 dedicated to the strength of the nation proudly we hail yes proudly we hail starring Robert Ryan in that men may live the United States Army United States Air Force presentation and now here is our producer the well-known Hollywood showman CP McGregor thank you thank you and greetings from Hollywood ladies and gentlemen welcome to your theater of stars where Hollywood's finest motion picture talent joins us in plays we know you'll enjoy our star is Robert Ryan in the title of our dramatic story that men may live we'll have the curtain for act one of our play in just a moment but first here is our announcer Wendell Niles with this message of importance only the best can be aviation cadets and all because your United States Air Force is planning for the future and wants the best young men special consideration is being given to this year's college graduates who want careers as leaders in aviation as officers in your United States Air Force if you're graduating this June apply now for aviation cadet training as a college graduate your application will be rushed so that you can begin training as soon as you graduate visit your US Army and US Air Force recruiting station today to make certain you're accepted for one of this summer's aviation cadet classes remember only the best can be aviation cadets and all once again our producer the curtain rises on act one of that men may live starring Robert Ryan as Dr. Joseph E Smodell the world knows much to that ever vigilant group of mankind's benefactors the doctors and scientists who are continually working with intellect and heart for the goal of driving disease from the face of the earth just a few short weeks ago it was announced that a new wonder drug chloromysetin is now available commercially this may or may not mean something to you but to those millions who have ever been or who may be in the future pray to any of the dread typhus diseases chloromysetin means the world of difference possibly the difference between life and death the development of chloromysetin is indeed remarkable for it was barely two years ago that the drug was discovered a mere formula the potentialities of which were yet to be proved but proved they were by five army doctors headed by Dr. Joseph E Smodell head of the Department of Virus and rickiseal diseases at the Army Medical Department research and graduate school Dr. Smodell story starts in March of last year a majestic sea 54 is winging its way across the Pacific destination Malaya Smodell holding a picture of a small group in his hand is speaking look gentlemen would you do me a favor you mean Joe you want one of us to jump over boy delight in the little I nominate trial I second that hey wait a minute I was only relax Bob relax I only met I want you all to sign this picture the five of us I had taken at Pearl say I'm handsome you're looking at me all right all right all I want is your names on the picture how about Colonel Phillip I don't bother him he's buried in the book we'll get him out of that book come on her put your John Henry here okay Herbert L.A. Junior first lieutenant Medical Corps U.S. Army okay now it's my turn just a minute young man seniority you know Dr. Theodore E Woodward University of Maryland School of Medicine Lieutenant Colonel Medical Corps U.S. Army research all right Bob now you hell I'm not sure that I want to however I'll confess Robert Trout major Medical Service Corps United States Army and to find a signature I've never seen who hasn't signed Phillip Colonel Phillip he didn't hear you he's too interested in this book but oh forgive me gentlemen I was quite engrossed in this scholarly clinical report on behavioristic tendencies Colonel would you mind signing this picture not at all not at all no pimp thank you Colonel Cornelius B. Phillip Army Medical Service Corps leave the U.S. Public Health Service hey fellas look at this clinical report the colonel was reading the Kinsey report I think I'll come up and talk with the pilot experiment on scrub typhus doctor that's one of them we're going after scrub typhus is mean stuff sure is scrub typhus kills 15 out of every hundred who contract I don't want any of that these tests you're going to make will you make him at Singapore no I'd call a lump or a few hundred miles away we'll be working out of the Institute of Medical Research run by the British you know well what are you going to do with all those crates you've got loaded on the plane that's our laboratory equipment in the two jeeps transportation out into the field but tell me one thing doc what's in that little package you taking such particular care of looks like it weighs about a pound that's the most vital part of this expedition that little one-pound package contains the entire world supply of what's going to do the job for us we hope for my seat well we made Singapore director of the Institute of Medical Research dr. Raymond Luthwaite was waiting for us dr. Luthwaite who had done outstanding work in typhus research accompanied us to Kuala Lumpur site of the Institute it was there we were permitted to set up our laboratory a few days after our arrival dr. Luthwaite stopped by yes yes indeed come right in doctor I was just wondering how you're getting on well it's very kind of you to drop by we're gradually getting everything in place so I see oh putting up a picture yes five of us I had this taken a pearl the boys all signed it I see they've done even more some artwork yes Trubb started that he got a pencil and drew sideburns on Woodward Woody thought it was lay so he proceeded to put a goatee and pin snazz on late there's no telling where to land liable to be a very priceless item before you're through a few laughs anyway I want to tell you how good it is to be here doctor and to be permitted to work at the Institute on the contrary it is we who will be grateful to have your help after all you Americans discovered the drug and you are conducting a test well you're very kind doctor doctor Luthwaite oh dear God dear God here you are what is it my dad doctor you must do something my husband he's dying scrub time I know I've seen it before we will send out a doctor the doctors be there all afternoon but the doctor is doing the best you can excuse me doctor we're not too late there's still our new drink why of course we haven't even had a chance to unpack all our equipment yet but with your permission I'll get Dr. Woodward and go right now what do you think Woody did we get here in time I don't know Joe he's the sickest man with scrub type as I've ever seen if we could have arrived sooner I know we could have pulled him through but now we've given him the full dosage four grams of chloramide seeding if he lives another 24 hours he'll be all right tired Woody knows our patient can't tell right now he should do Joe look get his wife Woody right right you up we'll know in a minute I'm hungry well little lady you heard the man there's nothing wrong with your husband now that a good meal won't help come on Woody our first victory but it was only the beginning before we got started on our field tests we had to be absolutely certain that chloramide seeding had eliminated the possibility of fatalities and scrub type is infection after treating successfully a large number of patients we decided it was time for the field tests well Joe now that we're all together where do we go from here good question Woody first of all for our field tests we need volunteers I volunteer me too quiet quiet no we'll have to look at this objectively we can't take the chance of all being sick at once Woodward and lay will remain behind to take care of the warden laboratory work they will remain out of the tests the rest of us will expose ourselves to the disease along with the other volunteers that makes only three volunteers who need about 40 more where do they come from that's our number one problem how about soldiers from the British regiment they've already volunteered their services to help us prayed not I doubt that the war office in London would permit it say the local prison prisoners are always willing to volunteer for scientific experiments speaking from experience Woody yeah well quiet you understand that's out to I don't believe regulations will allow it now what come in hello doc my name is John Graydon I'm one of the warders the local prison good good good take job there I've always had a repressed desire to see him behind bars pipe down what's the trouble great I heard you want some men to tangle with them scrubbed typhus bugs and I want to volunteer well yes we do need volunteers but you realize you're apt to become very sick during the tests doc I've fought Japs I've lived if you want to call it living for years in a jet prison camp I've had ships blown up under me no little measly typhus bugs gonna scare me and besides besides what well doc I'm a man though uneducated himself as he's highly respectful indeed of a man worries and I'd consider myself honored indeed to be associated with such intellectual gentleman as yourselves on a project as means a life of men alright fellow we're we're proud to have you well that's one more but we're still far short of 40 volunteers what's troubling you if I might ask to you see we need quite a few to volunteer for these tests begging your pot and said but that's simple enough if it was me just go down in the center of the city I'd stand on the street corner and I'd yell all you blokes who want to take part in some medical experiments follow me you'd have more than you could handle wait a minute that idea agrees with something dr. loopway was saying a want ad we'll put a volunteer's wanted ad in the straights times in the daily mail excellent idea well Joe is there anything else or can we adjourn this little there is something else something very important yes what's that who drew those handlebar mustaches on my picture I wouldn't dream of drawing those handlebars but you'll have to admit they do something for you I can't understand it herb it's past time for them to report an answer to the ad and not the soul has appeared yes it sounded too dangerous I suppose I'll get it hello this is left wait for goodness sake take this mob off my hands what mob answer to your ad they came to the administration building at the institute instead of your apology there must be hundreds of wonderful send them over here at last we can start our field tests immediately because briefly from our story that men may live starring Robert Ryan to bring you an important message from our government ladies and gentlemen our army in our Air Force are critically short of physicians and dentists over 2,000 volunteers from these two professions are urgently needed today to safeguard and care for the health of the men and women whereas members of the United States Army and United States Air Force are serving you and me at home and overseas young physicians and dentists particularly those who did not serve in the armed services during World War two have been asked by their government to act now to volunteer for duty at once if you are one of these young physicians or dentists please write or wire either the surgeon general of the United States Army or the air surgeon of the United States Air Force at once and volunteer your services if you know one of these young physicians or dentists please call his attention to this urgent message thank you the curtain rises on act two of that men may live starring Robert Ryan as Dr. Joseph Smodell things are progressing at the laboratories of Kuala Lumpur where the mysteries of the new wonder drug chloromycein are being unraveled even the group photograph on the wall there's a new assortment of penciled-in goatees and mustaches sure to get a smile from those who see it in their research Dr. Smodell and his group of army medical department scientists have cleared all preliminary obstacles and are ready for the field tests these tests were designed to provide us with information on whether the new drug was effective in preventing scrub typhus as well as curing it our volunteers were of many races and nationalities British planters melee workers Burmese Javanese Indians British scientists from the British scrub typhus unit which was also working at the Institute members of the Institute staff and of course the Americans from our group names like John Gray Hush him been yacht team one you need and Patrick Drew Wilkinson the first day of our tests just before going out in the field we held a last-minute briefing all right man here's the pitch Philip and Trout have been studying in the fields near here for several weeks they've located three or four La Lang fields where the scrub typhus might seems to be especially abundant La Lang native grass I still say the scrub type is might doesn't prefer La Lang exclusive granted Bob but in this area it seems to be most prolific in La Lang grass well we'll all go out and spend a day in the field how about returning for a couple of hours at noon too blasted hot then even for a scrub type of smart we may do that later in the test but at present we must spend as much time as possible in the infected area pills are ready Joe good after the volunteers will take one gram of chloramide seton each day the other half of them will not in this way we can compare the preventive effect of the drug hey look at Graydon out there he's really taking this research seriously he's got those men lined up and toe in the mark they'll have a healthy respect for the water everything set then Joe everything except one thing who walked off with that group picture of mine the pictures gone now don't act coy now listen I want that picture when we get through with these tests I better find that picture right back in the wall where it belongs or else let's go out into the steaming field we went through the high-law line we course stripped of the waste inviting the might with which the field was supposed to abound inviting the disease that killed 15 out of every hundred who contracted it and hospitalized the weeks those who didn't die for 12 days we went out early and spent the day beneath the glaring almost unbearably hot sun and returned late at night on the 12th day we remained back at the hospital awaiting the first of the volunteers to come down with the deadly scrub titles nothing happened on the 13th day with still no results Philip was talking to me I don't know Joe first result should have showed up yesterday get them time Phil you know it takes 12 days for the disease to incubate and probably nobody was infected the first day out in the field I suppose I'm just too impatient we'll just have to wait excuse me dog hello Graydon what can I do for our most interested in fearless volunteer it's kind of you to say doc I will monitor but lie me doc I don't feel well at all this may be it Joe this morning I had a chill say no I feel a lot all over let me see fever great and you want to know something yes doc you're not only the first volunteer you're the first to get scrubbed typhus by me it's what me ordered hope for I twice on it great he's fainted let's get him over to the ward and some chloromysetans scrub typhus has struck our first unprotected volunteer and we can't let anything happen to this fellow well great and Dr. Woodward and I dropped by to see how you're feeling why me so I feel I could wrestle an alligator and sir it was most generous of you to give me this pair of laboratory forceps well you're one of us great I'm awfully glad you're feeling better I'm merely anxious to be up in the bar so as I can be a further assistance you gentlemen we're gonna keep you here for a few more days so that you can rest up provided you don't try to chase your nurse down the hall don't you worry about that doc me nurse's name is will he are well then we won't have to worry we'll see in a few days Graydon come on Woody all right well Graydon made a quick comeback didn't he thanks to chloromysetans with an assistance from those laboratory forceps you gave I so proud of them well Woody we've had phenomenal luck so far with scrub typhus we certainly have will we have the same luck with typhoid any prediction in regard to that killer at this point would be sure insanity let's get scrub typhus worked out if we're victorious on that alone I'll be satisfied oh incidentally a couple of more of the volunteers were brought in today looks like the might is going to work in earnest yes the night was going to work in earnest the 12 days we spent in the disease-infested La Lang was beginning to tell each day a few more of the volunteers came down with scrub typhus but the drug maintained its miraculous record in every case the fever was broken and the men well on the way to recovery in from 24 to 30 hours that is every case until one day at the hospital Woody ran up what's the matter Woody I think we've hit a snag a snag what do you mean that it's not serious yet all the men who have come down with typhus are responding magnificently except two now these two aren't making the progress they should how are the two men now well we gave him the full dosage but there's been very little change they're in their second day good heavens man we better get over to the ward right away second day no improvement have you made the test term all of them blood test everything Joe I'm afraid these men are moving into a critical stage can't understand if the fever should have broken by now maybe we've been over confident no but we've had such wonderful results up to now at any rate today or two and we'll know Woody it's the end of the third day something's got to happen or we can throw out everything we've done so far here's a thermometer I've got a reading on this man's temperature look Woody it is down what the fever is breaking good thank heaven Woody thank heaven well Woody those two men are getting along fine surely had me worried for a while you think I wasn't you know Joe there's something not quite right about this these men seem to have typhus yeah I know I know and we're still not out of the woods there's one thing we have to do right now lab test right we've got to find out if it was really typhus these men had if it was we have to find out why they didn't respond to treatment like all the rest if it wasn't typhus we'll have to know what it was well Joe here are the results of our analysis huh I see and it looks to me are you thinking the same thing I am no doubt at all I've shown Dr. Luth wait our findings I've talked it over with Woody and there's no doubt about it it wasn't typhus it caused the men to respond more slowly than usual no herb these men picked up their illness down at that restaurant on Mount Baton Road you mean they had typhoid fever right chalk up another victory for chloramycetin a victory over one of the blackest killers of them all typhoid man the first and most important phase of our test is completed you've all done wonderful work that goes for you too Joe thanks fellas we've worked as a team and only as a team would we accomplish what we've set out to do before wood shedding our results however I still would like to know who made off with my picture excuse me dr. Smaddell well Graydon begging upon for begging in like this but I found something of yours yeah well my missing picture where did you find this Graydon by the strangest sort of coincidence I happened to find it in me own possession you took this picture Graydon sir I was tempted beyond me own powers to have something of me own bearing the likeness of you gentlemen well I see you've erased our artwork oh blimey sit is blasphemous to contort the faces of such gentlemen as is gentlemen of intellect quiet Trump quiet well gentlemen what do you say don't you think the picture means more to him than it does to us all right Graydon it's yours oh thank you sir is the happiest moment of my life I'll always remember what you said to me that day in the hospital Graydon you said you're one of us well morning gentlemen goodbye Graydon well now that mystery is cleared up back to our report on chloramycetin first I think we've proved without doubt that chloramycetin is an effective cure against scrub typhus typhoid fever ally diseases such as spotted fever and probably others which haven't been proved as yet in my report to the army medical department I am going to recommend that the large-scale production of chloramycetin be started immediately the first commercial form should be available for general public use in the spring of 1949 gentlemen another successful chapter in the conquest of disease has been written and now what about us why we're just getting started here we've got work to do the curtain falls on the final act of that men may live our star Robert Brian will be turned for a curtain call after this important message from Wendell Niles this is important this is urgent over 2,000 young physicians and dentists are needed as volunteers at once for a service in the United States Army or United States Air Force these physicians and dentists are required to safeguard the health of the men and women who are serving our country in the armed services if you are a physician or a dentist you are needed now right or wire the surgeon general of the United States Army or the air surgeon of the United States Air Force at once volunteering for active duty let me repeat that right or wire the surgeon general of the United States Army or the air surgeon of the United States Air Force today or see your local U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force recruiting station and all once again our star Robert Ryan and our producer well Bob things have changed since you were here with us the last time that was during the war and then you went off to join the Marines that's right CP but instead of fighting enemy soldiers the army is fighting diseases like typhus yes the medical men are a big need in the army today the work must go on like the last line of our play remember oh you mean uh why we're just getting started here we got work to do that's it and how true it is i've just had word from Washington that right at this very moment those five scientists are continuing their research in Malaya yes and when they finish that they'll go on to another and another this business of saving lives from disease never end fortunately for us but bob there's another story i want to talk to you about oh yes your new RKO picture with odry totter the setup what's it all about well it's it's strictly a fight picture a third-rate fighter in a fourth-rate club it's about the fight game as it really is no glamour no gangsters no great love i'll be sure to catch it i'll bet you didn't think that someday in pictures you'd be calling on your boxing experience when you were an intercollegiate heavyweight champion at dark month did you know i didn't but i did hope you get on the stage and then in the pictures as a comedian how are you doing doing everything else except lots of serious characters but no comedy all right now that i know that when we have a comedy here i'll give you a ring and we'll start the ball rolling right here well that's a bet cp and now i'd better be getting along a little chainie's birthday party and thanks for that birthday cake for him that should feed all the kids in the valley well it'll keep them busy for a while i'll guarantee you that much it was very thoughtful and jessica and i both appreciated cp now tell me what's coming up here with you next week before i leave next week bob and ladies and gentlemen we are offering a specially written play to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the women's army corps and starring will be the beautiful and talented actress mary aster i'm sure every one of you will enjoy this special program and i know you'll all want to listen well that sounds like a good one and we'll all be listening thanks again and so long cp goodbye bob and be sure to listen next week ladies and gentlemen when we bring you mary aster in a special program honoring the seventh anniversary of the women's army corps until then thanks for listening and cheerio from hollywood robin ryan appeared to the courtesy of the hollywood coordinate committee which arranges for the appearance of all stars on this program script was by w james bastion the music under the direction of eddie dunstetter this program is transcribed in hollywood for release of this time wendell niles speaking