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Union Oil Program 39-11-16 Ep007 The Fortune Teller
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Union Oil Program 39-11-16 Ep007 The Fortune Teller
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Truman Bradley
The Union Oil program. The Union Oil Company, manufacturer of 76 gasoline and Triton motor Oil, brings to you another in its series of modernized versions of light opera and operettas. Tonight we have chosen Victor Herbert's charming light opera, the Fortune Teller. In tonight's presentation of the Fortune Teller, the role of Musette, the Fortune Teller will be sung by Miss Emily Hardy. James Newell will sing the role of the Gypsy Shondor. The music is under the direction of Thomas Peluso. And now for our overture. Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we're going to reverse our procedure. And instead of our telling you about Union Oil Co. We're going to let one of our customers speak for us. His name is FC Staves and he lives in Yakima, Washington. He writes. About two months ago, during a cross country trip, I suddenly noticed that my National Union Oil credit card would expire the following day. There I was, a stranger in a small Oregon town on a vol day Sunday morning. The attendant at a Union Oil station kindly took me to your local representative. In spite of the fact that we got him out of bed, he was very cheerful and courteous. He told me not to worry but to continue my trip and that he'd have a new credit card waiting for me at Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1,000 miles farther. On the following morning I walked into the Western Union office at Cheyenne. And sure enough, just as he said, there was my new credit card waiting for me. It had arrived but two hours before airmail's special delivery. Well, gentlemen, all I have to say is this. When a firm will open its office just especially to send me a credit card a thousand miles away and a representative of yours will cheerfully get out of his bed to help a stranger. Then the whole thing is consummated in a space of 24 hours. Well, that beats me. I've had courteous treatment from many a firm, but this tops them all. Now I regret that all I can say is thanks. But I do mean thanks. And thanks a million. And all we can Say to you, Mr. Staves, is thank you. We're proud of our men and the service they give. They are the Union Oil Company. And now our curtain rises on the first act of the Fortune Teller. It Ladies and gentlemen, I should like to tell you the story of Musette. Of Musette, the Fortune Teller. You see, I was living in Hungary at the time, not far from old Fresco's ballet school. It's a charming little story about a group of people who to us must seem slightly crazy. There was Fresco, the ballet master, and Count Berezovsky, a pair of rogues. Not bad, you understand, but always casting about to earn a dishonest florin. One day Count Berezovsky found in the garret of his chateau an important document. Bursting with excitement. He ran over to the ballet school Fresco listened to the Count's raving and then, failing to make sense of it, threw up his hands in despair. My dear Count, will you stop talking in riddles? You mention a girl who wears a gold snake bracelet with a pair of emerald eyes. Well, what of it? I must find her and I must marry her. Why marry her? Why don't you just steal the bracelet? I must marry her because she is the rightful heiress of the Solovsky estates. And if you help me find her, I'll give you 5,000 florins. You haven't been indulging again. Look here. In the garret of the chateau I found this document. It states that Solovsky, through a secret marriage, had a girl child. That girl child is the rightful heir and her only identification is the emerald eyed snake brace. What makes you think I can find her? She's one of your ballet girls. What? The document says that she was left with old Zuganov and his wife. They used to own this school, didn't they? Oh, yes, yes, yes, years ago. But Zuganov adopted a dozen children in his lifetime with the hopes of making them all great ballet dancers. Now, how can I tell which is the Solofsky heiress? The one who wears the emerald eyed snake bracelets. How you're a genius. I hadn't thought of that. All right, it's a bargain for 5,000 florins. I'll help you. We'll start our tour of inspection immediately. The girls are in the ballet room. Come along. Hello. But forgive every little at the soul. Now, mein hair. We are ready Mis your senior, professor. And whichever we'll try to endure. Excellent, dear children, and good morning to you. And now, girls, I want your attention for a moment. Which of you owns an emerald eyed snig bracelet? Well, Count? No answer. It seems that you've lost your last chance to earn an honest living. But are they all here? As far as I can see, yes. Oh, good morning, Professor. You're late, Irma. Yes, Professor. I'm sorry. What? The bracelet. She has it on. Oh. Let me see your hand, my dear. What? That's an odd little snake bracelet you're wearing. My dear pet pupil, you're about to undergo a severe happiness. The Count wishes to marry you. Yes, it came upon me all of a sudden. I don't care if it came on you in spasms. I distinctly and emphatically refuse. Refuse? Now, my dear child, the count's name is one of the oldest in Poland. So is the counter. My dear, would you mind stepping over here a moment? Yes, maestro. Now listen, young lady. You've got to marry the count. If you refuse, you'll have to move out of here, bag and baggage. But he's old enough to be my grandfather. That's the point. After the ceremony, you can do as you please. But you must marry him. Well, if you say I must, I must. Congratulations, Count. I told her all about you. She accepts your proposal of marriage. Allegretto Grazioso. Come, Irma dear. I know a minister who isn't working. Just a minute, Count. Now, I want you girls to go out and do your morning exercises. Of course, Irma dear. You're excused. Come with me. Come. It's that little matter of signing a slip of paper. You know, Promise to pay. Why, the old tyrant. I wouldn't do it, Irma. Why did you agree to marry the old fogey? What else could I do? I always do as people say I should. My aged grandma told me, and I've read the same in books. That it doesn't matter what a girl may wear or how she looks. She never should be frivolous. She never should be bored. My grandma said. My darling, always do as you are told. When Grandma said, don't touch the jam, I minded her request. I did not care a bit for jam. I liked the jelly best. Be punctual at meals, she said, or I will have to smoke. And I was only there. You see, I did as I was told. You see, she did and she was told. Always do as people say you should. You never can't be happy, child, unless you're good. I do as I am told. I'm just as good as go. I'm thankful I shall be happy. Cause I am so good. Always good as people say you should. You'll never plan me happy, child, unless you're good. I do as I am told. I'm just as good as God. Oh, I know I shall be happy. Cause I was so good. I was so good. Oh, look, Irma. Your sweetheart Ladislaus is coming up the pathway. Oh, come on, girls. We'd better go to the. Oh, dear, what am I going to do? Oh, Ladislaus, darling. I'm so glad you've come. What's the matter? Why the tears? Oh, something dreadful. I've got to marry Count Berezovsky. Marry? Berezovsky what on earth are you talking about? Oh, Fresco says you'll dismiss me if I don't marry the Count. But this doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense at Fresco's ballet school. But why? Why all of a sudden does he want to marry you? I don't know. He seemed all excited about this bracelet. Irma, you're not going through with it. What can I do? I have no place to go now. Wait. There's an old friend of mine who used to be the gamekeeper on the Solofsky estate. He still lives in a little cottage on the grounds. I'll take you there, and you can hide till I figure some way out of this mess. But what about Fresco? Well, to throw Fresco off the track, you write a farewell note. Say. Say you're going to throw yourself into the lake and leave the bracelet with the note. Oh, Ladislas, you're a darling. Now the Count can have his old bracelet and marry someone else. You wait for me by the pathway gate. I'll write the note and join you in a few minutes. No sooner had Ermine Ladislaus left than Varus and his Gypsy band came into Fresco's courtyard. There was Boris daughter Musette, a fortune teller, and Shandor, Musette's sweetheart. And of course, they were all there to see what they could steal. The way Boris and his tribe went about robbing their victims was an art. Shandor would sing. And when the people came out to listen to the music, Boris would prowl through their apartments. Fresco didn't notice them. He had just found Pamela's note and was lamenting the loss his 5000 plots. Go ahead and sing, Shandor. When the professor comes out, I'll go in. But don't go in till the professor does come out. I give ye the tale of the Gypsy Jam as was given a tale to me Very few fair to the hills up there for there in the night went deep and there in the dark he'd crouch and hark with his ear to the ground so cold and he'd hear the clamor of pick and hammer as the dwarf men mine their gold, their gold. But Jam was a gypsy bold. Clink, clang, clink, clang, clink, clang, clink. Down, down, down in the mountains far where a mortal has entered down in the mines where the red gold shines the dwarf and tile forever and the clatter and clang of their hammers rang till the Bojan park was cold Swore his creed to the cavalcy to roll the force of their gold Ho, ho. For John was the Gypsy. That place must be deserted. We give them the music of the angels and not a head pops out of a window. Even the old professor has disappeared. No, Musette. Here he comes. Better wait for us. Say, professor, you want your fortune told? Oh, no. Go away. No music, no fortunes, nothing. Excuse, please. But I am the great Boris. And this is my wonderful band of gypsy musikora. Get out. Get out. This is my daughter, the great fortune teller. Look in his eyes, Musette. Tell his fortune. Now look in his pocket. I can see in your hand that you are crossing deep water. Oh, let go of my hands. My Irma. What on earth are you doing in that gypsy costume? What are you talking about? This is my daughter, Musette. You say this is your daughter, Professor, I don't lie all the time. Why, she's the very image of Irma. You like her, Professor? She's the very demeter. Would you like to adopt my daughter? Oh, wait a minute. Varos. Quiet yonder. Adopt her? But that would be cruel. But ever since Irma went away, it's been terribly lonesome. Well, I have only 10 florins, but I expect to have other florins in my other clothes. We could take the 10 florins now and the rest later. How much is the rest? I'll give you 90 florins at the end of the week if you allow your daughter to stay at the ballet school. Oh, but Boris, where do I come in? You get all the money, and I get left with this old fossil you will love. I pardon, please. Professor Musset and her papa have consultation. Come here, dear girl. Look, my little pigeon. The professor will give me 10 florins. Chandor and me, we leave. Then you join us later. Is that clear to you? Where will you be? At the Red Dragon Inn. I'll meet you there. All right, professor, here are the goods. Some package, huh? Oh, splendid. And here are your 10 florins. Oh, my friends, think of it as a momentous occasion. That Something joyful. Professor, I have the precise note for the occasion. You furnish the lunch. We Sundor, Musette and my gypsies furnish the music. Holy the eyes of race. And so the curtain falls on the first act of the fortune teller. We wish you could come with us now out into the logging camp for the great northwest. Up into the fragrant pine woods where right now the boys are gathered round the radio and many a logging camp. While we'd like to have you around when we put a few questions about motor oil to these husky Gentlemen who drive their trucks over roads you wouldn't believe were passable. For these men are experts on motor maintenance. They have to be. For when the logs come out from the truss line up, there must be smooth power and dependable performance in abundance. It's no place for a motor oil that can't take it. And that's why we're proud of the fact that so many of the leading loggers in the Northwest use Triton motor oil. For they not only know that Triton is 100% pure lubricant and 100% pure paraffin base, but they know from experience that it forms so little carbon that it actually allows a motor to burn away old carbon left by other oils. But you're saying, what does all this mean to me? I don't drive a truck over a mountain road. Well, the answer is simply this. If Triton licks these tough jobs so easily, it will fairly gobble up a simple job like lubricating the engine under the hood of your family automobile. So take a tip from the logging country next time. Use Triton. The oil that changes ping to curve. And now the house lights dim and the curtain rises on the second act of the Fortune Teller. Ladies and gentlemen, I know you're all wondering what happened to Irma and Ladislaus. Well, Ladislaus took Irma to the old gamekeeper's cottage. And the old gentleman, after talking to Irma, realized that she was the long lost heiress. He told her about the wedding preparations at the Count's chateau. And it didn't take Irma long to fit together the emerald eyed bracelet and the Count's sudden proposal of marriage. So without waiting for her sweetheart Ladislaus to return, she started out for the chateau to demand her rightful inheritance. Meanwhile, Fresco, having explained the whole situation to Musette, had persuaded her to impersonate Irma. The prospect of becoming a countess and a very wealthy woman in the bargain was more than Musette could resist. So when Irma arrived at the chateau, she found Musset dressed in a bridal gown, ready for the wedding. Who's that? Oh, I wanted to get a good look at the new bride to be. Who are you? I'm Irma. The girl you're pretending to be. So you're Irma. The professor said no one could tell us apart. Now that you know I'm the real heiress to the Solovsky estate, hadn't you better leave? Don't be silly. Who do you think is going to believe you? Why, everyone thinks you threw yourself into the lake. You better leave before the cow comes in. I'll do nothing of the sort. This is Ladislas. The old gamekeeper told me you were here. Ladislas. Now we'll see. Irma, the old man said you. Am I seeing double? She's an imposter. Dear Ladislas, this girl is an extortionist. But who is Irma? I am. Oh, it can't be. I'm going up there. I know Musette's in this chateau. I'm going to find her if I have to tear the chateau apart. I know she's here. Oh, this is terrible. Oh, Musette, darling. We waited at the Red Dragon. Which of you is Musette? She is Percival. Saints, am I going crazy. I thought Emma drowned herself. Well, she didn't. And now I can't tell them apart. And I'm her fiance. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. This upsets everything. Now look, girls. This is awfully embarrassing. Professor, you arranged this scheme, now unarrange it. I tell you, this girl is trying to blackmail me. Oh, dear. Here comes the Count to add to the confusion. Me? Is that Irma? Do something. Say something. Well, my lovely one, are you all ready for the. Am I seeing double? For once in your life, Count, you really are seeing double. Both these girls want to marry him. But that would be. I don't want to marry him. I want my inheritance. Well, I'm the count's bride to be. Well, that settles it. You must be her. She is not. I am. You are not. Well, it seems that Musette, whichever you are, has decided to go on with this fraud. Tonight, Father Boris and our gypsy band leaves for Tamisa. We go to wander again the fields of Romany. I never thought Musette the gypsy fortune teller, would desert the life of glowing campfires, windswept glades, blazing sunsets and the music of the gypsy band. The birds of the forest are calling for me and the shades and the glade are lonely Summer is there with their blossoms fair and you are absent Only no bird that rests in the greenwood tree but sighs to greet you and kiss you all of violets, yearn, yearn for yourself. Safe return. But most time is you slumber on my little gypsy sweetheart Trip of the field and the. Can you hear me? Hear me in a dreamland where your fancies roam Slumber, my little gypsy sweetheart Wild little London how can you hear the song that tells you all my heart too well, goodbye. We're on our way to Tamasar. Shando. Shando, darling, I can't let you go. Ah, then you are Musette. Yes. Oh, man. Irma, darling. You. You're really you. Oh, I'm sorry, Irma. I was just being revengeful. This belongs to you. The snake eyed bracelet Fresco gave me. No, Musette, you keep it in remembrance. Count, now that you know who Irma is, you might as well tell her she is the rightful heiress. But what are the wedding preparations? I've spent a fortune. That is, I owe my creditors a fortune. Don't worry, Irma and I'll make use of the wedding preparations. I have a better idea. Here stands Sandor, Musette, Ladislaus and I. Let's have a double wedding. Oh, then I'll be able to wear the wedding dress after all. And Fresco and I will be the best men. You'd be a better man if you paid me that 5,000 florins. I'd be a still better man if I had 5,000 florins. Bing, Dong, merrily, merrily she is a charmer There. Bing dong, merrily merry charm with a dragon fair Ding dong melody, melody she is a charmer Lair. Then the happy song floated upon the air with a crown surprise and the girls are headlong Merrily, merry child fair big gong Merrily, merrily She is a charming Mary in his. Ladies and gentlemen, this program has come to you from the people who make 76 gasoline and Triton motor oil, the Union Oil Company. We shall be expecting you next week at this time when we present Verdi's immortal opera Rigoletto. Tonight's modernized version was written by John Slott and performed by arrangement with Tam's Whitmark Music Library. The orchestra was under the direction of Thomas Peluso. The dual role of Musette, the fortune teller and Irma, the ballet girl was sung by Miss Emily Hardy. James Newell, role of the gypsy shondor. Truman Bradley speaking for Union Oil Company. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System system.