Original subtitles

Ezekiel saw the wheel.

This is the wheel he said he saw.

These are unidentified flying objects that people say they are seeing now.

Are they proof that we are being visited by civilizations from other stars?

Or just what are they?

The United States Air Force began an investigation

of this high strangeness in a search for the truth.

What you are about to see is part of that 20-year search.

You're lucky people.

In six months, these will be flying around the world non-stop. Every airline,

every country will be flooding us with orders.

That stock you have will be worth millions.

Stewardess.

Stewardess.

What's the trouble, Mrs. James?

Will you tell the pilot that we're being chased by a flying saucer?

Look for yourself.

See it down there? It's a flying saucer.

You be a good boy now, Pat. We'll go riding in the morning.

It has always been our contention, despite denials by the Air Force, That one day,

these extraterrestrial life forms will make themselves known to us.

Excuse me, Professor Hollander,

but I thought the thrust of your argument has been

that they already have made themselves known to us.

Only to a few select people.

And why is that?

The real truth is...

There are aliens out there.

They are observing us.

They are so far advanced that we could never comprehend them.

And only when they are ready to reveal themselves

to us will we know their intent, good or bad.

The Air Force.

For whatever the reasons,

feel the general public cannot handle the concept of alien beings,

that there would be widespread panic.

And so they have done everything in their power to hide the truth.

The Air Force formed Project Blue Book for three basic purposes.

First, to determine that there was no threat to our national security.

Second, to preclude technological surprise.

And third, and probably most important, to prove the existence of UFOs.

Yes, that's right.

To prove their existence, because as the professor is aware,

a negative hypothesis cannot be proved.

No one can prove that flying saucers do not exist, only that they do.

But so far, there's been no hard evidence to confirm their existence.

What does it come down to, ladies and gentlemen?

The bottom line.

Just this.

Each person must ask themselves,

what will I accept in the way of evidence to make me believe?

And only you can answer that question.

You were very good tonight, Jake. Oh, thank you, Kenny.

You always seem to do your homework, don't you?

People want to believe, Jake.

That's something you don't seem to understand. I understand, and I know you do,

judging from your latest book sales.

They've sold well, I can't deny that.

But my primary purpose always has been to seek the truth.

Well, keep seeking, Kenny, and so will we.

Well, good afternoon. Must have been some affair last night.

Yeah, very nice.

And I'm not that late.

I'm late?

No more than the boss.

How do you feel? Great. That was some party.

I enjoy mingling with the intellectual set.

And I feel they enjoy me, too.

There's a Mrs. Marshall waiting in your office for you.

Do I know her?

No, but she seemed to know you, and she looked upset.

Mrs. Marshall?

Yes.

I'm Jake Gatlin. This is Sergeant Fitz. How

are you? Would you like to sit down, please?

Thank you.

Would you like a cup of coffee, ma'am?

Oh, no.

Thank you.

I'm not really sure that I should even be here.

Is there some way we can help you?

I don't know.

You see, I was at the debate last night.

I usually don't go to those kinds of things, but I needed information.

What kind of information?

On flying saucers.

I just don't know anything about him.

Well, you're not alone.

Well, it's very important that I know.

Why is that, Mrs. Marshall?

Because my husband has invested in a flying saucer factory.

I'm not quite sure I follow you.

He's taken out almost all our savings, $10,000,

and bought stock in a company that's going to make flying saucers.

What's the name of this company, ma'am?

Advanced Aerodynamics Corporation.

It's in Kansas City.

What is it that you'd like us to do?

I'm not sure.

You see, Alex, that's my husband.

He's always believed in UFOs.

He belongs to several saucer clubs and attends

all the meetings and gets all the literature.

He would have gone with me last night, but he had to work.

Yes, ma'am.

Well...

Go on.

At one of these meetings, he met Mr. Cochran.

He's president of the Advanced Aerodynamics.

Well, he told Alex that he obtained plans of a flying saucer from some aliens,

and his company was going to manufacture them.

And he was allowing a few people to get in on the ground floor.

Mrs. Marshall, I think you should be telling this story to the FBI.

Whatever for?

Because this is the Air Force. We have no jurisdiction in civilian cases.

Oh, I don't want anybody arrested.

I guess what I wanted to find out, do you think it's a sound investment?

And is there such a company?

My advice is go to the FBI or to the Securities Exchange Commission

and file a complaint.

A complaint?

Oh, no, I could never do that.

No. I'm sorry, I...

I really shouldn't have bothered you.

Thank you. Yes, ma'am.

Hope you guys have got your bags packed.

Always.

Twix just came in. Ops immediate.

A flying saucer landed on a ranch just outside of Cheyenne.

Place called Howard Crossing.

The ranch house was attacked by a group of alien beings?

Thank you.

Mr. Carlson, some people from the Air Force here to see you. Hello, Mr. Carlson.

I'm Jake Gatlin. This is Sergeant Fitz. Hi, sir. We're with Project Blue Book.

This is Sergeant Hammond, our radiation safety expert.

Dr. Forrest, our staff psychologist.

Well, this is my wife.

And my daughter.

Hello.

And my son.

Major, you usually take this many of your people

to check on a report? Yes, sir, sometimes.

Obviously, you don't believe one word we said.

We try not to make value judgments.

We're here to investigate and to gather enough evidence

to substantiate your story. Substantiate?

Let me tell you something, Major.

I'm the fourth generation on this land. My great-grandfather built this ranch.

He had to fight the Arapaho and the Cheyenne to do it.

We're God-fearing people.

We work hard. We go to church regularly.

And we do not cheat.

And above all, we do not lie.

We'd like to hear your story, Mr. Carlson, exactly as it happened.

Well, so your psychologist there can decide if we're crazy or not?

That's not the reason I'm here.

The Blue Book people employ me on occasion as a consultant,

and sometimes I'm able to pick up on things that the average person can't hear.

In my book, Doctor, that comes down to the same thing.

It really doesn't, Mr. Carlson.

When people are subjected to traumatic experiences,

the mind has a way of closing the door on events it doesn't want to deal with.

Sometimes the right questions can help open that door. All right.

Martin, tell them.

Yes, sir.

Well, it was the night before last.

We'd just gotten home from a revival meeting over at Howard Crossing.

Jeannie, my sister, had gone out to the stable to check on her horse.

As Jeannie was coming back to the house,

she saw this white ball of light in the sky.

Hey, come outside, everybody. You won't believe what I just saw.

Mom, please.

Dad, Martin.

I don't know what it is.

It was a big ball of light.

It came right overhead and landed behind those trees.

Probably a shooting star.

I think you're letting all those flying saucer reports go to your head,

little sister. I think it's those acting lessons you've been taking over college.

Well, whatever it was is gone now.

I've got some fresh pound cake. I'll go fix some coffee.

Good.

What is it? There's something outside. I don't know what it is.

Stay here. Come on, Mark.

¶¶ Help! Help! Help! Help!

Help!

Ginny, call the sheriff.

It's dead!

I ran for one of our cars and went to get help.

And all of you saw these figures, whatever they were. That's right.

And Jeannie, you're the only one that saw the ball of light.

Yes.

Mr. Carlson.

What was the nature of that revival meeting you attended?

What a revival meeting is, a reaffirmation of your faith in God.

We didn't discuss spacemen or flying saucers, if that's what you mean.

Mr. Carlson, if it's all right with you, we'd like to check out the landing area,

take some soil samples, and check on any physical evidence.

You're right ahead. It's your job, I guess.

I'll go with you. I'll show you the spot where it landed.

All right.

The doctor and I have a few more questions we'd like to ask you. Fire away?

Do you think it's possible that the figures you saw could have been animals? No,

no, I hit that thing with a whole load of double-odd buck.

If it had been an animal, I'd have killed it.

And that face I saw in the window was no animal. At least,

nothing I've ever seen before.

It was dark out there.

When you fired, you could have missed. It wasn't that dark. It was a full moon.

Sometimes, under certain conditions,

what we think we see is really something quite different.

I said it before, I'll say it now. You don't believe this, not one word of it.

Mr. Carlson, what I'm trying to do is point

out that everything is not black and white.

You take two people who witness an accident,

both reasonably intelligent with all their faculties,

yet the stories they tell can be diametrically opposed. Why?

Because it's just possible that subconsciously they may have

interjected circumstances that they wanted to see happen.

Are you saying I wanted to see these things?

There is a theory that belief in extraterrestrial

life has a highly religious connotation.

That it strengthens one's faith in a supreme being.

In my opinion, Doctor, that is pure blasphemy.

I know where you're headed, but you're wrong.

If it was just my sister who saw this, or me,

I'd say you're entitled to your doubts.

But my parents have never believed in any UFOs or things from outer space.

If my father says he saw space people, sir, you'd

better believe him, because it's gospel.

Sergeant Fitz, could I talk to you a minute?

Yes, ma'am.

I'm terribly upset about this whole thing.

Yes, ma'am, I can understand.

It's not for myself, really. It's my parents I'm worried about.

I'm afraid of what people are going to say about them.

Your dad doesn't impress me as the kind of man

who'd let something like that bother him.

You don't know him.

His reputation is his life.

Every rancher around here looks to him for leadership.

Anything that would damage his credibility would hurt him terribly.

I understand.

Running a ranch is not all fun and games.

In these last couple of years, we've had more than our share of problems.

What kind of problems?

Drought, labor disputes, the rising price of grain and the falling price of cattle.

Government regulations, you name it, we've had it.

Last month, we even joined a tractor strike.

You having financial troubles?

My father's applied for a bank loan. It's only the second time in his life.

He's borrowing a great deal of money, and if the loan doesn't go through,

I don't know what will happen.

And you feel with all this going on, the bankers might lose faith in your dad?

That's why you people have got to prove our stories true.

I got no reading on the counter beyond normal background.

We'll wait for the lab report on the soil samples.

As far as I could tell, there was no fuel residue,

but the lab will have to confirm that, too. What do you think of the Carlsons, Doc?

They seem to be a normal, well-adjusted family.

The father's a bit authoritarian, but no question he runs the show.

Other than that, I notice no deviant behavior.

What about the daughter? Bright, impressionable, but hardly the hysterical type.

You think this group is capable of making up

a story and then sticking to it as a family?

Possible.

They have a deep sense of loyalty to each other.

But then a question arises.

Why would they do it?

There's that bank loan. That's always a possibility.

But I can't see Frederick Carlson involving himself

in that kind of fabrication just to get money.

No, I think it goes a lot deeper than that. Are you talking about religion?

Sergeant Fitz.

They had just come back from a revival meeting.

Now, I don't know if any of you gentlemen have

ever been to a good old-fashioned revival,

but I want to tell you, it can be an emotional experience.

So, let's suppose that Carlson's come home from one of these meetings.

The adrenaline is flowing. They're on their own natural high.

The daughter sees something we don't know what.

But you couple that with worldwide reports of flying saucers, religious fervor,

and a full moon, and people's imagination can really start to work overtime.

You think it was their imagination? Only a possibility.

But whatever they saw, or think they saw, as far as they're concerned,

they're telling the truth.

That was Mrs. Greta Marshall, flying saucer factory lady.

Now she wants to file a formal complaint with the SEC.

But she wants to talk to us again first.

First thing when we return to the base.

You better make it now.

She's out in the lobby.

I know you can help me. That's why I came all this way.

Your secretary told me it would be all right.

What changed your mind, Mrs. Marshall?

When Alex finally drew out all of our savings to invest

in the rest of that stock, I didn't like it.

But it was something he wanted to do. He had such faith in it.

I didn't say anything. Well, that was yesterday.

But last night, he said he talked to Mr. Cochran,

and he has a chance to double his investment.

Major, he wants to take a second mortgage out on our house,

and I can't just sit by and let that happen.

I used my grocery money to take the plane here.

After we made our original investment,

we were invited to Kansas City to see the saucer factory.

When we saw that flying saucer, I have to admit, it was breathtaking.

Quiet a sight, isn't it, folks?

It sure is.

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

You're lucky people.

In six months, these will be flying around the world nonstop. Every airline,

every country will be flooding us with orders.

That stock you have will be worth millions.

Mr. Cochran, how does it work?

Antimatter.

Scientists have talked about it for years,

but up until now, it's only been a theory.

In other worlds, however, antimatter is an everyday energy source.

I don't understand.

What is antimatter?

In layman's terms, it's simply a combination of elements

which forms an anti-gravitational field.

We have all the elements here on Earth,

we've just never been able to whip up the formula.

Could we go aboard, Mr. Carkard?

I'm afraid not, it's in a white room.

Absolute sterile conditions must be maintained at all times.

But what's our government's position?

I imagine something like this could be used as a weapon.

We are working in full cooperation with the government.

Every saucer will be processed by a special agency.

We're like subcontractors to the government.

I guess I should have asked more questions. There was so much I didn't understand.

And then thinking about it later,

it just didn't seem logical that the government would exercise

so little control over something as important as this.

You want to file a complaint, Mrs. Marshall?

Yes.

Yes, no, I do.

Operator, would you please get me Gordon Sandler

and the local FBI field office in Dayton, Ohio?

I thought maybe you'd like to see this. We got it with our stock certificate.

Is this what you saw at the factory?

Yes, it is.

Thank you.

Hello, Gordon. How are you? Fine, Jake. Yourself?

What are you doing out in Wyoming? As if I couldn't guess.

You guessed.

I think I have something for you.

Go ahead.

Do you have any input on Advanced Aerodynamics Corporation?

Some kind of stock promotion, I think.

We've heard some rumbles.

A man with the name of Darryl Cochran is selling stock in a flying saucer factory.

I have a Mrs. Greta Marshall here with me.

Her husband has invested heavily in this scheme, and she wants to file a complaint.

All right. How do you want to handle it?

You want me to contact the field office out there?

No, Mrs. Marshall lives in Dayton.

Where's this factory located?

Kansas City, Missouri.

Are you willing to work with us on this one, Jake? We could use your expertise.

Are you invoking posse comitatus? Right.

You give us an assist, we'll handle everything else. Be a pleasure.

You'll be working with Walter Hillman out of our Kansas City office.

I'll make the arrangements. Right.

Okay, thanks, Gordon.

Okay, Mrs. Marshall.

You go to the local FBI office in Dayton. You see Gordon Sandler.

He'll help you file a complaint, and you take your stock certificate with you.

Gordon Sandler.

Yes, ma'am.

Now, do you think that Mr. Sandler can get us our money back?

I don't know, but he'll sure keep you from losing any more.

Oh, thank you.

You're welcome.

Bye.

Bye. Bye.

Goodbye.

I got the same feeling, Major.

Wonder if I might turn the beds down.

Biore?

What's that?

If I might turn the beds down. If so, I can get off early.

It's okay. Go ahead.

Thanks, ma'am. I want to watch the late, late movie on TV.

Wait a minute. That's where it is. Movies. I've seen this in a movie.

Right. An old one. It was on the Lay Show last week.

I got it.

The Day the Earth Trembled.

Let's get on the phone and find the studio that made

the film and see if they still own the saucer.

And if they don't, maybe we know who does.

You'll love the picture. The spaceship lands right in the middle of Central Park,

and then this tall man comes out. Yes, ma'am, we saw it. Oh,

are you interested in flying saucers, too?

How much do you know about them? Well, not a whole lot, ma'am.

You believe the Carlson story, is that right? No reason not to.

I've known Fred Carlson all my life.

Never seen him lie or even exaggerate. If he

says it happened, I'll believe him. Yes, sir.

I saw a UFO myself last week, a little past midnight.

Big, silvery-looking thing.

Followed my car for half a mile, then...

Just took off.

They're all around us, you know.

No doubt about that. Sheriff, what about animals not native to this area?

Does anyone own any kind of exotic pets?

No, not that I can think of.

Why, now, wait a minute.

I just remembered.

A couple of months ago, a small traveling circus come through here.

Two of their chimpanzees escaped, you know, monkeys.

We looked for them for days, never could find them.

You trying to say that's what Carlson saw? I don't know it's possible.

Well, thanks for your time, Sheriff.

One more question, Sheriff.

What about the Carlson's financial conditions? Oh, not good, not bad,

like most of the ranchers around here. Last couple of years have been pretty rough.

You might talk to Arnold Porter.

He'd know more about that.

Yes, sir.

Who's Arnold Porter?

He's president of the bank.

Handles all of Carlson's business affairs.

Thanks again.

Can I give you boys a little friendly advice?

Sure.

We all like the Carlsons. They're good, upstanding people.

We wouldn't want to see anybody coming around trying to make problems for them.

No, sir.

Neither would we.

You're Sergeant Fitz.

Sit down, if you please.

Thank you.

Sheriff Liggett called me.

I understand you're interested in the financial condition of the Carlson family.

Yes, sir, we are.

We understand ranchers are having problems, not just here, but all over the country.

Yes, you could say that about farming all the time.

But as far as the Carlsons are concerned, they have a very large ranch.

They could sell off a few hundred acres without hardly missing it.

Why would they want to sell? I didn't say they would. I said they could.

Major, set your mind at ease. This bank has loaned Mr. Carlson money before.

We were never concerned in the least about a payback.

Yes, Lord Farnsworth, we have the 10,000 shares

of stock set aside in your corporate name.

Yes, sir, that'll be fine.

Oh, by the way, how's the weather in London?

Well, it always is this time of year, isn't it?

Nice talking to you, sir. See you next week in Paris. Goodbye, sir.

Can I help you?

Yes, sir. I hope so.

I'm looking for Mr. Darryl Cochran.

What do you want with her? My name's Bill Thomas.

I'm only going to be in Kansas City a couple

days, and I'd like to talk to Mr. Cochran.

How interesting. Why?

Well, I was talking to Alex and Greta Marshall before I left home,

and they told me about your plans.

I gotta tell you, I'm excited about this. Excited about what? The factory,

the flying saucers. You're a friend of the Marshalls?

Sure am.

Alex and I belong to a great many saucer clubs.

We subscribe to all the literature.

Alex just told me about this, and I want to get in on it.

Well, Mr... What did you say your name was?

Bill Thomas.

Well, Mr. Thomas, we have what you might call a closed

corporation right now. We're oversubscribed.

Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that.

You see, Alex is having trouble with his wife.

And if I could go back to Dayton and give her some assurance.

Besides, I really want in.

I have the money.

I see.

Well, Mr. Thomas, would you happen to have the Marshall's phone number?

Yes, sir.

They live on Bradford Avenue in Dayton, Ohio.

The number is 555-3712.

And I'd still like to say hello to Mr. Cochran. He's busy dialing the phone.

He'll talk to you in a minute.

And Cochran bought it?

Yes, sir, after he phoned Marshall.

We were a little concerned.

We had to have a long talk with Alex Marshall to set this up.

He's positive he's in on a moneymaker.

So the only reason he'd go along is to make liars out of all of us.

I'm supposed to be there first thing tomorrow morning with the money, cash.

He'll have the stock certificates ready.

And since I'm leaving town, I'll get to see the saucer right away.

We'll need $10,000.

No sweat.

Ron handled it.

Marked bills, small denominations.

We'll have the office staked out.

You'll be wired when you go in there.

We'll be able to hear everything that goes on,

and we'll be right on Cochran's doorstep, Sergeant.

Ron, what are we rolling on this job? TV repair truck.

Okay, that's it.

Yes, sir, I understand.

Cochran's got a record.

It goes back a long way. How much do you think he's pulled in on this scheme?

Our intelligence says he's suckered maybe three, four hundred people.

At ten thousand dollars a crack,

you're looking at better than three million dollars.

It's always hard for me to believe there's so many gullible people.

I don't see why.

You're one, aren't you, Mr. Thomas?

Roll tape, Bob.

Good morning, Mr. Thomas. Right on time.

Yes, sir.

I have all the papers filled out and your stock certificate ready.

You did bring the money.

Yes, sir.

It's right here.

Phileas, would you put this in the safe?

Would you sign this, please, Mr. Thomas? Yes, sir.

Here's your stock, Mr. Thomas. Congratulations.

Thank you, Mr. Cochran.

When can I see the saucer? Right now. Come with me. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Dale Cochran?

That's right.

We have a warrant for your arrest.

On what charge?

Stock fraud, misrepresentation.

I'll read you your rights. Save it.

I know I'm entitled to an attorney. Everything I say you can use, and on and on.

Let's go see your flying saucer.

May I have the money, please? Thank you.

Very impressive.

Let's all go take a closer look.

You can't go in there. It's a white room. It's sterile.

You better close that door.

We talked to the motion picture studio where you purchased this saucer.

Among other things, they auctioned off this particular piece some time ago.

If that thing gets off the ground, you're home free.

Oh, yes, sir. Come in.

Hello, Mrs. Carlson.

Well, Kenny.

I didn't expect to see you here. Why not?

Our organization gets these reports almost as fast as you do.

You didn't want to waste any time capitalizing on this one, right?

That has a very bad connotation, Jake. Mr. Carlson,

we came back to discuss our laboratory findings with you. Good.

I'm sure we'd all be interested to hear what the Air Force has discovered.

All our reports are negative, sir.

No signs of radiation, no indication of a landing,

such as depressions in the ground, fuel residue, or burn marks.

No broken bushes or limbs of trees.

No unidentified footprints.

Exactly what I told you they'd say.

In other words, the Air Force is calling me and my family liars.

No, sir.

We're just saying that we can't corroborate a sighting

or an encounter without hard physical evidence.

Sergeant, do you believe we're capable of making up such a story?

No, ma'am.

Without evidence, there's nothing we can do. You say there's no evidence, huh?

What about that?

You think we shot out that window just for the exercise?

That's evidence of a shotgun blast, but it doesn't tell us what you were firing at.

Major, the other night, my father and I saw those things.

We saw these creatures coming at us.

They were like nothing I've ever seen in my life.

We shot at them, but it didn't affect them.

I can't tell you what they were, but they sure weren't from this earth.

Every night we live in fear. I don't know what they wanted from us,

but they could come back.

And I don't know why the Air Force chooses the position it does,

but as far as I am concerned, we have only two alternatives.

We're either telling the truth or we're lying.

There's a third.

Maybe you didn't see what you think you saw.

Would you like to explain that? Yes, sir.

Take that ball of light that Jeannie saw.

It could be what we call a parasoline or a moon dog.

Precise reflection of the moon. As for creatures,

we learned a couple of chimpanzees escaped from a circus.

They came through here not too long ago. Moondogs, chimpanzees, come on, Gatlin.

You really expect us to buy that? And what are you buying, Kenny?

There's a lot of money to be made from this.

Well, you're concerned. Don't listen to them.

This is typical Air Force strategy. They'll stop at nothing to cover up a story.

They can't solve it, they put a lid on it.

I can live with ridicule.

And I can live with the fact that a lot of people won't believe my story.

But what I cannot live with is the thought that I could be considered a liar.

A man who lied just to make a dollar.

But that's not the case, Mr. Carlson.

Well, you know that, and I know it.

But what the Major said makes sense.

There are going to be a lot of people who think it.

I'm sorry, Professor, but our deal is off. You're being very foolish.

Rest your case with the public. Let them decide.

Then you tell them.

My family and I, we are out of it.

I spent a lifetime in this community building

a reputation for decency and for honesty,

and I won't have it destroyed for the sake of making money.

But Major, what happened to us did happen, and that can never change.

You know, I really am whipped, sir.

Why don't you ask the stewardess for a pillow? Grab a little sleep.

You've got time. No, sir.

Can't sleep on a plane.

Never could.

Even before I joined up.

You're probably overtired now. Yes, sir.

Next chance I get, I'm going into an 18-hour coma.

Pardon me, Major. The captain would like to see you up front.

Sure.

Now's your chance.

Grab that pillow.

Like I said, sir, never could sleep on an aircraft.

Not even fly on a mission.

This is Captain Gordon. This is First Officer Frank King,

Flight Engineer John Davis, Major Gatlin.

How are you, Major?

Hi.

Well, I'll leave you flyboys to your war stories.

John, want to go in here so I can make a little talk with the Air Force?

Coffee, Major?

Yes, a fly, please.

Three coffees.

Yeah.

Good to have you aboard, Major. Appreciate the upfront view, Captain.

I see you fly command. Not much anymore. Fly desk most of the time.

What do you fly when you fly? These days, T-39s, F-5s, T-33s.

Respectable aircraft, all.

Mayor Joe Carver, Philadelphia.

Nice name, nice city.

And where are you from, sergeant?

Six miles South Carolina, northern part of the state.

Sounds like a small town.

But big in heart.

You staying over in Salt Lake?

No. Two-hour turnaround and back to Reno.

Gee, it's too bad.

Oh, why?

Your ribbons, I see you have a green and white with a silver bar.

What were you driving in Southeast Asia? F-105 squadron. Mm, Thunder Chiefs, huh?

You light off the back burner in one of those birds, and you're long gone.

Speed of light, man. They're swift.

You're mostly GDO now, huh? Foreign Technology Division, back in Ohio.

Wright-Patterson Field, home of the UFO, huh? Is that it? That's it.

Well, I thought since we were going to Salt Lake,

we might amble over to the Mormon Tabernacle, you

know, listen to the choir, something like that.

Something like that.

Yeah, they really come on.

Over 200 voices strong.

They also have one of the biggest pipe organs in the world.

You know, I guess I've logged over 20,000 hours,

and I've never seen anything yet that I couldn't explain.

Good for you. But I guess they keep you people hopping, huh?

Enter America, flight 574, Salt Lake Center, over. Salt Lake, this is 574,

go ahead. 574, Salt Lake.

You'll be cleared for descent after passage Bonneville Omni.

Report out of flight level 370.

Over. Salt Lake 574 will do.

We estimate Bonneville fix in nine minutes.

Roger, 574.

Oh, yeah.

And the tabernacle itself?

It was built by Brigham Young.

It was constructed back in the 1800s, and the way the doors are designed,

they all swing out for quick exit in case of fire.

You know so much about it.

I really feel like I've been there.

You do?

I sure do.

Now I won't have to go, will I?

I'd better go sit with the Major.

He gets air sick, you know.

Look, there it is again.

It's a real flying saucer. Oh, just look at it.

It must be at least 200 feet long.

We should be where the Bonneville flat's about now.

Lake beds.

They had weather up here about a week ago, if memory serves.

Those lake beds are usually dry, but since it rained,

it only takes a couple of inches to make the mirror.

A stewardess.

Stewardess.

What's the trouble, Mrs. James?

Will you tell the pilot that we're being chased by a flying saucer?

Look for yourself.

See it down there?

It's a flying saucer.

It keeps getting closer and then zooming away.

Excuse me, Miss Jamison.

That isn't a flying saucer, ma'am.

Why, look at it. Don't tell me, young man. Have you ever seen one?

No, ma'am, but I believe I can explain what you're seeing there.

You don't have to explain to me. I have perfect eyesight.

It's a flying saucer if I ever saw one, and I am now.

No, ma'am, what you're seeing there is a reflection of the moon.

The moon? Well, how can that be? The moon's not down there.

There is no airplane that flies above the moon.

If you look up as high as you can, you'll see the real moon.

See it up there?

It's a full moon, and its reflection is being picked

up off the water in the lake beds below.

Really? Well, then why does it get larger and then smaller?

Those clouds below the airplane, you see them?

Here it comes. The saucer's getting bigger now.

Those are called high cirrus clouds, Mrs. Jamieson.

They're composed mostly of ice crystals,

making them highly reflective and equally distortive.

As we pass over the clouds, the reflection appears larger.

When we hit a break on the cloud cover, the reflection grows smaller,

giving the effect of coming closer to us and then

moving away. Is that clear, Mrs. Jameson?

About like mud.

May I, Major?

You see, ma'am, those clouds?

It's like holding a magnifying glass over the reflection.

Then taking it away, it gets smaller, right?

Wrong.

Take a look out there now. It's gone.

See?

Now we'll never know.

The stewardess.

They're from the Air Force.

They always lie about flying saucers.

Send Mr. Marshall in.

Probably wants to thank us for saving his house.

Major Gatlin. Hi, Major Gatlin. This is Sergeant Fitz.

I could have made a fortune on that stock if you hadn't butted in.

Mr. Marshall, the whole thing was a fake.

Flying saucer was nothing but a piece of motion picture hardware, a phony.

How would you know that?

Did you give him a chance to show you if it would fly?

I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna get myself a lawyer, and I'm gonna sue.

Why can't you Air Force people mind your own business?