Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents Claudia. Based on the famous 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. Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum. La la la la la la la. David, what time will we leave for Eastbrook tomorrow? I have to be in the office all day, but I'll try to get there early so we can get up there before dark. Oh, I've never seen Eastbrook in the dark. It's just the way it is in the bright, except you can't see it. That makes sense. Only I can't imagine, will it be very quiet and still or? Oh, it'll be shouting tomorrow night. What'll it be? Frogs and crickets. In April, I'll bet. This April they will be. They'll be shouting. Welcome to Eastbrook, Mr. and Mrs. Norton. What about the birds? Aren't they going to say anything? The birds? Oh, of course. The birds will say, uh... That's lovely. What does it mean, David? Means? What I'm saying, uh, we're all very glad to see you. Oh, and another is saying, glad you were in a thrush to get here. And the biggest and wisest bird of all is saying, what a lark, what a lark, what a lark. What a lark. Oh, darling. Seriously. Now that the time's come, how do you feel about it? Well, it's sort of going to be like beginning all over again, isn't it? I've never held a field before, a milk to cow or... What other animals are we going to have? Chickens? Oh, of course. Pigs? Sows. Sows what? A sow, Mrs. Norton. There's a female pig. It is? I mean, she is? What do you know? Say, David, you know animals are amazing, there's a female for every kind? What's so amazing about that? I mean, the name is different. A cow and a bull, a hen and a rooster, a sow and a pig. A boar? Who's a boar? A male pig. He is, why? That's what he's called. Well, that's not very nice. Does the sow think he's a boar, too? You'll have to ask her. I will. Darling, before you do, he's spelled B-O-A-R, not B-O-R-E. Oh, why didn't you say so? I just did. Then there's a mare and a horse. Stallion. Stallion, what's a stallion? A male horse. You see what I mean? I thought he was just a horse. It's much more complicated than people. We're only men and women. Boys and girls and spinsters and bachelors and aunts and... Well, somehow it's not as complicated. Ask any horse. He'll tell you it's much more complicated. No, he'll say, nay, nay. And now and then I fear me that nature is going to have a terrible influence on you. Well, we'll soon find out. And from now on, I'm going to look ahead, never back. Darling, you're not afraid to look back, are you? I... That's the phone. Saved by the bell. Who do you suppose? Mama. Ah, that's my line. Besides, it isn't, she's too busy packing to call it. David, you are sweet to convince her to come with us. I am as sweet as sugar. Hello? Yes, this is Mrs. Naughton. Who did you say? Mrs. Lansing. Oh, you mean Patricia Lansing's mother? Well, hello. Who's Patricia Lansing? She was in dramatic school, wasn't she? Tonight at the Circle Theatre. What about the Circle Theatre? Well, that's wonderful. I didn't know she was in a play. Patricia's at the Circle Theatre tonight? And there are two tickets for us at the box office. Well, that's very sweet of you, but we... Take them, take them, take them. But I don't think I want to go. Of course you do, darling. You know you love the theatre, the opening nights especially. Well, hello, Mrs. Lansing. I guess we can go after all. They'll be in the box office in our name. Well, thank you. Oh, yes, of course we'll see you backstage afterwards. Goodbye. Oh, and wish Pat good luck for me, would you? Pat has the ingenue lead in Strange Harbor opening tonight. Funny I didn't know anything about it. With everything you've had to do, it's no wonder. When we were at dramatic school, Pat and I used to audition for the same part. And I'll bet you won every time. I wish I had. Oh. Well, darling, if we're going to make the curtain, we'd better hurry. Yeah, I suppose we have. We have about 25 minutes to get there. We have to dress. That doesn't leave us much time. This is the last thing on earth I expected tonight. I thought you and I would... I think it's a perfect way of celebrating our last evening in New York. Because an opening night in New York, well, it's New York at its best. It will leave our last delicious parting taste. Oh, darling, I'd never forget how it tastes. Well, that was a pretty exciting play, don't you think? Oh, David, is there anything as exciting as when the lights dim and the audience quiets, the curtain goes off? I could feel the blood pounding in my ears. If it had been me instead of Pat, I would have been so nervous. I just could never have gotten from the wings onto the stage. Oh, you'd have made it. No, I wouldn't have. Well, we're out of the mob anyway. Now, how do we get to the backstage entrance? You want to go backstage? Yeah, don't you? I don't think so. Why not? It's the least we can do after Pat's given us the tickets. Well, I'll write her a note in the morning. Unless you really want... Didn't you know I was a frustrated stage door, Johnny? I knew. Maybe that's why you married me. You stole me right out of dramatic school, remember? And what the theater lost, I gained. I shouldn't think the theater would ever forgive me. The theater doesn't even know the difference. Poor thing. I remember we rehearsed a play here once. The stage is very deep. The dressing rooms are lovely. I love backstage. Oh, so do I. I think it's the most exciting place in the world. Oh, David, there'll be mobs and Pat won't really know whether we've come back or not. I suppose she'll go to Hollywood. Funny, when we were at dramatic school together, we used to kid about it. And we were going to be roommates. Now, I'm your roommate, so I wish you wouldn't look so sad about it. I'm glad. Now, here we are. Come in, whoever you are. I'm just changing, but you can come in. It's only us, Pat. We came to... Oh, Claudia, you darling. I'm so glad you came back. Pat, this is my husband, David Norton. Oh, Mr. Norton. Or may I call you David? Hello. David, by all means. You were wonderful tonight. You were just wonderful. Oh, was I? I was scared to death. I thought I'd lose my voice and forget all my lines, but once I got on this stage, it was as though I'd always been there. I really thought you were excellent, Pat. It was a very strong part to start out on, wasn't it? Just one of those lucky things. The girl I had got sick in Boston, so I got the part. Well, you certainly deserved it. I never expected to be able to do it, but, well, I had the most wonderful director. You know, Claudia, the day I read the part for the first time, I said to myself, this would be just perfect for Claudia Brown. Oh, don't be silly. I never could have done it. You always used to beat me to the leads in dramatic school, remember? Oh, the producer's giving a big party in about a half hour. Would you like to come? Oh, we'd love to, but we couldn't, Pat. We're moving to the country tomorrow, and... We'd better go now, hadn't we, David? Goodbye, Pat. Goodbye, Pat. Lots of luck. Thanks millions for the ticket. Oh, it's been such a rush, but I remembered this afternoon, and I just felt you had to be here, Claudia. Goodbye, darling. Goodbye. Call me sometime, darling, or drop into a matinee, and we'll have a long chat. I will. Goodbye. Good night, Pat. Oh, I'm so glad you liked me in the party. It's been the most thrilling evening. I just thought I'd die when the curtain went up. She hasn't changed at all? No. What, uh, what did you expect? I don't know just what I did expect. I just thought that when a person had an opening night playing me as a new lead in a play that's going to be a hit, that all of a sudden you look different and act different and just are different. That's, uh, that's also what people who aren't married think happens to people who get married. Here we are. Be, uh, be careful that step, darling. Yeah. Well, David, was she very beautiful? I'll let you in on a little secret. I like you better. You do? But you wouldn't like me better if I were glamorous, going to be a big success, Broadway star. Mmm, darling, I wouldn't like you better. Maybe even not as well. Pat was a big hit, wasn't she? Oh, I dare say she'll be off to Hollywood before I get the summer corn planted. That's a funny comparison. Or is it? So much can happen overnight. Overnight, Pat's become a star. And overnight we're moving to a farm in Eastbrook, Connecticut. Would you like to trade places? Oh, I, I couldn't possibly have played that part tonight. Pat seemed to think you could have. Maybe once, but not anymore. I just don't think I could act anymore. Doesn't matter, I don't think, I don't have to think about it anymore either. Only I... Only what? Only nothing. Oh, I like walking in New York at night. You know, darling, I, I feel just the way you do. How do you feel? Do you think I'm not going to miss New York at night? All the lights, look at them. Broadway, all the excitement and crowds. Do you think sometimes I, I'm not going to say to myself, David Naughton, what on earth are you doing up here in Eastbrook? I wish I were walking down First Avenue listening to the tugboats or driving along Fifth Avenue seeing New York stretched out against the sky like a brilliant etching. I almost didn't want to go to the theater tonight. I almost couldn't face it. I know, that's why I wanted you to go. Is that why? Darling, you mustn't be afraid to look back. All that's been isn't over. We don't have to say goodbye to it. Just take it with you and you can taste it whenever you want to. That's easier said than done. Of course it is. Or we'd never have to say it. Earlier when you asked me if I was afraid about moving up to Eastbrook tomorrow, I couldn't even answer, David. Now I can. I'm afraid. That's good. Is it good? Because I don't feel like such a sissy. You a sissy? You'd be surprised how big a one. David, listen to the people, the cabs, all of New York. Tomorrow we'll be hearing of frogs and crickets and birds. David, I wouldn't trade places with Pat for the world. Because now I can't wait for tomorrow. Many years have passed since the friendly greeting, have a Coke, was first exchanged. Today it's become a national and international byword for easy hospitality. And in all that time the quality of Coca-Cola has never buried. Coke still brings you the pause that refreshes for the refreshingly low price of just five cents. Mr. King, were you at the opening night? I certainly was. And I think you were grand, Miss Lansing. Oh, thank you. I predict a great future for you. You do? Oh, I'm so excited. I can hardly bear to think about it. You and Claudia were very good friends, weren't you? Oh, the closest friends. We made all our plans together. It's sort of strange now thinking of Claudia being married, going to have a baby and moving to a farm tomorrow. Claudia's not quite used to the idea herself, but I think she likes it. I don't blame her. Sounds wonderful, really wonderful. Well, tomorrow's the big day. Oh, I wish them everything that they want. We all wish them that. Tomorrow's their opening night on a farm. I'll keep my fingers crossed for them. Good night, Joe. Good night, Pat. And congratulations. And as I was about to say, 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 Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes. And ice-cold Coca-Cola is everywhere. This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. And now here's a word from your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola.