 Ladies and gentlemen the railroad hour and here comes our star-studded show train Tonight the Association of American Railroads presents the new Lawrence and Lee musical version of The Necklace starring Gordon McRae And his brilliant young guest Dorothy Warren shows Our choir is under the direction of Norman Lubeau and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen dragon Yes tonight another world premiere is brought to you by the American Railroad 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 Thank you Marvin Miller and good evening ladies and gentlemen the music of the immortal Tésar front is the setting for tonight's play and Equally immortal tale by Guido Mopasson Imagine yourself in the Paris of gaslight and horse-drawn carriages Dorothy Warren shoulder's material I am her husband the ill-fated Pierre in the necklace What's the matter Matilde are you unhappy with your husband? Oh, he's good to me But who Pierre is just a clerk in the Ministry of Education I know how I long for high ceilings and tapestries Like these Matilde I shouldn't have come to see you Catherine It only makes going back to our dingy life all the harder Remember Matilde if there's ever anything I can do for you. Oh, you're a good friend Goodbye Catherine Darling what's wrong? Why are you crying? Why? Look at it read what it says into a mass ball. Oh, it'll be very exclusive only a few of them went to the clerk Matilde I won't go and look like a poor relative Well, how much will it cost a suitable guy? Oh 400 Frank so much it must be stylish Will it make you very happy Matilde? Oh, I shall be the happiest woman Uncover my eyes now. Yes. Yes, you may look at me now. Oh This cannot be Matilde was out wife of that poor clerk in the Ministry of Education It's a pretty dressy isn't it? You must be a princess a queen No No, I look poor I've got to have some jewels here. Will you pluck them from the diamond tree in the public park? I know where I can get some jewels. I'll be back in an hour Would you do me a great favor? Why of course? Something to catch the light these pearls think they blend with my concession most glamorous wife in all the world Oh Only a few more Frank's my sweet may as well finish off the evening in grand style after all how often do we live like nobility or like royalty oh They're not around your neck Are they in the folds of your clothes? No look for them on the floor of the cab in the cushions driver Touching the net because I came down this viral staircase. They aren't here Matilde the jewels are gone. We'll return for the second act of the necklace in just a moment You know when you come right down to it few people in the United States have a greater stake in the continued health and strength of America's railroads than you who own automobiles. I'm afraid I don't quite understand What did the railroads got to do with my enjoyment of my car? Well to begin with your car could not have been built without railroad For to build automobiles the way they are built in America takes the low-cost mass Transportation of raw materials and parts which only railroads can provide and the same kind of thing is true of the highways you drive on I can see that all right But I've got my car and the highways I use are already built So what can the railroads do to help me enjoy driving my car now railroads have a lot to do with that too Because they take the vast bulk of America's freight traffic and move it on their own highways of steel Just imagine what things would be like on the public highways if the freight traffic that now moves on the railroad Had to be carried on the roads on which you drive heaven forbid. I never thought of that You can bet I'm in favor of keeping box cars on the railroads where they belong Yes, the railroads mean a lot to you as a car owner and the more the nation's freight is moved on the privately owned Steel highways of the railroads the less will be the wear and tear to the public highways The lower will be the cost to you of building and maintaining those highways and the greater will be your satisfaction and safety Every time you use your car The necklace set to the majestic music of César Franck Starring Gordon Macrae as Pierre and Dorothy while in shoulders Matilde with Mary Dean as Caterine The dawn was gray across the rooftops as I retraced every step we had walked Every inch of the ballroom the staircase the cracks in the pavement The gutters along curb stones, but I came back to my wife empty-handed I shall go to Catherine and tell her what happened rich. She has everything it won't matter to her No, she gave the necklace to you in friendship in confidence. We must replace Madame has the true eye for beauty This necklace is our prize in my entire store. There is not such a necklace. I Think it is identical even the clasp is the same What is the price of this diamond necklace please these necklaces a great bargain monsieur 36,000 frown How can we raise 36,000 francs with a fortune Pierre We can sell the furniture for a good price. Oh, shall we live in bear room then? I'll borrow the rest we'll mortgage everything. We'll be in debt for years We have no choice my sweet my word my signature is honored everywhere. I am not a cheat If I have nothing else, I am an honest man and for your honesty you are willing to pay such a price It may be all that is left to me my honesty, but I cannot change Even if it means selling our very souls to the moneylenders Matilda. We must do the honest Catherine Thank you for letting me borrow the necklace. You should have returned it sooner, but tilled. I might have needed it Did your friend notice she didn't even open the case Good good Now I have found a very reasonable room Matilda I shall have to get some work to do at night and bookkeeping or copying You can do laundry perhaps or housework a few days a week Oh Pierre I was born for better things How many people are permitted to live the lives they were born for? Wee That old scrub woman with Blisted knuckles and hair like dirty snow everyone must grow. Oh, yes, but everyone does not grow ugly Oh, I want some music. I want music to make me feel beautiful even if I cannot look beautiful Dance with me Pierre. I have forgotten how there was only one dance for us One glorious masquerade and there might have been so many 22 from my wife is sleeping. Well, it will seem strange not to be coming here any longer You have been our most regular caller for many years Let me think you made your loan when my father had the business. I believe that is correct My father has been dead for 11 years And I have been dead for 14 But I do not understand a bad joke my friend For 14 years, I have owed you money You and the score of others But it is all paid back now 36,000 francs and as much again an interest but it's paid And now I am resurrected from the dead. You are an honest man Thank you, sir Thank you humbly Well, good night. Remember me to your wife Or I think you gave me one franc too much Hey, this coin is yours Mine? Good night, monsieur Lois-Elle This coin is mine Mathilde. What is it? What's here? Look, this franc is ours ours, Mathilde, to spend as we like We have one franc, one franc, that's our very own, Mathilde Or shall we spend it? Or if we have one franc for all of it We are too old to dance, Mathilde And I shall buy flowers Flowers were my charming wife Pierre, oh Pierre Oh, I don't believe I know you I know you 14 years have hardly changed you at all Dear lord, can it be, Mathilde? Yes And this is my husband Does she know Mathilde? No, what should I know? Because of your necklace My wife is old before her time And I am staring into the grave I don't understand You returned my necklace A duplicate, Catherine I lost the jewels you gave me My husband and I have slaved for 14 years To pay for the accident of one tragic night Oh, my poor friends The necklace you borrowed, Mathilde It was made of paste What? Worth at the most a few hundred francs In just a moment Our thanks too to Mary Dean, Byron Cain And all the members of our company The song Masquerade was composed by John Jacob Loeb and Paul Francis Webster The music for the necklace was taken from the great themes of Cesar Franck's D Minor Symphony The libretto and lyrics were by Lawrence and Lee The railroad hours brought to you each week at the same time by the American Railroads Marvin These days, members of the American Legion Men who have done so much in war and in peace to help build a stronger, better, more secure America Are making plans to attend their national convention in New York City at the end of August And the Legionnaires who will have the most fun are those who will travel to the convention by train They're going to bypass the strain of long, hard driving on crowded highways They're going to relax in air-conditioned comfort in their hotels on wheels and arrive at the convention rested and ready for the time of their lives And that's a mighty good idea when you and your family take a vacation Travel the easy, safe way by train You'll be glad you did Thank you Marvin And now dear friends, here again this lovely Dorothy Warren show And Dorothy, did you enjoy singing the melodies of Cesar Franck's great D Minor Symphony? It was a thrilling experience, Gordon And I hope all our railroad and our friends enjoy these adventures into the realm of symphonic music too Well, you might say we're trying to bring you a brand new art form giving famous toys a new voice with great music What's our musical story next week, Gordon? Well, Dorothy, we have a complete change of pace It's called the Love Song and our own maestro, Carmen Dragon has written a title melody in three-quarter time which will set your heart singing of good old Vienna That sounds wonderful So we will be meeting on the profit next Monday, eh? Well, it's a date, Dorothy All aboard! Folks, it looks as though we're ready to pull out and so until next Monday night and the railroad hour premiere of Love Song this is Gordon Macrae saying, Goodbye Gordon Macrae can be seen starring in Warner Brothers About Faith Our choir is out of the direction of Norman Lubbock and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American Railroad Now stay tuned for your Monday night of music on NBC The preceding was transcribed Next, Barbara Gibson stars on The Telephone Hour on NBC