 presents Irene Dunn and Jean Evans which will network in cooperation with Family Theatre presents the coat starring Jean Evans and now here is your hostess Irene Dunn. Thank You Tony LaFranco. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice. A practice that must become an important part of our lives if we're to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray. Pray together as a family. Now to our transcribed drama the coat starring Jean Evans as Stan and featuring Jeanette Nolan as Miss Fuller. You're at now don't you Miss Fuller? Sure she hears it. She's pushing 60 but her ears are still okay. Oh no Miss Fuller don't try to get away. I'm going right with you. Got a good hold on your arm see. A good grip on all that minked. Yeah. Yeah she thinks she's gonna get rescued and leave me behind but it ain't gonna be like that. No sir I'm all through getting pushed around. I've been pushed around plenty by her and all her rich friends and some of them weren't even rich. They were just poets or painters or something riding around on her yacht because they spoke fancy English and there I was running back and forth in a monkey soup serving them food and soup and tall drinks. Every time any of them snapped their fingers I was supposed to hop. First time I got a breather was the night of the storm. They were too sick to want any service. All but her. She felt great. I was heading down to the galley for something to eat when I spotted her leaning against the rail watching the waves like it was some big show. The Pacific Ocean was putting on just for her. I don't know how she ever heard my footsteps over that storm. Oh Stanley. Yes sir. Would you do something for me? Yes sir. Here are the keys to my cabin. There's a coat thrown across the foot of my bed. Bring it up will you? It ain't my business Miss Fuller. But do you think it's smart to be up here with a storm like this going on? Oh I'll be all right. I'm more afraid of catching a cold than anything else. Here. Here's something for you over your trouble. Just as you say Miss Fuller. Her cabin was way the other end of the yacht below at that. I finally found it though. Grabbed your mink coat and started back. I must have got balled up somewhere because when I come out on deck from the cabin any more than turned around to start back when we piled up on that reef. See anybody? I couldn't see anybody or anything. My head was ringing and ringing. I felt the yacht breaking up on that reef. So I started for the lifeboats and the boat shivered again. And I was in the water and worse and worse it liked to blinded me for good. A couple of times I guess I went under. I fight it I thought. Anything that had stopped that banging inside of me is good. Good. And then I remembered when you drown you die. I didn't want that. Maybe they were coming to rescue me. I'd hang on because I didn't want to go out yet. I'm a young guy. A young guy. Just that fast. My head didn't hurt anymore. I was still in the water but it was okay. It wasn't black and I didn't mind it. And then like from way off I heard someone calling. Washed over the side. Hit the rocks. Didn't see anyone. Say two days is row. Look at that sail. Don't the wind ever blow around here. We're lost and you won't say so. My hands are on my backs on fire. I told you to leave your shirt on. Where are we? Stop. Look at that map and tell me where we are. Miss Fuller. Well as I see it the yacht went down about here. Where do you get that? A few hours before we struck the reef Captain Winkler announced that we were just a thousand miles from our next port of call Tahiti. A thousand miles. The night before last I finally located the southern cross. The only direction which says any land close enough to make for is north. A small concentration of islands. If my estimates are at all accurate we should site those islands within 48 hours. You try to hit those little specs. According to the map scale some of them are 20 to 40 miles long. You're crazy. Turn the boat around. We're heading for Tahiti Stanley. Even if we drifted that way for the first two days we'd still be 900 miles from it. Listen our food and water can't last over 72 hours. You've got a compass. Unfortunately no. Then how do you know which direction we're going in? Guesswork mainly. It's around four p.m. I imagine. That would put north according to the position of the sun. About there. It looks as wet as the rest of the ocean. I can believe you're guessing all right. Well Miss Fuller if I'm gonna work these oars anymore it ain't gonna be on an empty stomach. I'm hungry. Open up another one of them cans. Stanley you ate less than four hours ago. Our supply of food. I ain't on your payroll anymore and I'm doing all the work. Come on open it up. I take my turn at the oars. Yeah well I'm asleep for all I know you're sleeping too. You ain't been breaking your bag. That's untrue. You know it. Look at these blisters. All I know is I'm hungry and thirsty. Do I get the food? Listen to me Stanley. Okay then split it up. Down the middle. We'll see who lasts the longest. This is more like it. The wind does all the work. We've covered a lot of distance in the last few days. I hope it's been in the right direction. You hope it is it better be. My food's getting low. What time you think it is. Early evening. About six o'clock I guess. When you're gonna eat. Later. I'm not hungry now. You're never hungry. What you're saving all that food for. Think you missed your islands. No. They should still be north of us. You said we'd spot them in two days. That was an opinion. It was your idea to divide the food. I didn't get pulled out of the ocean to starve to death. Stanley for heaven's sake. You let me eat my food but you hung on to your own pretty tight. I'm just as hungry as you are. And why don't you eat some. The longer our food holds out the longer we'll stay alive. The longer you'll stay alive. If you didn't gorge yourself. Gorge myself you're crazy. How could I gorge myself on that little bit. I could eat in twice as much. When we divided up. I thought I had twice as much. What do you mean how do I know what you're doing when I'm asleep. You could be dipping into my stuff. I have my own. I'm no thief anybody's a thief when he's hungry enough. What are you doing Stanley sit down. I'm gonna take back that food you stole from me Stanley you're wrong I didn't steal it if you don't want to go to the side hang on to that tiller and shut up. Don't be a fool you're Stanley Stanley look what over there to your left on the horizon I can't see anything breakers over there now I see him it's land it's an island we were another two hours getting there after eight stinking days in that boat solid ground a hundred yards away and the old lady wanted to sit outside the breakers all night waiting for the sun to come up so as we could find it open and she said going over those rocks might tear the bottom out of the boat if waves 20 feet high won't ride us across I don't know what to think well percent to stay in that boat the rocks we got hung up on with the last few in the reef right the other side of them was the lagoon but I didn't know that until it was too late jump the old bitty tells me and even before I landed I could guess what had happened I was half into the water when my knee cracked down on that rock and for a moment I thought my leg had been snapped off she finally pulled me out but she took her sweet time about it we were a half hour making the beach and it took her another 40 minutes to drag me up to one of the sand caves I'll bet I told her a dozen times my leg was broken before she made a split for it but the next morning looking over the island some island not a soul on it half a dozen birds and a couple of dead fish she picked a nice place to land all right there was nothing she couldn't ball up like the first time the plane came over for three weeks she'd been saving wood pile on it up on the beach said we'd need it to signal with I heard the plane first that night and I called to her what's the matter now listen do you hear it what motors listen yes it's a plane a plane don't stand there gate but get your signal fire started oh yes oh Stanley hurry they'll pass right over this dark I don't know if it'll start the wood is still wet from the rain last night well try it try it'll burn they'll never see this little fire in a cave oh it it isn't catching Stanley Stanley I know it's terrible Stanley look there'll be another one and when it comes the next time we'll be ready for it first of all we'll keep the wood in the cave you let that wood get wet I should have started to fire myself but your leg it'll be blazing now they would have seen it and come down I'd be on the plane right now Stanley it wasn't anybody's fault you never listen to anybody a couple of nights ago I had a thing all worked out to signal them with using palm leaves spread them out on the beach to spell help but you wouldn't listen when was this two nights ago you were changing my splint I said to lay out palm leaves so when a plane came over to see them Stanley that's a good idea especially if a plane goes over during the day but this is the first mention you've made of it two nights ago when you were changing my I haven't reset your splint for a week a week don't tell me that's right every Sunday now I know you're crazy what day you think it is Saturday by now Sunday morning it's Wednesday I got it marked right here on the wall Wednesday night I'm afraid you lost count Stanley that's understandable enough I've lost count what can I talk as that you're the one who's lost I didn't want to tell you this because it seemed unnecessary you recovered with no ill effects what are you talking about recovered from what don't excite yourself it was really nothing what did I recover from a very common thing the night after your leg was broken you began to run a fever occasionally you were delirious just occasionally being in a state of semi-consciousness as a result of shock is no reflection on your mind I had a fever though fever can sneak up on you killed my old man stuffed your cats from rabbits what one afternoon he got feeling tired so he closed up his butcher shop and come home in three days he was dead from fever Stanley rabbit fever is a specific disease when I said that you had a fever I simply meant that your temperature rose that's fever ain't it I was out for four days it's not the same thing you're no doctor how do you know what I had you should have told me well anyway now that I have perhaps you'll take better care of yourself don't twist and turn so every time you shift your weighted jars the splint you try lying on your back all day without moving I know it's uncomfortable but your leg won't heal any other way what's all this new worry about my leg healing you're getting tired of playing nurse made to one of the help not nearly so tired as I am of your childish temper now it's my temper you ain't very hard to work out I'll bet you spent every minute of those four days I was under hoping I'd never wake up of all the ridiculous and then when I did you decided not to tell me what had happened you figured if the fever got me once it'd do it again and the next time I'd stay under I've heard some vicious nonsense in my time but never let me tell you something lady it's going to take a lot more than a broken leg to put me out of the way and here's something else if anything happens to me you're all alone all alone see on an empty island you wouldn't like that in a week you'd go crazy crazy as they come that straightened the old dame out she wised up I was going to be around for a while even started working on a cane for me in a week I was ready to use it getting out of that stinking cave for the first time in almost two months was pretty good use the cane Stanley that's it just as a guide don't put your weight on it lean on me stop proud of me I'm okay oh sorry this is far enough I gotta sit on here on this rock that's better your island ain't so big is it that will you spend all your time up there on that cliff yes it's the highest point that's where I sit and watch for the ships you ain't looking for ships all day what else you do up there feel sorry for yourself a little moping about all that jack you could be spending perhaps you ever stopped to wonder how many of those fancy artists and writers that hang around you if you were broke you ungrateful what am I supposed to do fall down dead because you gave me a job running errands for you oh Stanley let's don't argue maybe you should let me stay in jail I was just trying to help you I didn't want your help I wish you'd done your social work somewhere else oh why do you resent me so because I don't want anybody turning me into a waiter well you you remind me of a nephew of mine who was killed in the war I thought by you thought I deserve something better than what you thought I'm no flunky all right Stanley I made a mistake you bet you did that's your long suit mistakes we'd be out of here if you hadn't let that firewood get wet the rain got it wet I couldn't help that you wait when my legs better I'll have that signal fire go on night and day we need to far off the ship lanes they'll see it I hope you're right I hope to heaven you're right I won't be sitting around dreaming abouts I'll see them they'll be there and I'll see them and I'll signal them with my fire she wasn't watching the ocean but I'll watch all that time every minute out here I can see from one end of the sky to the other what help me up is it too hot for you here in the sun no I want to show you something take my arm I've got it now look out there over the ocean follow my fingertip do do you see something right under the edge of the clouds what do you see it's a plane I can see it but I can't hear it yet Stanley there's nothing out there it's a plane and it's coming this way I gotta light the fire I got a torch from the cave Stanley your leg there's no plane Stanley you'll hurt yourself this will light it up they'll see us this time Stanley please look Stanley there's nothing there's nothing in the sky there is I can even hear it now don't you miss Fuller sure you're no chicken but your ears are still okay oh miss Fuller don't try to get away I'm going right with you got a good hold on your arm see a good grip on all that meat you think you're going to be rescued by that plane and leave me behind but it ain't gonna be like that miss Fuller gone off without me working this into the island I don't the soil's no good somebody's down here all right you see that smoke over there through the trees well what do you know looks like it's a fire on the beach you got any idea who it might be it beats me let's take a look it's just over this knoll here yeah well there's a fire hey look some guy sleeping on the beach yeah boy you pick up all kinds on these islands hey Jim that guy's not sleeping yeah he must have been washed up here you ever see him before no hey what's that thing on the ground near him well looks something like a piece of fur yeah yeah it's a coat some kind of a fur coat so waterlogged you'd never know it any kind of a label in it let's see yeah yeah right here in the inside pocket tight you can hardly read it though miss miss Marjorie Fuller Philadelphia hey Fuller yeah Fuller see isn't that the name of the old lady who whose yacht pile up on the reef out there near devil's head a couple days ago Fuller yeah yeah I think it was I'll bet it's the same one but uh what's her coat doing here though with this poor devil meets me you know I was talking to Joe Fisk it was the one she hired to pull her yacht off the reef the old lady yeah yeah you know he told me she was all broken up because one of her stewards got washed overboard right the night of the storm anyone else lost that night no he was the only one you know the old lady didn't even miss him until the next morning I'll bet this is the guy I wonder how he got the coat maybe you stole it you know Joe says from what he learned talking to the crew that steward was a real no good yeah yeah you know always shooting off his mouth about how he had as much right to the best as anybody else he had a record too a real no good I'll bet this is the guy look how his arms stretched out there yeah toward the place where I picked up the coat like he was reaching out to grab it this is Irene Dunn again we've been assured that this 20th century of ours is not a particularly family minded century and who knows how much of our trouble and of the world's evils stems from that for many decades now powerful forces of disintegration have been leveling their guns at family cooperation at family unity and family life itself to restore the balance of course we can think in terms of legislation and of various social techniques and we can and should study the problems indicated by juvenile delinquency and and the results of totally materialistic education but to begin at the very root of the matter family theater urges us to begin with ourselves in our own individual families and to do something that we can all begin to do at once and that is pray to pray together as families now that alone may not change everything but without that nothing mere man can do will change anything it's been true all through history and it's just as true today as family theater reminds us each week the family that prays together stays together more things are brought by prayer than this world dreams of family theater has brought you transcribe the code starring gene evans iron dunn was your hostess others in our cast were jenette nolyn leo curly and paul savage the script was written and directed for family theater by john t kelly with music composed and conducted by harry zimmerman this series of family theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you feel the need for this type of program by the mutual network which is responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars have stayed screen and radio will give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our family theater stage to them and to you our humble thanks this is tony lefano expressing the wish of family theater that the blessing of god may be upon you and your home and inviting you to be with us next week when family theater will present the cobbler's window starring auto kruger ralph edwards will be your host join us won't you family theater is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the hollywood studios of the world's largest network this is mutual the radio network for all america