It looked swell, Sheila.
Thanks. It was a perfect
day for it.
Yeah, but holy smokes,
what a way to dot an "I."
Well, it got dotted,
didn"t it?
L"ll say it did.
Take Bonzo in
and give her a drink.
L"ll be using her tomorrow.
All right.
Hi, boys.
Hi.
Hi, Sheila.
Did you make it?
And how.
Hello, Top.
Hello, Sheila.
Cup of coffee
and chocolate parfait.
What was it this time, Sheila,
a parachute jump into
Sheepshead Bay for dear old
Dooley"s Little Liver Pills?
Nope, just a simple little
spelling lesson
for the morons.
Not skywriting?
Miraculous.
Oh, dear, oh, dear, l"d love
to be a flyer, wouldn"t you?
Way up there in the air.
It must give one a sense
of freedom, like, like...
Like a bird?
Yeah, a bird.
That"s it. Just like a bird.
All right, you monkeys,
kid if you like,
but $50 is $50.
Did they pay you $50
for doing that?
Sure. Me they did.
Go out and get yourself
a reputation.
What do you mean, reputation?
I only got 7,000 hours
in the air.
And 10,000 hours
in the seat of your pants
on that chair.
MAN: I guess that grounds you,
my friend.
What"d you use, Sheila,
that crate of yours?
Sure, why not?
Better watch it.
L"ll have to ground you.
What do you mean, Top?
Bonzo"s still good
for 200 hours.
It"s not me,
it"s the government.
I only work for them.
NICK: Quit worrying, Top.
The kid"s got luck.
Sure, just like me.
MAN: I remember one time I was
flying an old girl who had a
son in Omaha with a toothache.
Hi, boys. Hi, Sheila. Hi, Top.
How"d you make out?
Well, l"m here.
Good. Here"s your money,
minus my fin.
Now about tomorrow,
I got something swell.
How swell?
Well, 25 bucks.
But you don"t have to do
practically nothing.
And just what is nothing?
You don"t think l"d ask you
to do anything dangerous,
do you? L"m your manager.
I got everything
to lose.
Go on.
Now, look, there"s a little
joint out in New Jersey, see?
And they got a bridge.
And they want somebody
to fly under it?
Yes.
What"d they build
a bridge for, anyway?
Civic pride.
Now look, you can do it
with your eyes closed.
It"s about 20 feet high
and 40 feet wide and a nice
little river underneath.
That"s in case
I miss.
You can"t miss.
After that, all you gotta do
is a parachute jump.
Oh, that"s all?
Sure.
Is that before the bridge
or after the bridge
or under the bridge?
Now, Sheila, it"s a cinch.
Okay. What time does
this cinch take place?
4:00. The sun"s right
at your back.
You think of everything,
don"t you?
Why don"t you hire this guy
to shoot you, Sheila?
Save a lot of trouble.
Now quiet, Top, quiet!
NICK: Hey, Top, ain"t that
Ken Gordon coming in?
Ken Gordon?
Where?
Over the south runway.
Don"t you see him?
That"s Ken, all right,
flying that blind
goose of his.
We"ve just passed
over the field.
Right.
L"m going to turn and go down.
Now, take it easy, Chief!
What"s he doing here?
Flying blind in a hop
from his own field.
Flying blind, now?
Yes, l"ve been expecting him.
I think l"ll take a peek
at that jalopy.
Me, too.
Here we go.
GORDON: L"m leveling off.
Well, I hope Top saw
that landing. It"ll save
an awful lot of conversation.
Right.
What a flyer.
Did you ever meet him, Sheila?
Once, but he wouldn"t
remember me.
Hey, what"s he got
that we haven"t?
He"s a flyer, son.
Well, we fly, too, you know.
I know, but when you go out
and pick a couple of people
off ice floes
and fly serum through
a blizzard to a lot
of sick Eskimos,
then l"ll buy your violets.
See that landing?
Anything wrong
with it?
Nope.
Was it blind?
Yes, and the take-off, too.
Take a look.
L"d like to.
Some board you"ve got up here.
Certainly is blind, all right.
We gave her the works
didn"t we, Mac?
L"ll say. And we brought
her down
in our own field
last week with the fog
zero-zero.
Even the birds were walking.
Looks like you"re in.
I am in. When do I go?
Paris is a long way off,
Ken, blind.
It"s a long way off any way
you take it, but l"m going.
It"s your funeral, not mine.
Come on, Top.
Get on the phone to Washington
and tell those red-tape
artists what you saw today.
I can"t miss, l"m telling you.
When do you want to take off?
Why, right away.
Tomorrow, if the
weather"s right.
L"ll see what I can do.
All right, but keep it
under your hat.
I don"t want any ballyhoo
until after it"s through.
Okay.
Like to take a ride?
Me? In that? L"m working
for the government,
not dying for it.
Hi, Ken.
Hi, Nick.
Nice little plane
you got here.
Like it?
They tell me
you fly her blind.
That"s how I landed.
What are you going
to do with her?
Just kick it around.
Get you lots of publicity
with this.
You know, those ballyhoo
flyers you work for
are getting you down.
You got the wrong slant.
Now, let me handle you
and l"ll put you
on every front page
in the country
and boy, how that front page
pays off.
Yeah. Some day a front page
is going to walk right up
and bite you,
and you"ll be sorry.
All right, all right,
just talking for your
own good. You"ll learn.
Well, I got to be going.
Be seeing you.
Keep after that, Top.
Right.
GORDON: All clear?
MAC: Clear.
Contact.
How"d you like to fly to Paris
with that guy?
How"d I like to what?
If you"re a good girl,
I might be able to fix it.
Hold it.
How"s it coming?
Eighty-five here, Chief.
How many all around?
Six hundred gallons.
How much oil?
Full up.
You"d better be right.
Right.
Need any help there?
No. A new bolt
and she"ll be singing.
How"s your
weather report?
Made to order, Mac.
All we"re waiting for now
is the permit.
Sure you"re ready?
You can leave
in two minutes.
Radio checked?
Right.
Instruments?
Right.
Plenty of coffee?
Right.
Eight hours two points
off East.
Mac, if that tail wind holds
off the banks, l"ll make Paris
under 20 hours.
Right.
Where the devil"s that permit?
Give me a dime, Mac.
Give me a dime!
Right.
You Scotchman.
Operator, get me Top Harmon
at Roosevelt Field
Government Office.
Boy, when I burn up half
that load of gas,
she"ll cruise over 200.
She"s a bonnie ship, my lad.
You should have seen
my first one.
Four cigar boxes
and a quart of glue.
Did she fly?
From the top of the shed
to the ground
in one straight hop.
Hello, Top?
Oh. Well, where is he?
Yes. Well, have him call
Ken Gordon the moment
he comes in, will you? Yes.
Never mind, he"s here.
Yes. Yes, thanks.
Oh, boy, am I glad to see you!
L"ve never waited for anything
so long in my whole life.
What"s the matter?
You"re not going, Ken.
What?
I didn"t get the permit.
They wouldn"t send it.
They wouldn"t send it?
Why not? L"m ready to go now.
I told them that,
Ken, but then...
But what?
What"s wrong?
L"m afraid they"re not
going to send it.
You mean not at all?
They sounded like
they meant it.
Look,
I don"t mean to appear
to be stupid, but I just
don"t follow you.
You seen this?
The department figured
that we couldn"t publicly
sanction a man
going out to commit suicide.
I see.
Sorry, Ken.
I don"t have to ask you
if you did this?
What do you think?
Well, there goes
the bubble, Mac.
Four years we"ve been working,
isn"t it?
MAC: And a few months.
Sort of hits you financially,
too, doesn"t it?
Lt"s all rotten.
Just because somebody wants
to spill a lot of type,
l"m grounded by
an eight-column banner.
Hey, Mr. Gordon, carload
of guys with a dame moved
in on us outside.
Who are they?
I don"t know.
Some of them"s got cameras.
Oh, they have?
We tried to keep them out
but they piled in anyway.
Fix that tie, babe. Here.
There we are. Now, keep that
nose up. Sheila,
keep that nose up.
That"s it, that"s it.
Tilt your hat a little bit.
That"s the idea.
Show them you can look
as well as fly.
All right, boys.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Smile,
Miss Mason.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Look at the plane, honey,
like you loved it.
Like you belong to it.
Fine. Great. That"s the girl.
GORDON: Just a minute.
PHOTOGRAPHER:
What"s the idea?
Get those things
out of here.
What"s the matter?
You heard me. Get out.
Ken, you"re kicking
everything in the pants
after I had it all fixed up.
You"ve caused enough harm
for one day.
Now, take your little
whatever-she-is and get out.
NICK: Ken, don"t act that way.
Just a minute, Mr. Gordon!
We may have done something
wrong, I don"t know.
Maybe Nick can explain.
But whatever it is...
I don"t think I know you.
It"s Sheila Mason, Ken.
Sure you know her.
Oh, yes, I believe I do now,
by reputation. Where do you
fit into this?
You mean you didn"t expect me?
Nick.
Now, wait a minute, Sheila.
Give me a chance.
You see, Ken, it"s this way.
I heard you were making
this flight to Paris blind,
and thought it was a great
chance to cash in.
Sheila"s good copy,
and a swell flyer,
and doing it together would
make it the biggest
stunt since Lindbergh.
There"s a million in it.
I see.
I thought Nick had already
arranged it.
Sure, Ken. It"d be terrific.
So you thought l"d take
something like this
and turn it into one of your
cheap ballyhoo stunts?
Take her along, huh?
When I can"t even take a man
like Mac, who"s worked
every step of the way with me.
Well, it might interest
you both to know that
l"ve been refused permission.
Oh, no.
What do you mean?
The government happens
to have the same dislike
for cheapness that I have.
REPORTER: You mean to say
you"re not going?
You heard me.
Well, what are we doing
around here?
Come on, let"s go.
MASON: L"m really sorry.
NICK: Yeah, me, too, Ken,
but how was I to know?
You"ve said quite enough.
Now please get out of here.
Nice tie you got there, Chief.
Might as well
cover her up, Mac.
Right.
Like a cup of coffee?
No. Cover her up and go home.
They"ve got a new
shooting gallery
down at Coney Island.
Good night, Mac.
What is it, Mac? What is it?
I thought you left
with the others.
What do you want?
I stayed behind
to tell you again
how sorry I am.
Rather late for that,
isn"t it?
I know explanations don"t mean
very much, but I do hope
you can forgive me.
It"s all right.
Forget it.
Thanks.
Hadn"t you better run
along now? Your friends might
leave you here.
They"ve gone already,
but I can take a streetcar.
Well?
Ken Gordon, you weren"t after
publicity on this trip,
were you?
I think you know that
by this time.
Nor glory, particularly.
No.
All you wanted to do was
to prove that it could be made
safe to fly an airship
anywhere regardless
of fog or weather.
That"s about it.
Then why don"t you?
Why don"t I? Perhaps you
haven"t heard,
I was denied permission.
A piece of paper, wasn"t it?
A pretty important
piece of paper.
Of course. Only it occurred
to me that the man
who laid the air track to Rio
when the whole world said
it couldn"t be done,
and did a lot of other things
that nobody else would tackle,
well, that man would hardly
be the one to wait
for a piece of paper
in order to do something
a great deal more important.
Mac, Mac, Mac,
are you still here?
Coming, boss.
How soon can I take off?
You"re going anyway?
Right away. Don"t want
to lose this weather.
Get your maps, man.
You"re on your way.
What are you going to wear?
Heavy flying suit,
moccasins, gloves.
Where are they?
In that locker.
L"ll get those.
You get your maps.
Say, you"re a pretty good
sport to do this after the way
I treated you today.
Forget it. If I can"t go
with you, at least I can
see you off.
These moccasins
are torn.
That doesn"t matter.
You know,
you"re nothing like
what I thought you were.
What did you think I was?
Well, l"ve always heard
of you barnstorming,
flying under bridges,
doing stunts for the movies.
In other words,
working the aviation racket
for all it"s worth.
Well, yes.
Where do you keep
your coffee?
Mac has it ready on the stove.
I didn"t mean to be
as rotten to you
as I was today.
This coffee"s cold.
L"m not often
as wrong about people
as I was about you.
You just didn"t
understand, that"s all.
You see, I want to fly,
but I haven"t the money.
Do you realize how little
women can do in the air?
We can"t fly for the Army,
we can"t fly the mails.
Even the good transport jobs
are closed to us.
How do you light this thing?
L"ll show you.
I wasn"t fair. I hope you"ll
let me see you when I get back
to sort of make up for it.
Watch that match.
You"ll burn your fingers.
Isn"t it always the way
when you"re in a hurry?
Mac! Mac!
Oh, my dear!
What"s happened?
Get some olive oil,
butter, any kind of grease!
Hurry!
Let me see. Let me see.
Let me see.
I can"t see. I can"t see.
Mac, hurry! Hurry!
Just as we thought after
the first examination.
There are no surface burns.
The explosion did its damage
within the eye.
Then l"m blind.
The chief injury"s due to
a major disturbance
of the eye fluid, Mr. Gordon.
Tell me the truth.
Will I ever see again?
That"s hard to say.
But as long as the optic nerve
is uninjured,
there"s always hope,
but we can tell nothing yet.
How long before you can tell?
A long time, l"m afraid.
You mean weeks? Months? Years?
Months, at least.
Now, let me get this straight.
L"m blind now
and it"ll be months before
you can tell me if l"ll
ever see again, is that it?
Sorry, but l"m afraid
that"s about it.
Thank you.
Goodbye, Mr. Gordon.
Goodbye and thanks.
You"ve been very kind.
Here, Ken.
Thanks, Mac.
All right, Mr. Kelter.
Thanks for not trying
to tell me that everything
will work out swell.
Right.
L"m going away, Mac.
Away?
Yes, I have to.
I don"t want charity
and I won"t stand
being pitied.
L"m not down yet.
Of course you"re not.
You"ll have to get
another job, Mac.
But I wish you"d keep
an eye on the ship.
Right.
I don"t want you to tell
anybody where I am, nobody.
L"ve got to have time
to think this thing out alone.
Right.
No, Mac. He"d rather
do it himself.
You all right, Mr. Gordon?
Certainly l"m all right.
What are you doing out here?
I told you I didn"t want you
following me around, Waring.
I only came out to get
some wood, Mr. Gordon.
All right, get the wood.
Yes, sir, Mr. Gordon.
Here, Mac, you take him in.
L"ll wait out here.
Right.
What is it, Waring?
Well, what do you want?
Lt"s me, Chief.
Mac?
Yes, Ken.
What are you doing here?
The ship"s all right,
isn"t it?
Sure, the ship"s fine.
Well, then?
I knew you wanted
to be alone but, well,
I brought you something.
Thanks, Mac,
I don"t need a thing.
L"m getting along fine.
Of course you are, Ken,
but this is a dog.
That"s very thoughtful of you,
Mac, but don"t need a dog.
But this is not an ordinary
dog, Ken. He"ll help.
He"s a German shepherd.
He"ll lead you around.
He"s from the
Seeing Eye school.
I see.
A dog to lead the blind.
Just the thing, isn"t it?
Now, Ken.
All I need is a tin cup
and some pencils.
Congratulations, Mac,
that"s a swell idea.
Ken, it"s nothing like that.
You don"t understand. Here.
Meet him,
get to know him like I did.
Here, this is his harness.
All you have to do
is to snap it on him.
Get him out of here.
Now, Ken.
(YELLING)
Get him out!
Come on, Lightning.
Come on.
What"s the idea?
Let Lightning try.
Waring!
Waring!
No. Don"t go.
Waring!
So he left you here anyway.
Keep quiet.
Go away.
Get away!
GORDON: Waring! Waring!
Come and take this dog
out of here!
Waring!
Get away!
You"re a determined cuss,
aren"t you?
Now what are you trying to do,
talk to me?
Well, you"re an awful lot
of dog, big fellow.
L"ll bet you could put up
a whale of a fight.
What do you want to do,
go for a walk?
What"s this?
Oh, your harness.
All right, how does it work?
Keep your fingers crossed,
Sheila. I believe he"s
going to do it.
So that"s it.
Come on, boy.
Well, how about
that walk, boy?
You still feel like it?
Okay. Contact.
Easy, fellow.
This is a new kind
of take-off for me.
Now, we"re ready.
Give it the gun.
Hey, let me learn to fly
this ship, will you?
(DOG WHINING)
What"s the matter, fellow?
What is it?
(DOG BARKING)
Who is it?
Who is it? Who"s there?
Who is it? Who"s there?
Lt"s Sheila Mason, Ken.
Sheila Mason.
What"s she doing here?
Well, right now she"s trying
to shake the straw
out of her hair.
What"s the matter?
Forced landing.
If somebody will give me
a hand,
l"ll try and get this
crate of mine
in the air again.
Here.
Thanks.
Hope you weren"t hurt.
No. Just dusted off the wings.
Sheila bought the dog, Ken.
Oh, thanks.
Come on, Lightning,
let"s all go outside.
That his name, Lightning?
Yes.
I hope you don"t mind
my being here.
I made Mac bring me.
She made the dog
make me bring her.
Well, whatever it was,
l"m terribly grateful to
you both. I hope you"ll stay
and have dinner with me.
You"re sure you want us?
I have to have some lessons
on these controls, don"t I?
L"ll have you doing your solo
in an hour.
There"s some rhododendron
partway up that hill.
Can you see them?
Only on top
where the moonlight
strikes them.
Yes.
Are we near the lake?
Lt"s right in front of us.
Is there a moon?
A great big one.
Tell me about everything
around us. I want to see it
with your lips.
The lake"s silver, Ken,
pale silver,
and divinely quiet.
Like above the clouds
at night in a ship?
Yes.
The hills are dark,
almost purple.
(WATER RIPPLING)
Listen.
Wasn"t that a fish jumping?
Yes.
The ripples are spreading
clear across the water.
What are you thinking about?
I was just thinking
how crazy I was
not to take a good look at you
when I had the chance.
Don"t you remember at all?
Pretty well, but l"m not sure.
Tell me.
L"m a sort of low wing,
single-motored monoplane type.
You"ve seen hundreds of them.
I don"t believe it.
Tell me more.
Let"s see. I have reddish
hair, snub nose, freckles,
plenty of freckles.
What else?
Well, a little under
medium length,
fair wing spread,
stream-lined, so they tell me.
Sounds fascinating.
Watch out for this log.
Thanks, l"ve got it.
Sheila, come here.
I can"t tell
the color of your hair,
but it"s soft and fragrant.
I just had it shampooed.
They put the silliest
things on it.
You lied about your nose.
I have not.
Now, don"t argue with me.
What color are your eyes?
Sort of gray.
I knew they would be.
You"re so lovely.
Ken, why don"t you come back?
Back?
You can"t stay buried up here.
It isn"t fair to yourself.
Up here at least the money
I have left keeps me going,
I can"t be a burden
to my friends.
You wouldn"t have to be.
There are things you can do.
There must be.
L"d hate to wind up
in a tailspin.
Good flyers pull themselves
out of tailspins.
Right.
On the panel board of a modern
plane, there are six
important instruments
by means of which the pilot
may determine the movement
and position of his ship.
You know, Mac,
writing these articles
has given me an idea.
L"ve got a hunch
that if I took the glass
off my board
I could read most of those
instruments by touch.
There might be something
in that, Ken.
Mac, a blind man
flying a plane.
Boy, oh, boy.
Would that really
prove blind flying.
Look, first thing in the
morning go down to
the Rockwell people.
I don"t want to have them
take my ship away from me now.
All right, Ken.
Wouldn"t it make Sheila happy
if I could work
this thing out?
She"d like it, Ken.
If I could really prove
blind flying.
It would sort of justify
her faith in bringing
me back again.
And if I succeed, she wouldn"t
have to go stunting around
county fairs any more.
(MOTOR WHIRRING)
Keep that crowd back. Go on,
keep them all back, will you?
Keep them all back.
Nice going, Sheila.
Thanks, Nick.
NICK: Go on, kid.
Get away from that plane.
Here you are.
Two hundred for the week.
That right?
Right.
You kind of kick that ship
of yours around up there,
don"t you, Miss Mason?
Oh, I give it a little
exercise now and then.
Like to have you back
with us next year
if you live that long.
Thanks.
Well, good luck.
Good luck to you.
Cheerful little fellow.
Isn"t he?
The most interesting thing
on the instrument board
is the artificial horizon.
(BARKING)
Sheila, boy? Let her in, Mac.
Hello, boy, hello.
Hello, Mac.
Hello, Sheila.
Hello, Ken.
Hello, Sheila.
I brought a visitor.
Come in, Nick.
How are you, boys?
How"s tricks? Good to see you,
Ken, you"re looking great.
You haven"t any shame at all,
have you, Nick?
You mean about
that Paris trip?
Water under the bridge,
water under the bridge.
Water, huh?
Well, all right, perhaps
you"re not so bad when you"re
not trying to help somebody.
That"s the stuff, Ken, Sheila
said you wouldn"t be sore.
How"re you doing?
Fine, thanks, Nick, fine.
You should read some
of the things
he"s written, Nick.
L"d like to.
And you"d better let me sell
it for you, too. I got a pal
who"s editor of...
No, you don"t, not this.
Okay, only if you"d let me...
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Excuse me. This just came
for Mr. Gordon and I thought
l"d bring it up.
For me, Mrs. Clark?
What is it?
Well, it"s a letter
from the Hallwell
Publishing Company.
Great.
Here, give it to me.
Wait, Ken, let me open it.
Thank you.
All right, Sheila,
you break the news.
GORDON: Well, what do
they say?
Well, wait till I see.
GORDON: Well, what is it,
good news or bad?
A check!
Yes, a check.
Congratulations, Ken.
You"re a full-fledged
author now.
Now I can really go to work.
Sheila, l"ve got an idea
that"ll knock the world
for a loop.
What is it, Ken?
Never mind about that now,
l"ll tell you later.
How much is the check for?
$200.
$200! Mac,
did you hear that?
This cinches it.
Now we go places.
What was your idea?
L"ll have to work
like mad, Sheila,
and if you don"t mind,
l"d rather not tell you now
in case I miss.
It"ll take a lot of money,
of course,
but I can grind out
enough stories to cover that.
Of course you can.
I know you can.
Oh, Mac.
Yes, Ken?
Take good care of that.
Right.
You know, writing is
a great profession.
(SPEAKING WITH
SCOTTISH ACCENT) Right!
What are you trying to do,
kill yourself, or just seeing
how much that crate"ll stand?
They"re paying extra
for those stunts, aren"t they?
Yes, I know, but you don"t
have to chase yourself
all over the sky.
Your job is to get
more of them, that"s all.
And for what,
that"s what I want to know,
for what?
A blind man"s pipe dream.
Nick, you know what"s
going to happen?
A lot of little children
are going to grow up
to hate you.
Hello, Mac.
Hello, Sheila.
Getting any place?
Well, to tell you the truth,
Sheila, I believe we are.
Really?
You mean to say
that business
about the radio beams
and the automatic pilot
really works?
Well, I wouldn"t exactly
say that,
but I will say
it"s got a chance.
MASON: Honest, Mac?
Yes.
Ken"s working it out
on the model at home,
and l"m following instructions
here on the ship.
Say, I can make something
out of this.
You just try.
All right.
Here, Mac, here"s a check.
This is from some
other magazine.
Sure, I know.
Well, what you don"t know is
how she"s been trying to break
her neck to get those checks!
Don"t listen to him, Mac,
he"s getting soft.
Well, tell Ken l"ll be up
to see him later.
Just a minute, Sheila.
L"ve got something here
that I think you ought
to know about.
Listen to this.
It"s from the Rockwell
Aviation Company.
They own Ken"s plane.
"My dear Mr. Gordon.
"In view of the fact
that your unfortunate accident
"has incapacitated you
from completing the work
on the plane
"we have placed
at your disposal,
"and since we have received
no payment from you
for the last two months,
"we feel forced
to reclaim the ship
"unless a substantial
payment is made
within the next 10 days.
"Yours truly, George Rockwell,
President, Rockwell
Aviation Company."
That"s something else
again, isn"t it?
Lt"s a lot of money.
Yes.
What are you going to do now?
L"m going to borrow your car!
But I tell you, Mr. Rockwell,
he has a chance.
His mechanic is a Scotchman
and even he"s beginning
to believe in it.
Miss Mason, I know Ken
knows his business
or we wouldn"t have let him
have the ship
in the first place.
But a blind man,
putting it in operation
so he can fly,
let"s not fool ourselves.
He"s not trying to build
instruments so that
blind men can fly.
He"s simply trying to perfect
something that even
a blind man can fly.
You"re pretty persuasive.
L"ll tell you what l"ll do,
not that I believe in it,
but for you.
Yes?
L"ll give Ken another
three weeks and that"s final.
Oh, thank you.
If there"s anything to it,
he should know it
by that time.
Goodbye.
Good luck.
Thank you.
See him?
No. Do you?
They"re certainly
giving it a test.
(CRYING)
Hello, Sheila.
Hello, Nick.
Kind of dirty outside,
isn"t it?
Just coffee.
What"s this I hear
about Ken taking
a run-out powder?
Let"s forget that, huh?
All right.
So, Nick,
has anybody been set
for that Moscow flight yet?
What?
You heard me.
So you want to make it
after all?
Well, I have been
giving it some thought.
I see.
Guess you know they moved
Ken"s plane over here
to Roosevelt, don"t you?
Now, what"s that got to do
with me flying from Moscow?
I was just wondering. $25,000
would come in pretty handy
right now, wouldn"t it?
Do I get the job or don"t I?
You know, I sort of like you.
Tell you what
we"ll do, Sheila.
L"m sorry, Ken,
there"s nothing I can do.
Miss Mason was here
several times before,
and for her sake we let you
have the plane weeks and weeks
after we should
have foreclosed.
L"d like to help you,
but my hands are tied, too.
L"m sorry.
L"m sorry, Mr. Gordon,
Mr. Crawford can"t
see you today.
That"s what you"ve
been telling me
for the past two weeks.
L"ve got to see him.
Why don"t you come again
next week?
Thanks.
Can"t you understand, Jack?
You have hundreds of pilots
and thousands of passengers
riding in those planes
of yours out there,
I can make them as safe
as rocking chairs.
But this is
a business proposition.
You must realize I couldn"t
put the company"s money
into experiments
that you can"t even
see to make.
Thank you.
McNAMEE ON RADIO: How do you
do, ladies and gentlemen
of the radio audience?
This is Graham McNamee
speaking.
America"s daring
and darling Sheila Mason,
left the Moscow airport
bound for the USA,
at 6:20 a.m. Greenwich time.
The whole world is waiting
for news of her nonstop flight
which is being
brought to you
over the facilities
of the ABC
International Hookup.
Miss Mason is flying
the great circle,
which will carry her over
Ireland and Newfoundland
and north of the regular
lane of ship travel.
Her ship is equipped
with radiotelephone
but she may be out of touch
with the world for hours,
and her life depends
on her skill and her ship.
She is flying a powerful,
single-motored monoplane
with a cruising range
of over 6,000 miles.
Unless she runs
into bad weather,
she should put her plane down
at Roosevelt Field
under 40 hours.
A record.
Hello, Halifax.
Hello, Halifax.
Mason calling Halifax.
Mason calling Halifax,
Sheila Mason calling Halifax.
McNAMEE ON RADIO: Here"s the
bulletin you"ve been waiting
for, ladies and gentlemen.
Halifax has gotten
in touch with Sheila Mason.
She reports by radio
that she"s 100 miles
off the banks.
She says that she has been
held up by headwinds,
but her plane is working well.
It begins to look
as if she"ll succeed
in her great flight
from Moscow to New York.
It"s safe to say that every
man, woman and child
in the world hopes so.
Hello, Portland.
Mason calling Portland.
Mason calling Portland.
Sheila Mason calling Portland.
If you can hear me,
come back, please.
If you can hear me,
come back, please.
McNAMEE ON RADIO: Here"s the
latest flash on Sheila Mason,
and ladies and gentlemen,
it"s not so good.
She is over the Atlantic
somewhere north of Boston,
but she has been out of touch
with every radio station
for more than an hour.
A heavy fog bank
covers the entire seaboard
and in order to get
to New York,
she will have to fly
without any visibility at all,
on account of those
head winds,
her gasoline supply
must be running mighty low.
We will now continue
our regular program,
but we will give you
the latest bulletins
as they come in.
Ken, where have you been?
Down the street,
listening to the radio.
You heard about Sheila?
Oh, it"s terrible.
Why, the fog is so low out
on that field a snake couldn"t
crawl under it.
Why did she make this flight?
Too late to talk
about that now, Mac.
L"ve got to get out
to the field.
What?
L"m going up in my ship
to bring her down.
You"re crazy, man!
All right, then watch
a crazy man do it.
They won"t let you
have the ship.
They"ve got to!
You"ve got to take me, Mac.
I can"t, Ken.
You"re in no shape to fly.
They may have ruined
the instruments, anything.
You might get killed.
That isn"t important anymore.
It"s Sheila"s only chance.
You got to help me.
Right?
Right.
Come on.
Hello, Boston.
Hello, Boston,
Sheila Mason calling Boston.
If you can hear me,
come back, please.
Mason standing by.
Hello, Mason.
Hello, Mason. Boston calling.
What is your position?
What is your position?
Boston standing by.
Go ahead, Mason.
Hello, Boston. Mason calling
Boston. Am uncertain
of my position.
Haven"t seen the ground
for the past two hours.
Am flying in and above
a heavy fog bank.
How is my signal strength?
Come back, please.
Come back, please.
Hello, Mason. Hello, Mason.
You"re coming in very strong.
RADIO MAN: You must be
within 100 miles.
Here are
the weather reports...
(CLANKING)
Hello, Boston. Hello, Boston.
Come back, please.
Mason calling Boston.
Come back, please.
McNAMEE ON RADIO:
This is Graham McNamee again.
Here you are, ladies
and gentlemen. Another
bulletin on Sheila Mason.
Boston reports,
they"ve just got in touch
with her.
She said she was keeping
on toward New York,
but the fog is so thick
her situation
is almost hopeless.
She asked for her bearings,
but before Boston could reply,
they lost touch with her.
Please stand by.
Is this as fast
as this thing can go?
L"ve got her wide open, Ken.
Sheila Mason calling
Roosevelt. Sheila Mason
calling Roosevelt.
If you can hear me,
come back, please. If you can
hear me, come back, please.
After a sensationally
successful flight of over
5,000 miles,
during which she conquered
distance, winds and
North Atlantic storms,
Sheila Mason, girl flyer,
was apparently defeated
tonight within a few miles
of her goal,
by the aviator"s
greatest enemy, fog.
Yeah. Well, even if she could
find the field, she won"t
be able to land.
There"s the worst fog in years
all up and down the coast.
And, Al, you better send
a couple of cars out here
in a hurry.
I think l"ve got her!
L"ve contacted her.
Give me that.
Hello. Hello, Sheila.
Hello, Sheila. This is Nick.
Hello, Nick. Yes, this
is Sheila. L"m all right,
but where am I?
Can you hear me?
Can you hear my motor?
No, we can"t hear your motor.
Have you any idea
where you are?
No. L"ve lost my bearings,
and l"ve got gas
for another 20 minutes.
How"s the weather
at the field?
Lt"s zero-zero here.
The fog"s right down
the ground.
Listen, kid, forget the flight
and bail out.
Wait a minute, wait a minute,
let me have that.
What good will it do her
to jump?
Lt"s a hundred to one she"ll
fall in the Atlantic Ocean.
How does she feel?
How would you feel?
Hello, Sheila.
Sheila Mason.
Calling Sheila Mason.
Hello, Sheila.
Sheila, hello, Sheila!
L"ve lost her.
Here"s where they keep it.
Here you are, Ken.
It"s shortly after midnight,
the fog shows
no sign of lifting.
Sheila Mason"s situation
is becoming more hopeless.
Where"s Top Harmon?
Right here.
Ken Gordon broke into
the hangar to get
his plane out.
What?
He says he"s going up
to find Sheila Mason.
Well, why didn"t you stop him?
Well, tried
to tell you first.
Hold everything. Ken Gordon,
blind flyer, broke
into the hangar,
stole his plane
and is going up
after Sheila Mason.
Keep this wire open.
He mustn"t do it!
He"s crazy!
All set, Ken. You"re headed
straight down the runway
into the wind.
Get on that transmitter
and don"t stop talking.
Right.
(MEN YELLING)
Sorry, Top, but after all,
I got Sheila into this.
(BEEPING)
Sheila, Sheila, Ken speaking.
Can you hear me?
Ken.
Ken!
Yes, I can hear you.
Where are you?
In my plane 1,000 feet
over Roosevelt Field.
In your plane? Are you alone?
Yes, but everything
is working fine.
How much gas have you got?
Maybe 15 minutes.
Are you above the fog?
No, l"m trying to get
down under it.
All right.
Head due south, climb above
the fog and look
for me on top.
Right.
I can see you now, Ken.
Good, sit tight.
We"re only
about 20 miles away
from the field.
Pull up alongside.
Right.
L"m alongside now, Ken.
How close are you?
MASON ON RADIO:
Just above you on your right.
Fine. Follow me.
L"m following you, Ken.
KEN ON RADIO: Keep as
close as you can
so you don"t lose me.
I will.
How do you feel?
A little tired.
We"ll be over the field
in a few minutes. L"ll have
to shut off my transmitter.
There isn"t much time.
L"ve got to
tell you something.
What is it, Ken?
I love you, Sheila.
It"s the first time
you ever told me that.
I couldn"t before.
I love you, Ken.
I loved you even before
I met you.
I want you to be happy, dear.
L"m so happy right now
I could cry.
L"m not even tired anymore.
Ken, if we get through,
you"ll have proved your ship
and then maybe you and I...
No.
No, we can"t plan
beyond, this.
Ken, what are you saying?
Listen, dear,
there isn"t much time to talk.
L"ve lost my courage.
I can"t go on. I can"t.
Even if I get my ship back,
what"s the use if I can"t
see the clouds and the moon
and the stars?
I won"t be able to see you.
But we"ll make up
for all that.
No, Sheila.
L"m going to take you down
and then, l"m going on until
it"s too late to turn back,
l"m taking my ship with me.
Ken!
Ken!
Steady, Sheila.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.
MAC ON RADIO: One, two...
We"re over the field now.
One, two, three...
We"re gonna take a dive
into this now.
One, two, three...
Keep close to me but be
careful that we don"t tangle
in this soup.
I can"t talk anymore now.
Ken! Ken!
You can"t do it.
You can"t do it!
Cut your motor.
Ken!
Ken, don"t!
(CROWD TALKING)
I won"t let you do it!
L"m going to stop you!
(CRASHING)
(SIREN BLARING)
Ken.
Sheila!
Miss Mason, Miss Mason, will
you say a few words to
the radio audience, please?
She"ll tell you
all about it later.
Watch out!
Sheila, dear, you"re sure
you"re not hurt?
Of course l"m not hurt, dear.
Sheila, I can see
flashes of light.
That"s what they are,
dear, flashlights.
You mean you can see them?
Yes, dear, I can see them.
Keep that nose up, Sheila,
keep that nose up.
Right.
My darling.