Adventure The Series 1945.03.12 Monsieur Beaucaire

Summary

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Podcast Summary:

Harold's Old Time Radio – Adventure The Series (Monsieur Beaucaire, 1945.03.12)
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Episode Date: March 3, 2026
Source: Radio dramatization of Booth Tarkington’s "Monsieur Beaucaire", starring Douglas Fairbanks

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Overview of the Episode

This episode of "Adventure The Series" dramatizes Booth Tarkington’s romantic adventure "Monsieur Beaucaire." Renowned actor Douglas Fairbanks stars as the dashing Beaucaire—a nobleman longing for freedom, self-determination, and true love amidst the strictures of 18th-century France and England. The story explores identity, class, love, and aspiration, as Monsieur Beaucaire, under an assumed name, navigates royal expectations, dangerous intrigue, and the strict social divide between nobility and commoners, all the while pursuing the love of Lady Mary Carlisle.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Progression

1. Setting the Stage: An Invitation to Adventure

• Douglas Fairbanks, as both narrator and character, invites listeners to imagine themselves in a world of adventure—without leaving their living rooms.
• The story is described as "tales rich in action, color and excitement" (01:04).

2. The Prince’s Dilemma

• Louis Philippe de Valois (Monsieur Beaucaire), Duke of Orleans, wishes to experience life as a regular person, causing displeasure at court (03:07).
• King Louis XV arranges his marriage to their cousin, Henriette, expecting compliance and obedience (03:55).
• Key Quote (Fairbanks as Beaucaire, 04:05):

  "Perhaps, your majesty. Or perhaps not."

• The conflict is established: Should love and fate be chosen or dictated by birth?

3. A Private Talk in the Palace Gardens

• Beaucaire and Henriette discuss dreams, freedom, and the desire to choose whom to love (05:14).
• Henriette confesses she gave her heart away long ago but doesn’t say to whom.
• Notable Exchange:
  Henriette (05:12):

  "But not you."
  Beaucaire:
  "No, it's only that I wish to choose for myself as you should choose for yourself. No king should tell our hearts what to do."

4. The Prince Becomes a Commoner

• Beaucaire expresses his wish to disobey the king and seek adventure or a "square of free earth" (06:20).
• He decides to leave court, pondering how history will remember people not just for their rank, but their hopes and empathy for the less fortunate (06:20-06:46).

5. Escape & Reinvention

• Unable to escape the king’s reach, Beaucaire convinces his cousin, the French ambassador, to take him to England disguised as a barber (07:45).
• Light-hearted moment as Beaucaire vows:

  "I'll take off his fancy clothes. I shall be the lackiest of lackeys."
  Ambassador:
  "Swear that you will never try to give me either a shave or a haircut." (08:11)

6. Masks and Class: A Barber Among Nobles

• In England, Beaucaire (now a barber) is captivated by Lady Mary Carlisle but cannot approach her as an equal (09:52-11:04).
• He uses his wit to outmaneuver an English duke caught cheating at cards, coercing an introduction to Lady Mary at an aristocratic ball.

7. Ballroom Intrigue and Romancing the Lady

• Disguised as the Duke de Chateaurient, Beaucaire attends the ball and charms Lady Mary (14:41).
• Notable Quote (Fairbanks as Beaucaire, 14:50):

  "My dear lady, am but a poor Frenchman whom emperors would envy. At this moment."

• He requests a rose from Lady Mary—a symbolic gesture of budding love and social aspiration.

8. Love and Betrayal: The Carriage Attack

• As Beaucaire’s romance blossoms, his true identity is nearly exposed by rivals.
• The couple is ambushed by "highwaymen" (actually the Duke’s servants), but Beaucaire heroically defends himself (17:49).
• Lady Mary recoils at his revealed status as a barber, showcasing the rigidness of social hierarchy (18:20).

9. Redemption at the Ball

• Despite threats, Beaucaire returns to the grand ball at the promised hour (19:06).
• The ambassador reveals Beaucaire’s true lineage: "His Royal Highness Prince Louis Philippe de Valois, Duke of Orleans..." (20:24).
• Stirring Quote (Fairbanks as Beaucaire, 20:24):

  "For a man, my friends, is not his father, nor his ancestors, but himself."

10. Resolution: Freedom and Choice

• The king releases Beaucaire from his arranged marriage, granting him the freedom to choose his own fate (20:59).
• Beaucaire and Henriette finally acknowledge their mutual love, free to marry by choice rather than duty (21:51-22:18).
• The story ends with Beaucaire’s philosophical letter to the future about the ongoing search for freedom and human dignity (22:20):

  "We must love our fellow men, be they barons or barbers, kings or stable boys. Then one day the dream will come true." (22:20)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the World to Come:
  Beaucaire:

  "Will an ancient dream come true at last? Will each man be a king?" (01:31)

• Dreaming Beyond the Horizon:
  Henriette:

  "Sometimes when you stare into the distance, it seems almost as if you were trying to look farther than the horizon." (04:59)

• On Defiance of Fate:
  Beaucaire:

  "No king should tell our hearts what to do." (05:14)

• Transformation:

  "How easy the transformation from Monsieur Beaucaire to la Duc de Chateaurian." (14:06)

• Core Message to the Future:
  Beaucaire (final letter):

  "If you have [found freedom], preserve it. If not, keep searching. Find new avenues to the stars... Each man will be a king." (22:20-23:49)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Douglas Fairbanks’ Introduction: 01:31
• King Orders Marriage: 03:55
• Conversation in the Garden: 04:54–07:02
• Beaucaire's Disguise and Escape: 07:20–08:11
• First Encounter with Lady Mary: 09:52–15:34
• The Carriage Attack & Betrayal: 17:30–18:20
• Return to the Ball and Revelation: 19:06–20:24
• Resolution with the King: 20:59–21:51
• Final Garden Scene & Letter to the Future: 21:51–23:49

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Episode Tone & Language

• Sweeping, romantic, with poetic and philosophic reflections on freedom, identity, and love
• Rich dialogue balances humor, intrigue, and idealism
• Period-appropriate, florid exchanges between characters, laced with wit and gentle satire

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Conclusion

This dramatization of "Monsieur Beaucaire" offers listeners a classic tale of romance, rebellion, and self-discovery, told with vigor and charm by Douglas Fairbanks. The episode is both a thrilling adventure and a thoughtful meditation on class, choice, and the hope for a more just and loving world—a perfect nostalgic journey into the golden age of radio.

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Transcript

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[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

This is Douglas Fairbanks inviting you to adventure.

[Narrator / Announcer]

Ladies and gentlemen, each week at this time, you will hear adventure starring one of the world's foremost actors, whose very name is a synonym for adventure, on the radio and on the motion picture screen, Mr. Douglas Fairbanks. Each week in this half hour, you will hear a complete story of adventure tales rich in action, color and excitement.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Now here is your host, the star

[Narrator / Announcer]

of adventure, Mr. Douglas Fairbanks.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Good evening. You needn't leave the warmth and comfort of your living room to be a buccaneer, a soldier of fortune, or a part time alibaba, if you like. The greatest authors of the world have fashioned stories for us. And in this 30 minutes we shall travel much among the realms of gold. We shall transport you to scenes of wonder and daring, where swords clash and where ladies are lovely and enchanting, as they always should be. And where danger hides in the shadow around the next turn of the road. Tonight's tale of adventure was written by the famous American novelist Booth Tarkington. And it takes us back two centuries where we find the young nobleman of Paris writing a letter addressed to you who live in the age of aeroplanes and motor cars. His name Monsieur Bouquet. A letter to the children of the earth. A letter to be opened on this day 200 years hence. This is the first day of March in the year of His Grace, 1751. Our king is Louis XV. Louis, His Royal fatness. I wonder what king will sit on the throne of France in your day. Louis the 31st, perhaps? Or will an ancient dream come true at last? Will each man be a king? I am Louis Philippe de Valois, Duke of Orleans, First Prince of the Blood, Royal Knight of the Golden Fleece, and, oh, a long line of other fancy titles too numerous to mention.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

But I prefer to walk the streets

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

of Paris not as a clattering assortment of titles, but as a man. So I call myself Monsieur Beaucaire. This did not please my cousin, his royal Fatness.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

We are most displeased with you, cousins. Why should the best looking young buck of our court Go poking around the back alleys of Paris, assuming a name which might belong to a baker or a barber.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Shall I stop at my eyes and ears, your majesty, and pretend the whole world consists of pink marble villas and silver snuffboxes?

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Ireland?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Yes, your majesty. I shall close my mouth along with my ears and my eyes. If you were not one of the favorites of our court, my boy, I

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

would exile you for impertinence. Instead, we offer you instructions which should please your young heart. We have arranged for your marriage to mademoiselle le princess de Beaubanc.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Our cousin, the lovely Henriette.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Well, does that not please you?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Well, cousin, you are the king and you have spoken.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

This would make you forget this masquerade as M. Beaucaire?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Perhaps, your majesty. Or perhaps not.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

We have ordered this marriage. It will be solemnized on the second Sunday in May. It will please us very much to

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

dance at your wedding. Perhaps in your day it'll be different, and men will travel paths of their own choosings. Had I been merely a monsieur and Henriette merely a mademoiselle, I would have tried to sweep her off her feet, for she was gracious and lovely. We walked in the palace gardens one day where the fountains played, and the whole world seemed to be made of silver.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

You're disturbed, my cousin. Won't you tell me what troubles you?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Oh, it's nothing, Elliot.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Sometimes when you stare into the distance, it seems almost as if you were trying to look farther than the horizon.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

No, Harriet, sweet cousin, any man should be proud to have you as his bride.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

But not you.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

No, it's only that I wish to choose for myself as you should choose for yourself. No king should tell our hearts what to do.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Long ago, when I was still a child, I gave my heart away.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

You are in love, cousin.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Come.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Crazy, then. How can I obey the king's command and still call myself a gentleman? A prince might force himself upon a noblewoman who loved someone else. But monsieur Beaucaire, never.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

I said I was in love. I did not say with whom. Cousin. What are you staring at? So far away?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Sometimes I seem to dream myself ahead in history.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Is it good, cousin, the thing you see?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Not all good, but it is a world of many wonders. Where men travel amid the stars, where men breathe free.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

I wish we could live in that world.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Perhaps we were born too soon into this winter of kings. The springtime is not yet upon the earth. Tell me, cousin, if I were a lackey, a baker, a barber, and I came to you unadorned, untitled, could you marry Me, then.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Often I wish I were a maid in a cottage who had never seen the inside of a crowd.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Then you know why I must disobey the King. Why I must leave this court in search for what adventure? Or perhaps a star? A square of free earth to stand on. Oh, he. What will history write about us? Will they dwell only upon the court and the King and the gaudy elegance? Or will the historians look down the dark streets as I have to see the beggars and the starving children. Will they hear the thunder which hangs in the air?

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Oh, cousin, you see too much.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Oh, yes. You tremble like a child afraid of the dark. Have I frightened you?

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Go. Go quickly to the horizon and farther. As far as your dream will carry you.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Will you miss me?

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

My good thoughts will all be with you.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Goodbye, sweet Cudd.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

My friend. What are you doing here?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

The King's guards were at my heels. I. I have no appetite for the Bastille.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

But you can't stay here, my boy. After all, I am the King's ambassador. And His Majesty is displeased with you.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

You go to England shortly. Take me with you.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Mirepoix.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

We go tonight.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Let me go with you.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

That is impossible, my lord.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Mine. Lost. I'm lost.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Madon.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Monsieur le Marquis? Yes, Lucien.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Your barber has been taken with a fever.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

You.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

He will be unable to make the

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

trip to England, sir. Now.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Why must everything go wrong at the last moment?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

The barber? Of course. Let me go with you to England as your barber.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

But that is ridiculous.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Well, it'll be very simple. I'll put on a black wig. I'll take off his fancy clothes. I shall be the lackeyst of lackeys.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Well, monsieur, I like you, my boy. Perhaps those of us who are older see in you something that we've all lost.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

A spirit of daring.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

A heart that refuses to grow old. You'll do it then?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

You'll take me with you?

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

We'll chance it. There's only one condition.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Yes?

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Swear that you will never try to give me either a shave or a haircut.

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[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

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[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

And so I traveled to England as Monsieur Beaucair, barber to the ambassador. The Marquis moved in the most fashionable circles, and I was suddenly sad that my circle were so far beneath his. Why? Because I found a star. Isn't it strange how one faith can change your life? I saw her one day. Golden haired, an angel of heaven. Her name, the Lady Mary Carlisle, as distant and cool and loving as a star. But to London society, I was merely a barber, a lackey. I had to find a way to meet her, to be with her, to be in the same room with her, in the same world with her. And so, in a back room, I began to play cards with the dandies of the town. I played and looked always for an opening. That's jelly, Dick. I have played my cards honestly. But you see, I pluck a card from your sleeve. You have cheated me at a simple, sociable game of cards. You devil.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

How dare you speak to me like that?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I speak only the truth, Monsieur le Duc. Here is the card. There is your sleeve. They did not walk toward each other.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

What do you intend to do about it?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Would it not be a disgrace to your social position if it got about the Duke of Winters had had a card up his sleeve?

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

What man of fashion would believe a barber? Who will believe you?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I have a reputation for honesty, Monsieur. You are suspect. Whispers have been going around that you play cards with me only because no one else will trust you. But if I should also call you a cheat. Dog. Devil. Garter Schneider. How do you do? My name is M. Beaucaire. I'm charmed.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

You can't do a thing.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I have the ear of my master, the Marquis de Mieu point. I need only whisper to him and all of Britain will soon know of this incident. What do you want? Money? No. I want to be your guest tonight at the court ball. And you are going to introduce me to the Lady Mary Carlisle.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

You must be out of your mind, sir. Lady Mary Carlisle, of all women alive, would prefer the devil to a man of no birth. And everyone knows Beaucaire is a barber.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

And I shall change. See, I remove this wig so. And I shall shave off my moustache like a good barber. And I shall go as. What should it be, Monsieur le Duc? Shall I go as a Vicomte? A marquis?

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

What?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Out of a compliment to you, I shall be a duke. Le Duc de Chateaurient. That'll do fine.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

It can only come to disaster.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Perhaps, perhaps not. My longings go beyond mere longings. In France, one may adore a woman. Alas, one must worship the lady of England. Our ladies of flowers but yours are starved.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Now go.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Listen, I shall meet you shortly at your lodging. But we shall go arm in arm two dukes to the ball. You have trapped me into this shall

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

do you no good, barber.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

We shall see. Go now. How strange it is. I was a nobleman who wished to be a lackey. And now I am a lackey who wishes to be a nobleman.

[Narrator / Announcer]

Here's the second act of adventure starring Mr. Douglas Fairbanks in Booth Talkington's Monsieur Beaucaire.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Longings still live in your day. The search for the unattainable. Will men in all centuries wish to be what they are not?

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

This is madness, my boy.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Surely the ambassador can spare an elegant coat and breeches.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

The barber wishes to masquerade as a duke.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

The coat, monsieur, please. I must take it to a tailor to be altered.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Why not masquerade as a tailor and alter it yourself? What logic is there in such behavior?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

None whatsoever. It is an affair of the heart.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Of the heart of the heart. We are both Frenchmen.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

How can I refuse. A gold braided coat, satin knee britches? In the barber was a nobleman again. How easy the transformation from Monsieur Beaucaire to la Duc de Chateaurian.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

What a lovely ball. I wager you'll regret that you entered this ballroom. Barber.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Stop rumbling, sir, and give me my introduction. Very well.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Good evening, Lady Mary.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Good evening.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

May I present a friend from France, the Duke de Chateaurion.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

I am honored, Monsieur le Duc.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

And I, my dear lady, am but a poor Frenchman whom emperors would envy. At this Moment.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

What a lovely thing to say, Miss.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Would you honor me with this dance?

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

I should be delighted.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Your Graces of Winterset. I am your servant, sir. Come. How dazzlingly beautiful you are, dear lady.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

You must not.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Save it, miss. You, I've always had at the time of a Frenchman, is notoriously deceitful.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

In France, the tongue and the heart have secret connections. We cannot help but spill out all that our heart wishes to say.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

And what does it wish to say, Monsieur le Duc?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

It wishes a favor. The rose. You carry nearly. The rose?

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Certainly not.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Oh, it's a small favor. I merely wish the rose which your hands have touched.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Never, monsieur, never. The dance is over.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

The rose.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

There.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Thank you. Thank you, beautiful lady. I shall dream all night of red, red roses.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Farewell.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

A rose lasts only until morning, Monsieur Beaucaire. Oh, do you think so? Winterset.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

And the rose is an unlucky color, I think. Does it not remind you of the color in the veins of a Frenchman? You cut enough throats, Baba, to know

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

the color of blood. Despite the threats of the British duke, I saw more and more of Lady Carlisle. She had begun by giving me a rose. Now she was almost ready to give me her heart. We rode one night in a carriage after an evening of dancing. The moon was radiant over the misty fields. The air was mild and fragrant, and the distances were white and full of mystery.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Tell me, Monsieur le Duc, do you not miss France?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Sometimes, mademoiselle, I hear a melody. I see a turn in the road, which seems like a familiar spot of my childhood, and I feel like a wanderer. My dreams, however, are not of France, but of a dearer country. A country of gold and snow and the blue sky.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Your dreams carry you to strange lands, Monsieur Lefloux.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I look for that land in a lady's eyes.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Operatic, you Frenchman are.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I only wish the snow were not so cold.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

For me, any coldness was gone long ago.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Monsieur. My dear Lady.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Mary.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Off the carriage.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

The highwayman.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Be calm, dear lady. I have my sword, Baba.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Kill me, Baba.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

No.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Step out of that carriage, Monsieur Beaucaire. We will show you how we treat upstarts who dare to ride in the same carriage with a lady of thy society.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I'll come out with my sword drawn. You devil.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Oh, but there are six of them.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I shall fight them all.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

You cannot fight six against one. They'll kill you.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

This sword has disposed of such ruffians

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

before you fight well, Father, we shall have six haircuts and six very close saints. My dear Lady Mary, this is quite a good Show. Don't you think?

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Winter said. Help him. We've been set upon by these highwaymen.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Help him? Certainly not. Those are my servants who fight this puppy. They will dispose of the varlet quickly.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

But who is he?

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Merely a barber, my dear lady. An upstart named Monsieur Beaucaire who dared to step outside of his class.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Barber. Dive on.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

You leave me here to die, Mademoiselle. Five minutes ago you almost fell into my arms. I am the same man.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

You hate me now because I am a mere lackey.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Dive on, quickie.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

I shall not die. Do you hear me? And I shall appear at your grand final ball of the season. Look for me at nine o'.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Clock. My lord Duke of Winter said. Do you think he'll really appear at the ball?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

It is precisely 9 o'. Clock. I assure you he will not appear. However, if he is impertinent enough to

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

carry out his promise, we shall not

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

merely wound him this time.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Every gentleman here will see that he dies.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

The main doors of the ballroom open so slowly.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Es excellente. The French ambassador, the Marquis de Maispoix.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

But for a moment it was the other Frenchman.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

My friends, as ambassador from the court of France, I am a stranger in your midst. However, you will honor me if you will permit me to present to you at precisely nine o' clock on this festive night, my friend, Monsieur Bouquet.

[Narrator / Announcer]

Monsieur.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

My Lordship. Ladies, gentlemen. How kind of you to invite me to your party.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

One moment, Monsieur Lambassadeur. We respect you sharp as a diplomat and a gentleman. But may we remind you that it is not the custom in England to present our barbers in our ballroom? Ah, forgive me, I did not finish. My friend, Monsieur Beaucaire, whose true name is His Royal Highness Prince Louis Philippe de Valois, Duke of Orleans and cousin to His Majesty Louis xv, King of France.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

But, my friends, you would do me the greatest honor of all if you would call me merely Monsieur Beaucaire. For a man, my friends, is not his father, nor his ancestors, but himself. And now, my friend, Monsieur Le Marquis, I believe our business is finished here. I have kept my appointment.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Oh, one moment, my boy. I have not had the opportunity to tell you a message I have just received from France. His Majesty has heard the entire charming tale at your masquerade.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

And I am told that his laughter shook the chandeliers. Though he. He wants you to come home. Under what condition?

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

You may do as you like. He no longer orders you to marry the Princess Henriette.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Ah, then I shall return to France. And if she will have me, of her own choice. I shall marry. Oh, yes.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Euphenia, can you forgive me? I made a grievous mistake.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

There's nothing to forgive, Lady Mary. But I wish you less of the English winter in your heart. As for you, my Du, my dear Duke of Winterset. Nay, you cheat as cards. But be very careful how you play the game of life. And for what, Stake. Ariet.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

Welcome home, cousin.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

I hoped I'd find you here in the garden. Oh, cousin, sweet cousin. I've looked toward the farthest horizons, but I never really looked into your eyes.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

What do you see there?

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

Blue skies and tiny flecks of gold. Arietta, you told me once that you'd given your heart away completely. Cousin, who is the man so fortunate?

[Mackenzie / GoFundMe Narrator]

You know him well.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

He's a barber named Beaucaire.

[King Louis XV / Cousin / Ambassador]

Oh,

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

my darling. I thought we were born too soon. But each of us must live in our own time. We must do what we can. We must love our fellow men, be they barons or barbers, kings or stable boys. Then one day the dream will come true. And so I write this letter to you. 200 years ahead in time. Have you found the dream? Has the miracle happened today? As I write this, it hangs on the wind. There's hope in the hearts of men for freedom. Have you found it yet, you men of the future? If you have, preserve it. If not, keep searching. Find new avenues to the stars. Chart new courses in the dignity of man so that he can go his own way unafraid. Then every woman of the world will be a prince, princess. And each man will be a king.

[Narrator / Announcer]

You have just heard the first in a new series called Adventure, starring Mr. Douglas Fairbank. Tonight's adventure, Booth Tarkington's Monsieur Beaucaire, was dramatized by Lawrence and Lee. Now here again is Mr. Fairbank.

[Monsieur Beaucaire / Narrator (Douglas Fairbanks)]

We have a storehouse of adventure waiting for you in the weeks to come. Next week, we shall haul up the Jolly Roger to bring you the startling story of the pirate Jean Laffite. The following week, I shall be the Scarlet Pimpernel who slipped so easily past the shadow of the guillotine and some foggy night. You may expect me to come calling as the haunted captain of the Flying Dutchman. And it'll be our pleasure to bring you such adventures as the Corsican Brothers, the Prisoner of Zenda and the man in the Iron Mask. You join us in a dungeon of the Chateau d', if, in a diamond mine of South Africa, or in the craggy cliffs of the lost Atlantis. We hope to intrigue you, surprise you, frighten you a little, perhaps, but always to entertain you as we seek together the thrill of adventure.

[Henriette / Lady Mary Carlisle / Female Lead]

It's.

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