 I'm the Comic Weekly Man, the Jolly Comic Weekly Man. And I'm here to read the funnies to you happy boys and funnies. Yes, boys and girls, it's comic weekly time. And here I come right into your house to bring a little fun and happiness. Right out of the pages of Puck the Comic Weekly, straight into your living room, your friend the Comic Weekly Man, the Jolly Comic Weekly Man. Hello, little miss honey, how are you today? I'm just fine, but anxious. Oh, what are you anxious about? Well, Flash Gordon has started a new adventure, see? Yes. And he's traveling to another planet all by himself, see? Yes. And this is the first time anybody's gone alone on a trip like that, see? Yes. And every time Flash has been to another planet, he's always been in trouble, remember? Yes. He was just about to land on the planet, and I'm afraid he might be getting in danger again, see? You bet I do see. So could we please read the funnies and find out? Puck the Comic Weekly? Very well, I'll read that in just a moment. But before I do, let's listen to this nice man. Now here we go with Puck the Comic Weekly. And since you're so anxious to see what's happening to Flash Gordon, let's go looking for Flash right away. So turn over the first page, past Beatle Bailey, go past Little Iodine on the second page, past Prince Valiant on page three, turn over to page four, go past the Phantom there on page five, turn over that page, and here we are on page six with Flash Gordon. Magic words for the music, please. Very well, my lady. A riga-riga-doon-doons, ask him a task. Let's set music for heroic flag. Flash Gordon, making the first solo flight in outer space in the history of man, approaches the planet Callisto. He scans the viewer. Hey, do I see signs of civilization? I better get in for a closer look. But as Flash noses down toward the surface, his brain is suddenly seized in a vice-like grip. Hey, on my head, I'm blacking out. Last picture top row, in sheer instinct, his hand reaches the radar landing control. There's a jolting contact of wheel and surface, and then the ship skids to a stop. First picture bottom row, Flash regains consciousness. He sees that he's lying on the ground, and an elderly man is leaning over him. Oh, my head. It's numb. Relax, my friend. You were badly shaken. Last picture, Flash sits up. Oh, I must have been out a while. Whoever you are, thanks for helping. I don't know what happened. I think I do. You felt a force, my friend. A stranger would, even at a great distance. But here in my retreat, you will be safe from it. For now. I'm surprised that he became subconscious. Well, I think that the man speaks about a certain kind of force. I wonder what force he means. Oh, that's something mysterious. And maybe we can learn more about that next week. But now look across the page. There's Roy Rogers. Oh, yes. And remember that Roy and that boy Chilly have trailed the outlaws to their mountain hideout. And that boy Chilly escaped and he's hiding outside. And Cass Baxter, the head crook, went after him and stopped underneath the camouflage net where Chilly is hiding. And then Roy came out of the cabin looking for Baxter, and Baxter is hiding behind a tree, and he's going to shoot Roy. I wonder if he will. Well, let's read right now and find out. Here we go with Roy Rogers, king of the cowboys. Hi, yippee-yoh. Now here we go with Roy and Trigger. Hi, yippee-yoh. Roy moves closer and closer to the tree where Baxter stands, gun in hand. Baxter raises his pistol to fire and suddenly Chilly drops from the camouflage net onto Baxter. What? And then Roy tackles Baxter. Pulling him against the tree. And Baxter lies on the ground unconscious. Last picture top row, Roy begins to tie Baxter up. Hey, Chilly, Hans Preston has got a gaffer in the cabin. You go tell her I'll be there as soon as I hog tie Baxter. Sure, Roy. And I think we've got bad hombres all rounded up, Senior Roy. A few minutes later, first picture bottom row, Roy and Chilly enter the secret room behind the cabin. Look, Roy, you're all right. Roy sees Gaffer is still tied up and Marge Preston, the niece of the murdered man, waited anxiously beside the press which had been used to make counterfeit money. Well, Marge, cast Baxter won't pass any more counterfeit money. It is gambling casino in town. Good. Roy, this press can turn out bushels of it from the engraved plates they forced my uncle to make before they killed him. Yeah, well, Gaffer shot your uncle on Baxter's orders because he hauled operations by taking these plates. I'll use our newspaper to tell the town what happened and to clear Uncle Pete's name. Sometime later, in Birch Creek, the outlaws have been turned over to the sheriff. And Roy is saying goodbye to Marge, Preston, and Chilly. Well, I guess you folks will be safe now. Oh, Roy, Chilly's going to stay with me and help out on the paper. How do you, Senior Roy? Well, that's just fine. Well, now I'm heading for my ranch. How do you, Sir Roy? How do you, Senior Roy? Last picture, well on his way to the double-R bar ranch, Roy sees a tree with a lot of crazy mechanical gadgets hanging on it. He rains in. Oh, hey, Triggy, whoa. He sees the parts of a mechanical man hanging from the tree. Hey, watch this. Yes, and the crooks are in the hands of the law. Oh, that was a good adventure. Yes, you bet it was. But I wonder what that funny gadget hanging down in the tree is. It does sort of look like a human being apart. Yes, that looks sort of like the mechanical man from the Wizard of Oz, doesn't it? Well, maybe we'll find out more about this next week. But now, let's turn over the page. And here on the last page of the first section is Dick's adventures. Oh, yes. Those have been discovered. And last week, there was a thrilling chase when two outlaws who'd been stealing Dick's gold were captured. Yes. And now I wonder if they can dig for gold without people stealing what they find. Well, let's read now and find out. Here we go with Dick's adventures. Say the magic words with me. Riggity pat, kazak, kazik. Let's have music for adventurous Dick. In some time since the outlaws have been captured and punished, and the men continue in peace to dig for their gold. But now the wild rush to get rich quick is dying down. Dick notices that many of the men are getting discouraged because they're haven't found gold. First picture, second row, he sees some of the miners pack up and return to their homes in the east. Last picture, second row, Dick asks some of the miners. Hey, why are you folks planning on going home? Oh, this digging for gold isn't paying off. We're sick to death of living like rats. We worked this hard on our farms. We'd make just as much and we'd beat them up. We worked this hard on our farms. We'd make just as much and we'd beat with our families and our law-abiding neighbors. First picture, bottom row, Dick says. Well, why don't you all do your farming out here? There's plenty of land for every man in his family. You'll be doing yourselves in your country a favor. Stay in the west. Hey, kids got an idea. This is good land here. Yeah, I'm gonna make me a farm. Yeah, I think I'll do the same. Dick's idea catches on. The gold rush turns into a farm rush. Acres and homesteads are staked out around the town of Sacramento and in dozens of other places in the gold rush country, similar decisions are being made. Slowly, the wilderness is clearing away and everywhere the eye can see, fields take shape, homes go up and the land takes on the beautiful country site of farmers tilling the soil. And as Dick stands and looks over the country, he says, Oh, now watch the west grow. Just watch it grow. Watch it grow. And last picture, Dick looks around and sees that he's in his own room in his own bed in the world of today. He sees his father standing over him. Oh, gee, I guess I was dreaming, Dad, about the old gold rush days that open up the country from the Mississippi to the Pacific. Well, he didn't get rich with gold, no, but he got rich in another way, just as a lot of those other gold seekers did. How do you mean? Well, they learned that the land is beautiful and that the land is rich, that when you plant a seed, wheat and corn and vegetables, things that are food for us will come up. Oh, yes, and apple trees will grow and you can have an apple. And flowers will grow and you'll have beauty. Yes. And these things will grow every year as long as you care for the land and love the land. The land will take care of you if you help it. And that's being rich. And that's what these people learned. Oh, yes, I see what you mean. And people don't fight over those things the way they did over the gold. No, this is a much better way of living. Yes, I'm glad that story turned out that way. Yes, so am I. Well, now look below Dick's adventures. There's Rusty Riley. Oh, and Rusty, because you remember there was a theater coming near the milestone farm. Yes, and a rich local girl was going to play a part in one of the plays. And she had a valuable string of pearls which she left in her dressing room. And the pearls were stolen by a man named Shorty, one of the actors. And he was wearing Rusty's cap and jacket so Rusty would be blamed. But Rusty wasn't anywhere near the theater at that time. I wonder what will happen. Well, let's read now and find out. Here we go with Rusty Riley. Gallop and run till the road is dusty. Give us music for his horse and Rusty. Tweedy, the girl whose necklace has stolen, has called the police. The entire company has been searched. But the pearls haven't been found. The detective addresses the company. Mr. Fidsley tells me that everybody who works in this theater is here. Now I'll have to ask you a few questions. Shorty, the man who stole the pearls speaks up. You know, wait just a minute. We're not all here. Oh, no. Who's missing? Hey, that kid Rusty Riley who was playing a stable boy. The electrician standing nearby nods his head. Yeah, you're right, Mr. Grant. I saw him up by the dressing rooms when I was wiring them new sparks. Last picture, top row. The director of the company, Mr. Fidsley says... Oh, you must be mistaken, Jake. He took that horse back to the milestone farm long before Miss Castle left her pearls in the dressing room. I ain't blind. I know I saw him. And the carpenter adds... Yeah, Jake's right. I saw him too. You couldn't miss that red cap in his leather jacket. First picture, bottom row. Tweety says... I can't believe that, boys and thieves. And Shorty answers... Well, you heard about Jake and Cass percent. We've all been searched. It's gotta be him. Um, you say he lives at Milestone Farm, huh? All right, I'll go over and I'll have a talk with the land. A short time later, the detective is at Milestone Farm. He's speaking to Mr. Miles. Um, I'm Detective Baker, Mr. Miles. What? The police? Uh, yes, I... I really wanted to talk to Rusty Riley. Is he here? Why, is he in trouble? I'm not sure that he's here, but I'll phone the bond and I'll find out. And last picture, Rusty is seated before Mr. Miles and the detective, who says... Rusty... Miss Tweety Castle had a pearl necklace stolen from her dressing room between 4 and 4.30 today. You were seen near her dressing room at that time. I, uh... I know this is absurd, Rusty. I'm sure that you can explain it to me. I'm sure that you can explain it to me. I'm sure that you can explain it to me. Good, Rusty. I'm sure that you can explain your presence there. Well, I wasn't even near the theater then, Mr. Miles. I brought Dawn home before 4 o'clock. I said, Shorty Grant, who stole the pearls, is trying to have Rusty blame for it. Yes, he certainly is. And now the detective's talking to Rusty. I wonder if he will believe Rusty, because you know Rusty's telling the truth. He wasn't near the theater then to talk. No, he wasn't. Well, maybe we'll find out more about this next week. But now it's time to turn to the second section of the Comic Weekly. Korean today. Well, I'll read that in just a moment. But first, here's that nice man again with something interesting to say. Now, here we go again with Puck the Comic Weekly. And on the first page of the second section, Dagwon and Blondie. Magic words for the music, please. Very well, my lady. Ram-a-foo, Ram-a-fum, Zim-Zam-Zombie, conjume music for Dagwon and Blondie. Dagwon has settled down to read the evening paper when Blondie interrupts. Dagwon, be a dear and get me some parsley at the market. Why bother to get parsley? It has no taste. But darling, it looks so nice on bold potatoes. And last picture top row. Dagwon is on his way home carrying a teeny bunch of parsley in his hand. Seems awfully silly to me. First picture, second row, he nears his house. Oh, there's that army little dog that snaps at me every time I pass this house. Yo, little... A moment later, Dagwon dashes in the house. Quick, shut the door behind me and don't ask any questions. Last picture, second row, a neighbor lady dashes in holding up her yapping dog. Yo, little... First picture, second row, a neighbor lady and her yapping dog. Yo, husband! First picture, third row, Dagwon shouts, I didn't bite your dog, he bit me. Last picture, third row, Blondie calls the bumpster dog. Quick, it's an emergency. Bumpster dogs dash into the hall leap on the neighbor lady and her yapping dog. And cheerfully, they proceed to give the neighbor lady and her dog a good spanking. Oh, oh, let me go, let me go. Three minutes later, the neighbor lady is going down the walk to bring her pesky little dog, who isn't saying a thing. Blondie says... Serves them right. And Daisy says... Which means... You son of a sister. Last picture, 10 minutes later, Dagwon is seated at the supper table. Blondie sets the potatoes in front of him. Dagwon, look how pretty the parsley looks on the boiled potatoes. Beautiful. Wasn't that funny? Dagwon certainly got himself into trouble with that neighbor lady. He certainly did. Knowing Dagwon, I wouldn't be a bit surprised. I should say not. Well, now let's turn over the page. Oh, and look, there's Walt Disney's Sword and the Rose. And this is what I'm anxious to read, because it's in the early days of England. You remember, the princess Mary was in love with Charles Brandon, who was handsome and brave and daring. Yes, but the princess had to marry the king of France, or her brother, King Henry, would have executed Charles Brandon. Yes, and now the king of France is dead, and the princess wants to go back and marry Charles Brandon. But the Duke of Buckingham, who doesn't like Brandon and who wants to marry the princess himself, has got rid of Brandon. And now the Duke has gone to France to get the princess himself. He said that he saved her from the new king of France who wants to marry her. But that's just a trick. I wonder what'll happen next. Well, let's read now and find out. Here we go with the Sword and the Rose. It's Mary, Mary, England, when knighthood was in flower, music to bewitch our story hour. In the rectory of a little church on the Paris Calais highway, Buckingham springs his craft to compel the grieving Mary Tudor to marry him. It wasn't easy to free you from King Francis. He let you go only because he means to buy you back from Henry, with your dowry. Buckingham sees that Mary is horrified at the thought. Brandon is no more. We have only to step into that little chapel, and Father Pierre will marry us. And then you need fear no king on either side of the water. Last picture, top row, the princess says, Do not speak of marriage. No one can ever take the place of Charles Brandon. Am I so low and loathsome? The blood of Plantagenet King's flows in my veins. He seizes her in his arms, first picture bottom row. You'll have me, madam, or I'll take you straight away back to King Francis. Let me go! You dare to! Then the door and the corridor is suddenly opened. There are hurried footsteps. The princess looks around and sees... Charles! Yes, it's Charles. Charles Brandon, the man she loves. The man Buckingham thought was dead. Buckingham stares in amazement. Brandon whips out his sword. And then slowly walks toward Buckingham. The noble duke forgot that killing never thrives by proxy. Last picture, holding his sword at Buckingham's throat, Brandon pushes the princess to his friend Edwin Cascadin. Mary, start on for Calais with Sir Edwin. Mary, from the cruel clutches of the Duke of Buckingham. Yes, he did. And now he'll send her away with his friend Sir Edwin Cascadin, where she'll be safe. But what is Charles Brandon going to do to the Duke of Buckingham? Kill him? Well, that we'll find out next week. But now look across the page. There's little old Donald Buckle. Oh, thanks to him today. Well, let's read now and find out. Here we go with Donald Duck. Say the magic words with me. Jump squee, jump squee. Chicka-chack. Let's add music to better... Donald and his girlfriend Daisy are on the telephone. Hi, Daisy. Would you like to go with me to a dance tonight? You've walked all over my feet for the last time. No. Well, look, if I take lessons and get real good, when will you go to the dance with me? If you want to dance with me and not on me, yes. Picture top row. Donald is at a dancing school learning how to dance. Blame me. Want to try a little jitterbug? Sure, Tots. Lee, dance. First picture bottom row, she says. Now the... The dancing lessons are over. Congratulations, Mr. Duck. Yes, it just comes naturally to me. Thanks. Fourth picture bottom row. Donald is at Daisy's house. Donald holds up a diploma and Daisy reads... Diploma certified Donald Duck is an expert ballroom dancer. And last picture Donald and Daisy are at a dance. They step out on the floor. Donald takes Daisy in his arms, takes three steps and... Ow! Sorry. Back to the school again for you. Isn't that funny? I think it might be that Daisy's feet are a little bit larger than the girls at the dancing school. Poor Donald always in trouble. Yes, trouble. Well, now let's turn over the page. Oh, and look on page five of the second section, there's Uncle Remus. Very well, here we go with Uncle Remus and his tales of Burr Rabbit. Say the magic words with me. Hippity hoppity make it a habit to give us music for all Burr Rabbit. Uncle Remus says, Burr Rabbit ain't aiming at work until work starts aiming at him. Yep, Burr Rabbit's got the lazy daisies. He doesn't intend to work if he can get out of it. He's sitting on a fence post watching Burr Coon hoeing away in his field. Burr Coon, all you does is hassle-rassle at home. I ain't gifted like you is, Burr Rabbit. I just got to work for a living. Well, I works at my head, Burr Coon, and it's a heap easier than back-snapping. Last picture, top roll, Burr Coon points a finger at Burr Rabbit. Trouble with you, Burr Rabbit, is that you ain't got no ambition. Oh, I get by. First picture, bottom roll, it begins to cloud up. Yes, sir. It sure looks like a storm is on its way. Conscience makes me work. Well, I ain't glad to know that you were still hobnobbing with Mr. Conscience. But Mr. Conscience don't make me work except when the spirit moves me. Well, what do you know? Lightning hit the fence that Burr Rabbit was sitting on and his sitter got burned. You can say that again. That last picture, Burr Rabbit turns to Burr Coon. Give me that whole Burr Coon. I have been moved. And Uncle Remus says, Hard work ain't nothing but cured leaves. Wasn't that funny? Burr Rabbit's one of the spirits moved him. Well, the spirit of electricity from that lightning certainly moved little old Burr Rabbit right off the fence. You're dead. Oh, I just love Burr Rabbit. So do I. Well, now that's all the time I have. But before I go, here's that nice fellow with some more interesting information. Well, honey, and all you boys and girls, I've got to go now. All right, Mr. Connally Greenman, but I'll be waiting for you next week. Okay, that's a date. And a date with all you boys and girls. Meet me with our little friend Miss Honey next week when I read Puck the Comic Weekly. For I'm the Comic Weekly Man, the Jolly Comic Weekly Man. I'll be back to read the funnies to you happy boys and funnies. Don't forget, boys and girls, see you all next week. Your friend the Comic Weekly Man, the Jolly Comic Weekly Man.