Young Black Man Quotes in Show Boat (1936)

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]