Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story (1986) - full transcript

[announcer]
in 1622, the Atocha,

a Spanish ship,

was lost at sea off
the Florida Keys,

carrying 260 people
to their deaths.

and with them, a legendary
fortune in treasure.

Over three centuries
later, Mel Fisher

led his family on a
search for the Atocha.

his dream of adventure,
glory and gold

would challenge the
laws of this country.

and change their lives

forever.



This is the story
of that quest.

You okay?
- I'm okay.

Please don't tell your mom.

You okay, angel?
- Yeah, Mel, I'm fine.

If it was easy,
everybody'd be doing it!

Slack up on your train line.

Okay, Don, make that line fast.

Alright, I got it.
- It's all yours, babe.

Alright, folks!

Today's the day!

Come with me, folks!

We're going up to
the galleon.

You're going to see authentic
artifacts from authentic...

[Kim] Dad!
- Yeah, Kim?



Galleon's sleeping again.

Well, pull up on the diver!
Pull it up!

We can't have the tourists
on The Titanic!

Behind in our insurance!
Way behind.

Follow me, just follow me!
We got gold, we got silver!

We've got gold bars
and silver bars!

You can see 'em and
you can touch 'em,

But sorry, there are no samples.

Step right up, folks!
Now, one at a time!

Here we go, genuine artifacts
from genuine sunken ship.

Right over here...
No. Sir. Wait. No. Mad...Hey!

No more promises, Fisher.
- What?

Today is the day.
- What?

Taking my compressors.
- Oh, wait a minute.

My divers need air.

I need money
and I have a contract.

No, but I know, but wa...
- Hi, honey.

Aw, hello, babe.
- Any luck, dad?

How you doin'?

Oh, it was a great day, Taffi.
As usual, we didn't find
anything.

We're in debt and I'm outta air.
What else can I say?

[Taffi] Like
any other day, right?

Yeah, like any other day,
but tomorrow's the day, babe.

We're gonna find The Atocha.
- Alright, dad. The big pile.

The big pile. Let me borrow
these for awhile, will ya?

I'll give 'em back. Whatcha got
there? - Oh, boy!

Looky here!
- What?

A sweet man in South Bend,
lookin' at all that snow

and dreamin' about Florida and
all the gold you're gonna find
him.

That's great!
Alright, listen, make out a, uh,

No, wait a minute. Kane!
- Yeah, Dad?

Go get that little squirt,
he's got our air.

Take this with you, go get him.

Mr. Fisher.
- Yes, sir?

I read about you in L.A.
Are you hirin'?

Ah, you lookin' for a job?

Well, I got my papers.
Dived off Hawaii, Catalina.

Yeah? Good.
You play the guitar, too, huh?

Uh-huh. - Can you play "Home On
The Range"?

Well, I've heard of it, but
I play mostly Dylan, Beatles.

That's alright. Listen, you
can play back in the poop deck,

for the customers.
Uh, we don't pay much.

Well, that's twice what I've
been making. Where's the poop
deck?

[Deo] This way. Come
here, I'm gonna show you.

You play Dylan, really?
- Well, yeah.

So, that's Mel Fisher in person.
We've read about him.

Did he really find a fortune in
gold? - That's a laugh.

Those kids oh his were in
grade school when he started.

Claimin' he knows where
that Spanish ship went down.

Hell of a way to bring up kids.

Divin' for their crazy old man,
who's out

sellin' stock in a company
that's one step ahead of the
sheriff.

- Yeah, but
what about the museum?

He's found stuff, alright.
Some gold and silver.

But lots of junk, puts it in
that floating museum and sells
tickets.

That's what feeds
his wife and kids.

But it's not enough to pay
for his salvage operation.

Calls himself a treasure hunter.
I call him a cock-eyed dreamer.

You'll read about him again.

He'll either be rich or dead.

Or back with his
chickens in Indiana.

Deep six'd, either way.

Fisher, you're not outta
this mess yet.

What mess?

[Taffi]
What do you think it is, Dad?

A giant B.B.

It's a mini-mine. Watch
out! It'll blow up!

Where'd you get this, Taffi?

Where we were diving yesterday.
I didn't think it was anything.

Well, you know those ships
that had gold had soldiers.

Soldiers had guns, this could be
a musket ball from The Atocha.

Really? - Hey, Dad, let's take
it to the bank.

Oh, yeah, what a marvelous idea.
I can hear them now.

"Well, it's mint condition,
but tell me, Mr. Fisher,

"I mean, divin' everyday, all
you can find is musketballs?"

Well, Mr. bank president, we got
pieces of eight, we got
silver...

You should have heard the guy
I met last week.

"Hey! I know you're
Mel Fisher's kid.

"So tell me somethin'.
You dive at night?"

And you said, "Right"?
- He said,

"With lights?"
- And you said,

"No! With candles and
a lot of matches!"

What about that dude last year?
Said I was disruptin' the fishes
schedule.

He was a little
loose in the loafers.

Yeah, all the fish were leaving
his spot to come watch us,
right?

They just don't understand.

Well, don't be too hard
on 'em, Kim. They...

think we're dreamin'.
Some day, they'll wake up.

Maybe we are just dreaming.

Nine ships went down.
This could be from any of them.

Well, we just keep on lookin'.

Meanwhile, your mother and I are
going to walk off whatever it is
we just ate.

Come on, babe.
- Hey, we won't be long.

Okay.

See, they're
starting to bite already.

Except for you, as usual.

Bite me, and they die.

Then why the hell did you have
to say that about those other
ships?

'Cause it's true.

Aw, who cares?

You guys are about as bad as
everybody else in Key West.

Look, Angel. - You are talking
about your father, Kim.

Guess it's just that we've been
lookin' for so long.

Hey, you guys.

Let's not start talkin'
like they do about him.

So, what's it going to be? We
gonna help him find that pile?

Or do we just sit around
and bitch?

We bitch.

Ah, look at that, look at that,
Deo. Isn't that beautiful?

Ah!

Just think.

348 years and 10 months ago,

The Atocha was right out there.

Right out there in that storm.

And the wind was blowin',
the sails were rippin' apart.

And people were cryin' and

prayin' and it smashed to pieces
right out there somewhere.

Right-out-there.

And I'll bet you a
hot fudge sundae,

tomorrow's the day.

After 10 years, I'm gonna
bet against Mel Fisher?

I think you're...
crazy to stick with him.

I know, but in what other life
could I wake up in the morning

and think I might win
The World Series,

The Superbowl and the Indy 500,
all in one day?

Lady, the man cannot finance
a can of beans.

I'd dump him!
- You're right.

When you're right, you're right.

I should go out and
buy me a chicken farm.

And then, just lie in bed at
night, listening to my arteries
harden.

Oh, I love you, chicken.

I love you, too, Mel.

Kill it, Mo!
- Okay, Mon.

That's good.
They're comin' up, Mo.

Blew out a hole 10 feet deep!

Those things look
like mail boxes!

You ought to see it down there!

Well, the old boy has a good
idea every once in awhile.

Of course, it takes a couple of
years but it sure beats doin' it
by hand.

How 'bout that, huh!?
- Yeah, how 'bout that?

Good idea again, Dad.

Yeah, it's a better idea than
training those porpoises.

Hey, you guys!

What is it, Angel? Somthing
wrong? - What is it?

No, they're hu...
Wait until you see what I got.

Help me out here.

Oh, you guys!

The sand blew away!
It was just lying there!

[Mel]
What?

What is it, honey?

Oh, I'm sorry, Angel.

I'm sorry to disappoint you,
babe. But that is not pure gold.

What!?

No, maybe 23 and
a quarter carats.

[Mel] Ladies and
gentlemen, boys and girls.

Today is the day!
It is found!

Mr. Melvin Fisher?

Are you Melvin A. Fisher?

Doing business as "Treasure
Salvors, Incorporated"?

I was when I got up, Luther.
How long you know me?

How long have you know
this was coming, Mel?

You signed a contract to give
the state 25% of everything you
find.

I never thought I'd see the day.

Mr. Fisher, as you know,
the Florida State Department

of Reclaimation has a rule.

Ah, therefore, I
hereby inform you that,

as of this day,

your operations will be
monitored by Agent Hudley, here.

[Mel]
Monitored?

Dr. Livingston, I presume.

Did he say, "Hudley"?

He's a dudley.

[Luther] He will be on
board when you're at sea.

You will provide
proper accomodations.

And when you dock at night,
he will inventory your findings.

Look who signed it.

Is that what you call a spy?

Who got to him, Luther?
- Beats me.

Agent Hudley is now part of your
crew. - Yeah!?

Yeah, well, what if my captain
says "no", I say "no" and he
doesn't put

his foot on that boat.
What happens?

Then you don't sail.
- Uh-huh.

Stand by to cast off, boys.

Mel, do you really want to fight
The Marine Patrol?

You really wanna go to
war with me, Luther?

Hey, Luther! Why don't you
call the *Coast Guard*!?

Dad, the tourists!
- Better yet, The Navy!

Agent Hudley, get aboard
and carry out your orders.

Yes, sir, Mr. Banks.
- Hey, Luther!

Call The Marines, huh!?

Cast off, cast off!

You saw it, folks!
The bureaucrats!

We do the work!
And they take it!

No gains and I
don't get seasick.

Wait'll you try my cookin', pal!

Funny, last time I looked, I
thought I was in the United
States of America.

♪ Give me a home

♪ Where the buffalo roam

♪ The skies are
not cloudy all day

♪ Where seldom is heard

♪ A discouraging word

♪ And the deer and
the antelope play

♪ Home, home on the range

Didn't say when he'd be back?

The usual, when he gets
enough money to keep us afloat.

Someday, he's going to end up in
Alaska. Taff, can I have a
serving?

Honey, that's not a half plate.

Yes, it is. I know this is so.

Eat, drink and be merry.
For tomorrow, we die.

Well, that was bad.
- So, do you do this often?

[Taffi]
Only when we wanna eat.

No, just when, uh, Mel and Deo
run out of funds to pay the
troops.

Thank you.
- You guys, you know this is

the 156th Hard Times Party.
- Is it, really?

Yeah. - Didn't know you were
countin', sweetheart

Hey! They again, it could
be a lot of fun.

Penny, did I ever tell you about
that time I got in this little
skiff

and I saw these two big fins
right behind one another, did I
tell you about that?

Two fins? You mean sharks? -
Well, yeah, no, that's what I
thought.

What I thought they
were were sharks,...

That happened to Don.
- Mmmm, now don't be mean.

He's probably just jealous
of you two old married folk.

Anyway, it's a wonderful story.

Bye!
- Have fun.

You guys see what I see?

Why, it's Dudley.

Looks like John Wayne to me.

John Wayne?

Look more like
Gabby Hayes to me.

Yoo-hoo! Agent Hudley!

Yes, ma'am.
Come on over here and join us.

Uh, thank you,
ma'am, but I'm fine.

There's more than plenty.

But I didn't chip in.

You're our guest.
- Mom!

He's on their side. - He's just
trying to do his job,

with a wife and family.

Come on, you hungry?
- Yes, ma'am.

This is the place.
- I'm always hungry.

Mmmm, seconds, Taffi?
- Sure, Penny.

Hey, Dudley.
- Hi.

It's my first "Hard Times"
party, too. - Yeah?

Enjoy.
- Thank you.

Uh, is that there chili or fish?

No, it's um, both.

Deo, I think 'cause
he been posted here,

he can have a beer.
- Yeah! Absolutely.

Don't mind if I do.

Whoa!

If we run low, we just throw in
a box of oatmeal to swell it up
some more.

Giving away all our secrets.

Okay, come on.

Sit right over here, come on.
- Much obliged, Miss Taffi.

♪ The skies are
not cloudy all day

Understand your uh,
husband's on another trip.

Yeah, tryin' to scare up
a few more investors.

Hmmm.

Well, he sure spent
a lot on this, huh?

All we have, and then some.

And then some more.

Uh, Mi-Miss Fisher, uh,

I sat on board, checking out all
the things he's found so far,
and I'm here to tell ya.

You don't think we're
going to find it, do ya?

Sorry, but I think
it's worse than that.

Give me my chili back!

But I-I didn't even have it.

I'm just kiddin' ya.

Oh, we haven't found much, but
we haven't lost our sense of
humor.

Yeah.

Or our faith.

Cheers to that.
-

From what you've told me about
your father, he sounds
fasinating.

He's raised chickens.

- Yeah.

Then one morning, he said he was
tired of hearing eggs plopping
in the nests.

So, he opened a dive shop
in California.

You know, Don told me your
mother held the underwater
endurance record.

More than 55 hours.

Best in the world.

Then he heard about this
treasure off Florida,

piled us in a car and...
pffffft.

You know how many times
he got lost trying to get here?

I couldn't even tell ya.

You know,

everybody's got a dream.

But he's doing
something about it.

Pot of gold at the
end of the rainbow.

That's what everybody
thinks, Penny.

But they're wrong.

It's not the gold.

It's lookin' for it.

Yes, ma'am, would you
tell Mr. Carmody that, uh,

3 o'clock will be just fine with
me and I, and I sure do
appreciate it.

Alright, thank you very much.
Bye-bye.

So, I only have a few
minutes to give you,

but, uh, I have a board meeting.
- Ah, that's alright, Mr.
Carmody.

I got a meeting myself. I just
want to check your lines to
assure you.

you have enough outlets, yeah.
- One?

Well, we're expecting a call
from my divers in Key West in
any minute.

About the Atocha? - Yeah, that's
the one. The big one.

Oh, the other don't
really count. I mean,

The Atocha was really the crown
jewel to the King of Spain,

That's the one
we're lookin' for.

And you're expecting to find it
in any minute?

Yep, my divers do, and, uh,

I do, too, just as sure as
I'm sittin' here, holdin' this.

You might be amused by this.
It's, uh,

a gold

doubloon.
Wanna try it on?

Wha?
- Yeah, kinda heavy there.

Yeah, it's...

Yeah, it's nice.

Well, as I mentioned to you
on the telephone,

all we need is one
other old boat.

I mean, eventually
we'll need a crane.

But right now, just
another old boat.

I've had some research
done, Mr. Fisher.

Right after that hurricane,

The Spanish attempted to salvage
The Atocha.

But some Dutch warships
showed up and drove them off.

Now, uh, how do I know those
Dutchmen didn't pick its' bones
clean?

Well, The Dutchmen didn't
find that, now did they?

Huh?

Oh, it's a nice act, Mr. Fisher.

Mmmm, nice act.

Easy goin'. Low key.

I reckon at the next stop,
you'll probably do a fast song
and dance?

No, no, I...Actually, I don't
even know what I'm doin' here
right now.

You're here

because I am worth
50 million dollars.

Well, that's nice,
Mr. Carmody, but uh,

The Atocha's got you beat.
It's got about 350 million more.

I happen to know the state
has an agent on board your boat.

Now, uh, wouldn't be too smart
of me to invest in something

that might be tied up in the
courts for years and years,
would it?

Well, it all depends on
your point of view. I mean,

some people consider that
part of the suspense.

You mentioned, uh,

a boat with a crane?

Yeah, eventually.
I mean, uh,

we're talking about 50 tons

of gold and silver.
Not to mention the

thousands of
emeralds down there.

You, uh,

you find any more of these?
- Sir?

I say, did you find
any more of these?

Oh, yeah, yeah.
I got, uh,

plenty of those.

Let's see, I got some
in my pocket right here.

Saw some around
here the other day.

Let's see.

Yeah, here's some.

Oh, darnit.

Clumsy. I'm sorry. Spilled
them all over your floor there.

Oh, that's alright.
We'll pick these up.

Is that...real gold?
- Yeah, that's gold, alright.

That's it, yep.

And that's real silver?
- Yeah, that's silver.

Pieces of 8, yeah.
- What's that?

That's not. It's just a nickel.
- Oh, oh.

You look over there, you might
have something over there.

Oh, yes. So, it is.
That's a gold piece.

Yeah, that's another gold.

There you go.
- Thank you.

Well,
- Here's a silver one, too.

Ah, keep that. Don't even
know where it came from.

Just a piece of 8.

[woman on phone]
Board meeting, Mr. Carmody.

Tell them to wait.

Historical value, too.

Hmm-mmm. Museums, yeah.

Tax benefits.

Well, I don't want to take up
any more of your time, Mr.
Carmody.

Sure appreciate you giving me
this time.

I've got a meeting, too.

I've got to meet some good
ol' boys in Palm Beach.

Dallas, places like that.

I can, uh,

reach you in Key West?

Oh, yeah. Yeah.
We, uh, we never close.

Darn.

I almost forgot.
- Beg pardon?

My paper.
- Oh.

I don't want to forget that.

I mean, there's plenty
where that comes from.

But, thanks again, Mr. Carmody.

I was going to name it after our
backers, but I didn't have
enough paint.

Didn't have enough paint for

Carmody, Smith, Jones,
Willingham, Schwartz,

Axleman and...

Berman.

Which one did you use
this time, honey?

The old "gold detector
that never fails" one?

No, I used the old "coins
on the carpet" routine.

Hey, Dirk.
- Yeah.

I want to talk to
you, young man.

Got a little somethin' for ya.

What's this "Captain
Dirk Fisher"?

Did I spell it wrong?

Thanks, Dad.

It's okay.
Just don't, uh,

start dishin' out marriage
licenses all through Key West,
okay?

I want you to have that, Pop.

Thanks, Skipper.

Captain Dirk Fisher!
Hip, hip, hooray!

Hip, hip, hooray!

Alright, man, I can't wait
until Mel and Deo see this.

Can you believe it?

Mel's gonna count those links.

Hey, hey, wait a minute, Dudley.

Not until Mel and Deo
get back from the hearing.

Let me see that.

That is The Atocha, alright.

But how can you tell, Mo?

Look.
Every link, the same size.

Take off a link,

use it for money.

Somebody was wearing it
the night the storm hit.

Wind howling, waves crashing
over the deck.

And this person

in the water

tryin' to swim.

You people give me the creeps.

It is only the truth.

Rich somebody,
thinking they important.

Could own gold.

But the sea took it away.

And now, we took it back.

But this won't be the end of it.

Mr. Fisher, you say you invented
this so-called "mailbox"

to speed up your
search for treasure.

Do you have a patent
for this invention?

No sir, I...

Uh, I'm not in the
manufacturing business

and I just never got around
to getting it patented.

The result, other treasure
hunters have copied your device,

and our ocean floor
now looks like a battle field.

Oh, no, sir, the tides and the
currents smooth it out pretty
good.

Mr. Fisher, you

you must be aware of the
archeological value of The
Atocha?

Yes, sir. I, uh, I have great
respect for the historical value
of The

Atocha.

Doesn't look like it to me.

You see, this wreck,
as well as others, is a

priceless heritage belonging
to the field of archeology.

Let's not make too
fine a point of this.

You are a treasure hunter.

Out for profit.

Need I remind you of what
happened to The San José?

Oh, sir. No, I have never,
nor would I ever, use dynamite.

I mean, that's
strictly for amateurs.

That's what you say now.

But the fact is, you're
gouging craters out there.

Bigger boats. Newer devices.

In your lust for gold,

you've mounted a full-scale
attack on our heritage.

It's not yours, Mr. Fisher. It
belongs to the people of
Florida.

Yes, sir.

Gentlemen, I...
I respect our heritage.

and our environment, and

and the people.

I mean, uh,

A lot of folks have been looking
for The Atocha for 350 years.

Including some of our finest
scientists. And I, I respect all
of them.

And I sympathize with them for
givin' up, because it's a damn
hard

and dangerous job.

Now, uh,

A lot of folks would just call
us a bunch of raggedy, uh,

Just a bunch of
raggedy dreamers.

And they'll say The
Atocha is not there

and that it's some
kind of ghost ship.

Well, we don't-we don't
believe in ghosts.

We believe in The
Atocha, my wife and I.

Our kids and the kids that work
with us. We believe she's out
there.

And we don't care
what you call us.

You can call us anything you
want, because in America,

I grew up thinkin'

dreamin' was okay.
I mean,

That's what makes America

special.

Different.

I mean, that's really what
America is when you think about
it.

It's kinda,...
a dream that's grown up.

Realize. Fulfill.

I think everybody in our country
should have that right, to go
for that dream.

I mean,
all they have to do is, uh,

is believe in it and go for it.

And that's a right
that is *for* the people.

Gentlemen, we don't
want to fight you.

We don't want to fight
the State of Florida.

We don't want to fight the
government. We don't want to
fight anybody.

All we want

is the right

to go
for that dream.

And if that's
taken away from us,

well,

we think that's unconstitutional
and unfair.

If-if-if you take that away
from us, we're in deep water.

We will have lost a lot of years

and a lot of folks' money

and America will have lost.

Somethin' she's had since 1776.

America will've lost more.

More than us.

C'mon, Deo.

We're not finished.

Neither are we.

Mathewson?

Mathewson.

Mr. Mathe...

Mr. Mathewson.

My name is Mel Fisher.
I'm a,

I'm a treasure salvor
out of Key West.

Well, Mr. Fisher, heard a lot
about you. - Yeah.

You probably heard about all
the trouble that I had, right?

Yeah, from what I understand,
you've had more than your share.

Oh, I have. I've been in
and out of court so much,

I can't even remember this last
year. I mean, it's been a
nightmare.

And all I'm tryin' to...
and all I'm tryin' to do

is to protect my rights,
know what I'm sayin'?

I mean, I thought maybe,
maybe you could help me.

Me?
- Yeah.

I'm an archeologist.
Sometimes an anthropologist.

But never a lawyer.
- Oh, no.

I go...I've had more lawyers
than I need right now.

Well, what do you want with me?
- I need to be able to identify

everything I find. I mean,
if I find one rusty nail,

I want to be able to tell,

what town in Spain it came from.

I've got a pal over
there, Gene Lyons.

He's combin' all the
maritime history.

He's great, but he's over there
and you're over here.

[Mel] See, I, I need you
to help train the kids.

And me, in underwater
archeology.

You could help us find
the motherlode, because

I know The Atocha's down there.
I just know it. I know it!

Now, according to the

Spanish records, the 1622
hurricane came from, uh,

a Southeast direction,
along this line, right

Right.

And we've done covered
every inch along that trail.

Yep.

Yep, found the doubloon here.

Necklace here, shards here.
Timber here, and the silver

25 feet down.

5 to 10 feet of sand, and then

then solid mud.

Gold.
The weight of it.

Over three centuries.

Workin' it's way down through
the sand, and through that mud.

Then all the way through that,
to bedrock.

Yep.

Gold had centuries.

I don't have that much time.

[woman] Those "The
Day's The Day" t-shirts

are really starting
to break my heart.

[man]
Well, if we didn't wear 'em,

then it'd break his heart.

You know he's in there making
peanut butter sandwiches again,

pretending they're
ham and cheese.

You guys know how long ago
I left college?

What's that supposed to mean?

I could've had my masters degree
by now.

Well, you don't appreciate
what I've brought ya?

Such a wise guy. - Ho, that's
enough. That's enough.

Stick with me, kid and you'll
get your masters in "shipwreck".

Ooh, yeah.

You know this trail's
drying out, right?

I mean, we haven't found
anything for weeks.

Ah, I don't know.

I think The Atocha just
doesn't want to be found.

Maybe Mo's right.

There's some kind
of curse on it.

Deo, I think the crew
wants to quit.

Even Mo and Don.

[Deo] What'd they say?
They say something?

No.
I just have a feeling.

I can't blame 'em. I mean,
they've been livin' off of

fresh fish and stale dreams for
so long, I can't expect them to
give up

the best years of
their life for my

crazy, hair-brained idea.
- It is not.

There's gold down there
and you're going to find it.

You and I are going to be
on deck in our wheelchairs,

looking at our grandchildren
dive for it.

What's the matter with you?
I've never seen you like this.

The trouble with me is
I-just-never-grew-up

This...
child-like dream of

buried treasure.

I was thinkin' the other day,
maybe, um,

callin' a family
meeting and, uh,

putting it up to a

democratic vote.
Whaddya think?

No-no-no.
If we had wanted a democracy,

we wouldn't have had
so many kids.

Who do you think you're
having dinner with, Mel Fisher?

This is the same girl who broke
the underwater endurance record.

I'd still be down there if I
hadn't gotten pregnant with
Taffi.

Nobody's going to make me
quit again.

Especially not you.

'kay?

Okay.
We'll give it a hundred days

and if we don't hit it by then,
we'll pay everybody off

and go climb Mt. Everest.
Is that a deal?

You got a deal.

Stop it! Just stop it!

Put that down right there.

You can't do this!

You can't do this!
- Deo.

That won't help your case
one little bit.

Here, I'm treating it the way
the government is treating our
contract!

You're not giving
us back our 75%!

[Luther]
Now, Deo.

I wouldn't do this
if I were you!

Luther!

Luther, you should be
ashamed of yourself!

You're taking everything
we've ever found!

Whaddya doing?!

Where you going!?

Alright, now, before I listen,
I got one question.

What's that?
- Why me?

Why you?

'Cause you're young and cheap.

Ahhh, I hope.

I mean, those other lawyers
are going to charge me

$20,000 up front just to
research this project with this
new twist.

You wouldn't charge me that,
would ya?

Well, no I wouldn't,
but I do like to get paid.

[Mel]
Ah, don't worry about it.

Well, I understand your
other attorneys had to.

Well, they got a little tired
gamblin' on me, ya know.

It takes nerve to
stay in this business.

Well, I can believe that.
- So, how much?

Um, 50 an hour?

50 an hour's a deal.

So, you started at, uh,

2:30, so, uh, the clock...is....
running.

And counting.

Jimmy!

Another round.

Uh, no thanks.
Not for me.

I, uh, I got to understand
what it is you're talkin' about.

So?
- So, uh,

If I wanted to dive for The
Atocha, I had to make a deal
with the state.

If I wanted to get a license,
or I wanted to keep

*some* of what I got,
I had to agree to

the Florida territory extended
all the way to Spain, or...

Come on! You're diving outside
the 3 mile limit!

I mean, even that's a joke!

A law based on how far a shore
gun can fire a cannonball in
1587.

Is that right?
- Yes, sir.

I'll be damned.

Wait a minute.

Admirilty law also makes it
possible for the federal courts
to take

jurisdiction over a shipwreck.

Jurisdiction?
You mean they could...

take it out of the state?

Yep, and now the only problem is
there has to be absolutely no
question

that the shipwreck
is The Atocha. Now,

if you can do that,
I have an idea where we might

put the blocks to 'em.

Dave, I only got a $5.

I'll give you the
rest in shares, okay?

Shares?
- Yeah, gets ya on the board.

When we hit it, you'll be a rich
man. I like the way you talk.

Yeah, you do? Well, you talk
pretty good yourself, Mel.

No more hundred day deadlines.
How 'bout that, Angel?

I'll buy that.

Okay, man, listen.

You know what's going to happen
now? - Yeah, I know.

I'll get on the radio.

Dad'll come up with some idea.

Now, you sure?
- Yes, I'm sure.

The dolphin crest is right
on top of the cannon.

Are *you* sure? - Well, it
scares the hell outta me,

but it's the only way we're
gonna get it out of the state's
jurisdiction

and get you your day in court.
- Well, that's what I want

is another day in court.
But what I'm worried about is

if we ace Florida out, we'd
bring the federal government in.

I told you it scared me.

They're coming in early today.

Permission to come
aboard, Captain?

Permission granted, Mr. Banks.

No luck again, I see.

We'll hit it someday.

Yeah.

That's your dad's
favorite saying, isn't it?

"Today's The Day".

Yeah.

Looks like, uh,

spring housecleaning.

It's getting pretty rank, sir.

I swear, Hudley, you're
beginning to *look* like these
people.

Thank you, sir.

Very unsanitary.

You hit it!

You hit it!

And you thought you'd hide it.

No, that's just to keep it
from rusting.

Okay, a couple of you guys
get a truck!

We'll get this on the road
to Tallahassee.

[Mel]
Alright, come on.

Right this way, fellas.
Excuse me, people, excuse me.

Oh, Deo, sweetheart, I want you
to see this, come here.

It's alright.
Go get 'em, Tiger.

This is Mr. Drummond,
a federal marshall.

What is this?!
- Admiral's Law, Mr. Banks.

As part of The Atocha, that
cannon's the same as the whole
ship itself.

You're lookin' at a warrant.

That cannon is the property of
the State of Florida!

No, no.
It's the property of the finder.

And is under protective
custody of the federal courts

pending my client's charges
against The Atocha,

commanded by
Admiral Pedro De Esperza.

The captain of The Atocha?!

He's been dead for 350 years!

That's his problem!

- Do your duty, Marshall.

You are going to
arrest a cannon?

I guess I have to.

Unless you want 50 witnesses
watch you defy a court order.

Warrant for arrest and rim.

The President of the
United States of America

to the marshall of the United
States for the Southern District
of Florida.

Greeting.

Whereas, on the 18th da...

Can I just say this?

You want the whole 9 yards?

Cannon.

In the name of
the United States government,

I hereby arrest you

in the matter of Fisher versus

nuestra senora

de Atocha.

Alright, Mel.

Well, forget it, pal!
Forget it!

Take it easy, mon!

Mel, he's not the
only place in town.

Hey, what's wrong?

Ah, that barracuda.
He's tryin' to charge me

three times as much for air.
He smells money, he thinks.

I mean, imagine
selling air to people?

What kind of world is this?
- Yeah, ain't that awful, huh?

Mel, now don't misunderstand. I
still got my job with the state.

Seniority and all.
- Yeah.

And they'll just
re-assign me, but...

I talked it over with the wife.

And I wanna go to work for ya.

For good!?
- For better or worse.

Now, I know it might take
more years to hit it,

and God knows I
know how you pay.

But, I guess I've
gotten to like y'all.

Well, I guess it's mutual.

Welcome to poverty!

I hope you like chili
and peanut butter, Hudley

Thanks, Mel, but let's just
keep it at Dudley, huh?

Alright, Dudley. Now you're
on our side of the law.

Sooner or later, mon,

gold will getcha.

Yeah, okay, thanks, Mo.

You sure you know
what you're doin' now, Dudley?

Oh, I'm sure, Mel.

Well,

Excuse me.

We've found 6 cannons already,
but, uh,

trail's gotten a
little dry lately.

Yah, but don't have to find
all the cannons.

You know, I don't understand.
There were 20

solid bronze, 300 pound cannons.

They should have pretty much
gone straight down.

Now, you'd think that...
50 tons of gold and silver

would have done the same thing,
wouldn't ya?

Yeah, there's something funny
about how that ship went down.

Yeah, soldiers, where's their
armor and helmets? Where'd they
all go?

Down in the dark with de gold.

So, what did you think of
those two sharks you saw Sunday?

Those weren't sharks.
Those were jellyfish.

No.
- Yes, they were big jellyfish.

I won't understand if
I live to be a hundred.

What is that, Dudley?

How you people get so much done
being so disorganized!

Dudley, organization is boring.

Ho-ho-ho, will you look at you!

Will you look at you?

Jerk!

Hey.

Some sexy color.

You like it?
- Hmm-mmm

Well, I tell you somethin'.
You ain't seen nothin', yet.

Yo, Don, what's this?
You're late.

No, look at this. I just
wanted to take one more dive.

Look what I found.
Whatever it is.

Scone.

It's a gold knife.

A Whistle.

[Hudley]
A Whistle?

A bosun's whistle.

You done found it.

It's not like any bosun's
whistle I've ever heard.

Maybe.
Maybe The Atocha.

[Kane]
Blow it again.

[Mel]
Happy birthday, Angel!

Dad!

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday!

Well, we couldn't celebrate New
Year's, so we're celebrating
birthdays!

Happy birthday, sweetheart.

Thank you, I love you.

I love you, darlin'.

I think you're running out
of oxygen, but I love you.

Mr. Barrister, would
you pass that around.

Does anybody here realize
that life is great?!

[all]
Yeah!

You havin' any fun?

[all]
Yeah!

Okay, okay.
Floor show's over.

Honey, have we got a surprise
for you. - What?

Fried chicken!

[Mel]
Alright!

[Mel]
Alright!

What is it?
- A box.

[Mel]
That's a box!

There's nothing in it.

[Mel]
A pizza!

I'm gonna find out what it is.
Just right now.

Pizza!?

Oh!
- [Mel] Alright!

You better hang on! You better
get some of this chicken, kid!

Come on! Come on now!
Here ya go!

[Hudley]
Here ya go! Hey, you! Hello!

[Hudley]
Here ya go!

The wind howling.

And he was blowing
as loud as he could.

Trying to warn dem.

But they couldn't hear.

Well, there's nothing
they could have done about it.

It gave me the chills
when you blew it.

No, no, Mel.
For the museum.

People will love it.

That's nice, Tom.

Well,

Taffi will stay with
me and, uh, Deo.

See that everyone gets on the
right boats. - Yah.

Dirk, he want to head out
tonight, meet to the site in the
morning.

Virgil is only getting old.

I'm gonna anchor close to shore.

Suit yourself.
Well,

Goonight.
- Night.

It's a good omen.
Tomorrow's the day.

Goodnight, Mo.
I'll head out with Dirk.

Thank you, Dirk.

It looks beautiful on you.

Happy birthday, m'darling.