The Next To Last Flight of Amelia Earhart
a play
by William M. Razavi
Copywright 2000


Scene 1
The cockpit of a Lockheed Electra. 2 July 1937.
A very nervous pilot, Amelia Earhart, looks frantically from one gauge to the next. She taps the fuel gauge. She looks at it relieved. But as she continues to look at it her face goes to a whiter shade of pale as the slow draining of blood parallels the invisible actions of the fuel gauge. The navigator, Fred Noonan, looks at a chart and then at the gauges. He takes a furtive swig of something from a paper bag.

EARHART: Earhart to Itasca—copy. Earhart to Itasca—copy.

[Sound of static on the radio.]

EARHART: Itasca this is Electra. We must be on you but cannot see you.
Gas is running low. Have been unable to reach you by radio.
We are flying at 1,000 feet. [To Noonan.] Where the hell are we?

[Noonan opens up a huge aeronautical chart.
This is not the answer she was looking for.]

EARHART: Itasca this is Electra. We are on a line of position 1-5-7 dash 1-3-7.
Will repeat this message on 6210 kilocycles. Wait, listening on 6210.
We are running north and south.
[To Noonan.] Is that right?

[Noonan shrugs and takes another swig.]

EARHART: We are running north and south.

[The lights fade out as the radio static gets louder.
The lights fade up on a singer or a small choir.]

SINGER: Poor little lambs
Who’ve lost their way.
Baa…Baa…Baa…

[Blackout. An air raid siren sounds. This fades into the “Baa Baa Black Sheep/Black Sheep Squadron” theme or some such aviation classic.]


Scene 2
The Oglethorpe Mansion in New York. A going away buffet for Amelia Earhart.
Mrs. Lillian Oglethorpe chatters among her guests. Earhart is talking with Paul Mantz, a smooth Hollywood stunt pilot, Harry Manning, a rather bookish navigator type, and a somewhat more sober Fred Noonan. Noonan spends his time furtively glancing toward the punch bowl.

HARRY MANNING: The real question is what kind of radio equipment will we have?

EARHART: Oh, I don’t like to bother with those things. They just get in the way.

HARRY MANNING: Really?

PAUL MANTZ: Ms. Earhart prefers to fly by the seat of her pants, which in her case
may not be such a bad idea.

EARHART: Paul, you’re so Hollywood.

NOONAN: I would have said crass.

PAUL MANTZ: I spend all my time with either pilots or movie stars.
You can’t expect me to be moral.

HARRY MANNING: Still, Ms. Earhart, you have to admit that the technological
innovations with radio and radio ranging indicators are beneficial to innovation.

PAUL MANTZ: You’re beating a dead horse, Harry. Ms. Earhart doesn’t take a shine
to technology—except for airplanes.

EARHART: Those long-range antennas just take up too much space.

[A dashing woman, Ida Montgomery, sweeps into the room and heads toward the punchbowl.]

NOONAN: I think I’m gonna try the punch.

[George Palmer Putnam enters. He is a well-dressed man, older than the pilots and navigators, but not F.D.R. old by any stretch of the imagination.]

OGLETHORPE: Oh, Miss Montgomery, Miss Montgomery!
I’d like you to meet Mr. George Palmer Putnam, of the New York Putnams. George, this is Ida Lee Montgomery.

MONTGOMERY: The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Putnam.

OGLETHORPE: Miss Montgomery is a pilot. Very well known.

MONTGOMERY: Mrs. Oglethorpe, you’re exaggerating.

OGLETHORPE: She’s so modest. She’s one of the best pilots in the world.

PUTNAM: You mean one of the best woman pilots.

OGLETHORPE: Man or woman, George. Man or woman.

[Mrs. Oglethorpe gives Miss Montgomery a look and heads to the punchbowl.]

OGLETHORPE: Mr. Noonan, can I get you some more punch?

[Noonan nods vigorously and mumbles graciously.]

MONTGOMERY: Mrs. Oglethorpe is prone to exaggeration.

PUTNAM: Well, Lillian has her moments. You’ll understand if I have my reasons for
being partisan when it comes to woman pilots, Miss Montgomery.

MONTGOMERY: You’ll understand if I have my reasons for being partisan too,
Mister Earhart.

PUTNAM: I’ll have to admit it’s not easy being the husband of an
international celebrity.

MONTGOMERY: Much less her creator.

[George Palmer Putnam nearly chokes on the olive in his martini.]

PUTNAM: I don’t know what you’re insinuating, Miss Montgomery.

MONTGOMERY: I would have thought you’d have enough canvas onboard
to catch my drift.

PUTNAM: You’ve got a lot of moxy, kid. That’ll either get you far or nowhere.

MONTGOMERY: I may have moxy but I’m no kid.

PUTNAM: I can see that.

MONTGOMERY: What else do you see?

PUTNAM: More than moxy.

MONTGOMERY: I think you’re heading in directions you shouldn’t be heading,
Mister Earhart.

PUTNAM: You think that would be wrong?

MONTGOMERY: I think that would be stupid.

PUTNAM: Yeah, you certainly got more than just moxy.
You could put that moxy to work for you on a book if you wanted to.

MONTGOMERY: Are you propositioning me, Mr. Putnam?

PUTNAM: For a book. We could call it Adventures of a Southern Aviatrix.

MONTGOMERY: I’m a pilot, Mr. Putnam, not an aviatrix.

PUTNAM: What’s the difference?

MONTGOMERY: Pilots fly planes; an aviatrix is a sideshow novelty.

PUTNAM: You’ve got wit; that sells books these days.

MONTGOMERY: You’ve got money.
Looks like that buys all kinds of novelties these days.

[Lillian Oglethorpe interrupts the banter with some punch.]

OGLETHORPE: Miss Montgomery, you must sample the punch. It’s divine.

MONTGOMERY: Thank you, Mrs. Oglethorpe.

OGLETHORPE: I hope George hasn’t talked your ear off.

MONTGOMERY: Oh, I don’t think it was my ear was his concern.

PUTNAM: Miss Montgomery has a sharp tongue and a quick wit, Lillian.

OGLETHORPE: And moxy. Miss Montgomery have you seen the observatory?
My husband constructed it just recently. He says it’s a great novelty.

[Mrs. Oglethorpe and Miss Montgomery exit. Putnam walks over to Earhart, who has been left standing alone in the corner.]

PUTNAM: Amelia, you should stand up a little straighter.
Throw your head back a little. There you go. Smile a little.
Remember, you have to look the part. That’s half the trick.

EARHART: It’s so much work, George.

PUTNAM: It’s rewarding work, dear.

EARHART: There are too many things to remember.
How do I laugh at the right moment? What kind of glint do I have in my eyes when the cameraman shows up?
How am I supposed to keep track of all those things?

PUTNAM: That’s why I’m here. It will be fine, Amelia. You’re already a star.
All these people are here because of you. It’s you they want. And you have to construct the person for them. You have to put on a show for them.
It’s what they need. They need your life, your persona.

EARHART: I’m just a woman who likes to fly.

PUTNAM: Don’t you see how amazing that is? Those people out there who read the
magazines and buy the books, they have no idea what that’s like. They live their lives day to day and year by year and nothing changes for them. But for a moment or two they read a few words—if they can even read—or they see a picture, and that changes their lives. It takes them away from the brown stew they’re looking down at and it makes them look up into the sky. And when they look up you know what they see? They see you…flying high above them with your leather jacket and your scarf. And every little smile, every little wave you give back to them is like gold. All you have to do is keep up the image, the rest is magic.

EARHART: It’s just so hard to keep it up all the time. It’s not me.

PUTNAM: Of course it’s not you, it’s Amelia Earhart.

EARHART: Well it’s not easy being an image and a person at the same time.

PUTNAM: But it’s rewarding.

[Lillian Oglethorpe calls from offstage and then enters.]

OGLETHORPE: George! George! Oh, there you are!
You must come to the observatory. I believe we can actually see Neptune.

PUTNAM: If you insist.

OGLETHORPE: Amelia, you should come too. You look so solitary here.

PUTNAM: Oh, Amelia has no need to see the stars from our lowly height
when she can fly among them.

OGLETHORPE: That’s so poetic. You must let me use that one later, Amelia.

[George winks at Amelia and then exits with Lillian Oglethorpe. Amelia is left alone again. Paul Mantz, Harry Manning and Fred Noonan are now all gathered around the punchbowl drinking it dry. Ida Lee Montgomery heads toward Amelia but is stopped by them.]

HARRY MANNING: Are you Ida Lee Montgomery?

MONTGOMERY: Yes, I am.

HARRY MANNING: You set the closed circuit air speed record in Munich last year.

MONTGOMERY: Yes, I did.

NOONAN: Want some punch?

MONTGOMERY: No thank you.

HARRY MANNING: I’m honored to meet you.
You’re one of the best pilots in the world.

MONTGOMERY: One of the best woman pilots?

HARRY MANNING: Man or woman.

PAUL MANTZ: I think he’s smitten.

MONTGOMERY: Who are you?

PAUL MANTZ: Also smitten.

MONTGOMERY: Two smittens. What are the odds?

PAUL MANTZ: If we don’t get any more smittens, I’d say pretty good.

MONTGOMERY: I wouldn’t bet on it.

PAUL MANTZ: I’m a gambler.

MONTGOMERY: Then you should put your money on horses.
You’ve got a better chance with them.

PAUL MANTZ: You’ve got moxy.

MONTGOMERY: I’ve heard that before.

PAUL MANTZ: I’m Paul Mantz. I work in Hollywood.

MONTGOMERY: I’ve never seen your movies.

PAUL MANTZ: I’m a stunt pilot.

MONTGOMERY: Figures.

PAUL MANTZ: Mr. Manning here and Mr. Noonan are navigating for Amelia Earhart
on her round the world tour.

MONTGOMERY: Two navigators?

PAUL MANTZ: You want one?

MONTGOMERY: I do my own.

PAUL MANTZ: Impressive.

MONTGOMERY: Competent.

HARRY MANNING: What do you think about the new long-range radio antennas?

MONTGOMERY: They’re absolutely necessary for night flying over unfamiliar
territory. And you’d be an idiot not to have one when you go transoceanic.

HARRY MANNING: That’s what I say.

PAUL MANTZ: I believe Harry has found another true believer. Here’s my card.
You can look me up the next time you’re in Los Angeles.

MONTGOMERY: I’ll fly low and wave.

NOONAN: Want some punch?

MONTGOMERY: No thanks.

[She heads toward Amelia. Noonan shrugs and picks up the punchbowl and finishes it off. Mantz and Manning exit holding Noonan upright.]

MONTGOMERY: Ms. Earhart, I’m so pleased I got the chance to see you at last.
I’m Ida Lee Montgomery.

EARHART: Nice to meet you.

MONTGOMERY: You probably have no idea who I am.

EARHART: I’m afraid I don’t follow the news.

MONTGOMERY: I’m a flyer, too. Well, clearly not as famous as you.

EARHART: No, I suppose not. Otherwise I would have heard of you.

MONTGOMERY: Well, I suppose that’s true.

EARHART: Do you have a nickname?

MONTGOMERY: No.

EARHART: They call me “Lady Lindy.” That’s pretty impressive, don’t you think?

MONTGOMERY: Listen, sister, I’m here to give you a piece of advice heart to heart,
woman to woman, pilot to pilot.

EARHART: I don’t need any more advice.

MONTGOMERY: If you know what’s good for you you’ll knock down your cap size
by a couple of notches.

EARHART: What do you mean?

MONTGOMERY: I mean, if you want to stay alive you’ve got to remember not to
breathe your own smoke.

EARHART: What smoke? I don’t smoke.

MONTGOMERY: You are so dense.

EARHART: I’m the best woman pilot in the world, and tomorrow I’m going to set off
to fly around the world. I’m not dense, I’m an international heroine.

MONTGOMERY: Have a nice trip, Mrs. Putnam.

[Miss Montgomery exits. Amelia stands alone for a moment. She looks up into the stars.
Blackout.]

Scene 3
The cockpit of a Lockheed Electra. Earhart, Noonan, and Harry Manning are preparing for takeoff.

EARHART: All systems checked. Engine—check. Fuel—check. Flaps. Looks like we’re all ready to go.

HARRY MANNING: I’d still feel better if we had a trailing antenna.

EARHART: Don’t be tedious, Harry.

FRED NOONAN: I need a drink.

EARHART: Not now, Fred. I need you to stay sober. Tower, this is Electra. Requesting clearance for takeoff. Thank you, tower. Engine number one. Engine number two.
Opening up throttle. Releasing brakes. Full throttle.

HARRY MANNING: There’s something wrong here.

EARHART: It’s alright. I’ve got it under control. Just need a little more speed.

[The cockpit goes wild. Everyone is jerked around. Various sounds of distress.]

HARRY MANNING: What the heck is going on?

[Noonan reaches for a flask in his pocket.]

EARHART: I’ve got it now.

[The whole place comes apart and the crew is thrown from the cockpit.]

HARRY MANNING: Holy crap!

EARHART: Oh, no.

[Blackout.]

Scene 4
The Oglethorpe mansion again. A smaller more somber buffet. Fred Noonan is sipping the punch straight from the bowl with a straw. He doesn’t even look up. Paul Mantz and George Putnam are busy talking with Harry Manning. Harry and Paul punctuate their speech with hand gestures indicating flight patterns.

PAUL MANTZ: I can’t believe it. After all that preparation.

HARRY MANNING: At least it wasn’t a radio problem.

[Mrs. Oglethorpe and Amelia enter.]

OGLETHORPE: Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to announce that Amelia is
fine and will be able to complete her journey around the world.

[Murmurs of restrained approval.]

OGLETHORPE: George! How are you? I hope you don’t feel too bad about
needing a new plane?

PUTNAM: New plane? Oh, not at all. Lockheed assures me that this one will be in
shape to fly in a matter of weeks. We’ll have to rearrange the flight schedule, obviously, and reshuffle the supply shipments so the depots are stocked and ready.

EARHART: I’m still not sure how it happened.

PUTNAM: Not to worry. It happens all the time. After all, they called Lindy “Lucky”
because he walked away from a crash.

HARRY MANNING: He didn’t cause that crash.

PAUL MANTZ: Don’t be crass, Harry.

HARRY MANNING: It’s true. She has no idea what she’s doing in there.
I’ve seen better pilots in Haile Selassie’s air force.

PAUL MANTZ: Haile Selassie doesn’t have an air force.

PUTNAM: Haile Selassie doesn’t even have a country.

EARHART: It wasn’t my fault. The plane was out of control.

OGLETHORPE: See, Mr. Manning. It wasn’t her fault.

HARRY MANNING: You’re like a lost kitten in the cockpit. You have no idea what
half the controls in the Electra are for and you can’t keep track of the half you recognize.

PAUL MANTZ: Harry’s still sore because his pet radio was nixed from the trip.

HARRY MANNING: Well, I’m not going on with this fiasco, that’s for sure.
It’s gonna be one disaster after another.

OGLETHORPE: Oh, there surely can’t be that many disasters out there.

HARRY MANNING: I’m not gonna stick around to find out. Mr. Putnam, I quit.
Ms. Earhart, I wish you the best of luck getting to wherever it is you’re going. You’ll need it.

[Harry Manning exits. Noonan looks up from the punch and waves a half-hearted goodbye.]

OGLETHORPE: Don’t let him get you down, dear.

PUTNAM: We’ll have to reverse the route because of weather conditions in the new
schedule. You’ll have new landing gear, propellers, wings and tail.
And a new trailing antenna for communications.

EARHART: I’m sorry about the plane, George…and all the changes in plans you have
to make.

PUTNAM: It’s all part of the job, dear. Don’t fret. And smile. It’s still your day.

OGLETHORPE: George, you must see the new Italian stonework in the den.
It’s fine marble.

[George and Lillian exit.]

EARHART: Paul—

PAUL MANTZ: Don’t say it. And don’t worry. You and Fred will do fine.
You’ll have to do some calculations on your own, but just remember what I taught you and…avoid any sharp turns when you’re taking off.

EARHART: Thank you, Paul. I don’t know what to say.

PAUL MANTZ: There’s no use dwelling on it. You can only worry about what comes
next and work on that. You can’t change the past.

[Noonan slurps up the last of the punch.]

PAUL MANTZ: Speaking of the future, let’s see if I can’t sober up your navigator.

EARHART: Good luck, Paul.

PAUL MANTZ: Come on, Fred. It’s time for some coffee.
We have three weeks to clean you up.

[Paul Mantz drags Noonan away. Amelia is alone for a moment. She hums a tune for a moment. Ida Montgomery sweeps in.]

MONTGOMERY: I see the punch didn’t stand a chance this time around.

EARHART: What do you want?

MONTGOMERY: Oh, that’s not neighborly at all, Lady Lindy.

EARHART: I don’t need competition from you.

MONTGOMERY: You can’t have competition, from anybody. You’re a paper tiger.
You ground-looped. I haven’t heard of someone doing that since the ‘20s.

EARHART: I’m going to fly around the world, what are you going to do?

MONTGOMERY: I’ll see you at the other end of the world.

[Miss Montgomery blows Amelia a kiss and exits. Amelia is left alone for a moment. Blackout.]

Scene 5
The refurbished cockpit of a Lockheed Electra.
Earhart is at the controls. Noonan is opening up a sack lunch.

EARHART: Starting up engine one.

[Prop noises.]

NOONAN: Banana.

EARHART: Engine one at full power.

NOONAN: Banana.

EARHART: Starting up engine two.

NOONAN: Lemon.

EARHART: Engine 2 at full power.

NOONAN: Peanut butter.

EARHART: Taxiing into position. Careful around that sharp angle.

NOONAN: Beans. Green beans.

EARHART: Preparing for takeoff.

NOONAN: Tangerines.

EARHART: Going full throttle.

NOONAN: Banana, lime, peanut butter, green bean, tangerine, salt pork!

EARHART: We have liftoff.

NOONAN: Domino, domino, Virginia ham.

EARHART: Ham?

NOONAN: Banana ham, lemon bean, tangerine.

EARHART: Banana? What’s going on?

NOONAN [insistent]: Banana ham, lemon bean, tangerine.

EARHART: I don’t understand. What are you saying?

NOONAN: Peanut butter, peas, chicken salad, mango.

EARHART: Why are you saying these things? What is going on?

NOONAN: Banana ham, lemon bean, tangerine.

EARHART: Something’s wrong. Banana ham…lemon…

NOONAN: Peas, peanut butter, chicken salad, mango.

EARHART: Tower, this is Electra. Tower, this is Electra. Do you read?

NOONAN: Green bean, unseen, tangerine dream.

EARHART: Tower, this is Electra. Do you read? Slight problem here…

NOONAN: Creamed corn, butter peas, mango ham.

EARHART: Tower this is Electra. Copy. Slight problem on takeoff here.
Banana, lime, green bean, mango salad, salt pork.

[Sounds of static. Blackout.]

Scene 6
A rocking chair on the porch of the Earhart house. An old woman, Amelia Earhart’s Mother, sits rocking and reminiscing.

MOTHER: We always knew she’d be a famous flyer, although we became more sure of it when they invented the aeroplane back in ought-three. Yep, we knew Amelia would be famous. A famous flyer. She never did learn to brush her teeth right, you know. She’d just put the brush in her mouth kind of awkward-like and then swirl it around a little and then spit. Such a shame too, considering she had such a good looking mouth. Not at all like her father’s mouth. A fine mouth. And her teeth would have stood so much better if she had brushed right but her mind was always somewhere else. Never had the patience for slow-cooking.
One time, she stole a nickel from a boy at school. Well, her daddy found out ‘cause the boy’s daddy told him and when Mr. Earhart got home he just about tore the house apart chasing after Amelia with his belt. Never did catch her. He ended up tripping over himself with his pants around his ankles on account of him running around without a belt. Well, truth is, he was kind of proud of her having gotten a nickel out of a boy without having to do anything for it. He made her put that nickel in a jar and add something to it every week until later on she took that money and bought herself an aeroplane with it.
Just got the idea stuck in her head that she was gonna fly. Well, we all knew it beforehand, but nobody ever told her. She could barely drive an automobile at that point. Some folks thought she was crazy, but she still had some good teeth and a nice mouth and sure enough she could fly pretty well too.
Another time, Amelia ate mushroom that wasn’t quite right and she just squirmed like a toad for the better part of a week imagining she was some kind of dancing walnut. She finally ended up dehydrating herself on account of the chronic diarrhea. Her teeth didn’t look good after that either. Poor thing didn’t really have the energy to brush. Not that she brushed her teeth well in the first place, but even what she could do could have helped her out a little. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like she’s got black teeth or that they’re shaped wrong. But they could use some improving.
But you know, we always knew she’d be famous. You wanna know a secret? We used to pronounce our name Ear-Heart. But it’s kind of more appropriate for a famous flyer to be Air-Heart.
Yeah, I suppose we always knew she’d get lost, too. Never had a great sense of direction. Can’t tell you how many times we found her buried in a snowdrift after she’d lost her way home from school. We dreamed of her flying home from school, but I guess it’s just as well she didn’t. At least she was famous. Even if she couldn’t brush her teeth well.
It’s comforting to think that so many people loved her and went looking for her and thought she was worth all this time and thought. You never think you can lose people like you can lose a penny from your purse. Much less famous people.

[She ruminates for a moment.]
The more I think about it, though, the more I wish she’d given that boy his nickel back.

[Mother hums a tune such as “Rock of Ages.” Blackout.]


Scene 7
The cockpit of a Lockheed Electra. An eerie silence. Sounds of a twin-engine plane.
Earhart and Noonan are focused ahead. She looks down at some controls, wipes the perspiration from her brow, and then stares back out again.

EARHART: Do you see anything?

[Noonan looks out onto the horizon.]

NOONAN: Nothing. Just ocean.

EARHART: Do you have any idea where we are?

[Noonan opens an aeronautical chart. The chart has a big heart-shaped hole cut out in the middle.]

NOONAN: I think we’re here. I’m not sure what else is here.

EARHART: I need a drink.

[Paul Mantz appears, as if from nowhere.]

PAUL MANTZ: Just remember everything I taught you.

EARHART: Paul? What are you doing here?

[Noonan looks out blankly, then drinks something from a paper bag.]

PAUL MANTZ: I’m not here. I’m with my fiancé in Honolulu.

EARHART: You’re engaged?

PAUL MANTZ: Yes. She’s a great gal.

EARHART: I didn’t know you were engaged.

PAUL MANTZ: Don’t sound so surprised. Underneath all that Hollywood charm
I’m still an average Joe who wants all the normal things.

EARHART: I never knew.

PAUL MANTZ: That’s not important. What’s important now is that you
stay confident. Keep the nose of the plane up, don’t drop off the airspeed and keep an eye out on the horizon.

EARHART: Nose, airspeed, eyes on the horizon…got it.

PAUL MANTZ: Good. You’re doing fine.

EARHART: I’m lost, Paul.

PAUL MANTZ: Nonsense. You’re off the ground.
That’s already better than your last attempt.

EARHART: Thanks.

[George Putnam enters.]

PUTNAM: Keep your chin up. Squint a little. There you go. Remember to look
confident when you land. Smile a lot, and talk about how tough it was but how you knew you had to buckle down and let your skills pull you through.

EARHART: What if I don’t land?

[George pulls out a handkerchief and wipes his brow, shrugs and then walks way. Lillian Oglethorpe enters busily picking her teeth.]

OGLETHORPE: Amelia! You must try the rack of lamb. It’s so succulent!

EARHART: Don’t you have any words of wisdom for me?

OGLETHORPE: I don’t bother myself with the technical details of aviation.

EARHART: Neither do I. Don’t you have anything inspirational to tell me?

OGLETHORPE: The lamb is very tasty. I’ll have the cook make some for you when
you make it to New York.

[Ida Montgomery enters.]

MONTGOMERY: If you make it to New York.

EARHART: What do you want?

MONTGOMERY: Looks like you’ve gotten yourself into some jam.

EARHART: The plane is still in the air and we have plenty of fuel.

MONTGOMERY: But you have no idea where you are.

EARHART: We know where we are.

[Noonan opens up the chart with the heart-shaped hole in it.]

MONTGOMERY: Well, you could always reel out that trailing antenna and try to ask
someone where you are.

EARHART: I had them take out the trailing antenna before we left. It was too hard to
reel in and out, and it took up too much space.

MONTGOMERY: Oh. It does look rather roomy in there.

[Ida exits. Harry Manning enters.]

EARHART: Don’t even start with me about the radios.

[Harry Manning shrugs. He waves to Noonan.]

HARRY MANNING: Good luck, Fred.

[Noonan toasts him with the paper bag. He exits. Mother Earhart enters.]

MOTHER: If you have the rack of lamb, be sure to brush your teeth.
Like a locomotive, you know…choo-choo, choo-choo.

[Mother Earhart makes brushing gestures while Amelia tries to ignore her.]

EARHART: What’s that?

NOONAN: What?

EARHART: Over there! See it?

NOONAN: That?

EARHART: Yes! It’s land. We found land.

PAUL MANTZ: Remember everything I taught you. Especially the part about opening
up the landing gear.

EARHART: We found land! We’re not lost!

[Noonan has a celebratory swig of the paper bag. Blackout.]


Scene 8
The airfield on Santa Paravia. A cheering group of islanders has gathered around Earhart and Noonan. From the enthusiastic islanders Claudia Franco, a regal young woman comes forward and kisses Earhart and Noonan on the cheeks. She is followed in this by Umberto Umberto, a cheerfully surly café owner, and Manuel the student/waiter.

CLAUDIA: Welcome to Santa Paravia!

[Cheers and various amens. The throng parts for Consul Graves, an earnest young foreign service appointee.]

CONSUL GRAVES: Welcome to Santa Paravia! Welcome!
We’ve been expecting you. Todos los tenagritos esta verdador.

[The crowd stares at the Consul incomprehensively.]

EARHART: They’ve been expecting us.

[Manuel whispers something to Consul Graves.]

CONSUL GRAVES: That’s a good idea Manuel. In celebration of the arrival of our
guests there will be a round of cervezas for everyone at Umberto’s.

[An argument breaks out between Manuel and Umberto. Claudia whispers something to Consul Graves.]

CONSUL GRAVES: Umberto! Manuel! Please!

[Claudia breaks up the scuffle.]

UMBERTO: Who will pay for these cervezas?

[Consul Graves checks his pocket.]

CONSUL GRAVES: I will pay for them.

UMBERTO: Muchos gracias, Consul Graves. I appreciate the business.

CONSUL GRAVES: Estad por nadamento. Muy bienvenido pollo flamencitas grande.

[Umberto gives Claudia a look and leaves. The crowd follows him in anticipation of the cervezas. Noonan cranes his neck.]

CONSUL GRAVES: Miss Franco—I mean, Claudia—that is…er.
You should tell your Uncle that I will present the visitors to him shortly.

CLAUDIA: I will go to him. [To Earhart.] It is a wonderful thing you are doing.

EARHART: Well, it is unique.

CLAUDIA: You are a true humanitarian.

EARHART: Oh, please, it’s nothing.

CLAUDIA: So many people will owe you so much. They will owe you their lives.

[Claudia exits.]

EARHART: I didn’t know this trip meant so much.

CONSUL GRAVES: Of course it does. These people are all counting on you.

EARHART: That’s so uplifting.

CONSUL GRAVES: Consul Brady in Rangoon wired me ahead to let me know
you were coming. I’ve made arrangements for your plane. We don’t have an adequate hangar here but the weather will be fine for it. I’ll take you over to meet the Governor now, so we can unload the medical supplies afterward.

EARHART: What medical supplies?

CONSUL GRAVES: The medical supplies.

EARHART: I don’t have any medical supplies.

CONSUL GRAVES: I don’t understand. Consul Brady assured me.
There must be some mistake. If you don’t have the medicine—

EARHART: I’m afraid there must be some sort of misunderstanding.
I’m flying around the world.

[She throws her head back and smiles as if for the camera.]

CONSUL GRAVES: You don’t seem to understand. If we don’t get quinine and the
other supplies these people will all die.

EARHART: They looked perfectly healthy to me.

CONSUL GRAVES: Looks can be deceiving. It’s only a matter of weeks before
everything here falls apart and no one will be left standing and if we don’t have supplies here—

EARHART: I’m sure it’s just some sort of miscommunication that we can settle.

CONSUL GRAVES: You have no idea. I’ll have to get on the horn to Brady and find
out what happened.

EARHART: I’m sure it will all be fine.

CONSUL GRAVES: I don’t know what I’m going to tell the governor now.

[Blackout.]


Scene 9
The cockpit of a Lockheed Electra. Manuel and Claudia are sitting at the controls.

CLAUDIA: What will you do?

MANUEL: I’ll fly back to Barcelona and fight the fascists.

CLAUDIA: You?

MANUEL: Why not me?

CLAUDIA: You don’t know how to fly.

MANUEL: I know how to drive a car.

CLAUDIA: But you don’t know how to fly.

MANUEL: How hard can it be? You push on the gas, you move the wheel. You fly.

[He makes some airplane noises. She laughs.]

CLAUDIA: And what will you do when you get to Barcelona? You’re a waiter.

MANUEL: And a student.

CLAUDIA: What will you do? Throw books at them?

MANUEL: I’ll spit in their food and give them bad service.

CLAUDIA: That is more realistic.

MANUEL: Do I have to be realistic? Is it wrong to dream?

CLAUDIA: There is nothing wrong with a dream.

MANUEL: And?

CLAUDIA: And nothing. There is nothing wrong with a dream.

[They share a smile and then sit back and both make airplane noises as the lights fade out.]


Scene 10
The Governor’s office. Governor Bernardo Franco is sitting anxiously at his desk. Consul Graves enters with Earhart and Noonan in tow. Noonan looks around for something to drink.

GOVERNOR: Welcome to Santa Paravia! Welcome, welcome!

CONSUL GRAVES: Your excellency, this is Amelia Earhart, an American aviator and
Mr. Frederic Noonan, her navigator. Ms. Earhart, Mr. Noonan, this is Governor Bernardo Franco, representative of the Spanish Republic. Gubernorissimo extrapolitanto frittata.

[The Governor winces.]

EARHART: Franco?

GOVERNOR: A distant cousin. Myself, I detest the fascists. That’s why this island
has become a refuge for those who think as I do. But enough about me!
What you are doing for our island is beyond compare. Words are not enough to thank you. I thank you with all of my heart, and on behalf of all my fellow citizens I wish to extend the warmest wishes to you and your mission of mercy. You have saved all of us.

CONSUL GRAVES: About that, Governor—

GOVERNOR: Si?

CONSUL GRAVES: Yolo porca animenta sueno grande.
Sola par ti esta mucho gusto pendadora.

GOVERNOR: Perhaps we should speak in English so our guests do not feel left out.

CONSUL GRAVES: They don’t have the medical supplies.

GOVERNOR: Que?

EARHART: What?

CONSUL GRAVES: I got in touch with Consul Brady in Rangoon. It seems they never
picked up the supplies. I’m sorry.

EARHART: I didn’t think they were important.

GOVERNOR: I see.

CONSUL GRAVES: Brady says he can hold on to it for another week.

GOVERNOR: Please wire Consul Brady and apologize on my behalf for any
inconvenience this may have caused him.

CONSUL GRAVES: I think I may have a solution. Ms. Earhart can go back to
Rangoon, pick up the supplies, bring them back here and then continue with her journey.

EARHART: Surely—

GOVERNOR: Thank you, Consul Graves. Please thank Consul Brady for his
assistance. I would like to speak to Ms. Earhart alone.

CONSUL GRAVES: Yes sir.

[Graves exits. Noonan makes a drinking gesture and receives an assent to tag along.]

GOVERNOR: Consul Graves is an honest, good man. He tries very hard to do what is
right, and that is not always easy. It is a shame that such a good man cannot speak a word of Spanish.

EARHART: I think he speaks Spanish beautifully.

GOVERNOR: Yes, the problem with a beautiful language is that someone can speak
absolute nonsense and it still sounds beautiful. Now, what is it that you want?

EARHART: What do I want?

GOVERNOR: Yes. What do you want?

EARHART: I need fuel to get to Howland Island.

GOVERNOR: Fuel, of course, I understand that. But what do you want?

EARHART: I’m not catching your drift.

GOVERNOR: When I was sent here in 1932 I nearly cried. It seemed like the last
place on the face of the Earth. Life, though, it plays tricks. A few years later General Franco flies from Morocco back to Spain, and suddenly the last place on Earth doesn’t look so bad. My niece, Claudia, is the only family I have left. For most of us here this island has every last thing that we care about. What do I want? We all have dreams; I dream of many things. But what I need is medicine, to keep us alive. It is difficult to explain to you what happens with the mosquitoes and the snakes and the humid weather. But we do not have much time. I cannot force you to do anything. You must be free to choose. But everything I love in this world depends on your choice.
So I ask you, what do you want?

EARHART: I want to be the first woman to fly around the world.

GOVERNOR: I see.

EARHART: It’s not that I have anything against you. I’m sure everything will work
out. Perhaps another plane will come from Rangoon.

GOVERNOR: Yes, perhaps.

EARHART: Sometimes you have to do something so much that you can’t let anything
stand in your way.

GOVERNOR: And you want to fly around the world?

EARHART: I’m almost done. I just need to get from here to Howland and then to
Honolulu and back to Oakland and I’ll be the first woman to have gone around the world.

GOVERNOR: I suppose that being first is important.

EARHART: It’s very important. No one will remember the second woman to go
around the world.

GOVERNOR: People have saved lives many times before.

EARHART: Yes, exactly. But you can only be first once.

GOVERNOR: I understand. You say it well.

[Blackout.]


Scene 11
The cockpit of a Lockheed Electra. Earhart and Noonan are at the controls as in the first scene. Noonan drinks nervously from a paper bag. Earhart looks at the fuel gauge.

EARHART: Keeping the nose up. Looks like we’re alright on fuel.

[She taps the fuel gauge again. The engines start to sputter. Her face grows with alarm as she watches the fuel gauge go to zero.]

EARHART: Taking emergency maneuvers. Where are we?

[Noonan opens up an aeronautical chart. It’s covered in raspberry jam. This is not the answer she was looking for.]

EARHART: Is that blood?

NOONAN: No, I think it’s jam.

EARHART: Crap. We’re lost and we have no fuel. Now what do we do?

[Noonan takes a long swig from a paper bag. Ida Montgomery appears as if from nowhere.]

MONTGOMERY: I’ll see you at the end of the world.

[Blackout. Silence.]


Scene 12
Umberto’s Café. The islanders are sitting around sipping their drinks and listening to the music. Noonan is in the corner looking over some navigational charts and drinking heavily. Umberto Umberto is arguing with Manuel, while Claudia, Governor Franco and Consul Graves sit together, some of them more serene than others. Amelia enters. She walks over to the VIP table.

EARHART: Governor Franco, I want to thank you for refueling my plane.
My husband, Mr. Putnam, will forward the money to you.

GOVERNOR: Of course.

EARHART: It was a pleasure meeting all of you.
It feels like such a shame to leave so soon.

CLAUDIA: Perhaps you can come back again.

EARHART: I would enjoy that.

[Earhart shakes Claudia’s hand.]

EARHART: You feel so warm.

CLAUDIA: It’s nothing.

CONSUL GRAVES: She’s running a fever.

EARHART: You should see a doctor about that.

GOVERNOR: Manuel! Some ice water!

[Manuel rushes over with the water and tends to her. Umberto follows.]

UMBERTO: Who will be paying for Senor Frederic’s cervezas?

EARHART: Oh. I suppose my husband will have to wire you with that as well.

UMBERTO: Of course.

EARHART: You know what, Umberto another round for everyone. Put it on my bill.

[Earhart starts to walk off. Consul Graves follows her.]

CONSUL GRAVES: You won’t go to Rangoon?

EARHART: I’d have to go back to New Guinea, Manila and back and then turn right
around again. I’d lose too much time. If I’m not careful Ida Montgomery will finish before I’ve even gotten back to Rangoon.

CONSUL GRAVES: I can’t believe it. These people need you. They believed in you.

EARHART: I’m sure the next plane from Rangoon will be able to bring in your
supplies.

CONSUL GRAVES: The next plane from Rangoon won’t be for another six months.

EARHART: But the Governor—

CONSUL GRAVES: You’re the first plane to pass through here since last year about
this time and there won’t be another one for another six months.

EARHART: I don’t understand.

CONSUL GRAVES: No, you don’t. And you don’t care. You don’t care what’ll
happen to these people.

EARHART: It can’t be that bad.

CONSUL GRAVES: When the next plane gets here the only thing to meet it will be a
row of graves by the airfield.

EARHART: That’s so melodramatic.

CONSUL GRAVES: I’m sorry if tropical fevers aren’t sufficiently noble for you.
Don’t you see what’s going on here? These people need you. They need you to deliver for them. They need to believe in you. It’s not about quinine. They need you to give them hope.

EARHART: I have to make Howland Island by the 2nd so I can make it Oakland for the
4th of July. Don’t you think it’ll be perfect? The first woman to fly around the world finishing on the 4th of July; it’s perfect.

CONSUL GRAVES: That’s beautiful.

EARHART: Sometimes you have to go for something greater than a person. I’m sure
things will work out. Maybe my husband can make a contribution towards your medical supplies.

[She heads toward Noonan. The Governor joins Consul Graves and gives him a paternal pat on the shoulders.]

CONSUL GRAVES: I tried.

GOVERNOR: That is all you can do. They must be free to choose.

CONSUL GRAVES: It’s not the freedom that bothers me. It’s the choices.

GOVERNOR: You know, people have come here from around the world because they
are disappointed. It is a refuge, yes. But disappointment doesn’t need a plane to follow people.

[Consul Graves looks over at Claudia and Manuel, who are arm in arm and smiling.]

GOVERNOR: The world changes. Maybe it’s not the strongest who survive so much
as the least disappointed.

CONSUL GRAVES: Yo los soy tenacito—

GOVERNOR: Please! Your Spanish is so beautiful it’s killing me.

[They walk off toward Claudia and Manuel.]

NOONAN: I’m telling you, we need to get out of here quick!

EARHART: Because of the fever?

NOONAN: I don’t about the fever, but I’ve been poring over these charts since we got
here and this place doesn’t exist.

EARHART: What?

NOONAN: I’m telling you. I’ve been looking over every map ever made of this part of
the Pacific and there is no Santa Paravia. There are no Spanish colonies here. This place isn’t real.

EARHART: How can that be? We’re standing on it right now. You’ve been drinking
the bar dry here. What about these people?

NOONAN: I don’t know. All I know is that it’s not on any map and it’s not mentioned
in any of the gazetteers. This place doesn’t exist. It’s a figment of our imaginations, it’s a bad batch of mayonnaise, I don’t know what it is, but it ain’t real and the sooner we scram the better.

[Earhart looks over at the islanders. They wave to her expectantly. She waves back. She looks up into the sky for a moment. Blackout.]


Scene 13
The cockpit of a Lockheed Electra, as in Scene 1. Engines are going. Earhart is nervously looking from gauge to gauge.

EARHART: Earhart to Itasca—copy. Earhart to Itasca—copy.

[Sound of static on the radio.]

EARHART: Itasca this is Electra. We must be on you but cannot see you.
Gas is running low. Have been unable to reach you by radio.
We are flying at 1,000 feet. [To Noonan.] Where the hell are we?

[Noonan opens up a huge aeronautical chart. He shakes his head.
This is really not the answer she was looking for.]

EARHART: Itasca this is Electra. We are on a line of position 1-5-7 dash 1-3-7.
Will repeat this message on 6210 kilocycles. Wait, listening on 6210.
We are running north and south.
[To Noonan.] Is that right?

[Noonan shrugs and takes another swig.]

EARHART: We are running north and south. We are running north and south.

[The lights fade up on a singer or a small choir.]

SINGER: Poor little lambs
Who’ve lost their way.
Baa…Baa…Baa…

[Blackout. End music.]