The Harvey Girls

"While the Harvey system neither demands nor expects...

"...the impossible from any employee, it does insist upon honest...

"...excellent, hygienic, cleanly, prompt and cheerful service at all times."

Yes, siree, Bob. And he means every word of it.

You've been with him a long time.

I've been cooking in Harvey Houses for the last 14 years.

You must be well-done by now.

Madame! You say your coffee is weak?

Give it to me. I'll put it on the chair and let it rest awhile.

Just call me "Conscientious Connie," the queen of the waitresses!

I'm sorry, Miss Bliss.

That's all right, Ethel.

There's one thing you girls have yet to learn:

A Harvey girl is more than a waitress.

Wherever a Harvey House appears, civilization is not far behind.

You girls are the symbol and the promise of the order that is to come.

The restaurant we're opening in Sandrock is the first the town has ever had.

Its success depends upon how you conduct yourselves.

Now, how about some lunch?

It's lovely. I'm hungry.

- Here, let me help you. - Thank you.

Have you ever eaten a Chillicothe sandwich, Deborah?

- Chillicothe? What's that? - It's a secret recipe of my Aunt Melvina's.

Won her two blue ribbons and three husbands.

- Try it to see if you like it. - No, thanks. I'm full.

- Would you like to try it? - Why, yes. Thank you very much.

I always wanted to taste a Chillicothe sandwich.

Tastes just like chicken.

You have to try another before you can tell the difference.

Thank you. I hope I'm not depriving you.

If General Custer had our provisions, he'd still be standing.

I've wanted to meet you ever since we got on the train at Kansas City.

My name is Susan Bradley. I'm from Ohio.

- We're Harvey girls. - What's that, a college?

No. We're waitresses.

We're going to Sandrock to open a restaurant.

Sandrock! That's where I'm going.

- Is that your home? - No.

- Are you visiting? - No.

- Going to work? - Then why on earth are you going?

To get married.

- Does he live in Sandrock? - Yes, he owns a big ranch there.

- What's his name? - His name is H.H. Hartsey, Esquire.

Is he tall and handsome, and does he have raven-black hair?

And flashing blue eyes?

I like brown eyes.

- His are brown. - You said they were blue.

Well, they are. I mean, one of them is.

I mean...

Well, to tell you the truth, I haven't met him yet.

- How did you catch him? - I answered a matrimonial ad in the paper.

Well, really!

I once sent my picture to a lonely hearts club...

...but it came back marked, "We're not that lonely!"

Well, I think it's wonderful.

I think it's wonderful, too. When I answered the ad, he wrote back.

Thank you very much.

- What wonderful curlicues. - And commas after everything.

This is the first one.

- Would you like to hear a little of it? - Yes, indeed. Please.

"There is a dream here, in this great land, that not everybody sees.

"Mountains and sunlight, and the cleanest wind in the world...

"...waiting for a man and a woman with a little vision."

What was so wrong with Ohio?

There was nothing wrong with Ohio. It was just so old-fashioned.

There were several men in that town I could have married, I suppose.

Only, it's so smug and sure of itself and so settled...

...that I wanted a chance to do something different...

...to see something different, a whole new world opening up.

And, after all, the Constitution guarantees the pursuit of happiness...

...but it's up to me to do the pursuing.

So that's why I answered the ad, and that's why I'm on this train.

I think you did the right thing.

- Would you like to see my wedding dress? - Yes.

I must say, I admire your spirit.

Most girls would have come out here and gotten married in a navy blue suit.

That must be Sandrock!

Mrs. H.H. Hartsey, Esquire.

Mighty nice looking sign you're putting up there, Mr. Adams.

You being the manager of the place...

...I suppose you're optimistic enough to think it's going to stay there.

There are a lot of them around the country, Judge...

...and I haven't heard of any of them failing to stay put.

It's a pity you'll be disillusioned so soon.

- Hi, Judge. - Hi, boys.

- How are you, Judge? - Good day, Judge.

Hello, John Henry.

Hey, Mike, where's the boss?

Right over there.

Trent, I want to talk to you.

There's a lady singing.

- That's a good number. - Terry taught it to me.

- Good work, Terry. - Thanks.

- It's really Em's voice that puts them over. - My voice? He's so young.

Trent, I got to talk to you.

What is stopping you, Sam? The lady's finished her song.

- Hey, boss. - Yeah?

- Is he good for a drink? - Has he had it?

- Yeah. - He's good.

Now, look here, Trent, I've wasted all the time I've got to waste.

Got a match?

Mighty nice looking place you got here.

Next year, we plan to put up lace curtains.

Not if you have to shut down, you won't.

Who's going to shut us down? You?

You know what I mean. You can't laugh off the new Harvey outfit.

Have you ever seen a restaurant? They serve food.

Next, the church will open up again. Mark my words.

Are you boys admiring each other's eyes or reading each other's epitaphs?

Em, the Judge is losing his grip.

He's afraid of a place that sells vittles. Vittles and a pack of calf-faced girls.

Those girls can fill up a town faster than law officers.

- You listen to the Judge, Ned. - This is my business.

Let's get one thing straight: We're not partners.

You run the town, I'll run the Alhambra. You'll get your usual cut.

But not just as much.

He's right. Look what happened at Larrup.

The men married the waitresses faster than they could replace them.

They did?

It's so quiet, you'd think it was New England instead of New Mexico.

- Nice women can ruin a town, right? - And how.

- The house will buy you a drink. - That's a little better.

- Where's Trent? - He's over there, at the bar.

Hey, Ned!

It's all due to you.

- How can I ever thank you? - What?

- My bride's coming in on the noon train. - You're married, Hartsey?

I ain't, but I will be.

She's come all the way out here from Ohio to marry me.

And here's the fellow what's done it.

It was him. He writ the letters for me. He courted her for me on paper.

Hartsey, maybe you'd better hightail it to the desert.

- I'll meet her and send her back to Ohio. - It's like a blind date for life.

You don't know what you're doing. You can't tell by letters.

She probably weighs 200 pounds.

That's all right.

This calls for a celebration. Hey, everybody.

Hartsey will be married this afternoon. I'll treat to champagne.

Here's to H.H. Hartsey and his rosy happiness...

...coming in on the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.

Here she comes!

All aboard!

- Miss Bliss? - Yes.

- I'm Jed Adams. - How do you do?

- Welcome to Sandrock. - Thank you.

I want you to meet Mr. Adams, the Harvey House manager.

Miss Walters, Miss Johnson, Miss Harper...

Why, you rambunctious coyote! I'll teach you.

- Wait a minute, ma'am. I'm Mr. Hartsey. - I don't care who you are.

But, ma'am, ain't you Miss Susan Bradley, the lady that came out here to marry me?

That's Miss Susan Bradley back there.

If you ladies will please follow me. We've been awaiting your arrival.

Really? That's very nice.

Who are they?

Ladies! Ladies!

How do, Miss Bradley?

Hello, Mr. Hartsey.

- Can I carry your bag, ma'am? - My bag? Where?

I thought we was going down here to...

Yes, please, do. Thank you very much.

- Are you disappointed? - Disappointed?

Well, I mean, you didn't expect a mangy old buzzard like me, or did you?

Yes, I did. I mean, I don't think you're a mangy old buzzard.

I mean, I...

You look like a very kind and reasonable man.

Then you like me? You mean you really like me?

I, of course, don't know you very well, but you...

...certainly look to me like a very kind and reasonable man.

Thank you, ma'am. I like you, too.

Thank you. Of course, there's one thing I forgot.

I left it out of my letters. I'm an awful housekeeper.

That's all right.

In these parts, we live outside mostly, anyways.

- I'm a terrible cook. - Don't let that worry you, ma'am.

Out here, we just put things over a fire and take what happens.

Well, that's just fine, isn't it?

It's great. I can't wait for us to be hitched up, can you?

Can't wait.

- I'm going to be the happiest man in town. - I'm going to be the happiest girl.

Well, after all, that's what I came out here for, isn't it?

Well, yes, ma'am.

Miss Bradley, I think you should know something more about me.

I chew tobacco and I drink. I'm a terrible drinker.

And I gamble. Gambling, that's my downfall.

Well, Mr. Hartsey, you sound as if you...

Could it be possible you don't want to marry me?

Wait, Miss Bradley. I want to marry you. I want to marry you badly.

I want to marry you something awful, but please, ma'am...

...please say no.

Mr. Hartsey, I think you're wonderful.

Of course, if you insist, I'll say no.

I sure do thank you, ma'am.

Well, anyway, I thought your letters were beautiful.

Gosh, I didn't even write them letters.

They was written by a fellow named Ned Trent.

Who's Ned Trent?

That was Ned's idea, all in the first place.

You know, I bet he thought that'd be some kind of a funny joke like.

- A joke? - Yes, ma'am.

You mean, I've come 2,000 miles for a joke?