 dedicated to the strength of the nation. Proudly we hail Starring Alexis Smith in The Professor Takes a Powder, United States Army and United States Air Force presentation. And now here is our producer, the well-known Hollywood showman, C.P. McGregor. Thank you, thank you, and greetings from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to your Theatre of Stars, where famous names of the cinema join us for your entertainment in plays we know you'll enjoy. Our star is the highly popular and glamorous Alexis Smith, and the title of our comedy romance, The Professor Takes a Powder. We'll have the curtain for Act One in just a moment. But first, here is our announcer with a brief message of importance. Veterans, your experience in the U.S. Air Force can mean a lot to you. Right now the Air Force can use your skill in training. You'll be enlisted in grade according to your ability and experience. And if you want to train for a new career in aviation, you'll have opportunity to qualify for one of the Air Force specialist schools. Ask for details about opportunities for veterans at your U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force recruiting station. And now once again, our producer. The curtain rises on Act One of The Professor Takes a Powder, starring Alexis Smith as Joyce Gray. Pretty Joyce Gray, author of the best-selling novel, Girl on Fire, is taking a trip back to the little college she graduated from not so many years ago. Just as her train pulls out from the station, her agent, young Hal Ford, leaps aboard and breathlessly falls into the seat beside her. I made it, Joyce. Just about. Sit down before you collapse, Hal. Thanks. How did I say that before? No, you didn't. You look sweet. Or isn't the literary agent allowed to say that to his most successful author? Well, if he doesn't add another 5% to his bill, then it's all right. Oh, well, these nice things I say to you are on the house. I was going to add that I say them from the heart, but they're not. By the way, Girl on Fire sold a thousand copies this past weekend. Hooray for us. Yeah, now, let's be serious, Joyce. I'm having a hard time with those Hollywood guys. Your contract as a writer calls for your being on the lot next week. Joyce, it isn't too late yet. Let's get off at the next station. Let's call the whole thing off. Why do you insist on going back to Walden College, if you didn't have more important things to do? What are you going to do for seven long days in that Hick College town? I spent four long years there, and rather liked it. Hal, now that we're on the train, actually on our way there, no more opposition, please. Yeah, it was if opposition from me meant anything. It's this professor Wentworth Welge you're going back to say, isn't it? I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet. There must be some boy. You've been out of college for four years, and he's still on your mind. What is this strange power some men have? You're willing to ruin a good Hollywood opportunity just to sit at the feet of a dried-up old professor? He's not old, and he's not dried up, and I don't want to sit at his feet. I want to see his face, hear his voice. You just don't understand, Hal. Yeah, I'll be the first to concede that. But it's obvious enough you can't forget about Professor Wentworth Welge. I wish you wouldn't say his name with such special destructive care. He is the reason I'm going back. I've got to. Once I was madly in love with him, believe it or not, I wrote sonnets to him. Well, now I've got to prove to myself that little Joyce is really cured, that he doesn't mean anything to me. You know what I'm thinking, don't you? Yeah, that this is a pretty elaborate way to prove my point. Right. Well, I'll admit it. Besides, now that I'm... well, now that I've made the best seller list, I want to go back to Walden College where I was such a little mouse and show off. You think that's small and vain and petty of me to want to go back and show off, don't you? No. No, I don't. I had something to show off about. If I'd ridden girl on fire, I'd want to go back to her. Hal Forge, you're a good guy. Yeah, one of the original fascination boys. For weeks now, I've been trying to... well, to convince you that you and I could hit it off together. And what happens? All you can think of is Wentworth Wells, the campus Casanova, the guy you once wrote sonnets to and probably still would like to, worse luck. I think you may be wrong there, but that's what I've got to find out. That's why I'm going back to bury the ghost of an old love. What I'm afraid of is... well, not at all. That I'll change my mind about the burial? Yep. I mean, I don't think so. But you've got to find out for yourself. Yeah. I suppose this is the lake where all the college cut-ups dunked the freshmen and sparked the gay cohorts. And from the sound of that motorboat, they're still at it. They didn't use to allow motorboats when I was here. Oh, oh, there's his house. Who's that? Oh, you mean Wentworth Wells. I'm sorry, it's the only way I can say it. Giving it all its full academic splendor. Yeah, very neat, very romantic. A house by the lake. You've made up your mind, you're not going to like him. Give me one, no. Make it six good reasons why I should. Well, I suppose there's no use in our standing here. Let's go in. He's expecting us. All right, let's go. Hal, Hal, you know something. I'm nervous. Oh, no. You mean you've got that old sonnet feeling back again? I mean, I've got the old feeling I had when I was a timid, wide-eyed freshman. I mean that I'm nervous. Come on, I want to meet this guy who can do that to you. Here goes Joyce. Hello, Professor Wells. Oh, Joyce, how nice to see you, how very nice. Please, please come in. Oh, this is Hal Ford, my literary agent. How do you do, Mr. Ford? How do you do? This is Sue Johnson, one of my students. Oh, Professor Wells told me you were coming and I asked him to let me stay and meet you. Oh, Miss Gray, I read Girl on Fire. I read it twice and I think it's wonderful. Thanks. That's very sweet of you. You're going to hear a lot of praise for Girl on Fire, Joyce. Walden College is quite proud of you. Did you read it, Professor? Read it? Of course, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was so nice of you to come back to Walden. Too bad you can only stay a week. Mr. Ford, Sue, I wonder if either of you would mind that Joyce and I went for a walk along the lakefront. You see, we have so much to talk about. Oh, don't mind me. Joyce, you would like that, wouldn't you? I think so. I'll see you tomorrow, Sue. Yes, yes, Professor Wells. I'll be waiting around. We won't be very long, Hal. Come back, Joyce. You sound as if you were disappointed. Disappointed? My dear, what I meant was, well, you've become successful, and I was wondering what would happen to you? What would happen to the lovely unspoiled girl I used to know at Walden College? What has happened, Professor? Professor? Must we be so formal, Joyce? There was a time when, well, when... Wentworth? That's better. What has happened to me? I mean... I mean, is there any change? Yes, yes, I think so. There's a new warmth and depth about you. I sensed it in your book. You've become lovely. You've matured. Have I? Do you remember when we used to walk along this lakefront? Yes, yes, I remember. Do you remember this? When we two parted in silence and tears, half brokenhearted to sever for years, pale grew thy cheek and cold... Colder thy kiss. Truly that hour foretold sorrow to this. The dew of the morning sunk chill on my brow. I felt like the warning of what I feel now. Joyce... Yes, Wentworth? I hoped you'd come back. Did you? When I said goodbye, when I suggested we might write to each other... Oh, Joyce, that was a long time ago. Joyce, do you know... Tell me. Darling Joyce. Oh, Wentworth. Someone's rowing in. Who is it? Well, it's Hal. Hello, Hal. Oh, hello. They told me I could get to the other side of the lake by rowing over. I am. What time is it, Hal? One o'clock. You want to ride back, lady? Make no extra charge for rowing my office around. That includes their friends, too, Professor Welles. Oh, no, thank you. I... I think I'd prefer to walk back. How about you, Joyce? Well, I... I suppose I... I'd better go back to my hotel. I didn't realize it was so late. Here I come. A gondolier with blisters on his hands. Grab the bowl, will you, Professor? I've got it. Step in, Joyce. In my hand, madame. Thank you, Hal. Joyce, good night until tomorrow. Good night, Wentworth. Until tomorrow. Good night, Professor. Good night. Having fun, Joyce? What? I said, uh... Oh, stop rowing, Hal. Okay. You know, Joyce, once I met a friend who'd just been psychoanalyzed. You know, sometimes those sessions run into two years and cost thousands in analyst's fees by the time you get through. Well, after two years of wrestling with his inhibitions, this fellow found out that the reason he was in an emotional mess was that he was a stock and bond salesman when he should have been a locomotive engineer. Imagine that. Well, tonight, all this is rather long-winded, but don't help me. I'll get to my point. Tonight, I found out that what I always wanted to be is a boatman. Don't, Hal. All right, I won't. Well, why don't you say it? Say what? I have nothing to say. Besides, I'm only your agent. Well, say it anyway. Say I told you so. Not me. I don't go in for it. Well, we... we better be getting back to the hotel. Hal. Yes, Joyce? Hal, I came back here to prove to myself I was cured. Yeah, I'm... Hal, I love him. I always have, I guess. That's why I came back. I had to come back. He loves me too, Hal. He told me so. That makes everything just standing. Oh, I'm... I'm so happy. That's swell, Joyce, swell. You're a great little gal, you... you write it. I'm gonna hold your hat. I'm gonna make time rowing back. I'm gonna prove to you that the Volga boatman was just an over-belly-hoed bluff. Here goes. We caught briefly from our story the professor takes a powder starring Alexis Smith to bring you an important message from your government. Ladies and gentlemen, our Army and Air Force are critically short of physicians and dentists. Over 2,000 volunteers from these two professions are urgently needed today to safeguard and care for the health of the men and women who as members of the United States Army and United States Air Force are serving you and me at home and overseas. Young physicians and dentists, particularly those who did not serve in the armed services during World War II, have been asked by their government to act now to volunteer for duty at once. If you are one of these young physicians or dentists, please write or wire either the Surgeon General of the United States Army or the Air Surgeon of the United States Air Force at once and volunteer your services. If you know of one of these young physicians or dentists, please call his attention to this urgent message. Thank you.