 Family Theater presents William Campbell and William Gargan. From Hollywood, the Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theater presents No Contest, starring William Campbell. And now here is your host, William Gargan. Thank you, Tony Lafralo. 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, No Contest, starring William Campbell as Bill. When I look back now, I see there were about three places where I could have done one thing instead of another. And maybe now I'd like myself a little better, but that might be wrong too. I figure a man's got control over about 90 percent of what happens to him. The rest of it, the other 10, like lightning and floods and the number you get on a lottery ticket, you haven't got much to say about that. Not until it's all over anyhow. By then it's usually too late to say anything. Like my job with Benson, who could do anything about that. He's a nice guy and I'm a nice guy, but it's like he told me while we were loading the truck that afternoon. Billy, I, uh, I don't like to do this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go. Are you kidding? No. No, I'm not. I'm not. I'm going to have to let you go. I've been doing the work all right, haven't I? Oh, sure, kid. Sure you have. That's not it. It's the jobs. Well, I thought you said we had two more installations coming up next week. Well, I mean the profit on them. It takes three and a half, four days to wire a house like this. Well, that's as fast as anyone else, does it? Yeah, yeah. To keep it as cheap as anyone else, I have to take a beating on what I go home with. Joe, you're just paying me scale. That's what I mean. You're only getting what you should, but, well, I've tried it for six months and I'm just not set up for an operation like this. I, I shouldn't have gone into it. We do good work. We do fine work, but we're out of our class. I've been trying to compete with outfits that got 30 or 40 crews like us. It's just not working, that's all. You figure you'd do better on your own? Bill, I even got it figured on paper. Okay, so I bit off more than I can chew. That's no reason my family should have to swallow it. See what I mean? Benson's a nice guy, but he's getting pinched where it hurts, in the wallet. Just came at a bad time for me, that's all. Like suppose some night the temperature drops 10 degrees below freezing and you own an orange grove. It was a bad time for the temperature to do that, you know? Well, we've got enough to get through the next week, all right? Not counting the car payment. That's the problem. Sixty-seven bucks. Do you think they'd give you another week? I'm three weeks late right now. The April payment comes due the 21st. You miss two and they can send out the man with a rope. I wonder if we could... I'll get it out. Hello. Oh, hello, Joe. Have I what? Oh, no, no, not yet. I figured I'd go over to General Builder's tomorrow and see. Who? No kidding. Well, sure, sure. Well, this is real good of you, kid. You bet I'll take it. So I'll call him right now. Well, you did everything but sign me on the dotted line. Sure, sure, Joe. You bet. Oh, thanks. Thanks an awful lot. So long. What is it? Maybe Joe got me work on a job. Oh, brother. Big track going up out at Play-a-Dauré. It ought to be good for two months. When does it start? Not till next Wednesday. That's the only hitch. Well, even so, you just missed three days' work. Yeah, but it still doesn't lick the car problem. Well, couldn't you call and say you'll pay him next Friday? Well, it's the 21st and the April payment's due. Well, if you told him you just lost one job but you're starting on another. No, no, no. I'm going to have to stall him on the April thing at least another 10 days. Well, couldn't you explain that we... Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Sure, here it is. We send them a check for the March payment. But, Bill, it'll bounce. You wait a minute. We mail it tomorrow. They get it Monday. It gets back to our bank Tuesday. And it bounces. Exactly. Now, wait. Our bank sends it back to them. They get it Wednesday. And they call us. And I have to take the lofty talk from... All you tell them is you can't understand it and you'll call our bank and when they please put the check through again and send us the bill for the penalties. It's like, you know, two or three bucks. It's all over again. It does not. It won't get back to our bank until Friday and by then I can cover it with what I'll get paid that morning. You're going to drive all away from Playa del Rey? Mm-hmm, on my lunch hour. Oh, Bill... Honey, how else can I do it? This is a real nothing idea. Honey, if we try to put them off until next week they'll be screaming for both those payments and I just can't make it. Oh. All right. Well, there's nothing else we can do. All right. That was number one. Where I kited the check when I could have called the finance outfit and maybe straightened things out. So it wasn't right. Not that they were going to lose on the deal since they'd have to pay the bank charges and the penalties anyhow and that had square things, but also, okay, it wasn't right because I knew the check would bounce. Except that it didn't. It didn't even quiver. When I got home from work Wednesday night, Kathy told me nobody called from the finance company. It was the same the next night and Friday and all that weekend. We just couldn't figure it. Are you sure you mailed the check? Of course I'm sure. Maybe it got lost. If it got lost they would have called. But all we had in the account was $24. Honey, I keep the books. You're not telling me anything. I don't get it. I don't even begin to get it. Counts as we're out of the woods. You put in the money to cover it? A whole paycheck. Well, I guess it really doesn't matter then. You must have gone through. You're a great little provider. That's because I'm rogue. Just joking. Look, house for you and me and the Palladium. Tonight? Well, I can't carry all this cash around. Oh, Bill, I love it. You get happy real easy, don't you? Oh, I'm very happy. Less brown. Band of renown. That was a good night. The last of the good ones for quite a while. First thing that went sour was the job. I put that in the 10 percent you don't have much to say about. We were working in six crews, four men to a crew, wiring those new houses. In this kind of an operation, you can always tell when they're cutting corners and our boss was cutting plenty. Okay, I shouldn't work on a job like that. Kathy can go hungry. So I worked on it. And the man you've got to get by is the building inspector, but we didn't make it. I went the contract and everybody's job, and all the way home, I couldn't think how to break the news. That was when this other thing in the 10 percent happened. Kathy met me at the door and showed me the bank statement. And all I could do was look at it and gape. What do you think it means? It's crazy. It doesn't mean anything. It's right there in the deposit column. $5,200. It's a mistake. That's all. I never deposited any $5,000. I thought maybe you were working on the side. And banks never make mistakes. Isn't that a sweetheart? How do you think a thing like this happens? You know, probably deposited by some guy with a name like mine or it's a bookkeeping error. I guess this explains why the car payment went through. Let's see. Yeah. This is dated the 16th. It went in a week ago last Monday. How do you like that? Well, we do. Can I call a bank and tell them? I guess so. I'll give them a ring in the morning. Ooh, you rich boy. Don't give it a thought. What's for dinner? I blew my stack. Don't you smell it? I do. I do. Not hot dogs. Not unless there's such a thing as a standing four rib hot dog. A roast? I told you I blew my stack. You don't. Oh, I thought we were about due. How'd things go at work today? Oh, good. Good. Fine, honey. Well, it must have been great. Good, good. Fine, fine. I saw it. It was all right. Come on. I want to get outside some of that roast. I didn't tell her the job was kaput because it would have spoiled the dinner. The next morning I didn't tell her either because I thought maybe I could pick up something else that day. And then it'd just be that I switched jobs and not such a belly punch. So I drove around stopping in here and there and no soap. At about 11 o'clock I remembered Joe Benson. He was working by himself over in Glendale in a place that was going to be a hamburger drive-in when they got finished. Hi, Joe. Yeah? It's me. How you doing? What do you know? Not much. How you making out? Oh, keeping at it. What happened on the track job? Well, the subcontractor got playing it too close to his vest so they yanked us off and gave it to another outfit. Oh, you found anything else yet? No, that's why I'm floating around. You know, I just thought I'd check in and say hello. You, uh, are you going to be able to make it for the next week? Oh, yeah, sure, sure. I figured if a couple of bucks it'd help. Oh no, that's okay, Joe. Thanks. Got a little nest egg hidden away in the bank? No, well, I'll find something. I'll find something. Is anything wrong? Oh, no, no. I just remembered a place I hadn't tried. Where's that? A place downtown. I just thought of it. Well, if they can use a couple of guys, you let me know, huh? Oh, sure, sure, Joey. You bet I will. But the place I had in mind couldn't use a couple of guys. They couldn't use anybody, not for putting in wires anyhow. All the wires had been in for a long time, long before they got the teller cages and the vault and the IBM machine. Whoever it was that fumbled the ball and credited my checking account with somebody else's 5,200 bucks. Good morning, sir. Uh, my name is William Owen. I'd like to check my balance. I've got an account with you. Oh, certainly, sir. Checking or saving? Checking. Here's my driver's license. Yes, sir. Just a moment. Hello, uh, Gloria. Give me records, will you? Thanks. I, uh, I use one checkbook and my wife uses another. How do I slide? You know, it can get a little gummed up. Not only can, but it invariably, excuse me. Uh, could you give me the checking balance on Mr. William J. Owen? Yeah. Culver City. Yes, I'll hold you. I, I don't think we're in any trouble unless my wife bought a Cadillac the last day or so, but I'd like to get squared. I understand perfectly. Just last night I was figuring up, excuse me. Yes. Yes, could you give me that again? 5, 2, 6, 1, 14 cents. Thanks much. 50, 200, 61 dollars and 14 cents. How's that square up with your figures, Mr. Owen? It's almost right in the nose. Fine. Uh, give her, take a couple of bucks. So it was still there. For two weeks just sitting there in my account. Okay, right then I should have told the bank about it and been a poor but honest hero. Right then. But I was out of work and no job in sight with only 61 bucks I could call my own. So I didn't do anything. I walked out of the bank and got my car and started driving. I guess all I was trying to do was figure out what kind of a guy I really am. I can be a big shock, you know, finding out who you are. You go along for 25 or 30 years of your life thinking, I'm honest. I must be honest. I've never been in jail. I've never held up a gas station or picked anybody's pocket. And then something like this comes along and it turns out you don't know a thing about yourself. I drove around for almost an hour. And then I got an idea. Looking back I don't know what gave it to me so I guess it fits in the 10% you don't have much to say about. Time's herald information desk. Oh, just a moment, please. Hello, George Washington was born in Bridges Creek, Virginia in 1732. Not at all, ma'am. Thank you. Oh, can I help you, sir? I don't know. It's a friend of mine and I are trying to settle a $5 bet about a bank thing. You know a bank deposit? Yes. If, well, say if I've got an account at a bank and they make a mistake and deposit some money that isn't mine in my account and I spend it, what happens? Oh, well, I've heard about this. It's called something like a deposit without recourse. Oh, really? I don't think that's quite the right name and I could have this whole thing wrong, but just recently I read about it in the magazine and I... Oh, just a minute, please. Sure. Time's herald information desk. Oh, just a moment, sir. Hello, the official opening date for the Pacific Coast League is April the 5th. Not at all. Why? You mean if that happened to someone he could spend the money and they couldn't do anything about it? Well, that's what I'm not clear on. I imagine, though, that they'd try to get it back. I imagine they'd rake their necks trying to get it back. Have you asked about this at a bank? Well, in a way, but I can't get anyone at the bank to admit it could happen. I'm sure the chances are very slim, but I know that I've read somewhere that there is such a thing and that... Time's herald information desk. Yes, ma'am. Well, there's no information about the contest I could give you which isn't already contained in your time's herald. No, ma'am. It's a lot like the polite driving contest we held last year. Yes. Yes, a representative of the time's herald must actually witness the Honest Act. Well, I couldn't really say ma'am, but I... Yes. Yes. What's that? Well, I'm sorry. Well, that's the whole idea of the contest. Not at all. Thank you for calling. Bye. What's this, you know, about a contest? Well, don't you read the time's herald? Well, yes. Once in a while. It's a circulation gimmick. Last year it was polite driving and this year it's honesty. Well, how's it work? Well, you win a prize for being honest. You see, they just started it two weeks ago. Well, for instance, like last week, one of our reporters hitched a ride on the freeway and he left a fake wallet in the car with some money in it. Now, if the man who found the wallet turns it in, he gets a reward. More than what was in the wallet, if he kept it. You understand? No kidding. Of course, they're going to do it a different thing every week. You know, promote honestly like, well, like polite driving last year. They just going to leave a lot of wallets around? Oh, no. No, I understand they've got a million ankles. Give someone back a lot more change and he's got coming in a, well, in a department store, we'll say. You know, that sort of thing. Honesty is the best policy. Yeah. It's just a circulation gimmick. On the way out of the lobby, I stopped at the newsstand and bought a copy of the time's herald. It was there on one of the inside pages all about the honesty contest. I had a picture of a high school kid who worked in a supermarket and he'd found this woman's purse with 150 bucks in it, turned it in. Sure enough, it was a plant. He got $300 from the time's herald for being honest. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. But that night after dinner, when I sprung it on Kathy, she acted like I was losing my marbles or something. He still don't see what you're driving in. It's the 5,200 bucks. Banks don't make mistakes like that. I'll bet it's this contest. They get the bank to do a thing like this to see if a guy's honest. Well, did the bank say anything when you told him about it? I didn't get a chance to tell him. You didn't call him today? No, will you listen a minute? Well, I was trying to think what to do. Bill, there's nothing to think about. That's all you know. What do you mean? I don't have a job. That's something to think about. What happened? Well, inspectors wouldn't pass the work yesterday, so someone else took over the contract. Yesterday? Why didn't you tell me? Well, you know, because last night you'd bought the roast and everything, and I didn't want to upset you. Oh, Bill... I thought something might turn up if I went out and looked around today, but it didn't. Maybe it will tomorrow. All right, maybe it will, but in the meantime, all we've got is 61 bucks in the bank. Well, not counting the 5,200. But that's not our money. I'm not saying it's our money. I'm just telling it was there and it's still there, and I... Well, I got thinking about it. That's all. Well, you don't have to shout. All right. All I'm saying is that I asked around today, and when things like this happen, it's the bank that's responsible for the money, not you. Well, that doesn't sound right. Well, I'm not talking right or wrong. I mean, it doesn't sound correct. Well, that's the way I heard it, so I'm just telling you, I think it's this contest in the paper. You think they might give you a reward for reporting it to the bank? Yeah, especially if what I heard is right and I could really keep it. Honey... Well, then it wouldn't be testing your honesty if they could take it back. That's no contest. Good grief, I've been trying to figure this. Wondering about it driving around all day. How big a reward do you suppose they'd give? Well, look here, honey. Now, look, this kid at the supermarket got twice as much as he turned in. $300. I don't think we'd get any, wouldn't you know, $10,000, but maybe $1,000. $1,500. Wouldn't that come in handy? Oh, you bet it would. And look, look here. Last week, some dame cashed a check downtown. They gave her $50 over what she had coming and she turned it in and the paper gave her $100. It was the contest and she didn't even know it. Why don't you try it, Bill? I think it's a natural. So do I. It's the only thing I can figure out that makes sense. It makes a lot of sense and... And honey? Yeah. You'll find a job. It was a little after 10 when I got to the bank the next morning. They just opened up and I had to wait for the teller to come up to the window. It was the same guy I'd spoken to the day before. Good morning, sir. Morning. Remember me from yesterday? Oh, yes. It's Mr.... Mr. Rowan. William Rowan. Of course, of course. Your wife uses another checkbook. Well, once in a while. How can I help you, Mr. Rowan? Well, I want you to look at this bank statement you sent me the day before yesterday. Mm-hmm. Anything wrong? I bet you'll think so. Look there. That deposit of $5,200. Yes? Well, I never deposited anything like that. You didn't? Are you kidding? That's as much as I make it a whole year. You...you mean this $5,200 isn't yours? Well, putting it in my account makes it mine okay, but I sure didn't put it there. Just a moment, please. Sure. Gloria, give me records, will you? I stood there while he called whoever it was that kept the accounts. You'd think someone had dropped a bomb. It looked like nobody in the place was in on the gag, but the top man, whoever he was. And I kept thinking what a shame the photographers from the Times Herald couldn't have been around to get a few close-ups of all the red faces and bulging eyes. Usually, you know, when there's people lined up behind you at the bank and you get stalled for one reason or another, they ask you to step aside so the rest of the folks can get on with it. Not this time. I stood there and went through the assistant cashier and then the cashier and then one of the vice presidents, and finally they did the only thing left to do. They ushered me through a panel door with the word president on it in small, gold letters. Come in, Mr. Owen. Have a seat. Thanks. Hi, Mr. Durran. Well, I'm glad to know you. Well, I guess you realize that you've created quite a stir around here this morning. Well, I guess I have at that. Well, since you're certainly entitled to an explanation, I'd like to begin by saying an occurrence of this sort is almost unheard of. Well, I figured you had your reasons. I beg your pardon. Okay, nothing. Go ahead. Well, not the least of what I have to say, Mr. Owen, is thank you. Thank you for calling this to our attention. I'm an honest guy. Well, I've no doubt of that, although it's not quite a case of honesty. Well, how do you mean? I mean simply that errors of this kind don't go long undiscovered, but they can be quite embarrassing until they are. And for calling this to our attention, we're grateful. Okay. As to just how it actually happened, you'll admit it's something of a coincidence, even though one is a commercial account. What's a coincidence? Well, you're both having the same name and middle initial, William J. Owen. There's another William Owen? You mustn't think we're trying to evade our responsibility in this matter. We made the error. You mean it's a real one? Well, as I said, it's nothing we wouldn't have discovered as soon as the other Mr. Owen found that his firm's checks weren't being honored, but... Look, now come on. Isn't this the contest? The contest? The Times Herald. What are you giving me? Some kind of a rib? Mr. Owen, you don't seem to understand. Well, you get the reward. Quit kidding around. I could have taken that money and spent it. Quite possibly, but you'd still have to pay it back. Well, I didn't take it. You've got it. I came in and told you about it. Well, now that you bring that up, that's something I'd like to ask you about. I'll bet you would. Mr. Owen, you have no reason to raise your voice. Well, I think I have. Well, you seem to be feeling very self-righteous about having merely done the decent thing. Look, what if I hadn't come in here and told you about that dub? What if I'd written a check against it and pulled the whole thing out? You'd be liable for it. And you'd play hard getting it out of me if I wanted to be lousy about it. But we wouldn't get it. You hope. Mr. Owen, all I'm trying to understand, if you're so completely honest is why you didn't call this discrepancy to Mr. Graham's attention when you came in here yesterday afternoon. No, I didn't know what it was all about. I didn't know if it was a mistake or what, you know. Well, it was a mistake. It was our mistake. I don't think it'll happen again. I thought it was that thing in the paper where you get a reward for being honest. Well, yes, I was reading about that last night. The Times Herald? Yeah, I liked the kid in the supermarket and that lady who cashed the check. I'm sorry, Mr. Owen. It's okay. But since you really have helped us out of a difficult situation, would you consider taking a personal... No, no, no. That's okay. I'd count it a favor. No, I'm just about out from under it. Well, this thing came at a bad time. That's all. This is William Goggin again. I walked into the office of a business friend the other day to keep a lunch in appointment and found that on his work pile desk, he had one of those little signs that you, too, no doubt have often seen on desks or walls, especially in business establishments. Each sign has one big printed word. Think. While waiting, I read the newspaper and when he was about ready to join me a few moments later I jabbed a forefinger at several news stories assortedly dated to Washington, Famosa, Moscow, and Berlin and said, Joe, from the mess the world's in, we'd better change signs like this one to another word, pray. He thought about that for a moment. Then he replied, Bill, I believe my little sign is better than you imagine. If a man thinks at all, he's certain to pray. Any thinking man knows that our problems are so great that we must have help from above. Thinking of God's love for man and of man's perpetual dependence upon God. Well, isn't that very thought a prayer in itself? I saw the point and hasten to agree. Clear thinking and prayer can sometimes be the same thing. What better thing is there to pray for right now but that God will favor us with some clear thinking. In other words, wisdom. And my friend added another thought that's been running through my mind ever since. A world of prayer will be a world of peace. Once again, family theater reminds you 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 No Contest, starring William Campbell. William Gargan was your host. Others in the cast were Joyce McCloskey, Gigi Pearson, Barney Phillips, Wendell Holmes, and Marvin Bryan. The script was written and directed for Family Theater by John T. Kelly 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 Lofrano 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 The Story of Little Tree, starring Edmund Gwen. Dick Contino will 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.