 Family Theater presents Peter Lynn Hayes, Mary Healy, and Gigi Perot. From Hollywood, the Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theater presents Medicine Man starring Peter Lynn Hayes and Gigi Perot. To introduce the drama, here is your hostess, Mary Healy. Only Lefano. Family Theater'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 Theater urges you to pray. Pray together as a family. And now to our transcribed drama, Medicine Man starring Peter Lynn Hayes as Oli and Gigi Perot as Shandy. The time is noted for bringing out the strange and unusual. But this beautiful spring day has really outdone itself. Chugging down a country highway near the thus far peaceful settlement of Jason Corners is an amazing and dilapidated vehicle which appears to be a combination of trailer, carnival wagon, and calamity. On its outsides are banners proclaiming the miracle attributes of Harris Hersuit Heotonic. And from its insides sounds the voice of the miracle worker himself. Mr. Oli Harris. Oh, give me the road, the wide-winding highway Let me be free to come and go my way and I'll travel along the way. Hey, oh, no, Bedelia, don't you do it now. Oh, Bedelia, darling, you can't leave me stranded this way right smack in the middle of the highway crossroads. Just like a woman, you sure got a mind of your own. Nothing for me to do but get out and give you a little attention. Let me take a little inventory here, let's see. Still got the engine, same old mess of nuts and bolts. Who are you talking to, mister? Oh, well, howdy young lady, where'd you come from so sudden? I asked first, who are you talking to? Why, Bedelia, that's who. Who? Bedelia, here. She's my flying carpet, sort of home away from home and kind of a way of making a living, all sort of rolled into one. You're kind of crazy. You don't believe in flying carpets? Ain't no such thing, never heard of one. You've never heard of a flying car... Look, let me put it this way then. Bedelia's a kind of a store, sort of a... And I'm a kind of a traveling salesman, sort of. Selling what? Like the sign says here, heresies, heresuit, hair tonic. Beautiful water that grows hair on stone makes a billiard ball shaggy. You're telling a big lie. Oh, no, I'm not. Well, maybe it's gilding the truth, giving folks confidence like the flying carpet. It's a good kind of pretend, sort of. What's pretend? What's pretend? Well, look, young and pretendin' is seein' you as a beautiful fairy princess. Me? I got red hair and freckles. Your shining red hair is like copper. Sprinkle with stardust. Your skin is white as milken. And that looks good against your dress because it's made of rainbows. You know, sort of shimmering pink lavender, wonderful. You're crazy. And wings. Mustn't forget them, they're sort of misty blue. Delicate as cobwebs, but strong as steel, for they carry you ever so far wherever you want to go. Where I want to go? Yikes! I still think you're crazy, mister. Hey, wait a second, come back here. Poor little cuss. She could sure use some pretendin'. Hey, you there. Get that contraption out of the way. I'm tryin', mister, but you see I... Can't you see you're interrupting traffic in four different directions? Well, we're trying to move, mister, but look. Golly, they're coming at us from all sides. What a time for a traffic jam. What a time to sell tonic. Badilia, we got ourselves an audience. Some of those fellas in the cars look like they could use some hair. I'll just step around back here and let your skirt down. And there now, we're open for business. Hey, you don't fool. Just what do you think you're doing? Doin' you a favor, mister? Yes, indeed. And the rest of you folks out there, come on, friends, gather round, let Olly sing a little surprise for you. Now look, if you don't get this infernal machine off the highway... Well, pardon me. Just let me get up here to my little piano, mister, and you'll forget your troubles. Listen, folks. Music soothes the savage beast, or so they say. So gather round, bring every frown. Let Olly sing him away. Now listen, you listen to me now. You listen to me. Listen, think you got trouble? The world got you down? When you're doing the best that you can? Forget it, boy. Wrap it up. And bring it to the medicine man. Now you look here, you've got one minute. One minute to get out of town. One minute for an encore, thank you. Don't mind if I do. Brother, is you hairless, bald as an egg? Then it's time to run fast as you can. Rejuvenate your scalp lock. Don't listen to your friend's knock. Just listen to the medicine man. I was singing, and you're vanishing hair troubles with Harris' hair suit hair, tiny. I have plenty of bottles here for every one of you, enough to grow a bumper crop of tonsorial abundance. Harris, you've had your warning. Oh, come on, mister, I was just trying to... Since you refuse to cooperate, I'll have to take legal steps. Why, because I was trying to drum up a little business? Not on my highway, you won't. Your highway? Well, maybe I can help, Mr. Jason. You? And just what do you think you can do about this public nuisance, Miss Dean? Well, the man has evidently had a breakdown, Mr. Jason. Now, Mr. Harris, you get behind the wheel, and I'll get behind you, and we'll be off the road and under that grove of trees in no time. And I'll have him out of the city limits in no time. Now, get busy some of you, man. Help Miss Dean get this medicine man off the public highway. This Harris man's a menace here at Bass. The nerve of him to set up sharp on the highway intersection. We haven't built Jason Corners into its present state of prosperity to have it invaded by a hobo, a medicine man who lives by his wits, selling that fake hair tonic to the first gullible man who comes along. I'll get out to the crossroads right away, Mr. Jason. You're absolutely right. What kind of Harris that's going on? Like you said, especially before election. Of all the thrills that's known to man, there is no thrill to match it. It's the thrill you get from a common itch whenever you chance to scratch it. Oh, wonderful, simply wonderful, Mr. Harris. You should do more with your music. And you should do more with your smile, Miss Cynthia. What? Well, look, it brightens up your whole pretty face. It's just because I helped you a little. You don't have to compliment me. Oh, but look, I never... I know what you think. What everybody thinks. Cynthia Dean, plain music teacher, all made. You? What's the matter with the females in Jason Corners? Give you a sincere compliment and you snap my head off. Well, then you meant what you said? Well, sure I did. I really wouldn't have said it if I didn't. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Harris. Make it only. It's shorter, nicer, sort of... I shouldn't bet my bad humor on you. Not me. I'm in good company. Well, thank you. And Bedelion, me? Well, we couldn't have picked a better camp and ground than you pushed us onto here under these trees for good shade, close to a brook for good water down yonder, closer to the road for good business. Oh, you're not planning to stay here. I'd like to, Miss Cynthia. Pretty country, and Jason Corners is my kind of town. 3,500 population, the AutoMap said. You heard Mr. Jason. He ordered you out of town. Yeah, yeah, Jason. Say, just who is he? Just all of Jason Corners. His grandparents settled in this valley, built the mills, built the town, and the Jason family's owned about everything in it ever since. Well, then what's he so high and mighty about? What do you mean? Well, this Jason fella was just lucky enough to be born into a certain family, that's all. What's he done himself to Crow about? Well, he really has advanced business in town. He's smart, modern, and contributes to all the charities, especially the Jason Corners orphanage. He founded that. It looks to me like Mr. Jason's got enough to keep himself busy without paying me much, Miss Cynthia, so, uh, but deal you and me, we'll just sit right here until she gets ready to move on. Oh, she better get ready right now, then. Hello, Sheriff Bass. Sheriff? Howdy, Miss Dean. You, uh, Mr. Harris? Uh, only Harris, Sheriff. My friends all call me only. You got a license? License? Driver's license? Why, sure, Sheriff. I know the law, and I... I mean a doctor's license. Doctor? No, I... You call yourself a medicine man, don't you? Oh, sure, but that's just a sort of a gag. It helps me sell my hair, Tonic. So, you got a vendor's license? Vendor? What are you talking about? Well, you must be joking, Sheriff Bass. Never was more serious in my life, Miss Dean. This Harris' character has got to get out of Jason's Corners within 24 hours. I don't know if, but deal, you can be patched up in that length of time. Well, Mr. Harris isn't a criminal. Quite the opposite. He helps people, and attains them, sings. Better change his tune in 24 hours or he'll be singing a prison song in our jail. Better get busy, Mr. Medicine Man. Oh, wait, pal. Sheriff Bass, please listen. Oh, use, Miss Dean. He's got to go, and if you're smart, you won't take up with this fellow so much. I thought I was going to like Jason Corners. I'm going right into town and see Mr. Jason. Oh, no, Miss Cynthia. If your bass was quite right on that score, you mustn't get messed up in my troubles. But it's so unfair. Oh, one town's as good as another, I guess. I'll just mosey along with Bedelia's permission, of course. What's that? Only one thing more could happen, and that would have to be Bedelia's motor falling out. Let's see. That's just what did happen. Oh, no. How is your Jason Corners jail, Miss Cynthia? You seem to understand the seriousness of your situation. Sure I do, but what can I do? And when I can't do nothing, well, I sing. Oh, you're hopeless. No, ma'am, one thing I have got is hope. Oh, good heavens, that reminds me. I'm due at the orphanage to give the children their music lesson, but right after I'll go to my garage man. Maybe he could fix up Bedelia in time. Don't fret yourself, Miss Cynthia. Just go along, forget you ever met me, but remember one thing. Yes? Keep smiling. Oh, it's you again. Where have you been all this time? Hiding under them bushes. I guess I should have been hiding with you, honey. They don't like Ole and Jason Corners. I like you. You what? I like you. Like your music, like your songs? My name's Shandy Jones. Well, that's the first good news I've had all day. Come on up here and tell me more, Shandy. Okay. Can I play your piano? Bet you can. You know how to play? Sure. Say, that's real fine now. You liked it? I wouldn't surprise me a bit if you grew up to be a concert pianist. What's that? Well, it's a fella, or in your case, a lady, who goes around the country playing piano for folks and making them happy. Like you do, Mr. Harris? Yeah, like I do, Shandy. I like that. Well, you keep practicing. See, work real hard, honey, and someday you will. You'll see. No, I won't. Well, what's the matter with you? Of course you will, if that's what you really want. I can see you now. Coming out on the stage in a beautiful evening dress. You're a wonderful artist, very talented, very famous. Now the lights come down, the orchestra leader raises his baton. Every eye is on you, baby. You go to the concert grand piano, you sit down, you put your hands on the keys, nod at the leader and begin playing. Shandy. Shandy, honey, what's the matter? It's so beautiful, but I won't never be no concert piano. Who says so? Mr. Jason says so. Oh, how'd he get into this? He runs the orphanage. Orphanage? Or what's that got to do with the... Oh. Yeah, I live there, Mr. Harris. I'm an orphan. Well, what's wrong with that? Lots of folks are orphans and grow up to be famous. But Mr. Jason says we gotta grow up to be cooks and maids and things. No, he does, does he? I think I'll have a talk with Mr. Jason. That's no good. I had a talk with Mr. Jason. Well, that's why I keep running away. I'm running away from the orphanage now. Oh, now hold on there. Young lady like you can't go roaming around the country alone. But I'm going to. Unless you take me with you, Mr. Harris. Me? Oh, Shandy, that's no life for a little girl. I've got a better idea. I can go with you? No, but for a little while, you go back to the orphanage. No, I'll never do it, never. Shandy, you listen to me. Yeah, Mr. Harris. Sometimes we can't always do the things we like right away. It takes a little more time, maybe. So meantime, we do what we have to do. By going back to the orphanage? By going back to the orphanage. They take care of you there, Shandy. Keep you warm, feed you good, and you'll see the day will come when you can do what you want and be what you want. Okay, Mr. Harris. But you got to take me back. Me? Well, you said I shouldn't go roaming around alone. Holy. You and your big mouth. All right, little partner, let's go. I'm Jeannie, the record that's who I am. It's true I am the record. I'll make you smile and I'll make you laugh as I spin around on your phonograph. Round and round I flew. I'm the tallest man in the world. Thank you, thank you, young ones. You're the best audience I've had in a long time. But I sure can't sell you any hair, Tony. You didn't love this. Well, really, Miss D. Oh, Miss Snide, this is Mr. Harris who found Sandy Jones in return. I guess that was the information given me. Shandy wasn't honestly trying to run away, ma'am. More like spring just kind of got in her blood. And when that happens, well, you know how spring affects everybody, especially young folks. I hardly think you're qualified to advise in this matter, Mr. Harris. Child psychology is a highly specialized field. Oh, now that's where you're dead wrong, Miss Snide. What? Well, wrong sort of, that is. It is natural to seek over psycho. Whatever they try to do to young ones nowadays, put a smile in this place, a dream over there, and a tear right here, and add them all up like a problem in arithmetic. You won't come out with the right answer that way. Young ones need understanding and love. Lots of love. Lots of tomy rot. Mr. Jason. Seems you insist on making a nuisance of yourself, Harris. Luckily, Sheriff Bass saw you and the child heading this way to the orphanage. Wouldn't call that luck, Mr. Jason. Time's running out, Mr. Harris. You and your jalabi better be out at Jason's corners before your 24 hours separate. You'll be in jail. Oh, what, this man is a criminal? No, not unless you call giving happiness, goodwill, and friendliness criminal, Miss Snide. We could all learn a lesson from this, this medicine man as you call him, Mr. Jason. We could all use more tolerance, understanding, and human sympathy in Jason's corners, especially here in the orphanage. You trying to tell me how to run my charities? No, no, no, Mr. Jason, Miss Cynthia's smarter than that. Well, should it? Well, first place, there's no such thing as charity when it comes to taking care of children. That's something that comes from your heart. Second place, Miss Cynthia was just sticking up for the underdog, like most women folk do. But you and me know I'm no underdog, Mr. Jason. I've got my health, got my music, got my hair tonic. I'm free to come and go as I please, and if I can get the deal you're going on, I've got to go on business. Now, just see that you keep on going. We don't tolerate tramps here in Jason's corners. I'm no tramp, Mr. Jason. But I know it riles you every time you set eyes on me. Never thought you'd be here at the orphanage, but Shandy wouldn't come off herself alone. Oh, that child, she'd go to China alone. Go, maybe, but coming back, that's another thing. Well, I'll be going now. No, Mr. Harris, you can't. Mr. Jason. Shandy Jones, you keep quiet now. You caused enough trouble. Don't bother, Mr. Jason. But I've got to talk to him this night because everybody's wondering what kind of a reward Mr. Jason's going to give Mr. Harris. What reward? To him? For bringing me back. You always give people something for bringing me back when we run away, Mr. Jason. Well, Shandy, you little rascal, so that's why you made me bring you back here. You figured it would help me. Sure, Mr. Harris, I'd do anything for you. I love you. Well, Mr. Jason? Sheriff Bass, what are you standing around here for? Well, I thought I was... Well, go get back to your duty. But, Mr. Jason, what about... Oh, go away. He can stay, Mr. Jason. That's the reward you could give him. Mr. Harris can stay? Yes, child, yes, yes. Oh, Mr. Jason, thank you. Thanks, Mr. Jason. But on the edge of town, mind you... Oh, yes, sir. I can't have that housing contraption of yours if it ever runs again littering up the city streets. I wouldn't leave my grove of trees if you paid me. And no peddling in that hair tonic of yours from door to door, huh? No, sir. They come to me or they don't get it. Oh. Oh, only I'm so happy for you. See, um, Harris... Yes, Mr. Jason? Does that tonic of yours really grow hair? It seems to me I'm beginning to get a little thin right up here. Well, after all, who wants fat hair? But, uh, Mr. Jason, in return for your generosity, I'm going to give you a bottle free with guaranteed results providing. Providing what? Providing you don't punish Shandy in no way at all. Oh, Mr. Harris. Oh, but we must. She'll run away again if we don't. Oh, no. She'll run away again if you do, Miss Snyden. And if she does run, it'll only be as far as the medicine man. Mr. Jason, you do understand. You know he prescribes the best medicine of all. Love. Hmm. Know something, Shandy? What, Mr. Harris? Just you pretend hard enough, and I'll pretend hard enough. And someday, real soon, maybe you'll have a real father and mother, a family, all your own. This is Mary Healy again. You know, as I was listening to and watching the orchestra during the show, I was reminded of something I once read about the art of violin making. A violin maker must select his woods with great care and age them patiently and skillfully. And then he must select the varnishes that give his violin the most beautiful finish and, at the same time, seal the pores of the wood to ensure pure, perfect tone from the finished instrument. For no matter how beautiful the flaming or masterful the carving, unless the instrument can serve its eventual purpose well, it can have no real value. The right kind of work and the best ingredients must go into each violin in order to have the right kind of tone come out. There is a similarity between making violins and raising a family. If parents want their children to grow up correctly and have complete and happy lives, they must see to it that they have the right ingredients, a good home life, an environment rich in love, a measure of security, and most important of all, a familiarity with God. Family theater urges you to pray together as a family, to secure these things for yourselves and for your children. For through family prayer, you bring God into your home. You invite His blessings on yourselves and your household, and you ensure that measure of security and environment of love that comes with family unity. For the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood Family Theater has brought you Medicine Man starring Peter Lynn Hayes and Gigi Perot. Mary Healy was your hostess. Others in our cast were Irene Tedrow, Jean Bates, Bill Johnstone, and Leo Cleary. The script was written by Virginia M. Cook with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. Am was directed and transcribed for Family Theater by Joseph F. Mansfield. 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 be with us next week when Family Theater will present The Flying Dutchman starring Jeff Chandler and Lisbeth Scott. Join us, won't you? This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.