[Narrator]
Welcome to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. You're in for a real treat. The Carousel of Progress was Walt's own idea from beginning to end. He loved it. He introduced the show at the World's Fair in New York City in 1964 and it was an immediate smash hit. Millions of people came to see it and since then, the Carousel of Progress has had more performances than any other stage show in the history of American theater. You know, Walt loved the idea of progress and he loved the American family. He himself was probably as American as anyone could possibly be. He thought it would be fun to watch the American family go through the twentieth century experiencing all new wonders as they came. And he put them together in a show called Carousel of Progress, which we are about to see. Although our Carousel family has experienced a few changes over the years, our show still revolves around the same theme: and that's progress. May the century begin.
[Chorus]
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
And tomorrow is just a dream away.
Man has a dream and that's the start.
He follows his dream in mind and heart.
[Chorus & Father]
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true for you and me.
So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day,
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Just a dream away.
[Father]
Well, looks like the robins are getting ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day today. What year is it? Oh, right around the turn of the century. And things couldn't be any better than they are today. Yes sir, buildings are towering now as high as twenty stories. And moving pictures flicker up on a big screen. We have almost 8,000 automobiles in this country and we can travel by train from New York to California in less than seven days! And I even hear tell of two brothers from North Carolina who are working on some kind of flying contraption. It'll never work. Closer to home, we've now got gas lamps, telephone and the latest design in cast iron stoves. And that reservoir keeps 5 gallons of water hot all day on just 3 buckets of coal. Oh boy, it sure beats chopping wood. And isn't our new icebox a beauty? Look at that! Holds 50 pounds of ice. Milk doesn't sour as quick as it used to and our dog Rover here keeps the water in
the drip pan from overflowing. It wasn't too long ago that we had to carry water from a well. Thanks to progress, we have a pump right here in the kitchen. Of course, we keep a bucket of water handy to prime it with. Yes sir, we've got everything to make life easier. Say mother?
[Mother]
Hmm?
[Father]
I was reading about a fellow named Tom Edison who's working on an idea for a snapon electric light.
[Mother]
Electric lights? No more kerosene! No more gas!
[Father]
Sarah sure gets to the core of the apple.
[Mother]
But we do have this new washday marvel. It takes only 5 hours to do the wash. Imagine! It used to take two days.
[Father]
That's right folks, now Mother has time for other things, like...
[Mother]
Like canning and cleaning the oven?
[Father]
Yes dear.
[Mother]
Well ovens just don't clean themselves you know dear.
[Father]
I know dear. And they probably never will!
[Mother]
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get the laundry off the line before it starts raining cats and dogs.
(Rover barks.)
[Father]
Ah don't worry Rover. She didn't mean real dogs. Besides, it's not going to rain today. My lumbago isn't acting up.
(Lightning strikes in the window.)
[Mother]
I hate to say I told you so.
[Father]
Oh, look at it come down! All you have to do is put your wash on the line right? Oh well, the cistern was low anyway.
[Son]
Wowee! Look at that!
[Father]
Now James, I thought I told you to ask my permission before using my new stereoscope. That's not a toy you know!
[Son]
Ooh la la! So that's Little Egypt doing the hoochie-koochie, eh dad?
[Father]
Isn't she a knockout? She's the star of the new World's Fair in Saint Louis and...ahem...you put that away before your mother finds it.
[Son]
Aw dad...
[Father]
You heard me! (To Audience) Well, we have one of those new talking machines.
(Grandma is listening to "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" on a phonograph machine.)
[Father]
Now that is something. It plays music right here in our home.
[Parrot]
Aaah. She keeps that thing going all day long. Aaah! Progress!
(We see daughter fixing her hair in mirror.)
[Daughter]
Oh papa.
[Father]
Yes Patricia?
[Daughter]
Papa! All these people! I'm... I'm indecent!
[Father]
Don't worry Patricia. They're friends. (to Audience) That's my
teenage daughter. She's getting ready to go to a Valentines dance across town, on one of those new horseless trolleys.
[Daughter]
I think it's very romantic you're taking mother out for Valentines dinner tonight.
[Father]
Well, you know what kind of sport I am.
[Daughter]
I only hope that I have an evening as romantic as yours and mothers.
[Father]
Now you be home by nine o'clock daughter. You hear me?
[Daughter]
Yes papa.
[Father]
Well, with all this talking, I've worked up quite a thirst. I think I'll take one of those new
fangled trolleys down to the drug store soda fountain and meet the boys for a cold sarsaparilla.
Oh... ha ha, I'm sorry, I forgot... we're drinking root beer now! Same kind of thing, different
name. Well, that's progress for you. Speaking of progress...
[Father & Chorus]
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
And tomorrow is just a dream away.
Man has a dream and that's the start.
He follows his dream in mind and heart
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true for you and me.
So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Just a dream away.
