Bachelor Mother

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MERLIN:
It is now five minutes before 9..00

on the day before Christmas.

As has been my custom for the past 22 years,

I address you today.

I wish to offer you my thanks

for your loyalty and cooperation

during the past year.

I needn't add that

my son joins me in my sentiments.

So, from the bottom of our hearts,

we wish you the very merriest,

merriest of Christmases

and the happiest of New Years.

All right, everybody, dismissed.

Christmas card.

-You get one?

-Uh-uh.

Don't be jealous.

Gee, it's not gonna be easy

getting a job after Christmas.

It wasn't easy before Christmas.

I wonder if they'd give me a pension.

I worked here for three weeks.

Look, honey,

maybe you ought to go back home, huh?

There's nobody there anymore.

-Haven't you anyone in New York?

-No, I haven't.

Mary, is it hard for a girl to get in the Navy?

FREDDlE:
Quack, quack, quack, quack.

Good morning, girls.

Hey, no kidding,

what are you getting me for Christmas?

You wouldn't drink it.

She's crazy for me.

Hey, Polly, I saw you hoofing

at the employees' ball.

Babe, you're really solid.

-Think so?

-Yeah.

And just to prove it to you,

I'm gonna take you dancing tonight.

No. I don't feel like it.

Not even for 50 bucks?

You mean,

you're going to give me 50 bucks?

Yeah, in a way. Come here.

Now, listen. There's a dancing contest

tonight at the Pink Slipper.

The orchestra leader's one of the judges

and he's my best pal.

So we win second prize,

50 bucks and we split it up the middle.

(BELL BUZZlNG)

Uh-oh, here they come.

Well, what do you say?

You just made a deal.

-Okay, I'll pick you up at 7.:00.

-7.:
00.

After supper.

(QUACKlNG)

WOMAN:
Where are you

going for lunch, Mamie?

(HORN BLARlNG)

Just a minute.

Don't you dare.

Don't you dare leave your baby here.

Oh, I'm not the mother.

There isn't any mother.

They'll take good care of it here.

It's such a wonderful baby.

(BABY CRYlNG)

Won't you come in?

Take your finger out of your mouth.

Take your finger out of your mouth.

You must be hungry.

They'll give you something to eat here.

-How do you do?

-Hello.

Come on, darling,

you mustn't eat your fingers.

Your name, please.

Polly Parrish.

Are you employed anywhere?

I'm at Merlin's.

You're so cute.

Oh, just a minute.

This isn't my baby.

I found it on the doorstep outside.

No, really.

An old lady left it on the doorstep

and I was afraid it might roll off,

-so the best thing for me to do was to...

-My dear young lady,

we're only here to help you.

We're your friends.

I wasn't leaving it.

I was just picking it up.

A great many mothers

say that babies aren't theirs,

but we've discovered from experience

that the wisest cause

is to make a clean breast of the whole thing.

Well, now, look. This is ridiculous.

This is not my baby,

whether you believe it or not.

(BABY CRYlNG)

Heaven's sake.

(BABY CRYlNG)

Just a minute, Miss Parrish.

Listen, when I want a family,

I'll get married and do it right.

-Pathetic.

-Yes, yes.

Well, anyway,

we know that she works at Merlin's

and they're a very charitable family.

-I'll go over right after lunch.

-That's right.

-Good morning, Mr Merlin.

-Good morning.

Good morning, Mr Merlin.

Good afternoon.

Good morning, Mr Merlin.

Good morning, Dad.

Good afternoon.

You're so interested in politics, you should

investigate the police force in Scarsdale.

And why?

Well, any motorcycle cop who can afford

to turn down a hundred-dollar bribe

must be in some crooked racket.

Don't you think so?

-Did you sleep in jail?

-No.

No, I didn't sleep at all.

I had to wait for the court to open.

David, you can't keep up

at the pace you're going.

You'll crack up.

Out every night with women and things.

-And things?

-Well, you know what I mean.

All I need is a shower.

Everybody sleeps too much.

-You take Edison...

-You take me.

I was young once like you.

Lived like you. Looked like you.

Then, suddenly overnight, I look like this.

Dad, you look great to me, I can't wait.

David, will you go to bed early tonight?

-9:
00.

-What?

10:
00.

All right, I'll wait up for you.

-Miss Dyer, would you...

-Mr Merlin, l...

This gentleman is from

the Atkins Foundling Home.

Oh, the charity discount is taken care of

by Mr Hennessy now.

It's the first office down the hall.

Oh, well, I hadn't come about the discount,

thank you,

but on a rather personal matter.

-Well, won't you come inside?

-Thank you.

What can I do for you?

Well, an employee of yours, a young woman,

left a baby with us today.

-Oh, I see.

-Yes.

And I discovered on calling

your personnel department

that she was discharged

as of the close of business today.

And I believe that is why

she has abandoned her baby son.

Mr Merlin,

give her back her job.

-Well, it's not my department...

-Mr Merlin,

if you had seen this mother,

denying the parenthood of her own child,

it would've touched your heart.

-Yes, would you mind stepping in here?

-Not at all.

It was pitiful, Mr Merlin, to see the child...

(TOY DUCKS QUACKlNG)

In the past year, we have had 537 such cases.

-DAVlD:
537?

-Yes.

Good afternoon.

Won't you sit down, Mrs...

-Miss Parrish.

-Oh, Miss Parrish.

Thank you.

Miss Parrish, did you receive a card

saying you were discharged

as of the close of business today?

Yes, sir.

That was a mistake.

Will you please forgive us?

It'll never happen again.

That job is yours

for just as long as you want to keep it.

What do you say, Miss Parrish?

Thank you...

Thank you very much.

And you are to be raised $5 a week

as of last week.

Is that satisfactory?

What do you say, Miss Parrish?

Thank you.

But merely getting your job back

and an increase,

that is not your real Christmas present.

-No?

-Oh, no, no.

Your Christmas present is probably

the greatest gift

that any woman could possibly have.

So true.

I almost envy you.

I do envy you.

Really?

You fortunate girl,

to have an employer like Mr Merlin.

And when you go home tonight...

you'll get your Christmas present.

Tonight?

-Tonight.

-Tonight.

Now, Miss Parrish,

you may return to your department.

Thank you.

And now I want to wish you,

and yours,

a very, very Merry Christmas.

-Thank you.

-DAVlD:
Good day.

Good day.

Thank you.

And the same to you.

Nice-looking girl like that.

It's a funny world.

I can just see the look

on that girl's face tonight.

(KNOCKlNG ON DOOR)

Who is it?

Something from Mr Merlin.

Your Christmas present

from John B Merlin & Son.

And what do you say, Miss Parrish?

I'll tell you what I say.

You can just take that baby out of here,

and this minute.

Do you realise what you are saying?

I certainly do.

That's not my baby

and you can just take it back

to the Foundling Home where it belongs.

Do you understand that Mr Merlin

gave you back your job

so you could raise your child

in security and comfort?

And you are choosing instead

to let it be raised as an orphan?

That's not my baby!

I am not its mother!

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