 Tonight, the DuPont Company brings you Wings to Glory on the Cavalcade of America, starring John Haudiac, who appears through the courtesy of Metro-Golden Mayor, produces of the Technicolor picture, The Yealing. Our story tonight is about a man who couldn't keep his feet on the ground. Yes, John Joseph Montgomery had the urge to fly, and that was way back in 1883. Maybe you never heard the name before, but John Montgomery was the first American with wings, and his experiments set the course for the story of American aviation. Tonight, we're going to tell you how faith, his own and that of his father and sister, helped John Montgomery to be the first airman in American history. The first here is Gain Whitman. Most of us want to economize these days and put off till tomorrow what we can't afford today, but we can't afford to neglect our homes. DuPont, as part of its program of Better Things for Better Living Through Chemistry, offers an economical wall paint in speed easy. With DuPont speed easy, it costs less than $3 to paint an average sized room in one color. Not only is this oil type paint economical, but it's so easy to use. Then it with water and apply overstained or drab walls or wallpaper with a large brush or roller. It dries in an hour, leaving your walls with a smooth, beautiful finish in white or any one of 11 lovely colors. It's economical, it's easy, it's speed easy. One of the DuPont Company's Better Things for Better Living Through Chemistry. Tonight, we present John Hodiak as John Montgomery on the DuPont's Cavalcade of America. Men have always envied the flight of birds, their effortless ease in the air, their soaring sweep to the sky, and men have always tried to fly. One of these men was John Joseph Montgomery, who lived in California, San Diego in the year 1883. John speaks with his father. John, what do you want to do with your life? I'm sorry, father, but working in a grocery store, I just couldn't keep my mind on my work. Look, son, you're a master of science. You've got brains, good brains. What do you want to do with it? But don't worry, father, I'll find my place. Of course you will, son, but what about this flying business? Oh, that? Yes. What good is it? Where will it get you? John, don't you think you should give it up? You've tried and failed. Tried and failed. Father, haven't you ever wanted to know something? Do something badly enough that you'd be willing to give up everything? Yes, but, well, something sensible, something that counts. Look, father, look at those gulls over the hills coming in from the sea. Gulls were made to fly. They have wings. I want to make a pair of wings. A machine that will fly. A machine that will take me up there. Fly. I can't explain it, father, not now anyway. I won't be able to explain it until I do it. All I know now is that I want to be able to lift man off the earth, give him wings, give him the feeling that he's conquered the last element, the air. You've really got it fast in your head, haven't you? Yes, no one's ever done it before. And what makes you think you can? I've studied the way gulls fly. If I could build a machine modeled after a gull. All right, all right, John. Get it out of your system, build your machine. Father, do you remember a long time ago when I was just a little kid? You took me for a walk near the sea. We walked up a hill and sat down to watch the ocean. Yes, yes, I remember, but... And a cloud floated by overhead. I wanted to get up and ride on it, remember? Yes, you cried when I told you it was impossible. Well, ever since that day, I've wanted to ride on a cloud. Maybe I'll be the one to do it, the first man to get up there. All right, son, I told you to go ahead, but... But what? You're not a child any more, John. This time you can cry when you learn it's impossible. Well, actions, elections. That's all the talk you hear these days. Everybody comes into the store and wants to talk elections. You're going to vote for Zach Montgomery, Mr. Sanders? Pretty smart fella. Good lawyer. Got a head on his shoulders? But what about that boy of his? That's John. Him? Ask me, Mrs. Oaks, and I'll tell you he's a little loose up here in the head. Ain't that the way it always goes? A fine family like that and there always has to be somebody and it's his toilet. Why, his brother Jim ain't nothing like him. Yep. Flyin' machine. Let me tell you, Mrs. Oaks, there's a lot of people in these parts that don't hold with that. And they're thinking serious of voting against Zach in elections. I can't say I blame him. Why, he's lettin' that boy John go ahead just like he was right in his mind. Well, it ain't doin' Zach no good. They figure like son, like father. Speak to the devil. Look who's coming. Ah, it's about time for him to show up. He's almost bought me out a linen thread. Guess that contraption he isn't has got about a ton of thread in it already. I got a good notion to give him a piece of my mind. Oh, somebody ought to. Morning, Mr. Sanders. Mrs. Oaks. Ah, good morning, John. Morning. Mr. Sanders, got any more of that linen thread? Well, maybe a couple of schools, but I gotta keep some of it. Oh, please let me have it, Mr. Sanders. All right. Thanks. Mrs. Oaks, how've you been? I'm fine. Planning to keep fine, too. That's good. You're looking well. That's because I know my place. Why? I keep my feet on the ground and I don't have no crazy dreams. I see. May I have the thread, Mr. Sanders? Yes, sir. Keep my feet on the ground. And I don't plan on throwing myself in the face of Providence. Uh, isn't that the thread on the third shelf, Mr. Sanders? Uh, uh, yeah, yeah, that's it. Never disgrace my family. I worked hard all my life, didn't sit around moonin' and dreamin'. How much is that, Mr. Sanders? Uh, 10 cents, John. Here you are, sir. Thank you. I'll be needing some more of the thread, Mr. Sanders, if you'll be... John Montgomery, if the Lord intended for men to fly, he'd have given us wings. Mrs. Oaks, don't you think what I'm doing is my own business? There's books that say your father's to blame for this nonsense he orders. My father has nothing to do with it. No, no, John. Mr. Sanders, I know how everyone feels. I know what people say. Well, my father's a rare man, Mr. Sanders, an understanding man. And Mrs. Oaks, you said man wasn't born with wings. Well, he wasn't. Nor with clothes or shelter. And I'm sure you weren't born with that bustle you were wearing. If the Lord intended you to wear, you'd have been born with it. And now, now flying's a different thing, John. Yes, it is. So I was traveling by train instead of covered wagon, but that didn't keep Americans from building a railroad across this country. Well, I'm not gonna argue it with you. Yes, you are. You started this, Mrs. Oaks, but I'm gonna finish it. What about the telegraph? Different from the Pony Express, wasn't it? Anything that's an improvement is different. It has to be. John, what Mrs. Oaks means... I know what Mrs. Oaks means. I can tell you what I mean, John Montgomery. I mean, I'm gonna vote against your father. He's allowing you to waste your time. My father has nothing to do with it. Well, there's lots of us that thinks different. Goodbye, Mr. Montgomery. I guess I lost my temper. You sure did. And if I know Mrs. Oaks, she's gonna be all over town in five minutes with this. Who's there? Oh, come on in. Maddie? Nothing. You're not working on the machine. No, I'm not, honey. Don't you want to? Sure. Sure I do. Janey, come here. Send him by that. You want to know a secret? Oh, yeah. I'll whisper it. You were the best little sister anybody ever had. Honest? Cross my heart. Well, you're the best big brother anybody ever had. Am I, Janey? Well, sure you are. No matter what the kids say. Kids? What kids? The kids at school. Oh, the kids too. But I don't care. What's the matter? Well, nothing, honey. Just nothing at all. Aren't we going to work on the machine tonight? Well, it's getting late. Time for you to be in bed. Does mother know where you are? Mm-hmm. I told her I was gonna say goodnight to you. Well, and maybe you better say goodnight and go to bed, hmm? Aren't you going to work on it all? Not tonight. Oh, she is awful pretty, John. It looks like a big bird. Sure. Now, you run along. Janey, Jane. Here I am, daddy. You better go into the house, honey. Chilly out here in the barn. All right. Good night, John. Night, honey. Maybe, honey. Maybe. Uh, coming along fine, isn't it? Well, oh, I guess so. You're curving the top of the wing, huh? Yes, like a gull's wing. Mm-hmm. Father. Yes? How would you like it if I studied medicine? Medicine? Doctor? Yes. Well, it's a fine profession, son. Respectable too. Yes. Yes, it is. You, uh, you were in town today, weren't you? Yes. Mrs. Oaks, uh, some people spoke to me. Oh, well, forget it, Father. I guess I am a crackpot. There have been a lot of them in the world, son. Galileo, Harvey, Kepler, Newton. Oh, it's no use, Father. Those were men who did things, practical things. If they had dreams, they had realities to show too. What have I got? This wood, this cloth. No, it's no use. Son, you've got to finish this. But why? And there's only one way I can prove to the people of San Diego that my son isn't a crackpot, and that's to see that he builds his flying machine. You want me to go ahead with it? Not only that, but build it right and make it fly. Jamie. Yes, John? Not so much, Albo. Please, son, that bellows. You're blowing sparks all over. Slow down. All right. You're a slave, driver. John, I'm tired. We'll quit in a little while, Jim. I guess I'm too anxious. Sure. Will this one fly, John? Maybe. Maybe it will. Like the others, they didn't. But they didn't have curved wings. Look, Jim, come here. Look, curved, like the wings of a gull. That'll give me the kind of wing surface I want, like a bird. I hope so, but it won't flap like wings. Well, I don't care about that. All I want to do is master the principle. Get the lift. Da Vinci had it right. Construct a machine with wings like a bird. And the air power will do the rest. John, John. Oh, there's Father home from court. Yes, Father. I'll be right down. Coming, Jim. You mean you're going to let me rest? For a little while. Janie, come on, take a rest. Well, all right, honey, but just keep it glowing. Come on, Jim. I'm right behind you. Hope there's a letter there for me. Letter for you, John. One for Jim. Thanks. Good. What's Janie doing? Pumping the vellum. About finished? Almost. Hey, I'll see you at the house. I'm going up for a drink of water. All right. Going to the house, John? Yes. Father, I've never thanked you for letting me go ahead with this, but well, you know how I feel. Of course. But aren't you going to read you letter? Oh, sure. Think that the wing is going to help any? What? Oh, the wing. Yes, I think it will, Father. According to my figures, I've got the right wing surface. But you see, there's only one way I can prove I've got the lift I want. Flyer, huh? That's the only way. When? Maybe a week, 10 days. Was that letter important? Offer of a teaching job. Oh, again, huh? They want you pretty badly, son. Dad, what if I worked on this machine in my spare time and took the teaching job? You've gone this far, John. Why not keep on? Well, but it's not right for me to. Well, I'm not doing anything to help us. We're not stuck. John, look, smoke. The barn's on fire. Janie, Janie's in there. Come on. Jim, Jim, water. Do us some blankets with water. Yeah, sir. Jane, Janie. Dad, John. I'll get her. No, stay here. Janie, come down. Jane, can you get to the ladder? Janie. We've got to get to her. Stay here, Father. I'll get her. Good Lord. What was that? What was she talking about? Janie, where are you? Janie, answer me. Janie. Do you see what's up? No, the smoke's bad. She put out the fire somehow. Janie. Is she all right? Janie. Jane. Jane, honey. I found her, Dad. Here, help me. I'll hand her down to you. She's unconscious. You are listening to John Hodiak as John J. Montgomery in Wings to Glory on the Cavalcade of America, sponsored by the DuPont Company, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. As the second part of our story opens, it is several hours after a fire which might have destroyed John's flying machine. His little sister Jane was injured, and John and his father meet the doctor as he leaves Janie's room. Doctor, how is she, Doctor? Well, she's not burned, but her back's injured. Her back? But she must have lifted something heavy and strained her. Then when she fell... Can I see her? Uh, yes. But not too long, Joe. Come on, Father. Honey. It burnt, did it? Burnt? The machine. No. You say that, honey. How do you feel, Janie? My back hurts a little. Janie, what did you do? I pushed that big tub of water on the fire. Oh, good Lord, Janie. Oh, honey, how did you ever do it, dear? Like, I don't know, John. I just did. I had to save your flying machine. You'd better come out now. I want to give her something to make her sleep. All right, Doctor. Don't go away, John, Daddy. We'll be back, honey, just as soon as you wake up. Oh, drink this, Janie. Right down. That's... Dad, it's my fault. All my fault. She lifted that tub. Jim and I could hardly move it together, and she... John, don't blame yourself. Don't. Dad, I'm no good. No good to anyone. But you'll be sleeping. Oh, I'm not sleepy yet. And I'll sit down for a minute, all right? Oh, sure. Will you finish telling me the story? Which one? The one you started last night. The one about Dad... Oh, you know. Oh, Deadless and Icarus. That one? Yes. All right, honey. Well, after Deadless and his son Icarus were put into the labyrinth by the bad king, Deadless made wings for himself and Icarus. Wings? Mm-hmm. Deadless and Icarus flew over the walls of the labyrinth, and the wings Deadless had fashioned of wax carried him and his son far into the sky. John. Yes, honey? The wings on your machine. You're not going to make them wax, are you? No, no, Jane. I'm not. Let me finish the story. All right. Then what happened? Well, Deadless warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, or the wax would melt. Did he? Well, I'm coming to that. Icarus flew into the clouds, the great wax wings beating the air, and Icarus rejoicing that he could fly like a bird forgot his father's warning, flew close to the sun, and the wings melted, and he plunged to the earth. Oh. Is that the end of the story? Yes, honey. That's the end of the story. Oh. But the wings of your flying machine won't well, will they, John? Janey, I'm not working on the machine anymore. But why not, John? I haven't got time. You see, honey, I'm going to be a teacher. A teacher? Yes. Wouldn't you like that? No. Why not? I want to see you fly. Janey, we don't want to talk about that, do we? Now, how about another story? One with a happy ending? No. Why don't you fly? Well, because it's foolish. Look what happened to poor Icarus. Your wings won't be made of wax. Look, Janey, there's only one thing I want, and that's for you to walk. Walk again. Run around and play. John. Yes? I'll make a bargain with you. What kind of a bargain? If you make the machine, I'll get up and walk. Janey, please, you mustn't talk like that. But I promise you, John, I promise. Honey, you'd better go to sleep now. I'll come in early tomorrow morning. Is it a bargain? All right. It's a bargain. Now, good night, honey. Sleep tight and dream sweet. Good night. Oh, John. Hello, Father. Janey, all right? Sleeping. John, I was going to come in. I heard you speaking. Dad, doesn't she know she may never walk again? Why don't we tell her? There's always a chance, Tom. But I can't do it now. I can't. I can't bear to look at that machine. Yes, you can. Father, it's out of the question. I've forgotten flying. Give Janey the faith she needs. How about it, son? You want me to try again? Not only for her sake, but for yours. Oh, Dad, I... I've watched you eating your heart out. John, go back to it. Find out if you can fly. Find out, son. And if I do? Then you'll know. But if I don't? Son, the answer to that is in the hands of God. No breeze coming in off the sea yet, John. Well, it's early. Only about four in the morning. What if someone sees us? They won't, not way out here. Why did you want to come here to Ote Mesa? So no one would see us. Are you nervous, Jim? I'm not exactly looking forward to this. Afraid? For you, John. What if... What if that thing doesn't hold together? What if something's wrong? Something you couldn't foresee? I've done the best I could. Look, Jim. Look, those gulls. Soaring, turning, wheeling, riding the air. Look at them, Jim. Watch them. But they're wings, Pete. Well, mine don't have to. Oh, Jim, I know I figured correctly. I know it. I hope so. There it is, Jim. There it is. The wind sprung up. About time. Look. Look at the wing of my machine, trembling. Like it's trying to get off the ground. The whole thing's fluttering like a bird. Like a bird. All right, Jim. You know what you have to do? Run down the hill with a toro. Until I yell for you to let go. Well, I guess we're ready. John. Yes? Good luck. Thanks, Jim. I won't have a mind. Now, wait till I get in. You all set? Yes. Now go ahead. Run. Not yet. Now. Let go of the rope. Get out of the way. Jim. Jim, I'm flying. I'm flying, Jim. I'm flying. And then it left the ground. Like a big bird. Gee. It flooded for a minute and John was over my head sailing through the air. John, how did it feel? Janie, it felt like I'd suddenly become a big cloud floating in the air rushed past me, sang a song. A song? Wonderful songs. Why didn't you tell us you were going to do it, sir? I couldn't, father. 600 feet right through the air. And it landed as pretty as a dove. 600 feet. Not much, but I'll do better. Much better. I'll tell you, John. John. Well, yeah, yes, honey. But you better stay there for a little while longer at least. No. I made a promise and I crossed my heart when I did. Janie, please. Just wait a few more days. No. I'm going to get up now. Please help me, John. Help her, John. All right. Take it easy, honey. There you are. No. Put me down. But, Jane. Please. All right, honey. Catch her, Jane. A barb and... I'm awful tired now. Just three steps, like my flight. Such a little amount. But we did it, Janie. We did it. I knew you would. And I knew you would. Oh, God. And your wings didn't melt like... Like... Like the wings of Icarus? No, honey. They didn't. This is the beginning. The beginning of a great new thing. And may God grant we use this new thing wisely and well. Yes, Father, wisely and well. Up there with the clouds and the clean air. But not too close. Not too close to the sun. Perhaps when we watch a lonely airplane winging through the vast sky, we think sometimes there is a machine that Americans built, and we are proud. Our pride is justified, but our concentration on American ingenuity, American resourcefulness, and American genius may cause us to forget to be proud of the most priceless American characteristic of all. The American spirit that could carry John Joseph Montgomery to success in a seemingly impossible undertaking. It's the same spirit that moved his father to encourage him and little Janie to walk. It's the spirit that says it can be done. The great ingredient that went into every one of the magnificent American inventions of the past century. Faith. The faith that can move a mountain. This is Jane Wetman speaking for Dupont. Did you ever watch a kitten roll in the bed of catnip? Well, dogs like chocolate, as much as cats like catnip. Most dogs, anyhow. My dog does. Well, if your pup likes chocolate, and you want to keep him from climbing up on a chair and getting his nose into that box of Christmas candy, you can now buy him a toy shaped like a bone that has the flavor of chocolate. It's made of Dupont neoprene rubber, with the chocolate flavor added. And that means it's tougher than that. It's tough enough to stand the teeth of a great dame, and at the same time soft enough to be chucked around the living room without marring the furniture. Just so you won't think chemistry is going entirely to the dogs this week. You can buy toys for the children, too, that are made of neoprene. Mothers will appreciate these new neoprene toys because they can be sterilized in boiling water. Neoprene stands boiling water, and after the bath oils better than natural rubber. A doll called the Magic Skin Doll has neoprene skin, in natural color, that you can hardly tell from the skin of a real baby. A little girl can give the doll a bath without it suffering any harm from soap and water. There's a lamb with a nubby coat like wool. There's a duck. There's a dog named Poochie. And there are baby chicks, and a whale that spouts water like a real whale. The colors are mixed right into the Dupont neoprene, going all the way through. Manufacturers say they are harmless and will not come off if a baby chews them, as you will. For older youngsters, there's a submarine and a ship with three smokestacks. There are balls of all sizes. There are balloons, too, that hold air longer than balloons of natural rubber. These bright little toys represent only one of many developments in which rubber made by chemical science is proving better than natural rubber from trees. They illustrate the way in which ingenious American manufacturers quick to utilize a promising development past the achievements of science so long to you, almost as soon as they leave the laboratory. Neoprene chemical rubber is one of the Dupont Company's better things for better living through chemistry. Next week, the Dupont Cavalcade brings you Peggy Ann Garner in That Powell Girl. It's the tender and moving story of Maude Powell, the first musician to open the concert halls of America to women artists. Maude Powell, the child violinist, showed the world that an American girl could be received enthusiastically in the concert halls of the world, even a command performance before Queen Victoria. Be sure and listen next Monday at the same time to That Powell Girl starring the charming young actress Peggy Ann Garner on The Cavalcade of America. The music for tonight's Dupont Cavalcade was composed and conducted by Robert Armbruster. Our Cavalcade play was written by Russell Hughes and Walter Richards. In the cast with John Hodiak tonight were Dawn Bender as Jane, Herb Butterfield as father, Heddy Firestone Jr. as Jim, Ken Christie as Mr. Sanders, and Anne O'Neill as Mrs. Oaks. This is John Easton inviting you to listen next week to Peggy Ann Garner in That Powell Girl on The Cavalcade of America brought to you by the Dupont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. The Cavalcade of America came here from Hollywood. This is NBC, the National Rock Casting Company.