Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents Claudia. Music Claudia based on the play and novels 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. Darling I hope you didn't mind my asking Roger up to dinner. Mind why should I mind? I should say now I'm glad he's coming. Well. What's the matter? Didn't you expect me to be? Well certainly. But I didn't expect such enthusiasm. You didn't? I thought wives weren't supposed to appreciate unexpected company. I don't know about other wives but this wife does. She loves unexpected company that isn't expected. I'm certainly a lucky fellow. You may be a lucky fellow but you're also a fellow with some soap behind his left ear. Where? Here. Now out of my way I want to put on my tie. David how come you invited Roger anyway? I mean I think it's funny you see him all day at the office. He did something special. I thought you said you were glad he was coming. Well I am. That doesn't have anything to do with it. I just wondered. Just what? I just was wondering if it was about anything special. Anything wrong with that? No, no. Not a thing. Oh listen David we're going to have to sit right down at the table when he comes or my leg of lamb will taste like a wooden leg. It's probably him now. He? He what? He is at the door. I know it. That's why I'm answering it. I give up. You'll never talk correct English. What did I say wrong now? Hello. Hello Roger. Roger can you understand what I say when I talk? Most of the time. You see David he understands. He's a mind reader. I'm frightfully hungry. We'll wait till after dinner and then we'll decide about those barns. I've been looking forward to it all afternoon. Barns? What barns? David and I had some idea about redoing it. Oh what's the matter? Did I say something wrong? No, no, no. Only this is something that's a surprise to me. That's all. Well I don't quite remember. David you could have told me about the barn. No darling. That's worth my magic. I wasn't trying to keep a secret from you. Much you weren't. We were just going to discuss darling whether we're going to reconstruct the old barn or start building completely fresh. That's all. I don't think we ought to go spending a lot of money on barns. We're not going to be living in them. I'm sorry I brought it up David. By the way that must have been quite a fire you saw last night. I thought you David was telling me. It was very exciting. And it made me think David have you insured the house? I took over Tucker's policy. How much was it for? Three thousand. I've been meaning to... Three thousand? Is that all the house is worth to Tucker? He had some nerve charging us ten thousand for it. Now hold on darling. That three thousand is just for the house. It doesn't include the land. You can't insure land. Well even so. David I hope we haven't gotten gypped on the house. If Mr. Tucker thinks... We haven't. Don't worry about it. As a matter of fact Roger I'm planning to buy a new policy right away. But David we've got a new policy already. We have? Don't you remember? We took it right out after we signed the deed. David's forgotten. Darling the insurance we signed in the county courthouse in Bridgeport, Connecticut was something else again. It was insurance to insure that the deed was legal. Oh. It had nothing to do with insuring the house. No? No. But the deed was all about the house wasn't it? Yes. This was an insurance policy on the deed. So it must have been about the house too. No? Claudia don't you see you've got something there David. Now you see why I didn't mention this to her before. I see very well. Well shall we eat? It's already in waiting for me. Yes. Baby. Baby. We're not going to buy any more insurance until you find out what that other kind we have is all about. That's your last word on the subject? Yes. Good. Now Roger what kind of a policy did you... It's a policy that will insure you for the... Policy? Why is insurance called a policy for heaven's sake? What's that? Why is a policy called a policy? I thought that's what you said. It's a good question David. Then you answer it Mr. Killian. You didn't ask me. You answered it. Let's eat. Well why? Claudia buying insurance is really like making a contract with the insurance company. Then why isn't it called a contract? Some insurance is. Then why is it? Frankly I don't know. Do you David? I'm sure that there's a reason and that it's good. Well? It's called a policy because... Oh I saw you winked Roger. But I'll forgive you. Now the leg of lamb David. Roger. Just one question about this policy you have in mind. What does it cover? Fire and related hazards. Very cheap tools. What are related hazards? Oh oh. Catastrophes. I don't think we'll have any of those. Will we David? Well we do want to be covered for fire. I should say. But David, if the house does burn down, if we lose everything we own in a fire, getting a little bit of money for it won't pay me back. Well that's nice sentiment darling. But a little bit of money will come in handy. You know down deep I don't believe. I don't think I believe in the principle of insurance. You... What? That's right. I don't think I believe in it. Let's see. No I think I'll see this through right now. I can't even discuss it. Not to believe in insurance. Claudia, do you also mean life insurance? Especially life insurance. No. Buying life insurance is a wonderful way to save money. What's so wonderful about it? It seems to me that the most wonderful way to save money is just not to spend it. But buying life insurance makes you save it. You have to meet premiums. Where does that money go David? You're always sending off checks and we never even see it again. If we needed that money all of a sudden, I wouldn't know where to go to get it. As a matter of fact I don't think we could get it at all. All we'd do is borrow it back at a very low rate of interest from the life insurance company. Borrow it back? But David it's ours. Why should we borrow it? Because... in fact it's not ours. Not ours? But you just said it was. Well it is ours but it's part of our agreement with the life insurance company that they keep it in order to increase the cash value of the policy. It's ours and it's not ours and if we need it we have to borrow it like robbers. More than ever I don't believe in life insurance. I cannot listen to another word of this. It's sheer blasphemy. Please do let's eat. I just adore leg of lamb. David, why don't we just take our money and save it someplace where no insurance company would know where. And what would you do if I died? If you... I'd die too David. I wouldn't enjoy any money then. A trust fund is for women like you who think they're going to spend their capital. Oh it keeps them from being able to touch it. Let's not talk about it David. I don't like it. I'd even rather talk about insurance for the house than insurance for you. Fine. But first Claudia, where do you think the $30,000 you would get from my life insurance policy come from? Where do I think? Well you've been sending it in every month. Let's be way over that by now. I think you ought to stop sending their money David. You do. Well it's plenty by now. Darling I've got many more years to send them money before I put in as much as you'll get out. Really? If I should die tomorrow in a year or so... Oh must you talk like this? You would make an enormous profit on me. And that's another thing I don't like about insurance. The only way you can get even with the company is to die young. And I think it's dreadful to put somebody in that position. Don't you? You talk to her Roger. Let's get back to the house insurance policy. There's just one more thing I have to say. David I'm never going to let you buy or sell or whatever it is you do anymore of those insurance policies. Is that an ultimatum? It is. Claudia sounds exactly like every other woman I have ever spoken to about insurance. I do? You've touched it to the quick Roger. Claudia my dear, insurance is protection, a safety measure like suspenders. When you're wearing a belt. Let's get back to the house before we get into any more detail. Now what was some of the extended coverage on that floater you were talking about? Of course you'll cover the house to its utmost value, fire. Then there's smoke, hail, explosion, riot, vehicle explosion and tornado damage. And all for a dollar and a half more for premium. But is it worth it? You insure the house for twenty thousand, furnished, and for one dollar and a half more you get... David grab it! Grab it? What is such a bargain? Bargain? It's a funny thing to call it. I don't remember there having been an airplane hitting a house in Eastbrook in years. Or a riot on River Road five miles from anywhere. But there might... Of course the possibility of hail damage is not too distant. And there might be a tornado. A tornado? Certainly. You've heard of that haven't you? Not in Connecticut. One might come along and then what would we do if we weren't insured? Yes David, consider. Such a bargain David. Twenty thousand dollars for a dollar and a half? Better than bingo. I don't see what there is for you to even think about. I'll make a deal with you. If I take this dollar and a half worth of insurance, will you promise never to say another word against insurance as long as I live? It will be as long as I live David. Promise? Well... Oh, alright. I promise. Congratulations David my boy. That is a major victory. Oh I hope the leg of lamb hasn't minded waiting. We better eat and not another word. I'll put everything on the table. Well that was quite a victory Roger, but I am exhausted. That wife of mine, if she weren't so darn logical I wouldn't mind her disagreeing with me so much. She is logical, but thank your heavens she likes a bargain now and then. Think of me in weak. I don't own one annuity or life insurance policy. Now it's too late. You don't what? Oh don't don't don't tell Claudia, but my wife would never let me buy one cent of it, not one thin cent. The leg of lamb is ruined. Honestly, next time I buy one I'm going to insure it with a floater to cover unexpected company. This broadcast of Claudia... Well Mr. King, it looks like David won that bout doesn't it? Well yes Mr. Killian, but it was a pretty close fight there right to the end. But you know Claudia had me thinking. A person could save an awful lot of money on insurance and other things if it was possible to foretell the future. There are those who say you can. Oh you mean astrology and horoscopes. Oh you've got to believe in them. And I don't. And David doesn't. And I'm sure Claudia doesn't. Doesn't she? I don't know. Does she? I wonder. David's going to find out tomorrow Mr. Killian, because tomorrow Claudia discovers horoscopes. And that's going to be quite a discovery. Yes, I should say it would be. Good night. Good night Mr. Killian. As I was saying, this broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. If somebody edges you out of line at the meat counter, you can let it annoy you. Or you can decide to take it easy and have an ice cold Coke. You'll find a Coca-Cola cooler in more and more food stores these days. And there couldn't be a more fortunate spot for one. Because marketing does get to be a chore. And it's a comfort to be able to shop refreshed. 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. Or ice cold Coca-Cola makes any pause. The pause that refreshes.