 From Hollywood, the Mutual Network and Cooperation with Family Theatre presents Portrait of Cynthia with Bob Hope as host. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we're to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray, pray together as a family. And now to our drama, Portrait of Cynthia featuring Virginia Gregg as Cynthia. Cynthia Todd was a young widow and most extravagantly lovely. She had two children, Bill and Betty, who were most extravagantly lively. They all lived most extravagantly on Park Avenue. That is, they did until one day when Cynthia called a famous dress salon. Hello, this is Cynthia Todd. I must speak to Madame Reynard at once. Very well. Just a minute. Madame Reynard, this is Cynthia Todd. Why has my evening dress been delivered as you promised? Betty, I knew you'd break that vase. Do you know what I'm going to do? Uh-huh. You're going to make me sweep it up. Yes, and I ought to spank you too. And if I were the kind of a mother you deserved to have, I would. Go get a broom. OK. Hello. I'm sorry, Madame. A little trouble here. Now, about that dress, you say the check came back insufficient funds. Well, that's impossible. Well, I'll call my bank at once and call you back. I'll utterly preposterous. What's the matter, Mama? The bank has made some silly old mistake about my checking account. Be sure to get all that glass. Yes, Mama. The banks make mistakes. This one certainly did. Insufficient funds. Well, I'll call them up right now. No, I think I'll go down there. Mama, may we go with you? No, Betty. This is a business trip. But if you'll stay here and behave yourselves reasonably well tomorrow afternoon I'll take you both to the circus. Oh, goody, it's a deal. Mom, you swell. You real George. Oh, thank you, Billy. But I'm much too indulgent and you know it. I'm spoiling you kids and you'll grow up to be sassy little brats. Oh, we'll go up to be all right. Sure, Bill's going to be a deep sea diver and I'm going to be an airline hostess. Yeah. I'm going to fight up to pussuses. And I'm going to marry a millionaire. Then I'm sure you'll both be very happy. Now try to be quiet until your governess gets here. I'll have lunch downtown, but I'll see you for dinner, darling. I'm sorry, Mrs. Todd, but this statement is correct. You have no funds in your checking account. Well, I thought I had plenty of money. But when my husband died and the estate was settled, I had over $70,000 in this account. How long ago was that? Five, no, six years ago. Well, that's a little over $12,000 a year, about $1,000 a month. And if you glance through this list of your checks, you'll see that you've been spending at least that much in quite often more. Mr. Parker, do you mean I'm broke? Well, that depends. You have a safe deposit box here, don't you? Yes. Any stocks or bonds in it? Yes, the ones you told me to hold on to when the estate was settled. Good. As I recall, there were $5,000 or $6,000 worth of good, solid investments. Now we can cash some of those and put the money into your account. And after I spend that, I will really be broke. I'm afraid so. Mr. Parker, what shall I do? Well, Mrs. Todd? Don't tell me to go to work. I've never worked in my life. And I have two children. Then get married. You mean marry someone with money? It's been done, Mrs. Todd. No, I couldn't be so. A commercial? It didn't be that at all, Mrs. Todd. After all, there are many fine gentlemen in the upper brackets. And it's just as easy to fall in love with a nice millionaire as a nice poor man. Yes, I suppose so. But I don't know any millionaires, except Tony, of course. And I don't like him well enough to marry him. Tony? Tony Atkinson. Oh, yes. The man who owns the racing stables. You don't know anyone else? No. You see, my husband's death was quite a shock to me. I didn't want to fall in love again and be hurt like that. So I haven't encouraged anyone. And they all drifted away eventually. I see. Well, I still say, get married. Even if it has to be Tony? Well, now wait a minute. There's a young artist who has a checking account here. He might be able to help you. You mean he's a millionaire? On the contrary. He's as poor as the proverbial church mouse. But his work is finding favor among the society crowd. And he's going to hold a one-man show of his works at Bar Harbor in the middle of the millionaire colony. What does that have to do with me? The young fellow was in here yesterday. He said he was trying to find a ritzy-looking lady to do a portrait of. I beg your pardon. Now, please don't get angry. You do look very aristocratic, Mrs. Todd, and very beautiful. Well, thank you. You see, Stanley, that's the fellow's name, Stanley Wakefield, wants to include a portrait of a very distinguished lady in his one-man show, hoping that some of the millionaire's wives will see it. And they will commission him to do their portraits, too. Exactly. But I still don't see. A lot of very wealthy young men will see your portrait, who do not have wives. Oh. Oh, you mean. Exactly. I think you have the idea. Yes, Mr. Parker, but really, I don't. Now, I'm not suggesting anything so crude as deliberately marrying for money. But you have your children to consider. They should have a father, Mrs. Todd. And as I say, it's just as easy to fall in love with a nice rich man as a nice poor man. So what do you say? Mr. Parker, where is Stanley Wakefield's studio? You talk to him while I get the matches. Matches? What for? Hot foot. OK. Hi, Betty. How's my little girl? I'm not your little girl. Well, you don't mind if I sit down? No, here in this big chair. Thank you. Betty, why do you always lead me to this big overstuffed chair? Because when you scoot right back like you always do, the dimes and quarters slide out of your pocket. I mean, Billy, get them after you've gone. So that's it, eh? All right, I'll scoot your way down in the chair. Now, is your mother here? No, she had to go to the bank. It was something about insufficient fun. What's that? Oh, insufficient funds. That's what happens when your outgo is greater than your income. Oh, is that good? Well, yes and no. I was wondering when it was going to happen to your mother. Maybe a good thing, a very good thing. When's she coming home? Around dinnertime. Well, in that case, I'd better be. Ow, ow, oh, oh, my foot, what? Dickens, you ought to be put in an institution, both of you, goodbye. It was nice of you to take me out to dinner, Tony. I did it in self-defense. Those children of yours are quite a pair of youngsters. Well, I don't know what I'm going to do with them. I know what I'd like to do with them. Cynthia, you and I are going to have a showdown. Are we, Tony? We are, right here, right now. I happen to know that, financially speaking, you're about at the end of your rope. Who told you? I mean, I don't know what you're talking about. Oh, yes you do. You're broke by impractical little Cynthia, flat broke. I am not. I have stocks and bonds and what business is it of yours? I'm making it my business because I like you. I want to help you. You could use a couple of thousand right now, Tony, take me home immediately. Now, now, wait a minute. Hold on, hold on, sit down. I answer my question. You could use a few thousand, couldn't you? Tony, if you don't take me home. Couldn't you? I'm not rolling in wealth, if that's what you mean, but I have resources. I'll get along. Well, let me loan you a little. I'll write you out a check. No, your check would have a string to it. Cynthia, if it did have a string, I'd be tied to the other end of it. What do you say? When I get to the end of my rope, Tony, that will be the time to talk about strings. It would be the third floor. What an awful place. Oh, and this must be the door. Beg your pardon, I'm looking for Mr. Stanley Wakefield. Shut the door. Sir? Shut the door. Oh, very well. I'm not used to being shouted at. Then why did you come barging in here? Because I want to see you. Are you Stanley Wakefield? Yeah. I'm Cynthia Todd. Mr. Parker of the Avenue Bank told me about you. I want you to paint my portrait. If Parker told you I was hired up and needed the dough, you better go back to him and tell me nothing of the sort. He said you were looking for an aristocratic type of person to pose. Yeah, a snooty-looking dame. Well, you're a snooty enough. I'll say that for you. That does it. I'm not going to stay here and take insults from a conceited, spoiled, unmanally boor of a painter. Hey, wait, lady, wait. I, uh, I'm sorry. I apologize. Please stay. Well, all right. But I shouldn't. I'm sorry, Mrs. Todd. It's Mrs. Todd. Mrs. Todd. I get this for a hell lot of times when I'm working. I can understand that. But you didn't have to call me snooty. Well, look at yourself in that mirror. You've had your nose at a 45-degree angle ever since you came in here. It's that garlic on the second floor in the odor of cabbage across the hall. Oh, no. Those wonderful smells. I'm sorry. I apologize, too, Mr. Wakefield. Stand. Stand. Now, you'll get used to making Schultz's cabbage. That is, if you come back anymore. Oh, I certainly will. If you'll paint my portrait. Hmm. I'll stand under the skylight here. Turn sideways. Hmm. Now the other side. Tilt your head back. Well? Your face has good planes, good chin, nice modeling around the throat and shoulders. Yeah, I think you'll do. Oh, good. When do we start today? Hey, not so fast. In the first place, this has to be a big canvas. And I, uh, well, I haven't got the money to get one. Look, Stan, if you promise not to blow up again, I'll make you an offer. OK. I have a special reason for wanting you to paint my picture. It may mean as much to me as it will to you, so will you let me pay for the canvas? Cynthia, I'd like to. All right, stubborn. Will you let me lend you the money for the canvas? That I can do. That I will do. It's a deal, my friend. And I'm getting out of here right now before we have another fight. Hello, Billy. I'm not going away. Where are you going, Mama? I'm not going anywhere. I'm simply going to have my portrait painted. But you're taking all your dresses with you. Yes, because the artist Mr. Wakefield wants to look at some of my evening gowns. Why, Mama? To see which one he wants me to wear when I have my picture painted. Mama, why are you having your picture painted? Well, darling, Stan, uh, Mr. Wakefield is a very fine artist. And his paintings will be on exhibit this summer at Bar Harbor, where all the millionaires are. Your picture, too? I hope so. Perhaps some nice millionaire will see it and fall in love with the original. Would you like to have a millionaire for a father? Could he buy me a pony? He certainly could. Then I'd like it fine. Of course, I'm only kidding, sweethearts. At least I think I am. Things like that happen only in books and plays. But, well, I don't know what to do. Well, I can dream, can't I? This would happen. Try joining on your ignition. I have it on. Oh, then look at your gas gauge. I guess I have enough sense to. Oh. Oh, what? No gas? No gas. Well, come on, get in my car. Oh, no. I'm going away over on the other side. Never mind where. I'll take you. Well, all right. Just a minute. I have some evening gowns on the back seat. Oh, are you going to a party? Perhaps. Good. I'm glad to see you're getting out again, Cynthia. You kept yourself cooped up too much, too long. I've just begun to realize that myself, Tony. And from now on, this little chicken is going to sprout wings and fly around a bit. Let's go, Tony. I'm late now. You must have the wrong address. No, Tony. This is the place. But it is. It's a dump, a shabby old tenement building. I can't help that. This is where I'm going. Then I'm going in with you. No, you're not. I shouldn't have let you bring me here. You can say that again. What's this all about? If you must know, I'm going to have my portrait painted. In that hovel? It's not a hovel. It's an apartment building. What kind of an artist would live in a place like that? A very fine artist, Stanley Wakefield. Oh, Wakefield. I've heard of him. He lives there. Yes. And he wants to paint your picture? Indeed, he does. He's having a one-man show at Bar Harbor this summer and he wants to feature a portrait in the hope of getting some commissions. What are you getting out of it? Is he paying you to pose? Certainly not. I know what I'm doing, Tony Atkinson. Before I get to the end of my rope, I may have a few strings of my own. What a relief to be able to move again if I can move. Do you have to be such a slave driver? Yes. I don't spare myself. I don't spare other people. If you don't like it, you can walk out. How do I know if I like it or not? You haven't let me see the picture yet. May I pose? No. I'm not going to show it to you until I'm satisfied with it. And I'm not satisfied yet. But you've been painting on it for two whole weeks. Yes, and it may be another two weeks before I let you see it. And I get back in a chair. So soon? Can't we have coffee or something? No. I'm trying to get an effect here and I may not have the same light tomorrow. Sit down, please. No, I won't. I'm tired and I want to... Sit down! Yes, Dan. No, Suri. I haven't got my fire insurance paid up. Hello, Betty. Hello. Is your mother in? No, she's still having her picture painted. But she says it's going to be finished today. Well, is that so? How does it look? We don't know. We haven't seen it. You mean your mother hasn't taken you to the studio? No, she hasn't. She says we'd wreck the joint. And I bet we would, too. Oh, no. She just didn't want you to see the picture until it was all finished. Now that it is finished, I'll bet she'd be glad to have you go over there. You think so? Gee, we'd sure like to. Well, then come on. I'll take you over. Oh, goody. This is better than being surrounded by Indians. Sure, a lot better. Your mother can bring you home. Why so? Yes, this is going to be quite a surprise to several persons, I hope. I'm simply starved. Hold still a little longer, Cynthia. I'm almost... Mm-hmm. That's it. I'm through. All through? Oh, there's little work to do on the background yet, but the portrait itself is all finished. May I... May I see it now, Stan? Yes, of course. Come on over. Here she is. Oh, it's lovely. It's glorious. Is that me? That's you, Cynthia. The beauty on the surface and the sweetness underneath. I tried to get them both. Well, Stan, I... I can't begin to tell you how... how utterly gorgeous it is. Mm-hmm. It'll do. Someday I hope to do a better one. Now, let's get out of here. Where are we going? To eat, my dear lady. To eat. We'll go to Max's just around the corner and have a real celebration. And then we'll come back here? Of course we'll come back here. Because I want to spend at least an hour just gazing at myself and dreaming that I really do look as lovely as my portrait. The door's open. Well, let's go in. Maybe they went out to eat or something. I guess so. Smells like turpentine. Sure does, silly. That's paint. Oh, look. There's Mama's picture. Oh, it's pretty. It looks just like her. Of course it does. That's what they painted it for, didn't it? Well, I think it's nice. I don't know about that. He's got her eyes too close together. Do you think so? Sure. I bet I could paint better eyes than that. Well, if you know so much, Mr. Smarty, there's a paint. Let's see what you can do. Okay, I'll show you. Billy, not on that picture. Make one of your own. Uh-oh. What do you mean, uh-oh? You did it that time. Now you've got her looking car guy. Well, you shouldn't have grabbed my arm. I'll fix it. Give me the leg. Okay, careful. It's all turpentine. I'll wipe it off and... Hey, this stuff smears. I'll say it smears. You'd better get busy and paint it back again. Okay. Boy, won't Mom be surprised when she sees her picture. The marvelous dinner that was, Dad. Well, I don't finish your portrait every day, you know. Portrait like that, anyway. I can hardly wait to see it again. Take it easy, Cynthia. These steps are steep. Oh, I know. I lost five pounds coming up here these last few weeks. Well, here we are. Certainly glad you don't live on Billy. Betty, what are you doing here? We came to look at your picture. Well, young man, you can ju... Cynthia, what's the matter? Look. Oh, Gray, you... Who did that? I... Guess I did. You little vandal, I'll teach you to spoil the finest painting I ever did. I'll ruin my picture with a little... Take it. You help him ruin that painting. No, I'm writing over my painting the mustache on. Oh, mustache. It's your children. Yes, and they're not brats. Well, take them home before I murder the little him. Why, you brute! I got a good notion to spank you, too. You wouldn't. She ain't. She said, and I quote, if I ever see that Tony Atkinson again for a million years, that will still be six weeks too soon. Well, I guess that settles that. Where is she? She's in her room, crying her eyes out. She knows you took us there. You and the doghouse butt good. Yes, I'm beginning to think so myself, William. Better stay away for a while. Sure, get lost, big boy, get lost. You know, I bet he thinks we don't like him. Well, we don't. I'm sure Glad Mommy ain't gonna marry him. Boy, did we lost things up. We sure did. I'm kind of sorry I messed up that guy's painting. It was awful pretty. Yeah, and when I got through, it was pretty awful. Well, how can that guy spank? You know something? Even when he bawled us out, I thought he was kind of nice. He's a real George guy, all right. Maybe we should apologize to him. Yeah, I... I guess we should. Matthew. I'll go see. Hello. It's that painter man. Mr., if you've come to spank our mother, we will let you do it. No, Betty, I've come to apologize. I'm sorry I lost my temper and spanked you, Bill. You should have spanked me, Mr. Just call me a stamp. I shouldn't have called you to a couple of little brats. I know, that's what we are. Is your mother... She's in a room, and she's crying. I don't suppose she'd... Well, you could try. That room there. Yeah, thanks. Cynthia? Cynthia, it's me, Stan. I never want to see you again. She doesn't want to see me. Well, I guess I'd better go along. You don't know women very well, do you? Half the time they don't even know what they say. You think I ought to... Sure, go on in. If she throws you out, we'll catch you. Okay, what am I going to lose? Cynthia, please let me... I told you I didn't want to see you. Go away. I'll go away, and I'll never bother you again as soon as I apologize. Now, the thing I did was cruel, stupid, outrageous, and inhuman. You had no right to punish a poor, innocent little... innocent, the little devil ruined the best picture I ever painted. But I shouldn't have spanked him because I was glad he spoiled it. If you think for one minute you were glad? Yes, because I knew if I exhibited that lovely creature at Bar Harbor, some millionaire would fall in love with you. And I didn't want that to happen because... Well, go on. Because I'm in love with you myself. Oh, Stan. Cynthia, you don't mean you, too. Mm-hmm. Darn it, yes. Oh, darling. Little kissy, silly, ain't it? Darling, Mr. Parker was right. It's just as easy to fall in love with a nice rich man as a nice poor man. But why did I have to pick the poor one? You know, I've traveled a lot in recent years, in and out of our own country, from Alaska to North Africa, from Scotland to Texas, even to Cleveland. And I've found that people are pretty much alike. They're all worried. And I've got the impression that folks are more restless now than they've ever been before in history. Now, why? Well, they write big books and high-brow articles to tell us why, but the more they tell us, the more complicated it gets. But really, the answer is very simple. Remember a few minutes ago at the start of this program, we heard that family theater's only purpose was to urge everyone to pray, to pray together as families. And that figures. Besides the good it does for individual families and the individuals in the family, there's a big public factor involved. The factor of peace, of stability, of the chance of a little happiness perhaps for the whole wide world. That's the answer and the one that a lot of the big books don't give us. It isn't so very complicated. In fact, it's as simple as the heart of a child. Family theater believes, and I agree with them, that that is what we've lost. Simplicity, family unity, dependence on God. And that is why, every week over this station, family theater tells us over and over, without ever getting tired of repeating it, that if we want to get back to God's plan, we've got to meet the plan halfway. That a nation is only as strong as its families. And that means the ones that don't break up. And that the family that prays together stays together. Let's all get in the act. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. The Family Theater has brought you Portrait of Cynthia. Bob Hope was your host. Featured in the title role was Virginia Gregg. Others in our cast were Whitfield Conner, Howard Culver, Bob Bence, Peter Vortrian, and Mary McGovern. The script was written by Harry Lawrence with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. And was directed for Family Theater by Joseph F. Mansfield. A portion of this program was transcribed. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program by the mutual network which has responded to this need. And by the hundreds of stars of stage screen and radio who give so unselfishly their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Tony LaFranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to join us next week when Family Theater will present Man of the House starring Jeff Chandler and Joan Evans. Join us, won't you? Better at broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.