The Blue Hotel, Part 1 (1977)

[Music] hello I'm Colleen Dost when Steven crane published the blue hotel in 1898 A Century of Westward Expansion was almost over just 5 years earlier historian Frederick Jackson Turner had declared the exhaustion of the frontier in one of the most important interpretations of our history to most Nations the word for Frontier is synonymous with boundaries it indicates a starting point an end of something a final limit to Americans the Frontier has always signaled just the opposite and opening up a beginning Freedom this sense of the infinite possibilities of the Western frontier has been strong in the American Consciousness ever since the country began F Scott Fitzgerald one of the writers in the series describes the European explorers catching their first glimpse of the new world there was born F Gerald says the last and greatest of all human dreams for a transitory Enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for Wonder this virgin land this new Eden this wide open space where one could start over was connected from the beginning of our history to what we call the American dream a Swede arrives at Steven cram's blue hotel to him the West is still wild his imagination has been nourished by dime novels and barro sagas like many newcomers to our land only decades ago their image of America based on Cowboy films the swedes version of the West assumes A Primitive Place without law indeed without civilization in his West violence is the chief activity fear the Chief emotion chance the chief ruling power [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh there's a fine gentlemen welcome to ro oh I'm Patrick Skelly I'm the proprietor of the uh of the uh t hotel we we'll be glad to put you a nice comfortable room I'll be right with gentlemen here you enjoy to stay here right down this sir have nice comfortable room [Music] [Music] nice come along now right this way gentlemen follow me just a little bit further gentlemen follow me just a little bit further you feel right at home under my roof it is by far the best hotel in town give me a hunt here with you boy we got yes take these backs belonging to these gentlemen I just hang things up over there damn no need to go upstairs just now my my son Johnny will take your things to the rooms here number one number three number seven now please step over here and sign the register you just stay down here where it's nice and warm till supper Emily puy Emily py we have three guests just checked in now you russle up something nice to eat you hear bled weather gentlemen now you come over here and was up get some of that Nebraska dust off your hands I know you've been on that train a long time feel good sir all right thank you very much here sir ah here we are there's a blizzard coming all right and it'll be a bad one but we'll be snug and cozy in here not to worry about that sir now that you're all freshened up just relax a bit through supper come Al sir come along sir come on come on come along sir you're next here nice warm water here something most hotels don't bother about you just wash up now and see if you don't feel better clubs course B five see you make that cards how many you want buddy there you go I don't want any what other beans no I like the red ones myself okay that's mine oh here it comes oh it's going to be a big one hope that blizzard don't last too long I got me a job on a wrench just this side of the Dakota line it's called the laramy spread you ever he of it no can't say that I have either of you ever hear the laramy spread uh over the Dakota line now I swear I seen that King in the card you threw away well what's it doing there if I threw it away there must be something wrong with your eyesight there ain't nothing wrong with my eyesight well what is it doing there if I threw it away danged if I ain't had enough well you just suit yourself you'll I ain't playing no more I ain't playing no more come on have a jelly bean sit down let's play us another hand I ain't playing no more not going out in this storm you jack Ain fit and weather for a man to go on the street I'll take my chances on the [Applause] weather for [Music] care to play a little high five well sure don't mind if I do name is Bill John John talk my deal your deal look here could we get some of these gentlemen to play we could set Partners it's more exciting that way oh say that's a fine idea it'll help pass the time till supper is ready go I'll just go up and make sure the rooms are tight Mister want to play yes my play what are the stakes oh there ain't no Stakes just for fun just for fun maybe play for my jelly beans how about you Mister here to play a little high five high five sometimes it's called Pedro yeah that's right it's called poor Pedro or CCH you ever play that before it's a good game look Mister just for fun and if you don't know how to play it I'll be happy to teach you to you want you why you come on and pull up a chair come on yeah just come on and and sit down come on look look Mister just for fun grab the chair grab okay let's get to it careful uh no go ahead and cut off get these off the table looks like idea yall know the rules [Applause] sure so you're from the East huh yes I've lived in New York most of my life oh New York big city City huh what's your business I'm a journalist how much news out here well I'm not after news now I've come out here for my help good weather for your health is everybody ready oh this is just for fun keep your hand out did pass all two clubs two D two Spades three clubs three din three Spades pass four clubs pass pass card four four two thought you said four two two okay one one cards four two four four and I will take one are we ready you e that's all right that's one there's another two three [Laughter] five got to play another go anybody care for jelly beans give me another one of those hands okay okay it three spade I pass pass just for fun right just for fun free spade for cl for SP pass again pass pass no cards cards one cards six six none okay that's why there's another [Music] woo oh doggy there's another one is that you doggy never seen card fall like that part boy sure know how to deal okay I suppose a good many men have been killed in this room um Mr I don't know I don't know what in the hell you're talking about out well you know what I mean all right I'm a liar if I do you think i' be no Wares you think I'm just one of them tenderfoots from way back East uh mister I I I don't know nothing about you I don't know what in the hell you're driving at look there ain't never been nobody killed in this here room what's wrong with you mister you know what I'm talking about don't you I'm sorry Mister but I don't understand you oh I see you are all against me say Mr what you here don't fight now who the hell thought you did I'm going to be killed here going to be killed here for sure what's the matter what's the matter here he's men are going to kill me Johnny what is this darn if I know I can't make no sense out of him he says that a good many men have been killed right here in this room and that he's going to die here too I don't wonder Mr you are crazy crazy Johnny's right I don't know what HS the man kill you kill you you say I know what will happen I may be crazy yes maybe I am crazy but I know I will not get out of here alive take that beat all Johnny nothing I ain't done nothing this house I will go away because I do not wish to be killed you tell me what you've done to this man you young devil now speak up I told you I ain't done nothing never mind I will leave this house because I do not wish to be killed you will not leave maybe I'm crazy but I know that I must go away you will not leave you in my hotel and I will not allow any pable man to be troubled here I just get my things and go away from here now that is what I must do to save my life no you will not leave not until I find out what's going on Mr blank can you tell me what these boys have been doing Mr Scully I didn't see them do anything wrong but what does it all mean a man wants to leave my hotel cuz he's feared he's going to be killed here now what in hell does that mean look I told you I ain't done nothing now he is the craziest damn loon I have ever seen good god I've worked long and hard to make this a respectable establishment nothing like this has ever happened before nothing ah here you are oh now you just calm down I can't think how you ever got such an idea into your head oh did you think they were really going to kill you oh you must be DED oh no no for some people in this world I know pretty nearly as much as you do understand oh right man we're going to have a line of electric street cars in this town next spring and there's a new railroad being built from broken arm to here not to mention the four churches oh and a smashing brick Schoolhouse and then there's a new big Factory by man in a few more years Romper will be a regular Metropolis how much money do I owe you you don't owe me anything I'll not take your money here now you come with me a minute come on now come on come on come on come on don't be afraid I want you to come and see a picture come now this is my little girl who died her name was Carrie she had the is that fond of her but she look here man I'm showing you this is my little girl that died and look at this a picture of me oldest boy Michael he's a lawyer in Lincoln and doing real well oh I gave that boy a grand education and now he's an honored in respected gentleman and now there's only one more te i' keep it on me pillar if it wasn't for that boy Johnny oh no where is it now here there it is come out with you now oh there it is I'll come out with you no this here comes all the way from India I see Captain BR it to me genuine Bombay Jin I'll just see if somebody pinched a nip I save it for special occasions prink prink man prink that's it drink good good have a good drink that's it that'll warm you up right down to the bottom of your feet it'll make you feel better all over you see there's nothing to be feared of here [Music] I wonder what in the hell my own man is doing up there so along with that sweet he know sweet well what is he then it's my opinion he's some kind of Dutchman yes sir a Dutchman I don't know what in the hell he is he said he's sweet said he's Swedish who do you think he is Mr blun oh I don't know what the hell do you think makes him act that way he's crazy crazy he's scared he's scared clear down to his boots what that I don't know maybe he's been reading dime novels and he thinks he's in the wild west Billy the Kid dalon gang shootings killings this ain't Wyoming they're none of those places this here is Nebraska I don't know why in the hell he didn't wait till he got out west to get so scared it's not where he is it's where he thinks he is in the middle of Hell he's a queer bird all right I sure hope we don't get snowed in here with that fell I wish my paw would throw him came out in the snow just throw out [Laughter] out come on now move over there and give us a chance at the stove plenty of room on the other side get over there now the boy should where he wants for [Music] I'm py py well what would you like what water I'll get you something oh I can [Music] hello I want a glass of water I want some water do you hear can you imagine upstairs just now he he thought I meant to poison him huh that's not a bad idea who the hell does he think he is H you know I got a m just hold your tongue I keep a hotel here boy a hotel and that jent is a guest well that jent a few minutes ago was afraid of breathing and now he is just he's sassy as hell a guest under my roof has Privileges and ain't to be intimidated I'll not allow it there's no place in this town where they can say they took in a guest of mine cuz he was afraid he was going to be killed here am I right yes Mr Scully you're certainly right Mr Scully ah let me see what's cooking in here f