Radio Reader's Digest 46-10-31 (035) Two for a Penny

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio – "Radio Reader's Digest 46-10-31 (035) Two for a Penny"

Episode Overview Released on July 4, 2025, Harold's Old Time Radio presents the episode "Radio Reader's Digest 46-10-31 (035) Two for a Penny," a dramatic adaptation inspired by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. This episode transports listeners to the Dust Bowl era, capturing the poignant journey of an Okie family striving for a better life in California. Through rich storytelling and compelling performances, the episode delves into themes of hardship, hope, and the enduring human spirit.

Plot Synopsis The narrative centers around the Okie family's arduous journey along Route 66 during the Dust Bowl, highlighting their interactions at Al's Diner—a pivotal social hub for weary travelers and truck drivers. May, a young girl witnessing the struggles of her family and others, serves as the story's emotional anchor. The family's encounters with truck drivers, their desperate need for food and water, and the daily challenges they face underscore the broader societal impacts of economic despair.

Key Scenes and Discussions

1. Al's Diner on Route 66 ([03:40] - [09:09])

   • Setting the Scene: The diner serves as a microcosm of the era, bustling with truck drivers and travelers. Richard Kalman portrays a reluctant diner worker grappling with his disdain for the constant stream of "dirty" Okies.
   • Notable Interaction:
     • Richard Kalman: "I'm selling coffee, not toothpaste." ([04:53])
     • This line captures his frustration and the monotony of his job amidst relentless demand.

2. Family Dynamics and Struggles ([06:24] - [12:03])

   • Emotional Tension: The family's internal conflicts surface as they debate the merits of their migration, reflecting the broader uncertainties faced by many during the Dust Bowl.
   • Key Quote:
     • Claire Trevor (as Ma): "Home don't mean nothing, Ma. And it's... There's no work for a man." ([08:56])

3. Encounter with Trucker Harry ([10:04] - [21:36])

   • Introduction of Harry: A suave truck driver whose interactions with May reveal underlying tensions and vulnerabilities.
   • Candy Exchange: The symbolic act of giving candy represents fleeting moments of kindness amidst hardship.
     • Claire Trevor: "What a real tough baby, Mae." ([22:24])

4. Climactic Exchange ([21:36] - [23:08])

   • Tipping Incident: Richard's character receives a buck as a tip, highlighting the small acts of generosity that punctuate daily struggles.
     • Richard Kalman: "They are just something that happened. I don't even know why they wanted me to tell it." ([23:07])

5. Philosophical Reflection ([24:07] - [26:17])

   • Hope and Human Nature: The episode concludes with a reflective monologue emphasizing individual contributions to societal betterment.
     • Richard Kalman: "The sum of such actions makes the difference between a good and a bad world." ([24:26])

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Exploring Responsibility and Dedication:

  • Claire Trevor: "I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job. That's daddication." ([00:00])

• Depicting Weariness and Resignation:

  • Richard Kalman: "Someday I'll get married to some rich tire and I won't ever have to smile again." ([05:07])

• Highlighting Human Kindness:

  • Claire Trevor: "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to nag. It's only for the good of." ([05:55])

• Philosophical Insight on Hope:

  • Richard Kalman: "It's our misfortune to live in a bad period. But it will end and it will end sooner if we as individuals keep hope of lives." ([24:51])

Insights and Themes

1. Human Resilience: The Okie family's journey underscores the resilience required to overcome socio-economic challenges.
2. Community and Isolation: Al's Diner symbolizes both a community gathering spot and a place of isolation, reflecting the duality of human connections during tough times.
3. Generosity Amidst Scarcity: Small acts of kindness, such as tipping and sharing food, highlight the inherent goodness that persists even in dire circumstances.
4. Hope as a Driving Force: The philosophical reflections emphasize maintaining hope and individual responsibility in fostering societal improvement.

Concluding Reflections Two for a Penny serves as a heartfelt homage to the struggles and triumphs of those who endured the Dust Bowl's hardships. Through masterful narration and evocative performances by Claire Trevor and Richard Kalman, the episode not only entertains but also imparts enduring lessons on empathy, resilience, and the power of collective goodwill. By weaving historical context with personal narratives, Harold's Old Time Radio offers listeners a profound and immersive experience into America's Golden Age of Radio storytelling.

Final Thoughts For enthusiasts of classic radio dramas and historical narratives, this episode of Harold's Old Time Radio is a must-listen. It effectively captures the essence of the era, making history come alive through engaging dialogue, emotional depth, and timeless themes.

Transcript

[Claire Trevor]

What is daddication? The thing that drives me every day as a dad is Dariona. We call him Dae Date for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge. And there's this huge responsibility in making sure that when he's no longer under my wing that he's a good person. I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job. That's daddication. Find out [e-mail] brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. Remember, a Hallmark card will best express your perfect taste, your thoughtfulness. The makers of Hallmark greeting cards bring you John Steinbeck's great story, Two for a Penny, starring Claire Trev. For more than a third of a century, quality has been a habit with the makers of Hallmark cards. They are the kind of cards you can be proud to send, proud to receive. That's why through the years, Hallmark cards have been America's favorite greeting cards. So if you want to send the very finest, look on the back for the three identifying words. A Hallmark card. These three words are your assurance of finest quality. They tell your friends you cared enough to send the very best. Now to preside over the Hallmark program this evening is a young man well known to Broadway both as actor and producer, Richard Kalman. Thank you, Tom Tierley, and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. To please critics, producers in public, an actress has to be good. To please her fellow performers as well, she has to be wonderful. Well, that's just what happened in the case of Claire Trevor, Robert Montgomery and Elliot Nugent, fine actors themselves have selected Claire to star in the new play that they're producing. Probably they rejoice in the warm humanity that she brings to every role. A quality of performance that caused us on the Hallmark program to scramble after Claire for night's play. It's a timely play because it's about the dust bowl. And as was pointed out in the Reader's Digest this summer, there's some fear that the dust bowl may be coming back. We could have starred an undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture using a column of ominous figures for a script. But instead, we have a drama about war, human people and a star that even other stars admire. The Hallmark program proudly presents Claire's brother in Two for a Penny from the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The wind came, it blew for a long time, day and night, and there was no rain, the r which green fertile valley became a desert of dust and out of that dust came a new breed of wandering men and women and children. Americans, whom we named the Okies. This is their story. But who best to tell it. It is history, so why not a historian? No, instead we've chosen a girl named May who witnessed the parade of the pathetic from a vantage point on a road named Highway 66. All right, May. Go on. Go on.

[Richard Kalman]

Go.

[Claire Trevor]

Yes. Now.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, I. I don't know how I got myself mixed up in a deal like this. I'm scared. Talking about history. Gee, I don't know nothing about history. I just mind my own business. And that that point, that's crazy. Mr. Al's lunch is just a diner like a thousand others on Route 66. No wonder what Al would say if he already dine had been called a vantage point. He'd laugh. Yeah, I bet you he'd laugh because he'd that kind of a guy. Anyhow, the day it happened, Al was polishing the chrome coffee urn and I was clearing dishes off the counter.

[Claire Trevor]

I polish from morning till night. I just don't say shiny.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, just watch out you don't burn yourself.

[Claire Trevor]

Don't say it like you want it to happen.

[Richard Kalman]

Who wants it to happen? Just telling me to be careful.

[Claire Trevor]

Look, I didn't mean to get you sore before.

[Richard Kalman]

Too sore.

[Claire Trevor]

If there's a guy in this world who can talk to a woman, I'd like to meet him. All I said was it's for the good of the place. After all, I closed down jobs. Ain't easy to get. But it goes to the place, I'm telling you.

[Richard Kalman]

Okay, so it's for the good of the place.

[Claire Trevor]

Holy smoke. Is it so much to ask a girl a smile?

[Richard Kalman]

I'm selling coffee, not toothpaste.

[Claire Trevor]

But it don't hurt to smile.

[Richard Kalman]

Someday I'll get married to some rich tire and I won't ever have to smile again. Not for the rest of my life.

[Claire Trevor]

I'm not asking you to smile at everybody, just at the truck driver show.

[Richard Kalman]

A lot of eyebrows smile. And of all people, it's truck drivers. It couldn't hurt.

[Claire Trevor]

After all, truck drivers is the secret of a plate driver. If they like the coffee and the. Well, the service. Then they stop the irregular so other people see their trucks front is do they stop too? Everybody knows that wet truck rather stuff is good food.

[Richard Kalman]

Maybe I should wear an evening gown and look like Joan Crawford too.

[Claire Trevor]

All I'm asking is smile.

[Richard Kalman]

Smile. Call me laughing boy. Smile. I got to stand behind this hot counter. I got a dish out Crappy that burns my hand. I got to listen to their dirty chatter. Got to clear away their dirty dishes. Got to watch the way they look at me. Got to listen to the things they say about me and you want me to smile?

[Claire Trevor]

Please, Maggie.

[Richard Kalman]

Oh, please, Michael.

[Claire Trevor]

You didn't have to break that cup.

[Richard Kalman]

Okay, so I didn't have to break it.

[Claire Trevor]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to nag. It's only for the good of.

[Richard Kalman]

I know. I know. It's only for the good of the place.

[Claire Trevor]

I. I won't take that cup off this house.

[Richard Kalman]

Very. Thanks.

[Claire Trevor]

Mabel's. Another one of them cars.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah. Do I ever stop?

[Claire Trevor]

Who knows? There ain't even 3 million people in the state of Oklahoma, and It seems like 10 million of them has gone by already. Let them go.

[Richard Kalman]

As long as they don't stop here.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah.

[Richard Kalman]

I don't want nothing to do with them. Hate dirty people. I hate them, that's all.

[Claire Trevor]

Ah, you hate everything.

[Richard Kalman]

Do you like dirty people?

[Claire Trevor]

No.

[Richard Kalman]

You say so. What are you yelling at me for?

[Claire Trevor]

Who's yelling? I always got a dirty.

[Richard Kalman]

I know, I know. Smile. Oh, shut up. I don't have to like dirty people, but I better stay out of here. So you tell me, is that a vantage point? Not on your life. It's just a signer. Like a thousand others on Route 66. And all day long, them Otis, they just keep going by me. Noisy, dusty little jalopies. They all look alike, too. A dirty mattress on top, tent poles, canvas. And their faces. Silly, dirty little faces. And kids, every one of them. He's got lots of K. But there was one special tilapia of opie's on Route 66 that day. It looked like all the others. Pots and pans piled in the back.

[Claire Trevor]

What you crying about, Ma?

[Richard Kalman]

What do you think? Neither of them said. Nothing to eat all day. My hungry. Get some water, Ma.

[Claire Trevor]

Pretty soon, Joy.

[Richard Kalman]

Sure, Joy. Now. Hutch of clients, Pa. Yeah, Pa, it's been pretty hot. The boys are.

[Claire Trevor]

We'll be stopping soon, boys.

[Richard Kalman]

Is it much cozy to go now, Paul?

[Claire Trevor]

I reckon not. Could be there four nights, Ma.

[Richard Kalman]

I got a pig. Cause you're hungry, Petey.

[Claire Trevor]

We'll be eating soon, boys, Pretty soon.

[Richard Kalman]

Oh, perhaps to buy us some bread for the old one.

[Claire Trevor]

I reckon so. We gotta eat, Pa. What is it?

[Richard Kalman]

How much we got, Le?

[Claire Trevor]

I guess we got enough. Sure, I have two.

[Richard Kalman]

How much, Pa?

[Claire Trevor]

We can spend 10 cents for bread. Ah, now, don't fret. Gonna be like this long. We'll get to California and I'LL get a job. What's the matter, Ma?

[Richard Kalman]

I'm scared. I can't help threatens her. Not after what we've been through.

[Claire Trevor]

I told you things were gonna be different.

[Richard Kalman]

I keep wondering, did we do right? Maybe we should have stayed.

[Claire Trevor]

What for, Ma? Keep starving. No work back there. Ain't been for a long time.

[Richard Kalman]

It was our home.

[Claire Trevor]

Home don't mean nothing, Ma. And it's. There's no work for a man. Nothing but setting and setting. Watching his wife and youngins going about. Don't you betting on we're doing right.

[Richard Kalman]

I hope so.

[Claire Trevor]

I'm going to get me to work. You ain't.

[Richard Kalman]

And that jalopy is heading for Al's sake. Of course, I don't know it at the time. And it's a good thing too, because I don't want them near the place. Well, the rest of that day is like any other People in big fancy cars, shopping. And of course, trucks. And truck drivers. For my money, when God got tired of making people, he converted to making truck drivers. They come in two kinds, no good and worse than that. And I got to smile at them. Late that afternoon, a big diesel job rolled in and the guys get out.

[Claire Trevor]

Now get up front, May. Truck driver.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah. I'm breaking out in the last of smiles already.

[Claire Trevor]

Please, May. Hi, I'm Auntie.

[Richard Kalman]

Hi. The name is May.

[Claire Trevor]

May, please get it out. Sit down, Harry. Yeah, sure. May, this is Harry, my new hub. Harry, meet May, the most beautiful and the coldest tomato between Las Vegas and Quincy. She's beautiful all right. Hiya, babe.

[Richard Kalman]

You want some, Gavin?

[Claire Trevor]

Still the same old Mary, huh? Yeah. Do Jabba. What kind of pie you got?

[Richard Kalman]

Banana cream, pineapple cream, chocolate cream and apple.

[Claire Trevor]

I'll take apple. How about you, Harry? Apple? Yeah, yeah, apple. Anything new, Brandy?

[Richard Kalman]

Just who you addressing, dead girl?

[Claire Trevor]

Harry. Oh, please part the sugar, my dear duchess.

[Richard Kalman]

Sugar. Where's Dr. Something happens to me. What, sir?

[Claire Trevor]

Nothing. Nothing happened.

[Richard Kalman]

What like a thing?

[Claire Trevor]

Now they. Now they switch him to another run. They do it all the time. Yeah. Sweet on him.

[Richard Kalman]

Sweet on a truck driver. Don't be crazy.

[Claire Trevor]

By now Georgia was a nice ship.

[Richard Kalman]

How do you mean? What? Yeah. Then what was that next? I heard that some of the boys wanted your touch. Went off the road.

[Claire Trevor]

Oh, you heard?

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah, I heard.

[Claire Trevor]

So no, Georgie was in it.

[Richard Kalman]

You.

[Claire Trevor]

Crazy how those things work out? I didn't get even a scratch. And Georgia, he give me some more coffee.

[Richard Kalman]

What about.

[Claire Trevor]

Georgie gets killed?

[Richard Kalman]

Oh, no, not at night. Good like Georgie.

[Claire Trevor]

Hard talking.

[Richard Kalman]

Damn. He couldn't have been more than 24.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah. It didn't make no difference anymore, cowboy.

[Richard Kalman]

They should have caught you. It must have been your fault.

[Claire Trevor]

It wasn't my fault. It's. I take a turn to throw him to Lumpy straight ahead of me. I swear him not to. Gentlemen. Well, we just get a stop, don't we? Roll over.

[Richard Kalman]

We'll be alive. They should drive him up the road. They just talk.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah. Sorry. What I said before about you.

[Richard Kalman]

I think it. Only I never was, you know.

[Claire Trevor]

That's right, Billy. That slug machine looks like it's carrying a jackpot.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah. Nobody hit that one armed bandit for quite a. For a li.

[Claire Trevor]

There it goes. For a nickel, I'm going to become a millionaire. Hey, maybe I'll even retire from the trucking business, huh? Hey. Boy, oh boy. That's one way. There's another. Hey, on your first way. Well, so I'm a truck driver. What's the matter?

[Richard Kalman]

No, I. I can't help. Thank you.

[Claire Trevor]

Got it.

[Richard Kalman]

The closet dies and everybody wants to forget it as soon as possible. But I won't forget it. Not for a long, long time.

[Claire Trevor]

Hey, Harry, go on, take a crack at that flapper. Yeah, sure. You know that, Harry, you ain't got no initiative, eh? You know, he said it takes a guy with initiative.

[Richard Kalman]

Yes.

[Claire Trevor]

Not full of like that, Harry. Well, Harry, I guess you want me to be your helper now, hu. Yeah, Harry, ain't you gonna celebrate? How about putting a nickel in a jukebox now? Oh, yeah, there you go. Well, treat us with some candy. That's. Boy, sure. What kind of candy you got?

[Richard Kalman]

It's all in the shell paper.

[Claire Trevor]

Hey, new candy, huh? Hey, what's them.

[Richard Kalman]

Which one?

[Claire Trevor]

Stripey candies, right there in the cake.

[Richard Kalman]

Oh, that peppermint. Oh, take one.

[Claire Trevor]

How about you, Harry? After all, it's your treat. You want one of them Stripey candies? I'll.

[Richard Kalman]

Let's have co op m. Okay.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah, thanks.

[Richard Kalman]

Thanks. Okay. That'll be a dime.

[Claire Trevor]

A dime?

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah. Nickel of peach. What do you think they grow on trees?

[Claire Trevor]

Sure. Here's a dime.

[Richard Kalman]

I'm not sure.

[Claire Trevor]

Can't help please, ma'.

[Richard Kalman]

Am. Rolling all over the roads like big ants. Everything but the kitchen sink. Pride on top of them jalopy, mattresses, furnace or even chickens, some of them.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah. I keep wondering where they come that go down or no.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah. And people say they steal.

[Claire Trevor]

No, I never saw one steal.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, they ain't never stole anything from us. And they ain't dried us. Haven't been forgotten.

[Claire Trevor]

May there's been accidents for.

[Richard Kalman]

Oh, yes, sir.

[Claire Trevor]

You better tie yourself down. I think that's one of them Okies coming in now.

[Richard Kalman]

Putting in here, huh?

[Claire Trevor]

Will be back in just a moment with the second. I call Mark Drama from the pages of the Reader's Digest, America's favorite magazine. And now, here's Dick Culver. Since I've been on the Hallmark Show, I've noticed that many of my friends look on the back of the cards they sent and received to find the name of the maker. I suppose it's just like looking for the artist's name on a painting or the label in a hat or the maker's mark on china. Of course, some names mean more than others, like the name Hallmark on the back of a greeting card. For more than a third of a century, quality has been a habit with the makers of Hallmark greeting cards. Yes, discriminating folks know that the three identifying words Hallmark card tell your friends you cared enough to send the very best. So when you choose your cards, make the point to look in the back for those three identifying words. A Hallmark card, like sterling on silver, those three words are your assurance of highest quality. Hallmark cards are on display in America's finest shops and stores. So when you need a card, stop at your friendly Hallmark dealers for a Hallmark card and remember those three identifying words. A Hallmark card tell your friends you cared enough to choose the ferry there. And now we return to our star, Claire Trevor and the role of May from John Steinbeck's the Grapes of Rats. There's a great deal of tension in Al's Diner as the old rattle trap jalopy belonging to the Okie family pulls up. Bill and Harry truck drivers watch the look on May's face as she stares out the window. Hey, get a load of that, Will. I seem broken down, jalopy, but I beat them off.

[Richard Kalman]

You ain't kidding. They didn't leave nothing behind.

[Claire Trevor]

See what they want, May.

[Richard Kalman]

So I should give them service? See what they want.

[Claire Trevor]

You to clear out in a hurry. Don't look good for the place.

[Richard Kalman]

Okay, Al. But I can get air for the front tire, some water and. Well, you know what?

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah, so get in water and get him out of here.

[Richard Kalman]

All right. Dale, you want something?

[Claire Trevor]

Please, ma', am. Can we get some water?

[Richard Kalman]

I didn't hear you.

[Claire Trevor]

Can we get some water, ma'? Am?

[Richard Kalman]

Okay, go ahead. I'll keep my eye on the hose.

[Claire Trevor]

Thanks. I sure get thirsty climbing hills and all.

[Richard Kalman]

Go on water heat.

[Claire Trevor]

You mind if I give my boy a drink?

[Richard Kalman]

No, go ahead.

[Claire Trevor]

There you Are. Joey, take your drink. Not so fast, Joey. You got time?

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah, Pa. Only been so long.

[Claire Trevor]

See? It was good.

[Richard Kalman]

Real good. See if you can get it here.

[Claire Trevor]

Pa. All right, Ma, I'll ask. Excuse me, ma'. Am. Well, could. Could you see your way to sell us a loaf of bread?

[Richard Kalman]

A loaf of bread? This ain't a grocery store, mister. This is a diner.

[Claire Trevor]

I know, ma'.

[Richard Kalman]

Am.

[Claire Trevor]

You got bread, though.

[Richard Kalman]

Do we got bread? We make sandwiches. Do we have bread?

[Claire Trevor]

Couldn't you sell meal oak? You need it, ma', am, awful bad.

[Richard Kalman]

We need it, too. If we sell bread, we're gonna run out.

[Claire Trevor]

We're mighty hungry.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah, well, then why don't you buy sandwiches? That's what we sell, not bread.

[Claire Trevor]

We sure admire to do that, ma', am, but we can't. We got to make a dime do for all of us. You see, we ain't got but a little.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, you can't get no loaf of bread for a dime. You only got 15 cent loaf.

[Claire Trevor]

Ah, let him have it, Mae.

[Richard Kalman]

But, Al, we're pretty low now.

[Claire Trevor]

We got enough.

[Richard Kalman]

We'll run out before the bread pup comes.

[Claire Trevor]

Oh, we run out. Give embrace.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah, it's Georgie's sake, I suppose.

[Claire Trevor]

Georgie, man. He's Georgie.

[Richard Kalman]

Don't forget it, mister. Come on in. You can have the dress.

[Claire Trevor]

Oh, boy. Stay where you are. It's okay, mister. Let him come. Thank you. Where are you heading for, mister?

[Richard Kalman]

California.

[Claire Trevor]

Can't we, Pa? Yeah, California.

[Richard Kalman]

How.

[Claire Trevor]

How's things out that way? Pretty good. Yeah, Pretty good. Man can get a job out there. Oh, yeah? Yeah, sure.

[Richard Kalman]

Here you are, mister. This is a 15 cent loaf.

[Claire Trevor]

Please, ma'. Am. Once you chance to see your way to cut all 10 cents worth.

[Richard Kalman]

But this here's.

[Claire Trevor]

Hang it all, mate. Give him the whole loaf. No, he just wants to buy 10 cents worth of it.

[Richard Kalman]

Okay, you can have it for 10 cents.

[Claire Trevor]

That wouldn't be right, ma'. Am.

[Richard Kalman]

Go ahead. I'll just take it.

[Claire Trevor]

Thank you. Here's the dime.

[Richard Kalman]

Jeep. Huh? A penny. You dropped a penny. Can I have it?

[Claire Trevor]

I'll take it. Idiot. Always I'll take it.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah, Pa. Sure.

[Claire Trevor]

Well, I'm much obliged to you.

[Richard Kalman]

Don't thank me. Thank Al.

[Claire Trevor]

I'm much obliged to both of you.

[Richard Kalman]

Don't forget it.

[Claire Trevor]

Well, good day. Come on, boy. Boy, got no more business here.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah, boys, go on, get away from that window case. You're getting the glass all smudged up with their faces.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah, look at them. Like their faces was frozen to the glass.

[Richard Kalman]

Look.

[Claire Trevor]

Come on, Jerry. You heard what the lady said.

[Richard Kalman]

Oh, look in there. Candy. 400, pa. Candy? Yeah, pa. All kinds. Interesting chewy chars. And you must try those long stripey ones. Or peppermints and then peppermints.

[Claire Trevor]

Come on, boys.

[Richard Kalman]

Hey, couple weeks. Yeah. Petey, come on. We better go stripey ones. Joey, did you see the stripy ones? Come on, Petey. Pod says we are the spiky ones.

[Claire Trevor]

Ma'. Am.

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah.

[Claire Trevor]

Excuse me, ma'. Am. Is them penny candy?

[Richard Kalman]

Which one? Yeah, Pa. Can we have them?

[Claire Trevor]

I. Wait, Joey. Them penny candy.

[Richard Kalman]

You mean these? No, the long striking one right over there, ma'. Am. Oh, them.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah. Are them penny candy, ma'?

[Richard Kalman]

Am? No.

[Claire Trevor]

Come on, boy, we better go.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, wait. Send two for a penny, miss.

[Claire Trevor]

Well, and give me two of them, please.

[Richard Kalman]

There you are, Mrs. Take em, boys. Yeah. Look, Ma. Candy. Take that. Real candy. Thank you. Man.

[Claire Trevor]

My little brother's so head up because.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, because my mom. I don't believe in giving a boy too much candy. It's just not good for him, is it, Pa?

[Claire Trevor]

We better go. Joey, here's your penny, man. Good day to you along, Mr. Good L. Well, well, who'd have thought? You're a real tough baby, Mae. You sure should.

[Richard Kalman]

What are you talking about?

[Claire Trevor]

Oh, listen to her, Harry. She don't know what I'm talking about.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, I don't.

[Claire Trevor]

See, them wasn't super a penny candy, May.

[Richard Kalman]

So what's that to you?

[Claire Trevor]

Them was Nicola Pete candy.

[Richard Kalman]

No.

[Claire Trevor]

A real tough baby, huh? You showed em plenty. Now leave her alone fellas, huh?

[Richard Kalman]

Besides, they ain't the ones who. Well, they couldn't have nothing to do with Dorothy.

[Claire Trevor]

That's right, honey. Well, we gotta get going, Harry. We're dropping time. Here you are, for both of us.

[Richard Kalman]

Hold on. Hey, hey, wait a minute. What is this?

[Claire Trevor]

Ah, go on, jump in the lake. We'll be seeing you.

[Richard Kalman]

Hey.

[Claire Trevor]

Big lug.

[Richard Kalman]

Ow.

[Claire Trevor]

Yeah, what do you want?

[Richard Kalman]

Look what's there on the counter. Look where they left, huh?

[Claire Trevor]

Dollar?

[Richard Kalman]

Yeah, a buck tip. Some hard boiled truck drivers, huh? So that's what happened. And you see, it's got nothing to do with history or vantage points or anything. It's just something that happened. I don't even know why they wanted me to tell it. Honestly though.

[Claire Trevor]

Thank you, Claire. Trevor, that was a beautiful characterization.

[Richard Kalman]

Well, thank you, Dick. I'd also like to thank the Hallmark greeting card people for giving me the chance to play May this evening. Believe me, from now on I'll be doubly sure to look on the back of the cards. I send for that Hallmark label.

[Claire Trevor]

You won't regret it, Claire. Any more than May regretted selling Those youngsters some 5 cent candy at 2 for a penny.

[Richard Kalman]

You know, I than I especially liked that part of tonight's story. It really said a lot more than just that. Sometimes hard boiled people get soft hearted.

[Claire Trevor]

I think you're right, Claire.

[Richard Kalman]

It seemed to me somehow to express a more universal fruit.

[Claire Trevor]

You mean that a child can bring out the best in human nature?

[Richard Kalman]

Well, more than that even. I meant that all of us can help bringing about a better world. The girl in tonight play did something. It was small, but it was something toward relieving the distress of the Okies. And we all can do that. Oh, but why do I try to express. Why don't you read what a real philosopher has to say about it in the Reader's Digest?

[Claire Trevor]

What philosopher? Bertrand Brussels. Well, suppose you read what he has to say, Claire, and we'll all listen.

[Richard Kalman]

All right. There have been in history good periods and bad periods, but neither have been lasting. It's our misfortune to live in a bad period. But it will end and it will end sooner if we as individuals keep hope of lives. Everybody can do something toward creating in his own environment kindly feelings rather than anger, reasonableness rather than hysteria, happiness rather than misery. The sum of such actions makes the difference between a good and a bad world. And so to the man tempted by despair, I say remind yourself that the world is what we make it and that through the making of it, each one of us can contribute something. This thought makes hope possible. And in this hope, though life will soon be painful, it will no longer be perfect.

[Claire Trevor]

Thank you again, Claire Trevor. When you see the signature of Rembrandt or Gainsborough on a fine painting, it is the identifying mark of a master. And on greeting cards, the three identifying words. A Hallmark card are a sign of expert craftsmanship. Because for more than a third of a century, quality has been a habit with the makers of Hallmark cards. So always look in the back of the cards you choose for those three identifying words. A home smart card. They tell your friends you cared enough to choose the furry best. And now you know. This is airmail week. Air mail is the first to arrive, the first to be read and the first to receive attention. It's a great service. So take advantage of your opportunities and send your letters and cards, domestic or foreign, by airmail. Take advantage of Airmail week. There's a reduction both in domestic and foreign air mail rates. You're caught to be invited to be with us again next week at the same time for another fine dramatic program brought to you by the makers of Hallmark Readings Cards, America's favorite greeting card. At that time, we're bringing together an exciting British story and a great British star. The story is a Scotland Yard mystery, and the star is one of the finest actors of our generation, Claude Rain. Claire Trevor may soon be seen in RKO's deadlier than the male. Two for a penny was dramatized by Henry Denker from the Reader's Digest, America's favorite magazine. The Hallmark program was directed by Mark Loeb, with music especially composed by Jack Miller. Remember, a Hallmark card will best express your perfect taste. Your thoughtful.

[Richard Kalman]

This is evident.