The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (1984): Season 1, Episode 1 - Part 1 - full transcript
My legs! My legs!
Oh, no!
Help! Please!
Somebody, help me!
Please help me!
Oh, somebody,
do something!
Pull him free!
Somebody, quick,
get a doctor!
Easy, easy. That's it.
Quickly! Get a doctor!
Thank you.
Oh, thank you.
Sorry I'm late, Mother.
I was detained.
I had them hold your lunch.
Oh, Robert, look at you!
Oh, yes, I know.
Couldn't be helped.
Would you like me to change?
There isn't time, dear.
You'll miss your train.
- Sit down. It doesn't matter.
- Thank you.
The house in Baltimore
is going to seem very empty
without you, my darling.
I don't have to go away
to college, Mother.
You could always hire
more tutors.
No, I couldn't be that selfish.
This is what your father
would have wanted ?
for you to follow
in his footsteps.
Well, at least Princeton
isn't very far,
and we can visit each other
as often as we like.
I suspect you'll have
your own circle of friends soon.
Little time for me.
I don't seem to make friends
very easily, Mother.
Perhaps I'm just
not gregarious enough.
College can be very rewarding.
I hope you'll apply yourself, Robert.
I want you to make me
very proud of you.
Yes, but the trouble is
I can't seem to concentrate
on anything for very long.
My mind wanders.
You're a dreamer.
You always have been, my darling.
But never let that worry you.
After all, the world
was fashioned by dreamers.
Spyro!
A letter!
It's a letter for you!
It says that you are
to be conscripted.
Conscripted?
Into the army, my son.
You will be required to do
two years of military service.
Two years?
Who will tend the flocks?
Who will tend the fields?
We'll manage, Maria.
We'll manage.
What else
they'll take away from us?
It's a great honor
to serve one's country.
Honor? Honor?
Can we eat this honor?
Can we wear it on our backs?
The letter says
they will pay him
10 drachmas every month.
I can buy you
a new shawl, Mama,
one with a fringe.
You see what a foolish son
we have, Father?
He's ready to throw
his money away on nonsense.
What are we to do with him?
Thank God there's no war.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Get set.
Come on!
Mr. Flack?
That's right.
Nathaniel Perry.
I'm the running coach
for the London Athletic Club.
Very impressive performance.
You call fourth place impressive?
These short dashes
are no good to you.
You've got the stamina;
you haven't got the speed.
- You're a long-distance runner.
- Am I, now?
You could beat any of these fellows
in a half-mile or a mile.
We don't run the half-mile
or the mile in Australia.
We do in England.
Why not come there?
We've got the best
distance runners in the world.
Might just do that. I've already
applied to go to Oxford.
I'm glad to hear it.
Look me up when you get there.
If I get there.
I gotta get accepted first.
I don't see
why the boy's gotta go
all the way to England
for an education.
Harold, this is a chance for him
to study at Oxford University.
What's the good
of a fancy education to a lad
who's gonna be running
a slaughterhouse?
Did it ever occur to you
our son might aspire to more
than just to butcher
helpless animals?
It's what you aspire to,
Mrs. Flack ?
you with your grand notions.
I merely meant perhaps Edwin
wants more out of life.
Oh, I know what you think of me
and my business.
God knows you've said it
often enough.
Well, I'm not ashamed
of what I do.
If it was good enough for my father
and it's good enough for me,
then, holy Moses,
it's good enough for my son.
If the lad wants to go to England...
I'll not stand in his way.
Pa...
It's all right, Edwin.
I'm proud of you ? very proud.
I'd like to make him
proud of me, too, Ma.
Two years is a long time.
You could forget me.
I will come to see you
every evening when I get off duty.
You mustn't tease me, Spyros.
You know the camp
is so far from our village
for you to come all that way
every evening.
I will find a way, Eleni.
I promise you.
Please, don't be unhappy.
Smile for me.
How handsome you will look
in your uniform.
I must go now,
but I will return every evening.
I swear it on my mother's life.
Ladies and gentlemen,
may I have your attention, please?
It gives me great pride
to announce
that two years from today,
on April 5th, 1896,
under the gracious auspices
of His Majesty King George
of Greece,
the first Olympic Games
of modern times
will take place
in the city of Athens.
However, please let me point out
that we, the International
Olympics Committee,
have only been able
to provide a place
for these games to be held.
We cannot provide the athletes
to participate in them.
For that, we must rely upon you.
I urge everyone
assembled here ?
return to your homelands,
search your colleges
and universities,
comb your great cities
and small towns,
scour your farms and villages,
and send us your finest,
your ablest athletes.
For without those
dedicated young men,
our efforts will have been in vain.
They are the Olympic Games.
We shall light its flame once more,
and this time keep it burning,
an everlasting tribute
to all that is great
and noble in mankind.
Thank you.
Jamie!
Saints preserve us!
Are you all right, lad?
What do you think,
O'Leary, is it broken?
'Tis hard to say, Mike.
You best get him over
to Dr. Flanagan.
- I just twisted it, Mike.
- You heard Mr. O'Leary.
Come on, just lean on me.
That's a boy.
Thanks.
All right! Come on, now!
Let's get back to work!
Sure if he didn't buy it.
Hurry now. You'll be late.
Keep your fingers crossed for me?
They are, lad, they are ?
and everything else I can manage
without sacrificing me future.
- Watch where you're going!
- Hey, I'm sorry.
I'm afraid I'm
a little lost around here.
I was looking for the ?
The construction site.
It's across the Yard.
I'm a candidate for
the Challenge Scholarship Program.
Connolly's the name,
James Connolly. Mister ??
Blake.
Well, you'll find the testing room
at the end of the cloisters, Connolly.
It's that way.
Much obliged... Blake.
What is it, Connolly?
I'm done.
You have 45 minutes more.
I'm still done.
Fine. Suit yourself.
The oral exams are in room 110.
Thanks.
Mr. Connolly,
do you know any poetry
that you could recite?
"There was a young lady
from Slough
Who said that
she didn't know how ?"
Perhaps we could try something
on a slightly higher plane.
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
"A stately pleasure-dome decree:
"Where Alph,
the sacred river, ran
"Through caverns
measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea."
Can you tell me who wrote that?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
It said on your application
that you had no formal schooling.
Where did you get your education?
Well, what me mother
didn't teach me,
I picked up in borrowed books.
Thank you, Mr. Connolly.
The results of your examination
will be posted in the Yard at 4:00.
Good luck.
Excuse me. Sorry.
Pierre! Over here!
Hello, my friend.
How are you?
Well, come round,
come round.
Come, come,
I have a carriage waiting
and a table reserved ?
we can sit and talk.
But why me?
Because, my dear William,
you are the only American educator
I know well enough to ask ?
or rather, the only one
I was fairly certain
who wouldn't turn me down.
But, Pierre,
I'm not even a sportsman.
I don't know
the first thing about it.
Ah, but you are
a classical scholar.
You know everything
about the ancient Olympics,
and your passion
for the subject is contagious.
After all, it was your lecture series
at the Sorbonne in Paris
that first fired me and started me
on this insane odyssey.
Who better to carry
the torch in America?
Wish I could think of someone.
I would love to help you, Pierre ?
William, don't turn me down
after I've come all this way.
I can't face another polite apology.
Has it really been
all that difficult for you?
The Germans mistrust the French
because we're organizing the games.
The English mistrust
the Germans on principle.
The Greeks feel
they have a priority.
And then there's our biggest
problem ? money.
There's never enough money,
which is another reason
we need an American team.
Yours is a prosperous country.
Perhaps pride in its own team
will encourage contributions.
What about our government?
Won't it help?
I leave for Washington
in the morning
to see your President Cleveland ?
perhaps if I can persuade him.
Meanwhile,
I would be eternally grateful
if you would go back to Princeton
and find some
interested young athletes
for me to interview when I return.
We simply must have
an American team.
Stop shoving, will you?
I want to see ?
Come on, you guys.
I knew I did badly
on the written part!
I did it! Yeah!
What about you?
Did you make it?
Darn!
My father'll kill me.
We did it, Mike!
We did it!
He did it, Mary.
Your Jamie's got himself
into Harvard College.
Oh, thank the dear Lord!
They're looking
to pay for everything ?
books, tuition, everything.
Right, Mike?
Oh, Jamie...
Oh, your father would have
been so proud of you.
Jamie will show them that a Connolly
counts for something in this world.
Michael, have we anything
in the house?
A little small one.
Why wouldn't we?
As head of the academic committee,
Professor Judson is a very
powerful man on this faculty,
and he is adamantly opposed
to any sort of athletic activities
on this campus...
as you can see.
It contaminates the purity of
the academic atmosphere, you know?
What rubbish.
Couldn't agree more.
He's been on my back about
the football issue for years,
and frankly, I've had a bellyful.
Football issue?
Silly game's become a craze.
Students are mad for it,
faculty loathe it.
Alas, as the president of this university,
I'm caught between.
In the end, I had to join
this new Princeton-Harvard-Yale
football association on a trial basis,
just to placate the student body.
Judson was livid.
He's still fighting it.
Now you come along
with another threat
to the purity of our air.
Perhaps if I had a talk with him.
Spare yourself.
He lost the football battle.
He's determined to win this.
Personally, I don't care if you
continue recruiting for your games,
but for heaven's sake, Sloane,
practice some discretion
and stay out of Judson's way.
I don't need
another sports headache.
Fine. Thank you.
Come to the taverna, Spyros.
We'll have some retsina.
Thanks, but Eleni's
expecting me.
Don't get drunk, huh?
I hear the king has asked the army
to send its best-trained men
to the Olympic Games
in Athens next spring.
Are you going to enter, Spyros?
To throw the discus
or the shot put
takes greater strength
than Spyro has.
He is too skinny.
They say the army
will select only officers.
The Olympic Games are not
for common soldiers like me.
Excuse me, Papa.
It's getting late.
Spyros must be starting
back to the camp.
See you tomorrow, huh?
Good night.
- Good night, Spyros.
- Good night, Spyros.
If you don't come every night,
I will understand.
I won't hold you
to your promise.
I would come twice as far
to be with my Eleni.
Wait!
Thanks.
You better not cut
so short next time,
'cause I might not be
in a good mood, you know!
- 'Morning, Flack.
- 'Morning, Roger.
Who's he?
That's that
new Australian chap.
I hear he fancies himself
quite the runner.
Yes, I've seen him at practice.
Where'd he leave you ?
at the starting line?
Not bloody likely.
Tell me ? do they run
on their hands
or on their feet
in the lower hemisphere?
- Come on, Hadley!
- Come on!
Hadley!
Come on!
Come on, Hadley!
Well done, old chap!
Keep that up and you'll be running
for Oxford at the Pan-Britannic Games.
What are they?
Only the largest national track meet
ever organized, that's all.
Till now, Hadley here's been
our only serious contender.
Looks like you've got
some competition, old chap.
Well, you put up
a good show, Hadley.
You were marvelous.
The way you came around
that bend over there...
If only you'd keep to the hurdle.
How many aspiring athletes
have you mustered?
Thanks to Professor Judson,
I'm expecting a pretty modest turnout,
I'm sorry to say.
Modest?
You have a remarkable flair
for understatement, William.
- Pierre de Coubertin.
- Robert Garrett, sir.
Mr. Garrett,
what is your sport?
I don't have a sport, sir,
but I'm willing to learn anything
if someone will teach me.
One man doesn't make
a team, unfortunately.
Dr. Sloane.
Do you think you could find
other students willing
to train with you?
- Sit down.
- Thank you.
Well, sir, I don't know
many people here,
but I shall certainly do my best.
Why are you so eager
to go to the Olympic Games?
Because of something
Dr. Sloane once said in class.
And what was that?
That according to
the ancient Greeks,
it is by the harmonious discipline
of both mind and body
that a man
can best honor his family,
his country, and his gods.
That's all very well
for the ancient Greeks,
but what about you?
My mother says
that I'm a dreamer,
and that dreamers
shape the world.
I don't know about that,
but I do know that
God gave me a strong body,
and I think that
these Olympic Games
can help me find out
what I'm really worth.
When I finally got to see
President Cleveland,
he gave me his best wishes.
Is that all?
No official backing?
No financial support?
He felt it would be inappropriate
for the United States Government
to become officially involved
with an experiment.
How very discouraging.
What will you do now?
We will have to find support
from the private sector
in America, and we will.
Excuse me ? would
anyone like dessert?
Not for me, Myra.
Thank you.
None for me, Myra.
Please join us.
Pierre, what am I gonna do
when and if these boys suddenly
turn up on my doorstep?
I will send you everything
concerning planning,
rules and regulations, et cetera,
the moment I get back to Paris.
Thank you, but my point is
I'm not an athletic trainer.
I don't know
the first thing about it.
What about John Graham, dear?
John.
Well, he's at Harvard now.
That doesn't mean
he's not qualified, William.
John Graham.
Go, go, go!
No, no, no!
Blake!
Turn the defenders in!
Hoyt needs room
to make an end run!
Do it again!
Let's go, let's go!
Let's get the sawdust
out of your brains!
Move it! Let's go!
Afternoon, Mr. Graham.
Oh, Mr. Connolly,
the Irish poet.
How you getting on
in your first term?
Oh, not bad.
Not bad at all.
Glad to hear it.
You interested in football?
Ah, only to watch.
Running and jumping are my sports.
Running and jumping, huh?
Not here at Harvard.
Where do you compete?
Here and there ?
next competition's
the all-Irish track meet
down at Boston Gardens.
Maybe come down, take a look.
Might just do that.
Maybe see you there.
On the line, move!
Move, move, move, move, move!
Go, go, go, go!
Butterfingers.
You care to say that again,
Connolly?
You heard me. Me Aunt Matilda
could catch a ball better than you.
The one with the mustache?
That's not a mustache.
'Tis the pox.
She got it diddling
with a Brahmin of your kind.
Why, you cheap, shanty mick!
That's enough, that's enough!
- Come on, Connolly!
- Let me at him.
- I'm gonna get it outta you, Connolly!
- That's enough!
You gentlemen realize, of course,
that we could have you expelled
for such behavior.
But the dean and I have
something different in mind
in the way of a punishment.
You're both going to volunteer
for the new Olympic team
I'm organizing.
Any objections, gentlemen?
This better be good, Robert.
We haven't got all day.
He's not at home.
Let's go.
- Dr. Sloane.
- Mr. Garrett. Hello.
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
Well done, Garrett.
Come in, please.
Good afternoon.
Jamison. Hello.
Garrett, you can't sign up
for every single event.
You don't even know
what half of 'em are.
Gentlemen, if you've finished,
please be seated.
Check Pausanias and Pindar.
They both wrote a great deal
about the Olympics.
Sir, I've already looked up
le put and le disque.
They translate as
"the lump" and "the dish."
- Isn't very helpful.
- No, it isn't.
You will find some descriptions
in Eikones ? illustrations, drawings.
You know, gentlemen,
we're gonna have
to rely on the classics
for our answers to everything,
and we're going to have
to stick strictly to what they tell us.
When do we start practicing?
Whenever you've assembled
the equipment necessary
for whatever event you've
entered yourselves in.
I received
in the baron's last letter
a list of specifications
and previous records
for each of these events,
and I've made copies
of the information
that you may find helpful.
- Thank you.
- Yes.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, sir.
This really isn't much help, sir.
There doesn't appear to be
any description here of any rules.
We have to know what the rules are.
And, Dr. Sloane,
what about the marathon?
It's not even listed here,
and I couldn't find
any reference to it.
Originally, the marathon wasn't
part of the Olympic Games.
Then why is it listed at all?
It's a special request
of the Greek committee.
It's a re-creation
of Pheidippides' epic run
from Marathon to Athens.
The Greeks originally wanted
to call it the Pheidippides.
I asked the baron
to explain to them
it would be easier for us
to call it the marathon.
I don't remember anything about
a race from Marathon to Athens, sir.
Strictly speaking, Mr. Jamison,
it wasn't a race at all.
After the Battle of Marathon ?
Where the Greeks defeated
the invading Persians, sir?
That's very good, Mr. Garrett.
Well done, Robert.
The Greek general ordered
his sentry, Pheidippides,
to run directly to Athens
and inform the citizens
that they'd been spared.
Isn't Marathon pretty far
from Athens?
Twenty-five miles,
roughly forty kilometers.
He ran 25 miles?
Yes. Not only that,
he had fought all day,
and he was
still wearing full armor.
- Did he make it?
- Indeed, he did.
When he finally reached the city,
he ran directly to the Senate
and informed the elders
of this great victory.
And then...
he dropped dead on the spot.
He just dropped dead
after all that?
Yes.
What a glorious death.
All Athens went wild at the news.
They started shouting,
"Zito Hellas! Zito Hellas!"
"Rejoice, Greece, rejoice."
Those were the last words
that Pheidippides heard.
The poets say that he died
with a smile on his lips.
Hey, Louis.
Private Louis?
Is there anybody out there?
See here, Flack!
Who do you think you are,
barging in here like this?
I'd like to know just what
the hell's going on.
I haven't the foggiest notion
what you're on about.
I qualified for
the Pan-Britannic Games
with 12 more points
than you, Hadley,
and yet my name isn't on the list
posted today, and yours is.
There's been a bit of a foul-up.
You see, old dear, you're not
a member of that select breed.
You're not an Englishman.
What?
The rules of the Oxford
and Cambridge Athletic Club state
that all bona fide members
must be English,
not Canadian
or South African or Australian,
nor any other "-an"
but an Englishman.
Being absent without leave is
a very serious offense, Private Louis,
so by all rights, I should
throw you in the brig for a month.
On the other hand, sir,
he was only five minutes late,
and he did have a bad fever.
Well, as this is your first offense,
I'm willing to forget the incident.
- Thank you, sir.
- In return, Private Louis...
...you will run the marathon
for this company
in the Olympics next spring.
The marathon?
Oh, sir, I couldn't.
Now, come, come, my boy.
Don't be so modest.
I've heard how you've been
running 36 kilometers
every night for over a year ?
isn't that so?
Well... yes, sir, but ?
Think of it, Louis ?
the Olympic Games.
And should you manage
to win, my boy ?
dare we tell him, Sergeant?
Should you manage to win,
100,000 drachmas
in prize money.
100,000?
Ioannis Mitropoulos,
the shipping magnate,
has put up the money for any Greek
who wins the marathon.
Imagine, my boy.
You'd be rich ?
no cares for the rest
of your life.
Now, what do you say to that?
I would be honored
even without the money...
sir!
Your implied rebuke
is very correct, Private Louis.
By running for us,
you can bring honor
not only to your regiment
but to your family
and to the entire Greek people.
Well, gentlemen.
Here we are.
That's got to be the discus.
Sure.
Now it makes sense.
There's even a description
on the back here.
Look at this.
This must be the hurdles.
And that's gotta be
the long jump.
Now we're getting somewhere.
Have you guys taken a look
at these pictures?
What about them?
Take a good look.
They're all naked.
Morning, Professor Judson.
Let me urge you, gentlemen,
to turn your minds
to something healthier,
like trigonometry.
Yeah.
Sir, may we have
a word with you?
Yeah, sure, come in.
We need some
very special implements made,
and I have some illustrations
and descriptions here.
This one, sir, is called a disc.
This is a put.
Can you make me
one of each?
I don't see why not.
What are they for?
To throw.
You're gonna try
and throw those?
That's the general idea.
What's the problem?
How much do you figure
that weighs?
Oh, I don't know ?
two pounds?
Two and a half.
You're talking maybe ten more
for the flat piece.
Twenty pounds?
Yeah, look at the picture.
The round one's
gonna come close to 30.
Now, you're looking
for the best iron, aren't you?
Well, sir, you're the authority,
just as long as you follow
these descriptions precisely.
Now, how much will they cost?
I'll have to charge you 50 cents.
Or maybe 55 ? they're
gonna use a lot of iron.
It's worth it.
Come back on the weekend.
Thank you very much.
Gentlemen,
le put and le disque.
Fifty-five cents!
Robert, you're nuts.
- It's worth it.
- You're crazy.
All right, let's go.
How much are these?
Twelve cents each.
Robert, pay him.
There's $1 .50.
You can keep the penny.
Thank you very much, sir.
So long.
- We all right?
- All right.
Let's go, Robert.
A dollar forty-nine.
I gave him a penny.
Have you gentlemen
had enough lemonade?
Yes, thanks a lot.
Can you make it
sarsaparilla next time?
Let's try this out, Robert.
There you go, yeah.
I'll clear up this.
- All right, boys.
- Great experiment...
- This is the way to do it.
- Wait a second.
That's the way to do it.
Way to go.
- Well done.
- With style.
With style.
Olympics, sir.
That's wrong.
It's freezing.
I'm chipping the icicles
off my nose.
Myra, if you'll keep
an eye on this for me.
Just stay there.
Gentlemen?
Gentlemen, if you'll form
some sort of line.
It's approximately 100 yards
to the shirt there.
Nice and straight.
Form it nicely.
Good.
Are you prepared?
- Yes.
- Yes, sir.
Well... then...
Go.
Never mind your hat, Jamison.
Come on!
- You all right?
- Yes.
- Come on.
- Come on.
Come on!
I won! I won!
How'd I do, Dr. Sloane?
Well, as near as I can tell,
about 27 seconds.
Oh, this is hopeless.
The record's 12 1/2.
Let's try it again
without these coats, huh?
Right.
I think I should stay here
at the finish line.
Will you gentlemen ask Myra
to give you the starting signal?
- Yes, sir.
- Good.
Well, I thought
I'd do a nosedive,
give you guys a chance to win.
Okay, Robert.
Way to go, Robert!
Well done, well done!
By a foot.
Blast!
Are you all right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Look, let me
show you something.
The record for this event
is six foot.
That's not even four.
Don't bother.
Six foot?!
That's impossible.
Not if you got wings,
huh, angel?
I've had it.
Okay, put the bar up.
Are you gonna try this, Addy?
- Yep.
- Okay. Good luck.
Soft landing.
Face first ? that's
a novel way of doing it.
Nineteen feet.
The record's 41 feet.
Forty-one feet?
Watch out.
Watch out, Lane.
- Is that better?
- It's better.
- Are you all right, Jamison?
- You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
Let me try something.
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
You want to try again?
- You all right?
- Thank you.
Albert, what are you doing?
You're gonna need
some sort of run-up.
- Very good!
- That's the way to do it!
I don't know about that.
I don't think you can climb up
the pole and then jump over.
You go over the bar
any way you can.
I mean, do you think it's legal?
- Of course it's legal!
- He got over the bar.
But, I mean ?
It's pointless to argue
about whether it's legal or not.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
Here comes trouble.
Better go see
what they want.
Whatever it is,
it's not gonna be good.
This is going to be bad news.
Sir, this is work.
Mens sana in corpore sano,
I was taught when I was in school.
The university refuses to allow us
to use the playing field any longer,
and the academic committee
has voted to deny us access
to all university facilities.
Well, that's it for me.
It's bad enough the government
doesn't give a hoot about
these stupid Olympics.
Well, I mean, if the school
isn't even behind us,
why are we knocking
ourselves out?
You coming, Jamison? Lane?
I don't know... I think
I'll stick around a little longer.
- Me too.
- It's not gonna get any better.
You can't keep fighting
the authorities forever.
Tyler?
Nah, I don't let anyone tell me
what I can or can't do.
Well, suit yourselves.
Give my regards to Athens.
We will.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Dr. Sloane...
I think that this is something
each of us believes in
enough to see through.
Dr. Sloane, you think I could
get away with one last try?
Yes, one last try here.
Where can we go now, sir?
Mr. Garrett, I don't know.
It's out of your hands now, William.
You've done all you can.
The baron will simply
have to accept that.
It isn't the baron I'm
concerned about, it's the boys.
William, please,
think of your position here
at Princeton, of your career.
You've worked so long, so hard.
There are other universities.
Does it really mean
that much to you ?
enough to risk everything?
Well, Mary, I suppose
it's contagious.
What?
The boys' dedication.
I'm beginning to feel it, too.
All I know is
that somehow, somewhere,
I have got to find a place
for those boys to practice.
Well.
I suppose I'm a fool...
but if it means that much to you...
what about Cherry Hill?
I think Cousin Ursula'd be happy
to make you
some accommodation.
She's always been
a sports enthusiast.
Don't trip on that thing back there.
I don't know why you didn't come
to me when the trouble first started.
Hello, good to see you.
How was I supposed to know
Professor Judson
would be so damned
unreasonable?
What can you expect
from a mathematician?
Glad you could come!
Have some tea and cakes.
We're starting shortly.
Good heavens,
here comes President Patton.
What's he doing here,
Cousin Ursula?
His daughter is one of my girls,
but he rarely attends
our school functions.
Madame Schumann!
Mrs. Sloane.
William!
Don't you "Madame Schumann" me,
Francis Patton.
If you've come out here to make
more trouble for those poor boys,
you can turn around
and go straight back to Princeton.
This is my property,
and I make the rules here.
Ursula, I was merely going to say
what a perfect day for a preview
of the Olympic Games.
In that case, I hope you've
brought a nice, fat donation.
- Lord knows you can afford it.
- Ursula!
What's the point
of beating about the bush?
That's what we're here for, isn't it?
Fork it over, Francis.
Ursula, my darling.
It's too high, it's too high.
We gotta cut some
off the bottom.
Oh, here he comes.
Are you nearly ready?
All set up, Dr. Sloane.
We can begin
whenever you like.
Good. Madame Schumann says
you can use the summer house
just down there.
Good luck.
I know you gentlemen
won't let me down.
Well...
I suppose the sooner
we get it over with, the better.
Ladies and gentlemen,
we are ready to start.
Will you please all be seated?
Ah! I'd like you to meet
my daughter Charlotte.
- Dr. and Mrs. Sloane.
- Very great pleasure.
Charlotte is one
of your most ardent supporters.
All the girls are excited
about the Olympics, Dr. Sloane.
And the thought of meeting
the Princeton team, no doubt.
We're hoping to get together
with the boys recruited at Harvard
for practice here this summer.
It was very generous
of you, Ursula,
to lend your school
facilities like that.
Oh, I have my motives.
I'm going to get William
to persuade the baron
to include women
in the next Olympics.
Next Olympics?
I'll be relieved
if we survive this one.
Ah, here come the boys.
Now...
Good grief.
Gentlemen!
I think it is going to be
a very interesting summer.
Very interesting, indeed.
Now that we've paid homage
to Mr. Connolly,
let's get out of here, shall we?
If you don't mind,
I'd like to stick around
and see these two other
fellows ? Burke and Curtis.
Now jumping for the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
is Thomas Curtis.
Take your marks!
Get set!
So, the winner of the 100 meters
is Thomas Burke.
Thank you.
And the winner
of the high jump from...
- Where are you from, me boy?
- M.I.T.
...the "Massachutess
Institute of Technocracy"...
is Thomas Curtis.
Mr. Curtis.
Skip Blake,
Harvard University.
You know John Graham?
Anyway, that's what the boys here
and I have been up to
for the past couple of months.
Now we'd like you two
to come join us.
Come train with us
in New Jersey next summer.
If things work out,
we'll all be off to Athens
together the following spring.
What's this about New Jersey?
Dr. Sloane's arranged for us
to work with Princeton next summer.
- Who's paying for that, then?
- That's the best news.
The International
Olympic Committee
will take care of
everything ? transportation,
food, lodging, the works.
Baron de Coubertin's gonna pay
for it out of his own pocket.
What do you say, fellas?
I'll give it a try.
Sure. Why not?
Well, I'm out.
Out?
Did I hear you right, Jamie,
me boy? Did you say "out"?
You heard.
I don't want any part of it.
I don't understand, Jamie.
What's the problem?
There's no point in summer practice
if I'm not going to Athens.
Why wouldn't you go to Athens?
That's been the whole idea!
I can't tell you.
You'll only laugh.
Come on. Out with it, lad!
It's the ocean.
The ocean?
I'm scared of water, damn it.
You're scared of water?
Ever since the crossing,
Mike, yeah!
Jamie, lad, the boats today
are bigger and better.
Besides, you won't be going
steerage this time.
Me mind's made up, Mike.
I'm not going, I'm sorry.
So, just like that,
you're going to give up
the chance of a lifetime?
You're no nephew of mine.
I wash me hands of you!
Jamie, I wish there was
something I could say or do.
I've got a sick mother at home,
and I can't afford to take off
the whole summer from work.
And if Mike knew,
he'd spend every cent he has
to see me get to the Olympics.
I can't let him do that,
Mr. Graham.
I just can't.
Goodbye.
Does the fact I wasn't born
in this country make any difference?
As long as you wear the emblem
of the London Athletic Club,
you can be anything,
even an Australian.
In that case, Mr. Perry,
I think we got a deal.
Good. Help yourself.
Thanks.
What I don't understand is why
the Oxford and Cambridge Club
weren't invited
to the Olympics as well.
They were. They just chose
to ignore the invitation.
Ignore it?
Keep going.
The Olympics Committee
made the unforgivable mistake
of sending
the invitations out in French ?
didn't have the decency to put
the ruddy thing into proper English.
Oh, I say, thank you.
Awfully good of you.
Then, would you believe,
Oxford and Cambridge decided
to organize their own games ?
- this pan-Britannic charade.
- But why?
To show how little they think
of the rest of the world, I presume.
You know, Mr. Perry, I'm learning
a lot about you English,
but I'm not sure that I like
everything I'm learning.
Oh, I don't know.
We're not all that bad ?
only most of us.
- Mr. Tyler.
- Mr. Hoyt.
How you doing?
- Mr. Lane.
- Mr. Burke.
Gentlemen, introduce yourselves
all around, will you? Much simpler.
How do you do?
My name's Clark.
- Jamison.
- Jamison.
- Curtis.
- Hi, Curtis.
- How are you?
- Skip ? Skip Blake. Hi.
Gentlemen...
the purpose of this joint
training session is twofold ?
firstly, to give you men a chance
to get to know one another,
work together,
and share what you've learned,
and secondly,
to give each of you
a chance to pursue
his own excellence.
We know that the European teams
are much more experienced
than we are.
More than likely,
they're going to best us
in each event in which
we've entered ourselves.
That doesn't matter.
If each of you gives his best,
if we give them a good run
for their money,
I think we can
do America proud in Athens.
Well...
John.
Well, I'm afraid
I don't entirely agree
with Dr. Sloane,
if you'll forgive me.
We're not out here
just to make a good showing,
because even the ancient Greeks
didn't give medals for second place.
We're out here to win,
and we will win
if each of you is prepared
to work and work hard at it.
Are you with me?
- Yeah!
- Yes, sir!
Let's get out there
on that field and get to work!
Well, girls, you heard Mr. Graham.
Let's get to work.
Okay, okay, okay,
let's go, let's go.
First, runs! Loosen up,
loosen up, loosen up!
Let's go, let's go!
Let's go, come on!
Jumping jacks ? two counts!
Ready...
1 ... 2... 3... 4...
5... 6... 7... 8... 9...
3, 4, 5... 2, 3, 4.
Running in place now.
Come on!
Come on, let's go, let's go!
Knees up!
Get 'em up, get 'em up, get 'em up!
Come on, let's go!
Let's go, let's go, let's go,
let's go, let's go!
All right, all right!
Come on, Robert!
Let's go, Skip!
Let's get on it!
Let's go!
Stay with me!
Last half-mile!
Come on, Robert, dig deep!
Let's go! Last half-mile!
Come on, fellas!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Come on.
Just a little bit.
She's cute.
Cheers.
Watch it. It bites back.
Romance is in the air.
No, no, no, Lane, Curtis!
Try and keep it
moving forward, guys ? forward!
Don't stop! Don't stop!
Keep it forward!
Get over, get over!
Let's go!
That's it, keep going!
Keep moving!
Come on! Keep it moving!
Get over, get over, get over!
Come on, Skip!
Skip, don't die on me.
Give me six jumping jacks, Skip.
Two counts. Ready ? begin!
1 , 2, 3, 4, 5...
Twenty sit-ups and twenty push-ups ?
hit it, and then one more circuit.
Come on, Hoyt, let's go.
Good plant here,
good plant, good plant.
Not bad! Not bad!
Cleared it by a foot.
Not too bad. Keep going.
Let's go, you two.
Here we go, come on.
Burke, Jamison!
Quick, quick!
Move it! Move it, here!
Come on, now!
Knees up. Get 'em up.
Get 'em up, Burke!
Let's go, move it!
Another circuit!
Go, go, go, go, go!
Okay, come on, Ellery,
come on.
Good lift, Ellery.
Good strength.
Ellery, Ellery, come here.
Ellery, when you land,
it's feet together.
Feet out in front of you,
they hit down together.
Together. Feet together.
Come on, Robert, your turn now.
Let's go. Let's see it.
Good takeoff, now,
good takeoff. Come on.
Step, step, step, step,
step, step, step, step ?
Good lift! Not bad!
In here. Ellery, come here.
Come here.
At the takeoff,
your right leg ?
your left leg,
of course, Robert ? up!
Drive it up
and lift up on the toes.
Arms in opposition and up.
Look up ahead,
get the heels together,
the feet together when you land,
and reach for the sky.
Come on, let's go!
Here we go,
once more, once more.
Come on, everybody, let's go.
What do you say?
Good plant, now,
good plant there, good plant.
Up, up! Good!
Olympic gold, here we come!
Let's go, come on, move it!
Get the legs up!
Come on, Skip, move it!
Move it, Skip!
Good plant,
good plant, good plant.
Okay, Hoyt, let's see it.
Go, go, go! Good approach.
Hurdlers, on your marks!
Get set...
Not you, sprinters!
Sprinters, get back!
Get back there! Let's go!
On your mark, get set...
Come on,
move it, move it, move it!
Run, run, run!
Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop!
What is this, what is this?
Easy, easy, easy, easy, easy.
Down. Easy. I got you.
Down, down, down, down.
- What happened?
- That's it. Knee, knee?
Okay, okay, all right.
- All right?
- All right, yeah.
Nice and easy.
Hey, look who's back,
like a bad penny.
Ah, jeez.
Rub his leg.
Keep on working,
keep on working!
It's all right. It's okay.
I'm truly sorry
to hear that, James.
You know, the last thing
she said to me was,
"Jamie, me darlin',
I know you're going to win."
So I figured
I'd better be in shape.
So here I am,
if you'll have me back.
Get up to the house
and get some gear.
We got work to do.
You mean it?
Move it! Come on!
You're part of this team now!
Get moving!
Excuse me.
Do you know where
I might be stowing my gear?
If you can find an inch of space,
the house is over there.
Much obliged.
By the way, nice hair.
I mean that.
Don't hurt yourself, Albert.
Let's go, let's go, Hoyty.
Come on, let's see it,
let's see it.
You great lummox.
Put the bar back up.
In here, Albert.
Come in here quick.
At the moment, we're ridin' in
with the pole up here.
I think you'll get more
momentum into the pole
if you make your approach
with the pole in this position
and then let it drop down
into the plant
and ride the pole up.
Then let the pole do the work.
Just swing up...
Okay, Curtis, okay, Lane,
let's hit the hurdles!
Fellas, get over those hurdles!
Come on, Curtis! Let's go, Lane!
Don't stop! Don't stop!
Try and keep moving!
Come on, Burke!
Let's go, Jamison!
Run, run, you guys!
Come on, run! Let's go!
Come on, Jamison, catch him!
Go, Burke, go!
Garrett, who told you
to take a rest?
Keep moving! Let's go!
Move, move, move!
Step, step, step, step...
I'm sure they must want
some refreshments by now.
- Yes, I would think so.
- Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
- Excuse me, Mr. Graham.
- Sure, Myra, what is it?
Well, may I say something?
Yeah, fire away.
Well... they're doing it all wrong.
The jumping, I mean.
The hurdles?
Can I show you something?
Yeah.
Hey, fellas,
take a look at this.
I think we're gonna learn
something here.
You know, horses, when they jump,
they don't stop.
They just tuck in their legs
and sail on over.
Myra! You're a genius!
Just remember
it was me showed you how.
Three cheers for Myra!
- Hip, hip...
- Hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Come on, get over.
Come on, come on,
come on, come on.
Better. Keep going.
Get up, get up, get up, get up.
Come on, come on, come on!
Come on!
Stay with me!
Come on, up, up, up, up!
Come on, come on, come on!
Come on!
Get set...
Step, step, step, step,
step, step!
Come on!
Go, go, go, go, go!
Go, Lane, go, Lane!
Go, Lane!
Yeah!
4, 2, 3, 4...
5, 2, 3, 4...
6, 2, 3, 4...
7, 2, 3, 4...
8, 2, 3, 4...
9, 2, 3, 4...
10, 2, 3...
Keep loose! Keep loose!
Here we go, now!
We go knee tucks ?
knee tucks on a one count.
On a one count.
Everybody together.
Knees up to your arms.
Arms out in front of you.
Here we go.
Ready ? begin.
1 , 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ?
Come on, Burke, move it!
Let's go, Burke, get 'em up!
Lift your knees! Lift your knees!
16, 17, 18 ?
Knees!
Keep going!
4...
5...
6...
7...
8...
9...
10...
11... make a clap...
12...
With me, 2...
8, 2...
9, 2...
good, 2...
Go, go! Come on, hit it!
Come on, go, Lane.
Toe touches!
Hit the deck, hit the deck!
Six push-ups! Let's go!
Come on, high jumpers!
Good, Clark! Good, Curtis!
Not bad, Robert, not bad!
Go, Ellery, over! All right!
Come on, Curtis! Feet, feet, feet!
Yeah! Get over that bar!
Come on, Robert, you're there!
Good jump, Robert!
Ride the pole, fellas.
Let the pole do the work.
Turn! Good, good, good!
Not too bad!
Up! Twist, twist, twist!
All right, over!
Not bad. Plant, plant!
Hold the pole ? Tyler, good!
Good, Hoyt. Up, up, up!
Yes, yes, yes!
Plant, plant!
Right up, right up!
Pull! Up the pole! Over, over!
Good clear, good clear!
All right, come on, Hoyt!
Pull, pull!
Up, up, up, up, up!
Over! Oh, yeah!
Okay, hurdlers!
Technique! Leg over, leg over!
Not bad, Curtis, not bad!
Jamie, the run-up was splendid,
but I think
you can get better lift
if you drive your opposite arm
a little harder.
Let me try again.
Ready...
All right, that's the stance,
Mr. Garrett. Try.
You're right, Dr. Sloane!
It's the spin!
Yes!
It was Mary's idea.
Thank you.
My pleasure, Mr. Garrett.
Go, Jamie, go!
Fly, lad!
Lift that chest,
lift that chest!
Up, up, up, up, up!
Fly, Jamie, fly!
Forty-four.
What do you think?
Yes, I think that's good.
I'm a little worried
about this belt.
Will it be strong enough?
If we make it of leather
and line it with cotton webbing,
- it should be.
- Do you like this one?
Yes, it's fine.
That's fine. Thank you.
They like it.
I'll just go get the thread.
Oh, good.
Come on, run, let's go!
Go, Burke, go!
Okay, Curtis! Okay, Lane!
Let's clear those hurdles!
Get over those hurdles!
Curtis! Lane!
Move, move, move!
Charlotte, would you help me, please,
and take some measurements?
Come along, gentlemen,
don't be shy.
Come, I'd like to measure you.
Mr. Blake, will you
come forward first, please?
Ooh, he's nervous.
You can tell.
Watch it, Skip,
she's got cold hands.
If I could have your back...
- Right. Fifteen and a half...
- What's this you've got, Jamison?
Thirty-one.
Could you turn around?
Thank you.
Thirty-one.
Thank you, that's fine.
Mr. Tyler?
Could I have
your back first, please?
Thank you.
Start running in place!
Let's go! Up, up, up!
Let me hear it!
Come on, Robert!
Knees up, Robert!
Let's go, Tommy!
William, I'd like your approval.
Stripe is a different color
for each school.
- It's very nice.
- Yes?
It's very nice.
One more thing.
Okay, let's go, let's go!
Twenty toe-touches, four count!
There.
That's... very nice.
The boys say
it is sure to make them win.
Running in place.
Come on, let's go!
Knees ? let's see them up.
Up, up, up.
In here! Let's go, let's go!
What are we gonna do in Athens?
Win!
Yeah!
Allow me, ladies.
Thank you for your custom.
It has been a great pleasure.
And I shall expect to hear
from you soon, Mr. Fox.
I have booked dozens
of passages to Greece.
Leave everything to me.
You're in good hands with Herman Fox.
Yes, we know.
Don't forget, I shall need all the birth
certificates as soon as possible
and the money
for the fares, of course.
Oh, of course.
Good day.
All we have to do now
is raise the money.
- There you are.
- Thank you, dear.
- Here you are, John.
- Thank you.
- Morning, Coach. Dr. Sloane.
- Morning, Blake.
Lane, you seen Miss Patton
around anywhere?
Miss Patton... oh, you mean
the soon-to-be Mrs. Blake?
Even if I had,
I wouldn't tell you.
Thanks.
Everybody's got a girl.
Off your left, all right?
Off your left.
- All right? Here you go.
- Okay, okay.
That's pretty good.
Hey, Blake,
we're going... boating.
Care to join us?
Now, as most of you mokes know,
these running and jumping events
come from Ireland originally...
brought over here
by your grandfathers, your fathers,
and the likes of you and me.
Now, the boys up here are all part
of the United States team.
They're going to go over there
and do their best for us,
but one of them needs your help,
and he's ours ?
my nephew
James Brendan Connolly!
Thank you.
Well, I'm a mick,
like the lot of you,
and I'm proud of it, too.
But in the last year,
I've learned a lot
about being part of a team.
Each of my teammates
is as different as night and day,
but we all share
one thing in common ?
the flag we wear on our uniform.
Now, I want to represent
Southie in Athens...
but I haven't got
the fare to get there.
But I'm here tonight
to make a solemn promise to you.
If you back me,
I'll win in Athens.
I'll win for Southie,
I'll win for the Irish!
Hey, Mike! Come here!
Come up, come here,
come up, come up. Here.
"Still five more fares to raise.
"It's like pulling teeth,
but at last we're making progress.
"Aside from
their generous donation,
"the Boston Athletic Association
has come up with a couple of leads
"that just might bring in more.
"When I told them there'd be
swimming and shooting events,
"they introduced me to a member
whose son is a swimmer.
"I don't know how good he is,
but the father's so anxious
"for the boy to compete
in the Olympics
that he's willing to pay his fare
as well as half of another."
Well done, boy.
Gardner, glad to have
you on the team.
Pull!
Pull!
Pull!
"They also put me in touch
with two wealthy brothers,
"name of John and Sumner Paine,
who are expert marksmen.
"If they want to go
badly enough,
perhaps I can persuade them
to contribute an extra fare."
Why don't you see
if Mr. Graham wants a go?
All right.
Care to have a try,
Mr. Graham?
No, thank you, Mr. Paine,
but I am very impressed.
Pull!
"I'll let you know after I've
been to see them on their farm.
"Hope all goes well
with your fundraising tour.
Keep me posted."
Pittsburgh is next, folks.
Can you get your bags?
Oh, at last!
I don't profess to understand
why this is so important
to you, Robert.
But if all this running
and jumping ?
But I want you to understand!
And it's very important
for you to understand ?
important for me.
Of course, darling. I'll try.
But you must explain.
I'm good, Mother.
For the first time in my life,
I have found something
that I am really
and truly good at.
And the others know it.
They respect me for it.
I think some of them
even like me.
Of course they like you.
You're a wonderful, generous ?
Not "of course," Mother!
Don't you see?
It's never been like that for me.
I've never made friends easily ?
Not before... not till now.
And now I don't
feel alone anymore.
Alone? What a strange thing
to say, darling.
You've never been alone.
You and I have always
been very close.
No, Mother, I mean
in the world out there.
People know me. They stop
and say hello to me in the street.
And they remember my name,
not because it was Father's
or Grandfather's,
but because it's mine.
They admire me
because I'm good at sport.
That's why I have to go
to Athens, Mother...
because they want me.
Boys, I want you to know
that all of us here
at Harvard University
are very proud of you indeed,
and we wish you Godspeed.
And now as to you,
Mr. Connolly.
This has to be one
of the most difficult decisions
I've ever had to make.
I'm afraid I must
deny you permission
to take this leave of absence.
Deny him? Why?
Mr. Graham, these boys will be
away nearly two months.
Mr. Connolly is part of our new
Scholarship Challenge Program.
Were he to fail
due to this... diversion,
it would be
Harvard's failure as well.
I cannot afford to take that risk.
I'll go anyway.
You can't stop me.
That would be most foolhardy,
Mr. Connolly,
and there would be serious
consequences when you got back.
I'm going to Athens,
Dean Elliott,
but not for Harvard ?
for me and my kind.
And you and your
serious consequences...
Oh, be damned.
If you'll forgive me, sir,
I think you've just done great
damage to Harvard University.
I only hope to God you haven't
done the same to James Connolly.
Jamie! Jamie!
Garrett...
Tyler...
- Lane...
- Yes, sir.
Jamison...
Thank you.
Well, William... well done.
Thank you, sir.
Congratulations.
"Personal draft for $100"?
Is that all?
But... what about the school?
He said he couldn't allocate
any school funds,
that the academic committee
would skin him alive if he did.
Even with Mrs. Garrett's donation,
we're still two whole fares short,
and the boat sails in ten days.
Where's the rest coming from?
From us, Mary.
You know we can't possibly
afford to send the ?
You mean give up...
our tickets?
I'm sorry,
but... it's the only way.
Oh, William,
you've worked so hard.
The boys
have worked harder.
My darling...
my poor, poor darling.
Zito Hellas!
Zito!
Zito Hellas!
Zito!
Good. You can't be told enough.
I want to make sure
you get all these things right.
Watch your step.
Gimme that.
Wait for me, cabbie!
By the way,
when you get to Athens,
you will find seven other
members of the British team.
Seven?
Where'd they come from?
The British Embassy in Athens.
- Embassy employees?
- Yeah.
Well, the British ambassador
was rather embarrassed
that we didn't have a team
to represent us in the games,
so he enlisted the aid
of some of his staff.
He's determined to put on
a jolly good show.
That's the English for you.
When things are really rotten,
you just put on a good show
and no one will notice
you got holes in your drawers.
I don't know,
we're not all that bad.
Only most of you.
Well, there you go.
I wish you were
coming along, Mr. Perry.
Yeah, well...
good luck, lad.
Don't get any mud
in your eye, right?
Don't worry about me.
I can't lose.
I've got a great coach.
Charlotte, my dear.
Good luck.
Thank you, sir.
You think he likes me?
He does, but I don't.
Mother, this is Cathy ?
Catherine Baker.
How do you do,
Mrs. Garrett?
Miss Baker.
We met last summer
at Cherry Hill.
It's a very fine school, I'm told.
Oh, the finest.
And Cathy's an honor student.
Well, if you'll excuse me,
Mrs. Garrett,
I have to see Madame Schumann
about something.
It was a pleasure to meet you.
Miss Baker.
I'll see you shortly, Robert.
Excuse me.
Well, what do you think of her?
Oh, I'm always pleased when
you make new friends, Robert.
Oh, Cathy's not a friend.
She's my girl.
Goodness me!
I blinked my eyes,
and my boy has become a man.
It's not serious, Mother. I just...
I like her very much.
Yes, I can see that.
Well, I'd like
to get to know her better.
Perhaps when you
come back from Greece.
Yes, by all means.
I'll invite her to Baltimore.
All ashore that's going ashore!
Well, I'd better be going.
Then I'll say goodbye.
I'll be back
before you know it.
Yes, of course.
I'll pray that you win.
Well, Mother, if I do win,
it'll be for you.
No, darling,
winning is something
that you must do all alone,
by yourself, and for yourself,
and once you've achieved it,
no one can ever
take it away from you.
Mother...
I love you very much.
Oh, darling!
Bon voyage.
Bon voyage.
What can I say?
I wish you were coming with us.
Well, John,
we'll be on tenterhooks,
waiting to hear the outcome.
I'll send you a telegram
at the end of each day.
We'll be living
at the telegraph office.
- William!
- Goodbye, John.
Goodbye, Mary,
and thank you.
This gentleman has been
looking all over for you.
- This is Dr. Sloane.
- How do you do?
At last I have managed
to track you down, Dr. Sloane.
Oh, forgive me ?
I am Apostolos Skoukilakis,
editor of the Greek
New York Atlantis News.
Oh, please excuse me.
I brought these for the boys.
Here, please. Please take, take.
Here. Thank you.
I have been looking for you
for months, Dr. Sloane.
But everybody I spoke to ?
nobody knew anything
about an American Olympics team.
You did not exist.
Yes, there hasn't been
very much in the newspapers.
Much?
There hasn't been anything.
If you ask me, it's criminal.
It is worse than criminal.
It is a crime.
And so I came down here today
to wish you ? all of you ?
greetings from
the Greek-American people
and to tell you
that our hearts go with you.
Thank you very much, sir.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Skoukilakis.
Last call, ladies and gentlemen.
Please board now.
This way.
Dr. Sloane,
could you take a photograph?
Yes, of course.
Thank you.
What do we do?
Just hold it steady.
Okay.
Hold it for the camera, now.
A bit of decorum.
Ready?
Goodbye, Dr. Sloane.
Goodbye, Mrs. Sloane.
Thank you.
Dr. Sloane, Dr. Sloane,
before you go back to Princeton,
could I trouble you for an interview
with my newspaper, please?
Yes, of course.
Let's go someplace
where we don't have to shout.
- Good idea.
- Bon voyage!
Good luck!
- Waiter, table for four, please.
- Certainly.
This is a lovely idea.
Oh, and, waiter, champagne ?
the best you have in the house.
Yes, sir.
This is very generous of you,
Mr. Skoukilakis.
Not at all.
We must celebrate.
And we must toast
the American team.
We must wish them
many great honors.
I'll drink to that.
It does strike me as odd,
however, Dr. Sloane,
that you would have
all these young men
go such a great distance
only to participate
in one day of the games.
What do you mean
in one day of the games?
Merely that if they are arriving
one day before the games end,
they will only have
the last day to compete.
No, I-I certainly hope not.
No, the team will arrive well before
the games are due to start.
But how can that be?
The games are due
to begin April 5th.
The ship does not arrive
until April 9th.
I think you are forgetting
that Greece still goes
by the old Julian calendar,
Mr. Skoukilakis,
which is
12 days behind ours.
The travel instructions
from Paris
were very specific on that.
They stated quite clearly
that the games would begin
on April the 5th in Athens.
Which is really April 17th here.
So, you see, the boys
will have well over a week
to recover from the voyage
after they arrive.
Luckily, our travel agent
caught the discrepancy
and brought it
to our attention in time.
He adjusted the dates
before he booked the passages.
Oh, my goodness.
There has been
a terrible mistake here.
What do you mean?
What mistake?
The games are due
to begin on April 5th
according
to our American calendar,
not the Greek calendar.
Surely not.
Yes!
Look ? I have here
the opening-day program
sent direct to me from Greece.
Here, you can see the dates
for yourselves.
Dear Lord,
don't let it be true.
I'm afraid that it is.
The games open on March the 24th
by the Greek calendar.
Which is April 5th
according to ours.
You are absolutely right,
Mr. Skoukilakis.
The boys are due
to arrive the 9th...
exactly one day before the end
of the Olympic Games.
Champagne.
If I have to move
heaven and earth...
I'm going to see to it
that those boys
arrive in Athens in time.
Oh, no!
Help! Please!
Somebody, help me!
Please help me!
Oh, somebody,
do something!
Pull him free!
Somebody, quick,
get a doctor!
Easy, easy. That's it.
Quickly! Get a doctor!
Thank you.
Oh, thank you.
Sorry I'm late, Mother.
I was detained.
I had them hold your lunch.
Oh, Robert, look at you!
Oh, yes, I know.
Couldn't be helped.
Would you like me to change?
There isn't time, dear.
You'll miss your train.
- Sit down. It doesn't matter.
- Thank you.
The house in Baltimore
is going to seem very empty
without you, my darling.
I don't have to go away
to college, Mother.
You could always hire
more tutors.
No, I couldn't be that selfish.
This is what your father
would have wanted ?
for you to follow
in his footsteps.
Well, at least Princeton
isn't very far,
and we can visit each other
as often as we like.
I suspect you'll have
your own circle of friends soon.
Little time for me.
I don't seem to make friends
very easily, Mother.
Perhaps I'm just
not gregarious enough.
College can be very rewarding.
I hope you'll apply yourself, Robert.
I want you to make me
very proud of you.
Yes, but the trouble is
I can't seem to concentrate
on anything for very long.
My mind wanders.
You're a dreamer.
You always have been, my darling.
But never let that worry you.
After all, the world
was fashioned by dreamers.
Spyro!
A letter!
It's a letter for you!
It says that you are
to be conscripted.
Conscripted?
Into the army, my son.
You will be required to do
two years of military service.
Two years?
Who will tend the flocks?
Who will tend the fields?
We'll manage, Maria.
We'll manage.
What else
they'll take away from us?
It's a great honor
to serve one's country.
Honor? Honor?
Can we eat this honor?
Can we wear it on our backs?
The letter says
they will pay him
10 drachmas every month.
I can buy you
a new shawl, Mama,
one with a fringe.
You see what a foolish son
we have, Father?
He's ready to throw
his money away on nonsense.
What are we to do with him?
Thank God there's no war.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Get set.
Come on!
Mr. Flack?
That's right.
Nathaniel Perry.
I'm the running coach
for the London Athletic Club.
Very impressive performance.
You call fourth place impressive?
These short dashes
are no good to you.
You've got the stamina;
you haven't got the speed.
- You're a long-distance runner.
- Am I, now?
You could beat any of these fellows
in a half-mile or a mile.
We don't run the half-mile
or the mile in Australia.
We do in England.
Why not come there?
We've got the best
distance runners in the world.
Might just do that. I've already
applied to go to Oxford.
I'm glad to hear it.
Look me up when you get there.
If I get there.
I gotta get accepted first.
I don't see
why the boy's gotta go
all the way to England
for an education.
Harold, this is a chance for him
to study at Oxford University.
What's the good
of a fancy education to a lad
who's gonna be running
a slaughterhouse?
Did it ever occur to you
our son might aspire to more
than just to butcher
helpless animals?
It's what you aspire to,
Mrs. Flack ?
you with your grand notions.
I merely meant perhaps Edwin
wants more out of life.
Oh, I know what you think of me
and my business.
God knows you've said it
often enough.
Well, I'm not ashamed
of what I do.
If it was good enough for my father
and it's good enough for me,
then, holy Moses,
it's good enough for my son.
If the lad wants to go to England...
I'll not stand in his way.
Pa...
It's all right, Edwin.
I'm proud of you ? very proud.
I'd like to make him
proud of me, too, Ma.
Two years is a long time.
You could forget me.
I will come to see you
every evening when I get off duty.
You mustn't tease me, Spyros.
You know the camp
is so far from our village
for you to come all that way
every evening.
I will find a way, Eleni.
I promise you.
Please, don't be unhappy.
Smile for me.
How handsome you will look
in your uniform.
I must go now,
but I will return every evening.
I swear it on my mother's life.
Ladies and gentlemen,
may I have your attention, please?
It gives me great pride
to announce
that two years from today,
on April 5th, 1896,
under the gracious auspices
of His Majesty King George
of Greece,
the first Olympic Games
of modern times
will take place
in the city of Athens.
However, please let me point out
that we, the International
Olympics Committee,
have only been able
to provide a place
for these games to be held.
We cannot provide the athletes
to participate in them.
For that, we must rely upon you.
I urge everyone
assembled here ?
return to your homelands,
search your colleges
and universities,
comb your great cities
and small towns,
scour your farms and villages,
and send us your finest,
your ablest athletes.
For without those
dedicated young men,
our efforts will have been in vain.
They are the Olympic Games.
We shall light its flame once more,
and this time keep it burning,
an everlasting tribute
to all that is great
and noble in mankind.
Thank you.
Jamie!
Saints preserve us!
Are you all right, lad?
What do you think,
O'Leary, is it broken?
'Tis hard to say, Mike.
You best get him over
to Dr. Flanagan.
- I just twisted it, Mike.
- You heard Mr. O'Leary.
Come on, just lean on me.
That's a boy.
Thanks.
All right! Come on, now!
Let's get back to work!
Sure if he didn't buy it.
Hurry now. You'll be late.
Keep your fingers crossed for me?
They are, lad, they are ?
and everything else I can manage
without sacrificing me future.
- Watch where you're going!
- Hey, I'm sorry.
I'm afraid I'm
a little lost around here.
I was looking for the ?
The construction site.
It's across the Yard.
I'm a candidate for
the Challenge Scholarship Program.
Connolly's the name,
James Connolly. Mister ??
Blake.
Well, you'll find the testing room
at the end of the cloisters, Connolly.
It's that way.
Much obliged... Blake.
What is it, Connolly?
I'm done.
You have 45 minutes more.
I'm still done.
Fine. Suit yourself.
The oral exams are in room 110.
Thanks.
Mr. Connolly,
do you know any poetry
that you could recite?
"There was a young lady
from Slough
Who said that
she didn't know how ?"
Perhaps we could try something
on a slightly higher plane.
"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
"A stately pleasure-dome decree:
"Where Alph,
the sacred river, ran
"Through caverns
measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea."
Can you tell me who wrote that?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
It said on your application
that you had no formal schooling.
Where did you get your education?
Well, what me mother
didn't teach me,
I picked up in borrowed books.
Thank you, Mr. Connolly.
The results of your examination
will be posted in the Yard at 4:00.
Good luck.
Excuse me. Sorry.
Pierre! Over here!
Hello, my friend.
How are you?
Well, come round,
come round.
Come, come,
I have a carriage waiting
and a table reserved ?
we can sit and talk.
But why me?
Because, my dear William,
you are the only American educator
I know well enough to ask ?
or rather, the only one
I was fairly certain
who wouldn't turn me down.
But, Pierre,
I'm not even a sportsman.
I don't know
the first thing about it.
Ah, but you are
a classical scholar.
You know everything
about the ancient Olympics,
and your passion
for the subject is contagious.
After all, it was your lecture series
at the Sorbonne in Paris
that first fired me and started me
on this insane odyssey.
Who better to carry
the torch in America?
Wish I could think of someone.
I would love to help you, Pierre ?
William, don't turn me down
after I've come all this way.
I can't face another polite apology.
Has it really been
all that difficult for you?
The Germans mistrust the French
because we're organizing the games.
The English mistrust
the Germans on principle.
The Greeks feel
they have a priority.
And then there's our biggest
problem ? money.
There's never enough money,
which is another reason
we need an American team.
Yours is a prosperous country.
Perhaps pride in its own team
will encourage contributions.
What about our government?
Won't it help?
I leave for Washington
in the morning
to see your President Cleveland ?
perhaps if I can persuade him.
Meanwhile,
I would be eternally grateful
if you would go back to Princeton
and find some
interested young athletes
for me to interview when I return.
We simply must have
an American team.
Stop shoving, will you?
I want to see ?
Come on, you guys.
I knew I did badly
on the written part!
I did it! Yeah!
What about you?
Did you make it?
Darn!
My father'll kill me.
We did it, Mike!
We did it!
He did it, Mary.
Your Jamie's got himself
into Harvard College.
Oh, thank the dear Lord!
They're looking
to pay for everything ?
books, tuition, everything.
Right, Mike?
Oh, Jamie...
Oh, your father would have
been so proud of you.
Jamie will show them that a Connolly
counts for something in this world.
Michael, have we anything
in the house?
A little small one.
Why wouldn't we?
As head of the academic committee,
Professor Judson is a very
powerful man on this faculty,
and he is adamantly opposed
to any sort of athletic activities
on this campus...
as you can see.
It contaminates the purity of
the academic atmosphere, you know?
What rubbish.
Couldn't agree more.
He's been on my back about
the football issue for years,
and frankly, I've had a bellyful.
Football issue?
Silly game's become a craze.
Students are mad for it,
faculty loathe it.
Alas, as the president of this university,
I'm caught between.
In the end, I had to join
this new Princeton-Harvard-Yale
football association on a trial basis,
just to placate the student body.
Judson was livid.
He's still fighting it.
Now you come along
with another threat
to the purity of our air.
Perhaps if I had a talk with him.
Spare yourself.
He lost the football battle.
He's determined to win this.
Personally, I don't care if you
continue recruiting for your games,
but for heaven's sake, Sloane,
practice some discretion
and stay out of Judson's way.
I don't need
another sports headache.
Fine. Thank you.
Come to the taverna, Spyros.
We'll have some retsina.
Thanks, but Eleni's
expecting me.
Don't get drunk, huh?
I hear the king has asked the army
to send its best-trained men
to the Olympic Games
in Athens next spring.
Are you going to enter, Spyros?
To throw the discus
or the shot put
takes greater strength
than Spyro has.
He is too skinny.
They say the army
will select only officers.
The Olympic Games are not
for common soldiers like me.
Excuse me, Papa.
It's getting late.
Spyros must be starting
back to the camp.
See you tomorrow, huh?
Good night.
- Good night, Spyros.
- Good night, Spyros.
If you don't come every night,
I will understand.
I won't hold you
to your promise.
I would come twice as far
to be with my Eleni.
Wait!
Thanks.
You better not cut
so short next time,
'cause I might not be
in a good mood, you know!
- 'Morning, Flack.
- 'Morning, Roger.
Who's he?
That's that
new Australian chap.
I hear he fancies himself
quite the runner.
Yes, I've seen him at practice.
Where'd he leave you ?
at the starting line?
Not bloody likely.
Tell me ? do they run
on their hands
or on their feet
in the lower hemisphere?
- Come on, Hadley!
- Come on!
Hadley!
Come on!
Come on, Hadley!
Well done, old chap!
Keep that up and you'll be running
for Oxford at the Pan-Britannic Games.
What are they?
Only the largest national track meet
ever organized, that's all.
Till now, Hadley here's been
our only serious contender.
Looks like you've got
some competition, old chap.
Well, you put up
a good show, Hadley.
You were marvelous.
The way you came around
that bend over there...
If only you'd keep to the hurdle.
How many aspiring athletes
have you mustered?
Thanks to Professor Judson,
I'm expecting a pretty modest turnout,
I'm sorry to say.
Modest?
You have a remarkable flair
for understatement, William.
- Pierre de Coubertin.
- Robert Garrett, sir.
Mr. Garrett,
what is your sport?
I don't have a sport, sir,
but I'm willing to learn anything
if someone will teach me.
One man doesn't make
a team, unfortunately.
Dr. Sloane.
Do you think you could find
other students willing
to train with you?
- Sit down.
- Thank you.
Well, sir, I don't know
many people here,
but I shall certainly do my best.
Why are you so eager
to go to the Olympic Games?
Because of something
Dr. Sloane once said in class.
And what was that?
That according to
the ancient Greeks,
it is by the harmonious discipline
of both mind and body
that a man
can best honor his family,
his country, and his gods.
That's all very well
for the ancient Greeks,
but what about you?
My mother says
that I'm a dreamer,
and that dreamers
shape the world.
I don't know about that,
but I do know that
God gave me a strong body,
and I think that
these Olympic Games
can help me find out
what I'm really worth.
When I finally got to see
President Cleveland,
he gave me his best wishes.
Is that all?
No official backing?
No financial support?
He felt it would be inappropriate
for the United States Government
to become officially involved
with an experiment.
How very discouraging.
What will you do now?
We will have to find support
from the private sector
in America, and we will.
Excuse me ? would
anyone like dessert?
Not for me, Myra.
Thank you.
None for me, Myra.
Please join us.
Pierre, what am I gonna do
when and if these boys suddenly
turn up on my doorstep?
I will send you everything
concerning planning,
rules and regulations, et cetera,
the moment I get back to Paris.
Thank you, but my point is
I'm not an athletic trainer.
I don't know
the first thing about it.
What about John Graham, dear?
John.
Well, he's at Harvard now.
That doesn't mean
he's not qualified, William.
John Graham.
Go, go, go!
No, no, no!
Blake!
Turn the defenders in!
Hoyt needs room
to make an end run!
Do it again!
Let's go, let's go!
Let's get the sawdust
out of your brains!
Move it! Let's go!
Afternoon, Mr. Graham.
Oh, Mr. Connolly,
the Irish poet.
How you getting on
in your first term?
Oh, not bad.
Not bad at all.
Glad to hear it.
You interested in football?
Ah, only to watch.
Running and jumping are my sports.
Running and jumping, huh?
Not here at Harvard.
Where do you compete?
Here and there ?
next competition's
the all-Irish track meet
down at Boston Gardens.
Maybe come down, take a look.
Might just do that.
Maybe see you there.
On the line, move!
Move, move, move, move, move!
Go, go, go, go!
Butterfingers.
You care to say that again,
Connolly?
You heard me. Me Aunt Matilda
could catch a ball better than you.
The one with the mustache?
That's not a mustache.
'Tis the pox.
She got it diddling
with a Brahmin of your kind.
Why, you cheap, shanty mick!
That's enough, that's enough!
- Come on, Connolly!
- Let me at him.
- I'm gonna get it outta you, Connolly!
- That's enough!
You gentlemen realize, of course,
that we could have you expelled
for such behavior.
But the dean and I have
something different in mind
in the way of a punishment.
You're both going to volunteer
for the new Olympic team
I'm organizing.
Any objections, gentlemen?
This better be good, Robert.
We haven't got all day.
He's not at home.
Let's go.
- Dr. Sloane.
- Mr. Garrett. Hello.
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
Well done, Garrett.
Come in, please.
Good afternoon.
Jamison. Hello.
Garrett, you can't sign up
for every single event.
You don't even know
what half of 'em are.
Gentlemen, if you've finished,
please be seated.
Check Pausanias and Pindar.
They both wrote a great deal
about the Olympics.
Sir, I've already looked up
le put and le disque.
They translate as
"the lump" and "the dish."
- Isn't very helpful.
- No, it isn't.
You will find some descriptions
in Eikones ? illustrations, drawings.
You know, gentlemen,
we're gonna have
to rely on the classics
for our answers to everything,
and we're going to have
to stick strictly to what they tell us.
When do we start practicing?
Whenever you've assembled
the equipment necessary
for whatever event you've
entered yourselves in.
I received
in the baron's last letter
a list of specifications
and previous records
for each of these events,
and I've made copies
of the information
that you may find helpful.
- Thank you.
- Yes.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, sir.
This really isn't much help, sir.
There doesn't appear to be
any description here of any rules.
We have to know what the rules are.
And, Dr. Sloane,
what about the marathon?
It's not even listed here,
and I couldn't find
any reference to it.
Originally, the marathon wasn't
part of the Olympic Games.
Then why is it listed at all?
It's a special request
of the Greek committee.
It's a re-creation
of Pheidippides' epic run
from Marathon to Athens.
The Greeks originally wanted
to call it the Pheidippides.
I asked the baron
to explain to them
it would be easier for us
to call it the marathon.
I don't remember anything about
a race from Marathon to Athens, sir.
Strictly speaking, Mr. Jamison,
it wasn't a race at all.
After the Battle of Marathon ?
Where the Greeks defeated
the invading Persians, sir?
That's very good, Mr. Garrett.
Well done, Robert.
The Greek general ordered
his sentry, Pheidippides,
to run directly to Athens
and inform the citizens
that they'd been spared.
Isn't Marathon pretty far
from Athens?
Twenty-five miles,
roughly forty kilometers.
He ran 25 miles?
Yes. Not only that,
he had fought all day,
and he was
still wearing full armor.
- Did he make it?
- Indeed, he did.
When he finally reached the city,
he ran directly to the Senate
and informed the elders
of this great victory.
And then...
he dropped dead on the spot.
He just dropped dead
after all that?
Yes.
What a glorious death.
All Athens went wild at the news.
They started shouting,
"Zito Hellas! Zito Hellas!"
"Rejoice, Greece, rejoice."
Those were the last words
that Pheidippides heard.
The poets say that he died
with a smile on his lips.
Hey, Louis.
Private Louis?
Is there anybody out there?
See here, Flack!
Who do you think you are,
barging in here like this?
I'd like to know just what
the hell's going on.
I haven't the foggiest notion
what you're on about.
I qualified for
the Pan-Britannic Games
with 12 more points
than you, Hadley,
and yet my name isn't on the list
posted today, and yours is.
There's been a bit of a foul-up.
You see, old dear, you're not
a member of that select breed.
You're not an Englishman.
What?
The rules of the Oxford
and Cambridge Athletic Club state
that all bona fide members
must be English,
not Canadian
or South African or Australian,
nor any other "-an"
but an Englishman.
Being absent without leave is
a very serious offense, Private Louis,
so by all rights, I should
throw you in the brig for a month.
On the other hand, sir,
he was only five minutes late,
and he did have a bad fever.
Well, as this is your first offense,
I'm willing to forget the incident.
- Thank you, sir.
- In return, Private Louis...
...you will run the marathon
for this company
in the Olympics next spring.
The marathon?
Oh, sir, I couldn't.
Now, come, come, my boy.
Don't be so modest.
I've heard how you've been
running 36 kilometers
every night for over a year ?
isn't that so?
Well... yes, sir, but ?
Think of it, Louis ?
the Olympic Games.
And should you manage
to win, my boy ?
dare we tell him, Sergeant?
Should you manage to win,
100,000 drachmas
in prize money.
100,000?
Ioannis Mitropoulos,
the shipping magnate,
has put up the money for any Greek
who wins the marathon.
Imagine, my boy.
You'd be rich ?
no cares for the rest
of your life.
Now, what do you say to that?
I would be honored
even without the money...
sir!
Your implied rebuke
is very correct, Private Louis.
By running for us,
you can bring honor
not only to your regiment
but to your family
and to the entire Greek people.
Well, gentlemen.
Here we are.
That's got to be the discus.
Sure.
Now it makes sense.
There's even a description
on the back here.
Look at this.
This must be the hurdles.
And that's gotta be
the long jump.
Now we're getting somewhere.
Have you guys taken a look
at these pictures?
What about them?
Take a good look.
They're all naked.
Morning, Professor Judson.
Let me urge you, gentlemen,
to turn your minds
to something healthier,
like trigonometry.
Yeah.
Sir, may we have
a word with you?
Yeah, sure, come in.
We need some
very special implements made,
and I have some illustrations
and descriptions here.
This one, sir, is called a disc.
This is a put.
Can you make me
one of each?
I don't see why not.
What are they for?
To throw.
You're gonna try
and throw those?
That's the general idea.
What's the problem?
How much do you figure
that weighs?
Oh, I don't know ?
two pounds?
Two and a half.
You're talking maybe ten more
for the flat piece.
Twenty pounds?
Yeah, look at the picture.
The round one's
gonna come close to 30.
Now, you're looking
for the best iron, aren't you?
Well, sir, you're the authority,
just as long as you follow
these descriptions precisely.
Now, how much will they cost?
I'll have to charge you 50 cents.
Or maybe 55 ? they're
gonna use a lot of iron.
It's worth it.
Come back on the weekend.
Thank you very much.
Gentlemen,
le put and le disque.
Fifty-five cents!
Robert, you're nuts.
- It's worth it.
- You're crazy.
All right, let's go.
How much are these?
Twelve cents each.
Robert, pay him.
There's $1 .50.
You can keep the penny.
Thank you very much, sir.
So long.
- We all right?
- All right.
Let's go, Robert.
A dollar forty-nine.
I gave him a penny.
Have you gentlemen
had enough lemonade?
Yes, thanks a lot.
Can you make it
sarsaparilla next time?
Let's try this out, Robert.
There you go, yeah.
I'll clear up this.
- All right, boys.
- Great experiment...
- This is the way to do it.
- Wait a second.
That's the way to do it.
Way to go.
- Well done.
- With style.
With style.
Olympics, sir.
That's wrong.
It's freezing.
I'm chipping the icicles
off my nose.
Myra, if you'll keep
an eye on this for me.
Just stay there.
Gentlemen?
Gentlemen, if you'll form
some sort of line.
It's approximately 100 yards
to the shirt there.
Nice and straight.
Form it nicely.
Good.
Are you prepared?
- Yes.
- Yes, sir.
Well... then...
Go.
Never mind your hat, Jamison.
Come on!
- You all right?
- Yes.
- Come on.
- Come on.
Come on!
I won! I won!
How'd I do, Dr. Sloane?
Well, as near as I can tell,
about 27 seconds.
Oh, this is hopeless.
The record's 12 1/2.
Let's try it again
without these coats, huh?
Right.
I think I should stay here
at the finish line.
Will you gentlemen ask Myra
to give you the starting signal?
- Yes, sir.
- Good.
Well, I thought
I'd do a nosedive,
give you guys a chance to win.
Okay, Robert.
Way to go, Robert!
Well done, well done!
By a foot.
Blast!
Are you all right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Look, let me
show you something.
The record for this event
is six foot.
That's not even four.
Don't bother.
Six foot?!
That's impossible.
Not if you got wings,
huh, angel?
I've had it.
Okay, put the bar up.
Are you gonna try this, Addy?
- Yep.
- Okay. Good luck.
Soft landing.
Face first ? that's
a novel way of doing it.
Nineteen feet.
The record's 41 feet.
Forty-one feet?
Watch out.
Watch out, Lane.
- Is that better?
- It's better.
- Are you all right, Jamison?
- You all right?
Yeah, I'm all right.
Let me try something.
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
You want to try again?
- You all right?
- Thank you.
Albert, what are you doing?
You're gonna need
some sort of run-up.
- Very good!
- That's the way to do it!
I don't know about that.
I don't think you can climb up
the pole and then jump over.
You go over the bar
any way you can.
I mean, do you think it's legal?
- Of course it's legal!
- He got over the bar.
But, I mean ?
It's pointless to argue
about whether it's legal or not.
Excuse me, gentlemen.
Here comes trouble.
Better go see
what they want.
Whatever it is,
it's not gonna be good.
This is going to be bad news.
Sir, this is work.
Mens sana in corpore sano,
I was taught when I was in school.
The university refuses to allow us
to use the playing field any longer,
and the academic committee
has voted to deny us access
to all university facilities.
Well, that's it for me.
It's bad enough the government
doesn't give a hoot about
these stupid Olympics.
Well, I mean, if the school
isn't even behind us,
why are we knocking
ourselves out?
You coming, Jamison? Lane?
I don't know... I think
I'll stick around a little longer.
- Me too.
- It's not gonna get any better.
You can't keep fighting
the authorities forever.
Tyler?
Nah, I don't let anyone tell me
what I can or can't do.
Well, suit yourselves.
Give my regards to Athens.
We will.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Dr. Sloane...
I think that this is something
each of us believes in
enough to see through.
Dr. Sloane, you think I could
get away with one last try?
Yes, one last try here.
Where can we go now, sir?
Mr. Garrett, I don't know.
It's out of your hands now, William.
You've done all you can.
The baron will simply
have to accept that.
It isn't the baron I'm
concerned about, it's the boys.
William, please,
think of your position here
at Princeton, of your career.
You've worked so long, so hard.
There are other universities.
Does it really mean
that much to you ?
enough to risk everything?
Well, Mary, I suppose
it's contagious.
What?
The boys' dedication.
I'm beginning to feel it, too.
All I know is
that somehow, somewhere,
I have got to find a place
for those boys to practice.
Well.
I suppose I'm a fool...
but if it means that much to you...
what about Cherry Hill?
I think Cousin Ursula'd be happy
to make you
some accommodation.
She's always been
a sports enthusiast.
Don't trip on that thing back there.
I don't know why you didn't come
to me when the trouble first started.
Hello, good to see you.
How was I supposed to know
Professor Judson
would be so damned
unreasonable?
What can you expect
from a mathematician?
Glad you could come!
Have some tea and cakes.
We're starting shortly.
Good heavens,
here comes President Patton.
What's he doing here,
Cousin Ursula?
His daughter is one of my girls,
but he rarely attends
our school functions.
Madame Schumann!
Mrs. Sloane.
William!
Don't you "Madame Schumann" me,
Francis Patton.
If you've come out here to make
more trouble for those poor boys,
you can turn around
and go straight back to Princeton.
This is my property,
and I make the rules here.
Ursula, I was merely going to say
what a perfect day for a preview
of the Olympic Games.
In that case, I hope you've
brought a nice, fat donation.
- Lord knows you can afford it.
- Ursula!
What's the point
of beating about the bush?
That's what we're here for, isn't it?
Fork it over, Francis.
Ursula, my darling.
It's too high, it's too high.
We gotta cut some
off the bottom.
Oh, here he comes.
Are you nearly ready?
All set up, Dr. Sloane.
We can begin
whenever you like.
Good. Madame Schumann says
you can use the summer house
just down there.
Good luck.
I know you gentlemen
won't let me down.
Well...
I suppose the sooner
we get it over with, the better.
Ladies and gentlemen,
we are ready to start.
Will you please all be seated?
Ah! I'd like you to meet
my daughter Charlotte.
- Dr. and Mrs. Sloane.
- Very great pleasure.
Charlotte is one
of your most ardent supporters.
All the girls are excited
about the Olympics, Dr. Sloane.
And the thought of meeting
the Princeton team, no doubt.
We're hoping to get together
with the boys recruited at Harvard
for practice here this summer.
It was very generous
of you, Ursula,
to lend your school
facilities like that.
Oh, I have my motives.
I'm going to get William
to persuade the baron
to include women
in the next Olympics.
Next Olympics?
I'll be relieved
if we survive this one.
Ah, here come the boys.
Now...
Good grief.
Gentlemen!
I think it is going to be
a very interesting summer.
Very interesting, indeed.
Now that we've paid homage
to Mr. Connolly,
let's get out of here, shall we?
If you don't mind,
I'd like to stick around
and see these two other
fellows ? Burke and Curtis.
Now jumping for the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
is Thomas Curtis.
Take your marks!
Get set!
So, the winner of the 100 meters
is Thomas Burke.
Thank you.
And the winner
of the high jump from...
- Where are you from, me boy?
- M.I.T.
...the "Massachutess
Institute of Technocracy"...
is Thomas Curtis.
Mr. Curtis.
Skip Blake,
Harvard University.
You know John Graham?
Anyway, that's what the boys here
and I have been up to
for the past couple of months.
Now we'd like you two
to come join us.
Come train with us
in New Jersey next summer.
If things work out,
we'll all be off to Athens
together the following spring.
What's this about New Jersey?
Dr. Sloane's arranged for us
to work with Princeton next summer.
- Who's paying for that, then?
- That's the best news.
The International
Olympic Committee
will take care of
everything ? transportation,
food, lodging, the works.
Baron de Coubertin's gonna pay
for it out of his own pocket.
What do you say, fellas?
I'll give it a try.
Sure. Why not?
Well, I'm out.
Out?
Did I hear you right, Jamie,
me boy? Did you say "out"?
You heard.
I don't want any part of it.
I don't understand, Jamie.
What's the problem?
There's no point in summer practice
if I'm not going to Athens.
Why wouldn't you go to Athens?
That's been the whole idea!
I can't tell you.
You'll only laugh.
Come on. Out with it, lad!
It's the ocean.
The ocean?
I'm scared of water, damn it.
You're scared of water?
Ever since the crossing,
Mike, yeah!
Jamie, lad, the boats today
are bigger and better.
Besides, you won't be going
steerage this time.
Me mind's made up, Mike.
I'm not going, I'm sorry.
So, just like that,
you're going to give up
the chance of a lifetime?
You're no nephew of mine.
I wash me hands of you!
Jamie, I wish there was
something I could say or do.
I've got a sick mother at home,
and I can't afford to take off
the whole summer from work.
And if Mike knew,
he'd spend every cent he has
to see me get to the Olympics.
I can't let him do that,
Mr. Graham.
I just can't.
Goodbye.
Does the fact I wasn't born
in this country make any difference?
As long as you wear the emblem
of the London Athletic Club,
you can be anything,
even an Australian.
In that case, Mr. Perry,
I think we got a deal.
Good. Help yourself.
Thanks.
What I don't understand is why
the Oxford and Cambridge Club
weren't invited
to the Olympics as well.
They were. They just chose
to ignore the invitation.
Ignore it?
Keep going.
The Olympics Committee
made the unforgivable mistake
of sending
the invitations out in French ?
didn't have the decency to put
the ruddy thing into proper English.
Oh, I say, thank you.
Awfully good of you.
Then, would you believe,
Oxford and Cambridge decided
to organize their own games ?
- this pan-Britannic charade.
- But why?
To show how little they think
of the rest of the world, I presume.
You know, Mr. Perry, I'm learning
a lot about you English,
but I'm not sure that I like
everything I'm learning.
Oh, I don't know.
We're not all that bad ?
only most of us.
- Mr. Tyler.
- Mr. Hoyt.
How you doing?
- Mr. Lane.
- Mr. Burke.
Gentlemen, introduce yourselves
all around, will you? Much simpler.
How do you do?
My name's Clark.
- Jamison.
- Jamison.
- Curtis.
- Hi, Curtis.
- How are you?
- Skip ? Skip Blake. Hi.
Gentlemen...
the purpose of this joint
training session is twofold ?
firstly, to give you men a chance
to get to know one another,
work together,
and share what you've learned,
and secondly,
to give each of you
a chance to pursue
his own excellence.
We know that the European teams
are much more experienced
than we are.
More than likely,
they're going to best us
in each event in which
we've entered ourselves.
That doesn't matter.
If each of you gives his best,
if we give them a good run
for their money,
I think we can
do America proud in Athens.
Well...
John.
Well, I'm afraid
I don't entirely agree
with Dr. Sloane,
if you'll forgive me.
We're not out here
just to make a good showing,
because even the ancient Greeks
didn't give medals for second place.
We're out here to win,
and we will win
if each of you is prepared
to work and work hard at it.
Are you with me?
- Yeah!
- Yes, sir!
Let's get out there
on that field and get to work!
Well, girls, you heard Mr. Graham.
Let's get to work.
Okay, okay, okay,
let's go, let's go.
First, runs! Loosen up,
loosen up, loosen up!
Let's go, let's go!
Let's go, come on!
Jumping jacks ? two counts!
Ready...
1 ... 2... 3... 4...
5... 6... 7... 8... 9...
3, 4, 5... 2, 3, 4.
Running in place now.
Come on!
Come on, let's go, let's go!
Knees up!
Get 'em up, get 'em up, get 'em up!
Come on, let's go!
Let's go, let's go, let's go,
let's go, let's go!
All right, all right!
Come on, Robert!
Let's go, Skip!
Let's get on it!
Let's go!
Stay with me!
Last half-mile!
Come on, Robert, dig deep!
Let's go! Last half-mile!
Come on, fellas!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Come on.
Just a little bit.
She's cute.
Cheers.
Watch it. It bites back.
Romance is in the air.
No, no, no, Lane, Curtis!
Try and keep it
moving forward, guys ? forward!
Don't stop! Don't stop!
Keep it forward!
Get over, get over!
Let's go!
That's it, keep going!
Keep moving!
Come on! Keep it moving!
Get over, get over, get over!
Come on, Skip!
Skip, don't die on me.
Give me six jumping jacks, Skip.
Two counts. Ready ? begin!
1 , 2, 3, 4, 5...
Twenty sit-ups and twenty push-ups ?
hit it, and then one more circuit.
Come on, Hoyt, let's go.
Good plant here,
good plant, good plant.
Not bad! Not bad!
Cleared it by a foot.
Not too bad. Keep going.
Let's go, you two.
Here we go, come on.
Burke, Jamison!
Quick, quick!
Move it! Move it, here!
Come on, now!
Knees up. Get 'em up.
Get 'em up, Burke!
Let's go, move it!
Another circuit!
Go, go, go, go, go!
Okay, come on, Ellery,
come on.
Good lift, Ellery.
Good strength.
Ellery, Ellery, come here.
Ellery, when you land,
it's feet together.
Feet out in front of you,
they hit down together.
Together. Feet together.
Come on, Robert, your turn now.
Let's go. Let's see it.
Good takeoff, now,
good takeoff. Come on.
Step, step, step, step,
step, step, step, step ?
Good lift! Not bad!
In here. Ellery, come here.
Come here.
At the takeoff,
your right leg ?
your left leg,
of course, Robert ? up!
Drive it up
and lift up on the toes.
Arms in opposition and up.
Look up ahead,
get the heels together,
the feet together when you land,
and reach for the sky.
Come on, let's go!
Here we go,
once more, once more.
Come on, everybody, let's go.
What do you say?
Good plant, now,
good plant there, good plant.
Up, up! Good!
Olympic gold, here we come!
Let's go, come on, move it!
Get the legs up!
Come on, Skip, move it!
Move it, Skip!
Good plant,
good plant, good plant.
Okay, Hoyt, let's see it.
Go, go, go! Good approach.
Hurdlers, on your marks!
Get set...
Not you, sprinters!
Sprinters, get back!
Get back there! Let's go!
On your mark, get set...
Come on,
move it, move it, move it!
Run, run, run!
Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop!
What is this, what is this?
Easy, easy, easy, easy, easy.
Down. Easy. I got you.
Down, down, down, down.
- What happened?
- That's it. Knee, knee?
Okay, okay, all right.
- All right?
- All right, yeah.
Nice and easy.
Hey, look who's back,
like a bad penny.
Ah, jeez.
Rub his leg.
Keep on working,
keep on working!
It's all right. It's okay.
I'm truly sorry
to hear that, James.
You know, the last thing
she said to me was,
"Jamie, me darlin',
I know you're going to win."
So I figured
I'd better be in shape.
So here I am,
if you'll have me back.
Get up to the house
and get some gear.
We got work to do.
You mean it?
Move it! Come on!
You're part of this team now!
Get moving!
Excuse me.
Do you know where
I might be stowing my gear?
If you can find an inch of space,
the house is over there.
Much obliged.
By the way, nice hair.
I mean that.
Don't hurt yourself, Albert.
Let's go, let's go, Hoyty.
Come on, let's see it,
let's see it.
You great lummox.
Put the bar back up.
In here, Albert.
Come in here quick.
At the moment, we're ridin' in
with the pole up here.
I think you'll get more
momentum into the pole
if you make your approach
with the pole in this position
and then let it drop down
into the plant
and ride the pole up.
Then let the pole do the work.
Just swing up...
Okay, Curtis, okay, Lane,
let's hit the hurdles!
Fellas, get over those hurdles!
Come on, Curtis! Let's go, Lane!
Don't stop! Don't stop!
Try and keep moving!
Come on, Burke!
Let's go, Jamison!
Run, run, you guys!
Come on, run! Let's go!
Come on, Jamison, catch him!
Go, Burke, go!
Garrett, who told you
to take a rest?
Keep moving! Let's go!
Move, move, move!
Step, step, step, step...
I'm sure they must want
some refreshments by now.
- Yes, I would think so.
- Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
- Excuse me, Mr. Graham.
- Sure, Myra, what is it?
Well, may I say something?
Yeah, fire away.
Well... they're doing it all wrong.
The jumping, I mean.
The hurdles?
Can I show you something?
Yeah.
Hey, fellas,
take a look at this.
I think we're gonna learn
something here.
You know, horses, when they jump,
they don't stop.
They just tuck in their legs
and sail on over.
Myra! You're a genius!
Just remember
it was me showed you how.
Three cheers for Myra!
- Hip, hip...
- Hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Come on, get over.
Come on, come on,
come on, come on.
Better. Keep going.
Get up, get up, get up, get up.
Come on, come on, come on!
Come on!
Stay with me!
Come on, up, up, up, up!
Come on, come on, come on!
Come on!
Get set...
Step, step, step, step,
step, step!
Come on!
Go, go, go, go, go!
Go, Lane, go, Lane!
Go, Lane!
Yeah!
4, 2, 3, 4...
5, 2, 3, 4...
6, 2, 3, 4...
7, 2, 3, 4...
8, 2, 3, 4...
9, 2, 3, 4...
10, 2, 3...
Keep loose! Keep loose!
Here we go, now!
We go knee tucks ?
knee tucks on a one count.
On a one count.
Everybody together.
Knees up to your arms.
Arms out in front of you.
Here we go.
Ready ? begin.
1 , 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ?
Come on, Burke, move it!
Let's go, Burke, get 'em up!
Lift your knees! Lift your knees!
16, 17, 18 ?
Knees!
Keep going!
4...
5...
6...
7...
8...
9...
10...
11... make a clap...
12...
With me, 2...
8, 2...
9, 2...
good, 2...
Go, go! Come on, hit it!
Come on, go, Lane.
Toe touches!
Hit the deck, hit the deck!
Six push-ups! Let's go!
Come on, high jumpers!
Good, Clark! Good, Curtis!
Not bad, Robert, not bad!
Go, Ellery, over! All right!
Come on, Curtis! Feet, feet, feet!
Yeah! Get over that bar!
Come on, Robert, you're there!
Good jump, Robert!
Ride the pole, fellas.
Let the pole do the work.
Turn! Good, good, good!
Not too bad!
Up! Twist, twist, twist!
All right, over!
Not bad. Plant, plant!
Hold the pole ? Tyler, good!
Good, Hoyt. Up, up, up!
Yes, yes, yes!
Plant, plant!
Right up, right up!
Pull! Up the pole! Over, over!
Good clear, good clear!
All right, come on, Hoyt!
Pull, pull!
Up, up, up, up, up!
Over! Oh, yeah!
Okay, hurdlers!
Technique! Leg over, leg over!
Not bad, Curtis, not bad!
Jamie, the run-up was splendid,
but I think
you can get better lift
if you drive your opposite arm
a little harder.
Let me try again.
Ready...
All right, that's the stance,
Mr. Garrett. Try.
You're right, Dr. Sloane!
It's the spin!
Yes!
It was Mary's idea.
Thank you.
My pleasure, Mr. Garrett.
Go, Jamie, go!
Fly, lad!
Lift that chest,
lift that chest!
Up, up, up, up, up!
Fly, Jamie, fly!
Forty-four.
What do you think?
Yes, I think that's good.
I'm a little worried
about this belt.
Will it be strong enough?
If we make it of leather
and line it with cotton webbing,
- it should be.
- Do you like this one?
Yes, it's fine.
That's fine. Thank you.
They like it.
I'll just go get the thread.
Oh, good.
Come on, run, let's go!
Go, Burke, go!
Okay, Curtis! Okay, Lane!
Let's clear those hurdles!
Get over those hurdles!
Curtis! Lane!
Move, move, move!
Charlotte, would you help me, please,
and take some measurements?
Come along, gentlemen,
don't be shy.
Come, I'd like to measure you.
Mr. Blake, will you
come forward first, please?
Ooh, he's nervous.
You can tell.
Watch it, Skip,
she's got cold hands.
If I could have your back...
- Right. Fifteen and a half...
- What's this you've got, Jamison?
Thirty-one.
Could you turn around?
Thank you.
Thirty-one.
Thank you, that's fine.
Mr. Tyler?
Could I have
your back first, please?
Thank you.
Start running in place!
Let's go! Up, up, up!
Let me hear it!
Come on, Robert!
Knees up, Robert!
Let's go, Tommy!
William, I'd like your approval.
Stripe is a different color
for each school.
- It's very nice.
- Yes?
It's very nice.
One more thing.
Okay, let's go, let's go!
Twenty toe-touches, four count!
There.
That's... very nice.
The boys say
it is sure to make them win.
Running in place.
Come on, let's go!
Knees ? let's see them up.
Up, up, up.
In here! Let's go, let's go!
What are we gonna do in Athens?
Win!
Yeah!
Allow me, ladies.
Thank you for your custom.
It has been a great pleasure.
And I shall expect to hear
from you soon, Mr. Fox.
I have booked dozens
of passages to Greece.
Leave everything to me.
You're in good hands with Herman Fox.
Yes, we know.
Don't forget, I shall need all the birth
certificates as soon as possible
and the money
for the fares, of course.
Oh, of course.
Good day.
All we have to do now
is raise the money.
- There you are.
- Thank you, dear.
- Here you are, John.
- Thank you.
- Morning, Coach. Dr. Sloane.
- Morning, Blake.
Lane, you seen Miss Patton
around anywhere?
Miss Patton... oh, you mean
the soon-to-be Mrs. Blake?
Even if I had,
I wouldn't tell you.
Thanks.
Everybody's got a girl.
Off your left, all right?
Off your left.
- All right? Here you go.
- Okay, okay.
That's pretty good.
Hey, Blake,
we're going... boating.
Care to join us?
Now, as most of you mokes know,
these running and jumping events
come from Ireland originally...
brought over here
by your grandfathers, your fathers,
and the likes of you and me.
Now, the boys up here are all part
of the United States team.
They're going to go over there
and do their best for us,
but one of them needs your help,
and he's ours ?
my nephew
James Brendan Connolly!
Thank you.
Well, I'm a mick,
like the lot of you,
and I'm proud of it, too.
But in the last year,
I've learned a lot
about being part of a team.
Each of my teammates
is as different as night and day,
but we all share
one thing in common ?
the flag we wear on our uniform.
Now, I want to represent
Southie in Athens...
but I haven't got
the fare to get there.
But I'm here tonight
to make a solemn promise to you.
If you back me,
I'll win in Athens.
I'll win for Southie,
I'll win for the Irish!
Hey, Mike! Come here!
Come up, come here,
come up, come up. Here.
"Still five more fares to raise.
"It's like pulling teeth,
but at last we're making progress.
"Aside from
their generous donation,
"the Boston Athletic Association
has come up with a couple of leads
"that just might bring in more.
"When I told them there'd be
swimming and shooting events,
"they introduced me to a member
whose son is a swimmer.
"I don't know how good he is,
but the father's so anxious
"for the boy to compete
in the Olympics
that he's willing to pay his fare
as well as half of another."
Well done, boy.
Gardner, glad to have
you on the team.
Pull!
Pull!
Pull!
"They also put me in touch
with two wealthy brothers,
"name of John and Sumner Paine,
who are expert marksmen.
"If they want to go
badly enough,
perhaps I can persuade them
to contribute an extra fare."
Why don't you see
if Mr. Graham wants a go?
All right.
Care to have a try,
Mr. Graham?
No, thank you, Mr. Paine,
but I am very impressed.
Pull!
"I'll let you know after I've
been to see them on their farm.
"Hope all goes well
with your fundraising tour.
Keep me posted."
Pittsburgh is next, folks.
Can you get your bags?
Oh, at last!
I don't profess to understand
why this is so important
to you, Robert.
But if all this running
and jumping ?
But I want you to understand!
And it's very important
for you to understand ?
important for me.
Of course, darling. I'll try.
But you must explain.
I'm good, Mother.
For the first time in my life,
I have found something
that I am really
and truly good at.
And the others know it.
They respect me for it.
I think some of them
even like me.
Of course they like you.
You're a wonderful, generous ?
Not "of course," Mother!
Don't you see?
It's never been like that for me.
I've never made friends easily ?
Not before... not till now.
And now I don't
feel alone anymore.
Alone? What a strange thing
to say, darling.
You've never been alone.
You and I have always
been very close.
No, Mother, I mean
in the world out there.
People know me. They stop
and say hello to me in the street.
And they remember my name,
not because it was Father's
or Grandfather's,
but because it's mine.
They admire me
because I'm good at sport.
That's why I have to go
to Athens, Mother...
because they want me.
Boys, I want you to know
that all of us here
at Harvard University
are very proud of you indeed,
and we wish you Godspeed.
And now as to you,
Mr. Connolly.
This has to be one
of the most difficult decisions
I've ever had to make.
I'm afraid I must
deny you permission
to take this leave of absence.
Deny him? Why?
Mr. Graham, these boys will be
away nearly two months.
Mr. Connolly is part of our new
Scholarship Challenge Program.
Were he to fail
due to this... diversion,
it would be
Harvard's failure as well.
I cannot afford to take that risk.
I'll go anyway.
You can't stop me.
That would be most foolhardy,
Mr. Connolly,
and there would be serious
consequences when you got back.
I'm going to Athens,
Dean Elliott,
but not for Harvard ?
for me and my kind.
And you and your
serious consequences...
Oh, be damned.
If you'll forgive me, sir,
I think you've just done great
damage to Harvard University.
I only hope to God you haven't
done the same to James Connolly.
Jamie! Jamie!
Garrett...
Tyler...
- Lane...
- Yes, sir.
Jamison...
Thank you.
Well, William... well done.
Thank you, sir.
Congratulations.
"Personal draft for $100"?
Is that all?
But... what about the school?
He said he couldn't allocate
any school funds,
that the academic committee
would skin him alive if he did.
Even with Mrs. Garrett's donation,
we're still two whole fares short,
and the boat sails in ten days.
Where's the rest coming from?
From us, Mary.
You know we can't possibly
afford to send the ?
You mean give up...
our tickets?
I'm sorry,
but... it's the only way.
Oh, William,
you've worked so hard.
The boys
have worked harder.
My darling...
my poor, poor darling.
Zito Hellas!
Zito!
Zito Hellas!
Zito!
Good. You can't be told enough.
I want to make sure
you get all these things right.
Watch your step.
Gimme that.
Wait for me, cabbie!
By the way,
when you get to Athens,
you will find seven other
members of the British team.
Seven?
Where'd they come from?
The British Embassy in Athens.
- Embassy employees?
- Yeah.
Well, the British ambassador
was rather embarrassed
that we didn't have a team
to represent us in the games,
so he enlisted the aid
of some of his staff.
He's determined to put on
a jolly good show.
That's the English for you.
When things are really rotten,
you just put on a good show
and no one will notice
you got holes in your drawers.
I don't know,
we're not all that bad.
Only most of you.
Well, there you go.
I wish you were
coming along, Mr. Perry.
Yeah, well...
good luck, lad.
Don't get any mud
in your eye, right?
Don't worry about me.
I can't lose.
I've got a great coach.
Charlotte, my dear.
Good luck.
Thank you, sir.
You think he likes me?
He does, but I don't.
Mother, this is Cathy ?
Catherine Baker.
How do you do,
Mrs. Garrett?
Miss Baker.
We met last summer
at Cherry Hill.
It's a very fine school, I'm told.
Oh, the finest.
And Cathy's an honor student.
Well, if you'll excuse me,
Mrs. Garrett,
I have to see Madame Schumann
about something.
It was a pleasure to meet you.
Miss Baker.
I'll see you shortly, Robert.
Excuse me.
Well, what do you think of her?
Oh, I'm always pleased when
you make new friends, Robert.
Oh, Cathy's not a friend.
She's my girl.
Goodness me!
I blinked my eyes,
and my boy has become a man.
It's not serious, Mother. I just...
I like her very much.
Yes, I can see that.
Well, I'd like
to get to know her better.
Perhaps when you
come back from Greece.
Yes, by all means.
I'll invite her to Baltimore.
All ashore that's going ashore!
Well, I'd better be going.
Then I'll say goodbye.
I'll be back
before you know it.
Yes, of course.
I'll pray that you win.
Well, Mother, if I do win,
it'll be for you.
No, darling,
winning is something
that you must do all alone,
by yourself, and for yourself,
and once you've achieved it,
no one can ever
take it away from you.
Mother...
I love you very much.
Oh, darling!
Bon voyage.
Bon voyage.
What can I say?
I wish you were coming with us.
Well, John,
we'll be on tenterhooks,
waiting to hear the outcome.
I'll send you a telegram
at the end of each day.
We'll be living
at the telegraph office.
- William!
- Goodbye, John.
Goodbye, Mary,
and thank you.
This gentleman has been
looking all over for you.
- This is Dr. Sloane.
- How do you do?
At last I have managed
to track you down, Dr. Sloane.
Oh, forgive me ?
I am Apostolos Skoukilakis,
editor of the Greek
New York Atlantis News.
Oh, please excuse me.
I brought these for the boys.
Here, please. Please take, take.
Here. Thank you.
I have been looking for you
for months, Dr. Sloane.
But everybody I spoke to ?
nobody knew anything
about an American Olympics team.
You did not exist.
Yes, there hasn't been
very much in the newspapers.
Much?
There hasn't been anything.
If you ask me, it's criminal.
It is worse than criminal.
It is a crime.
And so I came down here today
to wish you ? all of you ?
greetings from
the Greek-American people
and to tell you
that our hearts go with you.
Thank you very much, sir.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Skoukilakis.
Last call, ladies and gentlemen.
Please board now.
This way.
Dr. Sloane,
could you take a photograph?
Yes, of course.
Thank you.
What do we do?
Just hold it steady.
Okay.
Hold it for the camera, now.
A bit of decorum.
Ready?
Goodbye, Dr. Sloane.
Goodbye, Mrs. Sloane.
Thank you.
Dr. Sloane, Dr. Sloane,
before you go back to Princeton,
could I trouble you for an interview
with my newspaper, please?
Yes, of course.
Let's go someplace
where we don't have to shout.
- Good idea.
- Bon voyage!
Good luck!
- Waiter, table for four, please.
- Certainly.
This is a lovely idea.
Oh, and, waiter, champagne ?
the best you have in the house.
Yes, sir.
This is very generous of you,
Mr. Skoukilakis.
Not at all.
We must celebrate.
And we must toast
the American team.
We must wish them
many great honors.
I'll drink to that.
It does strike me as odd,
however, Dr. Sloane,
that you would have
all these young men
go such a great distance
only to participate
in one day of the games.
What do you mean
in one day of the games?
Merely that if they are arriving
one day before the games end,
they will only have
the last day to compete.
No, I-I certainly hope not.
No, the team will arrive well before
the games are due to start.
But how can that be?
The games are due
to begin April 5th.
The ship does not arrive
until April 9th.
I think you are forgetting
that Greece still goes
by the old Julian calendar,
Mr. Skoukilakis,
which is
12 days behind ours.
The travel instructions
from Paris
were very specific on that.
They stated quite clearly
that the games would begin
on April the 5th in Athens.
Which is really April 17th here.
So, you see, the boys
will have well over a week
to recover from the voyage
after they arrive.
Luckily, our travel agent
caught the discrepancy
and brought it
to our attention in time.
He adjusted the dates
before he booked the passages.
Oh, my goodness.
There has been
a terrible mistake here.
What do you mean?
What mistake?
The games are due
to begin on April 5th
according
to our American calendar,
not the Greek calendar.
Surely not.
Yes!
Look ? I have here
the opening-day program
sent direct to me from Greece.
Here, you can see the dates
for yourselves.
Dear Lord,
don't let it be true.
I'm afraid that it is.
The games open on March the 24th
by the Greek calendar.
Which is April 5th
according to ours.
You are absolutely right,
Mr. Skoukilakis.
The boys are due
to arrive the 9th...
exactly one day before the end
of the Olympic Games.
Champagne.
If I have to move
heaven and earth...
I'm going to see to it
that those boys
arrive in Athens in time.