 Ladies and gentlemen, the Railroad Hour. Dara-studded show train! Tonight, the Association of American Railroads invites you to a special Railroad Hour Christmas Party, starring Gordon MacRae with his celebrated guests from the Metropolitan Opera, Dorothy Kirsten, and featuring a dramatized version of a famous nutcracker sweep. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff, and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. It's a coast-to-coast Christmas celebration 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 everybody. Maybe you're a little bit tired tonight with shopping, and you still haven't figured out just what to get for an astronaut will build. Or if you draw your paycheck from the post office department, I'll bet you're kind of wishing that the fellow with the red suit would loan you a reindeer to help carry the pack on your back. And if you happen to be a sales girl at the notions counter of McClanahan's department store, well, peace be with you, child, only 48 hours more. Wherever you are, if you're a little tired out from the holiday hectic, then give us half an hour to remind you of the real majesty and wonder of Christmastime. Dorothy Kirsten is here, Carmen Dragon, Norman Luboff, all our railroad, our family. We've hung the microphone on our Christmas tree. If you want to be part of the party, why, come join us. Dorothy Kirsten, what do you like most about Christmas? Uh, I mean, size of presents. Well, Gordon, I think it's inspiring to know that Wednesday, every part of the world, from Transom, Norway to Hobart, Tasmania, will start celebrating the same holiday of love and giving. Yes, Christmas always seems to bring us closer together. You know, Dorothy, there's a song that says just that. Sing it for us, Gordon. All right, I will. Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. Next year all our troubles will be out of sight. Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Make the yuletide gay. Next year all once again, as in day, happy golden days. A merry little Christmas. Happy golden day, happy golden day. What do you want for Christmas, Gordon? Well, may I tell you the truth, Dorothy? I honestly got everything I want. I know what you mean. When you have a wonderful family and the best friends in all the world, you really have the most precious gifts a person can receive. You're so right. But there's one present I know we don't like to have, Dorothy. A special Christmas song from you. Lovely, Dorothy. You know, we have a lot more packages to open up. Press wrapped in music paper and tied with violin strings. According to the old tradition, Gordon, all on just one day, the holiday was supposed to last until 12th night, the 5th of January. Ladies and gentlemen of the choir, take a deep breath and tell us all about the 12 days of Christmas. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three French and two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree. On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me. Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me. Five golden rings. Four calling birds, three French hens, turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me. Eight times a day of Christmas my true love gave to me. Eight made a melting summer swimming six geese of rain. Four Christmas my true love gave to me. Nine sizes parking and eight made a melting summer swimming in the rain. Four love and a partridge in a pear tree. On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 10 ladies dancing, 9 crackers fighting, 8 ladies milking, 7 swarming, swimming, 6 geese away. On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, 11 more to leaping, 10 ladies dancing, 9, 5 and 5 and 8 ladies milking, 7 and 1 swimming, 6 geese swimming, 11 more to leaping, 10 ladies milking, 5 and 5 and 8 ladies milking. That was wonderful, kid. Before we bring you our dramatization of the Nutcracker Suite, here is Mr. William T. Farracy, President of the Association of American Railroads, speaking from Washington, D.C. In just a few days now, Christmas will be here. The air is filled with the joyous music of Christmas carols. The stars are filled with people busy finishing the happy chore of buying Christmas presents. The children are anticipating, with ever increasing excitement, the visit from Santa Claus. And most of all, families whose members have become widely scattered are looking forward to joyful reunions. But Christmas is much more than just a festive holiday. And the best gift we could receive to share as members of the brotherhood of man is the gift of peace on earth, goodwill to men. The promise of that goal was the glory of the first Christmas almost 2,000 years ago. It is a goal that has been sought by men of goodwill through the centuries. Perhaps it would help in our efforts to reach that goal if we pause in the midst of the gaiety of the Christmas season and ask for the divine help we need to carry always in our hearts the real spirit of Christmas. A spirit that recognizes not the differences in men but their kinship. A spirit that is summed up by the simple words, peace on earth, goodwill to men. Now, on behalf of the railroad our family, which includes all those who produce our weekly broadcasts as well as the railroad companies which sponsor them, the men and women who work for companies and the million men and women whose invested savings make them the real owners of the railroads. For all these people, I'd like to wish you and your family a very merry Christmas. And in the year to come, may you find health, happiness, and above all, peace. Thank you, Mr. Barrisi. Friends, because Christmas is for children, Dorothy Kirsten and I want to include a famous story about Christmas. For all the kids around our railroad, our tree. Lawrence and Lee, who wrote the words, called it a short, short musical. Or an opera in a nutshell. Tchaikovsky was the first man to tell the story. And I'd like to do just what I'll bet he did. I'm going to take a little girl up on my knee. She might be your daughter or mine. And I'm going to tell her the fabulous Christmas fairy tale set to music. The Nutcracker Suite. Now is the Christmas season, let us all be jolly. Lift up your voice and slump and celebrate the holiday. Sing ye the Christmas carol, celebrate green and holly. Ring out the joyous bells that celebrate the Christmas day. Who are all those people singing? Why, those are the carolers who used to go from house to house in the old world, bringing Christmas cheer and songs to all the people. Couldn't they just turn on the radio? They didn't have radios in those days. Oh, this is a once upon a time story. Remember? It happened even before your mother was a little girl. Did they have presents that long ago? Presents? Why, the stockings were just loaded with gifts. Sing ye the lovely gifts for the children. Look! A doll that really cries. She opens up her eyes to give a little Christmas girl a wonderful surprise. A Christmas light on the children. A soldier with a gun. A stocking full of fun. A tree that's loaded high with precious gifts for everyone. Except... Except who? Except a poor little girl named Marie. Her family didn't have money enough to buy her even one single present. Not even a comic book? Not even that. You can imagine how sad Marie's mama was when she looked at the green branches of the Christmas tree without a single thing underneath. Come on, Marie. Then her mother got an idea. She gave her little girl the only gift that she could find. An old nutcracker. A nutcracker? Mm-hmm. For cracking nuts. It was shaped just like a man. And his jaws would open and close and crack the nuts right between his teeth. That sounds like a nice present. Well, Marie thought so. And when she showed it to the other children, they laughed at her. And some boys took the nutcracker away from her and broke it. Oh. So Marie brought the poor old nutcracker home. Put it under the Christmas tree and cried herself to sleep. Poor little Marie. Long about midnight, she woke up. With a st- She heard a strange noise downstairs. So she put on her bathrobe and slipped on her slippers and went down to see what was happening. Oh, nutcracker was there all right. But he was being attacked by a whole army of mice. Mice? Coons of mice. Battalions of mice. Whole regiments of mice. And their king was in command. A big gray mouse with a long gray mustache. And nutcracker was all alone against them. Wasn't he scared? Not on your life. Nutcracker is not afraid of mice. Nutcracker will bite them in his vise. He'll break them up with tricky nuts and make the king of mice. Up inside a juice can watch the use of taking his abuse. Nutcracker king of mice. Nutcracker will make him pay the price. For mousing up the Christmas toys and scaring little girls and boys for shaking up and breaking up the holiday of joys. But how could nutcracker fight when he was broken? Oh, he couldn't. But he was as brave as a lion. But his poor jaw wouldn't work. A mouse hounced on poor nutcracker. He tried to beat them off. But they backed him up against the wall and the king of mice was charging down on him. What do you think Marie did? Stabbed up her eyes. No, sir. She slipped off her bedroom slipper and threw it right at the king of mice. And all the mice were so surprised that they all scampered away with their tails dragging behind them. Will. I was worried there for a minute. Suddenly, like magic, the most wonderful thing happened. Right before Marie's eyes, nutcracker changed himself into a handsome prince. And he took little by hand and said, Because you have been my hero. Because you have loved me with all the goodness of your heart. Even when I was a funny broken old nutcracker. I'm going to take you to the land where all the toys in the world will belong to you. Come, little princess. Why, this is the magic land where all the toys live. This country with the silver on her wings and the juvenile hair. Why, don't you know who that is? That's the Sugar Plum Fairy. Miss Marie, meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. Sugar Plum Fairy, meet Marie. I'm very pleased to know you, Miss Sugar Plum Fairy. You having a good time, child? Oh, yes, Miss Sugar Plum. How do you like our magic land of toys? There's just one thing I don't understand. They don't have to be wound up because they're all alive. Look, they want to dance with you. I think I'd like that. This is the merriest Christmas I've ever had. Some of the musical instruments in our toy orchestra have asked to meet you. Oh, I've always wanted to meet a musical instrument. Then may I present the two flute brothers? Melody, I'd like to have a little conversation with you. I'd like that very much. Tell me, gentlemen, how's everything in the orchestra? You don't say. Why, thank you. The same to you and a happy new year. Now, just a minute. Hold everything. You mean to tell me that you could understand what those flutes were saying? Every word. Do you know why? It must be magic or something. It's because you have a loving heart. For a little girl who has a loving heart, as she lives, the world around her is always the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy. And if she is brave and good, the dolls will dance for her, the flutes will flirt with her, and every nutcracker can become a handsome prince. Oh, I can hardly wait for next Christmas to come. You don't have to wait, my dear. Don't you know that Father Christmas has given all of us presents to last the whole year round? What presents? Why, the flowers. Every time a blossom opens, it reminds us that the spirit of loving isn't meant to flower only at Christmas, but every day of the year. That's why the flowers dance in our gardens. How can flowers dance? Their feet are fastened in the ground. Oh, haven't you ever seen them? Why, they're waltzing all the time. See, all the flowers dance. They spend their hours romancing. While the bee pays a favor, could it be you? We had to make Christmas last the whole year, too. Waltzing love. Well, so that's our Christmas gift for every child listening. Our version of Tchaikovsky's nutcracker sweep. You know, folks, sometimes in all the gaiety and celebration of the holiday time, I think we may be inclined to forget why the Christmas season began so many years ago. Along with all the fun and the laughter and the presents, we should take a few moments at least to say a prayer. A prayer for our children and the Christmases to come. Right now I'm going to ask Dorothy Kirsten, Carmen Dragon in the orchestra, to join me in the great children's prayer from Hansel and Grado. Perhaps you'll join with us in your thoughts and your hearts, as we say. Dear friends, we're so happy to join this for our Christmas party. Dorothy, is there anything you'd like to say in closing? Just two words, Gordon. Merry Christmas. That same wish comes from our entire railroad hour family. All aboard! Well, sir, it looks as though we're ready to pull out. Next week, a special New Year's program with Dorothy Warren shoulders our guests. We'll be reviewing in words and in music the highlights of this year of 1952. Until then, God bless you all. Gordon Macrae can soon be seen starring in Warner Bros. Technicolor musical Desert Song. Tonight's script and special lyrics for the Tchaikovsky Music were written by Lawrence and Lee. Noreen Corkeran was the little girl in the Tchaikovsky Musicer Suite. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Ragn. This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American Railroad. A portion of the proceeding program was transcribed. Now, keep tuned for your Monday on NBC. Tonight, The Voice of Firestone features Eleanor Stieber on NBC.