 R.C.A. Victor, world leader in radio, first in recorded music, first in television, proudly presents... Director's Playhouse, star, Broderick Crawford, production, Butch Minds the Baby, director, Albert S. Grogell. The Hollywood Screen Directors present a Broadway lullaby. Damon Runyon's classic motion picture story, Butch Minds the Baby, starring Academy Award winner, Broderick Crawford. Tonight, Mr. Crawford recreates his original, inimitable role of Big Butch. Cops and robbers. Damon Runyon. Damon Runyon. He sang its song in a language all its own. Tough guys with soft hearts. And soft guys with tough faces. And what was it? Why, it was the biggest game of cops and robbers in the world. And what of the robbers was Big Butch? Big Butch, hot out of sing-sing, on parole. In addition to this garbage can, please, you? It pleases me, Butch. Pleases me to see you're such a good janitor for this apartment house. Yeah. Because as soon as you stop being a good janitor, no more parole for keeps. Cop, you talk very tough. And my name is in cop. It's Officer Dennis Devlin. Speak louder, I'm a little deep. Yeah, you're deep, all right. Speak faster too, I'm busy. Butch, why don't you give yourself a break? Speak funny or cop, I ain't laughing. Hey, what are you looking at, cop? Huh? Oh, that, that girl. What's it to you what I'm looking at? That girl wheeling the baby buggy is Miss Susie O'Neal. Nice to look at, ain't she? Yeah, she certainly is. Lives in my apartment house. I take her garbage out. Oh, hi, hi. I just had Michael out for a walk. Such a beautiful day, I wanted to see it all. Just once in a while. That's a funny thing to say. This Susie O'Neal is a very unhappy doll. Her husband gets killed in a plane crash and she has no job and no money. In fact, the apartment manager tells me she can't pay her rent and he's gonna toss her out on her ear. Oh, that poor kid. Cop, now don't tell me you've got a heart. Sure, I got a... Listen, Butch, you mind your own business, see? I got a beat to look after. Yeah, go beat your feet. Well, what of an unharried horse? I hear you make your way out of Sing Sing. Yeah, yeah, I do it legal, for all. Butch, I want you to meet my friends. The driver here is the talker. You remember the talker, Butch? Sure, hi. Yeah. And here next to me is one of our most distinguished citizens, Mr. Bradley Smith. Come on, Harry, get on with it. Butch, you're still in business? I don't like to brag, but I'm still the best safe-cracker that ever come out of green print. Uh-huh. It could be we have a job for you, huh, talker? Yeah. Yeah, Butch, you see, it is like this. Brandy Smith is quite a power in this locality. Very high class. Very high class. Yeah. Like how high? Like his baby contest. Every May he has a contest for all the babies in the neighborhood. The winning kid, it gets free scratch for education. Butch, I've gone to quite an expense setting myself up as a liberal, right-thinking citizen. That is right. Of course, sometimes he dabbles in racketeering on his side. Yeah. Only I make one mistake. I take a check from the Acme Coal Company in return for protection. And I admit mentioning this check in my income tax. And now Uncle Sam is angry with you? He will be if he gets his mitts on that cancelled cheque. Uh-huh. So where is it? So it is in the vault of the Acme Coal Company, huh, talker? Yeah. And Brandy wants you should crack this sardine can for him. You make yourself a beautiful dollar. Oh, this is a very illegal business. I'm a three-time loser and there's a nosy cop named Dennis Devlin who's just dying to put me in the pokey from here on in. Think it over, Butch. We call you tonight. Tonight? Yeah. Butch, this is Harry the Horse. Do you think about our proposition? Well, I'll tell you, Harry. I'm just looking over my tools and the way I figure it. Every man is entitled to a hobby. I'll do it. Butch! Butch! Harry, I gotta go now. Butch! We do it tonight. Butch, me and the talker will pick you up right away. Okay. I'm coming, I'm coming. I ain't got no roller skates. Butch, I smell the gas. Yeah? Yeah, and I say the risk is. It's come from Mrs. O'Neill's apartment. Oh, holy ick. Hey, the door's locked. Break the door. No, I'd rather pick the lock. It's more professional. Oh, Butch. Okay, okay. I gotta get some air in here. No, no, I'll smash it. Come on, Mrs. O'Neill. I'll come to you. What are you trying to do? Knock yourself off? And you a mutter too. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Hey, let me see. Say, that's a noisy baby. No, no, no. Don't you cry. I'll give you a cigar. I guess I cheated the kid. It's really a very cheap cigar. What's going on in here? Oh, hello, Captain. Nothing's going on. What about that broken window? What about the gas? What gas? This gas. Oh, you mean this gas? Yeah. We have a small leak. Almost got the doll on the kid here. Yeah, it looks like attempted suicide to me. Oh, no, Officer Devlin. No suicide. She's a nice doll. You better get out of here, Mrs. Toulucci. You're the girl who couldn't pay her rent, aren't you? Cop, why don't you hit her with a rubber hose? Keep out of this, Butch. Oh, now come on. Her name is Susie. Susie, why'd you do it? I just couldn't go on. Go ahead, Cop. Be a hero. Run her in. Well, I guess it wasn't an accident after all. You know something? You make a lot of noises like a cop. Right now you're making a noise like a man. Scram, I want to talk to Susie. Take Mike with you. Sure, sure. Once I took care of the horse, babies operate on the same principle. Well, one thing about you, Mike, you don't take up much room on a front stoop. I never cared much for babies myself. Okay, okay, so I'm crazy about babies. I gotta admit you're a pretty good company. You and I, we're friends, huh? Now, this here, doll, this is not for boy babies. I'll tell you, I'm gonna have to make your tiny set of brass knuckles. Hey, Butch, if you wore a girdle, you'd make a wonderful mother. Don't disturb me, Cop. Oh, Mike. Mike, I thought I'd never see you again. I'm going off duty, so I thought I'd take Susie off as a mare. Oh, Butch, would you put Michael to bed when the room's aired out? Me? All right, sure. I'll tuck him in before I leave. You aren't leaving. Mind the baby. Now, look here, Cop. Butch, mind the baby. Okay, I mind the baby. Bye, Michael. Goodbye, Butch. Oh, Mike, look what you're wanting to do. Don't you know I gotta go crack a safe? We already opened that box, hot talker. Yeah, I'm sorry, boys, but you're gonna have to excuse me tonight. Huh? Why? Because what I got here in my arms. Well, let us see. Holy, I get some midget. Harry, this is no midget. This is a baby. Who would it? A baby sitting with it for a friend. This is some double-cross Brandy Smith. We'll be very displeased. Yeah. Look, look, I'll blow you safe some other time. But we must get the cancel check. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute. The talker has an idea. Let us take the kid with us. You mean crack a safe with a baby? Yeah. This is very unorthodox. I'll say this for it, it's an idea. When I'll ask the baby, Mike, do you want to pull this job? Well, that's settled. I'll get my tools and we'll open a box. There, there, my itty-bobbly. Uncle Butchie is going to take you with him. You are listening to the Screen Directors Playhouse production of Butch Binds the Baby, starring Broderick Crawford and presented by RCA Victor. The eternal question of who will mind the baby tonight will be a problem of the past at your house once you acquire a beautiful RCA Victor television set. You'll get plenty of cut-rate offers from bright babysitters who've learned by constant comparison to prefer their television the RCA Victor way. And you'll be happy staying home yourself, watching television on a set like the Tell Ensemble. The Tell Ensemble, now at your RCA Victor dealers, is a complete, handsome furniture ensemble that elukes 12-and-a-half-inch television set mounted on matching legs. Of course, it gives you all those priceless features of performance and dependability that have made RCA Victor far and away America's favorite television. And, as suggested, this price is only $229.95 plus federal tax. Imagine you're home with this marvelous set installed. Upstairs, the best-minded baby in town. And downstairs, the happiest adults, excited, united, and delighted by the RCA Victor Tell Ensemble. Now, back to the Screen Director's Playhouse production of Butch Minds the Baby, starring Academy Award winner Broderick Crawford in his original role of Big Butch. Larceny is afoot. Scurrying through the darkness under the office of the Acme Cole Company are Big Butch, Harry the Horse, and the Talker. Their equipment includes the plane or garden variety of safe-cracking tools, plus one baby, name of Michael. The baby speaks. Big Butch, can you not shut that brat up? This is no brat, Harry. This is my buddy. Yeah? Tell me, do you bring a spare set of diapers for your buddy? He wants his doll. Here you are, Mikey Wikey. Here's your dolly, Wally. Now, will you please get busy-wizzy and open that safe-y wifey? Talker, here. Talker, you hold a flashlight right there. How does it look to you, Butch? Oh, I'm afraid I've never seen a can like this one before. What do we do now? I'll have to use instruments. That is bad. Oh, no, not for me. It's as neat as a hair ribbon. Pass me that bottle of soup in my toolbox. All right, let's see again. Butch! Yeah? It is a very small bottle. Yeah, that's right. It is dangerous. It could blow up the whole building. Butch! What? I hate to tell you this, but the baby has got the bottle. The baby? Like a nice baby now. Give the bottle to Uncle Butch. I say this for the kitty. He certainly has got a fine, sexy humor. Mike, don't put that bottle in your mouth. It's the wrong bottle. No nipple. Butch, he's going to drink the nitro. Do babies drink such things? I do not know. Just do not wipe him in my direction. We've got to be business-like. Talker, you make like this. Make like that. And I'll grab the soup. Goodbye, baby. In the tree tops, you blow us all up if that bottle you drop. Go on. There. Oh, I got it. There he is. This is very undignified for a high-class safe-cracker. Still got my technique to think about here. Talker, talker, tell you what. You cover Michael's eyes. I don't want him to see me do such a thing as blast a strong box. Now there, the shot's in. Now I like the fuse. Let's take the baby in the other room. Butch, it will make a big bang. No, it's just a little shot. Make not any more noise than Michael when he blows up a bubble. Was some bubble Michael just blew? Well, I guess I'm a little rusty after all. Come on, let's examine the inside of the safe. Well, look at this. The whole payroll's here. Say, I could use a little extra scratch. Butch, you look for the check. Talker, load up on some of this long green. The check. Tell me, hey, hey. Is this the check? Yes, that is the one. Hey, the cops. I'm just going to put Michael in the most embarrassing position. Come on, let's get out of here. Okay, Butch, you keep the check and take it to Brandy. Talker and me will take the cash and meet you after. Butch, you and the baby go that way. Let's go, talker. Mike, are you crying because Harry and the talker run off with all the money? Don't you worry, Mike, they are very handy guys. I can spot a police bullet a mile off. I guess Harry and the talker are not as handy as I figured. Hey, buddy, just a minute. Huh? I got him covered, sir. My offices, what seems to be the trouble here? Somebody just blew a safe run. Hey, that's a baby. Yeah, ain't it a shame he's in awful pain? Is it teeth? No, it's colic. Go on down to the drugstore to get him some medicine. Yeah, wait a minute. Looks more like teeth to me. It's colic. Teeth. It's colic. Teeth. Colic. Say, Sarge, maybe this guy was in on the blow-up. Oh, yeah, sure, sure. The guy's not blowing safes with a baby in his arms. Come on, ought to have you locked up for a loony. Good night, Sergeant. Oh, that was very close, Mike. I'm going to take you home. Randy Smith can wait for his check. But first, hey, come here. Open him out. Well, what do you know of the sergeants right at the wall? You really are cutting it, too, huh? Where have you been with Mike? Oh, hello, Susie. He's asleep. I took him for a walk. But Susie's been worried to death. Oh, hello, copper. What are you doing here? Well, Dennis, I mean, Officer Devlin has been very kind. I don't know why I tried to do that terrible thing this evening. Oh, you were just down in the dumps. Everybody gets down in the dumps sometimes. Even me. You know, I figure I start out just like Mike here. Just a baby. Then I take the stealing and safe-cracking and similar pranks. And before I know it, I'm a highly illegal citizen. Oh, butch. Mike here, he ain't going to be like me, huh? You didn't have an education, butch. I hope Mike will. That takes a lot of scratch, don't it? A lot of scratch, butch. And tomorrow's Brandy Smith's baby contest. Some lucky youngster's going to win an education. Come on, butch, Susie must be exhausted. Yeah, sure, sure. Contest, huh? Brandy Smith. You go to sleep, Susie. Maybe we win Mike an education yet. Uh, before you go, butch, have you got Mike's doll? What doll? You know, the Mama doll. Uh-oh. Oh, I think I lose it. Oh, well, Mike doesn't mind. Yeah, but I got a hunch, Susie. It's going to make a lot of trouble for me. Yeah? Butch, this is Brandy Smith. Oh, hi, Mr. Smith. Hi, Mr. Smith. You were one cold tomato you are. Do you read the morning papers? What's so important about the morning papers? The cops pick up Harry, the horse, and the docker. Oh, that? Hey, did they get shot up? They get winged here, and they're but not serious. Where's my check? I'll talk to you about it this afternoon. I got to judge that lousy baby contest to mine this afternoon. Look, Mr. Smith, I'm going to make it easy on you. You'll just pick Michael O'Neill as the best baby in since his education, then I'll hand you over to check. All right. Anything. It's a deal. Butch, you really did it this time. Officer Devlin, I, uh, I don't follow you. You follow this, Butch? Why, this is Mike's doll. Where'd you find it? The police found it right next to the Acme Cole Company's safe. Oh, I, I wonder how it got there. Don't con me, Janet. You were in on that blow-up, weren't you? Look, Cap, I'd, I'd love to stay and chat with you, but I got to go and help prepare Mike for the baby contest. Butch, will your wise-up this doll nail you? What's to be if the Cole Company gets its money back? There's a check missing from the safe, Butch. There's a United States attorney in town to pick it up. What are you trying to do? Shield Brandy Smith from an income tax rep? Look, Cap, Cap, you got to play along with me for a few hours. Sure, I'm just a hoodlum. The only reason I ain't in jail is because I just got out. Now I'm doing something for somebody else, for Mike and for Mrs. O'Neill. I'm not you and nobody else is going to stop me, Cap. Do you hear me? Nobody. There's Mr. Smith. He's going to start the contest. Yeah, I, I got to talk to him. Mike and me will be right back, Susie. Mr. Smith. Mind if I tag along, Butch? Oh, Cap, I knew I could leave it to you to last things up. Butch, have you got the... What's Devlin doing here? Just watching, Smith. Just watching. Uh, I, I'm busy now, but you see me later when we're alone. Oops! I'm about to award the first prize. It's only one, so I don't want no beast. Say, Mr. Smith. Butch, not now. Now, to pick the winner. Why, you double-cross and heel. Here's the winner. It's Mike. Butch, you be quiet. Talk to me later. You made a bark and you said you let Mike win the contest. Okay, I got the check now. Oh, hey, Mike, Mike. Oh, Mike, you ought to take things out of people's hands now. Give Mr. Smith that check. Give it to me, you brat. Don't you go calling Mike a brat or I'll tear your ears off. I think I'd better take that check. Cop, this is no time to start acting like a cop. Mr. Smith, if you'll just accompany these gentlemen in the blue uniforms. No, no, no, wait a minute. That's my property. So you did this for Mike, is that it, Butch? Ah, you went and ruined everything. Dennis, Butch, what happened? I think we just lost a judge, Suzy. Okay, Copper, act like a cop and make with a bracelets. No, no bracelets, Butch. I think the state can spare you for a few minutes. Because, Butch, you've got to judge the contest. Ladies and gentlemen, as a police officer of the city of New York, it is my pleasure to announce that the contest will be judged by Big Butch. I'll be impartial. You mustn't show any preference, Butch. No, no, no, of course not. Folks, I'll have you know that I am impartial. Impartial in this contest. However, after due consideration, I have decided I am very impartial in favor of a baby named Mike O'Neill. He wins the first prize. Oh, Butch. Mike, you're winning fair and square, huh? There's not a better looking baby in the house. Now, listen to me, Mike. You play it straight, see? Don't pick up no bad habits like cracking safes or I'll have to come back and put the arm on you. Why, Butch, you sound like you're going away. Well, Suzy, I got an important engagement with the cop here. Don't worry, Suzy. Maybe we can fix it so Butch won't be gone very long. Let's go, Copper. You know, Cap, I feel good. I feel just like I come out on top after all. I guess it's like Harry the Horse says, sometimes it's the funniest horse that wins the race. This is Jimmy Wallington speaking. You have just heard the last act of Butch minds the baby, and our star, Broderick Crawford, with our guest screen director, Albert S. Rogel, will be with us in just a moment. Next Friday, one of America's favorite comedians brings a delightful comedy performance to the screen director's playhouse. Our story for the first time on the air is Miss Grant Takes Richmond, and recreating her original role will be Lucille Ball, with screen director Lloyd Bacon. Now, here to get us tonight's star, Broderick Crawford. Ron, you know, I've been trying to count up all the acting awards. You've won this past year, in addition to the Oscar, but I've run out of fingers. How many was it anyway? Oh, I really can't say, Jimmy. I flunked first grade arithmetic, too. Well, at any rate, I know you received recognition both from the experts and from the great American public. Guess what that makes me think of? I don't have to guess, Jimmy. Everything makes you think of RCA Victor's new 45 phonograph and records. Well, that makes me a typical American music lover, Brod. You know, honestly, it's amazing the way both great musicians and plain music lovers like me have taken the 45 RPM system to their hearts. In just a year, it's become the fastest-selling record system in history. And among the musical maestros is the superb tone quality out of Turby, Stakowski, Toscanini... And, of course, Brod Crawfordy. Oh, I never knew you were a maestro, Brod. Why, at one time, I intended to go in for a musical career. Didn't practice enough to suit my teacher, so I was, uh... You were, what? Thrown out on my career. Well, I often pile a bunch of classical records on my Victoria 45 and pretend to be conducting them for the benefit of my two-year-old son, Kim. I really like to do that. Oh, he just keeps right on making airplane noises. Sometimes even acts like a child. You know, Brod, a great maestro like you ought to have a chance to perfect his conducting in solitude. You ought to have a second Victoria 45 for your own room, as so many people do. Kim would like that. So would my wife. Come to think of it, so would I. Well, then you ought to take advantage of a wonderful combination value which RCA Victor Dealers are offering right now to celebrate the first birthday of the 45. You know, with every Victoria 45 purchase, you get a special first anniversary album of 10 records for the usual price of the Victoria 45 alone. Only $29.95. Honest? Honest. And wait till you hear these records by Wayne King and Vaughan Monroe and Tommy Dorsey, Perry Cole. Wait a minute. You get all that in a Victoria 45 too for only $29.95? That sounds too good to be true, Jimmy. You're so right, but if you don't believe it, just ask your RCA Victor dealer. Ladies and gentlemen, the short story of this baby was written by our greatest expert on sentimental tough guys, the late Damon Runyon. But putting the story on the screen required another kind of expert, a motion picture artist who could turn the Runyon characters into real people, people as real as New York and Broadway, just the way the writer imagined them. Now I'd like you to meet him. The director of such Damon Runyon pictures is Butch Minds the Baby in tight shoes and of course many, many other films. Mr. Albert S. Rogel. And I'm sure that Damon Runyon would have praised your performance very highly tonight and paused to write a note with that little gold pencil of yours. Al, I understand that he couldn't talk during the last few years of his life. That's right, Brod. You see, he suffered from cancer of the throat. And ladies and gentlemen, no man ever had a more fitting or noble monument than Damon Runyon. It's called the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund. And I think you folks should know that Broderick Crawford and Universal International directors are contributing their fees for tonight's show to that fund. And the screen director's guild is right in there with us, Al. Contributing its proceeds to the program. And my thanks to the guild for giving me this opportunity to help. Good night, Al, and good night, everyone. Good night, Graham. And good night to you, Broderick Crawford and Albert S. Rogel. Remember next Friday, Lucille Ball and Miss Grant Takes Richmond was screen director Lloyd Bacon brought to you by RCA Victor, world leader in radio, first in recorded music, first in television. Butch Minds the Baby was presented through the courtesy of Universal International Pictures who soon will release Winchester 73 starring James Stewart, Shelley Witter, Stephen McNally and Dan Durier. Broderick Crawford appeared through the courtesy of Columbia Pictures, producers of No Sad Songs for Me starring Margaret Sullivan, Wendell Corry and Vivica Lindfors. Albert S. Rogel's latest production is The Admiral was a Lady, a United Artist Picture. Included in tonight's cast were Stephen Dunn, Francis Robinson, Jerry Hausner, Herb Bygren, Ed Max, Wilms Herbert, Gail Bonnie and Frank Barton. The Baby was adapted for radio by Richard Allen Simmons. And original music was composed and conducted by Robert R. Brewster. Screen Directors Playhouse is produced out of the supervision of Howard Wiley and is directed by Bill Karn. You are invited to listen again next Friday when RCA Victor presents Screen Directors Playhouse, star Lucille Ball production Miss Grant Takes Richmond director Lloyd Bacon This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company.