The Mollycoddle

1
               FOREWORD
 Our thanks are gratefully expressed to
government officials, tribal chiefs, and to
the hundreds of picturesque Hopi Indians
on their reservation near the Painted
Desert of Arizona, who, in their savage
way heartily welcomed us to their prehis-
toric villages and with primitive cheerfulness
played an important part in this picture.

2
 A mollycoddle is a body 
of man entirely surrounded
by super-civilization.

3
  CIVILIZATION ---- is
the primitive plus refine-
ment and adornment ----
caviar - olives - after dinner
speeches - and racing through 
fields of beauty at a hundred 
miles an hour.

4
 Take for instance, the crude
dwellings of the primitive
Indians built ages ago on
the rock mesas of Arizona -

5
 Then look at the play-
ground of the civilized
world - also built upon a
rock mesa - Monte Carlo.

6
 Fundamentally they are 
the same - just rock.

 One is highly polished - 
that's all.

7
 For many generations back
the RICHARD MARSHALLS
have been found in the 
vanguard of civilization -
God-fearing, hell-bustin',
fighting adventurers and 
two-fisted pioneers.

[dissolve to:]

8
 There was the Richard 
Marshall of 1853 ------
a leather-necked, shag-
gutted buckaroo, gamely
waging an uneven battle
near a coveted water hole
- such as Remington knew.

9
 "If you get back - give this
- my son. Tell him Washing-
ton - George Washington -
gave it - my grandfather - for
- bravery."

10
 In 1880 another Richard 
Marshall put the fear of 
God into the heart of
many an evil-doer along 
the frontier.

11
 Riding into a strange bor-
der town from the desert's
blackness the chivalrous 
Marshall hears of a wronged 
girl in distress.

12
 "Belly the bar, you
buckaroos - and drink
their luck."

13
 What forefathers! Fearless
fighters - the patriot of 1779 -
the adventurer of 1853 ---- the
chivalrous Marshall of 1880.
We now come to Marshall the 
fifth ----

14
-- at Monte Carlo where ----

15
Italians ----

16
Russians ----

17
French ----

18
English ----

19
Americans ----

20
---- and even the winds play.

21
 One touch of hat-
chase makes the whole
world kin.

22
"Thanks awfully."

23
 "Always glad to help
an Englishman."

24
 "Don't be silly!
I'm an American!"

25
 "Really! Well, this is the
Fourth of July ---- we should
all know each other. I'm
Mrs. Warren ---- and this is
my daughter, Molly."

26
"Americans?"

27
 "Yes ---- we are all
Americans. This is Mr.
Patrick O'Flannigan."

28
"Mr. Ole Olsen."

29
"Mr. Samuel Levinski."

30
 "Mr. Van Holkar, host
to our yachting party."

31
 "Are you an
American, too?"

32
 "I've taken out 
my first papers"

33
"Miss Virginia Hale."

34
 "What part of Amer-
ica are you from, Mr. 
Marshall?"

35
"I was born in Arizona."

36
"Are you kidding?"

37
 "Oh, they mean spoof-
ing, eh! No, really, all my
people were cow persons
in Arizona."

38
 "My father made pots 
of money and brought
me over when I was four.
He died and I - I've just
stayed on."

39
 "And you have 
never even been back 
to New York!"

40
"I hear it's fearfully rough."

41
"Do all foreigners ----"

42
 "---- American
foreigners, I mean,
- think that?"

43
 "Nobody would 
ever take you for 
an American."

44
 "Really ---- that is
a mess, isn't it! I've
always been proud of
being an American."

45
 "Don't think me 
rude, but that's not
American."

46
"They roll their own ----"

47
 "Do you have to
wear that?"

48
 "I suppose it's just
sort of a habit."

49
 "That fellow is contrary
to the Constitution of the
United States. Something
ought to be done about it!"

50
 "Our tour with 
Mr. Van Holkar will
take us to Arizona.
Wouldn't you enjoy 
going back?"

51
 "Oh, that would be 
ripping. Who is this
Van Holkar?"

52
 "We met him 
in Amsterdam."

53
 To the American party
Van Holkar is a charming
host but in reality he is a
blackguard and one of the
greatest diamond smugglers
the world has ever known.

54
In Arizona -

55
 Renegade Indians secretly
work a diamond mine for
Van Holkar --

56
 Rough diamonds
stolen from the Indian
reservation are taken
abroad to be cut by 
experts -

57
 Van Holkar averts
suspicion through his
lavish entertainment
and association with
prominent tourists -

58
 Van Holkar honors
Virginia with a farewell
dinner before sailing.

59
 "We have in our midst an 
American who has strayed 
from the fold. He should be 
led back. I appeal to our
host to include him in our 
party."

60
 "I guess we can make 
room for one more."

61
 "You'll never want 
to come back after 
you've sat aboard a 
bronc in Arizona and 
shot a few Indians."

62
 "I shall have to with-
draw that invitation. This
young man does not fit in
our party ---- besides, my
yacht is already crowded."

63
 "He will be dis-
appointed. Perhaps 
I can tell him with-
out hurting him."

64
 "Sorry to interfere 
with your plans, but 
I can't take Marshall 
along."

65
 "You know, seeing 
you and all that - I -
I did want to go back
home! But - it's quite
all right."

66
 "Won't you keep 
this ---- the spoil of 
your conquest?"

67
 "We're sailing 
at midnight."

68
 For the first time
in his life Marshall felt
the glorious thrill and
tingle ---- the soul
music that goes with
the words "back home!"

69
 Van Holkar's room
in the Hotel Riviera -
near the yacht wharf.

70
 "We must get away 
quickly. A Secret Serv-
ice rat is on our trail
- and had the nerve to 
try and join our party."

71
 "I'm sorry he didn't 
come along. I liked
him. I think he had
the makings of a man."

72
"Bah! That mollycoddle."

73
 "We have a surprise 
for you - we're going to 
feed it now."

74
"Blug - blur - glug - bla!"

75
 "What are you 
doing here?"

76
 "That's what I
want to know."

77
"How did you get here?"

78
 "That's what I
want to know."

79
 "We shanghaied Marshall
- and we've got him below 
in a basket."

80
 "Bound and gagged, 
eh? That's a pretty 
smart trick."

81
 "If that half-baked 
American is the Secret
Service agent, he will get
what he least expects.
For the time being throw 
him in the stokehole."

82
 "What is the 
surprise - a dog?

83
"No - it's just 
a little puppy."

84
 Words cannot
describe the heat,
the roll, the filth -
the awful mess of 
a ship's stokehole.

85
 "Lookin' for the
stowaway? The 
chief gave him a
nice job - stokin'."

86
"Use this, you saphead."

87
 "Wait, Molly. Work
won't hurt him ---- it
will help make a man 
of him."

88
 "Get our man in 
Amsterdam. Have
him send a complete
description of the
Secret Service agent."

89
 "Don't say I told 
you, but that funny
Mr. Marshall is on
board - shoveling coal."

90
 "What you need is 
a chew of tobacco."

91
 "Hey, buddie,
try a lemon."

92
 "You poor boy! I feel 
so sorry for you."

93
 "Oh, splendid! I
didn't know this was 
your yachting party."

94
 "This is outrageous!
I shall see that Mr. 
Van Holkar takes you 
out of here at once!"

95
 "I think it is a shame 
to treat anyone like 
that. Besides, he's a 
gentleman and not 
used to it."

96
 "Your slightest wish 
is a command aboard 
this boat."

97
 "Release that young 
man. Tell him he is 
our guest ---- until we
land at Galveston."

98
 Rescued from the stoke-
hole, Marshall comes forth
a different man -

  Suit by O'Flannigan -

  Cap by Olson -

  Shoes by Levinski -

99
 "You Johnnies
are great spoofers!
I rather like it ----"

100
 During the voyage
Marshall was puzzled
by the objections of his
fellow Americans to his
little mannerisms -

[dissolve to:]

101
 He didn't mind the 
others, but Virginia -
well, he rather wanted
to be just what Virginia 
wanted him to be.

102
 "Unless you call polo
or sports work ---- that
chucking coal is the first
job I ever had."

103
 "Well, I'm afraid
Arizona will either
kill or cure you."

104
 "Righto! But dead or
alive I shall jolly well
be near you."

105
 "I think you are 
a corker-jack!"

106
All for a girl ----

107
 Under the cloak of night
the smuggler's craft silently
steals toward the dim lights
      of Galveston.

108
 With the smuggler
called to the wireless
a last and desperate 
chance is taken by the
Secret Service agent.

109
 "I - I can't explain
this - now! But you
must believe me, it's
- it's all right!"

110
 Why, it's none 
of my bally busi-
ness. Er - isn't this 
a wonderful night?"

111
"You must not tell ----"

112
 "Really, you hurt 
my feelings. Shall
we go for a walk?"

113
 "It's wonderful to
be going back home
- that is, I mean to
say - with you."

114
 "That sneaking pup 
has rifled my papers! 
Go get him!"

115
 "Where's the paper you 
took from that cabinet?"

116
 "You're a fine specimen 
of a Secret Service spy."

117
 "If I'm a Secret Service 
agent, you must jolly well 
be a crook."

118
 "Do you know what 
we do with Secret Serv-
ice rats on board this
ship? We drown them!"

119
 "Throw him in there.
We'll drop him over-
board at midnight."

120
 "That's all right. Drown 
me - but don't slap me."

121
 "Post a guard outside
his door and get some 
weights. See that you 
don't bungle the job."

122
 "Don't you think you are 
going a bit too far?"

123
 "I'm sorry, but the
immigration officials
insist that Marshall 
be sent back - it's the
law of the sea for
stowaways, you know."

124
 "This is serious ----
Mr. Marshall must not 
be deported! You got
him this far - don't be
quitters now."

125
 Van Holkar allows
Marshall to join the 
boys in a farewell 
drink - but keeps a 
careful watch.

126
 "Full of information,
eh? A lot of good 
it will do you at the
bottom of the sea."

127
 "The shore is an easy 
swim now. Good luck, 
old man!"

128
 "I'll look after the
chest. You attend 
to that business with 
Marshall."

129
"Cheerio! I'm off - pip, pip!"

130
 An extraordinary 
thing! The molly-
coddle is caught in
Van Holkar's net.

131
 Morning ---- while
the fishing schooner 
ties up to her dock.

132
 Van Holkar's fish 
house - another vital
cog in his gigantic 
smuggling machine.

133
 "The boss is tak-
ing another pippin
on a joy party to
the Painted Desert."

134
 "He certainly runs
awful chances ---- tak-
ing anyone near the
Haunted diamond
Canyon."

135
 "This is going to be 
bad for all of us!"

136
"No fish to-day."

137
 "Where will I find a 
barber - and a railway 
to Arizona?"

138
In Arizona ----
on the rim of the
Painted Desert.

139
 "So you're Dick Marshall's 
boy, eh?"

140
 "I wonder if he is 
anything like his dad."

141
  The primitive prairie
schooner, civilized, becomes
the "Desert Yacht" in which
Van Holkar carries his
guests to northern Arizona.

142
A western breeze, born on
the snow-capped tips of the
Apache range - flavored with
the pines and warmed by the
desert's purple sage - swept
straight to the heart of young 
Marshall - and the blood of his 
forefathers seemed to respond.

143
 Ugh - big chief - ah-h-h -
umm-m-m - oh-h-h - clothes -
umm-m-m - oh-h-h - ah-h-h -
how much - ung?

144
 "What the hell you 
talking about?"

145
 "Are you one 
of those educated
Carlisle Johnnies?"

146
 "I've heard the primi-
tive Indians in the village
talk of a haunted canyon.
They can direct you - but 
won't go with you."

147
 The crafty Van Holkar
keeps in touch with the
outside world by wireless.

148
 "Tell Yellow Horse
to set a guard at the 
mine and ride over
here at once."

149
 Yellow Horse, a
college Indian gone
wrong, in charge of
the diamond mine.

150
"Dance?"

151
 "Haunted Canyon is
through Death Defile
below. Bad place - no 
good Indian go there."

152
"How!"

153
 "What ho! Here we
are again - as the Queen
says when she opens
Parliament."

154
 "They're all spies.
We've got to clean 
them out and then 
get away."

155
 "Get them up in 
Haunted Canyon.
We'll dynamite Hang-
ing Rock and start an 
avalanche!"

156
 "The landslide will
fill the trail through
Death Defile. It will
take them days to get
out the other way."

157
 "Yellow Horse, 
you take the crowd 
through. Mac can
plant the dynamite
and wait for you."

158
 "Instead of the Indian
village we're going up
to the Haunted Canyon
and see some diamond 
mines!"

159
 "Yes, diamond mines!
They are on the reser-
vation and really belong 
to the Indians."

160
 Death Defile ---- the
gateway to Haunted 
Canyon.

161
 "I shall not go another 
step without Virginia."

162
 Years before, young Marshall's
grandfather came abruptly on this
very spot and reining in his horse,
exclaimed:

       "Hurrah for God."

163
 Hanging Rock ----
balanced high above
the village, a menace
for centuries.

164
 Primitive cunning,
born of instinct, now
guides his every move.

165
  Yellow Horse
rides away to start
the avalanche.

166
"The Mollycoddle!"

167
 "Umu katchi oo-ve
wat-ka-ah! Duh-bella
ung sah pucktu!"

[dissolves to:]

 "Fly for your lives!
Avalanche coming!"

168
 "Make for one of 
the ledges - quick!"

169
 The mollycoddle
learns that Virginia 
has been left with 
Van Holkar -

170
 "That means I have your 
friends trapped ---- beyond
the defile. Now, you'll do 
as I say."

171
 "In the name of the
United States Govern-
ment I arrest you for 
smuggling!"

172
 "I have only one 
treatment for spies."

173
 "He's a smuggler all right.
I just finished getting the
proof for you when some
bally fool tipped a mountain
over on me."

174
 "Oh, you want to arrest 
that smuggling Johnnie! I'll
go fetch him."

175
 And so, folks - did you 
ever stop to think what a
slight difference there is
between the civilized and
the primitive ----

176
Primitive ----

177
Civilized ----

178
Primitive ----

179
Civilized ----
 
180
Primitive and civilized -
the world over ----

The End