The Big Brothers

Originally Aired: January 19, 1938 Cavalcade of America #118, "The Big Brothers," tells the story of Joe Arnold, a desperate teenager facing an impossible choice between right and wrong. When his struggling mother loses her job and the family has nothing to eat, Joe is pushed to the breaking point. His friends Brick and Mopy convince him to break into freight cars at the railroad yards to steal rolls of carpet they can sell for quick cash. Despite his misgivings and thoughts of his mother, Joe goes through with the theft, losing a glove in the process—a glove with his name sewn inside. The next day, Joe returns home with groceries, unable to bear his family's hunger any longer. But his moment of relief is short-lived when a detective arrives at the door with a warrant for his arrest. As Joe faces the consequences of his actions and his mother realizes what has happened, the story dramatizes a critical turning point in a young person's life—the moment when the path toward either redemption or a life of crime hangs in the balance.