"How's Red?" "How's his band doing?" "Haven't heard it on the radio lately." "Red doesn't have a band anymore." "When our son died, he stopped caring about anything." "I'm going to be playing piano at a roadhouse." "Good Lord." "While the Great Depression was a time of constant trial and struggle on Walton's Mountain, those were, in some ways, easier, more simple years." "For we knew what the challenge was and what we had to do to meet it." "Hey, Ben, where's my lunch?" "But one time in 1937, when my brother, Jason, faced an unusual situation, he found that the answers were not quite as simple as they seemed." "Where's Jason?" "Guess he's still working on his recital." "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-S..." "S-I..." "You trying to spell Mississippi?" "Oh, I know how to spell it." "I just don't know when to stop." "Where've you been?" "I got a big recital today." "You know, last-minute cramming is all right, but not when it makes you late for class." "Who's cramming?" "I had to comb my hair." "You could have done that in the car." " How's it look?" " Terrible." "Morning, John." "Zeb." " Hey." " Morning, Yancy." "Oh, what a fine-looking string of fish." "I thought Olivia might like them." "I'm sure she would." "It's not the only reason I stopped by, though, John." "I need a place to stay for a couple days." "Uh-oh." "Some of the neighbors see you stealing their chickens?" "Makes them uneasy, you know." "You know better than that, Pa." "Yancy'd never let anybody see him." "No, it's nothing like that at all." "A skunk got under my house and I can't get him out." "Well, I've got a sure cure for skunks." " You take another skunk..." " Zeb," "I've tried every one of them." "Look, if I'd be any trouble at all to you," "I can always try and find someplace else." "Yancy, you know you're always welcome here." " I'm mighty obliged, John." " I'll go tell the women." "Maybe you could help Pa load up this firewood." "Yeah, give me a hand here, Yancy." "My hands are full." " Good luck today." " Thanks." " See you later." " Yeah." " Hey, Jason." " Yeah?" "Professor Thaxton wants to see you." "Good morning, Professor." "Lucy said you wanted to see me." "Sit down a moment, Jason." "Thank you." "I have a new idea for the recital." "I think you're gonna like it." "Jason, I have some rather bad news." "The Kleinberg Conservatory is in something of a financial squeeze." "There's gonna have to be some cutbacks." "Now, the unpleasant fact that we have to face right now is that the trustees have decided to discontinue the scholarship program." "That includes my scholarship." "Now, I want you to understand that this has nothing to do with your work here." "The recovery slowed, the stock market started back down again this year." "It's just been too hard for some people." "So I'm out." "No, Jason." "We're very pleased with your work here." "You just have to come up with the $300 tuition." "I did get the trustees to agree to let you pay in installments." "Well, that's great." "Just wonderful." "$300." "It might as well be $3,000." "You'll have to pay the first $100 by the end of next month." "You have any questions, Jason?" "Yeah." "How am I going to come with $100?" " Hey, Yancy." " Hi, Jason." "Thought I heard you sneaking around." "Oh, yeah, it's a good day to fish." "I was sorry to hear about your scholarship." "Yeah." "What do you think you're gonna do?" "That's what I've been trying to figure out." "Come on, you little sucker." "Well, you still got that job with Bobby Bigelow and the Haystack Boys." "That don't pay near enough." "I got to find me another job." "Trouble is, there ain't any, though." "I was at that cafe on Route 29 the other night." "When I was out there, they said they needed a fellow to play piano, sing songs." "Okay, thanks a lot." " Ma'am." " Good afternoon." "I understand you're looking for a piano player." "Well, that's right." "I'd like to apply for the job." "Well, I really had in mind someone of more experience." "Oh, I have experience." "You've heard of the Haystack Gang?" "No." "Well, I play with them." "And the Sunday Morning Gospeleers." "I'm one of those, too." "Well, you see, the music in here is kind of different." "Well, that's what I'm saying." "I do different kinds of music." "I also attend the Kleinberg Conservatory of Music." "I just don't think so, really." " Would you mind if I play something?" " Oh, no, go ahead." "Thank you." "Hey, that's Jason Walton, ain't it?" "Hey, you know, he's pretty good." "Hey, you're pretty good, kid." "Oh, thank you." "Does that mean I get the job?" "Well..." "Sure." "We'll try it and see how it works out." "Well, great." "Thank you." "Well, that's wonderful." "Hey, look, we've got a piano player here." "Nice kid." " Nothing but ginger ale." "Don't you..." " Yes, ma'am." " Okay." " Sure." "Erin, you clear." "Mary Ellen, will you wash, please?" "This is my day off from school." "Well, it ain't your day off from eating." "Excuse me." "I want to talk to you." " Can I be excused, too?" " Yes, you can." "Oh, I'm gonna need the keys to the truck, too." "What for?" "Well, I got a job." "Good." "The hours are kind of long, but the pay is good." " Good for you, Jason." " Good." "That's good news." "What kind of job?" "I'm going to be playing piano at a roadhouse." "Good Lord." "Which roadhouse are we talking about, son?" "It's called the Dew Drop Inn." "Why, that's a gathering place for beer guzzlers and backsliders!" "Ah, now, Esther, have you been there?" "I wouldn't be caught dead there." "Now, Grandma, without my scholarship, I can't be too choosy." "Where'd you find out about this job?" "If you'll excuse me, I think I'd better go check the truck." "Hold on there, Yancy." "Don't insult the ladies by leaving before you eat your dessert." "You just stay, Yance." "John, I don't think that's a fit place for Jason to be working." "Let's hear him out now, Liv." "Do you want your son to be a tinhorn piano player in some honky-tonk bar?" "How do you know what it's like?" "Have you been there?" "Jason, don't talk to your mama like that." "I'm sorry, Daddy." "It wouldn't have been my first choice, either, but if I'm gonna stay in school, I have to take it." "It's a real nice place." "Just a bunch of good old boys trying to have a good time." "You know the kind of girls in those places." "Oh, now, if Jason were in college, he'd be doing the same thing." "Maybe he would, but I wouldn't have to know about it." "Liv, Jason's young." "He can stay up late once in a while." "A little hard work won't hurt him." "A little fast company, either." "Jason!" "Jason, you're gonna get left behind!" "I swear it!" "Elizabeth, you go up and tell your brother to come down right now." "Go on." "He must have came in around midnight." "That early?" "Jason!" "Jason." "Wake up." "Oh." "Damn it, Elizabeth, will you leave me alone?" "Mama." " Bye, Mom." " Bye." " Mama, do you know what Jason said?" " What did Jason say?" "If I told you, you'd wash my mouth out with soap." "You go to school." "I wonder what he said." "Jason." "Jason!" "Jason Walton, if there's one thing I will not tolerate, it's you bringing that roadhouse language into this house." "Now you get up and get ready for school." "Come on." "Well, 85 cents seems like a lot to pay for a straw hat." "We've already reduced it, Mrs. Walton." "Looks real good, Grandma." "I'll wear it." "Well, Mrs. Turner." " Olivia." " Wilma, how are you?" "Mrs. Walton." "How's Red?" "How's his band doing?" "Haven't heard it on the radio lately." "Excuse me, miss." "Red doesn't have a band anymore." "When our son died, he stopped caring about anything." "He doesn't even play his guitar anymore." "We didn't know." "Is there anything we can do?" "Say hello to John and the children." "I can't stay for supper, Mama." "Jason." "I bumped into Wilma Turner today." "Oh, yeah?" "How's Red?" "She said Red's given up the band." "Really?" "That's too bad." "They were the best." "Remember how the crowds used to show up whenever he was playing at the county fair?" "I sure do." "Wish I had crowds like that after me." "There ought to be a way you two could get together." "Me and Red?" "Seems like you could make more money for your tuition doing that than playing at the Dew Drop Inn." "You sure want me out of that place, don't you, Mama?" "It might not be such a bad idea." "Wonder if a star like Red Turner would have anything to do with a beginner like me." "You may be just what he needs right now." "I can find out." "See you later." "Ma'am." "Excuse me," "I'm looking for my brother Jason Walton." " Jason your brother?" " Yes, ma'am." "My, good-looking men sure run in your family." " Oh." " You want to help a lady down?" " Yes." "Thank you." " No, thank you." "Jason left his music in my car." "So..." "Well, I'll see he gets it." " Thank you very much." " He'll be by later." " Okay." " Bye." "Bye." "Bye." "Bye." "Well, John-Boy." "Hey, Tom, how are you?" "Good to see you." "You old fox." "Oh, well, how've you been?" "Are you working as hard as I am?" "Well, it's pretty hard to keep up with you, isn't it, Tom?" "It's a hard pace, all right." "Say, John-Boy, have you seen anything of Yancy Tucker lately?" "Oh, I've seen everything of him." "You know, he wasn't around last night when I dropped by to see him." "That's 'cause he's been staying at our house." "Will you tell him I was looking for him?" "I will." "I'll tell him." "I'll be sure to." "Bye-bye." "And you tell him he owes me a drink." "Yeah, I'll tell him." "Okay." "At the Waltons." "They're out by Ike Godsey's store, aren't they?" "A little further down the road." "Mama!" "Mama!" "Mama!" "Is this where Jason Walton lives?" "Yes, it is." "Well, I'm Sissy Walker." "I work down at the Dew Drop Inn." "You know, out on Route 29." "Yes, I know." "Well, I understand Mr. Yancy Tucker is staying here." "Could I see him, please?" "Jim-Bob, Ben, go see if you can find Yancy." "Okay, Mama." "That Yancy is such a fine man." "Don't you just love him?" "We've known him a long time." " Well, I'm his fiancée." " Good luck." "Well, thank you, ma'am." "I'm just so excited." "Yancy was so sweet when he proposed the other night." "He was supposed to drop by to make plans, but I guess he got all tied up." "But you know how busy he is." "Yeah, we know." "Good day, ladies." "Grandpa, you seen Yancy?" "No, no." "He isn't over at the mill?" "This is Yancy's fiancée, Miss Walker." "Oh, I'm real pleased to know you." "Well, thank you." "Thank you." "Well, I just checked in the barn." "He's not there." "He's not out back, either." "Would you be pleased to sit in our parlor till we find him?" "Oh, I've got to be getting back." "I'm not supposed to be gone long, but thank you." "But when you see Yancy, give that man my love." "So that's why Yancy's staying out of sight." "It seems to be Yancy has shown unusual good taste." "That poor girl." "Poor girl?" "Yancy's just stringing her along." "Who knows what he promised her." " And who's hiding him?" " Us." "Hello, Mrs. Turner." "Jason." "My, haven't you been doing some growing up." "Yes, ma'am." " Come on in." " Thank you." "It's nice to see you." "We don't get many visitors these days." "Is Red home?" "I'd like to talk to him." "Jason, don't expect Red to be the same." "He's in bad shape." "Has been since we lost Seth." "They spent that year playing together and got so close." "Now Red won't have anything to do with the band." "Can I talk to him?" "Just a minute." "Hello, Jason." "Hey, Red." "I didn't mean to get you up." "It's all right." "It's been a long time." "Yes, it has." "Red, I heard your band isn't playing anymore." "No more." "In fact, the band's all gone off." "So what kind of music you doing now?" "I'm not doing music." "Red, I had this crazy idea." "I don't know, maybe it isn't so crazy." "I've been going to school, to music school, and I've been playing in this band." "And one thing I've always wanted to do was start my own band." "And I thought maybe the two of us..." "If you thought I was good enough..." "Maybe we could do something together." "Jason," "I told you I'm not doing music." "Won't you just think about it?" "Excuse me, Jason." "His guitar hasn't been out of its case." "Remember how he used to hold it when he played?" "I sure do." "It's like an offering to God." "Just got no interest in music or anything else." "Something's got to get him interested in music again." "If he can just hear some..." "Maybe he could come by the Dew Drop Inn." "I'm playing there." "If he could just hear somebody play piano and guitar." "I've tried, Jason." "You giving up the guitar?" "Seth Turner gave me this." "I remember." "I went over to the Turners' today." "Talked to Red." "He's given up." "Jason, remember how you felt when we found out" "Seth was sick and was gonna die?" "I never felt worse in my life." "Seth was Red's only child." "But, Daddy, it's wrong to do what Red's doing." "He just sits there, staring." "I have a hunch if he could just hear some music, that might get through to him better than any words." "I'll see what I can do." "You going somewhere?" "Thought I'd go to the Dew Drop Inn." "Maybe I can get Red Turner to go along, listen to that new piano player." "Have a good time." "Evening." " John?" " Red?" "Good evening." " How you doing, John?" " All right." "Jason's been coming by here." "Yeah, I know that." "He was Seth's favorite, you know." "He's going to school, he tells me." "Yep, over at Kleinberg." "I wanted Seth to go there." "Get some of the fundamentals." "You know, you've got to have fundamentals." "I guess he'd be there now." "You know," "I remember a time where Jason and" "Seth snuck into band practice." "You remember when you..." "What did I tell you about that?" "Red, get your coat." " My coat?" " We're going out for the evening." "Come on." "Where are we going?" " Come on, Red, get your coat." " Go on, sweetheart." "What do you think, honey?" "Come on, Red." "It's in the hall closet." "All right." "Have a good time." "Good evening, Wilma." "Evening, John." "Thanks for stopping by." "There you go, Red." "Well, what'll you have, boys?" "Evening." "We'll have a couple of beers, please." "Coming right up." " Thank you, ma'am." " You're welcome." "John, this is just not for me, really." "I'm gonna have to leave." "Hey, John." "Who's the other drink for?" "I guess it's for you, Tom." "Have a seat." "All right, but the next round's on me." "John?" "Hiya, hon." "How's Jason?" "Oh, Jason's fine." "How's Red?" "Red, he's not too fine." "Are you having a little trouble?" "Oh, no, I'm fine." "I sure am lucky you carried that yarn, Ike." "The store in Westham was sold out." "Sure happy to oblige." "That'll be 12 cents." "Well, hi." "Ike, could you check the mail for me, please?" "I've been waiting three weeks for some sewing machine needles from Richmond." "We need a couple of pounds of corn meal, too." "You know, we carry sewing machine needles." "Yes, but they don't fit the old machine." "Isn't this the prettiest yarn?" "I'm knitting Yancy a muffler." "You're knitting that man a muffler?" "Yes, ma'am." "I love to knit and sew." "I made all the curtains at the Dew Drop Inn." "Mrs. Walton, you ought to drop by and see them." "I'm sure they're very lovely." "Well, they are." "They are." "That'll be 18 cents and there's no mail for you, Olivia." "I can remember when the post office was a lot faster." "Yes." "I can, too." "Olivia, I have to tell you," "I think it's wonderful the way you're bringing up that fine family, taking care of that big house." "I'm going to have my hands full taking care of Yancy." "Be a full-time job." "Ah, but I think he needs a lot of taking care of." ""Straightening out" is the word." "But you know, lately I've been getting this crazy idea that Yancy's avoiding me." "Well, he hasn't been by since he proposed." "I just don't know what to do." "What would you do?" "Drop him like a hot potato." "Mrs. Walton, the first I laid eyes on Yancy Tucker," "I said, "That precious thing is for me."" "I know he's got his strange ways, but I don't care." "I guess I'm just gonna have to do like I've seen some other girls do, and that's run away from him until he catches up with me." "You ever gonna get that car finished?" "Well, one of these days." "You need an awful lot of stuff." "I know that." "Where you gonna get the body?" "I'll find one." "Where you gonna get the engine?" "I'll find one." "Where are you gonna find all this stuff?" "Elizabeth, it's my car." "Why can't you just leave me alone?" "I think I'd rather have Myrtle." "Well, you can have Myrtle, and I'll drive to town in my car." "You can ride on your stupid goat." "Hey, there." "So, it fell apart on him." "You building a fire, Grandpa?" "Your Grandma's making soap." "She uses more wood than an old Mississippi riverboat." " Zeb!" " Yeah!" ""Double, double, toil and trouble" ""Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."" " Oh, stop that." " Macbeth." "Good luck." "How am I supposed to keep this kettle boiling without wood?" "There's enough wood now to make this soap stink clear over to Rockfish." "That man doesn't even raise one finger to help." " What man?" " Yancy." "Oh." "Oh, him." "He's got his mind on some lady friend." "Filling that girl's head full of nonsense." "Making promises he has no intention of keeping." "He's a good-for-nothing." "Oh, Esther, you Baptists always did say there is some good in everybody." "Well, Yancy Tucker could just be the exception." "No." "Well, he's the one that steered Jason over to that beer hall." "He's just a wellspring of devilment." "Grandma, I'm going over to Ike Godsey's." "Do you need anything for your soap?" "No, thank you." "A little perfume wouldn't hurt." " Hi, y'all." " Hi, hey." "Hi, good-looking." "Oh, you're still giving me that sweet talk, aren't you?" "Don't you just love it anyway?" "Yes, I do." "I admit I do." "Do you want me to get Yancy for you?" "No, I'm here on business." "Miss Thelma asked me to come out and buy an advertisement in The Blue Ridge Chronicle." " Oh, well..." " That's my department." "Well, here's what it's supposed to say." " Thank you." " You're welcome." " That'll be 50 cents, please." " 50 cents." "50 cents." "Uh, I have an idea." "What do you say if the advertising department donates 50 cents to the editorial department for the purpose of a trip to Ike Godsey's store?" " Consider it a gift." " Thank you." "I got to go by the store." "Need a lift?" "Oh, I'd be much obliged." "Sure." "Want me to get Yancy for you?" "No." "No, thank you." " You ready?" " Oh, I'm ready." " See you later, Ben." " Yeah." " Grandpa." " Yeah?" " I got a question for you." " Oh, I'm all ears." "How come women always want to get married and men don't?" "Where'd you get a notion like that, Jim-Bob?" "Well, men are always complaining about getting hitched and caught by a woman." "Well, the older I get, the more I pay attention to what people do rather than by what they say." "Now, by my count, every time a man gets married," " a woman does, too, don't she?" " Yeah." "But how come Yancy's trying to stay away from Sissy?" "Well, he's a little confused right now, I think." "I think he likes her, maybe even loves her, but he just wants to kind of hold on to his independence." "Well, she'll lose her independence, too." "Yeah, that's right, she will." "She's got no more to gain than Yancy, and Yancy's got no more to lose than she does." "That sounds very logical." "But as a man to a man," "I don't think we ought to go spreading this information around the neighborhood, hmm?" " Hi, hello, Jim-Bob." " Hey, Ike." " Hey, Ike." " Good evening, everybody." " I brought something over, special." " Who's that for?" " It's for John-Boy." " For me?" "Who is it from?" " It's from Sissy Walker." " Oh, yeah?" " Open it." " It's a card." ""Dew Drop Inn" between the violets." "Well, let's see." " Oh, that's pretty." " What is it?" "Why, it's a..." " It's really nice." " Nice, isn't it?" " Isn't that pretty, huh?" " Yeah." " She made that herself." " Pretty nice." "How about that?" " Hey, John-Boy." " Oh, hey." "You busy?" " Really like this paper, don't you?" " Yeah." "Yeah, I like it." "I sure do." "It must be a real satisfaction to your daddy having a son making his mark in the world." "Well, mostly I'm just trying to make payments, Yancy." "You know, staying here," "I've seen what your daddy has." "A loving wife, a fine family, great bunch of kids." "What are you talking about?" "Yancy?" "Yancy, what is all this talk about loving wife and fine marriage and children and..." "Yancy Tucker, have you gotten serious about somebody?" "Well, there is this girl." "She's really something." "And, John-Boy, she makes me laugh." "But she's got plans for me" "I don't know if I can go along with." "I mean..." "Can you see me all married and settled down?" "Well, I admit, now, the picture doesn't just pop right into my mind." "Yeah, I'm in trouble." "Course it's possible, you know." "It's been done." "These books, you got a lot of books here, you read all the time," "is there anything about love and marriage?" " In the books?" " I need help." "Well, sure, I read a lot about love and marriage." "Mostly love, I have to admit." "Come to think of it, most of the people I read about never got as far as marriage." "What happened to them?" " They died." " They died?" "Yeah, died." "Romeo and Juliet." "Tristan and Isolde." "All dead." "This is not too much help." "I can't think..." "Yes, I can." "There is one couple I can think of, very famous couple, they were married." "Ulysses and Penelope." "Well, what happened to them?" "Well, he sort of took a long, extended trip out of town and traveled around quite a bit, and she sort of waited home for him." "I could live with that." "Well, look who's here." "Hi, honey." "I been meaning to drop by and see you." " That's nice." " And talk." "Talk?" "Talk?" "That's all you're good at, Yancy Tucker." "Pretty words and promises." "No talk." "I promise." "Honey, I've been busy." "I know how busy you've been." " I've been thinking about you." " You have not." "You've been at the Waltons' and you've been fishing." "And all the time wondering why I didn't have you with me." "Yancy Tucker, you're such an awful man." "I don't know what I'm gonna do with you." "Come here." "Sissy, I think maybe we better discuss some arrangements." "Are you talking about holy matrimony?" "Yeah, I guess I am." "Well, then, keep talking, precious." "How long's it been since I was at the Dew Drop?" "It's..." "It's been a while." "I don't relish going there by myself, but a person has to get out once in a while." "I guess that's it." "You know, tonight is very special." "Special because we have a guest with us tonight, someone you all know." "The incomparable Red Turner." "You know, Red started out right here in this part of Virginia some years ago, formed his own band." "Those of you who've heard them know why it wasn't long before they were traveling, playing in Richmond, Atlanta, Nashville." "The Red Turner Band gave us a fine and warm kind of music, a real contribution to our lives." "It was a very special gift that was appreciated and enjoyed by us all." "Now, maybe, just maybe, if we're very lucky tonight, and we ask Red nicely, maybe he'd be kind enough to give us just a little sample of that sound." "Play a song, Red." "What do I do?" "How about Nobody's Darling?" "Where'd you get this, Jason?" "Well, Nobody's Darling." "Nobody's Darling." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "Truly my pleasure." "Thank you so much." "Thank you, Jason." "I came by to pick up my things." "I'm moving back home." "Has the skunk left your house, Yancy?" "Looks that way, Zeb." "I'd like you all to meet my fiancée." " How do?" " Congratulations." "Thank you." "I'm very happy for you both." "Have you set the date yet?" "Well, we haven't set it, exactly." "I was thinking 1947 would be a good date." "A 10-year engagement?" "Well, Sissy's got to have some time to pick out a wedding dress." "That Yancy's such a humorous man." "Don't you all just want to love him up?" "I thought that was the end." "Well..." "Hey, listen," " let's do a blues." " Okay, what key?" "E." "All right, you start off." "It wasn't long before Red was playing again, pleasing audiences with his old skill and a new, more mellow kind of song." "Jason had earned enough to scrape together a first down payment at school, but making those tuition payments remained a constant problem and a challenge for him." "What's that noise?" "Oh, just Jason getting home." "It must be past 1:00 in the morning." "That Dew Drop Inn." "He might just as well be in Sodom and Gomorrah." "Do they need a piano player?" " Good night, Jason." " Good night, Daddy." "Good night, everybody." "English"