Shazam! (1974) - full transcript

Chosen from among all others

by the Immortal Elders

Solomon, Hercules, Atlas

Zeus, Achilles, Mercury

Billy Batson and his Mentor

travel the highways

and byways of the land

on a never-ending mission

to right wrongs,

to develop understanding

and to seek justice for all.

In time of dire need,

young Billy has been granted

the power by the Immortals

to summon awesome forces

at the utterance

of a single word.

Shazam!

[thunderclap]

[instrumental music]

A word which transforms him

in a flash

into the mightiest

of mortal beings

Captain Marvel!

[music continues]

- Nervous, Susie?

- Nervous?

What's to be nervous? With

an experienced pilot like you.

Well, your license is almost

24 hours old.

I like the way you think.

Let's go.

Get your seat belt.

Don't you ever go any place

without that tape recorder?

No, never.

It's my security blanket.

Clear!

[engine cranking]

Well, you might turn it off for

a second so I can call the tower

and get permission to taxi.

Oh! Aye-aye, sir.

'Roger and all that

kind of stuff.'

Lincoln tower,

this is 3-6-2-8 Victor

at the north end

taxi for take-off. Over.

(man on radio)

'28 Victor, taxi for take-off.'

I'm impressed.

Wait till you see

how impressed my brother is

when he finds out

we flew into his wedding.

[laughing]

That my boy is the way

the game of checkers

is supposed to be played.

'You owe me

seven million dollars.'

Six million.

I'll play you the limerick game.

Double or nothing.

Alright, you're on.

Five second limit.

Right.

Whoever fails to come up

with a line in

five seconds, loses.

Okay.

- Who starts?

- Well..

Since I'm about to become

a multi-millionaire

you may begin.

Uh..

There-there once was

a man from Detroit..

Detroit? Detroit?

Um..

Who at point

was extremely adroit.

Ah..

So one day he tore..

Tore? Tore? Um..

The pants that he wore.

Just in time.

So instead he played

in a skirt.

Skirt?

That's S-K-I-R-T,

it's pronounced skirt.

Not if you're from Brooklyn.

Well, you don't

come from Brooklyn!

Well, if I did

come from Brooklyn

that's how you pronounce it.

- So we're even.

- Oh, no, no.

I'm leaving this to Solomon

to judge.

[indistinct beeping]

The Elders..

You think they heard you?

[beeping]

Oh, Elders,

fleet and strong and wise

appear before my seeking eyes.

- Greetings, Billy.

- Greetings, Elders.

We would speak to you

of pride, Billy.

A two-edged sword.

One edge is clean and bright.

Pride in others

and in self when justified.

But the other edge is dull

and tarnished.

Pride that blinds a man

to common sense that prevents

a man from asking for help

when he need it.

And there are times when

every man needs help.

- Even Captain Marvel.

- Captain Marvel?

- Even he.

- I don't understand.

You will, Billy,

when the time is right.

And before we go tell Mentor

I declare the limerick game

a draw.

(Solomon)

'Farewell, Billy.'

[plane droning]

That sure is a lot of water

down there.

That's why they call it

an ocean.

If it was just a little water,

they'd call it the Pacific Lake.

Funny.

Listen, do you really know

where you're going?

I mean, I'm not the world's

greatest swimmer, you know.

Susie, this compass is headed

straight for Santa Barbara

airport.

You just sit back and relax.

Leave the flying to us.

[chuckles]

You haven't said a word

in the past two hours, Billy.

What's bothering you?

What the Elders said about

Captain Marvel needing help.

Did they mean he was going to

or was it a

figure of speech, or what?

Billy, you know by now

the Elders

don't talk to us

to make conversation.

And your worrying about it

isn't going to help.

I'm sure you'll find out what

they meant when the time comes.

Yeah. I suppose you're right.

[plane droning]

Shouldn't we be seeing

Santa Barbara by now?

Don't be such a worrywart.

Probably just a little

head-weight holding us back.

We'll make it.

Why don't you play something

on your security blanket?

Okay.

[instrumental music]

- Holy smoke!

- What's the matter?

Give me that thing.

Don, will you please tell me

what's going on?

We've been on ten degrees

this whole time.

Does that mean you don't know

where we are?

Well, not exactly.

Well, isn't there anybody

you can ask?

Susie, I can take care

of myself.

I'm not gonna

put out a "Mayday"

and make everyone think

I'm lost.

Well, aren't you?

Well, not enough

to need any help.

Hey, Billy!

Billy, I got a big one!

Hang on!

Yeah, must weigh a ton.

You need any help?

No, no, no, no.

It's alright.

Feels like a whale.

Well, it's either a whale

or you'll pull out the plug

and we'll lose the whole ocean.

[grunts]

Here it comes.

Yeah, I hear they're delicious

when they're fresh.

The only problem is you gotta

cook 'em a long time

till they are tender.

[plane droning]

There's the sun right?

So we'll just turn right.

And then we'll follow it

all the way to the beach.

And then we'll

follow the coast.

What's that?

[engine sputtering]

(Don)

'We're out of gas.'

[dramatic music]

Hey, the plane's

in trouble.

It's never gonna make it

to the beach.

- They're gonna crash.

- Maybe not.

Shazam!

[thunderclap]

[instrumental music]

- Anything we can do?

- Susie, I'm doing it.

Well, what about that other

thing that, "Mayday?"

No, no, I'm not gonna

look like a fool.

I can take care of

this thing myself.

Hurry, Marvel.

Hurry!

[instrumental music]

Look there!

Its Captain Marvel.

He's gonna help us.

[instrumental music]

Oh!

He's got us.

We're safe.

[music continues]

[music continues]

Oh, thank you so much,

Captain Marvel.

I really thought we had it.

Well, that was a bad place

to have your engine quit.

Oh, it didn't quit.

We ran out of gas.

What were you doing that far

from land

when you were low in gas?

Well, the compass went coo-coo

because of my tape recorder

but, Don, he didn't even know

until it was too late.

- Everybody alright?

- Yes, sir.

Everything's fine.

You didn't need to bother

Captain Marvel.

I probably could've

landed the bird myself.

But thanks anyway.

Well, we better get going

to Santa Barbara

if we're gonna make it

for that wedding'

Well, maybe we can give you

a lift, huh?

Oh, no, thank you.

I can take care of it from here.

Shouldn't you cancel a "Mayday"

before you leave?

- Oh, I didn't send a "Mayday."

- You didn't?

(Don)

'Oh, no way,

I figured if you can't'

do it yourself,

don't do it.

I mean, I don't ask for help

from nobody.

Oh, everybody needs help

at times.

No, sir, not me.

I stand on my own two feet.

I don't owe anybody anything.

- Let's keep going.

- Well, goodbye.

'Thanks again, Captain Marvel.'

I'm afraid that young man

is headed

for serious trouble

eventually.

[instrumental music]

You know, I like being down here

better than flying.

So much nicer to be able to

smell things and touch them.

It's a lot better being out here

than cooped up in a hot city.

Uh-huh.

Except for people

who do that.

(Don)

'Wouldn't you think that

people that came out here'

would know better?

Come on, let's give it a

clean up job, okay?

[instrumental music]

Hey, Mentor, pull over now,

will ya?

[music continues]

- What is it, Billy?

- Do you smell something?

[sniffing]

- Smoke.

- Yeah, I think so.

- Hey, look.

- 'Smoke.'

If there's a forest fire

this time of the year

it could go like lightning.

You call the fire department.

I'll take a look.

Shazam!

[thunderclap]

[instrumental music]

[instrumental music]

- Is it as bad as it looks?

- Worse.

It's completely

out of control.

'I'm gonna need some help

on this one.'

(Mentor)

Are those kids in there?

I'm afraid they are.

We got a lot of animals

in there too.

Is there anything

I can do to help?

Call the Elders.

I'm going back to see if there's

anyway to locate those kids.

Fine.

[dramatic music]

I smell smoke.

Don.

Wow.

Come on. Let's go.

[dramatic music]

(Susie)

'It's all around us.'

Maybe not. Let's try this way.

Move it.

[groaning]

Don, are you alright?

It's my ankle.

I think I broke it.

Oh, Don,

what are we gonna do?

Listen, you gotta get out of

here while you can.

- 'Just go. Go ahead.'

- No.

(Don)

'Susie, there's nothing

you can do to help me.'

- 'Just go.'

- 'No, I'm not going.'

Oh, Elders

fleet and strong and wise

appear before my seeking eye.

We hear you, Mentor.

And we know your problem.

There is only one person

in the world

'who can aid Captain Marvel

in his present situation.'

Her identity is as secret

as his.

But in this case

we will reveal it to you.

You must go to her, Mentor.

'Immediately, time's short.'

[knocking on door]

Come in.

- Ms. Andrea Thomas?

- Yes.

Oh, what can I do

for you, Mr..

Mentor.

A friend of mine

has a very grave problem.

I've been told that

you're the only person

who can help solve it.

You've been told?

By whom?

- The Elders.

- The Elders sent you to see me?

They told me who you really are.

Isis.

Your friend, who is he?

Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel?

I think you should tell me

the whole story, Mr. Mentor.

Yes.

[instrumental music]

Oh, Mighty Isis..

[instrumental music]

Sister Goddess Rohalind

let me ride thy mighty wind.

[instrumental music]

[coughing]

It's no use, Susie.

I can't make it any further.

Don, we've gotta try.

Well, maybe if we lie

in the river and wait

for the fire to pass over us.

No, there's not enough water

there to save us from the heat.

Susie, you can make it alone.

Please go.

No, not without you.

[dramatic music]

Sorry I got you

into this, Susie.

[music continues]

Holy moly.

Don!

'Captain Marvel.'

Hang on, kids.

Reinforcements are on the way.

[dramatic music]

Spirits of the water hear me.

Help me fight thy enemy fire.

Lay right there, Susie,

I'll cover you both.

[thunderclap]

Take it easy, kids.

Here comes the cavalry.

- Welcome, Isis.

- Yes, welcome, Isis.

Captain Marvel, I'm very glad

to meet you at last.

You have no idea

how glad we are.

Yes, thank you, Isis.

Thank you very much.

That goes double for me.

I think I learned

something very important.

If a man like Captain Marvel

can accept help, I sure can.

You're right, Don.

That's a very important lesson.

I'd like to add

my thanks to theirs.

No need.

It was truly my pleasure.

May I ask one more favor?

Of course, anything.

Promise me that

if you ever need me

anytime, anyplace,

you'll call me?

I promise.

And now I must go.

- Farewell, all.

- Bye.

- Goodbye, Isis.

- Bye.

A little soap and water

and you'll be new people.

I don't know if I wanna

have things go that far.

I kind of like

the old Susie.

Well, I think I'm gonna like

the new Don better.

Don's figured out that

a man that's too stiff to bend

is liable to break

when the pressure's on.

From now on he's gonna ask

for help when he needs it.

- Is that right, Don?

- You bet. Starting now.

I don't know how far can I hike

with this old gimpy leg.

- How about a lift?

- Oh, sure. Sure.

Let's get him inside.

A poet name John Donne said,

"No man is an island."

What he meant was that

we all need each other.

There are a lot of things

we can do by ourselves

and it's a good feeling

when we can.

But it's kind of foolish

and maybe even dangerous

trying to do something

by ourselves

when we don't know how.

Asking for help or advice

when we need it

isn't a sign of weakness.

It shows your smart.

See you next week.

[theme music]

[music continues]