 Remember a Hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best. Bring you Richard Widmark in Urban Anthony's Decatur on the Hallmark Playhouse. Bring you Hollywood's greatest stars in outstanding stories chosen by one of the world's best known authors. The distinguished novelist, Mr. James Hilton. This is James Hilton. Tonight on our Hallmark Playhouse we tell the story of an American naval officer, Stephen Decatur. And we have used in doing so the book about him written by Urban Anthony. Decatur, as every American knows, was one of the first heroes of the American Navy. He won his fame against the pirates of Tripoli in what has been called the greatest little engagement in naval history. His father was of the Navy also, and in so devoting his life for that early stage of our country's history, Stephen was not only following in family tradition, but founding however little he could have guessed it, though perhaps he did, the traditions of the greatest Navy in the world. Today when those traditions are more honored than ever, and when our country's need of a strong Navy is as great as ever, there's a good time to honor the memory of Stephen Decatur. And to play the part in our story tonight, we are fortunate to have that fine young Hollywood actor Richard Widmark. And now a word about Hallmark cards from Frank Goss before we begin the first act of Decatur. At Christmas, as on every memorable occasion, when you want a card that reflects your own good taste, one that your friends will single out to show to others, go to the fine store displaying Hallmark cards. Shop in the comfortable knowledge that Hallmark cards are always socially correct and warmly received, for that Hallmark on the back carries its own tradition. Like the sterling on silver, it's a mark of distinction. It says you cared enough to send the very best. And now Hallmark Playhouse presenting Irvin Anthony's Decatur, starring Richard Widmark. I know I love you. I want you to know it and remember it. Stephen, what are you doing up at this hour? It doesn't even light up. Stephen, where are you going? Go back to sleep, citizen. I'm sorry I awakened you. I only meant to kiss you, but you awakened. Go back to sleep, darling. Stephen, where are you going? Please, don't worry. I have an appointment. I hope to return long before it's time for you to get up. Go back to sleep, darling. I've got an appointment. I'll wait. Goodbye, darling. Stephen! Down the stairs and out into the streets. It is still dark and there is no one in sight. Behind the shaded windows, people are sleeping and dreaming of the morrow. For them, tomorrow may come. But this may be the last morning of your life. Your footsteps sound unreal and eerie, echoing on the damp cobblestones. You shiver a little and you pull your cloak closer about you. And you wonder by what road you came to this morning. Then suddenly with a startling clarity you see the road and yourself at the end of it. And you hear yourself, a youth again, saying the words that led you toward this destiny. The words on the scroll, mother, reposing special trust, valor, fidelity, and abilities. Appoint you, Stephen Decatur, midshipman in the Navy of the United States. And you were to serve and follow such orders, et cetera, et cetera, according to the rules and discipline of war and the usage of the sea. And there's the president's own signature, John Adams. War and the usage of the sea. The sea. But, mother, it's life. Life at its fullest and most exciting. Oh, you'd know, mother, you'd know if you'd ever stood on a quarter-deck with a white sail filling the wind above you, and the sun on your face and salt on your lips, and all the world waiting for you beyond the prow of your ship. You'd know if you'd ever ridden out a storm. You and your ship flesh and wood braced against the weather. You'd know if you'd ever lain on a deck at night and watch the mast of your ship move slowly past the stars. When a boy feels like that, he can't be kept on land then. I know. When we were young, the sea was your mistress. And so it will be with our son. Well, if you would have me stay, I'll stay, mother. Bless you for that. But I'll not keep you, Stephen. A man must choose his own destiny, regardless of the tears of women. God go with you. And Congress has voted to give the Navy three frigates. It's a beginning at last of a Navy for the United States. And what's the first mission of this Navy? To protect our commerce, to keep the French from capturing any more of our merchant ships. Do you realize they've captured over 300 of our merchant ships? Taken them to their own ports and sold them? How long can a situation like that be tolerated? We'll stop them now. Who's the captain of your ship, boy? John Berry. I'm assigned to the frigate, the United States. You'll be with one of the finest naval men in the country. It's an infant Navy. I grant you that. But I can look back to the days of the Revolution when the Navy was so small that even John Berry didn't always have a command. But we're on our way now. Yes, sir, we're on our way now. What was the beginning? And then came the days that were spent learning the ship from mass to hold, learning navigation, learning our relation to the future. Feel the same way about your ship and your Navy as I do. This crow is a seed of great endeavor. It is your love to build tradition, to establish usages, to mold the protection America needs and has the right to expect from our Navy. And days of storm. Days when the eyes searched the horizon for the enemy. And finally found when one met the enemy and learned how to attack him. How to rescue him from the sea when the battle is won. And then how to deal with him. Why did you fire on us? It's still until I swing this boat around. I don't see any more members of your crew in the water. We were astonished by your attacks, sir. We did not know the United States was at war with the French Republic. No, sir, but you knew that the French Republic was at war with the United States. That you were taking our merchant vessels every day and crowding our countrymen into prison at Bassataire to die like sheep. Now keep still or I'll throw you back into the sea where you belong. Days spent in the service of the Navy at sea. And at the end of them, glory. Good indicator, it is my pleasure to inform you that the President of the United States has appointed you Lieutenant in the Navy of the United States. Good indicator, please sit down. I have a problem to discuss with you. As you know, one of our ships, the Philadelphia, has been captured by the Pirates of Tripoli. Yes, sir. We dare not leave the ship in their hands. As your first command, I want you to take the intrepid and prepare her for a cruise of 35 days with full amounts of water and provisions for 75 men. Your orders are to board and burn the Philadelphia in the harbor of Tripoli. It shall be done, sir. I walked out of Captain Barry's quarters with excitement pounding inside me. I was proud to have been chosen. And I was young enough to feel a sudden oneness and fellowship with the Greek triremes and the Roman galleys. With all the men in centuries past who sailed for country and for adventure, the will of my commander was at my shoulder strong with trust. And as I crossed the deck, through the late afternoon miss, I could see the flag of my country, a young flag, the youngest in all the world. And I stopped to salute at thinking, I'll not break faith with you or what you stand for. We'll show the world that we are a strong people and that those who fail to treat our flag and our ships with dignity and respect must pay the consequences. The Philadelphia just in time, sir. Even out here you can feel the heat of that fire. Yes, it's the heat that's making her guns go off. None of the crew are on board now. I'm grateful for that breeze that came up just in time for making good speed. The fire on that ship is lighting up the entire harbor. It's doing more than that, my friend. The fires from that ship are lighting up the world. There it is written in flame for everyone to read. Keep your hands off our ships and our people. We don't like it and we won't tolerate it. It was Indian summer when I came home on leave. By then I had been promoted to captain and I was entertained with some of my officers by Mayor Wheeler of Norfolk. I had only to look in his daughter Susan's eyes to know that here was the beginning and the end of all things for me. Do you think they've missed us at the party? I'm sure that mother has. You know, I just realized we've completely forgotten all the proprieties. A well-bred lady doesn't leave a house full of guests to go walking beside the sea with the man she's known such a short time. Oh, but I feel I've known you a long time. Why, when I met you tonight I even felt I recognized you. Oh, Stephen, that's a sweet compliment. No compliment at all. I'm not good at compliments. It's just the plain truth. And that's another thing. I feel I have to tell you the truth whether you like it or not. I didn't say I didn't like it. But perhaps I ought not to listen to it. Oh, but you must tonight or else we have nothing to say to each other. Stephen, look out there. There's your world. You have to return to it and I must remain in mine. Listen, Susan, I've heard I'm to command a squadron of gunboats stationed in the Chesapeake and headquartered at Norfolk. Now that would mean a position on land so that I could... Well, at least for the time being. For the time being. And then what? I don't know. How can a sailor ever know? But I do know I love you, Susan. You don't doubt that, do you? Or don't you believe it's possible at a first meeting like this? I wouldn't have believed so. Susan, right. Then you'll marry me? And live alone in some little house on the cliff. Watching the sea that takes you away. Wondering when I'll ever see you again. Susan, I must tell you how I feel about the Navy. I suppose every man in it feels the same way or he wouldn't have joined it. I know. You needn't say any more. No, no, no. Please listen to me. You didn't let me finish. You don't have to. Let me give you my answer now. I will marry you, Stephen. You will? And you're prepared for whatever... Stephen, do you think I'd say yes if you'd spoken differently? Then I've found my happy home to dream of while I'm away. A home to come back to again and again. Until my last voyage, darling. And then there'll be the little house on the cliff for both of us. For the rest of our lives. Just a moment, we'll return to the second act of Decatur's starring Richard Widmark. Remember when you were little and your mother selected a storybook as the Christmas gift for your cousins? And how happy you were because mother or dad would read it to you first before it was wrapped for Christmas giving? Well, a lot of folks managed to get that same thrill of anticipating the receiver's pleasure when they buy their Christmas cards. Particularly Hallmark cards. It's fun to go over each card and say, this reminds me of the time Fred and I fell into the pond while skating. I think I'll send it to him. Or why if this doesn't look just like Carol when she played the angel in the school play? Let's send it to the Sawyers. In the Hallmark collection of Christmas cards you'll find Mary Santas and Snowmen. Cards that depict the hush stillness of a country church in the snow. The glowing warmth of a euletide log crackling on the heart. Or the angel serenading the newborn babe. There are also ones that take scenes from the everyday world and bathe them with the Christmas spirit. Such as famous paintings of Norman Rockwell, Winston Churchill, Grandma Moses and others. Yes, it is fun to send a different card to everyone on your list. It's a compliment to your friends, too. For then you can be as gaily whimsical or as frankly sentimental as you wish. In fact, you'll find Hallmark Christmas cards that seem especially written and created for each one on your list. And remember, that Hallmark on the back tells in its own way that you cared enough to send the very best. Now, here is the second act of Urban Ansonist Decatur, starring Richard Widmark. You wonder by what road you came to this morning. And then suddenly, with startling clarity, you see events long past all leading to this destiny. You see, the one woman your heart will hold eternally standing beside you in her bridal point. You remember the curries of her smile and the tragedy of her eyes when you left for your command during the War of 1812. You remember the acrid bitter smell of cannon smoke and the deafening thunder of cannon smoke and the deafening thunder of cannon in your ears. You remember the feeling that rose inside you when you glimpsed the flag you followed through the smoke and battle. You remember the glory of final victory and coming home. The countrymen have met in this room tonight to do you honor. By your own labor, you have helped establish the foundations of the Navy. By your own courage, you have helped establish the traditions of the Navy. You have earned the confidence of the men under you. You have earned the confidence of presidents, of Congress and of your people. Gentlemen, I thank you. And in thanking you, I give you a toast. Our country in her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right. But our country right or wrong was excellent, but a little too rich and so I'm afraid with the speeches. Oh, I almost forgot. James Barron is waiting to see you in the sitting room. All right. Commodore Decatur, I believe. Sit down, Barron. What brings you to my door? How does it feel to hear the cheers of the multitude? I knew once that I've forgotten. Why did you come here? What do you want? Stephen, you served under me in the Mediterranean. We were friends then. There's a ship ready for a commander, the Columbus. A man. I see. Barron, you were tried by court-martial at the request of your own crew. Your officers charged you with neglecting to clear your ship for action and for not doing your utmost to take or destroy a British vessel in an encounter. You were found guilty. Yes, guilty. My whole life given to the Navy and found guilty. But my sentence has been served. I was suspended from Navy duty for five years. That time is more than up. Officer Peek is the only ship in the Navy to be disgraced. You were responsible for the one blemish on naval history. The lives of American men were lost through your negligence. I never thought you'd be my enemy, Stephen. I don't say I wasn't wrong. I was wrong. But I've served the sentence that was imposed on me. Yes, yes, I know how you feel. I know how any man must feel in your position. You were a Navy officer. You know, as every naval officer does know, that to fail in wartime is criminal. There can be no second chance. That sounds hard, I know. But hardness is part of strength when men's lives are in your hands. As a man who has liked you and respected you and feels sorry for you now, I'd like to help you get that command, Baron. But as a naval officer of conscience, I cannot do it. And I will not do it. And you and I are enemies from this moment, Dick Gitter. I have been informed the various remarks that you have made in the intention of ruining my reputation. It is my opinion that these remarks call for redress from your hand. Under the circumstances, I feel that I am entitled to the choice of weapons, place, and distance. Sir, from your manner of proceeding, it appears to me that you have come to the determination to fight someone and that you have selected me for that purpose. I must take leave to observe whether the object would have been better attained had you made this decision during our late war, when your fighting might have benefited your country as well as yourself. However, I accept your challenge and refer you to my friend, Commodore Bainbridge, who is fully authorized by me to make any arrangement he pleases, as regards weapons, place, or distance. Sure, Judy, there's a good possibility that I may soon be sent to sea. I know all our affairs with you, so that you'll be able to manage in case I, uh, I should be away for some time. Something's wrong. What is it? No, no, nothing's wrong. Darling, I haven't been your wife all these years for nothing. We haven't had nearly the time together that I hoped we would. Have you been happy, darling? Very happy. If our life together should end tomorrow. Yes. If it should end tomorrow. If it should end tomorrow. I would have to say, to have known you and loved you, even for a few brief years, was to find more happiness than most women find in a lifetime. If it should end tomorrow, I would want to have said to you, thank you. Thank you for your love, for your trust, for the excitement that has welled up inside me when my ship was headed home, for being on the walk waiting for the docking. Thank you for your eyes, for your lips. If it should end tomorrow, I would want to have said to you, this I know beyond question, beyond doubt. My heart will know only your image through all eternity. Give me a turn a little sad, Evan. Why, Steven? No reason, no reason at all. We just got a little sentimental, a little heavy about ourselves, I guess. No. You were speaking as though something was going to happen tomorrow. Yes, darling, it is. At noon, I'm going to board my ship and go over her from Sten to Cerf. Steven, I love you. I love you. Down the street, the sky is beginning to lighten in the east. You wonder if you'll ever see the dawn again. And you find yourself praying that if you do not, God and His infinite mercy will take care of Susan Decay. All too soon, you find yourself at the appointed place. Your seconds are waiting for you. The hour is at hand. Good morning, Commodore Gainbridge. I can't tell you how I regret this morning's business. Then let me talk to Baron. It's not too late. But it is too late. There's a code for a man of arms of our generation, Commodore. It must be met. I'm going to shoot for Baron's hip. I don't want to kill him. You're ready, sir? Mr. Baron is ready? I'm ready. Good morning, Commodore Decaydev. Mr. Baron. I hope upon meeting in another world we will be better friends than we have been in this. I have never been your enemy, sir. Take the station. Decaydev died on March 22nd, 1820. He need not have died except for a point of honor. Many other men have died like this. He's perhaps best known for those famous words of his. Our country may it always be in the right, but our country right or wrong. Many men, too, have felt like this and have so given their lives. And this is certain that as a lover of his country and as one of her earliest heroes, Stephen Decaydev's name will live forever in the history of America. Christmas, just when most of us would like to be at our gracious best, it seems we're all faced with that same problem. How can I stretch my money to cover everything? If your Christmas card budget is not the elastic kind, don't worry. For though I've mentioned this before, I think it's particularly good to remember at Christmas. Just because they are hallmark cards doesn't mean they need be expensive. Yes, it's comforting to know that you can buy as many as 25 hallmark Christmas cards for as little as one dollar. There's a hallmark Christmas card to fit every taste and every budget. And of this, you can be sure. When you choose a card with that hallmark on the back, you know your friends will know. You cared enough to send the very best. Here again is James Hilton. Richard Widmark, that was a fine performance you gave. It's a genuine pleasure to welcome you again to our circle of guests. Thank you, Mr. Hilton. You know, I've been looking forward to visiting you on Hallmark Playhouse because Hallmark cards really play an exceptional role in my life. Really? In what way? Well, you see, I'm what you might call a Christmas child. My birthday's on December 26th, and you know what happens. Almost everyone combines my Christmas presents with my birthday presents. And if it weren't for the separate birthday cards I received, I'd never have a special day at all. Well, I certainly see what you mean, Dick, and we're glad that Hallmark cards meet the problem for you so well. For those double presents you get on Christmas, Dick, remind your family to take a look at them this week. It might give them some ideas on wrapping your gifts because it shows the beautiful Hallmark coordinated gift wrapping sets. I'll do that, Frank. Now, what do you have for next week, Mr. Hilton? Next week, we're presenting a delightful Oh Henry story called The Third Ingredient. And for our star, we are proud to welcome back that charming young actress and blight. Our Hallmark Playhouse is every Thursday. Our director producer is Bill Gay. Our music is conducted by Lynn Murray, and our script tonight was adapted by Jean Holloway. This is James Hilton saying good night. 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. Watch for Richard Whitmark in the 20th century box technical production, Halls of Montezuma. The role of Susan tonight was played by Lorraine Tuttle. This is Frank Goss saying good night to you all until next week when James Hilton returns to present Anne Blythe in Oh Henry's The Third Ingredient. And the week following, Mildred Fram's The Plumber starring Robert Young. And a week after that, our special Christmas presentation, Heritage Howley's The Story of Silent Night on the Hallmark Playhouse. This is CBS The Columbia Broadcasting System.