 This is Conrad Nagel inviting you to stay tuned for the next half hour for one of radio's outstanding dramatic productions on proudly we hail Other proudly we hail one of radio's outstanding dramatic half hours transcribe coast-to-coast in cooperation with this station and presented by your army and your Air Force From Radio City, New York. Here is your host and star on proudly we hail the distinguished star of the theater screen radio and television Conrad Nagel Bang hard. Hello, everyone. Welcome again to proudly we hail quite an intriguing title to our story Conrad a matter of time What's it all about? Well, it's not only an intriguing title Ken, but an intriguing story too a Science fiction drama with a surprise ending Our first act curtain will rise in a few minutes after this very important message I'd like to point out that every woman in the United States has a definite part in the stepped-up program of national defense Young women between 18 and 34 who can qualify are urgently needed for service in the women's Army Corps You'll enjoy the gratifying feeling of satisfaction that comes in doing your part for your country during these critical times Visit your local United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station talk to the local recruiter and learn all the facts Volunteer today and now with your star Conrad Nagel in the role of Mark Costain your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production a matter of time Time the riddle of the universe the track on which the film of our lives Time a dream a miracle Time like the strong flow of a river moving Moving but to where? To reach out and stop time Yes to stop it chain it and tame it and then turn it around and trace its course back through the ages Such has been the dream of some man But it took the genius of Dr. Philip Rutledge to make it more than a dream Dr. Rutledge Here's Mark Costain It's good to see you Wait just a moment while I shut this off Dr. Rutledge good to see you too. It's been a long time. Yes, I know I know when becomes absorbed in his work And then suddenly it's five years later sit down sit down How about a drink? No, no, thank you. Ah, how's your work been going? I think I saw some of your photographs in the magazine not long ago. Oh the series on the Belgian Congo. Yes, very good Are you certainly have a talent? So graphic so detail. Oh nothing to it doctor Just look through a finder and take the picture. You're too modest Like your father was Tell me are you Still interested in anthropology as well. Well, you might call it a sideline or a hobby In my photographic work keeps me on the go. What are you up to now? Well, as a matter of fact you call me between assignments. I've got a week to do nothing good. I May have a very unusual assignment to offer you While you're doing nothing, that's a fine way to spend a vacation. I think I can promise you a vacation like None you might have dreamed of Well in that case, I'll be quiet and listen to two things you must realize now One I'm not mad. No and two what I say is in strictest confidence For a number of years now I Have been carrying on experiments in a field which science actually knows little about They have been conducted on a plane I think that explains it in brief Haven't gone into detail because I'm sure your knowledge in the field is Limited to the ticking of a clock. Well be that as it may yet No, it's not the simplest thing in the world at that jest Sounds like an HG well story. I know I know Century ago if a big commercial airliner had flown over your head you'd have thought yourself mad The dreams of yesterday are the realities of today, especially in the world of science. Well, there's one thing I can't help wondering Why have you told me all this? Not just because you and dad were close friends Certainly not If I'm able to accomplish what sounds like the impossible I want to bring back proof Mark you're one of the best photographers in the country you can supply the proof. Oh Oh You want me to go with you on this this journey? I do If you'd rather not I'll find someone else and you realize it sounds fantastic, of course to go back into time To see all that's gone by To take pictures of events that that Can you imagine publishing a photograph of Napoleon after waterloo of Caesar before the Roman Senate of It won't be quite like that. Oh Well, how do you mean? Well for 25 years I've been at work on this project. I've overcome many obstacles, but there are some that still stand in the way It'll only be one trip There'll be no way of knowing just what period of history will come to rest in The end of the trip the forces that made it possible will be exhausted and there can be no second journey At least in my lifetime Morley my assistant and his daughter Lisa will carry on my work But even so it would take them a quarter of a century to be ready to try it again. I see One round trip ticket. That's all we get Exactly and to where we don't know I have to take our chances Look, is there any chance at once having gone back into the past? We won't be able to return to the present. There's always that chance, but I'm confident It's a small one Principle is somewhat like a plane flying on a beam with certain signals to guide it The plane has no trouble following the beam to its destination the same applies to us only in our case There's no way of telling where the beam will end However when the time comes for us to return the origination of our beam will be in the present So it'll be just a matter of Following it to its starting point You make it sound simple When do you plan to start Friday? It gives you three days to make up your mind. Hmm. I Don't think I'll need that long. Oh See Oh Mark, I'm sorry. I make up my mind very quickly doctor I'll have to go back to town to get my equipment Forgive me for misjudging you And many would listen to the tale of a madman and agree to accompany him into Nowhere Big your part you needn't I'm Lisa Morley you're Mark Costain, right? Right Philip said you'd be coming out this morning And as he's busy he asked me to meet you. Well, that's very nice of you and Dr. Rutledge, too. Why don't we sit down? That's a very good idea So you're really going with us. Yes, of course Philip dad and myself. Oh I guess I'd been thinking of it in terms of just the doctor and myself and don't be greedy look. Well Will we be able to mix with the people of whatever time we go back to? Oh, we're not sure about that Philip doesn't think so he thinks will be something like spectators at a motion picture that Will remain unseen to those around us Yes, it might be a bit startling to whomever we pop in on if it was otherwise probably burners as witches Oh, if they did that they'd change history. I was only joking. Yes, I know Yeah, but last night after I left here, you know, I couldn't go to sleep thinking about it I thought Suppose we go back to to well any period and suppose we did something to change history What would happen then well if Phillips right and he usually is there isn't much chance of it We'll see it all but we won't be able to be a part of it It's very complicated and has to do with light rays and I'm I'm sure you'd be bored silly if I tried to explain You call him Philip It's funny. I never cut maybe because I've known him ever since I was a kid Oh, I think he's the most remarkable man alive today, but I just can't be formal with anyone And he likes me to call him Philip because it makes him feel younger you and your father have you been with him long Dad for ten years and me for three You know, you certainly do not look like a scientist. No, what do I look like? Well, you look more like Here in good company the best sir. He just told me I didn't look like a scientist. He's right more like a flirt Mark, this is George Morley my very able assistant. How do you do sir? Welcome to our happy little group If we get back to the time of the Magna Cotta, I want a dozen prints to pass around to the boy Morley's a very dry fellow and I'm a very dry girl. What do you say? We drink to something the most scientific suggestion I'll gather the necessary chemicals then we'll show mark the time chart As you can see, there'll be plenty of room for all of us But it looks like a big bubble the operation is very simple at the moment of departure when full power is But these strange-looking contraptions they do all that as contraptions They're quite wonderful and represent about 25 years of work to mark their contraptions. That's clear enough This panel here will give us our indications when they reach the point We're looking for I'll throw this switch will be off on our broomstick and a flash of light magic magic better than that One way or the other we'll hope so What oh wake up mark time to get ready A cup of coffee Lisa. No, no, thanks You mark afraid I don't have much of an appetite all of a sudden Another dynamo is George right mark you and Lisa might as well climb aboard Send these two seats strap yourselves in make sure the harness is snug right get in George start giving me the readings 104 minus 100 minus Building fast Philip good good it checks 85 minus starting to switch over Beam coming in at 60 minus excellent. I'll hold it steady Now won't be long now. No fluctuations 20 minus maximum approaching stand by at zero Starring in the road of Mark Costain in the proudly we hail production a matter of time will return in just a moment for the second act You're growing United States Army needs registered nurses This is an opportunity for registered nurses to be a vital service to their country by offering their services to the Army nurse Corps You'll become a commissioned officer and have excellent opportunities to further your career You'll have the benefit of working with the finest medical equipment in the world And you'll learn the newest professional techniques in anesthesia operating room procedure nursing administration and many many others So get all the facts today do this by writing or wiring the Surgeon General United States Army Washington 25 D.C. I'll repeat that address the Surgeon General United States Army Washington 25 D.C. Do it now You are listening to proudly we hail and now with your star Conrad Nagel in the role of Mark Costain We present the second act of a matter of time Oh my head Dr. Rutledge Dr. Rutledge you all right What? Yeah Yeah, what happened? Not sure yet here Here drink this see to the others see if they're all right Miss Marley Lisa Lisa you all right Well hit me here drink this Wind is off Up this one off here try some of this Marley What do you see? In some kind of jungle it looks prehistoric You're all right now Lisa fine Well, and I guess we're ready to have a look around I Don't think whatever life we find here. We'll be able to observe us still we must take precautions Marley you and I will carry the rifles these are you take one pack mark the others won't hinder your work will it mark no not a bit is there Is there any way of knowing how far back? We've come that instrument there that looks like a recorder will give us the answer But not until we get back to the present now one thing is vital under no circumstances must we separate? We have exactly 24 hours to make our observations any questions Good And let's be on our way Don't think we'd better go far Philip. It's awfully thick Morley will try to collect as many different specimens as we can be sure to stay close to the machine It'll be dark soon before the light gets too bad. I Want to look through there? I won't go far Get them out fantastic They certainly move fast enough Well I'll see you all little later. Don't go too far mark. I'll go along with him to make sure he doesn't all right, but watch your step Even though it appears we can't be seen. We don't want to stumble into anything. Take this compass. Yeah, and you noticed Compasses don't work in this never-never land And we better be starting back in a minute in a minute Let's just sit down here and see what happens taking a lot of pictures. Yes all I can They should certainly create some sort of sensation Something terrifying about it all I feel like screaming Are we really sitting in a prehistoric jungle that grew 50,000 years ago? Don't you think it would have been just as frightening to have found ourselves in a more civilized time say the golden age of Greece? No, they were people not much different from ourselves really would have been thrilling to have found ourselves in any age But but this if we came upon men they'd be something like these awful animals trying to tear each other to bits Yes, I must admit it isn't quite what I expected Gives you the creeps all right Philip said that you're quite an authority on anthropology. Have you any idea what age this really is now? No, Lisa. I haven't it's baffling. I Guess it shows how little we really know about prehistoric times Because frankly I haven't seen anything that I recognize as having existed in all the ages that I've ever studied I Can't understand it Whoever heard of a jungle that was quiet after dark. It's an eerie kind of quiet like Like it's waiting. If only we hadn't come back so far. You've accomplished the impossible You mustn't feel badly old man one times as good as another even with the specimens you've collected in the pictures I've taken I'll wager you won't find many who will believe us. Let them think what they want. We'll have the proof You said we had to leave before 24 hours were up. Why is that the beam we traveled on will start fading then Fade rapidly at its source and the more it fades the farther will be from the present if we left a second late We wouldn't get all the way back and if we don't get back will be lost in a kind of time vacuum all the rest of our lives like ghosts Who can see but can't be seen What was it I don't know It didn't sound like an animal cry to me it sounded human Looks like I go with you mark lucky man I always got the short store you and I'll hold down the fort dad. Sure the dinosaur is away All right to be on the safe side I think we should return to our starting point at the 23rd hour of our stay and that means just a total of six hours In which to do our exploring However to be on the safe side We'll make it five if we're not back here by ten o'clock start sending up those flares We should run into trouble. We'll do the same. Please don't run into any and please don't get lost Well, doctor What do you make of it? I don't know I just can't believe But they look like ruins man-made only we had more time we could try and get a better look at them to overgrown It doesn't make sense mark. No None of it seems to But our knowledge of these times mark By that clump of bushes No, it can't be your pictures quick. There are three of them. No for Move closer There that they go hurry watch that ditch Dr. Rugglage never mind me go on after them. No, no, I can never catch them anyway They ran faster than we could Dr. Are you hurt twisted my ankle? Yeah, let's have a look. Did you get any pictures? Yes But I don't know whether I'll believe them myself It couldn't have been any more than three feet high and they were human beings of some sort That put me down we could never make it this way We're almost there. Are you sure of your directions? Yes, I Mark the trail when we came out Mark Oh over there they started shooting up flares Molly Molly Lisa the jungle being so thick here take the controls time almost gone We'd get him strapped in first close the port on the gadgets Morley. I'll take care of Rutledge Maybe too late. I'm ready for the readings coming in minus 200 Lord if it doesn't build fast Minus 180 Nothing on the screen We in time where we started We got to get a doctor for Rutledge quick. He's in bad shape here. Give me a hand What's the matter? I've been using a camera for a long time now Look play that's right Every single one of them Not one picture nothing. Why what happened? I Don't know Lisa May have had to do was Well with light rays you understand that sort of thing better than I do Well, at least we've got the specimens you collected. No No, we don't mark and the confusion in the hurry they were left behind. Oh, no Oh Well poetic justice I guess How's dr. Rutledge? I came to tell you he wants to see you right away Doctor says it's it's only a matter of time. It was too much of a strain. Well, wait here for me at you mark. Yes Yes, dr. Rutledge. I'm glad you came The pictures you've developed them dr. Rutledge I I Well They didn't come out doctor Any of them yes, I didn't think they would I'm glad glad Glad but you got to tell you something Is it much time? Only you and Morley will never know I wouldn't tell Lisa We made an error Thanks, I did We thought we went back you said maybe 50,000 years well well that was just a guess there's no way of knowing for sure but Our calibrations indicate something quite different. Well does it really make any difference dr. Rutledge? Yes Never tell a soul mark It wasn't 50,000 years into the past we traveled But 5,000 years Into the future And in just a moment with a word about next week show Here's an opportunity for young women who are dietitians physical therapists or occupational therapists It's a chance for advancement and to be of service to your country Find out about the opportunities that can be yours by volunteering in the women's medical specialist corps Right or wire the surgeon general United States Army Washington 25 DC today This has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with this station by the United States Army and the United States Air Force recruiting service proudly we hail stars Conrad Nagel This is Kenneth fang heart speaking and here again is your host and star Conrad Nagel friends We hope you join us next week over this same station for proudly we hail for a tale of the Orient Entitled passage to Bombay a most mysterious story with some very mysterious people until then Goodbye