 The Kraft Foods Company presents Harold Perry as the great Gilder Sleeve. The great Gilder Sleeve is brought to you by the Kraft Foods Company makers of Par-K Margarine. Millions of women all over America serve Par-K because it tastes so good. Why Par-K tastes like it should cost twice as much. To market, to market, to get some Par-K. Home again, home again, try it today. You'll like it, you'll love it, like millions who say that they were as margarine-y. P-A-R-K-A-Y Par-K Margarine made by Kraft. A few weeks ago the great Gilder Sleeve bought an interest in a lady's hat shop which Adeline Fairchild started next door. The venture has been such a success. We find the great man and his nephew Leroy over there nailing more shelves on the living room wall to accommodate more hats. Add a boy, Leroy. Hold the shelf steady. Okay, uncle. Bet you can't drive a nail in with three licks. I'll bet I can. One, two, three. Hit the wrong nail. Leroy knew your idea. Sorry, uncle. You better give me the hammer before you hurt yourself. I can drive a nail, Leroy. Besides, that last lick doesn't count. Stand back. Okay. Three. Not bad, uncle. Oops, knocked some plaster loose. Gosh, what a chunk. I'll bet Mrs. Ransom wouldn't recognize our power. Oh, well, it'll never show. After we hang one of Adeline's picture hats over the hole. Good idea, uncle. I'm glad you asked me to help you this afternoon. You are? Of course I am getting a little tired. Maybe I ought to go to somewhere and relax. Yeah, like in a 25-cent movie. We'll see you, Leroy. Well, look at the two little busy bees. Hello, Adeline. Hi, Miss Fairchild. I'm helping, uncle. And you're doing a good job, Leroy, but gracious. Get on the floor. Scratches? Oh, well, I guess I did that moving the piano into the bedroom. The rock morton, the floor looks awful. Now, Adeline will have it refinished sometime out of the profits. Any checks come in the mail? Well, I haven't looked yet, but we got a lot of letters. We did? Well, let's look, uncle. Maybe I should go to the movie out of the profits, too. Oh, yes. The movies. Well, here's a quarter, Leroy. You've been a big help. So have you. Thanks for the quarter. Goodbye, Miss Fairchild. Goodbye, Leroy. That boy. All he thinks about is money. Well, let's open the mail and see how many checks came in. This must be the check for Mrs. Bullard. Mrs. Bullard? Uh-huh. After the way Mr. Bullard panned our hat shop, I didn't think she'd buy one. Well, there it is. Isn't that pretty? $32.50. If I, George, Adeline, this shop's a gold mine. Bullard may pan our hats, but we're panning the gold. Oh, you. Say, here's a center envelope. Hmm, nice perfume. It smells like...it is. It's from Leela. Doesn't Leela? I didn't see that. I haven't heard from her in weeks. Wonder what Leela has to say. It's Rockmorton. If you'll notice the envelope, it's addressed to me. It is? Oh, Ellen, you better read it. Hurry up. What are you so excited about? It's only for my cousin. Excited? Who's excited? What does she say? Well, I'll read it out loud. Dear cousin, now that the social season in Savannah is nearly over, I can't wait to get back to my charming little home in Summerfield. Leela's coming back? Sounds like it. Does she say anything about us running a hat shop in her house? Hat shop? Rockmorton cousin Leela doesn't even know we have a hat shop. Of course she...what? Well, I've been so busy getting the shop starting at all, it hasn't occurred to me to rate her birdies. Oh, my goodness, Adeline, we shouldn't have made all these changes without consulting Leela. You know how fussy she is about her house. We haven't made so many changes to Rockmorton. All we've done is take down the drapes and store her parlor furniture in the basement. And paint the parlor chartreuse. Yes, and of course we did put in a few counters and nail some shelves to the walls. You know, Rockmorton, she may be a little upset at that. She may be. What else does Leela say? Well, she says, I can't wait to get back. I can just picture my cozy little parlor. What a picture. And listen to this, Rockmorton. The thing I look forward to most of all is curling up with a good book on my favorite love seat. Well, she'll have to get out of the basement for that. The books are down there, too. Oh, dear. When Leela walks into her parlor, there goes our hat business. What do you think we should do, Rockmorton? Well, perhaps one of us should write her and explain things. You, for instance. Me? Why don't you write to her? Me? I can't write. I hit my thumb. I know I'll get Judge Hooker to write to her. This looks like a job for a lawyer. Hello, Judge. Well, well. If it isn't our versatile water commissioner. What's on your brain today? Water or hats? All right, Hooker. Courthouse comedian. What? Judge, I want you to handle some confidential correspondence for me. Confidential? Sit down, kill me. What is it? Get your nose out of my face, Judge. I'm not going to hear any scandal. Oh? Well, what's on your mind? I want you to write a letter to Leela Ransom for me. You want me to write a letter to Leela? That's right. It's so important to me. I want it phrased by a lawyer. Smattergill, they have you run out of ways to say I love you. Of course, that's all over, and you know it. My past with Leela is just water under the bridge. And stored in your reservoir of memories. Oh, Firm. This is no time to be poetic. Leela's coming back to town. And she doesn't know her house is a hat shop now. Well, Gelde, it looks like you have a little explaining to this. I hate to bring this up, Judge, but you were the one who advised Adline to go ahead with a hat shop in the first place. And you're also in charge of Leela's property. So the explaining is your job. My job? That's right. And I have a little suggestion. You have? You write to Leela and convince her that the hat shop is a good idea. That's all there is to it. But Gelde, you're putting me in the middle. Well, you're an old goat. Let me see your butcher way out. Somehow everything looks brighter today. Maybe because it's Sunday. Hi, George. When Leela gets the judge's letter, everything's going to be all right. You bet. I don't have a thing to worry about. Hello, Auntie. Hi, Aunt. Hello, infants. Auntie, I saw Miss Fairchild in church this morning and she told me Mrs. Ransom's coming back. Yeah, what about that? Well, what about it? Well, she seemed afraid Mrs. Ransom might close the hat shop. Now, Marjorie, I had Judge Hooker write Leela's letter yesterday explaining the whole thing. There's nothing to worry about. Well, I hope not. Remember, you promised me a new Easter suit out of the profit. No, my dear, you'll get your new suit. Hey, where about the new bike you promised me out of the Easter profits? I've been looking forward to Easter like it was Christmas. I'm well aware of that, Leeroy. You don't have to worry about a thing. Yeah, but when Mrs. Ransom sees that hole you hammered in the wall, she'll close your shop and I won't get my bike. No, Leeroy. A hole in the wall? I'll say. And if you see the scratches on the floor where we moved the piano. Anki, you scratched Mrs. Ransom's beautiful floor? No, Marjorie. Oh, no, I know she'll close your hat shop. Oh, my goodness. Where are you going, huh? Out in the backyard where I can get away from you gloomy gusses. I don't want to hear any more about Leela closing the hat shop. Oh, hello, Mr. Gillespie. Hello, Bertie. Mr. Gillespie. Yes? Miss Badshot will tell me you might have to close the hat shop. Bertie, don't you start worrying, too. But if you do have to shut down, what about that garbage disposal you promised my kitchen? Bertie, if we shut down, there won't be any garbage. We won't be eating. What? I'm only kidding, Bertie. I'll still be the water commissioner. Oh, they got me worried again. The judge sent the letter, Saturday, air mail, special delivery. And here it is Monday night. Yeah, Leela should have received it today. I wonder what she'll say. After all we've been to each other, she can't possibly object to me running a hat shop in her parlor. No. I know what she'll say. She'll be the same old Leela. Tender as a kitten. I'd have had to make all of them a little old hat shop. I knew it. Twice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, good old Leela. She won't refuse me. I don't think. Still, that hot, southern blood may boil when she hears about this. She's so emotional. She can get angry, though, if she happens to be in a bad mood when she reads that letter. Fragmore and P. Gilda sleep. I was afraid of that. Doorbell. I'll get it, Bertie. I'm up. Evening, Gilda. Judge, come on in. What's the news from Leela? Now, Gilda, wait until I get Makoto. Well, hurry up. Come on in the parlor. What did she say? Just a moment while I get my file on the matter out of my briefcase. Oh, I don't know why you bothered to unzip that shabby old briefcase, Judge. Why don't you just pull the papers out through the holes? Well, Gilda, here we are. Leela Ransom versus Fairchild and Gildersley. Does it come to that? I don't get excited, Gilding. It's easier to file this way. A legal form. What did Leela say? Well, first, I think I should read you the letter which I dispatched to her. Oh, my goodness. Well, I'm quite proud of it. I worked on it for three hours. It'll take you that long to read it. Give it to me. Very well. See, my dear Mrs. Ransom. Well, nice diplomatic opening, Judge. Thank you. Very good. All right, George, you're a genius, Horace. You outdid yourself. Wait until you come to the piece de resistance. Not only has your parlor become a focal point for summer field society. Good point, Horace. Excellent. But by reason of the fact that Mr. Gildersley and Ms. Fairchild have refurbished both the exterior and interior of your home, the value of your property has been greatly enhanced. Judge, I never would have thought of that angle very shrewd. Lawyers are all right. In fact, your whole letter is a masterpiece. I thought so, too. That's why I can't understand this telegram I just received from Lever. What? I'm arriving tomorrow to close that hat shop. If there's the slightest damage, we'll sue. Well, there aren't any slight damages, just a hole in the wall. And that didn't work, Mr. Wall, so I said to him, Lever, you eat them greens. Did that work, Bertie? Nope. There are types of melts. I said, Lever, honey, you eat those greens, honey. That get any action? No, sir. Then what did you try? Well, I just stopped saying anything. Instead of that, I put a nice big spoon full of melting parquet on those greens. Then you ought to see any, Mr. Wall. Well, I sure, parquet tastes so good. That's why, Bertie. Yes, there, Mr. Wall. Parquet tastes as good on greens as it does on biscuits or waffles. Whether you use it for bread or cooking or flavor, parquet tastes like it should cost twice as much. That's right, friends. And parquet has that light, delicious taste because it's prepared like a rare luxury food from the selected product of American farms. What's more, every nourishing pound is reinforced with 15,000 units of essential vitamin A. When you taste parquet, it's hard to believe that it costs only about half as much as the most expensive spread. So, if you want to win your children over to certain vegetables that they may be a little balky about eating, or if you just want to make good food taste better, you try parquet. That's P-A-R-K-A-Y. Parquet, the luxury spread made by craft. The margarine that tastes like it should cost twice as much. Now let's see how the Great Gilders leaves recovering since he got a shock from a wire. Oop. A Western Union wire saying, close that hat shop. Well, if Lila's coming tonight, it's too late to get her house back in shape. I might as well face the facts. There goes my profitable little sideline. I think I'll stop in at Peavey's for a coke. Hello, Peavey. Hello, Mr. Gilders thing. What can your friendly neighborhood junkies do for you? Well, you can give me a coke, Peavey. Very well. And put a lot of fizz in it as I need it. And that's all? Yeah. A little upset. Got some bad news last night. Oh? Miss Fairchild and I have to close the hat shop. You don't say. Yeah. Lila Ransom is kicking us out of her house, bag and baggage. Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Gilders thing. Peavey, I don't see how Lila could do a thing like that. Well, sometimes women are hard to understand. And I say that with all due respect to Mrs. Peavey. Huh? I had the judge write Lila a very diplomatic letter. A masterpiece. But she wouldn't listen to reason. Well, if I want Mrs. Peavey to see things my way, I don't resort to reason. Huh? Ellen Sebasti, no. Well, how do you get her to see things your way, Peavey? Well, a person might not suspect it, Mr. Gilders-Leave, but Mrs. Peavey is a sentimental soul. She is? So I just sit down with her and recall our Halcyon days together. You're a Halcyon days? How we first met at that Sunday school picnic with the time I snitched that hard ranger out of the botanical gardens for her. Huh? Does that work, Peavey? Yeah, I'm here to tell you. Before you know it, Mr. Gilders-Leave, she's letting me smoke in the house again. Peavey, you've given me a great idea. Leela's coming back tonight, and it may take a little hard work, but I'm going to sit down and do the very same thing with her. You call that hard work? What? Peavey, you're an old rascal. Well, I think... Well, maybe I am. Goodbye, you old rascal. I don't know why I didn't think of having this little private talk with Leela before. It's the only way to save the hat shop. Have a man-to-man talk with her. Man-to-woman, you mean? What? Dr. Morton, I know you and Cousin Leela, and I don't think this is a good idea. I'm going to the train with you. No, Adeline, you better let me handle this alone. I'll take Leela right from the train to my house. Why, your house? Well, so she won't see all the changes we made and get excited. Oh. We'll have a quiet little talk, and before you know it, she'll be letting me smoke in the house again. I mean... I mean, I'll have her on our side. Well... Sure. And I'll call you right after I've paved the way. Well, just be sure you've paved the way to our hat shop and not back to your old romance with Leela. Adeline, you've got to trust your partner. Well, I do trust you with the money, but I don't trust you with Leela. Oh, my goodness. Believe me, this is strictly business. Well, I will say, Bertie, you've done a nice job fixing up the power. Thank you, Mr. Gale Sleeve. You really think Ms. Ranson's going to close the hat shop when she comes? Well, I think she might change her mind when we sit down and talk it over tonight. Yes, sir. Want me to move the couch closer to the fire? The couch? Now, Bertie, this meeting is strictly business. Yes, sir. Where do you want me to put this dozen red roses? Roses? Well, you might put those on the piano. Don't move the sheet music I laid out. If she's hard to convince, I may have to sing to her. Sing to Mrs. Van. Sure, sounds like a old time. Yeah, no, Bertie. This is the only way to save the hat shop. Yes, sir. Nothing personal about this meeting between Mrs. Ranson and me at all. It's hard-headed business. Yes, sir. You want me to burn a little of that business-type incense in here? Incense? Well, you might burn a little while I go to the train. I don't want to be too hard-headed about this meeting. Yes, sir. I wonder where she is. I don't see her getting off the train. Say, maybe Lila's changed her mind. Women do change their minds. Wouldn't it be wonderful if she didn't come? Well, Salkmaw. Are you the welcoming committee? Lila, for a minute, I thought you weren't coming. Disappointed because I did, Salkmaw. Oh, no. Why isn't Cousin Aslan here? Well, uh... And my lawyer. Lawyer? Well, I told Adeline and the judge I'd like to meet you alone, Lila, because you and I are such dear old friends. Oh, almost forgot. Here's a little kiss from the welcoming committee. Now, just a minute, Salkmaw. What? If you think I came all the way from Savannah just to stand here with you and smooch on the depot platform, you've got another thing coming. Lila. Grab my bags and take me home. What's been going on in my house? Huh? Here we are at home, Lila. Aren't you going to take me on to my house, Salkmaw? Well, I thought we'd stop and talk here at my place first. But, Salkmaw, now I want to see my Paula. I doubt that. Come on, Lila. How about... I have a little welcome prepared from a little old girlfriend. Well, stop pulling me. Oh, sorry, Lila. Is that a neon sign I see in my window? Plenty of time to discuss those things, Lila. Right now you need some hot chocolate. Great after a train trip. Come on in for old times' sake. Well, I might run in for a minute. Sure. Old friends like us can take a few minutes to recall our Halcyon days. Uh-huh. Here. Let me help you out of your coat. Oh, thank you. Haven't done this in a long time. Oh, gracious. What beautiful roses on the piano. Glad you liked them. They're for you, Lila. For me? Old Throckmont. You shouldn't have. Oh, yes, I should. Sit down, Lila. Bye, George. You look wonderful. Pretty as a picture. You really like me in this little old rash? Do I? Excuse me, folks. Oh, come on in, Bertie. Mrs. Ransom's here. Well, Bertie, it's nice to see you. Nice to see you, Mrs. Ransom. Welcome home. Where do you want the hot chocolate, Miss guilty? Uh, here on the coffee table, Bertie. And thank you very much. Yes, sir. How's everything, Mr. Ransom? Just fine, Bertie. That's good. And how you doing? Just grand. That'll be all, Bertie. Thank you. Yes, sir. Great pleasure. Thank you, Bertie. Bet you that I could see all the snow. Wasn't she? Bertie. Oh, yes. You got business to talk about. Mr. Throckmont. Business? I haven't the slightest idea. Throckmont? I smell a lot. Must be that incense. I mean, by George Leal, it's wonderful to have you back. Remember the fun we used to have together? Well... Picnicking, going to the movies, holding hands in the balcony. That was a long time ago. Sounds awfully childish now. Oh, I don't know. Remember the time we were going home from the sleigh ride? And your little pink ears got cold? And we put our heads together and made one pair of ear muffs due for two. Nothing childish about that, Leela. And we shouldn't forget those things. Now, Throckmont, what past is past? That's all water under the bridge. Well, it may be. But it's stored in my reservoir of memories. What Throckmont? I didn't think those things meant so much to you. Oh, yes, they do. I never forget a friend. And I don't expect her to forget me either. Throckmont, are you trying to sweet talk me because of that hat, Throckmont? Me? No. Not doing so well better put on the pressure. Leela, how'd you like to have me sing? Oh, now, Throckmont. Come on over to the piano and play for me. Well, just once, and then I'll have to go next door. All right. And I just happened to have some music laid out here. Oh, Throckmont, you mean you can sing? I'd like to get you on a slow boat to China. I sure would. I mean, I sure can. Well, I hope I can play. Oh, sure. Beautiful, Thatchilly, Leela. Oh, you flatterer. I'd love to get you on a slow boat to China all by myself. Keep you in my arms evermore with a moon big and shiny. Yes, Leela. You've been mighty big about all this. Oh, now, being so nice to me, having fun. I came up here to close that hat shop you and cousin Adline started. Well, I'd do anything for a friend. I believe you would. So do you know what I think you deserve? What, Leela? I think you deserve that kiss. What, Leela? You know what, Leela? What? I think you deserve one, too. I think you deserve another one. Who said that? Oh, Adline. Oh, my gracious. So this is the way you're saving the hat shop. The hat shop? Oh, yes. By the way, Leela. You're saving the hat shop. So that's what you're up to now. Say something. Don't partner me. We just dissolved. Yeah. And it's for you, cousin Leela. A lot of people are firm believers in eating pancakes triple-decker style. And if that's the way you like them, try this the next time you have pancakes for breakfast. Put a generous helping of Par-K margarine between each layer. Then you're set to enjoy the light, delicate flavor that Par-K brings to food. No need to hold back, because for all its delicious taste, Par-K cost only about half as much as the most expensive spreads. Yes, only about half as much for this spread that brings a real luxury to any food you use it with. Try Par-K this week. That's P-A-R-K-A-Y Par-K margarine made by Kraft. The luxury margarine that tastes like it should cost twice as much. Judge, guess what happened? I thought I was going to lose all the money I had in the hat business, but here's Leela's check for $200. Oh? Yep. That's a nice share. You don't say. Yeah. Takes a pretty smart man to get his money out of a business that's being closed. Well, guilty after talking with Leela, I discovered that she didn't come up here to close the hat shop. She didn't? No, and she heard how successful the shop was. She just threatened to close it, so she could buy you out cheap. What? Oh, well. A man has no business in ladies' hats anyway. Good night, folks, from your water commissioner. The Great Gilder Sleeve is played by Harold Terry, out of line by Miss Unimerkel and Leela by Shirley Mitchell. The show is written by John Elliott and Andy White with music by Jack Meakin. Be sure to listen in next Wednesday and every Wednesday for the further adventures of The Great Gilder Sleeve. Here's a real bargain, an all-aluminum silent butler, a dollar-and-a-half retail value, and it's yours for only 50 cents and a Pabstead label. This silent butler is handsome enough for a gift and it's big as a deep generous-sized bowl, a long handle, a hinged top that opens at your touch. It's just the thing for collecting cigarette ashes or crumbing your table. Now today, just get either regular Pabstead or the new Pabstead two-pound economy loan. Your dealer will give you full details about getting this beautiful aluminum silent butler valued at one dollar-and-a-half for only 50 cents. This is NBC, The National...