The real story of how and why Douglas Bader lost his legs and became a war hero.
Reach For The Sky
Int. Morning . A Nissan hut at an RAF base somewhere in England during the Battle of Britain . The Wing Commander or Skip to his subordinates is seated in his wheelchair at a desk . As with the other fighter pilots in the room he is wearing a flying jacket , has a moustache and is smoking a pipe. Jock the Scottish pilot has a tartan scarf along with his uniform . He looks as if he has an artificial leg and is playing golf with his walking stick and a table tennis ball . He has a very unconvincing Scottish accent . Binky is blind and has a guide dog called Nigel with him . Nigel also has a pipe . Jock misses his shot into the waste paper bin .
Jock
Aaaachhh!
Skip
Oh! What awful bad luck, Jock , old boy.
Jock
Hoots mon, Skip! It's nae bad luck at all.This leg here's getting in the way o' ma swing. So it is.
Skip
Ah, the old tin leg getting in the way , is it?
Jock
Naw Skip , it's the other yin.I reckon if Jerry shoot's aff this galumphin' hing as well, mah swing wid be perfect .
Skip
Oh?
Jock
Lighter on mah feet .
All three men have a puff at their pipes .
Skip
Looking at his watch.
The new chap should be here soon .
Jock
Whit's his name , again Skip ? Bamber or something ?
Skip
Bader ... Douglas Bader .
Jock
Whit kind of name is that for a fighter pilot ? Douglas , that' alright, smashin' name but ... Bader . Sounds like a filthy boche swnie name , if you ask me, sir .
Skip
Chap's as Eng ... I mean ...British as you or I or dear old Binky there.
Binky
Patting Nigel's head.
Or Nigel.
Skip
Goes without saying , Binky . Nigel too
There's a knock at the door.
Come .
The door opens and Bader walks in . He is cast in handsome heroic young Englishman mode and is wearing a RAF uniform . He has no moustache , flying jacket or pipe . He strides manfully up to the wing commander .
Bader
Flight Lieutenant Douglas Bader reporting for duty sir!
He salutes .
Jock and the Wing Commander look aghast and eye him up and down in horror .
Skip
There seems to have been the most awful mistake . We were expecting a fighter pilot , old boy not somebody...
what's the word I'm looking for Jock.
Somebody...mmm...
Jock
Normal! They've sent us a normal!
He walks up to Bader and stares in his face . He winks at Skip.
How's your eyesight, laddie?
Bader
Twenty twenty ...sir!
Jock
Twenty twenty! Twenty twenty! You've got perfect eyesight and you expect to be a fighter pilot?
Bader
Yes sir!
Skip
Do you think dear old Binky there...
Binky
And Nigel.
Skip
...managed to prang more Jerry kites than you've had mugs of Ovaltine, with perfect eyesight?
No , they did not . Spirit , my boy . Spirit and a never say die attitude. That's the bally old ticket and no mistake.
Jock
Looking at Bader's legs .
How's yer dancin' ?
Bader
My dancing?
Skip
Can you cut a rug on the dance floor?
Bader
I can dance a little.
Does a soft shoe shuffle.
Skip and Jock laugh .
Skip
Dear boy , do you think being a ...dancer qualifies you to fight the damned boche , to give them a sound thrashing in between royal garden parties . Look at dear old Jock here . Can't dance for toffee but put him in a Spitfire against a whole squadron of Hun Messerschmitts and he'll show more ...what, chaps ?
Jock and Binky
Spirit and a never say die atttiude, sir !
Skip
Than any bloody dancers!
Jock
Up close to Bader's ear .
How about ...skirt?
Bader
Skirt?
Binky
Muff !
Skip
Totty!
Bader looks confused.
Bader
Well I was walking out with a rather nice young gel up at Cambridge. Agatha was...
Jock
Not ...walking ot with nice young gels !
Fanny!
If you're a fighter pilot you'll be up to your neck in it. How could a ...normal like you cope with that?
Binky
Pressing themselves against you all the time.
Skip
On buses!
Jock
In boozers!
Binky
In shops!
Jock
Could you handle that , laddie? We have to. All the time.
Bader
I don't think Agatha would like ...
Jock
Dinnae think... Agatha would like . He'll never do , Skip! Perfect eyesight , good dancer and worst of all ...disnae like the fanny.
Aaaacch!
Bader
I could try! Oh please , sir! I could wear glasses , practice a limp when I'm off duty and I did speak to a rather nice young lay...I mean ...a rather nice...bit of ...
Jock
Fanny!
Binky
Fanny!
Skip
Fanny!
Bader
...fanny
...on the train.
Fades
