 Dedicated to the strength of the nation. Proudly, we hail. Things from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. This is C.P. McGregor speaking. Welcome again to your theater of stars. Proudly, we hail. The United States Army and Air Force presentation. Soon to be a full half hour. Our story is a timely one with a surprise ending. It's called, Apartment for Rent. And it stars the promising young Hollywood actor, Jess Barker. And now, act one. The artist's sketch of the apartment house building appeared in the newspaper. It was impressive. Below it were these words. The Edward J. Hanna Company announces the construction of Westview Manor, a new 80-unit apartment which promises to be the finest of its type ever built. Westview Manor was construction news of the kind the Edward J. Hanna Company builders usually made. But the sketch in the newspaper brought only a frown to Steve Benedict, Hanna's construction supervisor. As he looked at it in his downtown office, he shook his head slowly as the buzzer in his office rang. What is it? Your wife, Mr. Benedict. Oh, tell her to come in, will you please? Yes, sir. Thank you. Hello, darling. Hello. It's my sweetest twelve o'clock kiss for you. What's all this for? For nothing. I'm just impulsive when it comes to you. Don't change. What about the children? That mother's. Susie's cold better? Oh, not even a sniffle. That's good. But now, what are you doing downtown anyway? Uh, dreaming. Dreaming? That's right. I'm buying house dresses and looking at fur coats. Honey, if it were up to me, you'd have a dozen fur coats. Old man Hanna's got to come through one of these days. Oh, darling, don't worry. Besides, if I had my fur coat in hand, then I couldn't dream about having one, and that would be terrible. Oh, this is the sketch of the apartment. And in the paper, no less. This is it. Well, aren't you pleased? I'm disgusted with the old man. Why? He's going to start taking rentals pretty soon. He's already issued the order. No families with children. Oh, and that's not good with the way things are. You're telling me. Oh, but can't you talk to him? Can't you convince him? Ever try to convince a walrus? No. Come on, sweetheart. I'll take you to lunch. This may be the last chance I'll have until the building is up. Construction on the apartment began, and plenty of headaches along with it. Not just the scarcity of materials. That was difficult enough. There were other things. Much more difficult to face. Oh, Mike. Hello, Mark. Show them we don't move that lumber, will you? Okay, Mark. Oh, excuse me, sir. What is it, lady? Oh, I realize you just started these apartments, but I wondered if you'd begun renting them. Oh, that's all done through the downtown office of the company, lady. We have nothing to do with it. Oh, well, just one more thing. Are they accepting children? Lady, you're the tenth person here this morning asking the same question. The answer is no. But why? Don't ask me why. I'm only a hired hand. But my children are well-mannered, and we'll stand good for any damage. I know, I know. But it's the same story all over town. What are we going to do? Lady, I wish I knew. If I had my way, you'd have to have ten children to get a look at these apartments. It was the same story, day after day. Though finally I became fed up. I told my wife I was going to blow my top to a man, Hannah. I had her blessing. The next day I got my chance. And I was a summons to his office. Come in, Steve. Come in. Sit down. Well, how's it coming? Pretty good, Mr. Hannah. We're stuck for plasterboard, and I don't know where we're going to get it. Well, keep after it, and I'll do the same. I want to get that apartment up. Got a barrel full of money tied up in it. You've got more than that, Mr. Hannah. What do you mean? You've got a responsibility to the families of this town with children. Steve, have you been reading your boy scout manual again? Yes, I have, and believe me, it's a deplorable situation. Steve, we've been through all this before. I don't want children in my apartment. I don't want them cutting off the legs of my furniture and playing mumbly peg on my hardwood floor. That isn't true, and you know it. Tell me this. Were you ever in a spot where you had to rent? I was. I once rented a home in Chicago. And you had children, didn't you? My two boys. Did they tear up the place? No, but they were different. I'm not sure they were. Mr. Hannah, you know how serious the rental situation is. I should think out of a sense of responsibility to the community. Oh, Lord Ash, I've got a building, a big investment. I'm going to protect it. Well, I wish you luck. What do you mean? I'm stepping out. I don't want any part of it. Steve, Steve, you're making a mistake. I am? You're getting emotional. Don't lose your head. Not at a time like this. What are you getting at? I called you over this afternoon to tell you this. If you get my apartment up on schedule, there's a $1,000 bonus for you. Now take it over. I thought it over, and it didn't take long the way things were. Just long enough to get home. Mary met me at the door. Oh, darling, you're late. I was worried about you. I had my talk with the old man. Oh, what happened? You get your fur coat. I... He's giving me a bonus. Oh, darling. But what about the rental situation? That's no use. I've used up all my ammunition. You can't fight fire with a water pistol. We pause briefly from our story, Apartment for Rent, starring Jess Barker, to bring you an important message. Man education is important these days. And that's why the regular army and Air Force are offering you young high school graduates the opportunity to continue your studies. In the army or Air Force, you'll have an interesting job with good pay. At the same time, you'll be able to study courses that levels up through college. Those courses you didn't have time for in high school. University colleges and universities give entrance credits for these courses. You'll receive training in a technical skill, training that will help you advance in the army or later in civilian life. Foreign travel itself is a form of education, and the army and Air Force give you that opportunity, too. Yes, if it's further education you want, it will pay you to investigate an army or Air Force career. Your local U.S. Army and Air Force recruiting officer will give you all the details that no obligation to you. I'll see you right away. Whack 2 of apartment for rent, starring Jess Barker as Steve Benedict, construction superintendent on Westview Manor, the new 80-unit apartment house. Any ideals Steve had about renting Westview Manor were by now completely lost in a major construction problem. Problem was right. Plaster board. We couldn't get it anywhere. Old man Hannah was furious. I felt my stomach on the phone. But we finally got a break. Hannah wanted to talk to me. As I walked through his office, I could see the rental booth just opened and the people, my conscience suddenly hit hard. But only for a moment. Well, sit down Steve, sit down. Steve, I have news for you. Our plasterboard problem is lit. It is? The one man in the country who has enough plasterboard to get us off the hook happens to be a dear friend of mine, Fred Keppel in Chicago. I've known the old bandit for years and I'm sure he'll take care of us. Probably stick us plenty on the price if I know him. But there's nothing we can do about that. Now Steve. I want you to get down to Chicago today and cinch that plasterboard. I've wired Fred Keppel your company. That was wonderful news. My $1,000 bonus was a sure thing now. I felt great until I walked out of Hannah's office. There's the rental booth. They were turning away one of the women and she had two kids in tow. They looked an awful lot like mine. My conscience began to speak up and the words weren't pleasant. But what could I do about the rental situation but hadn't already been done? In Chicago when I got to Fred Keppel's office I was lower than the sub-basement of the apartment house I was building. So you're the man Ed Hannah sent down? That's right, Mr. Keppel. How is the old bandit anyway? Just fine. He speaks often of you too. Well, you're pretty lucky on the plasterboard. I can take care of you. I dare say I'm the only one in the country you can. You can say that again, Mr. Keppel. I'll not only say it, I'll remember it when I send hand at the bill. So he's putting up an 80-unit apartment house. That's right. Costing him plenty, I'll bet. But he'll stick him plenty, he always did. It's a good thing, though. We certainly do need housing. Yes, indeed, Mr. Keppel. Particularly for families with children. You're out of the ployable situation. Do you really mean that, Mr. Keppel? I most certainly do. Mr. Keppel, I think you may be the answer to our prayer. I laid my proposition before him. He went for it hook, line, and sinker. I couldn't wait to get off that plane into a cabin up to old man Hannah's office. Well, Steve, from the look on your face you must have brought home the bacon. I certainly did. You got enough plasterboard to do the job? Just enough. That's going to save us nine months on that construction. No telling how much in dollars and cents. There's one little string attached to the deal, Mr. Hannah. A string? What do you mean? Price, didn't he name a figure? Oh, not that, Mr. Hannah. It seems that Fred Keppel is deeply concerned with the housing situation. So what? So there's going to be a little rider on your plasterboard contract. You get it. Provided you rent to families with children. Pre-pastors, he can't do this to me. He's done it. No plasterboard. You put him up to it. I discussed the problem with him. Well, you get out of here. You're fired. You can't fire me. I go along with the plasterboard deal. This is an outrage. This is blackmail. Of a benevolent sort. I don't understand it. Keppel's a bachelor. He has no kids. Why this sudden interest? You've forgotten, Mr. Hannah. Fred Keppel rented you that house in Chicago. What's that got to do with it? Besides liking the idea of renting to families with children, Fred Keppel said he'd do anything to get even with you. No. For the way your kids played mom with the peg on his hardwood floors. There was a picture of Westview Manor in the newspapers nearing completion. And with this announcement, Edward J. Hannah, builder of Westview Manor, announces all rentals that the new 80-year-old structure will be made on a preferential basis. Families with children receiving first preference. This decision was reached in view of the housing situation and because of the builder's deep and profound feeling of community responsibility. It calls on the final act of apartment for rent. Our star, Jess Barker, will return for a curtain call after this timely message from Wendell Niles. Earn while you learn in the Army or Air Force. You've heard it before, and here's what it means. More than half a million servicemen have already earned their high school diplomas while in service. To you high school graduates, but while serving in the regular Army or Air Force, you can continue your education. Get the facts on the educational opportunities in an interesting Army or Air Force career. Ask tomorrow at your U.S. Army and Air Force recruiting station. Now here again is our star and our producer. A fine portrayal makes a curtain call a must. Jess, take a bow for a performance that was tops. Thank you, T.P. You're most kind. But I think the bow should come from another direction. I believe I know what you mean, Jess. That's it, T.P. From the hundreds of stations in every town, village, and hamlet in America, and those men associated with them who so generously provide airtime each week, that the message on proudly we hail can reach so many. Take a bow, gentlemen. I'll second that. And Jess, thanks for your own gracious appearance. It couldn't have happened, T.P., for a more worthwhile sponsor. For now, your audience will want to know the play bill for next time. Next week, Jess, your Theater of Stars brings you an exciting adventure tale titled The Strange Partnership. And to star in it, we're delighted to present an outstanding favorite of filmgoers everywhere, Henry Fonda. That's right, Jess. Henry Fonda on proudly we hail next week. So be sure to join us, won't you? Our thanks, again, to Jess Barker, who appeared to the courtesy of the Hollywood Coordinating Committee, which arranges the appearances of all motion picture stars on this program. Until next week, this is T.P. McGregor saying thanks for listening, and Cheerio from Hollywood.