 Lux presents Hollywood. The Lux Radio Theatre brings you Mickey Rooney, Dula Bondi, and Virginia Weidler in Young Tom Edison. Ladies and gentlemen, your producer, Mr. Cecil V. DeMille. Greetings from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. Perhaps we should have wrapped it up in fancy paper and tied a red ribbon around it and called it our Christmas present to you. It's something a good many of you asked for and I'm sure all of you want. Mickey Rooney in Young Tom Edison. And tonight we are giving it to you with our best wishes for a very merry Christmas. Have you ever thought how much we depend on Mr. Edison here in the Lux Radio Theatre? For one thing, he developed the first microphone and motion picture projector and was one of the first to make pictures talk. Then too, he's responsible for the bulb which is lighting your living room right now. So if it hadn't been for Edison, well, we'd, we'd just have to call the whole thing off. Our play, however, which was adapted from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer screen success is not a scientific report. It's an exciting tale of the adventures of a small town boy with a pack of original ideas, ideas that keep him in hot water. As a boy, Thomas Edison was a kind of Andy Hardy that makes the casting obvious. The arrow points directly to Mickey Rooney, who comes to us this week from the set of his latest Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, Man of Boys Town. And with Mickey tonight, we have Bula Bundy and Virginia Wiedler. In his later years, Edison gained the gratitude and admiration of the whole world for the things he'd done to make everybody's life easier and more enjoyable. And today, behind the scenes everywhere, scientists are working to make life easier still. In fact, they've done a lot for every member of our audience who's a Lux Flakes user. And I hope that includes every woman listening tonight. They work for years and always will work to make our product outstanding in its field. That's our guarantee that Lux Flakes will continue to make your household tasks easier and pleasanter. We think science is doing an important job for us. And I'll make a little wager that the ladies will agree with us. Now here's the story of young Tom Edison, starring Mickey Rooney as Tom, Bula Bundy as his mother, and Virginia Wiedler as Tanny. The curtain rises on the first act. This is a story of triumph, the triumph of a typical American boy who was blessed with three gifts, courage, imagination, and faith. His name might have been John Jones or Bill Smith, but it happened to be Tom Edison. When Tom was 15, the seller of his father's house in Port Huron, Michigan bore evidence of great things to come. For this was Tom's laboratory. An old workbench supported a homemade telegraph, and the battered desk was filled with chemical bottles, all of them impressively labeled poison. On the wall hung a length of rope which ran up through the seller door and connected with his sister Tanny's bedroom window on the second floor. This was Tom's latest invention, an automatic window closer. It's an invention, a window closer. I pull the rope down here in the cellar and your window closes automatically. Saves you from getting cold in the morning. Sure it'll work. You want to see it? Yes, try it. All right, now watch. It's early in the morning and you call down and tell me you're awake and ask me to close the window. I go over here to the rope and pull it hard and the window closes. Something must have gone wrong. I'll be right up. Tanny, Tanny, why can't you be more careful? You might have killed somebody, slamming a window like that. Tanny didn't do it, Pop. I did. You, you were down in the cellar. I did it just the same. I pulled a string down there and it closed the window up there. I must have pulled it too hard. I suppose it never occurred to you that the broken glass might have hit someone, cut them badly. No, sir, it didn't. No, it didn't. Come on to breakfast and take your hands out of your pocket. Yes, sir. I'm sorry. I haven't got enough on my shoulders without paying for broken windows. Any other father'd warm your pants. Am I right? Well, I don't interrupt. Sam, don't. I'm sure he's sorry. After all, it was an accident. Accident. It's always an accident. No, Sam. All right, children, you'd better hurry or you'll be late for school. Goodbye, Tanny. Bye, Mom. Bye, Father. Come on, Tom. Yeah. Goodbye, Mom. Goodbye, Pop. I'll, I'll be over there. I guess I knocked it over. I guess you did. I'm sorry. I'll clean it up, Mom. You just sit down. No, Tom. I'll do it. No, Mom, please. Tom, my coffee. Now what have you done? I didn't see it, Pop. It was right on the edge of the table. Go to school. Go to school before you pull the whole house down. I'm sorry, Pop. Go ahead, Tom. Go ahead. Goodbye. Goodbye, Pop. That boy's a real problem, Nancy. Every time you wake up with a cramp, Sam Edison, you take it out on Tom. I haven't got a cramp and you pampering too much. Well, he's a little different from the others. Yes. That's what I'm worried about. He has that Yankee trait of tinkering with useless things. Like the window upstairs. Like that telegraph wire of his that old man Dingle heard his leg on. If you remember, that cost us $11. Just wasted. You're inclined to be too easy with him, Nancy. If you're not careful, he'll be no good to himself or anybody else. Well, maybe you're right, Sam. You're wiser than I am. Oh, Nancy, when you agree with me so easily, it makes me think I'm wrong. No, truly, Sam. I'll handle the boy just as you say. After all, you're his father. Nancy, you're a faker. Yes, maybe I am. What are you thinking about, Tom? We better hurry or Miss Howard will be mad. You know, Tanny, I think I've got it. Got what? The way to fix that window. I'll put a spring under it so don't fall so hard and then the glass won't break. Oh, gosh, you're smart. Oh, no, I'm not. I only wish I was. You're smart enough for me. You know lots and lots of things. Not half as many as I'd like to. There's so many things I don't know, it scares me. But, Princess, look at that grass. What makes it green? Why isn't it purple or black or yellow? What becomes of a noise after we can't hear it anymore? Say, wouldn't it be great if we could keep a sound? Keep a sound? You mean like thunder? No, no, no, no. Good things. Great things that people say. Men like George Washington and Ben Franklin. Of course you couldn't do it, but it's a great idea, just the same. Yes, but don't think about it now, Tom. You've got other things to worry about. What things? Oh, just things. Well, go ahead, what? Tom, I didn't want to tell you, but Miss Howard's mad at you again. Yeah, what for? Well, you know, yesterday when she asked me to name the 33 states of the Union, you were tapping them out on the desk for me in Morse code? Yeah, I shouldn't have done that. That was cheating. Yeah, that's what Miss Howard said. You mean she caught on? Joe Dingle told her. He knows I can read Morse code, and after you left yesterday, he snitched on you. Oh, I guess I'm in for it, huh? She said she was going to make you stay in the cloakroom all day. Is that all? Oh, I don't mind, Dad. You don't? No, no, no. I got something I want to do anyway. What? Well, look, Tanny, you see this little bottle? It's hydrochloric acid, and this other one is concentrated ammonia. I'm going to mix them both together. Yeah? Then what'll happen? I don't know. That's what I'm going to find out. Tom, will it make a noise? I don't know. I never tried it before. But how do you know it won't blow up? I don't. That's why I want to mix them to find out. Hydrochloric acid? Yeah, that ought to be enough. No. Concentrated ammonia, just a few drops. You don't have to worry about hydrochloric acid and concentrated ammonia anymore. They don't mix. Come in, Miss Howard. Mom, it's Miss Howard, the teacher. Good evening, Mrs. Edison. Good evening. Evening, Miss Howard. Evening. I don't like to disturb you at supper, but I wanted to see you before it got dark. Of course. It isn't safe for a single girl to go walking around at night. Sit down, Miss Howard. Thank you. Is Tom at home? Yes, he's in his room. Then I can speak freely. I'm sorry to be the bearer of unpleasant news, but I suppose you've already heard what happened at school today. Yes, I did. We had a long talk about it, Tom and I, out in the barn. I can assure you it won't happen again. Mr. Edison, I don't believe whipping will help much. I might as well tell you, the school board has refused to accept any responsibility for the further education of your son. You mean he's not to go to school? Just that, Mr. Edison. Of course, if you want to appeal to the school board... I certainly shall appeal to the school board. I wouldn't, if I were you. Why not? Because I shall oppose any such appeal. Why? Not only because of what happened today, but because he distracts the other children, gazes out the window, hums and drums on the desk with his fingers. The other day, he wanted to know what a cloud was. Well, he's just inquisitive. He wants to learn things. That's all right, isn't it? In its proper place? Yes. But not in the middle of an arithmetic lesson. You don't understand him, that's all. Oh, nobody understands him. Mr. Edison, I don't wish to be unkind, but I suggest that you take the boy to Detroit, to see a doctor. There's no question in my mind, but that he's...addled. Sadly, addled. How dare you! You're the one that's addled. Hold on, Nancy. Compose yourself, please, Mrs. Edison. There's nothing the matter with my term that a good teacher can't fix. I taught school in Canada, and I know. You haven't the patience, nor the understanding to be a teacher. Well, I never. Tom's a good boy, and just as smart as any boy in school never did a stupid thing in his life. You're the one that's stupid. Me? Yes, you. Now, Nancy, Nancy, you'd better go, Miss Howard, before something happens. With pleasure, I assure you. You're just a silly old maid, and you don't have to worry about walking around in the dark. Nobody's going to bother you. Oh! I'm surprised you didn't defend your son. Didn't seem necessary, Nancy. You were doing a pretty good job. Saying that Tom is addled, that's perfectly ridiculous. She's not the only one, Nancy. The whole town's saying it. Everybody thinks there's something wrong with the boy, especially after today. Oh, Sam, I wish they understood Tom as I do. He's different from other boys. He's looking for causes, not effects. I think he found both today. Where you going? I'm going to take him something. Now, Nancy, don't pamper him. He has to eat, Sam. Tom? Yes. Well, Tom? Hello, Mom. Your friend, Miss Howard, was just here. I know. I heard her. Have you been crying, Tom? Have you? It's not about the licking Pop gave me. It's just that what he said is true. By tomorrow morning, everybody will know I was kicked out of school because I'm amadled, crazy. You're not going to be afraid of what anybody says, not tomorrow, nor any other time. Port Huron isn't the whole world, Tom. There's a much bigger world beyond here. And someday you're going to be a part of it. An important part of it. Mom, you know I'm not amadled, don't you? Of course you're not, dear. Serious thing I ever heard. But Pop thinks I am. No, he doesn't. I heard him tell you. Your father's just a little upset. Now try not to worry him. He loves you. He loves all of us. All right, Mom. I won't do a thing to bother him. That's a good boy. Now, won't you eat something? I don't feel like it. There's something there you like very much. Look. Apple pie and milk. My favorite. Oh, thanks, Mom. Yes, ma'am. What are you doing down in the cellar on such a nice day? Oh, just fixing up my chemical bottles. Oh, well, be careful of your Sunday clothes. I will. Tom, how in the world do you know what's in all those bottles? They're all marked poison. That's simple, Mom. I've got a secret number on every one of the bottles. I look up the number in my little book, and then I know what's in the bottle. Well, that's rather complicated, isn't it? Yes, but if any of the other kids come down here, they'll be afraid to touch them. That's not very sociable, Tom. No, but it works. Oh, Mom, I fixed that broken window in Tanny's room. I saw it, and you did such a nice job, I'm going to give you ten cents. Ten cents? Gee willikens. But I broke the window. Never mind. It was an accident. Here's your ten cents. Oh, Mom, gosh, that's great. Now I can send for that chemistry catalog. You'll do nothing of the kind. You're going to spend this ten cents for candy and eat it like other boys do. But when I eat the candy, Mom, it's gone in the chemistry book. No candy, no ten cents. That's a lot of candy for one fella to eat. Well, you can share it with Tanny. All right. Now go on out for a nice walk or something. Get a little air. Yeah, I told Mr. McCarney I'd be down to the station today. He lets me fool around with the telegraph stuff. Tom, you won't get into any trouble today now, will you? Oh, of course not, Mom. How could I get in any trouble down at the station? Oh, I don't know, but sometimes I think you could get into trouble almost anything. Hello, Mr. McCarney. Well, hello, Tom. Hello, Tanny. Hello. Uh, busy, Mr. McCarney? No, not much doing on Sunday. Sit down. Thanks. It's nice of you to let us come in here, Mr. McCarney. All the other kids are jealous. Well, seems to me, Tom, I owe you a lot more than I'll ever be able to repay. Oh, no. You mean about the time Tom saved your little boy from being run over by the train, Mr. McCarney? I mean just that, Tanny. Tanny, stop it. That's all over. But you were so brave. Wasn't he, Mr. McCarney? Tanny, keep quiet. Well, that's enough. All right, Tom. But you were brave. Uh, Mr. McCarney, will you have a piece of maple sugar? Well, no thanks. Oh, it's all right. I got a lot more in my pocket. Mr. Inchpin gave me a dozen for a dime. Well, don't mind if I do then. Here you are. Thank you, Tom. Mmm. Good. Can we look at your telegraph? Waiter number seven goes by, Tom. That's her coming in now. Tom, look at all the wires. Why do they need wires to telegraph, Tom? Why don't they send messages through the rails? You can't. Rails are grounded. What does that mean? They're short-circuited. Oh, gosh, you're smart. Could you be a telegraph operator, Tom? Like Mr. McCarney? I don't know. I guess so if I kept on practicing. Would you like to be a telegraph operator? Well, sure I would. Only, gosh, there's so many things I'd like to do. Sometimes I'm afraid I'll never get around to all of them. Let's go and watch number seven come in. All right. You know what I'm going to do someday? I'm going to build a telegraph for my seller up to your room. You are? Then we can talk back and forth and nobody will know what we're saying. Secret messages, huh? Like spies. No, no. Like telegraph stations. You'll have your secret call letters, and so will I. And nobody will know what they are. What am I supposed to do with a call letter? Oh, here. Wait until I get this rock turned out. I'll tap it out for you. Now, listen. That's... That's T.A. That's your secret call, T.A. Gosh, I've got a telegraph call. I feel like a railroad station. Let's go up and look at the engine, huh? Hey, sir, it's you there. Tom, that man on the train is calling you. Yes, sir, you're calling me? What you got in that bag, son? Maple sugar. Fine. You want to sell me a piece? Oh, yes, sir. For a nickel. All right. Hand it up here. Here you are, sir. There's your nickel. How much did this piece cost you, son? A penny. Well, it's a nice little profit. Yes, sir. You got any more? Sure I have. Well, bring it in the train. There's a lot of hungry people here. I'll be right back. Tell me, I'm going to get on the train you wait here, huh? Tom, remember what mom says. Don't get in any trouble now. Oh, don't worry. I'll be right back. Here you are, son. Ten cents. I'll take two of them. Yes, sir. Right here. Let's have another one, boy. Just a minute, sir. Where's my... I'm getting it, ma'am. Let's see now. I've only got four left. Well, I'll take two. Here's a dollar. Can you change it? No, ma'am. I can't. Wait! Are you sure that's right? Yes, ma'am. Ninety cents. Excuse me. Okay, son, I want another one. I'm sorry, mister. I can't wait. I've got to... Hey! Hey! Hey, let me off! Let me off the train! Stop the train! I'm back here! Where do you think you're going? Conductor, I've got to get off. Stop the train. You're too late, son. We're on our way. Oh, please let me go. I've got to get home. Ma! Ma! Mister, please, my sister! No, no, no. Don't try to jump now. If you're on this train, you're going to stay. Where's your sister from Detroit? Detroit! Sammy! In just a moment, Mr. DeMille will present Mickey Rooney, Bula Bondi, and Virginia Weidler in act two of Young Tom Edison. And now let's look in on our favorite family, the Brownings. It's late afternoon, and Nidge and Dot are helping mother Browning with a batch of Christmas cookies. Uh-oh. There's the back doorbell. See what it is? Will you mage? My hands are covered with flour. Okay. Yes, mother. About the party? Party? What party? What are you two plotting now? Well, remember last year how we made snow for our Christmas tree out of luxe flakes? Well, all the girls were crazy about our luxe tree. And so this year... We want to ask the girls over tomorrow afternoon and have a luxe snow party. A party? So that's why you wanted to make an extra batch of cookies. Well, I think a party would be fun. Oh, mother, you're a darling. Let's see now. You'll need a big bowl. And an egg beater. And some luxe. Little lukewarm water. That's all you need to make this lovely, real-looking snow for your tree. Yes, you can make Christmas snow out of those same gentle white luxe flakes that you use for washing all your pretty things. It's such an inexpensive decoration, so easy to make, and it lasts right through the holiday season. Now, here's how you make this luxe snow. Take a large-sized box of luxe flakes and empty the flakes into a big bowl or dishpan. Pour in two cups of lukewarm water, just two cups. Then take an egg beater and beat this mixture until it gets soft and fluffy, just like clipped cream. Spread handfuls of this luxe snow on the branches of your Christmas tree. If you want more glitter, sprinkle on some of that shiny artificial snow that you buy in the store while the luxe snow is still moist. Snow-covered branches make novel and inexpensive table decorations, too. And a little of the luxe snow when your Christmas reeds makes them extra-Christmassy infested. The children love to help with this Christmas snow. Now, remember, use two cups of lukewarm water to each big box of luxe flakes. Now, our producer, Mr. DeMille. Act two of young Tom Edison, starring Mickey Rooney as Tom, Bula Bondi as his mother, and Virginia Weidler as Tanny. When the train that spirited Tom Edison away returned to Port Huron, a reception committee was waiting for him at the station, his sister Tanny, his mother, and Mr. Edison, looking very grim. But the boy who climbed down from the train that night was so chained that his family hardly knew him. On his cap was a sign, reading candy for sale. On his arm a basket pried high with sweetmeats and newspapers, and on his face a broad, self-conscious grin. Well, who, garnish, can't somebody say something? Here, Tanny, I brought this doll for you. Thank you. And, mom, here's a little bouquet of flowers. Tom. And pop, well, pop, here, have a cigar. Just what is the meaning of this? Well, I'm in business. In business. Sam, it's very neat. Suppose we talk about this when we get home. Come along. Come along, Tanny. Mr. Nelson, he's the conductor, you know. He fixed it up with a railroad, and I bought the basket of merchandise on credit. Mr. Nelson let me the cap, and I painted the sign myself. Tom, it's beautiful. Sam, don't you think it's all right? I mean, well, it might help out, you know, Tom making a little money, and Tom, you really think you can make money out of this, don't you? Well, no, not an awful lot. Not at first, anyway. But after a while, you can, sure. Huh? Oh, oh, oh, yes, yes, sure. You see, I was thinking that maybe I could get permission to put men on other trains. Who knows, maybe someday I'll have a lot of people working for me. People like to buy things on trains. Don't you think so, Father? Perhaps, but I hope you don't think you've talked yourself out of a licking. Oh, gee willikers. You've got to be punnies for climbing on that train and going away. But that's not fair. I didn't mean to do it. Don't, Tom. Not tonight, anyway, Sam. Sure. Run along, children. I want to talk to your father. Good night, Rome. Good night. Good night. Sam, he only wants to help out. The son of Sam Edison, a peddler. Well, if it keeps him busy till he goes back to school. He can't go back to school. They won't take him. I think they will, Sam. Something tells me there'll come a time when they'll understand him the way we do. We? Yes, Sam. When people find out he's not just a silly boy, but he's almost a man. And the deep down inside of him there's something very real, something very wonderful, struggling for expression. Nancy, you don't really think that, do you? I know it, Sam. I'm as sure as can be. I'm not as tolerant as I ought to be, I suppose. Father and son should be closer to each other. Know one another better. Why don't you have a talk with Tom? I think I will, one of these days. Nice brush. We can't even brush up. It's candy, sweet candy. I'm Edison. Yes, sir? I'm into the baggage car. I want to speak to you. Yes, Mr. Nelson? Look here, Tom. I'm the conductor on this train, and I've got a certain amount of responsibilities. One of them is to look after the baggage car. Now, watch all this stuff in here. That, well, just chemicals. Chemicals? Yes, sir. I thought I could set up a little laboratory in here and I wouldn't lose any time on my experiments. Well, I'm sorry, Tom. You'll have to get rid of some of this stuff. The car's so cluttered up there's no room for baggage. But, Mr. Nelson... That's my last word, Tom. Here I am, Mr. Hodges' baggage car. Well, I brought it for you, Tom. Oh, the printing press? Yep. Here she is. Where's it go? Right in here, Mr. Hodges. You better give me a hand with it. All right. It looks heavy. One, two. Oh, it is. Oh, gosh, it's a beauty, isn't it? All my life I've wanted to own a printing press. How much do I owe you, Mr. Hodges? Well, the car did it all the way over from the yard. Uh-huh. Two dollars. How much? All right, make it a dollar. Oh, that's better here. You taking the press back home, Tom? Well, I'm not sure yet. I sort of figured on keeping it in the car here. Well, bye, Tom. Goodbye, Mr. Hodges. Thanks again. Thank you. Good day, Bagnes. Come on and praise yourself, Tom. Oh, uh, just one piece, Mr. Nelson. Uh, here. Have a corn cob bite, Mr. Nelson. Huh? Well, go ahead and take a... Well, thank you, Tom. Thank you. I was, uh, thinking about getting a new one. Hey, what's that thing over there? Uh, that, oh, uh, that's a printing press. Printing press? Who's it going to? Nobody. It belongs to me. Oh. Oh, you're taking it home. Uh, light up your pipe, Mr. Nelson. See how it draws. It's a good one, you know, costs $0.10. Hmm. You won't have much time to use the printing press time. You're not home enough. That's just it, Mr. Nelson. I'm going to keep it in here in the baggage car. But you're going to what? No, no, don't get mad. Let me explain. Here, take your corn cob plate. No, listen, Mr. Nelson, please. I knew there was a catch to it. There's no catch. I want to print a newspaper on the train right here in this baggage car. A newspaper? Next, you'll be raising chickens in here. Listen, Mr. Nelson, there's going to be a war between the states. And people all along the line are going to be anxious for news. Well, I believe you. But we can give it to them fresh, hot off the griddle. Every time the train stops, I can run into the station and get the latest news. This railroad isn't in the publishing business. No, but it's patriotic, isn't it? Well, it is. If we can tell the people what's going on and tell them the minute it happens, we're not only doing them a service and the railroad a service, but we'll be doing the United States government a service as well. Don't you see that? Well, yes, I do. But suppose the division superintendent finds out. Oh, he'll thank us. He'll think we're loyal patriotic Americans. And that's what we are, aren't we? You bet we are. But remember, this is the last thing you're going to bring in this baggage car. Understand? Oh, yes, sir. Here, Mr. Nelson, have another pipe on it. Oh. All people here, we're going to appoint a commander-in-chief of the Union Army. Oh, good morning, Captain Brackett. Good morning, Tom. A paper, Captain. You've got a new commander-in-chief, you know. Yes, I understand. And a good choice, too. Yes, sir. Captain, I've been thinking... Boy, a stick of liquor, please. Oh, yes, ma'am, right here. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Oh, Captain, I was wondering... Yes? Do you suppose the Army would be interested in a new explosive? An explosive? Oh, they've got lots of explosives now. Oh, but this one's better than anything they've got. If that's so, then what's the name of it? Well, I call it the Tom Edison High Powerful All-Explosive Number One. Oh, something you made yourself. Yes, sir. You shouldn't play with explosives, Tom. They're very dangerous. Oh, what's a little thing like danger when you're doing it for your country? This is a wonderful explosive, Captain. You want to see it? I've got it right here in my pocket. Well, let's have a look at it. Here. In this little bottle, see? Well, what's it made of? Well, there's some sulfuric acid in it and there's some nitric acid. And let me see... Oh, yes, some glycerin. What was that again? Sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and... And glycerin. Yes, sir. Tom, that's nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin? Oh, guys. Yeah, still now. Now, don't move, Tom. Don't move a step. What's going on? That boy has a bottle of nitroglycerin. Nitroglycerin. Here, Mr. Nelson, you take it. No, not me. You stay where you are. Don't get excited, friends. There'll be no danger. Be careful. Tom Edison, are you crazy? I didn't know, Mr. Nelson. I didn't know. Oh, just you, age young man. Don't have to stop the train, Mr. Nelson. If he drops that bottle, that little blow is all high on the kite. Mr. Nelson, stop the train. Are you standing back? Don't you come near me. I'll pull the emergency car. No, no, no, don't let that. Don't stop too suddenly. You get to the engineer and tell him to slow down gradually. All right. Don't you move one step, Tom Edison. No, no, no. Just keep perfectly still, Tom. Captain Brackett, I'm nervous. I'm shaking. Well, stop it. Stop it. No, no, no. Don't you think you better hold this? Well, it doesn't make much difference. Who holds it, it's who drops it. And I'd rather it wasn't me. What if I could only... Stand still, stand still. I will, sir. No, we're slowing down. Somebody open that window. I'll open the window. I'll do it. No, no, no, no. No, we won't. Now listen, Tom. You walk over to that window slowly now and throw that bottle into the river. Yes, sir. Now wait. Wait. Throw it gently and away from the bridge. Downstream. You understand? Yes, sir, I do. All right. Stand back, everybody. Oh. Now go ahead, Tom. Throw it. All right. One, two. It's all right, sir. It went into the river. Oh, dear. Oh, it's all right, lady. Everything's all right now. Oh, gosh! I guess it floated into a rock. Opposes the matter, doctor. He says he can't hear it out of that ear. We'll just pour a little sweet oil in there. That'll help. Keep your head over on the side, Tom. Yes, doctor. Mr. Nelson kept hitting him on that ear, doctor. Oh, you can't blame Mr. Nelson. Mom, that was my fault, the whole thing. Just the same. He shouldn't have struck you. Tom, just think. Your candy and peanuts and oranges. Oh, God. Oh, that's all right. A fine state of affairs. All you've got to show for your work is an earache. Everything happens for the best, Sam. The way Tom was going, it wouldn't be no time at all before he put the railroad out of business. Oh. Oh, hold still. Don't move, Tom. Does it hurt, Tom? Hm? What? Does it hurt? Your ear! Oh, well, little. Do you think it'll affect his hearing, doctor? I can't say. Not until the swelling goes down. Sometimes there's nothing like a good box on the ear to sharpen a boy's senses. Hey, Sam. Well, I'll be running long. I'll see you to the door. Oh, by the way, how's that pain in your side, Mrs. Edison? Been bothering you lately? Not a great deal, doctor. I think it's getting better. Tom. Tom. Oh, yes, sir. There's one thing I shall insist upon from now on. What's that, sir? You're to get rid of those chemicals. Throw them away or dispose of them any way you like. But you're never to bring them in the house again. But why, Father? Why? Because I say so. That's why. Oh, that's a fine reason. Right, I'll give you another reason then, since you don't like that one. Because you are not competent to handle such things. You're too irresponsible and... And addled. Is that what you mean? Yes, Tom. I'm afraid that's what I mean. And from now on, there'll be no more experiments. You understand? You understand? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Mr. DeMille will bring our stars, Mickey Rooney, and Andy and Virginia Weidler back for the third act of young Tom Edison after a short intermission. Have you ever stopped to think how often old proverbs contradict each other? For instance, too many cooks spoil the broth. Yet, many hands make light labor. Well, when it comes to preparing that swell Christmas dinner you'll be eating on Wednesday, I imagine most mothers would vote for proverb number two. Mothers appreciate helping hands at Christmas time, they help in a lot of ways, like washing the dishes after dinner. Speaking of dishwashing, here's a cheerful thought. Helping hands needn't ever fear they'll become dishpan hands. There's wonderful new quick lucks to save you from that. I've told you about the dramatic one-hand tests made by hundreds of women in a laboratory under conditions similar to home dishwashing. The tests were absolutely impartial. One hand put one hand in luck's suds, or other hand in suds from a different soap, for exactly the same time. Twenty minutes, three times a day, for weeks. All told, five popular soaps were tested. At the end of the tests, the luck's hand still looked soft and smooth, while the other hands were red, rough, unattractive. Luck's proved kinder to hands than any of the other soaps tested. Now, there's a very simple way you can prove this for yourself. Just change from harsh soaps to new quick lucks for your dishes. You wouldn't wash your face with a harsh laundry soap for even one day. So why expose your hands to such a soap in your dishpan? It's foolish, because new quick lucks is not only gentle, it's thrifty and it's fast. Get the economical big box and use it for dishes every day. We pause now for station identification. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System. Curtin rises on the third act of Young Tom Edison. Laughed out by the townspeople, scorned by boys of his own age, Young Tom Edison couldn't stand his troubled life in Port Huron any longer. So late one night he left a note where his mother would find it in the morning. It's no use, Mom. I'm a failure in this town, so I'm going away to Detroit and start all over. Love. Tongue. P.S. I love you better than anybody else in the world. Please say goodbye to Father and kiss Tanny for me. An hour later, found Tom in the telegraph office at the railroad station. And you know I can read and send Morris Code as good as, well, almost anybody, Mr. McCarney? Yeah, it's no time. Well, then would you recommend me for a job? Well, yes. But who's going to hire a 16-year-old boy as a telegraph operator? Maybe somebody will in Detroit. Detroit? Are you figuring or leaving home? That's just what I'm doing. Does your mother know it? You know you'll break her heart if you go. I'll break her heart if I stay. Would you lend me some money, Mr. McCarney? Now, hold on, Tom. I'm willing to do almost anything for you, but I'm not going to finance you into breaking your mother's heart. I'm doing it to help her. I've got to get away from this town. Now, look, Tom, why don't you just go as far as Fraser? Have a talk with your brother, Bill. Maybe he can straighten this out. Bill doesn't know anything about it. He'd just make me come back. Mr. McCarney, won't you just lend me enough to get to Detroit? I'll pay you back. No, Tom, I won't. All right. That's number nine coming all right on the engine with Mr. Miller. Don't be a fool, Tom. That's what you think of me, just like all the rest of them. Well, I'm going and you're not going to stop me. No, I... Was that, it sounded like Tanny? Don't, Tom. Tanny, what are you doing out at this time of night? I found you, no, Tom. Tom, Tom, you've got to come back. Mama, Mama's sick, Tom. What's the matter with her? I don't know, but she's awful sick. Pop left early tonight to go to Fraser. He isn't back yet. Dr. Penders says we've got to get him and Bill right away, Tom. Well, Father's probably on his way home now. I'll go to Fraser and get Bill. No. You go to the house and stay with Mom. You can help. I'll get Bill. You can't ride on the train alone. You're too little. But Mom needs you. Please, Tom. All right, but be careful. Come back on number seven and bring Bill. I will. Hurry. Mrs. Edison, Tom's here now. Tom. Where were you in all this rain? I was down at the station talking to Mr. McCartney. Take off your shoes, dear. No, they must be soaking wet. Mom. Doctor. Doctor, what did she say at that last? I didn't hear her. Come outside a moment, Tom. Dr. Penders, is she awfully sick? Yes. I should operate immediately. It's her only chance. Well, why don't you? There's no light. I can't perform a delicate operation by lamp light. I can't risk it. But if you don't, what then will she... No, son. We'll do the best we can. But we'll have to wait. Mom. Mom. Mom, can I do anything? You can help the doctor. Anything he wants. And tell Tanny to go to Bill. You're the head of the house now. And your father comes home. All right. Mom. Yes, dear. I was going to run away tonight? Yes. I wrote you a little note. I know, Tom, whenever you're hurt. Write a long letter saying exactly what's on your mind. Then read it and tear it up. I was mad at father. I understand, dear. After all, when a man is hurt, he has to get pain-free with someone. That's what mothers and fathers are for. I'm never going to leave you as long as I live. Of course. Of course you're not. You try to sleep, Mom. I'll be right outside. Dr. Pender, it's dangerous to wait till morning, isn't it? Yes, Tom. Every moment we lose permits the infection to spread further. We've got a lot of lamps, Tim. Maybe 15 of them. Amplight won't do, my boy. But you said yourself that if we wait around, she may... Dr. Pender, you've got to do it now. You just got to. You can't wait. Tom, stop it. Believe me, son. It's the only thing to do. A doctor can't work in the dark. He needs light. Someday it may be different, Tom. Perhaps someday the world's work won't have to stop when the sun goes down. But that won't be in my time. I was just thinking. Suppose I got a mirror. A big mirror. That'd help, wouldn't it? Mirror? What good would that be? Well, don't you see? A mirror reflects light and magnifies it. We get set it up in the dining room and put all the lamps in front of it. Tom, don't be ridiculous. But Dr. Pender... What's the matter with you? There's nothing to matter with me. I'm trying to save my mother's life. You need light to operate, and I can make it for you. Have you got a mirror in the house? Large one? No, sir. But I can get it. I'll go down to Mr. Dingle's store. He's not open. Then I'll just break in and take it. They can't blame you if I'm trying to help my mother. Tom, I don't believe this will work. Take your way back. Bring Mrs. McConnie. We'll operate as soon as you provide enough light. Is it... is it over? Did you operate? Yes, Tom, we did. Well, is she... oh, tell me. You'll know very soon now, Tom. But I'm pretty sure that she'll be all right. Oh, gosh. Thanks, Doctor. Thanks. Don't thank me. You saved your mother's life, Tom. That mirror was an inspiration. Oh, the mirror... the mirror? Oh, say I'd better bring it back before the store opens. He's mad. If I know Mr. Dingle, he'll tear every hair out of his head. They broke in that door right there, see? What do they steal, Mr. Dingle? Well, they steal just a special looking glass imported from New York. I'd like to get my hands on him, that's all. Oh, excuse me. Oh, Mr. Dingle. Here's your looking glass, Mr. Dingle. What? There it is, Dingle. Tom Edison's got it. Come here. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Dingle. Somebody get the sheriff. Wait, listen. I had to have it, Mr. Dingle. You see my mother... Never mind your excuses. You stole it. That's burglary. I've got a good mind, too. Mr. Dingle, let me go. I'll break into my store, will you? But look out for the looking glass. I'll hand you good for this. Oh, please, look out. Oh, now look what you did. You broke it. I couldn't help it, your sheriff. I'll teach you to destroy people's property, break into my store, steal my looking glass, and then break it right in front of old knives. I'll teach you all right. Please, Mr. Dingle. I'll present an attack. You let go of that coin. You hear howl, listen, Mr. Edison. Let him go, and I'll break it. Now wait, Mr. Edison. Hold on. He broke into my store, stole a looking glass and smashed it. What? Is that true, Tom? Yes, Pop. I had to because... That's enough. Go on home. I'll attend to you when I get there. But, Pop, if you'll only listen to me... You heard me. Go home. Yes, sir. Say, what's that about? Something must have happened. I don't see any smoke. Can't be a fire. There's Ed Hodges running up the station. Hey, Ed! What's the matter, Ed? The bridge is out. What did he say? What's that, Ed? The bridge is out. The storm last night, it gave way 10 minutes ago. Give me the railroad bridge. That's right. The vessel's gone to the gully 10 miles up the line. Number 7's due to pass there any minute. Number 7? Wait, that's the train. Can he use a... Number 7! Tom! I'm back here. Pop, I've got to go down to the station. Tom! Tom! No, it's not to do it. Come on, let's work right down. Are you getting through with them yet? Can't you get any answer, Mr. McConn? Give me a chance. Give me a chance. You've got to reach them. You've gotten lost. No use. I can't get through to Ridgeway. The wires are down. Number 7 passes there in three minutes. That's our last chance of flagging. Then she took on her. Which means she'll hit the river 40 miles an hour. Quiet! Quiet! Please! Bob, if you could get across the river, you might be... Give me a chance, Mac. That'll take hours. Mr. McConn. Not now, Tom. Not now. But maybe I can help. I've got an idea. I'm alone, Tom. Can't you see I'm busy? Get out of here and let us alone. I won't. My sister and brother are on that train. I've got as much right as anybody else to be here. Is that so? Go on home. No, please, listen. I can send a message to the train. The wires are down and he can send a message to the train. But I don't need any wires. Tom! Quiet! Get off this engine. Mr. Miller, I can stop number seven if you'll only let me. Well, go ahead and stop it. Only get off of here. But please listen. I can send a message with that whistle. With what? With your engine whistle. Watch. Take your hand off that cord. I can send Morris code. Listen. Morris code? What's that you're saying now? I'm spelling out danger. They might hear it on number seven and stop the train. Who's blowing that whistle? I am, Mr. McConn. That might work. That's what I've been trying to tell you. How can it work? It's cold. Who's going to read it? Danny's on the train, my sister. She's only a little girl. Of course she understands code. You know she does, Mr. McConn. Yeah, she does. I suppose she's sitting in the train just waiting for you to... She'll hear it. She's got her own call letters, T.A. Please, Mr. McConn, let me try it. All right, we got to do something. Miller, get your engine moving. Run down as close as you can to that bridge and hurry. Tom, you keep on that whistle. I can't leave my station. Go ahead and good luck. Thanks, Mr. McConn. Tom, we're pretty close to the bridge. They ought to be able to hear us from here. I'm ready. All right. T.A.T.A.D.A. M.G.E.R. Oh, Danny, listen. Please, listen. T.A.T.A. Now I come and get you, Bill. Is Mother very sick, Danny? I don't know, but Dr. Penderson, go and get your father and Bill. I suppose... Well, then it must be pretty bad. I only hope we get there in time. What's all that whistling for? I don't know. Honey, you know, it sounds like Bill... Yes? It stops and dashes. What? Force cold. Dash, dock dash, dash, dock dash. That's me. That's my secret signal. It's Tom. Tom's sending it. What? How could it be? Listen. I.N.Train. S.E.B.E.N.7. S.T.O.P. Bill, Dr. Nelson. You hear that whistle? Of course I hear it. You think I'm deaf? Somebody's trying to stop this train. Listen. Seven. S.T.O.P. D.A.N.G.E.R. What is she talking about, Mr. Nelson? Yeah, she's an Edison. They're all little tets, you know. Get the train number seven. Stop. Danger. Be quiet, Tanny. No, listen. B. R. D. Stopped all right. About 20 feet from the washout. What do you think of my brother, Mr. Nelson? Finest lad I know. I said it before. Oh, hello, pal. Tom, I'm proud of you. Oh, Tanny's the one father she... I don't mean only this. I mean the looking glass and the lance and your mother. Oh, how is she? Is she going to be all right? She's going to be fine. Why didn't you tell me about the looking glass? You wouldn't let me. That's right. I wouldn't. Sorry about that. Hereafter, Tom, maybe I'll learn to listen to you a little more carefully. Ladies and gentlemen, as you all know, we're all down here at the station to say goodbye to young Tom Edison. Wish him well and his new job as telegraph operator. Speaking for the railroad and myself, we're giving you this job, Tom, because you're a competent man, not just because you're a hero. Mr. McCarney, I don't care why you're giving it to me. I'm glad to get it. Real telegraph operator, my boy, and you're going to be a credit to the Grand Trunk Railroad and to me. Are you ready, son? Yes, sir. Oh, Mr. Edison, meet Mr. Jackson, superintendent of the line. Excuse me, sir. I'm Edison's pop. Oh, how do you do, sir? Goodbye, pop. We're leaving. Goodbye, son. Goodbye, Kenny. Goodbye, Tom. And, Mom, goodbye, Mom. You know what? I'm going to miss you terribly. Goodbye, Tom. God bless you. And, Tom, you mustn't forget this. It's a little package for you. What is it, Mom? Apple pie and milk. Apple pie and milk. My favorite. Oh, Mom, thank you. Yes. A little while back, he was Sam Edison's son. Now I'm Tom Edison's father. And you know, I like it. In a moment, Mr. DeMille brings Mickey Rooney back for a curtain call. And now, since we've reached the night before, the night before Christmas, I've asked Lou Silvers to play for you an old Welsh Christmas tune which I've always liked. Thank you, Lou, for that gay song. The kids are just as gay. Deck the hall with bows of holly. It is the season to be jolly. Don, we now are gay apparel. Troll the ancient Yuletide carol. We, of the Lux Radio Theatre, and our sponsors, the makers of Lux Flakes, join in wishing all of you the gayest, happiest kind of a Christmas and a very prosperous new year. You have made 1940 a good year for Lux Flakes. And we know that that means Lux Flakes have proved helpful to you. Certainly it is a tribute to high quality. When we find new Quick Lux, America's favorite way of washing nice things by a vote of two to one. And that's what our Coast to Coast survey shows. Yes, from San Francisco to New York, from Boston to New Orleans, twice as many women use new Quick Lux for stockings under things, nice dresses and so on, as use any other flakes, chips or beads. It's new Quick Lux Flakes, two to one. You like it for its speed, thrift, safety. It will always bring you these qualities. Always give you the quick, thrifty, gentle care that keeps everything safe in water, lovely longer. You'll find it ideal for so many things, stockings, under things, dresses, sweaters, glosses, gloves. In fact, everything safe in water. Remember, new Quick Lux comes in the same familiar package and it costs you no more. Now, here's Mr. DeMille with our star. Two kinds of magic brought us this play tonight. Engineering magic of the kind that Edison invented and the acting magic of Mickey Rooney. And here's Mickey now for a curtain call. Thank you, Mr. DeMille. I was pretty scared, you know, when they gave me this assignment in the picture, a genius like Thomas Edison is nobody for a kid like me to fool around with. For our money, Mickey, we're just about right. You know, it got so that every time I turned on the lighter, put a swing record on the phonograph, I'd get the shivers. I couldn't push a button without it turning out to be something he had invented. You certainly seem to have regained your courage. Yes, sir, I finally remembered about the alarm clock and that did it. I've heard of it, Mickey. How did it work? Well, it was a deli and I figured that anyone who could think that one up was a regular fellow. You know, he'd get up early and run down to his workshop in the cellar. There he had a lever fixed up with a complicated bunch of ropes and pulleys that ran all over the house and that connected with another lever in his sister's room and the whole thing finished up with a string being tied on her toe so she'd be sure and wake up. Sounds like a sound deduction, Mickey. He must have been a regular fellow. Oh, Mr. DeMille, what's going to go on here next week? We'll ring out the old year next Monday night, Mickey, with a new universal hit recently released, A Little Bit of Heaven. And you'll hear the same star who appeared on the screen, Gloria Jean. And with her we'll have C. Aubrey Smith, Helen Parrish and Frank Albertson. It's the story of a little girl who becomes a famous radio singer but keeps her head while the rest of her family goes wild. We have an all-star cast and the 12-year-old singing star, Gloria Jean, in the leading role. Gloria Jean, C. Aubrey Smith, Helen Parrish and Frank Albertson. How can you miss with a show like that, Mr. DeMille? Well, may I say now, so long and a merry Christmas to everyone. Good night, Peggy. Good night and thanks for you. Before we meet again in this theater next week, the most joyful day of the year will have come and gone. In 1940, there can't be anyone in this audience who isn't thankful for this blessing that is still ours to enjoy. Thankful that everywhere in America there's still time for Christmas. So when your family gathers from far and near to join the celebration at your fireside and the lights are blazing bright on your Christmas tree, when the children begin to laugh and play on Christmas morning, please add this hope of ours to the joy and blessing of the day. The sincere wish of our sponsors, the makers of lux flakes and lux toilet soap, and of all this radio family, that all your family enjoy the happiest of happy Christmas times. Our sponsors join me in inviting you to be with us again next Monday night. From the Lux Radio Theatre presents Gloria Jean, C. Aubry Smith, Helen Parrish, and Frank Albertson in A Little Bit of Heaven. This is Cecil B. DeMille saying good night to you from Hollywood. Virginia Weidler's forthcoming picture is the Metro-Golden mayor production Keeping Company. Bula Bondi is now working in the Columbia picture Penny Serenade with Kerry Grant and Irene Dunn. Heard in tonight's play were Griff Barnett as Mr. Edison, Lou Merrill as Mr. Nelson, Earl Ross as Mr. McCarney, Warren Ashe as Captain Brackett, Arthur Q. Bryan as Hodges, Stanley Farrar as Dr. Pender, Noreen Gamill as Miss Howard, Jack Lewis as Miller, Clarence Strait as Bill, Charles Seal as Dingle, and Celeste Rush and Philip Steep. Our music is directed by Lewis Silvers and your announcer has been Melville Roick. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.