Minute 102: If You Explode That Bomb

Airport Minute Podcast

Summary

Gwen and Ada are continuing their play-acting in Row 23. Mr Davidson objects.

“Can’t you see the lady is upset?” asks Mr. Davidson.

“I told you, keep out of it!” says Gwen, shoving him aside. She grabs the weeping Ada. “Sit down and be quiet!” she says, yanking Ada into her seat.

“You hurt me!” wails Ada, “You hurt me!” Ada begins to sob, loudly.

“Stop it,” yells Gwen. “You’re hysterical!” Gwen leans over and slaps Ada across the face. The passengers react in shock. Mr. Davidson grabs Gwen by the shoulders to restrain her.

Ada turns toward Guerrero, who has been purposefully ignoring all the drama. As Ada turns, she throws her arms around Guerrero’s neck. “Help me!” she yells. “Please, help me!” Guerrero lets go of the attaché case as he tries to pry Ada’s arms from around his neck.

From the First Class compartment, Vern sweeps the aisle curtain open and races to the back of the Tourist cabin. While Ada keeps Guerrero occupied, Gwen lunges forward and grabs the briefcase from Guerrero’s lap. “No!” roars Guerrero.

Gwen pivots to hand Vern the briefcase, but Marcus Rathbone intervenes.

“That’s personal property!” shouts Rathbone, snatching the briefcase out of Gwen’s hands. “You have no right to take it away from him. Rathbone passes the briefcase back to Guerrero, who is now standing in the aisle. Vern reaches for Guerrero’s briefcase, but is blocked by Rathbone. There is a crowd of passengers and crew now standing in the aisle, blocking Vern from getting any closer to Guerrero.

“Stop! No!” shouts Guerrero, now standing next to the Tourist cabin galley. “You stay where you are! Don’t — try to get any closer!” He holds the briefcase now at chest height towards the Tourist section. No one speaks. There is only the sound of the jet engines as background noise.

“Guerrero, listen to me,” says Vern, calmly. “Do you hear me? Listen: they know about you on the ground. Your insurance is no good! It’s canceled, it’s worthless. No one has ever gotten away with a thing like this.” Guerrero looks at Vern with a puzzled and sad expression.

“No one has ever collected a penny,” continues Vern. “You won’t help your family – – you’ll only hurt ’em. You’ll kill yourself for nothing if you explode that bomb.” At the mention of the word “bomb,” the crowd panics but Vern calms them down. “Stay where you are!” he says to the passengers.

Guerrero looks increasingly confused and distant. “Your family will be hounded,” says Vern.

In this minute

Whit Bissell as Mr. Davidson
Jacqueline Bisset as Gwen Meighan
Helen Hayes as Ada Quonsett
Van Heflin as D.O. Guerrero
Pat Priest as Mrs. Copeland
Janis Hansen as Sister Katherine Grace
Dean Martin as Vernon Demerest
Peter Turgeon as Marcus Rathbone
Patti Poulsen as Stewardess Joan