 Family Theatre presents Joan Leslie and Vic DeMone. From Hollywood, the mutual network in cooperation with Family Theatre presents A Matter of Potential, starring Joan Leslie. And now, here is your host, Vic DeMone. Thank you, Tony LaFranco. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we ought to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families, and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray. Pray together as a family. And now, to our transcribe drama, A Matter of Potential, starring Joan Leslie as Monica. That sound you're hearing is my son. He's learning to play the violin. Of course, it's costing me my sanity, but he is learning to play the violin. Excuse me, William! William! You stop that! You hear me? We'll take the violin away and make you study piano! He does that all the time just to see Morgan get into his act. Morgan's the dog, and he's not a tall partial to the upper registers. In fact, every time he hears them, he acts like he's going out of his mind. That'd be all I'd need around here. A psychopathic dog. Oh, and a think. I used to picture married life in a small town as, well, little more than just a boring existence. Alright for most women, maybe, but a way of life that would never be suitable to a person of my aesthetic taste. I changed my mind, and thereby hangs a tail. Wanna hear it? I'll tell you about it. Wait a second. William! At any rate, as I was saying, a few years ago, I thought this life was about the last thing in the world I wanted. I'm afraid I had great delusions of what my life should be, and they were all given to me by the same person. You'd have to actually know my Aunt Virginia to really appreciate her. She was a woman somewhere between 39 and 65. I never really knew which year was the closest to her actual age, because she claimed one, and my father claimed the other. But then he never brought her age into a conversation unless he was grinding an axe. One axe my father usually thought was worth grinding was about music. You see, he had a sincere appreciation for it. While Virginia, well, even then, I knew her talents didn't lie in that direction. Virginia! Will you please stop that cat-a-wallon? You sound like a dry-wheel on a bad road. You have no appreciation for the finer things. Well, play the thing if you have to, but just cut out the singing, will you? Puts my teeth on edge. It's little enough pleasure I have in life. Oh, go on, go on and play. Just don't sing, huh? Please. Yes, I agreed with my father about Aunt Ginny's musicianship, but I disagreed with him on just about everything else he had to say about her. I thought she was about the most wonderful person in the world, and I was certain I wanted to live my life just as she thought I should. One gay mad world. That's what this song reminds me of, Europe, the continent, being seen in all the best places, meeting all the best people. Oh, that's the life. And you missed it, just by a hair. Oh, I had some of it. Oh, you mean on your sabbatical. Uh-huh. In Paris, gateway to the world, three grand and glorious months. Oh, we'll stretch them to a lifetime for you. All the great cities of the world. You'll dance with all the great troops, Sadler Wells, Ballet, Rooster, Monte Carlo, in all of the great cities. Oh, you'll have... Hey, Virginia, I hope I didn't drag you down to the earth through abruptly. I just thought you might fix us a little lemonade, huh? Lemonade. Oh, I'll lemonade, Father. Because we're gonna have company. It might be nice to have something to serve them. Who? What do you mean? That's it. Look, let's not go into that again. We've all heard your sentiments about Bill. Now, if you don't mind, would you please... All right, all right. But I don't see why you insist Monica wastes the time with these local boys. You don't? Well, he phoned and he asked if he might come over. And if you ask me, that's certainly not a waste of time. Oh, it's not that, Father. Romance and careers don't mix. Not at this stage of the game anyway. Monica, you don't mind, do you? Oh, no, I don't mind. Oh, next thing you know, he'll be talking marriage. Nothing but a millstone around your neck, dear. I suppose you're right. Would you mind fixing a little refreshment, Virginia? Oh, not at all. That's what you've got me around for, isn't it? To do the work. Send him home early, dear. I will. Maddlesome old woman. She isn't. She's only doing what's best for me. How does she know what's best for you? You ought to take a little advice from your father. Father, I'm 21 years old. 21 years old, and if you don't watch it, she'll still be telling you what to do and what you want when you're 31, or 41. And before you know it, you'll be just like she is. Look, you haven't got anything against Bill Haynes, have you? No, of course not. Well, I like Bill, but he's, well, he's so provincial. Oh, he's so... Of course, much too provincial for a cosmopolitan like you. Now, I didn't mean that. Hey, that must be him now. Oh, probably. You take my advice and set the hook in that boy you hear before he gets away. Oh, Father, please. Hello, Bill. Hi. Hiya, Bill. Oh, hello, Mr. Danvers. How's everything over at the garage? Oh, fine, sir. Just fine. Good. And Virginia's making some lemonade. I thought we might drink it out here on the porch. Oh, sounds fine. Say, aren't you going to invite Bill in? We're going out on the porch, Father. Well, leave that door open. The air feels good. Okay, sir. What a beautiful evening, isn't it? Very nice. Best time of the day. How's everything at work? Oh, fine. Things are going better than I thought they would. That's nice. Oh, in fact, I may have to put on another mechanic. You don't happen to know a good mechanic, do you? I'm afraid not. You know, in fact, when things are going so well, I guess I'll be able to do a lot of things ahead of, well, ahead of schedule. What do you mean, Bill? What do I mean? Well, oh, enlarge the place, set up to handle things like automatic transmissions and... And what? Well, think about getting some things I've always wanted. Hello, Bill. Miss Danvers, how are you this evening? I'm fine. Just fine. I thought some lemonade might taste good. It would. Thank you. Monica? Thank you. My isn't it a warm evening? You two don't mind if I join you, I hope. Of course not, Aunt Jeannie. Glad to have you. Evenings like this always remind me of the Riviera. It's so warm and barmy. Have you ever been abroad, Bill? No, I haven't, Miss Danvers. Oh, that's right. I asked you that once before, didn't I? A few dozen times. Pardon me? I said yes. You have asked me that before. No, I'm afraid I'll live most of my life right here in this town. Oh, now, Bill, you've been all over the United States. Yes, but I'm afraid that still doesn't make me well-traveled in your ansies. That is the thought you were trying to convey, isn't it, Miss Danvers? Bill, I wasn't trying to convey any idea at all. Just trying to, well, to do my share with the conversation, that's all. I certainly didn't mean to offend. Well, certainly not, and I don't think you're being nice, Bill. Well, how do you think I feel? Bill! Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but... Well, almost every time I talk with you when you're around, well, maybe I should say just you're Aunt. She makes me feel like a complete greenhorn, like it's a crime to like living in a small town, run a small business. I'm sure Aunt Ginny doesn't mean to make you feel that way. If that's all there is in your potential, small town life, small business, small aspirations, then it certainly shouldn't make you feel like you've committed a crime. You see, Monica, little digs like that all the time. Digs! No, I only mean that I think it's a crime when a person doesn't live up to his or her potential. Ours just happens to be a little greater than yours. You know, one should live one's life to the fullest. Of course, a shallow person doesn't have much trouble doing that. Digs, digs! Oh, please, it's such a nice evening. Can't we all just enjoy it? Well, I certainly didn't start this. Well, if I did, then I'm sorry. Look, let's just enjoy the air and drink our lemonade, shall we? That's fine with me. I remember once when I was in MoMA. Virginia, I wonder if I might have a word with you. Oh, Joe, why don't you come out here for a while and enjoy the evening with us? I'd like to talk to you about something. Well, can't it wait a while? I'd like to take care of it now. Oh, all right. Why is it men are so unreasonable? Will you excuse me? Oh, certainly. More than happy. I mean, certainly. Now, you go home early, Bill. Monica's got to get her sleep if she's going to be a premier dancer, you know. Yes, Miss Danvers, I'll keep it in mind. Just come in, will you? All right, all right. Don't think I don't know why you did that. Good lemonade. Yes, isn't it? Monica. Yes, Bill? Before she came out. Remember what I was saying? About things going well for you at work? Yeah, that's right. I said I was able to get her. Well, I tried to get a lot of things I've always wanted. Do you know what I was talking about? I'm afraid I don't, Bill. I met like a home, a family, and a wife. Oh, Monica, ever since we went to high school together, I haven't been able to even imagine myself with any other wife but you. How about it? Will you marry me, Monica? No, Bill. Well, this is one of the most wonderful things that's ever happened to me. Then you will? I can't. What do you mean can't? I'm tremendously flattered, Bill. It's the greatest compliment a girl can receive. Compliment? If it weren't for my career. Your career or her career? What do you mean? You mean that woman, your aunt? She has nothing to do with it, honestly. I suppose you're going to give me that old business about dance, ballerina dance. You can't live if you can't dance. Not at all. To me, it was just a means to an end, that's all. I want to see the world, Bill. Have a part of the excitement, the glory of living a full life. To most women, the love of a good man, home, family, a little security. To most women, those things add up to a pretty full life. I guess that's where I'm not like most women, Bill. No. No, I guess you aren't. Sometimes I wish I were. Sometimes I wish I could accept the idea of settling down, just being somebody's wife. Maybe yours. Raising your children, keeping your home. But, frankly, the way I feel now makes the whole thing look like just about the most boring existence in the world. It would drive me out of my mind. Yeah. Well, I guess I might as well be going. Well, I'm sorry, Bill. Well, at least I know where I stand. I wish it hadn't ended up like this. What might not be ended yet, Monica? I'm pretty sure I've made up my mind. Well, I'm not. I think you've had it made up for you, Monica. I think I'll wait a little. I'll always have the same answer. When I hear that answer, and I'm sure it's you talking and not her, maybe I'll accept it. Good night, Monica. Good night. We're still friends. Always. Good night. Good night, Bill. Monica. Yes? I wasn't sure you were still out here. Well, I was just coming in. Bill gone so soon? Yes, he's gone. He's gone all right. Surely you're not sorry? Oh, that's ridiculous. No, I'm not sorry. Not really. Be realistic, dear. What could he offer you? What kind of a life could a boy like that offer that could compare with the future you're going to have? He proposed to me. Only the first of dozens of proposals, hundreds. You'll be able to take your pick of the greatest gentleman in Europe. Oh, you'll see. Tell me about it again, Aunt Ginny, about my future, the things I'll do. Again? You want me to tell you again? Yes, Aunt Ginny. Well, I kind of need it now. That night Bill proposed I really ran out of gas on the whole business of career and the mad whirl of excitement and gaiety that was supposed to go with it. And Aunt Ginny was there to pop me up again. She did it very successfully, too. She painted such a rosy picture for me that it was like, well, like riding on a bubble. Going higher and higher into the air with all the whirls spread before my eyes. The bubble burst on my 22nd birthday. And like any other bubble, it all went at the same time. By way of celebrating my birthday, my father took the three of us to a carnival which had come to town the day before. It wasn't a very good carnival, really, but it had that kind of circus flavor most carnivals try to achieve and so it was kind of exciting. And Bill, being there, seemed to make it more fun than it could have been otherwise. Hey, Monica, you want to take another ride on the Wildcat with Bill? If you mean that thing that goes around and up and down at the same time, no thank you. Afraid, are you? You bet I am. Taking chances just for nothing. If you want my opinion, this isn't my idea of a birthday party. Hey, Joe, maybe you? Yeah, maybe. What are you too muttering about? Nothing, Miss Danvis, nothing at all. We just thought you might like to visit the fortune teller. Fortune teller? Since you don't seem to enjoy the rides. I've heard he's very good. Well, I don't think I'd be much interested in a thing like that. That stuff's all a lot of foolishness anyway. The sign on his tent says he sells dreams, too. It's supposed to be pretty good. Say, Bill, you want to take another crack at the rifle range? Don't mind if I do. I'll beat you this time. It's a bet. You girls want to come along? Sure. I might as well get in on this match. Monica. Yes? Why don't we just take a little walk along the midway? After all, women can compete in a man's sport. You come with me. Well, all right. Yeah, and we'll meet you at that candy booth over there in 20 minutes. And don't be late. We won't. Don't shoot each other. We won't. Where are we going? Right over there. Wisdom of the East. Chinese soothsayer. Vendor of dreams. The fortune teller. Well, I thought you said you... Well, I thought it might be fun. What harm can it do? Well, I don't know. I wonder where we'd buy the tickets. There doesn't seem to be any ticket booth. You suppose we just barge on in? We can try. Well, this tent flap seems to be down. Maybe he's closed. Let's lift up the flap and find out. Come in. Come in. Close the door, please. Close tent. Close tent. Are you the fortune teller? Fortune telling all hogwash. No tell fortune. Not legal. All hogwash. You weren't fortune told. Go away, please. Oh, you sell dreams? Ah, dreams. No, the matter. Sit, sit. I thought a soothsayer was a fortune teller. Not so. You want sooth? Afong say lots of sooth. But all hogwash, no good. Then apparently all you have to sell is dreams? Not so. Got wisdom of ancient East. Chinese philosophy? Not so. Chinese philosophy, not good. Keep China backward. Stay in place five, ten thousand years. Chinese philosophy, only old platitudes. Hogwash, no good. Well, what else have you got? Afong not tell future. Tell present. Very hard work. Telling the present? You see? Cross palm. No silver. Green back, please. A dollar. Is that all right? Fine. Now, you want present? Oh, wait. On your tent outside, it said you could answer the riddle of the universe in six words for a dollar. Very true. What are they? No God, love God, serve God. Dollar all you stop. Next, please. You mean you want us to go? Next dollar, you want dream? Oh, yes, please. No sell you dream. You, you want dream? Yes. Close eyes. Close up. They're closed. Listen. I'm listening. You great queen. Queen of whole world. People from all lands come to your court. They tell you troubles. You fix. They bring you gifts. You stand before them in robes of rich silk and pearl. Crown of gold upon your head. They love you. They cheer you. You bow to them. You smile one by one. They come to you. You tell them what to do and they do it. All cheer. Dream ended. Oh, that was magnificent. It was magic. Not so. Shallow trance, mild hypnosis. Deep trance, no good, danger. Just hypnosis? Silly woman, easy target for suggestion. You want our phang tell present? Could you give me a dream like that? Young woman, not need dreams. Not proper for young woman. And why not? Young woman should hope not dream. Go away please or pay next dollar. And you'll tell the present? But we know the present. Not so. Here's your dollar. Wisdom of west. Men who would hunt bear should seek out first hunter who has killed bear. Yes? Yes, I suppose. Not ask milkman? Of course not. Not ask cook and bottle washer? No. He should ask a bear hunter. Then why should young woman who seek life heed words of one who has missed life? What? What did you say? Our phang will tell present. Old woman who has always been afraid to live up to own true potential tells young woman live up to potential. Our phang ask what is potential of young woman? Tense? Fui. Young woman has no talent? See world? Now hold on. Old woman sick, not honest. Our phang could say she seek to rule that she has misery and misery needs company. Our phang could say old woman who is not mother but only aunt thinks she is super mother. All these things only have true. What is the whole truth? Whole truth, not even old woman know that she is selfish, that old woman seeks to live her life again through young woman. This not possible. One life to customer. What is my potential? Our phang not know this. No only potential of most good young woman. One true potential give them full life. What is that? Potential to love. Love good husband. Love children. Love home. Love God. How do you know all this about us? How I know? That's right. Our phang not tell own present only other people. Next please. Next dollar? Next customer. All true. Get out please. Yes. All right. Fine with me. Thank you our phang. Out please. How do you work this tent flap? Here I'll get it. I'm glad he doesn't tell fortunes. Where are you going? I think it's time I had a talk with Bill. It was a long time after we were married before I stopped wondering about all phang. Then one day when he had a weak moment Bill told me that he and my father had had a talk with him the day before. Knowing that didn't really change anything. Knowing that all phang's little lecture was sparked by a five dollar bill doesn't change the truth of any of the things he said. He was right. Loving and having the love of a good husband, children, God. Those things do make for a pretty full life. Oh it has its ups and downs but the ups are usually more than enough to make up for the downs. It's really kind of exciting. Oh it fiddle. That's my son William. He wanted music lessons so we gave him his choice. He could either take piano from Aunt Ginny or the violin from a friend of my father. He chose the violin and now he... he likes the thing. Well, so much for the chat. Now I've got to hang the clothes out on the line and start dinner for my husband. And that'll be about all the gay whirl I'll want for the day. Would you mind awfully taking another five? Of course, much as I like it, it does get a little hectic at times. Well, back to work. Nice talking to you. This is Victimone again. Did you ever happen to be jingling some coins in your hand and get to examining the dimes and quarters and pennies? Well you'll see on every one of these coins the words, in God we trust. Of course it's something that everybody knows about but it makes me realize that every time we exchange a coin we are offering a silent act of faith in God. It makes me realize that in all our coinage there is inscribed the same conviction that we in Hollywood want to express through our family theater. It's a conviction that so many of us share an understanding that the simple direct appeal of prayer to God can bring hope and happiness and God's wonderful help to us and our families. And we need trust in God and have faith in one another if we are to have a peaceful world, a prosperous nation and happy homes. You know a world of happy homes would go a long way to a peaceful world and here's a thought for a happy home. Pray together as a family. Yes, pray together tonight after your evening meal and every night because family prayer will keep your family together and happy and you will find this true for every country and home. A family that prays together stays together. More things are brought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood family theater has brought you transcribed a matter of potential starring Joan Leslie. Vic Demone was your host. Others in our cast were Marjorie Bennett, Herb Vigran, Jack Carroll and Charlie Seal. The script was written and directed for family theater by Robert Hewosullivan with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. 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 Tony LaFranco expressing the wish of family theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to join us next week when family theater will present. The Quiet War starring Robert Rockwell. Nancy Gates will be your hostess. Join us, won't you? Family theater has broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is Mutual, the radio network for all America.