Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents Claudia. Claudia, based on the original stories by Rose Franken. Brought to you, transcribed Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. Relax, and while you're listening, refresh yourself. Have a Coke. And now, Claudia. Oh, David, I wish we could stay here and finish unpacking before we go to Julie and Hartley's for dinner. I wish we could stay here, period. The sun's shining in the living room, Shakespeare's sleeping on the good chair. The heat's up, the paint's dry. Hartley smells it all anymore, and we have to go out. Of course, Julia's house has carpets, pine-paneled walls, maids and butlers. Who wants all that? Look at what we've got. I'm looking. All I see is trunks, valises and barrels of wedding presents. What time is it? Oh, almost one o'clock. We'll have to leave the big trunk until we get back. I'll just finish putting up this tie rack. I'm ready. All I have to do is wash my hands and comb my hair. What'll it be like at Julia's? Formal. Long table with candles on it. And nuts and fruits and all the things that go with Thanksgiving. I love nuts. What kind of people are family? Some, relatives of relatives, a few brokers scattered about. Maybe a dash or two of Julia's protegees for the season. What kind? Right now, I think it's musicians. Oh. Will you and I sit together? Nope. I'll be at one end next to Mrs. Van Ogle per poodle and you... I'll be at the other end next to Mr. Cornelius Pringle, no doubt. What'll Cornelius and I talk about? You'll find something if I know you. But you don't know Cornelius. Will you at least wave to me? I'll send you messages hidden in the vegetable platters. David, have you been going to Julia and Hartley's for dinner year after year? No, just the last few. David, next year let's have them here. Do you think they'll come here? I doubt it. Julia's Thanksgiving dinners are something of habit. Personally, I suspect she thinks the day was created because she gives her dinner on it. Oh, Mama and I always had Thanksgiving together. We'd buy a turkey and set a beautiful table and eat turkey for weeks afterwards. All kinds of ways. It was nice, the two of us. What's Mama doing today? She wouldn't tell me. Said she had something marvelous all planned. I know better. She'll probably eat a lonesome chop at home. I wish we could take her along with us. She wouldn't like it. It's not her kind of Thanksgiving either. David, does Hartley like that kind of stuff? After all, he's your brother. He must like it. He married to it. Come on, let's get started. You can put on your coat in the hall. I'm ready. I left a little saucer of milk for Shakespeare to say maybe I could steal a little turkey bone from Julia's and bring it home to him. So he'll know it's Thanksgiving. And we'll drop my mother's on the way home. That's a lovely idea. David, that's our telephone. Too late. We're gone. No, we're not. I can hear it. Claudia, you're not going back in there. The elevator's coming. Can't just let her ring. Maybe it's important. Maybe it's Mama. All right, go on in. I'll wait here. Quick, David, open the door before it stops. I'm coming, coming, coming, coming, coming. Hello? Yes, this is Claudia. Oh, Hartley, we're just on our way. We'll be right there. What? No, you mean the whole party's been called off? Oh, Hartley. Of course you are mad. It's not. Don't you worry about us. What are you going to do? Don't you mind? Oh. Well, if you talk to Julia, tell her we hope her aunt will be all right. And, Hartley, happy Thanksgiving. Goodbye. David, tell the elevator man he can go down again. Hurry up, hurry up. Come on back here. We're not going. We're not what? We're not going. That was Hartley. Julia's aunt was taken very sick suddenly, and I think she's dying. Poor thing. Anyway, she had to go to Boston to be with her uncle. Who, the aunt? No, Julia. And he couldn't call us earlier because he only had her old number. Who, the uncle? No, silly Hartley. Hartley, not the uncle. So he got hold of Roger and he gave him our new number. Who, Roger or Hartley? You've got me all mixed up. Roger or Hartley what? Gave who our new number. Roger gave Hartley, of course, so he called and we don't have to go and have Thanksgiving dinner. Isn't it wonderful? Yes, let me catch your breath. Are we lucky? But how is Shakespeare going to know it's Thanksgiving without Julia's bones? Because we're going to have Thanksgiving dinner right here. We are. On what? On the big trunk. I mean, with what? With knives and forks, of course. A minor detail, darling, but what will we eat? There's nothing in the house. Oh, I'll go out to the store and buy something. They're all closed. Every last one of them, they can't be. There's always some little store open for people who forget things. Well, nobody forgets things today. They've been preparing for weeks. Why don't we just go out to a restaurant? Restaurants are for people who don't have homes, David. You know, it's fine with me, darling, but... Oh, darling, it's just the way I wished it. You call Mom and tell her to come over here while I go out and find a store or a delicatessen or a drugstore or hamburger stand or something. And the three of us and Shakespeare will have dinner here together. Darling, I was just thinking, what about Hartley? What about him? Well, he's all alone at his club. He likes it there. Won't he feel sort of lost today with Julia in Boston? I don't think so. Imagine spending Thanksgiving in a stuffed chair. And this Roger must be awful to be alone today. Now, stop worrying about everybody now. Can't help it. They must be lonesome. Should I call them up, David, and ask them to come over? How do you know you're going to find something for us to eat? I will. Would you rather I'd go? Nope, you entertain Mama. I'm off to find a store that's open for people who forget things. What do you think has happened to her, David? Oh, she'll be long. She's had time to go from here to Kalamazoo and back. You know your daughter. She won't come back until she's found a store that's open. In that case, she won't be back until tomorrow. There now. There. How does that look? Perfectly beautiful. You've made that trunk look like a banquet hall. Do you think we ought to sit on the floor or on these valises? On the barrels. Good idea. When was the last time you did something like this, Mrs. Brown? Not for a long time, David. Once I moved into an empty apartment with my husband and we sat on barrels for weeks, he would have liked you, David. Claudia hardly knew him, did she? David, she never had a father until she met you. It's quite a job you have. You're telling me. Sometimes I think I'm her father and sometimes I think I'm her son. But you know, I like being her husband best. There's always the three and the best of marriages. And this is the best of them. It's made me realize how alone I always felt before I was married. How alone a person must feel if they haven't got a marriage like this. Or if they lose it, too. And the funny part about it is that that daughter of yours knows that loneliness, even though she's never tasted it. She wanted to invite Hartley and Roger for dinner today because Hartley's wife is away in Boston and Roger's wife, well, she's just away. She felt they'd be lonely. Claudia's always known things she's never experienced. That, that's wisdom. Hello, I'm back. Is Mama there? She's knitted three sweaters and a quilt waiting for you. Hello, Mama. Hello, welcome home. Oh, David, I'm dead. Here, take these packages. I went practically over to the river. Which river? I don't know which. The furthest one away. And I found a little man, I think he was Greek. He just opened the store because his wife didn't have any apples. Wasn't that sweeter than him and her? Claudia would have got there. There's enough to feed an army. Very small army. Well, I got a whole dinner from nuts to soup. Well, well, why don't we all sit down? Now here, here, I'll put everything in the middle like a centerpiece. And then we can just help ourselves. Very, very formally, of course. David, you want to start now? Well, sure, immediately. Well, don't you want to wait a little? Nope. Pass me the cheese, Mrs. Brown. Why should we wait? Cheese is for the ends. Start with the turkey. I'll start with the cold tongue. Oh, that's the door. I wonder who it is. I can't imagine. I'll go. Coming, coming, coming, coming, coming. Hartley, I'm so glad you came. Oh, dear, my child. Happy Thanksgiving. Hartley, I better warn you. There isn't any furniture or... Oh, I could have all the furniture I want at the club. I don't think I'll miss it at all. Dinner's not very fancy either. Fancy foods don't agree with my gallbladder. That's good. I was so afraid you'd eaten already and wouldn't come. It's a surprise for David. I'm not the least bit surprised. Aren't you just a little? Hello, David. Hello, Hartley. Not the least bit. I know you, Claudia, but I think you're a wonderful dog. Do you, David? Hartley, this is my mother, Mrs. Brown. Mrs. Brown, it's a pleasure to meet Claudia's mother. Hello, Mr. Norton. Well, do sit down, Hartley. That beautiful upholstered barrel is all yours. Mmm, how delicious everything looks. Tongue, deviled ham, olives. I haven't eaten them in years. You don't mind? Mind? It may put me to bed for a week, but I love it. Not exactly what the doctor ordered. I shall forget my doctor, forget my gallbladder, forget everything, but Claudia's wonderful selection of beans. And how happy I am to be here. And, Claudia, here's my little contribution. Champagne! Oh, I haven't had a sister since the day I was married. And then I hadn't had a sister since the day I was born. Would you take a look at this? Well, Hartley, you must have dug deep in your wine cellar for this. Look at this. Piper Heidesich, 27. Confidentially, I stole it from a friend's club. I'll get the glasses. Sit still, Mother, I'll get them. Set the door. I'll get five glasses, darling. Go let Roger in. Oh, you, you guess everything. But don't open the champagne till I get back. I want to hear it pop. Roger, you're just in time. David's opening the champagne. Happy Thanksgiving, Claudia. Oh, I'm so glad you're here, Roger. I am too. Very glad. When you called, frankly, I... Well, I was feeling a little lonesome. You should have called us. Next time see that you do. All right, I will. Oh, so this is the new apartment. Oh, it's going to be perfectly beautiful. Well, all we've got so far are the walls. But they're painted new. And a lovely color. And no furniture to clutter up the place. Let me introduce everybody. Mama, this is Roger Killian. Roger, this is my mother, Mrs. Brown. Hello, Mr. Killian. I'm very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Brown. And this is Hartley Norton. Roger and I are old friends. Hello there, Roger. Hartley, you're looking very well. Am I? I've been having a little trouble lately. But I'm coming along. Well, Roger... I never expected to be here, and there's no place I'd rather be. Claudia, I brought you cake. A cake, Myner? Did you get it? I stole it from a chef at the club. Oh, it's beautiful, all those roses. Well, sit down, Roger. Pull up a barrel and make yourself comfortable. Oh, what a delicious looking dinner. Tongue, devil ham, apples. And turkey sandwiches because it's Thanksgiving. Have some tongue, Roger. No, thank you. I'm starting right out with the turkey. All right, here goes the champagne. Everybody get your glasses ready. BOP! Oh, I fit me alive. Here's wine for the king. David, before we drink the champagne, would you mind if first I opened the front door? For the unknown guest. Excellent. Let anybody who wants to come right in. And pour an extra glass of champagne, David. There's an extra place by me. I'll put him here. Oh, look. The sun is shining right on the table. Oh, this is really Thanksgiving, isn't it? This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. Your Coca-Cola bottler and the cast of the Claudia Show join you today in giving thanks for the bounty we all enjoy here in America. And they extend to you their good wishes for a pleasant Thanksgiving holiday. Every day, Monday through Friday, Claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. So listen again tomorrow at the same time. And now this is Joe King saying au revoir and remember, whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be, when you think of refreshment, think of Coca-Cola. For ice cold Coca-Cola makes any pause, the pause that refreshes. Thank you.