The Young Philadelphians

A man's life, they say, is the sum of all his actions.

But his actions are sometimes the result of the hopes, dreams and desires...

of those who came before him.

In that sense, my life began even before I was born...

on an afternoon of June 1924.

Well, I never thought I'd see a son of mine mooning over a girl...

like a lily-livered poet.

- You're off your beat, ain't you, Pop? - And so are you.

Do you think all those important people from Main Line...

would be coming to her wedding if she married you?

Do you blame the girl for choosing William Lawrence III...

of Rittenhouse Square...

instead of Michael Flanagan of South Philadelphia?

Now, wish her every happiness and get out of here.

Do what any sensible Irishman would do: Go get drunk.

Every happiness, Kate.

Here you are, Mr. Lawrence.

Everything's been arranged, just as your mother instructed.

Your train for New York leaves at 9 in the morning.

There'll be a car waiting for you at the station.

And don't forget, the Mauritania sails at noon.

If there's anything more that we can do for you, let us know.

- Thank you. - Good night.

- Isn't this lovely, Bill? - Yes, isn't it?

I thought we'd never get away from the reception.

I don't know why we had to come to a hotel when home is five minutes away.

Well, your mother wanted us to be alone on our wedding night.

It was very considerate of her.

Yes, Mother thinks of everything, doesn't she?

Do you realize you've only kissed me once today?

I'm sorry.

I realize a bridegroom is supposed to be nervous...

but I think you're overdoing it.

Maybe.

Bump.

The train leaves early in the morning.

Lovely. Very lovely.

Bill, I want so much to make you happy.

I've done you a terrible wrong, Kate.

I can't make you happy.

It was my mother who wanted this marriage.

To give her a grandson.

Just as your mother wanted you to be a Lawrence.

But I can't love you, Kate.

I can't love anyone.

Bill, dear.

Don't pity me!

Bill!

My God!

Logan!

One moment.

There we are.

- Kate? - Who is she?

- Beat it. - Just a minute, big boy.

I ain't sat up half the night listening to you...

Go on, beat it.

Katie, what...?

Mike.

I just had to talk to you.

You're the only one I...

- What could have happened to her? - Don't excite yourself, Mary.

Well, somebody must have seen her. She couldn't have vanished into thin air.

Kate.

Kate, where have you been?

Do you realize it's almost 4:00 in the morning?

We've been up all night trying to find you.

- You frightened us half to death... - Stop. Can't you see that...?

What happened, Kate?

I've just come home, that's all.

Then you haven't heard about Bill?

The police called. Hours ago.

He was driving along the Lancaster Pike.

There was an accident.

He must have been going awfully fast.

He was killed instantly.

Kate, darling.

- Isn't he handsome? - You have a fine, healthy son.

At last we have a boy in the family.

Mrs. Lawrence.

May I speak to Katherine alone, please?

It's all right.

Fine boy.

Anthony Judson Lawrence.

No, Kate.

I haven't been idle these past few months.

I couldn't let what happened to my boy go without investigation.

That is not my grandson.

Now, I prefer not to make any trouble.

You won't make any trouble for me, Mrs. Lawrence.

Because if you do, the whole town will know...

what happened with Bill in that hotel room.

You're very clever, aren't you?

All right.

My attorneys are prepared to pay anything within reason...

on condition that you give up the Lawrence name.

- No. - Then you won't get a penny from me.

Neither my son nor I will ever make any claim on you or your money.

But we'll keep the Lawrence name.

I've paid for it.

You wanted to see me, Mike?

I didn't wanna be bothering you before, but I ran into your grandmother at Mass.

Yes, she told me. Thank you for calling.

I only stayed away because I thought I shouldn't be hanging around.

I appreciate that, Mike...

but I think it's best if you didn't come here again after today.

Katie, I wanna marry you. I love you. I always have.

I'm sorry, I can never marry you.

- Well, why not? - Because of him.

Are you afraid what people are gonna say?

We don't have to stay here. To hell with them.

We can go to some other town.

No, Philadelphia is our home.

Now, how are you gonna get along?

Well, I've already arranged to do secretarial work...

with the Junior League.

Of course, it doesn't pay very much, but I can't take just any job...

I have to maintain some kind of social position for his sake.

Social position? Haven't you learned anything yet?

You're gonna mess up three lives on account of social position?

Mike, you don't understand.

Fifty years ago, my grandmother came to this country as a servant.

For three generations, we've struggled to be accepted.

- I won't throw that away now. - Well, I came with nothing too.

But I'm doing better than my grandfather ever did.

And I'll be rich someday. I can give you both anything you want.

You can make yourself a millionaire, but you can't open doors for him.

- Is that so? - Not in Philadelphia.

As Anthony Judson Lawrence, he'll be able to meet the right people.

Make the right contacts.

Someday, he'll take the place in this city that belongs to him.

All right.

All right, you try and make a Lawrence out of him if you can...

but don't you ask me to stay out of his life, because he's my son...

and I'm gonna be around to keep an eye on him.

I don't care if you do call him Anthony Judson Lawrence.

Hey, Carson, let it roll.

Okay, okay.

Herbie, move it down about 10 feet.

- Tony. - Good morning, Mr. Flanagan.

- How's it going? - Fine, sir.

Come here.

- You get a chance to look at these? - Yes, sir.

We got a completion date of September the 1 st.

That's for excavation and foundation.

- Think the boys can do it? - Well...

I might have to chew them out a little bit.

There's a bonus each day we come in ahead.

- No kidding? Sold. - Right.

I gotta get back. Ed will pick up your progress reports each day.

Hey, how's your mother?

She's fine. She's working too hard, as usual.

What committee is it now?

She's got two or three jobs. I can never keep track of them.

- She's quite a woman, your mother. - Yeah.

Say hello for me, will you? If you think of it.

- I will. - Be seeing you.

Hey, Carson, what are you waiting for?

- I'm getting a light. - Let's keep it moving?

Okay, okay.

Where did Flanagan get the eager beaver?

One of his summer wonders?

- Okay, Carson, what's your problem? - I got no problem.

I didn't go to college.

What's yours?

My problem is to get that truck out there so that that truck can come in here.

Why didn't you say that in the first place?

How do you wanna handle this? Pleasant or unpleasant?

- What's the matter? Late for tea? - All right, unpleasant.

How big was the truck, babe, before you see it?

Bounce your big hulk on that bumper, and let me get out of here.

I ain't moving until I check the damages.

- Damages? They're my damages. - Watch your language.

- It's my right of way! - Right of way?

What are you, colorblind? Don't you know a red light?

- That light was green! - Green?

- Jeez! - All right, all right, all right.

How did it happen?

That dumb broad ran through a red light.

Don't you call me a dumb broad. You tell your friend to mind his language.

Just a second. I don't have to take orders from you.

- That truck's rolling, I'm in charge. - So get it rolling.

I ain't moving until I check the damages.

All right...

I'm sorry, Carson. Al, take him back to the shack.

Hanley!

Hanley, help me get this truck out of here.

- It really wasn't my fault. - I'll take your word for it.

If you get your motor started, maybe I can untangle this mess.

Hey, look, we're doing the best we can.

Move it back on the down jiggle.

- The what? - Never mind. Just move it back slowly.

Honey, please, don't pump it. Now, floor it, it's flooded.

You're making me nervous.

Why don't you come over here and jump on the bumper.

I'll go back there and honk your horn.

I have ice cream in this car, and I wanna get home before it melts.

Are you satisfied?

You seem to be getting it from both ends.

Some days you shouldn't get out of bed, right?

Right.