 dedicated to the strength of the nation now heard on one thousand radio stations proudly we hail proudly we hail starring Angela Lansbury in birthday from Arthur the United States Army and United States Air Force presentation now here is your host the well-known Hollywood showman CP McGregor thank you thank you greetings from Hollywood ladies and gentlemen and once again a cordial welcome to proudly we hail where each week you hear a star of your choice in a story we know you'll enjoy our star Angela Lansbury is just now coming into her own as one of the truly fine young dramatic actresses of motion pictures and our proudly we hail production provides Miss Lansbury the chance to display her fine dramatic ability it's a gripping dramatic love story birthday for Martha we'll have act one in a moment but first a brief word from Wendell Niles America's design for peace is embodied in your regular Army and US Air Force by continuing technical development and maintenance of a sufficiently trained body of men your army and Air Force stand ready to discourage aggression and your men in uniform are improving themselves in a worthwhile career by vocational training in cultural and academic education at the United States Armed Forces Institute they're contributing to their own and their country's well-being now back at the microphone our producer and now act one of birthday for Martha starring Angela Lansbury as Martha Winters it's evening a time meant for home and the family circle but while millions of families all over the world are gathered together to share their lot a group of women in a falsely gay dining room of a Reno hotel are gathered together to anticipate the shattering of their family ties among them is one much younger than the rest a girl who seems strangely out of place her name is Martha Winters why so quiet Martha I didn't realize that I was well you're not exactly a gay mad thing you know I'm sorry maple forget it it's just that this happens to be my birthday and it isn't at all like other birthdays I know honey you should have thought of that before you came to Reno if I did I wouldn't be back here how can they be so callous about divorce me don't they realize what they're doing what it means better than you do a laughings just a phony front honey when they go to bed tonight they'll cry on their pillows just the same as you and me and still they go through with it sure for the same reasons we will they're either too proud or too stubborn or their husbands are admit that the folks aren't all on one side I'm not too proud hmm or too stubborn either I'm going up to my room to call Jim and ask him to come and take me back thank you hello I'd like to speak with mr. Winters please this is Mrs. Winters how are you Kate please ask him to call me as soon as he returns I don't care how lady is I'll be waiting for his call oh I see no message thank you I'll write him a letter Jim I'll soon be celebrating my birthday in Reno the only one we haven't spent together but seems like forever we've come a long way since our first celebration darling today we have money position but nothing then we had nothing and everything each other though it seems so long ago I'll I'll never forget that first birthday present you gave me and I hope you won't either it really began on the day before when I sat in our tiny one-room apartment waiting for your knock on the door have any luck Jim I raised three dollars on my watch did the check come we're not in this morning's mail I haven't been down to look this afternoon I'll go right now it's not necessary the postman was leaving as I came in there's nothing in the mailbox oh well maybe it'll come registered or special delivery or two weeks from now why can't publishers send the check when they accept a story writers want to give their wives birthday presents as well as publishers do oh Jim dear I don't have a thing for you I was planning on that check we'll get it eventually Jim eventually and in the meantime we're better off than a lot of other people we have each other and three dollars don't forget the three dollars hey that's right let's go shopping I get some hamburger and well I could make some muck chicken legs salad and sweet potatoes but it's raining the weather can't stop happiness put on your coat and let's go I think we have everything now don't we Jim I don't know how you got what you did with three dollars two dollars and sixty three cents would be exact and now if we can get a couple of candles for a quarter or so gosh you couldn't you waited until we got home or out of the rain no when I feel like kissing my wife I kiss her sorry son but I can't how old are you? I'll be nine. Nine? When will you be nine? In a couple of years. That's just what I thought. You're much too young to be out in this kind of weather. What's your name? Joe Wilkins. How about that shine mister? Well if we give you a quarter will you go home Joe? Mama's mom we'd have a real birthday dinner this year with meat and everything. You can't buy anything for a quarter. If you let me shine your shoes mister that'll give me a start and then I can. Jim. Yeah go ahead. Do you think you could carry this bag of groceries all the way home Joe? Huh? There's meat and sweet potatoes and oh there's everything. You ain't kidding me are you lady? No Joe I'm not kidding you. It's my birthday too. And I'd like your mother to have her birthday dinner. Gee. Gee I don't know what to say except thanks and happy birthday. Tell your mother happy birthday Joe. Gee. And here's your quarter. Maybe you can buy a couple of candles. These people must be awful rich. We are now. Aren't we Jim? Yeah. Jim. As I said before when I feel like kissing my wife I kiss her. Can you ever forget that Jim? We bought a can of soup with our remaining 12 cents and returned home to find that the letter containing our check had been slipped under the door with a note from Mr Oliver saying it had been put in his mailbox by mistake. We were suddenly rich. Two hundred and fifty dollars. We were so impressed that we sat there talking about all the things we were going to buy until the banks had closed and we couldn't cash the check. So we still had the can soup for my birthday party. Right after that things began to break for us. This story so regularly and I was launched on my career as a studio designer because we felt that we owed a large portion of our good luck to little Joe Wilkins and his mother. We hired a detective to locate them for us. And my next birthday we called on them. Hello Joe. Hello Joe. You remember us. I don't think I have to come in. Yeah. You're so dolled up. I'm Mrs Wilkins. All year long I've been praying for a chance to thank you for what you've done for Joe and me last year. We didn't know your name. So it's winters Mrs Wilkins. I still don't know how to thank you. Oh don't try. I'm sure it did us more good than it did you. It couldn't have. We think it did. That's why we brought these things. All those things for us. And there's a cake with candles in the car. Gee. We are able to get that couple of candles last year Joe with your quarter. No. That is I didn't try exactly. I used the quarter to buy mama presents. Those earrings she's wearing now aren't they pretty. I think they're beautiful Joe. Just perfectly beautiful. You aren't mad because I didn't buy candles are you. Oh of course they're not Joe. Joe's a good boy. He certainly is Mrs Wilkins. If I ever have a son. I'd like him to be just like Joe. Thank you Mr. Winters. That's the nicest birthday present any mother could ask for. I think so too Mrs. Wilkins. Come on Jim. Let's go home. We have to put out decorations for the party. You think anyone in the world could possibly be as happy as we are Jim. I doubt it. Now if we just had three or four kids three or four. We have been married two years you know. So what the deans did it. Well you'll have to admit that was a little unusual. Yeah I suppose so. Still it seems to me that if a gal is smart as you really put her mind to it. Hey where are those streamers in that box. Oh yeah they're right here beside the ladder. I'll be right in. Gosh you look even lovelier tonight than you did a year ago. I have no reason to. Would you really like to have children Jim. What I what a question. That's the way I feel. We're going to have one. We're going to have a baby. When did you find out what I saw Dr. Brown day before yesterday and he confirmed it. I waited until tonight to tell you something extra special. Well that's wonderful. Oh darling I. I love you so much. Here here sit down. Let me get your cup of hot chocolate or something. Oh please. Now don't give me that you've got to be careful. Responsible for two now you know or maybe more. More. It might be twins lots of twins in my family. Do you want a boy or a girl. I don't care just as long as it's a baby. Well I think we can be pretty well. Now before I guess. You sit still I'll take care of the decorations. I'm not an invalid. They don't wrap women up in cotton batting anymore you know. I'll pass it up here. Martha get down from that ladder I'll take care of all that. Well Martha you're leaning too far Martha. Oh Jim. Are you all right. Please. Call the doctor. It was briefly from our story birthday from Martha starring Angela Lansley to bring you an important message. A modern career in a modern world. That's what young men want today and that's what they have in the U. S. Air Force. You high school graduates can get in on the ground floor of a career in aviation. Yes you can pick your Air Force specialty and receive a well rounded training in that specialty. You'll become an expert in your field. Let's suppose you want to become a radar technician at your Air Force recruiting station. You write down your request for radar training. Then if you qualify and after you are accepted for the Air Force school that gives you that training you enlist for three four or five years. After a short basic training you go to the school for which you have been accepted. It's as simple as that high school graduates. Put your application in today at your U. S. Army and U. S. Air Force recruiting station. And now act to a birthday for Martha starring Angela Lansberry as Martha Winters spending her birthday in Reno waiting for her divorce. Martha Winters changed her mind and called her home in Los Angeles to ask her husband Jim to come and take her back. But his call was too late. Jim had already left the house with Martha's best friend. In a letter she is writing to Jim. Martha is sadly reliving their life together. When I fell from that ladder and lost our baby it was the beginning of the end for us Jim. During those days and nights that I lay on that hospital bed I made up my mind that I would never again have a child. I know it was foolish perhaps even wicked but that was the way I felt you. And there didn't seem to be anything I could do about it. And despite all the tender understanding you offered me I turned from you and buried myself in my work. During that year we gradually drifted apart when my birthday arrived seemed almost as though we were two strangers sharing the same household. Because I was afraid to be alone with you in the memories of past celebrations. I had a crowd in that birthday. Open house for a lot of so-called smart people. You didn't like them. Oh no darling. Very wonderful. Well darling I didn't expect to see you here. Oh why not. Their food and drinks are good as anyone else's. In fact that's the way I feel. I know she's a designer at the studio but darling who is he? He writes her paints or something or other. Did you say these people were your friends Martha? Of course they are. They all work at the studio. I wonder their pictures are bad. Do they have homes or do they just crawl back into the woodwork when a party's over? I'm sorry dear. Just that I wish they'd all go home so that we could go down and see Joe Wilkins and his mother. Why should we go see them? Well I thought maybe if you saw Joe again it might help you to... Well it wouldn't. I don't want ever to see Joe again. All his mother. All his mother. Or to be reminded of them. Oh well in that case if you'll hold down the fort I'll go down and see them myself. I got Joe an electric train as well as something for his mother. Why should you do a thing like that? Well if I had a boy of my own I... I'd like to see his face when he got his first electric train. And since I don't... I suppose you're blaming me for that too. I suppose if I'd taken your advice and stayed off that ladder we... Please Martha. I didn't know it would affect you this way or I... I wouldn't have mentioned Joe. Well I'll be on my way. Maybe by the time I get back this mob of sponges will have soaked up all the liquor and gone. Mr. Wilkins. Yes Kate? There's a Mrs. Wilkins and a boy at the door. We'll bring them in Kate. In here sir? With your guests? Certainly. They're friends of ours. If the guests don't like them the guests can get out. Very well sir. Where are you going Martha? I don't want to see Joe or his mother. But you have to Martha. They've made the trip here to see us. Hello Mr. Wilkins. Thank you Joe. It's good to see you Mrs. Wilkins. Oh thank you Mr. Winters. If we'd ever dreamed that you were having a party I wouldn't have let Joe persuade me to come. Don't worry about the party. As a matter of fact I was just about to leave for your place. Well I told Joe you'd come but he was afraid something might happen to prevent it. I had some presents for you folks this year and I just had to be sure you got them. These socks are for you Mr. Winters. Mom knitted them herself. Thank you Joe. They're the finest pair of socks I ever owned. And I got you a pair of earrings Mrs. Winters. Like the kind I got mom. The ones you thought were so beautiful. Thank you Joe. I almost wasn't able to get them. They cost 50 cents now. Oh Joe. I'm sorry mom I forgot. Mom's taught me not to talk about what things cost. But if you knew how hard it was to get that 50 cents I guess you'd forgive me. We do know Joe and we appreciate it. Well we didn't mean to interrupt your party. We'd better go Joe. I'm sorry you have to run. Jim. Why don't you give Joe and Mrs. Wilkins a ride home. What they just got here. Mrs. Wilkins looks very tired. All right I will. Come on Joe Mrs. Wilkins. I have some packages for you at the door. We'll pick them up on the way out. Goodbye happy birthday. Yes well good bye Mrs. Winters. And happy birthday. Good bye. Joe good bye. Mrs. Wilkins happy birthday. You don't know how much we appreciate having you come all the way out here Mrs. Wilkins. Well I wish we'd phone first. Is Mrs. Winters ill? We lost a baby last year at this time. She hasn't recovered from the shock yet. Oh the poor thing. Oh will you two wait out in the car for me. It's the gray sedan in the driveway. I forgot to kiss Mrs. Winters goodbye. You're going to kiss her in front of all those people. Joe when you feel like kissing your wife. You kiss her. Where did you ever meet such characters Martha. There are some people Jim helped out a couple of years ago. It's her birthday too. Oh I know but why in the world should they pose for you by coming into your home when you have guests. Well they important. They got some presents. A pair of handed socks for Jim. And these beautiful earrings for me. And they exquisite. They cost all of fish's head. Martha. You slap me. Get out of here. All of you. Get out of here before I throw you out. When you slapped me Jim. The world came to an end. The tense bitter hysterical world in which I've been living for a year. I didn't realize what the slap had done for me though. Until later. I was outraged and humiliated when you struck me in front of all those people. And though I knew immediately that I deserved it. I prayed in stubbornness. Which I mastered too late kept me from admitting it to you. From day to day I lived in hopes that you'd say something. Give some indication that I was forgiven but you didn't. So now. A year later I'm in Reno. And you're somewhere with Alice Girard. And not expected home tonight. It's only last week that I wrote Alice a long letter. Telling her how wrong I'd be. How much I loved you and how I wished that you still loved me. That's why I call you tonight Jim. To ask you to come and take me back. I was hoping that the magic we'd known would bring me the greatest possible gift. But. I guess I'm a little too old for birthday fairies to remember me. Bye Jim. Darling. I hope that you and Alice have many many happy birthdays together. And that. That you could never forget those. Who shared with me. Love. Martha. See you back in here Martha. It's better than sitting up in the room. Yeah. Talk to your husband honey. No. He was out. And he isn't expected that way. Wow. He's out with my best friend. Oh honey what is a man involved a woman doesn't have any friends. Are you sure you love him more than I ever thought possible. Oh then why don't you get on a plane and fly back to LA. You can't fight some other gal with memories. But I'll give ten to one you'll take him away from her if you're on the scene. You've got the weapons to do it. I think I'll try it. Not a girl. Alice Gerard thinks that she can take Jim away from. Did I hear someone mention my name. Happy birthday Martha. Oh thank you. How did you get here. Flu. Oh. Where's Alice. Alice. Alice is in Los Angeles I suppose. She showed me the letter you'd written her last week. And drove me to the airport. She showed you that letter. Yes. Did you mean it. That you wanted to call off the divorce wanted to have a family. Oh yes yes. Oh darling if I'd even guessed that you felt that way. That's what I've been waiting to hear Jim. Let's get you checked out of here. There's a plane leaving for Los Angeles in less than an hour. Oh Jim. This is the most wonderful birthday present you ever given me. Hey. Hey Martha. Everybody in the place is looking at us. I don't care Jim. Let him look. But I feel like kissing my husband. I kiss him. The curtain falls in the final act of birthday for Martha. Our star Angela Lansbury will return for a curtain call after this timely message from Wendell Niles. Veterans here is another great opportunity in the Army for you. You have your choice of eight famous Army outfits all now stationed in the United States. If you have served outside the United States after September 1st 1945, you're eligible to apply. And here are the units for which you can enlist directly. The second, fourth, fifth and ninth infantry divisions, second and third armored, second engineer special brigade, and eighty second airborne. And here's something special for you men who have served in the third infantry division. You can now enlist directly for the seventh infantry regimental combat team, stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. As long as your record is good, you'll stay with that outfit you signed for too. Some of you will be able to enlist in grades through sergeant, and that means even more of that high Army pay. So veterans, take advantage of this enlistment feature especially designed for you. Get complete details right away at your nearest U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force recruiting station. Now once again our star Angela Lansbury and our producer. She's the daughter of the famous English stage star Mona McGill, and a young lady who has already made an enviable mark as a dramatic actress in motion pictures. Of course I refer to our proudly we hailed star Angela Lansbury. Angela, we thank you for a fine performance. You're most generous C.P. It was really fun. If I may say so Angela, the new look looks very becoming on you. Well thank you C.P. You couldn't have said anything more flattering. You see clothes are my hobby. Oh that's very interesting. It's true isn't it Angela, that the star has the option to buy the clothes she wears in a picture? Well that's generally true C.P. But originals by Irene and the other fine dress designers can be very expensive. Yes indeed. That's one of the reasons why I like to make my own clothes. You make your own clothes? I'm the personal dress maker for Angela Lansbury. I think that's marvelous. And on behalf of our ladies in the audience, I have a question or two. Fire away. First, do you like the new look? Personally I do. And do you like the ballerina length for dinner? I think it's most becoming. One more. Do you like the extreme Parisian silhouette? No I don't. But I think there is much charm and grace in the modified version of the Parisian silhouette. By the way C.P. you seem to be remarkably well versed in the styles. Thanks to my charming wife. Oh? Amazing fact. She likes clothes too. But now again Angela, thanks for a superior performance here in our Theatre of Stars. It was a real privilege C.P. to appear for such a timely sponsor. But now before I go, what's your playbill going to be for next week? Next week ladies and gentlemen, we take a real departure on Proudly We Hail to present as part of the nationwide celebration of Army Week. A story dedicated to one of the great divisions of the Army, the Third Infantry Division. Our drama is called The Letter. And our star will be that sterling young actor of motion pictures, Dennis O'Keefe. That's a must C.P. count me in. Goodbye. Goodbye Angela Lansbury. Goodbye. Thanks for dropping over. Again ladies and gentlemen, we invite you to join us in your Theatre of Stars for our dedicatory show to the Third Infantry Division starring Dennis O'Keefe. Until next week, this is C.P. McGregor saying thanks for listening and Cheerio from Hollywood. Angela Lansbury appears for the courtesy of the Hollywood Coordinating Committee which arranges for the appearance of all stars on this program. Story was by Bill Hampton with the orchestra under the direction of Eddie Scrivenic. Remember next week, C.P. We Hail stars Dennis O'Keefe with programs transcribed in Hollywood for release at this hour. Wendell Niles speaking.