Burgess Meredith credited as playing...
Commander Egan Powell
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: What is Vicki Marlowe's secret?
- Commander Egan Powell: Well, it's not what it says in here. Vicki Marlowe's secret is that she's making a half a million bucks a year and she still collects alimony from me, in my present reduced circumstances. Well, anyway... I have the satisfaction of knowing that all of her pictures have been stinkers since I stopped writing them. Rockwell, my boy, never, I repeat never marry a movie actress.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: You married three of them.
- Commander Egan Powell: I know. It was like eating peanuts. Once I started, I couldn't stop.
- Rear Admiral Rock Torrey: All battles are fought by scared men who'd rather be someplace else.
- Commander Egan Powell: Does that include admirals?
- Rear Admiral Rock Torrey: Yes.
- Commander Egan Powell: It's about time you crawled down from Mount Rushmore and took a look around for yourself. You'd be surprised at the changes we've made in the last 100 years.
- Col. Gregory: Sir, I can't put up all of my men unless we get at least five more transports.
- Rear Admiral Rock Torrey: Well, aren't there any more R4D's on Tulabonne?
- Col. Gregory: Yes, but they're held in reserve.
- Captain Paul Eddington: Reserve! What... for?
- Col. Gregory: That's the way Admiral Broderick has things organized.
- Captain Paul Eddington: What happens if an R4D conks out?
- Col. Gregory: Tulabonne sends us a spare until we get it fixed.
- Captain Paul Eddington: Five of 'em just conked out, Gregg.
- Commander Egan Powell: Let's relay the sad news to Broderick!
- Rear Admiral Rock Torrey: Mr. Canfil, you seem to have fallen in among thieves!
- Clayton Canfil, Australian Coastwatcher: It does seem so, Admiral, I'm very happy to say!
- Commander Egan Powell: Gottlieb! Tuthill!
- [as Gottlieb and Tuthill leave the washroom, Powell takes out a quarter, tosses it, and covers it on his arm]
- Captain Paul Eddington: Heads.
- Commander Egan Powell: [uncovers the quarter and inspects it, laughing] Good-bye, Commander! Enjoy it!
- [Exit]
- Cmdr. Neal Owynn: Now what do you suppose he meant by that?
- Captain Paul Eddington: Well, aren't you going with Broderick?
- Cmdr. Neal Owynn: Why, no, I...
- Captain Paul Eddington: I think you are.
- Cmdr. Neal Owynn: Now wait a m...
- Captain Paul Eddington: [slaps Owynne backhanded] Now I don't care how you do it, but you'd better be on that plane with Broderick - unless you want to be buried on the island of Gavabutu.
- Cmdr. Neal Owynn: You can't do that to m...
- Captain Paul Eddington: [forehand slap] I *am* doing it. We've got a job here, and neither you nor Broderick nor anybody else is going to screw it up. Understand?
- [Another forehand slap]
- Captain Paul Eddington: Hmm? And take this punk with you.
- [Exit]
- Cmdr. Neal Owynn: I'll have him court-martialled - striking a fellow officer. And you saw it! I didn't hit him back.
- [looks at his cut lip in a hand mirror]
- Ensign Jere Torrey: I didn't see anything!
- Cmdr. Neal Owynn: What do you mean, you didn't see anything?
- Ensign Jere Torrey: As far as I'm concerned, a coconut fell through the roof and hit you in the mouth. So you better figure out some excuse to get us on that plane with Broderick.
- Cmdr. Neal Owynn: How'd you like to be transferred back to PT Boats, fella? 'Cause one word from me to Broderick and you're on your way!
- Ensign Jere Torrey: Say the word!
- [exit, leaving Owynne to look at his cut lip again]
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: He's my son.
- Commander Egan Powell: Well! I'd like to meet him, Rock.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: No you wouldn't.
- [Powell has just discovered that Eddington has flown off on a suicide mission]
- Commander Egan Powell: You mean you just gave him a plane without checking with Operations?
- Sailor: Sir, Captain Eddington is Chief of Staff; sir, he *is* Operations.
- Commander Egan Powell: Man, I tell you, the women - they're smokin' cigarettes, drinkin' whiskey, doin' the shimmy-sham-shimmy, hot damn!
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: Are you sure you were invited?
- Commander Egan Powell: Maybe not, but one sailor looks like another.
- Commander Egan Powell: I'm so scared, my bones are clicking like dice on a Reno craps table. I should be back in Hollywood sitting in front of a typewriter making all this up for a move, not living it.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: All battles are fought by scared men who'd rather be someplace else.
- Commander Egan Powell: Does that include admirals?
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: Yep.
- CINCPAC II: [after reading Torrey's promotion order] This more or less came about, Admiral Torrey, bcause that civilian-type fella sitting next to you wormed his way into my intelligence staff and had the audacity to suggest that the Navy was wrong in its judgment of you last December. Well, now, we all know the Navy is never wrong, but in this case, it was a little weak on being right.
- [All attendees laugh]
- CINCPAC II: So, congratulations, Admiral Torrey.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: Thank you, sir.
- CINCPAC II: Powell, you can get on with the honors.
- Commander Egan Powell: Thank you, sir. Gentlemen, to Admiral Rockwell Torrey. May success follow your flag.
- All: Hear, hear.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: I do thank you, and I'm grateful. Admiral, with your permission, sir. To our country, our Navy, and all the best things they stand for.
- All: Hear, hear.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: Egan, where have you been hiding out for the last ten days? Or should I ask?
- Commander Egan Powell: Well, you shouldn't, but I can tell you there were three inches of snow in Washington.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: Washington? Got the war all worked out?
- Commander Egan Powell: You buy me lunch, I'll give you the day and the date of victory.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: I'm your man.
- [Captain Torrey and Commander Powell can be seen viewing a map. Also present in CINCPAC II]
- CINCPAC II: Admiral, you know what that is?
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: [looks at the map] Yes. From the shape of those islands. This is Gavabutu, Levu-Vana, Toko-Rota, and that's Pala Passage.
- CINCPAC II: It's Skyhook.
- [CINCPAC looks at Powell]
- CINCPAC II: Powell tells me you guessed his strategy a couple of months ago.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: A wild guess, sir.
- CINCPAC II: Wild, but accurate. Well, what's your opinion of it?
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: In theory, good.
- CINCPAC II: In fact?
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: Well, the delay has cost you the element of surprise. How far has Broderick advanced on Gavabutu?
- Commander Egan Powell: [points at the map] He's got himself bottled up behind these mountains. He hasn't advanced an inch in four weeks.
- Captain Rockwell Torrey: Well, he'd better break the bottle and take that whole island, or you can forget Skyhook.