 transcribed ladies and gentlemen the railroad out and here comes our star studied show train tonight the Association of American Railroads presents the famous musical success showboat starring Gordon Macrae and his two charming guest stars Dorothy Kirsten and Lucille Norman acquirers under the direction of Norman Lubov and the music is prepared and conducted by Carmen yes tonight another great musical hit is brought to you by the American Railroads 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 ladies and gentlemen well tonight the curtain rises on the immortal Jerome Kern Oscar Hammerstein musical play showboat based on the novel of the same name by Edna Furber this is the story of Captain Andy's showboats the story of the Mississippi and of the River gambler King Lord Raven all 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 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 blossoms tied up with the docket matches I remember it was a warm summer afternoon and as I stepped down onto the levy I saw Gaylord Raven all 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 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 oh because you can make believe so many wonderful things that never happen in real life but wonderful things do happen while this very day I was standing here in the levy feeling blue suddenly I looked up and I have to go now why well I I didn't realize you're 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're my long lost nephew oh 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 the first site all right the game if the things we dream about don't happen to be so it's just what is it Valon yes you'd like to see you but what for oh nothing serious but you gotta come and have a talk with him you'd excuse me man yes of course I hope I'll see you again oh I hope so too goodbye goodbye in search of Julie the leading lady of the showboat to tell her what had happened to me Julie are you really honey who is he I don't know he was standing on the dock and I came down the gangplank and all of a sudden I looked up and there he was and he he looked so so different from anybody else that ever met my whole life but honey suppose he turned out to be a no-count riverfella oh if I found out he was a no-account 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 loves a funny thing there's just no sense to it's like that thing you always think when we take our walks yes it certainly is the way it was for Julie 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 I stood on deck beside my father listening to him talk to Gaylord Raven all you say you'd like me to give you a bet on my boat tonight on credit that's right I thought sir if I could have a bet on your boat tonight I could pay you my fare tomorrow at Fort Adams I expect the remittance 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 isn't my wife party mr. Raven all I'm happy to meet you ma'am how do we don't like to pick up actors off the walls but we can't be juicy just now madam your courtesy is exceeded only by your child my daughter here's going to be the leading woman this will be her first day at Acton 2 so you'd have your chance to play it make believe after all yes well I certainly wouldn't want to miss a chance to be your leading man we sailed up the river 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 other meetings were stolen meeting behind my mother's back I remember the last meeting we ever had to steal I told my mother I'd fill her picture and gay met me beside the water barrel on the upper deck darling I can't stay but a minute mother's waiting no 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 there's a lovely little church in Greenville oh but father he was the one who gave me the idea of marrying you while your mother was away please say you will oh 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 you and I will move among them I will still feel as if we were all by ourselves just a moment for millions of Americans fall and football are inseparable the stirring band music the crisp autumn air the big yellow chrysanthemum they're all part of a colorful picture but it's precision teamwork that makes football the exciting entertaining sport that it is this same sort of teamwork is evident in almost every phase of American life and when the going is difficult we work together more closely than ever today this is being forcefully demonstrated on the nation's railroads as the current national emergency developed all railroads joined hands in a program designed to meet increasing transportation requirements working as one they first undertook to meet the transportation needs of national defense and those needs are being met currently and without delay teamwork made it all possible speedily and at an ultimate cost of more than a half billion dollars the railroads placed orders for more than a hundred thousand new freight cars at the same time they have accelerated the repair and rebuilding of the cars on hand and are getting more work from all freight cars by moving them faster over the road and more promptly through the terminals playing a prominent part in the success of this operation or more than four and a half billion dollars worth of improvements installed on the nation's railroads since the close of the second world war meanwhile shippers and receivers of freight essential members of the transportation team are loading cars more heavily loading and unloading the more promptly all aimed at getting the most effective use from the cars available team work like this gets results for during the last three months railroads move more than 11 million carloads of freight nearly 30 percent more freight than during the same period last year yes we're seeing plenty of team work these fall days team work on the grid iron and in the vitally important business of railroading which provides the dependable efficient mass transportation service so essential to the economic well-being and military strength of our nation how we return to Gordon Macrae in showboat with his two charming gas stars Dorothy Kirsten and Lucille Norman and so Gaylord Ravan all and I were married and life was at its 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 ought to while the cars 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 darling oh I'm so happy I'm so happy with you gay I do I'll 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 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 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'm in close and $200 this will let Kim finish a term at school then you can both go to your parents I'm doing this because I think it is right and because I love you please believe I will always love you goodbye your own gay was goodbye that was how spring and summer ended with a chill wind blowing across my heart and the knowledge that love was gone and it was autumn and then the long years set in I went on the stage and 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 moment that I had 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 your daughter Captain Hawks yeah that's no love how do I remember you when you were leading Lady on this showboat and that's your husband isn't it I was here on this levy the day you were glad to see it turned out well and you're still happy together good night good night dear good night no love there there isn't any way to ask it a whole on a minute gay trouble is you keep blaming yourself for things and the fact is you were just unlucky the lucky people are the ones that get to do what they enjoy doing I always enjoyed running a showboat and I made a success out of it you you was meant to be a gentleman big mistake you made was ever to try to earn a living nobody ever expected it of you it 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 then you wouldn't have had to work anymore he's calling me I guess I better be going you know Captain I don't understand it married all these years and yet every time she calls you jump what is it what does she got got a mean disposition gay listen remember how we used to stand up here listening to them singing below okay welcome home my darling welcome home I'm back to stay I know now where my home is sweetheart and where I belong all the Mississippi here we are while away folks play all of those votes from the dawn the sunset getting all rest till it year and day for Mississippi let me go away from the white man told me that and Dorothy Kirsten and Lucille Norman we'll be back in just a moment and thanks to our supporting cast Earl Ross and Norma Varden 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 Gene Holloway the railroads as we all know our hauling a greatly increased volume of goods for civilian use and for national defense in handling this big job the railroads have had the benefit of the extensive improvements in roadway and equipment which have been made in the past five years and especially the benefit of the fine teamwork that exists between railroads and between railroads and shippers and now here on Dorothy Kirsten and Lucille Norman well two beautiful blondes Dorothy and Lucille it was great to have you with us on the railroad hour tonight and we're looking forward to having you both back soon next week Miss Eileen Wilson is going to be our guest and we're doing the wonderful musical Irene oh wonderful see you soon boy kids well it looks as though we're ready to pull out and so until next week goodbye Ray will soon be seen starring in the Warner Brothers production the West Point story our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon this is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American railroads and I'll keep tuned to your Monday night of music on NBC this is Gordon Macray again friends the telephone hour is next on NBC