my tracks, would I be in trouble.
You're a hot potato, Brannan.
You ain't for me. Sorry.
Come on.
Hold it. You're not starting.
Why not? I qualified my car.
Yes, under a name that's not your own.
It's right here in the paper.
If we'd known your real name,
we'd never let you through the gate.
Driver like you can cause a lot of trouble.
- Where is this newspaper office?
- Do you no good to go down there.
You the editor?
Yes.
- Did Regina Forbes tell you to reprint this?
- Nobody tells me what to print.
One of my reporters thought
he recognized you. We checked up.
You'll always be recognized.
You were a hero once.
That column's followed me all over.
Everybody's read it or heard about it.
When I'm flat on my back,
I get myself one chance to race...
...then you come out with it.
What are you trying to do to me?
I was performing a public service...
...just as Miss Forbes did in
drawing attention to you in the beginning.
My concern is the safety
of our local drivers.
Your concern is just the same as hers,
anything for a sensation.
You picked on me for the same reason
she did. Somebody to put on the griddle.
I've fried long enough, and I'm
not gonna be buffaloed any longer...
...by some inky-fingered dame
running around, hollering murder.
When I meet up with her again,
she'll know about it.
Now, take that pencil down from behind
your ear and put this ad your paper.
For sale. Hot midget racer.
Offie motor. Torsion-bar suspension.
Complete with all spares. Extra wheels.
The talented diva from La Scala
landed in New York yesterday...
...with her new husband, number four.
The first was a baron, the second a duke,
the third a French marquis.
Following this glittering lineup of
nobility, our glamour puss slipped a little.
Husband number four was born
and raised in good old Yonkers.
Congratulations, Mrs. Manny Snitz.
That's the social stuff.
Break there for commercial.
Say, here's a lovely pair. Try those.
Pick up with "Capitol Chit-Chat. "
Use that latest item about Senator Brett.
Add this: He's in Hot Springs now.
There's only one man in Washington
who takes more vacations.
- Mr. Barrington is outside.
- Dwight Barrington?
He flew here especially to see you
and is he mad.
I don't wonder, after the way
you've been working him over.
Oh, he'd love to shut me up.
Okay, Janie, bring him in.
- Don't you think I'd better take care of this?
- No, you stand by. I can handle him.
Have your answers ready
and be sure you're right.
Have I missed yet? Okay, Janie.
Here's what you said
about him yesterday:
"More on Barrington. His pension-insurance
scheme cannot and never will pay off.
His bonds are sucker bait.
The capitol he raised has been sunk
in dry oil wells and rainbow dreams.
Nobody has received a dime.
He's out to raise more millions.
Why doesn't the government
look into this?"
Fine, fine.
Now we'll hear what he has to say.
Be sure and take down every word.
How do you do, sir?
- Miss Forbes.
- Mr. Barrington. Something on your mind?
You know what's on my mind.
This campaign of yours against me
in your column and on the air.
I don't know where you get
your misinformation...
...but these damaging statements
have got to stop once and for all.
- Try those with the ribbons.
- What you don't seem to understand...
...is that organizing a nationwide
private-pension structure like this...
...is a big undertaking.
It takes work, planning, time, money.
Your irresponsible gossip
can keep us from raising it.
If you'll leave us alone...
...we can begin making payments
to our pensioners in weeks.
- You promised payments last year.
- I made no such promise.
You did
or others made promises for you.
That's the way you worked it in Wallstab,
isn't it? The Delaware Mudflat deal?
My name was dragged in,
but I was cleared and you know it.
Only you ignore it, just as you ignore
anything that isn't sensational.
- Lf there isn't a scandal, you'll create one.
- You think this heel is high?
Prying into things that you don't
understand, making trouble...
I'll keep making trouble until the
government indicts you for fraud.
I have nothing to fear.
Oh, but you have.
You've wasted millions.
Now you're trying to finagle more.
You won't get it.
- And you're going to stop me?
- Yes.
You've gotten away with it for years,
but now the walls are closing in.
It's useless to talk to you.
I thought that if we discussed
this personally...
...I might set you straight.
But I see that that's hopeless.
- But I warn you, if these attacks continue...
- You'll sue me?
You'll see what I'll do.
- That was all bluff.
- He tried to frighten you.
I've got him and he knows it.
Type up those notes. I may use them.
- Anything else?
- New clippings.
Check through them.
I'll try on the rest of these shoes.
Nothing here. I see that you're still
keeping track of that race driver.
I was curious as to what happened.
Last I read, he'd been barred off
some track in Arkansas weeks ago.
He was really on the skids.
- Well, you loved that, didn't you?
- He asked for it.
He was big, tough
and so sure of himself.
It looks as though he's through.
Guess what he's doing.
- Working in a thrill circus.
- Thrill circus?
"And the most daring
of the thrill-drivers is Mike Brannan...
...crack auto-racing driver
and famed ex-Marine. "
Here's an ad here too.
"Head-on crash at 60 miles an hour.
Bumper-to-bumper wingovers
at a mile a minute.
Rocket auto in death-defying climax.
Thrill spectacle of the century. "
- Where is this, Gregg?
- You're interested?
Don't be stupid.
The thing's worth a line in the column.
Use it: Ex-villain heads thrill circus.
"Forty cents general admission
and a chance at the door prize. "
Lmagine risking your neck for that.
He's hit bottom, hasn't he?
How about seeing what's on the wire?
Good.
Ninety, 91, 92...
...93, 94...
...95, 96, 97...
...98, 99, 100.
Here they are, ladies and gentlemen, the
greatest daredevils the world has seen.
Here they come bumper-to-bumper at a mile
a minute and they're not tied together.
Each man is on his own.
And now at 60 miles an hour they're doing
what nobody else would dare do at all.
This is an exhibition
of clockwork timing and supreme skill.
This double-car breakaway over the skis is
something you'll never see anywhere else.
They're warming up
for the big thrills coming later.
Watch them miss by inches
and never scrape a fender.
They didn't have to be taught this one.
They learned how to do it
dodging Sunday drivers.
And now a triple-thrill spectacle.
A human battering ram will attempt
to smack through a flaming wall of fire.
There he is, rushing headfirst
at that blazing mass of fiery timber.
Maybe he can get through, maybe he can't,
but there's no turning back now.
He made it.
And here he comes at breakneck speed
and he'll break his neck if he misses.
Now the greatest exhibition of precision
driving the world has ever seen.
Mile-a-minute speed. It takes
ice-cold nerve and hair-trigger timing.
Performed by that man of many medals,
that famous ex-Marine...
...the greatest auto daredevil of all,
Mike Brannan.
And there he is, ladies and gentlemen.
So far we've only been warming up.
Only warming up.
Here's where the big thrills begin.
Mike Brannan is now giving an exhibition
of hair-trigger balancing.
Driving with one hand,
holding a handkerchief in the other...
...he's keeping the car on two wheels.
Look at that Brannan go.
He's about to attempt a snap roll.
Watch him now. Watch him.
And there he is, back on
all four wheels and driving away.
He's got complete control
of that car all the time.
But you ain't seen nothing yet, folks.
You ain't seen nothing yet.
These feats of skill and daring
get tougher and more dangerous.
He is now about
to attempt the impossible...
...the catapult leap,
85 feet through space, over another car.
He made it.
And here comes a second jump.
Can he do it again? He did.
And now the big event of the evening,
that stupendous super-spectacle...
...the topper of this death-defying
program, the rocket auto...
...driven at breakneck speed through
this solid wall of 20 tons of solid ice...
...built into a barrier
that would baffle a bulldozer.
With dynamite clamped
to the front bumpers...
...Mike Brannan will race
into that wall of ice.
And the dynamite
is set to explode on contact.
Mike Brannan knows the risks,
but he's got the nerve.
All right, light them.
They're lighting the rockets
at the tail of his car.
And there he is, taking off.
Watch him go. He's picking up speed, now.
He'll smash into that wall
going 70 miles an hour.
Can this fearless driver get
through alive? It don't look like it.
But watch it. Watch it.
He made it.
He got through. It's a miracle.
What a guy. And there he is, folks.
Give him a great big hand.
Give him a real hand, folks.
A real big hand.
And that's it for tonight, folks.
Don't forget to come back.
Bring your friends.
How do you get the men
to do these stunts?
- They wanna make a fast buck.
- They must take an awful beating.
Beating, they sure do.
I've done them all myself...
...and I've broken every bone in my body,
including my coccyx.
Looks like I have to start breaking them
again because my star driver quit tonight.
Pardon me, lady. Excuse me.
- See you later, Mike.
- Yeah, sure.
Well, look who's here.
What do you want this time?
I came to see the show.
I've never seen one before.
- Did you see all you wanted?
- I've seen enough.
That's fine,
because that was my last performance.
Don't hurry away, sister.
Been waiting to thank you for that publicity
that was gonna be better than money.
You're welcome. You earned it.
- You doing another column on me?
- You're only worth a couple of lines.
Don't write them.
Been risking my neck with this outfit.
- I hope they pay well.
- A hundred bucks a show.
I've been saving every dime.
I'm gonna drive with the big cars...
...and what you wrote about me
doesn't go with them.
So I'm warning you,
lay off of me in the future.
You're warning me?
You'd better listen to what I'm saying
or I'll knock that smile off your face.
Knock it off.
That's what I'd expect from you.
The guys you run around with
wouldn't do that?
It's time somebody
roughed you up a little.
I can handle you, baby.
You're just another dame to me.
Miss Forbes has been
trying to get hold of you all day.
- Has she?
- Where have you been?
- Is that Gregg?
- You'd better get in there fast.
I wanna talk to you.
Hello, Regina. Something bothering you?
Why did you put in
this blast about Brannan?
- You told me to do an item on him.
- I didn't say to write a book.
- It's just a paragraph.
- It's what's in it.
You sneer at him for being in a
thrill circus, how low can a guy get?
You ask if he's trying to break
his own neck to make up for Trenton.
That's cheap, Gregg. It hurts the column.
We crucified him once. There's no need
to run him into the ground.
Could there be something personal
in this?
Personal? Why, you...
I don't wanna talk to anybody.
I've only seen the man twice in my life.
Twice? Only once, surely, at Newark.
Where'd you see him again?
I meant twice at Newark,
before the race and after.
This is poor reporting.
He's not with Chitwood
and his daredevils anymore.
Where's he gone?
I don't know.
- How many times has this car run?
- Just once. Langhorne.
She finished sixth
on account of a faulty fuel pump.
Bumped out at Indianapolis
last day of qualifying.
Yeah, I know.
That's where I fell in love with her.
I saw your ad. That's why I'm here.
Well, she's a tubular frame,
torsion-bar suspension...
...Norden steering, Rudge hubs,
Conzi quick-change rear end.
And she's got all the latest gadgets.
She's my baby.
Did you ever see a prettier chassis?
No. If she could cook, I'd marry her.
This car was built for me.
Say, didn't you drive
at Indianapolis one time?
Twice. I drove a Miller.
I would like to have this car
for that 100-mile race at Greengrove.
- You could win with her.
- Yeah, that's what I think.
If I bought her, could I do my tuning
here? I've got no place of my own.
- Sure, you can sleep here if you like.
- Would you lend me a pit crew?
I'll do better than that.
I'll go myself. I love this car.
I want to see her win.
Well, I've got $ 7000, cash.
Well, the price is 10.
You take the 7 now and I'll pay
you the rest after Greengrove.
- Suppose you don't win?
- I'll win.
If I don't, you can take back the car
and keep the money I paid you.
I'll give you a fairer deal than that.
I remember your name now.
- Brannan, isn't it?
- That's right. Mike Brannan.
Well, you were driving midgets
for a while.
You got a lot of publicity too,
didn't you?
Yeah, I got some more today.
- I get around, don't I?
- So does that column of yours.
Would you like to hit me again?
- Would it do any good?
- No.
Did you lose something?
- What are you doing here?
- They told me you were walking the track.
- I mean in Illinois?
- I came to see tomorrow's race.
- You've no interest in racing.
- No, but my sponsor has.
- Who's he?
- Magnum Oil.
- Most of the cars are running on it.
- Well, I'm not.
- Look, about that crack in the column...
- Oh, save your breath.
- You're going to listen. L...
- Hold it.
Back up. Go on. Further back.
- I didn't write it.
- It was under your name.
- It got in without my seeing it.
- Further back. Hold it.
- I'll bet. Now, come this way.
- I don't get this.
Never mind. Just keep moving. Come on.
Well, yeah, but what are you doing?
Look at your heels sink in there.
Doesn't that tell you something?
- It tells me I'm ruining a good pair of shoes.
- Well, you can afford them.
Look at that soft spot
just where I'll be gunning into the turn.
That's what I'm doing,
looking for soft spots.
Figuring where the sun will be
and where the wind will hit me.
Well, this is okay.
I'll stay close to the rail. Give me
six feet and I can get through anywhere.
And without dynamite
on your bumper, huh?
If you've said all you came to say,
why don't you go?
- This is a mile track. I'm not halfway yet.
- Go ahead. I'm not stopping you.
If you wanna get in some guy's hair,
go find someone else.
Yeah, but I like being in yours.
- What's the matter?
- Lf you can spare me, I'll go back.
I broke a heel.
You'll ruin your socks.
Come here.
All the soft spots aren't on the track.
Well, you keep your mind
on the ones that are.
What are your chances tomorrow?
Skip tomorrow.
Where do you go after that?
- Springfield.
- Where after Springfield?
You're just trying to keep my mind
on the race, aren't you?
Well, after that,
it's the Indiana Fairgrounds...
...Milwaukee, Salem,
and the season closes at Syracuse.
That's when I break training.
Wanna make a date?
You figure everything, don't you?
Everything.
Goodbye.
The pace car is bringing them around
in the parade lap...
...coming through the turn,
for that 90-mile-an-hour start.
Eighteen of them all tuned up
and raring to go.
They're crowding the pace car.
These leadfoots can't wait.
And there they go.
Mashing down on those throttles,
it's a dogfight right from the gun.
Every man for himself
as they jockey that first turn.
There's Number 17 going up on the inside.
Mike Brannan pouring it on. He's moving up.
Chuck Leighton in Number 19 shaking
loose, going up with the front men.
And the battle for first place is really on.
They're jamming into the backstretch.
It's Leighton, Brannan, and number 54...
...setting the pace
and the rest howling after them.
They're still sorting themselves
out down the backstretch.
Going in the turn, it's Leighton taking
his Cannonball Special into the lead.
Coming through wide open,
grabbing inches where they can.
These boys ain't fooling.
They really mean it.
Making the fur fly from the start,
all of them buttoned down and barreling.
Chuck Leighton, Johnny Probeck in 54,
Brannan in 17, Duane Carter in 98.
Then it's 14, 22, 27
as they come past the grandstand.
But they're swapping places all the time.
Brannan's gained on Johnny Probeck.
He's taking 17 into second spot.
Nope, there's Bob Sweiker
coming up in number 14.
He's trying to go by Brannan
on the outside.
He can't quite make it.
He's falling away.
And it's Johnny Probeck going into
the lead with that new Walker Special.
Mike Brannan grabs second place,
not a half a length behind.
This is gonna be a high-speed brawl
all the way, folks.
Everybody's rolling. Anybody wants
to stay in front, he's gotta go.
Probeck's got the lead, but Brannan's
liable to move him over anytime.
He's got three red-hot chauffeurs
on his tail.
- They're jamming in there behind Brannan.
- He's pretty good.
- He's good if he can stay up there.
- He's up there now.
You know, I'm just beginning
to figure out why we're here.
- Our sponsor invited us, remember?
- Of course.
And you had no idea Brannan
was racing today.
- You know this Brannan, don't you?
- I met him once back east.
He's quite a driver. He's practically
the only one not using Magnum Oil.
It'd murder me if he won.
Johnny Probeck's still in the lead at the
end of the fastest 40 laps ever on this track.
Ninety-seven-point-three miles per hour
and the speed is still going up.
It's Car Number 22 in second.
No, no, he isn't.
There's that Brannan again.
He's gonna make it hot for Probeck in 54.
They're close.
There's nothing between them now
except a little dust.
Anything can happen when cars
are traveling at this terrific pace.
They're really bunched in there.
Brannan's trying to shake the pack
in the west turn.
He wants to get out ahead of 54.
Brannan's sparking the race,
egging Probeck on...
...making the boys hustle
to stay with him.
He's bearing down now
and moving up on 54.
The track's getting plenty cut up out there.
They're blasting through a lot of dust.
- Brannan will take him this lap.
- Looks like he doesn't need Magnum Oil.
Probeck's out in front, but coming through
the west turn, Brannan's closed up.
He's slowing up.
He seems to be in trouble.
Chuck Leighton and Number 14
both going ahead of him now.
He's slowed right down.
That motor don't sound good.
Something would have to give
at the pace those boys have been going.
It's tough luck.
Just when he was ready to grab that lead.
But his pit crew's all set.
They're ready for him.
They're swarming over that car,
changing plugs and both rear wheels.
They're working every second.
No waste motion anywhere.
Every man knows what he's got to do
and he's doing it.
But Brannan is as cool as a cucumber
in there. They all are.
But they're under terrific tension,
with cars screaming by all the time...
...leaving him further and further behind.
A stop like this can kill
a man's chances in a race.
Those mechanics are throwing themselves
out of joint to get him out.
He's been in there now 15 seconds.
That's a lot of time in a race like this.
I'm gonna start burning rubber
when I get out there.
Half a lap ahead of him. There they go.
Come on. Come on.
Shake it up. Get me going.
- Jim Davies is now second.
- Hit the button.
Both fighting it out for fourth spot.
I've gotta get in the money to pay
for this car. Let's go. Let's go.
He's been in for 30 seconds.
They're slamming on that wheel.
He'll be away any moment.
There he goes.
Powersliding and his tail wagging.
That fast-moving pit crew of his
changed two plugs, both rear wheels...
...slapped him on the back
and got him out again in 36 seconds.
- He's almost a lap behind now.
- Brannan will never catch those babies.
Now, isn't that too bad?
Give me a cigarette.
Now, the front spots are still the same,
54, 22 and 27.
It's a cinch for one to win.
Looks like Brannan's got other ideas.
He's going like a loose bullet out there.
He's caught one of the tail runners already,
Number 9. Brannan's there and pinching.
He's out there alone.
He's got the track all to himself now
and he's chasing everybody.
Look at him go.
The leaders haven't changed.
It's Probeck, Davies and Ben Freiden.
But it's Brannan who's making this race.
They said nobody could make a pit stop
in a 100-mile race such as he did...
...and have a chance at winning it,
but Brannan doesn't know how to quit.
He's back in there, driving like a wild
man. His last 10 laps were a track record.
He's after them. If he's got enough laps
to do it in, he can still win.
His record-breaking speed over
those last 10 laps was 98.4 miles an hour.
- He's terrific. Has he got a chance?
- He hasn't got a prayer.
My hope is she holds together.
Watch it. Watch it. There's a crackup.
Is Brannan in it? No, no, he made it.
He's driving right on through.
That was Kasso and Gorlan in that spill.
It looked bad for a minute,
but they're both okay.
They're out waving to the crowd.
Now, over in the backstretch,
Brannan's taking cars one at a time.
If he can keep up this blistering pace,
he'll hit that pay dirt.
And now, coming into the west turn,
it's Probeck in 54...
...then Jim Davies, Hoot Mailer
and here comes Brannan...
...riding into fifth place
as they hit the stretch.
They've put out a signal at Brannan's pit
telling him how many laps to go.
Nine laps. And in the stretch...
There, he's catching Hoot Mailer in 34.
Boy, he's standing on that throttle now.
If his motor can take that beating,
he'll be up with Probeck yet.
They're all barreling through that turn.
Watch it. Mailer's spinning. It's close.
Somebody's gonna hit him.
There's Brannan coming up.
He made it on the inside.
That puts him in fourth place.
What a driver.
There's a boy who can stop...
...change plugs, polish his goggles,
spit in your eye...
...and get up
with only two laps to go.
But distance is running out on him.
Speed is everything now.
And he's catching Jim Davies in 22.
If he gets by, he's in third.
He's gonna do it.
He made it.
He's hotter than a firecracker.
He's up there, he's third,
but the laps are running out.
He's the fastest thing on the track now
and the whole crowd's with him.
There he goes after the guy in
second spot, that's Ben Freiden in 27.
Brannan's bearing down
going into the east turn there.
He's closing up the distance.
Freiden's a tough man to get around,
but he's taking Freiden on the outside.
He's passing. He's got him.
He's grabbed second place.
Look at him go. He's showing them.
You're putting on quite a show yourself.
He's gotta fight heavy traffic
to get at him.
There's less than a lap to go.
Can he make it?
Can he get there in time?
He's closing in along the backstretch.
They're both lapping the slower cars.
Everybody's getting out of their way,
giving them room.
It's gonna be a very close thing.
They're coming through the west turn now
and heading for home.
And it isn't over yet. Here they are.
Probeck's still ahead.
Brannan's trying,
but he can't quite get up there.
And Probeck's the winner!
That's tough on Brannan.
One more lap and he would have had it.
Ben Freiden is third.
Jim Davies in 22, fourth.
- Well, that's it.
- Johnny's our boy. Wanna meet him?
She doesn't like race drivers.
And there you have it, folks.
Thanks for coming,
and drive carefully going home.
- Swell job, Brannan.
- You should've had it.
Hey, man,
what a ride you gave this baby.
I thought you had it in the bag.
What happened that last lap?
Second-place money doesn't hurt,
does it?
Maybe it's just as well
you didn't win.
The fast boys would've been laying for you
next time out.
And the big purses come later,
don't they?
You talk too much.
The blond on the end
in the Debrett show...
...caught a fast lane out of town
with a well-known coffee king.
Now his wife's really got grounds.
"The very rich, very social...
...and not too young
Mrs. Theodore Crampton Coburg...
...who just gave birth
amidst much fanfare...
...had a $20,000 layette,
five doctors in attendance...
...and members of the press waiting
with baited breath.
The baby is quite normal after all.
It only had one head. "
Now to bring you up-to-date
on our old friend, Barrington.
Get me long distance.
"He was indicted yesterday
on 14 counts of fraud.
His gold-plated battery
of high-pressure lawyers...
...have sprung him under $ 100,000 bail,
but his freedom is only temporary.
Today they warned him he'll be lucky
if they can get him off with 25 years.
You've got away with it before...
...but you can't Sing Sing your way
out of this one.
And to all men, never forget,
the sweet things you don't say to her...
...will be said by someone else.
Good night. "
"Listen to Regina Forbes every week,
same time, same station.
And remember,
there's no oil like Magnum Oil...
...the oil that's easy on your engine. "
We're off.
- We ran long. Did I come over all right?
- You're always wonderful.
- There's a long-distance call for you.
- Can't you take care of it?
I will if you like. It's Mike Brannan.
Hello? Yes, it is.
You won again today, didn't you?
Congratulations.
Thanks. That winds up the season.
Haven't we got a date now?
If we have, I'll come to New York.
If not, I'll go on to Toledo.
I wouldn't go to Toledo.
Shall we make it tomorrow night at 8?
I'll pick you up.
How do I find your apartment?
Why don't you try the phone book?
Nice to hear from you again. Goodbye.
- That sounded like a neat brushoff.
- Yes.
I thought I did very well.
Thanks.
How many times have I seen you?
Oh, three or four, I don't know.
You look better each time.
You do too.
- What was that for?
- I just wanted to do it.
You're quite a guy, aren't you?
There's nobody like you.
What do you mean by that?
Oh, you're not just any dame.
- Did you think I was?
- Sure. I told you, remember?
Most dames, you're out for a few laughs,
a couple of drinks.
Spend a little time with them
and then forget them.
Doesn't work that way with you.
Doesn't it?
Stick around you long enough
and something could happen.
It happened a long time ago, Mike.
- You know that as well as I do.
- I know it.
I beg your pardon, Miss Forbes,
your office is on the line.
I don't wanna talk to them now.
Thank you.
Oh, that might be important.
It can't be as important as this.
You mean I'm important to you?
More than you know.
Oh, but you've got a big job, baby.
A wonderful way of living.
You're somebody.
Mike, don't you know?
You're nobody until somebody loves you.
I know it now.
- I never thought about that before.
- I hadn't either.
We don't, you know.
Not people like you and me.
We're alike in a lot of ways.
But not in others.
Well, that's what makes it good.
Maybe it can keep us apart.
You know...
...there are some things about you
I can't figure.
One has always bothered me.
- Yeah? What's that?
- You won't like it.
It's something you said that night
at Newark:
"It's happened before,
it will happen again. "
You still believe I killed that guy,
don't you?
I didn't say that.
Of course not, but it's on your mind.
It keeps coming up.
Where you're concerned, I'll always be
like a man acquitted of murder.
You look at him and you wonder...
...did he or didn't he?
You can never be sure, absolutely sure.
I'd be sure if it never happened again.
If it happened again,
I'd do the same thing again.
- You'd deliberately ride a man into a wreck?
- That's what you believe I did, isn't it?
It isn't what I believe, it's what I saw.
It's what you did.
What do you want me to do,
kill myself to please you?
Well, now you see the thing
that can keep us apart.
Yes, you thought I was a heel.
Well, give it time.
Maybe I'll prove you're right.
You should have gone to Toledo.
I couldn't stay away from you.
Miss Forbes, your office is on
the line again. It's Mr. Gregg.
I'll take it now.
Yes, Gregg?
I'll be right over. Thank you.
I have to go back to the office.
Something I have to take care of.
I'm sorry, but maybe it's just as well.
- I'll take you. Check, please.
- Yes, sir.
Could we say goodbye here?
Sure.
Mike, it looks like
everything stops right here.
Some things don't stop so easy.
Don't ever forget...
...you're still quite a guy.
Goodbye.
You couldn't have
taken care of this yourself, I suppose?
I don't okay the column anymore...
...not since that blow-off
about your boyfriend. Your own orders.
Oh, did the two of you
have a pleasant evening?
You told me there was nothing in that.
I don't think that's
any business of yours.
I think it is. Anything that interferes
with the column is my business.
Ask the City Room to send up a copy boy
right away, please. Thank you.
You know, I've been watching
all this adolescent by-play...
...this double talk on the telephone.
Cheering him on.
So I cheered, who wouldn't?
He deserved it after what I did.
You did nothing to him. You called
him a killer, exactly what he is.
He had to be to drive a tank,
to do the things he got medals for doing.
Oh, I wouldn't bring up his war record
if I were you.
That man has to have
an extra dose of viciousness in him.
- It comes over him in a race.
- That's guts, not viciousness.
It's more than that.
He was involved in two fatal crackups.
Be a third and fourth
if he doesn't kill himself.
There's a deadly instinct in him.
Kill or be killed. Him or me.
Win. A man like that
doesn't realize it's in him.
- A man can change.
- He can't change. He'll never change.
And if you have any idea
you can change him, forget it.
Stay away from him, Reggie.
That will be easy. He's on his way to Toledo
getting his car ready for Indianapolis.
Indianapolis? He'll go all out to win.
There's where you'll see
what I've been trying to tell you.
I won't see anything.
I don't plan on being there.
This is Ted Husing bringing you the fifth day
of the qualifying trials here at Indianapolis.
Sixty-eight cars entered for the famous
500-mile classic on Decoration Day...
...but only the 33 fastest cars can start.
Tomorrow is the last day of qualifying
and everything is at high pitch here.
Everybody is under tension.
But the weather's pretty bad.
Storm clouds have blown up
and I think it's going to rain.
That'll end the qualifying trials
for the day.
On the track, Neuhouser is on his last lap,
burning up the track at 129 miles per hour.
And here he is, finishing very fast.
Thunderclouds over north look very mean.
- Any messages?
- They're on the desk.
And another car waiting to go out.
The Brannan Special, Number 17,
driven by Mike Brannan.
Officials are warning
if he doesn't get on the track now...
...rain will stop him going out at all.
He's stalling. Gambling on the weather.
He can get extra speed
out of that moisture-laden air...
...before the storm breaks
and he knows it.
He's taking a big chance. If rain hits while
he's on the track, they'll flag him in...
...for high speed on a wet track
is dangerous and forbidden.
Officials wanna get the qualifying over
before it rains.
They're keeping right after him.
If he wants to go,
he'd better not hold back.
But Brannan isn't letting that worry him.
- He's going when he's ready.
- Enjoying yourself, Regina?
Lou Neuhouser's official qualifying speed,
129.2 miles per hour.
That should put him in the race all right.
Brannan's still holding back.
It looks almost
as if he's got that storm timed.
You know,
I think he's finally made up his mind.
He's going to go. Brannan's one of those
drivers who figures everything ahead.
He's kept his motor warmed up. He can
give it the gun right from the start.
That's just as well.
It's going to be a race
between him and that storm.
This is one way to see Brannan
and still stay away from him.
Those black clouds
are going to unload any moment.
Do you mind?
I've got something important here.
The verdict came in
on Dwight Barrington.
- Guilty.
- What'd he get?
- Twenty-five years.
- He appealed?
He's out on bail.
He knows he hasn't a chance.
- You can take a bow, Regina.
- You bet I'll take a bow.
I told him I'd keep after him
until I got him.
And you got him. But it's turning out a
little differently with Brannan, isn't it?
Around to the main stretch,
he's traveling fast.
Brannan's had only one warm-up lap.
Usually they need three.
He may take the flag
this first time around. Is he going to?
I think he... Yes, his hand is up.
He is taking the flag and there he goes.
He's blasting into the southeast turn,
standing on that throttle and making time.
He's in the groove,
barreling around to the backstretch.
That's the fastest part of the course.
He'll be hitting 160 miles an hour.
Those storm clouds are right overhead
the north turn. Air's absolutely still.
Not a breath of wind.
Driving conditions are perfect.
Brannan had that figured,
that's why he waited.
Now he's taking full advantage of it.
Here he comes at the end
of his opening lap making terrific time.
He may set up the fastest speed of the day
and there's a big crowd to watch him do it.
Over 100,000 fans turn out every day
to see these important trials.
His time on that lap,
one minute, eight seconds on the nose.
132.35 miles per hour.
He's going into the north turn.
There's a picture for you.
He's the only moving thing out there
and how he's moving.
The rain's just outside the track.
It's close between Brannan and that storm.
Here he comes,
the fastest thing on the track today.
He is getting the flag for his last lap.
You know, a driver like Brannan
makes high speed look easy.
But believe me, it's anything but that.
And that time around,
he made 132.37 miles per hour...
...practically the same speed
as his last lap.
That's consistency,
everything under control. What a driver.
He's through the north turn,
the rain's hitting the track.
But he's beating it.
He's coming around on his last lap.
He's coming into the home stretch.
He's okay out of the north turn.
And here he is.
Here he is, bringing the rain with him.
Well, that does it.
Brannan's strategy paid off.
His speed on that lap,
132.39 miles an hour.
- Can't we do without this?
- The official figures in a moment.
- Sure.
- But his speed is the fastest of the day.
Now they know, Brannan's
one of the boys they've got to beat...
...when they line up
for on Decoration Day.
It's all over, anyway.
I wanna place a call
to Indianapolis, please.
I'd like to speak to Mike Brannan
at the Indianapolis Speedway.
Yes, that's right, Mike Brannan.
Thank you.
I don't want any calls except
the one I just placed to Mr. Brannan.
Very good, miss.
- Hello. Remember me?
- Yes, indeed, Mr. Brannan.
- I remember you very well, sir.
- Is she in?
Miss Forbes just placed a call for you
at Indianapolis, sir.
That may be you now. Excuse me.
- Hello?
- Is that my Indianapolis call, Benson?
There's no need to try
and locate him now.
- Benson, is that my call?
- Yes, miss.
- Cancel the call, please.
- Let me have that.
Hello. Hello?
- Hello, yourself.
- Oh, Mike. How are you?
I saw you on television today.
You were terrific. Congratulations.
Well, thanks.
Is that the only reason you called me?
No, I wanted to talk to you.
It's Saturday night and I'm here all alone.
- Well, I wish I could be there with you.
- Do you?
Oh, I wish you could too.
Do you think there's a chance you might
send that butler of yours out to the movies?
Oh, I think it could be arranged.
Too bad you're so busy at the track.
- I suppose you are.
- Oh, yes. They're working me night and day.
Hey, tell me,
what are you doing right now?
I brought a lot of stuff home
from the office. I'm working too.
Oh, yes, I can see that.
What do you look like tonight?
I mean, what are you wearing?
Oh, a little something in silver and silk.
You mean something with curves?
- You've got the idea.
- Yeah.
I wish I could be right there now.
I said, maybe it's just as well you're not.
I thought that's what you said.
- I think it'd be pretty nice.
- Oh, it would.
The fire is burning...
...but what good is a fire
if it warms only me?
I'd turn the lamps down low,
then you'd light my cigarette.
And then you'd tell me all the things
you haven't been doing.
And I wouldn't believe you.
And then you'd hold my hand.
And I'd probably have to hold
both of yours.
Oh, it would be wonderful, Mike.
Just won...
Mike?
Hello?
Hello.
Hello.
I get around, don't I?
Perfect timing, wasn't it?
You call me and I walk right in.
Now, let's see,
what was all that you said?
Oh, yeah, you'd turn the lamp down low.
Now, let's see,
there was something else you'd...
Oh, yes, the fire.
What's the good of a fire
if it warms only me?
Now it'll warm both of us.
There. Now, there was one other...
Oh, yes.
I'd light your cigarette, you said.
I'm not so sure I like this.
You know you like it, baby.
Don't you?
Now, there was one... Oh, yes.
I'd hold your hand, you said.
And I'd probably have to hold
both of yours.
I like that, you calling me.
I liked your coming to see me.
Well, I had to be in town
to see an old aunt of mine.
How does your old aunt look?
She seems to be holding up pretty well.
You stayed away from her a long time.
Don't you think she ever gets lonely?
No. She keeps pretty busy.
She brings her work home with her.
This...
This aunt of yours...
You must be awfully fond of her...
...coming all this way to see her.
I am kind of.
Does she have something special
about her?
Baby, what she doesn't have,
she doesn't need.
I beg your pardon, miss, but there's
a telephone call from Mr. Gregg.
I told him you did not wish
to take any calls, but he insisted.
He said he must talk to you.
Thank you.
Yes, Gregg?
Regina,
Dwight Barrington just killed himself.
Killed himself...
Oh, no.
No, he couldn't have.
Well, he did, my pet.
He went out in style.
He had a conference with his lawyers.
They told him his appeal
would be hopeless.
So he smoked a cigar,
drained a snifter of cognac...
...fitted a pistol to his ear
and shot his brains out.
But it's terrific, Regina.
It's like an open admission of guilt.
It'll be front page from coast to coast.
You'll get all the credit.
Credit? Oh, Gregg.
I feel as if I killed him.
Well, don't be stupid, Regina. He
couldn't face 25 years in jail, that's all.
- Do you want me to come over there?
- No, no.
And there's no need to hold the column.
The papers will have it ahead of us.
I'll see you tomorrow at the office.
Did you ever hear of Dwight Barrington?
Sure. The guy you've been needling.
He just killed himself.
Well, some guys can take it, some can't.
It seems you don't always have to drive
a racing car to kill a man.
- You were only doing your job.
- I should've given him a chance.
- I never believed he'd do this.
- You were doing your job.
What you don't understand
is the man is dead because of me.
You were doing your job,
same as I'm doing mine.
I've told you that before.
You're still so sure of yourself,
aren't you?
Still so sure that you're right.
There must be something inside you
that makes you the way you are.
Maybe there has to be.
Maybe.
We just don't see things the same way.
- Are you coming to Indianapolis?
- I don't know.
I don't think
I want to see you drive again.
I guess you're right.
We don't see things the same way.
Everything does stop right here.
Good morning,
this is Ted Husing speaking.
We're out here in Indianapolis getting
ready for the great 500-mile classic.
And the big moment is almost here.
The one these drivers
have been waiting for all year.
Cars are now rolling out
to the starting line.
The few at the pits
are getting a last-minute checkup.
There's a crowd of a quarter million
here today.
They've come from every state
and every country on Earth.
They're here
for the thrills and excitement...
...which can only go with
a high-speed spectacle of this kind.
The fastest long-distance race in the
world. There's a carnival atmosphere here.
People have been coming
since before dawn.
Stands and bleachers and boxes are
packed solid and the infield is jammed...
...while the coolest men in all this
excitement are the drivers themselves.
Their machines are still
wheeling out to the line.
The mechanics who push them are sporting
uniforms that match the colors of the car.
That was the 9:55 salute bomb.
Only five minutes to go.
Now everybody involved in the race...
...are grouping at the starting line
for the photographer.
This is quite a tradition here.
Drivers, mechanics, timekeepers,
officials, yardbirds.
Why, they all pose for their picture
just before the race starts.
That's for the scrapbook.
I'll check on last-minute
changes in the lineup...
...and be back
when the boys get rolling...
Mike.
- I had to come.
- So I see.
- Mike, could we start all over?
- Hey, baby, what we had never stopped.
- Where are you sitting?
- Up there.
I've never seen anything like this.
It's terrific.
- So are you.
- It's like the 4th of July...
...and a heavyweight fight
and the World Series all rolled into one.
Now I can see.
It takes a certain kind of guy.
And that guy
needs a certain kind of dame.
Mike, there goes another minute bomb.
Standing here talking, come on.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
You've fallen hard, haven't you, Reggie?
That's too bad.
He's going to kill somebody today.
Himself or somebody else.
The cars are ready on the starting line...
...and in less than a minute
they'll be off on the parade lap.
This is the fastest field seen here
at Indianapolis.
Every one of these 33 cars has qualified
at over 128 miles an hour.
They're all ready to go
and they make quite a spectacle.
Watch my signals
and let me know you get them.
Okay. Okay.
We'll make your pit stops count,
in and out fast.
Everything's gonna be fast here today,
Mac.
Here we go.
Here, Mike.
There's the bomb.
There they go with the pace car leading.
- Pour it on.
- Keep her in the groove.
- Show them, Mike.
- Let them hear you whistle.
They keep formation all the way around
the track, picking up speed as they go.
There's a million dollars' worth
of fast equipment...
...and plenty of well-known names.
Three-time winner Mauri Rose
in the front row.
Back of him, handsome
Johnnie Parsons from California.
There's Walt Faulkner, Jack McGrath,
daredevil Joie Chitwood.
Stock-car champion Myron Fohr.
There's Mike Brannan,
Ed Zang, Lou Neuhouser.
But go anywhere down the line
and you name a great driver.
One who's doing what every race driver
dreams about.
He's out here on Decoration Day...
...going for 500 miles
and a purse of over $ 200,000.
This Indianapolis classic is bigger,
richer, tougher than ever before.
The cars are faster, the drivers more
skillful. They're coming around now...
...rank on rank of machines
keeping beautiful formation...
...and picking up speed all the time.
You'll never see anything faster on wheels
anywhere in the world.
Here they come out of the turn...
...holding formation
as they roar down the stretch.
The pace car begins to pull over. The
speed's going up as they come to the line.
It's going to be a 100-mile-an-hour start.
And they're on their way.
A beautiful start.
Wonderful sportsmanship.
Here they come roaring into the stretch.
As they hit line at the end of first lap,
Mauri Rose in the lead...
...then comes Parsons, Duane Carter,
Walt Faulkner and Ed Zang.
They're hitting it hard right from
the start, really traveling out there.
This is going to be
a record-smashing race.
Mauri Rose out ahead
at the end of the first 50 miles...
...his average speed,
127.53 miles per hour.
In second place, Parsons.
Third, Neuhouser. Fourth, Ed Zang.
But nobody's letting them get away.
The boys are really bending them around
through those turns.
There's a fight for fifth place.
Jamming through the turn.
Number 17, that's Brannan in there.
Schmarfee in 16,
Chuck Leighton in 22, Pete Kasso.
But that bunching is dangerous.
They know it, but they won't break it up
until somebody gets in the clear.
Into the turn, Brannan's ahead of Kasso.
He's moving between
Schmarfee and Leighton.
Barreling right on through,
he's split that dogfight wide open.
He's in front of the bunch
as they come out of the north turn.
They're all standing on it
down the main stretch...
...really carrying the mail.
Now it's Mauri Rose still leading,
then Johnnie Parsons, Neuhouser...
...Ed Zang, and Mike Brannan
fighting for fifth place.
They're running into traffic that turn,
lapping slower cars.
Brannan, in Number 17,
is moving up all the time.
In the north turn, Brannan is passing
Mack Hellings, Number 15.
And now he's closing in on Ed Zang.
And he's caught him.
He's challenging Zang for fourth place.
Brannan's going ahead,
but Zang's trying to stay with him.
They're both too fast,
off the groove and riding wide.
And there, Zang smacked into the wall.
Brannan's going right through,
but there's a mix-up out there.
They've locked wheels.
Zang bounced off
and tangled with McQuinn in 44.
They're sliding across the track.
Zang's hit the fence.
But he's all right. He's all right.
He got out and walked away. Nobody hurt.
For a moment, I thought that was it.
- What do you mean?
- I thought Brannan rode him into the wall.
He didn't. Mike was way ahead of him.
Well, maybe that time,
but the race isn't over yet.
The pace is fast and it's getting faster.
Its 127.72 miles per hour
for the first 150 miles.
And that's a record for the distance.
Mauri Rose is still ahead
in that front-drive Offenhauser Special.
In second place is Lou Neuhouser
in Car Number 49.
Mike Brannan has just moved
into third place with Car Number 17.
And here he is down the main stretch.
Neuhouser's giving it everything, trying
to stay ahead. Brannan's closing in.
He's right on Number 49
as they go through the south turn.
Neuhouser's trying to hold him,
really pushing that car.
He's staying up there.
Brannan can't get by.
And they're both wide open.
They're wheel-to-wheel out there,
burning rubber.
Brannan trying to move into second spot.
Brannan's taking him now.
He's going ahead.
But wait, Neuhouser's slowing down.
There's smoke pouring from that car.
Something let go.
He couldn't stand the killing pace.
Well, that's all for Neuhouser.
Brannan's up in second place
and going away...
...right in the groove
and gunning for Mauri Rose.
Brannan's been up in the top 10
right from the start.
- That boy's moving.
- He's really something, isn't he?
He's something,
but he's gotta travel to catch Rose.
- He'll get him.
- Time's running out here at Indianapolis.
As we hit 275 miles, it's still Mauri Rose
out in front in Number 31.
He's never let up for a second,
and he's driving like the wizard he is.
And Mike Brannan's
only 16 seconds behind him.
Mauri Rose is piling up
lap prize money with Number 31.
The leader gets $ 100
every time he comes around.
So that's over $ 10,000 he's won already.
Being in the lead really pays off.
And here he is,
completing his 275th mile.
The great Mauri Rose, three-time winner,
now passing the stands.
There's a signal at his pit.
Mauri's being ordered in for gas.
These cars can't go
the whole 500 miles without refueling...
...and he'll stop
at the end of his next lap.
When Mauri Rose comes in,
that'll give Brannan the lead.
But he won't hold it long...
...because he'll have to make a pit stop
any time now.
Here's Brannan bringing Number 17
down the main stretch.
He's still 16 seconds behind.
And there's the signal out for Brannan.
- You bringing Mike in now?
- He can make time with Mauri in the pits.
We can make more for him here.
He's got to come in anyway.
We can beat Mauri's boys at this.
Let's cut down that 16-second lead.
When Mike comes in, let's do it right
and do it fast. Be sure it's fast.
Here's Rose, Number 31,
coming along the grandstand stretch.
He's slowing right down
and pulling over right now.
This will be something to see.
The lead cars both in at the same time.
They're bringing the race into the pits.
It's going to be a duel between mechanics.
Brannan's men will try to cut
Mauri's time, that 16-second lead.
Mechanics are on the track, all ready.
The Offenhauser is a front-drive car.
They've changed those front wheels
that take the beating.
They're at the car
almost before it stops.
Mauri's taking a drink down there.
Now he's using the rest of the water
to cool himself off.
He needs that, it's awfully hot work
leading this pack of leadfoots.
Mike Brannan in Number 17
coming down the stretch.
He's pulling over, slowing down for his
pit. His crew can't wait to get at the car.
The Brannan Special is a rear-drive,
so they'll change the two outside wheels.
That means the same amount of work
has to be done on both cars.
They're keeping the motors running.
And look at those mechanics go to it.
They're trained for fast work in the pits,
just like...
Come on, Mac. You said in and out fast.
This pit stop won't hurt
either Mauri Rose or Brannan.
They're both over a lap ahead.
Brannan's mechanics are very fast.
One wheel's changed already.
They're trying to get him out ahead
of Mauri Rose.
But it looks like Mauri's all set to go.
He's gassed up.
The tank's overflowing.
They're spilling gas.
It's caught on fire from the hot exhaust.
She's on fire!
Mauri's getting out.
That tank could explode.
Fire squad's in there now, fighting
with CO2 gas, but it looks awfully bad.
It's the worst kind of a break for Mauri.
He was all set to take off.
This can put him out of the race.
He's been leading all the way.
They're beginning to kill those flames.
It's gonna be all right.
Mauri's getting ready to go back in.
There he goes.
This has cost him valuable time.
It can be the turning point of the race.
They're rolling him away.
That motor's taking hold,
and listen to him gun her as she goes.
Knocking home the last wheel
on Brannan's car.
- He's all gassed up. Now he's rolling.
- Make it snappy.
He's back in the race,
just five seconds behind Rose.
He gained 11 seconds in the pits.
I'll give you official time
for those pit stops in a few minutes.
And there's Brannan right behind Mauri
as they go through the south turn.
They're back and they're bearing down.
They've made their pit stops
and they won't stop again.
Brannan goes streaking right after him.
Mauri Rose is blazing
through the north turn.
The traffic here is slowing him a little.
Brannan's closing that gap,
moving in on him...
...lapping slower cars as he goes.
They're flat out into the main stretch.
Giving it everything
as they come past the stands.
Mauri's fighting to hold that lead.
They go through the south turn.
Mauri Rose is still out ahead.
But Brannan's cutting down that lead
all the time.
He's coming up with Mauri Rose.
Brannan's overtaking Number 31
on the inside.
Brannan's right up with him.
They're wheel-to-wheel.
They're flying along the north stretch
there. Brannan's going to take him.
As they come down the stretch,
it's Brannan in front.
Mike Brannan in Number 17 in the lead
at the three-quarter distance.
He's in the number-one spot,
but Mauri's not letting him get away.
Rose has caught Brannan
in the backstretch.
They go along wheel-to-wheel,
wide open, going full blast.
And look, look!
There's a crackup ahead of them.
They're sliding, blocking the track.
Brannan and Mauri are coming fast.
There's only room for one car.
Brannan pulls off the track
and Mauri goes on through.
There goes Mauri Rose in 31 in the clear
and in the lead again.
Only one car could get through there
and Brannan waved Rose on...
...then took to the infield
and couldn't get back on the track.
He spun out of control there
and then he flipped.
What magnificent sportsmanship.
Caution lights are on again.
Yellow flags out all around the track.
Everybody's slowed down.
The cars holding position
while the backstretch is cleared.
The drivers who spun there
were Schmarfee and Kasso.
They're both all right. They're helping
push their cars off the track.
I'll give you the report on Brannan
as soon as I get it.
Go pick up the pieces, Reggie.
They're all yours.
- Where's the hospital?
- Right over there, lady.
You can't go in there.
Nobody's allowed inside.
Okay, you go ahead.
I couldn't hold the car, that's all.
I lost her.
You pulled over to give him room.
I didn't give him anything.
I figured I could get back.
Have it your own way.
If I'd got back, we'd have won it.
Well, a man can't win
every time he starts.
- We'll win it next year, baby.
- Or the year after.
- How does it look?
- Nothing internal. He'll be all right.
- I was lucky.
- Mike, everything's all right now.
With you and that column of yours and me
and my car, we won't be together much.
It'll be good and exciting when we are.
I think you'd better go now.
- She don't have to go till I pass out.
- That won't be long.
- What's that for?
- This'll relax you.
It'll take a bigger one than that
to relax me now.