The Railroad Hour The Happy Prince Date: Dec 24 1951

CAST:
ANNOUNCER
WILLIAM T. FARICY (pronounced like "Pharisee") (1 line)
CONDUCTOR (1 line)
NBC ANNCR (1 line)

THE HAPPY PRINCE
THE LITTLE SWALLOW
NARRATOR
COUNCILLOR (1 line)
LITTLE GIRL (1 line)
MOTHER (1 line)
MAN (1 line)
BOY (1 line)
MATCH GIRL (1 line)
CHILD (1 line)
MAYOR (1 line)
OVERSEER (1 line)
and the CHOIR

MUSIC:
"IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR" (CHOIR)
"WHENCE COMES THIS RUSH OF WINGS?" (PRINCE & CHOIR)
"JOY TO THE WORLD" (PRINCE & CHOIR)
"O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM" (SWALLOW)
"GOD REST YOU MERRY, GENTLEMEN" (CHOIR)
"O LORD MOST HOLY" (PRINCE & CHOIR)
"HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING" (CHOIR)
"THE FIRST NOËL" (PRINCE, THEN SWALLOW & CHOIR)
"SILENT NIGHT" (PRINCE AND SWALLOW & CHOIR)

ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, "The Railroad Hour"! SOUND: TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS ... LOCOMOTIVE ON TRACK ANNOUNCER: And here comes our star-studded show train! MUSIC: THEME (QUOTES "I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD") ... ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR ... CHANGES TO FAST RAILROAD RHYTHM ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER-- ANNOUNCER: Tonight, the Association of American Railroads presents a special Christmas show, "The Happy Prince," starring Gordon MacRae and his guest star, Lucille Norman. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff and the music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. On this Christmas Eve we have joined a great story with the great music of Christmas, brought to you by the American railroads -- the same railroads that bring you most of the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the fuel you burn, and all the other things you use in your daily life. And now here is our star Gordon MacRae! MUSIC: THEME (QUOTES "I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD") ... ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR ... UP AND OUT SOUND: APPLAUSE MacRAE: Merry Christmas, everybody. On this Christmas Eve, I shall be the statue of the Happy Prince; Lucille Norman is the little Swallow; and John McIntire is our narrator who spins for us the lovely story of "The Happy Prince." MUSIC: "IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR" CHOIR: [It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold: "Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, From heaven's all-gracious King." The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.] MUSIC: SONG ENDS ... THEN BEHIND NARRATOR-- NARRATOR: High above the city on a tall column stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold. For eyes, he had two bright sapphires. And a large red ruby glowed on his sword hilt. He was very much admired, indeed. COUNCILLOR: He is as beautiful as a-- As a weathercock. NARRATOR: (CONFIDENTIALLY) That's one of the town councillors who wanted to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes. Then there was the sensible mother-- LITTLE GIRL: Mama! I want the moon! I want the moon! MOTHER: Oh, why can't you be like the Happy Prince? The Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything. MUSIC: DURING ABOVE, SNEAKS IN ... CONTINUES IN BG NARRATOR: And then there was the disappointed man who gazed up at the wonderful statue. MAN: (MELANCHOLY) I am glad there is someone in the world who is quite happy. MUSIC: FOR THE SWALLOW IN FLIGHT ... THEN IN BG NARRATOR: One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. Her friends had gone south to the Holy Land weeks and weeks before, but she had lingered behind, dipping her wings in the river and making beautiful silver ripples. All day long the little Swallow flew, and at night time she arrived in the city. And the statue of the Happy Prince, whose head seemed to brush the starlight, heard the rush of the Swallow's wings. MUSIC: "WHENCE COMES THIS RUSH OF WINGS?" PRINCE: [Whence comes this rush of wings afar, Following straight the Noël star? Birds of the woods in wondrous flight, Bethlehem seek this Holy Night.] CHOIR: ["Tell us, ye birds, why come ye here, Into this stable, poor and drear?" "Hast'ning we seek the newborn King, And all our sweetest music bring."] PRINCE & CHOIR: [Angels and shepherds, birds o' the sky, Come where the Son of God doth lie; Christ on earth with man doth dwell, join in the shout "Noël, Noël."] MUSIC: SONG ENDS ... THEN BEHIND NARRATOR-- NARRATOR: The Swallow swooped down and settled for the night at the feet of the statue. SOUND: WIND BLOWS ... THEN IN BG SWALLOW: Ahhhhh! I have a golden bedroom! Now for some sleep. MUSIC: SINGLE NOTE ... TO INDICATE TEARDROP SWALLOW: Why, what a curious thing! There is not a single cloud in the sky. The stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. MUSIC: SINGLE NOTE ... ANOTHER TEARDROP SWALLOW: (ANNOYED) Another drop! What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off? Now really, this is-- (REALIZES) Why--! MUSIC: MELANCHOLY ... SNEAKS IN ... THEN IN BG SWALLOW: The eyes of the statue are filled with tears -- and tears are running down his golden cheeks. (TO PRINCE) Who are you? PRINCE: (SIGHS, SADLY) I am the Happy Prince. SWALLOW: Why are you weeping then? You have quite drenched me. PRINCE: When I was alive and had a human heart, I did not know what tears were -- for I lived in a beautiful palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. [X] And each year at this time, the palace rang with our joyous Christmas songs -- and my voice led all the rest. MUSIC: "JOY TO THE WORLD" ... CHOIR SNEAKS IN ABOVE AT [X] CHOIR: [Joy to the World; The Lord is come; Let Earth receive her King:] PRINCE & CHOIR: [Let every Heart prepare him Room, And Heaven and Nature sing. And Heaven and Nature sing. And Heaven and Heaven and Nature sing.] MUSIC: SONG ENDS WARMLY ... THEN INCREASINGLY SAD, IN BG-- PRINCE: Everyone called me the Happy Prince, and happy I was, for I never looked beyond the walls of my palace. But now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the unhappiness in my city. And though my heart is made of lead, yet I cannot choose but weep. SWALLOW: (TO HERSELF) What? Is he not solid gold? PRINCE: Far away in a little street, there is a poor little house. One of the windows is open, and through it, I can see a woman. In a bed in the corner of the room, her little boy is lying ill. He has a fever and his mother has nothing to give him but river water, so he is crying. MUSIC: OUT SOUND: WIND BLOWS, IN BG PRINCE: Swallow? Swallow, little Swallow, my feet are fastened to this pedestal and I cannot move. Take the ruby out of my sword hilt and give it to the boy. SWALLOW: (HAUGHTY) I don't think I like boys. Last summer when I was staying on the river, there were two rude boys who were always throwing stones at me. They never hit me, of course; we Swallows fly too well for that. But still, it was a mark of disrespect. PRINCE: Please, little Swallow, will you not stay with me for one night and be my messenger? SWALLOW: Oh, but I am expected in the Holy Land where the sun shines even in the winter. MUSIC: SNEAKS IN ... BUILDS QUIETLY TO "O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM" IN BG PRINCE: You have been to the Holy Land? Why, then you know the meaning of Christmas. Have you seen Bethlehem? SWALLOW: Oh, yes. Er, just a bird's-eye view, of course. (WARMLY) Ah, but it is a beautiful town, dreaming under the starlight. (SINGS) [O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee to-night.] MUSIC: SONG ENDS ... THEN IN BG-- SWALLOW: (TO PRINCE) It is very cold here, but I will stay with you for one night and be your messenger. PRINCE: Thank you, little Swallow. Thank you. MUSIC: FOR THE SWALLOW IN FLIGHT (CHOIR JOINS IN WORDLESSLY) ... THEN IN BG NARRATOR: So the Swallow picked out the great ruby from the prince's sword and flew away with it in her beak over the roofs of the city. She passed the cathedral tower where the white angels were sculptured. She passed over the river and saw the lanterns hanging to the masts of the ships. And at last she came to the boy's house. He was tossing feverishly on his bed, and the mother had fallen asleep she was so tired. (MUSIC: OUT) In the Swallow hopped-- SOUND: GENTLE HOP-HOP-HOP OF SWALLOW NARRATOR: --and laid the great ruby on the table. SOUND: RUBY LAID ON WOODEN TABLE ... THEN GENTLE FLAP OF SWALLOW'S WINGS, IN BG NARRATOR: And then she flew gently around the bed, fanning the boy's forehead with her wing. BOY: (TO HIMSELF) How cool I feel! I must be getting better. I shall be better for Christmas! MUSIC: FOR THE SWALLOW IN FLIGHT (CHOIR JOINS IN WORDLESSLY) ... THEN BEHIND NARRATOR-- NARRATOR: Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince and told him what she had done. SOUND: WIND BLOWS, IN BG PRINCE: Thank you, little Swallow. My entire city is preparing for Christmas, and how unhappy I would be if I did not have you for my messenger. [X] Listen! The carolers, singing through the streets of my city. But they do not see what I see. MUSIC: A CAPPELLA CHOIR SINGS "GOD REST YOU MERRY, GENTLEMEN" STARTING AT [X] ABOVE CHOIR: [God rest you, merry gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember Christ our Saviour Was born on Christmas-day To save us all from Satan's power When we were gone astray: O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy.] (CHOIR SINGS THE STANZA AGAIN, MOVING OFF INTO THE DISTANCE DURING FOLLOWING EXCHANGE--) SWALLOW: It is curious, but I feel quite warm now although it is so cold. PRINCE: That is because you have done a good and loving deed. Now go to sleep, little Swallow. MUSIC: TRANSITION ... THEN BEHIND NARRATOR-- NARRATOR: The next night when the moon rose, the Swallow flew up to the shoulder of the golden Happy Prince. SOUND: WIND BLOWS, IN BG SWALLOW: Have you any commissions for the Holy Land? I am just starting. PRINCE: Swallow, Swallow -- little Swallow! Will you not stay with me one night longer? SWALLOW: Oh, no, I cannot. PRINCE: Please, little Swallow, I - I need you. SWALLOW: You do not understand. Each day it grows colder here in your city. If I stay any longer I shall freeze. PRINCE: Just one more day, little Swallow. SWALLOW: I cannot, dear Prince. I-- PRINCE: Please. MUSIC: SNEAKS IN ... MELANCHOLY, IN BG SWALLOW: Oh, there are tears in your eyes. Are you so sad that I am leaving? PRINCE: I shall miss you, little Swallow, but it is not for my own loneliness that I weep, but for the sadness of others. With your help I can bring joy to them. But if you go-- SWALLOW: Stop your tears, dear Prince. Let winter come. I will stay with you for one more day. PRINCE: Praise God. Praise God! MUSIC: CHANGES TO "O LORD MOST HOLY" PRINCE & CHOIR: [O Lord most holy, O Lord most mighty, O loving Father, Thee would we be praising alway. And in temptation's hour, Save through Thy mighty power, Thine aid, O send us; Hear us in mercy. Show us Thy favour, So shall we live and sing praise to Thee.] MUSIC: SONG ENDS SOUND: APPLAUSE ANNOUNCER: We'll return for the second act of "The Happy Prince" in just a moment. On this Christmas Eve we're happy to have this message from Mr. William T. Faricy, president of the Association of American Railroads, who joins us from Washington, D. C. FARICY: Christmas is the season when men and women turn from strife and struggle toward the blessings of peace and the fellowship which someday will bring all men together as friends. This is the goal which men have sought for almost two thousand years, which no doubt they will continue to seek for years yet to come. No man, no institution, no people alone can achieve this long-sought goal, but every man, every institution, every people can contribute to the fulfillment of the promise of the first Christmas: peace on earth, goodwill to men. The heart of that seeking for peace and goodwill is in the family, an institution which foreshadows the family of mankind. So Christmas, the festival of peace, is the great family festival -- celebrated in the homes where families gather. To all such gatherings who might be listening tonight, the family of "The Railroad Hour" -- a family made up not only of those who produce our weekly broadcasts, but also the railroad companies which sponsor them, the million people who as small stockholders own the railroads, and the million and a quarter men and women who work for them -- this "Railroad Hour" family says to you and your family: thank you for joining our Christmas Eve party, and in your own holiday season and in the new year to come, may you find joy, prosperity, and above all, peace. MacRAE: Thank you, Mr. Faricy, and a merry Christmas to you and yours, and all of our dear friends in Washington. MUSIC: SECOND ACT OVERTURE ("HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING") ... ORCHESTRA AND WORDLESS CHOIR ... THEN IN BG ANNOUNCER: And now Act II of the Lawrence and Lee version of "The Happy Prince," our special story for Christmas, starring Gordon MacRae as the Prince and Lucille Norman as the little Swallow, with John McIntire as our Narrator. CHOIR: [Joyful all ye Nations rise, Join the Triumph of the Skies With the angelic host proclaim: "Christ is born in Bethlehem" Hark! The Herald Angels sing "Glory to the new-born King!"] MUSIC: SONG ENDS ... THEN IN BG NARRATOR: It grew colder and colder in the city, but still the Swallow remained doing the tasks of mercy and love the Happy Prince commanded. PRINCE: Sit on my shoulder, little Swallow. SWALLOW: But I am so cold, dear Prince. PRINCE: Oh? Then I shall tell you a story which will warm your heart -- the story of the first Christmas. MUSIC: "THE FIRST NOËL" PRINCE: [The first Noël the angels did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep, On a cold winter's night that was so deep:] PRINCE & CHOIR: [Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël, Born is the King of Israel.] MUSIC: ORCHESTRA AND WORDLESS CHOIR CONTINUE BEHIND SWALLOW'S SPEECH-- SWALLOW: (SPEAKS, TO PRINCE) It is a lovely story. Perhaps you did not hear us or understand us, but we birds have sung that for a long, long time. (SINGS) [They looked up and saw a star, Shining in the east, beyond them far: And to the earth it gave great light, And so continued both day and night:] SWALLOW, PRINCE & CHOIR: [Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël, Born is the King of Israel.] MUSIC: SONG ENDS ... CONTINUES IN BG PRINCE: (SADLY) Oh, little Swallow. SWALLOW: What is wrong, dear Prince? PRINCE: The little match girl in the square below. She has just dropped her matches in the gutter and they are all spoiled. Oh, her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money, and she is crying -- for she thinks that Christmas will pass her by. She has no shoes or stockings, and her little head is bare. SWALLOW: Shall I take her a ruby? PRINCE: Alas, I - I have no ruby now. My eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck them out and take them to the child. SWALLOW: Oh, no! PRINCE: Her father will sell them to the jeweler and buy food and firewood, and they will celebrate the birth of the Lord. SWALLOW: Oh, dear Prince, I cannot do that. You would be quite blind then. PRINCE: Swallow, little Swallow, do as I command you. MUSIC: FOR THE SWALLOW IN FLIGHT (CHOIR JOINS IN WORDLESSLY) ... THEN IN BG, IN AGREEMENT WITH FOLLOWING-- NARRATOR: So the Swallow plucked out the Prince's eyes and darted downward. She swooped past the match girl and slipped the jewels into the palm of the child's hand. MATCH GIRL: Why, what lovely bits of glass! NARRATOR: Then the Swallow flew back to the Prince. MUSIC: OUT SOUND: WIND BLOWS, IN BG SWALLOW: You are blind now, so I will stay with you always. PRINCE: No, little Swallow. You must go away to the Holy Land where it is warm. SWALLOW: (INSISTS, SIMPLY) I will stay with you always. PRINCE: You - you have a loving heart. Look. Look down the streets of my city, at the white faces of starving children staring out at the black world. I am covered with fine gold. You must take it off, leaf by leaf, and give it to the poor. MUSIC: IN BG-- NARRATOR: Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till the Happy Prince looked quite dull and gray. Leaf after leaf of the fine gold she brought to the poor, and the children's faces grew rosier and they laughed and played games in the street. SOUND: MURMUR OF LAUGHING, PLAYING CHILDREN ... THEN BEHIND CHILD-- CHILD: We have bread now! And perhaps for Christmas, a roast goose -- steaming and delicious. MUSIC: UP BRIEFLY ... THEN INCREASINGLY SAD, IN BG NARRATOR: Then the snow came. The streets looked as if they were made of silver. Long icicles like crystal daggers hung down from the eaves of the houses. And the little boys wore scarlet caps and skated on the ice. The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but she would not leave the Prince. She loved him too well. She picked up crumbs outside the baker's door when the baker was not looking, and tried to keep herself warm by flapping her wings. But at last she knew she was going to die. She just had strength enough to fly up to the Prince's shoulder once more. MUSIC: QUIET AND PEACEFUL ... GENTLE HARP AND OCCASIONAL BELL, IN BG SWALLOW: Our task is ended, dear Prince. Peace and silence sit on your city. PRINCE: That is because of you, little Swallow. Listen. Listen to the lovely silence of my happy city. MUSIC: "SILENT NIGHT" PRINCE: [Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright.] SWALLOW: [Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild,] PRINCE, SWALLOW & CHOIR: [Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.] MUSIC: SONG ENDS ... GENTLE BELLS, IN BG SOUND: WIND BLOWS, IN BG SWALLOW: Now I must bid you goodbye, dear Prince. PRINCE: I am glad that you're going to the Holy Land at last, little Swallow. It is warm there. You have stayed with me too long. MUSIC: BELLS OUT SWALLOW: It is not to the Holy Land I am going. I am going to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not? NARRATOR: Then she kissed the Happy Prince and fell down dead at his feet. At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue as if something had broken. The fact is that the leaden heart had smashed right in two. MUSIC: DURING ABOVE, BUILD UP TO A SHARP ACCENT WITH A FADE-AWAY HARP GLISS ... FOR A BROKEN HEART ... THEN GENTLE STRINGS BEHIND NARRATOR-- SOUND: MAYOR'S STEPS, IN BG NARRATOR: Early the next morning the mayor was walking in the square. SOUND: MAYOR'S STEPS STOP MAYOR: (TO HIMSELF) Dear me! How shabby the Happy Prince looks. The ruby has fallen from his sword, his eyes are gone, and he is no longer golden. We must have him pulled down and-- What's this? A dead bird at his feet? We must issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die here. MUSIC: SLIGHT ACCENT ... THEN BEHIND NARRATOR-- NARRATOR: At the foundry where they melted the statue, there was something that puzzled the overseer. OVERSEER: (TO HIMSELF) Why, what a strange thing. Broken lead heart will not melt in the furnace. Well, throw it away. Toss it over there in that dust-heap -- where the dead Swallow is lying. MUSIC: CELESTIAL STRINGS ... THEN IN BG NARRATOR: (SLIGHT ECHO) "Bring me the two most precious things in the city," said God to one of his angels, and the angel brought him the leaden heart and the dead bird. "You have rightly chosen," said God, "for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing forevermore and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me." MUSIC: "O LORD MOST HOLY" (REPRISE) CHOIR: [Show us Thy favour, Lord! Thy favour, Lord! So shall we live, and sing praise to Thee!] MUSIC: OUT SOUND: APPLAUSE MacRAE: Thank you, ladies and gentleman. And our thanks to Lucille Norman, John McIntire, Herb Butterfield, Howard McNear, Patty Ianonne, Stuffy Singer, Katie Lee, and to our entire company. We're so happy you joined us for our "Railroad Hour" Christmas party. On behalf of all of the American railroads and all the members of our company -- Lucille Norman, Carmen Dragon and all his fine musicians, Norman Luboff and all his singers, our producer, our technicians, our writers, and our arrangers -- a happy, happy holiday and God bless you, everyone. CONDUCTOR: All aboard! MacRAE: Well, it looks as though we're ready to pull out and so until next Monday night, when Lucille Norman joins us for the "Railroad Hour" review of the year, a happy holiday and good night to everybody. SOUND: TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS ... BELL RINGS ... LOCOMOTIVE SLOWLY STARTS ... ALL TOPPED BY-- MUSIC: THEME (QUOTES "I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD") ... ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR ... CHANGES TO FAST RAILROAD RHYTHM ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER-- ANNOUNCER: Portions of the preceding program were transcribed. Gordon MacRae can be seen starring in Warner Brothers' "Starlift." Lucille Norman appeared through the courtesy of Warner Brothers who are releasing the Milton Sperling production "Distant Drums." Tonight's story -- "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde with the great music of Christmas -- was dramatized for "The Railroad Hour" by Lawrence and Lee. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Luboff and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. This is Marvin Miller saying goodbye until next week for the American Railroads. Now keep tuned for your Monday Night of Music on NBC. MUSIC: THEME (QUOTES "I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD") ... ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR ... FOR A BIG FINISH SOUND: APPLAUSE ... FADES OUT FOR-- NBC ANNCR: Preceding was transcribed. Stay tuned for "The Telephone Hour," next on NBC. MUSIC: NBC CHIMES