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. It certainly is different eating breakfast on a day like today. Breakfast is the same. Oh, not to me it isn't. The orange juice is more orangey, the eggs are more eggy. There she goes again, Mama. Poor old Claudia, her orange juice has gone to her head. Trouble with you two is you have no soul. David, now honestly tell me. Doesn't everything taste different when you don't have to rush off to the train? I usually have time just to taste it, that's all. Oh, it's a beautiful morning too. I'm so glad you're staying home with me today. I did not stay home with you young woman, so don't get conceited. Then what did you stay home with? The United States government. Oh, poor crowded. I don't see any United States government around this house do you, Mama? In every corner, under every carpet. Isn't it too bad we don't have election day more often? Then David could stay home more often. David, when you go downtown you can drop me off at the station, can't you? Is there any special train you want to catch, Mother? No, they run fairly often in the morning, don't they? Punctual as a timetable. Fine. You're just going to vote and come right back out to Eastbrook, aren't you, Mama? Do I have to tell you now? That's telling me. I'll call you from New York and that's my last word. What are you going in for? Dentist appointments? I told you to vote. I know you, Mama. The dentist appointment came first, I bet you. Leave your poor mother alone. Thank you, David. I only wanted to know which tooth, but if she doesn't want to tell me. David, what are you going to do all day? I am going to vote. Well, that's not going to take you all day, is it? Might. How it might? I'm simply going to take my time at it. If you took all the time in the world at it, it still wouldn't take you more than five minutes. Yeah. Now how do you know? Have you ever voted? I studied it at school. David, she went to school. I'll vouch for that, but if she learned anything or not, I won't give you my opinion. All you have to do to vote is to go into a little closet by yourself, pull a little thingamajig on the quatsis, and that's your vote. Simple as pie. So how is it going to take you all day? Well, I want to think about it, find out a little bit more about some of the men who are up for office, talk to some of the fellas downtown, and take my time about it. You know, casting a vote is a very important matter. Important, poor thing. It's a beautiful day in your home from the office, and I don't see why you should waste it all by voting. Well, when you're older, maybe you'll understand. That's something else I want to discuss with you. Uh-oh. Uh-oh's right. Why does a person have to be 21 to vote anyway? Well, because that's the way it is in the Constitution. Well, it's high time somebody did something about it. I'm half tempted to write a letter. Go ahead. Write a letter. Who are you going to write a letter to? Oh, I don't know. There are plenty of people who should know about this. If I'm old enough to give birth to a citizen, I'm certainly old enough to be able to vote. Who says? I says. And what's more, I think to vote, it's even more important to be intelligent than it is to be old. Then you'll never be allowed to vote. You're lucky that all you'll have to know is to be able to read and write. Well, anyway, I feel very left out of things. I don't think there's any excuse. Mama's voting, David's voting, Fritz and Bertha are voting. By the time I'm old enough to vote, Bobby will be old enough to vote too. Your daughter is given to slight exaggeration, Mrs. Brown. Yes, slight, Mr. Noel. To get back. How are we going to spend the day, David? It's not every day your office is closed in the middle of the week. Ooh, we'll see. We'll see, we'll see, we'll see. Just because you vote, you talk like an old man. Well, I'm through with breakfast. I too. Well, on going upstairs and get myself ready, David. You're right, Mrs. Brown. It's discrimination. That's what it is, discrimination. That's what what is. Not letting me vote. Are you sure there isn't a law someplace that says mothers are allowed to vote no matter how old they are? I'm sure there is no such law. I bet there is. Should be. What's more, you aren't fit to vote, young woman. Well, that's a nice thing to say to your one and only wife. If I'm good enough to have married you, certainly I'm good enough to vote. Not at all. I'm just easy to please. Thanks. I don't even think you know who's running for what. Now, what do you take me for, a moron? I refuse to answer on the grounds that anything I might say would be incriminating. Oh, company. Tucker here. Oh, Tucker. The door was open, so I just up and walked in. Mr. Tucker, welcome to the Naughton residence. Well, what are you doing here, Mr. Tucker? I thought you'd be downtown electioneering. I come by to pick you up, son. Thought you might like to ride downtown with me. That's very nice of you, Mr. Tucker. I certainly would like to ride downtown with you today. Do you have to go this minute? I'd like to get down early, Mrs. Naughton. I'd like to get my vote in right there amongst the first. Well, I'm ready anytime you are. Who are you going to vote for, Mr. Tucker? Now, now, young lady, that's a leading question. Leading? Leading where? Cluck. A man's vote is his own private property, like the zeroes onto his bank account. You won't hear me spilling the beans. I thought everyone went around telling who they were going to vote for. Well, when you vote for the President of the United States, it don't matter very much, because he ain't a personal relative of yours. But when you vote on the Eastbrook town ticket to keep your mouth shut, yep, shut, shut tight. At least Jared Tucker does. I've got too many friends and too many enemies running for office. Say, there's some questions I want to ask you, Mr. Tucker, about the records of some of the men who are up for election. I'll be glad to give you any information you want, without bias, without pretentious, just my personal opinion. Well, let's get going then. We'll talk in the car. David, you're in such a hurry. You're only one of millions of people, so it doesn't matter which way you vote much, does it? But it does matter very much, darling, whether you're one of millions or one of 200. Doesn't it, Mr. Tucker? I was about to say, Mr. Norton, I don't care how you vote. When you're electing the President, the Vice President in the high muckety-mucks, you vote your party. You vote Republican, you're Democrat, or whatever else you want to vote. But when you're voting for the Eastbrook select men, the Eastbrook head of the Board of Education, or for an Eastbrook judge, then politics don't matter to me. They don't matter to me one drop. No. By politics, you mean Republican or Democrat, is that right? Yeah, if you can forget all that party stuff when you're voting in your hometown, vote for your man. That's my motto. Whether he's got red hair, blue hair, brown eyes, or blue eyes, whether his great grandfather was Vice President, whether he owns 400 acres of farmland, or whether he gives buckets of dollars to his party, that don't matter to me neither. Vote for your man. For all I care, you can split your ticket higher in a kite. Split your ticket? What's that mean? You know what a ticket is. Certainly a ticket is the little things you get when you go on a train or go to the movies. A ticket is also the choice of candidates for election of office. What do you want to split it for? Splitting a ticket, Mrs. Norton, means voting not according to a party, but according to a particular man, choosing the best, no matter what party he's from. But I thought that's what voting always was, choosing the best possible man. That's what voting always should be, but don't always work out that way. I figure that in national elections there's something to be said about the party system, but when it comes right down to a local election, I want the best man in the job, and I don't care nothing about anything else. Yeah, my feeling is precisely. Hey, you know, this is getting exciting. It seems much more personal than I thought it would. David, you are actually going to have something to do with the people who are going to Ronnie's. You're darn right I'm going to have something to do with them. And believe you me, Mrs. Norton, if this town is run correct, the country will be run correct too. If Eastbrook can govern itself well, if its citizens can take their responsibilities for matters of justice, if we sell our grain at a reasonable price and if we live the way we should live, then I ain't going to have anything to worry about when it comes to the United States of America. Because when it's all said and done, the United States is just a collection of Eastbrooks. Oh, say, Mr. Tucker, I understand that Hankins is running for sheriff. Lawyer Hankins? Down off Main Street. Maybe Lawyer Hankins is the lawyer who settled the deed on this house and arranged for the bill of sale. That's who he is. That's who. You mean he is running for sheriff? That's what he is, yes, that's what. I never knew anybody who was a sheriff before. Well, he ain't sheriff yet. Not yet, no. You voting for him? Well, I ain't saying. He's an awfully nice man. Does he want to be sheriff badly? Bad enough to run for it. Well, then I hope he gets it. Well, wanting ain't the reason enough for getting it, ain't. Who's running opposite Lawyer Hankins? Ah, Amos Peters is running opposite Hankins. What about Peters? Oh, he ain't a feller you've heard much of. Quiet sort of. Sort of a principled man, you might say. He's a good citizen. I'm not so sure he wants this job. Well, if Amos Peters doesn't want the job and Lawyer Hankins does... Thank you, Mr. Tucker. I think you've influenced my vote. Ain't influenced nothing, son. You vote your conscience. And always be a little suspicious of people in high places that want things too much. You know, this is all so personal. If I were allowed to vote, I'd feel as if I were sort of... putting my hand right plunk into the middle of the government. You would be. For the first time in my life, I wish I were older. I have to wait two years. Oh, dear. Just think, David, all over the country today, people are going to the polls and they're voting. Imagine. Millions and millions of people all getting their chance to speak their piece. Choosing among their neighbors and friends and enemies, the men and women who are going to govern them. It's a very special honor. It's democracy. And ain't to be given to everybody. Well, it should be. Yep, that it should, yes, indeed. Should be given to each man and woman born the right to speak up for herself. We're kind of lucky we're where we are, ain't we? We certainly are. David, you take your time voting. Vote carefully. You're voting for me and for Bobby. David, since the whole world is watching us today. Yep, the whole world is watching all right, all over Europe. People in Germany, France, all the slave people of the world watching America vote. The common people are watching with hope in their hearts. The tyrants with fear in their hearts. It's just kind of exciting, ain't it? And important. When young people plan a party, they seldom raise the question, what do we serve? Because the answer is a foregone conclusion. It's Coke. Wherever they meet, whatever they do, ice cold Coca-Cola is part of the picture. They like to have Coke on hand at home to offer friends and to enjoy themselves. If there are young folks in your household, why not please them by bringing home a case of Coke today? Hold on there a moment, Mr. King. Don't start off on another sentence till I talk to you. All right, not another word. What's on your mind, Mr. Tucker? Oh, nothing on my mind. Just on my tongue. I was aiming to offer you a lift downtown if you were aiming to be going. Well, that's awfully nice of you. And as a matter of fact, Mr. Tucker, I was aiming to be going. Well, there's room for you here in the truck. While you finish what you're saying, I'll go up and take a wink at young Master Norton. I ain't set eyes on him for weeks. Well, that Bobby is a mighty big boy now, you know. Something to be proud of. At least as far as David and Claudia are concerned. David Norton ain't the dope-in-kind-of-father, is he, hey? You think he is? Well, I think he could be, and I couldn't tell you exactly right now, but tomorrow I'll know the answer to that question. Oh, well, eh? Well, you'll have to pass it on to me. In the meantime, finish up what you were aiming to say and say it quick. Well, Mr. Tucker, I wasn't going to say anything very much. You didn't interrupt anything that hasn't been done here before. I was just of a mind to tell you that 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, friends, 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. The parts of Claudia and David on this program are played by Catherine Bard and Paul Crabtree. And the entire 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.