 Claudette Colbert, James Gleason, Nancy Olson. Star on Family Theater. The Mutual Broadcasting System, in cooperation with Family Theater Incorporated, presents Night Elevators, starring James Gleason and Nancy Olson. Brief portions are transcribed. Claudette Colbert is your hostess. Our happiness so often comes from little things. The simple deeds, the daily thoughtful acts of kindness, the words of encouragement we can and should give to one another. Those things mean so much, especially at home, where appreciation and gratitude may often be forgotten because, well, because it is home. And we just take for granted the kindness and encouragement that is given. It's sad to see a home where words of thanks are forgotten or where there is distrust or quarreling, because home was meant to be the happiest place in the world. It can be with God's help. It will be if it has the practice of daily family prayer. The family that remembers to thank God each day in prayer will never be unappreciative of each other. Yes, the family that prays together stays together. Claudette Colbert will return following our Family Theater story, Night Elevators, starring Jimmy Gleason and Nancy Olson. I'm just the night elevator man in one of those office building that looms so high they jostle at stars. Wouldn't think there was anything very interesting about a job like that, now would you? Just sitting in your little cage and yawn, you'd say. Or go up and down, up and down, until you're dizzy from watching the dark, deserted corridors whizz by. Well, you're right. Then again, sometimes you're wrong. Let me tell you about one night not so long ago. Things was real slow around about midnight. Please, could you tell me if Mr. Preston is in his office? Sterling W. Preston, a big criminal lawyer? Yes. I'm afraid not, Miss. You're sure? Absolutely. Only way to get up into the building at night is by this elevator. And everyone has to sign the register. You can see for yourself his name ain't on it. Well, I was to meet him here at midnight. Well, then you're 15 minutes early. But I, would you give him a message? Be glad to, Miss. Like paper and pencil? No, no. Just tell him that I wasn't able to raise all the money yet, so I'll be a little late. Tell him to please wait for me. He'll know who it is? Oh, yes, he'll know. Tell him he's got to wait. Got to, do you understand? You see, he's our only hope. Without him, you will tell him. Oh, sure, I'll tell him. Oh, thank you. I won't be long. Tell him I won't be long. The most interesting thing to read I've ever known is a human face. Maybe that's why this girl, whose name I didn't even know, left me feeling sort of sad with such a young, wholesome face to be so full of fear, I guess you'd call it. I was thinking about this when I heard footsteps again. But it wasn't Mr. Press and the lawyer. It was Alex, the janitor. Please, please, if you will take me up to my floor bar and quick. Sure, sure. You're so late, Alex, thought you were sick. No, no, not me. My wife, Lena, she is sick in the hospital. Oh, that's so. Yeah, she's going to have a baby. Oh, well, congratulations, Alex. Don't forget the cigars. All the time since I finished work last night, I was sitting in the little room in the hospital waiting. Sure, yeah. Brownie, you know what? 15 years we are married, and always Lena prays for a baby. No? Oh, now it'll be OK. I know lots of cases. Yeah, yeah. But with my Lena, it is different. The first time she goes to the doctor, he tells her right away, she will have trouble. Oh. But Lena, she says, oh, do not worry, Alex. God knows better than the doctor. After 15 years, God has answered. Your floor, Alex. Oh, yeah, yeah, my floor. If you ask me, though, you ain't in any condition to work. You know, it ain't too late yet to get a sub. No, no, this way is better. This way, waiting at the hospital, it is very bad. When my sister, she stays there, she will come here to tell me right away when something happens. I'll be looking for her. Oh, you are very good, Brownie. No, I must go quickly. I must clean the offices. Now I had two people to watch for. Mr. Preston, the lawyer, and Alex's sister. But the next person that showed up wasn't either of them. Turned out to be young George Cunningham. Eight floor, please. How are you tonight, Mr. Cunningham? You're not hurry, thank you. Well, you got a sign in. Oh, that's right. Come on, I told you I was in a rush. OK, OK. Nothing wrong, I hope? Wrong? I mean, bring you down here at this time of night. That kind of upset, too. No, I just something I have to take care of. Oh. Long time since I've seen your father, too. How's it been? He's not my father, he's my stepfather. And did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much? Well, I... Here's your floor, Mr. Cunningham. Now, why should a nice young fellow like George Cunningham lay into me like that, do you think? I took the elevator back down to the lobby and sat and thought about that one, too. Not for long. Brownie, has anyone asked for me? Sure thing, Mr. Preston. She left a message. Oh, now don't tell me. Let me guess. She wasn't able to raise the money. Not all of it, so she wants you to wait. Oh, does she now? Well, unfortunately, that doesn't fit in with my own inclinations. But she said she'd be right back with the money. Shall I tell you something, Brownie? She's been saying pretty much the same thing for several days now. She sure seemed to be in a lot of trouble. All of my clients are in a lot of trouble, Brownie, or they wouldn't want to be my clients. Yeah, well, it's none of my business, I know, but... But you'd like to make it your business. Yeah. Yeah. Brownie, I am more than happy to indulge your wish. Does the name Clyde Fields mean anything to you? Clyde Fi... Well, sure, he's the kid that claims he was framed on that murder ram. What you could do on a quiz program. And he's coming up for trial in the morning. Well, give this man a trip to the moon, right again. Well, I didn't think he had much chance, but with you handling the case, Mr. Preston... Long. I am not handling the case. No. No. You see, Brownie, I had originally intended to take off in the morning for a South American cruise. And there no longer exists any reason for cancelling this delightful plan. Oh, but you can mean that. Ah, on the contrary, my friend, I was never more in earnest. I've been promising myself this cruise for several years. To simmer on the white sands of Copacabana Beach and Rio... But who'll defend Clyde Fields? Oh, well, there are any number of excellent attorneys available at a graduated scale of fees. And the public defender moreover offers his services without charge. Oh, look, Mr. Preston, you know there ain't another lawyer in this state that can hold a candle to you. Well, perhaps not a very big candle. Well, then how can you even consider going off on a pleasure cruise? A man's life is at stake. A man's lives are always at stake, Brownie. There will be plenty of others when I return. But Clyde Fields, I don't see how you can talk that way. That, that, my dear Brownie, the verb is because you happen to be a sentimentalist. A sentimentalist? Well, if you mean by that, then I'd like to help a guy when he needs help. I guess I am. Ain't everybody? Brownie, there isn't one cubic centimeter of sentiment in me. Not anymore. It's my greatest vanity. But I hadn't intended such a lengthy discourse, Brownie, when Clyde Fields' anguished sweetheart arrives, you must tell her that... Look, maybe that's... Oh, no. Please, please. I am looking for Alex DeGeneres. His sister, huh? Yeah. Will you tell him, please? Come on, come on, come on. You can tell him yourself. Oh, thank you. Say, Mr. Preston, why didn't you come along? Just for the ride. Sorry, I'm leaving. You said you wasn't a sentimentalist. So? I'd like to see you prove it. Come on. Very well. It is very kindly to take me to Alex. How is she? You mean, Lynn? Yeah, yeah, Alex told me all about it. She have her baby yet? Not yet. Myself, four children I have. And Lila, 40 years, she waits for the first one. And now I... Oh, but Alex must not see that I've been crying. And good for you. Where will I find his... Here he comes now, still carrying his mop. Ruth, Ruth. How is she? The doctor. He says you should come quick, Alex. Oh? Just lean your mop against the wall, Alex, and come on. What? Oh, yeah, yeah. The mop. I don't bother picking it up. Let's go. Yeah, yeah. Later, I'll pick it up later. Alex. The how-do? The doctor. He wants you to sign some papers. What? What kind of papers? For... For the operation. Caesarean, huh? Operation. Yeah, that is what he calls it. Caesarean. Oh, lots of times they've got to form up Caesareans, Alex. It's not as bad as you think. Why, a cousin of mine, she's had three Caesareans. Yes, sir, three of the finest, strappin'est kids you ever saw. Yeah, yeah, but the papers... She wants I should sign papers, because then it's... No, no. Do not say it, Alex. How is Ruth? We must hurry. Well, Brownie, and how did you expect your experiment in applied psychology to work out? I mean to say it didn't get you. Oh, my dear Brownie, there are two billion people on this planet of ours, and at this very moment I have no doubt but that Alex's little drama is being reenacted in terms of any number of them. Now, just because I happen to have been in this elevator? Well, I guess there's no... Look, Mr. Preston, you're a busy man. Go on. You sure there ain't some things you ought to take care of up in your office as long as you're leavin' on that cruise in the mornin'. What if there are? Why, then, you won't be wasting your time if you do wait a little longer. Let me take you up to your office. Well, um... All right. But for only one reason, Brownie, to teach you that I'm a better judge of human nature than you are. You mean the girl won't come back like she promised? I mean even if she does. She won't have kept her part of the bargain, the fee, and business, as they say, is business. Well, I took him up and then come back down. I was gettin' long about time to open the lunch pail, but I just didn't feel hungry. Like Mr. Preston said, I am sentimental, I guess. So I just sat there waitin'. Finally heard footstep. I say, Brownie, and my boy hasn't been around tonight, has he? Well, yes, Mr. Cunningham. He's in your office right now. Quick, take me up. Well, if you'll just sign a sheet. Oh, yes, yes. But hurry. We should tell you boy for me, Mr. Cunningham, I didn't mean to be gabby. You see, he got kind of sore at me because I talked too much. I guess he was pretty much on edge. He'll be a lot more on edge when... How long has he been up there? About a half an hour. But he didn't come down. You're positive about that. Well, you know yourself, Mr. Cunningham. There's no way to gettin' in out of the building at night except this elevator. So you ain't maybe afraid... You do talk too much, Brownie. Yeah, yes. Brownie. Huh? Don't make any more noise, and you absolutely have to in letting me off. I don't want to give him warning. One thing I got to make clear. The man that runs the night elevator ain't just an elevator operator. He's responsible for everything that goes wrong in that building while he's in charge. From the way Mr. Cunningham acted, looked like something was going to go plenty wrong. I'm telling you this to explain why I didn't take the elevator back down and Mr. Cunningham got off. Why I sort of sneaked around or I could hear through the transom what was going on inside the office, Mark. Cunningham Diamond Merchants. Put those diamonds back. I was just... Don't try to lie out of it, George. Aren't you even man enough to tell the truth when you've been caught red-handed? He tipped you off, didn't he? That snoopy elevator man. You tipped me off. Now who's lying? Think back to what you said to your mother after our quarrel tonight. So I'd be sorry for the way I've been treating you, would I? So you'd find a way to get even, eh? What are you gonna do now? What do you think? Mother will let you. This is one time when you can't hide behind your mother's skirts. But you can't send me to prison, you wouldn't... Sure you would. Nothing would make you happier than to get revenge that way. Typical of you to call it revenge. Now who's craw-fishin'? You know, you've always hated me. Hated me because the woman you love, my mother, has never loved you. Because she hasn't for one minute stopped mourning her first husband, my real father. George, you've always gloated over the fact that when your father and I were young men supporting the girl we both loved, she chose him above me. All these years, George, your mother and I have tried to keep you from finding out too much about your father. About how he lived and how he died. You're very noble, I'm sure. I think it's about time that you learned the truth. George, your father died in prison. Prison. Take that back. Listen to me. Your father had always gotten his way in everything, George. Yes, even in love. His family, his friends, his winning personality was always too easy for him. He ended up a moral weakling. He'll take every word back. After his marriage, when he had to fend for himself, he proved too weak to resist temptation. He got himself into one scape after another until in the end. Shut up. If there was any truth I'd have found out before now. Your mother's prayer was that you be spared her own hideous memories and you. You thought we never mentioned your father's name because of my jealousy. But you, you always hated me. You can't deny that. If I've been hard with you, if I've been too exacting it is because I saw in you that same weakness. I tried to save you from it, George, but tonight you followed in your father's footsteps. By that time I'd heard enough. Too much maybe. So I sneaked back to my elevator and took her down to the street level. By and by the news boy brought in the early morning edition. The door was as full of woes as my building that night. I was just thinking how lucky Mr. Preston was not to be sentimental when I got a buzz from his floor. Of course it was nothing to do but go up for him. Well, Brownie, do you concede? It's after one o'clock and she still hasn't come. Thereby proving again that truth is always with the realist. You may take me down. Okay. Quite a write-up about this Clyde Fields in early morning edition. Care to read it? No. Seems he wouldn't have been anywhere near the fight if he hadn't tried to help out a friend. The more fool he... a friend isn't helping him make it possible to defend himself. You see? Well, maybe that's the girl. No, it's the eighth floor, Cunningham. Just in time for me to stop. Well, Brownie, you certainly didn't keep us waiting. Oh, well, I happened to be coming down. Check our names off on the sheet, will you, George? Oh, sure. Don't hide, Brownie. Oh, what? Sorry, I snapped at you on the way up, Brownie. Something was bothering me. Me, too. Well, I hope everything's been straightened out. I mean, whatever it was that was bothering you. It has been straightened out, hasn't it, George? Sure. Well, I feel like enough. You'll get it. And, son? Yes, Dad. Not a word about anything to your mother. Not a word. Good night. Oh, Mr. Preston, you're going, huh? Yes, Brownie. I'm going. You know, Mr. Preston, you almost had me apologizing for being sentimental. But not anymore. No? No. Those two men that just walked out of here, the Cunninghams, they proved... Good night, Brownie. Wait. Well, what now? Well, if the girl does come, what'll I tell her? You know very well what to tell her. Look, here she is. Oh, Mr. Preston, I was afraid you'd gone. How could we go up to your office? My dear young lady, you can tell me here. But... Do you or don't you have the money? When I left here tonight, I went up to see Clyde's aunt again. She said once she'd have nothing further to do with him. Do you or don't you have the money? That's all I want to know. Brownie! Look, Mr. Preston, here comes Alex. Brownie, what do you think? A boy? It is a boy. So, Lena had her baby. Yeah, Brownie. Brownie. She's doing all right? Well, she's sleeping yet. But the doctor says if I come back when I finish work... Oh, the offices. I forget all about the offices. A quick guy, I must go do the cleaning. I took Alex up to his floor, feeling so good about the whole thing. Almost forgot about the girl in the lobby. Almost, but not quite. I knew if she didn't have the money, new Mr. Preston would be leaving on that cruise in the morning. Then, thinking of Alex and the Cunninghams and all that had happened that night, I suddenly knew something else, too. Something that made me drop down to the street level faster than ever before. Please, Mr. Preston, please. You're the only one who can save him. You can't let him go to his death. Oh, how many times have I been told that? Yes, and how many times have I given in to such tearful pleas? But afterwards, after I had poured my very soul into the struggle, after I had fought the good fight and saved the defendant's neck, what do you think happened? Nine out of ten of them never remembered their gratitude long enough to pay my fee. Nine out of ten, Mr. Preston? There was always that tenth. There speaks the sentimentalist, and sentiment is cheap. You think so? The cheapest commodity of all. Mr. Preston, how much is your retainer fee? That's an idle question. It's $1,000, and I couldn't raise more than $500. I can. What are you talking about? I mean... I've got $500. I've been saving for a rainy day. Okay, it's raining. I'll have it in your office in the morning, Mr. Preston. Why? You know who I am, Mr. Preston. But I don't even know your name. Oh, just Brownie. God bless you, Brownie. I give you my sacred word, you'll get back every cent. Don't worry about that. Well, Mr. Preston, what do you say? I say, Brownie, that you're a fool. Yeah, but... But you will be in court in the morning. Um... Yes. Oh, Mr. Preston, here. That $500. Forget it. Just to prove that it was a question of principle with me, I won't charge any fee in this case. Good night. I... I can't believe it. Yeah, I guess. The more some folks try to hide it, the more you can be sure that deep down underneath, they're really all sentimental, too. Oh, as I listen to this week's family theater story, I couldn't help but think how often we belittle the good and noble things in life by calling them sentimental. Helping a person in need is not sentimentality. It is the charity that our Lord commanded us to practice when he told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Praying to God for help is not sentimentality. It's merely admitting that we need divine help. And depend upon it in meeting our daily problems. Praying together as a family is not sentimentality. It is a practice which will bind families together in love and understanding. Try family prayer in your home. You'll discover what so many families have always known. A very simple fact. The family that prays together stays together. Thank you for being with us, and God bless you. Our grateful thanks to Claudette Colbert, Jimmy Gleason, and Nancy Olsen for their appearances, and to Maurice Zim for writing our play. Original music was scored and conducted by Max Tehr. This production of Family Theater, Incorporated, was directed by David Young. Brief portions were transcribed. The supporting cast included Jack Kruschen, Bill Lally, John Daener, Virginia Gregg, and Norman Field. Next week, our Family Theater star will be Miss Ethel Barrymore, in a special Holy Week presentation, The Dramatic Narration of the Passion. This series of the Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this kind of program, and by the Mutual Broadcasting System which has responded to this need. Be with us next week at the same time when Miss Ethel Barrymore will star on Family Theater, your announcer, Merrill Ross. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.