 The life of Riley, formerly heard at this time, will be heard one hour from now over most of these NBC stations. RCA Victor, world leader in radio, first in recorded music, first in television, proudly presents... Victor's Playhouse, star Jimmy Stewart, production Magic Town, director William Wellman... The Hollywood Screen Directors presents some very public opinions. The motion picture story, Magic Town, starring Jimmy Stewart in his original role of Rip Smith. When all of mankind's darkest moments are written in the golden book of time, there on a special page, you'll find the agony of America's public opinion experts on the day that Harry Truman was elected president. And so it happened that next day, Rip Smith of the Rip Smith public opinion surveys faced a cruel and bitter world. Pardon me, but I represent a public opinion poll. A Republican. Madam, I represent a public opinion poll. Are you kidding? Yeah, I guess I am. Well, it's a matter of comparing your opinion to the average. Drop dead. Your average. Look at the office, Ike. We're through. Finished. Good, good. I'm looking for a job with more security. Like what? By getting shot out of a cannon. One account. We have one good newspaper account and we lose it on the national election. Has Kincaid called you five times? Well, it was a beautiful career. Rip Smith. Oh, hello, Mr. Kincaid. Yes, I wanted to talk to you about our public opinion poll. You say I should take my poll. Mr. Kincaid, I know your readers are laughing at your paper, but I guess the joke's on us, huh? Mr. Kincaid. Hey, no sense of humor. Ike, let's see those poll reports again. Ah, there's no report, Rip. There's only one town called Grandview that chats with the actual election results. What's that? Hit it right on the nose. What? Hit it? Oh, wait, that's impossible. Let's see. Let me see that. Hey, holy Hannah, it's a miracle. No, no, it's not a miracle. I looked up Grandview and McGrath's election guide. They've been right for 50 years. Ike, you wouldn't kid me, would you? Say, if this is true, hand me that census report. What's the matter with you? This might be it. This might be it. A shortcut to public opinion polls. A magic town. Oh, you loony. I'm a genius. Give me that national breakdown chart there. Line them up. Check the figures. I hate figures. Ike, look, look. Grandview's population, males, females, it checks with the national sex ratio. There, there must be just dippy about Lana Turner movies. Republicans, Democrats, religions, income groups. Ike, they check right down the line. It's a mathematical miracle. Why, in a town like this, we could analyze the entire country. What about the people? They get self-conscious. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they would. That's fatal. What we need to cover up, let's see. What's wrong with the insurance business? Ike, we're a couple of insurance salesmen. I see. We polled the town on the slide. That's right. And as long as it doesn't change, we can't miss. Now, Kincaid already has another outfit working out a poll on progressive education. Now, if we work fast, we can finish at the same time, offer it to Kincaid at half the price. After that, we're a cinch. Well, I get excited. There's nothing in it but a fortune. Grandview, I love it. Welcome to Grandview, gentlemen. Welcome to Grandview. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We've come to open an insurance office. Yeah, but we can't talk now. I have to get back to city council meeting. Listen to Mary Peterson. Crackpot girl wants to make changes. Make changes. Changes, changes. What kind of changes? All kinds. Change the whole town, the whole town. We've been staying. Has a civic center planned. Step into the council room. Here for yourself, just here for yourself. Thanks, thanks. That's just what we'd like to do. Summing up, gentlemen. Grandview was living 50 years in the past. My civic center plan will bring us up to date. Attract new people, new business. Make Grandview a better town to live in. That, gentlemen, is the plan. What is your opinion? Changes. There goes the ball game. That isn't over the fence yet. Excuse me for butting in like this. It's all right. It's all right. Councilman and Miss Peterson. This is Mr. Rip Smith and Mr. Ike Sloan. An insurance agent. An insurance agent. Just arrived on the last train. And I'd like to say that I've been searching for a town like this all my life. Now, Miss Peterson, you talk of changing it. But I'd like to tell you what I thought today as I walked through Grandview. And I saw the shade trees and its parks and its stately buildings, melded with age, the people on the streets secure, happy. And I thought here is beauty. Here is indescribable beauty. And I want to become a part of a tool. Now, please, please don't change it. Mr. Smith, you saw and thought all this in less than an hour. His watch was slow. Yes, yes. Well, now, council members, in favor of Mary Peterson's plan, say aye. Say aye. And let's go home to dinner. Mr. Smith, I thank you. Well, Miss Peterson, I feel as though I have become a part of Grandview already. First breakdown, Grandview poll on progressive education. In favor, 22.9 against... Hello, Rip. Aye, aye. Got any more interviews? Oh, but you've got trouble at Mary Peterson girl. She's the editor of the town newspaper. Here, look at this. The newcomer has shoved his unwelcome proboscis into Grandview's affairs. If you're really here to sell insurance, Mr. Smith, you would do well to start building confidence in goodwill. Pretty cute, huh? Yeah, so was Lucretia Borger. Hey, Ike, I got an idea. Can you do this poll all by yourself? Sure, why? I'm going to devote myself to Miss Mary Peterson. I'm going to charm her into a living testimony of confidence and goodwill. Well, that's fine. You'll find the little lady at the Bijoux Soda fountain. Why don't you just dull her senses with ice-cream delights? Okay, and Ike do a good job on the poll, will ya? And when the going gets tough, think of me, making the supreme sacrifice. She was kind of cute, though. Hey, I'm Miss Peterson. One double chocolate soda. Thank you, Bill. Make it two, Bill. Yes, sir. Oh, it's you. Bloody but unbound. Didn't you like the story? Uh, it's kind of unfair, wasn't it? Mr. Smith, I don't trust you. A clever man like you knows that Grandview's already crowded with insurance agents. Furthermore, you've set my civic center plan back six months. Here's your soda. Thanks, Bill. Thanks. Ah, so there's two counts against me, huh? Well, answering point one, a clever man like me doesn't mind competition. Point two, I shot my mouth off from the city council without realizing what I was doing. If I've caused any damage, I'd like to repair it. Drink your soda, I'm gonna think. And just what do you want in return for your help? A chance to help Grandview. Drink your soda. Is that all? Well, and I think it's only fair that you retract that story. Well, suppose we wait until Grandview is sure of you. You mean until you're sure of me? Drink your soda. Hey, it's all gone. Look, there's not enough ice cream in there. What do you mean not enough ice cream? Well, just not enough ice cream. That's all. Well, if you don't like our sodas, why don't you leave? Well, because I can't. Well, I'm not gonna sit here and be shouted at. I'm leaving. Well, no, wait, I'm... Mary, Mary, I'm crazy about Granville sodas. You've said quite enough. Granville sodas have a charm all their own. The soft effervescence, the exquisite flavor, the satin texture. I'll believe in you, Mary. There's not another spot in America like Granville. You have just heard Act One of Magic Town, starring Jimmy Stewart and presented by RCA Victor. Speaking of magic, another name for it is RCA Victor, which has pioneered one happy new world of entertainment after another for us all, in radio and recorded music, in television. RCA Victor's latest for your family's happiness is the amazing new 45 RPM system. Dad will love the 45 for its price. It's the least expensive automatic record changer ever made, as little as $12.95. Mom will love the 45 because it means goodbye to the record storage problem. 150 records fit on one foot of ordinary bookshelf. Teenagers will love the 45 to dance to. The records change so fast there's no interruption to romance. The little kids will love the 45 because it's so easy to run. You press one button just once for up to 50 minutes of music. And you'll all love the 45 because it makes recorded music sound alive. Get your 45 soon at your RCA Victor dealers. Now back to the Screen Directors Playhouse production of Magic Town, starring Jimmy Stewart and featuring Virginia Gregg as Mary. While Ike Sloan secretly polls the Magic Town of Grandview, Rip Smith smooths the way to fame and fortune by romantically removing their main obstacle, newspaper editor Mary Peterson. Look, there's a carnival up at Holbrook tonight, and I thought we might take a bunch of the Grandview youngsters and give them an evening out. That's the command. We've been out every night. Well, what if we were out last night? The newest member of the church social committee wants to take you to the party. This is the setup. Yeah, I sort of thought tonight we'd just walk up to the top of Loudon Hill. You can see all of Grandview on the moonlight. And here comes the payoff. Rip, it is beautiful, isn't it? It's the most beautiful sight in the world. You're not even looking at the town. I'm looking at you. Did you ever live in a small town before, Rip? No, no. I don't know. I don't think I ever lived anywhere before. I worked in a lot of places, but here I'm living for the first time. I'm glad, Rip. A person like you, someday you'll be running for mayor of Grandview. And you know something. What? I think I'd vote for you. What do you know about that? Hey, I kissed you, didn't I? And I kissed you back? Yeah. Mary, look, I didn't bring you here tonight. I know. I know. Maybe it's the moonlight. Yeah, I think there's a little too much moonlight. It's getting a little late. Let's sort of get back to town, huh, Mary? All right, Rip. Welcome to the office, Casanova. That's very funny. Looks like we're both doing a good job. I'm finishing the last chart, and you've got lipstick all over your stupid face. Mm-hmm. Pole's done, huh? Yep, there it is. No, that only checks. A pole and a tenth of the usual time. And a tenth of the usual cost. You can take it into Kincaid tonight. No, wait a minute, Ike. I've got a job for you. I want you to take the report to Kincaid. Why me? Well, I'm busy here. Yeah, Grandview and that dame have gone to your head. You know happy about this setup than I am. Look, why don't you kick it over and relax? Now, what kind of a lame brain do you think I am? This is what I've been working for all my life. A soft touch and a quick dollar. Okay, I'm sorry. All right, start packing and get on that midnight train. Call me tomorrow. I'll be waiting here. Did you see Kincaid? How to compare with the other pole? No. Wonderful. Okay, okay, now. Now, if he wants to sign a contract, bring the deal back to Grandview. I'll go over the papers here. Good work, Ike, good work. Oh, brother, oh, brother. Can I come in, Rip? Oh, Mary, Mary, sure, sure. I'll sit down. I brought you something. Look, the paper. Oh, what's the note? Oh. The retraction of that story. I'm sure now, Rip. Oh, it's nice of you, Mary. Now, Mr. Insurance Salesman, you've got a customer. Who's that? Me. I want some insurance. No, you can't. Not for me. Why not? I'm a sort of specialist. In what? Insurance for midgets. There's no midgets in Grandview. I can hope. All right, I'll fill out my own application. Is this the form here on your desk? Mary, don't. I'm on Rip. Rip Smith Public Opinion Surveys. Grandview Pole. Rip. All right, now you know. All the time you were spying on us. I wasn't spying. It just happens that Grandview exactly reflects the public opinion pattern of the whole country. I was doing a job. A job of winning our friendship and throwing in our teeth. Give me that phone. That may be the way it started, but I don't know, somewhere along the line I began falling in love with Grandview and falling in love with you. Hello? Alan? I want you to take down a story. You can't do that, Mary. Hold it, Alan. Why not? Because the people here are good people. Now, you can't just go telling them they're special just because it's a mathematical freak. When they read that, there's no telling what will happen. At least they'll know the truth about you. Your act was perfect, Mr. Smith, and I was a perfect audience. Mary, if you love Grandview, don't do this. You just never run out of cheap tricks, do you? Ready, Alan? It was discovered last night that... Good, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Sam Hayes, your night reporter. A little town named Grandview made news tonight. Because Grandview is the most typical town in America. Whatever that means. Swarms of tourists are pouring into the community. Let's get out of here. Will you whine a week's time in intelligent opinion of this town? It's going to be as rare as lipstick on a U-Bangie. No, no, no. I'm going to stick around and watch them pick up the pieces. Communist China still remains argumentative and in doubt. Here at home, Grandview is still soaking up glory and profits like a sponge. New families arriving every hour and real estate is booming. But, Mr. Slough... Mr. Mayor, we're honored. I dropped by, Mr. Smith, to convey the thanks of the city of Grandview. The thanks of the city of Grandview. For what? For the town's bursting, bursting. Oh, that's delightful, delightful. We're going to build, Mr. Smith. We're going to build that civic centre of Mary Peterson's only three times the size. Attract more people. What are you going to use for money? We're going to sell our opinion. Sell them, sell them. No more giving Grandview's ideas away. There are chief export now. Chief export now. Hey, Mr. Mayor, you are an idiot. Now, see here. See here. Mr. Mayor, I have to talk to you. Well, Mary, what do you think of your lovely town now? That plan to build an oversized civic centre by selling our opinions, it's suicide. That isn't the way I wanted it. No, no, nonsense, Mary. Nonsense, Mary. I warned you. I warned you. He's got me doing it. No. Stop being so smug and do something to help. Well, you can't stop it now. And when that homegrown pole comes out, Mr. Typical American, and I mean the rest of the country, is going to laugh himself into hysterics. Mr. Mayor, to set itself up as the American Oracle, but here's one reporter who predicts that the most talked about town in the country is going to suffer a pretty nasty fall. At any rate, we'll know tomorrow when the result of the first Grandview poll is released. The question, would you vote for a woman to be president of the United States? Established polls show that 5% of the people would vote for a woman presidential candidate. But Grandview says that 94% of American voters would vote for a woman president. I don't know what my wife will say, but as far as I'm concerned, this, ladies and gentlemen, makes Grandview just about the most con guy in town in America. Mary. I'm very busy, Mr. Smith. This is a newspaper office. Well, I was just leaving Grandview, and I thought, well, I thought maybe we could say goodbye. Certainly, Mr. Smith, goodbye. You stayed for the whole sideshow, didn't you? The boom and the bust. It's like a ghost town. Our people are ashamed. They won't even leave their homes. We did it, Mr. Smith. Together. I'd like to help, but I'm just an opinion hunter. Opinions won't help us now, Rip. No, not unless we... Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Not unless we... Holy Hannah, that's it. What's it? The mayor said Grandview's chief export was public opinion. Well, let's make one more shipment. I don't get it, Rip. I'm going to poll everyone in Grandview on the question, how do you think the typical American acts when he finds he's made a mistake? If these people are typical, then they can't be beaten this easily. Now, let's make them know it. Let's make the whole country know it. He was back on the news today. The community that I'm ashamed to say all of us almost laughed out of existence. But this average American town has snapped out of defeat just because it is what it is. All of Grandview's citizens have been polled on the question, how does the average American act when he finds he's made a mistake? The 100% answer from Magic Town, he comes back fighting and tries to set things straight again. And that's just what Grandview is doing. For a beginning, the people are contributing their own labor to build a new civic center. Yes, I'd say we can all learn a lot. Make it two, Bill. Oh, hi. He's a good soda. Rip. Hmm? Thanks. One double chocolate. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, Soda. All right. I guess now you'll be going back to your public opinion business. Now, there's, uh, only one more opinion I'm interested in. And drink your soda. What is it? You love me? Yes. What are you... What do you think of Grandview now? Hey, let's try that again. Hmm. Hmm. Seems to have a charm all of its own. Hmm. Soft effervescence. Hmm. Exquisite flavor. Hmm. Satin texture. Oh, believe me, Mary. I'm not another spot in America like Grandview. You have just heard the last act of Magic Town. Our star, Jimmy Stewart, and our special guest, screen director George Marshall will be with us in just a moment. Next week, another great star brings one of her most stirring performances to the screen director's playhouse. Our story is Tomorrow is Forever, and recreating her original role will be Claudette Colbert with screen director Irving Pitchell. Now, here again as tonight's star, Jimmy Stewart. How about some musical shaft talk? Oh, that'd be fine, Jimmy. Uh, Jimmy, don't you have some other name just for now? Well, my mother always called me James. Oh, well, so will I. All right. All right, now, James, uh, where were we? Well, Jimmy, I was just about to ask you a personal opinion of the greatest advance in the 50-year history of recorded music. RCA Victor's new 45 RPM system. Oh, I think it's wonderful, James, for one thing, that 45 record changer is so handy to carry around. All over the house, you mean? That's right. Yeah, before, when I had my great big phonograph, I had to take my choice. Now, I just take my 45. Yes, the 45 automatic record changer is certainly a honey that way, less than a cubic foot big, and he plugs into any radio or phonograph anywhere. And the 45 records are so tiny, I often carry a whole symphony in my coat pocket. Yes, with a 45, you can really have music wherever you go. You're so right. Portable and practical. And the 45 record library includes every kind of music, by the world's greatest artists and the stars who make the hits, all recorded with the finest total quality ever achieved. More than 2,000 wonderful titles. And you certainly saved dough on them. Not to mention the dough you save on the original purchase. The 45 is far and away the least expensive automatic record changer ever made, only $12.95. Think of it. Only $12.95 for the finest, smallest, handiest automatic record changer ever invented. Get yours soon at your RCA Victor Dealers and be like Jimmy Stewart. Have the music you want when you want it wherever you go. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the time that every guest of the Screen Directors Playhouse looks forward to. Our opportunity to introduce you to our directors, the men whose experience and guidance have made our careers possible. The director of Magic Town was William Wellman. But on this very special program, the first to be sponsored by RCA Victor, we have a guest who speaks for all the directors, one of Hollywood's true pioneers, the president of the Screen Directors Guild, George Marshall. Thank you, Jimmy. You know, just a year ago today, the Screen Directors Playhouse made its first broadcast. Oh, that was a mighty important day for the actors. What do you mean by that? Well, it's given us a chance to get you directors out in front of a microphone, shove a script in your hand, and then he'll just stand and watch you suffer. You know, now you guys know how we feel if we can't get that line right. I wish I had a 45, and I don't mean my record changer. But we've learned, Jimmy, and now this marks the beginning of our second year in radio, the beginning of our association with RCA Victor. So speaking for all the Screen Directors, I'd like to express our thanks to the radio audience for making it possible. We hope you'll continue to listen and enjoy listening at this new time, one hour earlier. In weeks to come, you'll be hearing such stars as Fred Allen, Alan Ladd, Gary Cooper, Ray Milan, Roslyn Russell, Bert Lancaster and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., all on Screen Directors Playhouse. And now I'll speak for the actors, George, and I'm wishing you a lot of happy radio birthday to come. Thanks, Jimmy. Good night to you all. Good night, George. Good night, everybody. Good night. And good night to you, Jimmy Stewart and George Barker. Remember next week, Claudette Colbert and Screen Director Irving Pitchell brought to you by RCA Victor, world leader in radio, first in recorded music, first in television. Magic Town was presented through the courtesy of Robert Risken, author and producer of the forthcoming production, Half an Angel. Jimmy Stewart can currently be seen in the role of the Metro Golden Mayor production, The Stratton Story. George Marshall's latest production is Fancy Pants, starring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball soon to be released by Paramount Pictures. Included in tonight's cast were Virginia Gregg as Mary, Eddie Marr, Hans Conreed, Gail Bonney, Jerry Hausner, and Frank Barton. The part of Sam Hayes was played by Sam Hayes. Magic Town was adapted for radio by Richard Alan Simmons, and original music was composed and conducted by William Lava. Screen Directors Playhouse is produced by Howard Wiley, with dramatic direction by Bill Karn. This is Jimmy Wallington speaking, and inviting you to listen again next week when RCA Victor presents... Screen Directors Playhouse, star Claudette Colbert, production Tomorrow is Forever, director Irving Pitchell. Next it's Jimmy Durante with Don Amici on NBC.