DAN FIELD(DF)

(Sounds of telephones ringing and people typing throughout.)

(Telephone rings.)

DF: (on telephone): Hello, Field’s. Oh, you want to meet a lady doctor? Sure, I got plenty for you. If you like to I could send you a free brochure, ”How to Find Happiness,” and no obligation.

Who walks in in here, they are ready and sincere. They don’t come here to play games.

A young lady come here, or a man, or 80 years old or 90 years old . . . I had it already. ”I want to meet a nice decent person.” I say you’re in the right place. All religions I have, all races, all ages. I have all walks of life, all over the world. I have poor ones, I have rich ones, I have high society, millionaires. It’s a department store in here. You tell me what you want and what you’re looking for — I deliver. You don’t have to look nowhere else.

(To a customer on the telephone)

All ages, all religions, all races, all over the world. It doesn’t matter. Oh, you’re calling me from California? Fine.

A lot of people are married off. A young lady come here one time. She was six foot two, 105 pounds. A shoestring. You know, nothing here, nothing there. She had a Ph degree, highly sophisticated young lady. ”Mr. Field, I have a problem to meet the right one.” I look her up and down, I say, ”You sure do.” But I don’t care how tall he is or how short he is. Then I have a man coming in. It happens all the time. He was about 5’8. I’m looking for a tall girl, I want to have tall children. So I ask him, ”What makes you say so they’re going to be tall? Maybe the children will take after you.” And I call her up I say I have a young man, highly educated about 5’ 8” or so. ”Sure.” I made arrangements, the first time, and that was the end of that and he got married to her and they still happily married.

(To a customer on the telephone)

So tell me what your daughter’s looking for. She’s looking for a professional man? No problem at all. You make arrangements for your daughter to meet the right, suitable gentleman without her knowledge.

I have parents that come to here from all over the world. They write to me, they come in here. They have daughters they have sons, sophisticated doctors, lawyers. Highly educated, but they cannot meet the right one. If they do meet the right one, he doesn’t want to get married. He wants to move in. Everything they want to move in — the style, moving in. So the parents don’t like that, they want to see their children happy, like every parents. So they come in here for the children without their knowledge and I make arrangements for them they meet the right one. They get happily married — forever. And they don’t have to know anything about it.

I have men coming in here, ”I want them this way, I want her that tall, I want her blonde, I want a this . . .” I say, ”My friend, we’ll put her in a mold, we’ll take her out, we’ll give her to you. But you didn’t ask the right question, my friend. You didn’t say she should be a model inside. Outside you could change, clothes you could always buy, neighborhoods you could always move, but you didn’t say the inside. The inside you cannot change. The outside could be changed.” You have to convince them.

(Telephone rings, Field answers.)

Field’s. You’re a medical doctor. I see . . . You like to meet a nice lady? . . . Sure . . . I’ll answer everything when you come in. Thank you for calling.

Producer: David Isay / Original mix by Natalie Budelis / Digitally re-mixed at Sound Portraits Studios in New York City.

Funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and NYSCA.