Show Boat (1936)

Helen Westley: Parthy Ann 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 : I could say that my name was Bonaparte, and show you Napoleon's tomb; that wouldn't make him my grandfather would it?

• Parthy : We don't usually pick up actors off the wharves, but we can't be choosy right now!

  Gaylord Ravenal : Madam, your courtesy is only exceeded by your charm.

• 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.

• Parthy : Let go of my husband's knee!

• Parthy : Shifty! That's what he is. Mark my words, if you asked around about him, you'd find something queer.

• Parthy : Gay? I don't care if I ever see him again as long as I live. He's a wastrel, an adventurer, a cheap river-gambler with a high and mighty air.