 Ladies and gentlemen, the railroad hour. And here comes our star-studded show train. Tonight the Association of American Railroads presents the romantic operetta The Cat and the Fibble, starring Gordon MacRae and his celebrated guest star Dorothy Kirsten. Our choir is out of the direction of Norman Luboff and the music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragan. 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. Thank you, Marvin Miller, and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. In tonight's story, lovely Dorothy Kirsten plays Shirley Sheridan, a young American songwriter. And I am Victor Florescu, also a composer. It was Brussels, it was spring, the moon was soft and round and full of romantic promises. She was sitting on a park bench alone, and I was walking along the path, also alone. Seemed only polite to stop and pass the time of evening. Good evening, ma'am. Good evening, Monsieur. Beautiful night, isn't it? Yes, beautiful. You know, it's really none of my affair, but in the interest of chivalry, I must inform you, young lady, that it's quite dangerous for you to be sitting alone in a park on a night like this. So I see. Yes, yes. You're quite right. I am a total stranger, and I have no right to speak to you. But you're not a total stranger. I'm not? No, I've seen you often at the conservatory. I studied there for a while. Did you really? You're Victor Florescu, aren't you? I've heard your symphony, and I like it. Well, thank you. What's your name? Shirley Sheridan. I'm from Vancouver, Washington. Well, Shirley, our music gives us something in common. Why don't we go someplace for a bite of supper and talk about, uh, conservatory? Oh, I hardly think I could do that. Well, then may I call on you tomorrow? I don't know. She didn't say yes. She didn't say no. She didn't say stay. She didn't say go. She only knew that he'd spied her there. And then she knew he sat beside her there. At first there was heard not one little word. Then coily she took one sly little look and something awoke and smiled inside. Her heart began beating wild inside. So what did she do? I'll leave it to you. She did what you do, do, do. She didn't say yes. She didn't say no. She didn't say stay. She didn't say go. She only knew that he'd spied her there. And then she knew he sat beside her there. At first there was heard not one little word. Then coily she took one sly little look and something awoke and smiled inside. Her heart began beating wild inside. So what did she do? I'll leave it to you. She did just what you do, do. And what is that? Good night, Mr. Florescu. Please don't call me Sheridan. Look at those stars. Look at the moon. Anything that happens on a night like this is important. Two strangers meeting in a park can be the beginning of a love story. You know. But I'm delicate charm, nighttime sighs forth. When may I see you again? I don't know. I'll have to think about that. Will you tell me where you live? No. I don't think I should do that either. Well, at least tell me where I can write to you to try to arrange your meeting. You can write me in care of general delivery. If you do, I'll answer you. And after a while, if you still want a call on me, then I'll send you my address. And I'll keep on writing until you let me see you. All right. But if for any reason you lose interest, just stop writing. If there's no letter from you, then I'll understand. Good night, Mr. Florescu. Good night. Good night, Ms. Sheridan. You'll be hearing from me. Care of general delivery. My dear Ms. Sheridan, our meeting in the park was a moment I shall never forget. Won't you please let me see you again? Dear Mr. Florescu, you really did write, and I'm so glad. It isn't often that a chance of quakence turns out to be... Dear Shirley, all day I think of you. I try to lose myself in my music, but I find that the memory of that... Dear Victor, isn't this general delivery romance fun? If you keep on writing, I'll soon know that you meant what you said that night in the park. Shirley Dowling, when may I see you to tell you to your lovely face how my heart wants you, my lips want you, my very soul needs the love that... Victor, my love, I must go to Paris for a few weeks. Please, please keep writing, and when I return, I'll return to you. My address there will be Hotel Continental 1806. You're sure there's no letter for me? Nothing, Monsieur, nothing. Besides, you are not the fellow who has been coming in for Victor Florescu's letter. No, no, I've always sent someone else. But now it's so important, well, anyway, I am Victor Florescu. I am sure that you are, Monsieur, but there is nothing here for you. Is there any mail for Miss Shirley Sheridan? Sheridan? Sheridan? Oh, yes, there is a whole stack of letters here for her. Pretty little girl used to come in every day. Then, all at once, she stopped. A whole stack of letters to her. She doesn't even bother to pick them up. And what did she do? I'll leave it to you. She did just what you do, too. Magnificent Miss Sheridan, so bright, so charming. And so are you. Thank you, Mr. Dode. Now, this review I am producing, my dear, has a score by a very talented young composer. But his music is a bit heavy. I'd like to persuade him to use some of your songs. So I took the liberty of inviting him here. Oh, he probably won't want anyone else's music but his own. Oh, I think he'll be agreeable. You see, he seems to be, well, let us say, romantically involved with the star of the show. Oh. A ma'am's yellow debt is a violinist, and the things he's written do not seem to fit her talents. But I don't quite see... Oh, he wants above all to keep her happy. And your songs would be just right for her. I'll be happy to have him hear them. But I haven't been able to write much of anything since I came back from Paris. What's the problem, my dear? He stopped writing. Oh, I mean, ever since I've moved into this apartment, some long-hair musician across the court keeps hammering his piano and drives me crazy. Oh, oh, oh, I wonder. The gentleman I was speaking of lives in the same building. Well, if he's the one, and the gloomy stuff he plays is his idea of music. I'll get it. Surely. Victor, I mean, Mr. Florescu. Eh, what, you two know each other? We met once briefly. You'd hardly say we know each other. Well, you must become better acquainted. Victor, just listen to the things this girl has written. They'll be wonderful for old debt. Have them sing something for us. My dear, what's this new one on the piano? That's my latest. It's rather a serious song. It describes the fickleness of men and the hopeless fidelity of women. Oh, well, it sounds charming. Please sing it for us. It's a lovely song, Shirley. Lovely. I mean, Miss Sheridan. It's rather sentimental for me, I'm afraid, Mr. Florescu. But maybe you and the star of your show can give it a more romantic interpretation. That cat and her fiddle. Oh, Shirley. The back of the cat and the fiddle in just a moment. In view of the grave situation precipitated by the strike on certain railroads, I present Mr. William T. Ferrisse, President of the Association of American Railroads, who brings us a message of vital importance. Yesterday, three railroad unions started a surprise strike against the railroads, the government, and the people of the United States. I shall not discuss tonight the relation of the government to the strike, but shall deal only with the position and attitude of the railroads. The railroads have made satisfactory settlements with approximately 90% of their employees. Such settlements have been reached with 19 unions, including the two unions, which represent more than half the men engaged in operating trains. The railroads are ready and willing and have been ready and willing all along. To extend to these three unions, representing less than half the men engaged in train engine and yard service, the same settlement already accepted and in effect as to the majority. They stand ready to make wage adjustments back to October 1st, 1950, so that these men can be assured of the same fair treatment their fellow employees have already received. It should be borne in mind that on December 21st, 1950, the leaders of these same three unions signed a written agreement with the railroads for such a settlement. But before the agreement could be put into effect, it was repudiated by these unions, and the dispute has continued ever since. Unions which represent 90% of all railroad employees have no dispute of this character with the railroads. But if this strike continues, these men will suffer enforced layoffs as a result of the stoppage of traffic on the railroads concerned. For the past 18 months, the railroads have been operated under the direction of the Department of the Army. No doubt that department will take such steps as it thinks proper to protect the national interest and the national defense effort from interruption in railroad transportation. Speaking for the railroads, I express the hope that it may continue to be said of us, as it was truly said during World War II, that nowhere in all the world was the military might of America lessened or the striking power of its armed forces diminished by reason of any failure of rail transportation here at home. Now here is act two of the cat and the fiddle starring Gordon Macrae as Victor and Dorothy Kirsten as Shirley. I didn't know what had turned Shirley against me. I began to wonder about Dode. He kept calling her my dear. Of course, he was the reason she had stopped writing to me. Well, I made up my mind never to think of her again. I could think of nothing else. I tried to lose myself in my work and wrote a song called The Love Parade. It turned out to be quite a cynical song and I told myself that this was my new philosophy of life. I would rather watch the other fellows rolling down lovers' lane. Watch him getting soft and mellow with love life on the brink. Dottled and wisely smart. Buzzing round each rare-fair charm like a busy bee. The march is ended and they part. Watch her closely cling to his manly song. He'll ask her to his blushing dry. And what do you think of Miss Sheridan's music? Miss Sheridan seems to be a very talented girl. I think she is. As a matter of fact, she's a very charming girl too. I'll tell you a secret, Victor. I've asked her to marry me. Congratulations. I hope you'll both be very happy. What's this song on the piano? That's one of Miss Sheridan's new songs. You asked me to work some of her numbers into the score. Uh... Poor Pierrot. That sounds a little sad. I can just picture her seated at a piano composing this. Frankly, Miss Sheridan, today it strikes me as the kind of a song that could only be composed with all the tears in your eyes. Poor Pierrot, love is fair. Glued me score bright. Now she's writing sad songs. It's a lovely song. But I want to scribble down a few suggestions about it. Missy, now my pencil. Paper, paper. Oh, yes. I'll just use this old envelope here. Oh, my gracious, Victor. What's the matter? This letter in my pocket. It's addressed to you. I must have picked it up at General Delivery for you months ago. And forgotten about it. Let me see that. It's from Shirley. I wonder I never heard from her. You had the letter. Please keep writing when I return. Goodbye, Dode. Victor, where are you going? Across the court. I hope I'm not too late. Shirley, there's something I must tell you. And there's something I must tell you, too, Mr. Florescu. I'm not going to let them put any of my songs in your score. It's beautiful just the way it is. Except that it has such an unhappy ending. An unhappy ending? Oh, yes, I'm forgotten. You're going to marry Dode. What? Well, aren't you? He asked me, but if you think I'm going to throw myself away on that old fuss budget, just because you're going to marry a female fiddle player. Who? Odette, the star of your show. Odette? Shirley, she doesn't mean anything to me. But that night we met, you said if you lost interest in me that you'd stop writing and you did stay. Stop? Stop? Just a mix of that song. Oh, Shirley, we knew each other for such a short time. Yet as far as I was concerned, after the evening we met in the park, the whole world changed. Oh, Victor. One moment alone, that's all we had known, and yet it seemed proud. Pat's things up. Oh, Victor, I'd like that. I'm sick and tired of writing sad songs. Darling, will you marry me? Will you please marry me? The first that was heard, not one little word. And yet she took one smile and a look. And something awoke and smiled inside. Her heart began beating while inside. So what did she do? We'll return just a moment. Meanwhile, our hearty thanks to Howard McNair and our entire company. The Cat in the Fiddle with music by Jerome Kern. Handbook and lyrics by Otto Harbach was adopted for the railroad hour by Gene Holloway. The railroad hour is brought to you each week at this time by the American Railroads. Tonight, we of the railroad hour are happy to have as guests in our studio many of the nation's top educators. They're here in Los Angeles to attend the convention of the American Association of School Administrators this week. They'll be discussing better methods for giving our children the kind of education that will help them become good and intelligent citizens. Few jobs are more basic and vital than this. But the kind of country America will be in the future depends largely on the kind of leadership it will get from the men and women who are today's school children. And now here again is the delightful Dorothy Kirsten. Thank you, Gordon. I think it's wonderful the way the railroad hour brings to life these charming operettas. Well, with you across the microphone, Dorothy, it really feels like an opening night with all the magic of the theater. I understand you have a surprise for us next week. Yes, we do, Dorothy. We're presenting Shari and we're welcoming Miss Margaret Truman as our guest. We'll all be listening. Night, Gordie. Good night, Dorothy. Come back soon. You were wonderful. All aboard. Well, dear friends, it looks as though we're ready to pull out. So until next week, when Margaret Truman joins us for Shari, this is Gordon McRae saying good night, everybody. The Cat in the Fiddle was presented by special arrangement with Tams Whitmark Music Library. Gordon McRae can soon be seen starring in Warner Brothers About Face. Acquires out of the direction of Norman Luboff and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American Railroad. Now keep tuned to your Monday Night of Music on NBC. Hear the voice of Firestone with UC Buehrling on NBC.