 Remember, a Hallmark card when you carry enough to send the very best. I was great as stars in outstanding stories chosen by one of the world's best known authors. The distinguished novelist, Mr. James Hilton. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is James Hilton. Tonight on our Hallmark Playhouse, we present a story based on a book of my own called So Well Remembered. It's a story about the mayor of a town. Let's call it Wingfield. Not a very large town, nothing very extraordinary about it. Just a town where people work and live. And of course, when you live in a place, you get to love it somehow. And perhaps the man who loved Wingfield most was its mayor, a fellow named George Boswell. And for this part, we are fortunate to have that very fine actor Van Heflin. But before I tell you any more about George Boswell, mayor of Wingfield, here's Frank Goss, who has a word about Hallmark. Thank you, Mr. Hilton. Hallmark is the name to remember when you want to remember your friends. For birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays. There is a quality about Hallmark cards that whispers good taste. And you'll send them with pride. For that identifying Hallmark on the back adds meaning. It says you cared enough to send the very best. Now Hallmark Playhouse, presenting James Hilton's So Well Remembered, starring Van Heflin. Oh, here we are in this town Wingfield. It was in 1942, and I had some writing job that took me to a big hospital there. And while I was waiting around, I couldn't help overhearing a conversation between a soldier in the next bed and a visitor, who I later learned was the mayor, George Boswell. George, you don't particularly care what happens to me. When you've seen a lot of your friends killed, you can't think you've survived any special virtue of your own. So you ask yourself the question, why have you survived? Why should you go on surviving? I don't like to hear you talk like that, Charles. That's better than having you think it was any of the hero stuff. I just take it easy, son. It's the future you've got to think about. Future? For who? For me? What do I do when I get out of here? What's waiting for me outside? Charles, I'm going to be frank. No matter how much anyone else tries to help, the main job is up to you. But you have one big advantage. You've got Julie. She's in love with you and you're in love with her. Yes, and you're my friend. Look, I'm sorry the way I spoke to you just now. I don't know where in the world is another guy like you. And imagine, only two months ago you walked into my room a complete stranger. I don't know what I'd have done with that. You might have recovered faster, that's about all. I don't want to get corny, but you've been more like a father to me than my own. I wish you were my son. George, there's something I've wanted to ask you. Far away? Well, this hospital is loaded with wounded soldiers. What made you single me out? I don't know that I did. I visit the others, too. But it's not the same with them. Julie noticed it and some of the other nurses have, too. Come on now, what's the reason? Well, you have a magnetic personality and it could be your sterling character. Come on, cut it out. I'm serious. Well, let's say that you're kind of special, that's all. That's not good enough for me. It has to be something else. I know it. I sense it. I'll see you later, Charles. Don't go. For the longest while I've had the feeling I remind you of someone you know. Is that it? I knew a long time ago. I impressed you so that you can't get them out of your mind. The mayor of Wingfield was like that. There was something warm about him, something kindly and generous and yet strong. I did a thing later that day. I suppose I had no right to do. I made some business excuse to see him. Something about the town and an article I might write about it. And, well, this was the kind of a fellow he was. Within half an hour we were having coffee together in the restaurant under the city hall. We were getting along famously and then suddenly he turned so quiet that I asked him what was the matter. I, well, I was thinking, you know life's funny. It takes such a long time to find happiness and yet you can lose every bit of it in just a moment. Yes, that often happens. This place has been all my life to me for more than 20 years. I've given it for what they're worth all my affection and energy up until recently, that is. When I met a young soldier here in the hospital. It isn't too hard to become attached to those boys. Yes, but this case is a little different. Charles is, well, he's the kind of a boy I don't want to lose touch with now that I've met him. Why should you? Is he being moved to another hospital? No, but I hardly think I'll be able to see him again. His mother will arrive this evening. I should imagine she'd be very glad to see you since you've become so friendly with her boy. I don't know. That's just it. Mr. Hilton, you're a writer. I'm certainly not one, but I do have a story. I don't often burden other people with my problems, but if you wouldn't mind listening, I'd... I'd like to tell it to you. I wish you would. Well, it's... it began over 20 years ago. October 1918, to be exact. I just become a member of the city council and I visited the Wingfield Public Library. I'd like to reserve a copy of Jane Eyre. Sure, George. You're a little more quiet than usual today. Why? Well, I may as well say what's on my mind. You got Olivia Channing a job here and I don't like it. Isn't her work satisfactory? Yes. But I don't trust her. And when you remember her father, that's not surprising. Now, she's not responsible for her father, Dick, and why condemn her? Seems to me to be more of a case for sympathy. Old man Channing was responsible for the slums we have in Wingfield today. His daughter's got no right here. And you've got no right to defend her. Look, I'll defend her, Dick, against you and the whole town if necessary. Mr. Boswell? Yes. We've never met. I'm... I'm Olivia Channing. Oh, uh, you heard I'm... I'm terribly sorry. Oh, it's all right. I'm used to it. I want to thank you for all you've done for me. You're very kind. Well, I didn't mean it as kindness. Just fairness, that's all. You're exceptional. For a long time I didn't believe that anyone could see straight here. Well, let's understand each other. I've attacked your father for years in my newspaper because I firmly believed he was a thief. And as long as I think that it can help Wingfield, I'll continue attacking his name. Now, would you like me to leave now or...? No. I respect your honesty. I think I like you. Well, where do we go from here? I guess I'd better go back to work. Um, it'd be silly for me to ask whether you like working here or not. I need the money. Well, you could go somewhere else. Some other city. You'd find a job there. I'd rather stay here. You mean that you like Wingfield? It's my home. I was brought up in the big house on the hill. And no one will drive me out of it. You're a very courageous girl. I admire you. You're very courageous yourself. Everyone in the room is staring at you. Oh, I'm not afraid of them. I like talking to you. As a matter of fact, I like you. There was something very intriguing about Livia Channing. She was a combination of stubborn courage and pride and... Well, yet I felt sorry for her because she was so alone in the world. I found myself dropping by the library more and more often. And then I realized it was because I was in love with her. From then on, there were three things that I wanted most in life. The first was for Livia to become my wife. Late one night, I was walking her home to her lonely house on the hill. You don't have to walk me home, George. I'm not afraid of the dark. You're not afraid of anything, are you, Livia? No. You're not afraid to live in that big, lonely household by yourself. Why should I be? Well, because I want you to be. I want you to leave that house tonight, right now. Why? We'll be married and you won't have to live there. Suppose I say I enjoy living there. Oh, you can't. That house has memories, bad memories. The sooner you get away from it, the better. You're referring to the fact that my father lived there, aren't you? Yes. And as long as you stay there, you give the people in town a chance to talk about you, remember you. Now listen to me and get out of there. Let's not mention my father again. Please. All right. Ever again. You promise? Yes, I promise. Why do you want to marry me, George? You don't really know me. I know that I love you and that's all that counts. Doesn't it matter whether I love you? Well, do you? I'm grateful to you. You're still bitter and I don't blame you. You have a right not to trust anyone. I'm not the kindest girl, George. I'm stubborn. I always get my way and I don't care how I do it. Livia. Livia, all I know is that I love you. I do anything in this world for you. Marry me, please. All right, George. I'll marry you. As for my second, Martin, our son, was born the following year. I was so in love with my wife and son that I couldn't think. My third dream was Wingfield. I was born here. I wanted to be proud of the place. And I shared that dream with our friend, Dr. Bob. I'm in the house. Doc can have dinner with us. No, I have to get back to the hospital. I'm worried, George. If only we could clean up those Mill Street slums, we'd be a lot less disease in Wingfield. I've been over working over that city council and sooner or later I'm going to wear them down. Better be sooner. We've had 20 cases of diphtheria and there's no telling how far the epidemical spread. You're sure your little fellow, Martin, has been immunized? Oh, yes, yes. I told Livia to take care of that weeks ago. Look, maybe I better go along to the hospital with you. You can use some more help, can't you? No, I'll let you know if I need you. Go on in and have your dinner. Well, I'll meet you there in an hour. Well, hello, darling. What's the matter? You look upset. George, I've been thinking. Can't we move out of Wingfield? Now, remember, I suggested that to you a long time ago and you said you'd rather stay here. I said I'd rather stay in my house on the hill, but I lost that house. This one is a poor substitute. What do you want me to do, Livia? My work is here. My job on the city council... What does that mean? Your paper is a failure. And how important is that ridiculous councilman's job? They're both important to me. But you're not getting anywhere. I want things for myself and for Martin. I'm tired of him scrimping and ending up with nothing. Well, it won't always be like this. Oh, yes, it will. Just so long as Wingfield is your luxury, your hobby. But what sort of a place is it for a child to grow up in? Not such a bad place as it used to be, and I'll make it better. I have plans. They're not just dreams. They're practical. You'll see. I'll get the slums off the map. I'll build schools. All right, well, laugh at me if you like. I don't care. I am laughing at you, George. The trouble with you is you're more interested in doing things for others than for yourself and your own wife and child. I want only the best for you and Martin. If it's in my power, you'll have it. You must know that. Ah, I suppose so. But don't worry. I'll get out of Wingfield somehow. Keep an eye on the baby while I get dinner with him. Yes, sure. Hello, son. There's so much that I want to be able to do for you. I'll bet you think I'm kind of silly talking like this, that every man dreams about giving his boy all the things that he never had. When I was a kid, we were very poor, and while at times we were happy, mostly it was a pretty tough struggle. I've got to make it different for you. I want you to have every chance. You know how I'm going to start? Well, pretty soon when you're just a little bigger, I'm going to give you books to read. Maybe you won't fully understand them, but they'll help you to see things clearly while you're young. You see, the more knowledge you possess, the more you have to fight your battles when you're grown. New worlds, my son, are for the young to explore. Later, a man is glad of a new room or even a view from a new window. We'll return to the second act of So Well-Remembered, starring Van Heflin. I stopped in at a friend's house the other day in the most wonderful... You should have heard the shouts of delight from the children when they saw the port he favors. They were hallmarked dolls. They were gorgeous, with those colorful dolls standing beside each plate, their hats topped with real feather plumes. Hallmarked dolls are greeting cards, you know, that stand by themselves, equally beautiful, front and back. So they're perfect for a party table. And what fun children have reading the delightful stories they find inside in rhyme. They all started reading them aloud at once at my friend's house. She had to make them take turns. You can choose from 36 hallmarked dolls, little women dolls, and now eight brand-new dolls of the nations in gay costumes from faraway lands, with exciting stories about each country that children love. Hallmarked dolls of the nations make wonderful presents, educational, fascinating, yet so inexpensive, only 25 cents each. You'll find them at the friendly store where you buy hallmarked cards, and on the back of each is the hallmark that says, you cared enough to send the very best. Look for it always when you're buying greeting cards. Now here is the second act of James Hilton's So Well-Remembered, starring Van Heflin. The epidemic remained unchecked, Mr. Hilton, and the city council wouldn't do anything about removing the slums. I decided on direct action. I'd try to find some rich benefactor who would have some civic pride. I called on Richard Felsby, who used to be a partner of both Livia's father and grandfather. When you married Livia, you married a problem, and there's no use coming to me about it, George. Neither of you need to think you'll ever get a penny of my money because I'm leaving it all to Sarah. Sarah looked after Livia and her mother and her grandmother and her grandfather for the best part of 60 years, and she left her stranded and broke. Well, I never knew that. I thought she lived alone in that big house. Don't spoil here no good money other things, either. As for donating money to clean up the slums, you'll never get anything from me as long as you're married to Livia Channing. I tried several other men, but my efforts were fruitless. Somehow the name Channing had been a curse on the town. And Livia was a Channing. George! Yes, Livia. Ah, I'm glad you're home. The baby isn't feeling too well. I've called Dr. Bob. Called a doc? What's wrong with Martin? Well, he'll be all right. There's no reason to get excited. Hello, son. Well, he's running a temperature. He's burning up, Livia. It isn't, Diphtheria. You needn't worry. Well, no, it couldn't be. You had him immunized. Livia, you did have him immunized, and you told me you did. Did you? Well, Livia, did you or didn't you? No. Why? How could you not do it? Did you forget and tell me a lie to cover it? Livia! Livia! I didn't forget, George. I went to the clinic and saw the people lined up outside. I didn't want to take Martin to a place like that. Why not? What was wrong with it? I didn't like it. I didn't like the people there. I mean the other people and their children. Why? Weren't they well enough dressed for you? Most of them were as well-dressed as I could afford to be. Well, then why? Why didn't you have it done? I told you. I didn't like the place. Some of the children looked dirty and they had bad coles. And Martin might have caught one. So to save him from that, you've let him catch the theory. I don't want to quarrel, George. I asked if it couldn't be done by a private doctor, and do you remember what you said? Yes. Yes, I remember. I told you that we must go to the clinic. We had to set an example. We didn't use the clinic ourselves. How could we expect anyone else to go? And I told you I wasn't interested in your Betterment Plan for Winkfield and its ridiculous people. What do I owe them? Well, your father owed them plenty. He forced them to live in slums. Oh, but what's the use? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you have to lie to me? I did tell you one thing. I told you we ought to leave Winkfield. Oh, no, no. Now that's not the point. It isn't. It always will be. If we hadn't stayed here, nothing like this would have happened. With him went an unfulfilled dream. Who was to blame Livia and me, who knows, who can tell? One thing was settled, though. I had made up my mind I would never leave Winkfield. And Livia, she seemed in some peculiar way to have withdrawn into a world of her own. I felt sorry for her. I tried to make her happy in countless ways. And then one night, several months later, Livia, how about having a cup of coffee with me before I get down to some work? You work to do it or not? Yes. I have to finish a report to the city council. It won't take me too long, though. Well, I thought I'd stay in here and look at these folders. Oh, what are they? Literature of the European cities. Rome, Paris, London, Geneva. Well, it's good to see that you're interested in something again, Livia. Yes, I'm very interested in those places. I'm going there. What? George, I want to leave you. You want to leave me? I must leave you, George. But, Livia, why? I love you. I always will. No, George, don't come near me. Livia, what is all this about? I'm not happy, George, since Martin died. Livia, darling, neither am I. You know that. But, after all, I thought you did look happy tonight. That's because I'd made up my mind... To do what? ...to leave you. I'm going to Geneva first. I have friends there. They've asked me to visit and stay as long as I like. Oh, you have friends in Geneva and you want to spend a vacation with them. Oh, well, why not? That's another matter altogether. I thought you were really leaving me. You need a vacation, darling. Stay just as long as you like. I'd come with you if I could spare the time, but I can't. I'll miss you, but I'll be happy knowing that you're having such a good time. I may not have a good time, George. Well, of course you will. And when you've had enough of it, you can come back to me and we'll feel like a new woman. I'll take care of the things while you're away. And, Livia, look, you'll need some new clothes. Now, I want you to look beautiful when you arrive in Geneva. Thank you, George. And, uh, don't worry about money. I'll go to the bank tomorrow and see that there's a little extra for you. Thank you, George. I know you want to get back to work. Oh, work? Well, I don't much feel like it now. When do you think you'll be leaving? Tomorrow. Uh, oh, so soon. I have all the tickets and things and I'm pretty nearly all packed. Livia, Livia, Livia, I guess. It has to be this way. Yes. Good night, George. Livia left as she said she would, Mr. Hilton. She walked out of our home and out of my life. She never did return. And I haven't seen her now in over 20 years. She married again very shortly after leaving me, a socially prominent man. And that boy in the hospital? Yes. He's her son. You haven't told him? No. I was afraid that he might resent me. Real friendship can take a great deal. No, but it's even more than that. It's odd that Charles should have come to mean as much to me as my own son would have had he lived. Now I feel a responsibility to protect him against his own mother. You see, he needs kindness, understanding, he needs patience, and Livia can never give him that because she's only interested in Livia. Then I think you're being unfair to both the boy and yourself by not telling him your story. You might be underestimating him, you know. You think so? Yes. Yes. I will tell him. And there it is, Charles Ola, but the answers to all your questions. Well, I guess you won't want to be seeing me anymore. Good luck, boy. Whatever you do. Oh, wait a minute. Do you think I'm going to let the best friend I've ever known walk out of my life? Not by a long charge. What kind of authority you think I am? What about your mother? She'll be here to... Mother's all right in her own way. I understand her. But her way isn't my way. And that's something she's going to have to accept. Livia's never been the kind to accept things easily. She put up a fight, you know. She'll want things done her own way. I have you and Julie to draw strength from until I can get back on my own. I know neither of you will ever let me down. That you do know. Don't get me wrong. I guess I'm still pretty much of a cynic. So far, I've found this world an awfully dreary place. Yes, I'll have to admit things are bad enough. But, Charles, if you take time out to go behind the scenes of everyday life and see the courage and decency most folks have, the fate that they have and the jobs they're doing, that is very, very heartening. You know, I've told you often how worried I've been about my life, what I'm going to do with myself when I left the hospital. Well, George, I know now what I'm going to do. You do? Yes, I'm going to stay on here in Wingfield and have the first real home I've ever known. Julie and I will be married, and if you'll let me, I want to work for you, George. I want to do the things that have made you the man that you are. I can't think of anybody I'd rather be more like than you. No man, no man in the whole world has the right to have such a dream come true, Charles. My son. Heflin and James Hilton will return in a moment, and for children, who hallmark dolls of the nations. You know, this makes 36 hallmark dolls in all. They're greeting cards that stand up by themselves, and children love to collect them. For each doll brings the adventure and excitement of a new country. They wear the beautiful dresses of distant lands, and each has a thrilling story inside in rhyme. What joy and education for a child to have these little playmates from Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, Scotland, Australia, a little Eskimo from Alaska, a lovely princess from India. Children love to read about riding elephants, skiing, yodeling, all the strange, delightful customs of faraway lands. These hallmark dolls are in glowing colors front and back with real feather plumes in their hats, and they cost just 25 cents each. For a wonderful gift, get two dolls and a hallmark collector's album that holds the entire collection for only $1. Tomorrow, see hallmark dolls of the nations at the friendly store where you get hallmark greeting cards. Here again is James Hilton. I just say you can imagine how an author feels about hearing his own story dramatized. He's a bit scared sometimes, but after your superb performance, Van Heflin, I'm just about as happy as I could be, and I want to offer you my personal thanks for it. Well, thank you, Mr. Hilton, and if you think the author's scared, now the actor feels when the author's on the program. But I'm very happy that you liked it. Of course, when there's a story written with so much insight and understanding, it's a real pleasure to appear in it. But then we here in Hollywood have come to expect that on the hallmark playhouse. It's so much in tune with your fine hallmark greeting cards. Well, that's the standard we always try to maintain. And I know I speak for all of us here when I say that I hope you'll be with us many times again on hallmark playhouse. Mr. Hilton. Next week, we are presenting an adaptation of William F. Harvey's extraordinary story, August Heat, and Fred McMurray is coming over to start. Oh, well, that sounds wonderful, Mr. Hilton. I'll certainly be listening. Good. And the following week, we shall have National Velvet. And the week after that, the Virginian, starring MacDonald Carey. Our director-producer is Bill Gay. Our music is composed and conducted by Lynn Murray, and our script tonight was adapted by Jack Rubin. Until next Thursday then, this is James Hilton saying, good night. The million stores that have been carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service. Remember hallmark cards when you carry enough to send the very best. Van Heflin appeared by arrangement with Metro Golden Mayor, producers of the Red Danube, starring Walter Pigeon, Ethel Barrymore, and Peter Lawford. This is Frank Goss saying good night to you all until next week at the same time when James Hilton returns to present August Heat, starring Fred McMurray. The following week, we present National Velvet, and the week after that, MacDonald Carey in the Virginian.