Andrew Mynarski

Script

Andrew Mynarski “Good night, Mr. Brophy”

SUMMARY

PAGE ONE

Andrew Mynarski and Pat Brophy were good friends – besides being part of the same flight crew, they often socialized together. With Mynarski in the mid-upper turret and Brophy in the rear turret of their Lancaster bomber, the men had formed a wartime bond.

The night of June 13, the Lancaster they were in encountered heavy fire, and the crew was ordered to evacuate the plane. Seeing that Brophy’s turret was jammed, Mynarski crawled through the fiery rear of the plane to try and rescue his good friend. Brophy ordered Mynarski to abandon both him and the plane; miraculously, Brophy survived the crash. Mynarski was not so lucky.

NEXT IMAGE

The Lancaster bomber in flames

The Lancaster bomber, A for Able descends, the port engines on fire.

CAPTION: OVER OCCUPIED FRANCE 1944 JUNE 13

NEXT IMAGE

PAT BROPHY sits in the rear turret

In the rear turret, PAT BROPHY sits.

BROPHY (Thoughts): THE HYDRAULICS ARE GONE. IF I CAN’T TURN THE TURRET, I CAN’T BAIL OUT!

NEXT IMAGE

PAT BROPHY sits in the rear turret

Closer shot of Brophy.

BROPHY (thoughts): UNLESS I USE THE MANUAL CRANK!

NEXT IMAGE

The handle for the manual crank breaks off in his hand

The handle for the manual crank breaks off in his hand.

SFX: Snap!

NEXT IMAGE

The Lancaster engines still on fire

The Lancaster, with two engines still on fire and a trapped rear gunner, continues its descent.

Top of Page

PAGE TWO

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy and Andy sip a couple of pints

CAPTION: PREVIOUSLY…

Brophy and Andy sip a couple of pints in an English pub.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy pulls out darts from the board

Andy pulls a flight of darts from the dart board while Brophy waits his turn at the line.

ANDY: DOES YOUR HUSBAND PLAY DARTS BETTER THAN YOU, PAT?

BROPHY: I THINK YOU MEAN, “BETTER THAN YOU, SIR.”

NEXT IMAGE

Andy pantomimes leaning over the handlebars of a bike while Brophy laughs

Andy pantomimes leaning over the handlebars of a bike while Brophy laughs.

ANDY: SO I’M RACING DOWNHILL AND I SEE THIS KID WAITING WITH A HOCKEY STICK…

NEXT IMAGE

The men lean on each other outside a tent marked “Officers’ Quarters,” singing in a ragged unison.

BROPHY: YOU’LL GET NO PROMOTION THIS SIDE OF THE OCEAN…

ANDY: YOU’LL GET NO PROMOTION THIS SIDE OF THE OCEAN…

SLEEPER (WITHIN): KEEP IT DOWN!

NEXT IMAGE

Andy snaps off a salute

Andy takes a step back, mock solemnity on his face and snaps off a smart salute. Brophy returns it.

BROPHY: GOOD NIGHT, IRISH.

ANDY: GOOD NIGHT, SIR!

Top of Page

PAGE THREE

NEXT IMAGE

CAPTION: THE CREW PREPARES FOR A NIGHT OPERATION TO HIT A RAIL YARD IN CAMBRAI.

Andy, now kitted out for flight with Mae West and cold-weather gear and lit by a summer sunset. His eyes are downcast.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy Mynarski has a four leaf clover in his hands

Close on a four-leaf clover that Andy plucks.

CAPTION: THEIR THIRTEENTH OPERATION.

PANEL THREE

Andy hands the clover to Brophy, as they are about to board the Lancaster.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy joins Brophy at the rear hatch of Lancaster VR-A

ANDY: HERE PAT, FOR LUCK.

BROPHY: YEAH?

Tucks the four-leaf clover into his helmet.

ANDY: IT’S JUST US GUNNERS IN THE BACK. YOU TAKE IT.

Top of Page

PAGE FOUR

NEXT IMAGE

Andy occupies the mid-upper gunner position

The A for Able, and other planes like it, fly through the night.

Andy occupies the mid-upper gunner position. He scans the skies.

BODIE (Over radio): NAVIGATOR TO CREW. WE’RE OVER FRANCE. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN.

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy in the rear turret

Brophy, in the rear gunner position swivels his turret.

BROPHY: I’D FEEL SAFER AT 20,000 FEET. DOWN HERE–

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy's face illuminates with terror as the searchlight floods the aircraft with light

Brophy’s face illuminates with terror as the searchlight floods the aircraft with light.

BROPHY (Thought bubble): SEARCHLIGHT! THEY’VE CONED US!

PANEL FOUR

the Lancaster drops into a descending right-hand turn

Exterior shot — the Lancaster drops into a descending right-hand turn but is brilliantly lit by three searchlights from below.

Top of Page

PAGE FIVE

NEXT IMAGE

In the cockpit

In the cockpit, De Breyne hunches forward, the control wheel swiveled like a steering wheel at a 45 degree angle.

DE BREYNE: HANG ON!

CAPTION: PILOT ART DE BREYNE TRIES TO EVADE THE SEARCHLIGHTS.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy grimaces against G-forces in his mid-upper position

Andy and Pat Brophy scan the skies one-eyed for fighters.

NEXT IMAGE

The lights slide off the aircraft and the fuselage is plunged in darkness again

The lights slide off the aircraft and the fuselage is plunged in darkness again.

From the flight deck, Vigars puts a congratulatory hand on De Breyne’s shoulder.

VIGARS: GOOD JOB, ART!

An uneasy peace settles over the crew, it was too soon to tell if they were safe.

NEXT IMAGE

Sharing the aft table, Friday looks significantly at Bodie.

FRIDAY: UNLESS A NIGHT-FIGHTER’S GOT US…

NEXT IMAGE

DE BREYNE

DE BREYNE (Radio): THAT’S ENOUGH. LET’S GET ON WITH IT. NAVIGATION?

NEXT IMAGE

Brodie checks his instruments

Brodie checks his instruments.

BODIE: YOU GOT IT, SKIPPER. COME LEFT, ZERO-FOUR-ZERO…

PANEL EIGHT

The Lancaster, dark, flies into the distance.

The Lancaster, dark, flies into the distance. In the very near foreground, the cowl of a Ju-88 night fighter inches into view…

Top of Page

PAGE SIX

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy peers down through his turret

Brophy peers down through his turret.

NEXT IMAGE

The JU-88 appears briefly between two clouds.

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy squints closer

Brophy squints closer.

NEXT IMAGE

Lancaster bomber tail

BROPHY (Radio): BOGEY ASTERN, SIX O’CLOCK!

NEXT IMAGE

Art De Breyne begins evasive maneuvers.

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy searches to locate the JU-88 again.

NEXT IMAGE

The JU-88 emerges from a cloud, firing.

PAGE EIGHT

The fuselage has been hit

Full-page horror at 5,000 feet.

The night fighter, immediately beneath the Lanc. The nightfighter’s guns are angled upward at a 45-degree angle.

SFX: ACK-ACK-ACK-ACK!

The fuselage is raked and the fuel tank between the port engines ignites into a streaming fireball!

SFX: K-K-KOFF! KA-BOOM!

Top of Page

PAGE NINE

NEXT IMAGE

Art De Breyne flying the plane

Art De Breyne, flying the plane.

DE BREYNE: We’re going down! Everyone bail! Move!

NEXT IMAGE

red light flashing

An oasis of calm. Andy looks down. A red light at his position is flashing.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy unhooks his harness and prepares to descend to the main fuselage.

ANDY: I’M GETTING THE LIGHT TO BAIL. IF YOU CAN READ ME AT ALL, PAT, I’LL SEE YOU ON THE GROUND.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy shielding his face against the smoke and heat

The fuselage is lit with flame. Shielding his face against the smoke and heat, Andy moves to the crew door.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy opens the rear hatch

Andy opens the rear hatch, parachute on his back, ready to step out into the slipstream.

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy is just barely visible through the partially-open doors to his position

Andy’s point of view — down the aft flaming fuselage, Brophy is just barely visible through the partially-open doors, struggling to free himself from the turret.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy turns from the open hatch

Andy turns from the open hatch.

ANDY: PAT! HE’S TRAPPED!

Top of Page

PAGE TEN

NEXT IMAGE

Andy drops to his knees and crawls along the burning aft fuselage

Andy drops to his knees and crawls along the burning aft fuselage over the rear spar, straight through the blazing hydraulic fluid which coats his arms, legs and parachute.

ANDY: -KOFF KOFF!- BROPHY!

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy sees Andy approach, trousers in flames.

BROPHY: GO BACK! IT’S JAMMED! DON’T TRY!

ANDY: HANG ON!

NEXT IMAGE

Andy and Brophy heave on the jammed door

The two men heave on the jammed vertical metal door.

NEXT IMAGE

It gives a little, but not enough. Andy in desperation and pain tears at the doors with his bare hands.

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy tells Andy to go

BROPHY: GO BACK, ANDY. GET OUT!

When Brophy waves him away Andy hangs his head and nods, as though ashamed to leave.

Top of Page

PAGE ELEVEN

NEXT IMAGE

Eyes tightly closed, Andy returns to the aft crew door at a crawl, his face clenched in pain, both physical and emotional.

NEXT IMAGE

Andy stands and salutes Brophy

The iconic image — Andy stands at the threshold of the crew door, looking back at Pat Brophy. He salutes.

ANDY (hoarse): GOOD NIGHT, SIR.

NEXT IMAGE

Same shot as before, but the crew door is empty of all but smoke and starlight.

Top of Page

PAGE TWELVE

NEXT IMAGE

A haggard-looking Pat Brophy looks downward

CAPTION: ENGLAND, ONE YEAR LATER…

A haggard-looking Pat Brophy looks downward. Standing at a table in a pub, surrounded by all the members of the crew except Andrew Mynarski.

BROPHY: IT’S A MIRACLE I SURVIVED. THE CRASH THREW ME FREE OF THE TURRET. THE FRENCH FOUND ME, HELPED ME TIL I COULD GET BACK TO ENGLAND.

NEXT IMAGE

The men listen to Pat Brophy with serious faces

All these men are emotionally scarred from their experience. They listen to Pat Brophy with serious faces.

BROPHY: YOU KNOW, MY WATCH STOPPED WHEN WE GOT SHOT. 13 MINUTES AFTER MIDNIGHT, THE 13TH OF JUNE ON OUR 13TH OPERATION. ANDY… HE– HE WOULD HAVE MADE IT…

NEXT IMAGE

Brophy covers his face with a hand.

DE BREYNE: ANDY LOOKED AFTER HIS OWN.

NEXT IMAGE

Each of the men raises a glass

Each of the men raises a glass.

ALL: TO ANDY.

NEXT IMAGE

Andrew Mynarski's gravestone near Cambrai France

A shot of Andrew Mynarski’s gravestone near Cambrai France.

CAPTION: TO ANDY.

Top of Page

Credits

ArtistNicholas Burns
Sound Designer, Recorder & MixerScott Enns
Sound SupervisorScott Enns
WriterRyan FitzGerald

Top of Page

Experience the
Stories
Andrew Mynarski
Experience the
Stories
Andrew Mynarski