 The Mutual Broadcasting System, in cooperation with Family Theater Incorporated, presents Olromio Myromio, starring Barry Fitzgerald and Sandra Bercova. John Kiran is your host. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Here is tonight's Family Theater host, the information please regular, John Kiran. The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings. Yes. There are millions of wonderful things in the universe around us, the heavenly bodies whirling in the sky, the earth spinning in space, flowers, trees, myrids of insects, and all have their place in part in a wonderful plan. The more you think about it, the more you realize it's God's supreme plan that keeps this old world of ours in running order. Yes, and we fit into that plan too, the plan of God's providence. And in spite of sorrows and troubles, worries and cares, life is a wonderful experience, an experience that can be so happy when we realize the important part that God should play in our lives, when we realize the wonderful hope and strength that comes through prayer. Yes, God can and does hear our prayers. And one of the most beautiful forms of a simple appeal to him is family prayer. Family prayer is a perfect plan for happiness in every home, a perfect plan because it's God's plan. John Kiran will return later in the program. But now, O Romeo, my Romeo, with tonight's family theater stars Barry Fitzgerald and the young concert violinist, Sandra Berkova. This was my 23rd year at Carleton School as the head of the Natural Science Department. It was a pleasant place, Carleton. We had the green rolling hills around as a beautiful silver lake stretching off to the west. Everything was fine the way the school was run, except that I wasn't too fond of the new headmistress, telling me how to run me classes. And what could she know about my experiments or how to manage an aquarium? I sometimes even doubted if she knew much about the young ladies who attended the school. I guess Jackie Porter was one of the most interesting of the whole group. Jackie Porter was her name. Her mother and father were the foremost couple on the American stage and screen. She was a talented young lass, a great gift for music. When she touched the violin, she could bring tears to an old fellow like myself. That afternoon when I was passing the conservatory and heard her practicing, I had a suspicion there was something wrong. Hello, Jackie. Oh, Mr. Job, I didn't notice you coming in. Keep playing, Jackie. It's beautiful. Thank you. Ah, there's nothing like music to keep your soul singing in your body. Yes, it's all right, I guess. There's something troubling you, Jackie. Oh, I'm sick and tired of having to practice all the time. But the biggest joy in life is the success that comes from hard work. But I don't want to become a violinist. No, no, don't start that. Your parents sent you up here because they knew you'd get a fine education and a fine musical training. No, they sent me up here because they don't want me to become an actress. That's why. Why would you be wanting that? Just because I'd like to. And you were the great gift of music. And a great opportunity here. I know, Mr. Job. Ah, now I've been warned to myself and saying, now there's a young girl who should be the happiest little creature in the world, but she's not. And that's Jackie. So I said to myself, well, maybe all she needed is somebody to talk to. Well, you've been very kind to me, Mr. Job. I've been lonesome here in that old Miss Pringle. Now don't say anything about Miss Pringle, Jackie. She's an upright woman and an up-to-date headmistress. And she's always snooping around, that's what. Now, now, now. Oh, there's another thing I was thinking about. How's your class work? Now, I noticed your marks were right. Oh, I like your classes, Mr. Job. Biology is the best subject. Well, you're a great girl for putting the committer on me. Sure, I don't know what you're up to, with a gift from music like yours and still you like B.R. Levy. But you want to be an actress. Well, it's a long story, Mr. Job. But Mother and Daddy have been... Well, we have the new house in Hollywood Hills. There you are, darling. Oh, you look positively scrumptious. I don't feel scrumptious. Now, darling, you promised if Mother bought you a new dress before you went back to school that you wouldn't make a scene. Oh, Mother, I don't want to go to that old boarding school again. All I have me doing is practicing and practicing. Jackie, darling, Mother knows what's best for you. We pick Carlton not only because it's out in the country, but because we want you to get a fine musical training. But I don't want to be in the country and I don't want a musical training. I want to stay here with you and Daddy. Darling, please. You've been with us for a whole weekend and you had a weekend with us when you came back from camp. Your father and I have to start on a new picture and, well... You don't want me around. That's what... Jackie, sweet. Daddy and I want you to have a normal childhood, to be with other girls your own age. We think you have great talent as a violinist. Besides, the movie studio is no place for a young girl like you. There's time enough for that when you're older, if you want to. I'm not so young, Mother. I'm 14. Just like Juliet. And she didn't have to play a violin. Please stop talking about Juliet, Jackie. Well, Juliet wasn't much older than me when she met Romeo. Oh, Juliet. Jackie, why can't you forget about acting until you've finished your education, darling? Now, come on, get your hat. Daddy's taking us to the station. Mother, I wish I didn't have to take that old bumpy train to school. Please, Jackie, don't be obstinate. Oh, don't you know that Mommy loves you very, very much? Yes, Mother, but... Hello there. Everyone ready? Oh, Paul. Have you Jackie's tickets? Yes, I have Jackie's tickets. And I've been waiting for the past 20 minutes. Oh, no, please, Paul, don't be difficult. I've had a trying enough time with Jackie here. Then what's her current problem? Daddy, couldn't you let me go to a dramatic school right here? Good heavens, must we go through that again? Oh, honest, I want to stay here. I'd like to watch you and Mother act sometimes. I wouldn't be in the way. Honest, I wouldn't. Jackie, why is it you always persist in making yourself appear like an orphan of the storm whenever you have to leave for school? Everything's all arranged. Miss Pringle will meet you at Del Amo with the station wagon. And for heaven's sakes, try and get along with her for the rest of the year. Oh, I hate Miss Pringle. Jackie, that'll be enough. Both your father and I have had a wretched day and what you haven't helped matters any. And Jackie? Yes, Daddy. Mother and I are looking forward to the day when you'll be, well, maybe the world's greatest violinist. That means good teachers and a great deal of practice. If we hear good reports, we'll have you down for another weekend soon. And we'll let you spend a day at the studio with us. Will you, Daddy? Will you really? I said if. Now, let's be a good child and get to the train. You've got a wonderful year before you, studying, concentrating. You'll have a lake, canoes, horseback riding. Matter of fact, I wish we could go with you. Oh, Daddy, I wish you and Mother could. I wish it so much. Well, Jackie and I had quite a few talks and I got to know her much better in the weeks following. I began to see the hunger and the loneliness that was eating into our heart. She was a difficult girl to understand. Of course, Mr. Cromley, he's the professor of psychology on the staff. He'd probably say that he shouldn't spoil children. But I, in my own theory, that the kindness and affection of those whom children love is what makes them go to be beautiful and happy. Oh, Jackie and I became pals. Sometimes she used to visit my lab. Hello, Mr. Job. How are all your bugs and bees this afternoon? Oh, fine. We've been busy with a very interesting experiment. Oh, you're doing some drawings? This is a sketch of that rubbish cat in the glass case over there. Hmm, it looks like an insect. Well, it is an insect, a caterpillar. Namuria californica, it's called. And you're making a drawing of it? Yeah, yeah. I'm fiddling it into this little series for a special lesson tomorrow. Oh, what's it about? Well, it shows how one insect depends for existence on other insects and how the insects depend on the plants and the birds on the insects. So there's a whole series, everything dependent on something else, all fitting into a wonderful plan. Just like you fit into a plan, Jackie. Me? Shall we all fit into a plan? But I don't feel I fit in anywhere. Everything and everybody needs something to exist and everything and everybody must contribute something to life. That's the plan. Well, I don't contribute much. Sure, you have a great gift and talent and you'll contribute to make another's happy and better by your music. Oh, you're not going to talk about that again. Well, I have to be going. Is there more trouble? No, I'm all right. Is it Miss Pringle? Oh, it's not just Miss Pringle. Oh. He heard from your folks lately. Oh, yes. Yes, I have. Hmm. How lately? Oh, just recently. A short while ago. Recently, huh? As a matter of fact, it's been over two weeks now, hasn't it? Oh, Mr. Job, I wish I were dead. No, no, no. Come, that's no way to look at things, Jackie. Please don't call me Jackie. What, why, that's your name, isn't it? Yes, but... But what? Well, the only reason I'm called Jackie is that mother and daddy wanted a boy instead of me. That's why they christened me Jacqueline so they could call me Jackie and pretend I was a boy. Well, you think Jackie's a fine name? Well, I don't. I hate it. Well, maybe we can find another name. Uh, what name do you like? Juliet. Oh, I love the name Juliet. Let me see now. Now, how does that line go? Shakespeare's Juliet. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Well, that's what it's going to be from now on I'll call it Juliet. Oh, that'll be wonderful. I've always wanted to be Juliet. So that's why you were doing the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet down at the lake all by yourself the other evening. Oh, you heard me? I didn't think anyone was around. Well, I came down after that burden expedition we had in the afternoon to make sure the canoes were all tied up for the night. But I didn't want to interrupt you. Besides, I like Shakespeare. You do? Oh, yes. I was raised on two books, The Bible and Shakespeare's Works. No finer reading in the whole world. In my younger days, when I did fieldwork for some surveys, I used to read a lot of Shakespeare when we were off in the woods. Then, then maybe, maybe. Maybe what? Maybe you do the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet with me. I've got the play right here in my pocket. I'm not much of a Romeo. Oh, please. Well, for you, Juliet, I think I'll be able to put a little fire into it. Oh, you're a darling, Mr. Job. Tell you what we'll do. We'll make believe this platform is the balcony. Now, oh, be good. Oh, this is fun. You better let me take the book, Juliet. Me, memory's not what it used to be. Well, here it is, Mr. Job. I've got the play smart. I know Juliet's lines by heart. I'll stand back here a bit and you just fire away. You give me the cue of the last couple of lines where I've got it marked. Okay, here we go. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand that I might touch that cheek. Ah, me. She speaks. Oh, speak again, bright angel, for thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven, unto the white, upturned, wandering eyes of mortals, that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air. Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or, if thou will not be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet. Shall I hear more, or shall I speak of this? Just put thy name that is my enemy, or art thy soul. Jackie, pose or get down off that platform. What in the world? Mr. Job, I'm surprised at you. But, Miss Pringle, Mr. Job and I are rehearsing. So I heard of all the ridiculous things, Mr. Job. You're encouraging, Miss Child. She's supposed to be practicing. I had to hunt all of the grounds to find her. Well, I don't see anything wrong in me sating a little Shakespeare, Miss Pringle. Well, for your information, Mr. Job, Jackie's mother and father gave me explicit instructions that I was to discourage any inclination on Jackie's part toward histrionics. Histro what? Your mother and father will not allow you to have anything to do with play acting. Oh, no! They wouldn't do that. They couldn't. Well, they have. And as headmistress of Carlton's school, it is my duty to carry out the wishes of the parents. I'm sorry I had to tell you this, but this outlandish performance of yours and Mr. Job's has left me no other alternative. Oh, Mr. Job. They're now a youngster. Don't take it so hard. And as for you, Mr. Job, your work here is to be confined solely to your classes. I insist that you remember that from now on. Yes, Miss Pringle. We'll discuss that later. Come along, Jackie, and begin your practice. You've had enough of this. This foolishness. It's not foolish. It's what I wanted to do all my life. But why did mother and daddy do this to me? Why did they tell you a thing like that? Now, young ladies, that's about the whole lesson for today. Oh, I may add a little remark of me all. I notice some of you young ladies are very poor grades and that you're sitting there very complacent. Now, you know, you can't just come into a classroom and sit down, stretch out your feet and open your mouth and expect learning to be poured into you. It requires a little work. And that I hope you'll do before the midterm examination comes on. Well, good afternoon, young ladies. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Mr. Job. Mr. Job. Well, well, Jackie, Juliet. Are my marks bad? Oh, I guess there are some who's are a little worse. Oh, you know, I like biology so much. But I can't remember all those funny names like Cullet, Pypians, and the isopipes. You mean isopodes? There are no pipes and those little creatures. Oh, I get all mixed up with the names. Just a matter of study, Jackie. But how was your music? Oh, pretty good, Mr. Job. Well, here thought you're playing in the school concert tomorrow night. Yes, and I've been practicing hard for that. Ah, she'll be giving a lot of us a great deal of pleasure. Thank you. Well, I better be running. Oh, by the way, Jackie, are your father and mother coming to the concert tomorrow night? Did you ask them? Oh, yes. I wrote to them and they said if they could possibly make it, they'd be here. Ah, that's good. That's very good. Yes. And I think I'm going to enjoy playing tomorrow night. Fine. Well, goodbye, Jackie. Goodbye, Mr. Job. Hello there, meet Juliet. Oh, Mr. Job. Oh, hello, Romeo. Why aren't you backstage? I see you're the very first on the program. I was waiting out here to meet Mother and Dad when they arrived. Well, don't you think you should be getting backstage? They're ready to start. I'll wait here and welcome them for you and take them up to the places. Will you do that, Mr. Job? Here are their tickets. I want to tune up a little. Sure, I understand. You run along now. And say a little prayer for me, Mr. Job, because I'll be kind of nervous playing with Mother and Dad here. They expect so much. Oh, I'll do that. Well, I stood there and waited, but somehow I was worried that they might not come. Maybe it was because I knew how important it was to Jackie. I watched some of the other parents arriving. Too bad that her mother and father don't realize how much the other being here tonight would mean to Jackie. I heard her begin into play and decided to take our parents' place. I walked down the aisle and sat down in one of the places in the third row. I was afraid to look up at the stage, afraid to see her disappointment if she looked down at me. I was thinking every moment she might stop suddenly, but she kept on bravely, pouring her whole soul through every note that floated across the auditorium. I only wished I could look up at her and give her a little nod of encouragement. Finally I did, and she smiled back at me sadly for the first kind of patient resignation. I made up my mind that as soon as she was finished, I'd go backstage and we'd be Romeo and Julia together and hear the rest of the concert. I sat back and listened. Where did Jackie Porter go? Well, I think she went over to... Did Jackie Porter? No, she... Sprinkle, do you know where Jackie Porter went? Mr. John, please don't... I walked through the lobby and looked around. She seemed to have disappeared completely. During the intermission, I thought she'd probably turn up somewhere, but there was no trace of her, and I began to get worried. A girl of her temperament might do anything under circumstances like these. But, Miss Pringle, this is something serious. Mr. Job, I'm tired out. Arranging these concerts is no simple matter. I'm afraid something has happened to Jackie Porter. Something happened what? I've searched the ground. She's nowhere around. But she must be somewhere, Mr. Job. I spoke to her parents only a few moments ago. Her parents? Yes, they were delayed getting started and arrived late for the concert. Was Jackie with them? No, they were looking for her. Well, I was down at the wharf where she had a place she used frequently to go to be alone. And one of the canoes is missing in the El Conquan. You mean you think she's taken a canoe with this time of night? Mr. Job, that's ridiculous. I don't know. That's what I wanted to find out. Why that canoe is missing? Well, I'm sure I don't know. It should be there. Oh, this is the most... Come in. Date. All right, leave it here. Mr. Job, what are we going to do? If anything has happened, think of the bad name, the spoon. Forget your old school. It's Jackie that's important. You go and get her parents. I'll be waiting at the wharf. No telling what that broken hearted youngster might do. Mr. Job, what are you going to do? We'll take the launch and see if we can find her. This is Mr. Job, Mr. and Mrs. Porter. Mr. Job, this is terrible. Do you think my little girl... No, no, no. She just wanted to get away from everybody to be alone. This is a fine state of affairs. We come up here to see our daughter and find that nobody knows where she is. Oh, Paul, please. It's bad enough the way it is without you. Well, it's true. We placed our daughter in your charge, Miss Pringle. You're responsible for her. Some of the responsibilities she addressed on your shoulders are Mr. Porter, yours and Mrs. Porter's. What do you mean, our responsibility? Paul, Mr. Job is right. This wouldn't have happened if we'd have been here all time. Thank you, Mr. Job. They don't stand their talk, and that child out in the canoe could never paddle away back in this wind. Be careful, though. Be careful getting in. Mr. Job, would it be all right if I go back to the school? Some of the girls may become upset if word of this gets around. You understand, don't you? Yes, yes, go ahead, go ahead. That's Hawk Island over there. There's a little cove north side where we've gone on some burden expeditions, and that's where the winds blow. When did you see Jackie last, Mr. Job, when? In the lobby before the concert. She said she was going back to tune up and asked me to say a little prayer for her so she wouldn't get nervous. Oh, God. God, I hope nothing has happened to her. I've been trying to pray ever since we left the wharf, but the words just won't come. It's not the words that count, Mrs. Porter. It's the heart that God listens to. Isn't that a canoe? Where? See the prowl sticking out under the bushes and the shore? Yeah, yeah. Yes, it is. We'll turn in. Oh, the canoe's overturned on the edge of the shore. Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. These rough waves could have overturned it after it was beached. I'd bring the launch along side to this little dock. Now, this place is slippery and dangerous if you don't know the footing. I'd better go on alone and look for her. I'll go with you. No, no, no. You stay here so that you can turn the spotlight along the shore. All right. This handle? Yeah, turn it. Turn it right here. That's right. Fasten her up now. Turn the spotlight over this way. This all right, Mr. Job? Yeah, that's fine. That's fine. You'd think if she were around, she'd have come up with this time. Jackie. Well, no, that's strange. Now, Jackie, my darling, why did you do such a crazy thing? You have the whole school worried and you're more than father frantic. No. They're over there in the lounge. Gosh, it's so dark I couldn't see. And I was hiding because I thought it was Miss Pringle and she... She's all right, folks. She's here. Come on, Jackie. Be careful now. Those rocks are slippery. And what were you up to at all? That's coming out like this, and I'm looking for you and hoping you'd be my wife. I'm looking for you and hoping you'd be my Juliet for the rest of the concert. Oh, Mr. Job, when mother and dad weren't there, I just couldn't stand it. So I came over here. And then I got afraid when I saw the launch coming that Miss Pringle would come over. I understand. I understand, Juliet. But don't worry about Miss Pringle. Or he'll take care of her from now on. Jackie. Jackie, are you all right? Oh, you did come to hear me play. Yes, Jackie. We were late. But it couldn't be helped. Oh, darling. Darling, you're coming home with us. No matter where we go, you'll always be with us. Oh, it's too crying, Mother. I'm all right. Sure, you're fine, Jackie. We'll get back and get you a good hot drink to warm you up and then to bed, and you'll be as good as new in the morning. You see, I have to take care of you, Jackie, because one day you'll be one of the great violinists. Oh, thank you. And doesn't she want to be an actress anymore, Mr. Job? She'll always be the greatest in the world to me. My Juliet. Barry Fitzgerald and Sandra Bekova have starred in tonight's family theater play O Romeo, My Romeo. Now again, here is your host for this evening, John Kearren. You know, I've often wondered if there isn't some simple solution to the perplexing family problems that seem to complicate our modern civilization. You read the newspaper's day after day and see accounts of tragedy and sorrow, of disagreement and divorce. I guess most of us sometimes stop and ask ourselves, what's so fundamentally wrong that so many families break up? That men and women who once pledged their love until death to us part can't live together in peace and harmony. That so many children are torn between two homes but have no real home. It may be we're so busy that we haven't time to realize how wonderful it is to have a happy home and how important it is for us to do all we can to make our home happy. I think perhaps we forget that God plays an important part in every marriage and that without God, there can be no lasting peace and happiness in a home. Yes, there is a simple solution to family problems. It's prayer, family prayer. With God's help, we can solve all family problems because the family that prays together stays together. This is John Kearren saying good night and God bless you. Our thanks to Barry Fitzgerald and Sondra Bakoba for their performances this evening and to Mark Carney for his adaptation of tonight's play by Joseph and Dorothy Fox. Music was composed and directed by Max Tehr. This production of Family Theatre Incorporated was directed by David Young. Others who appeared in tonight's play were June Foray, Gigi Pearson, and Hal Gerard. Next week, our Family Theatre stars will be Frank McHugh and James Burke in Substitute Center. Your host will be Ray Mulan. This series of the Family Theatre broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this kind of program by the Mutual Broadcasting System which has responded to this need and by a friend of the New York Foundling Hospital which cares for homeless and motherless babies without distinction of race, creed, or color. Brief portions of tonight's program will transcribe. Be with us next week at the same time when our Family Theatre star will be Frank McHugh and James Burke with Ray Mulan as host, Tony LaFranco speaking. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.