 presents Joan Leslie and Marshall Thompson. From Hollywood, the mutual network and cooperation with Family Theatre presents the Rainbow Chaser, starring Marshall Thompson, and now here is your hostess, Joan Leslie. Thank you, Tony LaFranco. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families, and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you to pray, pray together as a family. And now to our transcribed drama, The Rainbow Chaser, starring Marshall Thompson as Jim. Jim? Jim? He's not back from lunch yet, Mr. Kearns? Well, it's almost a quarter of two. He's asked me to tell you he might be a little delayed. Okay. You happen to know if he sent that wire to Spalding this morning? I couldn't say. Maybe that's what's keeping him. I hope not. I told him to phone it in better than three hours ago. Well, he ought to be back pretty soon. Hi, Dan. Ginny. Hello, Mike. How are you, Miss Kearns? Fine. How do you like the sporting goods business? Great. Probably like it even better when I learn it. Mike, tell Jim I want to see him as soon as he gets back, will you? You bet, Mr. Kearns. Come on in, honey. Well, don't tell me you've got Jim out running errands. I have not. He's still on his lunch hour. His lunch hour? Yes. That's just about the way it strikes me. But he had lunch with me. We finished almost an hour ago over at Wright's. Well, he probably had some appointment. I just wish he'd leave word around when he has to go somewhere. Well, come to think of it, he did say something about the dentist. Oh, come now, Ginny. You don't have to cover up for him. Well, I'm not covering up for him. Very well. But you can't treat him like an office boy. Office boy? I've made him assistant manager of the business. What do you want? Dad, why don't you try to like Jim a little? Try? He likes you? Well, I do like him. I don't have to try. I like him fine. But you can like someone and still see he's not going anywhere. And that's what I mean. It's your attitude toward him. I can't help seeing what's there. Dad, I love him. We're engaged. Why do you think I've taken him in here and paid him more than he's worth? You don't know what he's worth. I don't. I admit it. But after the orange blossoms and the honeymoon, I don't want you to wake up and find you're married to nothing but an ex-football player. Oh, he never even talks about that. I've heard what he talks about. Big dreams, the big chance, the big killing. We have said yourself a man has to think big. Thinking big is different from pipe dreaming, honey. He's restless. I knew Jim's father and I know him. And I loved his father. But the man was restless. He just couldn't settle down. There's nothing hereditary about restlessness. Oh, I'm not saying there is. Ginny, this isn't an argument. I'm thinking of you. All right, the boy's trying to change. Be firm in what you expect of him now and you'll both be a lot happier later. I know. And it can't be done in a day. It takes time and it takes patience. So start now. Well, I have. He's been saving regularly. Because you put your foot down. Men don't resent it. They like to be bossed a little. Come in. You want to see me, Mr. Kerns? Oh, yes, Jim. Hi, honey. Jimmy. Uh, no kissing during business hours. You can dock him for this one. Where have you been, you sneak? Oh, I was down at the hardware store. I ordered something about a month ago and I've been meaning to pick it up. And that took an hour? Well, I had to stop over at the county building too. About some property for a friend of mine. I just wanted to ask you, Jim, if you got that wire off to Spalding this morning. Oh, my gosh. Well, it doesn't really matter. I'll phone it in myself. I've got the message right on my desk. I meant to send it. It's all right. Well, let me go out and do it right now. I'm awfully sorry. It's all right. Excuse me, honey. You see what I mean? Yes. You've just got to keep after him. Son, what is it? Well, it's called a scintillometer. How much did it cost? Almost 500 bucks. Jim. Oh, you wait and see. I'll get it back. Maybe 10 times over. It was up at the AEC office in the county building this afternoon. And the fellow I spoke to says they've got aerial maps of the whole mountain range around Santa Rosa. Has he let anyone see the maps yet? No, no. The first time anyone will see them is tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock up at the Santa Rosa office. Then it's just going to be one big dash to the hills. But are they sure there is uranium up there? Well, it's like I told you they're going to have some certain hot spots marked on the map, places where the instruments in the survey planes got a strong reaction when they flew over. It means there's something there. They don't know what or how much, but if it's uranium ore and there's enough of it, you may have a find. Then you just file a claim? Yeah, take out ore samples and see what you've got. Have you told Ginny about this yet? Well, no. No, I wanted to get it all set first. But you'll have to let Mr. Kearns know if you aren't going into work tomorrow. I know. I'll tell him. What's the matter, son? You're afraid they'll laugh at you? I guess so. Kearns thinks I'm a bubblehead anyway. Oh, no. I does. He doesn't make any secret of it either. Well, you can't stop people from how they feel. I've known Alan Kearns all my life. He has his own way of thinking, his own way of doing things, and he's set in those ways. Do you think his ways are right? Well, he's one of the most prosperous men in town. He's worked hard. I think he deserves to be successful. Well, you're trying to say that if I run up to Santa Rosa and find some uranium in one afternoon, I don't deserve it? No, I'm not trying to say anything of the kind. But you don't think much of the idea, huh? Not much. What do you think Dad would have thought of it? He'd have been up there three days ago, standing at the head of the line. And you think I ought to forget it? Son, you're 28 years old. All through your childhood, your father and I tried to teach you what we thought you needed to know as best we could. But you're not a child anymore. This is something you have to decide for yourself. Sure you won't have some coffee, Dad? No thanks. I'll have enough trouble getting my body to sleep as it is. Jim? No, no, thanks, honey. Well, Mr. Kearns? Jim, I don't know, but I have a feeling it's the most hair-brained scheme I've ever heard in my life. I sort of thought that's what you'd say. To begin with, you know absolutely nothing about uranium prospecting. Well, we don't either do most of the people going up there. That's why I bought the cinematometer. $500. Well, that's what they cost. Now, kids, I didn't get out of bed at 12 o'clock at night to hear a lot of shouting. I'm sorry. It was my idea to have you here, this, Dad. I just didn't know what to think. I understand. Well, I'll tell you something, Jenny. I'm not so sure I understand. Why does your father have to come down here before I can find out what you think? Come on, now let's keep it down. I'm sorry. Because the idea is just crazy. Over half our savings for something you don't even know how to use. I know how to use. Without even asking me. I frankly don't get why this is such a big thing. All I want is one day off to go up to Santa Rosa and take a look around. One day off and $500 just thrown away. You think I couldn't sell this thing when I got up there, even to the profit? I had to wait over a month to get it. Jim, I think what's at issue here is a lot more than the day off or even the $500. Serious as that is. Well, I don't see it. Well, this has something to do with you, the kind of person you are. A man who's going to get married is taking on responsibilities. I know that. You can't just pull up stakes and run off every time you see a rainbow. We're not pulling up stakes. It's one day. What if I find a place where there's ore, real uranium ore? Just what do you think your chances are? An amateur of doing that. Well, it's happened before. What about that fellow in the paper who sold his mind for $9 million? After he'd spent months looking, and he almost killed himself. Well, he was an amateur. Well, Jim, what I'm getting at is that you may go on like this all your life, always looking for the pot of gold, always restless, like my father. All right, like your father. And you know, and your mother knows that he had no closer friend than I. I know. We went to school together and grew up together. Till the day he died, we were friends. But face up to it, Jim, your dad was unrealistic. He was a dreamer. He had a lot of bad luck. Because he banked on luck. Luck and dreams and hope. And it wasn't enough. It never is. Well, maybe not, but I want to try it. I've gone this far, and it's just one day. I want to try it. All right, Jim, you've already bought the scintillometer. I'll give you the day off if you want to take it. But you and Ginny, you're going to have to come to some agreement about this. We've already got an agreement. We're engaged. That's not what I mean. I've got Ginny's interest to consider, and I don't want her married to a will of the wisp. Well, don't you think that's something for her to decide? Yes, I do, Jim. Good night. Good night, sir. Don't be up too late, honey. I won't, dad. Well? Jim, do you really think you could sell that scintillometer if you don't find anything? I'm sure of it. Honey, you know I love you. Oh, honey. But I think dad's right. We can't expect to build a future on nothing but pipe dreams. Don't expect to. All right, then I want you to promise me something. If you really want to go up to Santa Rosa tomorrow and then look around and go ahead. I want to very much. Then do it. But just for one day. All right. And I want you to promise me that from now on you'll never ask or try to do this kind of thing again. You mean look for uranium? Yes, or anything else. Just chasing a rainbow. Well, if that's the way you want it. It's how it's got to be, Jim. Or what? Or I can't marry you. Well, that's pretty strong talk. I know, but I feel strongly about this. Well, what if I strike it lucky and find something out there tomorrow? You won't. But suppose I do, just supposing. Well, it'd be different, I guess. I'd have to think it over. But I'm talking about if you don't. Then I want you to promise me you'll stop trying things like this. All right. Let's wait till tomorrow night when I get back. But I want you to promise me now. You just said if I hit it lucky, you might want to think it over. Yes, but I- Then it ought to work both ways, honey. How do you mean? I want to think it over, too. Hello. Oh, yes, Ginny. No. No, he's not back yet. Well, I've been keeping his dinner for him since six. He ought to be along soon. Yes. Yes, I know, Ginny. He told me. Well, it's something you'll both have to decide. I can- Oh, there's the door. Hold on just a minute. Yes. Excuse me, ma'am. Are you Mrs. Seitz? Yes. Jim's mother? Yes, is anything wrong? No, I'm- I'm- Well, my name is Sawyer, Mrs. Seitz. Phil Sawyer. I run on to Jim this afternoon, along the Bonita Range, just north of Santa Rosa. Well, where is he? Is he all right? Well, yes, he's fine, ma'am. That's what he dropped me off to tell you. Oh, you mean he's here? He was up to a moment ago. He said he wanted to drive over to his girl's house. Ginny, I think, he said her name was. And would I ring the bell and wait here for him? He's on his way over there now. Well, that's my understanding. Oh, please, come in and shut the door. I've got someone on the phone. It's a pleasure. Hello, Ginny. Ginny, he's on his way over to your place. Well, I don't know. I can't imagine. Yes, yes, he should be along in a few minutes. Yes, and have him call me, will you please? All right, goodbye. Oh, I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Sawyer. Not at all, ma'am. Did I understand you to say you were up at Santa Rosa prospecting this afternoon? That's correct, ma'am. Here, we stake three claims in places where that senator leader of his was clicking so much he'd like to break. He found some uranium? Now, you can't be certain. I've seen veins fat and sassy in the surface, and 10 feet later they peter out to nothing. Does Jim realize that? Your son? Oh, I'll say he does. The funny thing, though, he doesn't seem to be much concerned whether it pays out or not. How do you mean? Well, he says he learned something out there this afternoon. Now, it doesn't sound like much to me. About mining? Well, that's what I asked him, but he said, no, no, Phil, not just about mining, about something else a lot more important. So I said, what was that? And he says, about chasing rainbows. Hi, honey. Come on in. Are your folks home, Jenny? Well, daddy is. Mom went over to Mrs. Granger's right after dinner. Is anything wrong, Jim? I'm not sure. I hope not. I mean, you didn't find anything this afternoon? Well, nothing definite. We stake some claims, but... Who's we? Oh, a man named Phil Sawyer, a prospector I met up in Santa Rosa. Oh, Dad, Jim's back. Hello, son. Mr. Cairns. Well, how did it go? Well, we staked a few claims. Sit down and tell us all about it. Jim said he ran into an old prospector up there. Yeah, typical sourdough. He's been working those hills for years. Yeah, but still broke, huh? Guess you could say that. You know, Jim, maybe it wasn't a bad idea for you to go up there after all. Give your first-hand look at how such fellows have wasted their lives. You might get an argument from some of them on that. They don't think it's been a waste. Well, of course they don't. Or at least they don't dare admit it, even to themselves. But look at them. Well, that's what I've been doing today, looking at them. Even more than looking for uranium. Did you have any trouble selling the scintillometer? No. Don't tell me you turned a profit on the deal. No, no, no. What I mean is I didn't try to sell it. What? Well, I'm not so sure I want to. But you said if you didn't find anything today. What I said was we didn't find anything definite. Nobody did. Nobody ever does right away. We found some hotspots. We're filing a claim on that. But, Jim, you promised. No, I didn't promise. Son, you're twisting words. Well, you'll see who's twisting what. Before you went back upstairs last night, I remarked that if I wanted to, I could probably sell a scintillometer up at Santa Rosa without any trouble. Yes, and then later you said you would sell it. No, what happened later was that you said I would sell it. Oh, more exactly, you asked me if I was sure I could sell it, and I said yes. Well, if you're going to split hairs. I'll bet you think that's what I'm doing. It's the nicest way I can describe it. Well, then, for a change, let's don't be nice. Let's call this what it is. You and your father trying to make me over into the ideal husband and son-in-law. All dad's trying to do is help you. Help me what? Be like him? Maybe I'm not like him. Maybe I'm different. But, Jim, you promise. I didn't promise anything. You make up your mind I should do something, and then you convince yourself I've agreed with you. Jim, I think you remember our conversation last night about being impractical, banking on nothing but luck. Bet I do, and I remember something else. We talked about my father, and I sat here and listened to you condescending about him. Now, that's not a fair word. The word is condescending. You liked him. He was a pleasant fellow, but a bit of a bonehead. I didn't say that. You didn't have to. I know what you think of him. He was my friend. Sure, and you were his friend, too. But have I ever told you what he thought of you? Jim. My dad thought you were a stodgy shopkeeper. Jim, I won't let you talk like this. We'll talk like us about my father, a dreamer, an idler, a failure, anything that comes into your head, and I sit and listen to it. But it's not meant to be an insult? Well, I take it as an insult. I'm sick of it. Son. And I'm sick of being made over in the image of something I'm not. I don't ask you and Jenny for promises. I don't ask you to be like me. But I have got the right to expect that my daughter won't marry a man who'll let her starve to death. No question about it. That's all dad's worried about? I don't believe that. Oh, Jim. I don't think your dad feels a man can support a wife unless he does nothing but work to nine to five in a sporting good store. You're going to do it with uranium? Maybe. Just maybe. Jimmy, be reasonable. No, you don't be reasonable. You mean be like your father, nothing but safe and sane? You think that's a bad thing to be? Not if you want to. Not if it gives you pleasure. That's why I think my dad was as wrong about yours as he is about mine. You can't measure everyone by yourself. You can't do it. It's mean and it's sick and it's arrogant. And what are you going to be, Jim? Like those sourdoughs up in the hills, chasing a rainbow all your life? Have you ever chased a rainbow, Mr. Kerns? Not that I'm aware of. And how do you know what it is? How do you know what it's like? I think I know what a man's behaving like a fool. How can you tell? Because he banks on luck and he fails. And that's a fool? A great percentage of the time, yes. But what if he succeeds? He's still a fool, but now he's a lucky fool, huh? Success isn't a matter of luck. I agree with you. But not once since this uranium business came up, have you considered that I might have brains enough to learn anything about it or will enough to work at it? You figure if I connect at all, it'll be blind luck. You mean you'd quit your job at the store? That isn't what I mean at all. Well, son, you can't hold two jobs at once. I don't intend to. I've got a partner who'll work the claim and I'll go up on weekends and help him. Jim, it's not practical. I think it can be done. I'm afraid I just don't see it. Well, I've got a difference of opinion. Let's give it a try and see how it works. I sound like I've tried to be patient about this, but you seem to have forgotten completely that you have an obligation to Jenny. I haven't forgotten it. Honey, Dad's just thinking of our future. He doesn't want me to marry someone who make me unhappy. Do you think I'll make you unhappy? No. Not if you settle down and... And how will you make me happy? What? What's your obligation to me? Have you and your dad ever talked that over? Son, I suggest we stick to the subject. I think we're right on it. We're talking about our marriage. I've been told over and over what's expected of me. I want to know what I can expect. Honey... Can I expect a little faith and trust now and then? Well, of course. Well, when's it going to start? You and your father have made quite a project of developing my good qualities. I'd like to see something coming back. You're making it very hard for me to keep my temper. Well, now you know what I've been up against for the last six months. Jim, you're being rude. Well, son, I can excuse the rudeness, but you're going to have to make a choice. I'm not going to have to do anything. It's your job or that uranium mine. Oh, Jim, please, think of us. I am. Take your choice. We'll see if it's my choice. You mean if I keep that mine, I'll have to quit? You won't fire me? You bet I'll fire you. So it isn't my choice. It's yours. If I don't do what you say, you'll fire me. Make a choice. I haven't made a choice since I went to work for you. You've made them all. And last night, you got Jenny to where she was doing the same thing. Promise me this. Promise me that. Jim. What kind of promises do I ask from you? Just that you'll marry me and love me and be Jenny's sights. That's who I'm in love with. Not who you could be. Where are you going? Home, I'm tired. Then you're going to keep on with the uranium? Yes. And if I get another idea six months from now, that looks good. I'll use my weekends to work on that, too. Good night. No, here, here along this draw, Mrs. Sights. You see there in the map? Oh, yes. Of the three claims, I think that's our best prospect. Don't you, Jim? That third claim, that looks like the hottest. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, Phil, it does. Oh, son, why don't you turn in? You're tired. I don't know. I guess I really fixed myself up with Jenny tonight. You did what you thought was right, speaking up to Mr. Kerns. Yeah, but I'm still in love with his daughter. Well, Jim, you can't go on resenting people. I'll get it. Good evening, Helen. Helen, is Jim still up, Mrs. Sights? Why, yes, Jenny, come in. We know it's late. Oh, I know. We're just sitting around the dining room table, having some coffee. Who is it, Mom? It's Jenny and Mr. Kerns. Hello, Jim. Hi, honey. Mr. Kerns? Jim? Oh, excuse me. You haven't met Mr. Sawyer, Jim's partner. Well, how do you do? Mr. Kerns. It's a pleasure. And his daughter, Jenny. How do you do? Very well, indeed. Thank you, ma'am. Mr. Sawyer was just showing me on this map. The places where he and Jim staked out their claims today are always fascinating. They climbed for miles to find this last one. Yes, and I was just saying it looks like the best. Could I see the map, please? Why, sure. You see, there's a lot more to this than just racing around the countryside. I've been 20 years studying these outcropons in this particular place always had a kind of fascination for me. Mr. Sawyer says it's an unusual formation. Oh, is that right? Yeah, but if it weren't for that signalizer at Jimmy's, I'd probably have given it up. You mean you saw Jim had one of those devices and you decided to team up with him? Well, no. In fact, it was the other way around. I generally fight shy of tender feet, but Jim, he came up to me this morning at the AEC office and said he had heard I knew my way around the hills and would I like to take on a stockholder? Kind of like an old established firm, he said, selling a few outside shares. And you agreed? Well, I figured if he had both the nerve to risk some money and sense enough to hedge his bet, he might just make a smart partner. So I took him on. And he's going to come up and help you on weekends? That's right. I'll mine for samples Monday through Friday and we can cart him down on Saturday. I see. Well, after all, it's just time you'd use for playing golf or mowing the lawn. I mean, do you think you've found anything valuable? Not bad. Well, I'm just asking. Mr. Curran, you should know better than to expect an optimistic answer to a question like that. Well, I'm wondering if you've got enough capital to get this thing off the ground or rather out of the ground. I'm not saying we couldn't use an extra hand. You mean digging? Well, that's all you get everything worth having, isn't it? Through hard work. Well, yes. Then let me show you here on the map. What about the map? Well, this is that third claim. How I figure if we had your station wagon, we could take this road here. Oh, the truck would be a lot better. We'll use the truck. All right. Well, then Saturday morning, we take the truck out of the road from Santa Rosa. We start at the hills. This is Joan Leslie again. In the 126th Psalm of David, we read, unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Unless the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain who keepeth it. And I think this applies not only to the house, but to the home and not merely to the city, but to the family. Because it's no mere platitude. There's too much human experience to back it up that the family which is grounded in family prayer, daily family prayer, with as many members as possible, is pretty certain to be a happy family. And I don't mean necessarily in this world's goods. They may be poor. They may know bereavement or heartache, sickness or anxiety, but way down deep beneath the troubles of life and the raging of its storms, there will remain a great peace, a kind of inner tranquility, and a mutual love and support. And I think we can be sure that this is no imaginary thing, a trick of psychology, but a genuine and often a very obvious result of having recourse to one who is real, to one who is loving and infinitely lovable, our Heavenly Father. That is why family theater urges its listeners to establish in their own families the practice of daily family prayer. Family theater knows that the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. From Hollywood, Family Theater has brought you transcribed The Rainbow Chaser, starring Marshall Thompson. Joan Leslie was your hostess. Others in the cast were Fred Shields, Robert Emlin, Joyce McCluskey, and Margaret Brayton. The script was written by John T. Kelly and was directed for Family Theater by Robert Hewill Sullivan, with music composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman. This series of Family Theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded to this need, and by the hundreds of stars of stage, screen, and radio who give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theater stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Tony Lafranco expressing the wish of Family Theater that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home, and inviting you to be with us next week when Family Theater will present The Kiddy Story Story, starring Nancy Gates and Robert Rockwell. Join us, won't you? Family Theater has broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is Mutual, the network for all America.