 The Kraft Foods Company, makers of Kraft quality foods, presents Harold Perry as the Great Gilder Sleeve. The Great Gilder Sleeve is brought to you by the Kraft Foods Company, makers of the famous cheese food, Velveeta. Everybody goes for Velveeta's rich yet mild cheddar cheese flavor, in snacks, in sandwiches, and in hot dishes. And Velveeta, you know, helps supply important food values for milk. It's as digestible as milk itself. That's why smart homemakers keep Velveeta on hand regularly to spread or slice and to melt for grand economical hot dishes. Tomorrow, get Velveeta, the cheese food of Kraft quality. Well, the Christmas spirit has really taken over the Great Gilder Sleeve's house. Tinsel and bells, gifts being tucked away in every nook and corner. What excitement! The water commissioner can scarcely sleep at night. Lumpy mattress. I shouldn't have hidden Leroy's bicycle under my bed. And all the wonderful mysteries of the days before Christmas. Hidden parcels, closet doors all locked. Leroy, what you doing picking through that keyhole? I wasn't picking. Looking through a keyhole into a dark closet. You can't see nothing in there. Yeah, I know it. Come on, let's get a flashlight. Now it's coming on Christmas Eve. Hey, where's that? Is that all the presents you're putting under the tree? Well, that's all for now, Leroy. I may have a couple of other little items to bring down after you're snug in your bed. Yeah? While visions of sugar plums dance through your head. That's something I could never figure out. What's a sugar plumb? Well... Make room coming through. Well, marjorie with her little presents. Little presents is right. Holy smokes, you can carry them all in one hand. What a cheapskate. How are you, Leroy? It's all right, Anki. It doesn't bother me a bit. What dinky little packages? I bet everybody gets a doily. The size of the package, my boy, doesn't mean a thing. It's the thought that counts. Yeah, I know. This is going to be the best Christmas we ever had, Anki. Well, it could be. I have a big surprise for you. For me? I know, it's a motorcycle. Yep. No, it's not a motorcycle. It's a wonderful surprise for a wonderful uncle. Oh, marjorie, don't hug me so tight. Oop. I heard something crack. Were they ribs? No, Leroy. Three cigars. Oh, well, I'll give them to Judge Hooker. I'll tell them they're a new brand of cigar with hinges in the middle. For smoking in phone booths. I can hardly wait, Anki. Now, marjorie, I hope you didn't buy me something expensive. You'll never guess what it is. Oh, that must be Bronco. Yeah, that's Bronco all right. He always rings the bell like a bear was chasing him. Bronco, come in. Hiya, Marge, honey. Well, come in, Bronco. Merry Christmas, Mr. Gilderslee. Leroy. Merry Christmas to you, Bronco. Yeah, Merry Christmas, honey. Leroy. Little brothers, you can leave your coat on, Bronco. We're all going over to the high school auditorium tonight. Oh? They're having the Kraft Coral Club from Chicago. Wow, that's very nice, Mr. Gilderslee. Yeah, a lot of fine voices. Beautiful music. What are they going to sing on that opera stuff? No, Leroy. Christmas carols. Bronco, I told Anki I have a surprise for him tonight. Yeah, quite a surprise. Oh, is Bronco in on this, too? I'll buy a little tip, Bronco. Oh, I couldn't do that, Mr. Gilderslee. I don't know what it is, but Birdie does. Birdie? Hmm. Well, you children clean up the front room. I think I'll drift out to the kitchen and have a little talk with Birdie. You won't get anything out of Birdie, Anki. Well, I'm not trying to, Marge. I just want to see Birdie about arrangements for this evening. Of course it wouldn't hurt to pick up a small clue. I love Christmas. Birdie! Yes, Mr. Gilderslee? I just thought I'd come out and see if you're all set for tonight. Yes, sir. Birdie's all set. Fine. Margery has a little surprise for me this evening. Yes, sir. Of course I know what it is. Yes, sir. I'm sure you know what it is, too, Birdie. Yes, sir. That is, you may know what it is, but just so you'll be sure, Birdie, you write what you think it is on this piece of paper, and I'll write what I know it is, then we'll exchange pieces of paper. All right, Mr. Gilderslee, here's my grocery pencil. There. Now we exchange, Birdie. Yes, sir. Thank you. Let's see what Birdie wrote. You ain't trapping me. Let's face it, Birdie. Margery's gone out and bought me a very nice present of some kind, and I'm a little worried about it. Oh? See, I don't have anything very spectacular for Margery. Just the usual presents for a girl. Well, don't worry about that, Mr. Gilderslee. Miss Margery ain't worried about what she's going to get this year. She's a grown-up lady now. I know, Birdie, but I've got to give her something a little bit special. After all, she has this big surprise for me. Pretty late to go buying anything now, Mr. Gilderslee. Yeah, that's right. Bye, George Birdie. I just had a great idea. You remember a long time ago I said when Margery grew up, I was going to give her my mother's diamond ring? Yes, sir. I was going to surprise her with it on her next birthday. But what's wrong with Christmas? There's nothing wrong with it, absolutely nothing. I'll do it, Birdie. I've got the ring up in my dresser drawer. I'll get down to Mr. Peavey's and get a fancy box for it. Oh, that sure will please her. You bet. Now, Birdie, don't you say a word about this to Margery? No, sir. I ain't tellin' nobody nothin'. Don't you even give her a little hint? I ain't tellin' nobody nothin'. Fine. What time is dinner? I ain't tellin' nobody... Oh, I mean six o'clock. Good ol' Birdie. Oh, Mr. Gilderslee. What can I do for you this Christmas Eve? Peavey, I need a box. Something very fancy. What would you like to have in it? Nothing, Peavey. I just want a little empty box. It's for a Christmas present. Empty box, eh? You're playing a little practical joke on somebody, are you? No, Peavey. It's for a ring. I want a box for a ring. Oh, well, why didn't you say so? Do you have one? I don't think so. Peavey, you must have something around here. There's a lot of little boxes there in the showcase. Those are all full of cold tablets. Oh, goodness. How about an aspirin box? You could take the aspirin out. Peavey, this is Marjorie's Christmas present. I'm giving her my mother's diamond ring. The most wonderful surprise of her life. Now, come on, Peavey. Well, I think I can find you something. Attaboy. Look at this ring. Isn't that a beauty? Oh, my, my. I've just been waiting for Marjorie to grow up, so I could give it to her. Makes me feel a little old, Mr. Gilderslee. Huh? Seems like only yesterday that Marjorie was in here dangling her pigtails in a chocolate sundae. Yeah, those pigtails are up in the attic now. I kept them both. Very sweet girl, Marjorie. Yes, she is, Peavey. I was thinking this afternoon while Marjorie and Leroy and I were decorating the tree, how much those children mean to me. How I've cared for them and watched them grow. Yeah, they're everything I have, Peavey. It's nice to feel that way. Makes a nice Christmas, too. All the stockings hung up by the chimney. You bet. Too bad you didn't have any children, Peavey. Only two stockings on your mantle. No, we have three. Mrs. Peavey hangs out with both of her. Oh, I've got to run, Peavey. I'm picking up Miss Milford, and we're all going over to the auditorium to hear the craft chorus. Why don't you folks drop over to the house later, Peavey? Christmas Eve, you know. Well, thank you, Mr. Gilderslee. Happy Christmas, Carol. Yeah, see you later, Peavey. The auditorium's almost full. Let's sit down here, Catherine. Thank you, Throckmorton. You look lovely this evening. Thank you. I feel like a debutante with this corsage you sent me. Well, what the heck, it's Christmas. I gave the floors 375 and told them to shoot the works. Anne! Who's that? Look, I'm here on the roof. Leoy! Oh, where is he? We're up there in the balcony, eating peanuts. Leoy, watch those shells! Oh, look, there's Bronco and Marjorie. Yeah, you can't miss Bronco. What a moose. Aren't they cute together? Yeah. Care to put your coat over the back of the seat? Get it off your shoulders. Thank you. Nice evening gown. Love concerts. Throckmorton, the curtain is going up. Ladies and gentlemen, on this Christmas Eve, it is our pleasure to present the Craft Coral Club under the direction of Gerhard Schrupp. Looking through, all in tuxedos. No surprise I have for Marjorie tonight. What do you think of this? I beg your pardon. Oh, excuse me, please. The judge late again. Well, gilded. Good evening, Miss Milford. Sit down, judge. You're interrupting something important. I am? Oh, are you presenting your Lady Fair with a ring? Judge, please. This is Swachmorton's gift to Marjorie. Yeah. Horace, why don't you drop over after the concert and watch Marjorie's eyes light up when she sees this, huh? Thank you, gilded. I'll be happy to. Hey, the PPs are coming over. They're about to sing again, Swachmorton. I'd invite all the craft singers, too, but I'm afraid Birdie might run out of cheese and crackers. Oh, yeah. Best pocket Christmas Eve, very nice, judge. Where do we get over to our house? In Marjorie starts opening her presents. Oh, brother, I can... Great Gilder Sleeve will return in just a minute. Santa Claus season is pretty expensive, isn't it? Well, if the holiday ahead might put your food budget in the red, here's how to economize now so you'll be prepared for the splurge meals. Use up leftovers tomorrow and Friday and Saturday by dressing them up with the wonderful cheese sauce you can make with craft, smooth-melting cheese-food velvita. You see, you can pour this velvita sauce over leftovers, ham or veal or fish, or just over toast. For an economical hot main dish, you can make it a jiffy. That sauce will help you economize after Christmas, too, when you serve it with the last bits of the Christmas bird. For that tasty sauce, all you do is melt one half pound of velvita in the top of your double boiler, then gradually stir in one quarter cup of milk and season to taste. That's all there is to it for a sauce that'll give your main dish a grand, rich, yet mild, cheddar cheese flavor. And find nourishment, too, because velvita is rich in important food values from milk. So for a wide variety of hot main dishes that are really economical, use good-eating velvita, the cheese food that's as digestible as milk itself. When you buy, be sure you get genuine velvita. It's the cheese food of top quality, made only by Kraft. Well, the folks have just come home from the Christmas Eve concert, and it's getting close to the big moment the great Gilder Sleeve has been waiting for. Uh-huh. Marjorie, you and Catherine come over by the fire. Bronco, why don't you throw another log on? What? Oh, sure, Mr. Gilder Sleeve. Bronco, that's the footstool. Oh, sorry, Mr. Gilder Sleeve. I don't know what I was thinking about. He's excited tonight, Uncle. What's everybody so excited about? That's Christmas Eve, huh? Let's light the tree and open the packages. Well, better light the tree, I guess. Where's that plug? Get ready, everybody. Here go the lights. Oh, it's perfectly beautiful, Throckmorton. Yeah, that's quite a tree. Isn't it wonderful? It's very effective with all those lights bubbling. Well, I'm sort of a bubbly fellow, too, around Christmas time. Why shouldn't I be? Got a lot of good friends and a wonderful little family. You certainly have, Throckmorton. Yes, sir, I've raised two fine children, and they mean all the world to me. We go through this every year, Miss Milford. You mean it. Well, I mean it. I appreciate you more and more every year. We appreciate you, too, Aunt. Now let's open the presents. Yeah, let's open the presents. My surprise, do you come last, Auntie? Well, I have a surprise for you, too, Marjorie, but wait a minute. We can't open presents until the others get here. What others? You mean you're expecting somebody else, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve? Well, I invited Judge Hooker and the P.V.s. But, Uncle Mort, we thought it was just to be the family and Miss Milford. Yeah, that's what we thought, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve. Well, Marjorie, I sort of wanted the judge and the P.V.s to see what I have for you. Yeah, what's wrong with having them over at Christmas? They always bring presents. Leroy is being very practical about this. Yeah, Christmas to Leroy is like bank night. Yeah! Bronco, let's bring some more chairs into the dining room, huh? Say, where's Bronco? Did he fall in the fireplace? I think he went in your den, Auntie. Oh? Mr. Gilder-Sleeve. Yes, Bronco? May I see you for a minute? Certainly. Excuse me, everybody. Do you mind if we close the door, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve? Close the door? Is it that secret? Well, it's about the surprise Marjorie was telling you about. Well, don't tell me now, Bronco. I want to wait for it. I think I should tell you, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve, before the others come. Huh? What difference does that make? Well, we planned this for just you and the family. Marjorie and I were going to stand up by the tree hand in hand and give you your surprise. Cute, cute. I... I was going to make the speech. You? A speech? Yes, sir. I was going to tell you that Marjorie and I want to be married. Married? Well, sure. Maybe sometime, Bronco. Not sometime, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve. This is definite. I'm asking you if I may marry Marjorie. Marry? Marjorie? Little Marjorie? So, this is her surprise, eh? I love her, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve. Yes. And Marjorie loves me. That's pretty important. Yeah, I guess it is. We've been thinking about it for a long time. I guess it's sort of sudden to you, but... Well, what do you think, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve? We aren't going to do anything hasty, sir. We weren't even planning it until spring. Late spring. June, maybe? That's long enough to wait. Don't you think so, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve? I... I've never thought about it at all. Well, you'll probably get used to the idea of not having Marjorie around by then. Wouldn't you? I've been saving my money. In fact, Marjorie and I aren't giving each other much for Christmas. We're looking ahead. I want to be able to take good care of Marjorie, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve. Of course, we wouldn't do anything without your permission. So, what do you think, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve? Bronco, I think the other guests have arrived by now. Will you tell them I'll be out in a minute? Of course, Mr. Gilder-Sleeve. I'll tell them. Can't believe it. Just can't imagine this house without her. Couldn't bear to go into her little room again. But I used to tuck her in, read her bedtime stories, care for her when she had an easel, chicken pox. I've worked and sacrificed to raise Marjorie. Now, what she means is the most to me. Somebody wants to take her away. Boy has his nerves, he thinks he is. Who is it? It's Catherine, Throckmorton. Oh. Judge Hooper and the PDs are outside. Don't you think you should join the party? Well, I have some thinking to do. Catherine? Yes? Bronco and Marjorie want to get married. Oh, I suspected something like that. Isn't it wonderful? What's so wonderful about it? Why, Throckmorton, I should think you'd be very proud and happy. Happy? How would you feel if your Christmas surprise meant losing your daughter? Well, I suppose I'm thinking more about Marjorie's happiness and Bronco's, how radiant she looks tonight and what it will mean to them. Try to remember, Throckmorton, that a mother wants more than anything else to have her daughter marry a nice young man, somebody who will be kind and good to her. Bronco will? My Marjorie. What are you going to do? I don't know. Give me a little time, Catherine. Anybody want more cocoa and popcorn ball? Oh, no, thank you, Birdie. Gosh, where's Anke? It's time to open the presents. Now there are. Let's not be impatient. Anke has a present under the tree for you, Judge. He has. Where is Gildy? Of course, when he comes out, he ought to start handing out to the little kids first. Well, they say age before beauty, Leroy. Perhaps Peebie should receive his present first. He's the oldest man here. Well, no, I wouldn't change that. Marjorie, while we're waiting for the Lord of the Manor, perhaps you'll play the piano for us. Oh, Judge, I couldn't. I'm too excited tonight. Well, you're complimenting Gildy to me. I'm sorry if I kept everybody waiting. What have you been doing, Gildy? Hibernating in your den. Come on, Anke, I want to see what Santa Claus brought. Yes, it is time to pass out the presents, isn't it? Leroy, we'll start with you. Here you are, my boy. Oh, boy, thanks, Anke. And Birdie, here's a package with your name on it. Thank you, Mr. Gildy. Oh, Santa Claus never forgets Birdie. Now we come to Marjorie. I said I had a special surprise for her tonight. A number of years ago, my mother gave me her engagement ring. I guess she secretly hoped that someday I'd give it to a girl and start a little family. Well, I have a little family, a fine niece and nephew. But I haven't been very lucky on the other score. Thank you again for your address. And so this Christmas, I thought I'd present my mother's ring to Marjorie. Oh, Anke. Splendid idea. But something has happened tonight, which forces me to change my plans. Instead of giving the ring to Marjorie, I want to give it to Bronco to give to Marjorie. Oh, me, Mr. Gilder's sleeve? You want me to give it to her? Here, Bronco, read the card. To Marjorie, or always, from Bronco. Bronco is joining our little family. Oh, Anke, thank you, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Gilder's sleeve very much. We hadn't planned to have an engagement ring. I hope you'll be very happy, both of you. Let me shake your hand, my boy. Wonderful. Gosh, Anke, is Marjorie leaving us? Well, let's not talk about that now, huh, my boy? Bertie, isn't it time for your little Christmas song? Yes, or if Mr. Marjorie feels like playing the piano. I never felt more like it in my life. Fine. This is a little lullaby, Bertie. Always sang to the children, since Marjorie was this high. Full time, child, bye-bye. So it's a merry Christmas to all of you from all of us. Waller-Tetli. Leroy. Mary-Lee Robb. Marjorie. Lillian Randolph. Bertie. Earl Ross. Judge Hooker. Kathy Lewis. Katie Milford. Dick Crenna. Bronco. And Dick LeGrand. Mr. Peavey. Yeah. And a merry Christmas to from all the people behind the scenes. From Jack Meakin and the Orchestra, Writers Paul West, John Elliott and Andy White. From Ray Ferguson and Monty Frazier, our engineer and sound effects artist. And from our producer director, Fran Van Hardisfeld. Of course, these holiday greetings come to you too from our sponsors, the Kraft Foods Company, the representative on this program, announcer Jay Stewart, the Kraft Coral Club, and the entire family of Kraft employees. Merry Christmas, everybody, and good night. Ladies, Fab Steff, the delicious cheddar cheese food, is offering you a knife of a hundred uses, the super slicer. It pairs faster, slices cleaner, removes olives and cherries from bottles in a jiffy. It's the handiest kitchen knife in years. You can get this knife for only 25 cents and the top label of a round package of delicious Fab Steff cheese food or the red arrow from the top of a two pound Fab Steff loaf. Send your Fab Steff label and your quarter tonight to Phoenix Fab Steff, box 5239 Chicago 77 Illinois. Please print your return address. Portions of tonight's broadcast were transcribed. Make the bank radio's biggest money-paying show is next on NBC.