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'The island of Singapore

'lies on the southern tip of British Malaya.

'This jewel of empire produces 97% of the world's rubber,

'and covetous Japanese eyes have turned on these riches.

'Let the Japs try it!

'With the formidable strength of its British garrison,

'Singapore is well-equipped to hold its ground in the Far East.'

Are you all right?

Do you have any water, by any chance?

What have you done to your hands?

Firefighting.

I don't... Some sort of explosion.

You'd better come with us, we can get you a dressing.

I'm looking for my girl.

You'll be able to do that better once your hands have been seen to.

There's a medic at the airbase. Come.

The Japs could bomb us again any time. Please...

Step on it, Bruce, for God's sake!

The van's chock-full of ammo. If this goes up, we land in China!

Bloody Japs, here we go again.

I can't begin to understand what this fellow thinks he's doing.

There isn't a single bloody plane intact

in this whole sodding aerodrome!

Yeah!

You see that beach over there?

We got hold of a boat and hid it over there.

What for?

Everyone's saying the British Army

will have to surrender sometime today.

Really? -Mm.

So, we're going to try and get out and make it to Sumatra.

Nine o'clock tonight.

Room for you, if you'd like to join us.

We could probably squeeze in your girl as well.

Of course, you'll have to find her first.

Oh, I'll find her.

We can't wait for you. -Don't worry.

I'll find her.

If you leave your belongings lying around, Joan, it's not surprising.

Give it back! -I will not!

Give it! Give it back this minute!

Oh! -Oh, what have you done?

Thank you, Mohammed.

Kate!

Hello, Daddy.

Mwah!

Where are you off to, eh? -Nowhere in particular.

Just making myself scarce.

If you weren't routing around my things...

I don't think that belongs to you, actually.

What's going on here, may I ask?

Enough.

Leave us, Joan. I'll speak to you presently.

I've told you before, my dear, you really mustn't upset yourself.

It gets you absolutely nowhere.

She refused to tell me anything.

Who he is. Where she met him.

I don't even know his name! -It appears...

his name is Barry.

Barry?!

I realise, at your age, flirtations are inevitable

and, on the whole,

I rely on you to use your good judgment.

What I do object to is you upsetting your mother.

It's her fault, she... -Ah!

All I ask is, in the future...

...you hide your love letters a little more efficiently.

I don't know what's to become of Joan.

Oh, Joan will sort herself out. Don't you worry about Joan.

It's Monty you should be worried about.

Bone idle, drunk every night.

How's he going to run an enormous company?

He can barely do up his shoes in the morning.

Has old Mr Webb said anything about

bringing his son, Matthew, out here?

Matthew? No.

I don't think they've seen each other since Mrs Webb died.

A shame, really.

We always used to say that Matthew

would have made an ideal husband for Joan.

Er.

Sylvia and I were talking about your boy last night.

Matthew?

Yes. -Hm.

Wondering if you had any plans to bring him out here.

I thought about it after the League of Nations collapsed.

But I'm not sure that commerce is altogether his area of expertise.

You used to say how good it would be if he and Joan were to marry.

Er, for the good of the firm, of course.

Well...

Yes, for example...

this finagling you're doing with the Dutch

to get round the American rubber restrictions,

you'd have trouble getting him to agree to something like that.

He's a bit of an idealist. -Oh, dear.

That is bad luck.

No.

I rather approve.

By the way, you have a letter from the Chinese Protectorate.

A fellow from the Chinese Protectorate

said you'd promised this woman that, if the need arose,

I'd vouch for her.

Really?

I don't remember.

Oh, wait a minute, yes. The Chinese girl.

But that was years ago.

When?

Do you remember when Mummy and I took that holiday in Shanghai

and got caught up in an anti-Japanese riot?

Vaguely.

We would like 25 yards. _

What's going on?

Urgh!

Help!

'I ran into her again on the boat on the way back.'

This must be steerage.

I must say, it's slightly dingy.

Terrible smell!

Oh, they must be cooking something ghastly.

Hello.

So, you got away.

Yes, I managed to do so.

Good.

My name is Miss Chiang.

Vera Chiang.

How do you do?

Joan Blackett.

Come to see how the other half lives, eh?

Something like that.

May I ask you a favour?

Of course.

Please, don't tell anyone about that dreadful business

with the Japanese officer.

It was... all a terrible misunderstanding.

I wouldn't like it to jeopardise my chances

of getting a landing permit in Singapore.

I completely understand.

You speak such good English.

This is my father's business card, Miss Chiang.

If you stay on in Singapore,

don't hesitate to get in touch

if you need help finding work or anything like that.

Thank you so much, Miss Blackett.

You're most kind.

I haven't seen her from that day to this.

I see.

And she's still here in Singapore?

Please, don't feel you have to do anything for her on my account.

Hm.

Well, you say you want me to vouch for her.

Well, I'm not what you might call a natural voucher.

No, I don't want you to vouch for her.

We're very happy to deport her back to China.

But you are not giving us very much detail.

This Vera Chiang was the friend,

or, er, concubine of a communist we deported last year to Chungking.

Since when she's been scraping a living as a taxi dancer.

We have no specific evidence,

but we suspect she may be a communist.

Oh, well, in that case...

But you have no evidence?

Nothing specific, as I say.

But the really suspicious thing about her

is that she speaks such perfect English and is so well-educated.

Oh, I see.

You don't like to see the Chinese educated, is that it?

We generally find that a good education

tends to go hand in hand with communist sympathies.

And you claim to be working for the Chinese Protectorate.

Is this how you protect them, by keeping them poor and ignorant?

Well...

And you can wipe that smile off your face.

I've been in this colony since before you were born.

Well, I think that's enough...

And take your hands out of your pockets when you're speaking to me.

I've a good mind to report this impertinence to your superiors.

There's no need to...

I shall vouch for this woman if Mr Blackett won't.

My name is Webb. There is my card.

And tell Miss Chiang she can come and stay with me.

Hello! Er, Miss Chiang?

Yes. -Oh, allow me.

My name's Brendan Archer.

Most people call me the Major.

Which I was once, a long time ago now.

I live in Mr Webb's house.

Which, for some unknown reason,

has always been known as the Mayfair.

Hm.

The best space on the Monopoly board.

Oh, yes!

Quite right!

Well, if you follow me, I'll show you to your quarters.

Er, just in here, if you...

Mr Webb?

Ah...

You must be Miss Chiang.

Yes. -How do you do?

How do you do?

The Major looking after you all right?

Yes, very much so.

Good. He'll get you settled in and we'll have a chat later, hm?

I'm most grateful to you, sir.

Nonsense. Not a bit of it.

If it hadn't been for your intervention,

I'd have been sent back to China, certainly tortured,

and very probably killed by the Japanese.

Well, I'm glad to have been of service.

Er, hear, hear.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mr Webb.

Evening, Miss Chaing.

Well, you seem to have settled in all right these last few weeks.

My son, Matthew.

I sent him to a very progressive school in Suffolk.

I don't know that it suited him all that well.

He's a reticent boy.

But I thought it would do him good.

And I must say he's turned out very high-minded.

He is very handsome. -A chip off the old block, eh?

Oh, yes.

Very much so.

Hm.

Miss Blackett!

I was picking out something to wear to the party

and I suddenly thought these old dresses might be of use to you.

I'm certainly never going to wear them again.

Why, thank you, Miss Blackett.

That's most considerate of you. -Not at all.

I'm sure Daddy must have had a good reason for not inviting you today.

Just a moment.

That's better.

Mm-hm.

Well... I must say,

I've never made the wretched thing look as good as that.

Oh, sorry, I'm...

It's just I think it might be time.

Mm.

I suppose I have to go, do I? -Well, it's my understanding

that the whole thing's in your honour.

Yeah.

Though I have to say, I am not feeling particularly sprightly.

Oh, God...

Come on, then, let's get it over with.

Monty...

Would it be too much to ask you to show a modicum of restraint?

Oh, sorry.

No, of course not, Father.

Perhaps you might even consider getting dressed

and looking after our guests, as opposed to drenching them.

Yes, Father.

Would you excuse me?

Are you having a good time?

Walter!

Joan's with Jim Ehrendorf again. -Well, of course she is.

She asked for him to be invited.

I know, but she hasn't said a single word to anyone else.

I refuse to spend the entire afternoon

worrying about the social inadequacies of my children.

Besides, we like Ehrendorf, don't we?

All the same, I shall be keeping an eye on them.

Yes, you do that.

Hello.

Well, thank you very much. Thank you very much indeed.

Oh, hello, Major. -Mr Blackett.

It all seems to be... -Well, he's on splendid form.

He said he's feeling a bit seedy.

The homage of the masses has no doubt perked him up.

Solomon Langfeld?

I thought you despised him. -I do.

Then why did you invite him?

I decided it was the right thing to do.

I never thought for a moment he'd accept.

Much less bring his wife and that great lump of a son.

And what exactly are Buffaloes, Air Chief Marshal?

Aeroplanes. A new fighter, dear lady, the Brewster Buffalo.

Hello.

Nigel.

Not friends with Nigel Langfeld, are you?

He's OK.

His father's company cheated us about ten years ago

and Daddy hasn't spoken to him since.

Oh, it's not his fault, is it?

I didn't say it was.

No resistance at all?

The Japanese are trying to pull the wool over our eyes

with this organisation

they call the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity...

...Sphere!

Excuse me.

Hello, Mrs Blackett.

We were just talking about the band, wondering where Monty found them.

Goodness knows.

I'm not sure they're...

Don't you find them a tiny bit vulgar?

No. No, not at all.

I think everyone's enjoying them enormously.

Good.

Good.

Monty!

Monty! I need to find your father.

Do you think...?

You don't suppose he's had too much to drink?

He never touches alcohol.

Oh!

What? Quick!

Oh, my God! -Get an ambulance!

Someone, get an ambulance!

He's not dead, is he? -Get him up. An ambulance!

Get up. -And the weather!

What else can go wrong?

I was wondering, Major... -Yes?

...is that Miss Chiang still at the Mayfair?

Yes. Why?

It might be best to ask her to leave.

Give her some money, send her on her way.

Why?

Well, you know how people gossip.

There will be far too many people about.

Oh, God!

What?

We have 80 people turning up for dinner this evening.

I'm going to have to reach as many as I can and put them off.

I'm sure nobody'd mind if you stayed until the morning.

And I would be much happier if you'd accept a...

I absolutely refuse to take any of his money.

Well, anyway...

...if you could let me have an address,

I'll keep you informed of Mr Webb's progress.

Please.

I'd like that.

Mm...

Everything all right, Abdul? -Tip-top, master.

How many stayed for dinner? -15, sir.

Oh, well, that's not so bad, I suppose.

Yes, sir.

Your guests are already gathered in the dining room

for the entertainment.

Entertainment?

Urgh!

Have you lost your senses?

Doing this after what's happened to Mr Webb?

No, honestly, Father, this yogi chappy, he's an absolute scream.

Excuse me, Father, I'll be right back.

So sorry to hear about Mr Webb.

Yes. Thank you, Langfeld.

Heart attack, was it?

A stroke.

And on his birthday, too. What a...

Oh...

Ah!

Oh, he's not...

Oh, no!

Er, if everybody would like to go through,

drinks will be in the drawing room.

Anybody like any fresh air?

No, no... -Thank you, everyone.

No, he's not yet finished, Father.

He dissolves a coin in nitric acid and then drinks it.

It's amazing. -I want him out of here, Monty.

Now.

Has he gone now?

Oh, yes. Yes, he's gone.

Not without having a huge row with Monty on the subject of his fee.

Oh! -But he finally pushed off...

full of china.

China tea?

No, not really.

If you're waiting for Joan,

I'm very much afraid she's gone out for the evening.

In that case, I've, er...

I've been stood up. Never mind, not for the first time.

I'll just finish my drink and... -No, no. No rush.

You are...

friends with Matthew Webb, aren't you?

Yes. I got to know him at Oxford.

And then I ran into him a few years ago in Geneva.

He was working for

the International League for the Protection of Native Peoples.

Well, I've never met him.

Though he did once send me a very strange postcard from Tokyo.

Strange, in what way?

It was of a sheep up to its knees in a lake.

Oh, I'm sure it was just the first one that came to hand.

But take my word for it,

he is the most wonderful human being.

Well, that's very good to know.

I think perhaps I should send the poor chap

a telegram about his father.

Yes, of course, yeah.

Well, if you'll excuse me,

I'll go and make arrangements to do just that.

Perhaps you could mention to Joan that I waited for her?

Yes, of course.

Our date must have slipped her mind.

That'll be it.

Any news?

He's still unconscious.

But they'll let you look in on him if you'd like.

Well, if he's unconscious, perhaps I'll go tomorrow.

Let him rest, hm?

Tell me, Major...

do you think I should ask Matthew to come out here?

Well, I imagine he would want to be with his father.

Awfully long way to come, don't you think, in the middle of a war?

Anyway, I thought they'd fallen out.

They certainly didn't see eye to eye about everything.

But...

Mr Webb's devoted to him.

He very much admired Matthew's work with the native peoples.

So...

he'll inherit, will he? -Oh, yes. Yes.

Everything.

I witnessed the will.

I wasn't sure. I thought maybe, erm...

Well, if that's the case,

we must definitely get him out here, mustn't we?

Sun...

The sun. The rising sun.

Something about his son, perhaps?

He's on his way, Mr Webb.

He'll be here very soon.

As a matter of fact, the poor fellow's still stuck in Gibraltar.

Oh...

Without him, you know, I'd never have amounted to anything.

You know, Major, this is the end of an era.

Any idea where to find Miss Chiang...

and get her back here?

It might keep him going until Matthew gets here.

I thought of you today at the consulate.

Oh? Why was that?

They were talking about rubber.

Oh, yes? -Mm-hm.

Apparently, the, er...

the US government is planning to acquire an extra 100.000 tons

to put in the Rubber Reserve Company.

Did they say 100.000 tons?

Are you sure?

I'm positive, yeah.

Mm-hm.

Why, is that a lot or...?

It's rather surprising.

You won't tell anybody, though, will you?

Oh, no.

Careless talk costs jobs and all that.

It's safe with me.

Oh!

What have you done to your hand?

Oh, this? Oh, it's nothing, just a burn.

Hello.

Hello.

Erm, shall we?

Actually, er...

Jim...

I'd like a quick word with Joan, if you don't mind.

Of course.

This is all most mysterious, Daddy.

If you don't mind my asking,

how are things between you and Ehrendorf?

Oh, he'd put his hand in the fire for me.

All the same, I'm planning to chuck him this evening.

Ah...

You see, the thing is, just now,

he let slip something rather interesting.

Always a first time for everything!

The US government's Rubber Reserve Company are in need of more product.

I have a feeling they're going to take some drastic action

sooner rather than later.

I see.

Obviously, it would be extremely useful

to know what that action was in advance.

In certain circumstances, one could make quite a killing.

I think he's just been granted a reprieve.

Rising sun...

The sun...

The rising sun...

What did he say?

I think he was trying to say something about the Japanese.

Oh, fiddlesticks.

Everybody knows he was a sun-worshipper.

He'll be thinking about pruning his roses.

That dress is very familiar.

I expect so.

It is one your daughter Joan was kind enough to pass on to me.

Oh, well, that'll explain it.

What the... -For goodness' sake!

Any idea who that bloody idiot is?

Why, yes.

That is your new General Officer Commanding, General Percival.

He doesn't seem to know where he's going, he practically upended me.

Can I offer you a stengah to calm the nerves, sir?

No, thank you.

As a matter of fact, I have to rush back to the Mayfair.

Mr Webb, it seems, has... taken a turn for he worse.

Oh.

Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Erm...

Please, send my love to Joan.

Jim... -Yes, sir?

I don't suppose you've heard any more about that order

from the Reserve Company, have you?

Well, yeah, I have.

But...

Well, I guess I can rely on you to keep this confidential.

Oh, yes, of course. I'm just curious.

In future...

nobody will be able to sell rubber to the US without a licence.

No more private deals. -Ah.

How will that affect the outstanding forward contracts?

Oh, they'll honour all the contracts made up to the date

that they bring in this change.

And, er, when are they planning on doing that?

Next week sometime, I think.

Are they? It certainly makes no difference to us.

But it's good to know. See you around, I hope.

I hope Mr Webb is OK. -What?

Oh, yes, thank you.

I need to go to Collyer Quay, Mohammed, as quick as you like.

Drop me at the office and then I want you to go back to the Mayfair,

find Major Archer and tell him I've been unavoidably delayed

by a very serious business matter.

Yes, operator.

Yes, put me through to the exchange.

Hello, it's Walter Blackett here, Blackett & Webb.

How much do you have?

Yes, we'll have all of that. Yes, I am certain.

Ah, hello, Walter Blackett here.

Yes. Yes, as much as you have.

How soon?

Perfect!

So sorry.

There was something I simply had to do at the office.

Mr Webb would have been the first to understand.

How is he?

He had some sort of little crisis in the afternoon.

They didn't think he was going to get through it.

But he has.

Thank God.

I heard this afternoon that Matthew's got as far as Ceylon.

Oh.

Have you seen Ehrendorf at all?

As soon as you said you had no further use for him,

I gave him the old heave-ho. -Oh, fair enough.

For years, I've been meaning to bring Monty here.

But somehow, I knew he'd never understand what this place means to me.

So, I thought I'd bring you instead.

Entirely thanks to the help you gave me,

in a few weeks' time,

this whole place will be stuffed to the gills with rubber.

And are you going to make a killing?

Well, I've contracted to sell the Americans a great deal of rubber

and to push the contracts through before those restrictions set in.

So, er...

it's not beyond the bounds of possibility.

You go first. -Hm?

Follow me.

Take a seat.

When I started working for Webb,

I used to escape up here

and daydream of everything I was going to do.

And you've done it.

Yes.

And now...

it's time to think of the future.

Go on.

When Mr Webb is gone, the business will be at a crossroads.

As you know, Matthew Webb is due to inherit everything.

Yes, and... -No, no, let me finish.

He's a bit of an unknown quantity.

Some of his ideas, as far as I can tell, are a bit muddled, and, erm...

Well, to put it in a nutshell,

I hope you don't mind my suggesting this...

You want me to marry him? -No!

No, I wouldn't dream of...

All I was going to say is if you could make him find you attractive.

What?

Really, Daddy, you are a silly, old-fashioned thing!

What does it matter what he's like?

Of course, I'll marry him.

Rising sun...

Rising sun.

Rising sun!

He's gone.

Should I...

give the order to launch Operation M-Matador, sir?

Ambassador Crosby keeps sending telegrams

begging me not to violate Siamese neutrality.

He'll have kittens. -Yes, s-s-sir.

But if the Japanese land there and there...

We have to go across the border and f-f-fortify The Ledge.

Once they're past that, it'll be the devil of a job to contain them.

You're right. -And now...

London has left the decision up to you.

Quite so.

I suppose we'd better let the hounds off the leash.

Absolutely, sir!

On the other hand...

Just tell them to stand by, will you?

There he is.

Thanks a lot.

Pleasure, old boy.

Enjoy your first flight? -Rather!

All right, off you go.

And watch out for the Singapore grip.

What's that? -You'll find out soon enough.

Matthew?

I'm Monty Blackett. -Hello.

This way.

I see it's been raining. -I'll say.

This time of year, it rains every single bloody day.

Shame your old man wasn't able to hang on a bit longer.

I know, but thanks for getting me on that plane.

I thought I was going to get stuck in Ceylon for life.

The blighters are so desperate for our rubber,

they'd have rowed you here if they had to.

Right, all aboard.

Oh, lumme!

Good heavens, it's Jim Ehrendorf!

I was at Oxford with him. -Oh...

My, oh, my, oh, my...

I was afraid I wouldn't make it here in time.

Good to see you.

Look at you.

Hiya, Monty. Hello, Joan. -Hello.

Come on, let's scram, for God's sake.

I'll ride with you guys. -Yes.

Go on without me.

I'm very interested in the relations

between native workers and European employers.

Well, the whole colonial experience, really.

You're certainly in the right place.

You'll find a basinful

of the colonial experience down this street.

Honestly, Monty! -What?

You brought us down here on purpose.

It's not clever or funny. -Don't get in a bait.

The RAF chap, the pilot, told me to watch out for the Singapore grip.

Does anyone happen to know what it is?

I, er... I won't come in, Matthew.

I have to, erm...

It's great to see you.

Yes.

And I'll call you real soon, OK? -Please, do.

Real soon.

Matthew!

Walter Blackett. I'd like to welcome you to Singapore.

Indeed, welcome to these Straits Settlements

your father did so much to build up in his lifetime.

Thank you, sir.

I live just over there, as I'm sure the children have explained to you.

And we're very much hoping you'll join us for dinner.

Oh...

Well, I'm a bit...

I was rather hoping to be able to collapse into bed.

Oh, no, it's very informal.

Just a few friends and Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham,

our C-in-C, Far East.

Oh, well, I... -Please, come.

Oh, well, all right. Thank you.

Ah!

Major Archer, another dear friend of your father's.

Pleased to meet you.

So, we will give you a chance to freshen up

and then meet for drinks in about half an hour.

All right. -A sad occasion,

but I am glad you are here.

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