 The story of Dr. Kildare. What's the weather house I enter, there will I go for the benefit of the sick? Or what's the weather things I see or hear concerning the life of men, I will keep silence thereon, counting such things to be held as sacred trust. I will exercise my art solely for the cure. The story of Dr. Kildare, starring Lou Ayres and Lionel Barrymore. Metro-Goldwyn-Mare brought you those famous motion pictures. Now this exciting, heartwarming series is heard on radio. In just a moment, the story of Dr. Kildare. Starring Lou Ayres as Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie. Player General Hospital, one of the great citadels of American medicine. A clump of gray-white building is planted deep in the heart of New York. The nerve center of medical progress where great minds and skilled hands wage man's everlasting battle against death and disease. Player General Hospital, where life begins, where life ends, where life goes on. Jeepers, I gotta get some advice. This is Joe Weyman. I gotta talk to Dr. Kildare right away. Step on it, huh? Okay. Boy, this is Joe Weyman. Oh, hello, Joe. Doc, you know that call I got to pick up some dame over here on the east side and bring her back to the hospital? Yeah. Yeah. Well, there ain't no address like that. I asked all up and down the block. Well, must have been somebody's idea of a practical joke. May as well forget it. Come on back. Yeah, well, Doc, I ain't told you to pay off yet. When I got back into the ambulance, guess what I just found in the front seat? A baby doc. Somebody must be giving him away. Here I am, minding my own business. All at once I got a baby. Oh, everything's going to be all right. There now. That thing he's wrapped in, Parker, isn't that the jacket to a woman's suit? Well, yes, it is, Dr. Kildare. Some kind of a wool plaid, I think. Why is one? I just rather warn at that. So is this baby Kildare? He's been suffering from malnutrition for a good long time. Here, young fella. Here, let's have a look at you. Could I see that jacket, Parker? Oh, of course, Dr. Kildare. Guys, he's a cute little dickensame. Can you imagine anybody just leaving him with me like that? Not if they believed in the influence of environment. And you don't have any business up here, Wayman, so get out. Oh, Japhers, doc. I mean, sir, I feel like I was kind of responsible for the little Japhers. Well, you can experience the joys of motherhood just as well in the ambulance room as you can here. Go and beat it. Oh, gosh. I never get to be in on nothing. Nobody else sees it. Dr. Gillespie, it looks as though you can get ready to experience a few of those joys yourself. What determination are you talking about? Well, there was a note in the pocket of this jacket, and it says, quote, I have nothing to live for, but my baby has his whole life ahead. He needs help. So I give him to Dr. Gillespie at Blair Hospital to do with as he sees fit, and it's signed Jackie's mother by the Great Horn Smith. Oh, good heavens. Another abandoned child. No, this is more a transfer of ownership, Parker. Parker? Doctor? This one seems to be your case. Come, found it. Parker, take the boy over to one of the examination rooms and strip him down, and I'll be over there in about five minutes. All right, Doctor. Come on, young man, and let's go get cleaned up now. Jimmy, unless that baby has some fast medical attention and a lot of luck, we'll have a corpse instead of a case. Maybe two corpses. Two? Jackie's mother. I don't know who she is, but I'm betting she needs help and needs it fast. A woman's in pretty serious trouble when she's willing to give a child away. Is this generally considered the last resort? Then we've got to try and find her. That next step after the last resort could be anything. Oh, this is Kildare. Oh, hiya, boys. Say, Detective Lieutenant is on his way up here to see me. Yeah. It's in regard to the mother of that baby you found. Now, will you stand by, Joe? He may want to talk to you. Yeah, OK, sure. I've got a hunch we have to find this girl right away, if we find her at all. Yeah? Oh, just a second, Joe. You're right. Yes, Parker, what is it? A Lieutenant Dan Riley from Precinct Headquarters is here to see you. Oh, fine. Send him in. He's here now, Joe. See you later. Yeah, OK, boys. Come on in, Lieutenant. Thanks. Sit down. Got here in a hurry. Yeah. I just did somebody over here was burning up to have this girl found. You, by any chance? That's right. Why? How come you're so worked up about it? Well, I think a girl who's forced to abandon her child needs help. That's all. Can't help her unless I find her. Simple enough, isn't it? Yeah, when you say it real fast. Is that the jacket there the kid was wrapped in? Yes. Now, that's our best bet, but the odds are long. Exactly where was it your driver left his ambulance parked? I'd see. I have it here on the report. On the east side of First Avenue, about 100 feet north of Dutton Place. He went into the apartment houses at 1042 and 1046. What was the time? The call came in here at 624. Joe got there at 645 and was away from the ambulance for about 10 minutes. Well, I'll see what I can do to kill there. Looks like a matter of trying to match the suit material. Somebody may recognize it that a girl may still be wearing the skirt. Do you know that neighborhood? I know it. Bunch of flop houses, honky-tonks, clipped joints, typical skid row. Mostly floaters and down-and-outters. Yeah, I know it all right. Well, don't tunnel anything, Kildare. All right, I won't. We can't both be over-enthusiastic. Okay, so you're all fired up to do a good deed. I suppose we do find her and give the kid back to her. She had some reason to dump him in the first place and she'll do the same thing again. Only the next time, she'll make sure of it. We'll probably fish him out of the river. What's the percentage? Pretty low. Only sometimes you can change the percentage by stepping in and helping at the right time. The doctor learns to make his own odds. This is one case, Doc. I've seen a thousand of them just like it. Cynical, aren't you? You get that way if you keep your eyes open and watch human nature? Well, I usually do. Helps in diagnosis. I've developed a theory from it, as a matter of fact. A theory, huh? The more soft-hearted a person is, the more chance you'll try to throw up a hard-boiled front. Yeah. Well, everybody's got a right to his own opinion. Kildare, I'll give you a call if I turn up anything. Jimmy, right now it's a toss-up. I'm going to keep him under oxygen tonight. We'll try to keep his lungs clear, but... I don't know. Talk about percentages. Now it's bronchial pneumonia. On top of anemia, malnutrition, the deficiency of every vitamin from A to Z. Yes, and abandoned, besides. Oh, I just can't understand how any mother could do such a thing. Dr. Walker, the limitations of your intellect are quite well known already. Well, I like that. He's got to find that girl. I'm suppose he does. Maybe all we can tell her is that her baby just died. Yes, there's a chance of that. Dr. Kildare speaking. Lieutenant Riley, I picked up the girl's trail killed there. I thought maybe you might like to come over and string along with me. Where are you? A farmhouse called Hogan's Rooms. It's on first, just below Delaney. General 38, come on up. Be there in 10 minutes. She and the kid lived here for three days, Kildare. She paid for the room in advance for the first two days, and then skipped out around six this evening. She owed the proprietor one day's rent, 25 cents. That's what a room in this flea bag costs. And I'll make you a bet, Riley. You paid that two bits, didn't you? She didn't have any luggage, no visitors. There's nothing in the room that gives any lead on her. She brought in a quart of milk yesterday, and the empty bottle's over there in the corner. 25 cent room, quart of milk, alone, nothing to live for, and she gives her baby away. Add it up. When a dame dumps her kid, it's usually one of two reasons. A new boyfriend or she's down and out. I'd say this one's the down and out kind. Why do you have a description of her now? That ought to help a little. Maybe. She's still wearing a skirt to this jacket. A faded blue sweater with it. She's blonde, thin, 20, 21. I sent out an APB. One of the cars may pick her up. I thought we'd check some of the cafes around here. All right, let's go. OK. Oh, by the way, she was registered as Eleanor Mason. From where? From nowhere. From around here, nobody cares. Look, Riley, suppose we get something straight right now. All right, shoot. You wanted me to see this place for one reason. Because you think I'm a hot house boy living in a plush and chrome office up at Blair Hospital without ever realizing just how rough life can get. Well, do you? Riley, I worked in a clinic less than six blocks away. I worked in a clinic less than six blocks from here while I was interning, and at one time or another, I've been inside all these tenements and plough houses. I've treated hundreds of these people, suicides, alcoholics, dope fiends. I know what they're up against and what you're up against. There are no arguments on that score. All right. But here's the difference between us. You think the problem's too big for any one person to tackle, and I think the only way we can ever hope to whip it is to keep on trying. That's why I'm on the staff at Blair, running a gold-plated pill factory on my own somewhere up on Park Avenue. Okay, Kildare, sorry. The guy can be wrong, you know. Yeah. Yeah. That's right, a guy can be wrong. All right, let's check those campaigns. The old child is still holding his own, Jimmy. Good. I don't really expect a crisis before tomorrow night. We're doing everything we can, but he simply doesn't have any reserve strength to fall back on. So, well, I don't know. Incidentally, his last name is Mason. I found out that much, at least. Yeah, but you didn't find his mother. No. No, we traced her as far as a cafe on 10th Street, where she had a cup of coffee a couple of hours ago. Cash here remembered her because she had just poor sense. The coffee was a nickel. Then she's flat broke, and she can't travel very far on the foot. As far as eternity, that's what she has in mind. Well, she's desperate enough. That's what Riley thinks. She's been over there a while ago, still at it. She's a good man. It's too bad he's got that cynical attitude. Well, with him working the district and the whole police force alerted, there's still a chance, Jimmy. There's got to be a chance. You know, it's funny. I've never seen this girl, yet all at once, she's the most important thing in the world. Kill there, speaking. Lieutenant Riley. Look, kill there. I'm at Pier 21 East River. You better get over here. What's happened? We just pulled a Mason girl out of the river. You were about 15 minutes to live. I thought I told you the one about a doctor making his own odds. I'll be there. Hang on. We will return to the story of Dr. Kildare. Pick her up in one of the police boats. Yeah. Watch the plane. Yeah, yeah, sure. You're the doctor. No, no, keep feeding her oxygen. No. What do you think? There's still a chance. Heart stimulant may help. Joe, hand me that kit. Yeah, okay, doc. We got most of the water out before we gave her the oxygen. Yeah, hold this, Joe. Where'd she jump from? The bridge over there. The patrolman saw her and called the river patrol. We picked her up with a search light and we had her out in six or seven minutes. I was on the boat. Yeah, so I gathered. How's your baby? Pretty bad. Won't know for about 24 hours yet. Hey, you're pretty, isn't she? Yeah, she will be in the newspapers anyhow. They're always beautiful in the papers. If this doll would be a knockout any place. All right, so she's a doll. Yeah. She's coming too. Riley, how did you happen to be riding that boat? I was a lucky guess. With a dame, it's usually gas, poison, or the river. For gas, you need a room and a room costs money. So does poison. I took a chance on the river. We've been patrolling this area for the last hour. All right, take the respirator off. See if she can make it alone. Now, Joe, start her out with artificial respiration. You're right, boss. No, honey. Let's you and me start breathing. What time is it anyway? That Mason girl getting along. How do I know? You just woke me up. I'm not on 24-hour duty around here. It's six o'clock in the morning. Riley, go back to bed and get some more sleep. I'll call you when she's able to talk. And that'll probably be noon or after, OK? Sure, I know. I know. You've got to fill out a report. So long, Riley. Wow. Jackie, my baby, how is he? He's in Dr. Gillespie's hands, Mrs. Mason. Then believe me, they're very capable hands. You're not to worry about him. But he was so sick and I... You picked Dr. Gillespie yourself, remember? I saw his name in a newspaper. I was so frightened and so desperate. I didn't know what to do. I can understand that. You're from outside the city, aren't you? Mm-hmm. From a farm in Ohio. I ran away and got married. It's a big mistake. We came here to New York. He left me two months before Jackie was born. I've never seen him again. It's all over. Everything's going to be all right. But it isn't all right. It isn't over at all. Nothing's any different than it was before. Oh, why did you have to bring me back? Now, you don't mean that, you know. I'll give you a 10 to 1. You've changed your mind before you hit the water. But he's also hopeless. Oh, come in, Dr. Gillespie. So this is the fish you pulled out of the East River last night. How do you do, sir? Mm-hmm. I'll have to get some bait myself. Maybe another one like you. Well, this particular fish seems to think we ought to throw her back. Ah, nonsense. I had too much trouble catching her in the first place. Dr. Gillespie, my baby, how is he? Young lady, I never discuss the condition of patients with other patients. And you are a patient. Besides, he's my baby. You gave him to me. Yes, but I thought that... Come in. Well, Lieutenant Roddy. Well, maybe that you forgot to call me. Yeah, I know you. Well, I guess you don't need to be introduced here. I don't know whether you'll remember me, Ms. Mason. Oh, yes. It's your voice. I remember hearing it when I was in the water. If you feel like talking, Ms. Mason, I have to get some things for my final report. Dr. Gillespie, I think we're going to be in the way here. Well, I never like to interfere with official business, Jimmy. Shall we go? Oh, oh, pardon me. By the way, Lieutenant Riley, the commissioner called me a while ago and said he was glad the case had turned out all right. He'd just been reading your final report. Isn't there any sign of a bright temperature still rising? May not reach the peak for two hours yet. The worst part is always this waiting. Poor little boy. Well, we've given him everything medicine has to offer. But that's as far as we can go, Jimmy. Nobody can get inside that oxygen tent and help him fight. It's his battle from here on, his and... Lieutenant Riley's outside in the hall. Back again? Parker, stand by here. I'll be right back, Dr. Gillespie. All righty. How's the baby? Too soon to tell you. Would you mind if I sort of hang around here in the hall? Better yet, go on down and stay with Mrs. Mason. Will that be okay? I mean, I know it's way past visiting hours. Special case, Riley. We had to tell her late this evening how serious this is. It was a nurse with her, of course, but when you go on down and talk to her. All right, children, thanks. For what? Anything? Nothing? I don't know. Mrs. Mason, everything's going to be all right. A simple statement of a fact is no reason for hysterics. Boy's going to live and has a good chance of growing up to be president or bank robber or a gin-rummy place, something or other. Oh, Dr. Gillespie. And you, Dr. Kildare, thank you both of you for saving him. For saving me. I... I don't know what else to say. Ah, Kildare, you stay here and listen to this. For two nights, people giving away babies and jumping off the bridge. Looks like the dawn is starting to break out there. Might as well turn these lights off, I guess. It's a wonderful world. You didn't think so yesterday. Do you promise to keep on believing it tomorrow? Yes. Oh, yes. Don't worry, Kildare. I kind of think she will. I want to know something, Riley. I kind of think you will, too. Tough guy. We will return to the story of Dr. Kildare. How about you and Dr. Kildare? What it certainly looks to me is though mother and son are doing nicely. You know what I mean. Ms. Mason, I've been wanting to talk to you before you left. I know you don't have any place to stay, so I thought we might... Thank you, Dr. Gillespie, but... Well, Lieutenant Riley has already taken care of that. I'm going to stay with his sister and her husband for a while. Well, about money. Well, Lieutenant Riley's already loaned me some money. Enough to last until I start working. Working? Now, there might be just a chance of a job here at the hospital if you... Dr. Gillespie, I understand. Lieutenant Riley has already arranged for a stenographic position at Precinct headquarters. Yes, that's right, Dr. Kildare. A confounder? I suppose you two are going to get married then. Yes. Not right away, of course. But then may I buy you a silver tea service? Well, if... If you could make it something else. You see, Lieutenant Riley's grandmother left him a... By the Great Horn School. Well, I mean, I appreciate you thinking of these things, Dr. Gillespie, but I... No, don't mind awfully if I use your table here to... Go, Mason. As a matter of fact, I'm overjoyed to find one thing that Lieutenant... A story of Dr. Kildare starring Lou Ayers and Lionel Barrymore. This program was written by Les Crutchfield and directed by William P. Russo. Original music was composed and conducted by Walter Schumann. Supporting cast included Virginia Gregg, Ed Max, Jack Webb, Lillian Bayef, and Jerry Hausner. Dick Joy speaking.