And Then There Were Four (1950)

[Music] [Applause] [Music] la [Applause] [Music] good morning glad you can move with us W it looks like another nice day not too hot not too cold nice morning to drive to work which most of the folks out this side of town do certainly has buil up out here the last few years of course the automobile made it possible driving were only 20 minutes from downtown and from our Eternal reward next few minutes we're going to meet some of the people down there none of them are all unusual no tycoons or movie stars or finers or just ordinary Everyday People in fact one of them will likely be a lot like you [Music] one thing they have in common is they all Drive automobiles they're good drivers too old they may get a ticket now then but it just be for some minor violation nothing theyd consider really dangerous these are like folks we know and those that kill and get killed are just names in the newspaper a little ways up the next street we're going to meet the sheridans Peggy um Mrs Sheridan that is used to be a lot of fun but her husband P died last year and didn't leave her much but the two youngsters hasn't been too easy getting along Peggy and the kids live in the left hand front Bungalow oh and my car keys now Cathy lunch is in the refrigerator you'll just have to heat it up and that address take good care of Billy you might let him play in that vacant GL I guess it's too warm for my coat I hope I've got enough gas now don't forget Billy's nap right after lunch I hate to have you miss school Kathy but we'll get a sitter as soon as mother gets a job now I'll be home by 5:00 sure clean up the breakfast dishes goodbye Billy be a good boy Kathy yes mother is my Pedic Co showing no goodbye goodbye mama what's the matter Kathy do you feel all right you didn't kiss me goodbye darling darling darling mother didn't mean to it's just well this last year you've had to help out so much you've been more like a sister than my little girl but we'll make up for it soon you'll see everything will be wonderful goodbye dear Goodbye Oh my person [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh hi Kathy playing hookie today huh uh-uh mom's gone downtown I had to stay home home and take care of the baby hey what's keeping you Holly I haven't got all night you know I had to hand up your briefcase well I thought as long as you were going out selling it it'd be kind of nice to have your price book Let's Go Darling I haven't got all night you know nice young couple aren't they name are Shelby Pat and Holly nice little car too the company supplies it Pat's a Salesman for the Westside Lumber Company Holly works too at one of the big department stores downtown and this is the last bus stop where a pat can drop her off before he turns West there's still some fresh Mary that kind of shy about kissing in [Music] [Music] public and now the family will meet next named Mall Mr Mall Tom he's worked up a neat little Insurance business which he hopes young buddy will take over when he grows up if he grows up that's Bud's hot rod in the driveway also known as a soup job or a hopup and despite the ramshackle appearance it has been clocked at 11 [Music] mph by buddy buddy coming if you think I'm going to make three separate breakfasts every morning you're greatly mistaken now buddy remember you're to come right straight home from school today dang it buddy do you have to eat like a disposal Mr kolic hasn't been here for 2 weeks and the lawn looks like a Hayfield a Christmas I promis bets I'd take her to the Belmar game you heard your mother the Lawn isn't cut your allowance will be a PO you heard me a heck Bye Mom bye dear bye pop all I can say is that I hope it's one of those phases we hear [Music] about that car is a Wonder to me he doesn't break his neck and do you realize that we can be sued for the damage he does it's a little rougher going over in this part of town but I guess rough going kind of the rule for people like Joe kolic Joe's a gardener though he'll take any work that's around I might tell you that Joe and his wife heta have set their hearts on a great goal all four of their kids they three that's here and the one that's coming they're going to start life with high school diplomas they're going to get somewhere oh Jo what you want for supper with my belly full of breakfast don't talk to me about eating say if Mrs mcco pay me today for last month would be good we take the kids to the beach maybe cook hot dogs over our fire right oh Joe don't forget to have those break Morning Joe you haven't been in lately usual big to today four gallon we take the kids to the beach tonight mil's okay going to take some wood out to the beach Joe I was out last Sunday and the Driftwood is about used up okay I'll check those tires no no need you should bother with the tires you got troubled enough with those brakes Joe without running around on a couple of soft tires let me get the hose we're a little richier up here on the hill but that's okay most of them are folks that worked hard maybe had a little luck now are enjoying the fruits of their labors now this house is the residence of the last folks on our team Dr and Mrs Harry I marks now Harry be sure and leave the office in plenty of time the David to coming to cocktails at 6:30 you have to change before that and then dinner with the walgrrens and you know how felmer is about sitting down on the dot okay I don't be here unless that idiotic young judge thinks up something to the contrary well where did I put that summon oh I think it's unfair I don't see why your lawyer can't just pay your fine like he always has try and get it out of your system before night Harry Fat Chance officious young fool well I've got a good mind to take this right up to the [Music] mayor well our friends are all on their way they're coming from their different sections of town into the main Boulevard and in a few minutes we'll find them all drawn together at the intersection of beverland Commonwealth you know probably not one of them oh maybe maybe Joe kic did and Holly but I'll bet not one of the others ever stops to think that when you say goodbye to somebody you may never see them again probably what made me think of that is of these five folks now all around us on their way to their daily Affairs only four will come home tonight that's too bad but that's the way it is yeah there they are all five all nice ordinary folks like I said all good drivers too with nothing more than the ordinary human failing Pat Shelby for instance a little bit slap Dash and thoughtless sometime forgets he's not all alone on the road and Joe cring well Joe really doesn't have time to keep his equipment in fancy condition buddy mcau and watching out of the corner of his eye for the first faint gleam of that yellow light Peggy Sheridan's got so many things in her mind it's just hard to keep thinking about just driving Dr Marx can never seem to just relax and take things as they come well there they go all smart and healthy it's really hard to believe that one of them will be still and quiet come night Beverly and Commonwealth remember those [Music] names Mr Brightman I want you to promise me you won't be back here again hry ey marks excessive speed and following too close and preceding vehicles guilty or not guilty your honor if you will study that file I believe that you'll agree that the arresting officer should be reprimanded sorry Dr marks I cannot listen to a statement until you plead guilty or not guilty you can't high pressure me into a pleading guilty nobody is trying to Dr Marx but you have no legal standing before this court until you plead oh well perhaps on some silly technicality guilty it's utterly absurd issuing tickets like this on some Penny an offense well the city it'd be a lot better off if the police spent their time chasing criminals dangerous driving is Criminal Dr Marx a wheel can kill a man as quick as a gun we have to have rules of the road for the same reason as in basketball and baseball if each driver obeyed them all other drivers would know what to expect 45 mph in a 25 M Zone following too closely two prior violations the fine will be $25 that's utterly ridiculous $25 for a trivial minor violation my dear sir and the rest of you here in this court let's get one thing straight right now this court recognizes no such thing as a minor violation lucky violations yes but not minor the divid fing line between a minor violation and a charge of manslaughter is usually a tenth of a second and a lot of luck all right all right where do I pay on second thought Dr Marx I think it best if you don't buy your way out of this $25 won't make a lasting impression on you and it certainly won't teach you proper driving habits I therefore withdraw the fine and sentence you to 3 days in jail or if you so elect to the remainder of the day at belmare high school there to attend all classes of the day in the driver education and training [Music] courses Dr Marsh has been having quite a day lately he's been going through certain driver testing devices which check your tendency to the most common types of accidents this particular Gadget checks how fast you react to various Highway emergencies and the unhappy doctor is finally going to beat young Connie Moos or die trying when the light flashes you slap on your brakes 610 of a second well at 40 m an hour he'd roll 123 ft before he brought his car to a stub it's quite a ways and now young Connie licked him again and no respect for age failure to concentrate and nothing but concentration will help a driver who has what's called tunnel vision the kind of eyes that see only Straight Ahead blind to what may be coming from either side speeding and Lane changing in today's razzled Dazzle traffic you've got to judge right down to a hair how fast cars are coming at you just how far they are away so the idea here is to pull the two model cars exactly even with each other and it's the poor downtrodden doctor's last chance to [Music] [Applause] win [Music] [Applause] [Music] well the tide of traffic has turned and another day is coming to a close and it did turn out nice for everybody just we expected Peggy Sheridan got her job Dr markx got an education Pat Shelby got his Lumber contract Joe Crowley got paid buddy McCall got to kiss Betty bit behind the grandstand very successful day they're all driving along toward home now most of them taking a chance in an occasional minor violation as usual and most of them getting away with it also as usual can't tell taking up chances and you may gain much as 15 20 seconds on the Homer trip I'm sorry I have to see this it won't be what you call pretty that's one of our folks in there I I guess you knew that developments are expected and the White House will issue a further statement later tonight on the local scene a fatal automobile crash a few minutes ago at the corner of Beverly in Commonwealth snuffed out the lives of at least one motorist and a truck driver when the local vehicle outbound on the boulevard claimed by witnesses to be driving in an erratic manner burst into flames after colliding with a heavily loaded Overland truck and trailer the driver of the truck was instantly killed but the fire has so far prevented identification of the local driver at the state capital today the fate of the ref I can't imagine what's detaining Harry he's usually so punctual when we have guests oh come now over here we heard it too but don't go jumping to conclusions with probably 50,000 drivers coming home along the boulevard the chances are 50,000 to oh I know Harry isn't one of the best drivers in the world but he's certainly one of the luckiest I remember just yesterday morning he was driving me to town you know how Harry is impatient at times and he sort of inclined to ride the bumper of the car ahead but Annie wife is going to start imagining what would happen if he got impatient and unlucky at the same [Music] instant as I said that was too much for John after all he said to the officer it was only a minor violation you can't do I'm sorry I thought I heard a car where's mommy mommy's M up Billy don't say such things Mama's all right she's always all right but all right isn't what she's picturing in her anxious young mind you know I feel bad enough for the drivers who smash themselves up but I feel a lot worse for the folks that are left at home waiting and worrying I'm hungry where's Mommy [Applause] hello oh hello Dad oh it's just that Pat's not home yet no of course I'm not worried don't be silly you know him and his lucky star nothing ever happens to Pat no nothing ever happens to Pat that is nothing ever happen has happened to Pat uh I'll have to call you back later something's burning on the stove I'll come away from the window it's bad luck to watch good to the bedroom take off your coats so that Papa won't see you with waiting papa wants to have us a swell right so he's getting his car fix that's all you remember she asked him just this morning get the brakes fixed but what if he didn't take the [Music] time when you hear the tone the time will be exactly 7:32 and 1 12 thought my watch might be a little fast don't know what gave me the idea Molly you don't suppose I was a little too harsh with him this morning do you oh no of course not Tom it's just that he's at that irresponsible age anyway he was going to take Betty to the Belmar game after school today remember mhm and he's got to get rid of that that gasoline pogo stick it it isn't safe it should be safe he's young and smart of course there are other drivers on the same road not so young and smart hello Mother hi pop isn't dinner ready yet oh buddy pop what's the matter you look like you've seen a ghost buddy you've got to get rid of that car you've had your mother scared half to death what's the matter with my car don't blame me for being late I hit 70 on the way home blame that Dopey old driver that crawled over in front of me without looking say how about a little dinner I'm hungry go get your head and coat you got the break fixed today but why she stopped fine with the emergency I get her fixed sometime so we got the picnic like I promise yeah get some milk from guys oh evening folks oh Harry hello Ida hello Harry evening George sorry to hold up the schedule this way but are you all right dear well of course I'm all right no thanks to the kind of drivers we've got in this town you know I've said it for years what are you hanging on to me for Sylvia 90% of them you know have no right to be alive going like maniacs cutting across traffic going walking away from the road jumping Lanes running stop signs and uh following Too Close huh okay okay following too close and what do they say when they get a ticket it was only a minor violation but believe you me the only difference between a minor violation and sudden death is a tenth of a second and God's Providence anyone here see this accident happened I saw it I have name J will you follow me over here the books all say we learned by experience now sometimes I wonder young buddy mcau for example Joe kolic both of them brushed hands with death today neither of them seem to learn anything they'll drive the same way tomorrow take the same chances maybe they'll even keep on being lucky maybe for quite a while like I said it makes you wonder we may have to call you well I certainly hope you do it's nothing short of murder to drive an automobile like that yeah you'd think so but until somebody got in the way it was nothing but a minor violation driver picked the wrong time that's all 61t 61t correction on your last call should be 1056 North Cedar for notice on accident victim hey that's right up near me just south of Hillsdale one of them courts I'm nearly Out of My Head Daddy it's his bowly night and he's always early I just know something's happened to him isn't there anything you can do it stopped I think it's mama's car she's all right pth is that you path Mama oh Mama well which one of us going to break the news this time hello flip your heads you're up all right and uh sent a man up from welfare to look over the papers and property no not much seems to be no surviving relatives the father is dead better send out a plain car with a police matron oh and ask the lieutenant to see if St Mary's will take them men for the night until there's a formal commitment but daring I thought you were dead what made you so late oh one of those badge happy cops hung a ticket on me even so I made it all the way out in 21 minutes made every light if you're not too legal about a couple of yellows oh no don't worry about the ticket baby three bucks will cover it was only a minor violation it was only a minor violation [Music] oh