 Family Theater presents Anne Blythe and Jack Haley. From Hollywood, the Mutual Network and Cooperation with Family Theater presents the Acid Test, starring Anne Blythe. And now, here is your host, Jack Haley. 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 transcribed drama, The Acid Test, starring Anne Blythe as Mary. How do you feel now, Mr. Jones? It's kind of cold in here. You see any colors? Oh yeah, wonderful colors. Floating in a notion of all different colors. Tell me how you feel about these colors. Do you like them? Oh yeah. Are you happy? I'm so happy I think I'm gonna bust. Well, what is it that makes you so happy? Is it the colors? Yes, no, no, I don't know what it is. Soon that will pass and you'll probably be angry. Angry? Oh no, not me, never angry. Are you still cold? Warm as toast. If you're too warm, you can take your coat off. Not wearing a coat. Are you sure? If I'm not wearing a body, how could I be wearing a coat? What a dumb question. Man, oh man, what a dumb question. Are you still seeing colors? Colors? Who wants to know? This is Dr. Stoner. Dr. Meadhead, it should be. Man, what a dumb question. I don't like you much. You know that. Why don't you like me? Can you tell me that? Cause you're a goof is one reason. And for another? You're witnessing an experiment in a new kind of research. The young man asking the questions is a doctor. His name is John Stoner and he's also a biochemist. The other man is my father. His name is Morton Jones and he's a psychopath. At least for now, he's a psychopath. It's not his usual state of mind. It's just the liturgic acid working in his system that makes him this way now. But maybe I'd better start at the beginning. You see, right now, my father is acting as a subject in a controlled laboratory experiment for the betterment of mankind. Something he would never do unless he were driven to it. I'm the one who drove him to it. I did it for a principle. And down, pink dress. So what do you need this pink dress for? I told you, father, for the dance. A dance? How about that? Didn't I tell you, Myrtle, sooner or later the boys would be pounding a path to our door. Oh, it took them a little while, but then the boys of this generation are a little slower than they were in my time. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time at the dance, honey. Well, I won't if I don't have anything to wear. After all, Mort, this is the last dance she'll go to at college. Oh, nothing of the kind. There'll be plenty more, you'll see, honey. I'm graduating, father. Oh, that's right, you are. My, my, how time does fly. Well, it seems only yesterday you were a little thing no higher than about... So, doesn't it seem that way to you, Myrtle? Mort, can she have the money? Just as alone. $20. Oh, no, Mort. Well, it costs a good deal of money to put a girl through college and all. But you didn't put me through college. I had a scholarship. But you know I would have. You have to give me something for that. Well, we'll paste a gold star on your forehead first thing in the morning. Who's taking you, honey? Don Crandall. At least he said something about it a week or so ago. Oh, that's the fellow. Always talks about animal husbandry. Oh, yes, I remember him. Oh, no, no, not him. That's Willard Thomas. Yeah, this one always talks about football. Oh, sort of heavy set, huh? You don't know him, Father. Will you lend me the money? $20. Well, I didn't know you really cared so much for dances and such. Oh, every girl does. Oh, never went to many. Nobody ever asked me. Gotta let them know you're alive, honey. If you want to quit being a wallflower, you've got to come away from the wall. Mort, can she borrow the money or can't she? Things haven't been going too well lately. Honey, you say you're not quite sure you've got a date, huh? Well, Don said something about it a couple of weeks ago. Well, I might be able to work something out, but first I think you'd better check with him and make sure of it. Check with him? Well, call him on the phone. Oh, I couldn't do that, Father. Well, if I'm going to keep my end of the bargain, you'll have to keep yours. I'll make sure. Gonna call him? No. He'll probably be out on the football field a little later this afternoon. I'll just happen to be walking by. And I suppose I'll just happen to stop and talk to him. I guess I might just as well do it now. Hi, Don. Huh? Oh, hi. All through practicing? Working out is what it's called, getting in shape. You know, I'm just going home. You want to walk along with me a little? Oh, I guess I might as well. I don't mind. Well, that's nice. Huh? Oh, nothing. It's a little late to be pr- I mean, working out, isn't it? Late? I mean, you'll be graduating next month, won't you? All that, yeah. I see what you mean. If there won't be any more games, I don't- I'm thinking about going pro. Pro? Pro ball. Pro ball. Oh, professional. What else? Oh, that's nice. Yeah, scouts watching us this year, you know? Sure, they saw that game we played with Mission Tech. Didn't we lose that game? Well, yeah, but I look good in it, real good. You see it? Oh, I'm afraid I didn't. No date, huh? Oh, no. No, I had a date. Must have been sick that day. Should have seen me in that game. Sharp, real sharp. Knock them down, they get up, knock them down again. That game must have been something to see. That game wasn't much, but I was real sharp. I thought you'd still be practicing out on the field. Working out? I've- I meant working out. Well, I would have, but things kind of broke up early. A bunch of the guys had to go over to the foundation. The foundation? Yeah, well, the head shrinkers hang out. You know, that medical research foundation, other side of the campus. Well, there's some sort of experiments going on over there. Guys that are 21 over get 10 bucks for being in them. Oh, I hadn't heard about that. Some to do with a new medicine for screwballs. Psychos. You're not going. I'm only 20, besides I don't want nobody fooling around my brains. Man, you should have seen me in that Mission Tech game. I turn right here. Don? Yeah? About the dance. What dance? Oh, you know, the pre-graduation dance. You asked me if I'd like to go. Did I? Don't you remember? Oh, yeah. Sure, I remember, but, well, I'm in training, you know. Oh, well, if you've changed your mind, it's- Well, it's not that exactly. I think I understand. No, I'll take it. I don't mind. You don't mind? No, what time do you want me to pick you up? 8 30 will be all right. Great, see you then, huh? See you then. Oh, hey. Yes? Picture yourself up a little, huh? I mean, maybe leave the glasses home. I'll do that, Don. Thanks. Sing nothing of it. Don't mind it all. Yes, Mother, it's me. Well, it's all settled. You're not going. Oh, I'm going all right. You don't care much for the boy, do you? Not much. But I have to go, Mother. Of course you do. 20 years old, almost 21. And I can count the dances I've been to on my fingers. What's wrong with me? Do I look so awful as all that? You don't look awful at all, dear. Sit down here. But it's just that there's just sort of an awkward period you have to go through on the way to becoming an adult. Nobody knows why, but well, for some people, it just takes a little longer. That's all. Oh, when will I get through it? Well, you're through it now. You just have noticed. Well, apparently nobody else has either. I kind of hoped that this dance might be, well, sort of coming out party for you. Had hoped? Father didn't get the money. His horse came in sixth. His horse? Well, some men gamble away the other men drink. Oh, uh, there he is. No, don't go back out again. Come in. No, I got some things to take care of. Tell her how your horse was the only three-year-old in the race. So how was I to know all the rest were two-year-olds? How was I? Oh, Father, how could you? I'm sorry, honey. I'm really sorry, honey. It just looked like such a short thing. Believe me, if there was anything I could do, I'd do it, anything. Got any money? Very funny. Just so happens, I'm dead broke. Well, then you can go. I'm sorry, honey. I'm really sorry. I know. I know. It's all right. You make the same mistake I make. You forgive him, too. What else can I do? He scrounged around a little. I found 450 left in the household money. What are we going to eat till next payday? I'll feed him beans. He deserves it. I'm afraid 450 won't help much. Or if there were only some way of earning, what's the matter? You know, I think maybe there is a way I could earn the money, at least a part of it. How? Well, it's a way some of the football team earn extra money. Yes. I think that might be the answer. The next morning I went to the foundation and met Dr. Stoner. That in itself was sort of an unusual experience because he was sort of an unusual man. I mean, you'd think of a research scientist as being old and gray-haired. Dr. Stoner wasn't. He was young and quite good-looking. And he had a manner about him that seemed to inspire confidence. I thought at first that he might turn me down because of my age. But when he asked me how old I was, I told him the truth, that I was in my 21st year, which is the year you're in if you're just past 20. It seemed to satisfy him. Then he gave me some tests, read them over, and told me about the experiment. So I see no reason why we shouldn't let you help in our project. Well, I'm not too sure. I really understand what you're doing here, doctor. Let's see if I can explain. In recent years, certain agents introduced into the human system have proven to have a very decided effect on the way people think. We are what we eat? Not quite that exactly. We've found that certain compounds will produce the same effects, cause the same syndrome to appear in a healthy person, as you might expect to find in someone who's mentally ill. When, for instance, we use these compounds in a controlled laboratory experiment, we can produce for a short period of time a personality split. Oh, my goodness. You think, then, that maybe schizophrenic disorder might be caused by something like that? You have a quick mind, Miss Jones. Thank you. But to answer your question, it's very possible that what you suggest could be the case. What we're really interested in knowing right now is what makes the schizophrenic tick and no better way of finding out than observing in a controlled experiment. What do I do? Don't you even want to know if there's any danger involved? Or if there were, you wouldn't be using humans, would you? You're all right. Well, what do you want me to do? Well, we're going to give you a preparation we call LSD. I don't know anyone who can pronounce the word it stands for. We call it just LSD. Its other name is lacergic acid. Then 15 minutes after you've taken it, we'd like to ask you some questions about some of the emotions you experience and some of the things you see and hear. I don't remember much about the experiment. I remember a nurse who kept changing from ugly to beautiful and back again. And I remember crying, but I can't remember why. But I know what happened. When I came to, all the technicians in the laboratory were standing around smiling and giggling. And after we had sent them all to lunch, Dr. Stoner told me why. He told me what had happened during the experiment. For one thing, you refused to talk unless Ms. Hinsford put your hair up for you. I didn't. Oh, I didn't. Here's a mirror. Let me see. She did a nice job, didn't she? Is that me? She did just what you asked her to do. Or maybe I should say told her to do. You were just a little bit aggressive. Is that really me? I think we got a pretty good picture of another side of your personality. What else did I do? Nothing you'd be ashamed of. If there were any chance of that, we wouldn't have let you take part. What else did I do? You really didn't do much. You talked about things. Most of them, the same things our other subjects talk about. When I get the lipstick. Again, you'll have to thank Ms. Hinsford. Isn't it awful? I think it looks pretty nice, myself. But it's so red. A little bolder than that pink stuff you came in with, but I think it does a lot for you. It adds just the right amount of color, if you ask me. Brings out your best features. It does? I mean, you really think so? I do. What else did I do? I mean, say. You told me all about a boy named Don something. I did. And you asked me to a dance. Oh, I didn't. Oh, I must have been out of my mind. As a matter of fact. I mean, I'd never do a thing like that. I accepted. You did? But I mean, certainly you don't have to pay any attention to a thing like that. Well, of course, if you don't want me to take you. I'd love you to take. I mean, if you'd really like to, I don't know what I mean. Well, I'd like to take you if you'll let me. Yes, I'd like that. It'll have to be in a blue suit. I don't have a tux. Oh, that's all right. Nobody else does either. Well, I look forward to it. I'd like to talk longer, but we'll have time for that later. I guess we will. Thank you, doctor. John, to you. All right. Miss Hensford will give you your check. I'll see you Saturday night at 8 30, wasn't it? Oh, yes. That'll be fine. Bye. Goodbye, doctor. Oh, Mary. Yes? You'd better tell me the color dress you're going to wear, so I can get you the right flowers. The color? It'll be pink. Yes, I'm sure now it'll be pink. I think that was when my coming out party really began. For the first time in my life, I had two dates for the same evening. On the way home, I stopped and canceled one of them. You sure you're Mary Jones? Of course I'm Mary Jones. You look so different. Ridiculous. Oh, what about Saturday night again? Oh, I won't be able to go to the dance with you after all. Well, look, wait a minute. We got a date. Not anymore. You are Mary Jones. Am I really so different? Oh, man. Just changed the color of my lipstick, fixing my hair a little differently. Nothing so remarkable about that. Oh, maybe it's your eyes. You just don't seem the same. Well, I am the same. Look, about this Saturday night. Oh, now look, you shouldn't mind you're in training. What else, what? Oh, now look, I really must be going. Wait. What for? Oh, maybe we can do something. I'll get a football. We'll pass it around a little. No, thank you. I'll buy you a mall and a sandwich. No, thanks. Why not? Now I'm in training. I'm not sure. You're not Mary? A little different. You've grown up. How? Oh, I'll explain later, all right? All right, I suppose. Is Father here? He's in the hall using the phone. Well, this is a little more important, I think. Well, how about the fifth? Oh, it looks good, Dave. Pearson's up. Give me $2 to win on. What do you mean I'm not good for two? Listen, Dave. Hang up, Father. Hang up. No more bets. No more bets? You've made your last one. Give me the phone. Goodbye, Dave. Now, we're going over to the research foundation, you and I, where you're going to earn me $10. Then because I think it's time that mother had a few new clothes and a little hope for the future, you and I are going to have a little talk about the responsibilities of our husband and father. When we got there, Dr. Stoner, I mean John, said he'd forgotten to warn me that I could expect a slight residue of aggression for about six hours and after effect of the experiment. I'm glad he did forget. He gave me a chance to get a few things done, not the least of which was planning my campaign. You see, I'm going to marry that man. He doesn't know it yet, but I am. And this is me talking, not the LSD. I've learned the truth of some advice given to me by all people, my father. If you don't want to be a wallflower, you've got to move away from the wall. Well, might as well come out with a purpose, hmm? This is Jack Haley again. I was thinking about a song a while ago. I'm sure you've heard it. There's a line in it to the effect that wishing will make it so. In fact, the gist of the whole song seems to be that if you'll wish for almost anything hard enough, it will happen. Well, I want to go on record as saying there's not a word of truth in it. If your car's out of gas, you can sit in it and wish till you're blue in the face. But you won't go any place till you put some gas in it. Wishing simply will not make it so, just as believing will not make something so, unless it's so to begin with. And that brings up another point. You can't make something cease to exist just by refusing to believe in it. Truth is impervious to opinion. Whether or not you choose to believe in will say if there really is a China does not affect in the least the real existence of China. Whether or not you believe in the power of prayer doesn't change the fact that it is powerful, but it does affect you. Because if you don't believe in it, naturally you won't take part in it. And unfortunately, the evidence of the power of prayer is only available to those who try it. You have to try it to see the results. On family theater, we usually talk about family prayer. So if you're interested in seeing the results of prayer, may we recommend that you try it daily with your family? If you do, I'm sure you'll see what we mean when we say the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood, family theater has brought you transcribed the acid test starring Ann Blythe. Jack Haley was your host. Others in our cast were Bill Justine, Irene Tedrow, Ralph Votrean, and Vic Perrin. The script was written and directed for family theater by Robert Hugh O'Sullivan with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. 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 has responded 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 when family theater will present. Tom Summit, starring Marshall Thompson. Peter Loughard will be your host. Join us, won't you? Family theater has 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.