Show Boat (1936)

Charles Winninger: Cap'n Andy Hawks

Photos 

Quotes 

• Chorus : [first lines; the opening credits are halfway through and still being shown, when we hear the black chorus singing offscreen:]  Darkies all work while the white men play,/Loading up boats with the bales of cotton/ Gittin' no rest till de Judgement Day. /Git yourself a brand new gal, /A lovin' baby who's the apple of your eye,/ Coal Black Rose or High Brown Sal,/ They always bake the sparrer and the chickin pie!/ Darkies all work on the Mississippi,/Darkies all work while the white folks play/ Loadin' those boats with the bales of cotton, / Gittin' no rest till the Judgement Day.

  [steamboat whistle sounds offscreen and picture changes to a shot of the showboat arriving in the distance and the black chorus singing onscreen] 

  Chorus : Cotton Blossom, Cotton Blossom,/ Long to see you growin' free,/When they pack you on the levee/ you're a heavy load to me!/ Cotton Blossom, Cotton Blossom/ Long to see you growin' wild...

  Young Black Man : There's the show boat!

  Chorus : [singing]  On the levee, you're too heavy/ For this poor black child!

  [the workers run to the dock. The calliope plays as we see shots of townspeople running toward the dock. Then band plays] 

  Parthy : [on the boat, over the noise of the band]  Andy! Andy!

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Goshamighty, woman, what's eatin' ya?

  Parthy : Did you tell the band to wear their new uniforms?

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Course I did. What did we get 'em fer?

  Parthy : You'll have 'em all ruined!

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Goshamighty, well, look, they're waitin' for us. That's our public! Hiya, public!

  [He waves and the crowd cheers] 

• [Parthy has just gone to bed, and Cap'n Andy is flirting with three chorus girls in a hotel lobby] 

  Chorus Girl : Pops, who was that?

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : That was Parthenia, my wife.

  Chorus Girl : Oh, my mistake!

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : No... mine!

• Cap'n Andy Hawks : Gay wouldn't let her.

  Frank : Gay is gone.

• Parthy : He's a murderer!

  Magnolia : Mama!

  Parthy : You're letting my daughter marry a murderer!

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Who's the murderer?

  Parthy : That Ravenal! He killed a man.

  Magnolia : Gay!

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Then why ain't he in jail, or hanged?

  The Sheriff : The jury figured the gentleman he killed oughta went anyhow.

  Parthy : Andy Hawks, are you going to stand there and let your only child marry a murderer?

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Oh don't be so narrow minded, Mrs. Hawks, I killed a man myself once.

  Parthy : You killed?

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Yes, me. Now, are you comin' with us, or ain't you? They're going to be married.

  Parthy : Married to a murderer! Oh!

  [she faints] 

  Ellie May Chipley : She's fainted.

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Are you sure?

  The Sheriff : She's out.

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Good! Now we'll go on with the wedding.

• Parthy : Mercy! Something must be on fire the way Queenie's running

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : Now what's the trouble, Queenie?

  Queenie : There's a powerful fine lookin' fella' out here, wants to know if you all could accommodate him by takin' him down the river fuh as the next town.

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : We don't carry no passengers - fine lookin' did you say? Is he an actor?

  Queenie : Might be. But he seems more like the kind of a gentleman it's a pleasure to wait on.

• Cap'n Andy Hawks : And if you can play the parts to my satisfaction, I'll give you 15 dollars a week, and a chance to see the world.

  Gaylord Ravenal : I've seen it.

• Cap'n Andy Hawks : You got that, Rubber Face?

  Rubber Face : Yep! I got a cowbell.

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : It t'ain't a cowbell. It says here a cow's moos offstage. Have you got a moo effect?

  Rubber Face : Oh, I can do that myself. Mooooooo!

• New Year's Eve Cutie : Who was that you were just talking to?

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : That was Parthenia, my wife.

  New Year's Eve Cutie : Oh, my mistake!

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : No, mine.

• Cap'n Andy Hawks : Girls, I want you to meet an old friend of mine, Mr. Frank Schultz. This is Miss So-and-so. Miss Thingamabob. And this little devil is Miss Lotti.

• The Sheriff : Captain, I have an unpleasant duty. I understand that you have a miscegenation case on board.

  Magnolia : [to Parthy]  What's it mean, Mom?

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : How's that?

  The Sheriff : A case of a negro woman married to a white man. A criminal offense in this state.

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : No. No, such thing onboard this boat.

  The Sheriff : The name of the white man is Steve Baker. The name of the negress - the name of the negress is Julie Dozier. Which ones them?

• Rubber Face : [the actors are performing the play "The Parson's Bride" on the show boat. Rubber Face, the prop and sound effects man, mistakenly moos like a cow instead of doing a doorbell sound effect]  Moo!

  Magnolia : [in character as Miss Lucy]  Ah, there's the bell. It must be Parson Brown at last!

  Gaylord Ravenal : [enters in character as Parson Brown]  Good evening, Miss Lucy! I was absorbed in meditation and did not realize night had fallen.

  Magnolia : The days are growing shorter, Hamilton, but they're long when one is waiting!

  Gaylord Ravenal : As I came across the field I saw the cattle driven home by your faithful dog.

  Rubber Face : [growing ever louder]  Mooo! MOOOO!

  [Ravenal rolls his eyes in exasperation] 

  Cap'n Andy Hawks : [to Rubber face]  Shut up!