 a hallmark card when you carry it up to send the very best. The cards bring you another inspiring true story on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. A dramatic story of an actual person who because of his courage and achievement is honored tonight on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Our distinguished host, Mr. Lionel Barrymore. And welcome to the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Respectfully dedicated to men and women whose service, sacrifice and devotion have made our own lives better but about whom we know how to riddle. Tonight we honor W. Freeland Kendrick. It's the story of a man of vision and courage who sacrificed for an ideal brought about the establishment of one of the greatest groups of modern hospitals and clinical facilities in the United States. In addition to this unusual story of one man's crusade, you'll also hear a transcribed message from another remarkable man, the great and lovable comedian Mr. Harold Lloyd. And now here is Frank Goss from the makers of Hallmark Cards. When you want to remember your friends, there's one way to be sure the card you send receives an extra welcome. Look for that identifying hallmark on the back when you select it. For words to express your feelings and designs to express your good taste, let the hallmark on the back be your guide. For that hallmark tells your friends you'll carry enough to send the very best. Lionel Barrymore appears by arrangement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, producers of the Technicolor Picture Young Best, starring Gene Simmons, Stuart Granger, Deborah Carr and Charles Lawton. And now Mr. Barrymore brings you the first act of our Hallmark Hall of Fame. Christmas season December 1918. The first month of peace which the world has known in over four long heart-breaking years of war. Nations and peoples turn to the task of reconstruction. It's a time of new hope, great beginnings, and a one particularly great beginning born so humbly and without fanfare. Early evening traffic chokes the streets of downtown Philadelphia. Top coat emerges from an office building and starts across the street. The numbers, they won't hurt you, necessarily. I'd like to pay all expenses, Doctor. What's with the boy's parents? We've notified them. They're on their way to the hospital. I do not know whether you realize this or not, Mr. Kendrick, but Bobby has been a cripple since birth. I noticed he limped as he tried to cross the street with the papers. Poor Ken. That's probably what almost cost him his life. As a contrary, it is possible the accident may have been a blessing. A blessing? He may be able to reset the boy's leg in such a manner as to cure his lameness. There is a good possibility he may never be crippled again. Seems incredible. A lifetime of lameness. There are many others like this child, Mr. Kendrick. But the facilities are inadequate and expensive. We need more hospitals, more research, and perhaps more men like you who are willing to pay the expenses for an underprivileged child. I've always thought of myself as a charitable man, Doctor. And yet now I wonder, seeing that child's face as he crossed the street running toward me, it's a memory I won't easily forget. Mr. Kendrick, there are over 400,000 crippled children in the United States. You have helped one. It is as much as any man could do. I'm not sure of that, Doctor. I'm not sure. It's a late at night in Philadelphia when W. Freeland Kendrick returns to his home. The vigil's over. The strain of the day is etched lines in his face. His wife Mabel greets him with relief. Darling, is he all right? Yes, my dear, there's nothing to worry about. Oh, are you hungry? If you don't mind. The boy, did you talk to him? Yes, yes, he even asked for me. Oh, what is he like? About ten freckle face, curly blonde hair, blue eyes, like yours. His parents? Nice, nice, very nice. He works in a mill, she's a seamstress. What must it be like to have a child to have this happen? People like us, dear, we miss the grief and the joy. My dear, when that boy, that little cripple newspaper boy, started to cross the street toward me and when I saw his face and his laughing eyes and then the truck, for that instant, that moment, it was almost as though this was our boy, my son. And for an instant, I think I knew what it's like to be a father. We've missed it, haven't we, Freeland? We told ourselves it didn't matter, but it did. Deeply, came to me. I wonder if we will ever be free from the longing? Suppose, Ma'am, suppose we found a way to fill that void. Suppose we could bring children into our lives. No, no, it's too late, Freeland. I wonder, I really wonder. It was the following week that Kendrick found himself in the office of his friend Harold Stanley, president of one of Philadelphia's largest banks. I think we can arrange the negotiations for you, Freeland. Property seems to be an excellent investment right now. Oh, thanks, Harold. Now, how about some advice? I can always lend advice. How's the hospital business? Hospital? Suppose I wanted to build a hospital. You're on the board of Mercy General. What's your advice? Where do I start? Freeland, you're a hotel man and a good one. Some high advice is to stay in the hotel business. Harold, what if there was something you needed to do, something that started as a little germ of an idea and you're heading and crawling down inside of you until you couldn't get rid of it? And what if your life meant nothing more than the completion of this one idea? Then I'd say complete your idea. Just a minute, Freeland. I'll bring you my file on hospitals. It's an idea. One man with the integrity and zeal to go forward even against seemingly unconquerable obstacles. And there were many. Mr. Kendrick, I can tell you from my own experiences an architect, the kind of hospital you're talking about will cost money, big money. How much? Oh, for a start, say, half a million dollars. Hospital? Well, Mr. Kendrick, Philadelphia's a highly developed city. The acreage you need simply isn't available. That's close in. Now, perhaps if you'd consider something a few miles out, say here, we might investigate the cost. But then on the other hand, there's zoning problems. Come to think of it, I don't believe we could get a hospital into this area. We need about $100,000 for a start-up. That right, Freeland? Discovered something in these past few weeks. Something I didn't realize until now. I warned you to stay in the hotel business. No, no, it's not that. What I discovered is that money alone is not the answer. More important is people, a lot of people, working together. I see your point. But where are you going to find a lot of people who want to start a children's hospital? Where are you going to find the hundreds? Maybe even thousands you need. I think I found just the people, Harold. More than 300,000 of them. Turn to the second act of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Most any mother will agree that this old saying is true. A man would rather be a success in the eyes of his family than a hero in the eyes of the world. All you need do is watch your father when his youngsters give him a present and a special compliment. You just know by the way his eyes light up and his face breaks into smiles that dad is a sentimentalist where his family is concerned. That's why here in America, we set aside the third Sunday in June to honor our fathers. And you know, one of the nicest ways you can do this is to send your dad a Hallmark Father's Day card. You see, there are Hallmark Father's Day cards to suit every taste and preference. Cards for outdoor men who like hunting, fishing, modified cards for older men or grandfathers, gay cards for the little tots to send their dad is, yes, new wives can choose a Hallmark card to send your husband on June 21st. So why not select yours early? Add one of the fine stores where Hallmark cards are sold. Just look for the hallmark and crown on the back. The symbol that always means you carry enough to send the very best. And now Lionel Barrymore brings you back to our true story of W. Freeland Kendrick. The goal is clear and unmistakable, and now he takes the first step toward its attainment. He gives a small dinner for a few of his close friends. Friends who like him are all members of the ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. More familiarly known as the Shriners. Finally, with the coffee and cigars, Kendrick gets to his feet. Gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? All right, boys, here comes the after-dinner speech. No, it's not going to be a speech. I just want to get in a few serious words. Thank you. Thank you, boys. Now, I hope you'll still feel like clapping when you hear what I want from you. We're a game? What is it? Oh, just a half million dollars. I'm sure he would settle for a million feelings. Well, I may have to, Henry. You'll get the idea from the little prospectus I prepared for you. George, would you pass these around, please? Oh, sure thing. Now, some of you boys have heard me talking lately about building a hospital for homeless crippled children. I've investigated it pretty thoroughly, and I know it can be done. And I want it done by the Shriners of America. Just a minute, Freyland. Yes, Harry? I'm looking at your prospectus here. There are 400,000 crippled children in the country. If that's so, what good is it going to do to build just one hospital? That's only a drop in the bucket. That's all it is, Harry. But at least it would be a beginning. But let's be realistic, Freyland. What do any of us know about hospitals? Yes. We can learn, George. I want us to be able to say to the crippled children of America, come to us. Whatever your creed, color, or class, we're here to help you. Where's the money going to come from? The Shrine Temple here in Philadelphia could never raise a half million dollars. I know that. This is a job for every Shriner across the country. We'll raise the money by special assessment against each and every member. A special assessment? George, did you contribute as much to charity last year as you could have? Well, you know how my business was last year, Freyland. How about you, Harry? Oh, well, I had some extra expenses, and you know... Yes, yes, I know. I suppose, Larry, you have an excuse to... All right, Freyland, we get the point. You can count on us. Thank you, George. Does that go for the rest of you? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Your encouragement, Freyland Kendrick, goes to Indianapolis, Indiana for the annual meeting of the Shrine Imperial Council. There he meets with both victory and defeat. By unanimous vote, W. Freyland Kendrick's elected Imperial portentate of all the Shriners of North America. But, by another vote, his proposal of the Children's Hospital is emphatically rejected. But Kendrick doesn't accept defeat. With his wife, Mabel, he boards a train to take his cause to the Shrine temples across the nation. I'll tell you jokes or after dinner stories. I'm going to tell you about the thousands upon thousands of unlived lives of the worthwhile careers denied the crippled children of this country by lack of medical care. Less about making fun, abilities. Let's lead the way toward a healthier America. Some kind of war to protect our homes and children. Now let's fight another kind of our children and for the children of the future. In 2020, the Shriners gather in convention at Portland, Oregon. Imperial portentate Kendrick once again proposes a plan for a children's hospital. Debate on it postponed until the following day. Meanwhile, the convention gives itself over to a huge night parade. Freyland Kendrick watches it from the hotel window. With him is his friend Forrester Dare of Yarab Temple. Forrest. Yes? What do you think our chances are tomorrow? For the hospital? Yes. Well, I'd say the voting can go either way. It's 50-50. Only 50-50. After my spending a whole year working for it after talking in over 100 different towns. Oh, I know how you feel, Freyland. But we've got to face it. The fellows who don't understand what it's all about and there are still plenty of them. They're going to be dead against us. If only you could give one more talk, Freyland, to the whole convention. Well, you know the rules as well as I do. The Imperial portentate can't take part in debate. I'll have to leave it up to you, Forrest. If I could just find some way of dramatizing what we're after. Some way of jolting the convention out of its apathy. Yeah, what are those fellows down there care about a children's hospital? They're having fun. That's enough for them. Wait a minute, Forrest. What is it? Open that window. Listen to what that fellow with the horn is playing. Sounds like I'm forever blowing bubbles. It is. Think about it a moment, Forrest. What's that mean to you? I'm not sure. What did you just tell me? If only we could find a way to jar the convention out of its apathy. Perhaps. Perhaps this is how we can do it. It begins before a packed convention hall. This and this treasurer for the Shrine Organization requires, First of Day, a hospital. And then suddenly we will... Treasurer rises and faces the convention. I make steps to the front of the robles of the mystic shrine for crippled children. For the selfless efforts of W. Freeland Kendrick and his associates, the work went forward. Years had followed. Others were to take up the task of courageously begun. One such Shrine has a special message for us today. Some of you may not know him. There's a past imperial potentate. But all of you will recognize him for his wonderful motion pictures which have been seen by so many millions of people. Welcome, hallowed to the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Thank you, Mr. Barrymore. Speaking on behalf of the Shrine Organization, may I express our appreciation to you and to the makers of Hallmark Cards for your very fine dramatization of the founding of the Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children. In the 30 years since W. Freeland Kendrick and his fellow Shriners established the first medical center in Shreveport, Louisiana, 16 additional hospitals have been opened throughout the United States and Canada. We prefer to measure the work, not by the millions upon millions of dollars spent, but by the increase in human happiness which has resulted. More than 300,000 Crippled Children have been completely cured or greatly helped. The nearly 700,000 Shriners of North America take pride and inspiration from the great task so ably begun by W. Freeland Kendrick. Once again, may I thank you, Mr. Barrymore, and good night. Yes, the Hallmark Hall of Fame is leaving the air tonight until next September. Mr. Barrymore will all certainly be looking forward to your return next September, but in the meanwhile, what are you going to be doing? Are you going to start another novel? I've been hearing glowing reports about your first novel called Mr. Captain Wine. Well, well, well, thank you for that. Thank you. Mr. Captain Wine is out on its own now, all over the country. What about my plans? Tritle my thumbs till next September, although it's my plans anyway. Well, we always say that, don't we? But I'm sure a little acting and a little writing and a little painting will just sort of creep into your life and you'll be busy as ever before you know it. Oh, I suppose you're right, Frank. How about you? Don't you want to say some farewell to all our good friends in the audience? I most certainly do, Mr. Barrymore. As the curtain falls on our show tonight, the Hallmark Hall of Fame leaves the air until next September. At that time, we'll be back over these same stations. The makers of Hallmark cards and the fine stores that feature them hope you have enjoyed these true stories of famous men and women and the events that shape their future as much as we have enjoyed bringing them to you. Thank you for letting us visit your homes each week. We hope your summer is a happy and restful one and hope on those occasions when you want to send your thoughts across the miles, across the years, or even across the way. You'll remember Hallmark cards. In the meantime, don't forget the Hallmark Hall of Fame on television every Sunday with Miss Sarah Churchill as your hostess. Consult your paper for time and channel. But now, goodbye, Frank. Goodbye, everybody. We'll be seeing you next September. There are sold only in stores that have been carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service. Remember a Hallmark card when you'll carry it up to send the very best. Our producer director is William Gay. Our script tonight was written by Leonard St. Clair. Featured in our cast tonight were William John Stone as Freeland Kenrick and Maureen Tuttle as Mrs. Kenrick with Whitfield Conner, John Stevenson, Ted D'Corsia, Tom Tully, Paulie Bear, Howard McNeer, and Richard Beals. This is Frank Goss saying good night to you all until next September when we will again bring you the Hallmark Hall of Fame. This is the CBS Radio Network. NBC, Kansas City, Missouri.