Butch hurries over to hug Homer.
“Homer!” says Butch, “Oh, it’s good to see you, kid!” Butch hooks a thumb toward a sleeping Fred Derry. “Your friend, the Captain here, told me you were home, but I certainly didn’t expect you in so soon!”
Homer smiles. “Hiya, Captain!” he says to Fred. Fred wakes up.
“Hey, Homer! My old shipmate!” says Fred. “How are you, kid? Sit down!”
“Swell!” says Homer. “So, you took my advice and came to Butch’s!”
“Yeah!” says Fred.
“Gosh,” says Homer, “Come on, let’s have a drink!”
Steve the Bartender pops in. “Hello, Homer!” says Steve.
“Hi, Steve!” says Homer.
“Boy, am I happy to see you back home again!” says Steve. Homer holds out his prosthetic hand.
“Oh, go ahead, shake!” says Homer, smiling. “It won’t bite cha!”
Steve laughs and shakes Homer’s hook.
“What’ll ya have?” asks Steve.
“What’ll I have?” repeats Homer, straightening his cap. “How many times have I dreamed of hearing that question?” He turns to Derry. “You know, Fred, before I went in the Navy, Butch would never let me drink any liquor. He used to read me lectures on the curse of drink!” Homer nudges Butch. “But it’s different now!”
Homer turns back to Steve. “I’m a veteran. Gimme a whiskey, Steve, straight!” He taps his hook on the bar counter.
Steve turns to look at Butch. “How ’bout it, Butch?”
Butch thinks a moment, then says, “Draw a beer for the Navy.”
“Aw, Butch,” says Homer. “I ordered whiskey.”
“Beer,” repeats Butch.
“Beer,” says Steve, grabbing a beer glass.
Homer turns to Fred. “I’m going to take my trade to some other joint, where I don’t have relatives.” Homer winks at Fred.
Fred laughs.
“Say, what are you doing here, anyway?” asks Butch. “Why aren’t you home with the folks?”
“Well,” says Homer. “They went to bed and I wasn’t sleepy, so I thought, why not come down and see Butch?”
In This Episode:
- Harold Russell as Homer Parrish
- Hoagy Carmichael as Butch
- Dana Andrews as Fred Derry
- Donald Kerr as Steve the Bartender
A Movies by Minutes Presentation
This podcast is a production of Movies by Minutes podcasters. Join us at MoviesbyMinutes.com
Examining the 1946 William Wyler film "The Best Years of Our Lives," one minute of screen time per episode.
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© 2021 Jim O'Kane
"The Best Years of Our Lives" © 1946 Samuel Goldwyn, Jr Family Trust