Original subtitles

(laughing)

(bouncy, whistling music)

♫ Now listen here, folks, my name is Tom Sawyer

♫ I don't wanna be no doctor or no lawyer

♫ Fishin' by the river, that's the only place to be

♫ I wanna be free sittin' under a tree, that's me

(cracks)

(pig squeals)

(laughs)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playin' by the river

♫ Chasin' that steamboat, teacher, let me be

♫ I wanna be free sittin' under a tree

♫ That's me

(laughs)

(birds chirp)

(serene fiddling music)

- All right everybody, please.

Y'all gonna have to step back.

Stop your pushin', now.

- Stop pushin'.

Back away, now.

- Sorry folks, can't come no closer.

- Is that what they call a balloon?

- [Tom] Yes sir, sure is.

- Is it busted? Can it still fly?

- No reason why not.

- Come on. - It can!

- Now how can that thing go up in the air?

- Mr. O'Connor says so.

- And who is this Mr. O'Connor feller?

- Mr. Arthur O'Connor, the man who came down in the balloon.

- And you believe him?

- Well, I got no reason not to.

- Now Tom, Mr. O'Connor got hurt when he landed, didn't he?

- Yes, but not bad.

- I think this accident was an omen as a warning to him.

- Huh?

- Yup.

He trespassed against the almighty.

Heaven belongs to God and his angels.

- No. - Huh?

- Heaven, but not the sky.

Man can sail the open seas and rivers,

and I don't believe there's any reason

why he shouldn't be able sail across the sky

just like the birds if he can find

a way to do it. - [Old Woman] Blasphemy!

- Oh, please don't touch anything.

Otherwise, I'll get into trouble.

- Huh?

Oh, uh, I'm sorry.

- Huck, did you get a chance to talk

to the man who flew in that contraption?

- Just a little.

- What he say it felt like

to be flyin' around up in the clouds?

- I didn't get a chance to talk to him much.

Mr. Conner and the sheriff went off

to take care of some business,

and they asked me and Tom to watch the balloon.

It's like this, we got orders not to let

anybody come near this thing.

- Why'd they ask you and Tom to stand guard?

- Well, I don't rightly know, Joe.

'Cept'n Arthur asked us.

- 'Cept'n who? - Huh? Who's Arthur?

- Arthur is Mr. Athur O'Connor,

the man who came here in this balloon.

Step back, no more questions!

- [Tom] Please everybody, y'all gonna have to step back!

(scrawling)

- There, this should explain everything.

Pat, listen,

this is to go to the army ordinance laboratory

in Chicago.

I'm much obliged for you taking it.

- And it's important for us to get it there

as soon as possible, so you'll have to ride hard and fast.

- Don't you worry, I'll get it there.

- 'Bout how long do you think it'll take you?

- The sooner the better.

- Well, I'll do my best

and I'll try to ride all night.

- Tomorrow night, maybe?

- Oh no, sir, not that quick.

Maybe the day after tomorrow,

but it might get there sooner

by stagecoach from Springfield.

- Hm, you better take whatever route you think is best.

- Is there anything else I oughta know, sir?

- Let me see.

Yes, when you arrive at the laboratory,

ask to see a Captain Bond.

He's the chief of the Balloon Squadron.

Or a Dr. Masterson,

who's the designer and chief engineer on the project.

In my letter, I didn't go into many details,

only that I was caught by a gust of wind.

Tell them more and answer whatever questions

they may have about my mishap.

- I understand.

Sheriff Collins, I'm off to Chicago.

- Good luck and godspeed.

- Oh, Pat, wait.

Of course they'll know I'm alive 'cause of the letter,

but be sure to tell them I'm also in good spirits, will ya?

- I'll tell them, Mr. O'Connor,

but you had better be seein' a doctor pretty soon,

'cause your forehead's startin'

to bleed again. - He's right.

- Is it?

(grunts) Ah.

- Well, I'm off.

- [Collins] Wait, I'll see you off.

(door closes)

- Ahh.

- [Pat] Sheriff, that fella's hurtin'

a lot more than he's lettin' on.

You oughta be sure he sees a doctor.

- I will, Pat. Thanks.

- Hyah! (horse whinnies)

(birds chirp)

- Huh?

Mr. O'Connor! Mr. O'Connor!

Are you all right? (groans)

- Please, Sheriff, there's no need to worry.

I'm just tired, that's all.

- It's gotta be more than tiredness,

you've been floatin' through the air

for more than seven hours.

I can't imagine such a thing.

And you had a hard landin', too.

- I gotta admit, this is the first time

I've ever made such a long flight in the air.

Maybe it has an effect on people

we don't know anything about.

- All the more reason to see the doc.

You shouldn't be taking any unnecessary chances

on your health.

Doc Mitchell's office is the closest.

I think I'll send you there.

- But Sheriff, I have work to do at the landing site.

- I know that.

Well, while you're at the doctor's office,

I'll make arrangements for the ropes and stakes

to be put in place so you can salvage your balloon.

Now to get to Doc Mitchell's office,

turn right outside the door, and it's about 50 years down.

- Doctor Mitchell's office,

Doctor Mitchell.

Should be just about here.

Ahh, this is the place.

Oh. - Ah.

- I'm sorry. - I beg your pardon.

- You are too kind.

It is I who should apologize,

I'm so embarrassed.

- You shouldn't. Please, don't be.

Oh, s'cuse me,

could you tell me if the doctor's in?

- Yes, he is, but what is your complaint?

(gasps) Your forehead!

- I got pains and bruises all over.

I was involved in a crash landing of my balloon.

- Oh, you're the one.

Please, do come in.

The doctor will see you.

- Thanks.

Are you sure it's all right?

I don't have an appointment.

- It's fine.

Excuse me, Dr. Mitchell?

(door opens)

- Ah, Mary.

Thought you were going out to the balloon site.

- I was, but it seems our next patient

is the gentleman who crashed landed the balloon.

He's pretty bruised up, Dr. Mitchell.

- Well, show the gentleman in.

- The doctor will see you now.

Come in, please.

- [Mitchell] Hello, son, I'm Dr. Mitchell.

- Thanks for seeing me, Dr. Mitchell.

- You just have a seat on that bed

and let's have a look at you.

- Sheriff Collins referred me to you.

However, I must confess,

I don't have any money to pay your fees.

- That's all right.

- I was flying since early morning

until my unexpected accident.

- It was quite a crash.

Most excitement we've had around here in a long time.

Well, doesn't look too bad.

Nothing seems to be broken.

I'll just clean up that cut on your forehead,

put on some disinfectant and a bandage.

- When I landed in the tree,

I think I struck my head on a limb.

- That's a pretty bad gash, I'm afraid.

Mary, bring me the disinfectant.

- Yes, sir.

- [Mitchell] Doesn't look bad enough for stitches, though.

You haven't been experiencing any dizzy spells, have you?

- [Arthur] No, just a little sore all over.

- [Mitchell] Mary, I need that disinfectant.

- Uh-- - Hurry!

- I'm looking.

Uh,

Dr. Mitchell, I'm sorry,

but which one is the bottle of disinfectant?

- Oh that's right, you aren't familiar

with my labeling system yet, are you?

The disinfectant is kept over here on this side.

You just have to know where to look.

- Yes, sir.

- Now I warn you, when I apply this disinfectant,

it may smart a little,

but that means it's doing what it's supposed to do,

so you'll just have to grin an bear it.

(groaning)

- (grunts) Doc, that does a lot more than smart,

it burns!

Ow, oh.

- Shouldn't hurt nearly that much.

- (groans) Oh, Doc, the pain is unbearable!

- Easy. This is odd. (groans)

What?

This isn't disinfectant, this is alcohol.

- That hurt worse than my crash landing.

I apologize for the mix up, young man,

it should never have happened.

Mary, would you be kind enough to see

if you can find the bottle of disinfectant?

- Yes, doctor.

- [Arthur] By the way, Doctor, my name is Arthur O'Connor.

- [Mitchell] Nice to meet you, Mr. O'Connor.

- This it?

- Yes, that's it.

- No chance it could be something else?

- Mary's only been here a short time,

her mistake is understandable.

- But Doctor, you're the one who grabbed

the bottle of alcohol in the first place.

- Mm?

Well, guess I did at that.

- Must have made an awful racket here.

- It sure did, as soon as I heard, I ran outside,

and I caught a glimpse of you about over there.

- I was coming down pretty quick.

I ended up landing over there

at a place called Cardiff Hill.

- You were very lucky to land in a tree.

It broke your fall.

- To tell the truth, I thought for sure I was a goner.

Of course, when I hit my head,

I was knocked out for a while,

but when I came to I realized

it could have been a whole lot worse than it was.

- Mm.

- Anyway, then a couple of lads came along to help me.

I think that they said their names were Tom and Huck.

- That doesn't surprise me.

- Why, do you know Tom and Huck?

- For all intents and purposes,

Tom is my little brother.

- What do you mean by that?

- Actually, he's my cousin.

You see, after Tom's parents died,

we were his only surviving relatives,

so naturally, he came to live with us.

- I see.

Gee, that's too bad.

I have to tell you, though,

Tom seems to know quite a bit about balloons.

Matter of fact, I was rather surprised

to find him so taken with flying.

You should be proud of him,

so young and so knowledgeable.

He's a bright boy.

- Are we talking about the same Tom?

As far as I know,

my brother Tom doesn't doesn't read all that many books,

even when he's told to.

One thing I will say for him,

he sure has an adventurous spirit.

- Flying can satisfy that spirit.

(quaint music)

- [Collins] Put 'em there with the rest.

- You'll stick around to do whatever's needed,

won't you fellers?

- Sure am, you betcha. - I will, Huck.

- [Collins] Ah, here comes Mr. O'Connor.

- Oh, Arthur.

Look at that, you were really lucky.

- You can say that again.

Sometimes I shudder to imagine what might have happened

if I had landed in the Mississippi River.

- Don't you know how to swim?

- Sure, but even if I survived landing in the river,

the balloon wouldn't.

It would have sunk to the bottom

and a lot of people's hard work,

hopes, and dreams would have been lost.

Everything ready, Sheriff?

- Just about.

- Hello, Sheriff Collins. How are you?

- Hello Mary, nice to see ya.

Mr. O'Connor, you certainly didn't waste any time

meetin' the prettiest lady in St. Pete, now did you?

- Sheriff, you're embarrassing me.

S'cuse me. (hyperventilates)

Tom!

- I'd say she likes ya.

(laughs)

The ropes and stakes are all in place for you.

- Thank you, Sheriff.

I really do appreciate all the help you've given to me.

- You're mighty welcome, but around here,

there are lots of folks who'd be willing to help.

Oh by the way, how'd you happen to meet Mary Sawyer?

- Well, that's funny, I just happened to be looking

for the doctor's office in town and --

(gentle, domestic music)

- Mary, the man's a complete stranger.

- Mother, he's nice.

- But invitin' him to be a house guest?

You just met him today.

Mary, what on earth were you thinkin' about?

- His name is Mr. O'Connor,

he's from Chicago. - Chicago?

- He's the gentleman who came down

in the balloon this morning.

- Gentleman or not, he can get a room at the hotel

just like anybody else.

- Well, he would, Mother, but I'm afraid

he doesn't have any money.

- Then he's no gentleman.

- Mother, he isn't a vagrant.

This morning, an unexpected gust of wind

took him and his balloon into the air,

and he drifted until he landed here in St. Pete.

(murmuring)

- [Worker] Bring that rope on over here.

- [Collins] Make sure the lines are tight.

(grunting)

- [Worker] Yup, give it a tug, now.

- [Helper] Ow!

- Okay, Huck, tie 'er down.

- Tie it up real secure, now.

- Here, let me give you a hand.

- [Working Man] All right, tie that off.

- [Worker] Secure it. There you go, there you go.

- [Man] There you go.

Good.

- [Fellow] Secure?

- There, that oughta hold 'er,

no matter how hard the wind may howl.

- Good.

- [Boy] We're finished!

- I want to thank you and everybody.

You all worked hard, and I want you know

I appreciate it a lot.

- How come we tied it down layin' on its side like this?

Why is that so much better?

Why couldn't we just tie the basket down real good?

The balloon couldn't fly away then, could it?

(chuckles)

- Whether it's laying on its side or not

doesn't make any difference, Tom.

The balloon just doesn't have the power

to float in the air without activating the burner.

- I don't understand.

- It can't fly 'cause the air inside the balloon is cooled,

and the air has to be hot to fly.

- How does the air bein' hot make it float in the air?

- Well, do any of you know anything about science,

especially physics?

- Well, I sure as heck don't.

- Me either. - Do you?

- Never heard of it.

- Well, if you study physics,

one of the first things you'll learn

is that air has a tendency

to become lighter after it's heated.

- Hmm, air is lighter after it's warmed up.

So that means--

I get it, that's why the balloon can fly.

Because it's lighter than the air.

- It is? - Explain it to me, Tom.

- Uh, well.

- It's something that does take study.

- Excuse me, Mr. O'Connor, are you finished?

- Yes, I am.

Why, Sheriff?

- I'd like to invite you to join me

and the missus for supper.

- That's very kind of you, Sheriff,

but I have to decline your invitation.

You see, I have a precious engagement

for dinner this evening.

- A previous engagement?

Hm.

(quaint, lackadaisical music)

(sprinkling)

- Hey, what about the balloon?

- Yeah, what about it?

- Well, are you just gonna leave it layin' out there?

- At the moment, that's about all it's good for, Tom,

but we'll see. - Oh.

- [Tom] I guess I'll never get the chance to fly.

- Well, would you care to make a suggestion?

- If you could just get it to fly,

I sure would like to go up with you the next time.

- That's impossible without being able to heat the air.

- But there's gotta be a way we could heat it up somehow.

- There is but, it'd be very hard to do.

- Arthur, Arthur, wait.

You just gotta fly the balloon again

so you can take me up it it with ya.

Please, Arthur, if it's the last thing I ever do,

I gotta fly.

I can't explain, but I have to do it.

- My, isn't that interestin'.

But if you flew the thing here from Chicago,

I don't understand why you can't just get in it

and fly right back again.

- Well, Mrs. Sawyer, I'm sorry to say

we haven't yet figured out a way to steer balloons,

though I'm sure we will one day.

You see, my coming to St. Pete was

as much a fate of the winds as anything else.

I had no control over my direction of flight.

- Why, that's like bein' in a ship without a rudder.

- (chuckles) Yes, ma'am.

As I said, it's a problem, but we're working on it,

and some day we'll find a way to steer them.

- You're a scientist, aren't you?

You'll think of some way to do it.

- Funny you should mention that, Tom,

because I've been giving it a lot of thought,

especially on this trip.

I experimented.

I tried everything.

I pulled on one rope and then another,

then I even tried yanking on the tether, you know?

I'm sorry, uh,

I guess I got a little carried away.

Hmm.

Well, what I'm trying to say

is that I did manage to alter its course somewhat.

Just a little bit, mind you, but it's a beginning.

- Wow, you're really somethin'!

- But I don't have any idea how I did it.

When I saw Cardiff Hill, I thought,

"Better land over there!"

It looked like the safest place to come down,

and though it was a struggle,

I know the balloon responded.

So it wasn't merely an accident

that I landed on Cardiff Hill.

- Then you do know how to guide it.

- I can't seem to remember that part.

- [Tom] Gee, that's too bad.

- All isn't lost.

At least now I know it's possible to steer a balloon,

and with some experimentation,

and maybe some design changes,

we'll achieve that goal.

Why, Mary, thank you.

- Then anybody could go up in a balloon

and just fly around wherever they want!

- Not quite, Tom.

Besides, I still have to consult

with Dr. Masterson on the design.

- Why, is Dr. Masterson a balloon designer?

- Mm-hmm.

- Do you mind if I ask you a question?

- Shoot.

- What does the army use balloons for

when all they can do is go up in the air?

- Well, I'm not really sure about that.

Let's see.

For one, they could spy on enemy positions at a distance

from the air using telescopes.

That's a way they could use them.

- But what if the enemy soldiers shot holes in the balloon?

Wouldn't that make 'em explode and come crashing down?

(chuckling)

- You're absolutely right.

The balloon would have to be high enough

so the enemy bullets couldn't hit it.

- But the balloon would have to be way up in the clouds.

How would you get it down?

- That's easy, Tom.

By letting air out of the balloon,

or by simply cooling off the air.

- Yes, but what if you couldn't make it cool off enough?

- Tom, mind your manners.

If you don't stop askin' questions,

Mr. O'Connor will never be able to finish his supper.

- Sorry.

Mary was right.

I sure was askin' a heap of questions.

But I couldn't help myself,

and it wasn't as if Arthur didn't like talkin' about it.

Shoot, I thought we were havin' a good old time.

(chuckles) At least I knowed I was.

But after supper, Mary and Aunt Polly

made me help with the dishes,

and then they made me promise not to ask

Mr. O'Connor no more questions for the rest of the night,

and only three questions tomorrow mornin' at breakfast.

It was like pullin' teeth, but I promised.

I was rackin' my brains tryin' to decide

what three questions I was gonna ask him.

(snoring)

- He looks pretty exhausted.

- You would, too.

- Do you think he might have been frightened?

- Nah.

- There's no way in the world

I would go up in one of those balloons.

- There's no way you'd do anything adventurous

in a balloon or otherwise,

but I can't wait for the day I get to fly in one.

It'd be more fun than a greased pig.

- I think it's dumb.

I think you're dumb and stupid if you aren't scared to fly.

- Oh, I'm plenty scared of flyin' in it.

But I wouldn't let that stop me

from findin' out what it's like to touch the clouds

or see the earth the way an eagle does.

- Yeah, but what if you came crashing down?

- You don't go up if you're gonna be worryin' about it!

- I think that's somethin' worth worrying about.

- [Mary] Excuse me.

- Huh?

- Mr. O'Connor, the room is ready.

You can go to bed now.

Mr. O'Connor.

Hm.

Mr. O'Connor!

- Whoa! Yes, yes sir!

After careful consideration, my conclusion is

(swallows) the balloon is not suitable for warfare.

A balloon has to, uh--

Oh.

Uh--

(chuckles)

(groans) Excuse me, I was dreaming we were at war,

and the president had turned to me for advice.

- Perfectly all right.

Your room is prepared and your bed has been turned down.

- Thank you, very much.

And Mary, if it's not being too forward,

would you please call me Arthur?

- All right.

- I hope you don't mind sharin' a room with the boys,

but that's the only place to put ya.

- Oh, not at all, ma'am.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to bed.

Night, everybody.

Night, boys.

- Goodnight, Mr. O'Connor. - Night, Mr. O'Connor.

- Goodnight, Arthur, pleasant dreams.

- It was time all of us turned in.

Mary and Aunt Polly went to their rooms

while Sid and I headed for ours.

I gotta admit, I was hopin'

to ask Arthur a few more questions,

but it weren't to be.

Shucks.

Be quiet, we don't wanna wake him up.

(snoring)

(crickets chirp)

It's sure been an excitin' day.

I wonder what tomorrow has in store for us.

Now Sid, there's something we gotta discuss.

- What are ya talkin' about, Tom?

- You and I ain't slept together

in the same bed for some time, and, well--

- So what's the big deal?

We used to all the time.

- Yeah, but you toss and turn a lot more nowadays

than you used to,

and I don't want you hoggin' the blankets,

that's all I'm sayin'.

Golly, look at him.

It must really take a lot out of you to fly a balloon.

God, I want to fly in a balloon.

(rising, lofty music)

(balloon fabric flaps)

Wow!

Golly!

Uh-oh.

(groans)

(yelps)

(screams)

(frantic music)

(screams)

(grunts)

(groans)

Huh?

Huh? Huh?

Oh.

Sid, move it.

- I'm tryin' to sleep, Tom.

- Gee!

I had a scary fall from the sky,

but it was just a dream.

I'm not afraid of flyin', Arthur.

I really wanna fly in that balloon.

There's just gotta be a way Arthur can help me.

I hope.

Move, Sid!

Yup, as far as I was concerned,

tomorrow was gonna be the day that I was gonna fly.

(bouncy, whistling music)

♫ These are the stories of Tom Sawyer

♫ Me and Huck Finn just playin' by the river

♫ Chasin' that steamboat, teacher, let me be

♫ I wanna be free sittin' under a tree

♫ That's me (laughs)