HOST:

... Presenting Miss June Walker in a scene from "The Farmer Takes a Wife," Broadway's hit play by Frank B. Elser and Marc Connelly, based on "Rome Haul," a novel by Walter D. Edmonds. The cast -- June Walker as Molly, Henry Fonda as Dan, Ralph Riggs as Sam Weaver. Scene -- the banks of the Erie canal near Utica, at dawn on a foggy morning in May 1853.

MUSIC:

BRIEF INTRO ... THEN BEHIND ANNOUNCER--

ANNOUNCER:

"The Farmer Takes a Wife" is the charmingly naïve love story of Dan Harrow, a farm boy, and Molly Larkin, the pretty young cook on an Erie canal boat -- or can-awl boat as canawlers called them along the Big Ditch in the fifties. Dan takes work temporarily on Sam Weaver's boat, the Sarcey Sal. In Rome, New York, he meets Molly Larkin, cook for Jotham Klore, the canawl's best drinker and fighter. Dan thinks canawling can't compare with farming; Molly thinks life on the canawl is the life for her. They quarrel, but they come to like each other very much before his boat leaves for Albany and her boat shoves off to Buffalo. As our curtain rises on a fog-clouded canawl landing, they meet again.

DAN:

Hello, Miss Larkin. When did you get in?

MOLLY:

Last night. Them your horses there?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am. That is, Sam Weaver's.

MOLLY:

You're good with horses?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am. Mostly though I admire cows. Say, where is everybody?

MOLLY:

In town, I guess -- to see who won the lottery.

DAN:

What lottery?

MOLLY:

The Ohio drawin'. It was supposed to be Monday. They ought to get the winnin' numbers by now.

DAN:

I heard it mentioned.

MOLLY:

The man sellin' for the Ohio lottery was in Rome that day I met you. But you wouldn't buy a ticket anyway, would you?

DAN:

Wouldn't be prone to. Would you?

MOLLY:

No. My boater did. He bought six!

DAN:

Well, I wish him luck. Say, do you like cookin' for him?

MOLLY:

Well, yes and no. I hear you ain't got a cook yet.

DAN:

No, ma'am. Mr. Weaver wants to get back the same woman he had. We've been takin' turns.

MOLLY:

Can you cook?

DAN:

I've been fryin' a lot of steaks.

MOLLY:

Would you like me to fix up some breakfast fer ya?

DAN:

No, I et about an hour ago.

MOLLY:

What'd you have?

DAN:

Steak. (BEAT) Do you think Mr. Weaver'll get away early?

MOLLY:

Why? Is it so important?

DAN:

I got a letter from Mr. Butterfield in Port Byron the other day. It's about farmin'. He said I could see him in Uticy today at nine o'clock.

MOLLY:

You've still got your plans, huh? Still goin' to buy that there farm?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am.

MOLLY:

I couldn't stand the farm. I got to be on the move.

DAN:

Wouldn't you like to have land all your own?

MOLLY:

The canawl's all our own!

DAN:

(CHUCKLES) You ain't got a deed.

MOLLY:

My part's mine. I'd like to see anybody try to take it.

DAN:

I don't know. Some say the canawl is done. Anyways, it ain't the whole of life.

MOLLY:

Ain't it? Well, to me it is the whole of life. I love it. Things happen on the canawl. There's boats comin' and there's boats goin', passin' you all the while. All day long you hear their horns blowin' and, like as not, there's a fight at every lock. There's all kinds of people an' they're goin' all the time. Naturally, you wouldn't like it though, if you took such a frenzy for a farm.

DAN:

Well, I don't know. The canawl jest don't seem staple. I like the people on it! 'Course, it's nice now with Spring comin' on. These last three days have been fine for plantin'.

MOLLY:

Oh, it was pretty yesterday morning comin' down to Oneida. I sat out there on that chair in the sun and watched the birds comin' north. Do you like flowers?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am.

MOLLY:

There certainly is a mess of violets and patty-cutters this side of Rome. I had the urge to get off and get some.

DAN:

You ought to pick some of them elderberry blossoms and make some wine.

MOLLY:

I never made any wine. Boaters don't like anything so weak as that. That is, real boaters. Mr. Weaver used to drink wine for his stomach, but he give it up. Said it only aggravated him.

DAN:

He can certainly drink hard liquor.

MOLLY:

He can drink more'n any two men on the canawl, 'cept one. You never met my boater.

DAN:

No, ma'am.

MOLLY:

He can drink more than any two men on the canawl, plus Sam Weaver. Old Mr. Purcell, the bartender, just told me he's busted all records last night. Guess I better go and call him for breakfast now.

DAN:

Maybe he won't want any.

MOLLY:

You don't know him. He's a real canawler. Jeepers, I can't understand a big strong feller like you hankerin' for a farm. (MOVING OFF) Well, I'll be goin' in and get breakfast.

SAM:

(APPROACHES) Hey, Dan! Dan Harrow!

DAN:

Hello, Mr. Weaver.

SAM:

Did you hear the news?! I just won third prize in the Ohio lottery! Five thousand dollars!

DAN:

Jeepers--

SAM:

Yep! There it is! Ticket D-2-oh-oh-8! They just put up the o-fficial numbers in town. They're gonna pay it off in Buffalo. I'm goin' there to get it Tuesday.

DAN:

Five thousand dollars?

SAM:

I couldn't believe my eyes!

MOLLY:

(APPROACHES, FURIOUS) Sam! Sam Weaver!

SAM:

Molly? What's the matter?

MOLLY:

It's that there Klore! I've stood just about enough of him! He's gonna give me no lacin' and I ain't wipin' no egg off his face!

SAM:

What's the egg doin' there?

MOLLY:

I put it there! Said he wanted to sleep and didn't want no breakfast, and I said, "All right, go sleep!" He said he wasn't takin' no orders from me and he was gonna give me a good lacin'. What a dang fool I was to be proud he could drink so much! I ought to have thrown the hull dozen eggs at him.

DAN:

Say, you're mad, ain't ya?

MOLLY:

By god, I'm gettin' to be.

DAN:

If I was you, I'd up and leave him.

MOLLY:

That's just what I'm gonna do! I've never been ashamed of myself and I ain't never gonna be ashamed of nobody I work for!

SAM:

Why don't ya sign up with us, Molly? Ya know we'd like to have ya.

MOLLY:

Well, you said that, too, Mr. Harrow. But-- Mr. Weaver, you don't eat very much and you know I love to cook.

SAM:

Well, this here young man ain't sick. He'll appreciate what you can do.

DAN:

Yes, ma'am.

MOLLY:

But you're goin' on a farm, ain't you?

DAN:

Well, that's been my resolve.

MOLLY:

Will the cookin' be good there?

DAN:

Likely not.

MOLLY:

Do you like chicken pie?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am, I do.

MOLLY:

They tell me I make them pretty good. Mornings like this, do you like griddle cakes?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am, I like them fine.

MOLLY:

Why don't you stay with Mr. Weaver a little longer?

DAN:

That ain't the point. I wouldn't like nothin' better than to have some of your cookin' -- and I might learn you how to make elderberry wine -- but I'd never get anywhere on the canawl, and I know a lot about a farm.

SAM:

By grab, I clean forgot to tell ya!

MOLLY:

What?

SAM:

I won five thousand dollars in the Ohio drawin'!

MOLLY:

Ya did?

DAN:

Yes, he did.

SAM:

I know just what I'm goin'-a do.

MOLLY:

What?

SAM:

Take this here money and order me a ninety-six-foot boat. I'll visit my married cousin in Durhamsville and watch it get built. Hundred and fifty tons! She'll be the finest vessel on the Grand Canawl!

DAN:

But, Sam, what about our cargo here?

SAM:

Oh, one of her owners will keep her workin' without me.

MOLLY:

Who'd you sell her to?

SAM:

I ain't sold her. I own half of her, Dan. And you own the other half.

DAN:

What?

SAM:

I bought this ticket the day I hired you. I had a feelin' you was good luck for me. You're her captain beginnin' today. From now on we divide what she makes even-steven.

DAN:

Scotland! That's a fine present, Mr. Weaver.

SAM:

Maybe it'll encourage you to stay on the canawl, son.

MOLLY:

Think of that! Twenty-three years old and you're half owner of a boat.

DAN:

(UNSURE) Gosh. I don't say it ain't handsome--

SAM:

Well, think it over, Dan. She's still a good vessel and we can make money with her. At the end of the year, if you still want a farm, you can go buy yourself one then.

DAN:

I could do that. Don't think I ain't grateful, Mr. Weaver.

SAM:

It's all right, son. Well, what do you say?

DAN:

I'll know in jest a minute if you'll excuse me. (TO MOLLY) Miss Larkin?

MOLLY:

Yes?

DAN:

Can I talk to you a minute please?

MOLLY:

All right.

MOLLY:

This won't take long. Come on over here.

MUSIC:

GENTLE ... SNEAKS IN QUIETLY ... THEN IN BG

DAN:

You heard what Mr. Weaver jest said. He's given me a half interest in the boat.

MOLLY:

Ain't that wonderful?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am. (SLOWLY) Are you quittin' Klore?

MOLLY:

Yes.

DAN:

(SLOWLY) Well, then -- will you marry me?

MOLLY:

(TAKEN ABACK) What?

DAN:

It's about gettin' married.

MOLLY:

(BEAT, BREATHLESS) Yes, I know it is. (PAUSE) You like me, don't ya?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am. I've got to say I do.

MOLLY:

I liked you the first time I seen ya.

DAN:

(SLOWLY) Well, that's how I feel. What do ya think about it?

MOLLY:

I don't know. You're goin' to stay on the canawl a while now, ain't ya?

DAN:

Yes, ma'am. A while anyway.

MOLLY:

Well-- I'll come and cook for ya.

DAN:

All right. Ya - don't want to get married now?

MOLLY:

(SLOWLY) Not yet, Dan. We don't know.

DAN:

All right. It ain't part of my plan to make you unhappy.

MOLLY:

Well, I'm ready to go. My bag's all packed.

DAN:

Is that all you're takin'?

MOLLY:

And this rockin' chair. It belongs to me. I had it on my boater's boat.

DAN:

(MOVING OFF) I'll set it back here on our boat.

MOLLY:

Wait, Dan! Put it on the bow end, Dan.

DAN:

(OFF) Why?

MOLLY:

I want to keep my eyes open for elderberry blossoms.

MUSIC:

UP FOR A GENTLE CURTAIN

SOUND:

APPLAUSE ...