 Ladies and gentlemen, the railroad hour. And here comes our star-studded show train. Tonight, the Association of American Railroads presents the Golden Curtain, a new musical play by Lawrence and Lee, starring Gordon MacRae and his charming guest Lucille Norman. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff, and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. Yes, tonight another musical first is brought to you by the American Railroads, the same railroads that bring you most of the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the fuel you burn, and all the other things you use in your daily life. And now, here is our star, Gordon MacRae. Thank you, Marvin Miller, and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we're telling you a musical story from behind the scenes at the opera, the Golden Curtain. Ladies and gentlemen, me I impress upon all the alleged singers in this group that Carmen takes place in Spain. You're all singing as if Carmen took place in New Jersey. Mr. Jones? Oh, yes, sir, me. You're not paying attention. What are you staring at over on this side of the stage? Uh-uh. Oh, I see. You are the new one, huh? Yes, sir. Were you making goo-goo ice at Mr. Jones over there? Oh, no, sir. What's your name? Dibby Cooper. Dibby? What kind of a name is that? Well, someday I hope to make it Madam Delorma. That's when I start getting big roles and get out of the chorus. Well, there is an ambitious one for the first day. Mr. Jones? Yes, sir. Now, here's a pretty girl. Sing this to her. All of you sing it to Madam Delorma of the future. You show them how, Mr. Jones. Okay, chorus dismissed for the day. Excuse me. Oh, hi. I'm sorry I distracted you during chorus rehearsal. You see, I was staring at you. Were you? You have a very kind face. I've always got to sing to a kind face. If anybody scowls while I'm singing, I go flat. If they sneeze or cough, I go sharp. Well, I was staring at you, too. Were you? I thought you were, but I wasn't sure. Dibby, you don't mind my calling you Dibby, do you? Madam Delorma sounds so formal. I guess I did sound kind of green. It's just that... Well, don't expect it to happen day after tomorrow, Dibby. I've seen a lot of gals come and go in this chorus, and most of them ended up with broken hearts because they didn't turn into Gallic Curgy in two weeks. Can you sing? What do you mean, can I sing? Do you think I'd get a job at the metaphor I could do with, well, Yodel? I mean, do you have a big voice to be? Can you peel the gold leaf off the top of the balcony rail? Let me hear you. Right here? Well, sure. Chorus is dismissed. And you know I've discovered the stage of the Met as the greatest rehearsal hall in the world. Well, all right. I'll think something from Tamsun Delilah. Good. Proceed. March of the Immortals. Listen to the mighty sound of their names. Giuseppe Verdi. La, la, la, la, la, la. Cross the curved arts, their names stand high to me, and their music soars up from the stage to touch them. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Richard Wagner. And Giacomo Puccini. Filled with music to silence it. Well, you let me help you, Divi. Work with you. I'll let you help me. All right, Divi, now some practice on duets. You've got to learn to sing duets with all kinds of people, even tenors. All right. Oh, great. Now, let's try this Greek. Sing a duet. Watch your partner's lips, Divi. Get as close to them as you can. All right, great. I'm sorry. You begin. Did I like your singing? Of course I mean it. I think for once we've found the exception to the rule. The girl in the chorus who can step out and sing a solo. No, the words. Ish libide. I love you. Oh, very good. Very good in the words. Excellent. Great. Now, I've taught all I can. You've reached the point, Divi, where you've got to go to a real expert. Ludwig Ludenstein and Boston. You've got to work, Divi. You've got to forget everything and everybody, but your voice. Everything and everybody? You want me to go, Gray? I want you to be what I believe you can be. All right, Gray. I'll go to Boston. Do I say goodbye now? No, of course not. I'll say goodbye when I take you to the train. No, Gray. I'll say it right now. Bye. Goodbye, Gray. Divi! Divi! I want you to be what I believe you can be. A great singer. But, oh, Divi. My love. We'll return in a moment for act two of The Golden Curtain. Recently, a well-known railroad received a friendly letter expressing clearly and sincerely a feeling that is close to the heart of rural America. The writing of that letter came about in this way. One night, not long ago, the board of directors of the Lions Club of Alvarado, Texas met at a local church. They got to talking about the part played by the railroads in the economic, cultural and social life of their town. The upshot of the conversation was that it would be nice to write a letter about it. And here's what the letter said. At the last meeting of the directors and officers and counselors of our Alvarado Lions Club, we decided to write you this letter of appreciation. We know it cost you plenty of money to build your physical equipment here and a considerable sum to maintain it in such excellent condition. And we're grateful to you. We appreciate your contribution to the taxes to help maintain this town and our schools and county roads. We're glad for the men you employ who live here and patronize our stores and help maintain our churches and utilities. We're grateful for your good and courteous service. And we wish to especially commend the excellent mail service your trains give us. We want you to consider us as your friends. Yes, anyone who lives or has ever lived in a small town knows how the writers of that letter fell. For America depends on the railroads for almost everything we eat, wear, buy, or use. It is the railroads that not only provide our essential transportation but also pay taxes and wages that help maintain the standard of living in countless communities that added together make up America. Now here is act two of the new Lawrence and Lee play with music, the Golden Curtain starring Gordon Macrae as Graham Jones and Lucille Norman as Dibby Cooper, Ludwig Donath as the director. All right, all right, chorus dismissed for tonight. Mr. Jones. Yes, sir. What seems to be wrong with you these days? You used to be the mainstay of my chorus and now you sing with all the enthusiasm of a tired piece of scenery. Oh, nothing's wrong, sir. I have noticed a certain young lady has dropped out of our group. What ever happened to her? She got too good for the chorus, sir. She's gone off to Boston to study with Ludinstein. Oh, she's a good teacher. I approve. Mr. Jones. Well, I too was young once. So this is probably difficult to realize. I know why you are singing in 18 flats. It's spring. Go, go walk in the park. Spring in New York is a very good tonic. It'll make you forget all your trouble. Spring. Some spring. What good is it? Daisy's up bursting to tell me what's new. Mornings are gentle and shiny with you. But what does it mean if I haven't got you? It's some spring. Nights are like velvet and freckled with stars. People are all kissing people in cars. But I might as well be on Venus or Mars. It's some spring. I walk down the street with my nose in the air. It can be spring for all I care. Let it bust out all over and split at its seams. Joke run its over and trip on its dreams. While all the world is out having a lark. Down the street with my nose in the air. It can bust out all over and trip on its dreams. Here I sit all by myself. Dibby, Dibby, what are you doing here? Looking for you. I said at the Met that you were probably walking in the park tonight. What shouldn't you be in Boston studying? Well, yes. Isn't it going well, Dibby? Is Ludenstein like your voice? Have you been studying hard? One question at a time. I've got to hear you sing. What have you been practicing, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner? Duet. I've been practicing duet. Oh, that's fine. You know, and I like this cause for a duet. Let's try one, all right? All right. Don't you have anything else to say except about my voice? Just that I'm amazed at the progress you've made. Gray, I'm going away. Back to Boston so soon. Far away, overseas to Europe. To study in Italy. Oh, that's wonderful. Yes, that's it. Italy. Milan. The Scala. Oh, that's the best. Why, you'll come back, Madame de Lama, Dibby, just like you've always dreamed. Yes. Just like I've always dreamed. Will you come to the boat to wave goodbye? Why, sure. Sure, Dibby. Get closer to the ship's sailing. Get me out over the dock as far as I can. I said, you'll look beautiful, Dibby. All those furs you'll look just like a primadonna. I wanted to say, Dibby, is I... Sir, don't take up that gang plank. I'm getting off. Let me through, please. Dibby, what are you doing? Oh, Gray, you said it. At last you said it. Dibby, you'll miss the boat. I don't have a ticket. What? Just a visitor's pass. Dibby. I can't afford to go to Europe to study. What about all those furs and everything? I rented them from a costume company. Dibby. I had to do something. I wanted you to miss me enough so you'd say it. All you were ever interested in was my voice. Have you been to Boston, Dibby? Have you been studying with Ludenstein? Uh-uh. How come your voice is so improved? Well, I think that just being in love makes you sing better. Any teacher will tell you that. But in the movies and musical comedies, everybody always ends up as a big star. This isn't working out right at all. Oh, stop talking. Hmm. Oh, the heck with the movies. Living is better than ever. I don't know who was the choral director in our play and to our entire company. The Golden Curtain was written especially for the railroad hour by Lawrence and Lee. And, incidentally, the song, It's Some Spring, was composed by our own choral director, Norman Lubaugh. With words by a girl named Dibby, believe it or not, Dibby Brown of Alberta, Canada. The railroad hour is brought to you each week at this same time by the American Railroads. Marvin? A while ago, we told you about a letter which a railroad received from the Lions Club of Alvarado, Texas. Here's the explanation one of the members gave for writing that letter. We've had experience in building highways and streets through our city limits. When I see railroad tracks running through our town, I look at them and think to myself, I'm glad that we don't have to foot the bill for putting the railroad through here. Yes, the railroads build and maintain their own highways of steel. And the more of America's freight that moves over them, the less will be the costly damage to the public highways you must pay for with your taxes. Gordon, it was a thrill peeking behind the Golden Curtain with you. Ah, they met at the Met. What a title for a picture. And next week, Lucy will be singing the great Scott Ballads of Bobby Burns together. For our musical play is Annie Laurie. See you in Scotland next Monday night, Gordon. I'll be there with my kilt son. Good night, Lucy. You're wonderful. All aboard. Well, folks, it looks as though we're ready to pull out and so until next Monday night. And Annie Laurie, this is Gordon Macrae saying goodbye. Gordon Macrae appeared through the courtesy of Warner Brothers, producers of Our Lady of Fatima. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff, and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American Railroads. Now stay tuned for your Monday night of music on NBC. Transcribe. The Pacific telephone hour is next on...