 That's the theme from the Sears radio theater tonight a program of love and hate with Cicely Tyson as your host Here's a preview Suddenly everything is oriental mysticism martial arts flower arranging food Well, at least they have not tried to deal with the complications of Chinese opera yet The Sears radio theater will begin after this message from your local station. This is Cicely Tyson Inside the burning structure. There's a man named Chan Why doesn't he come out? No one can answer that question, but Mr. Chan We can only sit through the clues that a look at his life might offer us a master tailor Mr. Chan fed from bandits disease and famine in his native China in 1928 He and his sister the last living members of their family In America the mountain of gold Sarah married a doctor named Shin and moved to San Francisco's Chinatown Mr. Chan worked at a series of odd jobs saved his money and in 1933 moved to New York where he opened his own tailor shop The logic behind his move was that people in the east dealing with cold weather will have more clothes to sew They're rushing The seasons change, but the people never do always rushing Where are they going? They never seem to pause for a deep breath or to look closely at anything as I look at my sewing machine gadgets They have a gadget for everything some piece of machinery to occupy every moment of the day cars televisions radios telephones toys junk Realize deep down that they are surrounded by junk and it makes them feel aimless and dissatisfied Yes, that would give one the feeling of having no purpose no goal in life to be surrounded by an addicted to junk No strange this becoming a world in which I want to live That's just the beginning of our story a new adventure in radio listening Five nights of exceptional entertainment every week brought to you in Elliott Lewis production of the Sears radio theater Our story Mr. Chan by Odie Hawkins our stars Joseph Campanella and Marvin Miller The Sears radio theater is brought to you by Sears Robach and company Sears where America shops While there's still time What reasons could he offer for allowing himself to be trapped? Once more We must turn to clues in the past for an answer We must listen carefully to the threads in the fabric of mr. Chan's life Mr. Chan made an oblique study of the woman as she barged through the door 35 38 Died blonde hair too much perfume and lipstick about 15 pounds overweight and Insecure Exhibitionist she tossed four expensive looking dresses out of the four micro sales counter and drummed her bright green polished nails As she impatiently waited I hear they are He leveled a neutral look at her and eased from his seat behind the sewing machine to stand behind the waist high counter The alcoholic fumes spraying his face almost caused him to step backwards I said are you the owner? Yes, I am the owner What can I do for you a slight smile played at the wrinkled corners of his softly slanted eyes? She was obviously surprised to hear his clear precise English Well, I like to have some seams right out in these dresses. You can do that. Can't you? He fingered the label inside the neck of one of the dresses well-known American designer good fabric Excellent workmanship. Yes, of course. I can expand the seams. They looked at each other across the counter She slightly taller than his five six looked at a spot above his head her eyes blurry from vodka. Well, how long will it take? Perhaps it would not be necessary to let seams out in these dresses if you lost Oh, I would say 10 or 12 pounds She glared at him her lips curled down hatefully at the corners and she snatched her dresses from the counter Mr. Chan leaned across the counter and rested his body on his elbows Watching the woman throw her dresses under the back seat of a small expensive Italian car and wedge herself into the front seat people Don't they ever consider the possibility of being reasonable before acting irrationally He shook his head sadly and strolled to his living area at the rear of the shop to heat more water for tea erect steady Thoughtful. I wonder what goes wrong with some people Why must they always seek the most incorrect ways to deal with their shortcomings? He returned to his machine cradling a fresh cup of tea in his palms a Sarcastic expression flickering across his face as he spotted his other teacup on his work table And I talk about other people How many cups are needed for one cup of tea? They took the empty cup to his kitchen sink. No sense cluttering things up with a bunch of empty cups Imagine a young woman certainly not older than 40 making preparations to become a fat person Working steadily on the coat in front of him. He slipped in and out of a varied collection of thought patterns A loyal Chinese son from 1 to 20 a victim of famine at 20 a married man at 25 a widow were at 45 ghosts 15 years since her death 15 long years since her death He could not remember what he wanted to remember his ghost wife swirling around too swiftly for his mind to grasp He steered his attention back to the cloth in front of him Stitching gluing the pieces of cloth together was always a return to reality a Welfly customer a rich man who loved handmade silk shirts had asked him once Mr.. Chen don't you get fed up sometimes fed up? But up you know sewing all the time a smile remembering and stared out of the window for a moment How could you explain to someone who only cared about finished products what it means to create? To stitch a reality together the same matter also asked mr.. Chen have you ever considered opening a shop downtown? This this neighborhood has changed so much. What do you mean changed? Well, you know the class of people I've used to live in this neighborhood have all moved including me I Don't see any difference. Well, what do you mean? Oh, I know what you mean I've seen the color of the people change, but I'm still the same. I have not changed He finished the suit coat turn the closed sign around to the outside Locked the door and prepared himself a lunch of pork strips with bean paste a bowl of rice and as always hot tea He used his chopsticks as though there were surgical instruments After his meal he slouched against the back of his favorite chair side deeply and calmly looked around The shop was all he needed The shop on the living space behind it was his world He believed that and was content with his wife mr.. Chen had had a home because she felt it was a necessity She had been a source of strength and hope But each one of the children had been born dead three of them and then she had died Now there was only the shop a facade a counter to use for the defensive position a wall of racks on one side and Five paces behind the counter a heavy carved dragon screen that shielded his inner sanctum from the public He dug into his pocket with one precise motion and pulled out a thumbnail sized piece of Jade a gift from his father 40 years earlier He held the piece up to the light streaming in through his window turning it over to follow the dragon marbled inside After a few moments of intense study. He slipped the jay back into his pocket All men old Jade What does it matter in this day and age? Time to go back to work a strolled from the back and stiffened with mock seriousness when he spotted Leo's face at the door Hi, what you doing with the chance? Hello Leo. How are you this afternoon? Leo did an eye blurring double shuffle a perfect imitation of his idol Muhammad Ali I'm doing pretty good like hey life couldn't be better. I could have more of it But it couldn't be better. Mr. Chan frowned at the small tight muscle dark-skinned nappy-headed figure making restless movements in front of him What will happen to him? Blacks are almost Chinese in their world to survive He lives three blocks away with seven brothers and sisters in a basement that was once a dog kennel Life couldn't be better You want me to go shopping for you, Mr. Chan? Mr. Chan slowly nodded yes and walked behind the counter to scribble out a few items on a piece of scratch paper He strongly suspected that Leo couldn't read but his will to hustle was worth a half dollar Leo made a Brazilian dance movement through the door with a five dollar bill clutched in one hand the note for six items in the other a Half hour later. He danced back in He checked the items off against the list under Mr. Chan's indulged eyes onto the work table not exactly matching each item on the list with that on The table letters were still not quite words to him rice tea Two apples head of lettuce chicken wings and soy sauce. Thank you, Leo There are two quarters on my sewing machine led for you the bright voice chiming in his ears told him that he had lifted Leo spirits At least a half dollars worth People are always coming in with a cleaning their laundry or their stereotype notions. Mr. Chan Do you know Anything about kung fu or or acupuncture or herbal medicine? Oh, and wasn't Bruce Lee something else? No young man. I know absolutely nothing about any of those odds. I believe you have asked me these questions before oh But to all slender dark haired young man shuffled absolutely in place fumbling in the back of his mind for some means to use to get master Chan to speak the towel I like to I'd like to have some buttons on where oh Buttons for suspenders. I'm gonna wear suspenders with these they say it's better for your lower back And all you think you may pick them up tomorrow. Oh, oh, thank you, sir Oh, thank you very much He held back his urge to laugh as he watched the young man bow a little too deeply as he backed out Suddenly everything is oriental mysticism martial arts flower arranging food Well, at least they have not tried to deal with the complications of Chinese opera yet At twilight he locked the door to the shop and retreated to his living space for relaxation 106 Taiji positions for stimulation the daily newspaper He slowly lowered the newspaper after reading a few pages his face distorted with disgust fools The same old really sickness the same old dumb acts wars people doing the same old stupid things Won't we ever learn? He looked carefully around himself at his world What needy is there to go outside into that insane place? I have a large room with a toilet off to one side 10 shelves of the world's greatest minds an old-fashioned stove with an overhung shelf a Comfortable bed a window his eyes paused at the high window placed in the rear wall The window gave a perfectly cropped picture of a tree The tree more than any other single thing he could think of gave him a feeling of being in harmony with nature a Place in front to make a living a place and back to eat sleep read a window What else is necessary? So much unnecessary excitement in the world people ignoring the wealth in their minds searching instead for artificial entertainment as Usual when he felt himself on the verge of becoming too excited he heated water for tea Sometimes while waiting for the water to boil He felt himself becoming so lucid that it seemed as though life were passing in front of his mind And he could take an imaginary red pencil and cross out all of the weird repetitious mistakes people were making Do I think I am God? I'm assuming that we can feel that we know by now something of mr. Chan's view of life. I Would say yes, but we still haven't had an answer to our question Why doesn't he come out? 630 tight each one tea and two slices of day old bread with margarine for breakfast He moves more slowly in the morning having recognized years ago, but he was an afternoon person He stared at the budding branches crowding his window frame in a few more days. They will be fully open Wednesday only two more days before the weekend before I can close up and not be bothered for two whole days An imploring face making fish-like motions with his mouth through the glass of the front door Greeted him as he emerged from his living area Looks like someone needs emergency repairs He carefully studied the face to make certain that it was anxiety and not larceny that he saw it was anxiety 27 year old man bloodshot blue eyes a weak chin nervous and insecure attitude So begins my day and what can I do for you this morning young man mr. Oh, mr. The name is child mr. Chan you won't believe this it may sound absolutely incredible to you He took note of the hand-sewn kangaroo hide loafers the well-tailed slacks the well stitched seams of the French made shirt His conclusion a wealthy person. I can assure you nothing has sounded incredible to me for a long time The young man a Lawrence of the Evanston Northwestern University Lawrence's paused to fix a shrewd eye on mr. Chan's face Well, uh in that case here's my problem. I'm being pledged to alpha pi gamma mr. Chan rolled his eyes upward and shrugged body language that clearly indicated what his attitude towards alpha pi gamma was Yeah, I know it's nonsense, but it's the fraternity for my Set I mean you're either in it or you're out of it if you know what I mean Yes Well, I just gotta be in my dad and uncle were officers in pi gamma when they were in college At any rate, I have ten challenges to me. This is number six What I have to do is have a suit made by Friday at six o'clock you'll speak of this as a challenge I don't quite understand. Oh a challenge number six is to have a Chinese tailor who didn't live in Chinatown to make me a suit They call it my Hong Kong challenge. I'm really fortunate to have found you It was difficult for mr. Chan to place the feeling he had Just another piece of tailoring. That was no problem Maybe he reasoned the disturbing part of it had to do with the young man being required to seek out a Chinese tailor The challenge phrases though some coolie were being used to carry it out. It will cost you four hundred dollars It'll definitely be ready by Friday at five definitely great Now let us make a choice of material or whatever you choose is okay. See you Friday. I got a run challenge number seven lies ahead Mr. Chan stared at the four one hundred dollar bills on the counter and at the bolts of cloth He kept underneath the counter and sadly shook his head from side to side The rich too bad about some of them They think they can buy anything and have everything their way he split the money into two piles One pile for the legitimate cost of the suit and the other pile for other purposes Maybe I'll send it to my sister in San Francisco. She likes money He stooped to lift the bolt of old-fashioned gingham from beneath the counter a sly smile Sliding across his brain wonder how his fraternity brothers were like this suit The pattern for a futuristic coat with zoot suit pants was already taking shape in his mind Mr. Chan didn't object to Nona Benson's presence in his shop He liked her company despite the fact that she had a peculiar almost funny notion about him on the positive side There were both artists she with her patchwork quilts The problem that he had with her was that she loved to talk too much Couple to that was the notion that she didn't think that he understood English very well Which forced her she thought to lapse into her own brand of pigeon He had decided not to try to fight her mistaken opinion of his language skills years back Even when customers came in while she was there and he spoke perfectly normal English She still refused to believe that he spoke perfectly normal English Why are you no golden night school learn English? You know what me saying. Oh, I have thought did your wife speak it. I Say you white she English speak He paused in his work. Did she speak English had she spoken English? They'd always spoken to each other and Mandarin whenever they spoke at all Yes, he recalls. She had spoken English more or less Now that's what I mean. You hear what I'm asking you, but you don't understand. I Can tell from the look on your face. I Repeat what I said real slow now listen close you white Huh, yes, my wife good. That's good. All you have to do is practice after a while. It'll be easier you see I guess it's time me to get on get my housework done Do a little quilt you quilting I've been really up to my neck and quilts for the last few months Bunch of ladies in my church especially younger ones got it in their heads They just had to have a homemade quilt they seem to think it's some kind of artwork or something Ain't too many people do that kind of thing these days We really too much to it all it takes is just sitting down and after you get your materials together Just taking your time to put things together right? Yes, you take it easy here Think about that school thing Remember you're only as old as you feel Gracefully at him as she strolled out of the shop calmly on rush her voice seemed to echo in the shop. He paused in his work school She always seems to leave something behind some thought and idea school The young lady standing at his side caught him off guard having popped through the open door while his attention was elsewhere He hated to have people catch him daydreaming thinking about the past or future It gave them the impression he thought that he might be senile Mr. Chan is my name is Monique Feldman He stared at the young woman's hand He had not shaken a woman's hand in years and never a Chinese woman's hand Unless she Japanese her handshake was firm her palm warm. Oh, I know you're puzzled by my name My husband is Jewish. He nodded slightly to indicate that he understood her explanation But we're still puzzled. Is she Japanese Chinese Thai or what? So tall for an oriental Hard to figure out what's what with this younger generation Mr. Chan our agency the new Asian American Alliance is doing a citywide survey to determine the number of Asian senior citizens and Find out how we can be of service to them. He felt tempted to invite her to have some tea with him It was so nice to meet someone who cared about others I do not need any help of any kind Mrs. Feldman. Thank you She seemed to be depressed for a moment and then her face brightened. Well, I'd like to leave my card just in case The new Asian Alliance would like to help in any way we can you see we help secure health services and provide you with Domestic aid if necessary offer you meal tickets that can be used at the Asian Alliance Center The address is here on the card and we'll also provide you free Transportation to the senior citizens outing that we sponsor twice a month All you have to do is give us a call and we'll try to do whatever we can My name is in the upper left-hand corner. Thank you, Mrs. Feldman Well, thank you for being kind enough to allow me to disturb your work my pleasure She surprised him by bowing an expression that stamped her in his mind as a well-bred young person with a sense of tradition He studied her as she strolled out of the shop legs like a white woman taller than all the women of my generation very business-like honest sincere The new Asian American Alliance wonder what happened to Oriental Well new times new titles Really nice of people to think of other people No doubt in my mind with her good manners. She must be Chinese That evening he had gone through a half-dozen unreasonable situations Including a visit from two men who insisted that he buy a transistor radio for $50. Oh, come on pops We know you got some money. Yeah, we know you got some money all we want is $50 You give us 50 bucks for this cute little radio here, and we won't be bugging you no more How dare you come into my shop and set on me get out get out both of you and stay out Cool man. Yeah, be cool. We was just trying to sell a little make you down That evening he sat in his favorite chair and stared through his window at the paleness of the moon The freshly-butted branches making dragon patterns in the foreground Mentally flicking back through the horrible designs a woman had asked him to so but lady. Don't you see? Draw strings or thick elastic at that point of the legs would hinder circulation Clothes should not constrict. I hardly see the point after all this is a 20th century and people no longer dressed for comfort People dressed for style Yes, unfortunately, that is too often the case I'm sorry. I cannot join the fashion parade. I believe more in people than fashions He leaned forward in his chair identified the noise Though why no ghosts are starting to drink at my back door and our earlier these days He shuffled away from his chair to heat water for tea Poured himself a cup and returned to his chair feeling old and tired So many crazy people running around Maybe it's the food they eat that drives them crazy all of the stuff with sugar in it Too much false energy they bounce around like rubber balls the children worst of all Some people eat too much some people eat too little What is so difficult about practicing moderation in all things? Telephone slaves crazy wars between people of the same race religion and color and Wars between people of different races religions and color all the same stupid The old against the young young against the old the top against the bottom and vice versa And they excuse it by saying that's the way it's always been Fools so much unnatural pain in the world People have forgotten what real pain is The pain you have when a loved one dies or you stick a needle in your thumb They have developed synthetic pain pain that they deliberately cultivate and try to treat with pills Strange drugs that cause more pain than they cure a place to stick up beside his chair And pulled his jade piece from his pocket. It felt cool to his touch. What did the world happen? In my lifetime is 60 year old man. I have seen life lose its meaning The rich have more and the poor have less of what? money or madness What does it matter? We all of us are being murdered by the air we breeze every day even the babies A breeze stirred the branches in front of the full moon Rippling a lovely jagged pattern within the picture frame of his window He rubbed the smooth jade between his right thumb and forefinger The moonshine glistening on the tears that slid down over his high cheek bones has said The seed for at least one contradictory act rests in all of us There are people who seem to be living an exemplary life one day and become murderous the next day Offering us no obvious clues for their behavior Mr. Chan a sane logical and very humane Individual may have suffered at the last minute from a contradictory impulse Each of us can reach our own conclusion Only mr. Chan really knows Susie Tyson again with the concluding act of Mr. Chan. Oh That's a superb job. So really superb. There's just something about the oriental sense of aesthetics You know of the yin and yang that makes Mr. Chan fixed a blank expression on his face and stare at past the pale young man Immediately realizing that he had made a mistake if I stare past him trying to blot him out He'd think I'm being inscrutable or the time meditating or something damned if I do damned if I don't If you recall mr. Chan lay out say one set that will be two dollars, please. Hmm. Oh, yeah, two dollars. Oh, thank you, sir I hope we can talk again sometime I find that I know a little more each time we talk you recall the proverb from the towel He who speaks does know and he who does not speak no, I mean no He who speaks does not know there's the Chan pocket of the payment had folded his arms across his chest Momentarily forgetting the sage-like image that was projected by that gesture as he watched the young man bow out of the door He had to group himself inside to keep from laughing as the young man bowed back in. Oh I Forgot my pants The comical customer gone the urge to laugh gone He stood behind the counter his arms still crossed Watching people enter and exit the picture frame of his shop window. They are like robots on a treadmill The thought depressed him so badly. He sat immobilized at his machine for five minutes Before he could get back into the spirit of sewing Whether they knew it or not the door of mr. Chan's shop was the stage entrance for his customers His moment to grasp their rhythms form a notion of how they felt about themselves and him He had started joking with himself in his 50th year about painting another sign under our Chan door Ecologist They revealed themselves when they walked into his space in the colder months It was more difficult to figure things out because people and their vibrations took time to thaw Spring and summer were rich times for dorology Some people peaked into his shop through the screen door in the summer He hesitated to put the screen up until the flies became too annoying as though they were looking into a tunnel Others open the door and staggered in Not quite certain of their reasons for being there or anywhere The black people in the neighborhood tended to ignore him to them He was simply Chan the Chinese tailor man miss Nona Benson's friend They didn't want any suits made and they did their own sewing The Puerto Ricans also ignored him, but from time to time Shiley asked him to put a communion dress together Those Asians who patronized him even the non-Chinese show deep respect for a man in his age Who practiced the religion that needed no preaching and was a master of his art He had problems sometimes with a certain type the kind of people who had recently acquired money in some odd way And thought it would be in to have a masterpiece from Mr. Chan The more he suffered from their attention the more in he became The others were just like everybody else They simply wanted someone to put something together that they were too lazy or didn't know how to do themselves He stopped stitching to give his full attention to the figure standing in the half-open door The fraternity brother-to-be dressed in a little boy blue outfit Complete with ruffled shirt straw bonnet and a sun-sized all-day sucker. He looked ridiculous and knew it This outfit is one of my challenges Now my suit you got my suit done. Yes, I have it right under here Here you are the fraternity brother-to-be steered at the narrow cuffs the balloon knees the bullfighters waistband The zoot suit code with the narrow lapels and blinked. I I didn't specify what style or what kind of material did I know no you did not you were in a rush I had to make a guess at your measurements. I Must tell you I almost decided not to do the work, but I promised I would have you a suit this evening So here it is. I'm sure to create a sensation one way or another Maybe they'll see the funny side of it. I hope at any rate my Hong Kong challenge has been met Perhaps I could drop back in and pick out the material for a couple of suits one day when I got lots of time Any weekday my shop is at your disposal. I am open from 7 30 till 4 in the winter 8 30 to 6 in the spring summer and fall. Oh great. See ya He felt a slight tinge of affection for the fraternity brother-to-be for the sensible way He had chosen to deal with the gingham horror suit joke Alphabet gumbo Friday evening the shop door locked his chair positioned in the toilet room to study the moon play through the budding branches two days older since he had last noticed them He rocked slightly intoxicated by the luminous ray that washed over his frail body His life flashing through all the seasons he had sat staring at the moon Scenes of a china the world would never know again flickered through his mind ghosts Thousands of people in a line Their rice bowls held out begging for food for a chance to live Coolies men with bitter strength hauling loads on their backs that an animal would crumble under Faces so lean from hunger that the bones of the skull show through the skin No food of any kind grass bark from the tree's leaves all eaten famine Diseases people starving to death burning with fever mother father older brother dead cremated Oh Someone trying to break in hey look like an olive line, man He leaned back in his chair his body alert but relaxed Just why no ghosts nothing to worry about they are just killing themselves He pulled the jade piece from his pocket and rubbed it in his hand He strained to see a slow-moving herd of clouds passed between the budding branches and the moon Coming out of a deep sleep a half hour later the blurred outline of a bad dream still in his brain He could smell something wrong money always money People robbing other people for its stealing cheating doing anything for it For coins and papers that never grow warmer no matter how many hands strips them It was smoke He could identify the odor of the cloth scraps he threw in the alley trash cans For a moment. He stiffened from the impulse to get out of his chair to escape the approaching fire The wisps of smoke drifting up past his window held him in place The further up the scale we go the more unrike animals we become at least animals are honest with each other He squeezed his eyes shut tried to blot out all of the horrible pictures his mind held Maybe they have all been bad dreams all of them all of it For a moment. He felt completely divided one part of himself straining to move to safety from the fire The other part straining not to move the two forces neutralized him A stone facade and a wooden body of poor quality dishonest workmanship The small neighborhood group milling around outside mr. Chan's gutted shop Swilled with excitement as an ambulance crew wheeled his body out of the smoking wooden stone The damp odor of wool adding another element Leo his dancing feet planted solidly on the sidewalk sobbed quietly Tears tracing clear patterns down the sides of his young old face Mrs. Nona Benson a flowered handkerchief held to her face mumbled over and over through her tears I've been telling the learnings for the longest time Maybe you didn't want to learn any more than we already knew Here's roebuck and company where our policy is Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back Sears where America shops for value Mr. Chan was written by Odie Hawkins Produced and directed by Fletcher Marco Your hostess was Sicily Tyson Our stars were Joseph Campanella and Marvin Miller Featured in the cast were Paula Winslow, Don Diamond, Lou Horne, Corey Burton, Madey Norman, and Don Blakely The music for Sears radio theater was composed and conducted by Nelson Riddle This is our Gilmore speaking The Elliott Lewis production of Sears radio theater is the presentation of CBI