A blank screen. James Horner’s Rocketeer main theme, “Takeoff” begins.

Orange titles appear: “WALT DISNEY PICTURES”

More orange titles: “WALT DISNEY PICTURES PRESENTS”

Title: “IN ASSOCIATION WITH SILVER SCREEN PARTNERS IV”

Title: “A GORDON COMPANY PRODUCTION”

Title: “A JOE JOHNSTON FILM”

Main Title, in font: “THE ROCKETEER”

The screen splits, revealing opening hangar doors by the silhouettes of two mechanics: Goose and Skeets.

Two other mechanics are working on a red monoplane, the Brown Aircraft Company’s B-2 Racer “Miss Los Angeles” #33, parked on a gravel taxiway in the foreground. In the background is a dirt runway.

Title: “BILL CAMPBELL”

A close-up of the propeller, front cowling, and “snake eyes” dice nose art of a Gee Bee Model Z roll past the camera. Goose’s face is visible briefly as he pushes the Gee Bee out of the hangar.

Title: “ALAN ARKIN”

William Sanderson as Skeets
Don Pugsley as Goose

The Gee Bee Model Z continues to roll out of the hangar.

Title: “JENNIFER CONNELLY”

The port side of the Gee Bee is framed against the blue sky.

Title: “PAUL SORVINO”

An overhead view of the Gee Bee, displaying the number 4 on the left wing, and the aircraft’s identification, “NR77V” on the right wing. Skeets is pushing the left wing,  Another person is pushing the right wing. Malcolm is behind Skeets, and Goose has the tail. They pivot the Gee Bee to the right.

Title: “TERRY O’QUINN”

The view shifts in front of the port side of the Gee Bee. Behind the plane is the Bigelow Aeronautical Corp hangar, with an aircraft beacon on the roof. On the left side of the Bigelow Aeronautical Corp sign is the log for Curtiss Electric Propellers (“Feathering, Constant Speed, Selective Pitch” is the motto on the logo) and to the right of the sign is the logo of Pratt & Whitney’s “Dependable Engines.”

Parked to the left of the hangar is the 1929 Travel Air Model R “Mystery Ship.” To the right of the Gee Bee is the Brown Aircraft Company’s B-2 Racer “Miss Los Angeles” #33, seen in Minute 001.

Title: “ED LAUTER, JAMES HANDY”

Peevy is talking to pilot Cliff Secord: “Well, it’s your first time up, so don’t do anything interesting.”

“Who, me?” asks Cliff.

“Yeah, you!” replies Peevy, “And remember, she’s stalls out at about a hundred, so keep the airspeed up or else you’re going to be drifting around all over the sky.”

Title: “AND TIMOTHY DALTON”

The scene shifts to the front of Peevy and Secord.

“…and if the aileron starts to shimmy–” begins Peevy.

“Peevy,” says Cliff, “I have flown a plane or two in my life –”

“Not like this one, you haven’t!” replies Peevy. “This one, this one’s a handful! You sneeze in this thing, and you’ll end up upside-down in the bean field.” Cliff begins his pre-flight walk around, pausing at the tail to dig a piece of gum out of his mouth. He puts the chewed gum on the top of his tail rudder.

“That’s fresh paint, dammit!” shouts Peevy.

“Do you want me to crash?” asks Cliff.

“Chewing gum ain’t going to keep your butt up in the air,” replies Peevy. Cliff climbs into the cockpit, while Goose begins to attach the canopy to the Gee Bee. Peevy helps Secord strap himself in.

“You treat her nice, Clifford,” says Peevy, holding the canopy open, “she’s gonna take us all the way to the Nationals.”

In This Minute

William Sanderson as Skeets
Don Pugsley as Goose
Eddie Jones as Malcolm
Alan Arkin as Peevy
Bill Campbell as Cliff Secord

Tom Gire is one of the principals of Brand X Music, a major music composition house for feature and film trailer soundtracks.  He’s composed and arranged music from films as varied as Pirates of the Caribbean 2 to Transformers: Dark of the Moon. If you’ve seen a movie trailer for a major action feature film, Tom probably put the music you’re enjoying in it. Oh, and he’s also the fellow who created our amazing opening / closing themes!

Peevy is telling Clifford that if he treats the Gee Bee right, she’ll take them all the way to the Nationals.

“Let’s make some history,” says Cliff.

“Okay,” says Peevy, nodding his head as he closes the cockpit canopy.  The mechanics step away from the aircraft.

“Crank her up, Goose!” says Cliff.

Goose turns the propeller one half-revolution, then tells Cliff, “Make ‘er hot!”

“Hot and brakes!” replies Cliff. Goose pushes down hard on the propeller, and the engine engages. Cliff revs the engine and the plane begins to move forward under its own power. Peevy reaches over to the rudder and removes the “lucky gum” Cliff placed there earlier.

Malcolm walks along with the Gee Bee next to the left wing.

Title: “COSTUME DESIGNER MARILYN VANCE-STRAKER”

Skeets, Goose, and a third airfield hand wave from behind the Gee Bee as  Cliff turns the aircraft onto the runway.  Skeets turns his head away as the prop blast catches them.

Title: “MUSIC COMPOSED BY JAMES HORNER”

The scene changes to a view of  structures alongside the main runway of Chaplin Field. Wooden oil derrick stand in the bean field. Hangar No. 1 shelters a biplane with two onlookers. To the right of Hangar 1 is a white high-wing monoplane. At right is Bigelow’s hangar, with onlookers in the control tower. The Gee Bee taxis from the right to the left of the screen.

Title: “CO-PRODUCER DAVE STEVENS”

The scene changes again to the end of the runway, as Cliff  steers his craft to pivot for take-off.

Title: “EDITED BY ARTHUR SCHMIDT”

Title: “PRODUCTION DESIGNER JIM BISSELL”

Scene changes again, as the camera looks down the length of the runway. On the left are the Chaplain Field hangars and a large red and white racing pylon. To the right of the field are the air race viewing stands. The Gee Bee closes toward the camera in the center of the screen.

Title: “DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY HIRO NARITA”

The Gee Bee slows to turn around.

Title: “EXECUTIVE PRODUCER LARRY FRANCO”

In This Minute

William Sanderson as Skeets
Don Pugsley as Goose
Eddie Jones as Malcolm
Alan Arkin as Peevy
Bill Campbell as Cliff Secord