 Lux presents Hollywood the Lux Radio Theatre brings you Olivia de Havilland and Herbert Marshall in Vigil in the Night with Helen Chandler. Ladies and gentlemen your producer Mr. Cecil B. DeMille. Greetings from Hollywood ladies and gentlemen when you or I enter a hospital we generally are more anxious to get out than we were to get in and that leaves us no time to look for a story. It may not even occur to us that the hospital contains a story yet the best one of all a love story happens there more often than you might think and one such love story is Vigil in the Night a play that takes us through a hospital's calm outer corridors into the lives of the men in white and the women in white. We bring you Olivia de Havilland as a nurse who sacrifices her own professional standing for the sake of someone she loves and Herbert Marshall as a doctor to whom an affair of the heart is well something that doesn't always require a stethoscope. This is the first time we've had Olivia on this stage in more than a year and it's a good chance to congratulate her again and her fine performance as Melanie in Gone with the Wind. Proving her versatility she comes to us this week from Warner Brothers Studio where she's playing a very different role as a violinist in the picture episode. I think you'll agree that Herbert Marshall in the part of Dr. Prescott is just what the doctor ordered. Vigil in the Night is adapted from the RKO motion picture based on the novel by A.J. Cronin a doctor as well as an author who is entirely at home in our hospital setting. In a well organized hospital work is done with a streamlined touch and clever women run their homes the same way with the help of Lux Flakes. They've found that good management doesn't need luck as much as it needs lux but now we've an appointment to keep. A vigil in the night and the curtain rises on act one of our play starring Olivia de Havilland as Anne Lee Herbert Marshall as Dr. Prescott and Helen Chandler as Lucy Lee. The isolation ward of the Shearham Hospital in England a few hours before dawn in the dreary quiet of the night a child fights for life against the ravages of laryngeal diphtheria a tiny silver tube has been inserted into his throat a lifeline bringing air to tortured lungs by the bedside sits a nurse every so often she leans forward and carefully clears the tube when it becomes blocked the hours pass slowly and little by little the nurses eyes close in sleep but now the tube is blocked the lifeline shut off the boy fights for air unable to call out and then the battle is over death has won again the nurse awakens quickly stares horrified at the bed Lucy tell me sleep oh and stop it stop it and get hold of yourself but it was my fault i killed him i killed that baby listen to me you weren't on duty do you understand i relieved you an hour ago i was on duty when he died you don't know anything about it no do what i say now go to your room stay there i'll come to you later i expect to be answered i must know how the tube became blocked were you the nurse on duty yes i was i thought your sister lucy was supposed to be on last night yes matron but my sister had a headache and i relieved her and how did the tube become blocked well matron yes what is it nurse greg i've just found out something you ought to know tea hasn't been made in the ward kitchen nurse lee did you make tea in the kitchen when you should have been attending to your patient yes i i felt sure he'd be all right but when i came back he was dead nurse lee you of all people it's it's almost you may well search for a word matron there isn't one to fit it a human life has been lost wantonly thrown away through gross and utter negligence dr hasl mrs ward is here last night i told her her boy would recover what can i tell her now you will leave the hospital at once and remember nurse lee wherever you go there is nothing in the world so bad as a bad nurse nor so good as a good one remembers all your days you may go now weren't you going to see me before you leave of course lucy but where are you going i'm catching the third train i thought i'd try to replace it to hepatitis oh but then i don't know why i ever let you take the blame for what i did how can you ever forgive me you're my sister we've got to help each other if we can oh and i'm not cut out to be a nurse i'm just weak and selfish don't say that but it's true i'm not like you i i'm only human oh and this isn't the wonderful work you told me it would be polishing scrubbing cleaning up slops it's slavery lucy how can you talk like that well i'm not going to stand for it i'm going to take the blame and go to london i've always wanted to go to london next month when you get your certificate we'll both go to london lucy i didn't take the blame just to be heroic i have my certificate i can go somewhere else you'd never received yours next month when you have it you can join oh yes and but there's something i want you to promise me yes never be careless yes let the memory of what happened last night keep your goodness i promise goodbye goodbye and goodbye a strong young nurse is wanted hepperton institution of primus east matron your name is an lee yes matron here's my certificate three years of cheer and may just got qualified and then cleared out bit the hand that fed you well i know what in gratitude is i've had it all my life i thrive on it i took a year of surgery to share them never mind that ever been ill in your life no matron's good i also have honors never mind that either you look strong that's the important thing hepperton isn't the finest hospital in england and i dare say i'm not its most lenient matron i stand no nonsense and i offer no favoritism you're entitled to one half a day a week off if you're lucky extra duty if you're not no smoking no cosmetics and share a bedroom with two other girls those are the conditions if they're not your liking i'd appreciate your stepping out now rather than wasting your time in mind i hope you'll be happy here thank you matron i'll do my best i'm sure you will your room is nosedown and nurse philips and be ready for duty at six p.m next please who's next don't keep me waiting all day step up here my name's blanny her name's norah mine's an how do you do hello that's your bed over there it looks hard and it feels hard but don't let it fool you it is hard i'm used to that and here's our wash basin the tap on the right is cold water and the tap on the left is cold water repeat every day for the first two weeks a cockroach is not a dangerous insect and you may get to like this room i hope i'll see you as much as the last girl did that won't be hard she was a mess say norah you better get ready for duty it's almost five thirty five thirty oh maybe i've missed him no oh here he comes now what's that all about it's a man every day at five thirty sharp dr prescott goes down the walk and norah watches him from the window her contact with him is entirely mental how about the day you swallowed two pounds of grapes and the seeds hoping to follow your appendix so prescott would operate i ate those seeds because i was hungry prescott is the house surgeon that's right i'd like to work in surgery who wouldn't my dear who wouldn't look at him straight and tall and bright as bright as chilled steel only tougher steel melts at two thousand degrees prescott wouldn't is he really a good man they don't come any better when you meet him yes doctor didn't you hear me call the first time yes sir i was taking temperatures i'm dr cali the resident medical officer i have things to do you know and i can't stand around waiting for nurses you won't have to wait for me no impertence take these x-ray plates into dr prescott at once please dr prescott yes dr prescott just a moment please all right now johnny walk over there to your father but i can't walk but i say you can johnny you can walk all you need to do is try now come on oh yes you can now you look here i got a surprise for you see what's behind the screen johnny a train it's yours johnny now walk over here and play with it come on come on johnny all yours come on that's the boy that's right keep going fine doctor he's walking god bless you doctor it's all right i think he's going to be all right now it's wonderful it's wonderful you can pick him home now good morning come johnny come on son look there well nurse what is it oh uh these plates from dr cali oh yes let me see them that that was very remarkable dr prescott what that little boy making him walk hysteria needed a push that'll be all nurse yes sir oh surgery get the theater ready at once from the abdominal matthew bolie's coming in acute appendix see that everybody's on the alert nurse wild clear the private ward near the salarium mr bolie's coming in but matron mr hall's in there move him give mr bolie a special nurse the moment he arrives yes ma'am the rush while it's a sensation matthew bolie's appendix backed up on him we're operating in the theater matthew bolie who's bolie glennie he's the chairman of the board that runs this place and he has all the money in manchester it's a wonder they bring him to a hospital like this prescott that's why prescott's going to operate let's go and watch oh all right but i once coughed while prescott was operating i might do it again come on i've got to see prescott working in the gallery please the patient is ready for you dr prescott scalpel scalpel swab how is it prescott gallbladder is chronically inflamed have to do a complete resection scalpel all through prescott all over suture matron suture count the swabs nurse one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve all correct doctor no all correct doctor they're not all there talking in the gallery nurse the endangering the life of a patient unforgivable breach of discipline all correct doctor recount the swabs one two six seven oh one swab is torn in half done it must be in the incision here it is close call did you send for me mr bolie good evening my girl i'm glad to see you this is my son hello what's your name matt bolie the second in roman numerals how do you do matt bolie the second in roman numerals my name is an lee how do you do an lee yeah now run along son sit down as i'm going out tomorrow but i couldn't leave without having a look at you i'd like to say that matthew bolie is apt to be more useful without a swab of cotton sewed up inside of him i'm inclined to agree mr bolie you've got sense as well as beauty and that's a modified combination in a woman i always say that if a man's got to be ill it doesn't good to see a smart lass about the room instead of a long faced female long faced females can be excellent nurses sir maybe but not for matt bolie now i'm not one to forget a good term and in the meantime i want you to take this purse just to the souvenir of that missing swab oh but mr bolie not a word not one single word you can thank me some other time oh hello my dear i've just come to take the boy home this is my wife uh nurse lee how do you do how do you do this is the girl who spoke up and i don't mind saying we're proper grateful aren't yes properly grateful well i must be going along now come along that good bye nurse lee goodbye goodbye i must be leaving too good night mr bolie good night nurse lee just a moment please oh dr prescott i've been wanting to speak to you nurse dr prescott i'm sorry about the other day in surgery i just got in the habit of counting swabs i'm afraid you committed the unforgivable you've endangered the ethics of the medical profession your duty is to work 12 hours a day and serve the patient with every energy you possess but you should never do anything for him that might be a breach of ethics i understand doctor by the way how much does bolie value his life at a new purse well perhaps he's right i didn't want to take it sir i know how you feel bolie's generosity is always embarrassing but i wouldn't worry about it after all the labor is worthy of his hire and your help was worth a great deal thank you dr prescott nurse lee will you come here yes matron nurse lee you know nascar egg she's from sheeran hospital nascar good evening i heard you were here nascar is just joined our staff she'll work with you for a while i'm sure we'll get along did you find it hard to get a position after you left sheeran nascar no i didn't really i had imagined that after that please i'm very busy you may report for duty tomorrow nurse griggs yes matron thank you capable nurse that yes quite capable oh matron well matron may i have tomorrow tomorrow or my sister's being qualified she's getting her necessary certificate tomorrow and i promised i'd be there why couldn't she pick your day off to be qualified oh very well go on oh thank you matron you can ride with me i'm going on the sheeran bus as far as the city get your coat and meet me in ten minutes i shall be soaked to the skin the minute i leave the bus i wish the drive had slowed down it's so slippery good evening matron may i sit here oh hello certainly good evening nurse lee good evening nurse gray well this is pleasant a going far matron i'm only going as far as the city nurse lee is going to sheeran how nice well this little ride will give us a chance to talk over all the time of nurse lee over a cup of tea as it were tell me nurse lee do you still crave tea and toast in the early morning it does help one after a long night's duty doesn't it yes it does you know after you left we had quite a few cases of laryngeal diphtheria like that little boy you know remember handsome little boy wasn't he yes he was so you're going back to sheeran i should think that after what happened well what happened well matron i feel that it's only right i should tell you that in the hospital nurse lee are you are you all right matron my arm not too much what about you i'm all right but nurse gray i'm face is badly hurt look at her lift her head huh fracture i should take her right over this is off the road you there come here quickly yes miss how far are we from hepperton just about 15 miles is there a doctor nearby there's one of the village miss well get him here and call the hepperton hospital tells him to send the ambulance and as many nurses as they can and dr pescat get dr pescat i've just heard act one of vigil in the night with olivia de haverland her but marshal and helen chanter before we go on with act two there's something i want to say to women you know mr ruik when we have television on the lux radio theater your job will be easier than ever how do you mean sally why with television you could illustrate all the things you say about new quick lux by actually showing people what you meant you mean i could hold up a lux flake so they could see how sheer and delicate it is oh goodness it's so sure you can see through it why you can even read type through a lux flake and what i meant was this you could actually make suds right in front of the mic people could see that new quick lux burst into suds with a touch of water yes new quick lux is fast in water as cool as your hand it dissolves three times as fast as any of ten other leading soaps tested you could show them all that with television and you could show them how much suds you get with just a few flakes that's true too ounce for ounce new quick lux gives more suds than any of the other soaps tested even in hard water that's why we say a little go so far lux is thrifty but there's one thing television wouldn't show that's lux purity now what did we do about that you don't have to do anything about that millions of women have made lux the most popular care for fine fabrics in the country they've done that because they know it's safe for everything safe and water alone washable colors and fabrics stay new looking longer with lux and that same marvelous purity is in new quick lux well there's one more thing we could do with television we could hold up the lux box to show women that new quick lux comes in the same familiar package well the easiest thing to do is to go to your dealer's tomorrow and ask for new quick lux use it for all your nice things your stockings under things your silks rayon woolens and the lovely new cotton it's fast so it's thrifty so wonderfully gentle yet it costs no more and be sure to get the big package for extra economy now our producer mr demille act two a vigil in the night starring herbert marshall as dr prescott and olivia de haveland as an lee with helen chandler as lucy lee far into the night nurse lee and dr prescott worked side by side over the injured by the light of an oil lamp in a farmhouse kitchen an operating table has been hastily improvised and bodies which were broken and torn are made whole again lives which hung precariously on the brink of existence are helped skillfully back into the world now the long night is almost over through the rain prescott and and drive slowly back toward the hospital tired but victorious great woman was about the toughest of the lot for a while i thought we were going to lose her i don't see how you operated in that life i couldn't have gone at all without help he was rendered nasty thank you and i'm i'm glad she's going to pull through oh i think she will she's a nurse didn't you say yes i knew her chair and oh this isn't the hospital no it's my house i thought you might like a drop of something to pick you up well i i should be getting back to the hospital you know i'll have to ring as it is there's a window very easily opened at the back of the hospital i remember for my student days not that i ever used it of course hurry up you'll be soaked really mrs merchant you're still up you forgot your key oh did i go in nicely here let me uh take your things this is miss lean merchant one of our nurses how do you do mm-hmm we'll have some shadow please merchant there's your tea on the table well in that case we'll have another cup all ours of the night no rest for anybody can't be a decent product decent hours mrs merchant which is to point the path that i'm not in the habit of entertaining the nursing staff of the hospital here's the cup don't stay too long please miss lee he has little enough sleep as it is and don't let him start telling you about the new hospital or you'll be up all night oh go to bed merchant we won't want anything i inherited merchant for the house my mother left her to me in her will sugar thanks dr prescott what did she mean by new hospital oh merchants ears are too big nothing at all she met a new hospital for hepperton she's right things are pretty bad how do you mean oh there's so much for everything else and so little for the sick a very short but able description of things at hepperton we're working without modus equipment all the time i've been fighting for a new and adequate hospital i've argued reason than bed this is an industrial community more accidents more occupational diseases increases of infections due to the crowded areas if you'd ever seen them die like i have you'd argue and reason than bed too and all with no result and why because of one man matthew boley all i get from him are promises promises and evasions and discussions of costs oh well maybe i ought to save all this for the committee meeting instead of boring you with it well shall i take you to that window yet please and you're going to get that new hospital i know it well gentlemen dr kelly's report shows that everything in the hospital is working very smoothly meeting adjourn gentlemen mr german now prescott if it's about the new hospital again some other time dr kelly's report dr kelly's report rather glosses over the fact that in the past several weeks any number of cases of cerebral spinal fever broken out last year we almost had an epidemic you know we were not fully equipped to fight it this year our position is no better we're hopelessly overcrowded and constantly having to send cases out too soon it ought to make room for others and if we let one infectious case out five will come back you may be right prescott but as far as i can see catching a disease is probably it's not providence mr boley it's just a dirty murderous little microbe confine that microbe soon enough and long enough and you will save three times what is put into the new hospital now look here prescott money isn't as easy to raise as it used to be well conditions the present time are pretty well upset i understand that mr boley but regardless of well conditions people still get ill they still have babies and they still get run over and they come to us to take care of them all right prescott you mustn't be impatient i'll do me best to raise the money will that satisfy you how soon may we expect to hear the results of your efforts oh well give me a day or two meeting adjourned good morning mrs lee good morning uh matron said you wanted to see me mr boley yes that's right sit down mr boley i must get back to my work as soon as possible you know that's our fine spirit clever girl like you or have a real chance now the hospitals are dogs like you should start a private home it's pots of money in it if you have the proper backing that's very easy to say sir hmm would you ever think of applying to matt boley why no why not i'm a very wealthy man and it gives me great pleasure to lend a helping hand to a good cause well there's no better cause than habitant sir anything you'd give me he could be far better used by dr prescott for his new hospital ah you too that prescott must certainly have a way with the girls nonsense he just happens to be a wonderful doctor a great doctor i'm sorry my dear but when i take a liking to someone i'm a jealous little devil and i'll take my liking to you i'm afraid i'll have to go now oh no no no please i only meant that i want to help you mr boley if you really want to do something why don't you help dr prescott conditions in hepperton are appalling would you really like me to help get prescott's hospital for him yes very much well we'll see what can be done you don't know how much it would mean to him mr boley oh and don't you think you ought to stop calling me mr boley my name is mattie you know matt for short i'm a very lonely man my dear i've hesitated to speak about it before but well you can see for yourself what the missus is no no no i'm not saying a word against her i'm as loyal as any man could be the fact remains i need younger companion shipper a little lady friend as you might say you mind if i come in why martha i've been standing just outside the door martha don't bother to explain as for you young lady the first time i clapped eyes on you i knew what you were up to mrs boley you take advantage of a man's illness to worm your way into his affections and steal him from under his wife's nose now look here martha be quiet what kind of a fool are you to be taken in with such a baggage as that she and her precious dr prescott he couldn't worm enough money out of you so he put her on the job mrs boley dr prescott had nothing to do with that's enough from you i'll ask you to leave i'll have my say with the matron and you find yourself out of a job my lady what is it mind if i sit down well prescott i'll just say you've heard a devil of a lot of talk going around the hospital this last couple of days i couldn't help but hear it you've had that girl dismissed haven't you now prescott i don't want you to get me wrong so to speak but well you know what women are especially the mrs i'd like to make my position clear i think your position is abundantly clear now look here prescott you shouldn't take that attitude told me after all i've done for the hospital you've done the absolute minimum for this hospital now that's not fair i'll tell you i'd do me best your best unfortunate consists of pestering a nurse with your unwelcome attentions and that's one thing that's going to stop around here but i've explained i'm not interested in your explanations the only service you could do the hospital would be to raise money since you can't be ashamed of doing that i'm going elsewhere for it i'm going to london you forget i'm chairman of the board as far as i'm concerned you're a pompous little man who'll be well advised to get out of this room before he's thrown out neck and crown of course if you feel like that i do get out who is it oh come in i came to say goodbye doctor i'm leaving hepperton i know you've made any arrangements for the future i've had a letter from my sister she's nursing again in london at the roll grave home i hope perhaps i try to get a position there roll grave i don't think that's the kind of place you care to work why from all i've heard of the roll grave it is none too savory a reputation here i'll give you a little recommendation to a friend of mine in london thank you dr prescott yeah i've been very worried by what's happened i was afraid that you might think nurse lee i'm not particularly concerned with mrs bolia's story whether it's a fairy tale or not but when i told you of my plans i did feel it was in confidence frankly i didn't expect it would go any further i'm terribly sorry i realized now as a nurse i had no right to betray the professional confidence i'm quite sure you didn't anticipate that the result would be so seriously damaging to my plans i've no wish that your good work here should go unrewarded so if you'll give this letter to the meeting at the fargo hospital i'm sure you'll have no difficulty in finding a job thank you goodbye doctor good bye officer morning miss officer could you please direct me to the roll grave home it's a hospital the roll grave closed next they won't look in there closed why you'd better buy a newspaper miss it'll tell you all about it in roll grave home nurse held for questioning boy give me a paper here you are miss paper suicide the police are holding a nurse for questioning at the coroner's inquest the nurse is miss lucy lee of shirim lucy now tell us miss lee in your own words just what happened on the morning that miss dalis was killed well miss dalis ran for me shortly after ten she seemed nervous and i gave her the usual injection of masonille you say the usual injection in other words you'd been administering the narcotic to her since her arrival at the home well yes dr andrew's left orders for her to give me one grain whenever she seemed nervous see so we are to understand that you administer the drugs without the knowledge of mr sullivan the proprietors of the home well no not not exactly i'm sure mr sullivan must know whenever a patient is given a narcotic what happened after you administered the masonille well i i left the room to sterilize the hypodermic and i suddenly heard a shriek i ran back and miss dalis wasn't there i heard a commotion outside and ran to the window you uh you looked out and you saw the body lying on the pavement you're excused next witness mr sullivan please it's all right lucy sit here dear what are they going to do to me nothing lucy they can't do anything but i gave her the drug i gave it to her lucy it's dr prescott well how's it going we can't tell yet this is my sister doctor they say that she i know i've read about it in the paper have they questioned the sullivan woman yet she's just been called excuse me i want to get permission to do a little questioning myself see you later and and what is he going to do i don't know but i think he can help us uh mrs henry had a sullivan for prior to some maintenance of the rogue we have nursing home that is so how long have you held his position for the past two years but i should like to say now that i had no idea the drugs were being administered to the patients by dr andrews and nurse lee might understand you were not familiar with dr andrews no i was not oh i'd heard of him of course unfortunately dr andrews cannot be located there any further light you're able to throw in this fatality i'm afraid not may i be excused one moment may i question the witness mr carner this gentleman is dr prescott of habitant sir oh very well dr thank you mrs sullivan i believe you testified that you knew dr andrews by reputation only that is so tell me mrs sullivan you have other patients in your nursing home i presume under whose care are they there are eight other patients and they are under my care no no you must understand me mrs sullivan i mean which doctor looks after them they brought in their own doctors but surely these questions have nothing to do with miss dallas would you be good enough to name any doctor brought in by any of these patients i don't remember for the moment but i can help you was dr andrews brought in by any of these patients he might have been you must answer yes or no mrs sullivan well yes by how many of them was he brought in i don't know was he not brought in by each and every one of them mr carner furthermore isn't it true that you run a nursing home in lemmington five years ago and that you found it advisable to leave when the local nursing association began to investigate in other words mrs sullivan under the guise of running a nursing home you have been selling and administering drugs to addicts for the for at least five years order order please order you know answer to these charges mrs sullivan i'm not on trial i should like to speak to my counsel everything i have said can be substantiated is the conner it will be a simple matter to prove that the nurse miss lee administered the drug in performance of her duty and at the express instruction of dr andrews and mrs sullivan consequently no guilt should be attached to her i'm sure the jury will agree thank you for your help doctor nursing would be all right but as soon as i started to work there i knew i was doing the wrong thing or and shits all over darling you weren't to blame at all the jury said so oh dr prescott i don't know how to thank you don't try excuse me mrs sullivan was a pleasure lucy don't die i'm a bad nurse and after that terrible thing that happened to cheer him i wanted to do better but now i'll never get a chance again you're just not a nurse darling i've influenced you wrong i should never have insisted now please don't cry come on look up here that's the girl you listened to your big sister lucy she's a pretty smart girl well i've got to be getting back to hepperton i suppose you heard about the epidemic no sarah bro spinal yes 30 cases and more coming in every day oh that's horrible what are you doing it's not doctoring they need so much it's room for the poor devils when they come in supplies isolation and plenty of the right care all the time maintenance having a job getting volunteers for isolation can't say i blame the nurse as much it's not a pretty disease doctor i'd like to go no lucy and i'd like to really why don't you let her am it might be a good opportunity for her to forget all this no i want lucy to stay with me how would i have no decent place in london would take me after this that's true and oh please i know i can do it and do it well i'm sure you can all right i'll go with you you but i don't think you you mean after the way i left they wouldn't want me oh i'm sure they'll take me back in isolation i can't do much damage there besides it's my work it's what i want to do but i am nursing isn't your entire life is it oh yes i thought you knew oh of course i'm idiot not to have seen that quiet please nurses i'm not going to waste words i've had to call you together again from the same reason things have become far more serious we require volunteers to go across the court those willing to work in isolation ward please stand up and step forward nurses i'm very disappointed at this lack of response why is it why i'll tell you matron well nurse done you're asking us to go across the court and risk our lives why should we conditions here are bad enough we work ourselves to the bone for rotten food and rotten pay and no thanks and then when there's an even dirtier job to be done we are asked to come forward and volunteer well i for one would rather chuck up the job and work as a skull remade that's enough i take it then that there are no volunteers that is all you can go back to your duties matron matron and and lee hello matron this is my sister lucy we're a couple of strong girls we've never been ill in our lives and we're reporting for duty duty we've come to work in isolation if you'll have us if i'll have you and you know what it means for every patient who dies in there there are two waiting to take his place and once you're in there's no getting out unless you're lucky we're nurses matron we know in a moment olivia to havaland herbert marshal and helen chander will return in act three of vigil in the night during this brief intermission we bring you our old friends the browning family 17 year old dot and her younger sister midge are studying in the living room as our scene opens and there goes the telephone i'll get it yes this is dot oh hello mary jane what's new why yes i am with jim you didn't oh honey what rotten luck why don't you come with us i know but it's a shame to miss it well bye and don't worry honey but goes on it's mary jane midge she didn't get a bid to the senior prom oh gee that's tough she's got that swell new dress i know she and betty are the only girls in the class who didn't get bid poor kids they're always missing out on things and they never know why they're pretty and they've got loads of pep oh well i guess they don't realize you have to be awfully careful about daintiness oh how about some shut-eye midge okay night mother good night girls and don't forget to lock sure thing we won't darling gee you're a swell mother so much appreciation all of a sudden well i'm awfully glad you taught us all the nice things about being dainty like like luxing undies and everything my dear you know i want you girls to be popular and happy and have loads of good times and it's so important to be dainty and sweet i know you know i feel awfully sorry for betty and mary jane i wish there was some way of telling them mother browning is right isn't she daintiness is the very foundation of charm and a wise mother helps her daughters to have this lovely quality she reminds them of how easy it is to luxe under things after every wearing to luxe dresses blouses and accessories often especially with the new quick luxe because it's so fast so easy to use and so thorough these quick suds just float away every trace of perspiration yet they're so gentle they keep washable colors and fabrics new looking longer luxe you know is safe for everything safe in water alone keep a big box that size is extra economical you know keep it handy in the bathroom as your charm insurance new quick luxe comes in the same familiar box at no extra cost to you we pause now for station identification this is the columbia broadcasting system the curtain rises on the third act of vigil in the night the isolation ward long rows of iron beds stretch endlessly into the murky gloom air thick with the odor of antiseptics hot humid cut off from the world by a single door through which the sick enter but rarely leave here is the battleground against cerebro spinal fever here anand lucy have taken up the stand against death this one is not responding to treatment doctor i've been watching him i'm afraid you'll have a bad empty in the morning another that makes 14 since yesterday and don't you realize what you're up against here not by practical experience well you should it's more vigilant than the worst form of tropic plague don't be afraid to use antiseptic keep your mask on when treating a patient be careful and please i will i know that work by this is your whole life but you might be able to crowd something in on the side do we could work together always are you trying to say you know what i'm trying to say that's why you must be careful for me me will you will you be careful too please very and nurse done and some of the other nurses are in the court they want to see you right there what can they want no glen we're sorry and we should have been here sooner but we're reporting now oh come in how many are you eight of us ready for anything come on girls oh it's wonderful and can we use you reported lucy she'll give you the routine right here goodbye good evening nurse lee why nurse gray you're quite well i see matron said i might come here if you'll have me i'd like to work with you nurse lee i'd like to make a pop up please come in this great we need every fine nurse we can get thank you here haven't you heard we're building a new children's ward matron partitions for the beds windows we need them badly who ordered it who's paying for it i ordered it and matthew bolie will pay he doesn't know it yet but i charged everything to him and when they find out about this and you have to go to fritton we'll all go with you that's nice of you matron but i hope that won't happen until the epidemic's over will you please leave now really and who is matron here hepperton is going to need you long after this epidemic is over and if you're a party to this you won't be here i appreciate your consideration but i lack your confidence i've already been reading the pages in the nursing journal headed situations vacant and matthew bolie's here he's coming across the court take over the ward i'll see you right good afternoon mr bolie you're quite a stranger around here these days here young woman i want to know the meaning of these bills are those the bills for the work i ordered to be done so you admit you bought up half the town and commerce you please sent the bills in for the committee to pay certainly it had to be done and unfortunately a necessary salary is hardly sufficient to finance the expenses for an epidemic young lady you know what you've done is a criminal offense i only know that people are dying and that other people like you aren't raising a finger to stop it we needed a new children's ward and we've got it and though it probably means less than nothing to you that room will keep children alive i've been insulted enough by you you won't talk so big when you find yourself behind prison bars miguel would you be good enough to shout mr bolie you have some very sick people in here oh matron thank you in this too matron knew nothing of this i happen to be in charge here and i'm solely responsible you're responsible yes i am do you hear that mr bolie that's the ambulance they're bringing in another one we hear it all day long and all hours of the night now don't try to beg the question young woman dishonest is dishonesty and stealing stealing i'm sorry but you can't mat it's mrs bolie they told me you were here mat he's got it the boy they're taking him in there in that ward the boy well it can't be it can't be they brought him here to this horrible place i've got to see him you're not allowed in there you mean me can't see him i'm sorry mr bolie all infectious cases must be isolated nurse nurse is there any news i'm my little girl i'm afraid you'll have to wait mr north with the other there's dr peska dr peska i'm sorry i don't know any more than you there'll be a bulletin in about an hour please be patient everyone i'm glad you're here you should be glad it must warm your heart to see these people mr bolie no doctor i'm glad because because we got such confidence in here it's a little late for that this is the result of your handiwork you were warned time and time again that this would happen but you didn't care we begged you for the means to prevent it but you blocked us at every turn huh good business save your money well look at those faces fathers and mothers of dying children pitiful isn't it oh if only there was some way to make you suffer to make you feel what i know i'm no prescott my boys in there set a bro yes oh i'm sorry i'll take a look at him thank you doctor but look at me boy i'm coming off together this way when his turn comes all right we'll do our best did you say i'm in the bolie boy yes for chances he got one in a hundred who's on duty here tonight lucy i am doctor keep a close watch of the boy lucy use ice packs regularly and if the temperature continues to rise double the intramuscular injections yes sir lucy would you like me to stay with him no i'll get along all right you go to bed and keep your mask on don't get too near good night good night watch him watch him change the ice pack don't take your eyes off him listen to him breathe don't let him die oh he mustn't die watch him pound every breath is it weaker watch him or remember the other boy remember who what's happened oxygen oh breathe oh why doesn't he breathe breathe into his mouth that works make him breathe with your own breath a cerebro his breath is alive with it get away no don't don't breathe into his mouth you'll get it too lucy don't tend the day before and we've got cerebro licked the bolie child out of danger mad bolie was in this morning i think you're going to get that new hospital doctor i know i spoke to him the sky's the limit now oh it's marvelous isn't it funny how things work out all your plans everything you've wanted not quite everything yet i still can't figure out how you're going to go on nursing and manage a household at the same time that's my problem doctor and come right away what's the matter it's lucy she's in her room she's sick i i i think it's cerebro you've got to tell me and this is the hardest thing i've ever had to say lucy can't live oh no she has a feminine form of cerebro she won't respond here darling oh don't try to move and i'm glad i came here with you i'm not much good now but i you will be up and working again before you know it oh not this time you remember the boy cheer him yes darling i wrote the making and i told her everything lucky wasn't it that i had a chance to get back alive for the one i lost that sort of makes me even doesn't it i'm beginning to think i was a pretty good lucy lucy i stood there helpless i stood there and watched her die you'll find dr prescott the great doctor who wanted you to work with him it wasn't your fault you did everything you could and it wasn't enough i brought that child back here to her death she'd have been alive today but hadn't been for me oh and i failed you so no no the years i've worked for knowledge the years i've studied to save lives to breathe on a fragile spot to keep it burning and when a time comes to help someone i love i fail i'm helpless i've learned nothing i can do nothing you're wrong you mustn't be bitter and it isn't futile it's glorious we work for all some live and some die how often we've seen two people both with the same disease come into the hospital both with the same power of resistance and yet during the night one died and the other lives it isn't science it isn't medicine it's something more someone who watches and reasons who is to live and who is to die it's not for us to be bitter and criticize this judgment we're here to serve and if we do it well we find happiness inside ourselves the perfect happiness that lucy knew when she left us dr prescott you wanted in surgery at once emergency doctor better get ready prescott they brought in 11 men already explosion at the lake on mine they'll have more for us in a few minutes worthwhile prepare the accident board move all convalescence and bring in all the extra bits you can find yes mostly doctor are you ready now why i think so come doctor thanks work for us to do in just a moment mr. demille returns with our stars while we're waiting here's our good friend to be collins with some advice for the women in our audience it's very timely advice too during the next few weeks while you're concentrating on your summer wardrobe don't overlook your hands will you promise me that think of them as part of your costume they really are you know because people notice hands so much more when you're wearing light colors and short sleeves if they're rough and red they can stick out like well like a sore thumb thanks liby you're right you know speaking as a mere man i can tell you men do think unattractive hands spoil the lovely picture of a woman that a woman should always make well it's easy to avoid unattractive hands now even though you do dishes every day we've proved that conclusively by the famous one-hand tests of five leading soaps including luxe hundreds of women made these tests dipping one hand in luxe suds the other in suds from another soap under conditions similar to home dishwashing after a several weeks had gone by their luxe hands were still smooth and white the other hands rough red and ugly looking the test proved luxe kindest to hands no wonder women say i'll stick to new quick luxe for dishes and no substitutes thank you now that's good advice to follow this summer use gentle new quick luxe for your dishes to help your hands stay smooth and white so they look lovely with your pretty summer dresses new quick luxe costs so little to use and it's so fast so mild and pure it comes in the same familiar box at no extra cost here's mr demille with our stars olivia de haverland and herbert marshal lay aside the white garb of hepperton hospital to return to our microphone and we salute two fine performers thank you cb perhaps vigil in the night is the kind of reminder we all should have now and then a reminder of the service to receive from the medical and nursing professions the men and women in white are pretty quiet about it themselves i'm glad you put the women in white right alongside the men bar that's where you find them when they need it new women and white couldn't have had a more sincere spokesman well spokeswoman than you were i suppose almost every girl at one time or another decide she wants to be a nurse she may imagine herself as another florence nightingale or she may just think she looked pretty in a white uniform but the girls that stick to it well they have what it takes but it's still a great help of the patient if they do look pretty in a white uniform i think you're both right a very diplomatic answer mr demille what day are you going to have here next week next monday night olivia we present alice fey robert preston and ray melanne in alexander's ragtime band our play is adapted from the 20th century fox screen hit and woven into the romantic story are all those familiar tunes by erving berlin which you've been humming down through eight years to borrow a line from the first of these songs we hope you'll come on and hear alexander's ragtime band next monday night with alice fey ray melanne and robert preston alexander's ragtime band is a great show cb and you're a great cast good night good night mr demille it is shifting to more part here for you both our sponsors the makers of lux flakes join me in inviting you to be with us again next monday night when the lux radio theater presents alice fey robert preston and ray melanne in alexander's ragtime band this is s will be the middle playing good night to you from hollywood heard in tonight's play where frederick warlock as mr bolie ethnographers of matron east in as seabury as norah eric snodin as dr calie claire vader as mrs sullivan who merrell as coroner helen agrant as nurse greg marie blakey gloria gordon as mrs merchant lee congan as nurse and thomas mills dick ryan douglas spot joe penario paul hilton and wong pervert marshall will soon be seen in the water wanger foreign correspondent he has just started work in the letter at warner brothers we are to say that the lux radio theater has just been settled as the leading dramatic program on the air in the old conducted by the women's national radio committee on behalf of the sponsor and the lux radio theater staff we wish to thank all went throughout the country who took part in this poll our music was directed by the whistilvers and your announcer has been melville roick