 Ladies and gentlemen, the Railroad Hour. And here comes our star-studded show train. Tonight, the Association of American Railroads presents the premiere of a new musical play by Lawrence and Lee. Starlight. Starring Gordon MacRae and his charming guest Lucille Norman. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff, and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. Yes, tonight another musical first is brought to you transcribed by the American Railroads. The same railroads that bring you most of the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the fuel you burn, and all the other things you use in your daily life. And now, here is our star, Gordon MacRae. Thank you, Marvin. And good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, Lucille Norman and I are bringing you a memory of the days of Vaudeville. Lucille is Helen Harris, and I'm a singing hooper named Harry MacKay. And here is Starlight. Do you remember, Miss Harris? Absolutely, Mr. MacKay. Mr. MacKay? Yes, Miss Harris? Were there any big people born in your home town? No big people, only babies. Dance it, Helen. Now for the trick turn. Good girl. I think we better stop, Miss Harris. I'm a little stiff from dancing. I don't care where you're from, keep moving. Remember how we did it at the power if you're such a crew? They hung a little sign so every jack and two could recognize the people on the bill. Now everybody took the second-hand corner, and even then, you know... Baby, we finally played the palace. We're in the big time. Yes, Harry. What's the matter, honey? What are you so glum about? What more could a couple of hoofers ask for? Nothing, Harry. It's all I've ever wanted. Say, put your right arm out a little more as you make the trick turn, huh? That always kills them. Anything you say, Harry. There's our cue. Grab my arm, baby. Here we go. When you want what you live, a sweet yellow tulip, and I want a clear red rose. I want the turn. When you caress me towards the heaven, bless me, what a blessing. No one loves you made by cheering. When you caress me, dearie, push down where the blue grass rose. Good girl. Your lips were sweeter than tulip. When you wore the tulip, and I wore... I'll tell you. Later, honey. We gotta do an encore. Side step back on. You ready? I guess so. This is a happy number. My heart's jumping up and down. Would you say if I should run away away from you? Oh, no, dear. No, I won't, dear. And the G-I-R-L, too. The act's never been better than it was tonight. You're a great showman, Harry. We're a great team, Helen. Hey, there's something you started to tell me during the act. What was it? Harry. Oh, Harry, I don't know how to say it. Well, talk it out, kid. What's bothering you? Harry, I want to quit the act. Quit the act? Right when we're hitting the top? Well, can you think of a better time? But why? You gotta have a reason. I want to get married. Married? I didn't even know you were in love with anybody. I have been for a long time. Oh, yeah? Who's the lucky guy? Somebody been hanging around the stage door, sending you flowers and candy and all that stuff? No. This character never sent me a thing, but I'm in love with him. I have been for years and years, and I have a feeling I will be for the rest of my life. Who is he? You, you silly baboon. Me? Me? Helen, why don't you say something before? Well, it's the fellow's place to do the asking. But you were always so busy figuring out how we'd get out of playing Perkasey, Pennsylvania, Mount City, South Dakota that you never thought of me. It's perfect. We'll never have to break up the team. Wait a minute. What do we call ourselves? The Perkase? Ah, that doesn't sound good. Nobody will ever know who has top billing. Harry, when we get married, I want to give up show business. Settle down and make a home for us. We won't have to live out of theater trunks and papers, suitcases, and all that. No, me. What about the act? Well, you'll be great as a single, Harry. And you always had a hankering to go on and knock them dead all by yourself. Well, I'm not saying I couldn't do it. Well, sure you can. Harry McCabe, headliner. Oh, gee, honey, it's great of you to meet me at the station in a quarter to three in the morning. I wouldn't miss it. How's it going? Oh, not bad. Harrisburg was a little slow. I caught the first train after I got off. And next week Arthur booked me right back here. Honey, the palace. Oh, that's wonderful. Well, no, it's Newark. But it's right across the river. Harry, something's wrong. Oh, honey, there was 20 people in the house tonight. Well, it's not you, Harry. The whole vaudeville business is kind of shaking. Well, now don't you worry a little head about it. You know where I want to go, Harry? Over to Broadway. I just want to walk. What, at this time of the morning? Sure. Grab my arm, partner. Just like in the act. Look at it. Here. Come here. What are you taking me? My favorite spot in New York. A place I used to come to whenever I had the blues, Harry. I never knew you were ever sad, Ellen. All the time, mister, until I married you. Right, turn? Hey, Shubert Alley. There's an old saying that if Broadway has a heart, it's somewhere under this pavement. Gee, look at all those posters. All the three sheets. Oh, these are the greats, honey. I don't know why, Harry, but late at night and early in the morning, these posters almost seem to come alive. Lynn Ziegfeld proudly presents Miss Malin Miller and Sonny by Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach, and Oscar Hammerstein II, with Jack Donahue, Cliff Edwards, Clifton Webb. Oh, darling. Here's the poster for the Winter Garden show. Makes you feel like getting down on one knee, doesn't it, honey? Morning, Joey. Swanee. How I love ya, how I love ya, my dear old swanee. The folks up north will see me no law when I go to the swanee's show. Oh, look at this one. Ah, I guess if I had my choice of being anybody else in the world, it'd be Fay Templeton. Oh, and as any name can be. Of course you'd have a pretty tough choice choosing between her and her. The follies present. Here, here's who I'd be. Mr. Showbusiness himself. Remember me, the carousel. George M. Cohen. What a guy. Tell all the gang at 42nd Street that I will soon be there. Makes you feel like the whole street is singing. Whisper of how I'm yearning to mingle with the old times. Give me a shot in the arm, but you don't have to tell me Showbusiness ain't never gonna die. Operator. Operator, you're ready with my long-distance call in New York? Good morning, Helen. It's Harry. Perkasy, Pennsylvania. Arthur booked me here. Oh, Harry. Now it ain't bad, baby. It ain't bad. I'm just breaking in the new act. Pio next week. Then Waterloo, Indiana. And then Mound City, South Dakota. Honey, listen. Huh? Oh, you're kidding, baby. It's a fair to play thing. The whole thing will blow over in three months. Remember the old saying, one picture is worth a thousand words? Well, on that wireless thing of a jig, they'd only be getting one thousandth of me. Why, nobody'd see my famous trick turn. The radio will never last. Everybody says it's bad for the ears. What I really called up was to say that I love you. Even in Perkasy, Pennsylvania, I love you. I gotta say goodbye now, honey. Goodbye, Harry. Happy Perkasy. Happy Illyria. Happy Mound City, South Dakota. I gotta do something. What am I gonna do? I wrote that number down someplace. Yeah. Yeah, here it is. Hello? Give me circle seven, two hundred. May I speak to the man in charge of new talent, please? The who? The program director? Well, I guess he'll do. Hello? Well, this is hella... I mean, this is Miss Ruth DeLille. The, well, you can call me the Sunshine Girl. My wonderful wife. Right in just a moment. With the political conventions behind us and presidential candidates for both our major parties selected, all of us will be turning our attention more and more to the forthcoming elections this fall. For then, with our votes, we'll have the opportunity to choose the leaders of our government. And just as we have the freedom to select the leaders of our nation, so too do we have the freedom to choose what goods and services we buy and use every day. For in our free enterprise system, every time we buy something, we cast a ballot that expresses our preference for one among many competing products, brands, or services. In the field of transportation, for example, such a choice is made by thousands of shippers every day. For every time a farmer, a producer, or a manufacturer ships anything, he votes for the one form of transportation that will do the best job for him and for you. Among the important things he must consider in making his choice are the dependability, efficiency, cost, and range of services offered. Here's the result. According to the latest tabulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission, the railroads last year hauled more tons of freight, more miles than all other forms of transportation put together. In fact, they performed nearly five times as much intercity transportation service as all the motor trucks of the country. And there's a reason why the railroads are America's favorite form of transportation. It's this. Only the railroads can and do serve all the people all the time with unparalleled economy, moving all kinds of freight in all seasons and in all parts of the country at charges which average less than one and a half cents for carrying a ton a mile. It's no wonder then that year after year the railroads are re-elected, America's number one transportation service. Now here is act two of the new Lawrence and Lee play with music, Starlight starring Gordon MacRae as Harry McKay and Lucille Norman as Helen. Dear Helen, just a line to let you know that I'm killing them in Kalamazoo. All my love, Harry. Dear Helen, business is buff and beaut Montana. Ready to go on for your number, Mr. McKay? Ah, sure. How's the house? One old lady with an ear trumpet, a bum, fast asleep and snoring, and 12 large spiders. Well, you can't always play to pack houses, Sam. Stand aside, will you? I'm going to give that old lady a good time, wake up the bum and give those spiders the show of their life. Everybody loves a baby, that's why I'm in love with you. Pretty baby, pretty baby, and I'd like to be your sister, brother, dad and mother too. Pretty baby, pretty baby, won't you come and let me rock you in my cradle of love and we'll cuddle all the while. Oh, I want a love, baby, and it might as well be you. Pretty baby of ma- You like me? Did you see her face light up when I did that trick turn? Right is the closing act of our vaudeville policy here in Sedalia, Missouri's finest theater. Next week, Pola Negri in passion. All I gotta say is Pola Negri's gonna have a tough act to follow. Somebody loves me, I wonder who she can be Somebody loves me, I wish I knew Who can she be, worries me He'll be dressing room keys. Don't know what we're gonna use them for, but leave them. What's he got there, Pop? A gramophone? Thoughtful funny horn for a gramophone. Oh, no, sir, Mr. McKay. This is one of them new fangle radios. Oh, what happened to the cat's whisker and the earphones? Oh, say, they got this here perfected. Super header diner, something like that. Works off an A and B batteries. Why, on clear nights I can get as far as K-D-K, Pittsburgh and K-F-I in Los Angeles. And guess what this here is right now? I can't imagine. New York City. Never thought I'd live to see the day. Ain't even got a wire hook up any place. And now the sunshine girl, Ruth Dileo. I thought this gadget didn't give on anything but weather reports and setting up exercise. They're beginning to send out pretty things like this here, Ruth Dileo. Pretty. That's beautiful. Straight radio sets here? Oh, yes, sir. Now, here's the latest model. Works off a storage battery, mind you. It picks up connected to you as clear as my wife talking to me. I happen to notice it's just time for a certain program coming from New York. Bet you can't pick up W-E-A-F in this set. I can't so clear as crystal. This set's dirt-cheap too, mister. For Billy Jones and Ernie Hare. That's all I wanted to hear. I guess so as a little late. Hey, don't you want to buy this set, mister? No, but for the first time in my life I'm going to write somebody a fan letter. A mail for today, Mr. L. Big stack again. Oh, that's wonderful. My goodness, there's a letter from Florida and one from Maine and one from... Oh, golly. One with a very familiar handwriting. My dear Mr. Lill, once in a lifetime a man hears a voice like yours. Keep singing, sincerely, Harry McCay. My dear Mr. McCay, it is strange that you should write to me for I have long been a fan of yours. When you were playing the palace with that strikingly beautiful partner, I never missed a single performance. When you get to New York, why don't you drop in at the station to see me? A man of your talents belongs in this exciting new medium. Excuse the typing, warmest regards, Roof de Lille. Oh, what do you know? Dear Mr. Lille, I'm coming to New York in a few days and I appreciate your offer. But I must tell you in all frankness that I am not a headliner anymore. I am strictly playing the sticks. Oh, Harry, Harry. Mr. Lille, we'll see you now. She has a couple of minutes before she goes on the air. Thank you. In here? Yes, studio. Mr. Lille, I... Harry, Harry. You're not mad at me, are you? Mad. Honey. I had to do something. Oh, Harry. I should have known that voice couldn't belong to just anybody. You know what radio needs, Harry? A team, a husband and wife. Because, Harry, most of the married people listening are husbands and wives. Oh, honey, you're as crazy as you always were. I always knew you had big-time blood in your veins, though. But we got to do it together, Harry. No, no, Helen, I'm a sight act. People got to see me. Take that turn, that trick turn. Harry, keep on doing it on radio. Every time you do a number, that calls for it. But why? Well, maybe someday they'll be seeing us too and we got to be ready. You're on the air in 10 seconds, Mr. Lille. Come here, Harry. Sit alongside me on the piano bench. Well, if you say so, honey. Good evening, radio fans. This is Ruth DeLille, or it was Ruth DeLille, because tonight I'm going to tell you my real name. It's Helen Harris, Mrs. Harry McKay. And from now on, you'll be hearing the team of McKay and Harris. Here we go, Mr. McKay. I'm right alongside of you, Miss Harris. Back in just a moment. And meanwhile, our sincere thanks to Ben Weldon, Tyler McVay, and to our entire company. Tonight's new play with music was written especially for the railroad hour by Lawrence and Lee. The railroad hour is brought to you each week at the same time by the American Railroads. Today and every day is election day for the people who produce most everything we eat, wear, buy, and use. For they elect from among competing forms of transportation the best one for shipping their products. And year after year, the railroads are overwhelmingly chosen to do the vast bulk of that tremendously important job, assuring you of the very best in efficient, economical, and dependable transportation service. Well, Lucille, you were a really big time tonight. Well, thank you, Gordon. It was real fun recalling the days of vaudeville and early radio, but I wish the audience could have seen that trick turn of yours. Yeah. All really a monitor, Lucille, was a Warner Brothers about face. Wouldn't it be nice if I could work in a plug for Carson City that easily? Well, what's on the show train next week, Gordon? Well, Lucille, a brand new operetta based on the famous love story of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. Our maestro, Carmen Dragon, has written some really wonderful new music, and Dorothy Warnshaw will be here for the premiere. Wouldn't miss it. Good night, Gordon. Good night, Lucille. You were wonderful. All aboard. Well, folks, it looks as though we're ready to pull out, and so until next Monday night, in our new operetta, the Brownings, Lucille's Gordon MacRae saying good night. The railroad hour was transcribed in Hollywood. Gordon MacRae can be seen starring in Warner Brothers about face. A choir is out of the direction of Norman Luboff, and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American Railroads. Now stay tuned for your Monday night of music on NBC. Here's a reminder that United States defense bonds now offer a higher interest rate and shorter maturity. Invest regularly and systematically in defense bonds. Remember, they're now even better.