Human Desire

(BELL RINGING)

(RINGING STOPS)

(HORN BLOWING)

(WHISTLES)

(HORN BLOWING)

(ALEC WHISTLING)

(BELL RINGING)

(RINGING STOPS)

Good to see you back, Jeff.

Town looks great.

Korea, I'll bet.

No medals?

They ran out of them.

Take it away!

Take it easy.

(BELL RINGING)

(BRAKES SCREECHING)

Hi, Jeff.

Hi!

How's the soldier?

Fine.

How come they didn't

make you a general?

They'll make me

a general next time.

YARD DISPATCHER ON PA: Pick up the

string of box cars on RIP One.

set them in

on the wash track.

Pick up the string

of box cars on RIP One.

set them in

on the wash track.

Heard you were checking in.

John Statton. Call

diesel maintenance.

John Statton. Call

diesel maintenance.

How are you,

Mr. Thurston?

Good morning,

Mr. Warren.

Been away three years, and all

he says is "Good morning."

Three years and 43 days,

Mr. Warren.

Welcome home.

Feel a draft?

Oh, the old man ain't so bad.

Oh, I almost forgot. You're taking the

Well, ain't that Foley's route?

He's down with bursitis.

What do I do?

Lay over?

Well, you can deadhead back

on Number Four.

How do you like that?

First day back and I get stuck on relief.

Well, that's railroading.

Where you staying?

At a hotel?

No, Alec's.

The food's better at his place.

See you later.

Yeah, so long.

YARD DISPATCHER ON PA: Carl Buckley.

Check with the yardmaster.

Carl Buckley.

Check with the yardmaster.

Hi, Alec.

You remember Carl Buckley.

Sure, Carl was with me the night

of the big slide up the pass.

Remember?

Remember?

It was 30 below.

Yeah, Carl's done all right for

himself since you've been away.

Assistant yardmaster.

Congratulations.

Thanks. I've been lucky.

Carl Buckley.

Check with the yardmaster.

Carl Buckley.

Check with the yardmaster.

Thurston still on your tail?

Every time something happens around

this yard, he chews me out first.

Last week we were working double shifts.

That's how heavy the load's been.

I'd get home nights, my wife

would hardly recognize me.

Carl Buckley. Report immediately

to yardmaster's office.

All right, I'm coming.

I'd better go before he blows out his liver.

Got himself a wife, huh?

Yes, sir.

He sure did.

(HAMMERING)

Just try it.

(LAUGHING) Ah, don't ruin

your bread and butter.

JEFF:
Whenever you want to get rid

of that big ape, I'm available.

Jeff!

Oh!

(SOBBING)

Well, what are you

bawling about?

Oh, shut up!

I can cry once in a while.

I... I fixed up

your old room.

(DOOR CLOSING)

ELLEN:
Is anybody home?

Jeff!

I don't believe it.

Where are the pigtails?

Gone.

And the freckles?

Scrubbed away.

Three years.

Oh, they grow up too fast.

It wasn't fast for me.

It was real slow.

Last year I couldn't

keep up with her.

One night she was

out on a date,

and the next she was home

playing with her dolls.

Ma, you...

(ALL LAUGHING)

Is Jeff going to be staying

with us again?

Yeah, if she doesn't raise

the rent on me. Hmm?

Wonderful. Come on.

I'll show you the way.

Now, I remember the way.

Is it still permitted?

What?

Kissing her.

Why don't you ask me?

Come on.

I'll be the bellhop.

Don't expect a tip.

Oh!

I'll have a million

questions to ask you.

I know you want to get

settled first, but...

I was settled as soon as

I saw this house again.

Oh!

(GRUNTING) There.

Now you're home.

I brought you

something from Tokyo.

Oh, what is it?

Hang on.

Well, hurry up.

No, that's not it.

(LAUGHING) What is it?

You've got me all excited.

Wait a minute. There!

Oh!

Oh!

Jeff!

Oh, it's lovely.

Shall I try it on?

Well, that's what

I bought it for.

Oh!

Were the girls pretty in Tokyo?

Yep.

Did you date any, uh,

beautiful Japanese girls?

Well, the officers got a hold of most of

the beautiful ones before I got there.

Poor Jeff.

Mmm.

What are you going to do

now that you're back home?

All the time I was overseas,

I figured that if ever I got

back to running an engine again,

I'd be the happiest

guy in the world.

Nothing but a lot

of fishing, trains,

and for excitement,

a big night at the movies.

Didn't you leave something out?

What?

A girl.

Oh.

The right girl

for the night at the movies.

Do you know one?

I think so.

I think she'd be

exactly right for you.

I'll introduce her to you

one of these days.

Isn't that what soldiers

want the most?

Uh-huh. That

or a good steak.

(LAUGHS) Well, I can

fix that up for you, too.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

CARL:
Vicki?

I'm in the bedroom, Carl.

You're home early.

Yeah, I'm kind of early.

Did you have a good day, baby?

I took a walk, bought some

stockings on sale.

Look at them.

Anything wrong, Carl?

I tangled with Thurston today.

They brought 10 cars of

perishables in on Number One.

Somebody forgot to unload them

and the whole shipment spoiled.

He started to chew

me out, and well...

Well, I blew up.

Well, good for you.

It's about time.

He fired me, Vicki.

Fired you?

I just couldn't take

any more of it.

He's been trying to lower

the boom on me for years.

One mistake and I'm out.

Afraid I'm going to get his job or something.

Maybe you can

talk him out of it.

I tried that.

I went back in to see him.

It was no soap.

I even went to Hurley.

He said he couldn't

do anything for me.

Don't take it to heart, honey.

You can get another job.

What other job?

All I know is railroading.

I'm tired of this town, anyway.

We've always wanted to go east.

Well, this is our chance.

For what?

(TURNS RADIO OFF)

In five years I would

have got a pension.

There's nothing to worry about.

I worked before we got married.

I can work again.

Wait a minute.

I don't want my wife working.

I didn't marry you so you

could take care of me.

Vicki,

I've been thinking.

What about this fella, Owens?

Do you think you could put in

a good word for me?

Mr. Owens?

Why Mr. Owens?

He's a big shipper.

He does a lot of business with the railroad.

Your mother used

to work for him.

She was his cook

or something, you said.

She was his housekeeper.

Well, I thought you

could talk to him.

I need somebody

important to help me.

I just can't walk into

his office and...

And start asking for favors.

Why not?

Big men like him are used to

having favors asked of them.

You said, once, he liked you.

If Owens puts in a word, why...

Why they'd listen.

All right, I know I should have

been smarter with Thurston, but,

well, you know me.

One thing I can't stand is a guy

trying to put something over on me.

Look, baby,

call Owens.

Tell him we'll come

to the city tomorrow,

and that you want to talk to

him for a couple of minutes.

I'd rather not, Carl.

Why not?

What's wrong with a wife

trying to help her husband?

Come on, baby, what do you say?

All right. Forget it.

Are you sure you want

me to call him?

I wouldn't ask you

if I wasn't in real trouble.

I got nobody else to turn to.

All right.

I'll call him.

Long distance, please.

All aboard.

(BELL RINGING)

(HORN BLOWING)

Vicki,

you'll be sure and tell Mr.

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