 Remember a hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best Hallmark cards bring you a true story from the life of Stradivarius On the hallmark hall of fame here's our distinguished host mr. Lionel Barrymore gentlemen and welcome to the hallmark Hall of Fame tonight a true story from the life of Antonius Stradivarius the world's foremost violin maker This remarkable craftsman lived and practiced his art more than 200 years ago and yet today with all our modern science and machines We're unable to duplicate his magnificent instruments our star tonight a Stradivarius violin actually carved by the master The music and the story in a moment that now here is Frank Goss 365 days a year hearts are lightened by hallmark cards happy days are made happier Lonely days become no longer lonely and every day is a brighter day when the mail brings a hallmark card For hallmark cards are more than just a message of cheer or sympathy or love They are the right message Thoughtfully expressed in the right design the right words and that hallmark on the back shows that you cared enough to Send the very best Lionel Barrymore appears by arrangement with MGM producers of executive suite starring William Holden June Allison Barbara Stanwyck Frederick March Walter Pigeon Shelley Winters Paul Douglas and Louie Callaghan And now mr. Barrymore brings our true story from the life of Stradivarius on the hallmark Hall of Fame It's the most sensitive of all the musical instruments and the greatest violin Stradivarius it's maker Antonius Stradivarius Man of the 17th century Man of Cremuna, Italy who shop was across the square from a cathedral Francesco, yes father the varnish. I'm applying it now. Yes, as I see but gently Francesco move gently with care and with love Yes, father with love. This is no block of wood you hold This is a thing of music that has in its fiber the song of the forest and the flight of the swallow a Violin, this is what my so you do me honor good fortunes in your Stradivarius Indeed good fortune my history that you come to me to my shop This powering Antonio's this kneading of the hands in your apron. It is not wait wait my astral Commit me but Francesco come to me Yes, father He is my son my astral and I teach him my craft the splendid youth Antonio's your hands young man May I see them strong with a tenderness in them like your fathers? I do not know only this Francesco and remember it well and one day say it to your child The Giuseppe Tartini once stood with you and close and supposed to Tartini Tartini whose fingers have been kissed by God whose hands draw from the violin the soul of music Oh, I am but a fiddler Antonio. I'm all in that Antonio's yes maestro I have need of a violin a violin suitable for playing at the Palace of the Duke of Genoa my astral You could play upon a shell strong with them only the violin of Stradivarius will do the instrument that hangs there And the ball would you please Francesco? Yes, father of the devil who came to me in a dream Forgive me. I am but a student of the violin Therefore I've come to the shop of Stradivarius to purchase a violin Oh, no looking for work, so I may continue my studies my father and Tony this is in the garden speak with him I was thinking of a thing that fixed me my hand became heavy with a small anger Really come from Florence with wife and child to study with the great Coradini and I need work I'm knowledgeable in woods and varnishes with crafty fingers for fairing a scroll. We fashioned a violin for my astral I've heard a perfect violin. Yes Signore, I would give my life if I could only help you my hands are nimble. I have studied Signore Good bye. You will help us. Thank you, Signore. Thank have we created here eyes as you look on it To play it through that small space and inside you climb down and lift the latch And then you will open the door for me, but why because it is nighttime, and I do not wish anyone to see us I am not a baby. I know what is honest and what is not then listen most glorious instrument for music a man has ever created My hands upon it and it's sang in a tone such as Just play it Would let you only that once he says now it is the violin of tartini and only tartini may play it Here I'll hoist you up. Yes father hand that I bow and the sound it makes makes love to the world Must possess it for always Quickly I am your father, and I say quickly let us get out of here because cyclone until his mother started getting ready for bed And suddenly flung his arms around her hugged her and said I love you mommy Well, all I could think of was what a shame it is that as we grow older We become a little embarrassed to show our affection so spontaneously. That's one of the reasons I'm sure why we welcome Mother's Day so much it gives us an opportunity to express the love We feel the whole year through And I know that you'll find a hallmark card that tells your mother all the things that are in your heart a card that says Just what you want to say the way you want to say it For you see hallmark cards are created thoughtfully with sensitivity and sincerity That's why your card will carry such a true and natural expression of your feeling So now while the selection of Mother's Day cards is new and complete Why not stop at the fine store where you buy hallmark cards and choose the one you want for your mother The hallmark and crown in the back will tell that even in selecting her card You'll carry enough to send the very best Lionel Barrymore brings you the second act of our true story of Stradivarius by the genius of Antonius Stradivarius and Stolen from him by a man named Paul of Valde A man who was himself a student of the violin and therefore understood what treasure For this he stole For this he fled and search was made for the thief I went to Paolo's houses and then what Francesco? What did you find at Paolo's house? No, nothing. He was gone with him his wife and his boy and the violin the violin that I made for Only for I've broken a Paolo's house father and I searched an empty house the sun all the years the knowing I have the violins and of music to be shaped from pieces of wood the sun of all night toiled and Night's anguish over the curve of the scroll the turning of a peg These he stole from me. Yes, what you have said Knowledge you have in the years of learning the wisdom that is in your head. What's up with him? This he did not steal this. He not a word. Not a word. You're here. Good fortune Senor Stradivarius nice draw that fortune Francesco Senor Tartini Well, surely surely now I do not deserve such faces of gloom such shadows of grief to welcome all I am sorry my history. It is nothing a small thing that did not go well in the shop The a moldy wood that did not shape as we wish to well and so on yes Yes, maestro the violin the violin you make for me. I have restrained myself many days now But I can no longer maestro. I can no longer. I must see it Show it to me seniority. I Cannot what I cannot for it it is not finished Perfect violin it is not yet this thing of perfection in a beauty that we both wish I have sent for another cutting of maple for a new Back and strips of cypress ebony the concert. I am to give for the Duke of Genoa as soon I know it maestro and therefore And therefore you will have it Very well. I have your word the violin, but it's a Stradivarius and then therefore more valuable than any other Since I'm here in Cremona husband what there is a man here a pawnbroker Yes, here in Cremona. He calls himself Gregorio and he's shocked. I know where it is I know his reputation and take this violin to him and explain to him that it's a Stradivarius and Say to him no To him that for ten thousand lira, but it is priceless good Say to him that the violin is priceless Then say to him 20,000 What I want to keep it why tell me why to give song to my heart to play on it Yes How much is the violin worth as I said priceless 20,000 lira more ten times more and ten times a gap or then sell it Sell it Palo so we can be rich I'm tired Look at me and the roughness of my fingers against your cheeks Now tears in your eyes husband the poor wasted years Or sell it please Please What do you wish of me Gregorio? Why did you send for me? It must have amused you senor stradivarius How it must have amused you that Gregorio the pawnbroker should have the daring the presumption for what? Gregorio for this senior wait there just there. I will bring it to you This side bid you come to my shop senor stradivarius here. I give it back to you For it is yours. What is it? Stradivarius Here the label Your senior that I have heard was stolen from you by an evil man by a thief of a man Your violin that you have made for the great party. How did you know all this? I am a pawnbroker senior and the people of Cremona bring me things dreams whisperings I knew immediately. It was a stradivarius. I knew from its glow from the What do you do senora? To destroy what you yourself have to to break and shatter a treasure a king's treasure. You have nothing You have no rights A ransom I paid for your magic. You have no right This right I have Gregorio To destroy the forms Every small thief steal the label from me Paste it into a stick of wood and sell it for a stradivarius And fools Idiots like you Gregorio are deceived by your own greed By your own lies I am stradivarius How would I not know the work of my own hands birth of the lie you bought good fortune Gregorio Can't we rub the wood not with hate not with nerves hands These trembling hands from which the slinus has been peeled Father what what is it? Tonight the duke's concert and in you pretzel What do you want as I have told you in time you will make another such as toys for babies I'll whittle cart for the pleasure of children Plunderer listen to me listen to what I have without shame to as deceived as you did to a power Yes, is the violin in the case you have Yes, you've deceived us. He did Silence He's brought back the violin So therefore I want to back shatter no doubt. No it is as I took it Perfect Then why did you steal it? I stole because what you created beguiled my senses The beauty beguiled I needed to possess it as it possessed me For such is my love for it Yet you give it back For I could not keep it for I would have robbed the whole world I would have been the thief of the ages You could have sold the violin for a fortune I could have kept it and had the far greater treasure of its symmetry in its song Mine could have been the greatest wealth then keep it Father keep it bowler But it was made for you For surely no one could love it more But father I stole tartini. He shall have another of my violins He's a genius in his hands any Stradivarius becomes perfect Now Paulo You have not said a word This day God has blessed all of us. You are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant You've played with a beauty a beauty. I have never heard And see see how the Duke of Genoa applauded such music such music as is made by a violin of Stradivarius Only because only because it drew from my fingers my soul Just know I am grateful to you It was your genius Not mine And he'd commissioned Stradivarius to make it been given to the student Paulo Today it rests in the museum at Cremuna And the composition tartini first played for Stradivarius is the famous devil's trills and honor And now here's Frank Goss Mr. Barrymore will return in just a moment Next Saturday is Mayday and I'd like to remind you mothers of the hallmark may baskets that will give your youngsters so much enjoyment and worthwhile occupation all this week You see these pretty flowered baskets can be assembled without scissors or glue by even very young children It's constant fun for them because each hallmark may basket is a different design In a few days, they'll have all their may baskets ready to fill and leave on their playmates doorsteps on Saturday morning And uh mothers here's another thought These colorful baskets make perfect favors for children's parties and delightful decorations for your luncheons or showers They hold flowers or mints and they're a welcome departure from the standard nut cups So why don't you pick up some hallmark may baskets tomorrow at a fine store where hallmark cards are featured There are 15 may basket designs in all and the price is just 50 cents for a package containing five different designs You'll recognize them by the familiar hallmark and crown on the package The symbol you look for on cards when you carry enough to send the very best And now here's lionel Barrymore As most of you know, uh during the past several months students and senior and junior high schools all over the country Have been participating in a hallmark hall of fame essay contest Well now the essays have all been carefully read and judged and the makers of hallmark cards And the stores that feature them want to thank each student who entered the contest The caliber of the entry certainly reflects to the credit of our young people and their teachers And now frank us will read the names of the three top winners in both the senior and junior divisions These and all the other 116 winners are announced in this week's issue of scholastic magazines The first three winners in the senior high school division of the hallmark hall of fame essay contest are Beverly Beckman edina morning side high school, minneapolis, minnesota jackwell and washington sumner high school, kansas city, kansas richard forbes sibley independent school sibley, iowa in the junior high school division the first three winners are sarah weeks palisades public school palisades new york ruthan bewalter northeast intermediate school midland michigan gale wood southwest school torrington connecticut Congratulations to each of you Now next week the hallmark hall of fame brings you an unusual story indeed It's about one of the most respected and and yet least known man in baseball Miller huggins a former manager of the new york yankees And here you to tell you this really delightful story Will be one of the greatest baseball players of all time Joe demarge you I know you all you want to join us Until next week then this is lionel barry moore saying good night Only in stores that have been carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service Remember a hallmark car when you are carrying up to send the very best Our producer director is william true our script tonight by morten fine and david freedkin Jane novella was heard as antonia stradivarius Featured in our cast were betty harford edgar barrier lou krogman harry barthel jeffrey silber and sammy all The violin passages on tonight's program were played by israel baker on his garsam stradivarius of 1731 Special music was composed by jerry goldsmith The hallmark hall of fame on television next week will present the inspiring story of elizabeth katie stanton's fight for women suffering This is frank goss saying good night to you until next week at this same time When you'll hear a true story from the life of miller huggins starring joe demarge The following week an incident from the life of albert schweitzer On the hallmark hall of fame