 Kathy and Elliot Lewis on stage. Kathy Lewis, Elliot Lewis. Two of the most distinguished names in radio. Appearing each week in their own theater, starring in a repertory of transcribed stories of their own and your choosing. Radios for most players and radios for most plays. Drama, comedy, adventure, mystery, melodrama. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Elliot Lewis. May I present my wife, Kathy? Good evening, and may I introduce our guest this evening, Bob Sweeney. Hello. Bob is a comedian and writer of comedy to most of you listening, but tonight he's done something a little bit different and we thought it would be nice if he told you about it himself. Thank you. A few months ago, I got interested in the work done by police women on the forces of our cities, and they were kind enough to allow me to spend some time with them on their tours. I put together some of what I saw during those weeks, and wrote a script called A Fifth of Tears. That's it. Which you're going to tell us tonight. With you, Kathy, playing the police woman and Elliot playing a skid row bartender. So tonight, A Fifth of Tears, written and narrated by Bob Sweeney. Tonight, it's the Night Watch out of Georgia Street. Five thirty in the evening till one in the morning. We patrol areas of high frequency in the heart of our city. Parks, bowling alleys, depots, penny arcades, cheap movie houses, skid row, burlesque strippers and gin joints. And any other places the men and women of our city choose to commit their acts of violence upon themselves and their children. Right now, it's roll call at Georgia Street. It's four forty-five p.m. The end of the day for some, the beginning for others. Now, here are the missings. You're late, Martin. Sorry, my sitter was late. All right. You ready, ladies? All right, fine. Juvenile escape, Donald Brown, male Caucasian, escape from Whittier. Sixty-seven inches, bright red hair, shaved off, blue eyes. Has small mole left cheek, scar on back of neck, scar on lower lip. Tattoo between second and third fingers, right hand. War regulation blues. Missing Juvenile, Dave Busce Slate, male Caucasian, fifteen and a half years. Five feet six or eight. Last seen, September seven. Nineteen fifty-two, getting a truck ride on fast freight headed toward Los Angeles from Salem, Oregon. That's it for tonight. Any questions? Martin, may I see you in my office, please? Thank you, ladies. What's it all about, Franklin? Why don't you put that... Pull that chair up to the desk. All right. Now, huh? Cigarette? Yes, thanks. Here. What kind of a bee girl do you think you'd make? So that's it. Mm-hmm. You need another life here. Thanks. Where do I do this? Main Street, north of 4th. Just once. Why couldn't it be the coconut grove or zeroes? They're too respectable. Yeah. What's the matter? Don't you like our skid row? Not even the people who live off it like it. It's a growth. Oh, think of the tip she'll make. Thanks. Lieutenant Dogburn from Central Vice called and said they wanted a policewoman who was young, attractive, good figure, sharp and quick with the answers. And I won the beauty contest. You're blushing. Tonight promises to be interesting. It won't be the routine patrol of clamorous streets and vaglate valleys. Calls for the bee wagons, shakedown cards in Pershing Square. Station calls, more license numbers for the hot sheet. And curfew warnings to the little boys who should have been home but stayed to see Hoppy once more. Tonight it's a bee girl assignment. Tonight we meet Lieutenant Dogburn in the parking lot, Spring Street. Now we're in car 15 JW. J for juvenile, W for women. No siren, no insignia. Better go down six to spring. We'll make better time with the lights. That signal was out of order back there. I'll get it. What was the corner? Olympic and flower. 15 JW reporting a VO signal at Olympic and flower. KMA, 367. 15 JW, Roger. What have they got you doing tonight, Laura? I am a bee girl. Fancy. These things always scare me. Me too. You talk about scared. Lopez and I got a call to an apartment in East Los Angeles. One of those mixtures of cooking odors and carpeting that screams I've never been cleaned. And you believe it? That sounds familiar. The woman was a mental case beating up her children. Lopez took the kids down to the car and was going to put in a call for a male officer. No sooner had Lopez gotten down the steps, the woman let go with one of those Ocean Park Cupid dolls and then after me with a knife. What happened? The doll missed and I got the knife before she got to me. Wow. Must have been quite an experience. Putting it mildly, yes. It's the kids that catch you though. There's Gertie begging again. Should we stop and see her? We have time. It's 5.45. I'm due now. She must have just got out. I think this is your block. Right. 15 JW, go to your station. 15 JW, Roger. Well, here you are. Thanks for the ride, McCuff. Take care of yourself. Lieutenant Ogburn? How do you do, Mrs. Martin? Get in. Mrs. Martin, do you know Sergeant Bergman? I know Sergeant Bergman. He worked with my husband. How have you been, Fred? Fine, Laura, yourself? Just fine. How's little Bill? Wonderful. All right, Mrs. Martin, how much do you know? Just what Sergeant Franken told me. I'm to be a big girl. That's right. And here's the rest of the story. It's a place called the Three Jacks Club. We suspect them of a violation of Section 61 of the ABC Act. Have you worked bars before? No, sir, I haven't. A violation of 61 is waitresses encouraging patrons to purchase drinks. I see. There's three jacks on Main Street between 5th and 6th. There's nothing more than a beer joint with mixed drinks, pinball machines, a jukebox, bar stools, booze, and they serve food behind a partition at the end of the bar. What am I supposed to find out? What we haven't been able to find out. We want to pull a raid, but we can't get the evidence. Every time we send a plain clothes officer in, as a decoy, he's spotted. We've got a break today. They ran an ad in this morning's paper for a cocktail waitress. I see. Now, you assume a phony name. Take this ad with you and see if you can get the job. I'll do my best. I'm sure you will, Mrs. Martin. Bergman, tell Mrs. Martin about Felix. Well, Felix is the night manager in one of the bartenders. Each bartender hires his own girls for his own shift. For your purposes, he's the boss. Felix. And watch him. He knows more about running a string of peas than anybody on Main Street. You'll have to be on your toes, Mrs. Martin. Our whole action is geared to the evidence you can supply us between now and nine o'clock this evening. Don't forget the girl, Lieutenant. Oh, yes. One other thing, there may be a juvenile angle. One of the girls on Felix's shift looks like she could be 16 or so. Or so? She's one of those who looks like she's her older sister. I'll look for her. You won't be able to miss her. What's the procedure, Lieutenant? You apply for the job at six o'clock. If you don't get the job, report back to me in this parking lot, not later than 6.30. If you don't report, we'll assume you have the job. In that case, Sergeant Bergman will contact you at nine o'clock. If you have sufficient evidence for us to stage a raid, give him the nod and we'll do the rest. Any questions? No, no, sir. It's clear. You better leave your gun, your badge, ID, and shoulder purse with me. If you get the job, they may go through your things while you're on duty. Take off your hat. Put on these earrings and a little more makeup. Right. Now, here's a cheap purse for you to carry. Here's my gun. I'll hold it for you. And the shells. You're all set? All set. I have 551 in 30 seconds. Now. I have 551 in 40 seconds. Now. We're only five off. It's close enough. Good luck and be careful. No gun, no badge, no identification. Just you. Five years training, your wits, earrings, and a borrowed purse. Your name is Laura Martin, but not tonight. You have to pick a name. Something with L and something with M. In case you have to write it out, you'll at least start with the right letters. A name won't come to you. There's that feeling again in the pit of your stomach. Hollow and empty, like you haven't eaten for a week. Laverne, Loretta, Lena, Libby, Lisa, Lola, Lola. Now M. Murphy, Mullen, Mitchell, Mitchell, Mason, Mason, Lola Mason. This is the place. It must be. The sign says Three Jacks Club. Here it goes. Pardon me. What? Are you Felix? Who wants to know? I understand you have a job open. What kind of a job? Cocktail waitress. How do you find out? Straight bourbon, coke chaser, and a double scotch over rocks. See Ralph, I'm busy. Ralph, straight bourbon, coke chaser, a double scotch over rocks. I saw the ad in the paper. You ever work in a bar before? No, but I catch on fast. You do, huh? You want to work days and nights? Nights. Why? Well, I go to school. My girlfriend's getting a night job. We thought it would work out better for the apartment we have. Stand back from the bar. I'm butting your coat. What school you going to? USC. It's a pretty nice school you got there. Do I get the job? Can you start tonight? Sure. You got it. You are listening to Kathy and Elliott Lewis on stage. Tonight's play, A Fifth of Tears. This Saturday, CBS Radio's Gangbusters begins a four week series on police activities against a dangerous criminal gang of the Pacific Northwest. G-Men and local authorities had to work together and the hunt was hard in a manhunt against one of the ten most wanted criminals that left them to uncover a crime network involving many desperate operators. This Saturday night on most of these same CBS radio stations, here Gangbusters name the names, places and events in this exciting true police case, one that takes us back several years for one of America's most exciting manhunts. Now you're a big girl in the Three Jacks Club because the Three Jacks is suspected of violation of 61 of the ABC Act. Waitress is encouraging patrons to purchase drinks. There's something else. One waitress is suspected of being 16 years old, a juvenile. Every vice officer who's decoyed the joint has failed. There's something wrong. Now it's up to a policewoman. It's in your lap. From now until nine o'clock, it's up to you. And you know it. Lawler, you get 45 hours a week. You work from six until two in the morning. Keep your tits. You start out as a bar girl. What school did you see in Ghana? USC. And you work just behind a bar to your honor the ropes. All right. Now get this, it's important. You serve nothing but beer, no mixed drinks, just beer. Where'd you say you're from? I didn't say. If some guy wants a mixed drink, you get it from either Ralph or I. Got it. Here's the beer. These are the glasses. Here's where you put the money. All of it. I understand. Where are you from? Ohio. You serve beer, no mixed drinks, just beer. You serve the guys who sit up to the bar. And you fill beer orders for the girls who are working the booze. So far, this adds up to nothing. There are three other girls on your shift. Rosita, Billy, and Ruth. Ruth looks like the one who might be 16. The makeup is just a little too heavy. She laughs just a little too much for a girl who's trying to be so old. And she does look like her own assistant. So you serve beer. And everything goes along just like that until one of the customers takes a fancy to you. And Felix notices it. What do you have? Gary a beer. Eastern or local? Local. 35. Here you are. They'll keep you changed. Thanks. That first cup was really the one. It looks like you enjoyed it. You're a new one, aren't you? Yeah. I started tonight. You know, I... What are you drinking? Sorry, Ruthie. I am talking to the new one. Okay, okay. You're going to get me into trouble. Listen, in this joint everybody's fair game and right now you got me. I'm touched. I'm safe. You don't know so much as these other dames. I might go home with a few books. That isn't that bad. Listen, when Felix gets finished with you, you'll be able to smile the silver right out of a guy's teeth. And he'll love every painful minute of it. Why do you come in here? Have you ever lived in the skid row room? No. Some rats are better sewers. Why don't you climb over the bar and sit next to me? I'll buy you a drink. I don't think... All right. Take these drinks over to Rosita and the guy in the corner. Okay. That new one's pretty cute, Felix. My girls are the best. All right, all right. Good night. Well, you're gone. She'll be back. Felix, give me a bourbon with a coke chaser and a boiler maker. How is that one over there? It's a stiff one. Make this a nightcap and send it. He's on his way. Bourbon, coke and a boiler maker. Right. Hello, Ruthie. How you doing, honey? Oh, I want to talk to you, Lola. About what? That guy you had at the bar here. What about him? He liked you. So? So you got to like him a little. I was watching you. You weren't friendly enough. But you told me not to... Forget what I told you before. Listen to what I'm telling you now. You're a good-looking dame and guys like to talk to dames like you. That's why I hired you. The guy wants you to sit with him. Sit with him. What about waiting on the customers? Look, if you get a guy and he's right, take him over to one of those booths. The other girls will wait on you. Oh, yeah, I understand. In a week, I'll up you to 55. You'll be making at least $60 on tips. But don't be afraid to be friendly. You're friendly. They start springing for champagne and I get $16 a bottle for champagne. Domestic. This is all a little new to me. You're catch on. Ruthie's been with me less than three months. She's making over $150. She's only a kid. Is she? Sure. It isn't how old you are. It's how smart you are. You got the stuff. Just warm up. You want to graduate, don't you? Sure. In your toes, you'll have a nice pencil box. All right. There's only one thing you got to remember. Never ask a guy for a drink. Make him ask you. Why? Because the cops don't like it. Don't let a body of though, I got every vice cop pegged. Anytime one of them comes in here, I'll give you the high sign. You stay away from him like he was poisoned. Right. Come into my office. I'll show you some. I'll show you how to drink. What do you mean? How do you think my girl stays sober drink until two in the morning? I don't know. I'm going to show you. When you're with a guy and he's springing for drinks, let him order what he wants, but you, you always order a straight shot of whiskey with a Coke chaser. Why? I'm going to show you. You take the Coke chaser in the hand that's nearest to the guy, cup your hand around the glass so he can't see how much is in it. Then drink some Coke, but hold it in your mouth. Then take the shot of whiskey and hold that in your mouth. Then go for some more Coke, but don't drink any. Let the stuff in your mouth slip back into the Coke glass. That's how you drink all night, but you don't drink. And the sucker pays a buck and a half a shot. I understand. Try it. Practice with this Coke. All right. That's it. Now take a sip of Coke. Hold it. Now kill the shot. Hold it. Now go for some more Coke, but let it all slip in the glass. There. How's that? Lousy. Look at the bubbles you made. You got to hold a smart guy, you tip your myth. Sorry. Try it again. You try it again and again and again and again. Until you get it so smooth it's like syrup running into the glass. And Felix is proud of you because you're a good-looking dame and you catch on fast. You've been on the job two hours and 45 minutes. It's 8.45. You've been promoted from bar girl to full-fledged B girl. The department likes its girls to move ahead. Sergeant Franken will be proud of you. There's one more angle to cover. A talk with Ruthie before Central Vice moves in for the raid. Rosita says she's in the ladies' room. Can I borrow you lipstick? Sure. Hand me one of those paper towels, will you? Here you are. Thanks. I'll put on some fresh makeup. What color do you want? I have a choice. Honey, I have them for every mood. Give me one for a gal who's got the first-day jitters. Here you are. Try this. Thanks. When you get on to this job, it's a snap. How long have you been at it? About three months. Do you use mascara? Oh. Oh, honey, try it. Really gives your lids character. Where are you from? Ohio. Canton. I'm from Toledo. No, Kitten. Yeah. Do you have an old boy named Fred Tarantino there? Well, I don't think so. That's funny. He was a bell boy in a hotel there. I met him once. Why'd you leave? A hotel? No, Canton. Oh. My old man and my mother split up. How do you like these doe eyes? Very becoming. I think they're kind of glamorous. They split up and I went to live with my father. And he married a dame four years older than me. I couldn't stand being bossed by a cheeky stepmother. So I got on a bus and came to Los Angeles. Did your mother know? I don't know. I'm using a phony name anyway. Like your earring. Thanks. How is it working for Felix? Oh, it's all right. He make good money. He keeps his hands off you. It's all kind of new to me. Let me give you a tip. Stay away from the young guys. They're either slummin' or they're broke. Spend your time with the old guys and the servicemen. They're lonely and they're loaded. Personally, I like the old guys. Aren't some of them pretty repulsive? Well, I don't mean the winos. I mean the baldies. I like these doe eyes on me, don't you? They're nice. You just gotta use me as scara, honey. Your eyes got no character. How old are you, Ruthie? Guess. You'll never guess. You must be at least 22. See, I told you. 16, three months ago. No. Yeah. And for heaven's sake, keep it under your hat. Why, Felix knows. But the cops don't. And they're in here every night. They are? Sure. This ain't exactly on the up and up, you know. Oh. Come on. Let's go. Three minutes to nine. Your contact from Central Vice will be here any minute. You're ready. The evidence is complete. The three jacks is employing waitresses to encourage patrons to purchase drinks. A juvenile is employed. A runaway from Canton, Ohio, who has the world by the tail. Just a matter of minutes now until a button's put on this. Then the crime reports and home to your little boy. Lola. Yes? Go get yourself something to eat. Eat? Yeah. I'm not hungry. It's almost nine o'clock. You've been on three hours. You have to eat something. Can't go all night without eating. Felix, sir. I've got first night jitters. Now go eat. Eat something. Go on. Go eat. Food is the furthest thing from your mind at this moment. But until you make your contact, you're the new girl who was hired tonight. And if Felix says eat, you eat. So you go behind the partition, which cuts off your view of the main street entrance. It's a question of your eating a... A piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Quick, please. Eating a piece of pie and a cup of coffee faster than you've ever eaten a piece of pie and a cup of coffee in your life. 901. A few fast bites and a couple of gulps and back you go, hoping you haven't missed your contact. Honey, see that guy going out the door? I see him. That's one of the cops I was telling you about. Lola! Were you looking for me, Sergeant? Laura, I thought... I know. Did you get the evidence? Yes, sir. Violation of 61 and the girls are juvenile. Nice work. Get your hat and coat. A fifth of tears, starring Kathy and Elliot Lewis. In a moment, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis will tell you about next week's play. Tomorrow night, you'll want to hear John Lund as yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Taking on an insurance investigation, he calls the Underwood matter. The question of interest to yours truly is whether a certain policy holder was killed, died a suicide, or had an accident. See if you can beat Johnny Dollar to the punch tomorrow night on CBS Radio. Also tomorrow night on most of these stations, try your wits against those of Mr. Keen, tracer of lost persons, investigating the case of murder and the haunted farm. Now, Kathy and Elliot Lewis. Our thanks to Bob Sweeney for the script and the narrative. To police women Irene Tedrow and Charlotte Lawrence. Police officers Byron Kane and Hi-Averbeck. Juvenile offender Barbara Whiting. And lonely patron Joseph Granby. Next week, a very unusual story about daydreaming. It is titled, Call Me a Cab. Its author, Shirley Gordon. And its premise, the quick, fanciful dreams of two strangers sharing a rainy afternoon. So until next week, thank you for listening. And good night. Good night. Music for tonight's story was composed by Fred Steiner and conducted by Lud Glaskin. The Kathy and Elliot theme is by Ray Novo. Kathy and Elliot Lewis on stage is transcribed and directed by Mr. Lewis. George Walsh speaking. What does the future hold for me? That's a question we all ask ourselves at one time or another. Well, the answer is security, relaxation, happiness. If we save and invest our money wisely now. And what investment could be easier, safer or wiser than United States defense bonds? When you invest in United States defense bonds through the payroll savings plan where you work, your saving is automatic. Each payday, your fund for the future grows larger and larger. And as it grows, more and more interest is added at a new higher rate of 3% compounded semi-annually when held to maturity. What's more, every bond you invest in is as safe as the country you live in. So for your future, your family's future, your country's future, invest in United States defense bonds. Join us again next week for Kathy and Elliot Lewis on stage. And remember, Friday night there's music in the air on the CBS Radio Network.