 The Craft Foods Company presents the Great Gildersleeve. It's the Great Gildersleeve starring Harold Perry brought to you by the Craft Foods Company, makers of Parquet, Margeron, and a complete line of famous quality food products. Now let's see what the Great Gildersleeve is doing. This afternoon he brought a tight-rider home from the office. He set it up on a card table in the living room along with a stack of paper and a box of cigars. A comfortable chair with pillows in the right places completes the arrangement and the great man sits him down. No Marjorie, I'm writing an article for the Summerfield Indicator. Oh that's wonderful, why? Why? Because my dear, the editor Mr. Powers asked me as a personal favor if I would. See it sounds exciting, Unky. What's it? It's about water. Oh. Huh? Oh it's a subject of vital importance for every citizen of Summerfield. We need some new equipment at the pumping plant and the taxpayers have got to be told about it. And Mr. Powers insisted I was the man to do the job. But when are they going to print it? Tomorrow. Got to have this finished and down at the newspaper office by noon. Well can I help? I might give you some ideas. Thank you Marjorie, I'll manage. You run up the bed. Everybody else is in. If you need anything call me. Yeah, thank you my dear. Good night. Good night. Eh, where was I? At the beginning. Water and Health by, uh, Throckmorton P. Giller Slave. Eh, that's a good start. Uh huh. Now, how to begin. Once upon a time, no, that won't do. Uh huh. Might not have heard to do an article like this every week? Get to be known around town. Throckmorton P. Giller Slave. Author, columnist and water commissioner. Eh, not bad. Yes, might even make it a daily column. Syndicated in the papers all over the country. Could happen. Walter Winchell, Drew Pearson, Throckmorton Giller Slave. This is Giller Slave reporting from London. Uh huh. Washington, the Senate. Mr. Gilslee. Zeef. Mr. Gilslee. What's up? What's the matter, Bertie? Breakfast ready. Breakfast in the middle of the night. Oop, it's broad daylight. It's on the table, Mr. Gilslee. Eh, tell Marjorie and Leroy to go to head. I have work to do. And this darn thing has to be finished by noon. Why did I go to sleep in this chair? Shall I bring you some coffee? Yes, please. Strong coffee. And call Bessie at the office, Bertie, and tell her I won't be until noon. Four hours to write this fool article. I don't even know what I'm going to say. Eh, why did I tell Powers I'd do it in the first place? Well, here goes. I'll think of something. 1135. Well, by George, I made it. Deadline Giller Slave. You finished Uncle Morris? Yep, and right on time, too. You were sure batting that typewriter. Did you work all night? Yes, practically. Gee, for working all night, you don't look a bit tired. Leroy, when a man is creating something, he doesn't get tired. Now out of the way. Gotta get this down to the newspaper before they go to press. You going now, Mr. Gilsby? Yeah, and I'm in a terrible rush, Bertie. You going in your bathrobe? Bathrobe? That's ridiculous. Oh my gosh, Leroy, get me my overcoat. 10 minutes to 12. Uh, plenty of time now. Hello, Gildy. Huh? Oh, good morning, Jed. Where's the fire? No fire. I'm on my way to the newspaper office. I have to be there by 12. What's the matter? Your subscription run out? No. I did a little story on the water situation in Summerfield at the special request of the editor. Turned out pretty well, too. What's it about? I just told you it's about water. Well, at least you didn't have a dry subject. Very funny, you old goat. Very funny. How long did it take you to write it, Gildy? Well, I batted it out in a few spare moments. I can put it down just as fast as I can think. I know. That's why I wondered. See you tonight, Gildy? Tonight. Uh, what's going on tonight? But didn't the chief call you? He's going to be away this weekend, police convention or something, and he wanted to get the Jolly Boys together tonight instead. A fine thing. Chief Gates running off to conventions and leaving crime in the hands of underlings. Is that any worse than staying out all morning and leaving water in the hands of Bessie? This article happens to be water department business. Well, can you make it tonight, Gildy? Well, I'll try. How about some lunch? It's five minutes to 12. Oh, you can't eat now, horse. We're practically going to press. See you later. Gildy Sleeves? Hello, Bessie. What are the headlines for today? Anything happen in the office this morning? Nothing that I can remember. You look happy, Mr. Gildy Sleeves. Me? Well, I am happy. Remember that article Powers out at the newspaper asked me to write? Yes, sir. Well, I wrote it. And what's more, he liked it. Bessie, you're waking for a man who's going places. When will you be back? I mean, rise in the world, Bessie. Now, let's see the mail. Oh, someone phoned just before you came in. I think it was a man. You think it was a man? I sure it was. I think. Well, who was he? I forgot to ask him his name. He's a friend of yours, and he just arrived in town. He said he and you went to high school together. Don't you remember him? Remember him? Good night, Bessie. What kind of high school do you think I went to? I had all kinds of friends. Hundreds of them. Well, he said he was coming up to see you right after lunch. Right after lunch? Yes. Well, that's now. Bessie, clean up this office. Get that stack of newspapers off the floor and empty the wastebasket. But it's always this way. Don't argue with me. You think I want him to find me in an office that looks like the back of a fruit stand? Now, hurry up. Are you going away? I'm going over to the barbershop and get freshened up. I'll be right back. Anything else, Mr. Gilda Sleeves? Yes, take down last year's calendar. Commissioner, what'll it be? Just a hot towel, Floyd. A hot towel it is. And it doesn't take too long. Maybe a massage. Massage? Stepping out with a hot number, huh? What if she's blonde or redhead? Neither one. That hot towel is boiling. It'll cool off. You gonna make the Jolly Boys meeting tonight? I don't know, Floyd. My old friend of mine just landed in town. Followed me at the high school with. Haven't seen each other since we graduated. Class of 21. Well, bring him along. We don't mind. Well, can't promise, Floyd. A man of his position. He might feel a little out of place. We might not be good enough for him, huh? I didn't say that. It's just that, well, we'll probably have a lot of things to discuss. The national situation, literature. Do tell. I'm doing a little writing myself now. You'll see one of my articles in the newspaper this evening. I ought to be good for a laugh. What? Who is this high-powered friend of yours? His name is, uh, well, you wouldn't know him anyway. What's he do? He, uh, he's in several things. In other words, you don't know anything about him. I told you he's an old friend of mine. Just dropped into town, look, chef, huh? Yep. He's coming up to the office. If you're smart, you won't be there. What's that? You ought to know, commissioner, when an old friend from high school looks, chef, it's going to cost you money. That's the oldest racket in the world. Maybe with your friends it is, not with mine. Here, trim your sideburns a little. Huh? Huh? Why does a guy go out of his way to see somebody he knew in school? One reason to hit him for some dough. You don't know what you're talking about, Floyd. You went to school once yourself, or did you? Sure I did. All right. And sometimes, since then, why, you must have landed in some town and looked up one of your schoolmates. Yeah, I did, once, in Dallas, Texas. Found a guy who used to sit across from me in Algebra. There, you see? He took me out to lunch and I sold him $200 worth of oil stock. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. What's so funny? No oil. Well, you would. I'm glad you and I didn't go to the same school. Calm it well or dry, commissioner. Dry. Little oil on it? No. Hello, Bessie. Did he... Yes, your friend's in there, in your office. He is? I closed the door. Did you get his name? He didn't mention it. He... What does he look like? He's sort of medium-sized. Oh, that's a big help. I could just get a good look at him before I go in. I'll feel like a fool if I can't remember his name. Well, you could look through the keyhole. That's what I do. Oh, you do, eh? Oh, remember that. And maybe it's not a bad idea, though. Can you see him? Yeah, but I don't recognize him. Who the dickens? Well, I'll have to go in and take a chance. How do I look like an executive? You look fine, Mr. Gildesley. Well, here goes then. Well, look who's here. Well, Gildy, my old friend Gildy. Well, well, my old friend. You haven't changed a bit. You either. Just the same. It's certainly good to see you, Gildy. Just like old times. Yes, it's great seeing you, too. It's been a mighty long time. It sure has, Gildy. A lot of water under the bridge. Yes, a lot of water. How have you been, Gildy? Oh, fine. Fine, just fine. Yes, sir. How have you been? Oh, fine. You know, when I got into town this morning, I said to myself, summer field. Why, this is where Gildesley lives. Yes, he does. So I thought I'd look you up. Gee, it's good to see you. Well, it's good to see you, too. And what have you been doing? Oh, same old thing, Gildy. What have you been doing? Oh, I've been doing pretty well. Yep. How long are you going to be in town? Just for today, leaving tonight. It looks as if life has treated you well, Gildy. Oh, yes, I've made some progress. Nice office you have here. Well, I'm the water commissioner of the town. Just another step up the ladder. Of course, I have plans for bigger things ahead. I believe in the old adage, when a man stands still, he goes backward. That's certainly true, Gildy. Well, it's good to see one of the old crowd again. It's too bad we can't get together more often, isn't it? Yes, it's too bad. Still, in my position, I don't have much time for the social life. As one rises in the world, the responsibilities pile up. Sometimes wish I were an ordinary citizen again. Well, that's life, I guess. Yeah, that's life. It's certainly been good seeing you again, Gildy. No, don't rush off. I'll have Bessie bring in another chair. Oh, no, no, you're busy, Gildy. I don't want to upset things. Oh, I'm never too busy to talk to an old friend. Bessie? Yes, sir? Bessie, if they call from the mayor's office, tell them I'm in conference. What did you say? I said tell them I'm in conference. Who? Anybody. Oh, no, now, don't do that, Gildy. I have to be going. Hold on. If you're going to be here the rest of the day, why don't you plan to have dinner with us this evening? Oh, I wouldn't want to do that. You and Mrs. Gilderslee probably have plans. There isn't any, Mrs. Gilderslee. Just my niece and nephew. Oh, you aren't married? No, my philosophy has always been, he travels fastest who travels alone. How about six o'clock then, huh? I insist you meet my little family. Well, six is fine. You won't have any trouble finding the place. It's 738 Lakeside Avenue. I'll find it. See you tonight then, Gildy. Yeah, see you tonight then. Goodbye. Did you find out who he was, Mr. Gilderslee? What? No, Bessie, I didn't. You talked all that time and didn't find out his name? He didn't mention it. But you do remember him. Not yet, but I will. It'll come to me before tonight. It'd better. The great Gilderslee will be back very shortly. Most women get genuine satisfaction out of planning little surprises for regular meals and lunches. And for parties too, Mr. Lang. In fact, I've been shopping today for some special treats to serve at a Valentine's party. This must have been my lucky day. The store was stocked with all my favorite foods. And did that include a favorite spread for bread? We like to mention now again on this program. Yes, it did, Mr. Lang. Didn't I say it was my lucky day? The store had parquet margarine too. Good, because it's always a treat at parties or at regular meals for the family to serve sandwiches, rolls, muffins, or waffles spread with delicious country sweet parquet margarine. Parquet's fresh, delicate flavors made it the favorite of millions. So these days, when top quality spreads for bread are still in such big demand, I suggest that you always make it a point to look first for this delicious spread millions prefer. Look first for delicious nourishing parquet. T-A-R-K-A-Y. Parquet margarine. The quality spread for bread made by the Kraft Foods Company. Now back to the great Gildersleeve. It's evening now, and he is on his way home from the office and just a little worried. He's been thinking all afternoon, but so far he hasn't stirred up even a spark of recollection of the old high school chum, the old friend who remembered him so well that Gildersleeve invited him out to the house for dinner. Um, Holliday, Hooper, Hoberman, Hagen, Hanraff, none of those. What names are there beginning with I? Eh, Ibbet, Icky's, has to begin with some letter of the alphabet. Eh, now I know how the princess felt trying to figure out Rumpelstiltskin. Hello, Leroy. Bertie says we're having company for dinner. Who's coming? An old friend of mine, and go change your clothes and wash your face with soap. Hello, Anki, I'm helping Bertie with the dinner. Eh, that's fine, Marjorie. Oh, Anki, when you telephone this afternoon, you didn't say who he was. What's his name? Your friend? His name? Yes. Just between you and me, Marjorie, I don't know. You invited him to dinner and you don't know his name? It's a perfectly natural dilemma. I had a lot of friends in high school. No one could remember all of them. You don't remember him at all? No, not yet, but it'll come to me. You mean you don't even know the guy? Leroy, you take your big ears upstairs and wash them. Okay. When he comes, what are you going to call him? Hey, you? Leroy? Anki, I know. What? Your high school annual from the year you graduated is upstairs. I was looking at it once. You can look him up. By George Marjorie, that's a capital idea. Let's go up and get it. Dear high school days, haven't looked at this old annual for years. What a bunch of goonie-looking characters. They don't look one bit goonier than kids do today. At least we didn't have our shirt tails hanging out. Is he there, Uncle Moore? I don't see him on the first page. He's on the picture. Quiet. Let's see. Gillisleve, Gordon, Gottlieb? Eh, doesn't seem to be in that bunch. Hey, here he is. I found him. Where? Right here. Eddie Shoup. I remember him now. It all comes back to me. Eddie Shoup. What a relief. Good old Eddie. Is that him? That's my old friend Eddie. He's not exactly handsome. Well, Eddie always was a little undernourished, I thought. Eh, let's see what it says about him under the picture. Um, Eddie Shoup. To know him is to like him. Well, ambition to be an entomologist. What's that? Butterflies. Oh, brother. He doesn't sound too interesting. Well, maybe he doesn't. But while he's here, I want him to enjoy himself. Let's make dinner tonight something special. Leroy, put some stickum on your hair and shine your shoes. Just for dinner? Yes, for dinner. My shoulder will be under the table. I don't want him anyway. Somebody might drop a fork. And Marjorie, get out the solid silver and ask Bertie if we can have candles on the table. I think candles add a touch of dignity. Oh, I don't know if we have any candles. Is he that important, Uncle Moore? It's not that he's so important, my dear, but when you haven't seen a friend since you left school, it's natural to want to show him you've done something with your life. Achieved a measure of success. Oh. Someday, my dear, when you have a home and a family, you'll know what I mean. I know what you mean. Leroy, do you understand what I want to do? Sure. You want to make this guy feel like a stoop. Leroy, that's not true. It's simply that I know Eddie who looked me up because he wanted to see what I'd accomplished. I want to show him. Well, if he wants to know how important you are, Uncle, Leroy and I will tell him, won't we, Leroy? Yeah, we'll talk it up like crazy. Yeah, that's the spirit of it. Just don't carry it through extremes. You set a splendid table, Gildy. Really nothing, Eddie. Just the usual family dinner. You're lucky to be able to live like this. You've come a lot farther than most of the fellas in our class, Gildy. Well, I've worked my way up, Eddie. Success doesn't come overnight. Someday, I may be mayor of Summerfield. Mayor? Well, perhaps it's not far off. At every election, the boys in the city hall try to talk me into it. But I feel I have a big job to do in my present office. You know how it goes. Yes, I suppose. Uh... What are you doing now, Eddie? Working, are you? Yes, I have a job. Well, that's fine. Keep at it. There's no formula for success like hard work, I always say. Uncle Mort is the water commissioner of Summerfield. Yes, I know. He's the head guy. He can turn off people's water just like that. That's just Leroy's idea, Eddie. Isn't that like a boy? That sounds like a good job. Well, I have my problems. There's no water system here in Summerfield. More dessert, Eddie. No thanks. Everybody in the city hall depends on Uncle. What did the mayor call you, Anki? An armchair plumber. Leroy, that was the chief of police, and he was trying to be funny. Oh, I remember. The mayor said he was an indefensible man. Indispensable? That's what I meant. You certainly done well, Gildy. Hard work, Eddie. Plain hard work and plenty of it. Man doesn't reach the top of the ladder without getting in there and climbing. That's a fact. What sort of a job do you have, Eddie? I sell gasoline. Oh, run a gas station. That's fine. How many pumps? Oh, I don't run the stations myself. I'm with international petroleum. I have one of those office jobs. Keeping books? No, I'm vice president. Vice president? Vice president of an oil company? It's just a job like any other. Not as good as some in many respects. No home life. I'm traveling all the time. I practically have to live on ships and airplanes. Where do you go? Everywhere it seems. Last week, for example, I was in London. Before that, I had to spend a month in Cairo and get some monotonous. Monotonous? Monotonous. Boy, would I like a job like that. Client and planes going all over. Mr. Shoup, have you ever been to Paris? I'm there every six months. It's a beautiful city. We received a carload of water meters the other day from Switzerland. Clever people leave Swiss. Yes, sir. And I received a letter from... From who, Anki? Nobody. Were you ever in Egypt, Mr. Shoup? He said he's been to Cairo. Who's talking about Cairo? Did you ever ride a camel? A camel? Don't ask silly questions, Leroy. The fact is I did, Leroy. I was inspecting one of our pipelines and we had to take camels. To make it worse, we were attacked by bandits and marooned in the desert. We wandered around for four days before a plane picked us up. Gee, it's like something out of a book. Speaking of books, I did a story for the newspaper today called Water and Health. The editor liked it, too. Say, that's fine. I do a little writing on the side. It'll be in tonight's paper. What kind of things do you write, Mr. Shoup? I did one a while ago, titled Oil is Dynamite. Well, I've seen it in the bookstore. Did you write that? Would somebody like some oil or something? Anything? Oh, why? I'm sorry. I forgot the time. Gilly, I've got to run. I told the mechanics at the airport to have my plane warmed up at 8.30. Holy smokes, you got your own plane? Oh, don't go, Mr. Shoup. Oh, you heard what he said, Marjorie. Do you want his plane to get cold? Oh, thanks, but I have a cab waiting in front. Oh, Eddie, yeah, here's your coat. Oh, well, thanks. Goodbye, Gilly. It's been good seeing you. I really enjoyed it. Yes, so have I. Hey, goodbye, Margie. Goodbye, little oil. Hey, goodbye, Eddie. Goodbye, Eddie. Goodbye. For a walk. Well, don't you want your coat? No. Hey. Friend, he turned out to be forcing me to invite him to dinner and making me look like a dummy. And he did it on purpose, too. Probably had it all planned. London. Paris. Cairo. Camels. Egotistical stuffed shirt. That's what he is. Floyd was right. This morning, I was a big frog in a little puddle. What am I now? The tadpole. Remember, the Jolly Boys are meeting tonight, so we'll go up there in just a minute. If you're looking for fine quality, delicious flavor and good nourishment and your spread for bread, you're first for Parquet margarine. Whenever your food dealer can supply you, you'll find that Parquet is the same fine quality as always. Country sweetened flavor, high in food energy, and with 15,000 units of important vitamin A, fortifying every single pound. The Kraft Foods Company is maintaining the high quality that has made Parquet a favorite spread of millions. And we're continuing to produce all the Parquet we possibly can. The secret is that there's still not enough available to meet every family's complete needs. So please be patient if at times the supply is temporarily short. And remember to always look first for that good name in quality spreads, P-A-R-K-A-Y, Parquet margarine, made by the Kraft Foods Company. Sound like you were waiting for me. Go ahead, sing. Don't let me stop you. Nothing's wrong, Chief. Go ahead, sing. Sing your full heads off. You don't need me around here. Well, no, I wouldn't say that. Well, thanks, P-V. You're a good friend. I wish I could say that about some other people. Sir, I know what happened. The old school chum gave him the business. Don't say I didn't warn you. Now, wait a minute. How much did he take you for, Commissioner? Floyd, if you please, fellas, let's all be jolly boys. Well, let me say something, jolly boy. For your information, Floyd, he didn't take me for anything. It so happens that Eddie is a wealthy and influential man, vice president of a big oil company. That's always a pleasant surprise. What's more, he flies all over the world, in his own plane, warmed up, has offices in Paris and London and Cairo. How'd you get a guy like that for a friend? Because we speak the same language. That's how. He's a brilliant man. He fought off a tribe of bandits in the Sahara Desert single-handed. He sounds like a very interesting man. Interesting. You have no idea, Judge. Of course, I think of him as just an old friend, and he feels the same toward me, good old Eddie. Oh, it's pretty nice to know a fella like that. Yeah, he's quite a boy. Wrote a bestseller, too. Is that so? Have a cigar, Gildy. Oh, thank you, Judge. Say, I read your article in the paper, Commissioner. You're to be complimented. Oh, thank you, Chief. It wasn't much. It was good, Gildy. Yeah, lovey cut it out of the paper to send to a mother. Explainin' that I do your barber work. Well, good. I'm glad you liked it. Mrs. Peavey wanted me to ask you something, Mr. Jones. What is it, Peavey? Since you wrote that article, she wants to know if you'll speak at the meeting of her self-improvement group on Friday. Well, I'll check my appointment book, Peavey. But I think I can make it. The Great Gilders Play, the play by Harold Perry. The music is by Jack Meatham. This is John Lange saying goodnight to the craft food company and inviting you to listen in again next Wednesday for the further adventures of The Great Gilders Play. Isn't this wonderful news? Now you can make real homemade ice cream in your refrigerator. Just ask for Frizz, F-R-I-Z-Z, the new craft product women are raving about. Frizz gives you ice cream that frees you velvet smooth, is rich with plenty of milk and cream. Just add water, a little sugar, and freeze according to directions on the package. Flavor variations from vanilla are easy. Made by an exclusive process that retains the fresh cream flavor, Frizz is the economical way to serve really fine homemade ice cream. Six generous servings from one small package of Frizz. This is NBC, the matter of fact. This is NBC, the matter of fact.