 Family Theater presents Pat O'Brien, David Wayne, and Jean Ruth. The mutual network and cooperation with Family Theater presents the big one, starring Pat O'Brien, David Wayne, and Jean Ruth. 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're 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 drummer, the big one, starring Pat O'Brien as Daniel, David Wayne as Spudlittle, and Jean Ruth as Martha. Some of my well-meaning friends have been after me for a long time now to get up here on the radio and tell my story. The story of the big one. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. You see, it's like this. It's what you might call a quaint little story about the Irish. And if there's one thing I don't like, it's a quaint little story about the Irish. I'm full right up to here with them. Do you know why? Because they're always full of terrible misrepresentations. People wearing green hats carrying chelales and saying, sure, and vigora and the like. Well, all the time, there's a full symphony orchestra trying to get your sympathy by playing background music, trying to sound like some quaint little Irish air being played on a concertina like this. Stop! That's enough. You see what I mean? You can understand why a man wouldn't want to contribute to such foolishness. But nonetheless, the story needs telling if I'm ever going to get these well-meaning friends off my neck. So if you don't mind, I'd like you to listen. Now, don't worry, I'll steer clear of all the foolishness. I'll give you the facts, the plain facts, through the magic of radio. Harry, a little magic music, please. Thank you. Through the magic of radio, I'd like to take you back to my little farm just outside the beautiful city of Sunshine, Dungarven, jewel of the Emerald Isle, and pride of County Waterford. Oh, I remember it well. The day it all started. The 21st of June, 1921. I remember the morning mist was just rising through the meadow, and I just finished the milking, and I was walking out of the barn. When I ran into McGinnis, my brother-in-law. Of course he wasn't my brother-in-law then. Morning, Daniel O'Shear. Your trespassing, McGinnis. Listen, I want to talk to you. That's too bad. I want to talk to you about your sister. What about my sister? Can I come in? Not yet, my love. My love? What's this? Well, you see, now that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, may I sit down? You can stand on your head for all I care. What's all this about? O'Shear... O'Shear, I'm going to marry your sister. You're going to what? I know, I know, I'm not from the County of Waterford, and there may be someone here who's good, and you'll find no better man. Martha, you'd have a man from County Cork. I can't help it, Daniel. I love him. Impossible. And what's wrong with Cork? What's wrong with it? Well, in the first place, it's not Waterford. In the second place, you come from there. What's wrong with Cork? Well, you wigner and cork-o, none of you have enough sense to come in out of the rain. You aren't worth the rope it'll take to hang a lot of your worthless bones. No, Dad. Here, here, no, Daniel O'Shear. Here, here, no, Daniel O'Shear. Did you hear that? Is that the way for a man to talk? Here, here, no, Daniel O'Shear. Or can it be that you aren't a man at all, but just a suit of clothes stuffed to look like one? Stuffed suit, is it? Oh, pardon me. I'm at a stuffed shirt. Oh, stuffed shirt? Oh, now please, Patrick, Daniel. Am I to understand you don't approve of me marrying your sister? Now, you'd understand, you thick-headed ape. I'll see you waiting to finish till your hat floats first. I'll not permit it in a million years. Do you hear me? Not in a million years. Well, I don't care whether you'll permit it or not. We're going to be married anyhow. And who are you calling a thick-headed ape? That's right, Patrick. Stand up to him. If he does, I'll knock him down. Oh, cool down. You're fixin' to anger me, O'Shear. I was beggin' to wonder if your skin was as thick as your head seems to be. Would you like to step outside, O'Shear? I wouldn't, McGinnis. No, no, stop it. You've gone far enough. And not have any fightin' within the family. But it's not in the family. Or he will be whether you like it or not, Daniel. But this is between us men, Milo. Not anymore, it isn't. How are we going to settle this? You almost hawk your head down on the pump, Daniel O'Shear. When you've got your temper down, then maybe we'll settle it. And talk about my dowry. Dowry? A dowry. How can Patrick and I move to America and make our fortune without a dowry to pay for the trip? I'm sure they want to move to America. So they'll need a dowry. That's too much, too much. It's the custom, Daniel. He'll pay half. That I will. McGinnis, come on outside. A pleasure. Stay where you are, Patrick and Daniel. You go outside, you've cooled off. Throw me out of my own house. I'm throwing you out if you've cooled your temper. Now go soak your head. He's going to soak his head? I'll help him. You stay here. He's had to do it often enough to do it without your help. Well, I try. We'll settle it later, all right. I'm going to marry your sister, he says. Just like that. What does she say? I love him, sir. He's some carc, but I love him. Then when I try to reason with him, I go soak your head at the pump, she says. And I do it. But then I'm going back in there and I'll loosen his teeth for a minute. That's what. Oh! The water is cold. It was when I looked up from the pump that I saw him. The big one. Four and a half feet tall he was, and he was standing there at the end of the water and saw us watching me. Then after a second he reached over and picked up the towel off the pump handle and handed it to me. He looks like pretty good water. I see it looks like pretty good water. I suppose it is. It'll be like water it is. Who are you? Little. That I can see. I mean my name's Little, Spud Little. Mind if I have a cup? Help yourself. Thank you. Here are no around here. Lived, er... Lived you all my life. Good. Real good. All your life. What part have you done, Garvin? Right here on this farm. That's okay. Funny I haven't seen you before. I'll have just a little bit more if you don't mind. I say it's funny I haven't seen you before. Not funny at all. Leprechaun, you know. Excellent water. Did you say Leprechaun? Leprechaun. Sure Leprechauns don't exist. What do you take before? A great big stupid ox, which is what you're acting like. If you were a foot taller I'd knock your ears off. No, no you wouldn't. Because if I were a foot taller, I wouldn't have taken the chance to say in it. Why'd you tell me you're one of the little people? A Leprechaun? Because I am. Only the biggest one of the little people I ever saw. How many of us have you seen? None. I don't believe in you. Well you can take my word for it. I'm a Leprechaun. Maybe a little big, but nonetheless that's what I am. Well if you're telling the truth, how is it you're so big? I got gland. Prove it. Prove it? That's what I said. All right. But remember, it was your idea. Well I never should have said that. Because you see, a Leprechaun's special talent is finding hidden springs. Running water under the ground. The two of us spent half the morning wandering over the farm. Him walking ahead of me all crooked over like a rose root listening to the ground. Four times he stopped and pointed at a spot on the ground and four times I dug down three or four feet and found just what he said I'd find hidden springs. Delicious, delicious. Now let's try over there in the ground. No, no, no, no. I believe you. You're a Leprechaun, all right. A big one, but I believe you. I've turned all the earth. I'm fit to. Look, I even bet the spade. Sure now? I can go on for hours. Oh, well I can't. I'm done in. And I'm thinking we better be getting back when Mr. Noon meets. Well, as you say. No. No, no. Something wrong? Do you think I've strained me back? Well, just put your arm over my shoulder. I'll help you. There, that's it. Oh, if you've come to plague me, Spudlittle, I... I think you know how to go about it. Here to help I am. Oh, help is it? Of course. When a man's in trouble, he can't get himself out of. That's when we show up. Oh, what kind of trouble do you think I'm in? Oh, I know. I know. I was listening at the window. Ah, you know then. Terrible thing. She wants to marry that McGinnis spandas. Oh, Martha wants to marry him from County Cork. It's a good thing I'm here or you'd have things in a terrible mess. Have you anything in mind? I have. Of course, sir, you'll have to tell them it's your idea. Just introduce me as an old friend or something. That I'll do. Now, listen, they want to go to America after they get married. So you tell them... Let me get this plan of yours straight. You're not only going to pay for the trip, but you're going with us. Is that right? That's right. And, uh, you're not against just getting married anymore? That's right. I'd like to earn a fortune, too. Uh, something's wrong somewhere. Mr. Little, he didn't fall and hit his head, did he? I'm happy to say he didn't, ma'am, and I was with him all the time. It seems to me there's more to this than meets the eye. That's the trouble with you, Corkman. You've got no faith in human nature. Ah, right. What's the trick, Daniel? Trick? There's no trick. What are you asking, Daniel? Well, as your plans stand now, you're going to get married and move to America, and then you'll make your fortunes right. Right. Well, all that I ask is that you see if you can make your fortunes before you get married. Daniel? Ah, you can see him again as I'm only thinking of the comfort and safety of me, dear sister. Sounds right enough. What's the trick? Trick. What is it? Well... Out with it. Well, if you haven't made your fortune in a reasonable amount of time, you call the wedding off. I don't like it. Ah, no, no. Wait a minute, beloved. What would you call a reasonable amount of time, was she? No, two months. Make it four? Four. Well, what do you think, spudlittle? Make it six. We know, don't we? Six it is. And what does that make me? It takes in a bet. No, no, my love. It looks like a good thing. Oh, I love you, MacKinnis. So, I'll abide by your judgment. MacKinnis, I'm hating you less every minute. I'll go along with you, Daniel, because you're my brother, and I think a brother should have something to say in the matter of his own sister's marriage. What have you tried to hinder, Patrick? My oath that I won't. I'll see to that for you, ma'am. It's a deal, O'Sheel. Six months. That's fine. Fine. I think you got the short straw. You think I did, eh? I have it on very good authority that the streets in America are paved with gold. Gold! Well, that was the first time I thought spot-little and double-crossed me. But I didn't think so for so very long, because, you see, when we got to New York, we found the streets were not paved with gold at all. In fact, they weren't even paved with brass. It was quite a shock to MacKinnis. I can't understand it. I just can't understand it. Well, we'll just have to make the best of it. What do you propose to do, MacKinnis? We'll push on out west. That's what we'll do. We'll go way out west where I've heard tell there's no end of opportunities for a young man. We'll make our fortunes yet, my love. You think so, MacKinnis? I think so, Sheila. I'd faith in you, Patrick. West it is. And so west we went. We all got on the train at the New York station, and after a considerable traveling, we came to the little frontier town called Pittsburgh, I think the name of it was. It was there MacKinnis decided the fortune was waiting for him to make it. We all applied for work at the Vostry Colliery. Well, what have we here? What have we here? Well, the new men. Let I can see but I wasn't expecting two and a half of you. And a half? I take that as a dirty slam. Say it again and I'll knock you down. You're what? Just show us what have worked. That's what you're here for, isn't it? I might more than that. I'm what you might call your foreman. And what might your country be? This one. America. A native? Same thing. I've been here a year. If you mean the... where did it come from? It's Ireland. From the north, they bet. County Kerry. And you, Pipsqueak, I'm thinking you've got a lot too much left. Pipsqueak. Let me ask him that. Slow down, Spud. Slow down. Now, you gotta hold on a minute. Let go of me, no. You've got the arguments with the Pip. I mean what Mr. Little here. You'd attack them up with me. Honey. I don't need any help from you, McInnes. The life in you or she'll? And the same from me to the both of you. Put me down, McInnes. Go ahead. Put the little tag down. Anything you say. Yes. And how's he gonna... Hey! Who? Me. Come on up. Come on up. Me. Come on up. Come on up. Oh, stop, Spud. Come on, get paid tomorrow. Get here. Come on, Spud. Whoa. Take him off me. Pipsqueak. Come on. Take him off. Take him off. Take him off. Oh. Like a demon from the black pit he is. Waterford. But me at boths from County Waterford. From Cire. Well, he sure don't fight like a natural man. And in a manner of speaking, he isn't. Now. Now, let me get this straight. The three of you together? To the end, you mountain of blubber. You get to... Waterford and Cork, eh? Ho-ho-ho. I'm going to enjoy this. Come on. Come on. I'll show you foreigners where to work. Ho-ho-ho. Turns out, ma'am, that this big ox has got no sense of humor. Oh, what a pity, the poor man. He's got us working in the deepest, darkest, wettest hole in the whole dirty coal mine. And in the worst possible company, I might add. True. The three of us are working together. All your fault, McGinnis, if you hadn't set him down. My fault? That's what I said. Oh, Sheil, you'd begrudge a man the chance to defend his honor? I didn't know leprechauns were supposed to have any honor. What's that you say? I said I don't know why you don't have another glass of water. Good idea. I think I will. I think, Spudlittle, that oh, Sheil is the kind of a man to begrudge others. Is that you? It would appear so. You're asking for trouble, McGinnis. No, that'll do. We've troubles enough, and there are other things to think about. Daniel, I want you to do a little sharpen for me while I'm learning how to work this big coal burn in the thingamajig in the kitchen. Shopping? Oh, sure it's not a thingamajig, me love. They call it a stove. I'll help you with it. You just stay where you are and enjoy your pipe. As you say, me love. Why, can't McGinnis do the shopping? Like you said, Daniel Oh, Sheil, I'm not a member of the family. Yes. Well, everything went along smoothly for a couple of months. You're all making good money. More than we'd ever made in the old country. But the food prices being what they were, it was pretty close to impossible to put a whole lot away. And not a cabbage, no bigger than your head cost the better part of a nickel, and you couldn't get a decent pound of ham for less than a dime anywhere. Look to me like McGinnis wouldn't be making as fortune in the time it was left. At least that's what I thought, till the second time the leprechaun spud little double cross me. I was just coming back from the elevator as when... What's going on here? Nothing. That's what I mean. Why aren't you cutting coal? Well, because the vein's about to run out. About to run out? And tell me, little one, how would you be known what it's about to do? And where's that other fellow that, oh, what's his name? Oh, Sheil. Somebody watch me. Your friends seem to think this coal mine's almost out of coal. So there's no use in cutting anymore. That's right, Daniel. The vein's about to run out. He said it again. Is one of you going to work that drill? No. One of us isn't. Wait a minute. I'll work it. Don't do it, Daniel. I mean, Spud thinks she'll hit water. Oh, and second thought, I don't think I feel like I just know. Oh, so one of you is a big leprechaun that can hear water running through stone. We'll hit water, will we? Give me that thing. Hey, hey, don't do it, Merson. You'll flood the whole level. We'll have to stop them. Now, each that's beautiful, I'll bet there's tons of it. Yeah. Can you be that? Well, if you mean to outrun it, I'm all for trying. You just ran into the bottom of a pretty good-sized spring. Of course, Wesson was for keeping the whole thing quiet. Oh, I should think he would. But I'm thinking it's a little hard to keep the floating of the whole level a secret. And all this is why Mr. Basterick himself gave you all a raise and pay. It is. And I think it's no more than we deserve. It won't be long now, Milove. I'd like to have a word with you, Spud, a little outside. If you'd like, Daniel. Aren't you having any dessert? I'll be obliged if you'll hold mine for a few minutes. Daniel? They don't want any. But, uh... What happened for dessert? Blueberry pie? I'll be back. What is it, Daniel? I have a feeling you're working against me, Spud Little. Working against you, me? You told McGinnis you were a leprechaun. You told him about the water. Oh, you weren't there. I had to. You saw what happened. That's so, but he got a raise out of it. A big one. There's $3 a week. Now, sit down for a minute, Daniel. I don't feel like sitting down. Stand, if you will, then, but listen. You've got a raise, too, didn't you? We all did. I did. But now I stand a chance of losing me bet with him. Well, what if you do? What do I do? Yes, you're both a long way from Cork and Waterford now. You've got no excuse to be against him. A bargain's a bargain, isn't it? Agree. And another thing, he's too cocky. Maybe if he wasn't so cock sure about winning. No, by thunder, I want you to promise me you won't warn him about anything again. Are you sure that's what you want? I am sure. Well, it's a promise, then. But you'll pay for your bullishness if you're not careful. It was about three, you know, almost four months later. I remember because McGinnis' time was almost up, and he still hadn't made his fortune. As I said about four months when I was sure Spotlittle was double-crossing me, he kept his word, but it almost scared the day later to me. I remember we were working on a siding. McGinnis was cutting coal, and I was loaded into the car when I noticed Spotlittle looking up at the top of the tunnel. I was a precise crack foreman, and I was just about to shout when... You're out! You're out! It's a wonder we're not all dead. Maybe we are. I don't feel dead. Well, it may be only a matter of time. Take a look at that. Looks like it's sealed up alright. Wait, isn't that a hole? Where? Up there to the top of the heap. Well, it looks to me like it might be. I'll have a look. Does it go all the way through? I don't know. Try shouting. I might as well. Hello! Hello out there! Anybody in there? Hey, did I hear something? You did? Hello? Who wants to know? Wilson, are you alright? Yeah, yeah, we're alright. What did he say? I'll tell you if he says anything good. Why don't you come out the other way? Other way? Well... What are you doing? I should've gone mad. No, I'm not. I'm just stuffing my coat in the shaft. That's Wilson out there. He says we're in a bad wave. If he gets the last laugh, at least we won't have to hear it. In a bad way? As if we needed him to tell us. Well, boys, you might as well sit down and wait for the sound of the shovels or the beating of the angels' wings. I don't see it. Don't see what? My whole life passing before me eyes. You're supposed to, I've heard. This is no way to go, I'm thinking. Poor poor Martha O'Sheel. All alone in the world now. I should be with her. That's right. Or the man she loves. You're a poor poor little Martha. I did wrong, McGinnis. I shouldn't have tried to keep you apart. I told you from Cork, but I suppose you could live that down if you live long enough. If he lives long enough. Grim, humor, O'Sheel, and I'm surprised at you. No, that isn't what I meant. What I meant is I'm sorry I made that better. I shouldn't have gone into it, so you owe me no apology. Who thinks, anyway? No, suppose, just suppose, mind you, that one of us could get out of here. Who do you think should go, McGinnis? O'Sheel. Oh, no, no, no. She should have the man she loves. No, no, no. Other men may come along. She should have a brother. A girl needs a brother. I wouldn't go. It's you she needs. You'd be making a fine gesture, but I couldn't separate a girl from her only brother. No, no, no. I wouldn't hear of it. You're a bullish man, Daniel O'Sheel. Just for cleaning up the record, why don't you call off the better viewers before the grim reaper starts his work? The grim reaper. I'd be glad to do it. And I'll add this. McGinnis, I'd be glad to have you for a brother-in-law, even if you're out from Cork. You're a brave man, Patrick. I'd be proud to have you for a brother-in-law for, like it says in the old coat of arms, the McGinnises are brothers to the brave. I now pronounce you brothers-in-laws to be. Come on, let's go home. Huh? What do you mean? Well, you forgot we were cutting from a siden. There's an elevator to the other end of the shaft. Then we aren't dying. Why, you've tricked me. I'm rich. Sure. Like I told you both, we leprechauns come to help people in trouble. I've been working for poor little Martha. Well, of course, that was a long time ago. In fact, I've been an uncle seven times since then, but everything's worked out for the best, despite McGinnis being a corkman. Oh, and the big one, Spudlettle. Sure, I get cars from him now, and then last one he said he was doing business in the spearhead Springs Water Company. Owns it himself, somewhere in California, I think, in a city called Glendale, out in County Los Angeles. Oh, he's doing fine. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Now, like I told you in the beginning, that's what I was trying to avoid. Oh, now, Harry, let's have a little final music with hair on its chest. Like a few bars from John Philip O'Souza. That's the way to finish. Well, here again are our stars, Pat O'Brien, David Wayne, and Jean Rue. Thank you, Tony. Thank you. Thank you, Tony. Very much. Nice to be back. Well, since you're all old timers on family theater, I'll just let you take over from here. You think you can handle it? Well, we're going to try, Tony. We won't have a bit of trouble. Not a bit. What happens now? Jean, I just thought I heard Dave ask, what happens now? I did, didn't I? Yeah. What happens now? Oh, can it be David Wayne's never been on family theater before? Well, it might be at that. That's right. So, what happens now? Well, Dave, at this point in the program, the stars who appear talk about family prayer. You know, you tell the people listening in just how powerful family prayer is, how it strengthens the family. Oh, well, I can do that without any difficulty at all. And then you're all set to tell them why. Why? You do that too, huh? You could say family prayer is the means to which you invite God into the membership of your family. And when a family unites itself with God, its members become more closely unified and the home becomes just that much more secure and peaceful. I'm supposed to say things like that about prayer, huh? That's right. Well, the next time, I don't think there's enough time left for you to do it on this broadcast. Well, that's too bad. But you know, Dave, family prayer is a mighty good thing. Oh, you don't have to sell me on family prayer. We've got a motto about it around our house. Oh, you have? I thought it up myself. It just came at me out of the air, I think. Well, let's hear it, boy. Let's hear it. The family that prays together stays together. More things are brought by prayer than this world dreams of. Family Theater has brought you The Big One, starring Pat O'Brien, David Wayne, and Gene Roof. Others in the cast were Dan O'Hurleyhee and Ken Christie. The script was written by Robert Hugh O'Sullivan with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and was directed 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 will 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 Burton on the Family, starring Gene and Kathleen Lockhart. Join us, won't you? Family Theater is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. The casting system.