 dedicated to the strength of the nation. proudly we hail proud of Brian in a man of influence United States Army and United States Air Force presentation now here is your host the well-known Hollywood showman CP McGregor thank you thank you very much and greetings from Hollywood ladies and gentlemen welcome to your theater of stars for all your motion picture favorites join us in plays we know you'll enjoy our star is a great film favorite Pat O'Brien the title of our zany comedy a man of influence we'll have the curtain for act one in just a moment but first here is Wendell Niles with an important message choose the career that offers all five the U.S. Army offers you these five keys to a successful future one a career of service to country two the right kind of job for you three continuous training for planned advancement four lifetime security five travel and recreation yes men choose the career that offers all five find out about the five keys to a successful future at your nearest U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force recruiting station now once again your host CP McGregor the curtain rises on act one of a man of influence starring Pat O'Brien as Bill Archer you all know fellas like Bill Archer he's the guy who lives next door to you and thinks pretty much of himself especially in front of his long-suffering wife Marge and his son Junior right now the archers have just finished lunch and Bill is saying Marge that was a swell lunch thank you dear now if you and Junior will remove your overfed body to the living room I'll clear away these dishes all right come on Junior on your mother's face like that she means business oh gee dad can I try once more to bounce my spoon into my glass oh now look you'll never do it that way son give me that spoon see you gotta come down with some force then the spoon will jump right into the glass now watch uh oh mom's brand new drinking glass no dear I broke a glass yes dear oh Bill come on Junior let's get out of here you see women don't understand how we men do things we men does that include me yeah of course gee dad why is it I'm always a man when you do something wrong but I'm just a kid when I do something wrong well son that's because well uh say Junior did I ever tell you the story about the time I captured the gorilla in the wilds of Africa no I didn't know you were ever an African dad sure sure you know I really felt sorry for that gorilla that morning I'd gotten up without having any breakfast and well I was feeling pretty mean and this poor gorilla had the tough luck to run into me on a day like that weren't you scared? scared I just reached down picked a man eating crocodile on the Amazon and I hit that gorilla right over the head with him but the Amazon is in South America huh oh there well you see the gorilla ran quite away before I could catch up with him Bill yes there want me to help you with the dishes and break another glass oh no no thanks I wish you would do something for me these books I got from the lending library are due would you take them back for me? well of course there oh is all misfamous the librarian still complaining about her feet and her back and her head and everything oh yes yes the poor soul you know she asked me if you had any influence with the telephone company telephone company well I certainly do have influence but I yes but she wouldn't say what she wanted oh now Bill promise me you won't do anything rash if she should ask you for a favor or something no honey don't worry you're a pretty little head about yours truly I'll be my usual self that's what I'm afraid of come on Junior wanna take a walk with your old dad? sure husband and I gotta stick together don't we yeah that's right see you later Marge bye mom dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad-dad. oh God, Son, isn't this a beautiful day? sure is dad no I think this is the nicest season of the year yeah you know we're lucky Junior it's almost winter all over the nation and here we are in sunny California oh it must be bitter cold back east but here you get up in the morning and the first thing you see are the fragrant flowers peeking into your window yeah of course you can't smell them not the icicles off. Well yes at night there is a little breeze but it's really not cold it's just crisp. I know Dan I forgot to cover up the canary last night and he sure felt crisp this morning. Now Junior you're always exaggerating all the canary God was a little chill. Maybe but when I opened his cage this morning he flew into the pressure cooker and he won't come out. Oh well he'll be all right. Speaking of birds and just look at all the birds around here these trees. Hey dad look at that one up there on that limb the one with the big eyes. Over there. What kind of bird is he. Junior sometimes you're a disappointment to me you want to know these things why do we have that big encyclopedia at home to stick the bills from the grocery in. Yeah but I mean besides that now I've studied the nature chapter in that book and that's the reason I won't have any trouble telling you what kind of a bird that is that happens to be a whipper will whipper will that's right and the song sounds just like his name. Now you stand perfectly still I'll see if I can get him to sing. That's nothing but an all I bet he flew off saying who. Well no he just didn't understand the question that's all. Well come on here's miss B. Mrs. Lending Library. Wonder what she wants you to use your influence for. I don't know yes but I'm sure I can help her. Okay but I hope she doesn't talk our ears off about our aches and pain. Oh hello there Mr. Roger. Hello Junior. Good morning Miss Beemish. How are you on this bright and cheerful day. Oh I ain't go all over. What seems to be wrong. I just don't have any pet. Have you ever tried those breakfast food to give you a pet miss finish. Oh yeah I've been eating a breakfast food for weeks now it's supposed to pick you up when you get your money back. Didn't work. No and I ate 20 packages too. Well at least you get your money back. I haven't got strength enough to carry back all those empty boxes. Oh I almost forgot. Here's the two books Marta's been reading. Said they were fine. Oh thanks. She also said you wanted me to do you a small favor. Oh yeah maybe you could help me. You see my telephone is up on the balcony of the store. And every time it rings I have to go up there to answer it. I bet I go up those stairs a hundred times a day up and down up and down down and up up and down down. Miss Beemish. Yes that is a problem. Maybe you could get a long piece of cord on the phone that would reach down there. Well that's why I'm so tired you see up and down down and up up and down down and up everybody out main floor. Well. Don't be impertinent. Anyway that's what I want to ask you about. I know you have a lot of influence in the community. Oh well yes I suppose I do have. I know the phone company will connect a long card for me but they'll charge me extra and I just can't afford it. So if you could use your influence I'd be ever so grateful. Miss Beemish your worries are over. As you so aptly put it I am a man of influence. I'll say dad has influence. He used them on the butcher yesterday. Junior never mind that. What happened with the butcher. Well dad was getting tired of the cuts of meat we got at our house and he went down and had a big fight with the butcher and he really told him off. Well I guess I was kind of rough with him. And dad said the butcher would have to give him the best steak in the store or else. But the butcher give him the black eye and chop meat. The black eye and the quiet and quiet. Well I hope I'm not putting you to any bother me father not at all I'll get in touch with the head of the phone company one of my very best friends. Oh wonderful I knew you'd come for me. Always glad to extend the helping hand Miss Beemish your phone cord will be connected in no time it won't cost you a cent if I do say so myself when I guarantee to get something done it's practically accomplished. Yeah but until then Miss Beemish it wouldn't hurt if you practice sliding down the banister. Oh please Junior nobody asked you. All right come on we go back home now I'll make some phone calls on this deal goodbye Miss Beemish goodbye. Oh you you wonderful man. Bill I know you mean well but darling you're always telling people that you can help them out of difficulties. What's wrong with what I told Miss Beemish. In the first place you don't know anyone with the phone company. Why do you always handicap yourself. My I may not know anyone at the phone company but it's a sense they know me. That's an additional handicap but my Miss Beemish is all alone there in a little ending library and well she is sort of helpless and she really needs somebody to look after and since this is a job for a man naturally she turned to me that's what I mean doesn't she know any other man darling you're dealing with a phone company you know you've had some trouble with them yourself. We mean that bill for December I paid that. Now they seem to want their money for December 1949. That is so unreasonable. Well I am a little behind in my payment. Don't forget you're the one who's asking a favor dear. Yeah well that's right well I'm a man of influence around here why should I be afraid of them I'm a taxpayer I'll go out in the hall call a manager right now. I'm glad I had this payphone put in. There's a lot of argument on long distance calls. Well hello operator this is Bill Archer. Operator I didn't call you for any of your smart remarks thank you get me the manager of the phone company. Never mind just get me the number. Operator will you please keep out of this. Hello Mr. Wagner. Well I have a lady friend. Well her name is Miss Beemish and she's rather shy and what I mean is she has a telephone but she's not very happy the way it is now and what she'd like is a new connection. No no no you don't understand I didn't mean that. You see she runs a lending library and her phone is upstairs and she'd like to have it fixed so she can bring the phone down. Yes yes I know she could do it that way but well I was hoping I could use my influence with her so the phone company would do it for nothing. You still there Mr. Wagner. What's the matter. I was just checking over your account Mr. I haven't paid your bill for December nineteen forty nine. Oh that. Mr. Wagner about that bill. The reason I haven't paid it before is because I have a complaint to make. Yes you see during that month I made a local call to a business friend of mine as I understand that I'm allowed to talk for three minutes for a nickel. Well the operator cut me off before I was finished. I did not. You did too right in the middle of my conversation on this business deal I was dead. That's not the point I still have the equivalent of two minutes coming to me. Thank you Mr. Wagner. You're welcome Mr. About that favor I asked of you maybe the company can send someone over. I'll see what I can do. Well I'll be waiting to hear from you so long pal. Yes I am a man of some influence around here after all. Well I tell Marge she certainly will be proud of me. We pause briefly from our story a man of influence starring Pat O'Brien to bring you an important message from our government. High school graduates the US Army offers you a brand new career opportunity especially designed for men who like fast action and real responsibility. Men without prior service may now enlist directly in the infantry field artillery armored cavalry Corps of Engineers or the anti aircraft artillery whichever branch you choose the Army's new career guidance plan gives you the chance of a lifetime to go up steadily and surely as you demonstrate qualities of initiative and character and you'll have job security that means a lot and retirement benefit to visit your local US Army and US Air Force recruiting office soon find out about the hundreds of career specialties which make the Army a great outfit find out about the exciting and important duty assignment you'll win in such fields as radar guided missiles or electronics see for yourself how many recreational sports and travel privileges the modern soldier enjoys you'll see why America's finest men choose US Army careers then make the Army your career you owe it to your future. The curtain rises on act true of a man of influence starring Pat O'Brien is Bill. Well Bill has promised Miss English she will have a long extension cord put on her telephone but so far he has only succeeded in getting the telephone company to agree to send someone over to talk about it right now Bell and Marge are out shopping and Junior is sitting in the front room. The manager of the phone company is just pressing the door buzzer. Coming coming. Hello. Hello young man. Mr. Archer live here. My name is wasn't the father called me about a business matter. Well I don't usually make personal calls I happen to go right by your house my way home. That'll be right back. You better come in and wait for me thank you. Have a chat. All right. Thank you. Well you're a young archer and I guess you're getting near the age when you'll be using the telephone a lot calling up for date. I hate girl. It must be your father who was always using the phone does use it a lot but oh boy if the phone company ever finds out how many times he uses it when they don't know about it when the phone company doesn't know about it yeah you see that baseball that hanging by the booth in the hall yeah of course it doesn't always work but sometimes you can lift the receiver and hit the phone as hard as you can with the baseball back and to the operator it sounds like a nickel you don't say yeah I'm not strong as my father he can hit so hard it sounds like a quarter yeah that must be quite a blow you said it one night he called New York long distance and he got blisters on his head he is the bell so many times the neighbors thought he was practicing to drive an ice cream truck young man this is most interesting I happen to be Mr. Wagner manager of the phone company yeah well you know manager of the phone company yeah what have we got to say to that I wish I was dead hi junior I'm back got a call miss B mission tell us something where's the baseball that not not not what do you mean not now I gotta make it oh here's the back please dad put that back down no matter what the old junior notice that we got a visitor sitting right behind you this is Mr. Wagner that manager of the phone company Mr. Wagner the phone company yeah well don't just stand there junior pitch me a baseball see here I chair your boy just told me all about everything I just look at that phone it's so pent up that we'll have to send it out to a body and fender works to have it straight or I can explain that you see during the last don't give me any excuses and it's for that long cord you wanted for your friend miss Beamish she'll be lucky now if she ever gets it good day Mr. Wagner Mr. Wagner I'm sorry dad I didn't know who he was when he first came in started talking about phone naturally I told him what fun we have here yeah poor miss Beamish now she'll never get a cord connected unless unless what unless I fixed it myself oh dad you're not going to try to fix it yourself of course I am come on come on we got your little toolkit tell mother we're off to miss Beamish is what are you doing with all the inner workings and miss Beamish's phone laid out on the floor you remember which is which as I do see this green wire goes on the screw mark twice I know I know the green wire goes there but it won't stand and lets you use some solder the gunny side oh well that doesn't matter little hole just as good my way hand me another bobby pin Mr. Archer I appreciate you're taking this personal interest in me but don't you think we ought to send for a mechanic what then spend your hard-earned money not a chance when Bill Archer's on the job things start humming I wish the phone would start humming so I could go home and stop worrying March please you know very well that mechanical things have always been my specialty I know Bill but this is the first time you've ever tattled a telephone what's the difference we bought that new refrigerator I connected it up myself tonight yes yes for a week or so we have the only refrigerator on the block defrosted on the outside well I told you I did that on purpose it keeps the kitchen so nice and cool oh here's Junior the screwdriver I sent him for yeah yeah yeah thanks son now let's see I have the cord attached now I gotta figure with his plug fit hmm are you sure you know what you're doing that Junior we've been all through that with your mother don't know why everyone seems so dubious I can fix things I fix those wheels and your bike for you didn't I do near work to dinner yes no other kid I know as a bike with square wheels on it well I didn't have the tools I needed but don't forget those square wheels that come in mighty handy if they ever start building round sidewalks there mechanism is set now to put the case on there looks to me like it's ready oh thank goodness will it work now of course it'll work with me miss yeah your phone is all set now of course we'll test it who'd like to call well old miss mcdonnell just moved and she gave me this new number here I wrote it down hillside one three six seven okay you call and surprise me what was that his old miss mcdonnell there miss Pimas your friend doesn't work in a fish market is he oh mercy no she's a vegetarian what's the dial the wrong number I'll try again I'm sorry I don't want to fish market well nothing really but I good bye get the operator she'll help me well operator this is Bill Archer again there's nothing wrong with his line well yes I did attach a little cord to the oh nothing mr. Wagon I took it on myself to hook on little piece of extension wire it's possible that I made a tiny little mistake somewhere yes sir and I mean yes sir you've got the right number this time it's been ish sorry if I cause you any inconvenience he's capable you power up the international services far away as Hong Kong you had your good luck you're talking to Poland and you've even had my mother-in-law talking to me good mr. Wagner we want people to be happy with our service we try to make our customers happy as we can do but mr. Wagner you're far on the slightest bit of trouble with you in the future we'll take out this beamish's phone and yours too goodbye thank you mr. Wagner well mr. Archer who were that you were talking to mm-hmm that's oh that was just an official I know pretty well about the company yes he was telling me how much they appreciated the fun job I did over here oh isn't mr. Archer wonderful must be a thriller minute living with a man like him isn't it mr. Archer you don't know the half of it miss beamish well Margie you and junior go ahead I'll catch up with you later all right yes goodbye miss beamish bye mr. Archer I just knew a man of your influence would be able to help me I can't thank you enough thank you miss beamish but my friend at the company wants his own maintenance men to put your cord in for you so when they come to do it just give them this $10 will you $10 yes I want everything to be squared off from the sides that it will more than pay for your long court oh mr. Archer you have a heart of gold yes I know well see you later you will Marge junior wait for me you're really smart aren't you you fixed the phone for miss beamish and you got me out of that little jam I was in with mr. Wagner you're a wonderful dad oh that was nothing son didn't I ever tell you about the time when bolder damn broke down I picked it with my own scout knife oh dear this is where I came in yes sir there I was holding back 70,000 tons of water with my left hand and with my right hand I was keeping all the dynamo's going I tell you it took superhuman strength but I stood there for 12 hours and they'll help finally came the cooking falls in the final act of a man of influence our star Pat O'Brien will return for a curtain call after this timely message from Wendell Niles here is a message from the army for registered nurses if you're a recent graduate in search of an exciting and rewarding career look into the advantages of a reserve commission in the army nurse corps there are now about 1100 openings for young nurses who can qualify for appointment you will serve in modern well-equipped army hospitals throughout the United States and you may be eligible for foreign service after one year as a commissioned officer with a pay and responsibilities of your rank you will enjoy nursing soldier patients and living in a stimulating atmosphere of army posts for a full information right the surgeon general department of the army Washington 25 DC now once again your host CP McGregor and our star well Pat I really don't need to say it but I think you know how glad I am to welcome you back to our theater thank you CP I didn't realize how long it's been since I've done a show with it's been about four years no kid in four years that's right you start on our fifth show and it makes me a sort of a charter member I should be a TFC by this time ordinarily but you forgot that little matter of enlisting I did that in 1917 I should have said semen second-class well you can't skip drill for all those years and still make your rate all right I'll be back oftener we'll be looking for you and by the way I'd like to talk to you about your new picture the late Damon Runyon Johnny one-eyed well CP this is the fifth motion picture of the really great running stories of course he always wrote about Broadway that is most always and its people and his characters were typical of the big street now in this particular one there's a killer that's you yep and then Wayne Morris plays Mr. Big and the Laura's Moran she's a striptease artist and she's one of the most devastating dolls in the Damon Runyon gallery you know you can say that twice really CP Johnny one-eyed it's a powerful story and I trust your listeners will go to see it our producer Ben Brogess well he knows how to make those running characters come to life on the screen he didn't do so badly with that cast either well I'm certain our listeners will go see it well that's great I hope they do CP what is your next release going to be next week Pat and ladies and gentlemen the very lovely Ellen Drew will be our star we've a fine romance drama for her titled the truck driver and the lady a story of a young couple who try to adjust their lives to Lord living standards and at the same time overcome constant opposition to the marriage by their parents great great I'll catch it and I'll see you again soon so I'll see if he can buy past we should have done this next week ladies and gentlemen when Ellen Drew stars in the story the truck driver and the ladies the next week then this is CP McGregor saying thanks for listening and cheerio from Hollywood Matt O'Brien appeared with the courtesy of Hollywood Gordon and Eddie which arranges for the parents of all stars in this program Grip was by Dick McKnight with the music of Eddie Dunstead program is transcribed in Hollywood for release at this time Wendell Niles speaking