THE DOCKS OF NEW YORK
The waterfront of New York
- the end of many journeys,
the beginning of many adventures.
Miles of docks wait day
and night for strange
cargo - and stranger men.
Ships come in from the sea -
tarrying a day or two in the endless
journey from port to port.
These were the days before
oil fuel made stoking a lady's job -
when stokers earned their pay
in sweat and coal-dust.
"Well, Bill! We brought the
ol' barge in right on time!"
"Pick up that waste!
Nobody goes ashore till
this hole is cleaned up!"
"This packet sails
tomorrow morning."
"You've got one night ashore.
If any o' you muckers come
back drunk, you'll do double shift!"
"He's the most even-
tempered guy I ever
knew - always sore!"
"He thinks we're goin'
ashore to play marbles!"
The Sandbar, a cable's length
from the wharf, has vanished now -
wiped out by commerce and reform.
But that night it was
wide awake and roaring.
Save his soul and money
comes to Hymn-Book Harry
"Meet my husband!"
"Well, Andy! I guess you never
expected to run across me here!"
Night and fog met
the stokers coming ashore.
"Hey, Bill! That's no place
to take a lady!"
"Come on, Bill. They'll
take care of her!"
"Okay, Bill! Be a hero an'
leave your pal!"
"But just remember Singapore - -
an' recollect Shanghai!"
"Well, you gave me the air.
It's been three years -
what did you expect me to do?"
"Take that out o' here -
before you draw the police!"
"Get her a hot drink!"
"One hot toddy!"
"You're not goin' in there!
That's the only rag
she had to her back!"
"So you're the guy
that saved my life?"
"You could have saved yourself
the trouble, an' let me die."
"All right! Make believe you
died - make believe you're
startin' all over again!"
"You left all that slush in
the river, Baby. All you
need is a good time!"
"I've had too many good times."
"You ain't never been out
with Bill Roberts."
"Dry up before you catch cold!"
"Would you care?"
"Well, I might..."
"After a month in the stoke-hole,
I got no sympathy for anybody that
wants to quit a swell world like this!"
"Throw yourself into them
new rags an' give me a chance!"
"All right, Bill Roberts,
I'll give you a chance."
"Anyway, I can always
make a hole in the water."
"Are you goin' to let me have
a good time in my own quiet way -
or must I take this place apart?"
"Thought you might want
your tie - Bill."
"Pretty, ain't she?"
"You better take my tip -
an' stay away from that dame!"
"Shove off, my lad! I want
to talk with your lady friend."
"You may be big game
aboard ship, but you're
only an animal-cracker here."
"Gee, but you're strong!"
"I guess you've known
a lot o' girls."
"I ain't braggin'
about my love-affairs."
"I'm not braggin', either."
"Ever been married, Bill?"
"Say, who'd marry a
guy like me?"
"Oh, I don't know.
A lot o' girls might."
"You ever been married, Baby?"
"Say, who'd marry a girl like me?"
"I've sailed the seven seas,
but I never saw a craft
as trim as you."
"I don't think it's fair
of you to kid me."
"Say! What makes you
think I'm kiddin'?"
"What did you ever do that
makes you worse than me?
I'd marry you in a minute!"
"An' come to think of it,
I'll marry you right now!"
"You don't know Bill Roberts!
I'll try anything once!"
"Get me a parson - I'm goin' to
get spliced to my girl friend!"
"Come back here, Bill -
don't make a fool o' yourself!"
"Meet the bride!"
"I better get Hymn-Book Harry -
before he wrecks the place!"
"I'm goin' to do right by our Nell!
I'm goin' to marry her - here an' now!"
"Do you think he can make
you decent by marryin' you?"
"I don't know what to
think, any more."
"Until I got married,
I was decent!"
"We'll give you a marriage
you'll never forget!"
"Where's your license?"
"Are you goin' to queer our fun
just because you got to have
a little piece o' paper?"
"If you got to have a license,
Bill will get one first thing
in the morning."
"Won't you, Bill?"
"Word of honor, Parson.
First thing in the morning!"
"Let the old fusser go!
I'll marry you."
"If any of you eggs know why these
heels shouldn't get hitched, speak now
or forever after hold your trap!"
"Does it mean that
much to you?"
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered
together in the sight of God
and in the face of this company -"
"- to join this Man, and this
Woman, in Holy Matrimony."
"Matrimony is an honorable
estate .... and is not to be
entered into lightly -"
"Do you take this woman
to be your wedded wife?"
"Will you love her, comfort her,
honor her, and keep her in sickness
and in health, forsaking all others
-- as long as you both shall live?"
"Sure, I will!"
"I will."
"Give me the ring."
"Here's mine - I hope it does
you more good than it did me!"
"Here's your wages, Parson.
Easy come, easy go!"
"I expect you to bring me
the license in the morning.
Pay me then."
"What's the meanin' of
this jamboree?"
"Oh, I thought I'd get married,
and settle down."
"But how are you goin'
to get rid of her?"
"Who says I want to
get rid of her?"
"I know you, Bill Roberts!
You might fool her,
but you can't fool me!"
"What lady threw that shoe?"
"You don't know what this
means to me, Bill!"
"I'll be a good wife, Bill."
Morning.
"Got a match, Chief?"
"I s'pose you've forgot all
about last night?"
"Wasn't you never young, Chief?
I was just havin' a good time!"
"I s'pose you've forgot
about gettin' married, too."
"Chief, last night's over.
Today's another day!"
"Mebbe for you, but not for me.
That sock in the jaw
will cost you your job!"
"One ship's as good as another,
Chief. Any port in a storm!"
"Get out o' here - or my
husband will kill you!"
"Don't kid me!"
"Don't let Bill Roberts stand
between you an' me - you know
he ain't comin' back!"
"You're a dirty liar!
He is comin' back!"
"Rustle that stretcher -
this guy's in bad shape!"
"You won't get nowhere
keepin' your mouth shut!"
"I warned you! Now beat it
- while you got time!"
"I'm her husband."
"She didn't shoot him.
The kid wouldn't hurt a fly!"
"I shot him, an' nobody else
is goin' to get the credit for it."
"I'm his wife. He gave me
the air once too often!"
"Why didn't you say so before?"
"I didn't care - before."
"I hope you have better luck
than me - - but I doubt it."
"I didn't figure on your
comin' back to help me."
"You didn't need my help, Baby."
"Goin' away - Bill?"
"Sorry, Baby. Sailin' in an hour -
- I never missed a ship in my life."
"Could you give me a minute
to - to get used to it, Bill?"
"I never even thanked you
for pullin' me out o' the water."
"That's all right!"
"An' I never thanked you for them
swell clothes you bought me."
"That's all right, too."
"An' I guess you expect me
to thank you for bein' decent
enough to make me your wife."
"Now listen, kid - you can't
get me sore! I never did
a decent thing in my life."
"I've always been like this.
There ain't no power on earth
that could ever keep me ashore!"
"Why get serious about it, anyway?
You knew all I had was one night ashore -
you knew I was just a dirty stoker!"
"You ain't so bad, Bill Roberts!"
"But it would have been kind o'
funny if this had been on the level
- even for a couple o' months."
"Maybe if I ever stayed ashore
for as long as a couple o' months
I'd get to like it."
"Get a move on, Bill.
Time's up!"
"So long, Baby."
"Well - goodbye - Bill."
"Come on out o' this -
before you get into another mess!"
"I'll fix it for you, Bill.
You can't go to sea like this."
"What are you tryin' to do
- bring me more bad luck?"
"Superstitious, are you?"
"The nerve of that dame -
bawling me out after all
I done for her!"
"I could of told you before
that she was no good
- like all females!"
"Lucky for you I happened along!
If I hadn't pried you loose,
she'd of stuck like a barnacle!"
"Buck into it, you two!
I want steam, not talk!"
"I'll have you put in
irons for this!"
"Where's my wife?"
"In jail, where she belongs."
"What's she in jail for?"
"Why don't you go to the
Night Court an' find out?"
"Thirty days. Next case!"
"You are charged with having
in your possession clothes
stolen from the Harbor Pawn Shop."
"How did you get them?"
"My husband gave them to me."
"Where is your husband?"
"He left me this morning."
"How long have you been married?"
"I was married last night."
"Thirty days. Next case!"
"Just a minute, Captain!
I'm her husband.
I pinched them duds myself!"
"Break in anywhere -
take anything you want - -
that's your idea, I suppose?"
"No, sir, I rung the bell!
But there wasn't no answer,
so I helped myself."
"I see - man of importance
- no time to waste.
Just what was your hurry?"
"Well sir, I'm a stoker.
I only had one night ashore,
an' I wanted to have a good time."
"Sixty days will slow you down.
Release the woman. Next case!"
"Sixty days ain't a long cruise,
Baby - an' it'll be my last one,
if you'll wait.
"I guess I'd wait forever, Bill."