 remember a hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best tonight from Hollywood the makers of hallmark greeting cards bring you Charles Bickford in Kenyon Nicholson's The Barker on the Hallmark Playhouse each week Hallmark will bring you Hollywood's greatest stars in outstanding stories chosen by one of the world's best known authors they distinguish novelist Mr. James Hilton good evening ladies and gentlemen this is James Hilton tonight on our hallmark playhouse we present our dramatization of a play that portrays a familiar slice of American life it is The Barker by Mr. Kenyon Nicholson and it has the fascinating background of a carnival I suppose there's nobody who doesn't enjoy a carnival for its color, gaiety, and high spirits under the summer skies the carnival is a world of its own with its own glamour, its own nostalgias, its own excitement, passions, and heart Mr. Nicholson has captured all this with much skill and no wonder because well you know it's rare to find a university professor traveling with a carnival and it's equally rare to find a carnival man who is a professor of dramatic composition at a university but Mr. Nicholson is this rarity and the result is a very fine play we are happy to have in the starting role that excellent actor Mr. Charles Bickford and now Frank Goss have you a word about hallmark hallmark is the name to remember when you want to remember your friends for birthdays weddings anniversaries holidays there is a quality about hallmark cards that whispers good taste and you'll send them with pride for that identifying hallmark on the back adds meaning it says you cared enough to send the very best now hallmark playhouse presenting Kenyon Nicholson's the Barker starring Charles Bickford right up ladies and gentlemen step right up step a little closer please we're now standing in front of the big feature attraction of Colonel Gowdy's big city show the biggest show for the money that has ever played your beautiful little city on the inside you'll see Princess Kaleema the pride of Sonny Honolulu playing and singing haunting melodies from those far off islands of the Pacific hurry up with that dressing princess you want to go to that dance with me can't stop isn't fast and nifty come on in good show tonight kid thanks say what this dance we're going to it's some local fraternal order we got to go it's good for business I like that dress makes your eyes look blue they are blue nifty when are we going to get now look kid don't start that again we'll never get to the dance it's been six years tonight since we got engaged do you realize that I told you then you were crazy to accept me I got a kid to put through college before I can think about getting married again it's a law college it's gonna cost me plenty gee that kids are wonder got brains to living on the farm with his grandparents has made him a regular husky nifty I'd be glad to help out on the kids college oh I gotta do it he isn't your responsibility carry is mine look baby I don't blame me for getting a patient I wouldn't blame you for walking out I'd never walk out on you you know that hey nifty you in there with Carrie yep what is it happened there's a friend of yours out here gonna send them in sure who is it hello dad Chris well I'll be hanged where's your hat well that's a fine way to welcome your long-lost son I must say hurry this is Chris hi Chris this is Carrie I do what the heck are you doing here what you do run off from your grandpa and grandma no they knew I was leaving I got loads of them to see you so I took the first freight out for here you hopped a freight what's it good of me shelling out of good money to get you educated if you're gonna be a bum dad schools let out for the summer seemed to me it was time we got acquainted I thought you'd be glad to see me well it isn't that I'm not glad to see you but I don't want you mixed up in this kind of life you're gonna be a lawyer gotta have a little class to you you're 19 now ain't you going on 20 dead I'm like you I don't want to be stuck on a farm I'm gonna travel you run the show for Colonel Gowdy I thought maybe you'd get him to give me a job you're forgetting about being a lawyer oh no I'm gonna be a lawyer like you want me to and after I've been on the road for a summer I'll be good and ready to get down to studying again you see if I won't well if you didn't stay it'll be only be for the summer you'd have to work thanks dad I'll work I'll do anything you're gonna be a great summer a great summer sure is sure it is come on kid I'll get you settled what about that dance it's too late now that boat sailed yeah that's what I'm afraid of your son oh hiya dad I finished saw on this pile of lumber for the new booth good for you and I'm I start well lunch is only 15 minutes off you like the carnival as much as you thought you would oh I like it more what a way to live every week a new part of the country new people new sites every time you come to you you fall in love with your country all over again yeah it's a pretty good country and the folks in the carnival there's swell you're lucky to have a girl like Carrie oh wait a minute did you think I didn't know about Carrie all you have to do is see you two together you know seeing you two together has made me realize what a girl like that can mean in your life don't you go getting a lot of ideas you're just a romantic kid I'm managing a lot of things Carrie I've been thinking things over and I decided the only thing to do is lay our cards on the table you and me have been calling together for some time and but well it comes down to this we're through oh understand this isn't something I'm doing on the spur of the moment but well there are other things to consider we got to call it a day that's all oh nifty you don't mean what have I done what have I said you want me to get along better with a kid you want me to know it's just well it's just not going to work out that's all nifty I don't even want to live without you I don't know what I do without you don't get me wrong I'm not ditching you as far as the show is concerned you're a swell little dancer you can have your job as long as I'm boss of the outfit all I mean is the you and me part of nifty no don't do this to me all the plans we've made Harry I don't like this any better than you do but it's the way things have to be and that's all there is to it I've got to think of Chris Chris also that's it I'm not good enough for your precious Chris try to understand you said what you came to say now get out of here get out what's the matter oh is that all well don't cry like that you make up before the show you always do no not this time oh no you'd think I was dirt under his feet it's that kid everything was all right till that kid walked in here yeah to have make me sick with their fine air someday that kid will show it someday he'll find out what it's like to love someone and then have him walk out on you wait till that kid pulls for some girl all I hope is I'm around to see it wait a minute maybe nifty would come back to me Lou would you do it would I do it would you help me get the kid away from nifty oh now wait a minute he's too young for me older than you are listen I've seen the kid looking at you he's got a crush on you now Lou if you had the stake you blow the show tomorrow wouldn't I sure would oh if you'll make this kid fall for y'all give you a hundred bucks a hundred bucks will you do it I'd sure be a sucker not to try wouldn't I was just watching the people shoot the ducks none of the customers seem to be doing very well I bet you could hit on right away half you're not very busy give Chris a gun Lou here you are Chris go ahead try it see I told you you could do it she was was easy hand the gentleman down a cupey dog no no thanks app thanks for the shooting don't mention it it's a beautiful night isn't it it sure is what did you used to do back home on nights like this oh I go over to my girl's house a special girl no whatever girl it happened to be and we'd go for a walk and talk do you feel like taking a walk tonight I sure do if you'll come with me well let's go oh I'm sorry dad told you to get up and build them jacks you want to stay around here you gotta brace up and take more interest in what's going on you get to bed night you wouldn't be so groggy mornings where'd you go last night after we shut down here I looked around for you oh I was nowhere's in particular I took a walk look I don't mean to be nosy Chris but I'm counting on you you and me hit it off pretty good and there's no reason why after you get to be a lawyer we can't settle down some ways together I've got plans for us Chris just think how nice it'll be to have an office of your own people coming to you to get them out of trouble more dough than you'll know what to do with come on Chris let's be pals what do you say aren't we dead these last few days I'm not sure I'm not sure Chris look at the Ferris wheel in the carnival down there looks like a kid's toy doesn't it yeah it's like another world up here on top of the hill you know it's funny I always knew that someday there'd be one special girl but I thought I'd have to look for a long time I never dreamed I'd find you so soon Chris there's something I got to tell you the only thing I want you to tell me is yes I'll marry you don't know Chris there's something you've got to listen to something I've got to tell you you mean about Carrie and a hundred dollars you know about that honest people who live in tents don't really have secrets from each other it doesn't matter how it started all that matters is how we take it from here oh Chris I I don't know what to say to you I told you what to say I'm not good enough for you that isn't what I want to hear oh Chris what am I gonna do with you just love me I do I do love you Chris then will you marry me Lou Chris thank you so much I guess that calls for a kiss I thought so you thought you're putting something over on me sneaking off up here didn't you but I followed you get out Lou I want to talk to Chris go ahead honey I'll see you back again I'm glad you followed us dad I'm glad you know about Lou and me I was wondering how to tell you dad I'm in love with Lou and love and Lou's in love with me you bet she is she loves you so much she took a hundred bucks to get you to fall for it you didn't know that did you yes I knew it she was doing it for Carrie someone had to do something for Carrie when you walked out on her it's my business thought you were too good for it didn't you you think it's so good for everyone in the carnival well okay I guess that makes you too good for me to know I'm not too good for them this is my life these are my people but they're not yours you're going to be a lawyer you're gonna be a big man with important friends you're gonna marry the right kind of girl from the right kind of family dad you got Lou all wrong she told me about the hundred bucks herself she wasn't gonna take the money well she'd better she'll need it she's fired that's right we don't want it with the show anymore who doesn't want you I'm the boss of the show and I say she's through then I'm going with it you're doing no such thing you can't make me stay you'll see whether I can make you a notch of my son and you'll do what I say I thought you were my friend as well as my father I'm being your friend now if you only had sense enough to realize it you're not gonna break low in the air no matter what you try you're not gonna break us up no well just watch me just watch me in a moment James Hilton will return to present the second act of the Barker starring Charles Bickford but first why didn't someone think of that before you know I think that's what you're going to say when you see your first hallmark bouquet for hallmark bouquets are something brand new and beautiful the most delightfully different greeting card you've ever seen each new hallmark bouquet brings you a graceful cutout basket topped with a large bow of crisp taffeta ribbon and brimming with beautiful flowers ruby red roses or alabaster gardenia's or delicate sweet peas so vividly reproduced you can almost sense their fragrance but unlike flowers that fade a hallmark bouquet keeps its beauty always yes these new hallmark bouquets are large and lovely and lasting and though they cost only 50 cents each one embodies the unmistakable good taste that distinguishes every card that bears the hallmark name there's a hallmark bouquet for that very particular anniversary or birthday or special get well cheer or just for a friendly greeting for every occasion that warrants extra thought and care and you'll find these exclusive hallmark bouquets at the friendly store where you buy your hallmark cards now james hilton in the second act of kenya nicholson's the barker starring charles bickford early the next morning chris and lou slipped away from the carnival and got married in the office of the justice of the peace they came back then to face what they knew they had to face lou was alone in her tent when nifty walk in i just talked to chris you tell me what you're done i ought to shove my fist right down your throat no you're trying to scare me nifty well scare easy what's your game i haven't got any game i married him because i love him you're loving him's only more reason for letting him go he's not your kind he's only a green country kid that doesn't know the score lou he'll never forgive you for tricking him in the marriage i didn't trick him ask him yourself talk to him tell him anything you want about me see if you can make him change his mind leave me alone with sure are you packed well your daddy doesn't seem to fancy me as a daughter in law first i want to talk to you lou you know what you said i'll be outside honey if you want where you're going i told him i'd step out while he has his say he can say it in front of you anything he has to say to one of us is for both of us now what's on your mind dad what did you want to say nothing nothing at all go away with her don't ever let me see you again she's got you she can keep you you ain't worth saving okay that's the way you feel about it okay come on lou so long nifty sit down nifty you're hitting my arm just one question i want you to answer if you lie to me i'll kill you did you get lou to take him away from me did you answer me no you're lying you know you are doing let go of her kill me get out hey what's going on here it was nothing kind of gaudy just a just a little step go to your tent carry nifty you run this show for me if you don't want carry here all you have to do is to say so and we'll fire but we can't have scenes like this going on i don't care what you do with her now i'm leaving kennel you you know you don't mean that nifty i need you haven't i always played square with you yeah but i'm going just the same i can't stand it here any longer but nifty look stay okay when the season's over i'm through well nifty you picked one heck of a night to get out of the show business listen to that rain it's gonna clear up before showtime how do you know have i ever missed well by the law of averages you gotta miss sometime where's doc i said i'd go over the spiel with him well doc's never going to draw the customers like you do he belongs right where he is in the pinball concession i'm nifty give it another chance you're gonna miss it i know it hap i want to miss a lot of things i'm gonna miss the lights and the smell of the popcon the peanuts i'm gonna miss the look of the towns when we're setting up the show in the early morning i'm gonna miss the faces of the little kids staring up at you and planking down their 10 cents i'm gonna miss that holiday air that comes in with the customers and i'm gonna miss all the gang the ribbings and the beefings that go on as well as the good times yep i'm gonna miss it all you shouldn't leave nifty this is where you belong well i'm leaving uh nifty i uh i got a card from lou and chris they're okay what the heck do i care i uh i'll just leave it here on the table maybe you'd like to look at it before you go what do you want carry i know you didn't want to see me but i had to come all the same i want to talk to you we got nothing to say look i'm getting out of here but i don't see why after all these weeks you two can't get some sense in your heads and part friends see you later what have you got to say to me well first of all i i'm not here with any idea of getting you to make it up with me i just wanted to say that even though you have kicked me off the show i i'm i'm sorry i didn't think too much about what i was doing when i got loo to go after yeah well it's a little late for post mortems i know you won't forgive me but i had to say it anyhow i'm sorry and good luck nifty hey nifty what do you think it's stop raining it's clearing all hey nifty tell you want to hear me do this spiel yeah sure yeah all right uh ladies and gentlemen uh step right up you're now standing in front of the front of the big feature show the middle way the biggest show gary you're going on tonight no you know you put one of the other girls from the park well just for all time's sake maybe you better go on oh nifty well don't stand there blubbering go get your costume on thanks nifty the biggest show of the money ever played your time what's i'm steam into it don't just talk words get right down and tell him about it believe it yourself yeah sure now we introduce in princess uh yeah let's see a little bit of a kalima a little bit of the pride of sunny hana lula yeah step out a little closer there uh you're now standing in front of the big feature show the middle way gary's dying on his feet nifty you should never have taken him away from the pinball concession get a bigger show for the money as they replace your beautiful little city oh get up there nifty and show him how to do it yeah step right up on the inside you on the inside the inside ladies and gentlemen as my assistant has been telling you you'll see princess kalima the pride of sunny hana lula sure saved the day and if you'll reconsider your going away i'll i'll give you a quarter interest in the show well i have missed my train and i wouldn't want to see the show go on the rocks good good i'll hurry over to my wagon to make out the contract i don't go away oh gary gary your job's yours if you still want you uh would you uh uh well happens to be a dance at the most hall that the colonel thinks we should take in nifty i uh i have got a card from chris and lou it's right here lou's got a job hoping it in the nightclub chris is working in an office carry it's a law office he's going to get there yet you bet he is since he's married and settled down i don't see any reason why his old man shouldn't be we both made mistakes carry i almost made the biggest one of all tonight this is where i belong this is home you're my girl and baby if you'll have me it's going to be you and me in the midway from here on in yeah from here on in in a moment james helton and charles bickford will return but first haven't you often thought wouldn't it be wonderful if people could send their friends flowers that never fade flowers that would stay bright and beautiful forever that's just what you can do now with the new hallmark bouquets the newest kind of greeting card each hallmark bouquet is a delicately cut out basket that stands by itself nine inches high overflowing with beautiful flowers and topped with a large bow of chris paffeta ribbon there is a card carrying your greeting tied at the top of the basket and when you open the bouquet there is your friendly message whatever the occasion for graduations for birthdays for anniversaries to cheer someone who was ill or just to say hello you'll find the hallmark bouquet that will give lasting pleasure to those you remember they cost only fifty cents each but they look so expensive discover this original and charming way to remember your friends stop in tomorrow at the friendly store where you buy your hallmark cards and ask to see the new hallmark bouquets here again is james helton it's very exciting to hear a character portrait just as you imagined when you first read the play and mr bickford i want to thank you for giving me this experience tonight it was a pleasure for me too and thanks to lorraine tuttle gloria blondell bill tracy and the rest of the cast you know i look forward every week to the fine programs you have on the hallmark playhouse in fact it's pretty hard to forget how i'll mark under any conditions you see those greeting cards of yours are such constant reminders of very pleasant associations well that's very nice of you to say mr bickford it's good to know you've enjoyed being here as much as we've enjoyed having you and we hope you'll be listening next week when we present a b shifrin's i like it here starring paul lucas our hallmark playhouses every thursday our director producer is d engelbach our music is composed and conducted by lin marie and our script tonight was adapted by gene holloway ladies and gentlemen for 27 years america has remembered her disabled servicemen by wearing red paper poppy those poppies go on sale next saturday in the american legion auxiliaries annual drive show your remembrance of the sacrifice our servicemen made by making this year's poppy sale the biggest yet until next thursday then this is james elton saying goodnight look for hallmark cards that are sold only in stores that have been carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service remember hallmark cards when you carry enough to send the very best charles bickford will soon be seen co-starred with bing crosby in the paramount picture riding high this is frank gauss saying goodnight to you all and inviting you next thursday and every thursday you'll tune in one half hour earlier and listen to the adventures of kasey crime photographer followed by the hallmark playhouse this is cbs the columbia broadcasting system