March 8, 1951
Screen Directors Playhouse was a radio anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadcast adaptations of films, and original directors of the films were sometimes involved, although their participation was usually limited to introducing the radio adaptations, and a brief “curtain call” with the cast and host at the end of the program. The series later had a brief run on television.
The radio version ran for 122 episodes and aired on NBC from January 9, 1949 to September 28, 1951 under several different titles: NBC Theater, Screen Director’s Guild Assignment, Screen Director’s Assignment and, as of July 1, 1949, Screen Director’s Playhouse.
“Bachelor Mother” was sponsored by Chesterfield, Anacin, and RCA and heard on NBC radio.
Bachelor Mother (1939) is an RKO romantic comedy film directed by Garson Kanin, and starring Ginger Rogers, David Niven and Charles Coburn.
The screenplay was written by Norman Krasna based on an Academy Award-nominated story by Felix Jackson written for the 1935 Austrian-Hungarian film Little Mother. It was included among the American Film Institute’s 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies. The film featured future “Lucy” actors Barbara Pepper, Irving Bacon, Jack Chefe, Florence Lake, Nestor Paiva, Harold Miller, and Amzie Strickland.
It was remade as Bundle of Joy starring Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher in 1952. The original film was re-released in 1945 and made its television debut in 1964.
RKO disliked the title Little Mother and tried out Nobody’s Wife and She Said I Do before settling on Bachelor Mother. In Denmark it was known as Polly’s Baby.
Bachelor Mother was adapted for radio on nine occasions between 1940 and 1952:
- January 22, 1940 ~ “Lux Radio Theater” starring *Ginger Rogers, Frederic March, and *Frank Albertson
- February 1, 1942 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Laraine Day, Henry Fonda, and *Charles Coburn
- November 23, 1942 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Ann Sothern, Fred MacMurray, and *Charles Coburn
- November 21, 1944 ~ “Theatre of Romance” starring Shirley Booth, Richard Kollmar, and Jack McBride
- December 24, 1944 ~ “Old Gold Comedy Theater” starring Brenda Marshall, Louis Haywood and Jack McBride
- May 6, 1946 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring *Ginger Rogers, *David Niven, and Francis X. Bushman
- April 28, 1949 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Lucille Ball, Joseph Cotton, and *Charles Coburn
- March 8, 1951 – “Screen Director’s Playhouse” starring Lucille Ball, Robert Cummings, and Arthur Q. Bryan
- April 20, 1952 ~ “Screen Guild Theater” starring Ann Sothern and Robert Stack
* = original film cast repeating their roles
Synopsis ~ An unemployed woman discovers an abandoned baby on the steps of an orphanage, and accepts an offer to take responsibility for the child in return for a job.
CAST
Lucille Ball (Polly Parrish, Toy Department Clerk at Merlin & Son and Bachelor Mother) previously appeared for Screen Directors Playhouse in “Her Husband’s Affairs” (May 22, 1949), “Miss Grant Takes Richmond” (May 19, 1950), both films she had appeared in on screen, and “A Foreign Affair” (March 1, 1951), the previous week.
On screen, the role was played by Ginger Rogers.
Robert Cummings (David Merlin, Son of the owner of Merlin & Son Department Store) first worked with Lucille Ball in “The Ricardos Go To Japan” (November 1959), and in a 1972 episode of “Here’s Lucy.”
In 1973, Cummings returned to “Here’s Lucy”.
On screen, the role was played by David Niven.
Arthur Q. Bryan (J.B. Merlin, owner of Merlin & Son Department Store) had appeared with Lucille Ball in Look Who’s Laughing (1941). He is best remembered as the original voice of Elmer Fudd in the Warner Brothers cartoons. He played Mr. Chambers, new owner of the Tropicana in “Ricky Loses His Voice” (ILL S2;E9) in 1952.
On screen, the role was played by Charles Coburn.
Frank Nelson (Mr. Hargraves, Merlin & Son Floorwalker) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” “Fibber McGee & Molly”. and a dozen episodes of Lucille Ball’s “My Favorite Husband.” On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.” Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs, often playing store clerks like this one.
On screen, the role was played by Paul Stanton.
Herb Vigran (Freddie Miller, a co-worker of Polly’s at Merlin & Son) occasionally turned up on Lucille Ball’s radio show, “My Favorite Husband” (1948-50) in various roles. He appeared on “I Love Lucy” as Jule, Ricky’s music agent, in “The Saxophone” (ILL S2;E2) and “The Anniversary Present” (ILL S2;E3). He also played Mrs. Trumbull’s nephew Joe in “Never Do Business With Friends” (ILL S2;E31) and Al Sparks in “Lucy is Envious” (ILL S3;E23). He went on to appear on select episodes of “The Lucy Show” and Here’s Lucy.”
On screen, the role was played by Frank Albertson.
Sidney Miller (Jerome Weiss) was an actor turned director who performed opposite Lucille Ball in “Lucy Helps Ken Berry” (TLS S6;E21),
Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), and “Lucy Moves to NBC” (1980).
On screen, the role was played by Leonard Penn.
Jim Backus (Mr. Meachy) had appeared on Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband” but is best remembered as Thurston Howell the Third (aka The Millionaire) on TV’s “Gilligan’s Island”. His unique voice also gave life to Mr. Magoo. He appeared in two films with Lucille Ball: Easy Living (1949) and Critic’s Choice (1963).
On screen, the role is played by Ernest Truex.
Jerry Hausner (Johnnie the Baby) was occasionally heard on Lucille Ball’s radio show “My Favorite Husband” (1948-51) and played Jerry the agent in the “I Love Lucy” pilot and eight episodes of “I Love Lucy”. He also provided the off-screen crying of Little Ricky, Lucy Ricardo’s baby.
Jimmy Wallington (Announcer)
EPISODE
After acknowledging their sponsors, announcer Jimmy Wallington introduces “Bachelor Mother”.
Polly Parrish is working at a the toy counter of a Merlin & Son for demanding floorwalker Mr. Hargraves (Frank Nelson), who insists she keep the wind-up ducks wound at all times. Tomorrow is Polly’s last day due to the store’s ‘retrenchment’.
Hargreaves comes by the toy counter with the store owner’s son, David Merlin (Robert Cummings). Polly is not very friendly to him. Freddie (another store employee), however, is sweet on Polly. When he asks her out dancing she is not interested, until she hears there’s a dance contest with a $100 prize.
After leaving work with her friend Mary, Polly notices an old lady leaving a crying baby on a doorstep. Polly picks up the baby to soothe it. When the door opens, it is Mr. Meachy from the Atkins Foundling Home. He assumes that the baby is hers and she was about to leave it with them. She is unable to change his assumption.
POLLY: “My baby? I got this baby when I was waiting for a bus!”
Polly leaves the baby with Mr. Meachy and goes home.
Next morning at Merlin and Son, J.B. (Arthur Q. Bryan) chastises his son for being tardy. David says was out last night with a chorus girl named Gladys. Mr. Meachy has tracked down Polly at Merlin and Son and tells her that they have something for her – something that makes squealing noises and keeps the neighbors awake.
POLLY: “Mr. Merlin! A television set!”
That night, Polly opens the door to Mr. Meachy, who presents her with the baby – still believing she is the mother – and goes before she can object. Freddy knocks on the door for their date and Polly hides the baby. Every time Freddy starts to talk – the baby cries and Polly brings it out from behind the sofa. Freddie wants to know where it came from.
POLLY: “I got it for my birthday.”
End of Act One
Jimmy Wallington does a live RCA commercial, touting their new Fairfield model televisions. He then introduces the second act.
Act Two
Freddie and Polly arrive home after dropping off the baby and winning the dance competition. Unfortunately, it the first prize was not $100 but a silver loving cup. When Freddy tries to kiss her at the door, it swings open and David Merlin is there. He slugs Freddy, sending him tumbling down the stairs. Merlin has brought her back the baby.
DAVID: “Any mother who’d dance the Charleston after giving her baby away – it makes my flesh crawl.”
Polly is adamant that she is not the mother of the baby. He fires her and refuses a letter of recommendation. Before he goes, she decides to beg for her job back and lies that it is indeed her baby – saying the abusive father ran off and left her. She convinces him and he leaves.
Mrs. Weiss, the landlady, comes in. She thinks the baby is adorable and tells Polly she will help her take care of the baby – just the way she did with her son Jerome when he was small. Mrs. Weiss asks the baby’s name and Polly quickly replies “Joan” – until they open the diaper!
POLLY: “Oh! I didn’t say Joan, I said John. Hello, Johnnie!”
Freddie notices that Polly is exhausted at work. He asks her to put in a good word with Mr. Merlin for him regarding a promotion, and she sleepily agrees. David comes by and says that all babies demand lots of attention at that age. Mr. Hargreaves stops David and says he wants to know who to promote to assistant floorwalker. David suggests promoting the senior of the team – Freddie Miller.
At home Polly is trying to feed a fussy Johnnie. David Merlin drops by to bring her a book – “Guide for a Happy Baby”.
POLLY: “I’m sure he’ll enjoy reading it.”
David thinks she may be doing it wrong. They consult the book. He insists she rub the oatmeal on the baby’s navel, but when she reads for herself, he has skipped a page and given her directions for relieving gas. To distract the baby, he winds up a mechanical duck – but overwinds it. The baby gurgles and calls David “daddy”!
POLLY: “Grab a spoon, Mr. Merlin, you’ve just become a father!”
The next day at work, Freddie Miller has let his promotion go to his head, shouting orders to Polly and Mary. Wearing a disguise, David arrives to exchange the duck he broke at Polly’s last night. The exchanges clerk says that he’d have to take the duck back to the Banzai Toy Company in Yokohama!
When he is unsuccessful at making a return, he pockets a new duck. Freddie spots him and calls Mr. Hargraves, who recognizes him as Mr. Merlin. David orders Hargraves demote Freddie. Angry, Freddie says he has written a letter to J.B. Merlin about Polly and David!
It isn’t long before J.B. is confronting his son about the letter. J.B. is upset that David hasn’t told him about his grandson! Without realizing that his father thinks he is the father of Polly’s baby, David decides to ask Polly to a fancy party that evening.
He arrives at Polly’s apartment with a new duck and a request for a date. Mrs. Weiss can sit with the baby.
POLLY: “Is it a big party?”
DAVID: “Oh, tremendous. Everybody’s a millionaire. Except the butlers, they’re just regular Republicans.”
At the party, David introduces Polly as just over from Sweden. Polly gamely attempts some pidgin Swedish.
POLLY: “Ein, zwie, drie, drop dead!”
Polly is terribly popular at the party – so much so that David doesn’t see her until the taxi ride home. He passionately kisses her goodnight. A long, lingering kiss. David says he will meet them tomorrow on their Sunday walk through the park.
Next day, David and Polly meet in the park. David still doesn’t understand why his father is upset with him. J.B. has followed his son to the park and introduces himself to Polly. He asks her if he can hold the baby. After his father leaves, David suddenly realizes that his father thinks that Johnnie is his child!
At the office, J.B. yells at David that he’s been waiting 30 years for a grandson. He insists that he marry Polly at once. When David refuses, J.B. vows he will do whatever he has to do to get custody of his grandson.
David tells Polly that his father will take legal action to take Polly’s baby. When David tells her of J.B.’s ridiculous notion that he marry Polly, she dissolves into tears. She confides in Mrs. Weiss, who suggests she marry her boy, Jerome, instead. Polly convinces Jerome to come with her to see J.B. Merlin.
David Miller knocks on the door of Freddie Miller, and demands to know if he is the father of Polly’s baby. Freddie is taken aback – he thinks David is! David convinces him to help him with a scheme.
In J.B.’s office, Polly presents Jerome as her husband. David bursts in with Freddie, who he introduces as the father of Polly’s baby! Freddie and Jerome both contend to be the father! David assumes that Jerome is the REAL dad – the long-lost piano player of Polly’s past. Freddie confesses that he has been lying. They all accuse each other of fatherhood while J.B. asserts his grandparent’s rights!
Back at home, Polly tearfully packs. As she is leaving, David and J.B. approach and Polly and the baby hide in the landlady’s apartment. The men ask about Polly Parrish.
MRS. WEISS: “I don’t know any Lolly Poppish.”
Mrs. Weiss says that Polly left long ago. They step into her apartment to talk and David wonders aloud why he didn’t marry Polly – declaring his love for her. A mechanical duck suddenly waddles through in from the other room and David discovers Polly and the baby hiding. Before proposing to Polly, he sticks his head through the door and tells is father he IS the father of the baby after all.
POLLY: “You still think I’m the mother of that baby?”
DAVID: “Why certainly.”
POLLY: “Oh, David. Have I got a surprise for you!”
The End
Announcer Jimmy Wallington reminds viewers to tune in next week for “Thelma Jordan” starring Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey with screen director Robert Siodmak.
“Bachelor Mother” was presented courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures, distributors of the Howard Hughes production Vendetta starring Faith Domergue and George Dolenz
Lucille Ball can be currently seen in Columbia’s The Fuller Brush Girl
Robert Cummings can soon be seen in the Columbia Picture The Barefoot Mailman
‘BACHELOR’ TRIVIA
The film version of Bachelor Mother (1939), is mentioned in two episodes of “The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood” as a film Ginger Rogers at first refused to do – until she was taken off payroll for three weeks and finally relented. Although audiences loved it, Rogers continued to loathe the film calling it “a dog.” Coincidentally, Lucille Ball is also interviewed in the same two episodes.
The wind-up ducks in the 1939 film were played by Disney’s Donald Duck, who even gets screen credit, although on radio their identity remains vague .Clarence Nash, the original voice of Donald Duck, provided the quacking in the film, although there is no record of who provides it here.
The original film was set around Christmas and New Years, with several reference to the holidays and a huge New Year’s Eve party scene. Those were omitted from the radio broadcasts so as not to feel like holiday programming.
The Lucy character worked at a department store in “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (TLS S4;E17) on January 17, 1966. Although she worked in many departments, toys was not one of them!
She did, however, sublet the Unique Employment Agency to a toy wholesaler in a 1972 episode of “Here’s Lucy”. Although it was not a duck, Lucy seemed particularly amused by the wind-up dog and drumming bear, toys that also delighted Little Ricky on “I Love Lucy.”
Although not mechanical, Little Ricky previously played with Mr. Squawker, a rubber duck squeeze toy manufactured by Rempel Manufacturing of Akron, Ohio, that also turns up when “Lucy Tells the Truth” (ILL S3;E6). For more, take a look inside Lucy’s Toy Chest!
A snooty Elroy P. Clunk (Charles Nelson Reilly) dealt with returns and complaints at an unnamed department store in “Lucy the Crusader” (HL S3;E5) on October 12, 1970. Like the clerk at Merlin & Son, Clunk insists Lucy Carter’s broken stereo needs to be returned to the manufacturer. The script also jokes about the poor quality of products made in Japan.
Lucille Ball had done five films with the original Bachelor Mother Ginger Rogers, all of them before Rogers played Polly Parish for RKO. Ball and Rogers finally reunited on a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy” with Rogers playing herself.
An October 1976 episode of “Laverne and Shirley” is titled “Bachelor Mothers” and has the girls looking after a baby. Laverne and Shirley were often compared to Lucy and Ethel on “I Love Lucy.”
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