 Remember a hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best. Mistress of the White House, Harle's best known authors, the distinguished novelist, Mr. Ladies and gentlemen, this is James Hilton. Tonight on our hallmark playhouse we tell the love story of Dolly Madison, the wife of America's fourth president. And for this charming story we're indebted to a book by Helen L. Morgan called The Mistress of the White House. This White House incidentally wasn't the same building as the one we know, and in those days it was more often simply referred to as the president's house. But wherever the president lived, whether New York, Philadelphia or Washington, has always been a landmark in the history as well as the geography of our nation. And tonight, by the way, is a bit of a landmark for our own hallmark playhouse, for we've just reached the round figure of our hundredth performance, something of an accomplishment which we're all very proud of and happy about. We're equally happy tonight that on this, our anniversary show, we have in the starting role of Dolly Madison that charming and gracious actress and an old friend of ours, Teresa Wright. And now a word about hallmark cards from Frank Goss before we begin the first act of The Mistress of the White House. At Christmas, as on every memorable occasion, you'll take special pride in sending hallmark cards. Because just as for hundreds of years the word hallmark has been the distinguishing symbol of quality, so today the hallmark on the back of your greeting cards is your assurance of finest quality and perfect taste. It's a symbol of quality all who receive your cards will quickly recognize and realize you cared enough to send the very best. And now hallmark playhouse presenting Helen L. Morgan's Mistress of the White House, starring Teresa Wright. Halo won in the executive mansion and the parlors and colliders were crowded with the most distinguished people in the government and in Washington society. Late in the evening the Marine Band played the President's March and the assemble company in the East Room turned towards the door. President James Polk stood in the doorway and on his arm with her head proudly erect was an 81-year-old lady wearing white satin. They started slowly around the room and the old lady's eyes filled with tears as she saw the people bow before her and through those tears she saw other faces long gone and long beloved. Tall young man bowing. Surely that's Tom Jefferson. No, no, Tom has been dead for more years than I can remember. But that's Aaron standing next to him and Alex Hamilton. No, Aaron killed Alex in a duel and Aaron is gone too. They're all gone. Only I am left. The memories that were beautiful are almost unbearable now. Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy, if only I could for a moment see your face, your smile. You push back sorrow and loneliness for me once. If only you were here to push them back again and yet your voice is only a memory away from me. Good evening. My name is James Madison. Yes, only a memory away. I've only to push aside the mist of a memory to be young again and see you smile as you did the hour of our first meeting. My name is James Madison. Forgive me, Mr. Madison. I'm afraid I almost knocked you down. It is slippery out. May I help you to your door? Well, my door is right here. I hope I shall have the pleasure of meeting you under proper circumstances some day. I'm afraid that's impossible, Mr. Madison. I'm in mourning. My husband died during the fever epidemic. My sympathy is mistress. Thank you, Mr. Madison. Good night. Good night. Oh, Mr. Madison. Yes, Mistress? Perhaps it's only fair to tell you. You and I have met before. Oh, that's impossible. If you and I had met before, I would remember. We met in Alexandria. I was there with my parents. I was 15 and I sat by the fire and watched while my father spoke with you. And for a long time after, you were the prince on the white horse that rode through my dream. Good night, Mr. Madison. Mistress, wait. Please, wait. I thought you'd never come. It's dinnertime. I'm sorry, Mother. Well, you look tired. I hate to see you working as you do. Oh, well, I can't imagine anything more interesting than running a boarding house for some of the most distinguished young men in Washington. The Secretary of State, Mr. Jefferson, Senator Burr... Did I hear my name spoken? I hope so. I'm lonesome. I saw you through the window talking to Jim Madison, darling. Didn't realize you'd do it, ma'am. We didn't eat. I slipped and he caught me. Oh, did he indeed? Well, I'd say that that was a fortunate accident for both of you. A brisk old night. Well, indeed. In a short time later, Jimmy, you sat opposite me and I watched your face in the candlelight and listened to you speak. And nothing that you said was as important as the things you did not say and nothing that I said was as important as the things I felt inside me. The months that followed were the happiest of my life. My heart lifted slowly as a bird lifts into the universe in singing... Calm and peaceful, doesn't it? No, but it was far from calm those weeks we locked ourselves up to carve from our own ideals a declaration of the rights of man. You know, I'm seeing Philadelphia with new eyes since we became friends. I used to walk by buildings like this and scarcely see them. But now they're like monuments to me. I talk too much. If I'm not careful, you're liable to end up thinking of me as a state building instead of a friend. We are friends. Aren't we, darling? Of course we're friends. Well, out here, isn't it? You've been so quiet all afternoon. What are you thinking? I was thinking how good it is to be young and alive. What were you thinking? I was thinking how good it is to be young and alive with you. President Washington's coach in front of our house. President Washington's coach! We must be a message for Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Storn? Yes? I have news for you, ma'am. Thank you. What does it say? Mrs. Washington wants me to come to tea with her tomorrow afternoon. And she wants me to come alone. Well, one certainly doesn't decline an invitation for Mrs. Washington. Dolly, the president and I both think that Mr. Madison would make you an excellent husband. You know, I married Mr. Washington before the first year of my widowhood was passed. My son needed a father, just as your son needs a father. And if you're worried about people gossiping, put that right out of your mind. The president and I would let it be known at once that we approve the match. But Mrs. Washington, Jimmy, Mr. Madison has not asked me to marry him. He will ask you, my dear. Dolly, have no fear about that. I'm sorry I kept you waiting. Well, that's all right. I've been browsing through your books. It's a most pleasant evening, isn't it? Yes. Except for the rain, of course. Oh, the rain. I quite forgot about the rain. I was looking through the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Now, if a man takes the time to study this book, he can learn a great deal. For example, you're looking exceptionally attractive tonight, Dolly. Thank you, Jimmy. I've always been meaning to read the decline and fall of the Roman Empire myself. But I never could find a free afternoon. The Romans had an amazing civilization. Now, take their architecture. Their architecture has a purity of design. The blue of that gown is the exact blue of your eyes. Thank you, Jimmy. Yes, I'm sure their architecture was quite admirable. Their architecture? Oh, yes, their architecture. They were great architects and the writers. Now, when their writers wrote, they... Yes, Jimmy? Their writers? What was I talking about? The decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Oh, confounded, I didn't come here to talk about the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. I came to tell you something quite different. But my good intentions seem to have declined and fallen, too. Dolly, I'm trying to tell you that I love you. Jimmy? If you marry me, I lay the world at your feet. I swear it. Dolly, could you love me? Do you love me at all? Jimmy, before you came in, I was reading my Bible. I brought it down with me. See, my finger still holds the page I was looking at. Let me read it to you. And Ruth said, For wither thou ghost, I will go. And where thou lodges, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people. And thy gods my gods. Dolly. Dino Club. All well, then. All's well, my darling. All's well. Turn to the second act of Mistress of the White House, starring Teresa Wright. This Christmas, you have an opportunity that is truly extraordinary. The opportunity to send the paintings of Winston Churchill in glorious full-color reproductions as personal Christmas greetings. For on Christmas cards this year, on Hallmark cards, you'll find paintings by the right Honorable Winston Churchill, the world's most famous amateur painter. Chartwell in winter, his own country estate, deep in drifted snow, Jewel with evergreen trees. The fox hunt bright and merry as Christmas day, the mill pond in cottage with its message of peace. And in these paintings somehow, you'll feel the magic quality of greatness that has made Winston Churchill belong to the world and to all history. Winston Churchill's paintings appear only on Hallmark cards, and there are several ways to buy them. If you prefer to buy them by the box, you'll find several selections to choose from, with the cards either assorted or all alike. Twelve cards of assorted paintings cost only $1. Boxes of 25 cards all alike are only $2. If you would like your cards imprinted with your name, ask to see the Churchill Christmas cards in the Hallmark Gallery Artist album. I know you'll enjoy sending these unusual Christmas cards, for they carry both the world-renowned name of Winston Churchill and the Hallmark on the back that says, you cared enough to send the very best. Now back to James Hilton and the second act of Mistress of the White House, starring Teresa Wright. He moved slowly, circling the floor before the bowing guests in the East Room. On his arm was an 81-year-old lady who looked at the assemblage through a mist of tears. It's to walk like this many times on the arm of a president. When Tom Jefferson was in office, a widower, many was the time he asked me to preside with him over some social function. And the day you became president. Oh, Jimmy, the glory of the day you became president. Well, Dolly, the day is here at last. I've only to push aside the mist of remembrance to be young again and before you. The wife of the President of the United States. I'm very proud of you, Jimmy. This is your hour, your era. I hope I'm big enough for the hour. Of course you're big enough. Why you fought all your life for the principles that are the foundations of this government. From your words, men have learned the level of patriotism and the worth of valor. From your life, men will learn what it is to be a truly great American. Welcome to history, Mr. President. Aren't those mirrors magnificent, Jimmy? Yes, they are. We're going to call this room the oval power. I didn't watch to see it until I had it completely furnished. There isn't a room like it in Washington. Aren't those yellow satin chairs magnificent? They are very nice. All my life I've dreamed of having chairs covered with yellow satin. I'll try one. Try one? You aren't going to sit on them. Well, isn't that what they're for? No, they're to look at. Then what do I sit on? Well, if you want to sit, you can go in another room. All right, darling. Well, at last I've made you smile. You've been so solemn these past weeks. I've been worried half to death about you. The situation abroad is getting desperate. We can't tolerate a foreign power seizing our ships and forcing our sailors into their service. We protested. They laugh at us. We tried an embargo. We only crippled our own industries. Left to do. War. War. Orcane. An unrest in sorrow and fierce doctor land. The weeks and the months became more and more critical. And I remember the time passed so swiftly it was bewildering. Before I knew it, it was 1814. And my son, Payne, was 22. And he went abroad with Henry Clay. And in August of that same year, we heard rumors that the British fleet was coming up the Potomac and that we might lose the city of Washington. The situation is critical. Commodore Barney has decided to abandon his ships and bring his militia to unite with General Windsor near Baddenbury. I must go there at once for a conference. Do you mind staying here alone? Of course not. I have the servants and French John is a worth a whole army himself. I must go. Jenny. Yes, my dear. Come back to me. I'll come back. Mr. Smadison, a messenger has just come from the president. He says you must live immediately. The enemy is already at the outskirts of the city. There are those cannons again. John, put these boxes in the carriage. Call the servants to help you. They're very important. I packed all the government papers and records in them. They mustn't be lost. Paul, call some of the other men to help me get these boxes into the carriage. Yes, sir. Come along and help the militia. Mr. Smadison, please, you must hurry. The enemy will consider you a prize well worth capturing. I'm coming, John. I haven't dared take time to bring one personal thing. We'll probably never see any of our things again. I wish there was room in the carriage for my yellow chairs. I can't go yet. Mr. Smadison, we're in the minute to spray. I must... Mr. Smadison. All the pictures of Washington, they mustn't get the Stuart portrait of Washington. My dear. I need dynamite. I can manage it. It's fast on to the war. I cannot do it, John. Here, take this. Break the frame. Take that, kid. Now pull the picture loose. Be careful. Watch your hands. Oh, careful. Oh, that's right. That's fine. No. Come on, please. You will be captured. Now, John, you have your instructions. Lock everything. God keep you. God keep you, Mr. Smadison. God keep us all. Above all, the country. Don't you want to rest in the carriage? There's no reason for you to stand here in the cold and the night just watching. It looks like the whole city is burning, doesn't it, Pa? Yes, ma'am. It does full effect. They won't destroy us. Even if they do burn the city, every man and woman alive in this country carries the spirit of that city inside of them. They can burn the buildings, but they can't strike the word liberty from our hearts. And as long as one American lives to defend that word, America will live. I'm a pacifist. My husband is a pacifist. But we learn that mighty truth, not from peace, but from war. Oh, Jenny, just look at our house. It's in ruins. Yes, my dear. It's just as I told you. The executive mansion is burned to the ground. The treasury buildings are gone, too. Washington is in ruins, but the British have evacuated the city. It's ours once more. We'll build it again. We built it once, and we'll build it again. And this time we'll... Don't cry. You've been so brave up till now, as they did indeed. I'm sorry. I can understand why they'd burn the state buildings. I can understand even why they'd burn our home. But even a barbarian should have had their taste to save those yellow chairs. Why, dear, you're telling... It's a beautiful evening, isn't it? When you look up at the sky, you can forget the desolation all around us. We're going to win this war, and we're going to rebuild this city. Of course we are. No man could fail at any task with you beside him. No nation could fail with women of your caliber to tend the hothfires and raise the children and teach them the things they must live for and die for, if necessary. Dolly, you have faith, and because of that, you inspire faith in others. Jamie. Eight o'clock, a mile clear... You hear, Jamie, that voice is like a sign from heaven, isn't it? All's well. All's well with a present. All's well with a future. There are things but a moment since we spoke those words, Jamie. But it has been year upon year upon year. Now my hair is white, and a president who never knew you is taking me around this room. But I've known for far more years a president who never knew you is paying tribute to you by this honor he's showing me. Mrs. Madison, is there something you might say to us? You've lived a long time. You've been close to some of the greatest men in our history. Is there something you might say to us about the present, about the future? Oh, President Polk, I'm afraid I'm not much of a speaker. I've had a very happy life. But as for a message, as for the future, all's well, Mr. President. It will return in a moment. Mr. Hilton, just before the show, I started to tell you about a picture in this week's Life Magazine just out today. That's right, Frank. I remember. In it, you'll see a remarkable painting of the right honorable Winston Churchill, together with an announcement about the new Hallmark Christmas cards featuring the paintings of Winston Churchill for this Christmas. Mr. Churchill's paintings of the delightful English countryside reflect the spirit of peace on earth. This is the boundary of time or place. These cards are featured in the new Hallmark Gallery Artist album, Hallmark Christmas cards for imprinting with your name. You'll also find cards featuring the paintings of Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses, and many other celebrated artists. So when you buy Christmas cards, first of all, choose the fine store where you buy Hallmark cards. Then you'll enjoy two pleasures. You'll enjoy looking at the Hallmark collection. It's something to see. And you'll enjoy choosing cards that have the Hallmark on the back that says, you cared enough to send the very best. Here again is James Hilton. Theresa Wright, you've just brought to life for us a great American woman. On behalf of the makers of Hallmark cards, our gratitude for that and for your charming presence here this evening. Thanks, Mr. Hilton. It was a privilege to play, Dolly Madison. I've always admired the courage and devotion she displayed for her husband and country. And it's a pleasure to be back on the Hallmark Playhouse. You know, Mr. Hilton, Hallmark is playing an important part in my family life these days. In what way, Theresa? Well, my little girl, Mary Kelly, celebrated her birthday in September. Now we're all looking forward to my son Terry's birthday in December. These days are certainly highlighted by the many Hallmark cards which they receive from their friends. Hallmark has wonderful cards. And you have wonderful stories, Mr. Hilton. What is next week's selection? We're proud to dramatize one of the world's classics, Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. And for our star, we're equally proud to welcome back that sterling young actor, Richard Todd. Our Hallmark Playhouse is every Thursday. Our director producer is Bill Gay. Our music is composed and conducted by Lynn Murray and our script tonight was adapted by Jean Holloway. Until next Thursday then, this is James Hilton saying good night. Very enough to send the very best. Two weeks from tonight, Hallmark Playhouse will move to an earlier broadcast time on this same night. Starting with our program of November 16, the week after next, you'll hear Hallmark Playhouse one half hour earlier every Thursday night. Theresa Wright can currently be seen in the Stanley Cramer production United Artists Release, The Men. The plot of James Madison tonight was played by Ted Osborne. This is Frank Goss saying good night to you all until next week at this same time. When James Hilton returns to present, Richard Todd in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. One hour earlier, Elizabeth C. Enchanted April, starring Joan Fontaine. And the week after that, Eileen Hamilton's home to Thanksgiving on the Hallmark Playhouse. This is KMBC, Kansas City, Missouri.