 The Irene Dunn Fred MacMurray Show, starring Irene Dunn as Susan and Fred MacMurray as George. Together in a gay, new, exciting comedy adventure, Bright Star. Yes, it's the Irene Dunn Fred MacMurray Show, starring Irene Dunn as Susan Armstrong, owner and editor of the Hillsdale Morning Star, and Fred MacMurray as George Harvey, the paper's ace reporter. Today we join Susan and George at the railroad station, for they are awaiting a visit from Susan's teenage cousin, Emily. Uh, 4.15 Susan, trains do any minute. Frankly, George, this is one visit I'm not looking forward to. Good old Emily, never a dull moment. What is it with her this time? Her mother and father anxious to break up some silly little romance she's having. Personally, I think they're taking it much too seriously. Well, we'll soon find out. I hear the train coming. Emily's not here yet? Why, Sammy? Joining the welcoming committee? I hope you don't mind, Miss Armstrong. I've always had a soft spot for Emily. Doesn't Emily consider you a little young for her, Sammy? That was her last visit. I'm two months older now. Well, here it comes. No? Oh, yeah. Yeah, there she is, up by that car ahead there. Oh, Emily! Emily, over here, Emily! She sees us. How are you, Emily? I'm fine. And George. Dear, good George. Nice to see you, Emily. Hi, Emily. And faith you remembered me. Who could ever forget? Of course you realize, cousin Susan, that my family sending me here is simply a feudal gesture. A feudal gesture? Of course separation will never change my feeling toward Peter. Never. We're definitely engaged. Engaged? Oh, really, Emily? Engaged. I consider him the most sophisticated, handsome, thoroughly fine man I ever met. Why, Emily, do you mean that all is over between you and me? And how about me? George, dear, and sweet little Sammy, I know this is hard on you, but I know you both respect me enough as a person to honor the way I feel. Try to look upon me as a sister. Well, I'll try, Emily. I mean, as it says. Take your bags. The car is over here, Emily. I'll never look upon her as a sister. Never. Oh, good morning, Mr. Harvey. Oh, good morning, patients. Come in. Thanks. Miss Armstrong up. Just finishing breakfast, Mr. Harvey. You knew where to find her. Oh, good morning, Susan. Oh, hello, George. Well, how is Sister Emily this morning? I thought I heard her getting up a few minutes ago. About this so-called engagement, you don't think it's serious? No, I don't think so, George. But she doesn't seem to have a gift for getting herself involved with older men, as you recall. Oh, no, Susan, I was entirely innocent. I know, I know. How old do you think this Peter Andrews is? Any idea? I didn't know. I thought it better not to discuss the subject last night. Maybe a good night's rest will make the engagement less definite. I guess you're right, Susan. Little change, a different perspective. These things blow over pretty quickly at her age. I hope so, because in a sense, she's my responsibility now. Good morning, Susan, and dear George. Dear good George. That's better. Sleep well, Emily. As well as one could expect when one is torn from the arms of one's fiancé. Emily. I feel it only fair to warn you, cousin Susan. I am not unpacking my bag. Well, Emily, won't you things get a little wrinkled? Courageous, resourceful. Peter will come for me and find me. Emily, make up your mind to it. This Peter Andrews is not coming looking for you, so go upstairs and unpack. I could have expected more understanding, cousin Susan. But I don't hold it against you. Not knowing, Peter, dear, you couldn't possibly know the depths of our passion. Farewell, George. Oh, farewell. Emily, farewell. Well. Joe, I just think this could be more serious than we thought. The engagement? No. Now, of course not, Susan. I know, Emily, and I know that this... Oh, Miss Susan, this just came. A telegram. A telegram? Oh, from home. I don't know, Miss Susan. I held it up to the light but couldn't see a thing. Here. Hmm. Can't imagine. Oh. What is it, Susan? From Emily's mother. Peter Andrews left city last night have reason to believe he might be coming to find Emily. Please take every possible step to prevent their getting together. Joe. Oh, really, George. Well, what do you know? Now, don't worry, Susan. I'll think of something. How about chaining her to the bed? Oh, now be serious, George. Well, I thought I was. There's an early morning train, Miss Susan. If he left last night, he might be here even now. George, if you go down to the paper, let me know if you hear anything. I'd better stay right here with Emily. All right, Susan, all right. And don't worry. Don't worry? The post she runs off with is Peter Andrews. What am I going to tell her mother and father? You haven't lost a daughter. You have just gained a son. George. It's Miss Armstrongian. Nobody's in yet. Anything I can do for you? Well, what I really wanted was Miss Armstrong's address. Why? Well, there's a girl visiting her. Aha! Hmm? I wonder what she sees in you. Emily, you know her? I'm one of her dearest friends. Then you don't mind giving me her address? I'd rather die. Look, I'm appealing to you as a fellow man. My father might be coming after me. I'm pretty sure he is, and I haven't got much time. That's very heartbreaking. Good morning, Sammy. Oh, uh, who's your friend? Mr. Harvey. This is Emily's fiance, Mr. Andrews. No. He wants her address. It's a matter of life and death, Mr. Harvey. Uh, look, Peter, why don't you just go on home? Emily will be back in a few weeks. Never. Though the world may strive to keep us apart, love shall conquer all. Good day, Mr. Harvey. Well... Emily's a nice girl, Mr. Harvey, but she lacks taste. Why choose him when she could have me? It's a hard choice for any girl, Sammy. I'd better call Miss Armstrong and warn her that Lockenbauer is in town. What could she see in him, Mr. Harvey? What? Well, women look at these things differently than men, Sammy. To a woman, he might be mature, sophisticated, utterly charming. I think I'll stop working so hard on my personality. If it's all a blind chance, I'm just as well off the way I am. Miss Armstrong. That's right. May I come in, Miss Armstrong? My name is Andrews, Peter Andrews. Certainly, come right in. Peter Andrews? You're Peter Andrews? You've heard of me, then, from Emily. Well, yes. I mean, no. No, indeed. You are Emily's cousin. Emily? Cousin? Yes, yes, I am. Oh, good. May I come in and sit down? Is she here? Who? Little Emily. No, no, no. She's not here, Mr. Andrews. I'm expecting her back. Well, that's hard to say. But she has been here. Has been here? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. For Christmas, two years ago. Or was it three? I see. Well, apparently, I've been the victim of some wrong information. I won't go into the details of fire. Mr. Andrews, just what is your feeling toward Emily? Well, I'm very fond of little Emily. Very fond indeed. You might call it a kind of parental feeling. If you'll excuse me, Mr. Andrews, I'm very busy this morning. Oh, of course. And if you'll permit me to say it, Miss Armstrong, I'm not altogether sorry some wrong information brought us together. And just what do you mean by that? Just that when one encounters such charm and beauty, one doesn't pass silently by without paying tribute. Do you think you're just a little encumbered to be going around paying tribute? Encumbered. Well, I've been a widower for 15 years, and that's what you're referring to, Miss Armstrong. That's not what I'm referring to, and you know it. Goodbye, Mr. Andrews. Not goodbye, Miss Armstrong. Just till we meet again. And we shall, utterly charming. But I had no idea in the world what she was talking about. Will there be anything else, Miss Susan? I don't think so, Patience. Finished, George? Aye, how finished, Susan? Wonderful dinner, Patience. Excellent, Patience. I enjoyed it. As much as a woman in my position could, of course. Oh, of course. Shall we go in the other room all? I want to have a little talk with you, Emily. Oh, certainly, cousin Susan. I think you might as well know, Emily, that Peter Andrews was here today. Here? Today? And you didn't tell me? I had good reason. He stopped in at the paper, too. Oh, then you both met him. Isn't he utterly captivating? Well, unfortunately, yes. What? Emily, there are some things I have to say to you. Your age to begin with. Seventeen. Sixteen, barely. And although you could be considered very attractive. Yes, indeed. Thank you, George. Mentally, you're a long way from the maturity necessary to... well, to even think of a man like Peter Andrews. Oh, I don't know, Susan. Oh, please, George. I met him today. Well, so did I. In any case, Emily, I... In any case, you don't want me to see him, is that it? Emily. Cousin Susan. No matter what you or the world may do, Peter and I belong positively to one another. And sooner or later we shall find each other like Damon and Pithias. Good night. Emily, Damon and Pithias were men, you know. George, you, too, have turned against me. Peter, each other. Well, you were certainly a big help, George. Well, Susan, she couldn't be serious about this Peter character. It's nothing to worry about at all. I utterly fail to understand how you can sit there and calmly say this is nothing. All right, all right. Much against my better judgment, Susan, I'll step in and settle this thing. How? Well, it's simple. I'll explain to poor old Pith that Emily has reverted to her former flame. Not you, George. Me. It won't be strictly true, of course, but I think Peter will accept it. Why should he? Well, for one reason, he... Well, Susan, why shouldn't he? Why shouldn't he? George. All right, all right. Put yourself in Emily's place. Which of us would you prefer? Which? Well, now, George, I only meant... It's quite all right, Susan. If that's the type you prefer, it's perfectly all right with me. But just remember, I've seen him. George. Maybe I should have taken a closer look. To our two stars Irene Dunn and Fred McMurray and the second act of our story. Right now it's a pretty complicated story. Since Susan thinks her young cousin Emily has fallen under the spell of mature handsome Peter Andrews. Actually, it's Peter Andrews Jr. that Emily is involved with. But, well, anyway, Susan and George are a good bet to complicate things a little more before they get straightened out. Emily, Mr. Harvey. Sammy, Emily is about to become engaged to someone else. Although she doesn't know it. Miss Armstrong is afraid of this affair with Peter Andrews being serious, so I'm about to step in. How? I just tell him that if I've taken his place in Emily's heart, he, thereupon, takes off like a bird and everyone is happy. It's bound to lead other complications, Mr. Harvey. That's where you're wrong, Sammy. The idea is absolutely... Here he comes. Mr. Harvey, how you will report her on this paper? That I am, Peter. That I am. I've got a story for you, Mr. Harvey. A fiancee is being kept from her fiancee practically by force in this town. No. In gross violation of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, Emily is being held virtual prisoner, and I demand that the world shall know and judge. Pete, old boy, were you aware of the fact that Emily is slightly, shall we say, pickle in her affections? That's not true. We've been practically engaged for practically two weeks. Nevertheless, old man, another has entered her life. An old claim has been rekindled. No. It's practically a forest fire. Please, Sammy. I demand to know who it is. I'm sorry, my boy. Neither of us wanted to hurt you in any way. No. You? You mean now Emily's engaged to you? Engaged? Well, I would... She's bigger than both of them. Sammy, please. This could very well ruin my whole life. Oh, I wouldn't say that, Peter. Oh, perfectly. Thy name is one. That worked like a charm, eh, Sammy? A little ingenuity in these problems can be solved like nothing at all. Dear, dear George. Emily, where did you come from? I came in the back way, dear George, and I heard all... All? Well, you see, Emily, I was just... Oh, isn't it the most thrilling thing in the world, George? Why? You and me engaged. Engaged? Oh, now, Emily, wait. Wait, just a minute. Hold everything. Oh, doesn't Susan be surprised when she hears the news? Susan? Well, Emily, we mustn't tell Susan or... Well, I'll tell her sometime, but not you. I understand, dear George, and I respect you for it. Well, that's something, but as far as our being engaged... Oh, it's our secret, George. Our hidden, beautiful secret. I won't tell a soul. Sammy, I... How did I get into this thing? That's not the thing to worry about, Mr. Harvey. No? The tough one is, how are you going to get out? Has Emily gone out, Miss Susan? Well, after all, I couldn't lock her in, patients. You can only go so far. You can go a little farther, Miss Susan. What do you mean? Well, Miss Peter Andrews, I... I get the idea he might possibly be interested in you, if you'd give him just a very small amount of encouragement. Patience? Well, I couldn't. I really couldn't. Well, she's your cousin, not mine. The door. Do you think it might be? If it is, shall I let him in? Well, I'll let him in. How do you do? Is Miss Armstrong at home? Well, she certainly is, and you, Mr. Andrews, come in. Thank you, but you knew my name. Well, Miss Armstrong has been telling me about you. Oh? She's right in there. Miss Armstrong? Well, Mr. Andrews, come in, sit down. Thank you. Thank you very much. Is Emily at home? Well, as a matter of fact, she isn't. You're disappointed? As a matter of fact, no. I guess I was just using Emily as a... as a pretext for coming. You don't mind. Well, I... Good. Then we won't have to discuss Emily at all. Don't you think we should? Miss Armstrong, may I be perfectly frank with you? Please do. Since I came here yesterday and met you, the reason for my originally coming to Hillsdale is assumed less and less important. Would you be surprised if I asked to call on you again very soon? Mr. Andrews, nothing about you could surprise me in any way at all. Really? Shall we say tonight? Tonight. But let's keep it strictly between us, shall we? Oh, I much prefer it that way. Much. I should imagine. Hmm? Oh, well, until tonight. Until tonight. Goodbye. Goodbye. Well, at least I'll be keeping him out of trouble. How will I? Susan, I'll say. Susan, I was entirely blameless. I was a puppet of fate. And what happened was... I'm sorry. Aren't you? Oh, not a bit. Are you? No, not at all. I guess I had something else in my mind. That's funny. So did I. Sorry. Well, I'll have to concentrate more, I guess. Yes, me too. What am I laughing about? He came out of Susan's house. Susan? Susan, are you at home? Oh, goodness, George. Couldn't you wait for me to open the door? Oh, I'm sorry, Susan. I, uh... Did a man just leave here? A man? What kind of man? Don't evade the question, Susan. Not that I'm jealous, Susan, but when a stranger leaves here in the middle of the day and you refuse to tell who he is... George, you know who he is. Peter Andrews. Peter? That is the most ridiculous story I ever heard in my life. What? Not that I care one bit who it was, Susan, but you might have made up a better story than that. I just let Peter Andrews at the paper. The paper? What was he doing there? Well, he... I'll never mind. The point is, Susan, who was the man that just left... George, are you asking these silly questions just to cover up something you've done? Are you? Me cover up something? Me? My life is an open book, Susan, and I don't mind... George, you told Captain Susan. I... You told me what, Emily? Why about our engagement, of course. Whose engagement? You see, Susan... George's engagement to me. Isn't it just too perfectly wonderful? Susan, I... Well, so your life is an open book, is it, George? Well, actually, the whole thing is just... And what sort of chapter are you engaged in writing now? Susan, you don't believe it. Oh, yes, I do. You're leaving, George. Well, I... Oh, did I say something wrong? Well, I... I think somebody did. Don't push, Susan. And you can go to your room, Emily, and you can consider your engagement over. Is there something the matter with me? I'm losing more fiancés. What are they here? I changed my mind. I came back. Mr. Andrews, Mr. Harvey is busy. And what did you come back for? I can't give her up without a struggle. Emily, I'm going to fight for her. Mr. Harvey's already fighting with Miss Armstrong. He hasn't got time to fight you, too. Fighting with Miss Armstrong? What about? I can't figure it out, but partly about you. You know, there must be more to you than meets the eye. But I've never even met Miss Armstrong. What? My father tells me she's very nice, but I have... Your father? He's here, in town? What's his name? The same as mine. Peter Andrews. Only he's senior, and I'm junior, of course. Good figures. You know, I'm beginning to get the plot. What plot? Never mind. But why don't you and your father both show up at Miss Armstrong's tonight? Why? Well, Mr. Harvey will be there, and Emily, and it might prove kind of interesting. Well. All right. But you can warn Mr. Harvey. I'll fight for her, and I'll use violence if necessary. Sure. Poor Mr. Harvey. Always the best of intentions. But universally misunderstood. What are you eating, Mr. Harvey? Miss Armstrong's in the living room. Well, good, patience. I'll go right in. She's with Miss Emily. Oh. Well, if the time has come for a showdown, patience, I'll go in anyway. Good night, Mr. Harvey. Good evening, Susan. Emily. Why, dear, dear George. What brings you here, dear George? I'm determined to have a showdown, Susan. We'll straighten things out once and for all. Well, that would be a novel thing. But Captain Susan. Excuse me, Miss Susan. Mr. Peter Andrews is here. Uh-huh. Now, Susan, now we'll explode your story about Peter Andrews being the man I saw leaving the house this afternoon. Show him in, patience. Somehow I feel just like a bailiff. Uh, in here, Miss... Emily. I've come back. That's very nice of you, Peter, but really... Who is this? I'm Peter Andrews, Miss Armstrong. What? Uh-huh. Your story isn't standing up very well, is it, Susan? George, excuse me once again, Miss Susan. Another gentleman, the one who was here this afternoon. Oh. Well, show him in. Wait, wait, patience. I'll give you one last chance, Susan. Before he comes in, tell us his name. His real name. I told you, George, Peter Andrews. Stubborn to the end, eh? All right. You leave me no choice. Show him in, patience. Uh, yes, Your Honor. Uh, I mean Mr. Harvey. Well, good evening all. I see where... Oh, wait, wait. Uh, hold it. Would you give us your name, sir? Your true name? Certainly, Peter Andrews. A likely story. George. Don't let him go, Emily. Whatever happens, he deserves it. My case, Susan, is closed. I know not what the end is to be served by this feeble deception, but... What's he talking about, Father? I'm as confused as you are, son. Then, well, you might be, for... Father. Son. George, this is quite apparently Mr. Andrew Sr. and Mr. Andrews Jr. Correct. And may I ask who you are, sir? Uh, you... You don't know? No. Well, is there any way we could leave it that way? Oh, George. Oh, wait a minute. Miss Armstrong, you didn't know there were two of us. You thought that Emily and I were... Well, it was a simple mistake. It could happen to anyone. But why does it always have to happen to me? Our stars Irene Dunn and Fred McMurray will be back in just a moment. Susan, you know something? Know what, George? You were just as mistaken about this whole affair as I was, but I'm the one who ends up looking ridiculous. Why is that? Well, couldn't that be due to the fact that I didn't act like a prosecuting attorney? Well, it might be that you just don't care as much as I do. Why, George, that's the nicest thing you've said to me all week. Of course I care. How about a little proof on account? All right. There. Thank you. George, does this mean we're engaged? Engaged? Well, not that I wouldn't like to be, Emily. I mean, Susan. I wasn't serious. Well, with women you never know, you know. Irene Dunn and Fred McMurray will be back next week in another exciting comedy adventure in the Gay New Series, Bright Star. This is Wendell Niles inviting you to join us then.