The Great Waldo Pepper Page #3

---

of his girlfriend, Lola,

painted along the side

of the plane.

Honest?

Yeah.

Oh, that would've

been the highlight

of my life.

Seeing my very

own name flyin'

through the...

Oh, there's Axel.

Hi, Axel!

My goodness,

he's hurt himself again.

Poor thing.

Hi, honey.

Axel, what happened

to you?

Oh, it's a long story.

Don't tell me.

I'll be too upset.

I want you to meet

a friend of mine,

now, he's a pilot, too,

and he's been telling me

one exciting thing

after another.

Waldo, this is Axel.

Axel, this is Waldo Pepper.

Smile, son,

never disconcert

the masses.

Oh,

why don't you

sit down, dear?

Oh, I can't hardly believe it.

Me sittin' here

with two aces.

Well, why don't you

tell him about

when you fought

the black and

yellow German.

No, no, he wasn't...

He wasn't black

and yellow, Mary Beth.

His plane was.

That's right.

And it had "Lola"

written on it.

Lola was Kessler's

truest love.

- Ernst Kessler?

- Uh-huh.

You fought Ernst Kessler?

He sure did.

And was it ever exciting.

Just wait 'til you hear it.

Go ahead, tell him, Waldo.

No. Later.

Later, maybe.

No, please.

No.

Do it, Waldo.

Kessler could have

killed Waldo,

but he let him go

on account of Waldo's

guns jamming.

When Kessler

and Waldo tangled,

Kessler had such

respect for Waldo,

that he just

gave him a salute

and off he went.

That must've

been some thrill.

Uh, well,

it went by so fast.

But looking back on it,

I guess I'd have to say

it was kind of exciting.

Oh, he's just

being modest, Axel.

That was a very

dangerous thing.

That German had

already shot down

four other planes

before Waldo

could stop him.

Landis, Swaab,

Curtin, McKinnon.

Right, and...

How did you know?

Because they were

with me in the 14th

Scouts, Mary Beth.

And when they took off

that morning,

I didn't see

any Waldo Pepper

taking off with them.

You didn't?

There was five of 'em

in the flight.

Kessler shot down four,

but he let the flight

leader live.

His name was

Captain Frank Madden.

He died in combat only

a couple of months later.

I don't get it.

You've been sitting here

with a four-flusher,

Mary Beth.

He's been telling

you stories,

getting you drunk,

so he can work

his way with you.

Come on.

It should've been me.

Ladies

and gentlemen...

It is my pleasure,

as the head

of the Dillhoefer

Flying Circus,

to present to you,

on his first

and his foremost

and his final tour

of America,

the greatest flyer,

the most courageous

ace of aces,

the most foolhardy

aerial stunt performer

in this entire

civilized world,

the black knight

of Germany,

Ernst Kessler!

Goddamn Kraut!

All right now!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes