01x24 - Nobody's Boy

[bunniefuu]

[waves crashing]

[music]

The Loretta Young show.

Starring Loretta Young.

[clapping]

Hello.

Tonight our story isabout , boys.

However we're going to k*ll itthrough the guy who just one boy.

And a man. A wonderful manwhom you're going to meet later.

Now a man I mentioned isJack Robbins.

You'll hear abouthim and our story.

Then I want you tomeet him in person.

Let's pick up ourstory in Chicago

teaming West Sideslum. Some years ago.

[music]

Not too attractive, are they?

And this is a familiarscene in those days

In the chambers of ajudge or the juvenile court.

The boy isJoey Gordon.

This spring the ladyis a social worker.

She's reading from his record.

It's quite a record,too, for a boy of .

[music]

Remark, incorrigibledelinquent and arrests.

The recommendation of the committeeis that Joy Gordon be sent to the

cook county reform school for aperiod of not less than one year.

Mother's missing.

Father serving a twelveyear prison sentence in Joiet.

No brothers andsisters on record.

That's all your honors.

Thank you, Ms. Springs.

I think we on accept thecommittee's recommendations.

Joey, is there anything you'dlike to say on your behalf?

No.

There are manyopportunities, young man,

offered at the CookCounty Reform School.

I hope you'll have the sensenow to take advantage of them.

Joy Gordon I am deeplyconcerned of your future.

Unless you breakthe pattern abolished.

In all probability someday.

Your own son will sitwhere you are sitting now.

Goodbye, Miss. Springs.

Thank you, Honor.

Joey I hope we nevermeet here again.

[door opening]

Yeah he's right Joey.

Be smart.

Use us here wisely.

How long has myfather been a joliet?

Almost eleven years.

Think of that joey.

Eleven years. That's along time out of a man's life.

He should be getting out soon.

Yeah, that's right

Joey.

You will try, won't you?

Hmm.

You want to know something, lady?

What?

I never even knew I had a father.

Until you read it fromthat paper just now.

I never even knew it.

What would it be liketo suddenly discover

that you have afather and in prison?

But the Joey didn'tmatter where he was.

Now he had someone. Hebelonged to someone and someone

belonged to him forthe first time in his life.

The next day, Joey Gordonentered Cook County Reform School.

On my next visit, I wasdisappointed to see that

Joey Gordon's file wasmarked most uncooperative.

[music]

Hi, Joey.

-How are you?-Okay.

Sit down.

I

I've been looking over your report.

Not very good.

Start out just fine.

Something happened Joey?

Oh, come on. What's the matter?

I don't like it here,that's what's a matter.

Oh.

What don't you like?

Are you kidding? Idon't like anything.

They're only trying to help you.

Everybody's alwaystrying to help me.

Just lay off.

Everybody lay off

that's what I'd like.

You big sh*ts. Don't kid me.

You're not trying to help me.

You just like to run everybodyand everything, that's all.

No, Joey, I'm trying to help you.

Yeah.

Sure.

Look, whether you believe it or not.

I am trying to help.

Then why'd you lie to me?

What you mean lied you?

Just what I said.

If you wanted to be a friend sobad, why'd you go and lie to me?

About what?

You said my father was in joliet.

But he is, he's in joliet.

Then why'd my letter come back?

Oh.

Addresse unknown.

Joey your father is in Joliet, buthe's there under a different name.

What name?

Sorry, we're not allowed to giveout the names of the prisoners.

Okay.

Can I go now?

Joe.

Next time you writeyour father address him.

Joe Perry.

I've written itdown for you, there.

Why are you doing that?

I want your next letterto reach your father.

- Yeah?- Yeah.

But why did youbreak the rules for me?

[smiling]

There are exceptionsto every rule, Joey.

Maybe you're theexception to this one.

Say.

why'd he change hisname? So I couldn't find him.

No, Joey, I don't think so.

I bet he did. I won't write to him.

Joe.

Joe, your father doesn'teven know he has his son.

Your mother nevertold him about you.

Oh.

I see.

[door closing]

[music]

Miss Springs, the social worker,gave me the name that you use.

She said you don't know about me.

If you want to keepit that way, okay.

But if when you get out and I

get out, you want us to be friends.

That's okay, too.

[music]

I got a kid?

A boy.

[music]

Joey's father wrotehim one letter a

month, the limit fora prisoner in Joliet.

[music]

Joey's conduct improvedslightly, and soon it

was time for him toleave the reform school.

You better show upfor practice so you won't

make first string.Don't make me about it.

- Hi. You're Joey Gordon?- yeah

I'm Pete.

-This here's Ed and this is Vic.-Hi.

- Miss Springs told us about you.- yeah?

Yeah, said you'd do toget out of here and she

didn't think you had aplace to go. Is that right?

I got places

Well, come on and sitout. We want to talk to you.

-Make yourselves to home.-No, thanks.

I was at home herefor almost two years.

Yeah?

Yeah, me too. Ed was downstatehamordge and oh, boy, what a dumb.

Couldn't be worse than this.

They're all lousy.

But look, you'regetting out now,

Joey, and you wantto stay out, right?

Listen, when I get outof here, I ain't never

coming back hereand no place else like it.

Say, you sound just like me.

And you know what happened?I bounced back here three times.

Free time,

I'd be in the pennow if the boys in the

Bbr hadn't comealong and taken me on.

Bbr? What's that for?

That's the BoysBrotherhood republic.

-Oh, boys club.-Listen

we got a slogan in the street.

Not a member of a boysclub, but a citizen of a republic.

See? It says it right here.

I heard this stuff beforefrom the social workers.

Hey, wait a minute,kids. Sit down. It's a long

way up here, and we'rehere. Now, let's talk.

Get this, fella. We ain'tsocial workers. There ain't

any in the Bbr. It's runby us kids like you and me.

Nobody shoves us around.

We are the Bbr's.It's kids for kids.

We know what you'rethinking. Once you get

out of here, you don'twant to come back.

But we don't want youto come back either.

And that's what McCoy.

Say, what do you guys do? Pay off?

Yeah, yeah we pay off.

We get your job afterschool and a place to live.

And welcome guys likeus to pal around with.

What else?

We got a whole building on theWest Side. We call it the City Hall.

It's got a mayor'soffice, courtroom, library,

police station, gym,newspaper, the works.

-All run by kids-From the mayor down

Here is running formirror this election.

And no social workers?

We got three grownups in the building.

The janitor, he's a good guy.

The athletic coach, he's tops.

And the boss, wheredo you meet him?

-The boss?-Yeah. The boss, Mr. Robbins.

He started the Bbr.

The seven guys just like us.

It's been going andgrowing since .

Sure, Chicago's full of guysthat were Bbr boys once.

Some of them are big sh*ts now.

Come on, Gordon, level with us.We know you got no place to go.

Well.

Come on. What have you got to lose?

Miss Spring says it's a good deal.

She sent us.

Okay.You got yourself a new member.

Come on let's go.

Come on, we'll show you Gordon.

Joey was to think of that firstmeeting with the Bbr boys often.

But this was the first breakin the pattern of his life.

The first new thingany citizen of the Bbr

wants to do is to meetthe boss, Jack Robbin.

The man who foundedthis miniature city state

on the theory thatthere are no bad boys.

Nice to meet you, Joey. You listento Pete here. He's a good man.

Thanks boss.

Say, that's a pretty goodsweatshirt. Almost fits him.

Gene. Boss, he's kind of small.

I'm small.

Mr. Robbins, how come you keepthis big place going with just kids?

Well, they make the rules.They should be able to keep them.

I'll tell you, Joey.

We once had aboard of supervisors.

Bunch of, wellmeaning, men and womendecided the kids needed watching.

Well, as soon as theboard was formed, the

Bbr mayor called aspecial mass meeting.

And the kids unanimouslyfired the supervisors.

we haven't had any sense.

[laugh] You should have been there.

From the beginning,it looked like the

case of the incorrigibleJoey Gordon.

Would be an easy victory for JackRobbins and the boys of the Bbr.

For Joey had found aworld where he belonged.

Here, he was an equal.

[music]

There was only one problem.

Joey's father, and the influence hewas now bound to have on his son.

[music]

[door opening]

See, it's nice. It's very nice.

It's sunny in thedaytime and quiet. Nice.

It's a nice room.I like it for myself.

But it's my Joey's room, see?

Come in, come in. This is myJoey. See? He's in California now.

So I guess we'reself another Joey.

How about it, Joey?

Yeah.Sure.

Big French. He takesreal good care of us Bbr.

Sure, I like boys. Good boys.

And Vic, you alwaysbring me nicer, good boys.

A good cook, too?

You bet. I cook spaghetti,ravioli. You tell me what you like.

I always like to cook with myboys. Like me? I like everything.

Come on, boys. Sit on bed.You home now. Enjoy. I go now.

You'll have a gooddeal here Joey.

Hey, does she know about me justbeing in a reform school and all?

Sure.

Heck, you wouldn't thinkshe'd want to rent to us guys.

Why? you're going tobe a perfect customer.

-Yeah-We've got over families waiting to take

the Bbr boys in. We'reregular dogs they have around.

You say, we like you own the Bbr.

I do. So. Do youremember that, Joey?

So everything you do tohelp the Bbr has helps you.

Works the otherway, too. Of course.

Well, I got a report backthat you moved in. So long.

Yeah, so long.

[music]

Now, if you fellascan handle this

yourself, what areyou bothering me for?

Okay, boss, I'lltake care of it myself.

Say, I saw in our paper thatyou're running for mayor, Pete.

Yeah, but thecompetition is pretty stiff.

What's your platform?

Well, for one thing,I'm going to clean out

the gambling in theback of the grocery stores.

- so much of it?- there's enough.

Well, mayor not. You clean it out.

Sure.

He bought it.

See you later, Pete. Scott.

Okay. How are things coming, Joey?

Ah, okay.

Hey boss. My banks failed.

Your bank?

The th street bankwhere I kept my money.

I went to get it out andthe doors was closed.

Nobody was there.Has it failed, boss?

How much money didyou have in it, Joey?

Sixty three dollarsand twenty five cents.

What day is it?

-Saturday.-Sure, and the th Street Bank?

Stays open Tuesday afternoonas it closed all day Saturday.

Oh, yeah, I read it once inthe sun. He got in the window.

but I forgot my money's okay.

Thanks boss.

Sixty three dollars.

That's quite a lot of money joey.

Yeah, boss, I saved it.

Well, good. Say,how you come with

that job when youstart the print shop?

Swell. Mr. Fool is pretty nice.

He used to be a BBR boy, you know.

Yeah, he said.

How long have you been there?

weeks.

You get $ a day, you know.

yeah.

Well, that's $ a week.

You pay $ for your room.

That means you'd have to save .

In order to save $in that length of time.

But I saved it.

Yeah, but Joey.

for your roomand in the bank.

That means you only have adollar and a half a week to live on.

Look.

See? I saved it.

Eighty five cents.

A dollar, ten.

Sixty cents, fourty cen...

You go to the banka lot, don't you, Joey?

Every Tuesday and Thursday.

I had my dinner with Mrs. Frenziesand I walk to school into work.

How about breakfast and lunch?

Sometimes I havecoffee in the morning.

Save me something special, Joey.

No.

Just saving.

now, you want totake it out of the bank?

You going someplace, Joey?

Look, it's my money and I saved it.

Sure, I just meantthat today's Saturday.

The bank'sclosed. I wonder if it

was importantenough that you'd want

to borrow some moneyfrom me on Monday?

No, no boss I'll be okay.

Look, you know, it's past my lunchtime and I'm starved. How about you?

Well, now, I hateto leave lunch alone.

Come on, sit with me. With you?

Okay, boss, but I ain't hungry.

But I'm sure gladyou weren't hungry.

Come on, level with me, kid.

What were yousaving that money for?

Well, my dad's getting outof prison Monday morning.

And I wanted to buyhim some new Duds.

That's a mighty nicething you're doing, Joey.

I felt kind of funny, though.I've never even seen him.

Not even the picture.

And now I'm going to meethim Monday at the bus station.

You know, how he's going toknow which one is me, boss?

I'm going to bewearing my Bbr sweater.

I told my dad to lookfor the good looking

kid in the purpleand white sweater.

Gosh, I feel funny already.

Oh, it's going to be great, Joey.

[music]

Joey?

Hi, dad.

Joey.

Joey, Joey.

Come on, dad,let's get out of here.

You are a good looking kid, Joey.

Come on, dad, we're going home.

You want a candy bar?

[door opening]

Well, here we are

Mrs. Frenzy's okay, dad, she'sonly going to charges for your meal.

-Good.-Hey, look.

Didn't I tell youshe was alright.

A toast to your success, Mr. Gordon.

She thinks your nameis the same as mine.

Joey had everything arrangedfor his father's homecoming.

A room to share with him.A job at the print shop. Mrs.

Frenzy's cooking even acherry pop toast to his success.

Hey, dad, I got a present for you.

$. to buy yourselfsome new duds.

Where did you get the money, Joey?

I worked for it, dad.

To more of your success.

[music]

No, that's just whatyou can't do, Kelly.

If you want tostart a BBR in New

York, you've gotto let the kids do it.

If you have a great bigdrive to raise funds and

build them a fancy cityhall, it just won't work.

The kids have got to start withnothing and do it themselves.

Well, of coursethey'll need guidance,

but don't rob themof their initiative.

Okay.

So long, Kelly.

[putting telephone down]

-Hi, boss. Got a minute?-Sure. Come on in, Pete.

[door closing]

What's the matter?

Well, Joey Gordon's onFrank Bailey's baseball team.

He hasn't shown up forthe last three practices.

I checked around andnobody's seen him lately.

Have you tried his boarding house?

Yeah he still lives there.

I think I'll have a talk with him.

And I'd like to handle this myself

If you don't mind, Pete.

Joey and I had abit of a bull session

once before about something and

I've got to hunchwhatever is wrong.

Why, it may beconnected in some way.

You want me to go along?

No, I can talk to him better alone.

He's a funny kid.

He's a good southpaw, switch hits, too.

Frank's real worried.

He should be. We canalways use a switch hitter.

[door opening]

Hi, Joey.

[door closing]

How's every little thing?

I haven't done anything.

Who said you had?

Then what are you doing here?

I just came in to see you.

How's your father?

Okay I guess.

Frank's real worried about you.

Said you didn't showup for baseball practice.

There's no losses. Igot to play baseball?

Of course not.

[putting jar down]

Haven't got time forbaseball anymore.

You ought to tell Frankso he won't count on you.

He says you're apretty good switch hitter.

I haven't got time for the Bbranymore, either. So tell him

Oh.

That's too bad.

You're going to miss it.

Well, so long, boy. Givemy best to your father.

He ain't here.

No?

[door closing]

Where is he, Joey?

He ain't here?

No?

Where is he?

They sent him back.

He broke into a drugstoreand he sent him back.

I tried, boss. I tried. I tried.

He was living here, and Mrs.Farazi was nice to him and all.

But he quit his jobat the bridge shop.

And he moved in withsome of his old friends.

And last week theybroke into this drugstore.

[crying]

Joey.

Remember when we talked.

I told her that was goingto be hard for your father.

It was too latefor him, I guess.

But, boy, it's not too late for you.

I don't care about me now.

Joey, you didn't fail yourfather. Now don't fail yourself.

Or all those boysthat tried so hard to

give you the breakyour father didn't get.

They need you and you need them.

So you know, Pete Higginscame up with a slogan yesterday.

He's running for mayor, you know.

I think it's pretty good.

So long as there are boys introuble, we too, are in trouble.

Don't you thinkthat's pretty good.

Joey.

I didn't know my father.

I never really knew any family.

There's so many boys likeus. We don't belong to anyone.

But now with the Bbr, weall belong to each other.

You know, those boysare tough guys, Joey.

But if you turn your back onthem, you'll break their hearts.

Gee boss, I wish you'd been aroundto help my dad when he was a kid.

He really isn't a bad guy.

No one starts out a bad guy, Joey.

No one.

When I think of allthe men and women.

Prisons wasting this God giventime, it makes me feel sick inside.

If someone had only takenthat frightened boy or girl

by the hand and led themthrough their first mistake

there might neverhave been a second.

[music]

This is the world of Joey Gordon.

Doesn't look much different fromwhen we saw it earlier, does it?

And yet it is becauseJoey and his friends have

learned that it is menwho change the world.

Not the world that changes men.

[music]

I'd like to tell you that thereal boy, whom we have called

Joy Gordon, is now living ahappy, useful and successful life.

Thanks to theinspiration of one men.

Now, you've already met ChickChandler here, who plays Mr robbins.

And now I'd like you tomeet Mr Robbins himself.

Welcome, Mr Robbins.

Thanks, Lorretta.It's nice to be a part

of his success story.

Oh, indeed.

Joey certainly was asuccess story, Mr robbins.

He certainly was.

And when you think that it'sonly one out of , on record.

Just as Mr Robbinssaid in his first letter to us.

There is no investmentas good or valuable

as the investmentin the man. Right?

Correct.

Well, Mr Robbins,thanks again for being

with us tonight. Andthank you, Chick.

Thank you, Loretta.

And good night all.

And don't forget, we'llsee you next week.

[clapping]

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