 Ladies and gentlemen, the Railroad Hour, and here comes the star-studded show trade. The Association of American Railroads presents the famous musical success, Show Boat, starring Gordon MacRae and his two charming guest stars, Dorothy Kirsten and Lucille Norman. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff, and the music is arranged and conducted by Carmen Dragon. Yes, tonight another great musical hit is brought to you by the American Railroads, 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, Gordon MacRae. Tonight, the curtain rises on our winter season of musical shows and operettas with the immortal Jerome Kern Oscar Hammerstein musical play, Show Boat, based on the novel of the same name by Edna Furman. This is the story of Captain Andy's Show Boat, the story of the Mississippi, and of the river gambler, Gaylord Ravinal, the part in which I appear this evening. It is the story of the showboats leading Lady Julie, played for us by Lucille Norman, and of Captain Andy's beautiful daughter, Magnolia, our other charming guest star, our other charming guest for tonight, the lovely soprano of the Metropolitan Opera, Dorothy Kirsten. I remember it all began the summer I was 17. My father's showboat, the Cotton Blossom, was tied up at the dock in Natchez. I remembered it was a warm summer afternoon, and as I stepped down onto the levee, I saw Gaylord Ravinal for the first time and took him to my heart forever. I remember that I said hello as though I'd known him always, and he took off his hat and bowed. How do you do? Do you live here? No, no, I'm just a wayfarer along the river. So am I. Which way are you going? Either way. Which way are you going? Anywhere Papa gives shows. Oh, are you an actress? No, but I'd give anything if I could be. Why? Because you can make beautiful things, wonderful things that never happen in real life. Ah, but wonderful things do happen. Why this very day I was standing here on the levee feeling blue, and suddenly I looked up and... I have to go now. Why? Well, I didn't realize you were talking to me, and I don't know you. Well, if you like to make believe things, why can't we make believe we know each other? All right. We haven't seen each other for 75 years, and you are my long-lost nephew. No, no, no. I don't think I like the idea of being your nephew. Let's imagine that we've just met. But we really have. Yes, but let's just suppose we fall in love at first sight. All right. The game of just supporting is the sweetest. I hope I'll see you again. In search of Julie, the leading lady of the showboat, to tell her what had happened to me. Oh, Julie, I'm in love. Are you really, honey? Who is he? I don't know. He was standing on the dock, and I came down the gang plank, and all of a sudden I looked up and there he was. And he looked so different from anybody else I'd ever seen in my whole life. He was so beautiful. But, honey, suppose he turned out to be a no-count riverfella. Oh, if I found out he was a no-count, I'd stop loving him. Wouldn't you stop loving Steve if he treated you mean? No, honey. No matter what he did. You see, child, love's a funny thing. There's just no sense to it. It's like that thing you always sing when we're having our walks together. Yes. It certainly is. It was for Julie, and that's the way it was for me. All that listening to the river whispering to itself, wondering if I would ever see Gaylord Raven all again. And then came the morning that brought so many changes. Julie and her husband left the showboat, and I was suddenly made the leading lady. And as I stood on the deck beside my father, listening to him talk to Gaylord Raven all. You like me to give you a bed on my boat tonight on credit? That's right. I thought, sir, if I could have a bed on your boat tonight, I could pay you my fare tomorrow at Fort Adams. You see, I expect to remit... You ever acted? Acted. We need a juvenile lead. $15 a week. Chance to see the world. No responsibility. That's what he means, young man. This is my wife. I'm happy to meet you. How do? We don't like to pick up actors off the walls. Or we can't be choosy just now. Madam, your courtesy is exceeded only by your charm. My daughter here is going to be the leading woman. This will be her first triad act in June. So, you'd have your chance to play it make-believe after all. Yes. Well, I... I certainly wouldn't want to miss a chance to be your leading man. Into complete enchantment. At night, we did our shows. And I'm sure such love scenes were never seen on any stage before. It was the only time we were sure of being together. All our other meetings were stolen meetings. Behind my mother's back. I remember the last meeting we ever had to steal. I told my mother I'd fill her pitcher and gay met me beside the water barrel on the upper deck. Darling. Darling. I can't stay but a minute. Mother's waiting. Nola, I want to marry you. Tomorrow in Greenville. But mother would... She's going to be in Fayette all morning. She told me so herself. Oh, there's a lovely little church in Greenville. But father, he's... She was the one who gave me the idea of marrying you while your mother was away. Oh, Nola, please say you will. I want to, gay. I can't stand it this way any longer. I want you all to myself. I want to take you to places you've never seen. I want to show you new cities, theaters, restaurants, and people. And you and I will move among them but still feel as if we were all by ourselves. Okay. I ask you to remember this. Of all the people in the United States, few have a greater stake in the continued successful operation of railroads and the owners and operators of the 7.5 million trucks and the 33 million automobiles in this country. To begin with, America could not have built and could not now maintain and operate its motor vehicles were it not for the basic low-cost mass transportation of raw materials and finished products provided by the railroads. Moreover, the great American network of highways could not have been built and could not be maintained today without this same underlying transportation service. But railroads play an even more intimate day-by-day part in the satisfactory use of motor vehicles on America's fine system of highways. They do this by moving freight on their own special highways of steel rails. In 1948, the railroads performed 645 billion ton miles of freight service. That is, transportation equivalent to carrying 645 billion tons one mile. In the same year, intercity motor trucks performed only one eighth as much transportation service. With the already overcrowded conditions on our highways, just imagine what the motorist would be up against if any considerable part of the traffic which moves by rail had to be carried by highway transport. Well, that's one way to look at what railroads mean to motorists and that's why it is so true that the more the nation's freight is moved on the special steel highways of the railroads, the less will be the wear and damage to the public highways. The lower will be the cost of building and maintaining those highways and the greater will be the satisfaction and safety with which motorists can make use of them. Gordon MacRae in Showboat with his two charming guest stars, Dorothy Kirsten and Lucille Norman. And so Gaylord Ravenall and I were married and life was as it springtime. Life was a thing of romance and excitement and adventure. Life was gay. I knew he was a gambler, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except that we were together. Well, dear, I think I'll go out and see if my luck's as good as it was an hour ago. Oh, Gay, do you think you are too? While the cards are running for me, honey, I've got to play them. I'll be back in time to take you out to supper. All right, my darling. I'm so happy. I'm so happy with you, Gay. Why? Quickly a love song can turn to minor. How quickly a world can be lost when you're holding it by a shoestring. How many years did we actually have? It seems now they've passed with such swiftness that it is impossible for the heart to follow them or add them up. I do know that our daughter, Kim, was seven. The day I walked into an empty bare little hotel room and found a letter. Dearest, by the time this letter reaches you, I shall be on a train bound heaven knows where. There is nothing left to pawn and no more friends to borrow from. I am enclosing $200. This will let Kim finish her term at school. And then you can both go to your parents. I am doing this because I think it is right and because I love you. Please believe I will always love you. Goodbye, your own Gay. Oh, Gay, Gay! That was how spring and summer ended with a chill blowing across the heart and the knowledge that love was gone and it was autumn. And then the long years set in. I went on the stage, I became successful and our daughter, Kim, went on the stage and became even more successful and I was able to retire. And it seems to me now, looking back, that I stopped living from the time I opened that letter to the moment when my father's letter came and I hurried back to the showboat and there, standing beside him, was Gay! That's Nola. How do? I remember you when you were leading lady on the showboat and that's your husband, isn't it? I was here on this levee the day you were married. My, my, how excited we all were. Well, glad to see it turned out well and you're still happy together. Good night. Good night, dear. Good night. Nola, there isn't any way to ask you to forgive me. Now, hold on a minute, Gay. Trouble is, you keep blaming yourself for things and the fact is, you is just unlucky. The lucky people are the ones that get to do what they enjoy doing. I always enjoyed running the showboat and I made a success out of it. Now, you, you was meant to be a gentleman. The biggest mistake you ever made was to try to earn a living. Nobody ever expected it of you. You was on the right track when you started to be a leading man on the river. You could have got to be a big Broadway actor and you wouldn't never had to work anymore. Andy? Andy? Barthes calling me. Yes, I'd better be going. I don't understand it, Captain Andy. Married all these years, yet every time she calls you jump. What is it? What has she got? You got a mean disposition. Andy! Yes, yes, I'm coming, Barthes. I'm coming. Gay, listen. Remember how we used to stand up here listening to them singing below? Oh, Gay, welcome home, my darling. Welcome home. I'm back to stay, Nova. I know now where my home is and where I belong. Here we all work on the Mississippi Here we all work while the white folks play Pulling those boats from the dawn to sunset Getting no rest till the Judgement Day Don't look up and don't look down You don't dare make the big boss frown Bend your knees and bow You're from the Mississippi Let me go away from the white man boss Show me that stream called the River Georgia Meanwhile, this is Gordon McRae giving a vote of thanks to our excellent supporting cast, Earl Ross, Norma Varden and Jane Morgan for their fine performances in Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's musical play Showboat, which was based on the novel of the same name by Edna Ferber and adapted for radio by our own Gene Holloway The railroad hour is brought to you each week at this time by the American Railroads These railroads are your hometown partners They are an essential, dependable working part of the life of thousands of cities and towns all over America Railroads employ local people often by supplies locally They own local property and pay local taxes on it They are responsible citizens and good neighbors in your own hometown And now, here are Dorothy Kirsten and Lucille Norman Inviting me as your guest on tonight's opening railroad hour program I love seeing the music from Showboat I know, Dorothy That wonderful album of Showboat music you just recorded was one of the reasons I wanted you with us tonight And Lucille, we'll be looking forward to October 31 for your return trip in the Operetta Blossom Time I'll be glad to be aboard, Gordon We'll be glad to have you Dottie, after your season at the Met how about getting together with us in the Mary widow and bittersweet Wonderful It's a date then and be certain to listen next week to both of you because we're doing Sigmund Romberg's romantic opera at a new moon and my guest will be the lovely motion picture and concert star with Anna Massey Wouldn't miss it You can count on me Well, it looks just so ready to pull out and so until next week Goodbye Gray is now being seen in the Warner Brothers Technic Hall of Production Look for the silver lining Dorothy Kirsten appeared into the courtesy of Lucky Strikes Light Up Time Our choir is under the direction of Norman Lubov and our music is arranged and conducted by Carmen Dragun This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the Association of American Railroads and I'll keep tuned to your Monday night of music on NBC NBC