Original subtitles

While we were walking the green meadows of Walton's Mountain,

daring fliers were conquering the beckoning blue skies.

We had come to know an airmail pilot

who would fly slightly off course just to say hello to us

and especially to Jim-Bob.

Jim-Bob's head was in the clouds back in those days,

dreaming of machines which he hoped one day to fly.

-See you all later. -Bye-bye.

-Have a nice day. -Bye-bye.

-Wish I could go with you. -Jim-Bob, when I get home,

I'll tell you everything you want to know about wing-walkers.

Besides, you'll be able to see them when they're at the fair.

Hey, Grandma, Grandpa!

-How many eggs you got? -Two dozen.

Have a good day.

Have a good day.

Maude Gormley, what are you doing way over here?

It looks like the goat's taking Maude out for a stroll.

Well, good morning, Esther. Good morning, Zeb.

Morning.

-You all know Myrtle. -Morning, Myrtle.

-Hello, Myrtle. -Hi.

I came here this morning for a purpose.

It's Myrtle.

See, seems like the older I get, the more mischief she gets into.

She's got high-grade intelligence,

but got so she's too much for me to manage.

You might say that Myrtle's got your goat, huh?

You've got my goat's more like it.

I'm going to give Myrtle to you all,

knowing you'll treat her with love and kindness.

Don't touch her horns. She's sensitive there.

Maude, with a bank loan hanging over the mill

and 11 mouths to feed,

a goat with a bottomless pit is just what we don't need.

-Oh, Grandma. Look at her. -Oh, Grandma.

-I'll pull grass for her. -Well, I'll milk her, Grandma.

Well, Esther, Myrtle will more than pay for her keep

with the milk she gives.

Well, I have heard them called the poor man's cow.

Myrtle lets down the richest milk in the Old Dominion.

We got a goat.

Well, I guess the sooner me and Myrtle part, the better.

She favors alfalfa grass.

Well, thank you, Maude.

We'll take good care of her, don't worry.

You come and see her anytime you want to.

You know where she is if you ever want her back.

You treat her with love and kindness

'cause that's the way I grew her.

Alright, children, you go on to school or you'll be late.

Go on. Myrtle will be here when you return.

-You can play with her anytime. -Play with her?

She's not a plaything. She's a farm animal.

Grandma, Myrtle wants to follow me like Mary's little lamb.

-Yes, you go on. Go on. -What're you doing with her?

I'm going to tie her up so she doesn't get near that garden.

-Grandma! -What?

Just go to school. Go to school.

There.

I think she's telling you what for, Esther.

You gotta have a lot of guts to do that.

Either that or you gotta be crazy.

Right.

-Study hard. -I will.

-Rex Barker? -Yeah.

I'm John Walton, Jr., Jefferson County Times.

I've been assigned to do a story on you and your wing-walker.

John. We need all the ballyhoo we can get.

Everybody's gonna come out to see you.

I was in Westham, and they were all watching.

You know, come-on flights before a fair do help at the gate.

And I picked up a few passengers who wanna

go up just for the thrill.

Well, that seemed like a pretty smooth landing you just made.

Greased her in pretty good.

Better than a cornfield or a cow pasture.

Of course, they aren't always that smooth.

Oh, is that where you got that?

Yeah, I was touching my wheels down and taking off again

and I kissed the ground a little hard,

got a dashboard right in the eye.

But I'm not your story. John Walton, writer.

Death Defying Bobby Strom.

Oh. Well, I didn't know that. It's...

What a pleasure.

-That's really something. -What's really something?

Well, I mean, you're a girl... A woman.

Oh, good for you.

Well, I mean, it's just that I never expected...

I never heard of a woman wing-walker before.

Are you an authority on wing-walkers?

No. No, I'm here assigned from the Jefferson County Times

to do a story on you.

Rex, I think I'll drive on into town and try to find a hotel.

Good luck.

Could I ask you a few questions?

I think you better let her speak for herself.

-Okay, well, nice to meet you. -Okay.

Miss Strom. Miss Strom. I didn't mean to be rude back there.

It's just that it was such a surprise.

Could I suggest something to you?

Suggest.

Well, the next time you're up there

on one of your come-on flights

and you're walking on the wing, why don't you maybe just

take off your aviator's cap and let your hair fly?

It'd be a thrill for people to know it's a woman up there.

You'd attract a lot more people to the fair and,

well, I know it would attract me.

I like your idea. Any more?

I'm a student at the university in Westham,

I could take you into town and find you a place to stay.

Oh, no, thanks. I'll take my chances.

One downtown hotel is like any other.

Sure. I know.

-Goodbye. -Bye.

You know, Miss Strom.

If you really feel that way about downtown hotels,

you could always come out and stay with us in the country.

It'd certainly help me with the story to have you nearby.

Your wife wouldn't object?

I don't have a wife. I just have a family.

Of brothers and sisters and my mom and my daddy, you know.

We have a little house next to the main house.

Well, I guess you could call it a guesthouse. It's very modest.

I wouldn't expect anything grand.

Where is this little guesthouse with family?

About 26 miles from here, Walton's Mountain.

You'd have a good time.

You can always speak to my brother, Jim-Bob.

He's my younger brother. He loves aviation.

Or else you could just relax.

It's beautiful countryside and quiet.

You could just take it easy.

I could get my story.

Well, this is crazy, but I think I would rather

be staring at a mountain than the walls of a seedy hotel.

Okay.

Well, great.

I'll just get my bags, okay?

Oh, I'll get them. Is this... Just this one right here? Okay.

That's great.

That's my car right over there, the tan one.

Okay.

I'll tell you what. I can take a dollar off for the three of you,

but five bucks is really my rock-bottom price.

Sorry.

-See you tomorrow, Rex. -Okay.

Miss Strom is going to come home to stay with my family.

You're welcome to come, too, if you don't mind the hayloft.

Well, thanks a lot, John. I appreciate it, but...

Even though we are a stunt team,

when it comes to time off we go our separate ways.

Her choice, not mine.

Well, pleasure to meet you.

-Sure. -Thank you.

Okay.

Well.

I think you're really gonna like my family.

Wait a minute. Your door isn't closed yet. Sorry.

I got a professor in college,

and he talks about what he calls irresistible forces.

Things that have to happen in order to reshape the world.

Like the opening up of the Orient

and the invention of electricity and airplanes.

Well, like that China Clipper. Can you believe that?

That's a boat that flies from California to Hawaii

and then straight on to China.

You must feel great being a part of that thing.

Blazing trails along with the rest of them.

Hogwash.

A wing-walker just gives the public

what it craves, ever-greater thrills.

Well, what made you become a wing-walker?

I'm drawn to high places.

No, I mean, why didn't you just become

a pilot like Amelia Earhart? If I'm gonna write this story,

I wanna know why you take chances like that.

If that's the kind of story you wanna write.

Last year, there were over 250 barnstorming accidents.

Some 80 killed, over 150 injured.

Wings do collapse, fabric tears loose,

engines rip away coming out of a dive,

a wing-walker or two is blown off

when the safety harness breaks.

-Does that help your story? -No. You don't understand.

That's not what I'm talking about.

I wanna know what makes you take the chances you take.

When you have skill, it isn't chance.

Come on. Every time you walk out there,

you're taking your life in your hands.

I know where I walk.

-Got one. -Yeah.

Grandpa, how many flies did the brave little tailor

kill with one blow?

Well, now, according to the Brothers Grimm,

they were seven in all.

Well, I killed one in five blows.

Yes.

You know, I figure if I can kill all the flies outside,

there won't be any for Myrtle to draw inside.

Well, Myrtle, she likes company.

Just look at her. Myrtle.

Ben.

Now, that goat's drawing flies from miles around.

You go tie her to that tree.

Grandma, Maude Gormley even let Myrtle in the house.

Maude spoiled her rotten, and it's up to us to unspoil her.

Now go ahead. Go on.

Elizabeth, what in the world are you doing,

swatting flies outside?

You say that Myrtle draws flies into the house,

I figure if I can kill them all off,

there won't be any to draw into the house.

Myrtle is not going inside.

Now, you help me keep her in her place.

Ben, you make it good and tight.

You know, that one up there

looks like a resident housefly to me, eh?

Yes, I think that's a Walton fly. Leave her alone.

Hey, lookee here.

That one there.

Must've just eaten, that little fly.

It's washing its face just like a cat would.

And it's looking around at us

with its beautiful big blue eyes,

watching out for its enemies.

-With flyswatters. -Hmm.

You know, the common housefly

is one of the most perfect examples of motherhood

that there is, Elizabeth.

The ordinary female housefly

can literally hatch up thousands of young ones.

Grandpa, I'd rather if you didn't tell me

nice things about flies. I could never kill them.

Life is like that.

Let's go.

It's all so excruciatingly exciting and romantic.

A girl wing-walker.

Flying in the sky all dressed in white,

you must look like a dove.

I'll bet you get tons of proposals.

Oh, at least one a day.

But actually not many men are willing to follow me out

on the wing of an airplane going 65 miles an hour.

I'd like to set that to music. What does it sound like?

At first, it's like a whistling.

But then you break through to a whole other world

where it's quiet, and you feel

as if you're the only person alive in the universe.

Mama went up in an airplane

with a pilot who landed in her meadow.

It was the thrill of my life. A whole other world.

I've got an aviator cap like yours. I'll go get it.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. It'll wait till after supper.

Let Miss Strom finish eating her food.

Strom. That's a very interesting name. Never heard it before.

It's Scandinavian. It means electrical current.

Like lightning striking. Like you!

Sounds like a storm. Barnstormers.

I suppose you young ones know that barnstormers

were early play actors

who went around on horseback playing in barns and such?

-I didn't know that, Grandpa. -Well, Zeb would.

He's been putting on a show most of his life.

And my only admission price is a kiss.

You see.

You know, we have a picture of Amelia Earhart in our school.

She's a real hero.

But she's safe in a cockpit.

Bobby's on the wing of an airplane,

flying with the wind in her face.

What's the difference between a woman flying an airplane

and a woman making a spectacle of herself?

May we be excused, please?

Yes, you certainly may.

I haven't finished the pudding yet.

Eat your pudding.

I'll go get my aviator's cap and plane, okay?

Okay, Jim-Bob.

You sure made a big hit with him.

-I think she heard you, Grandma. -I know she did.

Well, she ought to hear somebody.

That girl better get ready to meet her maker.

Hey, Myrtle, what you doing up there?

You're sure gonna catch it from Grandma.

Like I did?

Oh, well.

You gotta understand Grandma.

According to her lights, it's sinful for someone

to endanger his life for sport or entertainment.

That's what sells tickets.

The entire family, friends and half the town will be there.

Well, no, you don't really understand my family.

There isn't one of them that would go to see you do a stunt

unless it was to pray you'd come through safe and sound.

I sure would hate to see anything happen to you.

I'm sorry.

Is it Rex, your partner? I mean...

He told me that he went his way and you went yours.

We do.

-You wouldn't understand. -I'd like to.

I'd like to know you a lot better.

Goodnight, John-Boy.

Bobby?

This is gonna sound pretty silly

but tomorrow when you're up on your come-on flight, you know...

Well, I've never been up in an airplane before.

And I'd surely like to know what it feels like up there.

I think it'd be good for the story,

if you got any room in the cockpit.

It sure is hard to say no to you.

-Goodnight, John-Boy. -Goodnight.

This is great!

Welcome back!

You sure had me scared there for a minute.

Myrtle's found her own mountain, that's for sure.

Would you like to come in?

Sure.

Yeah, I wonder how long this old mountain's been here anyway.

They say that primitive life forms showed up here

around 1,500 million B.C.

And here we are.

What's the matter with you?

I want to tell you something.

I've never told this to anybody before.

When I was 15 years old,

I was walking through some woods.

A man attacked me.

I never saw him before. I never saw him again.

Can't escape that memory.

Say something.

I don't know what to say.

I want to say the right thing.

I think I'd like to be alone.

Bobby.

An experience like that,

it doesn't have to be a whole lifetime.

I...

Did you know Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh

worked as a grease monkey to earn money for flying lessons?

He was a wing-walker, too.

I could learn a lot from you, Jim-Bob.

I don't know. You've been doing everything

I've been dreaming of doing.

Have you ever flown, Mr. Walton?

No. Looked up at a few from the trenches

in France during the war.

Mostly German planes with black crosses on their wings.

Oh, the German aces.

The war did more for the air age than it did for anything else.

Well, it didn't do much for our boys in Flanders Field.

The next war will do even more for flying.

Well, thank heavens there isn't going to be any next war.

Thanks to men like my son and the other boys,

made the world safe.

I don't know, Grandma.

A lot of marching going on in Germany right now.

If the war does break out, I hope to fly in it.

Oh, good Lord.

I don't know.

We had nurses and women ambulance drivers

behind the lines, but women fighter pilots? I don't know.

I was thinking of flying soldiers to the war zones.

You might pay attention here, reporter.

Some background for your story.

Say that Jim-Bob here is flying the plane and I'm on the wing.

Air bumps, or turbulence,

need not be feared, Jim-Bob, if you know what causes them.

Now, warm air travels upward.

You can expect it mostly over cities and open fields

that catch the full rays of the sun.

Cool air travels downwards over lakes and forests.

Downdrafts can be dangerous.

The way to avoid a crash is to gun your engine

and just fly up out of them.

Now, as the plane flies forward

the air flows and goes around the wing.

In a declining angle, the air helps to hold me on.

If the air meets the wing at too sharp of an angle,

the wind just rushes over me and I have a hard time holding on.

This can cause a decrease in lift and your plane could stall.

Oh, I'd never let that happen. Not with you out there.

With a good pilot, and Rex is the best

until Jim-Bob gets his wings here,

all I've got to do is just lean into the wind, that's all.

If you know how to combat drag and gravity pull,

there's nothing to be afraid of.

Unless I decide to take that chance.

What chance?

Climb out of the cockpit,

up to the top wing.

Top wing?

Stand there with no support.

Free,

and lean into the wind holding two flags on high.

With no safety belt?

With a safety belt, I wouldn't be free.

Bobby.

I've been thinking

about what you told me

and about the way you take chances.

I think if you wanna be happy and you wanna make

anybody else happy, you're gonna have to

love your own life and not be afraid of it.

Is my life worth loving?

Your life is precious.

Good morning.

Hey, Reckless.

-Hi, Myrtle. -Hi.

Where's Jim-Bob?

Oh, he's upstairs, Mama. He'll be right down.

Bye-bye, have a nice day.

-Wait. I'll say bye to Myrtle. -No.

You'll smell up the whole school with goat.

-Grandma. -I'm going to take that goat,

lock it in the barn, and throw the key in Drucilla's Pond.

-Jim-Bob, your lunch. -Thanks, Ma.

-Have a good day. -Bye, Myrtle.

Where's John-Boy this morning?

He took that story he's writing about you

to the Jefferson County Times.

-Bye, Elizabeth. -Bye.

Do you have time for a walk, Mrs. Walton?

I should be doing the breakfast dishes,

but sure. A walk would be more fun.

Yesterday there was a rose in my room.

Last night there was another one.

A long time ago, I had an experience that changed my life.

I just stopped feeling.

I couldn't let anybody be close to me.

I was determined to not ever get hurt again.

I was too scared, too scared to be close to anyone.

And then John-Boy

made me want to change all that.

Something wrong?

It's a place not much different from this where it happened.

I've never been able to go into the shadows.

Let's go back the other way.

It's beautiful here.

-Does it have a name? -Drucilla's Pond.

John-Boy loves it here.

We all do.

We have a wonderful time when we come here for picnics.

To hear the children's voices yelling and screaming,

and Grandpa getting mad 'cause he's trying to fish.

I never used to think of a family of my own.

If it's what you want, there's no greater blessing.

You and Mr. Walton are lucky.

We've had a good life.

Hasn't always been smooth sailing

but we always loved each other.

That got us through the bad times

and made the good times even better.

I've been such a disappointment to my parents.

They wanted grandchildren.

Mrs. Walton, I slept so soundly last night.

I don't know if it was the good mountain air

or all the warmth and friendliness

I've felt here from all of you.

Oh, I slept soundly.

-Even with Myrtle on your roof? -Yes.

I'm the kind of person who just plunges right into life

but here I've started to change and look around.

I'm becoming something different.

After all these years of not allowing myself

to feel anything at all

can you imagine how I really feel right now?

I think I'm falling in love with John-Boy.

Does he know?

No.

A girl has never been courted so tenderly.

I've never encountered a woman like Bobby Strom before.

From the first moment I saw her, I found her tantalizing

and romantic, even challenging.

But what Bobby has told me about herself

has made me think about my own feelings for her,

and I now realize that they may not have been

of the most noble type.

I feel embarrassed and guilty when I think

of how I might have treated her.

From here on, I want to put those feelings behind me

and be her friend and truly help her.

Are you sure Myrtle won't kick like Chance?

Not if you keep the flies away.

Shoo.

You know, Myrtle, if Grandma likes your milk enough,

maybe she'll let you out of jail.

Can I try? I'll take in the bucket.

Hey, that's not fair. I'm gonna tell Daddy on you.

Wait a minute. Here, you can milk the goat.

Here. Sit right down here.

Come on. Just like Chance.

-No need help. You're company. -I want to.

You know, right now you sure don't look like

that Death Defying Bobby Strom to me.

-Good. -Tomorrow's your big day?

Yes, ma'am. The fair.

Well, don't court death, child.

Mama!

-Here's Myrtle's milk. -Why, thank you, honey, Ben.

Oh, it was nothing, Mama.

Three squirts in there are by me.

You see, I got a lot of pull with Myrtle. Come on, Elizabeth.

Goat don't give much, does it?

They say it's very rich, Grandma.

We've to learn how to make goat cheese.

Haven't made it since a long time.

Is John-Boy up in his room, Mrs. Walton?

Yeah, I think so.

Would it be alright to go talk to him?

Sure.

Come in.

Oh, Bobby.

Have you got a minute?

Sure. Come in. Sit down.

I'm sorry I've been holed up here for a while.

I'm just trying to catch up on my books.

I've gotten behind on just about all my studies.

Because of me?

Well, yes.

The story for the Times just made everything sort of pile up.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world, though.

You look wonderful.

John-Boy, there's something I wanted to ask you.

Is it too late to stop the story about my going up tomorrow?

You're not gonna go up?

Well, that's great.

That's really great.

You don't mind the story not being printed?

Oh, no, that's alright. I mean, I enjoyed writing it,

but I can call Mr. Fletcher and he can cancel it.

I mean, that's not the important thing.

It's important that you won't take chances like that anymore.

I mean, Rex can still do his crazy stunts.

I've never felt like this before a stunt,

but then I never had so much to lose before.

I'm glad we're having this talk.

I kind of feel like I've been avoiding it

because I haven't really known what to say.

I feel so many different things for you.

I feel tenderness for you and...

It's because you're such a special kind of person.

You've changed towards me because of what I told you.

Well...

No, not...

I mean, yes. It's just that I feel truly like a friend to you.

-A friend? -It's just that I don't wanna...

I don't want you to be hurt again by anyone.

Is every man I meet going to feel like a friend towards me?

Wait a minute. I didn't say that.

-You said it for yourself. -I didn't.

-I wanna explain. -Go back to your books!

I'm not done. There are things I wanna tell you.

-I've heard it all! -Bobby.

-Bobby... -Don't follow me!

The roses were from me.

Well, where is everybody? We're gonna be late for the fair.

Mary Ellen and Erin are primping in front of the mirror.

You'd think they were going to a beauty contest.

The fair is gonna be over if we don't go now.

Well, Bobby's not going up anyway.

-I never thought she'd quit. -Well, I'm glad she did.

Yeah, me, too.

I still want to see Rex and those crazy stunts.

Well, where is everybody, Grandpa?

Young man, you spend all your early years

waiting for the right girl to come along

and then the rest of your life waiting

for her to get ready to come along.

Zeb, I'm here on time.

-Where's Jim-Bob? -John-Boy.

Bobby? Where's Bobby?

Myrtle's gone. She's gone.

Myrtle's gone! She's gone!

-Daddy, Myrtle's gone! -Easy, honey. She can't go far.

-But, Daddy, she's gone! -Alright, now, we'll find her.

-It's all your fault, Grandma. -Now you calm yourself, child.

She's gone because you wouldn't let us love her!

Now, she's most likely in the corn just foundering herself.

Now, I'll get her.

-Daddy, please let's find her! -Alright, honey.

Let's find her. Everybody, take a look.

Let's go. Come on.

I know where. Let's try over here.

-Jason, come on. -Myrtle!

-Myrtle! -Myrtle!

-Mama? -Zeb, you look down there.

-Myrtle! -Myrtle!

-Here, goat. -She's gone. She left a note.

"Thank you for the hospitality

"and thank Jim-Bob for the roses.

"I love him for it."

We had a little trouble last night.

When I first met her I had a kind of a feeling about her,

and I think I led her on.

Did you know she's in love with you?

Yeah. I think she tried to tell me that in my room last night.

My feelings about us changed a little bit.

Not in a bad way, but I tried to explain her

she wouldn't listen.

I don't know what's going through her head.

She may be taking this sensibly than you give her credit for.

She said she wasn't gonna wing-walk anymore.

Mama, I know her,

I'm telling you she's gone to those fair grounds.

And I wouldn't put it past her to try that top-wing stunt.

-You want me to go with you? -Would you?

-Come on. -Hey, Myrtle!

-Myrtle! -Did you find her?

-Myrtle! -Myrtle!

-Myrtle! -Myrtle!

-Myrtle! -Myrtle!

Here, goat!

Zeb, I think I'll stay home.

Oh, now, Esther, you know you never miss a county fair.

I've seen it all. Nothing but crowds.

You go on.

Ladies and gentlemen,

introducing our aerial circus extravaganza,

with stunt pilot Rex Barker and wing-walker Bobby Strom.

As an added attraction this morning,

our Death Defying Bobby Strom

will attempt for the very first time

to walk the top wing without any safety devices.

Mister, is there any way I can talk to them up there?

You got radio contact or something?

-Anything wrong? -I gotta talk to her.

She's up there. She's gonna do something dangerous.

I'd talk her out of it.

No. When they're up there, they're on their own.

You mean you want me to cheat the people

who paid good money to see this?

You're crazy.

And now Rex Barker,

sky-devil extraordinaire,

with Bobby Strom riding in the front cockpit,

will first perform the suicidal loop-the-loop!

Watch out! Here he comes. High up in the sky.

What we've been waiting for,

Death Defying Bobby Strom!

-Attaboy! -Attaboy!

Ladies and gentlemen, for the very first time

Bobby Strom will attempt, I say attempt

the ultimate death-defying wing-walking stunt

that flouts all of the principles of aerodynamics

all odds of survival.

Bobby Strom will attempt to walk the top wing

at 65 miles per hour

without a safety belt

without a pole support

without any safety devices whatsoever!

John, I wish you hadn't brought the children.

It's too late now, Liv.

Forget it, Bobby! Don't do it!

Oh, my!

Are you alright?

Bobby?

Yes.

I wanted to talk to you.

-I had to tell you that... -You don't have to say anything.

I'm just glad you're safe.

You set me to thinking, John-Boy Walton.

I did fall for you, but I'll get over that.

What's important is that my feet are on the ground

and I know where I'm going.

Where's that?

Well,

you ain't the only cute country boy

with a choirboy face and a way with words.

Good-bye, John-Boy.

Miss Strom.

Bye.

Myrtle!

You came home!

She didn't come home. I brought her home.

Hey, Myrtle.

-Myrtle. -Hey, Myrtle.

Where'd you find her, Grandma?

She went back to Maude's

because nobody here is giving her love or attention.

Now we gotta be more careful with this goat.

She's not stupid.

-She's more sensitive than most. -You all remember that.

We were never to see or even hear

from the wing-walker again.

To this day, I think of Bobby Strom

whenever I see a white dove in flight.

And within Jim-Bob's heart

I'm sure there's a bittersweet memory.

Grandma, remember all the flies I swatted for you

so Myrtle could stay?

-You did well, Elizabeth. -I see lot of fireflies outside.

You suppose they're friends looking for me with lanterns?

More than likely they're the flies you swatted

bound for heaven with their halos burning bright.

But I flushed them down the toilet.

-Goodnight, Elizabeth. -Goodnight, Mama.

-Goodnight, Daddy. -Night, honey.

Come on, Liv, turn off the light.

Turn out the fireflies, too.

Goodnight, Elizabeth.

Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0