What happens
Luigi Basco, a newly arrived immigrant in Chicago, wants to telephone his mother in Italy on New Year's Eve. The call is expensive, so he tries to borrow the money from his friend Pasquale, who offers a loan only if Luigi can find a cosigner. Luigi then goes to the telephone company and asks its general manager, Mr. Hawkins, for help. The series is Life with Luigi, which first aired on December 27, 1949, and stars J. Carrol Naish as Luigi.
Chicago, New Year's Eve, 1949
Characters: Luigi Basco, Pasquale, Rosa, Mr. Hawkins, Mama Basco
Listen for: Luigi's attempts to raise money for a long-distance call to his mother in Italy.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.