 Remember a Hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best. The Hallmark greeting cards bring you Louis Jourdan in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on the Hallmark Playhouse. The card will bring you Hollywood's greatest stars in outstanding stories chosen by one of the world's best known authors. They distinguish novelists, Mr. James Hogan. I wonder whether there was one book which you read when you were quite young that you still remember with special affection. The story we dramatize on our Hallmark Playhouse tonight is one I could say this about in my own life. It's Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was, as I remember it, just the sort of story to excite a boy who was born into this 20th century of scientific adventure. And when I reread it a short time ago, it held for me something of the same old fascination. Jules Verne, who you could say was really one of the pioneers of science fiction, never did anything better than 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. And of all his novels, it's probably the one which for us today has a thoroughly modern ring. To play our heroes part tonight, we are introducing to you a fine actor who has become one of Hollywood's popular favorites, Louis Jourdan. And now here is Frank Goss from the makers of Hallmark cards. One of the particular joys of Christmas is sending and receiving Christmas cards. While the pleasure Christmas cards bring can never be measured, isn't it good to know that Hallmark cards are priced the same this year as they were last year, and the year before, and the year before that, and that the quality of Hallmark cards has constantly improved throughout the years. Yes, today, just as for many Christmas seasons, that Hallmark on the back of your card is looked for and welcomed. It tells your friends you cared enough to send the very best. And now Hallmark Playhouse presenting Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, starring Louis Jourdan, which is far off and exceeding deep, who can find it out. The book of Ecclesiastes asked that question over 2,000 years ago, and today in this age of science, the mysteries of the deep are still unsolved. Three-quarters of the Earth's surface when you come to Reckonet lies buried beneath billions of tons of water. There, in the plunging miles below the waves, what wonders lie in the blackness? Nearly a century ago, a Frenchman named Jules Verne let loose his imagination among those terrifying secrets, the dark, measureless caverns of the ocean floor. It is there we shall follow him tonight. Mr. Aronax, thank you for coming to my office. My pleasure, Corporal Farragut. But how can a botanist be of help to you? Professor, do you know how the steamship Moravian was sunk? I was under the impression that it had scraped on a submerged reef. Where the Moravian sank, the ocean depth is greater than a hundred fathoms. Astonish. And when the steamship Scotia limped into dry dock at Liverpool, there was a triangular gash in her hull, which couldn't have been done more neatly with a metal punch. Professor Aronax, the Scotia was rammed. But Commodore, if this is true, it is an act of war. No vessels on the high seas are safe. I do not believe that this is the work of a human being. I believe that these disasters are the work of some beast of the ocean depths. A giant whale, perhaps, uncatalogued in your books of science. It might be some species of monodon monoceros with a long spiral tooth, like a unicorn. You see, Professor, it's for such knowledge that you'll be valuable to our expedition. What is your plan, Commodore? To comb the oceans to find your sea monster, Professor, harpoon it and make the shipping lanes safe again. When do you sail? Friday at dawn. I'll be aboard, sir. It sounds like quite an adventure. Three months later, I was cursing myself for making such a hasty decision. For three long months, we had sea soared back and forth across the oceans. But there was no sign of the sea monster. The crew was restless. We slept fitfully, for we never knew when the tusk of the great beast might rip into our hull and send us to the bottom. I wouldn't worry about it, Professor. What's the matter, Ned? Well, if you ask me, I think this is a wild goose chase with no wild goose. What makes you say that? In all my life, I've been chasing whales. I've never seen one that's big enough to sink an ocean steamship. Ned! What? Ned, what would you say that is? Where? Off the starboard, that black object coming toward us. Lord, save us. I've never seen anything like it. Commodore, did you see that? Yes, we've spotted it. Lieutenant, order battle stations. Ned, land. Aye, aye, sir. Take your position. We're depending on you to harpoon this creature. Aye, sir, do your best. Good man. Professor? Yes, Commodore. I'll get the speed of that devil. It's beyond belief. Aye, heaven is heading straight toward us. Down! And swing two, so we're facing the devil. Head on! Do a harpoon when I'm ready, sir. Don't wait for a command. Look! It's up! The whales powered a torrent of water, which broke over our ship. I was thrown over the rail and fell into the sea. On the surface of an ocean two miles deep. By the time I could see and utter a cry, our ship had swirled out of earshot. I knew that it would be a matter of minutes before I was a dead man. But the nearest bit of earth was two miles away, straight down. Don't struggle so hard, Professor. Ned, land. Well, we can ground together. Well, that won't be necessary, Professor. If you reach down, I think you'll find solid footing directly beneath you. Good lord, Ned. This is a miracle. Oh, sir. It's our whale. What? Keep your balance, sir. It's heaving up out of water. This is no whale. I'd say it was a regular ironclad. You're right. These are iron plates riveted together. There must be men inside, human beings with human sympathies. Now pick on the shell, Ned, with your knife. Come on, sir. Right. Let us in. Let us in. Help us, your pilot. Save us. Let us in. Suddenly, one of the iron plates was lifted up. A man looked out, stared at us for a moment, and disappeared. A few moments later, four strong men with masked faces appeared noiselessly and carried us down inside their formidable machine. Professor Arnax. Yes, Ned. Are you all right? These bruisers don't stand much in ceremony, do they? Dumping us down here where it's blacker than pitch? We are completely at their mercy. They still have my knife. Listen. Someone's coming. Stood the strangest man I have ever seen. He carried an electric lantern which cast sharp shadows on his face. It was a face which might have belonged to an Old Testament prophet. His physique was magnificent. At his age, well, the man might have been 35 or 60, for at least a full minute he stood in the doorway, examining us without a word. And they're just looking at us. Or what you intend to do with us. My name is Pierre Arnax. I am a professor of marine biology with a national museum in Paris. This is Master Ned Land, our pooner, United States Navy. He called upon your humanity to treat us as you would wish to be treated in a similar circumstance. He doesn't seem to understand. Monsieur, je vous demande pardon. Je suis Pierre Arnax, professeur de biology. There will suffice, gentlemen. We will discuss these matters in whatever tongue you choose. I myself speak 13 languages. Then we'll talk in plain English. As you wish, Mr Land. Unintentionally. Unintentionally? Was it unintentionally that your vessel pursued me halfway around the world? Gentlemen, you set sail with the single purpose of destroying me. Is there any reason then why I should show you hospitality? Might not I place you outside on my deck, then sink beneath the waters and forget that you ever existed? Is that not my right? It might be the right of a savage, but not the right of a civilized man. I am not what you call a civilized man. I have done with society, therefore I do not obey it. To kill us, make the depth swift and merciful. I have no such intention. Professor Arnax, I have read several of your books on biology and deep sea life. Oh. And because of my admiration for your scientific knowledge and your learning, I have decided that you and your companion are to remain aboard this vessel. To whom are we indebted for this clemency? I am no one to you, and that is just what you were to call me, Captain Nemo. You mean we're prisoners. On the contrary, Mr. Land, you will be my honored guests. You will be free to move at will from stem to stern of my ship, which I call the Nautilus. I will show you its wonders and its ingenious mechanisms. But Captain Nemo, you have said we are your enemies. Aren't you afraid that we will take this knowledge back to our homes and use it to destroy you? That doesn't worry me in the slightest, because I promise you, gentlemen, that neither of you will ever leave this vessel alive. 20,000 leagues under the sea, starring Louis Jourdan. I read somewhere once that Christmas is a lot of little things. And when you stop to think about it, isn't it the little things that make our memories of Christmas so vivid? Most are impressions of childhood. The star atop the tree, a whiff of goodness as the Christmas cookies come from the oven. A candle in the window on Christmas Eve. The memories are different for each of us, but you can share Christmas memories with your friends by seeing that your Christmas card represents your feelings about Christmas. This is much easier to do than it sounds. For you'll find that the Hallmark Christmas card collection is so varied, so complete, that you're sure to find the one card that brings forth your most vivid memory. Choose it and make it your own. In the Hallmark album are cards you can order imprinted with your name. In addition, you'll find Hallmark cards in many convenient boxed collections awaiting your personal signature. They're designed to express your Christmas wishes in a beautiful manner, and yet are priced to fit even the most limited budget. And for every Hallmark Christmas card you send your friends, add that pleasant feeling of knowing it will be well received. For that Hallmark on the back tells them, you cared enough to send the very best. Now back to James Hilton in the second act of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, starring Louis Jourdan. Magic Captain Nemo aboard his submarine, the Nautilus. I have never had a better meal in the finest hotels in Europe. Thank you. You must pick up delicacies at every port. I've been at no ports. I make no contact with your world, eaten the harvest of the sea. Remarkable. Shall we go to the library? You have a library on board. 12,000 volumes. Unbelievable. Gun. See for yourself. Just contain the gleaning of the richest minds that have lived on this planet. Your works among them, sir. I am on it. Oh, you even have a piano. Of course. Do you play? A little. In the library of your vessel, of course. Floating on the sea. No, professor, not floating. Be so good as to slide that panel to your left. So? Paint light of deep underwater. I saw whole armies of fish swim by the Nautilus. Scores of fabulous creatures of the deep. They are attracted in such numbers by the lamps we steer by. But Captain, where do you get your power to travel at such speeds? The sea supplies me with all the electricity I need through the chemical disintegration of seawater, my own invention. You love the sea, Captain? Yes. He is everything. Its breadth is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert where man is never lonely for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea does not belong to tyrants and despots. Upon its surface, men can still fight and tear one another to pieces, but here, the surface of the sea. Iron ceases. Here, a man must be wealthy to live such a life. Are you rich? Good without missing it, pay the national debt to France. Some days later, I found a note on the table of my stateroom. Captain Nemo invites Professor Aronax to a hunting party which will take place this morning in the forests of Atlantis. A sunken civilization. That is correct. Soon as we've done these diving helmets, I shall be pleased to show you the ruins of a lost continent, Atlantis. We will be able to talk with each other over a telephone apparatus. And there is plenty of air to breathe. It's compressed in this little tank which you carry on your back. Here, Professor, let me help you. Do you hear me, Captain Nemo? Yes. With a crater pouring white hot rock into the sea. There was a hail of volcanic debris descending in slow motion through the water. And at the foot of the mountain, before my very eyes, lay a towel, ruined but open to the watery sky, its temples fallen, its marble columns lying on the ground, was another Pompeii. The city which had died a double death, stricken by both fires. Professor, there's a token of esteem from your... Ned and I were enjoying... Can't make out the flagships flying. What are you doing about decks? I command you to go below. You can't command us. Captain Nemo, I ask you to address us as gentlemen, not as underlings. You have seen things which you should not see. For your own good, gentlemen, I tell you to go below. Thank you, attack this vessel. Now, attack it! Sir, I... I saw that we had submerged. Then a shock passed through the Nautilus. He shuddered with a frightful impact. I watched a dreadful sight. I saw a stricken vessel sinking below the waves. It was Captain Nemo. Suddenly, he seemed overcome by remorse. He ran to a desk, pulled out a drawer, took something from it. Then he fell to the floor, subbing, clasping it close to his breast. Forgive me. Forgive me. He stretched out his arms. He was holding a picture of little children. Forgive me, my... To get off this cursed vessel, we'll have to do it tonight. Everyone on board should be asleep by now. Now we'll have to cross the library. Lead the way. We may as well tell you the truth, Captain. We were attempting to escape. For the purpose, do you suppose we are floating so close to the shore? Let us leave the Nautilus. Perhaps the Nautilus is leaving you. What does this mean, Captain? A few miles to the north of us is a peculiar phenomenon called the Maelstrom. The Maelstrom? A whirlpool which draws ships into its vortex and smashes them in its whirling fury. Even now, gentlemen, our course is set for the dead center of the Maelstrom. You'll be destroyed. Naturally. Come with us. Save yourself. No, my friends. I have lived long enough with bitterness. Everything must have an end. Somewhere. Somewhere. The companion way. Captain Nemo, I beg you. Way to the deck. Ned and I dived into the icy water and swam to the shore where we found shelter in a fisherman's hut. Exhausted, I tried to sleep. But my mind kept traveling out to the sea toward that whirlpool. The deadly vortex. The Maelstrom. And all that night of the Nautilus being sucked into its grave. And though I don't remember it, Ned says that I woke up suddenly from my sleep shouting at the top of my lungs. Goodbye. Goodbye, Captain. Whatever you want your Christmas card to say to your friends, whether you want the chuckling good humor of Santa surrounded with toys or the quiet dignity and peace of a village church in a snow-filled valley, you'll find it expressed on a Hallmark Christmas card. And expressed so beautifully, your card will be the one your friends will single out to show to others or tie on the tree or place on the mantle. That's because on Hallmark cards, you'll find Christmas at its warmest. In the works of such artists as Norman Rockwell, Winston Churchill, Grandma Moses, and other equally outstanding gallery artists. When you're selecting your cards for personal imprinting, ask to see the Hallmark album. There you will find the card you will want for your very own. The one that says, Merry Christmas to your friends the way you'd like to say it personally. And remember that Hallmark on the back of your card also says something to your friends. It tells them you cared enough to send the very best. Here again is James Hilton. Thank you, Louis Jordan. We all enjoyed your performance, and we hope you return to our Hallmark Playhouse often, now that you've made your initial appearance. It was a great pleasure to be here, Miss Dayhilton. I've enjoyed every play I've heard on your Hallmark Playhouse. And right now, I feel a special fondness for your friendly Hallmark cards. Special fondness? How's that, Louis? Well, we have a baby boy at our house, born just last month, and I know how happy my wife and I were to receive each card that arrived. It made me feel as if I was free to talk all I wanted to about the baby and that other folks were interested in him too. Well, somebody once said that the essence of friendship is thoughtfulness, and it always makes us happy when we discover it for ourselves, doesn't it? It surely does. What are you planning for the Hallmark Playhouse next week? Next week we shall tell an exciting story based upon the life of the fabulous financial wizard of the 18th century, John Law. When we dramatize Emerson Huff's novel, The Mississippi Bubble, and as our star, we are delighted to have Ray Milland. Our Hallmark Playhouse is every Thursday, our producer-director is Bill Gay, our music is composed and conducted by David Rose, and our story tonight was dramatized by Lawrence and Lee. Until next Thursday then, this is James Hilton saying, good night. This is KMBC, Kansas City, Missouri.