The Best Years of Our Lives Page #3

Yes...

It's terrible to be old, isn't it?

- Why don't you sit down and relax?

- I'm perfectly relaxed standing up.

Is there such a thing

as a drink in this house?

I'll see.

We haven't got bacon for Dad's breakfast.

I'll go out first thing and try to get some.

Is this all the liquor we have left?

Gosh, I'm afraid so.

I wish he'd given us some warning

he was going to get here today.

Don't worry, Mom.

I mean, so that we could have

gotten in some supplies of things.

Oh, Mother.

I know it's a little difficult, but...

that's only because Dad's

so crazy about you,

and he's been away so long

and missed you so terribly.

He can't just walk in

and immediately pick up...

Hey, I got a wonderful idea.

Let's go out on the town, the three of us.

- Tonight?

- Yes, tonight.

- To celebrate the old man's homecoming.

- Not me.

No, no, no. You too.

The three of us.

I want to do something, see something.

I've been in jungles

and around savages so long,

I gotta find out

I'm back in civilisation again.

(? swing)

? Be-bop, be-bop

? Be-bop a-ree-bop

(slurred) Rupert, another one in here.

(? swing)

I'll tell you, as I see it, we're headed

for bad times in this country.

Of course, we're in the backwash of the

war boom, but the tide is running out fast.

Next year, we'll see widespread

depression and unemployment.

Oh, have a cigar?

No, thanks. I've got my pipe.

Homer? Didn't you contract

the tobacco habit in the navy?

Just cigarettes, Mr Cameron. Thanks.

Wilma tells us you were in the Philippines.

I was around there, Mrs Cameron,

but I never saw anything.

- Did you meet General MacArthur?

- No, I didn't get to meet him.

- I've got a light, Mr Cameron.

- No, that's all right.

Got it.

- (Mr Parrish) Luella.

- Yes, Dad?

I've always thought

he's such a handsome man.

- Who?

- General MacArthur.

Oh...

- May I help you with that, Mrs Parrish?

- No, you sit right down.

- Lemonade, Mrs Cameron?

- Thank you very much.

- Thought about getting a job, Homer?

- Well, I...

Father, it's much too soon for Homer

to be thinking about a job.

He's just out of the hospital.

Yes, but a few months from now the same

opportunities won't exist that exist today.

You might think about my business -

insurance. We've taken on veterans.

They make good salesmen, men who

have suffered some kind of disability.

Come down to the office

one of these days, we'll talk it over.

- I'm sorry, Mom.

- That's quite all right, Homer.

It won't hurt the carpet a bit.

Luella, go and get me a dishrag.

There's another one for you, Homer.

Wilma will hold it for you.

No, thanks. If you don't mind,

I think I'll go out and walk around a bit.

Where's Homer?

He went out.

(out of tune) ? It's home, boys, home,

home we ought to be

? Home, boys, home,

back in God's country

Pick-Up Caf.

There it is, driver. Stop here.

Don't you think it's time to go home

to bed and get some sleep?

Absolutely. Sleep. But first we've got

to stop and have one last little drink.

No arguments. One drink.

Come on in, driver, and have one with us.

(? "Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye")

Hey, Homer!

It's good to see you, kid.

Your friend told me you were home,

but I didn't expect you...

Hiya, Captain!

Hiya, Homer, my old shipmate! Sit down.

So you took my advice and came to

Butch's? Come on, let's have a drink.

- Hello, Homer.

- Hi, Steve!

Am I happy to see you back home again.

Go ahead, shake, pal.

It won't bite you.

- What'll you have?

- I've dreamed of hearing that question.

Before I went in the navy

Butch would never let me drink liquor.

He'd read me lectures

on the curse of drink.

But it's different now. I'm a veteran.

Give me a whiskey, Steve. Straight.

- How about it, Butch?

- Draw a beer for the navy.

- Butch, I ordered whiskey.

- Beer.

Beer.

I'm gonna take my trade to some other

joint where I don't have relatives.

What are you doing here?

Why aren't you home with the folks?

Well, they... they went to bed

and I wasn't sleepy,

so I thought "Why not

come down and see Butch?"

Glad you did, Homer.

Well, here's to you, Butch.

How am I doing?

- Kid, you're doing great.

- Thanks.

Where did you leave Al?

Al's home in the swankiest

apartment house in town.

We'll never see him again.

Say, this is the best place we've been yet!

Hey, that's Al.

Hey, where you been?

We were just talking about you.

(Al) Oh, my aching back.

(slurring words)

Hey, Milly. Peggy.

Step up and meet the gang.

- This is Homer, this is Fred.

- How do you do?

Homer and I were together at the Battle

of Lingayen Gulf, only we didn't know it!

- Hiya, bud.

- How do you do?

- Al, this is my uncle Butch.

- Bu...?

Oh! I hear you got a new neon sign, huh?

Good for you.

- Now the party can really get started, eh?

- This way, please.

- Let's sit. Milly, come on.

- Here's a good booth.

Fred... Sit down. Fred, where's

your wife? I want to meet her.

I haven't been able to find her.

She works in some nightclub.

We'll find it, Fred, before this night is out.

We'll deploy our forces

and comb the town. Won't we?

By all means.

We got the navy to convoy us. Huh?

First, Homer lost his hands.

He's got those hooks instead.

They don't worry him, so they don't

need to worry anybody else.

- Right.

- Now let's get seriously to work.

- Telephone.

- Thanks. Give them anything they want.

- Any kind of beer.

- What'll it be, folks?

- How are you?

- Hiya.

- Nice to see you. Looking well.

- Hello.

A little grey...

- (British accent) Well, cheers. Cheers.

- Cheers!

Homer. Homer.

OK, Butch.

Aren't you drinking?

- Excuse me, folks.

- Sure, Homer.

Gee, Butch, it's swell

to hear you playing again.

How about "Lazy River"?

Remember that?

Sit down, Homer.

(? "Lazy River")

- Wilma phoned.

- Wilma?

- What did she want?

- You.

Oh, why can't they leave a guy alone?

Because they're fond of you, that's why.

What made you leave the house

and get them worried?

Oh, they... they got me nervous.

- How?

- It's nothing. I don't wanna talk about it.

How'd they get you nervous?

Well, they...

They keep staring at these hooks,

or else they keep staring away from 'em.

You mean whatever they do is wrong.

Why don't they understand that all I want

is to be treated like everybody else?

Take Pop, for instance.

He was cleaning his pipe,

like I've seen him do a million times.

All of a sudden he got conscious

that he had hands and I didn't,

and he... he stopped cleaning his pipe

and he tried to hide his hands,

like he was guilty or something.

Give 'em time, kid. They'll catch on.

You know, your folks'll get used to you

and you'll get used to them.

Then everything'll settle down nicely.

Unless we have another war.

Then none of us have to worry, because

we'll all be blown to bits the first day.

So cheer up, huh?

Hey, Butch.

You know "Among My Souvenirs", huh?

? There's nothing left for me

Shh.

(? "Among My Souvenirs")

- Shall we dance?

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