 The story of Dr. Kildare. What's where the house I enter, there will I go for the benefit of the sick. What's where the things I see or hear concerning the life of men, I will keep silence thereon, counting such things to be held as sacred trust. I will exercise my art solely for the cure. The story of Dr. Kildare, starring Lou Ayers and Lionel Barrymore. Metro-Goldwyn-Mare brought you those famous motion pictures. Now this exciting, heartwarming series is heard on radio. In just a moment, the story of Dr. Kildare. Ayers as Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie. Player General Hospital, one of the great citadels of American medicine. A clump of gray-white buildings is planted deep in the heart of New York. The nerve center of medical progress where great minds and skilled hands wage man's everlasting battle against death and disease. Player General Hospital, where life begins, where life ends, where life goes on. It's like sentimentalism, Dr. Gillespie, but well, the best I'd hoped for was a chance to work with you on these betatron treatments, and when instead you put me in full charge of the project. Ah, now, Kildare, don't start gushing around like an old maid in the pretel. Anyway, thanks. We're living in a high-speed age, Jimmy, and it affects medicine along with everything else. You younger men are the ones who have to keep up with it. It was only a few years ago that the sulfur drugs came along. And the cellar, and the other antibiotics. Little later, the radioactive compounds, and now the betatron. Well, every one of those has meant another big step forward in medicine and a lot of new problems and new techniques to be learned. By most of the formulas and calculations Miller has used in designing this machine come from a branch of mathematics I've never even heard of. Well, the further science advances, the more specialized it becomes, and the more interdependent. All you can do is take a fellow scientist's results on faith. Assume he's right, and then go ahead. I'm willing to do that in this case. Bart Miller is one of the best mathematicians and physicists in the country. So my main concern now is the fact we can treat cancers lying close to the brain. Those we couldn't touch before with surgery, x-rays, or anything else. As you know, that's as important as... Pardon me, Dr. Kildare, but the specimen lab called. They've isolated the six guinea pigs. You ought to have them ready for you. Go ahead, Parker. Well, you have them sent down to the new lab in the basement. I'll be there later. All right, Dr. Kildare. I've scheduled the first test run with the machine for three o'clock this afternoon. What about the first human test? Oh, that won't be a test, Dr. Gillespie. It'll be a treatment. And the patient is Janet Dane. Maybe you remember her. Yeah, yeah. She's a young artist who was in here for a diagnosis about a month ago. She had a throat cancer high up on the left side, well advanced, and not treatable. Until now. She's coming in for consultation in an hour. I just talked with her on the phone. You know, I'm worried about her mental condition now. She's got to want to get well. But apparently, she doesn't even care. When we told her she had cancer, she seemed to lose all her belief in everything. Well, that's one problem you younger doctors still have to deal with, Jimmy. The problem of the human mind and heart and soul. There's no machine for that one. You'll have to solve that all. Then, as I understand it, Dr. Kildare, I'll be fastened in some sort of chair in a small room down in the basement while this atom smasher shoots a narrow beam of high-frequency radiation through my throat. Yes, that's essentially correct, Miss Dane. Each treatment lasts about three minutes and it'll take several of them before we know the results. You'll be able to hear the batatron running, of course, but you'll have no other sensation and no pain. Nevertheless, I take it there is some danger involved. Well, not as far as we know. You'll be the first patient to be treated here at Blair, of course, but similar machines have been used successfully in other places. Well, then why all these precautions you told me about? Three foot concrete walls on the room I'll be in and with lead shields around it. You and the other operators looking in at me through portholes. Well, there's quite a lot of difference between the careful controlling and focusing of that beam where you want it to go and just turning the radiation loose and permitting indiscriminate exposure to it. But with proper handling of the machine, there's nothing to be frightened about. Oh, don't misunderstand me, Dr. Kildare. There's no question of being frightened of. Stop being frightened of anything. I know. I almost wish you were a little frightened. I mean, I wish you cared enough to be. Care? About what, my life? Why should I? When you told me a month ago, I was going to lose it. No, not quite that. I said that without treatment, you had around six months to live. But we're ready now to start treatment. But there's nothing really certain about this million-dollar gadget, is there? It's still only a chance. A very good chance, though. That's true. There are types of cancer that don't respond particularly to betatron radiation, but I'm confident yours will. Would you still be as confident if you were in my place, Dr. Kildare? I know how it would sound if I said your life is more important to me than mine, so we'll let that go. But all our lives depend on chance. I could be killed by an automobile tomorrow, and you might live to be 90. Of course, there's some chance involved in this treatment, but all the odds are with us. You've got to believe, and I have faith. Then what? I had faith in myself until this came along. So what can you put faith in? Well, if nothing else, why not me? I mean, in whatever knowledge and ability I have as a doctor, in the confidence I feel about the treatment. Suppose the treatment doesn't work? It will. You're so... you're so sincere and convincing. A person could believe in you easily, could want to believe in you. Then give it a try, will you? You won't let me down, Dr. Kildare? No, Miss Dane. I won't let you down. There's no doubt about it. That's ridiculous. The conclusions are non-insufficient evidence. I know the symptoms, Jimmy. And under the circumstances, it was inevitable. Every woman falls in love with her doctor at least once. It's a psychological fact. Well, not Janet Dane. She isn't the type. Well, maybe she's not your type, but every woman is the type. Well, I hope you're wrong. I've been through that particular patient problem before. Oh, in fact, I know you're wrong. Okay, Kildare. We'll have to go ahead on the test whenever you are. All right, Bart, let's get started. Wayman, you can bring that first cage over now. Got you, boss. One live guinea pig coming up. Cute little gopher, ain't he, Doc? Bart, is it safe to go inside now? Yes, everything's cut off. Go ahead. Come on, Joe. This room gives me the win-win. Nothing in here but that one chair. It looks like an execution chamber. It's intended to be just the opposite. Now take that guinea pig out of the cage, Joe. I've got to strap him in place here on the head of the chair. He's under a sedative. So he'll stay quiet during the test. Oh, this ain't gonna hurt a little fella, isn't it? No, you won't even know anything's going on. Here we are. Oh, come on, Joe. Let's get out of here. It's okay, buddy. That thing there looks like a machine gun pointing through the wall there. It's even got ring sights on it. When you fire a 30-million-volt shot, it's a good idea to know where you're aiming. I'll clear Bart. It's yours from here on. Okay. Roll him over, Jim. Right. Dr. Gillespie, you can use this porthole here if you like. Oh, thank you, thank you. I don't see nothing happening yet, boss. Speed steady at 21,000-byte. All right. Cut in the primaries. 27.53-byte. Good. Are the grids open? Yeah. Well, gentlemen, this is it. Test number one. On zero, Jim. Right. Ready. Now, I don't see nothing happening in a minute, Doc. No, and you won't see anything, Joe. The beam is invisible. Oh, that little gopher inside there sure don't seem to mind it, none. He doesn't even feel it. Well, two minutes, 43 seconds, I want to go. You've seen the whole procedure now, Miss Dane. That guinea pig in there is the eighth one we've tested this week. Three minute exposures each time, and not one has shown any ill effects. Well, this one certainly seems to feel all right. A guinea pig can go through with it. I can too. When do we start? Well, the first treatment is scheduled for nine o'clock tomorrow morning. I see. You've decided to take my advice. Yes. Whatever faith I have, it's all in you now. Guess that ought to put you on the spot. I suppose it does in a way, but thanks for doing it. Oh, Kildare. Oh, so you're still down here. Am I too late for the run? Yes, we just finished, Dr. Gillespie. Everything worked perfectly. Bart's there in the control room now, making a final check over. Ron, Kildare, I've just completed it. All okay. Oh, good. I tell you, I'll come in at 7.30 in the morning. Have it warmed up, ready to roll any time from 8.30 on. Now, then it'll work out nicely. We're scheduled for nine. Well, how do you feel, Miss Dane? Better than I have any time for the past month, Dr. Gillespie. Thanks to my physician, who's a pretty wonderful guy. In case you didn't know. Yeah. Fits in with a little theory of mine. I'm psyched now. Oh, let's not go into that, Dr. Gillespie. Chief of staff, they've been trying to call you up at the lab. You know what's happened? No, what is it, John? Them two guinea pigs you tested down here on Monday. They're both dead. What? They just now found them killed over in their cages. Cold in the marsh herring. Yeah, it looks as though you'd better do some more testing before you start your treatments, you mean. It couldn't have been caused by the machine. Their blood counts, cell structure, vasocardiac, reflexes, everything showed no damage after the tests. Now, they've died from something else. It's pure coincidence, bound to be. Well, they certainly didn't get anything from Big Betsy here, but a shot of straight high-freq radiation. I'll swear to that. Nothing else showed up on the test blocks of the recorders. Well, nevertheless, we'd better not take any chances with Miss Dane until we're sure what happened. No, I'm not afraid. Whatever Dr. Kildare says, that's all right with me. I can be confident in him. Even under the circumstances. Of course. It's a little matter of things, you know? All right, Miss Dane. We'll go ahead with the first treatment as originally scheduled. From pneumonia. I told you that three hours ago, Jimmy Woodsell had to make sure I'd better clean up this mess and get some sleep. You're still going ahead with that treatment in the morning? Yes. We don't know what caused the pneumonia, Jimmy. But I do know that it wasn't the betaton. Coincidence, then. Yes. Those two guinea pigs were left overnight in that basement lab. It's damp down there. They may come from a susceptible strain. They were new specimens, delivered only the day before. They may even have been infected when they came to the hospital. Yeah, it's a possibility. Yeah, but there's nothing sure about any one of them. No, but as far as I'm concerned, these things are sure. One, when Bart Miller says the machine is functioning perfectly, I'm sure that it is. Two, I'm sure there's no medical theory to account for high-frequency radiation causing pneumonia. Without at least some evidence of cell damage or blood deterioration or some of the other signs we've looked for tonight. Three, I'm sure that without treatment, Janet Dane will be dead in less than six months. Well, Jimmy, it's your decision. And it's a hard one anyway you look at it. The girl has a lot of confidence in you. I know. It's the one thing she's clinging to now. Plus, of course, the fact that she's in love with you. No, you're wrong about that. Well, maybe. Maybe. Anyway, what are you going to do? Cancel the treatment or go ahead? Well, Janet said her confidence was only as strong as mine. All the knowledge and skill I have tells me there's no reason for delaying that treatment. I know I'm right and I'm going ahead with it. The schedule is still nine o'clock in the morning. Roll any time Kildare gets here with the patient. Good. He's due any minute now. Jim and I have gone over big Betsy with a fine-tooth comb. Everything works perfectly. I'd stake my life on it. Well, in a way, we are staking a life on it. Dr. Gillespie, when I think what that poor child has to go through, I just get so nervous I could scream. Oh, fine, Parker. That's all we need to build up Miss Dane's courage. A screaming nurse waiting to greet her. Well, after what I heard you and Dr. Kildare saying last night, I certainly can't be very calm about this. It happened over here. Oh, sure you did. I know just how she feels, Doc. I mean, sir, it ain't like there was a guinea pig in there. This time it's going to be a real-life thing. Wayman, you're an ambulance driver and you've got no business down here. Get out! Well, what if she maybe passes out, maybe, and we've got to haul her off on a stretcher or something? Oh, can't find her. This isn't an execution. It's an attempt to save a human life. So stop acting like members of a death watch. Dr. Gillespie, here she is. Well, how do you feel, Miss Dane? Oh, fine, Doc. Can someone at least smile? This isn't an execution, you know. Yes. How about it by already in your department? Sure. Roll them over, Jim. I guess there's no point in delaying things, Miss Dane. Shall we go on inside? Yes. Let's get it over with. Well, we were about to die. I salute you. I'm about to live, Miss Dane. Dr. Gillespie, if I didn't believe that, too, I wouldn't be joking about it. All right, Dr. Kierner, let's go. This room was made less scary than guinea pig was in here and I was outside. Well, you'll be outside again in a little over three minutes. Climb into that chair and we'll get you settled. Like so? That's right. Just lean back against the headrest. All right. Put your arms like that. Now, all you have to do is sit here for three minutes. Don't move. Don't turn your head. And this microphone here will pick up your heartbeat while this tube on your arm registers blood pressure. I'll be following them on recording dials outside the window there. And if you get nervous or want the thing stopped for any reason, just press this button under your hand and we'll shut off the whole work. You got it? Yes. I won't press the button. Oh, good girl. You've got a lot of courage, Miss Dane. Believe me, Doctor. It's going to be all right. I know it is. I wonder if you know what I mean when I tell you. I love you. All right. Yes, it's... You don't know. But you will when I'm well again. Miss Dane, you're a very beautiful woman, but... Thank you, Doctor. I suppose we may as well get started, don't you think? All right. I'll be at the window. I'm not worried. All right, Bart. It's up to you. Okay. Cut in the primaries, Jim. Hold steady on those grids. All right. Kildare, will you do the siding? All right, Bart. That poor child. Bart, shut up. It's dead on, Bart. Go ahead whenever you're ready. Second, there is a 28.25, Bart. Grids are in. Here goes. All right, Jim. I'm Carlos. Good luck, honey. She was... She's sitting there and taking it without batting an eyebrow. She's so brave. I just can't get over it. She seems nervous, you mean? Donna's starting to weather lips and nothing wrong, is it? Hot beat is steady. Butt pressure normal. No, everything's all right, Dr. Gillespie. 30 seconds. Look, Dr. Gillespie, she must be all right. She's smiling. Okay, that's the smile of a woman in love. Why, I didn't know that. With whom? With Kildare. Well... Now it's the smile of a woman who's convinced she's going to live. A woman who's just got to live. Let's get the door open and bring her out. Okay, boys. Well, she came through it okay, Dr. Gillespie. I hope so, Jimmy. The guinea pig didn't die until the second day. No, I'm not worried about that. All I'm hoping is that these treatments work. Plus, we realize some cancers aren't susceptible to this, but we won't know for three weeks or more. Well, as far as I could see, everything worked like a charm, Kildare. What do you plan to give her the second treatment? Well, the day after tomorrow, she's feeling all right. And, uh... Oh, nice work, boy. Thanks. Well, I could get here with her. Was I not a good patient? How do you feel? Fine. A little shaky is all. Miss Parker's going to take you up your room now. You can have breakfast whenever you want it. I'll see you a little later. Oh, and Miss Dane, you were a perfect patient. Well, you know why, Dr. Kildare. That's right, Bond. Treatment number four is scheduled for 10.30 in the morning. Right. Bye. It's not that I mind the treatments, Dr. Kildare, but when are we going to know? Still too soon to be able to tell, Miss Dane. You've just got to be patient. That's all. I don't know, Jimmy. She's had 10 treatments now, and neither the x-rays nor the measurements show any change in the size of that cancer. I just don't know. Treatment number 14, nine tomorrow morning. All right, Mr. Miller, goodbye. Do this afternoon why, Dr. Kildare? Nothing's going to happen. It's been over two months, and you told me three weeks. Yes, I know, Miss Dane. Well, all we can do is to keep trying. I'm sorry. All right, I'll be there, too. Dr. Gillespie and I just finished reading them. What did? I mean, did they? Skipping the technical details, the cancer is no longer malignant. It's starting to atrophy. Decrease size. That's also borne out by the measurements we made yesterday. So you mean that... I mean it should be completely absorbed within two months. Miss Dane, you're cured. Dr. Kildare, I love you. I think you do. Oh, I don't think I do. I know it. Well, let me put it this way. It's a psychological fact that women very often imagine themselves in love with their doctors. Of course, it's only temporary, but... Oh, silly. I'm not that sort of giddy female. When I came to you, I was lost. I was scared. I knew I was going to die and I didn't even care. But you made me care. You gave me hope and courage and faith that I loved you for it. No, I put my life in your hands. And now you've given it back to me. And that's why I say I love you. I'll never forget you. Jimmy, thank you for my life. Thank me? Why? You know, I've always believed that life is the most precious stuff on this earth. That's why I'm a doctor, Janet. So if you did put your life in my hands and if I did save it, then I'm humbly grateful for the chance. In just a moment, we will return to the story of Dr. Kildare. A graduation for me. Remember, you had quite a theory at the time. Bradley in love with me. She was in love with you. Probably still. It's a psychological fact that... I know that every woman falls in love with her doctor at least once in her life. That's a pretty ridiculous theory, Dr. Aspie. Well, now you don't know for sure just because the girl kept her feelings hidden. Why no now, all right? She called me up this afternoon. Well, now... She wanted to tell me she was married last week. So long. Oh, Parker, how would you like to do me a favor? Well, of course, Dr. Kildare. Well, Gillespie's in there tearing a pet theory to pieces with his teeth. What? And let him stew for about ten minutes and go in and tell him that the man Janet Dane married works over at the medical center. He's a research doctor.