Fast Workers

Plot

Fast Workers is set in the early 1930s, in the time period of the film's release. It portrays the freewheeling lives and romantic escapades of two friends who work as riveters on high-rise construction projects. Gunner (John Gilbert) is a rake who loves women but hates the notion of emotionally committing to any of his romantic conquests. His close friend Bucker, however, is just the opposite, often easily losing his heart to the various "dames" he meets and quickly becoming entangled with them. Gunner therefore sees it as his ongoing duty as a pal to save Bucker from rushing headlong to the altar. True to form, Bucker one evening after work meets and becomes enamored with Mary (Mae Clarke), not knowing that she is one of the women whom Gunner dates regularly, although not seriously. He also doesn't know that Mary generally supports herself by fleecing men of their money. Once she learns that Bucker has a nest egg of $5,000 in the bank, she accepts his rather clumsy marriage proposal. Gunner soon learns of his friend's engagement, but he waits too long to scuttle the marriage plans. By the time he reveals to Bucker his own past and current involvement with Mary, Bucker has already married her.

Bucker's anger builds over his perceived betrayal, and the next day while working at their towering construction site, he tries to kill his friend by sabotaging a walkway between two iron girders. As a result, Gunner falls and is seriously injured; he is given little chance to live. Wracked with guilt, Bucker informs Mary what he has done. She is furious. She tells him their brief marriage is over and that if Gunner dies she will make sure he is convicted of murder and "burns in the chair." She then admits her feelings for Gunner, as well as to her wanton past, declaring to her soon-to-be-ex-husband, "I am anybody's girl."

By the time Mary and Bucker arrive at the hospital, they learn that Gunner's condition has stabilized and he will survive. Gunner, now awake and alert, deflects Bucker's attempt to confess his murderous intent and in a roundabout way says he forgives him. Both men now turn their wrath on Mary, with Gunner ordering the bedside nurse to "Throw this dumb dame out of here!" After Mary departs, Bucker immediately begins ogling the same pretty nurse, who smiles warmly at him. Gunner now thwarts his friend's romantic intentions yet again by tossing a coin on the floor behind the nurse as she leaves the room. Disgusted by this insulting act, which insinuated she was promiscuous and that men could "buy" her, the nurse turns and glares at Bucker, thinking he threw the coin. "Please forgive him," Gunner pleads facetiously from his bed, "He was born with a dirty brain." The film ends with the reconciled friends once more squabbling over their differences in how they relate to women.

Cast

Cast notes