 The Equitable Society presents this is your FBI. This is your FBI, an official broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, presented as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. To your FBI, you look for national security and to the Equitable Society for financial security. These two great institutions are dedicated to the protection of you, your home and your country. Tonight's file, the Bobby Sox Bandits. 17. That's an important and exciting age in the life of a boy or a girl. Some of you girls listening tonight are just 17. Finishing high school or starting your first real job or having your first real honest goodness date. Going hiking or wiener roasting with a gang or sitting in the middle of the floor with your Vic in the stack of records. Doing most anything except making it possible for this voice to say as it reluctantly says now. Tonight's case from the files of your FBI is the crime story of two girls, age 17. It's just about sundown and on a highway out of Pittsburgh, two girls with one suitcase between them stand by the side of the road. This ain't good. Huh? We picked the wrong road. There ain't been a car pass here for 15 minutes. What, Bonnie? We ain't grabbing no lift. Oh, that's okay. I'm catching up on what I should know. About what? About Hollywood. Oh, this is a wonderful magazine. The whole thing is about Barry Brooks. Bonnie, you just ought to read movie magazines. I already have. But you just ain't read about Barry Brooks. He's so wonderful. Brooks, Mox, we gotta get a lift. Bonnie, when we get to Hollywood, I'm not gonna eat or sleep until I see him. Uh-huh. Look at this picture. What did you write on there with your lipstick? Never mind. Let me see it. Love me forever, co-starring Barry Brooks and Phyllis Tyler. Oh, Phyllis. I'll laugh if you wanted, but I'll star in a picture with him someday. Yeah, yeah. I never had any real feeling about my destiny until I saw Barry Brooks in his first picture. I saw it six times. And right from the very first, I just knew that my destiny was in his hand. I just knew. Wait a minute. Here comes the only destiny I'm interested in. Huh? Oh, oh, I hope he stops for us. Look, he's going to. Can I give you young ladies a lift? Oh, sure. We've been waiting for you for an hour, mister. Then hop right into the back seat. Okay. Go ahead, Phyllis. Okay. All right, back there? I don't make a practice of doing this kind of thing, but it was coming all night, and I didn't like the idea of you young girls being on the road by yourself. That's awful nice of you. I'm going on to Cleveland. How far are you going? Oh, we're going all the way down. Oh, we're going to my sister's in Detroit. Detroit? But Bonnie... Certainly, Detroit. What's the matter with you? Well, I didn't mean to be inquisitive. I was just thinking about you having to travel this way. I've got a daughter about your age, and I know her mother and I would have a... Oh, wait a minute, mister. Could you stop the car? What's the trouble? I think I dropped something back there when we got in. Drop what, Bonnie? My bracelet. Bracelet? Well, I'll just back up. Is the road clear behind? Yeah, yeah. It's clear all right. Good. Then we'll just... No use thumbing rides when we can have a car of our own. Daily speaking. Okay. Got the details? Well, the man's here at headquarters. He's getting his head fixed up. You want to come over? Well, give me a description of the car and the girls first, and I'll get out in alarm right away. Okay. Wonder what town this is, Bonnie? I don't know. It's in Ohio, anyway. I wonder how long it'll take us to get to Hollywood. Now, how would I know? I wonder if that nice man is still lying in the ditch where we left him. Well, you stop wondering so much, Phyllis. I'm sorry. Look, you just sit there and dream about Barry Brooks holding you in his arms, and I'll... Bonnie! Tell us, actually, is that a flat tire? Don't you think I've got ears, Phyllis? Now, what'll we do? What do you think? We'll just borrow another car. Good. You're just in time, Daily. What's up? The teletype from the Cleveland office just came in. Oh? That black Plymouth sedan was found abandoned early this morning in a street in Niles, Ohio, with a flat tire. Any sign of the girls? No, they must have switched cars. How's that? Well, a man in Niles reported his Ford sedan stolen during the night and the Plymouth was left about a block from his house. Cleveland put out an alarm on the Ford sedan? Yeah. Well, let's start traveling. Where? Niles, Ohio, first. See if there are any clues in that Plymouth. I think we ought to be doing things like this to get to Hollywood. Hitting people over their head and stealing cars. Why not? I suppose they should find out sometime. Who? My public. What are you talking about? Well, suppose after I get started in the movies and I'm on the way to the top. Suppose it gets out that I got to Hollywood by stealing automobiles. Oh, stop. I'll be ruined, Bonnie. That'll be the end of my career right there. Don't be stupid. It'll be good publicity. And besides, all of this will make you a much better actress. I don't see how you figure that. Aren't the best actresses the ones who live their parts? And what are the best girl parts in movies? It's girls who work in gambling houses, who are spies or mixed up with gangs. Girls who look dangerously. To all the time steal cars. I've got another idea as soon as we get into Cleveland. What? We're going to ride in style on trains from now on. Where are we going to get the money? Somebody in Cleveland has money. And we're going to take it away from him. Here's that Plymouth, Mr. Daly. It's like we found her. Uh-huh. We towed her up here to headquarters. I don't see anything inside the car at all. That's fine. Now, if you'll give me a hand, officer, maybe we can get some clear fingerprints. All right. Maybe something right here. No, what's that? It's a movie magazine. Not hard to tell who their favorite movie star is. Favorite one of them, anyway. This picture of Barry Brooks has red lip prints all over it. You'll want to save some samples of lipstick for your laboratory, huh? This may be more important than the lip prints, lipstick writing on the page. What's it say? Phyllis loves Barry. Love me forever. Co-starring Barry Brooks and Phyllis Tyler. That must be one of the girls' names. Yeah. What's that business about co-starring? Well, I'd say the kid already imagines herself in a picture with Barry Brooks. Sounds like the girls are headed for Hollywood. Yes. Mr. Daly? Yeah. Just got a call from Pittsburgh. Oh, what's up, Roland? The girls have been identified. Is one of them named Phyllis Tyler? Yes. How'd you know? She left her name on this magazine. The other one's Bonnie Lawton. They're from Baltimore. Been missing four days. I see. And that Ford sedan they stole here in Niles has just been found abandoned in Cleveland. Well, I'd say that's our next stop. Later that night, somewhere in the area of Cleveland's ore docks on the Lake Erie Waterfront, Bonnie Lawton and Phyllis Tyler sat in a booth in the corner of a Duke joint sipping drink. Look, Bonnie, the sailor's looking over here again. He hasn't looked at anybody else but you since we've been in here. Oh, this'll be easy. He's darling. Never mind that. Look, he's getting up. I think he's coming over. Well, I'll get out of here. Do like I told you, Phyllis. Remember? He's got the cutest smile. All right, but don't let it take your mind off business. Hiya, Goldilocks. You mind if I sit down? I beg your pardon. On our look, don't play hard to get. You've been giving me the offers all night. Couldn't help but look at you. You very much resemble Barry Brook. The movie guy? Yeah. Hey, that ain't bad. Is your girlfriend coming back? She just went down the street for a minute. Oh, that's fine. Got any ideas about us? Well, we don't have to stay here. Well, then let's get going. Come on. Okay. We'll go to a joint where there's some dancing and stuff. Would you like that? Oh, sure. This way, honey. Which way did the girlfriend go? Down that way. Then let's go the other way. Tell me. Say, what's your name, baby? Phyllis. Phyllis. That's very cute. You live around here? I just got in town myself. All right, put him up, Stella. Huh? This is a stick-up. Are you kidding? I said, put him up. Get his money, Phyllis. Okay. Hold on. Shut up. Oh, look, sweetheart. Give me that gun. Sure. I'll give it to you. Oh. Now we travel first class. The American Barriers of Names, which indicate that their ancestors may have attended that banquet. Other Equitable Society members have names that indicate an origin in a more recent wave of immigration. But whether their names go back to the Mayflower, or a boat that landed half a dozen years ago, Equitable Society members have proved that they believe in the time-honored American virtues of Prith and Self-Reliance. insurance policies with the Equitable Society are good evidence that they believe in saving for safety, believe in taking care of themselves by putting dollars aside for future security. And just as our forefathers banded together for mutual protection, so Equitable Society members have joined forces in a great mutual organization created for the common good of all. Self-reliance plus cooperation, that's the spirit on which this country was founded. It's the spirit which makes men and women better citizens and better Americans, which is a good reason for this organization to be thankful. That by serving its members for 86 years, the Equitable Society has served America. And now back to the file on the Bobby Sox Bandits. Do you know where your own 17 year old son or daughter is tonight? And what he or she is doing? You'll probably do because you care, but hundreds of thousands of American parents don't know and don't care, and haven't known and haven't cared for so long that last year boys and girls under 21, and most of them only 17, committed over a third of all the robberies in the United States, over half of all the burglaries, nearly two thirds of all the automobile thefts. The parents of Bonnie Lawton and Phyllis Tyler didn't care enough, and that's why we find them now in a cheap roaming house on Chicago's west side after leaving a trail of crime halfway across the country. 380, 390, 395, 66, 77, 98... Gee, look Phyllis, we're doing swell. You mean we've got $398? More than that. Here's another five. 403 bucks. Why did we stop here? That's enough to take us to Hollywood, isn't it? You don't want to get there broke, do you? But Bonnie... And if you're going to get in the movies, you've got to have some swell clothes, don't you? Yeah, but... How will you do manage to meet Barry Brooks? I'm going to. So what are you going to meet him in? A pair of dirty slacks, scuffies, and a sweater? I hadn't thought about that. Then let's go get us a couple of good-looking outfits. And then what? With those, we can step out in the better spots and take somebody for a lot of money. All right. But there's something else I want to buy, too. What? I read all about it. Barry Brooks collects all kinds of cigarette lighting. Oh. I'm going to get him, want to send it to him from here. Okay. Come on. Let's go shopping. That same morning, back in Cleveland, Special Agent Daly is just entering the field office of the FBI. What did you find out, Daly? Well, the two girls who robbed that sailor last night were Bonnie Lawton and Phyllis Tyler. You sure? The sailor positively identified them by these pictures. Well, that's good, but that didn't put us any nearer to catching them. No, but something else I found out does. What's that? They took a midnight train for Chicago. How do you know? I dug up the night ticket agent who sold them the space. Well, we'd better phone there and have them cover trains going west. Well, they might be smart enough to stop off in Chicago and hide out a while. Yeah, but I'll phone anyway. Okay, and then we'll catch the next plane for the windy city ourselves. Is this a lot of you saw in the window? Yeah, that's it. Isn't it, darling, Bonnie? It's okay. Do you think Barry Brooks will like it? Uh, did you say Barry Brooks? Yeah. The movie star. I'm going to send this to him. Oh, oh, I see. How much is it? Well, it's probably more than you want to pay. How do you know? How much is it? Well, including tax, it's $15. Oh, that's easy. Here. Say, where'd you girls get all that money? None of your business. That's a pretty big bankroll. Do you want to sell us the lighter or don't you? Bonnie, let's get out of here. Okay. All right, I'm missed it. Uh, just a minute, girls. Come on, Bonnie, hurry. Well, welcome to Chicago, boys. Oh, thanks, hon. I'm afraid I haven't got any good news for you. Oh, no trace of the girls, that, Turner. We covered all buses and railroads right after you called, but nothing has turned up yet. Well, they could have taken a bus or a train before we called. Well, all ticket agents have been checked, and they don't recall any girls answering the descriptions. Come in. Here's something. Just came in from the police, Mr. Turner. Oh, thanks. Well, they're in Chicago all right, fellas. They tried to buy a lighter about noon in a little shop on Randolph for Barry Brooks. Yeah? The clerk got suspicious when they showed so much money and the girls ran out. You sure it's the same girls? Well, their descriptions checked, and one of the girls called the other one, Bonnie. Well, if they'll just stay here long enough, I think I've got a way to catch them. Phyllis. Phyllis. Come on, wake up. Anybody think you were a movie star already the way you sleep all morning? Come on, wake up. Have you been out already? Yeah, I went to the store. Did you get a paper? Yeah. Here. Thanks. Want some coffee? Sure. Now, let's see. What page is the funnies on? I figure we can break in our outfits tonight, Phyllis. Make it pay off. I've got a plan. Bonnie. Bonnie. What's the matter? Bonnie, listen to this. Barry Brooks. What do you do? Get married? No, he's here. Here in Chicago. Oh, Bonnie, think of it. Here in Chicago. Well, don't tie yourself in a pretzel about it. What does it say? Barry Brooks is believed to have slipped into Chicago last night, and according to reports, is staying at the state hotel. And Bonnie, we're going over there. Wait a minute, Phyllis. Oh, it's destiny, Bonnie. Don't you see? Barry Brooks and I in Chicago at the same time. Come on. You can't get in to see him. Of course we can. He's good about giving his autograph, and that's what we'll say. We want. Come on, Bonnie. Let's hurry. Aren't you going to bother to dress first? Oh, sure, sure. But it'll only take me a minute. And I can wear my new outfit. Well, and I say you must go away. I tell you for the hundredth time, Mr. Brooks is not in the room. Oh, yes, he is. He wouldn't be trying to get us away. He is not. He is not. He is not. I tell you, he is not. Oh. What makes you young ladies think you can get in? We have an appointment with Mr. Brooks. You have an appointment? Well, just knock at the door and you'll find out. Go ahead, knock. Miss Lawton, Miss Tyler, will you come in, please? Goodbye, girls. Better luck next time. Pardon us. Well, I'm sorry to tell you the report and the paper about Mr. Brooks being in the city was not correct, girls. What? But we called up the room. Well, I'm responsible for the story being in the papers. I'm a special agent of the FBI. They're under arrest. Yes. We certainly had a very short career. Because of their extreme youth, Bonnie Lawton and Phyllis Tyler were put in a reformatory crime where every effort will be made to guide them to a better future. But far more serious than the sentence passed on the two girls was Bonnie Lawton's indirect charge against her own parents. In court, she said, I've had to learn everything else the hard way, so I guess I couldn't very well skip this one. The rising tide of juvenile delinquency in America amplifies that charge into a tumultuous indictment of the tragically large number of American parents who don't care enough for their children. America's homes are the birthplace and training ground of her citizens. What then is the hope for America's future? The answer is in the hands of you, the mothers and fathers of America. The FBI can protect only the lives and property and laws of America. You must protect its future through your children. You'll hear something about next week's case in just a moment. This week at the Equitable Society, a group insurance service man suggested I take a trip with him. So the two of us jumped into his car and after an hour's ride, we parked at a large factory that has just taken out group insurance with the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. First, we got the president of the company's angle on the new insurance program. Among other things, he said, you know, since I started this business 25 years ago, I can't think of anything I've done that's given me more satisfaction than group insurance with the Equitable Society. I consider it a big step forward in our relations with our employees. A little later, we heard the same story in different words from a veteran worker. This group insurance is swell stuff, he told us. It gives me a real lift to know that I've not only got extra life insurance, but also hospital and surgical benefits in case anything goes wrong with me. Yes, there's no question about it. Group insurance is something on which labor and management see eye to eye and stand shoulder to shoulder. And that's why we of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States take such pride in the fact that group insurance is an equitable first. This plan is one of scores of examples of the Equitable Society's leadership and progressiveness. One of the many reasons why we say that this week and every week for 86 years, the Equitable Society has been building security for you, your home, and your country. Next week, we will bring you another colorful story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Big Breakout. The incident used in tonight's Equitable Society's broadcast are taken from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, all names used are fictitious. And any similarity thereof to the names of persons living or dead is accidental. Programs in this series of particular interest to service men and women are broadcast overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. Tonight, the music was under the direction of Frederick Steiner. The author was Frank Ferries and your narrator was Dean Carlton. This is your FBI is a Jerry Divine production. This is Carl Frank speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. And inviting you to tune in again next week at this same time for this is your FBI. You know, it's kind of fun to plan what you're going to buy in future years with the bond you're buying now. Maybe the woman of the house has her heart set on a new washing machine. Dad can see that new radio and television set. And the youngsters have super deluxe extra special bikes and toys in mind. But buying time isn't here. New low price goods aren't on the market yet. More important than that, we still have a debt to pay before we go on a spending tear. A debt to the veterans who fought in the war and their families. Many veterans will require hospitalization. Others will want loans and education. We have a debt in the war contract that were canceled with the coming of the peace. That's why the government is asking us to buy bonds now during the victory loan. This will be the last bond drive. It won't be long before we can go back to a facsimile of living as usual. But until then, let's put over this victory loan by buying that bond. This is the American Broadcasting Company.