DC-3s

[Paul Mackin]

Adam T writes:

> I just saw _Casablanca_ again, and am consequently still drunk, as I have
> to drink heavily every time I see the first Rick-Ilse scene, but does
> anyone find any significance in the DC-3 Slothrop discovers Richard
> Halliburton (Princeton '22, btw) in?  I think it's mentioned in _GR_ that
> it's of the same class as the '36 Ford, exempt from the K.H. and a kind,
> preterite machine, but I might just be making that up.  In any event it's
> also the plane that Victor and Ilse escape in; I think there's something to
> this, the Gooney Bird being the Flight of Redemption.  But Laszlo is
> clearly Elect.  Is Rick?  Is Louis?

Don't know if I fully "get" Adam's post, but having riden in a
lot of DC-3s and even more '36 V-8s can't help jumping
in.

Before the DC-6 came along (which STILL  had to stop in Chicago),
the elite, if not necessarily the elect,  used these esentially
unpressurized babies--if they didn't want to have to take the train.

But the last DC-3 I rode on was from Tampa to Havana in '79
during Jimmy Carter's window of opportunity (for us to do it legally, that is).
So if Cuba was using them they were by this time preterite as you
can get. The preterite car on the streets of Havana was the '52 chevy.
The elect rode in East-Bloc-made Fiats. Everything's relative.

Lazlo and IIse did GET OUT, so in that sense were elect--not passed
over. Sure hope Rick and Louie also survived the war and toasted
it with another bottle of that Cliquot Veuve '26.

The '36 Ford V-8 was the car all us kids wanted--preterite AND
elect. The '35s weren't  bad either. That Roosvelt had a '35 cabriolet
and he certainly weren't no preterite.

Now back to Roger and Jessica. Love those kids.


				P.