Minute 071: It’s the Rocketeer!

Guest Host: Rick Overton

Raised in New Jersey and New York, Overton comes from a musical family. His father, Hal Overton, was Thelonious Monk’s big band arranger as well as a music teacher at the Juilliard Institute. His mother, Nancy Overton aka Anne Swain Overton, sang in personal appearances as a member of The Chordettes, the girl group most famous for their singles “Lollipop” and “Mr. Sandman”. Rick has dabbled in the music industry himself as he plays the harmonica occasionally with local blues bands. Rick began his stand-up career while in high school as one half of the comedy team “Overton & Sullivan” but eventually went solo as he broke in at the New York Improvisation in the early 1970s.

Overton made his first onscreen appearance in the 1982 film Young Doctors in Love, followed by a small role in Airplane II: The Sequel later that year. In 1987, he wrote an episode of The New Adventures of Beans Baxter while also appearing in various films and television shows including Willow, Amazing Stories and Million Dollar Mystery.

In 1992, he landed a role in the FOX Network sketch comedy show The Edge. The show ended in 1993. Later that year, Overton appeared in two episodes of Seinfeld and landed a small role in Mrs. Doubtfire. The following year, he won an Emmy for writing an episode of Dennis Miller Live.

In 2005, Overton appeared on Alias and Joan Of Arcadia; in the latter he played God explaining to the title character the meaning of real wealth. He also portrayed both H.G. Wells and Orson Welles in a podcast episode of The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd that same year.

In 2009, Overton appeared in the film A Fork in the Road alongside Jaime King.

Summary

Cliff escapes Valentine’s henchmen and Lothar via the laundry chute. His rocket engine still running, Cliff lands on a wheeled towel caddy. He speeds out of the ladies’ room into the ladies’ lounge, and then into the upper level of the main dining room.

South Seas patrons are screaming as they dodge out of the path of The Rocketeer. Cliff apologies to passing guests, then  ricochets off a wall on the upper balcony. The caddy snags on the balcony railing, catapulting Cliff over the band shell.

The clarinet soloist pauses as he sees The Rocketeer flying overhead.

A woman seated at a table in the orchestra section clutches her chest and smiles. “It’s the flying man!” she says.

A man in a tuxedo on the dance floor with a shocked woman exclaims, “It’s The Rocketeer!”

Cliff hovers above the dance floor, unable to control his forward motion at such a slow speed. He bumps into the top of the giant clam shell background, sending it closing on band members. Other band members thrash for a footing in the moat-like pool in front of the band shell. The back curtain is ablaze from Cliff’s rocket.

Through the mermaid aquarium, Eddie Valentine sees the mayhem occurring in the ballroom.

Clifford hovers over several tables surrounding the dance floor. His rocket pack sets several tables on fire as people scramble out of his way.

Patrons scramble down the stairs from the balcony.

Eddie Valentine shoves his office door open and pushes his way through the exiting crowd.

Meanwhile, Jenny is outside, about to step into a waiting cab. “Here you go, Miss,” says a doorman, leading her into the cab.

Just then, a rush of fleeing customers push through the exit doors of the South Seas, spilling out into the crowd on the sidewalk. Jenny turns and sees the mayhem.

Inside the South Seas, Neville Sinclair grabs two of Eddie’s henchmen.  “Lock the doors,” says Sinclair, “we’ll trap him like a fly!”

“Right,” says one of the henchmen, heading for the exit. “Lock the doors!” he yells to the staff.

Meanwhile, The Rocketeer continues to orbit above the dance floor. The flame on the wall is expanding.

Outside, Jenny steps away from the taxi and walks back toward the South Seas Club. From a porthole-like window, Jenny peers in and sees a man in a rocket pack flying above the dance floor. She realizes the man must be Cliff.  Jenny runs back toward the South Seas entrance.  As she reaches the door, Eddie’s henchmen lock it shut, leaving her out on the street.

While flying above the dance floor, Cliff spots two of Eddie’s henchmen locking an office door. Cliff attempts to change course,  hovering over yet another series of tables that he sets afire.

In This Minute
Bill Campbell as Cliff Secord
Jennifer Connelly as Jenny Blake
Paul Sorvino as Eddie Valentine
Timothy Dalton as Neville Sinclair
Bob Sandman as South Seas Bandleader
Rick Overton as South Seas Patron
Robert Miranda as Spanish Johnny
Joseph D’Angerio as Stevie