Air Raid Wardens

This is the town of Huxton...

... not an important place like New York or Chicago.

Just a small town.

There's never very much excitement in Huxton...

... except for a dance at the firehouse or a wedding.

But a few days ago, December 7th, there was plenty of excitement.

That day, Charlie Beaugart, the barber, was so excited...

... he nicked 3 chins and one Adam's apple.

This little fellow just got shaved.

His name is Middling, Eustace Middling.

He's a newcomer to Huxton. Only been in town a few days.

Now, here's an old-timer. Hello, Captain Biddle.

Principal of the high school.

Kicked me out of school once.

Had it coming, though. That's the town paper.

Fellow at the desk is the editor, Dan Madison, busiest man in town.

Just been appointed head of Civilian Defense for Huxton.

There's Peggy Parker. She's Dan's star reporter.

Now, don't get any funny notions.

They're engaged.

Everybody likes Peggy.

On the other hand, there's J.P. Norton, president of the bank.

He'd lend you money on most anything, except his wife.

Why should he be left holding the bag?

Good morning, Mr. Norton.

And a good morning to you, Mrs. Norton.

They're a very happy couple.

J.P. worships the ground her grandfather discovered oil on.

And speaking of couples, come on over here.

Went to school with these boys long before they became successful.

Come to think of it, I did hear they went into another business.

Oh, yeah. Pet shop.

They ought to do well in this business.

Moved again. Must be the Gypsy in them.

Excuse me, could you tell me where I could find Laurel and Hardy?

Thank you kindly.

Well, we caught up with them at last.

Funny, locking up in the middle of the day.

First volunteers out of Huxton.

Going off to the city to enlist.

And they won't take no for an answer.

Take a look at them, Uncle Sam. What do you think?

- No. - And then...

... could we please be sailors?

No!

- And finally, maybe we could be Marines? - No!

But did that discourage them?

It certainly did.

Look at that.

I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Norton.

Oh, it's you. I might have known. It couldn't be that you've come back...

...to town to pay your debts. - Why, we'd be glad to...

...if you'd allow us to negotiate a slight loan.

A loan?

You two blundering failures.

More money from me for your stupid, inefficient bungling.

And another thing...

Good day.

- Hello, boys. - Hello, Peggy.

Well, hello, fellas. I thought you'd gone to enlist.

- Uncle Sam didn't want us. - Oh, that's too bad. Better luck next time.

Poor guys. They feel terrible.

Yeah, it's a tough break.

Dan, why don't you let them help us?

Say, that's an idea. Hey, boys!

Come here.

Look, fellas, Uncle Sam wants everybody.

There's plenty to be done right here on the home front. Why, I have a job for you.

- Here, paste up these posters. - Where?

Everywhere. We're having a big meeting tonight in the high school gym.

- What for? - The war effort.

That's right. There's a job to be done right here at home.

- Come on, Stanley. We'll fix it. - Sure.

How do you do?

- What's going on here? - Bicycle shop moving out.

Radio shop moving in.

Why?

Why...

Just a minute, my good man. You can't do this.

I would like to see somebody stop me.

Oh, no, you don't. Oh, no, you don't!

You can't take this bicycle, sir.

This is our property, and you will not...

- It's our bike. - You can't interfere...

- Give it to me, sir. No, sir. - I'll call the authority.

You can't do it. You...

Oh, you big...!

Gentlemen.

- Why, this is outrageous. - Well...

What are you doing in my shop?

- Your shop? - Yes.

- It's our shop. - It certainly is.

And we have Mr. Norton's dispossess notice to prove it.

Why, I just signed the lease for this place.

They told me the former occupants are now in the Army.

They were among the first to volunteer.

Brave gentlemen. I salute them, sirs.

He's talking about us.

- That's right. Pardon me, sir. - Yes?

I'm Mr. Hardy and this is my partner, Mr. Laurel.

- And we are not in the Army. - Yes.

No. And we want our store back.

Oh, well, now, that's different. Now, let me think.

- Yes. - Let me think. Let me think.

Let him think.

Let me see, l... I sell radios, you sell bicycles.

I don't really need all this space.

And in times like these, we must all pull together.

- Why don't we share the store? - It's a deal.

Bicycles, burglar alarms, locks and keys...

- And radios. - That's right, sir.

- We welcome you to the firm. - Thank you, sir.

- Thank you, sir. - Thank you, Ollie.

Thank you.

But right now, we have some work to do for Uncle Sam.

Come, Stanley.

- Thank you. - Goodbye.

And as for you, when I return...

...l'd like to see every one of those bicycles back in this shop...

...in their proper place.

I'll see you at the back door.

Hello, Heydrich?

Well, I've occupied the shop.

- And I have a couple of partners. - Partners?

Your orders were to establish yourself as a patriotic, respectable American.

You can't have partners on this assignment.

Don't get so excited.

Wait till you see them. They're a wonderful front.

We'll go down the street.

We'll put them on both sides...

...so that they can see them coming and going.

Yeah.

Are you putting that one on upside down?

Look at my dress. You've ruined my new dress!

It wasn't me, lady. It was him.

What are you supposed to be doing, anyway?

We're putting up bills, you see, for the gym...

- Oh, the idea. - Excuse me. Maybe I can help your dress.

Thank you! Good day!

We're all here because we want to be here.

We're here as volunteers...

...as men and women who come of our own free wills...

...to do what we can to protect the things we all hold dear.

The new magnesium plant being built here at the edge of town...

...goes into operation in the next two months...

...supplying a vital war product.

Now, the enemy will wanna stop this supply.

This makes Huxton a defense area...

...just the same as if we were on the fighting front.

And we've gotta protect not only the plant, but the homes and lives of its workers.

Now, the first thing we have to do is get organized.

So I would now like to announce the appointments...

...of the heads of our various units.

First, as Chief of the Air Raid Warden Service, Captain Biddle.

Will you come on? We're 20 minutes late now.

You can't take that dog in here.

I didn't ask him to come in. I just gave him a piece of popcorn.

- That was all... - Well, put that stuff away. Go on, dog.

- Go on. Get out. Go home. - You can't come in here, see?

- I'll see you when we come out. - Yeah.

- Go on home. - Go get it, now. Go get it.

As leader of the Women's Auxiliary...

...I appoint Mrs. J.P. Norton.

Thank you.

My friends, thank you.

I shall devote myself to the trust that you all have placed in me.

I am now serving as president of the Women's Club...

...and have many social duties as wife of the city's leading banker.

- Take your shoes off. - However, this new work is important too.

I can't. I got a hole in my sock.

Take them off.

And I shall try to knit a well-formed organization.

Thus, I bring to the task not only my enthusiasm...

...but my experience in leadership.

For leadership, as I've often told our ladies, is all-important.

With strong leaders, we succeed. With weak leaders, we fail.

I can assure you that, under my leadership, the ladies of Huxton will succeed.

As I was saying...

...there is one pitfall which we ladies must avoid.

We must be sure that we choose the right people for the right jobs.

- It's my rheumatism. - Just as Mr. Madison...

...has exercised great care in the selection of his coworkers...

...so must I pick my assistants.

Each of our activities must be headed by a lady...

...who will imbue her workers with a spirit of self-sacrifice.

Only in this way...

...can our organization become a credit to our fair city.

We must have...

As I was saying...

About...

About my coworkers, the very first thing I shall do tomorrow...

...is to set up a suggestion box at our headquarters...

...where any lady can submit her ideas.

No doubt, we shall have hundreds of ideas to select from.

Of course, it will be impossible to put every one of them into execution.

I shall choose all those that are worthy.

And that...

And that...

I shall speak to the ladies when we have our own meeting.

Thank you, Mrs. Norton.