 Dedicated to the strength of the nation, now heard on more than 1,000 radio stations. Proudly we hail. Yes, proudly we hail, starring Wayne Morris in Sam Psychotron, the Cosmic Kid, the United States Army and United States Air Force presentation. Now here is your producer, the well-known Hollywood showman, C.P. McGregor. Thank you, thank you, and greetings from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to your Theatre of Stars, where your Hollywood's finest motion picture and radio luminaries gather for your weekly entertainment. Wayne Morris is our proudly we hail star, who plays the part of a renowned newspaper cartoonist, the author of an irresistible force known as Sam Psychotron, the Cosmic Kid. The author finds himself in an adventure paralleling the wild exploits of his Cosmic Kid brainchild, which makes for a lively comedy. We'll have the curtain for Act One after this message from Wendell Niles. The citizen says, I am proud to be an American. And the soldier says, I am proud to be an American soldier. The regular Army soldier is helping to maintain world peace and the security of his country. He is learning a worthwhile skill or trade. His education continues throughout his Army career, both on the job and off duty. The regular Army soldier receives high pay, and you young men can have the same. And last now, at your U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Recruiting Station. Now, once again, our producer. It's curtain time, and here's Act One of Sam Psychotron, the Cosmic Kid, starring Wayne Morris as Johnny Spear. Our scene opens in the offices of the Star Syndicate, which supplies comic strips, cartoons and columns to a nation of newspapers. Today, the syndicate is in a turmoil. Hello, hello! Who's calling anyway? Gregory, this is Connor. Oh, yes, boss. We haven't got hold of Johnny Spear yet. What? Hey, boss, Sam Psychotron comic strip is our biggest feature. We can't fire the artist. Oh, I've heard you've gotten at least three months' advance drawings out of him. Yes, boss. Then shoot the originals over to my house. Your husband? Two boys won't sleep till they find out how Sam Psychotron gets out of that snake pit. Oh, yes, that. Now, my theory is that Sam Psychotron... Very interesting, Gregory. But a theory. Yes, sir, yes, sir. Five hundred comic strip artists in this country, and I get Johnny Spear wished on me. Miss Fisher? Yes, Mr. Gregory? Take a memo to the Bureau of Missing Persons. Subject, John Spear, brown hair, blue eyes, five foot elevens. That's who. Six feet. I'm an inch taller than you, Gregory. You are not an inch... Johnny! Johnny, Spear, why you dirty low tongue? Oh, Miss Fisher, you may go. Oh, yes, Miss Gregory. Now, you skunk. Where have you been? Up in Maine, my boy, in an artist colony. Where's your next three-month set of comic strips? Do you mean that childish doodling that goes under the name of Sam Psychotron, the cosmic kid? Yes, the childish doodling for which we pay you two thousand clams a week. Didn't you do any work up there in Maine? I was painting. Well, then we'll put you in an office right here and get you to go right to work. You'll realize all our newspapers are down to just six days more of Sam Psychotron. Now, look, as of your last strip, Sam is in the snake pits surrounded by gorillas. Now, you've got to first get him out of there. He can stay there for all I care. Oh, that's very funny. I'm not kidding, Gregory. I'm retiring. You're... are you crazy? Gregory, I found myself on canvas. So I've taken all my money out of the bank and tomorrow I sail for the West Indies. Oh, I see. Well, okay, Johnny Spillett. Who's the day? I don't know what you're talking about. Who did you meet up in Maine? Say, don't you ever give me any credit for doing my own thinking? No. I give you my word of honor. All this comes from my own soul. Oh, John, you said you'd only be a minute. We have so much shopping. Yes, yes, Eileen. Dear, would you mind waiting outside, please? No, no, no, no. You come right in, Mr. Oh, Gloucester. Eileen Gloucester. Eileen, this is Dick Gregory. Oh, how do you do, Mr. Gregory? Sit down. Sit down in his glass. Thank you. So you met Johnny in Maine. Now, look here, Gregory. That's right. Three weeks ago. You know, I was composing poetry and John stepped on my foot, and, well, one thing led to another, and I discovered he's a great artist underneath it all. See, Gregory? So we're sailing to the West Indies, getting married and live there. John will paint. I'll compose. Isn't that terrific, Dick? You just keep out of it. Now, tell me, Ms. Gloucester, have you thought about Sam Cyclotron and all this planning? Oh, you mean the trash, Johnny Scribble? Oh, the trash. 20 million people read Sam Cyclotron in the morning. My syndicate supplies it. And nobody can draw Sam like Johnny. Nobody. Well, that proves he's a genius. Come, Johnny. Yes, darling. But he's no genius. He's just a good cartoonist, and you're going to ruin him. I? Look here, Gregory, you can't... John, I'll handle this. Mr. Gregory, for years you've buried this fine, sensitive artist under what? What, I ask you, an adventure comic strip? That's right. I've been buried. I'd like to be buried under the salary you get. All the money in the world can't pay for wasting this boy on cheap blood and thunder Scribble. That's right. Cheap blood and thunder Scribble. From now on, John is through with this moronic nonsense. I'm sick of Sam Cyclotron and his impossible escapes from gangsters and gorillas and pirates and magicians. John, from now on, it's a life of real romance. Come, darling. I'm coming, dear. Johnny, you cannot do this to me, Johnny. You're... A life full of romance. Sam Cyclotron's got out of worse traps than this. We'll put my stuff here. Point, darling, my poetry on the shelf, please. Where I can reach it. Hello, there you are. Oh, look, it's Dick Gregory. Hiya, Greg. Well, I see you're all ready to sail. Now, Mr. Gregory, if you've come here to snare it on... It's not that. Oh, I just came to apologize for my unsympathetic attitude yesterday. Oh, really? Yes. I'm sick of Sam Cyclotron myself. Johnny, you know you're right. Always getting into impossible scrapes and getting out by miracles. I'd like to get away from it all myself. Why, Greg, I never thought you felt that way about it. Oh, I always have. Underneath it all, I want to get away. Well, why don't you do what we're doing? That's just what I was thinking. Chuck everything and sail down to the West Indies myself. There, you see. You just have to get away from civilization to find yourself. I was so right. Absolutely so. Will you two take me on the trip? What? Take you? Well, just a hitch to Cuba, and then I'll go my way. What do you say? Oh, we'd love to, Mr. Gregory, really, but there's really no time. That's right. We're leaving in half an hour. Well, I got a cab waiting on the pier with my truck. Hey, Joe, bring it down and go to the West Indies. Oh, this is the life. Nothing but sea and sky. Ah, skimming over the briny deep. The ocean cradles us to sleep. Ah, that's for my last work. Oh, that's beautiful. Isn't it, Johnny? Oh, yeah, yeah. Hey, uh, have you noticed a small motorboat behind us? Oh, darling, we've passed so many boats. Yeah, but this boat's been trailing us right from Sandy Hook. Look, they're coming closer. Two men on the boat. Oh, and you're trying to pass us, that's all. They're trailing us. Oh, next thing you'll have them doing is jumping into our boat and holding us up. Oh, what a fantastic idea. Well, that's the sort of thing that happens in San Cyclotron, the cosmic kid all the time. Just cheap blood and thunder-scribbling. Hello there. On your boat. Hey, they're coming alongside. Stick through them, Dick. I don't like their look. Hold on, since they're meaning help. Call them, buddy. We're coming aboard. Oh, Johnny, he's got a gun. You ain't kidding. This is a hold-up, sister. Dick, start the boat. Get your hands off the wheel button. Get over there with the others. Yes, sir. Hi, I brought under this ferry, buds. Go through the cabin while I hold these buds here. Okay, killer. This is impossible. It's like something about a San Cyclotron. Good. I mean, look, I've got an idea how to get rid of these men. Now, listen, when I give the signal, you and Eileen throw yourselves hard on the deck, and that'll rock the boat, and that fellow will lose balance now, tackle him and take his gun away. Hey, that's just how... Just how Sam captured the River Pirates last Sunday in the color section. You see? You don't have to go to the West Indies to find life. Yeah, it sounds awful dangerous. I came through, so can we. Yeah, but I... Now tell Eileen when I say, now, that's the signal to drop. Hey, killer, look at this box. Full of the green stuff. The dollar bills say there's a couple of grand here. Are you kidding? There's $50,000 there. That's my money. I took it out of the bank. Oh, boy. Now. Oh, yeah. You hit me. Sure thing, Gregory. Yeah, but you're not... I know I'm not supposed to, but I did, Gregory. You're double-crossing me. Double-crossing you? And he knows your name. Sure, sure. This mug paid me $500 to hold up your boat. What? Then I was supposed to let him capture me in bugs and bring us back to New York, and he was gonna let us escape there. Gregory, you load down... John, I knew he was a snake the minute I saw him. Hey, Johnny, I just wanted to convince you that life could be as blood and thunder as your comic strip. That's why I faked all this, so you'd come back to the job. Oh, so that's why you came along. You're dirty. Hey, shut up. This ain't no fake no more. This ain't no fake. What do you mean? Not when there's $50,000 in it for me in bugs. You cannot get away with this, killer. By as soon as we get on land... Don't say you'll ever get, tell me. You mean the future? Sure. No witness. Just drop your overboard. Then we shoot him in the water, right, killer? No mess, no bother. You wouldn't dare. For $50,000, come out of your dream, world sister. We'll take the big guy first. Come on. Jump over a big blood... No, no, don't. He's the car tuner to draw Sam's cyclotron. Now, if you shoot him, I'll lose my job. Rather, if that was the worst thing that's gonna happen to you, you'd be a very lucky guy. Jump in, fake log. Hey, wait a minute. You the guy draw Sam's cyclotron, the cosmic kid? Yes, yes I am. Well, tell me. How's Sam gonna get out of that snake pit with them gorillas laying for him upstairs? Well, uh, I, uh... I haven't figured it out myself yet. Well, start now. Hurry up. Oh, I need some time. Okay. We'll shoot the dame and your friend while you think about Sam. Oh, no, no, no. Don't shoot them now. It'll distract me. You know, killer, this ain't no spot to shoot people. They'd be washed up on shore from here. Okay, tie them all up, bugs, and shove them in the cabin. We'll shoot them in the evening and out for them. In the meantime, big lug, you figure how Sam gets out of that snake pit. And remember, if he gets one scratch on him, it will be too bad for you. We'll talk briefly from our story Sam Cyclotron, the Cosmic Kid, starring Wayne Morris to bring you an important message from your government. There's no getting around at high school graduates. Aviation is the career of the future. And here's how you can have your pick of aviation specialties in the U.S. Air Force. As a high school graduate, you can make your choice of aviation technical training even before you enlist. Once accepted for the Air Force School of your own choosing, you're guaranteed that training. Doesn't that appeal to you? You can specialize in such things as radar, airplane mechanics, communication, control tower operation. In fact, you have 40 different schools to choose from. You'll have the opportunity to become an expert in your line with advancement depending on your own efforts. Yes, an Air Force career is well worth considering high school graduates. Just ask any Air Force man how he likes his job. Or better still, let your local recruiting office tell you about a career in the U.S. Air Force. Call them today. The curtain rises on Act 2 of Sam Cyclotron, the cosmic kid starring Wayne Morris as Johnny Spear. And now in our story, we find that Johnny Spear is trying to get away from his comic strip, has run into a predicament as bad as anything he ever invented for his cartoon hero. His girlfriend and his syndicate editor are in the same boat. Oh, Johnny, to think in a few short hours, our bodies will rest at the bottom of the ocean. A poetic, her greatest work undone. A great painter who hasn't painted a picture yet, and a rat. That's nothing to what old man Carter's gonna call me Monday when he finds me and Johnny gone. And no more Sam Cyclotron. Ooh. Wow. Why did that guy have to tie me so tight? Your circulation stopped? Stop. It's going backwards. Well, big lad, figure out how Sam gets out of the snake pit yet. No, no, not quite yet. Well, you've got one more hour. Concentrate. You're expecting me to concentrate on Sam when in one hour what? Hey, hey, wait a minute. Sam Cyclotron is our way out. Huh? Yeah, you remember when Sam was tied in that African hut and the witch doctor was going to cut his heart out? Sam Cyclotron in darkest Africa. I remember Sam broke open his wristwatch behind his back and with one of the little wheels that's the one. You're wearing a wristwatch, aren't you? Now, Josh, just a minute. That watch was my engagement present to Johnny. Never mind. Turn around, Johnny. Hey, big lad, time's up. You better get this gun, Johnny. I'll tie him up. Hey, what's going on? Number two on the hit parade. Imagine turning in two criminals thanks to Sam. What a public of the angle. When we get back to New York. We're not going back to New York. We're not going back to New York. No, Mr. Gregory, we're on the way. Yeah, but what about there's a comic strip in the syndicate? After all, it was Sam that changed it. If it hadn't been for you and Sam's cyclotron, we wouldn't have been in danger. John and I are going to the West Indies and we don't care where you go. Well, let's go. Look, you two, why do we have to stop at this island and waste a whole day? Because John feels the inspiration to paint here. That's why. You're certainly to find time with the cargo wheel carrying. Well, they're all Mr. Gregory, then go back to the boat and keep your friends from being lonely. You know, that would certainly suit me. All right, all right. How soon do we start for Florida? Soon as I finish this canvas in about an hour. Oh, darling, I wish we could stay here forever. You painting masterpieces and me composing epics. Oh, that's wonderful. Hey, hey, hey, our motorboat is heading for the sea. Oh, those ruffians must have broken loose. Hey, hey, stop that boat. Oh, that's wonderful. I wish after all. What wish? The one about staying here forever. Painting pictures and composing epics. How long we've been on this two-by-four island? This is the third day. Oh, the day after tomorrow, the last Ampsychotron strip is going to be printed. Now, that old man carters in a straight jacket by this time. Oh, imagine, imagine. No more sand. Hey, Dick, where's Eileen? Over on the South Beach composing. You want to? Oh, no, no, no. I don't want her to see this. Why, Johnny, comic strips? Oh, you've been drawing, Sam. Yeah, you know, just to kill time. Oh, that's wonderful, my boy. That's what I'm going to see. Let me see. How do you get Sam out of the snake pit? Oh, well, uh-huh. He hypnotizes the snakes. Oh, that's terrific. Look, Dick, don't let Eileen know about it, huh? Oh, sure. I wish I could get this back to New York. Uh, why don't you send it out in the bottle? Send it in the bottle and have it picked up in the afternoon. Well, it's the only way to get off this place. What about the little motorboat? The gangsters left when they escaped in New York. Oh, they smash it good before they left. Only good thing left is an electric battery. Can't see around an electric battery, can you? No boats pass, no planes. We'll be here the rest of our lives. You know, it might have been better if the boys had shot us on the boat. You take a nice cheerful, long view, don't you? Just practical. Does Eileen realize how we stand? I don't think so. She's finished five in Memorium Parma, man. Johnny, if we could only figure out what Sam would do if he were on a desert island. No, John, no! Something's wrong. Come on! Help, it's me! A snake! Oh, a snake. You're going to hypnotize it? No, you idiot. I'll kill it with a rock. Oh, John, look out! There! That does it. Oh, John, I was so frightened for you. All right, dear. You're safe now. Oh, what was it? A cobra or a rattlesnake? A cobra. Oh, just a harmless sand snake. Probably more scared than you were. Oh, yeah. Fat chance we've got. What do you mean? I mean, we're marooned on this island. We can't meet today or tomorrow or next week or next year. We're stuck for good. I refuse to believe you, Mr. Gregory. You're just being melodramatic. Okay, go right on. Writing poetry. The seagulls around you are great lovers of poetry. We are not marooned. Are we, John? John? Let her go on, Johnny. Say something. What's the matter with you, Johnny? What are you looking at? John! This rock I killed a snake with. Do you see what it's made of? Looks kind of like a cobra. Yeah. It has quartz in it. A lot of pure crystal quartz. So what? You remember once when Sam's cyclotron was lost in a canyon while trailing the mysterious Prince's tassia and he found that quartz mine? Sam's cyclotron in the heart of Asia. He took some of the quartz and some of his own stuff and rigged up a crystal shortwave sending set and radiated for help. Well, we've got quartz and the electric battery from the boat and some old wire. We can make an armature. Oh, yippee! I knew Sam wouldn't fail it. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Thank you for food. Hello? Back to New York, Bowen. Hey, my voice is shot to pieces. Aw, what for use? The battery's dead. Do you think they heard it, John? I doubt it. It's been raining for 8 hours. That's rotten weather for a shortwave reception and with a crude outfit like this one... Oh, John, hold my hand. It's so awfully dark. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Do you hear that? Sure. It's not like a boat. What is it? I'm right. It is a boat. It's a boat. We're safe. My shortwave set worked, yay! Oh, darling! Just think of it with nothing but a piece Yeah, and my boy Sam. That's right. Oh, and now we can go on to the West Indies. Yeah, yeah, I guess we can. And I can get the comic strips blown in by Wednesday. What comic strips? Oh, well, you see, Johnny did something. I just wanted to kill some time between the paintings. Comic strips? Oh, John Spear, you promised me you'd never touch that stuff again. No, but please, Eileen, I couldn't help it. Listen, listen. That boat was on. It's not getting strong enough. In fact, I think it's fading. Oh, of course. We should have realized that they can't see us in the dark. They're searching blinds. But then we've got to light something or make a fire or crack them. With what? Everything on this island is wet. The only dry spot is this shelter we're standing in. Oh, gee, we've got something fast. Oh, John, we can't miss out. Now I'll die if we do. I've got it, I've got it. I know what'll make a fire and a good one. What? Your paintings. They'll burn bright with all that oil. Oh, no, not John's paintings. Why, they're the beginning of his artistic life. Oh, no. Oh, yes. John! Now, you listen to me, Eileen. I've had a taste of this artistic life, and I think it smells. Oh, John! I'd rather be a live cartoonist with 20 million fans than a dead genius who nobody knows. Go ahead, Greg. Light the paintings and throw in my brushes and everything. I knew you'd agree. All I have to do is light it. So you're the trio that's been dancing up and down the airwaves, are you? I've been captain of this boat for 20 years, and I've never heard such radio shenanigans as you three pulled. You mean you heard us distinctly, Captain? Distinctly. Why, we couldn't hear anything else. I sent out a call to shore about those two gangsters, and they've been picked up in a motor cruiser in Miami with a lot of money on them. That's my boat and my money. Great work. And now, Captain, if you just drop us off the next port we pass. Sorry, I make no detours. You'll have to come along with me to the West Indies before I'll drop you off. The West Indies? We don't want to go there. Oh, no. Oh, I don't know now, John. I still think... Eileen, I might as well break it to you now. The West Indies are full of snakes. Snakes? Oh, Captain, let us off right here, please. Sorry, folks. I can't make any exception. But I've got to be in New York tonight. I've got a batch of Sam Cyclotron. You got what? Sam Cyclotron, comics to throw. Oh, you wouldn't understand, Captain. You mean Sam Cyclotron, the invincible? Yes, that's right. And this is the man who draws him, John Spear. Think of it. The man who draws Sam on my ship. Well, well... Oh, that's nothing. Well, I'd be glad to drop you and your friends off at any port you like, Mr. Spear. Imagine having you on my ship. Oh, Captain, this is wonderful. If there's any way we can repay you... Well, you certainly can, Mr. Spear. Just tell me. I'd like to know, how does Sam get out of that snake pit with all those gorillas around? Oh, that's very simple, Captain. He hypnotizes the snakes, then he lassoes the gorillas with them and ties them up. See now, ain't that wonderful? Oh, yes, Captain, amen. Oh, John, dear, I'm beginning to realize that it does take genius to draw Sam Cyclotron. Darling, you know what I like about Sam? Nothing like it happens in real life. No? You'd be surprised, Captain. You'd be surprised. The curtain falls in the final act of Sam Cyclotron, the cosmic kid. Our star, Wayne Morris, will return for a curtain call after this timely message from Wendell Niles. There are several reasons why a young man joins the army today. Maybe it's because of his desire to serve his country, or perhaps he is anxious to become established in a career with a future. Or it might be because he wants to take advantage of the many possibilities for further education while in army uniform. They're all good reasons and well worth you young men considering. And listen, if you're a high school graduate, you can select the army training you want. That's right. You choose the army technical school you want to attend, and you make your choice before enlisting. You can't go wrong, men. Whatever your reason for enlisting, you'll find an army career has plenty to offer you. Why don't you talk it over at your local recruiting station today? They'll be glad to give you complete details. And I'll once again at the microphone our star, Wayne Morris, and our producer. Now that Sam Cyclotron, the cosmic kid, is headed for a full life of breathtaking escapades, we'll leave him with his hypnotized snakes and lassoed gorillas and get to the real life story of our star, Wayne Morris. In fact, Sam Cyclotron could have borrowed a page or two from the book of Wayne Morris, Lieutenant Naval Air Corps Fighting Squadron 15. Then he too might have wound up with two air medals and four DFCs. But we can bypass that too, can't we, CP? You bet we can, Wayne, but you are still in the reserve. Yes, sure. In times like these, we all keep our hands in. Let's see, you're a Lieutenant Commander now, and you wear active, also in the formation of the reserve squadron at Los Alamedas. Yes, and it's a fine outfit. I put in as much airtime as I can at Long Beach. Fact is, that's one of the reasons I sold my own plane last week, aside from the expense of maintenance, because the Navy ships are so modern that yesterday's flight is out of date. We have some great equipment and that's the stuff I want to fly. Yes, and even then it's a full-time job. And by the way, how is that room-to-room radio amplifier system coming along in your home, Wayne? Oh, that's great. I'm getting to be a bug on radio, recording and home movies. I've finally got the entire house wired with a speaker in every room. You can make toast on the living room speaker, and on a clear day I can tune in on your theater of the stars and a dining room toaster. Well, with 250,000 watt transmitters practically in your own backyards, that isn't such an achievement, even on a toaster. Wayne, thanks for being with us. Oh, it's a pleasure, C.P. Tell me, what star steps into your proudly-behaved spotlight next week? Next week, Wayne and ladies and gentlemen, we present the Hills of Home starring Don DeFore as a penurious young Californian, Douglas Clark. Clark finds himself in New York and Saratoga in pursuit of a distracting romance and a buyer for his 100-odd acres of invaluable land near Los Angeles. Where it is reported, the water comes up black. Oh, that's an interesting play, though. Your listeners should like it. And now, goodbye, C.P. Goodbye, Wayne. Join us next week, won't you, ladies and gentlemen, when we present Don DeFore in the romantic comedy, The Hills of Home. Until next week, this is C.P. McGregor saying thanks for listening and Cheerio from Hollywood. Wayne Morris appears with the courtesy of the Hollywood Coordinating Committee which arranges for the appearance of all stars on his program. Remember, proudly we hail next time, presents Don DeFore. This program is transcribed in Hollywood for release at this time. Wendell Niles speaking.