 Family Theatre presents Danny Thomas and Jim Bacchus. From Hollywood, the Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theatre presents It's a Gift, starring Jim Bacchus. And now, here is your host, Danny Thomas. Thank you, Tony LaFranco. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we're to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray, pray together, as a family. And now to our transcribed drama, It's a Gift, starring Jim Bacchus as G.H. Gage. During his lifetime, George H. Gage has made money, not just a dollar here and there, but millions, many millions. It's typical of G.H. as he is called, that the opening of our story finds him manipulating money. As a matter of fact, he's indulging in a whim reserved exclusively for the very rich. And tell me, do you think $100,000 will be enough to establish his home for underprivileged children? Oh, yes, that would be helpful. That's for one home. Well, you see, Mr. Gage... If you need $100,000 to establish one home, could you establish three for $300,000? Right, Mr. Gage, you don't understand. I'll understand you quite clearly, Miss, if you'll just say yes or no. Well, since you put it that way, yes. Oh, that's better. Now, what is your name again? Burton, Jane Burton. Jane Burton. Pardon me. Pardon me. Let me know. I must see Mr. Gage and his lawyers. Oh, no. G.H. G.H. Make them let me through. Pardon me, Miss Burton. And let him through, please. Pardon me. Thank you. Well, G.H., I've seen the newspapers. So what, Bacchus? Is it true? Yes, indeed. There's every little bit of it. But, G.H., it's impossible. One just doesn't give away all one's money. Oh, one doesn't, doesn't one? You just watch. Now, Miss... And Burton? What was that figure we settled on? Well, you said something about $300,000. Oh, yes, yes. That was for three homes for underprivileged children. Now, here's a check for $500,000. Suppose you establish five homes for the little codgers. Oh, thank you ever so much, Mr. Gage. Oh, not at all. Thank you. Next, please. $500,000. G.H., as your lawyer, I tell you, you can't do this. Why not? Who else could dissolve the Gage Enterprises better than G.H. Gage himself? But why? Because money stinks. It has brought me nothing but misery. Misery? All those millions? Yes. In a lonesome moment, have you ever tried to throw your arms around a $1,000 bill? I never had time for love and marriage. To the world at large, I'm not a man. No, I'm just $92 million. $93,478,000. $623.25, I know. I got your report this morning. But don't you think this move a bit drastic? Drastic? My fat foot. The only time in my life I've been happy was when I was broke. That's how I'm going to be again. Well, I can tell you the firm of Cornwell, Cornwell and Boggs isn't going to take this lying down. And just what do you think Cornwell, Cornwell and Boggs can do about it? Take you to court. And what will that prove? That you are hopelessly insane. Now as a psychiatrist, Mr. Gage, this strange desire to give away all your money intrigues me. Well, Dr. Sherwood, don't you think this is sort of crazy? What? Don't you think it's crazy for you to be trying to find me crazy because I want to give my money away? Very significant that you should use the word crazy. But to answer your question, it is not crazy at all. The court is interested in determining... The court is not interested at all. The court wouldn't have done anything of Cornwell, Cornwell and Boggs hadn't forced the issue. Please, Mr. Gage, I'm the one who's supposed to be conducting this examination. Oh, I beg your pardon. Yes. Now tell me, Mr. Gage, why do you want to give your fortune away? Oh, this record is really cracked. Cracked? What was that about cracked? You know, we look for word associations in these examinations. Oh, this is going to be a rugged ordeal. Yes. Now to get back to the original question, why do you want to give your entire fortune away? Why? Well, I want to escape from money. In short, I want to be happy. Very significant. Imagine you will find happiness through the simple process of giving your money away. Have you ever tried to give 98 million dollars away, doctor? Oh, no, no, no, of course not. Well, it's far from simple, believe me. In the first place, I had to convert my holdings into cash. So I had to sell an empire. Ever tried to sell an empire, doctor? No, no, I have never sold an empire, Mr. Gage. And just what does all this signify? That I am working hard for my happiness in giving away this money. I tell you, doctor, it isn't easy. A moment ago, you said, I want to escape from money. Doesn't that strike you as a melodramatic and unnatural statement? Have you ever been surrounded by 98 million dollars, doctor? No, no, I have never been surrounded by 98 million dollars. Well, I have, and I began to wonder whether I was a man or a bankroll. And you decided you were a bankroll. That's right. How did you arrive at this conclusion? Have you ever been pushed into utter loan in this doctor because you own 98 million dollars? No, not ever. Well, I have. I was forever apart. I was different. Too different to be around comfortably. But why give away all your millions? Why not keep one million and give the rest away? If you had 98 car bunkers, would you give away 97 and keep one? Dollars are not car bunkers. Have you ever had... 98 million dollars? No, I never have. Well, I have, and to me, they're worse than car bunkers. But couldn't you just keep one little car... A million? No! No, I have never had one million dollars. Well, if you had, you would know just how dangerous a million dollars can be. Dangerous? That's right. It would be pretty difficult not to make another million if a person had one million to start with. At least it would be for me. And then I'd be right back where I started. Don't you see? I'm trying, Mr. Gage. I'm trying. Well, now look, look. How much money do you look forward to making in your profession? Well, I don't know. I had never thought... Would you ever want to make 98 million dollars? Oh, this is ridiculous. Of course not. Well, then how can you presume to judge a man who wants to give away something you will never know anything about? Well, it is very... Oh, this is getting completely out of hand. I'm supposed to be conducting this interview. Well, I don't think you're qualified to pass judgment on my sanity, doctor. What? You know nothing of my malady. Namely, 98 million dollars. No, darling. Now look, Mr. Gage. Don't you see why this strikes people as an insane thing to do? You are actually throwing away what other men struggle a lifetime to achieve. Yes, but how many of them have ever had a... If you say 98 million dollars once more... I swear I'll lose my mind. Hmm... A very significant statement, doctor. Your honor... Your honor, as the examining psychiatrist in the case of Cornwell Cornwell and Bogg versus Gage, it is my opinion, after examining the defendant, Mr. George H. Gage, that although his action of giving away his entire fortune, this is quite eccentric. It does not necessarily mark him as mentally incompetent. The defendant therefore should be judged sane. And your honor, might I add, your honor, that if Mr. Gage has any money left, the National Foundation for Psychiatric Study, of which I am a director, would gratefully accept any contribution. I have all the ridiculous decisions. I don't know how you did it, Gage. Those psychiatrists must be crazy. If anybody's goofy around here, I'd say it was you. Me? Yes, you. What could be more idiotic than fighting a court battle to keep a man from giving away his own property? And what for? For a $250,000 retainer from my estate. But $250,000 is a lot of money. And it's brought you the biggest ulcer in town. Now you leave my ulcer out of this. Tell me just one thing. Why did you really do it? I told you once. I'm sick of buying everything. I'd like to live a little, maybe even find a few friends that I can trust. Well, $90 million is a whale of a price for a few friends. Well, after being without one for such a long time, the price seems dirt cheap. Do you realize you don't have a dime left? Yes. Do you know what that makes you? Happy. Happy? Why, you fool? You're nothing but a bum. Hello there, Mr. Gage. You're taking a bit of the sun, I see. That's right, officer. Good for you after what you've been through. Oh, I got enough room on that bench, Mr. Gage. Yes, yes. Thank you, officer. I followed your trial pretty close. You sure made up monkey out of his lawyers. It wasn't hard. What a bunch of dummies. Trying to prove a guy silly in the head just because he wanted to give his dough away. All that fuss. Over one. Money. I tell you, Mr. Gage, you got the right idea. I have? Yeah. A few thousand in the book. What more can a man want? Yes, but you see, I don't have any thousand in the book. Oh, come on, Mr. Gage. You surely hold out a few solid stocks here and there. Not a one, no. Real estate, maybe? No, no. How much did you keep? One dollar. One measly buck? One measly buck, the first I ever made. I had it framed on the wall in my office. Don't even have that now. What'd you do with it? Lunch. In a sense, I left the eleven cents for the waitress. A big dipper. You mean you're dead broke? Stony. Well, that makes things a bit different. Look, Gage, later when on public property, what our visible means of support will get you a vacancy wrap. But officer! Now get going and keep moving. I don't want any dead beech in my territory. Hey, mister, could you spare a quarter for a meal? Well, I'm sorry, no. Actually, you probably have more money than I do. Are you kidding? No, I don't have a cent. What kind of a con game are you operating? Look at that suit you're wearing. It's worth two seas if it's worth a dime. Yes, but it's the last and the only one that I own. How come? Well, it's a long story. I hardly think that I... Okay, okay, pal. It's okay. You meet all kinds of sharpies riding the toboggan here on Skid Row. Well, I'm afraid you don't understand. You see... Hey, wait a minute. I ain't you that eccentric millionaire that gave away his dough? Yes, yes, yes, that's me. Hey, I read all about you in the papers, Mr. Gage. I'm glad to make your acquaintance. My name is Charlie Winkler. Well, how do you do, Charlie? How do you do? No offense, but you look hungry, Mr. Gage. Well, I am, and my name is George. Oh, okay, okay, George. Well, let's ease a couple of quarters out of this crowd and go eat. Oh, I couldn't do that. You want to eat? Definitely. Well, okay. Ask this guy coming along for two bits. Well, go on, go on. What do you got to lose? That's right. What have I got to lose? Sure, go ahead. Here goes. Pardon me, sir. Could you spare a quarter? He didn't even answer me. Oh, boy. You're going to take some working on. Georgie, first off, don't ever crawl to a man. Oh, I was only being polite. That's much more than he was. How should I have done it? Watch me. I'll tap this guy. Hey, hey, Mac, me and my buddy are starving. You got a couple of quarters you don't need. Oh, bless you, mister. Bless you. How's that, George? Six bits. Boy, we'll have beer without bread tonight. I don't see how you did it. It's a gift, George. Just a gift. Oh, George, my boy. Just take a whiff of this mulligan. It smells magnificent. Yeah, it should be done in a few minutes. Suppose you watch it for a while. Give it a stir with this fork once in a while and keep it from burning. OK. Feels as mighty good to get off my feet. Tell me, Charlie, this place we're in, this, uh, what do you call it? Hobo Heaven. It's a jungle. Otherwise, call the old city dump. They won't let us bums in the new one. Why do all these men gather here, I mean, in this particular spot? Well, for one thing, the law don't mind. For another, there's lots of places to sleep comfortable in all this junk. Well, those two reasons alone are to draw spindle stiffs like honey draws ants. Why do you ask? Oh, just curious. Oh. Oh. Hey, you better give this soup a stir. Oh, yeah. Yes, Charlie. I forgot, I... Yeah, but not so hard. George, not so hard. You're grabbing a stupid mulligan. Oh, I'm sorry, Charlie. Ah, forget it. We still have bread and beer. That's better than nothing. Uh-oh. Come on. It's gonna rain. Uh, where are we going? Into this packing box. It looks pretty snug. Here she comes. Crawl in. It's right now, Doctor. Yeah. That's not bad. Here, have some bread. Oh, thank you, Charlie. How are those fingers? Yeah, they're sore. Yeah, you burned them pretty bad. I'm kind of a washout, aren't I? Oh, no. Don't get discouraged. Takes a lot of practice to live without work, and you'll do okay. Well, at least I am being accepted for something other than my money, for which I want to thank you, Charlie. Ah, skip it. Say, this place leaks. Yeah, only in spots. Yes, but one of those spots is down my back. You'll have to move a bit to the right. Yeah. I'll make room. How's that? Well, it isn't running down my back anymore. That's good. It's pouring into my shoes. That's not so good. Oh, well, that's the best we can do. There. George. Yeah? Mind if I ask you a personal question? No, no. Of course not. How do you feel being a bum? Awful. Hey, keep it quiet out there. I said keep it quiet out there. You'll have to see what that guy's up to. Smoke. He's got those bums working. Hey, George, what are you doing? Oh, I got a great idea. Great idea. How'd you sleep? A little wet. Yeah, but what cooks, you got these tired old stiff-stackin' junk like their brains was loose. You see that man in the gray suit just leaving the dump? Yeah. Looks like the kind of a swell. Aw, he is a swell. He's a junk dealer. I woke up this morning and I saw all his scraps, so I called him on the phone and I said, Mr. Lewis, how much is scrap metal worth to you? We'll load it onto your trucks. All you have to do is drive it away. What did he say? Well, he said, how much can you get me? And I said, well, a little over eight tons of cast iron scrap. How much did he offer you for that? $50. $50? Well, you took it, didn't you? Oh, no, no, no. What? The market is quoting $25 a ton for cast iron scrap. Eight tons of 25 per ton, that comes to $200. That had meant Lewis had made $150 just for hauling it away. Yeah, so what'd you do? I said I'd make it $100 and, well, we'll do business. $100? Yeah, yeah. And he said, it's a deal. My trucks will be around in an hour. Here's your $100. He really gave you the money, huh? Oh, you bet he did. Fellas, fellas, we'll really eat today. How about it, huh? Oh, we're gonna eat that. But we can't eat a whole hundred bucks, will we? Well, with what's left over, we'll start to really fix his dump up. I'm getting breadbasket. That was an A1 meal. I was about to speech from George. He raised a hundred. Thank you. That's really nice of all you fellas. But, well, what'll I say? Well, tell us why you did all this. I did it because 90% of the rain that fell last night wound up in my shoe. Why have to shoe? No, I'm serious. Wait a minute, fellas, seriously. We have a gold mine here in this dump. We could save our profits every day for a while and really make it a comfortable place to live in. Well, what's the matter, fellas? Did I say something wrong? The boys, me included, think it sounds like work. Yes, yes, but only an hour or so a day. Doesn't it beat going hungry? Well, we know now we could fix things up so that we'd always be warm and dry in the winter and maybe even cool in the summer. Now, what do you say? Well, if it's only an hour or two a day. Well, that's all it took today to make $100. Well? Well, what do you think, guys? All right, fine, fine. We'll do the same thing tomorrow. Now, let's all have another beer. Hey, George, you've been a mighty big man. Why do you mess around with characters like us? Charlie, I haven't been this happy 20 years. Boy, maybe those doctors were wrong. Look, George, you've had millions. You've lived in swanky apartments, and now you're in a dump. Knee-deep in bums, how can you be happy? Well, you wouldn't understand, Charlie. You just wouldn't understand. I just guess I wouldn't. Well, tell me, how are you going to fix this mess up? Well, in one year, you won't know the place. And you know something, Charlie? You're going to help me. Me? No, no, no, no. I told you I hate work. George, I can't do it. Work in me now. Just don't get along, I tell you. You just wait and see. Yes, send her in, please, Miss Berry. And let's see, where'd I put those facts and the figures? Mr. Gage? Oh, how do you do, Miss Miller? Come in, won't you have a chair? Thank you. Well, I must compliment you on your beautiful offices. Oh, they are nice, aren't they? They were designed by Leach. Beautiful, simply beautiful. It was very nice of you to give me this time for an interview. No, never too busy to talk to the press. After all, you people help our efforts with your publicity. No, I was just trying to find some facts and figures on our company that might help you in this... Oh, here they are. That's the outline for the Cooperative Salvage Company. It's contained right in here. Thank you. Mr. Gage, I remember the big story a few years ago when you gave up that huge fortune to find happiness and friendship. Well, was it really worth it? Oh, indeed it was. I've been very happy and I've found at least one friend. Charlie Winkle? That's right. He's my partner in the Cooperative Salvage Company. Well, let's see. Now, you two started out in that old dump on the east side, didn't you? That's right. He helped a lot of homeless men to help themselves. We collected junk. We sold it to the profit. We built shelters and homes for those men where they could earn their meals, a place to sleep, clothing and so forth, without too much work. And now you have five of these havens, as you call them, don't you? Six. We just opened a new one in San Francisco. Oh, that's wonderful. Now tell me, Mr. Gage, have you missed your contact with money? I mean big money. Well, now, that's a difficult question to answer. You see... Mr. Gage, I got Blake on the phone and... Oh, I beg your pardon, I didn't know you had company. Oh, not at all, Charlie. This is Miss Miller of Slick Magazine. This is my partner, Miss Miller. This is Charlie Winkle. How do you do? How do you do? Hey, I'll tell Blake we'll call him later. You'll have to handle him. Well, I'll talk to him right now. I'm certain Miss Miller won't mind. Not at all. Switch, Mr. Blake's call in here, Miss Berry. Hello, hello, Sam. How are you, you old rascal? How are Mary and the kids? Well, that's wonderful. Hey, Miss Miller, watch your master operate. He's terrific. Yes, yes, I know, Sam. That abandoned dump was worthless when we bought it for $10,000. But a new super highway is going in and real estate out that way is booming. Oh, boy, how smooth can you get? Honestly, Sam, no, we can't think of letting it go for less than a million five. Touche. No, no, Sam, that's the going price. One penny less than a million five would be the next thing to giving it to you. Huh? Okay, Sam, it's a deal. I'll have the papers drawn up. Say hello to Mary and the kids. Goodbye. Wow! A million five GH, how do you do it? Yes, Mr. Gage, how do you do it? Well, I'll tell you. Yes? Yes, Miss Berry. Mr. Who's that? Urgent. Oh, very well, send him in. Charlie, do we deal with Mr. Watkins? Never heard of him, GH. Mr. Gage? Yes? You don't remember me, Mr. Gage, but when you were giving away your fortune a few years ago you gave me $100,000 to start a small business. I did? You sure did. Well, out of gratitude, I entered your name as the second principal stockholder. To put it mildly, Mr. Gage, we have boomed. Now, I feel as the other principal stockholder I'd like to buy your share. So, here's my check for $2,250,304.67, the exact worth of your stock. And, oh, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Well, yes, I know, but... Is something wrong, Mr. Gage? Would you like more? Oh, no, no, no. Not that. I just... Well, thank you, thank you very much, Mr.... Well, Watkins. Harlan Watkins. Oh, well, I have to rush, Mr. Gage. So, goodbye, and thanks again. Not at all. Two and a quarter million. Wow! You were asking if I missed big money, Ms. Miller. I get the point. And at the risk of being redundant, I ask again, how do you do it, Mr. Gage? Well, I honestly don't know. I really don't. I suppose it's a gift or something. G.H., you're a living, breathing wonder. I don't see how you're doing. The old cooperative salvage company ought to be worth everything, being equal to give a couple hundred thousand one way or another about 15 million. G.H., you're a real wizard. And you don't think I should have waited for consolidated to top Blake's bed? Oh, no, of course not, G.H., of course not. No, you did just the right thing, but... And you always do. Well, gotta go. Nice to have met you, Ms. Miller. Oh, give G.H. a good ride up. Believe me, he deserves the very best. Oh, me. Oh, my. Well, happiness, friendship, and money too. You should be right on top of the world. Why the big sigh? I'm worried about Charlie. Why? He's changed. How? Well, now he agreed too heartily about that sale. He never contradicts me any more. Everything I do is wonderful. He ought to hear him laugh at my jokes. The whole thing makes me wonder. Wonder? Wonder about what? Well, I wonder if Charlie would still be my friend if I was broke again. If I didn't have a dime, I wonder if he would. Oh, me and my millions. It's not... This is Danny Thomas again. You know the title of our little story tonight? It's a gift. Applies to a lot more things than talents or aptitudes. When you think about it, there's nothing we have which isn't a gift. Friends, family, good health, each blessing we can count is something that has been given us by the author of all blessings, our Creator. That's an easy thing to forget when our lives are flowing along smoothly. And yet, if we want, there's a very simple method we can all use to remind ourselves of God's goodness and generosity. The method I have in mind is prayer. Daily family prayer. It only takes a few minutes. If you want to see a big production, you can do it at bedtime just before the kids pile in for the night. It doesn't matter what words you use. Don't worry. Just kneel down. Look around at how much you've got to be thankful for and the words will come. And speaking of gifts, there's a special gift of happiness that comes from family prayer itself. Ask anyone who's tried it. The family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood, Family Theater has brought you It's a Gift starring Jim Bacchus. Danny Thomas was your host. Others in our cast were Vivi Janus, John Daener, J. Novello, John Larch, and Christopher O'Brien. The script was written by Tom Dixon with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and was directed and transcribed for Family Theater by John T. Kelly. Here is a Family Theater broadcast as made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program. By the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage screen and radio who give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Tony Lafranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to be with us next week when Family Theater will present the Mental Blocks starring James and Jean Cagney. Ruth Hussey will be your hostess. Join us, won't you? Family Theater is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.