Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents 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. Humming. Claudia. Claudia. David, you're early. Want me to go out and come in again? What did you say? I said turn that vacuum cleaner off so I can talk to you. If that's all you've got to say, it's not worth turning the machine off to hear you. What did you say? I said I can't turn it off till I finish my cleaning. What are you cleaning for? We're moving out of here in a week. You wouldn't want the next people to say we didn't keep the apartment nice, would you? Please, turn that machine off. I can't hear myself. What do I get if I turn it off? You'll get plenty if you don't. Stingy. How can you stand that noise all day long? I'm so used to it I hardly hear it. The other one is making all the noise. Don't I get anything if I turn it off? You won't be able to move out of here next week if you don't. David, what did you say? I said... Oh. I said we might not be able to move into our house next week. That's what I thought you said. Leave it off. I've got to make a phone call. Wouldn't you rather make it on a clean carpet? Paradiso doesn't care what our carpet looks like. Did you say you were going to call Mr. Paradiso? I did. Why do you have to call him? David, something's wrong. No, no, no, no, no. Nothing's wrong. Last week we couldn't move in by the 15th. The day before yesterday he changed his mind. Then this morning he called me and left word with Lottie. He wasn't sure we'd be able to move in after all. Why didn't you call him back sooner? Because I've been trying to get him all day and he isn't anywhere. But David, just two days ago he said the house would be ready. I know. What can have gone wrong now? I'll tell you when I talk to him and then I'll tell you. Operator, I'd like Eastbrook, Connecticut, 926, ring 3. My number is... Hey, hey, turn that off. You aren't talking, though. I don't know whether I am or not. I couldn't hear myself anyway. Honestly, to make such a fuss about a little vacuum cleaner. Hello? Hello? Oh, it's only ringing. I couldn't even hear it. I thought Paradiso was on. Did you have to do that? You aren't talking. It's still ringing. I'll turn it off the second you start talking. Hello? Hello? Hello? Still ringing. I guess he isn't there yet. Of course he isn't there yet. He must be over at our house. There isn't any telephone at our house. David, what are we going to do for a telephone? They promised to install it by the 17th. I wish I could get a hold of Paradiso. No phone till the 17th? What are we going to do until then? Assuming we can move in on the 15th, which is Thursday, that only leaves us without a phone for exactly one day. Before that day, I guess we'll just have to get along with the U.S. mail and maybe a carrier pigeon or two. Do they deliver the mail up in Eastbrook? Of course they do. Haven't you ever heard of the RFD? RFD? You mean President Roosevelt started the mail. What does President Roosevelt have to do with it? RFD. Isn't that what everyone used to call him? Oh. RFD is not FDR, spelled backwards. It stands for Rural Free Delivery, and that's us. It is? Didn't you ever notice the mailboxes along the road up in the country? Mailboxes? What mailboxes? You are a real New Yorker. Well, I've always lived here. Just what did you think those little oblong boxes with the curved tops were for? You know, standing along the road in front of every house. Do you know, David, I've kept meaning to ask you what those are ever since we first went to Eastbrook, and I always forgot. Oh, I see. Well, what did you think they were for? I thought they were for bread. For bread? Well, yes. Well, that's the way they're shaped. I thought the bakery people came driving down the road and put a loaf of bread in everybody's box. Are you kidding? It would just fit, wouldn't it? Well, I'll have to try it sometimes, besides... First we'll have to buy one. I thought we had one. I'm sure we haven't. Probably Jared Tucker took it with him, if he ever had one. And who'd ever write Jared Tucker any letters? He's better off than we are. I don't know whether we even have a house. Look, look, it's only half past three, darling. We could drive up there in an hour and be there before it gets dark. Hmm. Good idea. You ready to go? I was ready for half an hour. I hate to make a trip like that for nothing, but I just can't get ahold of Paradiso. That's a good sign, don't you think? It means he's working on the house. You've got a lot more confidence in that man Paradiso than I have. It isn't his fault. You're just a little discouraged. No, no, no, no. You were wrong there. I'm a lot discouraged. Oh, come on, Claudia. We're going right up to the country. We're going to start cleaning the carpet. Only takes a second. You know you always get tickets when you drive with a temper. Do you realize it just took us 58 minutes, and here we are on River Road? Look, that's the third one I've seen. The third what you've seen? A box with a little wooden bird's nail to it. What have you been doing all the time I've been driving, counting mailboxes? Of course, now that I know what they really are. It's too bad we can't live in one until our house is finished. I know our house is going to be finished in time. At least finished enough so we can move into it. And what little birdie on what little mailbox told you that on the way up here? No little birdies. That's just my instinct. You know, I've just been thinking about Mr. Paradiso, and I know he won't disappoint us. You do? He isn't the type. Is that all you have to say? That's all. Look, there's a yellow one. A yellow mailbox? I didn't know you were allowed to paint from yellow. In New York, you aren't allowed to. All the mailboxes are green. It's a stodgy color. In New York, the mailboxes don't belong to you. They don't belong to the post office. That's what I like about the country. In the country, everything that's yours belongs to you. Look, now look, David, your mailbox is the first thing people know you by. Look at that mailbox, David. Hey, slow down just for a minute. Pretty fancy, isn't it? That cutout with their name on it on the top of the box. Looks like a slice of wedding cake. Don't you know what the people inside are like just from looking at their box? Pretty fancy people, I suppose. I bet you 20 cents, everything inside the house is prettied up and just as silly looking as the mailbox. Ruffles on the curtains. And acres of chintz. Not like us at all. Well, we can't waddle here. Come on. Somebody's in a hurry back of us. There's a red mailbox. Yeah, looks kind of arty to me. Probably a painter lives there. Not like us either. No. Have you decided what you want for a mailbox? Something that's going to reveal our true personality. Well, I don't want any wooden squirrels standing on it. And it isn't going to be red or yellow, I can promise you that. Of course not. It's going to be soft, pale blue. Oh, to match the shutters, I suppose. To match our sun, silly. Blues for boys. You're sure it isn't pink you want? I'm sure. Just about as sure about that as you are that we're going to have a sun in the first place. Just as sure. Oh yes, and our name on it. Well, nothing elaborate. None of those scrolls. Just our name. In black. And a new post, to put it off. A white post. Right by the driveway. That makes it official. When the mailbox is up, it's our house and everybody who passes by can see for himself. Then I'll really feel it's our home. I'll really feel it's our home when we move in. Well, take a look right out there. Look at all the cars in the driveway. Oh, David, Mr. Paradiso must let us move in on the 15th. Looks like he has a lot of people working. But you know, Claudia, I really don't think he's going to make it. And I'm beginning to think he doesn't care much whether he does or not. David, what's that by the driveway? What's what? Oh, that. That's a mailbox. David, are you sure it wasn't there last time? Positive. It's a brand new mailbox. David, on a new post. I guess Paradiso... Oh, look at there. He's got a name on it already in fine black letters. Oh. Claudia, are you sure you didn't see it before? Never, darling. And that makes me sure that he'll be ready to... Hello? There he is. Hello. Hello, Paradiso. Hello, Mr. Paradiso. Well, what brings you here, Mr. and Mrs. Norton? You're about a week early. We just wanted to see what was going on. I got a message this morning that you won't have the place finished for us by the 15th. Nah, not a chance. I don't think we'll be finished until the 1st of May. But the mailbox, you put up the mailbox. Well, you noticed that, did you? You like it, Mrs. Norton? It's the finest mailbox on River Road. Yeah, but a lot of good that does us. It isn't big enough to move in and live in. Well, you won't have to live in the mailbox, Mr. Norton. What's wrong with living in the house? But you said the house won't be finished. That's right. The whole house won't be finished, but... I thought I'd better put my men to work on the part you're going to need right away. You know, the heating and the plumbing. I'll have your room, the kitchen, and the living room all ready for you by the 15th. And the annex? That's what I called about. I'm putting off the annex until we can get you moved in. I want your permission, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to do it that way anyway. Then we can move in by the 15th. You sure can if you don't mind a little hammering for a couple of weeks after you get here. We won't mind out a bit, will we, David? I think you made a pretty good decision, Mr. Paradiso. Of course he made a good decision. Why, he even knew what color we wanted for the mailbox. By the way, what made you pick out that blue, Mr. Paradiso? Looks good, doesn't it? Well, Mr. Norton, it matches your shutters, and thin blue is for boys, isn't it? I know your wife wants a son, and that's Paradiso for you. I'll do anything I can to help. Wherever there are teenagers, there's pretty sure to be Coca-Cola. Because young people count on Coke as the makings of a party. They like to have it available after classes, after exercise, or when they bring a few friends in. And at a nickel a bottle, it's easy to satisfy that wish, isn't it? Ask your grocer or gas station attendant to put a case of Coca-Cola in your car today. Then you'll have enough on hand for your own pleasure and the children's, too. I guess that mailbox of mine took the Norton's by surprise, Mr. King. Two very pleasant surprises. That and being able to move into the house on the 15th. Well, I like the Norton's. They wanted to move in the 15th, and I decided they would, one way or another. Well, now all they have to do is get the moving men to move them. Yeah, that shouldn't be very complicated. Shouldn't be, but moving men can be just as surprising as you, Mr. Paradiso. As I have a suspicion, we'll find out on Monday. I'll be around, Mr. King. So long. Goodbye, Mr. Paradiso. 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 Monday 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 Coca-Cola makes any pause, the pause that refreshes. And ice-cold Coca-Cola is everywhere. These programs star Catherine Bard as Claudia and Paul Crabtree as David. And the entire production is supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola.
