Original subtitles

(airplane engine)

(brassy soaring music)

- Bet that's Mr. Windus himself,

could you catch the sun on the fuselage?

- I wasn't looking for the small print,

all I could see were the whites in his eyes

and the foam around his mouth.

That guy's gotta be flipped.

- You're fighting me.

- Who's fighting?

If I've never tried it I wouldn't knock it.

- You know what a crop duster makes?

- Yeah, a big hole in the ground.

- (laughs) Between 25 and 60 grand a year.

- Ah, I can see it all now.

Sir, you wouldn't send up a boy like that,

green, pucker green in a crate like that

against the Kaiser's deadliest ace

and staff and five, would you sir?

Oh, you would.

- Look maybe Mr Windus won't even give me a crack at it.

- I don't know, anyone that flies that close to the ground

I wouldn't worry, he's probably got a SPAD

all warmed up and waiting for you.

- A SPAD, huh?

- Oh it's a great little fighter if the guns work, you know.

We use them on dawn patrol now,

and we like them much better than

oh a spat with camels, you know.

It's a game little beggar,

if you like beggars little and game.

- I think I should a written him first.

- Oh I say, isn't that Paris up there?

- If you say so, Captain.

- Oh I say so, carry on.

(laughing)

(soaring brassy music)

(engine sputtering and clanking)

(roaring crash)

(dramatic suspenseful string music)

(clattering metal)

- Well don't stand there like a fool,

get back before she explodes.

(coughing)

(explosion)

Cigarette?

(fire crackling)

Give 'em to me.

I always light my own.

(tense dramatic music)

- [Mr Russell] It can't be wilts, Dora,

I had one of them geniuses

from the Bureau of Agriculture check the soil.

No fungi, that's what the man said.

So that leaves me a choice of curly top

or spotted wilt virus,

and you know that's gotta be them thrips,

so I want 'em dusted with sulfur.

You can take all them new fangled phosphorins

and Demetons and pack 'em in.

I tell ya Dora, sulfur's the way to kill thrips.

- No sulfur, Mr Russell.

You know I won't dust sulfur.

- I'll pay good, Dora, six cents a pound.

- I don't want to discuss it.

- Ah, let's stop kidding, Dora.

You need the contract.

Don't think I haven't heard how things are.

- Right now Mr Russell,

all I need is the hand of merciful god.

Summers just went in.

Skeats has gone up to see if he's still alive.

- [Mr Russell] Dora, I'm sorry, I hope he made it.

Now you think about what I said, sulfur.

But I gotta know soon.

Oh, let me know about Summers too.

- Thanks.

(tense music)

- Mrs Windus

I hope he's alright, the pilot.

On our way down here we passed somebody dusting

a couple a miles back, I thought probably it was Mr Windus.

I guess it was Summers.

- He was the only one up this morning.

- Is your husband around?

I guess you don't remember me, Tod Stiles?

You came to the house a couple a times

when your husband was flying the company plane for my dad.

We had a party once, to celebrate my conquest of the air.

14 hours instruction and off I flew all by myself,

thanks to your husband.

Well, I was pretty proud of that.

Some guys take 18 20 hours before they solo.

(car engine)

- Where are they taking him?

- Him?

- It just came over the radio.

- I don't know where they're taking him or if they are.

Who are you?

- Christina Summers.

- Sister?

- Wife.

Once, not anymore.

- [Dora] Oh.

- Mrs Windus, I'm sorry,

I guess we came busting in at a bad time.

- I can remember worse.

- Is there a telephone?

- Inside my office.

I'll hear faster, Skeat should be back by now.

It wasn't far, we heard it from here.

- Mrs Windus if you'll just tell your husband,

we'll drop back.

We wanted to see him about a job, but we'll drop back.

I hope Mr Summers is all right.

(truck engine)

- Clean bill, Dora, no fractures, no concussions.

- No plane.

The prop broke, just missed me.

I'm afraid I scrubbed it, Dora.

- We have others.

- We'll do a rush job on the new one in the G.

- I still have a hundred acres to finish today,

load me up again will you?

- Sure thing, Mr Summers.

- [Dora] I can call another pilot.

- Who, Dora?

Rock of Gibraltar.

You never say die, do you Christina.

How long have you been in Phoenix?

Do you need anything, money?

Why don't you say something?

- I'm listening, to what you're not saying.

- Alright Christine, it isn't love

that makes you so determined, it's sheer habit.

A desperately bad habit.

I'd hoped you'd finally broken it.

- You only taught me the questions, not the answers.

- There aren't any Christina, nowhere, never.

- What kind of job?

You asked for a job, what kind of job?

- I'm happy to be recognized,

frankly I didn't know what was going on,

you not even remembering me.

- I remember my first hair ribbon, I was four.

What kind of job?

- Crop dusting.

Mr Windus taught me to fly,

I thought he could teach me to dust crops.

- 50 hour training period, a year's apprenticeship.

- We're in no hurry, oh this is Buzz Murdoch.

- Hi.

- I thought if Mr Windus gave me a crack at it,

maybe you could find something for Buzz to do.

- Swamper.

- Oh what am I supposed to do, wrestle aligators now?

- Pays $65 a week.

- I'll take it.

- I'll ask Summers, if he says he'll teach you alright.

- Thanks Mrs Windus.

- Tomorrow morning, seven o'clock.

- Nothing like old family friends.

- She's changed.

I wonder if Vicki's changed?

- Vicki?

- Their daughter.

Course I didn't pay too much attention to her,

she was 15 and a barber pole.

- Four years ago?

She's changed.

(airplane engine revving)

(expressive orchestral music)

- Nine to one a.m.

- She's out of our league.

- Out of your league maybe, not mine.

- I mean she's older.

- Older than what?

- Older than you.

- I'm not carrying any birth certificate.

- And she's a Mrs.

- An ex Mrs, isn't that what she said?

- What she said was, where are they taking him?

Now him, that's Summers, I didn't hear her asking about you.

Oh

Sobersville, she really grabbed you, huh?

- Yeah like cotton candy at Madison Square Garden.

- You know going in there and listening to her sing,

that's not gonna help any.

That's candlelight and martini blues,

and that's buried a lot of boys.

- You got a dark suit, buddy, be my pall bearer, okay?

- Okay like the man said, it's your funeral.

♪ Oh it's a long long while

♪ From May to December

♪ But the days grow short

♪ When you reach September

♪ When the autumn weather

♪ Turns the leaves to flame

♪ One hasn't got time

♪ For the waiting game

♪ Oh the days dwindle down

♪ To a precious few

♪ September

♪ November

♪ And these few precious days

♪ I'll spend with you

- Two martinis.

♪ These precious days

♪ I'll spend with you

♪ When the wind dwindles down

♪ To a precious brew

♪ September

♪ November

♪ And these few vintage years

♪ I'll spend with you

♪ These precious years

♪ I'll spend with you

(audience applause)

(plaintive string music)

- Alright we followed her home, now what?

You know it's almost two o'clock,

we have to be on the line at seven.

- I know, I just want to talk to her, or try to.

- Alright do me a favor will you?

Don't try to pick her up from the car,

I mean it's just too much, you know kid stuff.

Go in the lobby and rally, like a real travelling salesman.

- You make it sound so nice.

Mrs Summers?

The Windus hangar, this afternoon, remember?

- Oh yes.

- And this evening at the French court of the Safari.

Nine to one, I didn't miss a set.

You were great, just great.

- Well thank you, I didn't see you, the lights.

- That's a bad sign, morning paper,

signifies an end to the night.

- I'm afraid it's just been one of those days, Mr

- Buzz.

- Mr Buzz?

- Oh no no, just Buzz,

I mean it's the original monosyllable.

- Well if you'll just excuse me.

- No night cap, I mean just for kicks.

- Tonight's kicks are tomorrow's bruises.

- Well

- They usually come to my dressing room, men like you.

Sometimes they follow the flowers in,

or the iced champagne.

Or now and then they skirmish behind a mink.

But you know something,

take away the flowers and the champagne and the mink,

and it's the same man, with the same presumption.

A girl is always guilty as charged, until proved innocent.

- I didn't mean it that way at all.

- Course not.

- Mrs Summers, bad start?

- Worse than that, no start at all.

- That bad?

- I think the slap fits the face.

(torch hissing)

- Yeah?

- Seven o'clock.

- Right on the button.

- Not in Tokyo.

- Look friend it's pretty early for funnies.

We didn't get much sack time last night.

Mrs Windus told us to be here at seven o'clock this morning.

- Yeah she said you'd be here.

- Okay, where do we start.

- Those keys.

They for the Corvette?

- Yeah.

- Well use them.

Do yourself a favor, use them to getcha outta here.

- Where's Mrs Windus?

- Oh she's in town at the store,

but don't worry it's nothing personal.

She's sorry, she went to Summers

and she asked him to take you on, 50 hour syllabus.

But Summers said negative.

And when he says negative, that's negative.

- Two negatives make a positive.

Where is Summers?

Never mind Summers, it's not his outfit.

Mr Windus'll straighten it out.

- Not this year or any other year I ever heard of.

He was killed last January.

- Killed?

- Yeah

he was dusting, with sulfur

and then static electricity and

fire.

- Oh boy

I kept beating at her,

when do you expect Mr Windus.

- Oh forget it,

you didn't even know.

- I'd like to at least tell her I'm sorry.

- She doesn't want to hear that.

She wouldn't even admit he's dead.

Come here, see this frame over here?

We were building it for him,

was something special,

something he always wanted but he couldn't afford it.

We were gonna scrap it after he was killed.

We could a used the inventory.

But, no dice.

Mrs Windus says that it stays right here,

says that we're gonna finish it for him one of these days.

- Sounds like she really needs some help.

- She does.

- How 'bout if I got Summers to teach me?

- No chance.

- What about some of the other pilots?

- There're only two of them.

They wouldn't be interested either.

- What's the matter is Summers afraid

a little competition might show him up?

- Look, fellas

look for a job somewhere else.

There's nothing here but trouble, only trouble.

- You're here.

- I'm stupid.

- It's contagious, where's Summers?

- You know where Camelback Rock is?

We have an airstrip there, on the northwest slope.

He's out there waiting, he's all alone.

He's waiting for the wind to die.

He's sitting there with his wings,

a half a ton of phoserin, and 425 horsepower.

He's all alone and that's the way he wants it.

And that's the way he's gonna keep it.

(expressive orchestral music)

- Mr Summers.

10 minutes.

I'll bet you'd let me stand here 10 minutes

before you said a word.

- Just leafing through Carlyle here.

Under all speech that is good for anything,

there lies a silence that is better.

Fitting don't you think?

- Why won't you teach me?

- It doesn't matter.

- It does to me.

You see Mr Windus taught me to fly.

Now this may sound corny to you,

but I'd like to work for his widow.

You understand that?

- What are you knocking yourself out for, Tod?

To ride a broomstick over some cabbage patch

with a squadron of witches?

- Your friend has the right idea.

The wind seems to be dying down.

(car engine)

- You know I used to dream about you?

- I wish someone had told me.

- D'you remember me?

- Oh yes, I was just telling my friend

how you looked when you were 15.

- Like a barber pole, it's what he said.

- And how do you think I look now?

- This kinda barber pole,

nobody'd ever go inside for a haircut.

- Vicki.

- Skeat called, told me these boys were coming out here.

- Vicki move your car.

- You're not going to teach him.

- Hey wait a minute.

- You can't be serious.

You wouldn't fly with Summers, would you?

- Why not?

- Because of him, my father's dead.

(airplane engine cranking)

(dramatic suspenseful music)

(knocking)

- Yes?

Oh I knew (gasping) I knew.

- I'm not here

- [Mr Reed] Mrs Summers?

- Yes?

- [Mr Reed] Is everything alright?

- Oh, everything's fine, Mr Reed.

- It's not fine Christine, it's not fine at all.

I came here to beg.

- When did you ever have to beg me?

- Christina, you get out of my life and stay out.

- Did you take up drinking

to brace yourself for this reunion?

- How many times do I have to leave you?

How many countries, airports, hangars?

Let some other man have you, one who wants you.

Live Christina, but leave me alone.

- I'll follow you 'til I die.

On my knees if I have to, crawling.

I'll never leave you alone.

Or stop loving you.

No matter how hard you make me try.

- Look at me, Christine.

Is this the face of a man who loves you?

Are these the words of a man who wants you?

- Nobody is what he appears to be.

Isn't that what you always said.

- I look alive, don't I?

But I've been dead for years Christina, admit it.

- That's not true.

- This arm, that's Jamie's arm,

shot off by cannon fire from an ME one oh nine meant for me.

This hand, that's a Belgian squadron leader

who saved me over Dunkirk.

My ribs, my stomach, my legs, my guts Christina,

they all belong to dead men, one after another,

shot and burned, but not me.

That first crash, the mail and the passengers,

remember Christina, at Managua, that first crash.

Who walked away from it?

Who walked away on the legs of the dead?

- That wasn't your fault.

- Oh it's never my fault.

Wherever I am, whatever I do, whatever I touch,

dies, rots, burns, decays.

And I keep climbing a ladder, higher and higher

bone by bone and skull by skull.

Christina, I told you I came here to beg.

I'm begging you now, you get away from me,

as far away from me as you can get.

- [Eddie] Your cue is coming up Mrs Summers.

- Thank you Eddie.

I just have three songs, I'll be right back.

Wait for me.

Promise.

- Christina,

I can tell you where the north star will be

a thousand years from tonight,

but I can't tell you where any one of us

will be tomorrow morning.

- Wait.

- Don't ever try to see me again, Christina.

(audience applauding)

♪ This lovely day will lengthen into evening

♪ We'll sigh goodbye to all we've ever had

♪ Alone

♪ Where we have walked together

♪ I'll remember April

♪ And be glad

♪ I'll be content

♪ You loved me once in April

♪ Your lips were warm

♪ And love and spring were new

♪ But I'm not afraid

♪ Of autumn and her sorrows

♪ For I'll remember

♪ April and you

♪ The fire will dwindle

♪ Into glowing ashes

♪ For flames in love

♪ Live such a little while

♪ I won't forget

♪ But I won't be lonely

♪ I'll remember April

♪ And I'll smile

(audience applauding)

- Oh no, not again, not tonight.

- I just want to say one thing Christina

and then I'm cutting out.

- I don't want to hear it, honestly.

I'd only lose my temper and you seem like a nice boy.

Let's give us both a break.

- Look, I just wanted to ask,

is there anything I can do to help?

- Help?

- Well I don't quite even know how, but

well a guy sees a lot of floor show from a ringside table.

And I caught the closing act tonight, you know?

I mean, Summers staggering out loaded, you on the stand.

You should see how the spotlight makes the tears shine.

You know there's a worn out line,

it's none of my business,

but the more I kick around

the more I see that everything is everybody's business.

You can't stand in the background, you don't help that way.

Everything passes you by.

End of speech.

Look, why don't we leave it like this,

if you ever need a pep talk between halves,

or someone to break up a sugar cube in your coffee,

anything, anything at all, I'm your boy.

I'm staying over at a place called the Martinique.

Good night, Christina.

(swinging light jazzy music)

- What's the matter, trouble in paradise?

- Just the tide coming in, but it went right back out again.

(car engine)

(car door shutting)

(footsteps)

- Cigarette?

She is 19 isn't she?

I hope?

- Key.

- Oh come on, they're only dancing.

Besides, I'm chaperoning.

- Out here?

(door closing)

- Dora

you broke up the magic.

- Where's Summers?

- How would I know?

- Do you want me to explain Vicki, in front of these boys?

- Last time I saw him was this morning, the Camelback strip.

Tod was there, and Buzz.

He just took off and flew away like he always does.

- Since then, where's he gone?

- How would I know?

- You seem to know all the back alleys, Vicki.

Which one did you leave him lying in?

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Let me tell you, I need Summers.

I need him right now, right this minute.

There's been a change in the weather.

They're expecting a severe frost at dawn.

I have a customer who will pay a thousand dollar bonus

to save his crops from freezing.

Do you know what a thousand dollars

means to us right now Vicki?

Or don't you care?

- I care that you come busting in here,

in front of Tod, with your filthy mouth.

(slap)

- Mrs Windus

Vicki forgot her shoes.

- Tod, do you still want that job?

- Yes, we do.

- Okay.

- When do we start?

- As soon as you can find Summers

and bring him to the field.

- You go in this time.

I'm getting loaded just walking back and forth

along so many bars.

(undulating orchestral music)

- Well that's it, every bar in town top to bottom.

- The apartment, the club, the Turkish bath,

I don't know where he could be.

- Maybe a friend's pad.

- Oh what friends?

- You got a point there.

Maybe Christina knows.

I mean not where he is but what his habits are when 'bels.

(telephone rings)

- Hello?

- Christina?

Buzz.

It's about Mr Summers.

- What about him?

- [Buzz] Well, hope we didn't wake you up.

- What about him?

- Well we're trying to find him for Mrs Windus,

some kind of an emergency job.

We looked in all the bars,

but where does he go when he gets stoned?

- Leave him alone.

Tell Mrs Windus you can't find him.

- You think he'd want it that way?

- Alright.

He's never been drunk before,

so I'm not sure where he'd go.

But other times when he was troubled or

something had happened, he'd go out and jump.

- Jump?

- [Christina] Parachute.

- Oh.

(clicking)

- I think I got a live one.

Yeah, Summers.

- Look, I don't care how much you want to pay,

one maniac a night is all I can accommodate.

A man has got to get his sleep.

What?

Oh you're not gonna jump too.

Oh you want to know where Summers is.

Well just a minute.

Oh just about this time,

he should be over the Breckenridge foothills.

Yeah, I remember, when he flushed my pilot out of bed,

he said that's where he wanted to jump.

More cross currents in there.

Ha, how do you like that?

Yeah, and good night to you too.

(airplane engine)

(descending spiraling musical notes)

- I have a feeling I could stand here for 10 minutes

and neither of you would say a word.

- Didn't he have a quote for that?

- Thomas Carlyle.

- Well there must be some reason for your being here.

- We figured the parachute might not open

and we wanted to be on hand to celebrate.

- Well honesty clears the air,

just like a 10,000 foot free fall clears the head.

- Well now that all our heads are clear,

Mrs Windus sent us out here,

some kind of a deal about frost.

- Can you run me out there?

- That's the general idea, oh just one thing,

she said if we found you and brought you in,

we could go to work.

Me flying and Buzz swamping.

- Whatever that is.

- Now how does that hit you where you stand?

- You sure you know what you're doing?

- Well, what I've wanted to do

ever since I drove into Phoenix,

fly some crops and make some dollars.

- That's not it, that's not it at all.

How old are you?

- 24.

- You're too young.

- For what?

- To die.

Why not?

Everybody does, except me.

Alright, but you might as well be told,

I am a jinx, a Jonah.

- We're not superstitious, hop in.

- Destiny comes in all sizes, doesn't it?

A small car in the middle of an empty field.

What did you say your name was?

- Tod Stiles.

- Tod Stiles.

Alright, but as I told you,

to me it's just one more name to remember.

One more.

(car engine starts)

(expressive orchestral music)

(bouncy jazz music)

- [Announcer] This has been a screen gems film presentation

from Columbia Pictures.

Herbert B Leonard, Executive Producer.