 Your coca-cola bottler presents Claudia based on the famous play and novels by Rose Franken Brought to you transcribed Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles coca-cola Relax and while you're listening refresh yourself Have a coke And now Claudia Oh Isn't it a shame mama had to go back to New York tonight she'll be back Friday You know, I I think I miss her already. That's a sweet thing to say sweet What kind of a word is that to use about a man? You know what I mean sweet like in wonderful Which reminds me I'm hungry. I don't follow it, but I am too What time is it? 730 well, we'll be home in a few minutes David you really think mama will be back Friday. I had louisa's feeling better by then she'd better feel better Are you sure it's only 730? I feel as if I haven't eaten in days. Sure. I'm sure it's only 730. It's the country air No, it's funny about Aunt Louisa. What is the way she pops up as a relative every now and then You mean on birthdays anniversary is one dinner a year when she gets sick and mama has to rush off to stay with her Rush is right. I never thought we'd make the train. I guess that being a person's father's only sister Makes blood stronger than water Say that again You know what I mean Mama feels a sort of Obligation to Aunt Louisa because she's the only close relative my father left you can build up quite an appetite with a Few sentences like that. I don't have to build up an appetite. I have it. I can't wait to get home and get rid of it And why should we wait? Why don't we pick up something on the way home? Very good reasons? Why not? What are they simply that mama seasoned and stuffed A chicken put it in the oven to roost roast before we go to the station Well, I don't think it'll roast in the oven a roost either You mean you have to turn the oven on any way darling Well, how long will it be before we can really get down to brass tacks with that chicken? Oh, not very long about 50 minutes but what just enough time for you to shower and eat your soup Much nicer eating at home than out isn't it much and when you're through you don't have to move Do you hear the frogs? Nope. All I hear is the motor of our car David see that little sliver of moon rising. I wish it were a little sliver of cheese. Oh, you have no soul Oh, look, I see a star make a wish you bet I Wish I were eating that chicken Can't you drive a little faster? I'm not that hungry and with the chicken. We're going to have hash brown potatoes and Mom and I finish shelling the peas just before at Louisa call say darling what You know what? There is at the end of this road a pot of gold better than that better a hamburger stand Juicy thick large. They said that I toasted buns with lots of relish and pickle on the side Oh, I love pickles and with lots of mustard and cats up What do you say we stop there? No this minute Their hot chocolate is good too with whipped cream on top. Oh dear. All right. Just as soon as we get there I can't stand it. I'm so hungry You really want to stop off and have a nice big rare juicy hamburger Well, make up your mind. I can just smell those hamburgers. I Can just taste it Come on. Let's drive over No No David not you mean to tell me you'd prefer a nice big juicy hamburger and a diner rather than a nice skinny Undercooked chicken in our own home. Well, I wouldn't. Oh, I think it would be Unpatriotic of us to stop here and eat a hamburger. What our chicken is waiting. We'll eat the chicken too I'm that hungry David the sooner I get him into the oven the sooner will Unless you really want to stop here Do you I suppose not Guess it'd be awful crowded you do want to stop darling might say so I wouldn't mind you're saying so No, that's big of you Home is so nice We'll spend the whole evening over the dishes. No, you won't. We'll listen to the radio I'll even let you read the papers without interrupting now darling. Don't don't don't get right No, are you sorry? We didn't stop at that hamburger stand. No, not the least bit All right home you are mrs. Norton safely delivered. Oh Our house is much prettier than a hamburger stand isn't it much but the service isn't as fast. Oh complaints complaints complaints As you run through darling, would you flip the switch in the living room? So I don't bump into anything the switch is flipped Isn't it convenient you flip a little switch and the whole house lights up Flip another little switch and the chicken starts cooking itself I don't see why people make such a fuss about living in the country How would you like to have a glass of tomato juice? I love it. Where is it? There isn't any good I really didn't want any either now see the chickens in the oven. All I have to do is turn it on oh David if I'd known the country would be like this. I wanted us to move up here 10 years ago me too Dinner might be ready by now. Oh It's a good thing. I don't take you serious. That's the trouble Here's a little bit of cheese a twig to a drowning man and here are three Olives take them all. Oh, I didn't want to ruin my appetite Well, I guess I'll go up and shower and I'll set the table Goodbye darling so long. Don't hurry. You'll have to wait longer David did you turn out the lights? I didn't touch them. Did you? Are you sure darling if you're playing a joke? It isn't very funny. I haven't moved I'm standing right next to the oven Because you showed me where that little fuse box was doesn't mean that you had to play with it That little fuse box. What's that little fuse box got to do with the lights going out? Man, I I guess you didn't am I or am I not? Standing in the same place as when you left. How can I possibly tell when I can't see you here? I am Say isn't it dark in here? Very dark. You can't see your two feet in front of you. It's dark all over the house David, what are you doing? I'm trying to find the fuse box. Do you mind? No, I Didn't know it could be so dark in the dark Have you got a match darling? Of course not everything in this kitchen is electric. Have you got one? Let me see None of here. I Don't seem to have any no ouch. Oh, did you hurt yourself darling? I don't want you bumping around the furniture. Oh, where's our flashlight? I put it in the car in case we got a flat tire in the middle of the night. I'll get it. Now stand still darling Sorry, I didn't know you were standing there. Hello. Goodbye. Hello. Oh, don't you wish you were a cat? You know what I wish what I wish that we were perched up on a stool in that hamburger stand What? What's the matter? Are you all right? All the lights are off You don't say But david You don't realize what that means. Don't I? It means we can't see a foot in front of my face. You mean a hand But who cares about that? Oh Or even a table david. It's much worse than that The chicken the chicken. Yes. Well, it doesn't have to walk around out here It's safe and sound. It can't go barging into the furniture. That is just the point Nothing is going to happen to it in the stove. Now darling darling Just because the light is going out that doesn't necessarily mean it. Oh, you don't understand david The chicken our little chicken is not going to cook in the dark Since uh Since when does a chicken have to see itself cook david? Are you joking? No What's so funny? Nothing Except that the chicken is not going to cook because there is no electricity for it to cook him Well, what do you know about that? It might just well be sitting in the in the refrigerator. No, no, no Oh, yes. Yes. Yes Oh darling, can't you just smell that hamburger? Great big piece of onion. Oh and all that cats Oh and toasted buns and butter Just the way they cook it at that hamburger stand. Oh, I could eat one right now I can even see it And you know, it it looks better in the dark every single minute I think we ought to have bought a gas stove Well, that's not a solution to our immediate problem. No, you're right there. It isn't say uh Where are you claudie? I've lost you. I'm here. Where? Here. Oh I'm uh, I'm going to make a phone call. What for? I'm coming too Then watch out for the kitchen table now. Take it. Take it. Ouch David, you all right? Yeah, well, I'm fine. I'm fine. It's just fine. Just a minute. I have to go back and pick up my foot Who are you calling at this hour? I don't know. We'll see Hello Hello Hello operator Operator, uh, can you tell me whether the electric plant where what what when the the electric plant? Yes Oh, I I see what what do you see? Well, thank you operator. Thank you very much. What happened? Now, it's the power plant. It's out of commission. Oh for how long the operator said she thought it'd be out for hours Well, at least there's nothing wrong with our fuse box David, does it mean it's going to be dark all night? All night and our poor little chicken. He'll freeze to death in the oven And all our milk and butter. I have an idea. What why don't we just switch them around? Darling Are you as hungry as I am hungrier? I could even eat a can of baked beans. You could Well, that's a very lucky thing. What's a very lucky thing that you could eat baked beans Because I have just one large can of beans in the whole house just one large can. Yeah, is that all that's all That's all I have that doesn't have to be cooked You know, I was just telling mama today that we're completely out of canned cans Are you sure are you positive that this can is a can of beans positively? David, how hungry are you? Wait just a minute. I'll look I really don't know how hungry I am. Have you ever eaten beans cold beans cold? Yes. No, no never Or maybe you'd rather go back to that hamburger stand. Would you? Well, we're We're home, aren't we? After all, we're home It's awfully cozy and dark here, isn't it? I like the dark. That's good. Do you like cold beans too? Not much But darling, I like anything with you What a satisfaction it is to have your teenagers enjoy their home Any parent likes to have the children's friends drop in sure of a welcome Many smart mothers make it a point to keep plenty of coca-cola on ice to emphasize that welcome Have a Coke is the favorite gesture of hospitality among young people And their friends respond enthusiastically filling the air with those amiable sounds that signify wholesome Youthful good times. Say Joe, do you like beans? I love them. They're a real man's dish Claudia didn't leave one on her plate either. Well, Claudia is a man's woman Tell me David. Is she really happy living up here in the country? I hope so I'm only afraid she'll be lonesome now with her mother in new york I'm so few other people around she won't be lonesome tomorrow. I understand you're to have some visitors We are who oh, I can't tell you but they're good friends from new york and their visitors be well appreciated by claudia Sounds interesting. See you tomorrow, Joe. Bye david As I was about to say every day monday through friday claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor Who bottles coca-cola? So listen again tomorrow at the same time And now this is joe king saying or of wire And remember whoever you are whatever you do wherever you may be When you think of refreshment think of coca-cola Or coca-cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes An ice cold coca-cola is everywhere This broadcast of claudia was supervised and directed by william brown maloney And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles coca-cola