 Family Theater presents Jane Wyman and Jack Haley. From Hollywood, Family Theater presents Uncle Jin, starring Jane Wyman. To introduce the drama, here is your host, Jack Haley. Thank you, Larry Chatterton. Family Theater's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives. If we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theater urges you to pray. Pray together as a family. And now to our transcribed drama, Uncle Jin, starring Jane Wyman. Oh, Miss Carolyn, come in, come in. Hello, Hannah. Oh, it's good to see you. It's good to be back, Hannah. You look tired. Didn't you enjoy your trip? It was all right. At least it got me away from things for a while. I know. Why don't you go into the drawing room, Miss Carolyn? I'm fixing some lunch for you and Mr. Wilkinson. Is he here yet? Oh, he's on his way. He just phoned from the office. I don't think I'll ever be able to see this room again as it really is. Well, that's just the scent of the flowers, Miss Carolyn. I've tried to air it out, but you can still smell them. There were a lot of flowers, weren't there? Your Uncle Jin had a lot of friends. Oh, don't cry, Hannah. I'm so sorry. It's just that I miss him so. We both miss him, don't we? He'd be furious with me, blubbering like this. More likely he'd laugh his head off. Yes, I guess he would at that. Miss Carolyn? Yes, Hannah? You didn't mean what you said at the funeral, did you? About not living here anymore? I guess I meant it at the time, Hannah. This big place seems so empty with him gone. But you'll stay on now, won't you? Well, perhaps we'd better wait and see whom this house belongs to before I make any promises. Oh, sure, Miss Carolyn. You're his only living relative. Who else would he leave it to? I suppose you're right. Well, you're going to be a wealthy woman. Mind if you aren't. Oh, that must be Mr. Wilkinson. Well, I'll get it, Hannah. All right. Lent you'll be right in a few minutes. Yeah, Carolyn, how are you? Just fine, Ed, and you? Oh, get along, get along. Yeah, looks like that vacation agreed with you. You've got a good time. Well, I should have. I sat on the beach most of the time. And looked at the sea and thought about life? I guess I did that, too. Here, let me take your briefcase. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I'm going to need it right now. Let's sit down and get the legalities over with. Can't you just tell me what's in the will? I can. Meet any young men while you were away? Few. Anyone in particular? Now, what's that question supposed to mean? Well, you know anyone you took a shine to? No. Pity. Pity. Understand, Bill Keely, you thought you were great stuff. And just which one of your spies turned up that little item? I happened to have lunch with his father over in Lockport yesterday. You ought to keep that alive. Bill's a fine boy. I'd hardly call him that. He's 34. Oh, vital statistics. What's his favorite color? I don't know, and I care less. Carolyn, what's the trouble? What's holding you back? You've had your share of admirers. You mean Jim Franklin's niece has had her share of admirers. Ah, that's nonsense. Look, Ed, it happens too much. I'm Carolyn Barker when I go somewhere, and I'm left strictly alone until I run into someone who knows or knew Uncle Jim. At which point, my admirers appear romantically sniffing the fresh, clean odor of green bags. Do you honestly think that's what Bill Keely liked about you, Jim's money? I'm just telling you how it happens. How it always happens. Well, this document at least puts an end to that phase of your life. What do you mean? Well, from now on, it won't be your uncle's money. The gigalos are after. It'll be your own. He left it all to me? Except for a few thousand to his housekeeper, Hannah. And even though this is your place now, Hannah comes with it. Guaranteed lifetime job. I wouldn't think of doing it any other way. Also, there's a lot of technical gibberish here, which translated roughly means that this isn't the complete will. There are additional cuttersils. Where? In a safety deposit wall downtown. Well, shouldn't they be included in this too? Well, I'll be Frank Carroll and I don't know what kind of hocus pocus Jim was up to when he made this well. I drew up this portion of it and it's legally airtight. It provides certain conditions you have to meet and it mentions the cuttersils, designates the location of the safety deposit box. I've never seen them. I don't know what they provide. Well, I suppose we ought to go get them. Not for three months. That's one of the conditions. There's two of them. Two separate sealed documents. You open the first in three months, the second in six months. Don't ask me what they're all about. I don't know. This doesn't sound like Uncle Jim. Well, he must have had something in mind. And as I said, it's legal. You've got to go along with it. You said there was more than one condition. Mm-hmm. Two more. Very simple. You have to reside here in the house for the next year. Well, I expect to stay on longer than that. And every other Saturday night, starting this coming one, you have to have at least 10 guests for dinner. What? No less than half of whom must be unmarried men below the age of 40. Well, that's the most preposterous thing I ever heard of. Well, I won't do it. Uncle Jim wouldn't expect me to... He wrote the will. Well, I won't do it. And for every Saturday you skip, $5,000 of the estate goes to a worthy charity that I shall designate. I don't believe it. Read the writing. $5,000 to whatever charitable organization my attorney, Edward J. Wilkinson, shall deem deserving. And why? Why would he do this? It's a cruel, cruel joke. He knew how I felt. Maybe that's exactly why he did it. Because he knew how you felt. Well, it just isn't like him. He was always so kind and thoughtful. Well, in regard, this will is very kind and thoughtful. He wants you to go out and meet the world. He wants you to stop trying to figure out why people like you and just be grateful that they do. But it isn't fair. Most rich girls enjoy giving parties. 10 guests for dinner. It's a good round number. Half of whom must be unmarried men below 40. I want you to know that you can count on me to strengthen the ranks of the other half. Well, I won't do it. Suit yourself. I think I'll earmark that first 5,000 for the Red Cross. Oh, not this Saturday or the next one. Then there's the Polio Foundation. Or the one after that. Muscular dystrophy. I don't care if it soaks up every nickel he left me. I will not, not, not go fishing for a husband. Very good dinner, Karen. I'm glad you enjoyed it. All in all, quite a successful evening so far. Except for the Red Cross. Yes, yes. You know, that would have been deductible. Then consider it deducted. I sent them a check. Oh, softy. But only for 500. Say, I didn't know young Keely could play the piano so well. Mm-hmm. Um, who's the blondie brought? I haven't the faintest idea. Her name is Muriel Weber and her father's president of the Lockport Federal Savings and Loan. She's 26. And that's a bleach job. I see. Well, if you ever pick up anything specific on her, let me know. You noticed how she hangs on to him like a vine. No, I haven't. Like a vine. Oh, then I suppose you've also noticed that he keeps looking over at you, like a hawk? No, I hadn't. Well, I could be wrong. What do you mean wrong? He's been staring at me. Oh, I thought you hadn't noticed. Very funny. Well, since he's staring, and he is, let's go over and hum a few bars of that, that porter thing. It isn't a porter thing. It's a curtain thing. Well, anyway, I knew it was from the Connecticut Yankee. Not from the Connecticut Yankee. Take my word for it. When the song's familiar, I don't know the title. It's always from the Connecticut Yankee. And all this chatter is designed to paralyze me, and I will not, not, not, not. You scare the fish. Hi, Carolyn. Bill. Mr. Wilkinson. Hey, the parties I'm always at, especially after 9.30. Uh, Miss Weber, I'm strictly a dancing man. Not a word. Follow me. Once around the floor. Say, I could use a little of that medicine. They smile. They nod. They acquiesce. All silently. Note that, William. All silently. Great. What's the secret? A legal mind. Say, how about something from the Connecticut Yankee? All right. Now let's see. I thought that was from Showboat. Dance and rest your legal mind. Fair enough. Miss Weber, I'll lead if you don't mind. I was just thinking. Yes. Now there was someone else here who played the piano. You and I could dance too. Yes, ma'am. What do you do for a living? Hello, new subject. I sell insurance. You want some insurance? No, I've got some. You want to go swimming tomorrow? With you? What's wrong with me? I can swim. Do you sell much insurance? As much as they'll buy. Let's go swimming tomorrow. I'll bring the hot dogs. All right. How can you talk and play the piano at the same time? Oh, it's a trick I worked out. Division of labor. You like the song? I love it. It's a good song. It tells the truth. Three months, first connoisseur. All right, whip it open. I'm a witness. You don't have to tear your hands off. I'm just interested. Well, what's it say? Why, this is ridiculous. What is it? I don't believe Uncle Jim made this thing. It's in his hand. But it isn't like him. What's it say? I have to keep a diary for the next three months. Oh, until we open the last envelope. I guess that's the idea. I'm just not going to do the rest of this. Such as what? Make a list of all the men I'm going out with. Names, dates, locations. That ought to be a cinch. Just put down Bill Keely every night, any place. I don't go out with him every night. Very well. Write your own diary. Well, this part is too much. I must present the diary to you at the end of the three month period for verification of the facts. I promise this to be very interesting. Well, I won't do it. Why not? You're in love with Bill, aren't you? Well, what's that got to do with it? Have you promised to marry him? No. Bill, counting your nickels, eh? Oh, and... I don't know what to do. About Bill? I want to believe everything he tells me. So much. And yet I don't dare. Mm-hmm. Does, um... Does he think you're in love with him? Oh, he knows I am. And he says he's in love with you? Yes. Then why don't you believe him? He believes you. I don't know. You're a lawyer. What's my next move? You've only got one. Yes. Keep the diary. Well, I've made an important discovery. Well, let's have it. Winter is the prettiest time of the year. Also the coldest. Especially at night. Look, all the different colored tree lights in the windows. As far down the street as you can see... I can't see past these packages I'm carrying. Describe the view, please. Well, it's Christmas Eve and we're trudging north on Maple Street. The nicer residential sections of town. I'll do the talking. A thousand pardons. North on Maple. Every bush and tree is covered with soft white mantle of new fallen snow. And no little of which is freezing the keely feet. The keely feet should be wearing overshoes. Never touch them. They make me walk pigeon-toed. It continues with a guided tour. Too late. End of the line. The Carolyn Morgan mansion. No relation to the banker. Miss Morgan herself swings open the heavy iron gate. And us pack animals fall in behind and follow her up to the stately colonial structure. It's windows of blaze with lights. The snow glistening on the wa... Oh, Phil, look out! Oh, I can't! Are you happy in your new snow drift? That's what I need, sympathy. Hey, what's going on out here? Hello, Ed. Just a little yule tide frolic. Yeah, fine thing, Carolyn. You invite me over to your house to wait up for Santa Claus and I have to do it single-handed. We had some last-minute shopping to do. And I've just settled down in the snow for a long winter's nap. Yeah, Bill, give me a hand. Thank you, Mr. Hooker. Let's get him inside before he freezes his wallet. Oh, go ahead, Bill. Go ahead. I've got the packages. All right. Oh, this is more like it. Crackling log on the hearth. Lights on the tree. And mistletoe hanging over... Say, Bill, look who's under the mistletoe. Stand still, young lady. Oh, Bill, don't... Bill! Honey, are you open my present now? Well, maybe we should wait. I've got it right here in my pocket. I've been wanting to give it to you all day, but... Bill, I know what it's going to be. Here. I didn't even wrap the box. Oh, Bill, I... It's not the most beautiful ring in the world, but... Will you wear it, Carol? I'm asking you to be my wife. I know. If, then, you'll excuse me. Oh, well, you don't have to go, Ed. There's nothing very private about this. I, um... I can't take your ring, Bill. I'm sorry. You won't marry me. I can't take your ring. I... I think that covers it. Well, now, for me, it doesn't. Are you trying to tell me there's... someone else? I'm not trying to tell you anything, except that I can't take your ring. But there isn't anyone else. I didn't think so. But you're pretty sure of yourself. I'm sure I've been in love with you for the last six months. Carol, isn't it just possible you're being a little hasty? No, Ed. It isn't possible. All right. You've thought it over. Yes, Bill. And your answer is no. It's no. Why? Just tell me that. The why is unimportant. The why is all important. For six months, I've watched you wrestling with something inside yourself, and I won't leave here tonight until I find out what it is. Tonight, two minutes ago, it was Christmas Eve, and now it's Judgment Day. What do you want? Don't you understand no? Can't you take no for an answer? No, and I find out why it's no. I've got a strong hunch you're in love with me. All right. And you must realize I'm in love with you. That's just what I don't realize. What? I don't know whether it's me you're in love with or my house or my money. Your money? Now, tell me you've never given my money a single thought. Of course I have. I've thought what a lot I'm asking to expect a rich girl to live on my salary. That's what I've thought, and I've thought about it plenty. I wish I could believe you. I don't have any ideas to prove it, but you'll never see him. Bill. A whole year's budget worked out to the dollar. Why didn't you tell me? You think it was a phony. You think everything's a phony. Oh, that's not true. You and your big bankroll. You're not in love. You don't love anything that doesn't bear interest. I didn't ask to be rich. Uncle Jim left me the money. Yeah. Well, you hang on tight every penny of it, Carol. That way, you'll never get tricked into being happy. Bill. And someday, when you start running out of that green stuff, give me a call. Bill, come back here. What? Come on back here. Oh, Ed, will you stay out of this? Sorry, I'm legally bound not to. Oh, what's this evidence talk? Yeah, you'll see in a minute. Legally bound not to what? You stay out of this. In fact, I mean it up to my neck. Or rather, your neck. Will you say what you mean? Happy to? I came back to tell you I'm leaving. I'll take no for an answer. Goodbye. Oh, Bill, wait a minute. I love you. I think we could have a life together, but I don't like the way you think. Hold on. Hold on, Bill. This concerns you both. What concerns us both? This last cortisol to the will. Today was the day. I couldn't run you down on the phone, so I went to the bank and got it myself. Ed, I won't help it. I'm sorry, Carolyn. I won't have you reading anything so private in front of Bill. It concerns Bill. It can't possibly concern him. And for that reason, I will not. Not, not let him. Carolyn, shut up. Precisely. And while I'm at it, Mr. Keegan. You'd better listen to this, both of you. It's meant for both of you. But that's ridiculous. How could Uncle Jim have known about Bill? He didn't, but he assumed there would be a Bill. And he left the rest of it up to me. The rest of what? Perpeting this last cortisol, for example. And reading the diary. Well, you'll never read it. I already have while you were out. It took some looking, but I found it. Ed, get out of my house. It isn't your house. Not anymore, Carolyn. It's Bill's. You're insane. Bill's? You mean mine? Yours. I quote from the last cortisol. When it shall become apparent to my attorney, Mr. Wilkinson, that my niece, Carolyn, has genuinely finally, and in fact, settled her affections upon any young man and is dissuaded from marrying him because of such doubts as she may have concerning the sincerity of his proposal. Then I instruct Mr. Wilkinson to transfer title to all of my earthly possessions to the young man in question. To the what? What does that mean? I put simply, Bill, it means that if Carolyn doesn't accept your proposal, you will come into an estate amounting to over $800,000. You mean if he doesn't marry me, he'll get rich? On your money. And if I do marry her? The money goes into a trust fund and each of your children get a share in it when they're 35. Well, that's impossible. It's as legal as the Bill of Rights. Well, I love it. This is the very best. This is really Christmas Eve. Bill, you wouldn't. Oh, I wouldn't, I... But you said you loved me. Oh, was that what I said? But you said it in front of Ed. He's a witness. All right. Maybe I do love you. Well, of course you do. But how do I know you don't want to marry me just for my money? But it's my money. Not anymore. It's mine. You heard the man. All I have to do is stay single and I'm rich. But you said you loved me. You said you wanted me to be your wife. Oh, maybe I do. But let's face it, all that money. Look what I'm giving up. But I would have married you. Really? Oh, it's easy for you to say that now. But this way it cost me, uh, how much, Ed? About $800,000. $800,000 to marry you. I'm almost 35 now. I'll be 70 years old before even our kids see any of it. But you said you loved me. That's what you said, isn't it? Sure. And I do. When you put on my ring, Carol. Bill. And marry me? Yes. Yes. Does this prove what you wanted to find out? Well, there's just one more thing, Bill. Yeah? Will you step over here under the mistletoe? Mrs. Jack Haley again. You know, there's something wonderful about a library in your home. Now I don't mean collector's items or first editions with uncut pages and all done up in cellophane, but friendly books. Books that become dog-eared from fond handling and warm companionship. Books that grow better with reading and re-reading. Yes, that's the wonderful thing about a library. It's selective. You can choose as companions all the best minds of every age. Summon them at will. Aristotle, Shakespeare, Socrates, Cicero, Dante, and Milton will share your quiet smoke. You can listen while George Washington bids farewell to his troops or hear Abe Lincoln teach the true meaning of democracy. Yes, a library is selective. You can choose your friends and they will give you help and counsel in many wise words. But even more selective is prayer. By prayer we invite God into our homes. He is the bidden guest. We speak to him and hear his answers in our hearts. We tell him our troubles and get his guidance. Books have much wisdom and Heaven knows we need wisdom in our times. But by prayer we go directly to the fount of wisdom. For God is wisdom uncreated. And remember always, the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood, Family Theater has brought you Uncle Jim starring Jane Wyman. Jack Haley was your host. Others in our cast were Mae Clark, Bill Johnstone and John Stevenson. The script was written by John T. Kelly and composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and was directed and transcribed for Family Theater by Joseph F. Mansfield. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage, screen and radio who give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Larry Chatterton expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to be with us again next week when Family Theater will present the wise guy starring Jack Bailey and Pat Crawley. Join us, won't you?