 Dedicated to the strength of the nation, now heard of more than 1,300 radio stations. We hail Michael O'Shea in Gwissel Station, the United States Army and United States Air Force presentation. Now here is our producer, the well-known Hollywood showman, C. P. McGregor. Thanks, Wendell, and greetings from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to your Theatre of Stars, where Hollywood's outstanding motion picture personalities join us in plays we know you'll enjoy. That dynamic and personable actor, Michael O'Shea, is our proudly we hail star, and portrays a disillusioned but philosophical Broadway playwright en route to destination unknown. At the moment waiting for a train, and for things to happen in a little wayside station. Things happened almost too fast, and certainly things that never happened before in the little whistle station. There is excitement and tense drama, and a portrayal that finds Michael O'Shea at his best. The curtain for act one of whistle station will rise immediately after this message from Wendell Niles. Men in today's Army and Air Force have a responsible work to do. Their mission is protection of the peace, for America and for the world. But satisfaction in serving their country is not the only reason they are making a career of the Army or Air Force. They are benefiting by improving themselves, learning a valuable skill or trade, providing present and future security for themselves and continuing their education. Theirs is a worthwhile career. Now once again our producer. It's curtain time and here's act one of whistle station starring Michael O'Shea as Neil. The light still falls heralding the arrival of winter. A man with collar pulled high makes his way across the railroad tracks to a ramshackled station. The young station agent at his wireless pays little attention as the man enters and goes to the rightly lit stove. Looks like it's going to be quite a storm. About the 10 of the year for it. Is the train on time? East boundary, west boundary. Well now it really doesn't matter. Well, where do you want to go? I don't know. Where would you suggest? Look, this is a station house, not a travel bureau. The eastbound's on time. The westbound's six minutes late. Take your choice. All right, sir. I'll try the eastbound. Sounds more reliable. Oh, how much is it? Well, you can get your ticket on the train. Oh, hi Johnny. Mary, hi honey. I doubt maybe you might be hungry. Hey, fried chicken. Oh, that's my favorite. Thanks, honey. But you shouldn't have come out and... Oh, I drove down. Dad let me have the car. Johnny, working all night again tonight? Yeah. We're going to a movie. Maybe I can stop back afterwards, huh? Okay. Say it, sir. It's an awfully cool night. Got a kiss for me? Well, maybe one. I don't know if that'll last for the rest of the evening. Better try another one. I hope people will understand we're engaged. Oh, what's the difference? Yeah, he's right. What's the difference? Doesn't make any difference. Do what you want. Don't pay any attention to what people think. And that's the only way he can get along in this world. What? Oh, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean in truth. I guess I talked too much, huh? Oh, no, it... Well, it's all right. I'll see you later, Johnny. Okay. Oh, excuse me. My fault. Pardon me. Bye, Johnny. Bye, honey. When is the train for Hartford? 40 minutes. No, sorry. You can read my newspaper if you like. Oh, well, thank you. Oh, that's all right. And please, share the stove with me here. You must be cold after that walk from town. I didn't say I came from town. No, you didn't. Why are you running away? I'm not running a... Who are you? Me? Oh, I'm just the man who reads the newspapers. Here it is, right on the front page. Your picture and Mike's picture. Are you running away from Mike? You're a policeman. No. I wasn't involved. I didn't know that he'd believe me. No, it's a very strange combination. There's a young, lovely girl like you who don't look over 22 and Mike Lomax, a public enemy. Well, as they say, you meet the most interesting people in railway stations. Why don't you say something? Oh, I didn't know you wanted to talk. Are you going to have me arrested? Now, what would be the point in that? Oh, by the way, we haven't introduced ourselves. Of course you're Kitty, I know, and I'm Neil. Kitty. Yes? Tell me, how did it happen? You and Mike, I mean. Where did it all start? Here in Center City. They had a play at the Civic Auditorium. I was in it. Mike and his friends came. Uh-huh. He sent flowers first, and then he started waiting for me at the stage door. Made me feel important, like a Broadway star. I know, but didn't you know who he was? No, he told me he was a broker. Worked in New York. He said he could introduce me to the right people if I'd come to New York with him. And when I found out who he really was, I ran away and came back here. It was the only place I knew. Uh-huh. I see. And, uh, he followed you, huh? Yes. Well, apparently, it wasn't a completely unprofitable trip, you see. According to the newspapers, he got away with more than $60,000 of the Citibank's money. I didn't see him. Not once while he was here. Honestly, I didn't. I know, but the police seem to think you know what's whereabouts, Kitty. And so they issued a warrant for your arrest, too. It's awfully bad to be running away, isn't it? Yes. Yeah, I know how you feel. You see, I ran away once, too. Four old, no five years ago, I guess. And I'm still running. Kitty, do you know what I ran away from? No. You'll never believe it. Clippings. Newspaper clippings. Taken from the drama section of The Times, The Tribune, The Mirror, The News, The Post, and even PM. Kitty, it was a rotten play. You were an actor? No, no, I'm not an actor. I'm a playwright. Or at least I thought I was a playwright. You see, Kitty, I had a message. Oh, yes, it was a beautiful message. It took me three years to write. It took 207 pages, 14 scenes in length. It exceeded by six minutes, O'Neill's strange interlude. In content, it had all the dramatic impact of... of the Strawberry Festival. Didn't you ever think of trying again? No, thanks. But you should. One failure isn't the end of the world. Why... This is really cute. You're giving me advice now. That's very odd, Kitty. I... I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. Oh, no. No, please, don't be sorry. No need to be sorry. I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry for myself. And you know, it's really a pretty wonderful feeling. It's a kind of a wonderfully smug kind of a feeling. It makes you right and the rest of the world absolutely wrong. Now, what more could a person ask for? Happiness. Bravo, Kitty. Bravo. The right line at the right time. The heroine crosses the center stage, faces hero, lifts her head proudly and speaks. Your thinking is distorted, sir. What matter these material things? Sound happiness? The curtain falls, the floor is in the end of the second act. You're clever, Neil. You take everything I say and twist it to your way of thinking. Oh, now I am sorry, Kitty. I didn't mean to do that. It's just... What's the matter? Mike. Hello, Kitty. Mike, you... I'm taking a train out of here. Guess you're doing the same thing, huh? Hey, pal, what's the... When's the next train for the east? 905. 20 minutes. Mind if I sit down, Kitty? Mike, we'd appreciate your company, Mr. Lomax. Why'd you call me that? Why not? It's your name, ain't it? Here's your name and your picture and evening paper. So, you know. Well, what are you gonna do about it? What, Mike? Well, wouldn't it be more apropos if I were to ask you the same question? Yeah, maybe it would. Okay, just stay where you are and don't get any ideas. This gun's got real bullets in it. Don't worry. I haven't had an idea in five years. And besides, I don't think the gun's necessary, Mike. I'll do the thinking, Mr. Hey, yo. Yeah? What? Get away from that wireless. Over here, snap it up. Sit down, right there in the bench. Okay. This is more like it. You know, Mike, you're a very interesting personality. We don't need no funny talk. No, I'm not funny. I'm quite serious, Mike. There you sit with a gun in your hand and neither of us have any weapons, but still, you're the one who's frightened. You're crazy. I'm crazy, huh? Look at yourself, Mike. Look how your hand trembles and those beads of perspiration on your forehead. A tough guy, a dangerous criminal, but the criminal has no nerves of steel, no deadly stare, no malaprops. I'm disappointed. It's not at all the way I imagine you'd be. Well, you know, Mike, I think you're miscast. Quiet, Dreamer. Quiet before I lose my temper. You lose your temper. Then what, Mike? Would you kill me? A knife. You know, I believe you would, Mike. Yes, sir. I believe you'd do just that. Shut up. Oh, Mike, he doesn't mean anything. Kitty, I didn't like you running away. I didn't like it at all. I never wanted to see you again. But I got due real, though. 60,000 bucks right there in that suitcase. That's enough to last until... Until you rob another bank. Shut up. Strange, Mike, the criminal's trend of thought is quite like that of an alcoholic. Now, the drunk requires a bottle to feed his ego, and the criminal, he's got to have money. Lots of money. Now, do you honestly believe that the dollars in that suitcase have added anything to your stature as a person I mean, or do you believe that Kitty would go away with you now whereas she wouldn't before? Mike, have you ever read the devil in Daniel Webster? What's that? It's a story of a man who mortgaged his soul to the devil. And that's what you're trying to do, Mike. You're trying to buy souls. Most of all, you're trying to buy your own. You talk too big and too much. That's right. You're a cheap felon. But, Wallace, I'd better answer it. Stay where you are. If I don't, they'll think something's wrong. Okay, but I know code. Don't be sending anything you shouldn't. You know, Johnny seems like a right nice boy. He's got a girl, too. She brought him some fried chicken tonight. I guess they're going to get married. So what? So what? Well, I wouldn't like to think that there was a chance of anything happening to him. You're getting nosy again. Hey, you, Johnny, what's that message coming in? Oh, the trains are late. They got a snow plow working on the summit. How long? Oh, an hour, maybe more. Okay. Back over here, where you were. You, uh, think you'll still make it, Mike? What? Make good your escape. You know, an hour's a long time to wait. Any number of things to spoil your plans could happen in an hour. What, for instance? Well, for instance, the stove. I'll take the stove. It makes you warm and comfortable, doesn't it? I'm sure it does. It's easy to relax. Well, a person might even doze off for a minute or two. I won't go to sleep. Don't count on that. Well, then there's the possibility that the police might decide to investigate railway stations. I'd hear them before they even opened the door. Yes, but the door's behind you, Mike. You'd have to turn around in those few seconds. Get up. Oh, sir. We're changing places. You sit here. All right. Yeah, this is a better arrangement. Much better. Now, keep your eye on that door, Mike, and listen for any sounds outside. Listen closely, because the storm's getting worse. Why don't you? And don't mistake the wind for footstep. Shut up! Or the sighing of the trees or the distant train whistle. Shut up, dear. Hear me? Shut up. Shut up. Keep awake, Mike. Don't let your ears play tricks on you. Don't let your ears play tricks on you. I warned you. I warned you. I warned you. I warned you. Thank you for my story. This whole station is starring Michael O'Shea for an important message from our government. High school graduates, did you know that your high school diploma entitled you to choose a career in aviation? It's a fact. Under the Air Force Aviation Career Plan, you can choose the aviation skill you want to learn. Yes, you not only have your choice, but you choose before enlisting. If not accepted for the Air Force Technical School you have selected, you are not obligated to enlist. If accepted, you enlist for three years and are guaranteed the aviation training you have selected. Some of the phases of aviation you can choose training in are radio or radar, control tower operation, aviation engine mechanics, and nearly 40 others. Under the Air Force Career Plan, you not only receive training for a career in aviation, but also draw good pay right from the day you enlist. And you will find advancement opportunities increase as you become more proficient. Ask at your local U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Recruiting Station about the aviation career plan today. The curtain rises on Act 2 of Whistled Station starring Michael O'Shea as Neil. In the waiting room of a small railroad station, three people are held captive by an armed criminal named Mike Lomax. Mike, waiting arrival of his train, has become unnerved and fired a shot at one of his hostages. Neil. It's all right, Kitty, it's all right. Let me get him a drink of water, will you? Okay. Mike, I must have upset you considerably. Your aim was kind of bad. I wasn't trying to kill you. Oh, thanks. I just wanted to shut you up. Have your scarf around that iron. It'll stop bleeding pretty soon. You know, I wouldn't have advised that gunshot, Mike. It might have attracted attention. Are you going to start again? Here, drink this. Thank you, Johnny. Well, what are we doing now to pass the time if we don't talk, Mike? We wait. Like I said, just wait. No, that won't work. It'll slow down the plot. What plot? Well, I waze your sense of the dramatic, Mike. Here we are, four people brought together through a set of circumstances over which we have no control. Each of us a different personality, each with separate desires. You know, it's a sound formula. It's been used in some of our better plays. Dreamer, you almost make me laugh. Oh, how's that? When my train pulls in an hour from now, you might be alive, you might be dead, depending on how I feel. But instead of worrying, you're sitting here dreaming up story. I know, but the play is the thing, Mike. Shakespeare said that. Shakespeare? I heard of him. Oh, you have? Yeah. I worked for a bootlegger at Philly once. I was just getting started then. He was a big operator, wore silk shirts, cuff links, that sort of stuff. Well, this guy wins a bundle on the Dempsey County flight and he figures Tenny's real smart. So when he hears Tenny read Shakespeare, he starts reading the two. Makes all of us read it. Said I'd give us class. I never could understand what I read though. The guy talked backwards. Kind of like you. Well, now thank you, Mike. I'm real complimented. Here? Yeah. Mike. Here? You seem to be getting a bit more sociable. Will you let us in on the secret now? What's secret? Oh, what's going to happen to us? What do you plan to do with us when your train comes in? What do you think, Dreamer? I really don't know and I wonder if you know yourself. I know, Dreamer, but you just keep thinking about it. It'll help you pass the time. Just keep thinking. You, how's your arm? Oh, it's fine, Kitty. It's fine. Kitty, are you frightened? No. It's funny. I thought I'd be, but I'm not. Oh, that's a good girl. I wouldn't want you to be a type. What do you mean, Neil? Well, you see, it's a good plot. No stereotyped characters. We wait and wonder with courage and a minimum of dramatics. Whether are we bound to heaven or hell? We, the Four Lost People. That sounds almost like poetry. Oh, it's not the one. I apologize. It just popped into my head. You must have been a very good writer, Neil, in spite of the things you told me. A person is equal only to his faith, Kitty, and I guess I just didn't have faith. You could, Neil. You will, I'm sure of it. Do you have faith? In what? In yourself, of course. I hadn't until now. For some reason, I believe I could be someone. I believe for the first time I could achieve the things I've always wanted, but I could find happiness. There's that word you don't like. There's that word I don't understand. I thought you could understand everything, Dreamer. I thought you were a real smart guy. No, Mike, no. I'm not even as smart as you are. You see, I'm stuck for a tag. What do you mean, tag? A tag. The ending to a story, Mike. You know it, don't you? Sure you do. So long as you hold that revolver, you'll be able to write the tag to our play. So I'm a writer now, huh, Dreamer? Johnny, I... Shut that door. Get over here with the stove. Mary, honey, don't be scared. Just do like he says. Well, here's another character for you, Mike. This is Mary, Johnny's girl. Okay. You're sitting next to your boyfriend. Face me. Johnny, what is this? Oh, he's waiting for a train, and he's afraid we might call the police. Johnny. Oh, take it easy, honey. It won't be long. Just take it easy. Don't ever anticipate Mike's actions, Mary. I've tried it and to no avail. Just study him, Mary. Learn from him. Learn what you have the opportunity. Learn? Yeah. You see, here in this little way station, Mike is the world. He's something you've never seen before. He's fear, frustration, evil, disappointment, all the things that you and Johnny hadn't planned on. Maybe this is something you hadn't planned on, Dreamer. Come on, get up. Mike, what are you going to do? Start walking, Dreamer. Over to the wall. Mike, don't. All right, Dream. Turn around. Face it all. Shouldn't I say a prayer? If you can think of one. Mike, stop. You're insane. Get away, Kitty. He hasn't harmed you. You can't do anything. He don't like him. He makes me jumpy. I don't know why I waited as long as this. I won't let you do it. Stand back, Kitty. Do as he says, Kitty. No. Get away from him. No. Why don't you shoot now, Mike? Don't stand in front of him. I can't kill you, Kitty. Why not? Am I any different than the rest of these people? I'm going to take you with me. No. That's why I came to this town. That's why I got the money. Kitty. Everything Neil said was the truth. That's why you want to destroy him. Well, I believe those things. And so destroy me too, Mike. Kitty. What's that? Another message. We'll answer it. Now, the eastbound got through. It arrives in six minutes. All right. All right. Get me some rope. What? Rope. Find me some. There. They're in the closet. All right. Now, first you down on the floor. Put your hands behind your back. Look, Mr. Shut up. I'll throw this thing away. No. There. Got out of hold. Okay. Now, you, Mary. Oh, please. Get over here. That's it. That's it. All right. That's it. You're forgetting something, Mike. What? The teletype. If one of us were able to loosen our bonds after you left, we could send a message and they'd stop your train, Mike. Well, now you're being real helpful, Dreamer. We'd better fix that. That should take care of the teletype. Thank you. All right. All right. All right. That should take care of the teletype. Thanks for the thought, Dreamer. Oh, that's all right. And thanks for not shooting us. Then we're even. No, we're better than even, Mike. Much better. How do you figure? Well, you see, you've taught me something, Mike. Something I never knew before. You see, we're really kindred souls, you and I. You've been trying to escape the law and I've been trying to escape from myself. But the end result is the same. There is no escape. I'll get away all right. To where, Mike? The next town, the next city, another country? Where will you be able to walk down the street without feeling pursued? Where will you find a friend you can trust, or maybe just someone to talk to? And most of all, Mike, when will you find time to sleep? I'll get by. For how long? I've been chased before, but the best of them. I'm still around, ain't I? Yeah, and you're still running. What's it matter, so long as you stay out in front? Ever been to a dog race, Dreamer? No. A lot of dogs chase a mechanical rabbit around the track, and the people bet on which dog will win the race. If I had any sense, I'd bet on a rabbit. That sounds like your train, Mike. Yeah. Kitty. Yes? You can still come with me if you want. I hope they catch you, Mike. I pray they do, for your own sake. Okay, stay where you are. You're the smart ones, aren't you? Look at yourselves. They're good and gallant little people. You make me sick, all of it. Aren't you gonna gag us, Mike? Nobody will hear you with that storm outside so you can go ahead and yell. Yell your cool heads off. So long, you good little people. There's the train now. I'll side the window. Yes, Kitty. How soon do you think they'll find us? Not long. He's coming back. Johnny. Johnny, why didn't you... That man, the one who just boarded the train. It's Mike Lomax. I figured something was wrong up at the tower when your board went dead. I brought a couple of our detectives. Oh, don't bother about us. Stop Lomax. Okay. Joe, Peterson, the guy who just got on the train, it's Lomax. There, that's him now. Hey, you Lomax, stop. Nothing, Kitty. What happened? They gave him warning. Is it dead? Yes. I'll get you one time. Wait a minute. There. Is everyone all right? Yeah, fine. Thanks. Your shoulder, that's bleeding. It's just a nick. Neil, you told Mike to pull out those wires. You knew what had happened. Well, I could hope, anyway. Well, it's all over now, Kitty. Curtain falls. End of Act 3. Where do you go from here, Neil? Well, I guess back to New York. You know, Kitty, it's strange when one comes so close to death. How much it makes you want to live? Neil. Yes? Neil, would you take me with you? Well, now you know I was going to ask you just that, Kitty, but I just wasn't sure. Kitty, it won't be easy. It'll be starting at the bottom, and there'll be promises and disappointments, cheap hotels, the automatic, but maybe between the two of us. The two of us. The two of us. That's our train out there, Kitty. Come along. It's waiting for us. And you know what? I think it's been waiting a long time. The calls concluding our story whistle station. Our star, Michael O'Shea, will be back for a curtain call following this message from Wendell Niles. Our regular Army soldiers in Japan are enjoying the experience of a lifetime, and that experience is open to you, qualified young men. You see, there are openings in six well-known Army outfits stationed across the Pacific, and you have your choice of enlistment for any one of these units. You'll work hard because there are many occupation tasks that must be carried out, which you'll find time for relaxation and recreation. And just being in Japan, visiting the points of interest, meeting the people, observing their customs and mannerisms, is a thrill in itself. Yes, young man, here's travel, education and adventure, yours for the asking. Don't overlook this important consideration. That good Army pay goes up by 20% when you serve overseas. Why don't you get the details on enlistment for U.S. Army duty in the Far East right now? Your local U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force recruiting representative will be glad to talk to you. Now, once again, back at the microphone, our star, Michael O'Shea, and our producer. Our star, Michael O'Shea, is one of that select and small group that came to motion pictures from the long and arduous trails of the Bodeville Circuit. And for those who did arrive, talent and ability were firmly established. Well, one thing is for sure, C.P., we know that acting is a full-time job. With me acting comes first, because, well, I have a lot of respect for the profession. I like the people in it, and I find it's worth all the hard work that you put into it. And that's pretty good advice for some of the youngsters who believe that they can become stars overnight. And let's not forget the parents, too, C.P. How's that? Well, take some of theaters, for instance. You have a professional cast and maybe a staff of 20 or 30 boys and girls who pay for the schooling privilege, as you see. Well, a lot of them, and their parents, too, think that they should become stars in one season. Well, Mike, how did you get your start? Well, sir, I started out on amateur shows. You know, I'd get my click down front to lead off the applause, and then when I'd win, I'd split four ways out in the alley back of the theater and probably wind up without any dough. Just like today? Yeah, now you're split with your agents. Same results, no money. Then came Bodeville. You sang and danced, didn't you? Yes, but without any set formula, until I got some very good advice from a friend, George M. Cohen. Oh, well, what did he say? Well, sir, I was booked into a vaudeville theater, and I want to tell you I was worried. I went to see Mr. Cohen. He said, don't worry, Mike, where do you open? I said, well, Mr. Cohen, I'm opening in a little theater in Brooklyn. He said, oh, that's easy to cinch. He says, all you do is open with an Irish song, put a popular ballad in the middle, and close with Ailey Ailey, and you'll kill the people. How'd you do? He loved me in Brooklyn. And we love you here, Mike. We want your back real soon. Well, that's as good as done, sir. Now, what's the bill read for next week? Next week, Mike, and ladies and gentlemen, we have a bright and sparkling comedy title, Take One, Miss Palmer. As the name implies, Francia Palmer is by nature a very indecisive young lady. Francia has two suitors and can make up her mind which one to marry. With her mother as chaperone, they all go on a cruise, but it takes a shipwreck for her to reach a decision. Our star, and I've saved this for the last, will be beautiful Virginia Bruce. Well, that sounds great, and I'll be in the wings. So, goodbye for now, Mr. C.P. McGregor. Goodbye, Mr. Michael O'Shea. Each other is next, ladies and gentlemen, and we bring you Virginia Bruce in Take One, Miss Palmer. Until then, this is C.P. McGregor saying thanks for listening, and Cheerio from Hollywood. O'Shea appeared in the courtesy of the Hollywood Coordinating Committee, which arranges the appearance of all stars in this program. The story was by Lou Lee with our theater of stars orchestra under the direction of Eddie Scurland. This program is rebroadcast The Armed Forces Overseas to The Armed Forces Radio Service. This program is transcribed in Hollywood for release at this time. Wendell Niles speaking.