The Rocketeer 1991

In the scorching summer of 1938, Los Angeles played host to a tale of high-flying adventure and low-down intrigue. At an LA airfield, pilot Cliff Secord (Bill Campbell) was busy acquainting himself with his trusty steed, the GeeBee, alongside his mechanic and confidant, Peevy (Alan Arkin). The duo had grand plans to take center stage at a national air show within the year, but their enthusiasm was about to be tested by a pair of ruthless gangsters. As Cliff took to the skies for a test run, he inadvertently found himself in the midst of a high-stakes shootout between the gang and the FBI.

The gang’s driver, Wilmer, mistook Cliff’s GeeBee for law enforcement and opened fire, prompting Cliff to make an emergency landing on the runway. The gangsters fled into a nearby hangar, where they discovered their partner had fallen victim to the crossfire. With his comrade down, Wilmer made off with the stolen package and left the scene in disarray.

Cliff’s hasty exit from the GeeBee was met with flames engulfing the aircraft, while Wilmer’s sedan careened into a fuel truck, sparking an explosion that sent debris flying. As the dust settled, the FBI launched an investigation, but their inquiries were met with stonewalling from Cliff and Peevy.

The authorities’ attention turned to the mysterious package, which they believed had been destroyed in the chaos. Meanwhile, the enigmatic Howard Hughes (Terry O’Quinn) received a visit from the FBI, only to be left scratching his head after being presented with an old vacuum cleaner masquerading as the stolen device. Hughes’ decision to abandon plans for a replica was a tacit acknowledgement that the technology in question was too volatile to be trifled with.

As tensions simmered, Cliff and Peevy found themselves at odds with Bigelow (Jon Polito), the airfield’s proprietor, who sought to recoup his losses by saddling them with an onerous task: performing a humiliating “Clown Act” at his annual air shows. With their debt mounting and prospects dwindling, Cliff and Peevy were forced to confront the harsh realities of their situation, all while navigating the treacherous landscape of 1930s Los Angeles.

As Cliff delves into the intricacies of their biplane’s mechanics, a personal touch takes precedence - he carefully places his girlfriend’s photograph in the cockpit, a sentimental gesture that speaks volumes about his priorities. However, his attention is soon diverted to an unexpected discovery beneath the seat: Wilmer’s clandestine package has been hiding in plain sight. The contents of the mysterious parcel are revealed, and Cliff’s curiosity gets the better of him as he fiddles with the device, triggering a cacophony of roars and whirring machinery. The rocket-powered contraption careens wildly around the room before finally crashing into an office, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. With the device silenced, Peevy’s brow furrows in bewilderment, prompting Cliff to scrutinize the metal casing for any clues as to its purpose.

As it becomes apparent that the device is indeed a rocket pack, both men are left agog at the prospect of harnessing such technology. The allure of financial gain proves too great for Cliff to resist, and he sees an opportunity to monetize this innovation. Peevy’s trepidation stems from their dubious means of acquiring the device, but ultimately relents, allowing Cliff to pursue his vision. A helmet is soon conceptualized to accompany the rocket pack, born from a somber reminder of the statue of Charles Lindbergh that suffered in the aftermath of their initial experimentation.

Meanwhile, tensions simmer within the ranks of Eddie Valentine’s (Paul Sorvino) gangster organization as he confronts Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton), his employer, about the botched operation. Sinclair’s urgency to reclaim the rocket package is palpable, and he dispatches Lothar (Tiny Ron), his enforcer, to intercept Wilmer at the hospital and extract information about the device’s whereabouts.

As Cliff prepares to collect his girlfriend, Jenny Blake (Jennifer Connelly), a budding actress with aspirations on the silver screen, her enthusiasm for Neville Sinclair’s latest film is infectious. The Errol Flynn-esque actor has crafted an aviation-themed epic, “Wings of Honor,” which piques Jenny’s interest. Cliff’s initial reservations are tempered when he learns about the movie’s plot, and they make their way to the theater, where he embellishes the truth about their test flight, downplaying any mishaps with a dismissive “just a few bumps” on landing.

As Lothar, a towering figure with an unflattering visage, corners Wilmer at the hospital, the truth begins to unravel like a thread from a worn tapestry. Wilmer’s confession is laced with desperation as he reveals that he secretly stashed a fake package in the car before its explosive demise, keeping it hidden from prying federal eyes. His words spill out like a pent-up dam, and Lothar’s response is swift and merciless - a brutal folding of Wilmer’s very existence.

Meanwhile, Cliff and Jenny enjoy a dinner date at the Bulldog Cafe, where Cliff’s old friend Malcolm (Eddie Jones) regales them with the tale of what really transpired during that fateful test flight. The revelation stings Jenny like a lash, and she storms out, leaving Cliff to ponder the consequences of his deception.

The next morning, Cliff returns home to find Peevy’s latest invention - a helmet with an integrated rudder - waiting for him like an unwanted visitor. His reaction is less than enthusiastic, but it pales in comparison to the turmoil brewing between Jenny and Neville Sinclair, the suave and cunning film director. As Cliff tries to make amends with Jenny by sharing the truth about the rocket, he inadvertently upends part of the movie set, earning him a spot on Neville’s black list.

Neville takes advantage of the situation, inviting Jenny to be his date at the exclusive South Seas Club that night - a move that leaves her reeling. Little does she know, Neville has already overheard Cliff’s conversation with her and is determined to extract every last detail from her about the mysterious rocket.

At the airfield, chaos reigns as Bigelow growls at Peevy to get the stunt show back on track before they both face the axe. Malcolm, ever the quick thinker, seizes an opportunity to help his friend in need by donning a clown costume and taking to the skies in the old biplane.

As Eddie Valentine and his gang lurk in the shadows, they’re left scratching their heads after failing to uncover the rocket’s whereabouts - but they do manage to snatch Jenny’s photograph from the plane, hoping she might hold the key to unlocking the mystery.

As Cliff (character name) and Peevy (character name) begin to grasp the magnitude of Malcolm’s aerial endeavors, their concern morphs into alarm. It’s been over two decades since Malcolm (Malcolm) last piloted a plane, and the biplane’s erratic behavior is a stark reminder of his rusty skills. The aircraft sputters and smoke billows from the engine, prompting Cliff to take matters into his own hands. With a rocket pack strapped to his back, he blasts off into the sky, soaring above the stands and sending shockwaves through the crowd as he swoops in to rescue Malcolm mere seconds before the biplane crashes to the ground.

As Cliff flies over the city, he casually salutes a commercial airliner passing by, inadvertently shutting off the rocket pack’s power source. He plummets toward the earth but manages to reignite the thrusters just in time, careening wildly through the air before finally crash-landing in a nearby pond with a dazed expression on his face. Peevy (Peevy) arrives soon after, only to find Cliff shaken but exhilarated by the experience.

The two friends then utilize the rocket pack’s propulsion system to make a hasty exit from their predicament – or so they think, as they mistake a convoy of Valentine’s goons for news reporters. In reality, these vehicles belong to none other than Lothar (Lothar), who is hell-bent on retrieving the coveted rocket.

Meanwhile, Bigelow (Bigelow) meets his untimely demise at the hands of Lothar, leaving behind a cryptic message scrawled on a piece of paper – Cliff & Peevy’s address. This discovery sends Lothar straight to their doorstep, where he confronts them about the rocket and its whereabouts.

As the FBI arrives to inquire about the Rocketeer (Rocketeer), Lothar opens fire on the agents, reducing their surroundings to rubble. Amidst the chaos, Cliff & Peevy manage to escape with the rocket, dodging bullets and debris as they make a desperate bid for freedom.

At the South Seas Club, Jenny’s night takes a radiant turn as she accompanies Neville (Sinclair) among his illustrious acquaintances, including the inimitable W.C. Fields. Meanwhile, Neville excuses himself to confer with Eddie Valentine, the club’s enigmatic proprietor, whose ire is raised by Wilmer’s untimely demise and Neville’s apparent romantic entanglements while he toils behind the scenes to track down the elusive rocket. Unbeknownst to Jenny, her evening’s tranquility is about to be shattered.

In a hidden alcove above the Bulldog Cafe, Cliff and Peevy lie low, their clandestine presence masked by the cafe’s bustling atmosphere. Peevy finally succeeds in convincing Cliff to relinquish his grip on the rocket pack, which rightfully belongs to its original owners. Just as Cliff prepares to notify the local FBI office, a pair of Valentine’s henchmen burst into the cafe, demanding information about Secord’s whereabouts - blissfully unaware of Cliff’s true identity. Their desperation culminates in the brutal mistreatment of Peevy, who ultimately yields a crucial detail: the photo of Jenny on the cafe’s wall bears an uncanny resemblance to the one recovered from the plane wreckage.

The thugs, fueled by their zeal for Secord, contact the number associated with the photograph and discover that Jenny is currently socializing with Neville Sinclair. As the stakes escalate, Cliff seizes the initiative, countering the gun-wielding thug with a flurry of punches, ultimately rendering him insensate. With Jenny’s safety uppermost in his mind, Cliff dons the rocket pack, vowing to extricate her from the South Seas Club as soon as possible - and, simultaneously, to return the rocket once its mission is accomplished.

Peevy intervenes just in time, noticing a telltale leak emanating from the rocket’s damaged exterior. With his trusty chewing gum, Peevy fabricates an impromptu patch, which appears to stem the flow and allow Cliff to take to the night sky once more.

As Cliff infiltrates the South Seas Club, masquerading as a busboy, he discreetly delivers a tray of complimentary soup to Neville and Jenny. His ruse culminates in an “accidental” spill on Jenny’s dress, which provides the perfect pretext for him to whisk her away from Neville’s grasp. With the utmost sincerity, Cliff warns Jenny that her life is under threat - Bigelow’s demise has left a power vacuum, and those responsible may also have her in their crosshairs. He implores her to seek refuge with her mother north of town for a few days, assuring her that his motivations stem from a desire to protect her well-being rather than any lingering feelings of jealousy.

As the thugs converge on Secord, Cliff seizes the opportunity to reclaim his trusty rocket from its hiding spot in the laundry room. With a burst of speed and agility, he lifts off into the night sky, hovering above the lavish ballroom of Neville’s exclusive club, leaving the stunned patrons agape. Jenny lingers for a moment, her eyes fixed on Cliff as he soars through the air, before the thugs unleash a hail of gunfire that ravages the opulent venue. With his quick reflexes, Cliff makes a daring escape by blasting through the glass tile roof, leaving the club in ruins.

Meanwhile, Neville has his sights set on Jenny, ambushing her with chloroform as she remains at the club, oblivious to the danger lurking nearby. When Jenny awakens at Neville’s lair, he feigns innocence, claiming he’s being blackmailed by sinister forces. However, Jenny isn’t fooled, recognizing Sinclair’s rehearsed lines as a ploy to gain her trust. With a swift and decisive blow, she dispatches Sinclair with a vase, making her escape.

As she navigates Neville’s domain, Jenny stumbles upon a secret room filled with an arsenal of radio equipment. Attempting to send out a distress signal, she instead picks up snippets of conversation in German, her suspicions about Neville’s true nature growing. Her discovery of a book adorned with a swastika symbol serves as the final piece of evidence, revealing Neville Sinclair for what he truly is: a Nazi spy. Lothar, his loyal accomplice, attacks Jenny and subdues her, rendering her powerless.

Cliff returns to the Bulldog Cafe to find Peevy nowhere in sight. A phone call from Eddie Valentine brings grave news: they’re holding Jenny captive and demand that Cliff hand over the rocket in exchange for her safe return. The instructions are clear: meet them at the local observatory at 4 AM to facilitate the trade. Before Cliff can react, the FBI swoops in, apprehending him and whisking him away.

At Howard Hughes’ behest, Cliff is brought before Peevy, who’s been busy tinkering with the rocket pack’s schematics and making a few innovative modifications. Hughes is impressed by Peevy’s handiwork, particularly the addition of a rudder to the helmet. Peevy shares their incredible discovery about the rocket, and Hughes is convinced they’re telling the truth. The mogul reveals that the rocket pack was stolen from his factory, and it’s imperative they recover it.

Hughes then presents Cliff with compelling visual evidence: footage smuggled out of Germany depicting German scientists working on a similar rocket pack. However, their prototype backfires catastrophically, leaving the test pilot scarred and burned. The Nazi propaganda film that follows showcases rocket-pack-equipped soldiers descending upon foreign soil – including the United States – as an unstoppable airborne force, sending a chilling message about the dangers of unchecked aggression.

As Cliff’s determination never wavers, he insists on utilizing the rocket one final time to rescue his beloved girlfriend from the clutches of the ruthless Valentine Gang. The FBI agents, however, are skeptical and reveal that the gang is merely a pawn in a larger game orchestrated by a Nazi agent whose identity remains unknown. Cliff pieces together the puzzle, deducing that Neville Sinclair must be the mastermind behind the operation, but his theory falls on deaf ears as the agents dismissively chuckle.

Undeterred, Cliff makes a daring escape from Howard Hughes’ factory, leveraging a prototype “Spruce Goose” to glide to freedom. He subsequently reunites with Neville Sinclair and the Valentine Gang at Griffith Observatory, where they demand he surrender the rocket in exchange for Jenny’s safe release. Cliff probes Valentine about his motivations, asking if he derives pleasure from serving a Nazi, prompting a mixture of shock and disgust.

Jenny corroborates Cliff’s suspicions by recalling the presence of German forces on Sinclair’s radio broadcasts, further eroding Valentine’s resolve. With Valentine now turned against Sinclair, the erstwhile ally unleashes a team of German Strike Commandos from their hiding spots. These commandos are bolstered by the ominous presence of a zeppelin hovering above the observatory, its searchlights casting an eerie glow.

As tensions escalate, the FBI, having discovered ransom demands among Cliff’s belongings, orders everyone to surrender their weapons. The Germans attempt to evacuate, prompting the Feds and gangsters to unite against them. A tense standoff ensues as both parties warn each other to keep their fire away from the potentially explosive zeppelin.

Neville, confident that Cliff will now come to him, takes Jenny hostage aboard the airship. Unbeknownst to Sinclair, Cliff seizes a weapon from a fallen German commando and hurtles towards the zeppelin, targeting its tail section and crippling its steering. Lothar launches himself at Cliff on top of the airship, suspended by a cord. Despite the odds, Cliff manages to send Lothar plummeting to his doom.

With the situation now more precarious than ever, Cliff finds himself face-to-face with Neville, who holds Jenny hostage and brandishes a gun. Seeing no other option, Cliff reluctantly removes the rocket, slyly ensuring that Peevy’s gum covering the bullet hole remains intact as he surrenders the device to Sinclair.

As flames engulfed the zeppelin, Cliff and Jenny struggled to comprehend their dire circumstances. In a desperate bid to aid her companions, Jenny brandished a gun she had discovered in the storage compartment, unaware that it was actually a flare gun. The ensuing conflagration quickly spread throughout the cockpit, prompting Neville Sinclair to seize the opportunity to make his escape by piloting the rocket. However, the fuel leak soon proved catastrophic, engulfing Sinclair’s body in flames as he plummeted towards the iconic “Hollywoodland” sign. In a tragic conclusion, Sinclair’s rocket and his own life were consumed by the inferno.

As Cliff and Jenny struggled to survive amidst the chaos, they clung to each other, their love blossoming in the face of adversity. Meanwhile, Lothar was forced to endure the blast, held fast by his tether as the zeppelin erupted into a fiery maelstrom.

Miraculously, Peevy and Howard Hughes (Howard Hughes) appeared on the scene, piloting Hughes’ innovative auto-gyro prototype. Dangling a rope ladder, they enabled Cliff and Jenny to escape just as their airship was consumed by the flames.

The following morning, Peevy perused the newspaper, only to discover that the FBI had concocted a cover story to conceal Neville Sinclair’s Nazi affiliations. According to the official account, Sinclair had met his demise in a tragic accident resulting from zeppelin debris. Undeterred, Cliff, Peevy, and Jenny ventured outdoors, where they were greeted by the sight of a small plane (reminiscent of the GeeBee) touching down on the street. Howard Hughes, once again at the controls, revealed that this gift was a token of his appreciation for their assistance in resolving the rocket pack fiasco.

Cliff’s stunned silence gave way to Jenny’s surprise announcement: she had pilfered the schematics for the rocket pack from Neville Sinclair’s estate. As they basked in the warmth of their newfound love, Peevy busied himself planning improvements and upgrades for the rocket pack, setting the stage for future adventures.