 Remember, a Hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best. In Sir Edward Cook's The Life of Florence Nightingale, on the Hallmark Playhouse, new Hollywood's greatest stars in outstanding stories chosen by one of the world's best known authors. They distinguish novelists, Mr. James Hilton. Ladies and gentlemen, this is James Hilton. Tonight on our Hallmark Playhouse, we present our dramatization of one of the great and true stories of all time. The light story of a woman in whom love and determination were combined to such effect that she made history. She was Florence Nightingale, the lady with the lamp about whom Longfellow wrote his poem. Every nurse today, every soldier today, owes a debt to Florence Nightingale for her pioneer spirit 100 years ago, for that breaking of taboos and that clear-sighted service to humanity, which is the mark of true greatness in any person in any age. To prepare our dramatization, we have used extensively Sir Edward Cook's fine biography, and to portray the part of the lady with the lamp, we are privileged indeed to have that distinguished actress, Miss Irene Dunn, fresh from England and her motion picture portrayal of Florence Nightingale's queen and admirer, Victoria. And now, a word about Hallmark cards from Frank Goss before we begin the first act of The Life of Florence Nightingale, starring Miss Irene Dunn. There are Hallmark cards for every memorable occasion on your calendar, for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays. Yes, for every occasion that calls for remembrance, for a friendly greeting, a word of good cheer, an expression of sympathy. There is a Hallmark card that says just what you want to say, the way you want to say it, and that identifying Hallmark on the back. Well, that says you cared enough to send the very best. And now, Hallmark Playhouse, presenting Sir Edward Cook's The Life of Florence Nightingale, starring Miss Irene Dunn. He was sleeping now at rest at last beneath the quiet skies of England at East Wellow Hampshire. Those who had loved her in life were now sorting the great stacks of notes and letters she had left behind. As they read, the presence of the young girl that she had once been, that none of them had ever known, seemed to stand before them. They could almost hear her voice, speaking the words she had written so long ago. Dear mother and father, I am writing to you from the recreation room here at the hospital at Kaiser Vet. It's a lovely spring evening, and I've been thinking of last spring and of the party we gave. Do you remember? Father came in to help me fasten my necklace, and we had a talk, one of the most important talks in my whole life. It should be a fine party, Florence. There seems to be a wonderful lot of gay young people down there. Yes, I know. What's the matter? Is something wrong? Oh, it isn't so much that anything's wrong, Father. It's that nothing's right. For me, that is. I've told you so many times, this isn't my kind of life. It's the life you're born to, Florence. No gentlewoman in your position does nursing. Oh, what does position have to do with it? Father, I visited hospitals all over London. I've seen nurses on duty drinking. I've seen medicine being given in filthy receptacles. I tell you, Father, people are dying in every hospital in London. People who don't need to die. And do you feel that you are qualified to change those things, daughter? Father, I want to study nursing. I want to try. Florence dear, George is here and asking for you. All right, Mother. I'll be right down. Pardon too long, George. Mother feels that one has a very strong responsibility to one's guests. Well, I'm a guest too. Do you realize this is the first time I've seen you since you returned from Italy? Yes, I realize that, George, but I've only been back a few days. Florence, I've never been so lonely in my life as I've been this past winter. When you sailed for Italy, you left me in an empty city with an empty sky over me and an empty earth under me. George, that's very sweet. You haven't given me an answer. In every letter I ask you to marry me, and at once did I get an answer. George, I tried to answer many times. If I had answered, I would have said, you offer me that which is a woman I most desire, the love and devotion of the one I love. Florence. I would have said to marry you, to live beside you, to rear your children would mean to me the most complete personal happiness. I could hope to find in my lifetime. I would have said that, and it would have been true. Would have been? Well, let me rephrase that. Let me say it all is true. Darling. George, hold me close for one moment. Hold me close. I love you. Oh, I love you. Florence, you're crying. I know. Isn't it silly? Why didn't you write that letter? Why didn't you write it long ago? I didn't write it, George. Because of the words I would have had to write next. What words? George, next, I would have had to say that although these things are true, I cannot marry you. I cannot ever marry anyone. I don't understand. I don't know if I can make you understand. I hope I can. George, sometimes people are born with a sense of dedication. I feel I have work to do. A task? I must do. A task that will fill my entire lifetime. I don't know how I'm going about the accomplishment, but it must be done. And so as a consequence, I have no time for marriage, no time even for love. If I divide my energies, I will succeed at nothing. All right, Florence. Shall we go back to the party? It's turned cold here in the garden. Oh, George. Yes? I've never loved anyone else, and I never shall. I shall miss you as long as I live. But the only life partner I can take is humanity. That is my sorrow, and yet it's also my happiness. My dear mother and father, I can only write a brief note, because we have little time to ourselves here at the Hospital of Kaiservet. We have ten minutes for each of our meals. We get up at five. In addition to our hospital work, we're required to do our door work and gardening. It's difficult, but there are few, if any, complaints. Here, one learns to serve man and to serve God. As soon as I return to London, I'm going to do everything possible to establish a training school for nurses. And I'm also going to look into a position that I've heard is open, superintendent of a hospital for women in Shandoff Street. Thank you, Miss Nightingale. You were a great help during that operation. Thank you, Doctor. You're becoming rather famous, you know, the Lady Superintendent at the Hospital for Invalid Gentlewomen in Shandoff Street. Oh, please don't make fun of me. It seems to me I get enough ridicule when I go outside these hospital walls without getting it inside them. Well, I'll say one thing for you. You've got the cleanest hospital in London. Well, someday all hospitals will be clean. Someday, nursing will be a respected and an honored profession. Did you see the Times today? The news is bad from abroad. There's war in the Crimea. War in the Crimea? Yes. Here's the paper. War in the Crimea. Secretary of War Sydney Herbert, dear Sydney, I have read with some alarm a newspaper account in the Times concerning the hospital conditions in the Crimea. May I come to talk with you about this as soon as you can spare the time? I should like to... Florence, your letter about Crimea evidently passed mild in the mails. I wrote to you as soon as I read that dispatch in the Times. Sydney, I can't bear to think of our soldiers fighting out there without adequate hospitals, supplies, or without nurses, or preparation for surgical operations. I think it's a disgrace to the whole country. You really want to go? I really want to go so very much indeed and as soon as possible. Well, as I pointed out to you in my letter, no women have ever been admitted to military hospitals. I think that can be overcome, but I'm afraid you're going to have to overcome a great deal of prejudice on the parts of the Army medical officers. Sydney, prejudice is one of the things I'm thoroughly accustomed to. It doesn't frighten me in the least. Now, how many nurses can I take with me? I think you should take at least 40. Now, I think the first thing to be done is to start compiling a list of supplies you will need. Um, yeah. How soon could you be ready to go? I can be ready in five days. A man brought the snow just as they were taking off again. Oh, thank you, Mary. Good night. Good night. My dear friend, I have your letter before me telling me that you're leaving for the East. I know how much good you will do there, and I hope you may find some satisfaction in it for yourself. You can undertake that when you could not undertake me, but be that as it may. The ship sails for Crimea. The history book opens before you. Whatever page you write is sure to be a shining page. God keep you safe. God bring you safely home. There is nothing else to say except, goodbye. And so, goodbye. Goodbye, my darling. Why, Mary, are you crying? A little, Miss Nightingale. I was just looking back at England. Yes, so was I. We've no time for tears or looking back. Walk with me to the proud of the boat, but we can look ahead, ahead to the Crimea. We'll return to the second act of the life of Florence Nightingale, starting Irene Dunn. Does Christmas seem a long way off? Oh, but remember how fast October and November disappeared last year? Remember you resolved that next year you'd get your cards early? Well, next year is here. And right now is the time to make out your list and start thinking of your Christmas cards if you're really going to get them early. Sending Christmas cards will mean so much more to you if you have time to choose them with care and thoughtfulness. And Hallmark cards will help you to be most thoughtful because you'll find there is always a Hallmark card to say just what you want to say, the way you want to say it. I know you'll find pleasure in choosing Hallmark Christmas cards because they are so extraordinarily beautiful. The kind your friends will single out to show to others, display proudly during the holidays, and treasure long afterwards. Like other distinguished products that have won social preference, Hallmark cards can be obtained only at fine stores. And you have that comfortable knowledge they are correct. You have added pleasure too in sending Hallmark cards because that Hallmark on the back is so instantly recognized. Like the Sterling on silver, it carries its own high tradition. It says you've cared enough to send the very best. Now back to James Hilton in the second act of the life of Florence Nightingale, starring Miss Irene Dunn. Nightingale sailed with the Crammier. Those friends in England who loved her and knew the kind of woman she was could imagine the mood in which she arrived and set to work. They could almost hear her voice, speaking the words she had written from the hospital at Scutari. My dear mother and father, it is almost impossible to describe the condition of the barrack hospital. The sheets are of canvas and so coarse that the wounded men beg to be left in their blankets. They arrive here after a painful voyage in an extreme stage of weakness from wounds and frostbite. Colour on typhus or rife. And the mortality rate of the cases treated is 42%. We are starting to work immediately. Miss Nightingale, the army has been ordered to permit your presence here. What do you require? General, the first things we need are soap, brushes, brooms and mobs to scrub this hospital from the floors to the ceiling. It will take new regulations to put any of those things through, Miss Nightingale. How do you go about getting the new regulations? Well, there are forms to be filled out, then each form must be passed by the various officers in charge. Then it must go to a board. Then the board studies the problem. General, I've been told that I would need to get the supplies I need. You'll have to have the proper requisition. The army is governed by regulations, Miss Nightingale. General, I have come here to help the men in this hospital. I do not intend to be slowed down on the performance of my duties by army red tape. I'll purchase what is needed for the time being out of my own pocket. Complete the reports, Miss Nightingale. There we're making progress, Mary. The hospital's clean, the kitchen's clean. And did you see the expression on those boys' faces when they had their dinner tonight? The food is at least palatable now. You look very tired. You were in the operating room almost 24 hours today. Well, it seems to help the lads to see me standing there. It's little enough to do. You'd better go and get some rest now, Mary. You need rest more than I do. Well, I'll rest later. I must take my lamp and walk through the wards. One of them might need me. Wrote that letter we spoke of yesterday to your mother. I leave it here so you can read it, and tomorrow I'll post it. Johnny, I can't see your face. Oh, that's better. What's the matter? I'm not going to get better. I know I'm not going to get better. I'll never see my home again. Why, Johnny, of course you're going to get better. But the doctor told me today he'd never seen any patient make a more remarkable recovery while you're going home in a few weeks. I'm going home? Of course you are. You just go to sleep. That's all you need. Just a little rest and you'll be as good as new. Good night, son. Good night, Miss Nightingale. God bless you. God keep you. Miss Nightingale, did you see what that boy did as you passed? That boy in the last bed. No, officer. He turned and kissed your shadow on the wall. No, I didn't see. No one could say thank you more eloquently. But as that boy's commanding officer, I'd like to say thank you for him. Thank you for them all. Are you the commander of the forces, Lord Raglan? In your service. How can I help you? Well, the biggest thing you can do for me, Lord Raglan, can you help me get through some of the army red tape? I can and I will. Let's go and sit down and talk it over. Dear mother and father, things are at last assuming a semblance of order here at Skatari. Lord Raglan has helped me cut through the army red tape. And no one would recognize the hospital who thought a few months ago. But oh, there's much here to try the heart. There's so much here to try the heart. Are you ready for surgery, Miss Nightingale? Doctor, I wanted to ask you about those five boys at the end of the ward. They're in desperate condition and you said nothing at all about surgery for them. Miss Nightingale, we're sadly understaffed. And when so many wounded are brought in from the battlefield, we must choose between those there is a chance of saving and those for whom there is no hope. I see. There is so little time as it is. Nurse, yes, Miss Nightingale. There are five patients at the end of the ward. I'm going to take care of them myself. For the next 24 hours, please see that everyone knows where to find me. Surgeon General says they can't be saved. But there is someone I can appeal to even higher than the Surgeon General. Please help these boys to live. They're young and all the lifetime you've granted to many others still stretches ahead of them. Please let them live so they can see home again. Let them live so that they can breathe English air and feel the midst of England on their cheeks. Let them live so they can stand once more within an English church and sing praise God from whom all blessings flow. Let them return to life as they were willing to go to war for God and country. Are you? Are you an angel? Who could gracious know what on earth made you ask that? I thought I heard you talking to God. I was praying. Oh, in the lamp light you look like an angel. Look, look the dawn's coming up behind you. It's another day. Must get some rest. Look at this young fellow with his eyes open. Yeah, let's have a look at you. Yes, sir. Yeah, they must say that you've improved since yesterday. Let me have a look at the others. Miss Nightingale, will you make the preparations for immediate surgery? Yes, doctor. To you, Miss Nightingale, all five of those boys are going to live. Not thanks to me, doctor. Thanks be to God. God is the giver of life. We're all only seven. You must get some rest now. Thank you. You've been on your feet for almost 48 hours. Do you want to kill yourself? I mean, please. We read about Florence in the Times this morning. She's collapsed with the fever. Yes, I know George. They say she's at the point of death. And that in a hospital, when the soldiers heard the news, they turned their faces to the wall and cried. I brought to the poem Henry Wordsworth Longfellow wrote about her. It's very moving. An hour of misery. A lady with a lamp I see passed through the glimmering gloom and flipped from room to room. And slow, as in a dream of bliss, the speechless sufferer turns to kiss her shadow as it falls upon the darkening walls. God help her. And she has helped so many others. God help her. You may send out the word at once that the commander of the forces in the Crimea wishes everyone to know that the prayers of the world have been answered. Miss Nightingale has passed the crisis. She will recover. Windsor Castle, November 1855. Dear Miss Nightingale, you are, I hope, well aware of how worn my admiration is for your services, which are fully equal to those of my dear and brave soldiers. I am anxious of marking my feelings in a manner which I trust will be agreeable to you and therefore send you with this letter a brooch, which I hope you will wear as a mark of the high appropriation of your sovereignty. With every prayer for the preservation of your valuable help, believe me, always yours sincerely, Victoria Regina. Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Nightingale? Thank you, no doctor. The boxes are packed. Everything is ready to go. It's so quiet here now. Yes, I took a last walk through the hospital a little while ago. It was good to see it empty and to know that the last boy had sailed for home. War over, job completed. Yes. When you came here, the mortality rate was 42%. And within an incredibly short time, you cut that down to 2%. Or you have earned the gratitude of England and even the gratitude of the war office. I'm glad the war is over. It'll be good to get home. And when you get home, the money is there to start your training school for nurses. Do you know that that money came from every place in the world? In that a good part of it was donated from the pay of the men that fought here in the Crimea? Indeed, I know. And it means more to me than I shall ever be able to say. It's time to leave for the ship, Miss Nightingale. Well then, let us be on our way. Order the ship. And it was good to know that I would soon be home. Thankfulness well up inside of me. And I gave thanks to God for the years that were behind me. And thanks to God for the promise of the years that stretched ahead. And James Hilton will return in a moment. Next Tuesday, October 10th, the exhibition of the International Hallmark Art Award will open in St. Louis. The paintings in this exhibition are the winners of $28,000 in prizes given by the makers of Hallmark cards. Nearly 10,000 paintings were submitted by French and American artists and the 70 prize winners have been shown in various American cities. Everywhere these paintings have been shown, they have attracted enthusiastic crowds in New York at the world premiere, in Boston, in Washington, D.C., in Los Angeles. And now next week, the 70 prize-winning paintings will hang in the St. Louis Art Museum. If you're in St. Louis, you are cordially invited to see them. You have probably already seen stories of the exhibition in newspapers and magazines. It has attracted wide notice, outstanding art events of modern times, with the high purpose of stimulating the fine art of two nations and broadening public appreciation of art. Here again is James Hilton. Irene Dunn, we shall always remember your performance tonight. Thank you, Mr. Hilton. Of course, it's always wonderful to return to the Hallmark Playhouse. And speaking of Hallmark, Miss Dunn, may I say that it's our pleasure, too. We'd like to welcome our friends. Well, making friends has become a habit with your Hallmark Playhouse, Mr. Hilton. Just as your Hallmark cards have been making friends for so many years. Well, that's what we call a real compliment, Miss Dunn. And again our thanks for your fine portrayal of Florence Nightingale. Well, I enjoy playing the part of the woman who pioneered the nursing profession, Mr. Hilton. It's indeed a worthwhile service. And you know at the present time there's an acute shortage of nurses? Yes, I understand that the American Red Cross right now is recruiting civilians to learn home nursing and to learn nurses' aid work in the hospital. Yes, that's true. On behalf of the National Security Resources Board, the Red Cross is expanding its program to teach civilians. But they also need professional nurses for emergency duty and for teaching classes. The need is urgent. Both those who can teach and those who can learn should enroll in their local Red Cross chapter. And now before I leave, Mr. Hilton, what will your story be next week on the Hallmark Playhouse? Next week we shall present our adaptation of a short story by Octavus Roycahun. It's called The Final Tribute. And as our star we have invited that wonderful and beloved actor, Edmund Gwynne. Until next Thursday then, this is James Hilton saying, Good night. Look for Hallmark cards that are sold only in stores that have been carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service. Remember Hallmark cards when you carry enough to send the very best. Irene Dunn will soon be seen co-starring with Fred McMurray in the RKO production, Never a dull moment. This is Frank Goss saying good night to you all until next week at the same time when James Hilton returns to present Edmund Gwynne in Octavus Roycahun's The Final Tribute. And the week following, a novel title not wanted by Jesse Lynch Williams starring Dean Stockwell. And the week after that, Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on the Hallmark Playhouse. This is CBS The Bluff. This is KMBC, Kansas City, Missouri. Earl Smith and the news after this.