 I'm Andy Fisher, WNAW News. At 7 minutes past 10, time for the Sears Radio Theater. That's the theme from the Sears Radio Theater. Tonight, a program of love and hate with Cicely Tyson as your hostess. Here's a preview. Who is he? Is he a police officer? For God's sake, get out of here. Don't let him come near me. I don't want him. I don't want anyone near me. Get away from me or I'll jump. I'll jump right now. Everyone get away from me. Marilyn, it's all right. It's all right. No, leave me alone. The Sears Radio Theater will begin after this message from your local station. How would you like to be a part of Easter Sunday with Frank Sinatra in Atlantic City? Now that's class. You might even get to see Frank in Las Vegas. To be eligible, just send your name, address and phone number at home and at work to a WNAW touch of class, Box 1130, New York, 1-0017. Beginning Monday, April 2nd, if we call you and you can correctly complete the title of a Frank Sinatra song we select, you'll win $11.30 in WNAW cash and be eligible to become one of eight couples who'll go to Atlantic City for Sinatra in concert. Courtesy of the Big W and Resorts International. You'll enjoy a fabulous show, a night at resorts and $100 spending money. The eight winners will be selected at random from all those who have qualified on Thursday, April 12th. And on Monday, April 16th, from all entries received, we'll select one lucky couple as our guests for a long weekend in Las Vegas to see Frank at Sears Palace in May. Enter now, a WNAW touch of class, Box 1130, New York, 1-0017. I did not either, you're crazy. Oh man, don't give me that. Hey, who's that guy over there with the dog? Oh, that's Mr. Kessler. Mr. Kessler? Hello, gentlemen. Pugsley, say hello. Mr. Kessler had a heart attack last Christmas. Says that's why he's out with Pugsley every night. What for? He's got exercise. Build his heart back up. How do you know all that? My mom is a volunteer for the Heart Association. She told me. He doesn't look sick to me at all. People are successfully recovering from heart attacks in far greater numbers today than ever before. The American Heart Association has fought long and hard against heart disease, funding important heart research, developing emergency rescue procedures, and establishing guidelines for the rehabilitation of heart attack victims. But the fight is far from over. Supporting the American Heart Association is like a long-term investment in your future. We're fighting for your life. This is Cecilia Tyson. I'm standing at a very famous corner. Tour buses come by on the hour. Cars was out of state plates, crews slowly by, and sometimes the occupants point and exclaim among themselves. Even though you can't hear them, you know what they're saying about this corner. Just beyond the gate is another world, a dream world, a place where elaborate fantasies become real for a time anyway. The movie studio, one of the oldest, an enormous chunk of acreage, but more than that, a huge piece of Hollywood history and legend. Past that guard there, and a few steps further, is where it all begins. The trick is to get by that middle-aged grey uniform Ponchy Lion, who sits with his clipboard that lists the magic few who are allowed to enter. One of them, Marilyn Dowd, is coming up the street right now, carrying a large Manila envelope. She's approaching the guard at the gate. Hi, I'm from Mercury Messenger Service. I have an urgent delivery for a Mr. Calvin. It's a little late, ain't it? They caught me just as I was going home. I was the only one left in the office. They said it couldn't wait until tomorrow. Not too bad you wanted to get nailed, honey. Mr. Calvin gone home for the day. You won't get it until tomorrow anyway. But they said that he... You must be new at this. I am. Oh, don't worry about it, honey. That's just his business. Hurry up and wait. Everything's urgent, and nothing is. Is Mr. Calvin's office over there? Yeah, that's right. The big grey building, 8th floor. You can't miss it. Maybe your secretary's still there. Thank you. Marilyn Dowd is now inside the gates. If the guard hadn't turned his back on her so quickly, he might have seen her dropped the Manila envelope, which was supposed to be for Mr. Calvin, into the nearest trash bin. Marilyn doesn't work for a messenger service. The envelope was only an empty prop. Marilyn has other reasons for entering this world. Her own personal reasons. She will be going up to Mr. Calvin's office on the 8th floor shortly. But for the moment, she stopped beside a shining, pure white rose-royce hawked in a space stenciled with the name Lisa Chadwick. Lisa Chadwick is very much a part of this world. She's one of its stars. Marilyn is moving on now toward the building. Before this night has ended, Marilyn Dowd and Lisa Chadwick will meet. And perhaps a life will be saved. And that's only the beginning of our story. Radio Theatre, a new adventure in radio listening. Five nights of exceptional entertainment every week, brought to you in Elliott Lewis' production of The Sears Radio Theatre. Our story, First Star Tonight by Pamela Russell. Our stars, Ann Burr and Ann Gibbon. The Sears Radio Theatre is brought to you by Sears Robot and Company. Sears, where America shops for value. Polka dots have tightened up their shape this spring and turned up as tiny little happy little pin dots. Sears Dress Department has pin dot dresses in an assortment of nostalgic styles. A scattering of pin dots over trim-wrapped dresses, circle skirts, pleated dresses and more. Find light dots on dark backgrounds, dark dots on light backgrounds in soft polyester. So anyway, you face spring, pin dots win points for sunny dressing. 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And you can choose from fabrics and attractive solids or bright prints all treated with Scotch Guard brand fabric protector. Compare the quality of a Sears Benchmade with other fine sofas and you'll be surprised. Styling, durability and comfort. Benchmade, a great place to relax. Now at most Sears retail stores. The big, bright California sun has disappeared, sinking into the vast Pacific Ocean. It's growing dark. But over there, just beyond the building, Marilyn Dowd has entered. A fire burns furiously. You can't go in there. You'll be killed. The whole building's on fire. Oh, I have to go. I have to get to that safe. But those papers are the only proof we have that this is another case of arson to the insurance money. That fire was bought and paid for it. I intend to prove it. You'll have a hard time proving it if you're dead. I have no intention of dying. Do you think you're indestructible? You bet I am. Please don't go in there. I tell you, I have to. I have to get that story. Is that all you care about? What about us? There is no us. There's only you and me, two people who came together for a little while and... And what? And went their separate ways. And right now the way I have to go is into that burning building. Go ahead, then. I won't worry about you anymore. I think you're made of asbestos, Casey Matthews. I know your heart is. Okay, good. Now hold on, Lisa, running. I want a long shot of her against the fire. Good. Good. And cut. We've got it. Hank, you were fine. Just fine. At Lisa, beautiful. Lisa, you were terrific. Oh, sure. I broke this script anyway. I don't believe these lines in asbestos part. Who's the budding genius after your cousin? Maybe your brother-in-law? All right, everybody. Harry will give you the next setup. Lisa, step over here for a moment. Now, Lisa, calm down. You're saying things you don't really mean. Will you stop treating me like an imbecile? I meant exactly what I said. The script is trash. You're just nervous, Lisa. You're always like this the first day of shooting. You're going to love it. Let's wait and see. It'll be one of the best shows we've done yet, I promise you. And I know all about your promises. I hate the script. I want it rewritten. There simply isn't time, Lisa. Casey Matthews is supposed to be a bright and dedicated investigative reporter, and I refuse to play her like a cross between Brenda Starr and Wonder Woman. And another thing, you had me much too close to the fire. I was nearly cooked. I think my eyelashes were singed. Well, they're fake anyway. Oh, very funny. Oh, you're a very amusing fellow. Lisa, what's happened to you? You used to have a great sense of humor. We used to have good times, the best times on this set. Things have changed. Oh, they sure have. Why is that, Lisa? Is it because you're a star now? Does that make everything different? That's right. I am the star of this show, and don't you forget it. Oh, there's not much chance of that. You won't let me or anyone else forget it. Now, if your idiot technicians can't handle that fire, get Smokey the Bear to do it, and maybe he can rewrite the script too. I'm not coming back on this set until there are some changes made. Lisa, wait. For what? I've had about all I can take of these displays of temperament. Oh, have you? Have you really? Well, I've had about all I can take of your arrogance, your lack of talent, and your insensitivity. Lisa, I hate to see you doing this to yourself. Now, please, let's just finish this scene, and then we'll sit down together and talk. You need to talk, don't you, Lisa? Not to you, I don't. I know how you operate. I know all your cheap tricks by now. You'll do anything, promise anything to squeeze one more scene out of me, well, not this time. I won't read another of those lousy, rotten lines, not one more. I don't think you know what you're risking, what you stand to lose, Lisa. Oh, you're the one who's running all the risks, sweetie, not me. This show would get along fine without you. But without me? Without Lisa Chadwick, there's no show. Oh, I'm sure you're right about me, but you're wrong about you. There are hundreds of girls in this town who could replace you tomorrow, and if these outbursts continue and the show keeps running over budget, the company will find one of those girls, Lisa, and you'll be out. Don't you try to threaten me. I'm not threatening you. I'm giving you the facts. Well, let me give you some facts. This show was never out of the top ten last year, and I won the Emmy for Best Actress in the series. I know, Lisa, I was there. Remember, I picked up one of those little statues, too, for Best Director. But that was last year, and now it's this year. It's this week, and you know as well as I do that the network boys are short on memory and even shorter on guts. Low numbers panic them. You might just be setting yourself up as the perfect scapegoat. Maybe they'll decide a new face will attract new viewers. A prettier face, maybe a younger one. There's no limit to how low you'll go to get a show done, is there? Oh, come on. Let's finish the scene, Lisa. This script is junk, and you know it. I'm Lisa Chadwick, and no one, but Lisa Chadwick can play Casey Matthews. To the public, I am Casey Matthews. And maybe to yourself, too. I'm going to my dressing room. Dressing room? You mean that Taj Mahal on wheels that you demanded for yourself this year? That's an interesting choice of words. You know that Taj Mahal is a mausoleum. Yeah, I know. I thought the significance might be lost on you. And that was your subtle way of telling me that I'm killing myself or my career, is that right? Exactly. I forget sometimes how smart you are, Lisa. Be smart now. Don't walk out. I'm not asking for Shakespeare. I'm not even asking for Emmy-winning lines. You just bring me something I won't be ashamed to read. Spring, when a kid's thoughts turn to fancy and a mom's thoughts turn to Winnie the Pooh and Sears. Dressy dresses and vested suits. Soft, easy-care fabrics in lots of spring colors and styles. Kid's size is 3 to 6 X at most Sears retail stores. Sure quality, pure delight from Winnie the Pooh and Sears. Who else? Effective fencing demands style and endurance. That includes fencing around your home. Sears Armadillo chain link fencing has both. Setting off your house and helping protect your home. How? For starters, Sears Armadillo Framework has three protective coatings that work together for a lustrous, highly rust resistant frame. The gates even match the fencing design for uniformity. So call your local Sears soon for your free home estimate. Armadillo chain link fencing at most larger Sears retail stores. Oh, here I go again. It's time to rent one of those steam type carpet cleaners. Why rent? Now Sears puts power in the carpet cleaner you can own yourself. The power spray from Sears for easy home carpet cleaning. Power spray sprays hot water into your carpet then sucks up the dirty water. You can see the dirt you get out. I didn't even know was there. The power spray carpet cleaner, a convenient carpet cleaner you can own yourself. Available at most Sears retail stores. Ken Moore. Solid as Sears. Is somebody in here? Mr. Calvin? Jane? What's that window doing over there? Hey! What are you doing out there on that ledge? Are they shooting something here tonight? Nobody told me. Somebody should have told me about this. What show are you with? I'm not with any show. Aren't you an actress? Are they shooting in here? Do you see any cameras? No. You mean this is for real? Yes, it's for real. Oh. You mean you're going to... Jump? Yes. Don't come any closer, please. No, no, no. I won't. I won't. How'd you get in here? It wasn't hard. I pretended I was a messenger. It wasn't hard at all. Hey, listen. You seem like a nice kid. I'm sure you got your problems. We all do, but you don't want to do this. Yes, I do. No, no, no. You don't. Come on. Don't come any closer. All right. I won't. Look, we just stay put, okay? I'm serious about this. You don't know anything about it. You don't know anything about me. Would you like to tell me about it? I mean, what's bothering you? You wouldn't understand. No one understands. No one cares. They do. What about your folks? Nobody knows. Nobody cares. But Miss... Don't. Don't try and lean out and grab me. It won't work. I'll jump. I swear I will if you take one more step. Don't you be sneaking up on me. I see you. I know what you're trying to do. All right. Okay. I'm not moving. Don't you move either? What's that fire down there? Is there a building burning? No, no, no. It's not for real. It's a set for a television show. Which one? Casey Matthews. You ever watch it? Yes, I've watched it. I've watched every one. I've never missed. Is Lisa Chadwick down there? Well, sure she is. You a fan of hers? Maybe I am. Boy, I sure am. I think she is terrific. Do you think she's beautiful? I sure do. She must have everything in the world she wants. Well, I guess so. She's a big star. Have you ever spoken to her? Sure. I always say hello to her when I share on the lot. And does she say hello back? Sure she does. And she smiles at me too. That's nice. Yeah. Hey, why don't you come in from there? You don't want to jump? Yes, I do. You want to die? You really do? I don't think so. A nice pretty girl like you. You think I'm pretty? Well, sure. As pretty as Lisa Chadwick? Well, sure I do. No, you don't. I'm not as pretty as she is. Nobody is. Well, I don't know about that. Do you think she would talk to me? Lisa Chadwick? Yes. What's she, do you think? Would you talk to her? Yes. I'm just going to step over to the desk now. I'm going to make a phone call. Will you stay put? Yes. Okay. You sit tight. And I'm going to see if I can't locate Miss Chadwick. All right. Miss Chadwick, secretary. This is Miss Chadwick. Oh, I had no idea I was going to get you. I didn't think you'd answer yourself, Miss Chadwick. This is my dressing room. Who's this? Miss Chadwick, I'm sorry. This is the guard from the executive building. I'm Ray Owens. Why are you calling me? Is there some problem? Yes. You see, there's a girl on the ledge outside Mr. Calvin's office. So what? There's a girl on the ledge outside Mr. Calvin's office. And she says she's going to jump. Jump? Yes, Miss Chadwick. Please, will you open this door and let me in? Have you rewritten the script already? Just open the door, please. Go away. Go away and leave me alone. I beg your pardon, Miss Chadwick. Oh, I wasn't speaking to you about Ray. I don't understand why you've called me about this girl. What has she to do with me? She says she'll talk to you. She's a big fan of yours. I think maybe you could get her to come in off the ledge. Oh, I'm sure I couldn't do that. You should call the police. Well, I will, Miss Chadwick, but I really think that you could help her if you just would. Will the police know how to handle this sort of thing, what to do? I don't. Lisa, who are you talking to? Will you stop listening at my door and get away from me? Well, I've made some calls myself. The producer and the head of the studio are both on their way over to talk to you. I'm not talking to them or anyone else. You won't talk to the girl then? What? No, wait. Yes. I'll talk to her if you really think it would help. I think you can save her life, Miss Chadwick. I think that you're everything that she wants to be. God help her then. We'll return after this message from your local station. Here's an important tax tip from the Internal Revenue Service. If you're 65 or older, there are some special tax breaks that you can claim, like a double personal exemption. That's right, an extra $750 for yourself and still another if your spouse also is 65 or older. And there are advantages if you decide to sell your home and move to a smaller place. There's also a tax credit for the elderly. They're all spelled out in one of IRS's free publications, number 554, Tax Benefits for Older Americans. You can get copies by calling the IRS toll-free number listed in your telephone directory, or you can order by mail. There's even an order form just for that purpose in each tax package. Use it to send for the older American publication or any other IRS publication or form you need. Tax Benefits for Older Americans. Get all the details now so you can take advantage of the benefits on your tax return. Everywhere, each of us can do our share. These are joining hands to improve the lives of the world's needy children. Through care, you can provide the families of these children with the means to grow their own food, to build medical facilities, safer water systems and schools. Tomorrow's world is in our hands. Help make it a better place for all the children. Please send your check room money order to Care, Crusade for Children Overseas, box 576, New York 10016. Mark precariously on the window ledge, wavering between life and death. She waits for Lisa Chadwick, her idol. On the movie Backlot, far below her, she watches the fire slowly die out on the set of Lisa Chadwick's television show. Marilyn waits and wonders if her idol can rescue her, if anything can be said or done to save her, to keep her from jumping from the sledge. I called her. I got right through to her directly to her and she's coming. She's coming here to see you, to talk with you. Lisa Chadwick is coming here? She sure is. I don't believe it. Well, she is. She said she would. Will she? Hello? Hello? Is there anyone here? It's her. Yes, Miss Chadwick. Right in here. Fine. Thank you. I told you she'd come. Are you the guard who called me? Yes, ma'am. Ray Owens. Well, is she outside that window? She sure is. Not too close. Either one of you. Not too close. All right, sweetie. I'll just stand here by the window. Is that okay? Yes. Okay. Ray, why don't you let us talk alone for a little while? Oh, sure thing. You bet. I'll be in the outer office if you need me. I called the police and they're on their way. No, that's good. What's good? What are you two whispering about? Nothing. Nothing at all. Ray is going to leave us. Is that all right with you? Yes. I'll be outside. What's your name? Marilyn Dowd. He wanted to talk with me. I thought I did. Now, I'm not so sure. I don't think I really have anything to say. Not to you, not to anybody. Nobody wants to listen to me. Nobody cares. If I didn't want to listen to you, I wouldn't have come. Maybe I can help. What's wrong, Marilyn? It's not that easy, you know. Only on television shows is it that easy. You're right. I thought you'd be taller than you are. I'm only tall on television. How tall are you? Five-five, but I always say five-seven. Why do you lie? Well, it's not exactly lying. It's what people expect. It's what they want to hear. I just give them what they want. That's all. I'm five-seven. What do you do, Marilyn? For a living, I mean. I'm a part-time receptionist with a big insurance company on Wilshire. But I want to be... You want to be what? What difference does it make? I'll never be what I want. Besides, you don't really care. You're just trying to draw me out. I know. Why did you come up here anyway? What's the real reason? You asked for me, and I thought maybe I could help. You want to save my life? Do you think I could do that, Marilyn? It's not worth saving. But it'd look good in the papers if you could do it. Why are you so angry? What's made you so bitter? Life, I guess. It's hopeless. Well, I know it gets pretty bad sometimes. Well, how would you know that? How would you know anything about bad times? Marilyn, I think you have me confused with Casey Matthews. A lot of people do that. She's the indestructible, infallible one, not me. You know, give good ol' Casey 60 minutes, and she'll solve the problems of the world. That's why everybody loves and admires her. But she's just a character on a television show. She's not real, and she's certainly not me. Are you trying to tell me that you have problems just like all the rest of us regular mortals do? I don't think I'm doing any good here, Marilyn. I'm sorry you're so troubled. The guards call the police, and maybe they can help you. Wait, don't go. Are the police really coming? Yeah. Are you scared? No, I'm not. I'll be gone by the time they get here. Marilyn, how old are you? 23. 23 years old, and you want to die? What does age have to do with it? Well, it seems to me that when you're that young, you have a lot of time left, time to make mistakes and learn from them. But if you make this mistake, Marilyn, and it is one, there'll be no coming back. You won't learn a thing. You'll just be dead. And that's forever. You talk like you're a lot older than I am. Everything I've ever read about you gives your age as 25. Well, I'm not 25. I'm 33 years old. Another lie. Why? 33 is not old? No, but it's not young anymore, either. Occupational hazard, part of being an actress. Kind of actress I am, anyway. What do you mean? Oh, Casey Matthews will be eternally 25. It's the perfect age. Why don't you give it a chance, Marilyn? Give yourself a chance to be 25. What did you mean about being the kind of actress you are? Uh, I meant that I won't age well. I'm not Catherine Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman playing Casey Matthews. That's been my peak. But you've done other parts. Do you remember any of them? I remember all of them. Especially Mavis, the blind girl in the pledge. You saw that film? Yes. In fact, I did your footsteps in it. You what? I did your footsteps. A friend of mine, an actor, heard about this job. They needed some people to match footsteps to the film while they ran it on this sound stage and recorded. Of course. It's called Foley. Sometimes when they're shooting the background noises cover all the little sounds like footsteps and they add those sounds to the track later on. Yes, Foley. That's the word they used for it. My actor friend and I did the footsteps for the pledge. We worked for three days on it. I did all of yours. For three straight days, hour after hour, I watched every move you made. It was a small screen, a black and white print, and there was no sound, of course. There was just the silent picture up there. I thought you were wonderful. It wasn't bad. I really wasn't, but nobody saw it. I saw it. But then I guess I'm nobody. I didn't mean that, Marilyn. But it's true. I'm nothing, nobody. Marilyn, do you want to be an actress? I wanted to be an actress. How long have you wanted it? All my life. It began with my mother. Look who she named me for, Marilyn Monroe. Looks like that's really going to be appropriate now. More so than mom ever would have guessed. At least Marilyn Monroe got to be a star before she died. And being a star killed her. I think it's what kept her living as long as she did. Have you ever acted, Marilyn? Have you had any parts at all? Just one. I didn't have any lines. It was in that Folly's movie they did last year. They ran an ad and all the papers for girls. They needed lots and lots of girls. I was at the studio at five o'clock in the morning, and there were still twenty girls ahead of me in line. By noon, when they finally began to see us, there were nearly a thousand. It caused a traffic jam. All those girls in leotards and bikinis, sat in hot pants, evening dresses, everything imaginable. We had to go up on the stage in groups of five and walk past the director and the producers and whoever else happened to be standing there. They judged us, talked about us. They didn't even bother to whisper or lower their voices, even a little. One girl actually wore an old Folly's costume that she'd found somewhere. It was all sequined and bright blue. And she wore an enormous orange feather headdress. They laughed at her when she went up on the stage. They roared in her face. Maybe they thought it was a joke, but it was no joke to her. She believed in them and in herself. She truly thought they were going to choose her, that she was going to be in their movie. And they laughed at her. They not only rejected her, they destroyed her. She ran out in hysterics. Nobody went after her. They just laughed harder. They picked me out of all those girls and I was flattered that they did. I worked for those cruel, awful people. That's how badly I wanted to be an actress. In that movie, I was on the screen for maybe two seconds. No one, not even me, could see me. But I can still see that girl running, crying in her blue and orange costume. I can still see her. I just wonder where she ran. We all let her run. We were so eager to inch a little closer, get a little nearer to what? To what, I wonder? What did we believe those people on that stage could give us? What were all of us so desperate to get from them? A chance, a break. The break. They were dangling the realization of a dream in front of you. That's what this town is all about. I guess you'd know that better than just about anybody else. That's right. I would. I used to go on those cattle calls, Marilyn. They're very quaint, cruel custom here. I probably went on a hundred of them, maybe more. I kept on going back, though, when I got the part, and when I didn't, it made no difference. I kept on going because I really wanted it. I wanted it more than anything. And you think I didn't? I wanted it bad enough to die because I can't have it. Dying doesn't prove a thing. Do you want it badly enough to live, Marilyn? Do you have the guts to go for it and not quit until you get it? Like you, you mean. Oh, God, no, not like me. I'm not holding myself up as any shining example. What I wish is that you'd climb in off that ledge and go home. That's what I think you really want to do, Marilyn. Well, you're wrong. Do you know what I have to go home to? No. A single apartment, a Murphy bed that comes out of the wall, a company, the man across the courtyard, who, when he hears me coming up the walk, opens his curtains and stands there at the window in his underwear. That's home. What about your real home? Where you come from? Mom is dead. My father still lives on the ranch. A little place outside a little town in Oklahoma. Dad and I never talked, never. He worked hard all day. He ate a supper at night, and he went to bed. Mom and I were the pair, always scheming and planning. Mom had enough hope and courage for both of us. She should have been the one who had the chance, not me. She could have done it, but she never had any luck except bad. She died when she was 45 years old, and she looks 60. Marilyn, it's not easy, and it's not fair, but that's the way it is. But they said it would be different. They promised. Who promised? Everyone. When I was a kid, the movies and television said life was beautiful. In school, they told us, if you wanted something badly enough and you worked hard for it, you got it. Mom said so too. They all lied. It's not true. Life isn't like that. I'm so tired of trying and never having it turn out right. I am so tired I want to die. You need to rest, Marilyn. You need help. And you need not to be alone. Most of all, you need to believe that you don't want to die. I don't? No. Come on. Won't you take my hand? Won't you come in, Marilyn? Maybe. Maybe I could. So here you are, Lisa. I couldn't believe when they told me my good little Samaritan. Who is he? Is he a police? For God's sake, get out of here. Don't let him come near me. I don't want him. I don't want anyone near me. Get away from me or I'll jump. I'll jump right now. Everyone get away from me. Marilyn, it's all right. It's all right. No, leave me alone. You brought him here. You called him to come and take me away. No, I didn't. I swear I didn't. I didn't, Marilyn. You're lying. You've been lying to me all along. No, Marilyn, that's not true. Please listen to me. Don't come any closer. Don't you come near me. I want to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to jump. To look the height of fashion wherever I go requires many coats. But for home, I need only one coat fashion surrounding me. Here's best easy living interior paint. One coat of easy living on the walls and every room looks stunning while I entertain or just relax. 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That's why we service the Sears appliance as we sell to help make sure that your appliance will continue to give you quality performance. If you have a problem, just call Sears appliance repair service. We're nationwide and listed in the white pages of your telephone directory. Sears, where customer satisfaction is one of our most important priorities. Cicely Tyson again. And here's the concluding act of first star tonight. No, Marilyn, please. Please talk to me. Come on, let's just talk some more. Lisa. Make him go right now. All right, I will. I will, Marilyn. And then we'll talk again, all right? Yes. All right. But make him go. Arthur, come on. Now, do you see what you've done? She nearly jumped because of you. Look, the police are right outside, Lisa. They know how to handle people who crawl out on window edges. Let them do their job and you come back to the set and do yours. I don't believe you. We're talking about a human life. Did you see that girl out there? I saw her, Lisa, and I know what you're using her in this situation for. What do you mean by that? I mean this is a great excuse for you not to return to the set with me. That's your reason for being here. We're losing thousands of dollars an hour down there. I'm warning you to come back with me right now or you may not have a job tomorrow. A job? That's right, Lisa. You can go from an Emmy-winning television star to just one more actress on the unemployment line and it's a very short step shorter than you might imagine. Get out of here. I have nothing to say to you. I've got to go and talk to that girl. I don't want to leave her alone. Oh, you're a fine one to try and talk anyone out of killing themselves, Lisa. Get out. All right. Have it your way. Marilyn? Marilyn? What? He's gone. He wasn't the police. That's my director. I heard. Well, I'm sorry. He burst in like that. Would it be all right if I came a little closer now? I'll sit here on the windowsill. No further. Don't come out on the ledge. I heard everything. I think your director's right about you. You're here for selfish reasons. You don't give a damn about me. You wouldn't care if I jumped right now. Yes, I would. I'd care very much. Why? Because I don't think you really want to do this. I think you're troubled and unhappy and very tired. But all that can be changed. The only thing that's totally irreversible is what you want to do. Death is the most final thing there is. What did your director mean when he said you were a fine one to try and talk someone out of killing themselves? Do you really want to know? Yes. He was referring to a drug overdose that I took a few months ago. You? Yes, me. They kept it out of the papers and everyone pretended that it was accidental that I'd been working too hard, that I didn't realize how many sleeping pills I'd taken. None of that was true. Would you want to die? You have everything in the whole world that you want. Do you really believe that? Yes. You're wrong. You couldn't be more wrong, Marilyn. You talked about your apartment, you had a pretty grim picture. But I'll tell you something, my big beautiful redwood and glass house that I had built just for me right on the ocean gets just as empty. Loneliness doesn't make architectural distinctions. How can you say you're lonely? You're in all the magazines, all the time with the menu date. You're always laughing or dancing or something. I go out mostly just so those pictures can be taken. Do you think I have a relationship with any of those men? I don't. We just look well together. We don't talk. We're too busy posing, being seen, projecting an image. It's all images. I go home alone, Marilyn, just like you do. And I'm more tired than you are physically and every other way. Do you know what a Grind to Weekly Television series is? No, I have no idea. But there are millions of people who'd love to have that grind. Some poor guy on an assembly line in a factory works just as hard for a fraction of the money, you know. Well, maybe you're right. But I'll tell you what one of my days consists of. I'm up at five to be at the studio by six. I'm in make-up for over an hour, and it's nothing for a day's shooting to run ten hours. If I'm lucky, I'm home by seven or eight o'clock. I grab a bite to eat, and by nine I'm in bed with my script, studying my lines for the next day. And the next day is the same, and the next, and the next, and the next. The guy on the assembly line doesn't deal with the insecurity, the fears, the intrigue, the back-stabbing envy that I do. Do you still want to be me, Marilyn? I never said I wanted to be you. Didn't you? No, I didn't. All right, maybe you didn't say it, but it is what you want, isn't it? Isn't that what this is all about? Well, maybe it's what I wanted, but I keep telling you that there's only one thing I want now, and that's to die. Yep. You keep saying that. So do it. What? Do it, Marilyn. Go ahead. Jump. I can't. Then come in off the ledge. I can't do that either. I can't do anything. I can't move. I can't jump. I can't die. I can't come in. I can't live. Yes, you can. You can live. You can, Marilyn. And I want you to. I care what happens to you, but I want you to save your own life, Marilyn. I don't want to rescue you. Maybe I came up here thinking that I did. Maybe I came up here with my ego in mind, but not now. Marilyn, only you can save your life. You must believe it's worth saving. It is. It is. I believe that. I'll tell you something. I'd change places with you in a moment. You want to know why? Why? Because everything's ahead of you, Marilyn. You have it all to look forward to. The climb is the best part. When you get to the top, the view, the attainment, it's only exhilarating for a moment. You look around and you say, now what? And then you know the best part's over. The best part was the climb up. Miss Chadwick? Yes? Could you come out here for a moment, please? Oh, yeah, all right. Marilyn. Go, go on. All right, I'll be back. Okay. What is it? What do you want? I'm Officer Higgins. The guard here's told us how long you've been with the girl. We appreciate what you're trying to do, Miss Chadwick, but maybe you'd better let us take over now. No. Really, Miss? I think it'd be better this way. Please, Officer, I promised her that I'd be back. Please, just give me a few more minutes. A few more, and then you can go in. All right, Miss Chadwick. Five minutes okay? Yeah, thank you. Marilyn, you came in. Yes. Oh, I'm so glad. Are you really? Of course I am. It's so strange. Suddenly I knew I wasn't going to jump. I was out there, and I looked up at the sky. I started to make a wish on the first star I saw. What did you wish for? If I told you it wouldn't come true. It's enough for me that I'm wishing again. Are the police in that room? Yes. Yeah, they wanted to speak to you, and I talked them into five more minutes with you. Did you think five minutes was going to do it? Well, it was all they'd give me. May I ask you something? Yes. Did you come to this town from as far away as I did? Geographically, much further than a jersey. But that's not the kind of distance you're talking about, is it? No, not really. What you want to know is if I was any better prepared for this place when I first came here than you were. Yes, that's it. No, I wasn't. I had no more talent or beauty than you or a thousand other girls. Then why? Why did you succeed and so many others fail? You still think I'm a success? You got what you wanted. I guess I did at that, but there's just one thing, Marilyn. You can't depend on desires. They change. What do you mean? Ten years ago, I wanted to be a star. And now you are one. But I don't like who I've become. I'm not even sure I know who I've become. Do you think you might really lose your show like your director said? Maybe. You don't sound like you care. Oh, I care. Well, you shouldn't. What? You shouldn't care. You're much better than that show. You're better than Casey Matthews. I told you, I'll never forget your performance in the pledge. You were wonderful. You should do more things like that. You think so, Marilyn? I do. Miss Chadwick, your five minutes is almost up. It's all right, Officer. Marilyn's come in. Now she's just trying to talk me off the ledge. Aren't you, Marilyn? I'm just telling you what you told me. You're worth more than you think. What's going to happen to me now? Well, they'll probably put you in a hospital for observation for 72 hours. And then... I'm on my own again. And you can handle it? I think so. Thank you, Lisa Chadwick. You should thank that star you were wishing on. I am. You really did it yourself, you know? Yes, I did. But I needed you. I guess needing someone is part of knowing who you are and what you're worth. If I really were Casey Matthews, I'd be able to tie all this up in a lot neater package. But since I'm not on a say, I needed you too. Thank you, Marilyn Dowd. Bringing those good times all look the same. You've got to have good feelings. You've got to trust the name. You know our reputation. Remember what... The waist on these jeans fit fine, but the hips are too tight. My hips look sleek in these jeans, but I'm swimming in the waist. We need jeans that fit at the waist and hips. We need jeans that fit from Sears. For every size waist in jeans that fit, there are three hip sizes to choose from and two lengths. Tapered, contoured, fitting as if they were tailor made. Whether a little skinny, a bit hippie, or in between, it's jeans that fit from the fashion place at most larger Sears retail stores. Join millions of Americans and shop the easy way with a Sears credit card. All you do to apply is call toll-free 805-260444. It's your entry to shopping convenience and quality merchandise. Your card will be accepted at over 3,600 Sears stores across the nation. And you can choose from over 100,000 Sears products and services. Even use it for your catalog orders. In the store or over the phone, just say charge it. Call 805-260444. New Jersey residents call 800-652-2777 for your Sears credit card. It has been brought to you by Sears Robuck & Company, where our policy is satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. Sears, where America shops for value. First Star Tonight was written by Pamela Russell. Produced and directed by Fletcher Martin. Your hostess was Cicely Tyson. Our stars were Ann Burr and Ann Gibbon. Also heard were Jack Carroll, Dawes Butler, Vic Perron, and Shepard Menken. The music for Sears Radio Theater was composed and conducted by Nelson Riddle. Art Gilmore speaking. The Elliott Lewis production of Sears Radio Theater is a presentation of CDI. I'm giving it up. Giving up what? Smoking. Congratulations. I'm doing it for you and the kids. For me and the kids, but we don't smoke. You're wrong. I saw this Lung Association message. You know what? We smokers are making you non-smokers, smokers just like us. Whatever are you talking about? I'm talking about secondhand smoking. The Lung Association says I'm doing myself in, as if I didn't know, but my smoke is trouble for everybody in my neighborhood. Do you realize every puff I smoke, I'm puffing out a smoke screen of carbon monoxide, nicotine, benzopyrine, to say nothing of hydrocarbons. You sound positively poisonous. I feel poisonous. I'm quitting. For me, darling. Yes, and for me, darling, I want to be loved. The Lung Association says the smoker who quits, quits for more than one person. He's clearing the air for everybody. You might say it's a matter of love and breath. New York Yankees. I'm proud to be a member of a great team and I'm equally proud of my family, storming my wife and our two children. They're both healthy, normal kids, but you know there are some children in this world, in your neighborhood, who are not so lucky. They were born with handicaps, injured in accidents or disabled by illness. All they want is an equal chance with other children to work, to play, to learn, and to feel they will have a place in the world when they grow up. The Easter Seals Society is preparing both children and adults for tomorrow. Rehabilitating them, giving them a chance to become self-respecting citizens. That's why I support the work of Easter Seals, as a member of the National Easter Seals Sports Council. We hope you support your local Easter Seals program. It's a great way to help handicapped people. Richard Whitmark as your host. Let's listen. Where are those breezes coming from? Here. Feel the opening in the basket side, like a screen window. Hey! The other balloons are traveling that way. We're too high. How can we be off course so fast? Chad, we're heading for the mountains. So be sure and tune in tomorrow to the Sears Radio Theater.