 presents Jack Carson and Rod O'Connor from Hollywood the Mutual Network in Cooperation with the Family Theater presents Horse Sense starring Jack Carson and now here is your host Rod O'Connor. Thank You Tony LaFranco. Family Theater's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we're to win peace for ourselves peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theater urges you to pray pray together as a family and now to our transcribed drama Horse Sense starring Jack Carson as Homer. You probably heard the saying that anything can happen in Hollywood but now that's just nonsense. Hollywood is a very normal place and except for a minority of people like my partner Rodney O'Meara the entertainment business here attracts very few screwballs creeps or featherheads. To get ahead in movies radio or TV you've got to have talent industry and a level head. So that's saying about anything can happen in Hollywood simply doesn't apply except to my partner Rodney O'Meara. How did everything go at the conference? Badly very badly. Homer we've been victimized. Rodney you said it. Well what happened didn't the sponsor renew the series? Worse than that far worse he did renew it. Well then I don't understand. But Mr. O'Meara is trying to say is that the sponsor renewed it but we no longer own it. Oh boy when I think of the ingratitude I picked that kid up out of the gutter the gutter. How can you not own it? Because somebody else owns it. Thanks to a young man I will shortly run over with a truck. Take it easy Rodney. I had a dream last night about a black cat not there was the warning. Look I know I'm just a hired hand around here. In brief rows that we've been double-crossed by no less a pillar of Western justice that then Frisco Frank himself. Hula hand? The star of the show he calls himself to my face he said it. We should have tied him up to a longer contract. Yeah we should have tied him up to a palm tree by the neck. And now it comes to you. When I think of what I've done for that boy a nice Irish kid I said he's got eyes like my old Irish mother. Could I be permitted a few details? Yeah yeah we get to the meeting and Frisco Frank was already there with the sponsor. And lawyers I never saw so many lawyers except in general sessions. The crux of the situation is that Frisco will not renew his contract with us for any price. He wants 25% of the show. Is he kidding? Nobody even giggled. This brings the sponsor into the act who says that he can't have a messy situation like this on his hands. He likes a show where everyone is happy especially the star. And here sits Frisco Frank with tears in his eyes so he makes us an offer for the package. You mean he bought you out? It's that or he won't renew the series 75 grand. 73 of which we already owed the banks. We had this though. Frisco Frank rides again. But not in this faster. Well what are you going to do? I got it all figured out. Tonight I'm going to stop by Frisco Frank's apartment. When he opens the door I'll be smiling gently like this. He won't suspect I got a gun in my coat. And if you miss we'll all go to jail. Hey that's an angle. Let's do a prison series. It's a modern prison. See very progressive no chains. Now we'll get someone like Ronald Coleman to play the warden only cheaper. Sort of an unknown Ronald Coleman. Yeah. I wish I'd thought of that. And this time we're going to keep him on known. Now what's the matter don't you like prison stories. I like Frisco Frank better. Listen right and we got to get cooking. The way you live that that two grand won't last us a month. I'll cut down. I'll tell you what I'll take a room at the Y. Say how about a quiz show. Thanks I just had one. No wait a minute that's great. With the biggest jackpot ever off at $50,000 every week we'll call it a something like where's the money. And by the time they guess you'll be on your way to Mexico with it. Homer is that friendly. Why don't we start with a big name and build a series around him. Like whom. Well what we need is somebody with a little name and a brain to match. Like Frisco Frank Frank had one button too many. He knew how to use the phone to call a lawyer. We want somebody who can communicate with other human will sign them up for 20 years and a dollar an hour and they're nothing but great. Wonderful. And just who did you have in mind. Well that's that's the problem. Offhand nobody. I've got it. How about a show built around a baby. Just a little baby. Hey great an orphan. No I mean a real orphan who hasn't any folks that is no one come around to fight about a shot. It wouldn't it wouldn't work. You'd get the health department after you. No we keep him clean. Rodney it's against the law. It's illegal. We could adopt them body and soul. They couldn't lay a hand on us. Will you forget it. What can a baby do anyhow. Coo and cry. You call that entertainment. Hey I got it. South America right out of the jungle. What out of the jungle. A wild Indian full grown will call him jungle boy. Rodney I think we need someone seven feet tall have shoulders like the taff building. How would you get him here. Erics press and a crate by its an inspiration. Mr. O'Mara I don't think the immigration people would like to wait wait wait I'm getting it. What. When you said the crate in the jungle like it. Yeah an animal. That's what we're looking for. Homer an animal star like Lassie or a rent in 10. You got it Homer. Our very own no managers no agents but not a dog. No no something something bigger faster. A horse. A horse. Yeah a horse. A horse. A big fiery heels like Pegasus. Like who. That's great. A Greek horse. Yeah no no no that's from mythology. Is that near Athens. It's a book. We'll use an American horse. It's given a name like Thunderfoot. Homer you got it you got it. I think Thunderfoot's been used. All right all right lightning. It's not the name can come later but look at that scope. He gets the message through stamps out fires warns the settlers and no agents. Homer it's just marvelous. It's great partner simply great all right come on we'll get a bite eat on the way. You know what. The way to work. Santa need of course. Rodney this is no day for the track we got to work to do when that Thunderfoot service. That's just what I had in mind. What where's a better place to start casting for a central character. I suppose you could say that all our troubles began that afternoon when we drove out to the track. I didn't believe for a minute that Rodney wanted to do anything but watch a few races and get rid of his shirt. So when we separated the clubhouse I went immediately to the grill and ordered the senior ham and cheese sandwich because on an empty stomach to walk back from Pasadena to Hollywood is a man killer. And about 20 minutes later as I'm polishing off the last of the slaw Rodney dashes up to my table with a wild life. The winner of the fourth race. Don't tell me. No no the star of our series Thunder. Lightning foot. What do you mean you got him. He's ours. Four hundred dollars. They just signed a paper. You what I bought him. What a horse. Rodney. Have you snapped your cap. Well he's a little lame. That's how I got him so cheap. Four hundred bucks for a burnout and I with only three legs. This is a bargain. You don't know what we got. I know what I got a partner with scrambled brains. This horse can think. Well that puts them one up on you. I'm serious homie. You say something this that gets a message. You think I'd shell out 400 class for a horse is nothing but a horse. I look partner. I'm going to call a cab and I want you to promise to wait right here. Well you think I'm a son struck or something. No no no no strong on stuff I promise no guys in white coats. Okay wise guy I'm going to show you. I believe. Talking horses are a dime a dozen. I never said he could talk now don't smooth me around. Oh excuse me. All I said is that he can think. Talking horse. What do you take me for. Not as much as the last guy you ran into. He took it for 400 bucks. I followed Rodney out of the clubhouse and passed the paddock toward the stables because since one partner can bind another to a deal like it or not I own 50 percent of a horse. And to be honest it wasn't such a bad looking plug after all. A six year old they used to race under the name of stopgap. But even for a race horse it looked a little thin. And there was something wrong with its right hind leg. Well isn't he a beauty. Heavenly. Come on a minute just so he's a fine looking animal. He'd look a lot finer on all fours. Oh that'll clear up he's just over straight a split lock. Fat lock. All right his ankle. How you do a thunder cloud. He quit changing his name you'll have him crazy. Hey look look. He's not in his head. Oh he did not to say he's doing fine or what I tell you. He lowered his head. He thought you were going to feed him something. I'm telling you this horse can think. I was out here asking him questions. Did you ask him what's wrong with his foot. Of course not he's no vet. Are you baby you know that. What they look. He's shaking his head. No he's no that he's shaking off flies. Go on. Horses do that with their mains all the time. He ain't got no main. Yeah well it's an instinctive gesture. They do it anyhow. You mean that a horse that can think would waste time trying to shake off flies with a main he ain't got. Well he doesn't know he hasn't got it. Oh that's the silliest thing I ever heard of. Twenty bucks says he knows he ain't got a main. Now put up a shut up. Rodney you're going to pieces. Twenty bucks got ask him yourself I won't say. I'm not talking at the horse. You're afraid I'm right. Don't be crazy. Well then I'll ask him. Hey baby. You know you ain't got a main don't you. Say what I tell you. He shook his head. No. Well of course I've got a dumb animal be expected to ask. What am I saying they probably cut off while he was sleeping. No no no it's flies again just flies he didn't shake his head no. You don't even believe your own. It's only a horse you're not going to do this to me Rodney. How much proof do you want. I'm not having any thinking horses or black cats or broken Mary Homer will you please take it easy he's going to be the star of our series. Ain't you baby. Will you stop talking to him. As soon as your padlock heals up that lock Homer he's looking down at his hind foot that's just because it hurts him he's trying to put his weight on it. Yeah now I'm getting out of here. He's the smartest horse in the world. Oh we're in kid we're home we're going to make a million. I must admit to Rodney's credit that we did do pretty good for a while and in one way Samson turned out to be quite a horse. You see Rodney insisted we call him Samson because he said his main must have been cut off while he slept otherwise such a smart horse would have known about it. So it was Samson the Marvel horse and by the end of the first 13 weeks our series was among the top 10 TV shows. One thing had me bothered though. Rodney never gave up believing that Samson could really think but I didn't know how serious it was until one night about eight o'clock when Rosie and I were just leaving the studio. Mike I was parked over near the soundstage next to Samson's private stall and as we started past it Rosie noticed there was a light inside. You suppose there's someone in there. Would it be at this hour. Maybe Samson turned on the light himself to read variety. Don't you start. I'm just kidding. Come on we'll turn it out he won't be able to sleep. Homer wait a minute. Well look there's someone in Samson's stall sitting on a stool in front of him. Oh dear. It's Mr. Romero. Rodney? He seems to be talking to the horse. Come on. Let's get up a little closer. I guess something knows to tell you. That's something I'm very ashamed of. Especially if you are how much success you brought to me in Homer. You're listening Samson. Well it's sort of. I feel that you've been taking advantage of Samson and I'm as much to blame as anybody. I mean. Here you are to start a show and me and Homer raking in all the money. Now to me that doesn't seem fair. Does it seem fair to you Samson. What's that I'm talking about. Wait a minute. The horse double crossed him. He nodded. That's very gracious of you Samson but it doesn't fool me for a minute. You know being as smart as horse that you are. That Homer and I are simply exploiting you but you're too much of a gentleman to come right out and say so. I think Mr. Omer has been working too hard. His brain snapped. It's reaching out to turn off the light. Get back to the shadows sir. I sleep tight now. You got a big day tomorrow. Here he comes. And don't worry old pal. I'll make it right for you. Well I didn't get a wink of sleep that night or as far as that goes any night for the rest of the week. My partner Rodney Omer is a wild man. There's never any telling what he's going to do. One day he's having private conversation with the horse. Maybe the next thing you know he'll be sleeping in the stall and living on oats and water. So something had to be done. I didn't want to embarrass him by letting on that Rosie and I had heard him talking to Samson but during the next few days he kept getting more and more stubborn and dictatorial and until finally I couldn't keep shut any longer. Didn't you ever learn to knock before you come in an office. Look I knocked three times you're sitting in there conscious of something. I'm thinking leave me alone. I'll leave you strictly alone as soon as you tell me what's the story on the script. What script. This one thousand bucks it costs and now Rosie says we're not going to use it. Yeah I don't like it. But you like that when you read the outline. I know I know you've been tossing a few ideas. And the writer followed the outline completely so it's a matter of the script. OK OK so I changed my mind. Well you haven't changed my mind partner. I've got a little something to say about these things. Listen Homer if it's a thousand bucks you're worried about that's part of it. OK take it out of my mind. Mainly I like the script I think we're going to use it. Homer believe me it isn't right. You're crazy it's a solid story it moves right along. I. I mean it isn't right for Samson. But I. For the horse you do not have to use that tone. How can it not be right for the horse. He just has to run up and down a couple of hills. Well that's what I mean. It's right. It's the same thing he's been doing for the last three shows. Rodney it's all he can do. He's just a horse. Well you stopped talking about him like that. Like what. Has it ever occurred to you where we'd be if it wasn't for us. The glue factory. Homer I don't have to listen to this. He asked me to get a little local on the subject of the Samson. He's got a lot more brains than you have. So that's it. It's brains again. Yeah. And if you must know the reason this script is out is because Samson doesn't like it. Wait a minute. Samson doesn't like it. I read it to him last night to get his reaction and it was negative. Distinctly negative. You mean he shook off some flies while you were reading it to him. I mean it's shook his head. And as far as I'm concerned I killed it. All right since you brought it up and you don't seem to be ashamed of consoling horses and matters of high policy. I consider Samson much more than a horse. Don't I know it. So what did you mean by that conversation we're having with him last Monday night over in a stall. I don't know what you're talking about. Don't play dumb with me. When you're steaming him up about being exploited and all. Oh you were spying. Spying a horse. We thought someone had left his light on by mistake. Who's we. Me and Rose. Jesus Christ. What is it you're cooking up for Samson. None of your business. You were talking very silly. Oh yeah but I wasn't talking to you so it's none of your business. And if you don't like the way I'm handling this operation you just say so and I'm going to buy you out. Buy me out of this gold mine. Don't be hilarious. All right then but I'm looking out for Samson's interest because what's good for him is good for the business. So you keep out of our way. For the next week I don't even come around the office. I never felt so low in my life plus which I was worried that Rodney was going to do something stupid and maybe send us all to the poor house. Because when a hard hearted buck chaser like him suddenly goes soft on a dog or a horse or in the head look out you'll get somebody killed. But the more I worried the less I could think. And then just when I began to wonder if maybe I was making a big thing out of nothing at all. I got a hurried phone call from Rosie to come right down to the studio. What kept you. What kept you. What kept you what kept you. It's only been 10 minutes since your phone. It's too late. What are you talking about. Mr. O'Mara just left here with the lawyers the contract's already been witnessed. What contract. With Samson the Marvel horse for ten thousand a week. Ten thousand what a week. Dollars that's his new salary. You're crazy we don't have to pay him any salary we own him. Ten thousand a week for the next ten years whether he works or not. Rodney did this to build a ranch out in the valley so Samson will have some place to go when he retired. I'm beginning to get it. Who signed on behalf of Samson to collect the ten thousand. What Mr. O'Mara there you bet he did the dirty double crosser signing a contract with himself but he's already arranged for the place to be built. All right all right all right if you want to play like that well Homer what do you think well I'm thinking the horse is going to be used to do me out of that kind of dough but listen Mr. O'Mara seriously he had tears in his eyes. I did it's not every day a knife a partner Homer all right all right get me the phone number that guy that we bought Samson from he lives out somewhere near Northridge look there's no way you can break the contract when one partner signs I know about partnerships Rosie but it works both ways there's one little thing that Rodney forgot what you got the number yes it is okay now get a bill of sale form out of the legal file a bill of sale form that's right we're going to get rid of this nag once and for all the operator I want to make a toll call but it's almost midnight by the time Mr. Hackleberry drove his truck in from Northridge I explained only a little of it over the phone to him but he seemed very much interested in the one thousand bucks and as far as he was concerned a horse was just a horse the one I was having trouble with was Rosie it's not as awful as losing ten thousand bucks a week here Mr. Hackleberry signed here just let me see if I have this straight oh by all means I buy back stop gap from you his name is Samson now very well Samson that's right in consideration of which I pay you one dollar well let that makes it legal just like it says in the contract I'm a partner the telephone and then in further consideration of a prearranged some which you will pay me in cash yeah yeah one thousand and one dollars here and consideration of this payment I agree to well at the put Samson to sleep okay oh Rosie would you please well sir you got an agreement also I want you to remove him from the premises after so doing certainly certainly and one other thing just in case there's any question can Samson definitely be identified by his markings and whatnot oh indeed he can it's only certificate well that that's all I want to know all right right here Mr. very well but I'll sign okay Rosie and here you you sign as a witness don't cry on the front back you run the ink all your head back and sign your name sign it you want to get fired that's that's the girl all right Mr. Huckleberry can I have that dollar here you are sir very well the animal is yours and now as to putting him to sleep I wanted to ask you about that sir would it be all right if I walk him up into the truck first man anything you wish it would be pretty hard moving him after a way to shut up Rosie go right ahead Mr. Huckleberry he's your property come along stop that's enough now to clam up it's just a horse here we go boy here we go that's it up in the ramps into the truck that's it now lie down lie down your Rosie Rosie come back here he seems to be mighty fond of this horse yeah he's yeah well it's all my but what are you gonna do when you got a crooked partner I well go ahead Mr. Huckleberry I remember feeling good because Huckleberry told me Samson never felt a thing he just went to sleep and I hate to admit it because after all the trouble at nag caused me but a few minutes later when I watched the truck drive through the studio gate I I can hardly see it for the tears in my eyes by the next morning things are really popping not that I care to nickels worth what Rodney thought of me I'd stopped him cold that's all it mattered but the whole company was set up to go to work there the cast the crew everybody there wasn't any horse they could use we were losing money every minute but all Rodney could talk about was Samson I when this series is finished I'm gonna slay you like you tried to slay me last night what do you think you were doing I was protecting my interests 10,000 a week to a horse behind my back I was for his old age his and yours you lousy cook I was thinking of Samson well there isn't any Samson now so the money stays in the partnership where I can enjoy it if I were so broken hearted I'd kill you yeah well we can get a new horse see don't you even talk to me and this one just runs up and down hills he doesn't read scripts I go away come in it's a Mr. Huckleberry he'd like to see you for a minute oh tell him to get lost he's got his money he says it's very important I'm not going to look at him what's he coming around for now anyway can I step in for a minute sir no I don't take a moment maybe I can be of assistance to you now look Huckleberry I understand you're having a little trouble getting a horse to replace Samson this morning now he's going to sell us another one well not exactly sell him sir if well if you could just have a private talk for a minute okay okay come on in hey what do you got mine well sir I couldn't help wondering last night why you were in such a hurry to get rid of the stopgap Samson Samson yes sir so so on the way home after I put him to sleep don't mention it oh excuse me mr. old man come on come on get to the point will you well as I say sir being a close viewer of television it occurred to me that you might want to re-engage Samson services after he's woken up after he's what after he's woken up you don't think a good healthy horse like that's going to sleep forever do you what you you mean is alive alive and kicking I got him out in the truck oh I love you mr. Huckleberry I love you and I love you too mr. old mirror at ten thousand dollars a week's gonna come in my handy oh no were you talking about why Samson sorry isn't that what his contract says ten thousand whether it works or not look Rodney Rodney fit your neck between my fingers you first partner well now I think ten thousand's a very fair price and being Samson's owner I'm willing to pledge his full cooperation just as long as he lasts now that's right that's right nice you partner not at all sir do you want me to unload Samson out of the truck so as your movie people can start to work well yeah if you're sure he's awake oh yes sir he's wide awake and I'll bet he gets it from you this is Rod O'Connor again we hear a great deal in this day and age about the individual on the other side of the iron curtain of course the individual counts for nothing if there's any ideal besides the most savage kind of dictatorship that ideal would be the masses the mass man the mass mind instead of the individual person which is so sacred to us but isn't it possible we could lose sight of one important factor in the equation and that is that though we reject the mass man idea and rightly so the individual isn't really the basic unit of society either the family is when we stop to think about it the family is the foundation of civilization and no civilization is going to be happier or have deeper roots or stronger ties than the families that go to make it up but what gives the individual family its morale and unity well there could be a lot of things like the natural dispositions of the family group that they're pleasant people and love each other and get along well with their neighbors but we know too that human nature is very variable and sometimes rather weak and sometimes sorrow or trouble comes to roost and then we realize that we've got to have something to lean on besides our weak little finite selves that's why family theater urges you to pray to pray as families but not just in time of trouble but as a family proposition every day and assures us that that is what will give our families their morale and unity those strong ties and deep roots and the happiness we all crave the family that prays together stays together and a nation at prayer will hold together in spite of all the storms that may threaten us more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of Hollywood family theater has brought you transcribed horse sense starring Jack Carson Rod O'Connor was your host others in our cast were Charlotte Lawrence Jack Krushen and Bill Buckham the script was written and directed for family theater John T. Kelly with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman this series of family theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program by the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage screen and radio we give so unselfishly their time and talent to appear on our family theater stage to them and to you our humble thanks this is Tony LaFranco and you and your home and inviting you to be with us next week when family theater will present cover up starring Marjorie Steele Charlton Heston will be your host join us won't you family theater is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network this is Mutual the radio network for all America