The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (1984): Season 1, Episode 2 - Part 2 - full transcript
I don't care who's on the line.
This is an emergency.
Tell the Minister of Finance
to get off the line.
What?
Very well, very well.
But ring me back the instant
you get through to Athens.
Damn, damn, damn.
My goodness, Pierre.
What is it?
A telegram from Dr. Sloane
in the United States.
The American team
has been booked on a ship
that won't reach Athens
until the games are nearly over.
Nearly over?
Their travel agent, it appears,
arranged for them
to arrive on April 9th,
thinking the games
didn't start until the 17th.
The 17th?
But that's absurd.
For two years now,
the whole world has known
that they were to begin
on the 5th.
Ah, but this was a particularly
conscientious travel agent, my dear.
Knowing that the Greeks
still go by the old Julian calendar,
which is 12 days behind ours,
he cleverly decided
that April 5th, in Athens,
meant the Greek date, not ours.
Accordingly, he added 12 days
and came up incorrectly
with the 17th
as the actual starting date.
He then made the bookings
on that assumption, the idiot.
Still, I don't see
the problem, dear.
Why can't Dr. Sloane
simply book another space
on another ship –
one that arrives in time?
Because the error
wasn't discovered
until they'd already sailed.
Oh, Pierre, no.
Oh, Pierre, yes.
They are on the high seas
at this very moment.
But... what will you do?
What can we do?
They are completely
incommunicado
until they reach
their first port of call,
which is Gibraltar.
Well, perhaps there you can
transfer them to another ship,
a faster ship.
At this moment,
that is our only hope.
Sloane is trying
to work out something.
Pray God he succeeds.
Without the American team,
the first Olympics of modern times
is going to be
the biggest disaster of all time.
Athens.
Hello?
I'm sorry to disappoint you,
Dr. Sloane, but there is no other ship
that could get them
to Athens on time.
Then I'm afraid it's hopeless.
Not quite hopeless, perhaps.
I think I have a solution.
But you just said that there –
I said we can't get them there
any faster by sea,
but we might over land.
Look here.
They're scheduled to sail
from Gibraltar on Monday,
arriving in Naples
on Wednesday.
Now, while the ship lays over
in Naples for two days,
then sails slowly
around the boot of Italy
and the great Peloponnesus
to arrive in Athens a week later,
the boys could
disembark in Naples
and take the train
across Italy to Brindisi.
Brindisi?
There's a steamer
from Brindisi to Piraeus
that arrives on Sunday morning.
From there, it's only
a short hop to Athens.
The boys would arrive only
a few hours before the games...
And they'd be terribly exhausted
with no time to recuperate.
But they'd be there, Mary.
They would be in Athens.
There is one possible hitch, however.
I'm afraid the Italian trains
are notoriously unreliable.
Even if theirs were on time,
the boys would have
less than two hours
to make the connection
with the steamer to Greece.
On the other hand,
if it should be late...
When does the next ferry sail?
There's only one a week.
Which means they'd arrive in Athens
after the games are over.
I realize it's a long shot,
Dr. Sloane,
but I think it's worth
the gamble.
I don't think we have
any choice.
I'll cable Gibraltar at once.
Ironic, isn't it?
The boys have no idea
of their predicament.
There they are, somewhere
in the middle of the Atlantic,
oblivious to it all.
Perhaps it's just as well.
At least this way they can relax
and get some rest before the games.
I think I'm gonna die.
Jamie, you really
don't like the sea, do you?
I've only been on
two boat rides, Mr. Graham.
The first was that joyous
crossing from Ireland.
I wouldn't wish that
on anyone.
All of us stuck down
in steerage, sick as dogs.
It was worth it, wasn't it?
Yeah, it was.
If you could've seen
the look on me mother's face
when she got her first glimpse
of that Statue of Liberty
in New York Harbor...
you'd know what I mean.
That's why I gotta win
in Athens,
'cause it would've meant
so much to her.
And I'm gonna win, too.
Oh, if I don't die
before I get there.
Oh, no. You see
that bucket right there?
Quickly, Mr. Graham,
the bucket. Thanks.
You're on your own, lad.
Isn't anybody hungry?
Excuse me.
Sorry.
If he's not gonna eat it,
would you pass his dessert?
Oh, how can you, Gardy?
I never get seasick.
I love the sea.
But how can you eat so much?
For a swimmer,
aren't you afraid you'll sink?
My father says a swimmer
needs a lot of energy,
so he has to eat
plenty of food,
especially sweets.
You know, like whipped cream...
meringue...
custard...
pies...
puddings...
cream cakes...
éclairs...
fudge...
doughnuts...
Boston cream pie...
chocolate chip cookies.
It's all mind over matter,
you know.
You just have to concentrate
on something else.
Gardner, I'm speechless.
Hoyt, you awake?
Uh-huh.
Did you know that the only contest
in the first Olympics –
I mean the very first,
3,000 years ago –
was a footrace?
Unh-unh.
The 100 meters.
A fellow by the name
of Coroebus won it,
so they named
the first Olympiad after him.
The Coroebus Olympiad.
What's an Olympiad?
The four-year period
between games.
Apparently
it became a tradition,
naming the next Olympiad
after the winner
of the 100-meter race.
Wonder if they're gonna
carry on that tradition.
Why?
I'm running the 100-meter race.
I - I kind of like
the sound of it.
The sound of what?
The Burke Olympiad.
What?
Go to sleep.
I was just thinking out loud.
Hoyt, here's some fruit
for you and the boys.
Catch.
That's not bad, Hoyt.
Like it?
Yeah, let's just hope
you can hurdle
as well as you can juggle.
That's it. Good.
Certainly, gentlemen.
What would you like?
The standard start?
Anytime you're ready, Tyler.
Where should we do it?
- On the line.
- Okay.
Take your marks.
Get set.
Go.
Outta the way!
You know, there ought
to be a better way
for them to start off.
I see what you mean.
Got any ideas?
Let's put on our thinking caps.
Eleven... twelve...
Do you talk to yourself a lot?
Talk?
Oh, I recite poetry.
I always do.
The meter helps me
keep the pace, you see.
"Listen, my children,
and you shall hear
"Of the midnight ride
of Paul Revere,
"On the eighteenth of April,
in Seventy-Five;
"Hardly a man is still alive
Who remembers
that famous day and year..."
That's it.
"...of the midnight ride
of Paul Revere."
Takes all the work out of it.
"Listen, my children,
and you shall hear..."
Ideally, what they need
is a catapult.
Ideally.
Pull.
On the other hand,
I doubt the Olympics committee
would allow any sort
of mechanical aids.
I was speaking figuratively, Sumner.
Pull!
I got you.
Pull!
Like a good push.
Exactly. Something to help them
get up a head of steam, and fast.
Pull two!
A way to shove off
is what we're looking for.
Pull two!
Trouble is...
there's nothing
to shove against.
Only the turf.
And that's under them,
not behind.
Whole trouble with
the world today, Sumner...
it's upside down.
Pull four.
That all depends on the way
you look at it, John.
Pull four.
More bonbons, Gardy?
Don't you think you oughta
be getting some exercise?
It's not the same for swimmers,
Mr. Graham.
Too much exercise
tightens the muscles.
A swimmer needs to be
loose and relaxed.
At least, that's what
my father said,
and he ought to know.
I sure hope your father
knows best.
Captain says we'll dock
in Gibraltar right on schedule.
Won't be soon enough for me,
I'll tell you that.
We're gonna be the guests
of the British garrison there.
They're gonna let us practice
on their parade ground for a day.
Only one day?
I'm gonna need
more time than that.
Well, don't forget,
once we get to Athens,
we got a whole week
to get the team in shape.
And you're gonna be in shape.
Says who?
Says me, Connolly.
The man's an optimist.
Hey, it's gettin' to be a bad
habit with you, Connolly.
How'd you like
to take a swim, Blake?
Oh, yeah?
Come on, come on, come on.
What have you got
against Connolly?
I just don't happen to appreciate
his cocky attitude, for one.
He's too arrogant for my taste.
Funny... that's
what he said about you.
What?
I thought we were
supposed to be a team.
That is the information
as I have received it.
If you ask me, this team's
been jinxed from the start.
Might as well just turn around
and go back home, guys.
I can understand
how you gentlemen must feel,
but Colonel Waverly and I
have been looking over
Dr. Sloane's alternate route.
For what it's worth,
I think we should give it a try.
Provided the Italian railroad
is running on time for a change.
And the steamer to Greece
doesn't leave Brindisi
before we get there.
Hey, wait a minute.
What are you talking about?
We have no choice but to try.
Now, I can't speak
for the rest of you...
but I'm going to Athens.
All right, let's have
a show of hands.
Who's for giving it a try?
Good.
Then let's get out there and get in
some practice while we can.
Let's go, let's go!
Gentlemen, let's get
to our starting positions.
Sumner, you give me
the pistol on the start.
John, a clocking at the finish.
And Curtis, try your best.
Let's get them in line, now.
Where's the other one?
There it is.
Back a bit.
That's right.
Excuse me.
All right, gentlemen,
take your starting places, please.
Ready?
Set?
Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
- What was the time on that?
- Thirteen seconds.
Not bad, Tommy.
Thirteen seconds.
I can do better.
I know I can.
- If I could just get off faster.
- What do you mean?
We can't get
into our running fast enough.
I don't understand.
We do. We've been
studying your problem,
and what you need is a hammer
to push yourself off faster.
- Isn't that right, John?
- Right you are, Sumner.
- A what?
- A hammer.
Like this.
Twelve seconds!
You gained a full second, Tommy!
Thanks to the fastest guns
in the East.
Let's do it again!
I want to use this position
when we get to Athens.
If we get to Athens.
Yes, if.
We're gonna practice again,
Curtis, just for you.
Let's go, let's go!
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Mr. Flack?
Wyngate –
ADC to Ambassador Egerton.
- Welcome to Athens.
- Thank you, Mr. Wyngate.
I suppose you'd like to meet
the rest of the English team.
Yeah.
Some of the Hungarian team.
They've been in Athens
for two weeks already.
They always strut about like that?
Constantly – even on the streets
and in restaurants.
Takes all sorts, huh?
I'm afraid we're in no position
to cast the first stone.
We've got one of our own.
Mr. Flack, this is
Grantley Goulding.
He's sort of acting
as captain of the English team.
Mr. Goulding.
Well, you're a skinny
little runt, aren't you?
Still, you'll doubtless
do better than this scruffy lot.
Makes no difference
to me, though.
I'm going to win
all the medals here.
Is that so?
You see these?
I'm the real champion.
Very impressive.
What about the Americans?
Don't they worry you?
Why should the Americans
worry anybody?
They're scarcely
more than novices.
Besides, haven't you heard?
They're not getting here
till it's nearly over.
Typical of the Colonials.
Always one step behind.
Yes, well, I shouldn't
bet on it, Mr. Goulding.
We understand
they might make it yet.
Excuse me.
What exactly
is the trouble this time?
It's broken?
Can you fix it?
Can you fix it?
How long will it take?
How long?
How many minutes will it take?
Another hour?
That's what they said.
We'll never get to Brindisi in time.
They keep assuring me we will.
They just don't want to see
14 grown men break down and cry.
Well, I'm not waiting
around here.
Anybody for a stretch?
Yeah.
Maybe we can get
a decent meal in town.
Okay, but don't go too far.
The minute you hear
the train whistle,
get back here on the double.
- Yes, sir.
- Hey, coming, Blake?
No. It's too hot.
I'm gonna lay down
or something, I dunno.
See you later, Skip.
Yeah, Billy.
Tommy, can I use your cap?
Thanks.
Oh, boy.
That did the trick.
Let James Connolly
take care of this.
You understand
the lingo here.
My pleasure.
Signore.
What do we have here?
Take a look at this.
Grazie.
Come on.
What do you think?
You really want to know?
Yes.
It's very nice.
Why don't you go ask him
how much it is?
You don't think I can?
Watch this.
I've been studying.
Trenta lire.
How much?
Thirty lire.
Think I should get it?
It's only 50 cents.
Why not?
Cheap at half the price.
Yes, but I think you have
to bargain with these people.
Venti lire.
He says 20.
What do you think?
- Grab it.
- Yeah.
Lei un cornuto magnifico.
Come?
Lei un cornuto magnifico.
I don't think
he understands you.
It's supposed to be a compliment.
- He doesn't seem to think so.
- I paid you.
You have your money in full!
I can't believe this!
Now I have to buy
the plates.
He's got a gun!
Let's get out of here!
What did I say?
They're so touchy.
Just remain calm.
- Tyler.
- Never mind the hellos.
- Keep walking.
- What's wrong?
There's a gentleman
with a gun in there
who has taken exception
to something Garrett said.
A gun?
What did Garrett say?
I called him
a cornuto magnifico.
Blake said that if you want
to make a big impression
with an Italian, you call him
a cornuto magnifico.
You idiot!
You called him a cuckold!
You said his wife sleeps
with other men.
Oh, no. I thought it was
something nice.
Yeah, if you're one
of the other men, Garrett.
Which way's the station?
Wait, I don't think
he's coming.
They don't mess around
here, do they?
That's our train.
Come on, this way!
- Are you sure?
- Yes! Come on!
Come on!
Watch the mud!
Mud?
Come on!
It's this way!
Tell 'em to hang on!
I left my billfold at the café.
I gotta get it.
Signore!
Signore, did you see a...
Move it!
Move it!
Hold on!
Garrett, where's Connolly?!
He's coming.
He forgot his billfold.
Thanks a lot!
Where is Connolly, huh?
There he is!
My ticket's on the train.
It's on the choo-choo –
my ticket.
Sorry, old fella.
I got a very...
important date in Athens.
Excuse me, excuse me.
Come on!
Please, let me through.
Grab my hand.
- It's my leg.
- Your leg?
Excuse me,
I'm trying to get through.
Please, let me through.
You're lucky the bone's
not broken, Skip.
But I gotta tell you, I don't
think you're gonna run on that.
Nothing's gonna stop me
from running, Coach.
Nothing's gonna stop me
from running!
Bloody nuisance,
this dress rehearsal.
They don't want to risk
the possibility of any hitches.
Means a great deal to the Greeks
to have these games revived.
I hear you've been having
trouble finding runners.
I always felt that the English
had the finest in the world.
Oh, bad timing.
All our best runners
are tied up in some
big competition at home –
the Pan-Britannic Games.
I had to enlist half my staff
at the embassy,
or we'd only have two entrants.
Have you ever seen
a filing clerk and a librarian
run the 100-meter?
Can't say I have.
Mr. Ambassador?
Yes. Very good.
Perhaps a little less passion,
don't you think, Baron?
Absolutely.
Will you inform our bandmaster
of Ambassador Egerton's reaction?
And now, with your permission,
Ambassador Alexander,
the American theme.
What is that?
Is this some kind of
practical joke?
It definitely sounds like it,
Ambassador Alexander.
Mr. Dimitrios,
"Yankee Doodle"
is certainly a lovely little tune,
but hardly in the mood
and spirit of the occasion.
I'm afraid it was the only
American sheet music
Colonel Podrinkis
was able to locate.
Stop!
Stop!
Stop the music!
Stop!
Mr. Ambassador,
I have an idea.
I think you told me
that an American cruiser
is anchored in the harbor.
Yes, the U.S.S. San Francisco.
Don't you think
that their bandmaster
could rustle up a piece that
could somehow convey musically
what America represents,
which is the whole point, isn't it?
That's a good idea, Baron –
not that I think
we'll need the music,
the way things are going.
Bad bit of luck
about your boys.
Any word on their progress?
Well, I know that they
caught the train to Brindisi.
The question now is
will they make the connection
with the steamer?
You're very late.
Yes, I know.
Are these our carriages?
All right, okay.
Let's go, fellas.
- Where we going?
- These carriages.
First carriage, yeah.
Come on, let's go.
Where do you want me to go, Coach?
Let's go. Come on.
Let's go.
On the carriages.
On the carriages.
I'm going.
Let's go.
Get on, get on.
Is this thing safe
with all of us?
Take this, Robert.
Take this.
All aboard!
Go! Go!
Go! Go!
Hey! Get off! Get off!
Hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
- Ah, Mr. Flack. Good afternoon.
- G'day.
- You have visitors.
- Oh, yeah? Who?
Ma! Pa!
Son!
Great to see you, son!
What are you doing here?
We'll watch the games.
Come on!
Let's go, let's go!
Get on! Everybody on!
Everybody on!
Come on!
- Hoyt!
- Hoyt, come on!
I'm coming! Catch!
Jeez!
You almost became a swimmer.
So, tell me,
how was the voyage?
Great. Couldn't have been better.
I've always loved the sea.
We had one storm
after another.
I spent the whole trip
confined to our cabin.
None for me, thank you –
Try some, Annabella.
Doesn't look too bad.
- I'd rather not.
- You're not ill, are you, Ma?
Oh, of course not, my sweet.
Simply not very hungry,
that's all.
It's probably the excitement
of seeing you again after so long.
Waiter?
Waiter?
Would you take this away, please?
Just bring me some clear soup.
Why must they
drown everything in grease?
They don't drown
everything in grease.
That was swimming in oil.
There's a difference.
Olive oil is vegetable.
Grease is animal fat.
You know that, of course,
in the slaughtering business.
Whatever it was,
it turns my stomach.
I hope we're not gonna have
a fuss every meal.
I am not making a fuss.
I simply have
a discriminating palate –
something you wouldn't
know about.
What's that supposed to mean?
Only that you'll eat any swill
that's put in front of you.
That doesn't say much
for your cooking, does it, old dear?
Well, isn't it nice
to be back together again?
You mean to tell me the United States
has no national anthem?
We never adopted one... officially.
So what do you play
at state occasions?
One of two pieces.
Either this –
O Columbia,
the gem of the ocean
The home of the brave
and the free
The shrine
of each patriot's devotion
A world offers homage to thee
Thy mandates
make heroes assemble
When Liberty's form
stands in view
Thy banners
make tyranny tremble
When borne by the red,
white, and blue
Or, lately, they've
been playing this too.
Of course, it has no lyrics.
Very nice, very nice.
Both very nice.
But which one
shall I use for the games?
Take your pick.
It was nice to have met you.
Nice to have met you, too,
and thank you again.
Obviously there is no choice.
So, make up full arrangements
for the good one.
I'll need them in the morning.
William?
Are you all right, dear?
Mm-hmm.
Couldn't sleep.
You're just too excited.
Can you hear it?
Hear what, dear?
Listen.
Only the crickets.
What am I listening for?
Cheering.
Over there.
Half a world away.
At this very moment,
after 1,500 years...
it's about to begin again.
And they're cheering, Mary...
for our boys.
Yes.
I think I can hear it now.
Raise them.
Fix your button.
There. Now you're a credit
to your regiment.
But smile,
for goodness sake.
You look like you just
lost your best friend.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Nonsense.
On Friday you must be a hero,
but today, you are only
on the parade.
There's no place to hide, my boy.
This is your destiny.
Now, take a deep breath,
and try to relax.
Harold, dear, help me.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Your Majesty,
ladies and gentlemen...
the athletes
of the competing nations.
Australia.
Harold, there he is. Look.
Austria.
Wyngate, who is that for Australia?
That chap?
Edwin Flack, sir.
Thought he was one of ours.
Isn't he running
for the England team?
Chile.
Oh, look at him.
Edwin! Edwin!
Steady, Annabel.
- Horton.
- Sir?
Unless they missed that boat,
they oughta be here by now.
Get them here as fast
as possible.
Yes, sir.
Sorry, mister.
Documents not in order.
Not in order?
What do you mean
they're not in order?
It says here you arrive
in Athens next Thursday.
This is Piraeus.
Documents not in order.
Now, you listen to me,
my good man,
my boys have just come halfway
across the world to get here on time.
Half of them have dysentery.
Most are weak with seasickness.
We haven't had a good night's sleep
or a decent meal in over a week.
Now we're here, I'm damned if I'm
going to let some petty-minded –
What seems to be the trouble here?
What's it to you?
Felix Horton,
United States Consul in Athens.
Am I glad to see you.
- Welcome to Greece.
- Thank you.
Great Britain!
Hungary.
- Sweden.
- Who is that, Wyngate?
Goulding, sir.
Switzerland.
United States.
Greece.
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas.
I'll be!
They made it!
Good luck, Mr. Graham.
Thank you, Mr. Horton.
Glory be to God.
You can say that again.
Look at that!
At least we're protected, huh?
Come on!
In front of the flag!
In front of the flag!
Ellery, put the bag down!
Gardner!
Skip, in front of the flag!
We pray that
the immortal spirit of antiquity
will give life and animation
to these noble new games.
After a lapse of 1,500 years,
we declare this
modern Olympics open.
Let the games begin!
All participants in the 100-,
the 400-,
the 800-meter heats,
the discus,
and the triple jump,
you have five minutes
to report to the track.
Five minutes.
All right,
up, up, up, up, up.
Up. Hand in hand.
Good.
Again, again, again.
Mr. Graham, I am Persakis,
your track host for the games.
Mr. Persakis,
pleased to meet you.
Is your team ready?
They're just
loosening up now.
Mr. Tyler,
this is Mr. Persakis.
- Good to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Why don't you come this way
and meet some of the others.
Sumner and John Paine, this is our host
for the Olympic games, Mr. Persakis.
Just want to wish you luck
out there, Skip.
I don't want anything
from you, Connolly.
Just stay away from me.
- Good luck.
- Thanks a lot, James.
- Good luck.
- Thanks, Jamie.
The first event will be
the qualifying heats
for the 100-meter race.
In heat one, Mr. Lane
and Mr. Burke of the United States,
Mr. Subercaseaux of Chile,
Mr. Atkins...
Gentlemen, on your marks.
...Mr. Dupont of France,
and Mr. Szabo of Hungary.
Get set.
United States qualified.
In heat two, the runners are
Mr. Curtis of the United States,
Mr. Szokolyi of Hungary,
Mr. Schmidt of Denmark,
Mr. Tonoire of France,
Mr. Elliot of Great Britain...
Take your marks.
Get set.
Mr. Curtis of the United States
wins the second heat
for the 100 meters.
In the third and final heat
of the 100 meters,
the runners are Mr. Jamison,
United States,
Mr. Lermusiaux, France...
Take your marks.
Mr. Sjöberg, Sweden,
Mr. Gennimatas...
Get set.
I say, you chaps are part
of the American team, aren't you?
We sure are.
Where did you get this
new starting position?
- It's an American invention.
- What do you call it?
That's the famous Four-Point Hammer.
We thought everybody knew that.
Four-Point Hammer?
Must remember that.
Way to go!
The next event this morning
will be the triple jump final.
Jamie! Jamie!
It's the triple jump!
The finals!
Finals?
No elimination first?
Not for this event.
Each man will have
one try only.
This is it, then.
I better make it good.
Good luck, lad.
Next to jump,
Mr. Tuffèri of France.
Thirty-seven feet, five inches.
Next, Mr. Karapas of Greece.
Karapas holds
the world record.
It's a very impressive jump.
Karapas of Greece –
39 feet, 10 inches!
And the final contestant,
Mr. Connolly
of the United States.
Come on, lad.
Jamie! Jamie!
We won!
Quickly, the American anthem.
Nice tune.
It's more appropriate
than the first one,
but I don't know
if it'll catch on.
What's that tune
they're playing?
It sounds Greek to me.
The first Olympic champion
in 1,500 years.
Dean Elliott tried
to keep him from coming.
This is for you, Ma.
This is for you.
The next event
is the first qualifying heat
of the 800-meter race.
Gentlemen, take your mark.
Get set.
Come on, lad!
Hey!
Oh, he's won!
By George!
Well, it seems –
It seems our Mr. Flack
has just qualified for the finals.
...of Hungary
and Mr. Flack of Australia...
Well, it seems Mr. Flack
isn't ours after all.
Apparently he's running
for Australia.
...are in lanes one and two.
Mr. Lermusiaux of France
in lane three,
and Mr. Blake of
the United States in lane four...
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Why do you wear
the white gloves?
Because I run
before the king...
of course.
Oh... of course.
Gentlemen,
please take your marks.
Get set.
Come on.
Come on, Skip.
That's it.
...the 800-meter race,
Mr. Blake of the United States...
Good running, Skip.
How's your leg?
It's fine.
It's okay.
I just need to get off it,
though, okay?
Get up to the changing room.
Thanks.
The next event
will be the discus.
Crown Prince Constantine,
Duke of Sparta, will officiate.
You ready?
Good luck.
Now throwing
is Mr. Schumann of Germany.
Next, Mr. Versis of Greece.
Hellas, niki, Hellas.
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas.
Hellas, Hellas...
What are they chanting?
Hellas, Hellas,
niki, Hellas –
Greece, Greece,
win, Greece, win.
Hometown boys?
Both Versis and Paraskevopoulous
are national heroes.
They can throw better
than 90 feet.
They have nothing
to worry about.
Garrett's best throw
is maybe 75 feet.
Perhaps
that is for the best.
This is one event
a Greek must win.
It is a matter of national pride.
Next, Mr. Paraskevopoulous
of Greece.
Excuse me, mister...
Garrett, sir,
of the United States.
...Garrett,
what have you there?
Oh, this is my discus, sir.
I'm afraid we can't allow you
to use that, Mr. Garrett.
But –
You'll have to use
the official discus like all the others.
Sir, I don't think
that's fair.
Those are the rules,
Mr. Garrett.
I'm afraid you have to.
Sir, I don't think
that's fair!
What's going on?
Looks like there's
trouble about his discus.
The discus.
You want me to throw this?
I'm afraid you'll have to.
Yes, sir, if you insist.
My God, it looks half the size.
It weighs approximately two kilos,
about four of your pounds,
I believe.
It is half the size.
Next, Mr. Garrett
of the United States.
That was a magnificent throw.
Don't you agree with me? Bravo.
At 95 feet, 7 5/8 inches,
the winner is Mr. Garrett
of the United States.
- My first recruit.
- Where's he from?
Princeton.
Well, well, well.
Winning is something
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.
Come on, come on.
Mr. Garrett!
Get him upstairs!
I got to send a telegram!
Come on! Mr. Garrett!
Mr. Garrett!
Mr. Garrett, I am Koulermos
of the Athens Express.
Do you have something to say
to the Greek people?
I –
Mr. Garrett, I need something
to print about you!
I'll tell you what to print.
Say Alexander the Great
once conquered Greece,
but today that young man
conquered the world
and again put the Greeks to shame.
"I know it's a great honor,
"but I can't help feeling
that I only won by a fluke.
"The Greeks were
terribly disappointed.
"They wanted to win the discus,
the shot put, and the marathon
"more than anything.
"Of course, Mr. Graham
keeps reminding me
"that that's what competition
is all about – winning.
"But somehow as I sit here
looking at my medal,
"I get the uneasy feeling
that winning isn't everything.
"I can think of other things
that seem more important
to me now."
Just coming through.
Well, Mr. Bulgardis?
I can't make heads
or tails of it,
but I'll give it to you
just as it came through.
"First day – Lane, Burke,
Curtis, Jamison
"qualify for 100-meter finals. Stop.
"Jamison, Lane, Burke qualify,
400-meter finals. Stop.
"Blake qualifies,
800-meter finals. Stop.
"Connolly wins
first gold medal,
"1,500 years for triple jump. Stop.
"Garrett wins second
gold medal, discus. Stop.
Athens golden.
Stop. Graham."
Does that make
any sense to you?
It's a mystery to me,
Mr. Bulgardis.
It's a mystery to me.
God bless them.
Our boys, William.
Our boys!
In the first heat
of the 110-meter hurdles
are Mr. Curtis and Mr. Hoyt
of the United States,
Mr. Tuffèri of France...
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Get set.
Yeah!
Mr. Hoyt and Mr. Curtis
have achieved equal time
and are the co-winners
of the first...
It was even-steven!
You two boys run
like that in the final,
they're gonna have
to give two golds!
Nice work, fellas.
In the second heat
are Mr. Sjöberg of Sweden,
Mr. Goulding of Great Britain,
Mr. Traun of Germany,
and Mr. Skaltsogiannis of Greece.
Goulding! Goulding! Goulding!
What on earth
does he think he's doing?
Bit of puffery, I'm afraid.
Seems to be his style.
The man's an ass, and he'll give us
a bad name if he goes on like that.
Take your marks,
please, gentlemen.
Get set.
Well, well.
Well, at least he'll give
the Americans
something to think about
in the finals.
Come and dance with me, Eleni.
I don't feel like dancing.
Why so sad?
Everything is changing.
Everything is wonderful.
How can it be wonderful
if I'm losing you?
Losing me?
That's impossible.
When you are a hero,
you'll belong to them,
to all those people.
Never. I'll always be yours.
So... ha! This is
the famous Eleni, huh?
Now I can see why
a man can run his heart off,
for a face like this.
Leave her alone, Sergeant.
Can't you see you're
embarrassing her?
Embarrassing her?
Oh, I tell you, my pretty child,
if this lovesick ass of yours
wins the marathon,
we will build a monument to you –
two monuments,
perhaps one in every city, huh?
You will be as famous
as Helen of Troy.
The face that won a marathon.
You mustn't count so much
on my winning, Sergeant.
What if I should lose?
Don't talk such nonsense.
Of course you're going to win.
There is no man who can match
my boy's endurance.
You tempt the fates
when you boast like that.
I defy them to prove me wrong.
Even the fates know
that my son has the wings
of Hermes on his heels.
There will be many, many
of us running, Father,
all good men.
I say there isn't a man
who can beat you.
You may be wrong.
This American, the one
who won the discus yesterday,
he's good, very good.
The next event will be
the broad-jump finals.
First is Mr. Khalkokondilis
of Greece.
Niki, Hellas!
Mr. Connolly of the United States.
Good jump!
Mr. Garrett of the United States.
Come on, Robert!
And Mr. Clark,
also of the United States.
Good jump, Ellery!
Maybe President Cleveland will become
a sports enthusiast after all.
Maybe.
Horton, what's next?
The 400-meter finals, sir.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
...of the United States.
Also, Mr. Elliot of Great Britain
and Mr. Lermusiaux of France.
Get set.
The White House
will never believe this.
You Americans
are winning everything.
I suppose we should be delighted
for our cousins across the pond,
but it's damned embarrassing.
We have won two gold medals
in lawn tennis, sir.
Lawn tennis?
Don't sneer, Edwin.
It's a fine sport.
The track-and-field events
are the only ones that count.
Everyone knows that.
Well, there may
be hope yet, sir.
The 1,500-meter finals are next.
Major event.
Flack is running...
The Australian chap.
Take your marks.
Get set.
Come on, Skip!
Come on, Skip!
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas!
Come on! Come on, Skip!
No! No!
Oh! My boy! My boy!
Wyngate.
Yes, sir?
I want that young man
in my office
tomorrow before the games.
Yes, sir.
The next event
will be the shot-put final.
His Royal Highness
Crown Prince Constantine
will officiate.
First up, Mr. Gouskos of Greece.
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas!
The next competitor
is Mr. Garrett of the United States.
Try this one, Mr. Garrett.
The winner is Mr. Garrett,
with a new record throw.
You see?
You see?
Like it says in my article,
nobody can beat this Garrett,
not even the Greeks.
Does that mean you're
not going back to Oxford?
I haven't decided yet.
I'm still...
But it was all settled.
You were going to study law,
then come home and set up a practice.
Things have changed, Ma.
Changed?
I don't know what you mean.
Nothing's changed.
Well, I've changed.
Things have moved on.
I'm not the same person
that I was when I left home
two years ago.
I've got to rethink my future.
Annabella,
this is hardly the place.
This is important, Harold.
It could affect his whole life.
What about
Eileen McGovern?
Eileen McGovern?
Yeah, she's your fiancée, Edwin.
He hasn't actually asked
for her hand as yet.
Well, it's certainly
his intention.
His or yours, Mrs. Flack?
Edwin?
Well, I'm – I'm –
I'm not sure anymore, Ma.
A lovely girl like that.
One of the finest families
in Melbourne.
I can't imagine
what's got into you.
He's learning
to think for himself.
I'm sure it's all the same to you
if the boy throws away his future.
You'd probably be content
if he married a barmaid,
so long as she
was a good breeder.
Mother, please!
I'm not content
to see him manipulated
into a marriage
he doesn't want.
Pa, can we please
discuss this later?
You mean you haven't been
trying to manipulate him
all these years into the
meatpacking business with you?
Some kind of future that'd be.
If it was good enough
for my father
and it's good enough
for me –
"Then it's good enough
for my son."
Will you ever stop repeating
that mindless slogan?
Will you show a little
respect for my trade?
Respect? I've lived
with the stench too long.
Stop it! Why don't you
just give it a rest?!
You've been using me
to get at one another all my life!
If this is what you
came over here for,
I wish you'd both
just go back to Australia!
Edwin!
Let him go.
I never meant the boy any harm.
Talk to him, Harold.
Bring him back.
If it's not too late.
Lord Byron, the English poet,
has his named carved here.
See? Byron.
I'm sorry, lad.
Why do you put up
with it, Pa?
Because I love her,
and I know, in her own way,
she loves me.
Oh, I know it doesn't show,
at least not much anymore,
but there were some good times,
some great times.
I only wish you could've
known her then.
What made her change?
Well, your mother had a lot
of disappointments in her life.
She was brought up
with grand expectations...
too great for me to fulfill,
I'm afraid.
I'm a simple man,
a rough man,
not at all what she had
in mind, I'm sure.
Then why did she marry you?
I fancy she was
blinded by love...
but love wasn't enough.
It couldn't make
all her dreams come true.
It couldn't make me any more
than the local butcher.
Then you came along,
the only thing in her life
that's never been
a disappointment to her.
Don't you see, son?
You're her great chance.
The chance to make
her dreams come true.
And what about my dreams?
Well, she's your mother.
I suspect
she'll be just as glad
if your dreams
come true instead.
So go to it, lad.
Live your life.
She won't approve.
Ah, yes. Like me,
she'll come to realize
no one can live your life for you.
God, why do I need
to win so badly?
Show the world who you are.
I don't even know who I am.
Aye.
Why, aren't you the lad
from Australia
no one had heard of
before yesterday?
What's his name...
Flack?
"And when asked for a comment
"after winning the gold medal
for the discus,
"Mr. Garrett said, 'Alexander
the Great once conquered Greece.
" 'Today I conquered the world
and put the Greeks
to shame again.' "
I'm afraid it's been reprinted
in all the major European
and American newspapers.
I never – I didn't –
We know, Robert. We know.
Mr. Garrett, the man who wrote
this is an irresponsible idiot.
I apologize on behalf
of my fellow Greeks.
First thing tomorrow morning,
I'll go down to the newspaper office
and demand a complete retraction.
Please excuse me.
I need some air.
Let him be, Skip.
It's late.
Tomorrow's a rough day.
Let's all get some sleep.
Thank you, Mr. Persakis.
Good night, Jamie.
Twenty-three, please.
What happened
to Connolly's hand?
He smashed it into
a concrete wall
when you lost out to Flack.
Thirty-one.
He still feels pretty bad
about your leg.
You're not making it
any easier on him.
Why should I?
You behave as though
he did it on purpose.
You know, Skip,
I'm disappointed in you.
Frankly, I thought
you were made of better stuff.
Thirty-six, please.
Oh, it's you, is it?
Look, I'm in no mood for another
go-round with you,
so if you don't mind –
I was wondering – I thought
you might like to join me.
What's that?
It's called ouzo.
It's an old-fashioned remedy.
Remedy? For what?
Well, they say
it's a guaranteed painkiller.
I heard about your hand...
so I figured maybe we could
both use a healthy bolt, huh?
What do you say?
Get in here.
You know, it's like
me Uncle Mike used to say –
never spit in the eye of a man
who's offering you a free drink
until after you've had the drink.
I'd like to see Uncle Mike.
Yeah, well, you will.
I've got some glasses
over here.
Damn it all, Flack.
There's such a thing
as loyalty, you know?
Loyalty, sir?
After all, you're only here
because the London
Athletic Club's footing the bill.
That should count
for something.
I'm very grateful to them,
of course.
You've a fine way
of showing it.
I wear their emblem
on my tunic, as we agreed,
but that's all we agreed.
Look here, my boy.
Great Britain needs a winner.
We've had a damn poor
showing so far.
You know as well as I,
England's got the finest
runners in the world.
If they'd been here,
we'd have had our share
of those gold medals, by George,
and then some.
The irony is,
they were all kept at home
for the ruddy
Pan-Britannic Games,
and now the damn thing's
been cancelled.
Cancelled?
Can you imagine?
Of course, it's too late
to get any of our best men
here in time.
It's damn frustrating.
I might have been in
the same predicament myself.
I qualified
for the Pan-Britannic Games.
Why didn't you participate?
The Oxford team
didn't want me, sir.
They said it was only
for Englishmen.
Well, then.
Well, here's your chance.
Run for us in the 800-meter
this afternoon
and you can win for England.
That'll show them.
I'm afraid it's impossible, sir.
I'm asking you as
a personal favor to me, Flack.
I'm sorry, sir, but I can't.
I should think you'd
consider it an honor
to run for England.
An honor?
Let me set you straight about
something, Mr. Ambassador.
My grandfather was a Pommy.
That's what's carved
on his tombstone –
P-O-M-E,
prisoner of Mother England.
He was sent to Australia
as a convict,
a criminal
because he was in debt.
When the penal system
was finally abolished,
he worked hard and became
a respected member of the community,
owner of the biggest
meatpacking company in Victoria.
My father runs
the business today.
Eventually I'll take over
from him, I imagine.
What I'm saying, sir,
is that Australia is my country.
I consider it an honor
to run for her.
Quite frankly, I don't give
a damn for England...
or for most of the English.
You Aussies are a cocky lot.
It must be something
in the beer, sir.
Next is the 800-meter final.
The competitors
are Mr. Dáni of Hungary...
Gentlemen, take your marks.
...of France,
Mr. Blake of the United States,
Mr. Flack of Australia,
Mr. Schmidt of Germany,
and Mr. Versis of Greece.
Get set.
Come on, Skip!
Come on, come on!
Come on!
Yes! Come on!
Run, Skip!
Come on, Edwin!
Come on, come on, come on!
Come on!
Come on, Edwin!
Run, Skip!
Come on, Edwin!
Come on!
Edwin, come on!
Come on!
Yeah!
Which one won?
I don't know.
Come on!
Who was it?
It was close.
He won.
Blake?
We got a decision,
a split decision.
Give it to us.
The judges have ruled
that the winner
of the 800-meter final
is Mr. Flack of Australia.
Mr. Blake of the United States
is second.
In third place,
Mr. Dáni of Hungary.
Bravo.
Take a look at that.
All right, Flack!
All right, Skip!
I'll give him this much,
Wyngate –
the lad has style.
That's your son,
Mrs. Flack.
And yours, Mr. Flack.
Haven't done too badly
after all, have we?
Firing completed.
Check the score, please.
All right, Sumner,
which of us wins this one?
I don't mean to be churlish, John,
but you've already won
your gold medal.
Say no more, Sumner.
Say no more.
Next competitor, Mr. John Paine
of the United States.
You may commence firing.
Firing completed.
Check the score, please.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Good luck, Gardy.
Show them what you're made out of.
- I don't need luck, Coach.
- Attaboy.
Good luck.
Get set.
What's wrong, Williams?
I'm not swimming
in that water.
- Why not?
- It's freezing.
The high-jump bar
will now be raised
to 5 feet, 11 1/4 inches.
Mr. Garrett of the United States.
Go, Robert!
Go, Robert!
Next, Mr. Connolly
of the United States.
Come on, Jamie, let's go!
You can do this!
Next, Mr. Clark,
also of the United States.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the results are in.
Thanks for your patience.
"High jump –
"Clark first, Connolly second,
Garrett third. Stop.
"Broad jump –
"Clark first, Connolly second,
Garrett third. Stop.
"400-meter race –
"Burke first, Jamison second,
Lane third. Stop.
"Shot put – Garrett wins
second gold medal! Stop.
"1,500-meter race –
Blake second. Stop.
"25-meter revolvers –
"John Paine first,
Sumner Paine second. Stop.
"30-meter revolvers –
"Sumner Paine first,
John Paine second. Stop.
"800-meter race –
Blake second by hair. Stop.
"Swimmer down drain. Stop.
"Tomorrow last day. Stop.
Team delirious. Stop.
Hope you are same.
Stop. Graham."
Three cheers for Dr. Sloane!
I'll second that!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Come in.
Am I disturbing you?
Oh, Edwin.
Shouldn't you be
getting ready to leave?
I wanted to talk to you
about something before I left.
Where's Pa?
He's gone down
to see the desk clerk
about our travel arrangements.
Probably catch him
in the lobby.
Actually, it was you
I wanted to talk to.
I've decided not to go back
to Oxford after all.
I'm going home, and I'll finish off
at Trinity College.
Well...
I'm glad you've come to a decision.
You must be very relieved.
You mean you don't mind?
If it's what you want,
it's what I want.
I can't tell you how pleased
I am to hear you say that.
Actually, I've made
some very foolish mistakes
in the past, Edwin,
particularly, I'm ashamed to say,
where you're concerned.
- You don't have to –
- Please.
I want you to know
I've turned over a new leaf.
Now, at my age,
that may be difficult,
but I'm – I'm determined
to succeed.
That much I owe you.
Well, I've never known
you not to succeed...
especially when you
put your mind to a thing.
Lucky for me,
I have your father.
He's a very wise
and patient man.
- I'm just beginning to learn that.
- Yeah, so am I.
I suppose this means
we'll be traveling back
to Australia together.
Well, actually,
I'm afraid you'll be making
the voyage home by yourself.
Why's that?
Well, you see,
when we leave here,
your father and I
are going to England...
England?
On our second honeymoon.
Well, what do you
know about that?
"And the reporter regrets
any embarrassment
he has caused Mr. Garrett
as a result."
There. You see, Robert,
a complete retraction.
Wait, there's more.
I'm afraid, Robert,
like it or not,
you have an unshakable admirer
in this fool Koulermos.
"However, in this reporter's
humble opinion,
"Mr. Garrett should have made
the remarks attributed to him.
He has conquered the world
and put the Greeks to shame."
Hear, hear.
I certainly hope the Greeks
don't think I feel that way.
If they thought I was boasting –
No one thinks
you were boasting, Robert.
You won those medals
fair and square, didn't he, fellas?
Besides, we Greeks still have
a chance to win the marathon,
although, to tell you the truth,
most bets are on you
and the Greek boy – Spyros Louis.
All right, all right, all right!
Let's go! Let's go!
Blake, Garrett, the wagons
are ready and waiting!
You're off to the marathon.
Let's go!
- Let's go, you guys.
- Let's go, let's go.
Do you think you could have
a bicycle waiting out front
first thing in the morning?
Nice evening.
These our wagons down here?
Yes, Mr. Graham, these are
the new wagons down there.
Good luck, Skip.
This is your wagon over here.
Good, steady pace.
Good luck, Skip.
Good luck, Skip.
You can do it.
It's no distance at all.
Bring us back some more gold
from the mountains.
If I can carry any, I will.
Good luck, Robert.
I'll be waiting for you
at the end of that tunnel.
I'll get there
as soon as I can, Coach.
Good luck, Robert.
Good luck, Skip.
Goodbye.
I'll see you later.
Certainly, certainly.
We'll see you tomorrow.
Have a good night.
Good luck, Skip.
- Good luck, Skip!
- Good luck, Skip!
Keep a nice, even pace!
Mr. Persakis, what's all that?
It's the Greek boy I mentioned,
the shepherd
from Maroussi named –
Spyridon Louis.
That's right.
Good luck, Robert! Run!
Good luck, Robert!
All right, wish me luck.
Mr. Persakis,
what are they singing?
It's an old folk song –
"Out of a barren land,
out of a dead land,
"One great one goes...
the hope of Greece."
How about you?
Are you ready for this?
I think 40 kilometers
is more than anyone's
gonna be able to cope with.
A mile's about my limit.
After that, I'm finished.
These Greeks here have been
in training for a long time.
They mean business.
Louis, Spyros Louis.
Garrett.
- Robert Garrett?
- Yeah.
What did he say?
He says your name is very well-known
to all the Greeks now.
Please tell him that I said
nothing of the things
that were in the newspaper.
None of that was –
He would not know
anything about that.
He can't read nor write.
But he says
he sympathizes with you.
He sympathizes with me? Why?
What? What's he –
He says winning must be
like dying and going to heaven...
both frightening and beautiful.
Frightening because you must
go through it alone...
and beautiful because
it gives you eternal life.
Aionis zoi.
- Aionis zoi.
- Aionis zoi.
Eternal life.
Aionis zoi.
You're up early for a man
with a free day.
Coming to the stadium?
No, I got a little debt
to settle today.
Oh, yes?
Yeah.
Thanks.
I'll see you later, all right?
All right.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather
come to the stadium?
No, I'm not sure.
Mr. Flack, Mr. Blake,
good morning.
Good day for the marathon.
- Yeah, good day.
- Yes. Good luck.
The Greeks take their religion
very seriously, Mr. Garrett.
He's been
praying like this all night.
I watched him from here
till midnight...
and when I came back at dawn,
he was still here.
When that young man
runs today, Mr. Garrett...
he won't be running
merely for himself.
He will be running
for all Greeks like him...
for all those who share with him
the poverty, the ignorance,
the hopelessness
that is a peasant's life.
In his heart he understands
he will be carrying with him
their hopes and their dreams
when he enters
that stadium today.
For an illiterate shepherd,
Mr. Garrett,
that is a terrifying burden...
so he prays for strength.
I almost envy him.
Look at the height of that.
That's three feet!
I could jump that with a toothpick!
Listen to them!
They're laughing!
Those are the rules, Mr. Tyler.
The bar must start at three feet
and be raised one inch
after every jump until all
but one man has been eliminated.
- The competition's ridiculous.
- It sure is.
You're not required
to start jumping
until you think it is
at a height you wish to try.
We'll wait.
The next competitor,
Mr. Sjöberg of Sweden.
Gentlemen!
May I have your attention, please?
The marathon run
will be 40 kilometers –
or exactly 24 miles, 1,500 yards –
from here to the Panathenaic
Stadium in Athens.
When you reach the stadium,
you will make a turn
of the outer perimeter
before you enter
and go to the finish line.
Villages along the route have
set out drinks and refreshments
for the runners.
You are welcome
to help yourselves.
Medical attention will be available
for those who require it
in wagons traveling in front
of the runners and at the rear.
And now, if you will all
take your positions...
Line in twos on this path, please.
- Ready...
- Louis! Louis!
Go!
Look out.
The pole-vault bar
is now at four feet, three inches.
Wake me up
when they get to six feet.
What, are we allowed
to stop here?
Yes.
Thanks.
What is this, wine?
It's great.
Good on you, mate.
Thanks a lot.
Gentlemen, you must start
jumping now or withdraw.
But it's not high enough.
There are only
the two of you left.
Well, look, can we move
the bar up a bit?
I'm afraid that's impossible.
The rules, you see.
We know, we know.
One inch at a time.
We have just received word
that the marathon runners
have passed through
the village of Pikermi.
Mr. Blake of the United States
is in the lead.
Right!
Thank you very much.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Good, good, good.
Good, good, good.
I love this.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Will participants
in the 100-meter final
report to the start immediately.
100 meters –
let's go, let's go.
Good luck, good luck,
good luck.
If one of you doesn't win this,
you're on the boat back.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Get set...
Run, run, run, run!
Let's go, let's go!
Burke, Burke, Burke!
Yeah!
Good running, good running.
Tommy!
Well done, Tommy!
I knew it was you
all the way, Tommy.
G'day. Can I have some of this?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
You're gonna be able to start
your own shrubbery soon.
Thanks, Ed.
I kind of like the sound of it –
"The Burke Olympiad."
Hey, move over, American.
"Listen, my children,
and you shall hear
"Of the midnight ride
of Paul Revere,
"On the eighteenth
of April in Seventy-Five;
"Hardly a man is still alive
Who remembers
that famous day and year."
Sorry, me Skip,
but alas I fear
That water's the best
we can do for you here.
But if you should win
this endless race,
We'll drown you in ouzo
by the case
And prop you up
and let them cheer
And name you
the biggest drunk of the year.
Come on, Skip, here we go.
This is a big turn
coming up here.
Take this turn right here.
The next event will be the final
for the 110-meter hurdles.
In lane one, Mr. Curtis
of the United States.
In lane two...
Go, Curtis. Good luck.
Stop that Goulding guy.
You and Hoyt
stop that Goulding guy!
From the United States...
They just called the hurdles.
I gotta go.
I'm sorry, Mr. Hoyt, you cannot
leave one event for another.
If I don't leave,
I can't run the hurdles.
There is nothing
I can do about it.
This is unbelievable!
What do you mean
there's nothing you can do?
Excuse me.
What's the problem?
I'm sorry, Mr. Graham,
it is now Mr. Tyler's turn.
If Mr. Hoyt is not here
to take his turn after that,
Mr. Tyler will win by default.
When does Mr. Tyler
have to make his jump?
As soon as he's ready.
Well, Tyler... you ready?
No, sir, no.
I've done something to my...
Thanks, Coach.
Goulding! Goulding! Goulding!
This man should not be competing.
I quite agree, Baron.
The man's a bloody nincompoop.
Still, beggars
can't be choosers.
He is the only professional
on our team.
These games are for amateurs.
Making money should never
intrude on the Olympic ideal.
Oh, you mean the perfect panacea
for a troubled world,
the selfless pursuit of lofty ideals
and so forth and so on?
Yes. Yes.
Two weeks – two little weeks
every four years.
Not too much to ask, is it?
Makes sense.
- 10 drachmas, Goulding wins.
- Okay, I'll take bet.
- Gentlemen, take your marks.
- I'll take the American.
Get set...
Go! Go, go, go!
Yeah!
Congratulations, Tommy.
Thanks.
Can you hold these for me?
Yeah, sure.
Only a silver?
Hardly worth waiting for.
Well, I've still got one chance
to get a gold.
- Aren't you forgetting something?
- What?
Me.
"Thus at the flaming forge of life
"Our fortunes must be wrought;
"Thus at the sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed
and thought!"
Come on!
Come on, Skip!
Skip!
You gotta get up!
Skip, you gotta get up.
Now, come on, now –
the meter.
Come on.
Catch your breath.
- Catch your breath.
- I'm all right.
Now, listen to the meter.
"Thus at the flaming forge" –
Here we go.
Here we go, Skip.
"Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes
must be wrought" –
Watch that turn.
"Thus at the sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed
and thought!"
Come on, Skip!
Looking good now! Let's go!
"Under the spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he" –
I'm right here, Skip.
I can't make it.
I know.
...10 feet, 9 3/4 inches.
"Where Alph,
the sacred river, ran...
"Through caverns
measureless to man...
Down to a sunless sea."
They're coming.
Keep going.
Keep going.
And win!
We're at the end, Skip.
It's the end.
Remember the day
we had the fight?
You remember that?
That eliminates Mr. Tyler.
Mr. Hoyt of the United States
is the winner.
The marathon runners have now
reached the outer perimeter
and will soon enter the stadium.
Spyridon Louis of Greece
is in the lead.
Mr. Robert Garrett
of the United States is second.
Go, now, Robert!
Come on, Robert, go!
Spyros! Spyros! Spyros!
- Come on!
- Take him! Come on!
No!
Louis! Louis! Louis!
Louis! Louis! Louis!
Robert Garrett?
Baron.
Congratulations.
Sir, congratulations
really belong to you.
Robert Garrett,
I'm going to tell you the truth.
I do feel like one of you –
an athlete in the stadium
after the longest, toughest race –
elated and exhausted.
And you've won.
Come.
Where are you from?
Just outside Melbourne.
Good performance, Mr. Flack.
Thank you, sir.
You Americans did very well.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Mr. Curtis.
Nice meeting you.
It was really good.
Mr. Garrett, sir.
That was excellent,
Mr. Garrett.
Pistol champion.
- Well done.
- Well done.
We appreciate your winning.
Louis! Louis! Louis!
Here they come!
There's Mr. Connolly!
Right, now! Get that flag up!
I think he's coming!
James!
Jamie! Over here!
Jamie, come on!
Jamie!
Our champion!
Mike, I want you
to meet somebody.
All right? Stay here.
Thank you, sir.
How are you?
I guess you came down
to meet the team, then, huh?
- What?
- Ah, the hell with it!
Listen, I want you to meet
my Uncle Mike, okay? Come on.
Hello.
You're the little lass, are you?
It's lovely meeting you.
And Garrett!
Mr. Garrett!
- Welcome back, Mr. Garrett!
- Welcome home!
Robert! Robert, over here!
Mother.
- You look wonderful.
- Oh, so do you.
Oh, I'm so proud of you, Robert –
so very proud.
That makes it all worthwhile.
Mother...
you remember Cathy –
Catherine Baker?
Hello, Mrs. Garrett.
Oh, yes, of course.
How lovely to see you again.
I've asked Cathy to be my wife,
and she's accepted.
Robert, I told you
this wasn't the time.
We want to be married soon.
All we need is your blessing.
Well, how can I refuse?
I only want your happiness.
I make it a policy
never to resist the inevitable.
And looking at you both,
I can see that...
this is inevitable.
Bless you.
Bless you both.
William!
William... Mary...
Hello, John.
John, well...
was it worth it?
It was wonderful.
I'd do it again for...
half the pay.
Well, I'm glad to hear that,
Mr. Graham,
because I received a tele –
What's going on?
Gentlemen!
What is going on?!
For he's a jolly good fellow
For he's a jolly good fellow
Which nobody can deny
Which nobody can deny,
which nobody can deny
Thank you.
I think you all should know
what your remarkable
achievements have accomplished.
Only this morning,
I received this telegram
from the Baron de Coubertin,
the gentleman who's responsible
for reviving these games
in the first place.
Bravo!
He has appointed me...
a permanent member
of the International
Olympics Committee.
And I am –
Wait.
And I am here required
to begin recruiting a team
for the next Olympics –
Paris, 1900.
Will there be women in the next
Olympics, William? Women?
If I have anything to say, they will.
We shall be there!
So, my dear, dear friends,
you seem to have
started something.
May it never end.
Please, everybody, please,
stay as you are. Please.
Mr. Skoukilakis.
I want a picture of the victorious team
for my newspaper.
Is that all right, gentlemen?
Come round, come round.
Yeah, one more photograph!
One more!
Get them all. All of them.
How's this, sir?
It's beautiful.
Never have I seen
a picture so beautiful.
Dr. William Milligan Sloane
retained his seat
on the International
Olympic Committee
and organized
the 1912 Stockholm Games,
although he was unable to keep
his promise to Madame Schumann
establishing the participation
of women in the Olympic games
until 1928.
Impressed with the symbolism
of the first marathon,
John Graham
and the Boston Athletic Association
organized the first
Boston Marathon in 1897.
It has been run every year since.
Robert Garrett
finished his Princeton days
as president of his class.
A successful banker, he never
lost his interest in education,
and many of his concepts
are still part
of the school curriculum
all over America.
James Brendan Connolly
became a novelist,
ironically specializing
in tales of the sea.
He finally returned
to Harvard University
40 years later
and was presented
with an honorary degree.
The event was organized
by his lifelong friend
Charles Arthur Blake,
who became a respected
Boston insurance executive
and raised a large family.
He never lost his love of poetry
and published
many verses of his own.
Edwin Flack returned to Australia,
where he completed his education,
married, and raised a family,
and took over the family
meatpacking business.
Spyridon Louis finished his army
service, returned to his village,
and married Eleni
and had three sons.
He refused to accept
the 100,000 drachmas prize money
and never ran another race.
To this day, he remains
a symbol of national pride.
The inscription
on his gravestone reads
"Blessed by the gods,
a hero of Greece."
Baron Pierre de Coubertin
lived to see the modern Olympics
become a permanent tradition.
On his deathbed,
he made a strange request –
his heart was to be buried
in ancient Olympia.
Now every fourth year,
when the athletes of the world
join together
in peaceful competition,
his spirit lives on.
This is an emergency.
Tell the Minister of Finance
to get off the line.
What?
Very well, very well.
But ring me back the instant
you get through to Athens.
Damn, damn, damn.
My goodness, Pierre.
What is it?
A telegram from Dr. Sloane
in the United States.
The American team
has been booked on a ship
that won't reach Athens
until the games are nearly over.
Nearly over?
Their travel agent, it appears,
arranged for them
to arrive on April 9th,
thinking the games
didn't start until the 17th.
The 17th?
But that's absurd.
For two years now,
the whole world has known
that they were to begin
on the 5th.
Ah, but this was a particularly
conscientious travel agent, my dear.
Knowing that the Greeks
still go by the old Julian calendar,
which is 12 days behind ours,
he cleverly decided
that April 5th, in Athens,
meant the Greek date, not ours.
Accordingly, he added 12 days
and came up incorrectly
with the 17th
as the actual starting date.
He then made the bookings
on that assumption, the idiot.
Still, I don't see
the problem, dear.
Why can't Dr. Sloane
simply book another space
on another ship –
one that arrives in time?
Because the error
wasn't discovered
until they'd already sailed.
Oh, Pierre, no.
Oh, Pierre, yes.
They are on the high seas
at this very moment.
But... what will you do?
What can we do?
They are completely
incommunicado
until they reach
their first port of call,
which is Gibraltar.
Well, perhaps there you can
transfer them to another ship,
a faster ship.
At this moment,
that is our only hope.
Sloane is trying
to work out something.
Pray God he succeeds.
Without the American team,
the first Olympics of modern times
is going to be
the biggest disaster of all time.
Athens.
Hello?
I'm sorry to disappoint you,
Dr. Sloane, but there is no other ship
that could get them
to Athens on time.
Then I'm afraid it's hopeless.
Not quite hopeless, perhaps.
I think I have a solution.
But you just said that there –
I said we can't get them there
any faster by sea,
but we might over land.
Look here.
They're scheduled to sail
from Gibraltar on Monday,
arriving in Naples
on Wednesday.
Now, while the ship lays over
in Naples for two days,
then sails slowly
around the boot of Italy
and the great Peloponnesus
to arrive in Athens a week later,
the boys could
disembark in Naples
and take the train
across Italy to Brindisi.
Brindisi?
There's a steamer
from Brindisi to Piraeus
that arrives on Sunday morning.
From there, it's only
a short hop to Athens.
The boys would arrive only
a few hours before the games...
And they'd be terribly exhausted
with no time to recuperate.
But they'd be there, Mary.
They would be in Athens.
There is one possible hitch, however.
I'm afraid the Italian trains
are notoriously unreliable.
Even if theirs were on time,
the boys would have
less than two hours
to make the connection
with the steamer to Greece.
On the other hand,
if it should be late...
When does the next ferry sail?
There's only one a week.
Which means they'd arrive in Athens
after the games are over.
I realize it's a long shot,
Dr. Sloane,
but I think it's worth
the gamble.
I don't think we have
any choice.
I'll cable Gibraltar at once.
Ironic, isn't it?
The boys have no idea
of their predicament.
There they are, somewhere
in the middle of the Atlantic,
oblivious to it all.
Perhaps it's just as well.
At least this way they can relax
and get some rest before the games.
I think I'm gonna die.
Jamie, you really
don't like the sea, do you?
I've only been on
two boat rides, Mr. Graham.
The first was that joyous
crossing from Ireland.
I wouldn't wish that
on anyone.
All of us stuck down
in steerage, sick as dogs.
It was worth it, wasn't it?
Yeah, it was.
If you could've seen
the look on me mother's face
when she got her first glimpse
of that Statue of Liberty
in New York Harbor...
you'd know what I mean.
That's why I gotta win
in Athens,
'cause it would've meant
so much to her.
And I'm gonna win, too.
Oh, if I don't die
before I get there.
Oh, no. You see
that bucket right there?
Quickly, Mr. Graham,
the bucket. Thanks.
You're on your own, lad.
Isn't anybody hungry?
Excuse me.
Sorry.
If he's not gonna eat it,
would you pass his dessert?
Oh, how can you, Gardy?
I never get seasick.
I love the sea.
But how can you eat so much?
For a swimmer,
aren't you afraid you'll sink?
My father says a swimmer
needs a lot of energy,
so he has to eat
plenty of food,
especially sweets.
You know, like whipped cream...
meringue...
custard...
pies...
puddings...
cream cakes...
éclairs...
fudge...
doughnuts...
Boston cream pie...
chocolate chip cookies.
It's all mind over matter,
you know.
You just have to concentrate
on something else.
Gardner, I'm speechless.
Hoyt, you awake?
Uh-huh.
Did you know that the only contest
in the first Olympics –
I mean the very first,
3,000 years ago –
was a footrace?
Unh-unh.
The 100 meters.
A fellow by the name
of Coroebus won it,
so they named
the first Olympiad after him.
The Coroebus Olympiad.
What's an Olympiad?
The four-year period
between games.
Apparently
it became a tradition,
naming the next Olympiad
after the winner
of the 100-meter race.
Wonder if they're gonna
carry on that tradition.
Why?
I'm running the 100-meter race.
I - I kind of like
the sound of it.
The sound of what?
The Burke Olympiad.
What?
Go to sleep.
I was just thinking out loud.
Hoyt, here's some fruit
for you and the boys.
Catch.
That's not bad, Hoyt.
Like it?
Yeah, let's just hope
you can hurdle
as well as you can juggle.
That's it. Good.
Certainly, gentlemen.
What would you like?
The standard start?
Anytime you're ready, Tyler.
Where should we do it?
- On the line.
- Okay.
Take your marks.
Get set.
Go.
Outta the way!
You know, there ought
to be a better way
for them to start off.
I see what you mean.
Got any ideas?
Let's put on our thinking caps.
Eleven... twelve...
Do you talk to yourself a lot?
Talk?
Oh, I recite poetry.
I always do.
The meter helps me
keep the pace, you see.
"Listen, my children,
and you shall hear
"Of the midnight ride
of Paul Revere,
"On the eighteenth of April,
in Seventy-Five;
"Hardly a man is still alive
Who remembers
that famous day and year..."
That's it.
"...of the midnight ride
of Paul Revere."
Takes all the work out of it.
"Listen, my children,
and you shall hear..."
Ideally, what they need
is a catapult.
Ideally.
Pull.
On the other hand,
I doubt the Olympics committee
would allow any sort
of mechanical aids.
I was speaking figuratively, Sumner.
Pull!
I got you.
Pull!
Like a good push.
Exactly. Something to help them
get up a head of steam, and fast.
Pull two!
A way to shove off
is what we're looking for.
Pull two!
Trouble is...
there's nothing
to shove against.
Only the turf.
And that's under them,
not behind.
Whole trouble with
the world today, Sumner...
it's upside down.
Pull four.
That all depends on the way
you look at it, John.
Pull four.
More bonbons, Gardy?
Don't you think you oughta
be getting some exercise?
It's not the same for swimmers,
Mr. Graham.
Too much exercise
tightens the muscles.
A swimmer needs to be
loose and relaxed.
At least, that's what
my father said,
and he ought to know.
I sure hope your father
knows best.
Captain says we'll dock
in Gibraltar right on schedule.
Won't be soon enough for me,
I'll tell you that.
We're gonna be the guests
of the British garrison there.
They're gonna let us practice
on their parade ground for a day.
Only one day?
I'm gonna need
more time than that.
Well, don't forget,
once we get to Athens,
we got a whole week
to get the team in shape.
And you're gonna be in shape.
Says who?
Says me, Connolly.
The man's an optimist.
Hey, it's gettin' to be a bad
habit with you, Connolly.
How'd you like
to take a swim, Blake?
Oh, yeah?
Come on, come on, come on.
What have you got
against Connolly?
I just don't happen to appreciate
his cocky attitude, for one.
He's too arrogant for my taste.
Funny... that's
what he said about you.
What?
I thought we were
supposed to be a team.
That is the information
as I have received it.
If you ask me, this team's
been jinxed from the start.
Might as well just turn around
and go back home, guys.
I can understand
how you gentlemen must feel,
but Colonel Waverly and I
have been looking over
Dr. Sloane's alternate route.
For what it's worth,
I think we should give it a try.
Provided the Italian railroad
is running on time for a change.
And the steamer to Greece
doesn't leave Brindisi
before we get there.
Hey, wait a minute.
What are you talking about?
We have no choice but to try.
Now, I can't speak
for the rest of you...
but I'm going to Athens.
All right, let's have
a show of hands.
Who's for giving it a try?
Good.
Then let's get out there and get in
some practice while we can.
Let's go, let's go!
Gentlemen, let's get
to our starting positions.
Sumner, you give me
the pistol on the start.
John, a clocking at the finish.
And Curtis, try your best.
Let's get them in line, now.
Where's the other one?
There it is.
Back a bit.
That's right.
Excuse me.
All right, gentlemen,
take your starting places, please.
Ready?
Set?
Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
- What was the time on that?
- Thirteen seconds.
Not bad, Tommy.
Thirteen seconds.
I can do better.
I know I can.
- If I could just get off faster.
- What do you mean?
We can't get
into our running fast enough.
I don't understand.
We do. We've been
studying your problem,
and what you need is a hammer
to push yourself off faster.
- Isn't that right, John?
- Right you are, Sumner.
- A what?
- A hammer.
Like this.
Twelve seconds!
You gained a full second, Tommy!
Thanks to the fastest guns
in the East.
Let's do it again!
I want to use this position
when we get to Athens.
If we get to Athens.
Yes, if.
We're gonna practice again,
Curtis, just for you.
Let's go, let's go!
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Mr. Flack?
Wyngate –
ADC to Ambassador Egerton.
- Welcome to Athens.
- Thank you, Mr. Wyngate.
I suppose you'd like to meet
the rest of the English team.
Yeah.
Some of the Hungarian team.
They've been in Athens
for two weeks already.
They always strut about like that?
Constantly – even on the streets
and in restaurants.
Takes all sorts, huh?
I'm afraid we're in no position
to cast the first stone.
We've got one of our own.
Mr. Flack, this is
Grantley Goulding.
He's sort of acting
as captain of the English team.
Mr. Goulding.
Well, you're a skinny
little runt, aren't you?
Still, you'll doubtless
do better than this scruffy lot.
Makes no difference
to me, though.
I'm going to win
all the medals here.
Is that so?
You see these?
I'm the real champion.
Very impressive.
What about the Americans?
Don't they worry you?
Why should the Americans
worry anybody?
They're scarcely
more than novices.
Besides, haven't you heard?
They're not getting here
till it's nearly over.
Typical of the Colonials.
Always one step behind.
Yes, well, I shouldn't
bet on it, Mr. Goulding.
We understand
they might make it yet.
Excuse me.
What exactly
is the trouble this time?
It's broken?
Can you fix it?
Can you fix it?
How long will it take?
How long?
How many minutes will it take?
Another hour?
That's what they said.
We'll never get to Brindisi in time.
They keep assuring me we will.
They just don't want to see
14 grown men break down and cry.
Well, I'm not waiting
around here.
Anybody for a stretch?
Yeah.
Maybe we can get
a decent meal in town.
Okay, but don't go too far.
The minute you hear
the train whistle,
get back here on the double.
- Yes, sir.
- Hey, coming, Blake?
No. It's too hot.
I'm gonna lay down
or something, I dunno.
See you later, Skip.
Yeah, Billy.
Tommy, can I use your cap?
Thanks.
Oh, boy.
That did the trick.
Let James Connolly
take care of this.
You understand
the lingo here.
My pleasure.
Signore.
What do we have here?
Take a look at this.
Grazie.
Come on.
What do you think?
You really want to know?
Yes.
It's very nice.
Why don't you go ask him
how much it is?
You don't think I can?
Watch this.
I've been studying.
Trenta lire.
How much?
Thirty lire.
Think I should get it?
It's only 50 cents.
Why not?
Cheap at half the price.
Yes, but I think you have
to bargain with these people.
Venti lire.
He says 20.
What do you think?
- Grab it.
- Yeah.
Lei un cornuto magnifico.
Come?
Lei un cornuto magnifico.
I don't think
he understands you.
It's supposed to be a compliment.
- He doesn't seem to think so.
- I paid you.
You have your money in full!
I can't believe this!
Now I have to buy
the plates.
He's got a gun!
Let's get out of here!
What did I say?
They're so touchy.
Just remain calm.
- Tyler.
- Never mind the hellos.
- Keep walking.
- What's wrong?
There's a gentleman
with a gun in there
who has taken exception
to something Garrett said.
A gun?
What did Garrett say?
I called him
a cornuto magnifico.
Blake said that if you want
to make a big impression
with an Italian, you call him
a cornuto magnifico.
You idiot!
You called him a cuckold!
You said his wife sleeps
with other men.
Oh, no. I thought it was
something nice.
Yeah, if you're one
of the other men, Garrett.
Which way's the station?
Wait, I don't think
he's coming.
They don't mess around
here, do they?
That's our train.
Come on, this way!
- Are you sure?
- Yes! Come on!
Come on!
Watch the mud!
Mud?
Come on!
It's this way!
Tell 'em to hang on!
I left my billfold at the café.
I gotta get it.
Signore!
Signore, did you see a...
Move it!
Move it!
Hold on!
Garrett, where's Connolly?!
He's coming.
He forgot his billfold.
Thanks a lot!
Where is Connolly, huh?
There he is!
My ticket's on the train.
It's on the choo-choo –
my ticket.
Sorry, old fella.
I got a very...
important date in Athens.
Excuse me, excuse me.
Come on!
Please, let me through.
Grab my hand.
- It's my leg.
- Your leg?
Excuse me,
I'm trying to get through.
Please, let me through.
You're lucky the bone's
not broken, Skip.
But I gotta tell you, I don't
think you're gonna run on that.
Nothing's gonna stop me
from running, Coach.
Nothing's gonna stop me
from running!
Bloody nuisance,
this dress rehearsal.
They don't want to risk
the possibility of any hitches.
Means a great deal to the Greeks
to have these games revived.
I hear you've been having
trouble finding runners.
I always felt that the English
had the finest in the world.
Oh, bad timing.
All our best runners
are tied up in some
big competition at home –
the Pan-Britannic Games.
I had to enlist half my staff
at the embassy,
or we'd only have two entrants.
Have you ever seen
a filing clerk and a librarian
run the 100-meter?
Can't say I have.
Mr. Ambassador?
Yes. Very good.
Perhaps a little less passion,
don't you think, Baron?
Absolutely.
Will you inform our bandmaster
of Ambassador Egerton's reaction?
And now, with your permission,
Ambassador Alexander,
the American theme.
What is that?
Is this some kind of
practical joke?
It definitely sounds like it,
Ambassador Alexander.
Mr. Dimitrios,
"Yankee Doodle"
is certainly a lovely little tune,
but hardly in the mood
and spirit of the occasion.
I'm afraid it was the only
American sheet music
Colonel Podrinkis
was able to locate.
Stop!
Stop!
Stop the music!
Stop!
Mr. Ambassador,
I have an idea.
I think you told me
that an American cruiser
is anchored in the harbor.
Yes, the U.S.S. San Francisco.
Don't you think
that their bandmaster
could rustle up a piece that
could somehow convey musically
what America represents,
which is the whole point, isn't it?
That's a good idea, Baron –
not that I think
we'll need the music,
the way things are going.
Bad bit of luck
about your boys.
Any word on their progress?
Well, I know that they
caught the train to Brindisi.
The question now is
will they make the connection
with the steamer?
You're very late.
Yes, I know.
Are these our carriages?
All right, okay.
Let's go, fellas.
- Where we going?
- These carriages.
First carriage, yeah.
Come on, let's go.
Where do you want me to go, Coach?
Let's go. Come on.
Let's go.
On the carriages.
On the carriages.
I'm going.
Let's go.
Get on, get on.
Is this thing safe
with all of us?
Take this, Robert.
Take this.
All aboard!
Go! Go!
Go! Go!
Hey! Get off! Get off!
Hey!
Hey, hey, hey!
- Ah, Mr. Flack. Good afternoon.
- G'day.
- You have visitors.
- Oh, yeah? Who?
Ma! Pa!
Son!
Great to see you, son!
What are you doing here?
We'll watch the games.
Come on!
Let's go, let's go!
Get on! Everybody on!
Everybody on!
Come on!
- Hoyt!
- Hoyt, come on!
I'm coming! Catch!
Jeez!
You almost became a swimmer.
So, tell me,
how was the voyage?
Great. Couldn't have been better.
I've always loved the sea.
We had one storm
after another.
I spent the whole trip
confined to our cabin.
None for me, thank you –
Try some, Annabella.
Doesn't look too bad.
- I'd rather not.
- You're not ill, are you, Ma?
Oh, of course not, my sweet.
Simply not very hungry,
that's all.
It's probably the excitement
of seeing you again after so long.
Waiter?
Waiter?
Would you take this away, please?
Just bring me some clear soup.
Why must they
drown everything in grease?
They don't drown
everything in grease.
That was swimming in oil.
There's a difference.
Olive oil is vegetable.
Grease is animal fat.
You know that, of course,
in the slaughtering business.
Whatever it was,
it turns my stomach.
I hope we're not gonna have
a fuss every meal.
I am not making a fuss.
I simply have
a discriminating palate –
something you wouldn't
know about.
What's that supposed to mean?
Only that you'll eat any swill
that's put in front of you.
That doesn't say much
for your cooking, does it, old dear?
Well, isn't it nice
to be back together again?
You mean to tell me the United States
has no national anthem?
We never adopted one... officially.
So what do you play
at state occasions?
One of two pieces.
Either this –
O Columbia,
the gem of the ocean
The home of the brave
and the free
The shrine
of each patriot's devotion
A world offers homage to thee
Thy mandates
make heroes assemble
When Liberty's form
stands in view
Thy banners
make tyranny tremble
When borne by the red,
white, and blue
Or, lately, they've
been playing this too.
Of course, it has no lyrics.
Very nice, very nice.
Both very nice.
But which one
shall I use for the games?
Take your pick.
It was nice to have met you.
Nice to have met you, too,
and thank you again.
Obviously there is no choice.
So, make up full arrangements
for the good one.
I'll need them in the morning.
William?
Are you all right, dear?
Mm-hmm.
Couldn't sleep.
You're just too excited.
Can you hear it?
Hear what, dear?
Listen.
Only the crickets.
What am I listening for?
Cheering.
Over there.
Half a world away.
At this very moment,
after 1,500 years...
it's about to begin again.
And they're cheering, Mary...
for our boys.
Yes.
I think I can hear it now.
Raise them.
Fix your button.
There. Now you're a credit
to your regiment.
But smile,
for goodness sake.
You look like you just
lost your best friend.
I think I'm going to be sick.
Nonsense.
On Friday you must be a hero,
but today, you are only
on the parade.
There's no place to hide, my boy.
This is your destiny.
Now, take a deep breath,
and try to relax.
Harold, dear, help me.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Your Majesty,
ladies and gentlemen...
the athletes
of the competing nations.
Australia.
Harold, there he is. Look.
Austria.
Wyngate, who is that for Australia?
That chap?
Edwin Flack, sir.
Thought he was one of ours.
Isn't he running
for the England team?
Chile.
Oh, look at him.
Edwin! Edwin!
Steady, Annabel.
- Horton.
- Sir?
Unless they missed that boat,
they oughta be here by now.
Get them here as fast
as possible.
Yes, sir.
Sorry, mister.
Documents not in order.
Not in order?
What do you mean
they're not in order?
It says here you arrive
in Athens next Thursday.
This is Piraeus.
Documents not in order.
Now, you listen to me,
my good man,
my boys have just come halfway
across the world to get here on time.
Half of them have dysentery.
Most are weak with seasickness.
We haven't had a good night's sleep
or a decent meal in over a week.
Now we're here, I'm damned if I'm
going to let some petty-minded –
What seems to be the trouble here?
What's it to you?
Felix Horton,
United States Consul in Athens.
Am I glad to see you.
- Welcome to Greece.
- Thank you.
Great Britain!
Hungary.
- Sweden.
- Who is that, Wyngate?
Goulding, sir.
Switzerland.
United States.
Greece.
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas.
I'll be!
They made it!
Good luck, Mr. Graham.
Thank you, Mr. Horton.
Glory be to God.
You can say that again.
Look at that!
At least we're protected, huh?
Come on!
In front of the flag!
In front of the flag!
Ellery, put the bag down!
Gardner!
Skip, in front of the flag!
We pray that
the immortal spirit of antiquity
will give life and animation
to these noble new games.
After a lapse of 1,500 years,
we declare this
modern Olympics open.
Let the games begin!
All participants in the 100-,
the 400-,
the 800-meter heats,
the discus,
and the triple jump,
you have five minutes
to report to the track.
Five minutes.
All right,
up, up, up, up, up.
Up. Hand in hand.
Good.
Again, again, again.
Mr. Graham, I am Persakis,
your track host for the games.
Mr. Persakis,
pleased to meet you.
Is your team ready?
They're just
loosening up now.
Mr. Tyler,
this is Mr. Persakis.
- Good to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Why don't you come this way
and meet some of the others.
Sumner and John Paine, this is our host
for the Olympic games, Mr. Persakis.
Just want to wish you luck
out there, Skip.
I don't want anything
from you, Connolly.
Just stay away from me.
- Good luck.
- Thanks a lot, James.
- Good luck.
- Thanks, Jamie.
The first event will be
the qualifying heats
for the 100-meter race.
In heat one, Mr. Lane
and Mr. Burke of the United States,
Mr. Subercaseaux of Chile,
Mr. Atkins...
Gentlemen, on your marks.
...Mr. Dupont of France,
and Mr. Szabo of Hungary.
Get set.
United States qualified.
In heat two, the runners are
Mr. Curtis of the United States,
Mr. Szokolyi of Hungary,
Mr. Schmidt of Denmark,
Mr. Tonoire of France,
Mr. Elliot of Great Britain...
Take your marks.
Get set.
Mr. Curtis of the United States
wins the second heat
for the 100 meters.
In the third and final heat
of the 100 meters,
the runners are Mr. Jamison,
United States,
Mr. Lermusiaux, France...
Take your marks.
Mr. Sjöberg, Sweden,
Mr. Gennimatas...
Get set.
I say, you chaps are part
of the American team, aren't you?
We sure are.
Where did you get this
new starting position?
- It's an American invention.
- What do you call it?
That's the famous Four-Point Hammer.
We thought everybody knew that.
Four-Point Hammer?
Must remember that.
Way to go!
The next event this morning
will be the triple jump final.
Jamie! Jamie!
It's the triple jump!
The finals!
Finals?
No elimination first?
Not for this event.
Each man will have
one try only.
This is it, then.
I better make it good.
Good luck, lad.
Next to jump,
Mr. Tuffèri of France.
Thirty-seven feet, five inches.
Next, Mr. Karapas of Greece.
Karapas holds
the world record.
It's a very impressive jump.
Karapas of Greece –
39 feet, 10 inches!
And the final contestant,
Mr. Connolly
of the United States.
Come on, lad.
Jamie! Jamie!
We won!
Quickly, the American anthem.
Nice tune.
It's more appropriate
than the first one,
but I don't know
if it'll catch on.
What's that tune
they're playing?
It sounds Greek to me.
The first Olympic champion
in 1,500 years.
Dean Elliott tried
to keep him from coming.
This is for you, Ma.
This is for you.
The next event
is the first qualifying heat
of the 800-meter race.
Gentlemen, take your mark.
Get set.
Come on, lad!
Hey!
Oh, he's won!
By George!
Well, it seems –
It seems our Mr. Flack
has just qualified for the finals.
...of Hungary
and Mr. Flack of Australia...
Well, it seems Mr. Flack
isn't ours after all.
Apparently he's running
for Australia.
...are in lanes one and two.
Mr. Lermusiaux of France
in lane three,
and Mr. Blake of
the United States in lane four...
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Why do you wear
the white gloves?
Because I run
before the king...
of course.
Oh... of course.
Gentlemen,
please take your marks.
Get set.
Come on.
Come on, Skip.
That's it.
...the 800-meter race,
Mr. Blake of the United States...
Good running, Skip.
How's your leg?
It's fine.
It's okay.
I just need to get off it,
though, okay?
Get up to the changing room.
Thanks.
The next event
will be the discus.
Crown Prince Constantine,
Duke of Sparta, will officiate.
You ready?
Good luck.
Now throwing
is Mr. Schumann of Germany.
Next, Mr. Versis of Greece.
Hellas, niki, Hellas.
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas.
Hellas, Hellas...
What are they chanting?
Hellas, Hellas,
niki, Hellas –
Greece, Greece,
win, Greece, win.
Hometown boys?
Both Versis and Paraskevopoulous
are national heroes.
They can throw better
than 90 feet.
They have nothing
to worry about.
Garrett's best throw
is maybe 75 feet.
Perhaps
that is for the best.
This is one event
a Greek must win.
It is a matter of national pride.
Next, Mr. Paraskevopoulous
of Greece.
Excuse me, mister...
Garrett, sir,
of the United States.
...Garrett,
what have you there?
Oh, this is my discus, sir.
I'm afraid we can't allow you
to use that, Mr. Garrett.
But –
You'll have to use
the official discus like all the others.
Sir, I don't think
that's fair.
Those are the rules,
Mr. Garrett.
I'm afraid you have to.
Sir, I don't think
that's fair!
What's going on?
Looks like there's
trouble about his discus.
The discus.
You want me to throw this?
I'm afraid you'll have to.
Yes, sir, if you insist.
My God, it looks half the size.
It weighs approximately two kilos,
about four of your pounds,
I believe.
It is half the size.
Next, Mr. Garrett
of the United States.
That was a magnificent throw.
Don't you agree with me? Bravo.
At 95 feet, 7 5/8 inches,
the winner is Mr. Garrett
of the United States.
- My first recruit.
- Where's he from?
Princeton.
Well, well, well.
Winning is something
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.
Come on, come on.
Mr. Garrett!
Get him upstairs!
I got to send a telegram!
Come on! Mr. Garrett!
Mr. Garrett!
Mr. Garrett, I am Koulermos
of the Athens Express.
Do you have something to say
to the Greek people?
I –
Mr. Garrett, I need something
to print about you!
I'll tell you what to print.
Say Alexander the Great
once conquered Greece,
but today that young man
conquered the world
and again put the Greeks to shame.
"I know it's a great honor,
"but I can't help feeling
that I only won by a fluke.
"The Greeks were
terribly disappointed.
"They wanted to win the discus,
the shot put, and the marathon
"more than anything.
"Of course, Mr. Graham
keeps reminding me
"that that's what competition
is all about – winning.
"But somehow as I sit here
looking at my medal,
"I get the uneasy feeling
that winning isn't everything.
"I can think of other things
that seem more important
to me now."
Just coming through.
Well, Mr. Bulgardis?
I can't make heads
or tails of it,
but I'll give it to you
just as it came through.
"First day – Lane, Burke,
Curtis, Jamison
"qualify for 100-meter finals. Stop.
"Jamison, Lane, Burke qualify,
400-meter finals. Stop.
"Blake qualifies,
800-meter finals. Stop.
"Connolly wins
first gold medal,
"1,500 years for triple jump. Stop.
"Garrett wins second
gold medal, discus. Stop.
Athens golden.
Stop. Graham."
Does that make
any sense to you?
It's a mystery to me,
Mr. Bulgardis.
It's a mystery to me.
God bless them.
Our boys, William.
Our boys!
In the first heat
of the 110-meter hurdles
are Mr. Curtis and Mr. Hoyt
of the United States,
Mr. Tuffèri of France...
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Get set.
Yeah!
Mr. Hoyt and Mr. Curtis
have achieved equal time
and are the co-winners
of the first...
It was even-steven!
You two boys run
like that in the final,
they're gonna have
to give two golds!
Nice work, fellas.
In the second heat
are Mr. Sjöberg of Sweden,
Mr. Goulding of Great Britain,
Mr. Traun of Germany,
and Mr. Skaltsogiannis of Greece.
Goulding! Goulding! Goulding!
What on earth
does he think he's doing?
Bit of puffery, I'm afraid.
Seems to be his style.
The man's an ass, and he'll give us
a bad name if he goes on like that.
Take your marks,
please, gentlemen.
Get set.
Well, well.
Well, at least he'll give
the Americans
something to think about
in the finals.
Come and dance with me, Eleni.
I don't feel like dancing.
Why so sad?
Everything is changing.
Everything is wonderful.
How can it be wonderful
if I'm losing you?
Losing me?
That's impossible.
When you are a hero,
you'll belong to them,
to all those people.
Never. I'll always be yours.
So... ha! This is
the famous Eleni, huh?
Now I can see why
a man can run his heart off,
for a face like this.
Leave her alone, Sergeant.
Can't you see you're
embarrassing her?
Embarrassing her?
Oh, I tell you, my pretty child,
if this lovesick ass of yours
wins the marathon,
we will build a monument to you –
two monuments,
perhaps one in every city, huh?
You will be as famous
as Helen of Troy.
The face that won a marathon.
You mustn't count so much
on my winning, Sergeant.
What if I should lose?
Don't talk such nonsense.
Of course you're going to win.
There is no man who can match
my boy's endurance.
You tempt the fates
when you boast like that.
I defy them to prove me wrong.
Even the fates know
that my son has the wings
of Hermes on his heels.
There will be many, many
of us running, Father,
all good men.
I say there isn't a man
who can beat you.
You may be wrong.
This American, the one
who won the discus yesterday,
he's good, very good.
The next event will be
the broad-jump finals.
First is Mr. Khalkokondilis
of Greece.
Niki, Hellas!
Mr. Connolly of the United States.
Good jump!
Mr. Garrett of the United States.
Come on, Robert!
And Mr. Clark,
also of the United States.
Good jump, Ellery!
Maybe President Cleveland will become
a sports enthusiast after all.
Maybe.
Horton, what's next?
The 400-meter finals, sir.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
...of the United States.
Also, Mr. Elliot of Great Britain
and Mr. Lermusiaux of France.
Get set.
The White House
will never believe this.
You Americans
are winning everything.
I suppose we should be delighted
for our cousins across the pond,
but it's damned embarrassing.
We have won two gold medals
in lawn tennis, sir.
Lawn tennis?
Don't sneer, Edwin.
It's a fine sport.
The track-and-field events
are the only ones that count.
Everyone knows that.
Well, there may
be hope yet, sir.
The 1,500-meter finals are next.
Major event.
Flack is running...
The Australian chap.
Take your marks.
Get set.
Come on, Skip!
Come on, Skip!
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas!
Come on! Come on, Skip!
No! No!
Oh! My boy! My boy!
Wyngate.
Yes, sir?
I want that young man
in my office
tomorrow before the games.
Yes, sir.
The next event
will be the shot-put final.
His Royal Highness
Crown Prince Constantine
will officiate.
First up, Mr. Gouskos of Greece.
Hellas, Hellas, niki, Hellas!
The next competitor
is Mr. Garrett of the United States.
Try this one, Mr. Garrett.
The winner is Mr. Garrett,
with a new record throw.
You see?
You see?
Like it says in my article,
nobody can beat this Garrett,
not even the Greeks.
Does that mean you're
not going back to Oxford?
I haven't decided yet.
I'm still...
But it was all settled.
You were going to study law,
then come home and set up a practice.
Things have changed, Ma.
Changed?
I don't know what you mean.
Nothing's changed.
Well, I've changed.
Things have moved on.
I'm not the same person
that I was when I left home
two years ago.
I've got to rethink my future.
Annabella,
this is hardly the place.
This is important, Harold.
It could affect his whole life.
What about
Eileen McGovern?
Eileen McGovern?
Yeah, she's your fiancée, Edwin.
He hasn't actually asked
for her hand as yet.
Well, it's certainly
his intention.
His or yours, Mrs. Flack?
Edwin?
Well, I'm – I'm –
I'm not sure anymore, Ma.
A lovely girl like that.
One of the finest families
in Melbourne.
I can't imagine
what's got into you.
He's learning
to think for himself.
I'm sure it's all the same to you
if the boy throws away his future.
You'd probably be content
if he married a barmaid,
so long as she
was a good breeder.
Mother, please!
I'm not content
to see him manipulated
into a marriage
he doesn't want.
Pa, can we please
discuss this later?
You mean you haven't been
trying to manipulate him
all these years into the
meatpacking business with you?
Some kind of future that'd be.
If it was good enough
for my father
and it's good enough
for me –
"Then it's good enough
for my son."
Will you ever stop repeating
that mindless slogan?
Will you show a little
respect for my trade?
Respect? I've lived
with the stench too long.
Stop it! Why don't you
just give it a rest?!
You've been using me
to get at one another all my life!
If this is what you
came over here for,
I wish you'd both
just go back to Australia!
Edwin!
Let him go.
I never meant the boy any harm.
Talk to him, Harold.
Bring him back.
If it's not too late.
Lord Byron, the English poet,
has his named carved here.
See? Byron.
I'm sorry, lad.
Why do you put up
with it, Pa?
Because I love her,
and I know, in her own way,
she loves me.
Oh, I know it doesn't show,
at least not much anymore,
but there were some good times,
some great times.
I only wish you could've
known her then.
What made her change?
Well, your mother had a lot
of disappointments in her life.
She was brought up
with grand expectations...
too great for me to fulfill,
I'm afraid.
I'm a simple man,
a rough man,
not at all what she had
in mind, I'm sure.
Then why did she marry you?
I fancy she was
blinded by love...
but love wasn't enough.
It couldn't make
all her dreams come true.
It couldn't make me any more
than the local butcher.
Then you came along,
the only thing in her life
that's never been
a disappointment to her.
Don't you see, son?
You're her great chance.
The chance to make
her dreams come true.
And what about my dreams?
Well, she's your mother.
I suspect
she'll be just as glad
if your dreams
come true instead.
So go to it, lad.
Live your life.
She won't approve.
Ah, yes. Like me,
she'll come to realize
no one can live your life for you.
God, why do I need
to win so badly?
Show the world who you are.
I don't even know who I am.
Aye.
Why, aren't you the lad
from Australia
no one had heard of
before yesterday?
What's his name...
Flack?
"And when asked for a comment
"after winning the gold medal
for the discus,
"Mr. Garrett said, 'Alexander
the Great once conquered Greece.
" 'Today I conquered the world
and put the Greeks
to shame again.' "
I'm afraid it's been reprinted
in all the major European
and American newspapers.
I never – I didn't –
We know, Robert. We know.
Mr. Garrett, the man who wrote
this is an irresponsible idiot.
I apologize on behalf
of my fellow Greeks.
First thing tomorrow morning,
I'll go down to the newspaper office
and demand a complete retraction.
Please excuse me.
I need some air.
Let him be, Skip.
It's late.
Tomorrow's a rough day.
Let's all get some sleep.
Thank you, Mr. Persakis.
Good night, Jamie.
Twenty-three, please.
What happened
to Connolly's hand?
He smashed it into
a concrete wall
when you lost out to Flack.
Thirty-one.
He still feels pretty bad
about your leg.
You're not making it
any easier on him.
Why should I?
You behave as though
he did it on purpose.
You know, Skip,
I'm disappointed in you.
Frankly, I thought
you were made of better stuff.
Thirty-six, please.
Oh, it's you, is it?
Look, I'm in no mood for another
go-round with you,
so if you don't mind –
I was wondering – I thought
you might like to join me.
What's that?
It's called ouzo.
It's an old-fashioned remedy.
Remedy? For what?
Well, they say
it's a guaranteed painkiller.
I heard about your hand...
so I figured maybe we could
both use a healthy bolt, huh?
What do you say?
Get in here.
You know, it's like
me Uncle Mike used to say –
never spit in the eye of a man
who's offering you a free drink
until after you've had the drink.
I'd like to see Uncle Mike.
Yeah, well, you will.
I've got some glasses
over here.
Damn it all, Flack.
There's such a thing
as loyalty, you know?
Loyalty, sir?
After all, you're only here
because the London
Athletic Club's footing the bill.
That should count
for something.
I'm very grateful to them,
of course.
You've a fine way
of showing it.
I wear their emblem
on my tunic, as we agreed,
but that's all we agreed.
Look here, my boy.
Great Britain needs a winner.
We've had a damn poor
showing so far.
You know as well as I,
England's got the finest
runners in the world.
If they'd been here,
we'd have had our share
of those gold medals, by George,
and then some.
The irony is,
they were all kept at home
for the ruddy
Pan-Britannic Games,
and now the damn thing's
been cancelled.
Cancelled?
Can you imagine?
Of course, it's too late
to get any of our best men
here in time.
It's damn frustrating.
I might have been in
the same predicament myself.
I qualified
for the Pan-Britannic Games.
Why didn't you participate?
The Oxford team
didn't want me, sir.
They said it was only
for Englishmen.
Well, then.
Well, here's your chance.
Run for us in the 800-meter
this afternoon
and you can win for England.
That'll show them.
I'm afraid it's impossible, sir.
I'm asking you as
a personal favor to me, Flack.
I'm sorry, sir, but I can't.
I should think you'd
consider it an honor
to run for England.
An honor?
Let me set you straight about
something, Mr. Ambassador.
My grandfather was a Pommy.
That's what's carved
on his tombstone –
P-O-M-E,
prisoner of Mother England.
He was sent to Australia
as a convict,
a criminal
because he was in debt.
When the penal system
was finally abolished,
he worked hard and became
a respected member of the community,
owner of the biggest
meatpacking company in Victoria.
My father runs
the business today.
Eventually I'll take over
from him, I imagine.
What I'm saying, sir,
is that Australia is my country.
I consider it an honor
to run for her.
Quite frankly, I don't give
a damn for England...
or for most of the English.
You Aussies are a cocky lot.
It must be something
in the beer, sir.
Next is the 800-meter final.
The competitors
are Mr. Dáni of Hungary...
Gentlemen, take your marks.
...of France,
Mr. Blake of the United States,
Mr. Flack of Australia,
Mr. Schmidt of Germany,
and Mr. Versis of Greece.
Get set.
Come on, Skip!
Come on, come on!
Come on!
Yes! Come on!
Run, Skip!
Come on, Edwin!
Come on, come on, come on!
Come on!
Come on, Edwin!
Run, Skip!
Come on, Edwin!
Come on!
Edwin, come on!
Come on!
Yeah!
Which one won?
I don't know.
Come on!
Who was it?
It was close.
He won.
Blake?
We got a decision,
a split decision.
Give it to us.
The judges have ruled
that the winner
of the 800-meter final
is Mr. Flack of Australia.
Mr. Blake of the United States
is second.
In third place,
Mr. Dáni of Hungary.
Bravo.
Take a look at that.
All right, Flack!
All right, Skip!
I'll give him this much,
Wyngate –
the lad has style.
That's your son,
Mrs. Flack.
And yours, Mr. Flack.
Haven't done too badly
after all, have we?
Firing completed.
Check the score, please.
All right, Sumner,
which of us wins this one?
I don't mean to be churlish, John,
but you've already won
your gold medal.
Say no more, Sumner.
Say no more.
Next competitor, Mr. John Paine
of the United States.
You may commence firing.
Firing completed.
Check the score, please.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Good luck, Gardy.
Show them what you're made out of.
- I don't need luck, Coach.
- Attaboy.
Good luck.
Get set.
What's wrong, Williams?
I'm not swimming
in that water.
- Why not?
- It's freezing.
The high-jump bar
will now be raised
to 5 feet, 11 1/4 inches.
Mr. Garrett of the United States.
Go, Robert!
Go, Robert!
Next, Mr. Connolly
of the United States.
Come on, Jamie, let's go!
You can do this!
Next, Mr. Clark,
also of the United States.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the results are in.
Thanks for your patience.
"High jump –
"Clark first, Connolly second,
Garrett third. Stop.
"Broad jump –
"Clark first, Connolly second,
Garrett third. Stop.
"400-meter race –
"Burke first, Jamison second,
Lane third. Stop.
"Shot put – Garrett wins
second gold medal! Stop.
"1,500-meter race –
Blake second. Stop.
"25-meter revolvers –
"John Paine first,
Sumner Paine second. Stop.
"30-meter revolvers –
"Sumner Paine first,
John Paine second. Stop.
"800-meter race –
Blake second by hair. Stop.
"Swimmer down drain. Stop.
"Tomorrow last day. Stop.
Team delirious. Stop.
Hope you are same.
Stop. Graham."
Three cheers for Dr. Sloane!
I'll second that!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Come in.
Am I disturbing you?
Oh, Edwin.
Shouldn't you be
getting ready to leave?
I wanted to talk to you
about something before I left.
Where's Pa?
He's gone down
to see the desk clerk
about our travel arrangements.
Probably catch him
in the lobby.
Actually, it was you
I wanted to talk to.
I've decided not to go back
to Oxford after all.
I'm going home, and I'll finish off
at Trinity College.
Well...
I'm glad you've come to a decision.
You must be very relieved.
You mean you don't mind?
If it's what you want,
it's what I want.
I can't tell you how pleased
I am to hear you say that.
Actually, I've made
some very foolish mistakes
in the past, Edwin,
particularly, I'm ashamed to say,
where you're concerned.
- You don't have to –
- Please.
I want you to know
I've turned over a new leaf.
Now, at my age,
that may be difficult,
but I'm – I'm determined
to succeed.
That much I owe you.
Well, I've never known
you not to succeed...
especially when you
put your mind to a thing.
Lucky for me,
I have your father.
He's a very wise
and patient man.
- I'm just beginning to learn that.
- Yeah, so am I.
I suppose this means
we'll be traveling back
to Australia together.
Well, actually,
I'm afraid you'll be making
the voyage home by yourself.
Why's that?
Well, you see,
when we leave here,
your father and I
are going to England...
England?
On our second honeymoon.
Well, what do you
know about that?
"And the reporter regrets
any embarrassment
he has caused Mr. Garrett
as a result."
There. You see, Robert,
a complete retraction.
Wait, there's more.
I'm afraid, Robert,
like it or not,
you have an unshakable admirer
in this fool Koulermos.
"However, in this reporter's
humble opinion,
"Mr. Garrett should have made
the remarks attributed to him.
He has conquered the world
and put the Greeks to shame."
Hear, hear.
I certainly hope the Greeks
don't think I feel that way.
If they thought I was boasting –
No one thinks
you were boasting, Robert.
You won those medals
fair and square, didn't he, fellas?
Besides, we Greeks still have
a chance to win the marathon,
although, to tell you the truth,
most bets are on you
and the Greek boy – Spyros Louis.
All right, all right, all right!
Let's go! Let's go!
Blake, Garrett, the wagons
are ready and waiting!
You're off to the marathon.
Let's go!
- Let's go, you guys.
- Let's go, let's go.
Do you think you could have
a bicycle waiting out front
first thing in the morning?
Nice evening.
These our wagons down here?
Yes, Mr. Graham, these are
the new wagons down there.
Good luck, Skip.
This is your wagon over here.
Good, steady pace.
Good luck, Skip.
Good luck, Skip.
You can do it.
It's no distance at all.
Bring us back some more gold
from the mountains.
If I can carry any, I will.
Good luck, Robert.
I'll be waiting for you
at the end of that tunnel.
I'll get there
as soon as I can, Coach.
Good luck, Robert.
Good luck, Skip.
Goodbye.
I'll see you later.
Certainly, certainly.
We'll see you tomorrow.
Have a good night.
Good luck, Skip.
- Good luck, Skip!
- Good luck, Skip!
Keep a nice, even pace!
Mr. Persakis, what's all that?
It's the Greek boy I mentioned,
the shepherd
from Maroussi named –
Spyridon Louis.
That's right.
Good luck, Robert! Run!
Good luck, Robert!
All right, wish me luck.
Mr. Persakis,
what are they singing?
It's an old folk song –
"Out of a barren land,
out of a dead land,
"One great one goes...
the hope of Greece."
How about you?
Are you ready for this?
I think 40 kilometers
is more than anyone's
gonna be able to cope with.
A mile's about my limit.
After that, I'm finished.
These Greeks here have been
in training for a long time.
They mean business.
Louis, Spyros Louis.
Garrett.
- Robert Garrett?
- Yeah.
What did he say?
He says your name is very well-known
to all the Greeks now.
Please tell him that I said
nothing of the things
that were in the newspaper.
None of that was –
He would not know
anything about that.
He can't read nor write.
But he says
he sympathizes with you.
He sympathizes with me? Why?
What? What's he –
He says winning must be
like dying and going to heaven...
both frightening and beautiful.
Frightening because you must
go through it alone...
and beautiful because
it gives you eternal life.
Aionis zoi.
- Aionis zoi.
- Aionis zoi.
Eternal life.
Aionis zoi.
You're up early for a man
with a free day.
Coming to the stadium?
No, I got a little debt
to settle today.
Oh, yes?
Yeah.
Thanks.
I'll see you later, all right?
All right.
Are you sure you wouldn't rather
come to the stadium?
No, I'm not sure.
Mr. Flack, Mr. Blake,
good morning.
Good day for the marathon.
- Yeah, good day.
- Yes. Good luck.
The Greeks take their religion
very seriously, Mr. Garrett.
He's been
praying like this all night.
I watched him from here
till midnight...
and when I came back at dawn,
he was still here.
When that young man
runs today, Mr. Garrett...
he won't be running
merely for himself.
He will be running
for all Greeks like him...
for all those who share with him
the poverty, the ignorance,
the hopelessness
that is a peasant's life.
In his heart he understands
he will be carrying with him
their hopes and their dreams
when he enters
that stadium today.
For an illiterate shepherd,
Mr. Garrett,
that is a terrifying burden...
so he prays for strength.
I almost envy him.
Look at the height of that.
That's three feet!
I could jump that with a toothpick!
Listen to them!
They're laughing!
Those are the rules, Mr. Tyler.
The bar must start at three feet
and be raised one inch
after every jump until all
but one man has been eliminated.
- The competition's ridiculous.
- It sure is.
You're not required
to start jumping
until you think it is
at a height you wish to try.
We'll wait.
The next competitor,
Mr. Sjöberg of Sweden.
Gentlemen!
May I have your attention, please?
The marathon run
will be 40 kilometers –
or exactly 24 miles, 1,500 yards –
from here to the Panathenaic
Stadium in Athens.
When you reach the stadium,
you will make a turn
of the outer perimeter
before you enter
and go to the finish line.
Villages along the route have
set out drinks and refreshments
for the runners.
You are welcome
to help yourselves.
Medical attention will be available
for those who require it
in wagons traveling in front
of the runners and at the rear.
And now, if you will all
take your positions...
Line in twos on this path, please.
- Ready...
- Louis! Louis!
Go!
Look out.
The pole-vault bar
is now at four feet, three inches.
Wake me up
when they get to six feet.
What, are we allowed
to stop here?
Yes.
Thanks.
What is this, wine?
It's great.
Good on you, mate.
Thanks a lot.
Gentlemen, you must start
jumping now or withdraw.
But it's not high enough.
There are only
the two of you left.
Well, look, can we move
the bar up a bit?
I'm afraid that's impossible.
The rules, you see.
We know, we know.
One inch at a time.
We have just received word
that the marathon runners
have passed through
the village of Pikermi.
Mr. Blake of the United States
is in the lead.
Right!
Thank you very much.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Good, good, good.
Good, good, good.
I love this.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Will participants
in the 100-meter final
report to the start immediately.
100 meters –
let's go, let's go.
Good luck, good luck,
good luck.
If one of you doesn't win this,
you're on the boat back.
Gentlemen, take your marks.
Get set...
Run, run, run, run!
Let's go, let's go!
Burke, Burke, Burke!
Yeah!
Good running, good running.
Tommy!
Well done, Tommy!
I knew it was you
all the way, Tommy.
G'day. Can I have some of this?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
You're gonna be able to start
your own shrubbery soon.
Thanks, Ed.
I kind of like the sound of it –
"The Burke Olympiad."
Hey, move over, American.
"Listen, my children,
and you shall hear
"Of the midnight ride
of Paul Revere,
"On the eighteenth
of April in Seventy-Five;
"Hardly a man is still alive
Who remembers
that famous day and year."
Sorry, me Skip,
but alas I fear
That water's the best
we can do for you here.
But if you should win
this endless race,
We'll drown you in ouzo
by the case
And prop you up
and let them cheer
And name you
the biggest drunk of the year.
Come on, Skip, here we go.
This is a big turn
coming up here.
Take this turn right here.
The next event will be the final
for the 110-meter hurdles.
In lane one, Mr. Curtis
of the United States.
In lane two...
Go, Curtis. Good luck.
Stop that Goulding guy.
You and Hoyt
stop that Goulding guy!
From the United States...
They just called the hurdles.
I gotta go.
I'm sorry, Mr. Hoyt, you cannot
leave one event for another.
If I don't leave,
I can't run the hurdles.
There is nothing
I can do about it.
This is unbelievable!
What do you mean
there's nothing you can do?
Excuse me.
What's the problem?
I'm sorry, Mr. Graham,
it is now Mr. Tyler's turn.
If Mr. Hoyt is not here
to take his turn after that,
Mr. Tyler will win by default.
When does Mr. Tyler
have to make his jump?
As soon as he's ready.
Well, Tyler... you ready?
No, sir, no.
I've done something to my...
Thanks, Coach.
Goulding! Goulding! Goulding!
This man should not be competing.
I quite agree, Baron.
The man's a bloody nincompoop.
Still, beggars
can't be choosers.
He is the only professional
on our team.
These games are for amateurs.
Making money should never
intrude on the Olympic ideal.
Oh, you mean the perfect panacea
for a troubled world,
the selfless pursuit of lofty ideals
and so forth and so on?
Yes. Yes.
Two weeks – two little weeks
every four years.
Not too much to ask, is it?
Makes sense.
- 10 drachmas, Goulding wins.
- Okay, I'll take bet.
- Gentlemen, take your marks.
- I'll take the American.
Get set...
Go! Go, go, go!
Yeah!
Congratulations, Tommy.
Thanks.
Can you hold these for me?
Yeah, sure.
Only a silver?
Hardly worth waiting for.
Well, I've still got one chance
to get a gold.
- Aren't you forgetting something?
- What?
Me.
"Thus at the flaming forge of life
"Our fortunes must be wrought;
"Thus at the sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed
and thought!"
Come on!
Come on, Skip!
Skip!
You gotta get up!
Skip, you gotta get up.
Now, come on, now –
the meter.
Come on.
Catch your breath.
- Catch your breath.
- I'm all right.
Now, listen to the meter.
"Thus at the flaming forge" –
Here we go.
Here we go, Skip.
"Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes
must be wrought" –
Watch that turn.
"Thus at the sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed
and thought!"
Come on, Skip!
Looking good now! Let's go!
"Under the spreading chestnut tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he" –
I'm right here, Skip.
I can't make it.
I know.
...10 feet, 9 3/4 inches.
"Where Alph,
the sacred river, ran...
"Through caverns
measureless to man...
Down to a sunless sea."
They're coming.
Keep going.
Keep going.
And win!
We're at the end, Skip.
It's the end.
Remember the day
we had the fight?
You remember that?
That eliminates Mr. Tyler.
Mr. Hoyt of the United States
is the winner.
The marathon runners have now
reached the outer perimeter
and will soon enter the stadium.
Spyridon Louis of Greece
is in the lead.
Mr. Robert Garrett
of the United States is second.
Go, now, Robert!
Come on, Robert, go!
Spyros! Spyros! Spyros!
- Come on!
- Take him! Come on!
No!
Louis! Louis! Louis!
Louis! Louis! Louis!
Robert Garrett?
Baron.
Congratulations.
Sir, congratulations
really belong to you.
Robert Garrett,
I'm going to tell you the truth.
I do feel like one of you –
an athlete in the stadium
after the longest, toughest race –
elated and exhausted.
And you've won.
Come.
Where are you from?
Just outside Melbourne.
Good performance, Mr. Flack.
Thank you, sir.
You Americans did very well.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Mr. Curtis.
Nice meeting you.
It was really good.
Mr. Garrett, sir.
That was excellent,
Mr. Garrett.
Pistol champion.
- Well done.
- Well done.
We appreciate your winning.
Louis! Louis! Louis!
Here they come!
There's Mr. Connolly!
Right, now! Get that flag up!
I think he's coming!
James!
Jamie! Over here!
Jamie, come on!
Jamie!
Our champion!
Mike, I want you
to meet somebody.
All right? Stay here.
Thank you, sir.
How are you?
I guess you came down
to meet the team, then, huh?
- What?
- Ah, the hell with it!
Listen, I want you to meet
my Uncle Mike, okay? Come on.
Hello.
You're the little lass, are you?
It's lovely meeting you.
And Garrett!
Mr. Garrett!
- Welcome back, Mr. Garrett!
- Welcome home!
Robert! Robert, over here!
Mother.
- You look wonderful.
- Oh, so do you.
Oh, I'm so proud of you, Robert –
so very proud.
That makes it all worthwhile.
Mother...
you remember Cathy –
Catherine Baker?
Hello, Mrs. Garrett.
Oh, yes, of course.
How lovely to see you again.
I've asked Cathy to be my wife,
and she's accepted.
Robert, I told you
this wasn't the time.
We want to be married soon.
All we need is your blessing.
Well, how can I refuse?
I only want your happiness.
I make it a policy
never to resist the inevitable.
And looking at you both,
I can see that...
this is inevitable.
Bless you.
Bless you both.
William!
William... Mary...
Hello, John.
John, well...
was it worth it?
It was wonderful.
I'd do it again for...
half the pay.
Well, I'm glad to hear that,
Mr. Graham,
because I received a tele –
What's going on?
Gentlemen!
What is going on?!
For he's a jolly good fellow
For he's a jolly good fellow
Which nobody can deny
Which nobody can deny,
which nobody can deny
Thank you.
I think you all should know
what your remarkable
achievements have accomplished.
Only this morning,
I received this telegram
from the Baron de Coubertin,
the gentleman who's responsible
for reviving these games
in the first place.
Bravo!
He has appointed me...
a permanent member
of the International
Olympics Committee.
And I am –
Wait.
And I am here required
to begin recruiting a team
for the next Olympics –
Paris, 1900.
Will there be women in the next
Olympics, William? Women?
If I have anything to say, they will.
We shall be there!
So, my dear, dear friends,
you seem to have
started something.
May it never end.
Please, everybody, please,
stay as you are. Please.
Mr. Skoukilakis.
I want a picture of the victorious team
for my newspaper.
Is that all right, gentlemen?
Come round, come round.
Yeah, one more photograph!
One more!
Get them all. All of them.
How's this, sir?
It's beautiful.
Never have I seen
a picture so beautiful.
Dr. William Milligan Sloane
retained his seat
on the International
Olympic Committee
and organized
the 1912 Stockholm Games,
although he was unable to keep
his promise to Madame Schumann
establishing the participation
of women in the Olympic games
until 1928.
Impressed with the symbolism
of the first marathon,
John Graham
and the Boston Athletic Association
organized the first
Boston Marathon in 1897.
It has been run every year since.
Robert Garrett
finished his Princeton days
as president of his class.
A successful banker, he never
lost his interest in education,
and many of his concepts
are still part
of the school curriculum
all over America.
James Brendan Connolly
became a novelist,
ironically specializing
in tales of the sea.
He finally returned
to Harvard University
40 years later
and was presented
with an honorary degree.
The event was organized
by his lifelong friend
Charles Arthur Blake,
who became a respected
Boston insurance executive
and raised a large family.
He never lost his love of poetry
and published
many verses of his own.
Edwin Flack returned to Australia,
where he completed his education,
married, and raised a family,
and took over the family
meatpacking business.
Spyridon Louis finished his army
service, returned to his village,
and married Eleni
and had three sons.
He refused to accept
the 100,000 drachmas prize money
and never ran another race.
To this day, he remains
a symbol of national pride.
The inscription
on his gravestone reads
"Blessed by the gods,
a hero of Greece."
Baron Pierre de Coubertin
lived to see the modern Olympics
become a permanent tradition.
On his deathbed,
he made a strange request –
his heart was to be buried
in ancient Olympia.
Now every fourth year,
when the athletes of the world
join together
in peaceful competition,
his spirit lives on.