 From Hollywood, the NBC theater presents... The director's assignment. Production, you were meant for me. Director, Lloyd Bacon, star Dan Daly. The Hollywood screen directors present a romance set to music. You were meant for me. Starring Academy Award nominee Dan Daly in his original role with Betty Lynn and introducing the director of the film Lloyd Bacon. The life story of our guest screen director tonight reads like a saga of show business. Born into a distinguished theatrical family, he himself became first a stage actor and then a film actor and director. His was one of the first minds to grasp the full potentialities of motion picture sound. And his pioneering in this field established him as one of Hollywood's most resourceful and versatile artists. You've seen the fine touch of his direction in such grand entertainment as Mother is a Freshman, Give My Regards to Broadway, The Sullivan's, I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now and tonight's story, you were meant for me. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Lloyd Bacon. Folks, our story tonight is about the closing years of a narrow show business. Years packed with glitter and excitement, but somehow they were full of sweet music. Making you were meant for me was a nostalgic thrill and I hope you'll find the same thrill as we relived part of those years. Relive them with Dan Daly as an orchestra dealer, Chuck Arnold and Betty Lynn as Peggy Mayhew. Here, ladies and gentlemen, is an error. Here is you were meant for me. In 1929, what a year. It was the beginning of the end of the era of wonderful nonsense. Million Dollar Gates, Red Grains, The Galloping Ghost, Flagpole, Citizen Marathon Dancers, Admiral Byrd planning the stars and stripes in Little America. Rhapsody in Blue. Paul Whiteman was King of Jazz and George Gershwin an Irving Berlin with the men behind the throne. Common stocks and women's skirts were mounting to new heights and I was doing pretty well myself. I had a smart little band, Chuck Arnold and his sophisticates that played the smaller circuits in one night's stands. We were doing a shot in Bloomington and the dance pavilion was packed with the flaming youth of the town. That's when I met my water loop. Bloomington, 1929. Crazy rhythm, here's the doorway. I'll go my way, you go your way. Crazy rhythm from now on we're through. Here is where we have a showdown. I'm too high at, you're too low down. Crazy rhythm, here's goodbye to you. They say that when a high brow meets a low brow walking along Broadway soon the high brow he has no brow ain't of the shame and you ought to blame. What's the use of prohibition? You produce the same condition. Crazy rhythm, I've gone crazy too. For somebody's big moment to win a prize now hold your breath and hold on to your checks while my brilliant manager and arranger here Mr. Oscar Hoffman of Green Pert New York selects the lucky number out of this bowl. For this I gave up a concert career. Here you are hot shot. Thank you Oscar and here it is folks hold your breath. Yeah hold it good and long. Here is the lucky number it is 864 Number 864. Who's got it? 864. Me. Me. Mimi has it. Well Mimi. Come on up here to the bandstand. Not a girl. Come on up. Don't be nervous. Here she comes folks. Give her a great big hand. Well Mimi. Mimi. Mimi with the 864. Come on everybody. Let's give this girl a great big hand. A fortune smiles on a lovely lady. Miss. Mayhew. Peggy Mayhew. Lovely Miss Peggy Mayhew. And I'm not kidding. Lovely. Spell W-O-W. Wow. Congratulations Peggy. And now for the prizes. Let's see what we have. One book of green trading stamps from bombs department store. Very nifty. And there's a season pass for the Poli Theater. Good Tuesday matinees. And one article of feminine attire. That's a... Yeah. It's gift wrap from Wee Bowls the Popper Store. Thank you Mr. Arnold. All right. And now in honor of this very lovely little lady the boys and I would like to do a special arrangement of you were meant for me. Your hand beautiful lady. Oh no. I mean yes sir. For me. I looked down at Peggy Mayhew as I sang. I saw the worship in her eyes and I thought here's another cruelest drug girl. Only there was more to this girl. All her heart was in her eyes and there must have been a good heart because those eyes look beautiful. All at once I wasn't kidding. All at once I meant every word of that song. This was it. Peggy Mayhew. Uh-uh. Peggy Waterloo. After a third of a lifetime of girls this was the girl. And I knew her. I'm content. The angels must have sent you. And they met you. Just for me. Thank you very much. All right boys take it. Well thank you very much Mr. Arnold. Mr. Arnold? Chuck. It was very nice. I enjoyed it. Oh wait a minute. You're beautiful you know that. Well thank you. May I have my hand back now? How about a prize for me? Prize? Yeah. All right. You ask for it. There. Hey. That's big time foliage you got there. I've got to go. No wait a minute. Look Peggy. Meet me after the dance tonight. I can't Chuck. I'm with a date. Well meet me after the country lad takes you home. Not tonight. We play peoria tomorrow night. How about coming over? I don't know Chuck. Well say you'll try. All right. I'll try. I did get to peoria the next night. I could hear Chuck singing inside, but the doorman wouldn't let me in without an escort. I saw Oscar, Chuck's manager, and I gave him a note for Chuck. Yeah, yeah. She gave me a note. Only I have a tender place in my heart for small town girls who fall in love with Chuck Arnold. I tore the note up. I kept waiting for Peggy to show up and once she didn't I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach like when I lost my graduation watch and didn't know where to start looking. We finished playing at midnight. I went out afterward to walk off my disappointment. I passed the bus station and there on a bench was Peggy Mayhew. Hey Peggy, hey beautiful. Chuck. What happened? Where were you? They wouldn't let me in so I gave Oscar a note. I don't know what happened. I thought you were... I never got any note. I've been waiting and waiting and now it's time for the last bus home. Oh baby, how about something to eat? I've got to get back home. Well, one goodbye kiss. No Chuck, one kiss was enough and I'm ashamed of it. Look baby, I mean business. Chuck. Some voltage. Oh Chuck, I thought I was never going to see you again. Well you're going to see a lot of me from now on. I'm going to find us a justice of the peace. Justice of the peace? Yep, I just proposed to you and you just accepted. Oh Chuck, darling. Mom and dad. Hey, tell them about this plug and variety. Arnold Combo Garner's top grosses on Midwest flapper circuit. Not bad, huh? It's wonderful. Pretty soon you'll be on the front page. Yeah, well pretty soon you'll be writing the folks from New York. New York? Oh Chuck, are we going to New York? We're booked into the Pennsylvania roof right after the first of the year. The Pennsylvania roof? Well that's a big time. It's been a long pull baby, but land is in sight. Chuck Arnold, now playing Pennsylvania roof. Oh I can see in a variety here. Arnold Combo's sensation pen debut. Hey, you write home to mother and let variety write their headlines. Chuck, what does this headline mean? Wall Street lays an egg. Oh that, nothing. Just forget about it, forget it. Well you can't make me forget that today is our anniversary. No kidding. Mm-hmm, two months. Well, let's go dancing someplace after the show. All right Chuck. A busman's holiday, huh? After the show we got a heavy date, it girl. Okay boys, that closes shop for the night. Rehearsal ten o'clock in the morning. Hey Chuck! Uh-oh, battle station boys. Song plugger off the starboard beam. Hiya there Chuckie boy, hi Oscar. Hi boys. Chuck wants you to have a look at the biggest thing that hit the board since Fertwell ran into Dempsey. Have a look at the sleet, Chuck. Now wait a minute, I gotta- I'll circulate among the town here and give them copies. You can give it a fast run down. Hi, I'm Earl, I's Goldie, Murph baby. The last song he showed me was Stardust. It'll never get any place. Anyway, whoever heard of Huggy Carmichael. Hey, is this the best you've got? It's an awful crummy title. Great title, great song, great arrangement, just for you. Our ranger opened the vein and wrote it with his heart's blood. Try it kid, get near this one. Okay, let's go. Once over lightly boys, what can we lose? No one to walk with All by myself No one to talk with I'm happy on the shelf In this behavior I'm saving my love for you I know for certain The one I love I'm through with flirting It's you I'm thinking of In this behavior I'm saving my love for you Like Jack Horner in a corner Don't go nowhere, what do I care? Your kisses are worthwhile waiting for Believe me I don't go out late, don't care the gold I'm home about 8 Me and the radio Ain't misbehaving, I'm saving all my love for you Boom, tiada, bi-tiada Da-i-tom-tom-tom-tada Ain't misbehaving, cause I'm saving all my love Yes, I'm slaving and I'm raven Even waiting flights above Ain't celebrating, cause I want to keep me raven I'd be hating to be dating if I kept my baby waiting Like Jack Horner in a corner Don't go nowhere, what do I care? Your kisses are worthwhile waiting One, two, three, four Ain't fooling around, tearing all over town Like a clown or a hog, cause I'm about to get crouty That is gonna be a smash, Oscar Absolute smash Who'da thought it was 3 AM And what a smash hit you're gonna be with Peggy What are you talking about? Well, you had a date with her three hours ago Oh, wow, good night fellas, I gotta go Now wait a minute, hold it, hold it Chuck You see, she's asleep now Your date is ruined anyhow So I can tell you what I was gonna hold back from you until tomorrow What's the matter? It's been a bad Friday on Wall Street Well, how are we on the market? Cleaned out Now you better sit down while I break the bad news All of it You are listening to the Hollywood Screen Director's presentation of You Were Meant For Me Starring Academy Award nominee Dan Daly in his original role With Betty Lynn and Jim Backers And introducing the director of the film Lloyd Bacon The next night I let Oscar conduct While I stood aside holding hands with Peggy Trying to break the bad news All of it Chuck, it doesn't matter if you've lost your money You're just starting on your career There's New York Look honey, we don't get to play New York Oh, well you always did well on tour Yeah, well you should see the cancellations pouring in Our whole tour is falling apart Well we'll just put Humpty Dumpty together again, that's all That was the bands next to the last number We're all finished tonight Peg, we're breaking up Oh, I didn't know it was that bad It's worse But it is, it's just a flurry though, don't worry We're broke Now don't worry I tell you I'm just being practical I was just thinking What a wonderful opportunity for me to see my folks back in Bloomington I thought you were crazy to go to New York Well, if you want to know I'm homesick Homesick? You sure? Kind of Oh well, that's different if you're homesick Because if you wanted to go back just to save money Oh no If you're homesick that's different And you'll love living in Bloomington for a while Sure I will, that's where I met you Oh look Oscar's signaling you, it's your number It's my number but it's for you As long as our darkness too I'll see him to me How I bowed out of the flappist circuit in 1929 And back into Bloomington And life with father and life with mother Peggy's father and Peggy's mother Chuck was so proud I remember the day in Brock's drugstore When we were pretending we were just resting in Bloomington Before taking a big job at the Flamingo room in Miami The drugstore of Victoria was playing Chuck's version of A.G. Sweet See her coming down the street Now I ask you very confidentially A.G. Sweet My old boyfriend Eddie was getting suspicious of our story And I guess that made Chuck do what he did Eddie here's a twenty dollar bill I gotta go, pay for the sodas all around And buy all the kids a copy of A.G. Sweet with my compliments Let's go baby Chuck that was kind of crazy tossing away our last twenty dollars like that Yeah, look at what came in the mail today Hey, step over by the street light Open it A check Royally's two hundred and seventy eight dollars Famous records company quarterly accounting I were rich Now will you let me run things around here? It's just that one of us has to be practical, dear All right, tell you what From now on you be practical and I'll be beautiful, okay? Okay, beautiful Okay, practical Peggy, there's nothing for you to worry about Lots of women have babies I was thinking about Chuck, doctor He received excellent care I mean, he doesn't know yet Well, tell him he's a big boy now Now take a spoonful of that malt and cod liver oil whenever you think of it You don't need it, but it'll make you feel precious Hello, mother Well, where have you been all morning, Peggy? I had to go to the drugstore Is Chuck still asleep? Naturally, it's only noon Mother, Chuck sleeps late because his rhythm is different than ordinary people Well, if he was my husband, he changes rhythm to march time, I can tell you Mother, so long as Chuck is pulling our weight around here I'm not going to let him be bullied into doing just anything In fact, I see there's another letter on the table from the famous records That means we'll have some money for you this afternoon Dear Mr. Arnold, please be advised that famous records company has on this date file petition and bankruptcy That's all, Peggy No check? No check How can a big concern like that go broke? I don't get it I just don't get it Well, just a minute, he's right here Chuck, Chicago calling, it's Oscar Hello, hello, Oscar Hello, $75 a week Well, the answer is no Chuck Thanks, Oscar, but you ought to know I can't work for that kind of money Chuck, it'll tide us over for a while Well, I'm sorry you feel that way about it, Oscar Goodbye Calling back, Chuck, calling back, here, let me Give me that phone, you crazy I suppose it gets around that I was playing for $75 a week But suppose something came up, a big doctor bill or something like that $75 a week is better than nothing at all It's big money in Bloomington Not to me it isn't, I'd rather dig ditches or take in floors to scrub You ball out your old man because he doesn't sell as many bricks in his brick factory as he used to Well, at least he's working, he's always in there trying He doesn't just mope around week after week sponging on the family and I didn't mean that Chuck Okay Peggy, you've said enough Chuck, I didn't mean to hurt you I'll be toddling along now I'm through sponging off your family I'm going to New York, you want to come along okay, you want to stay here okay too Is that your ultimatum Chuck? I said you can come along, I'm not going to beg you You don't have to, you can go Chuck, alone Okay, I'll send for my things Yes mother Has that husband of yours come in yet? No mother What? He isn't coming home Wait There, can you hear me now? I was trying to tell you that that husband of mine isn't... Oscar Don't be so cordial, you'll have trouble getting rid of me Look, I get dizzy standing on a thick rug So what do I do? I spend the afternoon in an airplane to get here Just to talk Chuck out of a slight case of lunacy Where is the guy? He left for New York early today And as far as I'm concerned he can stay there Couldn't take it could he, glass jaw I think you're being a little harsh on him You can't still be in love with a quitter He's not a quitter, you ought to be ashamed calling yourself Chuck's friend Oh, you don't hate the guy then Oscar, Oscar what am I going to do? You might try serving up some dinner for a working man Chuck Hi Oscar, get you in overalls Working all day in your old man's brickyard has worked Peggy Oh darling, I thought, and you've hurt your foot Wheelbarrow ran over me Dr. Jones said for me just to take that stuff he gave you Gave me? Yeah, Doc wants me to keep up my strength He says we're going to have a baby Well I left Chuck and Peggy in a clinch and went to a neutral corner Somehow they made out together just the way the rest of America made out together Then wheels began to creak into motion again The dead eyes of factories sparkle again There was nothing to fear but fear itself, the man said I saw Chuck the other day His wife and I had a ringside seat at the Pennsylvania Roof All skirts are lucky numbers, so remember in 1929? And here he comes, silver in his voice and a gleam in his eye Who's got 864? Me, me Hello Mimi Hello darling Happy anniversary I can tell the angels must have sent you And they met The stars will return Next week the NBC theater takes a long hard look at domestic bliss As it brings you the satirical comedy The Perfect Marriage Starring 1948 Academy Award winner Loretta Young in her original role And on following weeks you will hear Fred McMurray and Bob Hope And now here are tonight's stars Dan Daly and Betty Lynn and screen director Lloyd Bacon Mr. Bacon, there's something I don't understand about your head Yes, Betty Lynn Well Dan Daly told me you always wear a baseball cap Sure, Lloyd has a number one cap and a number two cap The number one is the lid worn by last season's champs He wears that when everything's going well on the set What about number two cap? Oh, well that cap from the team at the bottom of the heap He wears that one when there's trouble But what does it mean when he doesn't wear any cap at all? It means there's two down hot in the studio Lloyd, before we say good night, I'd like to offer my thanks for the way you've shared your great knowledge of show business With the actors and actresses who've worked with you Mr. Working under your direction has really been an education After a compliment like that Dan, there's only one way I can show my appreciation What's that Mr. Bacon? Put on my number one baseball cap, good night folks Good night Good night And good night to you Dan Daly, Betty Lynn and Lloyd Bacon You were meant for me was presented through the courtesy of 20th Century Fox Producers of Down to the Sea and Ships Dan Daly is currently starring in the 20th Century Fox production, Chicken Every Sunday And Betty Lynn may be seen in the 20th Century Fox film Mother is a Freshman Included in tonight's cast were Jim Bacchus, Bill Tracy, Irene Tedrow, Norman Field and Dan Ritz You were meant for me based on the story Orchestra Wife by James Prindle was adapted for radio by Milton Geiger an original music composed and conducted by Henry Russell Production was under the supervision of Howard Wiley, associate producer Bill Carr Your announcer has been Frank Barton Listen again next week when the NBC Theatre presents Screen director's assignment, production, the perfect marriage Director, Louis Allen, star, Loretta Young NBC Theatre came to you from Hollywood This is NBC, the national broadcasting company