 transcribed ladies and gentlemen the railroad hour and here comes our star studded show train tonight the Association of American Railroads presents the Romberg Hammerstein Operetta East Wind starring Gordon MacRae and his guest charming Mimi Benzel our choir is under the direction of Norman Lube off and the music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon yes tonight another distinguished musical play is 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 ladies and gentlemen our story tonight takes half the world for its stage lovely Mimi Benzel is Claudette and I am Paul in a musical adventure born on East Wind my child do you hear a voice in the wind Mr. Granier only believe singing in the popular trees it's the East Wind Papa Granier and I thought I heard a man's voice singing to me he's calling you away from us Claudette will you write a letter now and then to your own schoolmaster from Saigon from the parties of course Papa Granier it will be a great change for you Claudette here in France your life has been so sheltered my father will look after me it would break my heart if any ugliness should touch our little Claudette my Papa Granier have you forgotten all the things you teaches in the school room that life is good the Sun smiles on us and the world is the most wonderful place in the world them say you dropped your purse I'm so excited I just don't know what I'm doing you're going all the way to Saigon yes I hope it'll be a delightful boy the Far East Renee am I really here yes you stay right there with the luggage Claudette I'll go find us a carrot thank you Renee have you ma'am sell where in France just before I sailed to Saigon then you must have remarkable hearing I've been stationed here with the army for three years oh well I must have dreamed is this your first visit to Saigon yes well then let me tell you something about life in the Far East I introduce myself I am Captain Paul Gervais Claudette Fortier he must allow me to show you the sights of Saigon oh I should be most grateful to you captain it's good to see you again how are you Paul you look great well the army agrees with me do you know Miss Fortier do I know her I'm engaged to her engaged to my brother we we met on the boat it was quite a long voyage and quite an interesting one yes yes I imagine it was my brother has something of a reputation as a ladies man Claudette as a matter of fact just a minute Paul excuse my dear are you trying to spoil this for me she's a sweet girl Renee and I'm going to marry her well congratulations frankly she's too good for you what do you mean by that you know what I mean you settle down give her a good home fine but if you hurt her did I ask for any brotherly advice oh there's no charge unless you don't take it what's wrong Claudette Renee is in trouble he won't tell me what it is but we have to leave Saigon but when now tonight oh Paul I never should have married him why didn't you stop me why I thought you were in love we were but he doesn't need a wife a wife is just a burden to him don't you know that I'm in love with you are you are you my brave and shining are you mine then I am yours for ever more everything I do you'll be done for you you can let them hold you here but Renee is my brother for that we belong with him too late for us I'm coming good bye Paul goodbye are you coming yes yes goodbye Paul goodbye report card time is mighty important in most of our homes as we follow our children's progress through school or college and there's another kind of report that is important to each one of us too the reports on the progress made and the work performed by the railroads in bringing you most of the things you eat wear and use in your daily life these reports show that in 1951 the railroads turned out the second largest job of hauling ever recorded in time of peace in 1951 the average freight train moved more tons of freight and moved them faster than ever before the transportation service performed in an average hours operation measured by the tons of freight moved one mile was nearly 50% more than 10 years ago double that of 20 years ago and almost three times what it was 30 years ago and that is only one measure of railroad progress this great increase in efficiency is due in large part to a program of investment in improved plant and facilities a program which has been carried forward more intensively than ever in the year since the end of world war two just last year for example the railroads put into service almost 85,000 new and larger freight cars and 2,500 new locomotives and they would have installed even more of materials had been available but while railroad reports for 1951 show near record volumes of traffic handled with record efficiency they also show that the rise in wages prices taxes and other expenses has been so much greater than the increase in freight rates which railroads can charge that in 1951 earnings were actually smaller than in other years when traffic was less and efficiency was lower and it is upon these earnings that railroads must depend to carry forward their improvement program a program which means more efficient more dependable more economical transportation for the commerce and the defense of the nation now here is act two of the Lawrence and Lee version of East wind starring Gordon Macrae as Paul and Mimi Benzel as Clodette Mr. Grenier this is my last day in Paris yes Captain my leave ends tonight and I must go back to Saigon but I was told that you might help me locate a young woman one of my students went to Saigon Clodette yes I was afraid it would lead to unhappiness she married my brother a despicable young man Mr. Grenier where has he taken her do you have any idea where Clodette is now I know exactly where she is oh please miss you take me to her what is Clodette doing in this cabaret singing for her supper since her husband does not truth to feed her I believe this is her number Madam a miss you the club continental presents the incomparable Clodette I've looked all over Paris for you why did you try to find me where is Renee oh he turns up from time to time when he needs money I can't bear to see you sing in a place like this my heart is as old as the sky and much more empty Clodette do you need money no take this I can't please I'm leaving for Saigon at midnight tonight Clodette come with me back to the east and the east wind she will not go with you Renee because she's married to me if you would treat her with decency listen to the preacher tell me what's right and wrong and meanwhile you'll run off with your brother's wife that the idea is right Clodette I never should have asked you to leave him I'm going now I doubt very much we will ever see each other again no God be with you Paul Papa grannier how long has it been since I sat in your classroom conjugating Latin verb a mo a month a month only three years three centuries surely you do not mourn for Renee mourn for him he died as he lived by virus now that you're free from him Clodette surely there is someone else Paul he's half a world away the east wind will never bring him back to me back to Paris but you love him oh Papa grannier I'd be a fool the rest of my life singing melancholy song to an empty cabaret not quite empty my child you're my best audience Papa grannier didn't you notice a certain army officer hiding in the shadows where grannier you you promised what's happened to you Paul what's wrong well a soldier's life isn't exactly a safe one for that you're wounded it's not too serious he'd be much better soon what I am Clodette perhaps we can see each other again now is the time you need me oh no no I'd be a burden to you oh don't you want me what kind of talk is this pride self pity well will you let that ruin your life together so everything's not perfect what difference does it make you're in love aren't you of course Papa grannier you know we are then I give you good odds the Sun will rise on time tomorrow and the world is a wonderful place if you want it to be oh yes if you wanted to be Mimi Benzel will be back in just a moment meanwhile thanks to Paul Fries her Butterfield and our entire company Eastwind with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein the second was dramatized by Lawrence and Lee the railroad hours brought you each week at this time by the American railroads the railroads last year hauled a near record peacetime volume of freight yet despite all the service railroads performed their earnings were less than in years when traffic volume was lower that's because wages and prices railroads must pay have gone up much farther and faster than have their revenues today when the railroads are playing an important part in our defense program and preparing for even bigger jobs ahead it's important to you the railroads be permitted earnings that will let them go full steam ahead on their huge program of improvement to the end that they will be able to provide even more and better transportation service and now here again is our petite guest Mimi Benzel Gordon I'm convinced the show train is the fastest thing on wheels you think so Mimi well how else could we make two round trips to Indochina in just half an hour well next Monday night I'm gonna be an old stay-at-home meme and remind you that springtime isn't too far off with orange blossoms oh that's one of my favorites Gordon and who's your guest one of my favorites Mimi Evelyn case I'll bet you get a case on Evelyn do I'll bet nobody around here will take your money well good night come back soon all aboard well sir it looks as though we're ready to pull out and so until next Monday night and orange blossoms this is Gordon Macrae saying goodbye East wind was presented by special arrangement with the Tams Whitmark music library Gordon Macrae can be seen starring in Warner Brothers Starlet our choir is under the direction of Norman Lube off and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen dragon this is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American Railroad now keep tuned for your Monday night of music on NBC receiver is transcribed now the telephone our features eight seal pins on NBC