Guys and Dolls

Synopsis: All the hot gamblers are in town, and they're all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up this week's incarnation of "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York"; the only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who's short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan's $1000 bet that he can't get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time; and the music/lyrics of Frank Loesser, and you've got quite a musical. Includes the songs: Fugue for Tinhorns, "Luck Be a Lady", "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat".
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Musical
Production: MGM
  Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.2
Rotten Tomatoes:
90%
NOT RATED
Year:
1955
150 min
1,658 Views


When you see a guy

reach for stars in the sky

You can bet that

he's doin' it for some doll

When you spot a John

waiting out in the rain

Chances are he's insane

as only a John can be for a Jane

When you meet a gent

paying all kinds of rent

For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal

Call it sad, call it funny

But it's better than even money that

the guy's only doin' it for some doll

Your eyes are the eyes

Of a woman in love

And oh how they give you away

Why try to deny

You're a woman in love

When I know very well

What I say?

I got the horse right here,

the name is Paul Revere

And here's a guy that says

if the weather's clear

Can do, can do

This guy says the horse can do

If he says the horse can do

Can do, can do

I'm pickin' Valentine

cos on the mornin' line

The guy has got him

figured at five to nine

But look at Epitaph,

he wins it by a half

According to this here in the Telegraph

For Paul Revere I'll bite,

I hear his foot's all right

Of course it all depends

if it rained last night

I know it's Valentine,

the morning works look fine

You know, the jockey's

brother's a friend of mine

And just a minute, boys

I got the feedbox noise

It says the great-grandfather

was Equipoise

I tell you Paul Revere,

now this is no bum steer

It's from a handicapper

that's real sincere

I'm pickin' Valentine

cos on the mornin' line

The guy has got him

figured at five to nine

So make it Epitaph,

he wins it by a half

According to this here in the Telegraph

- Epitaph!

- Valentine!

Paul Revere!

I got the horse

Right here!

Follow the fold and stray no more

Stray no more, stray no more

Put down the bottle

and we'll say no more

- Follow, follow the fold

- Before you take another swallow

Follow the fold and stray no more

Stray no more, stray no more

Tear up your poker deck

and play no more

Follow, follow the fold

Friends, my name is Sarah Brown.

This is no place to make a speech

and I'm not gonna try.

You don't wanna be told

how unhappy you are.

You don't wanna be told

about the emptiness of your lives.

You who drink too much,

you who gamble at cards

and dice and horse racing.

Let us help you not to lose your money

in gambling dens and bookie joints.

- This doll has captured my attention.

- Let us give you strength to stop drinking.

- She has lost me.

- Welcome to the Save-A-Soul Mission.

- Just around the corner.

- Come to me.

- You're gonna call me a liar.

- A special prayer meeting this Thursday.

Because today I'm givin' away

solid gold watches for one dollar each.

That's right, my friends.

A solid gold watch for one buck.

Remember - all that glitters is not gold.

More to be desired

are the judgments of heaven.

- Gold is not enough.

- You say it's not enough?

All right. Today only,

I include a nailbrush with a solid ivory top.

Then, my friends, a built-in genuine

magnetic compass. There you are.

When you brush your nails,

do you wonder where you're goin',

north, east, south or west?

Which way are you going?

Down, down, down, or up to salvation?

Come to the mission and find out.

Absolutely free.

Absolutely free. The nailbrush is

absolutely free. Don't crowd. Don't push.

There's plenty of room for everybody.

There's room for everybody

in the kingdom of heaven, too.

Now, folks, I don't care

whether you buy it or not, because I'm...

Let's pack up.

Did you notice how this time a lot of 'em

stayed till halfway through your talk?

If we could only sell them

salvation for a buck -

solid gold, with an ivory top

and a built-in compass.

Sarah, you don't suppose by any chance

those watches could really be solid gold?

Uncle Arvide, don't you dare.

A solid gold watch for one buck.

Harry the Horse!

Benny Southstreet! Since when

do ya yell out the name of a person

- in the open air full of police?

- It was a friendly impulse. I lost my head.

If I do not like you so much

this would now be a fact.

- You know Nicely-Nicely Johnson?

- How goes everything?

Nicely-nicely, thank you.

I have been waitin'

to hear from Nathan Detroit.

What will be the location

of his crap game?

We don't know yet. Nathan's been lookin'

around, but he is very hard to please.

Confidentially, Harry, the heat is on very

hot here, and it is making Nathan sweat.

That's too bad. I would dislike

to take my trade elsewhere,

but I am loaded and lookin' for action.

I've just acquired 5,000 fish.

5,000?

If it can be told, where did you

take on this fine bundle of lettuce?

I have nothin' to hide.

I collected the reward on my father.

It is an advantage

to have a successful father.

Nobody ever wanted my old man

for as much as 500.

I'm worried about Nathan.

Harry the Horse is not the only one.

There's a lotta loose money around

and everybody's lookin' for some action.

If Nathan doesn't find a place...

Why, Lieutenant Brannigan!

Mr. Southstreet, it is Lieutenant Brannigan

of the New York City Police Department.

Have either of you seen Nathan Detroit?

- Which Nathan Detroit is that?

- Your boss Nathan Detroit,

the one who runs a floating crap game.

- Floating?

- On a boat?

One that moves to a different spot every

night so the police can't break it up.

- Sounds like a very difficult thing to do.

- You should know.

It's your job to rustle up the customers

and tell them where it is.

Especially with a famous detective

putting on the heat.

And you can give

just that message to Detroit.

Brannigan says he's not going to find

a spot for his crap game

because Brannigan's put on the heat

and Brannigan's breathing

down everybody's neck.

Nathan, you're lucky.

You just missed Brannigan.

- I'm lucky. I missed Brannigan.

- He left a message. He said...

I am not going to find a place

for my crap game

because everybody knows

Brannigan has turned on the heat

and is breathing down everybody's neck.

That's what he said.

You tried the regular places?

Won't they take a chance, seeing it's you?

Seeing it's me, no.

Except one. Joey Biltmore's garage.

Joey said he might take a chance...

for 1,000 bucks.

- 1,000?

- In advance and in cash.

- He would not even take my marker.

- This I do not believe.

Joey Biltmore will not take your marker.

You got no idea what a breath

this Brannigan has got.

A marker's not just

a piece of paper saying:

"I owe you 1,000.

Signed, Nathan Detroit."

A marker is the one pledge

which a guy cannot welsh on, never.

It's like not saluting the flag.

It does not seem possible.

Me without a livelihood.

Why, I've been running the crap game

since I was a juvenile delinquent.

But, Nathan, the situation is desperate.

- You have got to think of something.

- My only thought costs 1,000 bucks.

I cannot even afford to think.

I'm broke. I'm so broke I couldn't even

buy a present for Adelaide today.

Is it her birthday?

It is mine and Adelaide's 14th anniversary.

We are engaged 14 years today.

Concentrate on the game.

The town is up to here with high players.

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes

Jo Swerling

Jo Swerling (April 8, 1897 – October 23, 1964) was an American theatre writer, lyricist and screenwriter. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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