 The following feature was transcribed earlier from Eastern Mutual. Family Theater presents Robert Ryan, Barbara Hale, and John Howard. The Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theater presents Barbara Hale and John Howard in Masquerade. To introduce the drama, here is your host, Robert Ryan. Thank you, Tony LaFranco. Family Theater's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families, and peace for the world. Family Theater urges you to pray, pray together as a family. And now to our drama, starring Barbara Hale as Janie and John Howard as Dean in Masquerade. You've seen this girl a thousand times in Hollywood. Maybe she was a car hop at a drive-in restaurant. Maybe she was selling perfume in a department store. Or maybe, as in the case of Janie Saunders, she was a manicurist in one of those fashionable tonsorial establishments which cater only to a platinum-plated clientele. Wherever she works, whatever her background, this girl is always smiling. A pathetically eager sort of smile. No matter how tired she is, no matter how short-tempered she may feel, she somehow manages to achieve an aura of spring freshness. Because, after all, a girl never knows when the big moment may come, when the right producer in just the proper frame of mind may happen in. So the smile mustn't fade, the radiance mustn't dim until she gets home. There, reality takes over. In the privacy of the Cracker Box apartment she shares with a friend, Janie can forget to smile. Let a little of her tiredness, her inner desperation, show through. When the door closes, it shuts out the potential Hollywood starlet and we see a tired girl from Strawberry Point, Iowa, home from another day of being nice to everyone. Home from another day when nothing happened, she checks the phone pad, no calls. There's a letter postmarked Strawberry Point, Iowa. She picks it up with no eagerness. It's an expected thing. And what Janie wants is the unexpected. Hi, honey. Anything new? Hi, Marion. No, nothing new. Just the same old hangnails, the same corny jokes. I got a call from Central Casting for tomorrow morning. A call? Any lines? No, dress extra. That means I've got to get my blue formal out of the cleaners. Can you lend me a couple of dollars till I get paid? Sure, Marion. What's the picture? For a chance to dream. Very sophisticated comedy. I've got to be sophisticated before breakfast. What a business. You'll be working with Dean Phillips. He won't be aware of it, honey. Well, at least you're in a picture, in front of a camera. Look at me, 18 months I've been out here, Marion. I've never even been on a movie set. I see you have your usual communiqué from Strawberry Point. Yes. Poor George. He's so dependable. There are those of us who would say that George's dependability was his most endearing trait, aside from his capacity to make money. If I didn't know, there was something else. Oh, but Marion, George doesn't know I'm not doing well out here. I know. I've seen some of those letters you've written him. He's supposed to think you're set to be Miss Hollywood of 1955, the most promising starlet since DeMille found Swanson. He was so sure I couldn't do it. And so far, George has been so right. Right. George has made a career out of being right. You know, he was born saying I told you so. That being the case, why lead him on? Why encourage this steady stream of soggy letters? Oh, I don't know. Everyone in Strawberry Point always thought that someday George and I would... You know, I mean, we were childhood sweethearts, and you started getting the habit of thinking that... That habit didn't keep you from coming out here in spite of dear George's expressed disapproval. Everyone but George was so sure I'd be a hit. Listen, honey, if my relatives were producers, I'd be a bigger star than Gravel. And then when I got out here, it was so different. The difference between things as they are and things as you wish they were, I know. We're terrible fools, aren't we, Marion? To you, I'll confess it. What can I do? I've got no George waiting for me in Strawberry Point or anywhere else. If it didn't mean admitting I'd been wrong. Oh, if this guy really loves you, Jenny, he's not gonna rub it in. He'll be so glad to have you back, he'll forget you ever came to Hollywood. He'd try, but it wouldn't be easy for George. Even though he might still love me in his way, he'd still have to make his point. The big question, it seems to me, is, do you still love George or did you ever? I don't know. It's not the storybook kind of thing, but well, since I've been out here, I've sort of stopped believing in storybook worlds. Well, if you had a glimmer of hope, maybe it'd be different, but honestly, Jenny, there's no reason to think the next 18 months are gonna be any better than the last. They'll be worse. I can't go on working at honorees forever. What's new in Strawberry Point? Nothing new. Every letter from George is so much the same I feel as if I know it by heart. Weather, looks like an early spring. It's family, night is social notes. Oh no. Marion, he's coming out here. George, the sage of Strawberry Point coming to Hollywood. He's been planning a buying trip into Oregon and Washington, but he's coming here first. Marion, he's leaving Strawberry Point on the fifth and should be here early the morning of the seventh. Darling, this is the fifth. He can't. He mustn't. Oh, Marion, it isn't fair. Oh, look, Jenny, it seems to me this is your answer. He's obviously coming here to beg you to come back. And if you're smart, you'll say yes, but he'll see that I've lied to him. He mustn't ever know, Marion. Now look, when he comes out here, you'll just have to tell him. Well, tell him you don't know where I've gone, but I've disappeared. Now be sensible. I can't face him after all the lies. If you won't help me, I, well, I will disappear. Now put that silly notion out of your head. Now, all you want to do is prove to Mr. Holly that you've had some success here in the magic city, right? Yes, but I can't go on pretending. Now, when he sees... Wait a minute. Andy Marion is thinking. And for that novel process, she demands absolute quiet. How long will George be in town? Do you say? Uh, will be in town two or three days. Well, that makes it simpler. We won't have to keep up the masquerade very long. Masquerade? Marion, listen. For three days, why shouldn't you live the kind of life in Hollywood that you told George about in those letters? Oh, but how could I? I'm nobody. I've got no money, no clothes. A friend of mine who writes for all the big studios is out of town for a week. She's got a beautiful apartment in Brentwood. No, now, Marion, she wouldn't want it. I've got the key. As for clothes, I'm not a dress extra for nothing. We'll borrow some money and get a few of my nicer things out of the cleaners. Oh, it's wonderful of you to want to help it. Really, I don't think we could. This is an investment. After George sees it, you're a successful young actress. You can marry him without hurting your tender pride, can't you? I suppose so, but. Then I'll have a well-to-do connection in Strawberry Point, in case things ever really get rough out here. Wouldn't George be suspicious? What's a cinch? It's what he's expecting. And after all, you're supposed to be an actress, aren't you? Yes. At least I thought I was. Then let's get busy. We haven't got much time. We want the stage set just right, honey, for the one and only role you'll ever play in Hollywood. Now, I don't think there's another thing in this apartment to connect it with Ethel instead of you. Oh, Marion, it's the way I've always dreamed it would be. Oh, if only it didn't have to end when George goes. Wouldn't that be nice? Could just go on. You listen, Cinderella. The coach is a pumpkin again as soon as George heads north for the tall timber. You know, there's just one thing we need to make this set up really convincing. Something else? I think it's perfect. We need a man. A man? A man who's mad for you, who is so obviously mad for you that George won't risk leaving town until he's heard you promise to be the queen of Strawberry Point. But I don't know anyone like that. Can't be just anyone. More importantly is the more George will worry. If there was a star. Now, Marion, wait a minute. Who are your regular customs at all, Rhys? Tomorrow, I mean. Regular customer? Tomorrow? Now, Marion, what are you? Just tell me who they are. Well, there's Wesley Jenkins. Too old and too fat. Who else? Keith Reynolds. The writer, you know. He's nice looking. George wouldn't have heard of him. Besides, he's married. Marion, I really don't think. Who else? Well, let me see. Well, Dean Phillips is always in on Tuesdays. That's it. He's our man. Our man? What man? The man who's crazy about you. The man who's going to put poor George Harley into a perfect frenzy of jealousy. But Dean Phillips is a big star, Marion. I'm only his manicurist. He wouldn't do a crazy thing like that. Just listen to Auntie Marion and I will hunch Mr. Phillips will be on our team. Tomorrow morning, when he comes here, there he is. I can't do it. I can't. Marion just doesn't understand. Ready for me, Janie? Oh, golly. Already, Mr. Phillips? When I think of the beautiful Christmas present, I send Gaylord Howells. And then he writes a thing like this. Won't you sit down, Mr. Phillips? No, thanks. Janie, do you read Gaylord Howells' column? Oh, yes, Mr. Phillips. He knows so much about everyone. Well, he doesn't know anything about me. Did you see what he wrote this morning? Can I have your left hand, please? Thank you. No, I didn't see the paper this morning. Well, just listen to this. Furthermore, since Dean Phillips has been assigned the starring role in Perchance to Dream, he seems to have forgotten what it is to be a human being. I'm sorry, Mr. Phillips, but you'll have to hold your hand still. Yeah, I'm sorry. We have watched Mr. Phillips rise to stardom, and we would caution him that great stars never forget their responsibility to the little people who have granted them their stardom. Golly. Doesn't he write well? Yes, he writes beautifully. What he writes doesn't happen to be the truth. I can't work if you're going to clench your fist, Mr. Phillips. I'm sorry. Janie, do you think it's the truth? What, Mr. Phillips? Well, that I'm a stuck-up, temperamental snob who's got no time for ordinary people. Well, I don't know, Mr. Phillips. You've always been very nice to me. A man like Gaylord Howells is hard up for a column, so he does a thing like this. There ought to be a law. Do you feel a responsibility to, well, ordinary people like me? Of course I do. It hasn't been very long ago I was starting a death in this crazy town. Do you think I could forget that so soon? Some do. Well, I'm not one of them. If I came to you, Mr. Phillips, I wouldn't ask you a favor. You'd hear me out? Sure, Janie. What's on your mind? A couple of preview tickets? Pass for a lot? Not exactly. As a matter of fact, Mr. Phillips, I'm in a terrible spot, and while you're the only person in Hollywood who can help me out. Well, what's the matter? Well, Mr. Phillips, would you pretend you're in love with me? I'm glad you felt she could come. Well, I what? Well, I know it's a peculiar request, Mr. Phillips. It's peculiar. It's paranoiac. You want me to pretend to be in love with you? Just for three days. Now, Janie, what's all this about? I lied, Mr. Phillips, to someone from my hometown. He thinks I'm a big success out here, and he's coming out to see me tomorrow. I can't bear for him to know the truth, so well, I thought if you'd help me out. It seems to me, Janie, that it'd be much more honest to face the music. Just let him know you've failed. You don't know George. Honestly, Mr. Phillips, as soon as George leaves town, I'll follow him back to Strawberry Point. I mean to marry him, to forget Hollywood. But I just can't bear the thought of his feeling sorry for me. Now, I suppose there is something in that. But isn't there somebody else you could find to help you out? There's no one. It wouldn't be much trouble for you. I promise, Mr. Phillips, and it would make all the difference in the world for me. Well, I don't know, Janie. There's something about this whole scheme that doesn't seem quite right. Of course, as Mr. Howells says, you are busy these days. Howells, what? Oh, you mean that column. All right, Janie, I stuck my neck out. You win. When do we start? Oh, Mr. Phillips, you mean you'll do it? You'll actually do it? Sure, why not? It'll be a lot of fun. When do we start the show? Well, George will be in town tomorrow morning. All right, then we better have a dress rehearsal tonight. Dress rehearsal? Sure. I never do a part, Janie, until I'm thoroughly familiar with it. I don't mind admitting to you that I'm a slow study. When I discovered I didn't know anything about acting, I was too proud to go home. So I went to work for Henri. Imagine a would-be starlet admitting she can't act. You're really amazing, Janie. Now that I've made up my mind, at least I can be honest. And your mind is made up. It's back to strawberry point. If George will have me. He's a fool if he doesn't jump at the chance. Matter of fact, he was a fool ever to let you get away. How do you like this place, Janie? It's nice. I've never heard of it before. I used to hang out here when I was trying to get a break. In fact, Eddie has kept me from starving more than once. It's not very glamorous, but that's why I like it. You know, I think I'll write Gaylord Hall's a letter and tell him how wrong he was about you. Well, don't write to him, write to me. This place is perfect for the two of us, but for George, I imagine we'll have to hit the more exotic spots. He'll probably expect it. Funny. I've dreamed 1,000 dreams about having dinner with a big star. I knew every detail by heart, and you know. This isn't the way I imagined it at all. I'm sorry to be a disappointment. Oh, no. This is much nicer than I ever dreamed it could be. Well, George's train will be in early tomorrow. Suppose I'd better take you home. I suppose. We want to be looking our best for dear old George, our very best. Do you always look so pretty this early in the morning? I didn't know I did. I suppose it's anticipation, the thought of seeing George. I guess that's it. What else could it be? Yeah, what else? Well, I hope I play my part well for you, Janie. Oh, there he is. Oh, not the one wearing galoshes. Yes. You know, he's probably heard about California weather. George. George. Well, he certainly does look substantial. Jane. Jane, here you are. Oh, what a place. Completely disorganized. Whole trip has been the same. I've written quite a long letter to the president of the road. George, this is Dean Phillips, George Holly. Welcome to our city, Mr. Holly. Hello. You've seen Dean in pictures, George. No, no. No time for pictures. Too busy. See you, Jane. Are you, and that is I mean. Dean was nice enough to bring me down to meet you, George. Janey and I are sorry you're only going to be in town a few days. We'd like to show you all our favorite haunts. Well, that's nice of you, Phillips, but mostly I came out here to get lumber. Run the biggest yard and strawberry point. I suppose Jane has told you all about that. Oh, often, dear old strawberry point. Well, I'll take care of your luggage, Mr. Holly, and meet with the car. I know you and Janey must have a lot to talk over. You look tired, George. See here, Jane. You never mentioned this, fella. What's the, well, I mean, what does he mean about your haunts? Oh, well, when they're interested in you out here, George, you've got to be seen in the right places with the right people. And, well, Dean Phillips is just about the brightest star in the whole colony these days. And he's obviously infatuated with you. Oh, no. Oh, yes. Now, I may be a small town midwesterner, Jane, but I know a thing or two about life. The way he looks at you. He is terribly nice. Well, I can see this buying trip didn't come a minute too soon, not a minute. Now, Jane, you know why I've come more than 1,000 miles out of my way. Once and for all, I want to know if... Come on, George. You'll feel better if you had a chance to clean up. And Dean and I have a wonderful time plan for you. Simply wonderful. Then over there is a part of the old city of London that they built for that factory picture, remember? They did? Well, it looks solid. Yeah. Well, just a minute. I think that's your old friend Bob Fanel over there, Janey. He's a big director, George. I want you to meet him. Oh, wait here. I'll be right back. It's amazing. Everyone smiles at you. Everyone seems to know you, Jane. I wouldn't have believed it. Mostly it's Dean. But they're looking at you too. They're looking at you. Thanks, thanks a lot, boys. But no more pictures now. Miss Sanders is tired. Wow, that nearly blinded me. All those flash bulbs flashing. I think you'd be dizzy, Jane, just from watching them. I am a little. Oh, you're tired. We've got to give you a chance to rest up a little bit. We've been hitting quite a pace. No one in Strawberry Point would have believed that our Jane was living like this. Dean, can we go to the car? I think I've had enough. Sure. Come on, George. We'll pick up your galoshes on the way out. And ever since I took over the lumber yard, I've been planning the house I'll one day build for Jane. With such nice music, shouldn't we be dancing? Let's hear some more about the house. Well, all right. Now I've put aside the best lumber, picked out each timber myself. Same way with the hardware, the fixtures. And I found the most practical floor plan ever designed. This is going to be a substantial house. Be just as solid in 100 years as the day it's finished. Oh, it sounds fine. Just fine. I see that Jane has picked up a number of Hollywood notions, but she'll soon forget them in Strawberry Point. I wouldn't be surprised. There may be less glitter to life back home, but it's solid. You know where you stand. Things don't vary from one day to the next. You were saying something about dancing, Janie? Oh, yes. I would like to. If you'll excuse us, George. By sure. Sure, this isn't my style. You go right ahead. Come on, Janie. Well, are things working out for you the way you wanted? Exactly. Am I living up to my part? Oh, you've been wonderful. You've done much more than what's needed. Well, I've liked doing it. You know you've completely convinced poor George. He's certain that you're infatuated with me. And I think there are directors who say that Dean Phillips can't act. Of course, I've had excellent support. He'll be leaving tomorrow for Oregon. Which means that he'll ask you the question tonight. Look, why don't you go back to the table now? I'll pretend to be saying something to the nature of Dean. Dean? Hmm? Nothing. Just don't be too long. Well, I was hoping you'd come back alone, Jane. Now, I've been looking for a chance to say something since I got to Hollywood, but we've been so busy. Yes, we have. Now, Jane, I know that what I'm going to ask won't be easy for you to answer. It'll mean giving up the glamorous and exciting life you have here, but there are more important things, Jane. Like a husband who's steady, reliable, solid. George, are you asking me to give up my life here and go back to Strawberry Point? Yes. You've proved to yourself, Jane, and to me that you could do things out here, big things if you wanted. Now, that's enough, isn't it? George. You could stay and be a big star, but I want you to come home to Strawberry Point. You're wrong, George. I couldn't stay here and be a big star. I couldn't be anything here, except a second rate manicurist. Jane, what are you saying? A manicurist? That's what I am. That's the only reason I know, Dean Phillips or anyone else. I manicure their nails. Well, but then, well, why did you? Because I couldn't bear to think of you feeling sorry for me. Well, now, Jane, if I had had any idea that I was going to fool you, George, I was going to convince you that I had Hollywood at my feet. Then I was going to renounce it all and go back to Strawberry Point. Well, I must admit that I'm a little disappointed, Jane, that you should attempt to deceive me. But it didn't make any difference. I'm still prepared to forgive you. No, thanks, George. Give my regards to Strawberry Point and tell them I won't be coming back. But what are you going to do? No, I don't know. But I couldn't marry you, George. Now you've got nothing, absolutely nothing. I've had three wonderful days, Maryam. That's more than most people ever have. George has gone back to Strawberry Point. You've refused to answer Dean's calls, and now you've even quit your job at Henri's. I wouldn't want Dean to see me there ever again. I want him to remember me just the way I was for those three days. And so what are you going to live on? Memories? Oh, I'll get another job. Some place where you won't find me. Thank you very much, Mr. Kelsey. Come in again soon. Next. And no matter how nice you are to some people, they just seem to be naturally ungrateful. Dean. Well, aren't you going to ask me to sit down? How did you find me? I'm a very smart young lady named Maryam. She promised me. Oh, don't blame her. Blame me. I'm a very persistent type. I was determined that I wasn't going to let you run out of my life. Did you want to manicure? Of course. Can I have your left hand? With pleasure. Janie, why did you tell George? I had to. I couldn't go on lying to him. He deserves someone much better than me. Correction. He deserves someone different. And I couldn't have made him happy in Strawberry Point. And besides, you're in love with me. Careful, you can't do my nails if you won't hold your hands still. You are in love with me, aren't you? Oh, why did you come here? Because I'm in love with you. Because you? I was scared to death you'd say yes to George. I couldn't bear to think of you keeping track of his galoshes all the rest of your life. Are you sure? I knew at the minute you admitted you couldn't act. I just can't believe it. You should have known I'm not that good an actor. Now, let me have your left hand, please. My left hand? Well, hold it still. I can't put an engagement ring on your finger when it's trembling so. Oh, Dean, it's beautiful. Just beautiful. A beautiful ring for a beautiful girl. Or haven't you seen Gaylord Howell's column this morning? Howell's? No, I haven't seen it. Who asks that eminent columnist? Is the beautiful lady Dean Phillips has been squaring to all the local nitries? And now, Janie, I can answer Mr. Howell's. You can. Of course, darling. Gaylord, I'll say. Gaylord, old chap. That was no lady. That was my wife. Our popular language has developed a slang word to express the idea of masquerading. It is the word phony. Like many slang expressions, it carries with it an overplay of meaning that escapes the denotation of more standard diction. It is an everyday term by which we calculate what is real and true and valid from what is false, pretentious, and unreal. Real values versus phony values. Very often, it is hard to tell real values from phony ones. And it occurs to me that maybe many of us tell ourselves stories about our successes and failures, even in our family life. We feel we are expressing the greatest love for our families when we work hard to give them as many material comforts as possible. We may measure our success by the cars we drive, the schools we send our children to, and the surroundings we provide. With that, we should be glad to do. As long as we do not leave out love, if we leave that out, the rest adds up to a great big phony value. It may be a fancy masquerade, but behind the masks, there is emptiness. That is where family prayer comes in. We no longer send children to bed without their supper. But maybe we send them to bed without gathering with them to unite them and us together in God's presence. They will learn much from outside the family and school on the street and at their entertainments. One thing among many that they must learn in the family, and that is the family that prays together, stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Family Theater has brought you Barbara Hale and John Howard in masquerade. Robert Ryan was your host. Others in our cast were Marion Cleveland and Howard Culver. The script was written by John McGreevy with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and was directed for Family Theater by Joseph F. Mansfield. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program by the mutual network which responds to this need and by the hundreds of stars of stage screen and radio who 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 Lafranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home and inviting you to join us next week at the same time when Family Theater will present Ruth Hussie, Lee Bowman, Roddy McDowell in Shining Armor. Join us, won't you? Family Theater was transcribed. Stay tuned for the news which follows on the newspaper of the air. This is the mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.