 presents Gale Storm and John Howard. Hollywood, the mutual broadcasting system in cooperation with Family Theater, presents UFO starring John Howard. And now, here is your hostess, Gale Storm. 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. To our transcribed drama, UFO, starring John Howard as Bill Cullen. The following story is pure fiction. It poses a challenge that neither we nor our children may ever have to face. But if we should, if the make-believe problem in tonight's drama were actually forced upon us in the next five or ten or twenty years, it's no exaggeration to say that the way in which we meet it may determine the fate of the world. The initials UFO are the official United States Air Force abbreviation for the words unidentified flying object. Am I late? No, they haven't started yet. I was checking my bags. Any idea what it's all about? I don't even have a hunch. This is quite a turnout. Say, isn't that Rubikoff over there? Nobody else. It's naked without his bodyguards. Dr. Passe, glad to see you. What is this meeting for? Do you know? Not a thing. Whatever it is, it's international. Oh, do you know, Mr. Rogers? How do you do? Dr. Passe? I thought you two knew each other. I have not had the pleasure. Are you with the British delegation, Mr. Rogers? No, just a meteorologist. Enchante. Perhaps you can penetrate some of the fog surrounding this meeting. No, I don't know any more than you do, Dr. Passe. It's to me like we're some sort of a UN subcommittee. Why were we brought all the way to Washington to meet at an air terminal of all places? All guesses as good as mine. And you see the clearance list. They are checking against our persons. Not very closely. Why? The authorizing signatures at the bottom are those of the chief representatives on the Security Council. All of them? Everyone. What do you make of that? Gentlemen, gentlemen, could I have your attention, please? Who is the American officer? You know him? I wonder why the Air Force isn't on this. He looks familiar. There should be enough seats to go around. Say, doctor, isn't that the French air attaché up on the platform? So it is. A couple of RAF chaps, too. We're running a little behind schedule, gentlemen. Can I have your attention, please? Each of you was privately notified by your various governments early last week that you might be asked to leave New York and possibly this country in a moment's notice. Is there anyone present who was not so notified? Very well. In a few minutes, at 2100 hours, to be exact, you will board one of three transport planes now waiting on the runways. Your destination, top secret. Now, each of you is an expert of one sort or another, a diplomat, a linguist, a scientist, and each of you may be called upon to exert his talents to the utmost before this mission is completed. Major! Major! Yes, Dr. Passi. What you have just said is very flattering, but now I'm speaking only for the diplomats and I hope that no one here will take offense at what I am about to say, but it is a fact that we are not what you call top-level representatives of our various governments. At least, I know I am not. That's true, that's true, Dr. Passi. But you were chosen each by your own country for the very reason that your opposite numbers, the ones with whom you'll be attempting to establish diplomatic, scientific, and cultural relations, will not themselves be heads of state, or at least it has so been reasoned. You'll receive a complete briefing en route to the rendezvous point. Rendezvous point? Yes, Mr. Cullen. We here are permitted to tell you two things. The general nature and area of the rendezvous point. An uncharted island somewhere in the Pacific. Who is it we're at a rendezvous with? Can't you tell us that? We would if we could, but we've been able to communicate with them only in a tentative and very unsatisfactory way. And we aren't even certain they'll keep the rendezvous, although of course we have high hopes. Who are they? A bunch of cannibals? We hope not. It would make your task almost insuperable. All right, you can't tell us who they are, but what's the other thing you can tell us? Where they're from. And I should emphasize that while our intelligence on this point is incomplete, we have no doubt of its basic authenticity. Well, that's something, anyhow. I hope you continue to think so. The representatives that your various governments have selected you to make contact with on the Pacific Island are from outer space. I still can't believe it. I know, Rajas, I know. Yet here we are in the state room of the jetliner streaking through the night. Twenty thousand feet above cities like Cleveland and Chicago at a speed of over six hundred miles an hour. And fifty years ago, who would have believed that? Yes, yes, I expected the way to look at it. I say they've been a long time briefing Cullen and the others, what? Well, I'll turn, we'll come soon. I wonder what's the approach to these creatures? What's expected of us? Hard to say. Oh, Cullen! Oh, Rajas, Dr. Pessie. I see you have company. Mr. Rubikoff, you know the doctor. Oh, yes, of course. And this is Mr. Clement Rajas. Rajas, how do you do? Mr. Peter Rubikoff of the Soviet Union. Glad to know you. We've got all the data on these mimeographed forms. Now, Rubikoff and I'll brief you from here on. Rubikoff and you? Well, we are the team chiefs. Yes. Sit down, Rajas, and I'll explain the whole thing. They're breaking the contact group into teams of five and six men. Four team teams, all told. You mean each team will operate separately in trying to meet these visitors? Well, not unless it becomes absolutely necessary. But apparently they want to have the organization fluid enough for that, just in case. Did they give you any orientation, any background on this? Or do we just have to go in feet first? Yes, they gave us a good deal. Oh, Rubikoff, do you have that report? Oh, I think I do. Yes, here. Now, this is a duplicate of a secret report submitted to the Security Council about a month ago. Well, with your permission, I will summarize the salient points here. I'll wait. You can both read the thing later if you want to. No, go ahead, Mr. Rubikoff. Well, this report traces very briefly, of course, the history of reported sightings of unidentified flying objects all over the world since 1944. Now, during many of these sightings, especially in the United States, the flying objects were picked up on radar. Now, you remember how that stuff used to make the papers all the time, and then they just stopped printing it. Yes. And the reason that they stopped was because it had become impossible to dismiss the sightings as, oh, perhaps, hallucinations or light reflections. Yes, that's why the Air Intelligence people decided to use a combination of radio and radar as a method of primary contact with the unidentified objects. What do you mean that's why? Had they come to some conclusion about the sources? Well, I'm sorry, excuse me. No, no, no, not at all. You go ahead. You see, Rogers, one night, a few years ago, a traffic control group in Washington was tracking what looked like a saucer flight over the capital. The airline pilot coming inside of the saucers and called the field. They gave him a fix from the blips they were getting on radar. The minute traffic control radioed the position of the saucers to the airline pilot, the whole formation he'd been watching, about six pairs of orange and green lights, took off and were out of sight in less than five seconds. You mean the saucer somehow heard the radio message and understood it? Yes. Exactly so. Well, do they transmit any signals of their own? No, apparently not. Or at least they haven't sent out anything we can receive. Of course, there's a good chance that those particular saucers were just ranging devices. You mean with no humans inside them? Yes, exactly. Remote control is something like that. But the point made here in the evaluation is that whoever does control them, from however far off, realizes we picked them up on radar. Yes, and also, excuse me, and this is the key to the entire contact apparatus that we have to use, they have given us ample evidence that our radio signals are reaching them. That's how the rendezvous point was chosen. You mean the saucers helped select the side? That is our understanding, but how? Well, we were told that there's a radar team on each of these three jetliners, and as soon as we get out over the Pacific, they're going to give us a demonstration. This team's been selected to participate. A demonstration of what? What Rubikov said a minute ago about whoever it is that controls the saucers. But what is it that the demonstration purports to prove? Simply that they know that we know they're watching us. Since we left Washington eight hours, Marseille, one in New York, one in Moscow, members of the orange team go to the bank of telephones along the left wall of the cabin. Well, that's us. What are we supposed to do? Just get on the wire. You will find that the phones are numbered from one to four. Dr. Marseille, will you pick up phone number one? Say hello and identify yourself. Of course. Hello? This is Dr. Jules-Passis. What? Je suis Dr. Jules-Passis. Qui? Amarsee? Oui, très bien. I am in contact with the station Amarsee. They say they are ready. Very well, doctor. In a moment, I'll ask you to say to your countryman, you may begin to transmit the radio signal. During the time of the signal's transmission, which will be amplified over this speaker so that all of us can hear it in the cabin, I would ask everyone to keep his eyes on the radar scope up front here. Are you ready, doctor? Ready. All right. Tell your man to start transmitting. Hello? Comment s'est transmitté le signal de radio? Now watch. The radio operator in Marseille will send out ten separate and distinct signals, and he'll stop. A few seconds after he's finished, a series of blips should appear on the radar screen. I want you all to count them. There they are, in the upper right-hand quadrant. But what's making the blips? I think you'll find there are two, four, six, nine... Yes, ten. Ten blips. Exactly the same as the number of radio signals that were sent out by the operator. But what are they? Before we tell you that, doctor, would you be good enough to inquire the operator in Marseille if they've picked up any blips on their radar? And if so, how many? Of course. Je la radar, vous voyez, sont-ils des signals? Combien? Merci. Yes, the same number. Ten. Thank you. You can hang up now, doctor. Au revoir, monsieur Bien. Oh, major, would you be good enough to tell us what those blips represent? Well, they're a flight of saucers, one for each blip. Using measurements taken on the scope, we estimate their distance from us to be about 60 miles. Well, what was the operator over in Marseille, is he? Another flight of exactly the same size. The Marseille call number is ten. But the blips that we are seeing now, does that mean that they too are picking up the radio transmission from Marseille? Either that or it's been relayed to them by another saucer flight over that area. Right now, for example, although the Moscow call number is eight, there will be ten blips on the radar scope in Moscow. It's the saucer's way of telling us they know Marseille is the only station now transmitting to them. Well, then they must know that our three jetliners are part of the picture too. Otherwise, why the blips from just 60 miles away? We expected this. They seem to know everything. Oh, it's changing. Look, on the radar scope, some of the blips are moving off. Yes, five, six, seven. There's only three left. What do you make of it? Just a minute, please. Hello? Yes, yes, go ahead. To the four monitoring stations report that the number of blips they're tracking has dropped to three. The same as us. Just a second. No, but we're still getting them on our scope. Three, about 60 miles off. All right, we'll let you know if anything happens. What's up? They've dropped off the other four scopes completely. We're the only one picking up any saucer blips at all. Major. Yes, Mr. Cullen? I've got to hunch what it might mean. It's just a guess. Well, let's hear it. Well, you told us earlier that although the saucers had helped to select the rendezvous point using the number code, you still weren't sure they'd show up. That's right. Well, could it be they might want to change it at the last minute to make sure we don't pull a fast one? I suppose it's possible. What's your idea? Well, our party's made up of three jet liners and they're showing up three blips on this radar scope. That's right. Maybe they're trying to tell us to follow them. We were right about the other planes, Bill. One of the radar jets told me they turned back. I sponsored the disappearance of the two blips. Seems to be what the saucers wanted. I wonder what's next. Major tells me this island was a staging area for Australian troops during the Second World War. And rather a large one, too. Part of the new Guinea group. You haven't said much, Rubikov. What do you think they've got up their sleeves? Oh, I don't know. But I don't trust them. I've always wondered, whom do you trust? Oh, here we go. We're coming in. This is starting to get gray in the east. Almost morning. Look, on the scope. What? We are following. It's gone. Maybe the saucers aren't willing to make a daylight appearance. But it is at their insistence that we are landing here. I guess the only thing to do is to make ourselves comfortable on this island until nightfall. Leave the next move up to them. Yes? What time do you have? Well, a few minutes till midnight. How far do you think we have walked? Perhaps five miles. Colin. Yes? Contact the base again. Obviously we have lost our bearings. We're still going due north by my compass. Will you be kind enough to contact the base? We should have seen them by now. All right. Well, Rogers, can I have the walkie-talkie? Here you are. Thanks. Orange leader to contact base. Orange leader to contact base. Contact base to Orange leader. Go ahead. We've been moving due north for almost three hours now. Haven't seen a thing. What's your position? I'm still in the brush. Anything from the two other teams? We called them back to the base. How come? More blip messages from the saucers. Apparently they want to make personal contact with the smallest group available. That's you, fellas. Well, we haven't seen a thing. No lights? Nothing. Can you see the coyote ridge from where you are? Yes, it's just a few hundred yards ahead of us. The west end of it's almost a plateau a saucer could put down there if it wanted to. All right, we'll try it. Good luck. When you get there, give us a call. Major Reeves out. So, the others they sent back? Yes. Then we ought to be the guinea pigs. I don't believe I have ever felt so helpless in my life. Any special instructions? No, I guess the original ones still stand. No hostility. Do everything possible to convince them of our friendly intentions. What's troubling you, Rubikov? Well, they will take that as a sign of weakness. Let us be realistic, Mr. Rubikov. Our sole hope of survival is that their intentions are friendly. Oh, nonsense. You honestly think that the Soviet Air Force, or any Air Force, would that matter, would last ten minutes against the saucers in a shooting war? Yeah, but it might not come to a shooting war if we can scare them off. I've got a feeling they won't scare very easily. Well, we should at least try. Gentlemen, the alternative is abject surrender. Why can't you people understand that peaceful relationships don't have anything to do with winning or losing? Why don't you understand that the threat of power is the key to peace? All right, Rubikov, I have it. As soon as they land, you go up to them and say, Boo! You laugh. We have conquered half of your world while you are laughing. Yes, but you never conquered the laughter. As you think you would have found a lesson on that. Sentimental rubbish. All right, Rubikov, knock it off, will you? What? This isn't a press conference we've got work to do. Let's go. There seems to be it. That's about the highest point on the ridge, all right? I can see nothing in the nature of a plateau. You rave said it was near the west end. It seems to be about the center. Yeah, let's take a look down that way. Beautiful night, what? Every star is ours. There is no sign of the aircraft. You can't tell. They might not be running lights. Considering how fast they go, from 50 miles up they could be down here in seconds. Look down along the ridge on the other side. You see the lagoon? Yes, quite a drop from here, about 200 feet. Doesn't it look peaceful in the moonlight? I must come around and take some pictures there tomorrow. Let's say, I'll be my wife and I... Listen, what? I hear it. Can you see anything? It seems to be far off. It seems to be the plateau just up ahead. But where is the noise coming from? I see it coming in over the edge of the cliff. Yes, it's a saucer, all right. I wouldn't bank on that. It seems to be stopping. Look, along the edge. They've turned on a light. Maybe we're supposed to signal them. They're blinking once, twice, three, four, five. Why don't they land? They probably want to make sure we're here. Let me take your fly slide, Rogers. All right, we'll see what this does. One, two, three, four, five. Now they are starting again. One, two, three, four. All right, we'll send that back to them, too. They are going to blink some more. No, no, they're going to land. By George, that's what they're doing. Tell me, how large would you judge that ship to be? It's settling, perhaps, a hundred yards away. I would estimate possibly thirty feet in diameter. There would not be many persons inside of it, then, huh? Not more than three or four, I would imagine. Comfortably, if they are comparable in size to ours. Wait a minute. It's come to a stop. It's on the ground. What now? I don't see any doors or ports. I guess we just walk up to it with a big smile on our face and hope for the best. Rubikoff, no. Keep back. I'm warning you. What have you got there? You will see when it goes off. Rubikoff, don't be a fool. It's you who are the fools. No, keep back. Why do you suppose these beings, whoever they are, have come here, huh? What to pay us a visit? Rubikoff, listen to me. The most probable reason, and you all know it, is that they are from some dying planet, like Mars, which can no longer support human life, and they must find a new world to live on. Well, what if they are? At least they're peaceful. They haven't tried to attack us, and they could have. I suppose you would help them? Why not if it were possible? Oh, that's very easy for you to say. You have more food than you can eat, more clothes that you can wear. What about my country, in countries like China? Don't blame us for the way you've botched that. You killed your people's incentive to improve themselves. That's a lie. Accept it, Rubikoff. Slaves won't work any harder than they have to. You don't understand any of you, but that doesn't matter. Now, get out of my way. You are really going to use that apparatus to destroy this saucer. And myself and all of you, if you don't keep back, you're poor fool. Now, I tell you, keep away, Passie. You're poor, poor, poor. Let go of me! Doctor, look out! You're pushing him over the light! Doctor, Passie! Just a... just a moment ago, Passie was saying he'd come back here tomorrow and take some pictures. Look, Bill, the saucer. No. Yeah, they've turned the lights on again. Do you think they heard the explosion? Well, they must have. Look, the front part of the saucer is sliding open. Maybe they're coming out. If they misinterpreted that explosion... I know, I know. You couldn't very well blame them if they did. There go the lights again. One, two. Rogers, do you see any sign of life in that opening? No, no, it's not very brightly lighted either. Do you suppose they want us to come in? I don't know what else it can mean. Listen, Rogers, I don't think both of us should go. Oh, now, look at it! No, no, really. If it's a trap, then we're both wiped out. You think they just might want some sort of sample man to size us up? No. No, I don't really think they do, but since there's always a chance... You... you've great faith, haven't you, Bill? Well, I... I like to think I do. If these creatures have a heart and a mind, then... well, then I know who created them, and that's encouraging. What do you want me to do? Here, you take the walkie-talkie and get in touch with the base. Right now? Now, as soon as I start up toward the saucer... and Rogers... Yes? If it seems that... that it's going wrong, don't come running or anything like that. The base should get a full report, and if you get mixed up in this, they won't. You're the boss. All right. I better get moving. So long, Rogers. Good luck. Orange to contact base. Orange to contact base. Contact base to Orange. Is that you, Cullen? No, it's Rogers. Now, listen closely. We're on the plateau. The saucer has landed. It's scarcely a hundred yards from me. Cullen is approaching it alone. He's about halfway there now, flashing his torch as he goes. There are two lights along the leading edge of the saucer, and they've begun to blink again. A few months ago, a section on the side of the saucer facing me slid open. I can't see the interior very well. It's dimly lighted, and there's no ramp leading up to the entryway. Cullen's going to have to climb up. It's just a foot or so as... Wait a minute. Someone or something has just appeared in the entryway. Cullen has seen it too. He stops. He's less than... I should judge ten yards from the opening. In this light, I can't possibly be sure, but I think... I think it's a man. He's standing in the entryway. He beckons to Cullen. In what seems to be at least a friendly manner. Cullen has started to move forward again. Now he's reached the saucer. He stops, looks up at the being, and he extends what I'm sure is a human arm to assist Cullen through the opening. I may be a bit premature, Major, but they're both standing there, looking one another open in what seems a very civilized fashion. And I think... I think it's going to be all right. Not too long ago, my husband took me and the children on a deep-sea fishing trip in one of those chartered fishing boats. It was a real experience for me, even if I didn't catch anything. And you can be sure that the children loved every minute of it. But I remember that one of the highlights of the trip for me was when we had a chance to visit one of those lonely lighthouses that you'll find at various spots along our coasts. You can picture the kind I mean. Well, anyway, this one was like a great white finger set off from the mainland and perched on what I would guess was a rock shoal. The boat that brought us alongside brought newspapers and provision. The lighthouse keeper was, of course, grateful for these, but what really pleased him most was just our little visit. We didn't have much to say, nothing startling or original anyway, but what delighted him was that we were there saying it. Every once in a while now, I remember that lighthouse keeper, and I can't help but think that it was a parallel related to prayer. Our prayers are visits to the great celestial lighthouse keeper who makes his perpetual light to shine down upon us. It doesn't matter much what we say, it's the fact that we are saying it, remembering him for remembering us. Family Theater again reminds you the family that prays together stays together. More things are brought by prayer than this world dreams of. Family Theater is a virtual network which is responded to this need and by the hundreds of stars of state 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 be with us next week when Family Theater will present. Stay up for the sunrise and be your host. Join us, won't you? Family Theater is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is Mutual, the radio network for All America.