The Gift of Love by O. Henry -- Film -- 1978

allow me to introduce myself i'm william sydney porter more commonly known as o henry and i'm a scribbler i write short stories about ordinary people you may have read one or two in your newspaper now there's the first sure sign that we're heading into winter the cold wind brings more than falling leaves it brings the succulent odor of hot roasted chestnuts thank you negrats now i could tell you the chestnut vendor story but it's too sad today i'm in a mood for joy and love and so i'll tell you about beth and rudy there's beth now shopping with her on constance when she was orphaned three years ago her uncle william schuyler brought beth from her home in waterloo iowa to live with him and constance in their fifth avenue mansion she's just 18. isn't she a beauty come along beth dear and the handsome young man on the right is rudy miller son of the burgermeister of a small village in the swiss alps he and his friend france holdner have come to the united states to make their fortunes before returning home to settle down in a more familiar atmosphere france oh i know they haven't met yet but they will they will in just a few short weeks from now just you wait and see [Music] wow if you will come with me i will share with you my vision and maybe you will see the way your future will be when all my prayers come true you will have peace and joy forever and ever and one thing more for you worth much more than any treasure may you have the pleasure of the precious gift of love i do wish you wouldn't play that dear it can only bring you pain but it doesn't add constance it gives me comfort oh well then i'm sure it would please your father if he only knew somehow i think he does oh very nice very nice indeed isn't it fortunate that we found out that blue is alfred's favorite color uh yes really you might show a little more enthusiasm it isn't every girl who has the chance to be the bride of alfred browning don't worry aunt constance i'll be good i promise well of course you'll be good there was never any question about your being good for heaven's sake come on now they're waiting for us and come here just beautiful absolutely perfect oh hey constance yes i'll be right in i've forgotten my handkerchief i hope it is two o'clock now you know how your sister-in-law to be is about punctuality she expects us to appear promptly at two you go ahead and i'll be right there i promise what are you doing here it's your day off i know but i just had to tell you the lake in central park is frozen over oh i wish i could go with you or have a have a headache i can't alfred and miss browning are going to pop the question today how romantic there we're waiting for you dear i got to go have a good time oh it's a shame i can't be wishing you the same oh here she is now [Music] either i'm fast or it's three minutes past two uh i i forgot my handkerchief i'm sorry yeah you do come sit down by me beth come and say look there's a painted bunting out here they normally don't stray this far from the sea but with this early cold snap of course they can always come away from that window you know how susceptible you are to the influenza well now we're all here alfred has something he wants to say to you beth i well i that is it would do me a great honor go on alfred you're doing beautifully thank you miss constance what i mean to say beth is that your uncle william and my sister agnes have decided that it would be advantageous for us to marry well beth what do you say i didn't hear a question well she's quite right william one could say that alfred has issued a statement uh perhaps a plan for a merger i had no difficulty discerning the meaning of alfred's remarks nor do i alfred dear go back and start again just the way you did before it would give me great honor oh for heaven's sake he's asking you to marry him yes that's it i'm asking you to marry me is something wrong dear what oh no then perhaps you would favor alfred with an answer i thank you for your offer alfred and i shall be pleased to accept it you mean we're engaged unofficially of course the official announcement we made at the appropriate time in the appropriate place you have made a wise choice my dear i'm very pleased oh my darling i'm so happy for you now alfred isn't it your turn or should i say nephew to show a headache my two i thought you had a headache alfred i could see it in your eyes perhaps we should go home so you can lie down you know how delicate you are well perhaps that is for the best beth seems to be a little pale herself perhaps they're both just suffering from excitement oh dear i know i am well i hope you will excuse us william on the whole i would say this has been a very successful day wouldn't you quite [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] wouldn't you like to learn how to do that and who would be teaching me i would be most honored go on with you if you could skate that fancy you'd be out on the ice showing off like your friend there [Applause] [Music] [Music] come on it's more fun skating than talking to two show-offs like that [Music] [Music] aren't you going to introduce us to your friend look how i'm forgetting my manners my mother'd be that ashamed meet franz holner and rudy miller miller this is my friend beth atherton are you also an upstairs maid oh no that's the parlormaid well with your beauty you should be mistress of the house thank you i'd really like to skate that is precisely what you shall do france will take mary i will help you and in no time you will be gliding over the ice as though it were your second home oh that's very kind of you but oh that sounds like just the ticket so first we put our right foot forward so um very good soon you'll [Music] do you think i might try it alone oh one must have patience i doubt very much [Music] yourself [Music] are you all right hair look what you've done to my hair it is very beautiful i did it no harm what do you know about it please allow me go away i i can't just leave oh wait please oh wait i cannot just oh wait you've been a naughty girl fireline you could skate all along i have never met such a vain girl as though her hair falling down was the world's greatest calamity perhaps you see mary again you might give her this to give to her oh you're born mine here why don't you give it to her yourself i take it you think i'm being a bit of a fool well aren't you we meet two pretty girls who we both like to see again then you're behaving like a personal aristocrat come on slow down you think you were being pursued by the devil himself i want to get home don't you think you're making too much of all of this after all it was you who let him think he didn't know how to skate it was your idea and working fine until you couldn't resist showing off [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] okay [Music] you forgot one you see she is conceited rude impossible churlish girl but adorable i see nothing adorable in bad manners this one has bad manners the one last week has too many freckles sally's friend that i introduced you to talk too much you're impossible to please sometimes i think you don't want to be pleased perhaps you can forget i have patrols to hill that i cannot what's that got to do with it i have an arranged bride to be waiting for me at home too that doesn't mean i can't look at a pretty girl does it look phil i'm in the united states i work hard send my money home and when i have free time i flirt a little but harm can there be in that france if you fall in love with one of these also pretty american girls will find out fall in love i'm not planning to fall in love oh i did not know one fell in love only if one plateau all right now dear all your guests are seated and you wish the servants to bring in the first course so ring the bell oh do sit up straight beth a lady never permits her back to touch the back of the chair oh mary where's margaret she has the grip mum i'm helping out in the kitchen today oh very well then you can put the bowl in front of miss beth oh i'm begging your pardon mom but how many are we serving today 24. oh then i better get a bigger bowl oh for heaven's sakes mary it's all make-believe oh no mary's quite right dear it's imperative that you learn the correct dishes for each occasion i learned all that from my mother yes of course you did after all your mother was a skyler it's just that um well in her reduced circumstances shall we say uh she didn't have occasion to entertain on the grand scale which you'll be expected to maintain as the bride of alfred browning mrs adams driver is at the door madam oh dear me where has the morning gone to excuse me dear we'll have to finish this later i won't be here it's my afternoon at the settlement house oh dear well they will finish it tomorrow big pardon london but tomorrow you're pouring at the hawfin orphan's tea oh goodness yes oh there's so much to do how can i do it all i can't get expected to do it all would that be all mrs alfred browning mary i can't i just can't spend my life giving dinner parties for alfred's ornithological friends and trying to please miss browning oh it won't be so bad you'll see maybe after he has a wife the poor man won't be so frightened of his sister he might even perk up a bit do you really think so no epoxy on your irish arnold stare oh would you believe me if i had lied no would you have a minute to come and look at my dress it's finished the mother's in the kitchen with it now she said to be sure and get your approval oh as if mabel howler needs my opinion she knows more about clothes and and everything else than i am [Music] [Laughter] be the bell in the butler's ball mrs o'halloran you're a genius no wonder they call you the best seamstress on delancey street uh i was hoping you'd like it like it i love it and you mr griggs is it to your taste as a man i mean i can give it my unqualified approval and last but not least mrs mooney oh go on with you maple halloran you know i'm green with envy you're almost as good a seamstress as i am a cook which reminds me would you come upstairs and have a look at my ball down seems to have shrunk since last year perhaps it's your ever deployed mrs mooney now don't go starting your highfalutin english talk with me mr grace finish your primping mary it's time to set the table oh mary do you think it's too american what do you mean by that well franz holdner is going to be mascot friends hollander oh mary how could you have asked him you barely know him and he barely knows me so we're even is his uh conceited friend coming along which friend oh you know that uh richard or robert aura rudy what's his name oh you mean rudy miller no fran says he's got other fish to fly that night i do wish you were coming though there's gonna be a dancing to a real live orchestra and singing and a prize going to the prettiest girl which i'm sure you'll win oh now that i think of it it's lucky i am that you won't be there to grab it from me at your age you should be going out and dancing your heart out again not practicing to be old before your time i don't know what your aunt and uncle are thinking of arranging a match like that they're thinking of my future they don't want me to run off with a a penniless music teacher like my mother did did that end up so bad my parents house was the happiest place in the whole world well then that was different they were so much in love with each other that nothing else mattered a love like that just doesn't come along every day well maybe no i don't want to talk about it my uncle william's heart was broken when my my mother ran off with my father oh that's what aunt constance said and even though he never got over it he was he was kind enough to take me and after my parents died [Music] and now i can make up to him for all the pain i'll bet your aunt constance told you that too i'll have this for your personally mrs money i miss best since you so kindly complimented me on my soul and i'd be honored to make something for you anytime you need it oh thank you mrs o'halloran that's very kind of you but i don't think i'll be going to uh too many balls well there's more to life than dancing no doubt the lord intended for you to find your happiness some other way see at home momma that's all right i'm coming i'm coming just a minute i'm coming yes oh good evening from mr browning madam oh oh thank you very much um aren't you going to the ball big pardon madam the ball the ball the butler's ball judging by my household there isn't a servant working in all of new york tonight i don't dance madam oh what a pity well then if you're ever in need of employment i do hope you'll come and see me thank you madam thank you bye-bye i uh heard the bell i thought it was alfred oh no dear oh well yes in a way it was uh he sent you a note i do hope there's nothing wrong with the deal boy well there's only one way to find out oh you look so pretty tonight at constance thank you my darling oh miss browning isn't feeling well alfred feels his place is with her this evening oh dear then you won't be going to the concert no oh and your uncle william and i have been invited to the charity dinner at the fifth avenue hotel for the committee to collect charity bibles for the deserving poor well then we just won't go that's all and miss the caviar and the salmon and aspect oh dear yes the salmon and aspis well perhaps i am being hasty but um well then dear what will you do for dinner uh the servants are all busy getting ready for that ridiculous party oh i'm sure cook has something in the icebox i'll be fine really hasn't alfred arrived yet oh he's uh he's not coming agnes is ill oh william dear what shall we do whatever beth wishes us to do of course would you prefer we stayed at home with you or perhaps you'd care to accompany us to the dinner no thank you uncle william i'm quite content to stay at home i'll work on my music ah now there's a dear lovely level-headed girl william she'll work on her music yes will you yes thank you darling here we go now have a good evening and don't stay up too late good night good night good night good night have a good time thank you don't you all are cancer i thought you were off oh i'm not going miss browning is you are you all dressed up and looking like a princess what a shame it's not a shame at all it's a blessing now you can come with us oh i don't think that would oh don't be silly mr griggs this isn't the old country this is america where everybody's equal moors the pity don't worry mr griggs i can't go and why not i'd like to know i promise to work on my music oh you have to come up with a better one than that my aunt and uncle wouldn't like it they'll be back before they are no harm done oh you'd find it very pleasant miss beth there's a big buffet and dancing and singing i don't approve but i do think you'd enjoy yourself miss beth and it would be my pleasure to escort you home at any hour you might desire ah there it's settled running get your clock all right [Applause] [Music] what did i tell you siobhan flaherty's wearing her bed sprint don't be silly she's wearing her drapes how are the vanderbilts doing without you tonight charles i'm afraid you don't dance do you mrs mooney whatever gave you that idea mr grace you look beautiful you both do did you have any trouble getting in of course not i just told him i was the escort of the prettiest girl in the world oh and they knew who i met right away i'm sorry you had to come alone but my mother trusts mr griggs to look after me does that mean i can't take you home why don't we wait and see woody i thought you said he wasn't coming i thought you said she wasn't coming come on [Applause] good evening mary this appleton i claim this does [Music] may i have the honor of the stance of course i [Music] [Applause] so so [Music] so [Music] excuse me may i cut in we don't do that here yes i know but this is my sister and i have a very important message from our mother is this true yes [Music] aren't you going to thank me thank you i wasn't putting on beaker tonight i prefer to dance in silence [Music] volts for the bell of the butler's ball i should like to offer this as a tribute to your beauty if not your manners oh this is our dentist well i i thought [Music] obviously the lady doesn't wish to dance with you go away i will not permit me to oh oh look what you've done go away [Music] don't cry oh please don't cry i'm not crying i just want to die i've never been so embarrassed in my whole life if you ask me you look more angry than anything awful man is pretty pushy i'll give him that if he ever tries to come in the same room with me i'll oh and he deserves every bit of it too wouldn't you be angry with him but i would but it would be mixed with pleasure that man certainly finds you attractive don't be silly he hates me oh i hate him [Music] what time is it it must be well past 10. i've got to go home her ladyship and himself won't be home for for a while yet i want to go [Music] there you are as good as new please hoodie wishes to apologize for his behavior he is terribly sorry this has nothing to do with him i just have to leave that's all then permit me to escort you don't be silly why should i spoil an evening for you and mary if you'll just get me a hack i'll be fine i'll get greeks you'll do no such thing [Music] ladies and gentlemen your attention please the judges have made their decision please get me a hack i'll be right out at least let poor rudy apologize the judges find themselves at a bit of a loss they wish to give the award to a young lady whose name they do not know so will the young lady with the cascading tresses that's you kindly step forward to receive her award as the loveliest lady of the butler's balls [Music] are [Music] 275th avenue [Music] i have come to apologize i am sorry to cash you alarm but i am twice as sorry to have caused you embarrassment and i know i will not be able to sleep tonight without your forgiveness whether you sleep tonight is no concern of mine the fact that i have spoiled your evening makes it a concern of mine very well you are forgiven now will you please tell the driver to pull over so you can get out that is not good enough i'm afraid you are still angry with me of course i am i've met you twice and both times i've been pushed and shoved and made to suffer the indignity of having my hair come down with hair such as that its descent only serves to accentuate your beauty never before have i seen hair of such luxuriant length tell me has it never been cut no then whoever issued that command was very wise it was my father and he did not issue commands i had scarlet fever when i was three and i had to have my hair cut off when it grew back my father asked me never to cut it again and i never will you speak of your father in a past tense nick both my parents died when i was a child yesterday i'm 18. [Music] forgive me now please get out yes of course it is getting late what time is it [Music] it is 11 precisely how beautiful may i of course aren't you afraid to lose it uh carrying it in your pocket that way without a chain i nearly did the other day a hooligan tried to take it from me it is my most precious possession my only link with home [Music] belonged to my father and his father before him [Music] i value it as you do your hair [Music] whoa here we are ms you're going in the front entrance oh i am going skating at the park tomorrow at five o'clock i hope you will skate there at that time i will not nevertheless i shall hope that somehow we'll be there you can help all you want for all the good it will do you remember five o'clock hey where's my money want me to take you back how much do i owe you that'll be 50 cents [Music] that's all i have i shall walk back [Music] thank you dear yeah why aren't you in bed don't tell me you spent the entire evening sitting around in that expensive dress good evening did you have a pleasant time well it was a um passable but there was no salmon in aspect anyway dear why aren't you in bed or at least undressed oh i'm tired my dear i think beth's interrogation can wait until the morning don't you no i mean uh i'd rather tell you now i went to the butler's ball what oh beth you did how could you it just isn't done do i understand you to say that you went out at night without our permission oh it must be that mary o'halloran i told myself no good would come of a close relationship between my niece and the lower classes it occurs to me it would have been better if you told beth yes william of course oh beth dear how could you let yourself be led astray by that it wasn't mary's idea she even insisted that i leave it doesn't matter whose idea it was beth is old enough to know right from wrong i'm very disappointed in you beth i have been relatively easy in my mind about your behavior knowing that you've been brought up by my dear sister and then turned over to your aunt constances well i have not seen fit to deal harshly with you but now all that has changed your behavior tonight has shown a distressing lack of restraint well william oh william she'll never go to the butler's ball again will you dear i can understand sneaking out to go to mrs astor's but a hall full of servants that's enough constance the social standing of the company beth chooses to sneak away too is of no importance what is important is that she's not to be trusted you will see to it she never leaves the house unless she is properly accompanied oh beth i am surprised mary no wait don't go please come here dear i want to speak to you i understand it was because of you my niece didn't stay at that uh that vol mom yes ball well i i commend your common sense oh thank you mom nevertheless i must forbid any further association between the two of you oh my mother will be that upset mom she loves miss smith like one of her own does seem harsh doesn't it it's um it's mr skyler's wish yes mom that be all mom yes dear you may go now good night good night mom good night good night oh there my darling now don't look so dumb-hearted every cloud has a silver lining i just knew that you and i will be able to spend every moment together we'll go shopping shopping dear shopping with lunches at del monaco's and petty four and sodas and gubs and gobs of whipped cream i don't like whipped cream oh well never mind i shall eat your portion too and we yes i think it would be proper we shall ask your uncle if it would be all right to buy your engagement present now there now what do you think of that isn't that exciting yes i am come on aren't they beautiful watch chains dear why would you be interested in a watch chain alfred doesn't wear a watch good morning mrs skyla oh i know and what may we do for you today well i'm here to buy an engagement present for my niece of course madam was there something special you had in mind yes mr skyler and i thought perhaps a simple string of pearls oh unless you prefer something else dear and when woody told me i said he must be mistaken there is no mistake the young lady was playing a cruel trick common to people in her station and you allowed it which forces me to change my estimation of you i too would have thought better of you stop both of you what you're saying to me well maybe i deserve it but all that stuff about beth that's just rubbish a trick coming to people in her station what station this isn't europe you know she's not a princess she's just a poor orphan being forced to marry a man she doesn't love and so she came out with me for a bit of fun and represented herself as someone she was not that was my idea not hers she did nothing to change my belief she was a maid in this house and why should she and why should i be standing here defending the two of us like i'm in the dark i would prefer that to both leave it's pleasure foreigners you know i really would prefer the pleasure of watching you investigate i'm afraid that my inept performance on the ice will only ruin your otherwise perfect execution the absurd outfit you know that skating is good for your weak ankles don't lean on us dear put your weight squarely on your own two feet i'm trying to agnes you're you're doing fine alfred he's not leaning on me then i suggest the two of you skate together well that might be unfair to bet oh not since i'm sure about would enjoy it would you best of course alfred perfect all right albert now you just relax and try to enjoy yourself you ready alfred your right foot first [Music] huh [Music] i have been watching your courageous attempts to master the art of the ice skating [Music] [Applause] i should like to be of assistance you see i am a teacher of the sport that's very kind of you but it won't be necessary well i beg to disagree with a line but if the gentleman continues to fold his ankles in seoul no you see i know i i i i've had a weak ankle since childhood this is fair you are mistaken my name if you will permit me i will show you how to deal with them really are you game alfred i'm sure they're featured well not either leave your partner position very good um perhaps you might hold the gentleman a little [Music] [Music] i [Music] very good for the first lesson no time you will be skimming over the ice like a bird i doubt it oh but you fear shall i show you how you will look one month from now [Music] oh just very difficult to maintain my anger when you were looking so beautiful your anger you were deliberately making fools of alfred in me and do not you think i deserve a bit of revenge no what have i done to you allowed me to begin to fall in love with you even though you were engaged to another man [Music] i didn't mean to do all that nevertheless you did [Music] how did you find out i was engaged you and your aunt came into the shop where i work i was sitting no more than five feet away when she bought you a string of pearls as an engagement present oh rudy i'm sorry after seeing your fiance i'm relieved at least mary was telling me the truth about that [Music] about what well you are entering into an arranged marriage well yes oh i certainly won't tell constance you let a strange man skate off your fiance really how could you have been so imprudent alfred it can't be alfred it is don't mumble the quiet magnus i think i may have seen snowy owl oh really alfred i too have an arranged marriage when i go back to switzerland it's not a charming prospect but duty decrees [Music] did you really mean what you said about beginning to fall in love with me i should not have said that now we both know we're committed elsewhere not officially artificially sure they could do no harm if you and i were to meet innocently of course of course [Music] oh i'm afraid that's impossible except for the days i work at the settlement house my aunt doesn't allow me out of her sight what settlement house rivington street i entertain the immigrant children how their mothers work [Music] i too work at the rivington street settlement houses i teach english to the german austrian immigrants i arrive every monday and thursday promptly at 7. i'm afraid i'll i leave at 6. perhaps i could arrive at 6 30. then i shall stay till 7. oh tomorrow's monday [Music] i thank [Music] yes perfect gentlemen oh here's your mother now young he is a good boy very good weren't you young perhaps you'd like to sit down for a moment you look so tired oh no i i must go it is time i cook but you've been out working since seven this morning first i cook then i wash then i sleep is america favela good night oh good night good night john oh what an awful noise if you want a song you must ask in english i would like a song please very good now say it all at once i would like a song wonderful i'll sing for you the song my father wrote for me when i was your age all right all right if you will come with me i will share with you my vision and maybe you will see the way your future will be when all my prayers come true you'll have peace and joy forever and ever and one thing more for you worth much more than any treasure may you have the pleasure the precious gift of love no one sang for me like that one i arrived from europe i am sorry just obvi it's time to go home aren't you hungry hmm goodnight lisa say goodnight to the fire line good job now perhaps you'll give me your attention i did not sleep well last night oh i'm sorry i did not deserve your pity with what i was thinking it was a pleasure to be awake then what was that well that i had found a beautiful and exciting friend friend oh yes of course friend i would rather use another word no no you are quite right we will be friends that's all just friends yes well now that that is settled will you do your friend the honor of singing that lovely song again i did not remember ever hearing it before you couldn't have it's mine i mean it's just a song my father wrote for me he gave it to me for the first time on my uh my fifth birthday first time yes it was my birthday present every year [Music] my father said that no matter what other gifts i might get the one that was priceless was the gift of love and he wanted me always to have that father must have been a wonderful man both my parents were wonderful and so much in love with each other and my father was right i don't think my mother ever regretted running off to marry him he gave what all the schuyler man he couldn't buy [Music] i do not think your father could be very happy with your marriage plans if we meet after tonight it has to be on the understanding that we will not discuss either my marriage or yours we will only meet too to deepen our friendship [Music] agreed there of course that doesn't mean you can't tell me about uh the young lady [Music] hilda yes hilda [Music] you are dark she is blonde you are adorable and petite she is [Music] bognarian or you have a voice like a thrush she sings like a turkey you're making it up of course how else can i tell only a friend how wonderful she is [Music] [Music] she's like a glacier [Music] [Music] delicious dinner as usual constance oh thank you so much you seem very quiet this evening beth aren't you feeling well i'm fine miss brownie she's just worn out that's all working at that settlement house all the time as though her life depended on it oh i do hope you'll stop all that after you and alfred are married there's no telling what dreadful diseases those immigrants bring from europe and alfred is so susceptible my wife tells me you want to accelerate the wedding plans yes if you have no objection but i thought you and constance and beth of course got your heart set on a june wedding oh no june will be impossible really why well because i'm delivering my paper on june 3rd so of course we would have to set sail several weeks earlier paper what paper i thought you knew i'm speaking on the white-crested sparrow at the royal ontological institute in london surely agnes would have mentioned it to you i mean it's a great honor the white crested sparrow oh fancy that you must be very pleased alfred doesn't it all work out beautifully what a honeymoon first england then switzerland no not switzerland beth switzerland is an absolute must that's the home of professor einberg the world's foremost authority on first birds well then we shall have to start getting ready for the engagement party right away of tomorrow's thanksgiving and then we're right into the holiday season yes as soon as possible there's a lot to be done outside of the party you know i think we should start on the financial arrangements no later than two weeks from now there aren't you excited a honeymoon in europe two fortunes will put us in a position to do almost beth i asked you a question good then i will have my bankroll i'm sorry i didn't hear you i said aren't you excited a honeymoon in europe oh you're a very lucky girl you know yes i know i'm a very lucky girl [Music] rudy over here [Music] i had to work like i am sorry oh and now i have to leave i'm late as it is looks very festive yes oh you see that turkey there lisa made it all by herself i don't think she understands about thanksgiving though she seems to think it's a celebration in honor of turkeys you did promise me a dance i can't i have to leave you said you were late already surely a few more minutes won't make that much difference please please just one [Music] so [Music] we said we wouldn't how could we help it how could i help it you're so beautiful not just you your face meetings have shown me how much you mean to me i want to spend the rest of my life making you happy and i feel the same about you [Music] no this is wrong you have your duty and i have mine all right of course we must say goodbye [Music] now not before we have one last dance together [Music] i will cherish it for the rest of my [Music] life [Music] [Applause] [Music] but we always plan to go home in april three years we said in three years means just that it's not two years and seven i know that things have changed not for me they haven't you stay on don't be ridiculous we came together and we'll go home together i was hoping you would say that because today i stopped by the steamship office and we can get two tickets on the bremerhaven sailing one week from today do you think running away will help in time someday after i've been back home for a while and i'm surrounded by all the old familiar things all this will seem like a dream and in the meantime well in the meantime i will try to feel like the unemotional swiss who his romantic i really am sure of course your aunt wants me to help you get ready mr browning will be here any minute thank you mary the whole thing's crying shame that's what it is mary please don't start dad again and why shouldn't i wouldn't you try and stop me if you saw me being pig-headed and thrown my life away i'm not throwing my life away i'm just doing what's expected of me and what about what you want oh i like alfred you know that are you trying to tell me that you haven't no i'm trying to tell me bear are you ready don't go i must i do admire your business acumen that's a very handsome sum not not as large as alfred's fortune of course but that's him nevertheless oh yes quite handsome i simply followed the instructions to my father's will if my sister whose beth's mother you know married without my approval her share of our father's fortune was to be held in trust for any children she might have and since beth is her only issue the entire amount goes to my niece on her wedding day assuming of course she marries with my approval well there's no worry there of course not shall we get on with it is something wrong alfred right well everything's violence you have young people i find i don't i like being treated like a commodity 12. i know just how you feel on that transaction i find this all very painful the last thing in the world i would want to do is to hurt you you're a very kind person beth so are you life can be very painful for kind people that's true we really don't want to be married to each other do we well i come on not with it well there is someone else well for me too well not someone but something it's my ornithology i had planned to spend my life in search of rare species in places that no lady would want to go i know i seem timid sometimes but when i'm on the trail of a reluctant bird i i know no fear what about you're someone else didn't he return your love oh yes then why aren't you with him instead of sitting here being sold to me we were trying to do the right thing can it be the right thing to make the wrong people happy and the right people miserable they will do much better in this area isn't it fortunate william that these two more than respectable sums are merging just in time to enable us to buy that piece of property most of alfred holding are in stocks and bonds the majority of courses in union pacific no not you know union specific went up three points on yesterday's trade three and a half 242 thank you [Music] yes yes i've thought and thought but could think of no better gift franz and i sail on the bremerhaven today get your mistresses coat no oh yes do as i say here put this on there's no time to lose if you're going where i think you're going i'm going with you but uncle william never mind about uncle william not go on thank you you made me the happiest man in the world go to your room please uncle william sir permit me to make my position you have made your position perfectly clear sir i suggest you explain it to your sister i doubt she will react with joy yes what is the meaning of this i would only hope not to cause anyone pain but from now on i intend to live my life to please myself as should everyone alfred agnes i would like a word with you please goodness now come along let me speak with you in the library now oh willie be quiet constance beth go to your room no uncle william i will not i fully understand my obligation to you and i appreciate everything you've done for me but alfred and i are not in love with each other i love rudy what you don't seem to understand young lady is that the amalgamation of your two fortunes will make you a very rich woman but he's leaving if i don't go after him i'll lose him i am telling you what i told your mother you go out that door never come back oh will conscience be quiet uncle william i'm sorry you're a dear sweet man and i i owe you a great deal but i must give you the same answer my mother gave you to cursed me constance you've not done a very good job bringing up that young lady require constance close the front door and lock it [Music] [Music] it's been a wonderful experience now the streets may not be paid with gold but i'd like to come back someday wouldn't you all are sure you'll feel better [Music] look whether we walk around the deck and see if there's some interesting young ladies involved after all it's the end of our bachelor days all ashore is going ashore france take this to my mother tell her i will until i will ride you can't think of your obligations i am thinking of them every penny i have earned is in this pouch and it is going home as it should my it heart another matter belongs to me [Music] goodbye hey rudy wait a minute wait a minute what about your luggage i beg your pardon i said are you sailing yes are you [Music] [Music] he's gone he's really gone i'll never see him again oh mary how selfish of me not thinking of how you must feel with franz leaving too oh there are plenty of other fish in the sea we have to get you home what oh no no i can't go home i can never go home there for's a long time as my mother would say [Music] but perhaps you're right for now you can come home with me my mother won't know what to do [Music] mary i'll come to your house later i'd like to go to the settlement house first of course that's just the medicine my [Music] mother yes oh are you a butler please i must find miss beth atherton what is it what is wrong has anything happened to miss beth everything's happened everything's happened to all of us alfred has gone totally mad william has fired all the servants agnes will never speak to me again and beth is gone but where is she she's run off with some sneaky foreigner what's your name rudy miller rudy miller you're the one she's run off with wait wait don't go away please come back here where is she what have you done with her late again i'm sorry beth my love [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] what have i done to you you've left your home for me i have nothing to offer you i'm penny listen i said all my money over front [Music] but it does matter yes it doesn't know it yes it [Music] beth are you still here we was all getting worried mary he didn't sail he couldn't go away and leave me isn't that wonderful oh the lord works in mysterious ways oh but but he gave up his job in his room and he sent all of his money home to up with friends i've arranged to get my job back then i shall stay here tonight until i can afford a room we must get married you must get married immediately yes but how can we we have no place for the wedding and tomorrow's christmas eve nonsense you can come to our house there's plenty of room a mother says houses filled with love have elastic walls come on now let's go tell her the good news [Music] oh wedding at our house this will be the best christmas eve ever but the arrangement oh mr grixel arranged for the justice of the peace and and he can play the wedding march on his spiral then oh my mother will take care of everything else just think tomorrow you'll be mr and mrs rudy miller [Music] [Applause] yes [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] so [Music] then come on [Music] dearly beloved we are gathered here in the face of god and the presence of this company to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony for as much as these two persons have come hither to be made one in this holy estate if there be any here present who knows of any just cause [Music] my only wish for you my darling daughter is that you be as happily married as i am of love do you elizabeth atherton take this man rudolph miller to be your lawful wedded husband to love honor and obey as long as you both shall [Music] [Applause] live [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Laughter] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we're home [Music] your hair what have you done don't look at me like that i had to it was our wedding night and christmas even and my heart was just bursting with love there was this place they they buy hair to to make wigs and and i had no money oh here openness [Music] it's for your watch you know how you cherish it and i'm always afraid that you'll lose [Music] it [Music] so [Music] i sold my watch i stole my watch to buy you combs for for the hair you sold by a chain from my [Music] watch oh you look so adorable even more beautiful than before [Music] i love you so much [Music] [Applause] i promised you a story of joy and love didn't i well for beth and rudy it's just beginning falling in love is easy but living happily ever after that's the trick rudy and beth will because they've just exchanged the most important of gifts the gift of love all over this great city even when it's not christmas the gift of love is offered and shared and tonight on christmas eve [Music] the whole city glows with it feel it it's all around you all you have to do is reach deep into your heart [Music] you

Channel: tainlor

Views: 229,372

Keywords: the gift of love film movie henry marie osmond june lockhart timothy bottoms

Id: owHjqSt-_D4

Length: 95min 31sec (5731 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 22 2020