 Ladies and gentlemen the railroad out and here comes the star-studded show trade Tonight the association of American railroads presents a great musical hit the red mill Starring Gordon Macrae and his three guests Jack Smith Lucille Norman and Jack Kirkwood Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff and the music is arranged and conducted by Carmen drag Yes tonight another great musical hit is brought to you by the American railroads The same railroads that bring you most of the food you eat the clothes you wear the fuel you burn and all the other things You use in your daily life and now here is our star Gordon Macrae Good evening ladies and gentlemen on stage tonight is one of the happiest shows that ever hit Broadway the red mill Jack Smith and I are going to slip into a couple of checkered vests and straw hats We'll be sporting two of the corneas names that ever bounced off a balcony kid Connor and con kidder Lucille Norman is the lovely Gretchen and Jack Kirkwood plays her father the burgamaster of the little Dutch town of Kotvic on Z So here's act one of Victor Herbert's the red mill mr. Conductor if you please Oh Hey, what do you want to go to Europe for romance for the European girls will be crazy about you Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go. Well, not that there aren't plenty of lovely dishes right here in America If the spare afternoon you should happen to have and you start on the leisurely stroll up Fifth Avenue There is where with party You'll see them as they walk With velvets and laces and safefuls and holding them really you'll nearly drop dead I'm beholding them Lucky's the earl can marry a girl from Fifth Avenue New York in old New York New York the peach crops always fine They're sweet and fair and on the square the maids of Manhattan for mine You cannot see him get very in London or in The Queen you'll meet on any street in old New York Oh But just the same kid I'd like to make the trip say you could go to Paris and marry a French Countess or go to Holland And marry a Dutch Duchess. When is the boat sail tomorrow? We're off Goodbye, New York. We're sailing farewell to Queens and Bowling our home in green and roll and Rotterdam and court. Haha a kiss for each and every Pete. Goodbye Hi, Holland. Hey, we got to find a place to sleep tonight. Yeah, and it's got to be cheap sleep. We're broke Let's ask that little froy line over there. Okay. Hey Mabel. Yes, say miss Any idea where we could sleep tonight? Well, I don't know. Oh, how about that red mill? I'll let it be real warm and comfortable Yeah, very cozy you two and the ghost The mill is haunted Every night at midnight the ghost of a poor unhappy bride walks through the mill searching for her lost lover Hendrick Thank you and good night red mill What's your name Gretchen? Oh, why do you look so wretched Gretchen? Tomorrow is my wedding day tomorrow by this time I could be the wife of the fat old governor of Zealand. Oh, if you don't love him Why marry him my father is forcing me on a look pretty girl like you shouldn't worry Of course not the rover boys are here Got an idea. Yeah, she can't marry the governor of Zealand tomorrow She marries me right now. Why I hardly know you and you think of a better way to get acquainted I'm falling in love with you at 80 miles an hour and just wait until he shifts into second gear Oh, I don't understand how this happens so fast you haven't seen very many musical comedies have you girl I can give you a pretty simple explanation Love is a strange little elf in sprite Shooting his arrows to left and right Bagging the rare hearts with a glad surprise Almost too good to be true To the burger master. Oh, but my father is burger master here, so we'll have to go to the next town Just one moment my fine young friends father have you forgotten my dear Gretchen You are not marrying this silly young American, but his excellency the governor of Zealand You're pretty high-handed mr. Burger, mr. Back where we come from and little old New York a girl can marry anyone She chooses well, this is little old cut wick and z And Gretchen since you seem to be so fond of this old red mill I think I shall lock you up here overnight And here you shall stay until the governor arrives to lead you to the altar Hey, wait a minute you can't lock her up. You can't do this. You can't force it up. Yes. He can Good day gentlemen, you know, I think I've seen that guy someplace before yeah and a beer mug What's that? Oh, it's just the old mill turning looks just like a skeleton doesn't Waving its arms in the moonlight I want to go home Girl, I love is inside there, but the boy I love is outside here Gretchen Gretchen are you all right? Gretchen She's going there's somebody up there in the tower of the mill Gretchen. Is that you Gretchen? How'd you get way up there? Have you seen the ghost? Not yet. Well, when you see her ask her she's got a friend a live one. I Can't see your face in the moonlight. I know you're as lovely as the moon beams themselves Not an idea watch the blades in the mill Uh-huh. Now suppose you grabbed hold of one of the wings when it sweeps close to the ground Uh-huh. Hang on to it. You swing on up and rescue Gretchen out of the tower window on the way down Okay, I'll do it Gretchen. Can you hear me? Look, I'm gonna swing up in one of the arms of the mill and rescue you here. I go You're forgetting me out of that awful mill now. We've got to get away from your father Let's go to the next town get married. Yeah, and I'll stay here and stall the burgamaster when he unlocks that door tomorrow morning He's gonna find nothing but echoes inside that old red mill but first in the year just ended the American railroads operated each day a greater mileage of fast modern passenger train service than ever before and They increase their efficiency so that they move more tons of freight more miles for each hour of freight train service The gains in railroad efficiency and service of which these are but examples are due in large degree to the four billion dollars of railroad Money spent since the end of the war for improvements. The railroads have installed nearly 300,000 new freight cars. They have built 4700 new locomotives of which 40 350 are diesel electrics They have put into service enough new passenger train cars to make up more than 300 streamlined trains They have improved roadway terminals signals shops and all the other things it takes to run a railroad railroad earnings in 1949 were disappointingly low This was due in part to a decline in volume of business and in part to operating costs going up sooner and farther than railroad rates and fares General business and transportation prospects, however warrant the expectation of heavier freight traffic in 1950 then in 1949 with an increased volume of traffic the railroads can make more intensive use of their improved facilities and The more the railroads are used the greater will be the efficiency with which they operate and the better will be their service to you We're ready for act 2 of Victor Herbert's the red mill starring Gordon Macrae and his guests Jack Smith new seal Norman and Jack Kirkwood Oh Good morning, mr. Burgamaster What brings you out to the mill sir early mr. Burgamaster just checking up on my daughter You mean to tell me you're only looking for one girl why in America. I changed girls 365 times a year Every day a different girl why not I don't eat the same egg every morning for breakfast Oh Every day is ladies day with me I'm quite at their disposal all the way And my pleasure it is double if they come to me in trouble for I always find a way to make them smile No doubt I should have married long ago It's the proper thing to do you'll all agree But I never could find any fun in wasting all my time So every day is ladies day with me It's a frightful thing to think of all the hearts that I have broken though each one fell in love with me without the slightest token Among my vulgar creditors. I'm fearfully in debt Because I have afforded anything that I could get But I must say I've enjoyed the best of what there is in life. I've been lucky in my love affairs I've never had a wife But I don't begrudge the little dears those necklaces of pearls all the money that I've ever saved Is what I've spent on girls for Every day is ladies day with me I'm quite at their disposal all the way My pleasure it is double if they come to me in trouble for I always find a way to make them smile No doubt I should have married long ago Proper thing to do you'll all agree I never could find any fun in wasting all my time So every day is ladies day with me You're getting about has nothing to do with my present duties. I've got to check up on my daughter. It's too late She's already checked out what where is she? Gretchen where are you? Gretchen I must find her I'll spare no expense no expense. I understand Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are in this country visiting I believe I'll hire them. Oh, let me get them for you. I'll get Holmes and Watson on this job for you right away Hi there, mr. Mrs. Connor we aren't mr. And Mrs. Yet. We couldn't afford to get married Oh boy, if I got a cure for that put on this costume quick, huh? I don't get it Well, I'm gonna be Sherlock Holmes and you're gonna be dr. Watson We collect a fee to find this lost girl enough to get you married. Oh, well, we go after we're married I know a wonderful spot Ready you can stop being Romeo and start being dr. Watson We've got some plain and fancy Sherlock-ing to do. Well, dr. Watson. How do I look? You are the burger master of cat Vick on Z That's amazing. How did you know me mr. Holmes elementary elementary my dear burger master? I want you to meet my assistant and imminent colleague the celebrated dr. Watson Did you hide it to meet you sir? From the way he talks he must be British if he were any more British he couldn't talk at all Now I'm mr. Holmes dr. Watson about my daughter How much will you charge to find her? Well, I'm glad you brought that up our price depends on the difficulty of the job Is your daughter young and beautiful oh, yes, well, then it will be very expensive because you know Beautiful young girls are very hard to find these days How much shall we charge dr. Watson? Dr. Watson says and I quote 555 gilded that's a great deal of money. Well, where did she disappear from the old red mill? Oh Finding beautiful young girls who've disappeared from old red mills falls in our highest price bracket Dr. Watson, what is our highest price bracket? 55,550 Five it's a deal And I'll pay you the minute you deliver my daughter But we must have the money in advance We have enormous expenses, you know magnifying glasses houndstooth jackets bloodhounds Here is the money But I demand that you bring my daughter to this very spot No later than four o'clock this afternoon in time for her wedding to the governor of Zealand Shut your trap dr. Watson go get married Mr. Holmes in 15 seconds it will be four o'clock if you don't produce my daughter by then I'll have you thrown in jail mr. Berger master. I don't think you like me your time is up you swindler Just a minute listen Is that my daughter? You believe in the ghost of the old red mill certainly not then that's your daughter Richard you're just in time for your wedding to the governor There's been a little change in plans mr. Berger master You see I've been going around with mr. Connor on windmills and we liked it so much. We got married I You know, I think the Berger master is just blowing a gasket Let's get away from here. Where'll we go? Well, may I recommend a wonderful spot called Manhattan? Could someone from Holland be happy there? Peter Stuyvesant liked it In old New York in old New York the peach crops always buy Sweet and fair and on the square Lucille Norman will be back in just a moment Meanwhile, this is Gordon Macrae giving a vote of thanks to Jack Kirkwood who played the Berger master into our entire company The red mill with book and lyrics by Henry Blossom and music by Victor Herbert is dramatized for radio by Lawrence and Lee The railroad hour is brought to you each week at this time by the American railroads These railroads are your hometown partners. They provide jobs for your neighbors They buy supplies in your town and they pay local taxes just as you and I Thus the railroads are more than just railroads They are citizens and mighty important citizens in your hometown now. Here are Jack Smith and Lucille Norman Thank you, Gordon. It was fun making the red mill spin again. Well, Jack We want you to come smile on our microphone anytime you like you too Lucille. You're not conning me or kidding me I don't know Lucille You're always a welcome passenger on the railroad hour and incidentally be sure to listen next week Our guest is the wonderful Metropolitan Opera soprano Dorothy Kirsten and the show Noel Cowards romantic operetta bittersweet. Mmm. We'll be listening. Good night. Good night, everybody Well, it looks as though we're ready to pull out and so until next week. Goodbye The red mill was presented by special arrangement with the Tams Whitmark music library Gordon Macrae appeared by arrangement with Warner Brothers producers of the hasty heart Starring Ronald Reagan Patricia Neil and Richard Todd Jack Smith appeared who the courtesy of Oxidol and Jack Kirkwood by permission of the Bob Hope swan soap program Acquire is under the direction of Norman Lube off and our music arranged and conducted by Carmen dragon This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the association of American Railroads And I'll keep tuned to your Monday night of music on NBC For Eleanor Steiber tonight's guest on voice of firestone on NBC You