New York's Waterfront (1947)

[Music] bon voyage a 20th century giant of the sea there are thousands of passengers aboard with just as many destinations and all in search of new sites new thrills new experiences and yet in these crowded waters and the waters of any other porch the riverfront activities are but an everyday occurrence to the many men who man these vessels ocean liner river steamer tugboat or barge the captain the sailor the dockhand the stoker all performed their respective duties with on concern when compared with the excitement of the passengers and their friends on the pier and the curiosity seekers who always flock to see an ocean sailing but it is these men who make possible our many sea travels and the commerce ah but therein lies our story of the men of ships [Music] audi under lies another majestic sea rover in quarantine many formalities must be gone through but then it's just a good old us custom the average voyager misses many interesting details that attend a ship lying in quarantine and oftentimes they are as interesting as the trip itself however i guess we can all understand a certain little shyness that comes in the presence of the law inspectors ship news reporters cameramen and government officials they are all quite at home on the water they are always the first to greet incoming liners and while not exactly in the same category as sailors many years in the service of their calling has brought them in close contact with men of the sea and i dare say that some of them might easily qualify as uh able-bodied seamen now with these men aboard things begin to move again [Music] on leaving quarantine the big ship proceeds at a slow pace up the harbor thus giving the reporters and the cameraman plenty of time to spot their quarry meanwhile passing the breast of the city the captain of this large liner is on deck surveying with a watchful eye the river traffic while approaching closer and closer to the landing pier he signals to the waiting tugs who have been standing by they then close in and completely surround the ship each assumes a definite position for they are to ease the big liner alongside the pier you know ocean steamers themselves are quite helpless in shallow waters their own motive power useless they depend entirely on these bulldogs of the bay they maneuver her bulk through the uncertain depth a tug pilot somewhere in evidence directs these small but powerful craft into position the position necessary for the docking sturdy boats are seemingly everywhere along the river they're pulling cargos of freight hauling barges scurrying here they're everywhere now their men cannot boast of anything as romantic as an ocean trip or visits to foreign ports but river life has its own attraction their tiny but very effective efforts are a very important part in the scheme of big things every member of the ship's crew is on hand at docking while landing a hand on the pier are dock hands otherwise known as pure men now despite their lowly classifications they form an important link in the life of the river and its many many ships ask some of these boys and they will tell you that docking a ship is not as easy as it may seem these men are all old-timers and you will find many veterans of the sea why you never heard such a groaning straining and tooting of whistles and the commanding shouts a thousand sounds mingle together and almost deafening why these fellows look as if they were lost aboard the ship or maybe i'm wrong let's follow and see optimistic [Music] no you've guessed it now you've guessed it reporters and cameramen on the job there will be news for the tabloids and subjects for newsreels in the making now finding a victim is a job a hard job for the cameraman but what a cinch for the sailors well they've got her corner and there is no getting away when these boys start working she faces a veritable barrage of questions and the boys take care of the answers themselves you know intimate sidelights like this take place on every big steamer and very often the passengers don't know of a celebrity in their midst until they read about it later in the papers [Music] well well well here comes the passengers baggage and we find more formalities and more painful duties to pay just another u.s custom [Music] it's the end of one voyage and the beginning of another on a ferry boat now this is the nearest most of us come to a voyage on the sea these busy river craft safely carry more passengers per year than all of the combined ocean steam ships afloat they're a great help to new york's transportation problems commuters by the thousands automobiles and trucks all use the ferries in crossing the bays and while we do we see more sites ah but there's nothing new for these men of ships for they know every rock every sand bar in the water and now on staten island we find sailors snug harbor where toilers of the sea who grew old before the mast find their final port here there is companionship and rest after a lifetime of sea adventure this home was established over a century ago and has harbored thousands of rudderless rovers something they all look forward to and not a man missing i think for a change tonight the boys are having fish and no lagging appetites you know a favorite pastime here is clearing the card decks for action reckless players hires for two cents a hundred on the cup cards it seems is the favorite indoor sport uh playing for nothing but time really and these fellas keep at it for hours and if the game gets too noisy there's always solitaire while keeping up with the times this particular crew of lone wolves prefer the calm of the reading room sailors are as widely read you know as they are traveled and here a skillful hand which once spliced countless cables and lent itself to heaving many in anchor land now fashions what will please a landsman's case here in a secluded corner we find a veritable workshop of industry here are some old sailors happy and contented following a tradition of the sea the glamour and the romance of sailing before the mast lives once again as they recreate with infinite patience and skill miniature models of sailing vessels that once roamed the high seas models like these are destined to adorn the firesides of many who cherish the glories of the bounding mate one of the sailors of snug harbor is reminiscing [Music] the world's greatest city lies before him its lofty buildings piercing the sky [Music] this city built by the commerce made possible by the tireless efforts of the men of ships [Music]