Assistant Director
No navio El Mira há um grande entusiasmo, pois o super computador do navio, que é carinhosamente chamado de Max, previu precisamente quando e em qual lugar uma cápsula espacial iria cair. O tenente Ferguson "Fergie" Howard (Steve McQueen) também fica bem animado, mas por outro motivo: tem a idéia de usar Max para prever os números que vão cair na roleta. O cientista do navio, Jason Eldridge (Jim Hutton), confirma que isto pode ser feito, se algumas variáveis forem fornecidas para Max. Ele convence Eldridge a participar do plano de estourar a banca do cassino de Veneza, pois o navio passará por lá.
Second Assistant Director
American-born Anna Vorontosov teaches school in a remote, primitive section of northern New Zealand. Her experimental teaching methods have won her the love and affection of her pupils and their parents and the admiration of the unhappily married school inspector, Abercrombie. Her personal life, however, is less secure; frightened of love and sexually inhibited, she has always been aloof with men. Eager to break down this barrier is Englishman Paul Lathrope, a somewhat irrational and immature fellow teacher who aspires to be a singer. Though Anna is attracted to him, she refuses to submit to his advances.
