 presents Joe E. Brown and Betty Lynn. Hollywood, the Mutual Network in Cooperation with Family Theatre, presents the fledgling starring Betty Lynn. And now, here is your host, Joe E. Brown. 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 Fledgling, starring Betty Lynn as Janie. Captain Griggs. Yeah, what can I do for you? I'm Jim Ranella, FBI. Oh yeah, we were wondering when you'd show up. This is my co-pilot, Ed Lawrence. How do you do? Glad to know you, Mr. Ranella. You're going to be taking the London plane out tonight with us? Unless I break a leg. What's all the hush-hush about? Well, it's about one of the passengers going out on your flight. Let's go into the dispatcher's office where we can talk. Have either of you seen the passenger list for the London flight tonight? Not yet. We heard it wasn't very big. It isn't. You'll be carrying nine people, including me. We think we've got a hold of something concerning one of your passengers. Do you know what the government means when it says a person's a bad security risk? It means maybe they're disloyal? Working for another government. Captain Griggs came closest. The key word is maybe. Just maybe they're disloyal. Maybe they're working for another government. But the maybe's big enough so that you wouldn't want them to get hold of any information that another government, an unfriendly government, could use. And we've got a passenger like that aboard tonight? We think you have. Where do we come in? You come in in case something goes wrong, which is unlikely, but we just want to cover all the bases. Well, how do you mean goes wrong? The whole reason for my going along on this flight is to point out this passenger to a British security man who'll be waiting when we land at the London airport, then my job is done and he takes up the trail. That sounds simple enough. It is. Hello. Rinella speaking. Yes. Oh, no thanks. I'll take the call out there. I'll be right out. Is who? Captain Griggs. Yes, he's here. Hold on just a minute. It's for you, Captain. Information desk, something about your stewardess. I've got a call waiting for me on one of the pay phones out in the terminal. I'll be right back. Oh, Captain Griggs. She's got what? Holy cat. What's the matter? Sally Connor went to the hospital half an hour ago, appendicitis. Oh, my. Well, how's she doing? Sure. Sure. Well, that's great, but... Well, look, Muriel, we need a stewardess to replace her. The flight takes off in less than an hour. Honey, I don't care who you get. We'll then get one of the trainees. Sure, sure, anyone. We'll just get her and tell her to hurry. I'm Jane Wiley. What? Tonight? Oh, my goodness, yes. Flight number seven. Yes? Oh, yes, I'll hurry. Yes, goodbye. Oh, Margie. Marge. What? Oh, I'm going up tonight. I'm flying. Why are you screaming? I'm flying. I'm going up. Oh, that's great. Oh, that's great. Oh, no, Margie. You've got to help me wake up, Margie. Oh, Janey, don't you ever sleep. It's happened, Margie. I've got my first flight out tonight. Oh, say that swell. Honey, where to? I don't know. Amarillo, I guess they're usually to Amarillo. Oh, but I've got to hurry. My first flight. Well, take it easy, Janey. Take it easy. It's just a training flight. Oh, I know, but somehow I've got a feeling it's going to be very special. 10 minutes to take off. I don't get it, Eddie. You didn't see Rinella anywhere in the terminal? No, Cap. What's more, I couldn't find anyone who had seen him since he left us in the dispatcher's office. I guess it's possible he might want to keep out of sight until right before we take off. Maybe. I give a lot to know who it was that called him on the phone. Yeah, I've been wondering about that myself. Yoo-hoo! Flight 7? What in the name of... Oh, are you Flight 7? Am I late? I'm not late, am I? Oh, you're the stewardess replacing Sally Countess? I didn't know I was replacing anyone, but if this is Flight 7... It is, it is. I'm Captain Griggs. This is Copilot Lyons. Oh, how do you do? How do you do? I'm Jane Wiley, and this is my first... I'm glad to know you. We take off in 10 minutes. You'd better get up on the ramp. The ramp? Oh, yes, Commodore. Captain. Oh. You got a copy of the passenger list? Yes, the passenger list. I mean, no, I don't. I have a copy, I mean. Well, here, doll. Face, take my copy. Oh, well, thank you. Thank you. I want it back when we get to London. London? Oh, you're a scream. Is that part from Amarillo? Oh, brother. What have they dealt us this time? You'd better get up on the ramp, Miss Wiley. The passengers will be getting aboard in a minute. Oh, right now. Oh, I'm so thrilled. I can't tell you how thrilled I am. Yeah, it's breathtaking. Look, we want you to do something. Anything. Oh, anything. There's a name on that passenger list. Rinella. Mr. Rinella. We want you to come up front and let us know as soon as he gets aboard. Rinella, up front, as soon as he gets aboard. Yes, yes, I will. I'll go on up on the ramp now, and don't you worry about it. Okay, if you say so. Oh, what a night for flying. Look at those stars. Oh, Texas, here we come. Seven to tower. Seven to tower. Standing by. Standing by, over. Still no news. A little Miss Muffet. I guess Rinella didn't make it after all. I better go back and make sure. Maybe the guy he's following didn't show up either. Maybe. Don't be too long. I won't. Now, there's nothing to be nervous about. Nothing at all. Everyone just lean back and enjoy himself. If you feel like sleeping, go ahead. And if you feel like reading, go ahead and read. Miss Wiley. Oh, yes. Oh, well, co-pilot Lawrence. This is our co-pilot, everyone. Hi, folks. He takes over in case anything should happen to the captain. For instance, if the captain should fall asleep at the controls or anything. Will you excuse us just a minute, folks? I want to talk to you on the back of the plane. Did I say something wrong? I'm just trying to give them confidence. They've already got confidence or they wouldn't be here. That's true. I hadn't thought of that. It's a very good point. Yes. Now, what about Mr. Rinella? He didn't show up. No. Do you suppose he lost confidence? It's hard to say. Everyone else is here? All eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Oh, it's too bad Mr. Rinella couldn't have been here to make it nine. Yeah, nine is nice. Look, we're going to take off in just a few minutes. You come up front as soon as you can. After we're airborne, huh? I'll be happy to. Happy to. Shall I bring anything? Magazines, guns? No, no, no. Don't bring anything. Just your own sweet, simple self. Oh, co-pilot. And don't forget. Wiley, it's important. Oh, don't worry. I won't. Attention, everyone. Attention. We'll be taking off any second now. Any second. See the sign up there which reads, fasten your seatbelts. No smoking? Well, fasten your seatbelts. No smoking. Oh, stewardess. Oh, yes, miss. Robinson, wasn't it? Yes, that's right. Would you mind helping me with a seatbelt? It seems to be stuck. Of course. Of course. They're really quite simple. You see, your first pull. Oh. Your pull. This. Just a minute. I'll get a better grip. Oh, I'm sorry to be all this bother. Oh, no bother at all. That's what I'm here for. To help the passengers with little things like this. Oh, sir. Mr. Mecklen, I'm so sorry. It slipped the seatbelt. Oh, can you ever forgive me? Excuse me, please. In the face of Bessian. Oh, it's my fault. So this young lady was just trying to help me. And helping? She smashes the passengers. Oh, there was only something I could do to prove how sorry I am. Oh, when we get to Amarillo, won't you let me buy you a taxi ride or something? Amarillo. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Can you buy me a taxi ride or something? Amarillo. I am not for Amarillo. Amarillo, Texas. Don't you go that far. Excuse me, please. I am for Rome. All I want is no more belts in the face, and goodbye, thanks you. Rome? Well, there isn't any Rome in Texas. So I'm not for Texas. I'm for Italy, where there's a Rome right in the middle. Italy? But this plane isn't going to Italy. Miss, don't you know this is a flight to Europe? Europe? Where? I'm afraid it's too late now, dear. We're on the way. Oh, on the way. Oh, my. We're fasten your seat belts. We're taking off, everyone. Fasten your seat belts. I'm here, Mr. Franklin. Let me help you. Make your distance, please. I'm not for seat belts either, especially again in the face. Oh, we're taking off. Remember? Well, it's not detectives. Even if we were detectives, don't tell me that noodle brain stewardess could be any help to us. What cap we've got to use her? Rinella missed the plane. All the other eight passengers are aboard. That means the guy you were supposed to be following is aboard. So we'll have to keep an eye on the passengers. I mean, Janie, the stewardess will. Maybe she'll see something. Yeah, you bet she will. I know her kind. They see snakes in the geranium, bed mice in the pantry. Whatever you want, they see it. But, Cap, she's all we've got this trip. We've got to take a chance on her. All right. Let her in, let her in. I guess she can't do any more than ruin the air. You'll see she's a good kid. She's just high spirited. Get her in here. Janie, what's the matter? An example of your friend's high spirits, we'd better be careful not to depress her. I thought this was a training flight. Well, I guess it is for you. But I can't fly over the ocean. I get seasick. Oh, look, Janie, there's no difference between flying over land and flying over water, not at this altitude. You'll love Europe. Have you ever been there? No. Well, it's beautiful this time of year. Yes, but so is Amarillo. All right, I'll tell you what we'll do. When we get back to New York, Captain Griggs and I will see that your next assignment is on a flight south to Amarillo. Maybe even as far south as Little America. It was mostly the shock that upset me if I'd only been told. Oh, sure, sure, we know. And now that you've been told, well, there's something else we want to tell you because we need your help. Oh, I'll be glad to help. Okay, okay. Janie, what we're letting you in on is very confidential. Oh, I won't breathe a word of it. Also, it may come as something of a shock. Oh, don't worry. After what's happened so far tonight, I don't think anything will ever shock me again as long as I live. Ah, that's a spirit. Now, we just want to set you up so to prepare you for it to make sure you don't get overly excited. Oh, you don't have to worry about me, Copilot. That's good. Now, Janie, just let this sink in for a minute and don't try to say anything. You ready? Ready. As a passenger on this plane that our government suspects of being a foreign agent. A foreign agent? You mean like a spy? She sure took it like a little soldier. But a spy? A spy? Oh, arrest him. Janie, that's just the point. We can't arrest him because we don't know who he is. What's the difference who he is? If he's a spy, you ought to be arrested. That's what we're trying to tell you. We don't know who he is, so how can we arrest him? But if you don't know who he is, then how do you know he's a spy? We don't know he's a spy for certain. We just suspect that he is. You suspect that who he is? We don't know. That's the problem. And I'll tell you something else, Copilot. It was pretty uncomplicated until a girlfriend walked in here. Oh, I'm just trying to help. That's all I'm here for is to help. Yeah, look, let's start all over. Mr. Inella, the man who missed the flight. Maybe he was a spy. Will you let me finish? Mr. Inella, far from being a spy is with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A G-man? A G-man. Oh, I'll bet he wouldn't have missed this flight if he had known we had a spy aboard. No! He did know there was a spy aboard, and while I'm at it, the person we're looking for is called a security risk, not a spy. I thought a security risk was someone a bank wouldn't lend money to. That too, that too. Janie, this is a different kind of security risk. It means they might be a spy, but no one's sure. Now, the main point is we've got to find out which one of the passengers was following, and that's where you can help. I know. I know. It's Mr. Meklin. Yeah, you see? He just liked that. Mr. Meklin, he's the one who I never saw such a spy. Who's Meklin? What'd I tell you? Snake's in the geranium bit. He even carries a black briefcase. Meklin's a cheese salesman. He takes this flight once a week. Wait a minute, wait a minute. We can't afford to pass anything up. Now, suppose we look over the whole passenger list. Well, here, use mine. All right, first off, we scratch Rinella. Well, that's right. It can't be Mr. Rinella. He wouldn't be following himself. Oh, let's not have any snap judgments, Miss Wiley. Rinella's out. That leaves the Wilson's. Well, that's the young married couple. Oh, I just know they're all right. As a matter of fact, Cap, they probably are. No doubt, but it's reassuring to hear it first hand from her. Now, then there's a family of three from Oklahoma. Chandler, I was talking to them before we took off. I think they're okay. A lot of strange things have happened in Oklahoma. Is that so? Well, I'll have you know I was born there. Who's next on the list? There's two more women. Mrs. Ruleol, the elder lady in the black dress. Oh, she's a dear. I just love her. And then Miss Robinson. Yeah, she's probably another dear. As a matter of fact, Captain Griggs, she's a buyer for some big store, and she is a dear. There's Mr. Meklin. Oh, he's the one, Mr. Meklin. What a spy. Look, I happen to know that Meklin's a respectable businessman. Admit it, though, Cap. He's in an ideal business to double as a contact man. What we need is evidence. Now, just a minute. She's right, Cap. Maybe he's got something in his luggage to give him away. Or in his black briefcase. All spies have something in their black briefcases. Eddie, this is the craziest idea I ever heard of. Oh, Cap, look at it this way. What if it turns out something really serious happened to Rinella? Now, you can't tell me it was done without the knowledge of the person he was following on this plane, which makes said person an accomplice before the fact. I curse the day you quit law school. But Cap, legally, were obligated to investigate Meklin. Co-pilot, I'm making you a present of this mess. You and Miss Counterespionage of 1955 can handle it any way you want. But if anything, you hear me? Anything goes wrong. Tell the authorities you're a couple of stowaways that I never even saw before. I see Meklin still awake. He hasn't dropped off once. It'll be daylight in another hour or so. It's too bad he's not sitting on the aisle. Yes, I was thinking I could walk up very quietly and conk him. For peace sake, no. He didn't ever know who did it. I'm telling you no. Oh, I wonder if there's any way we could get him to change seats with Miss Robinson. Who? Miss Robinson, the lady sitting next to him. Hey, that might be an angle. Oh, if I could just get my hands on that briefcase of his. We can't do anything while he's awake. Look, I gotta get up front again. Make a little coffee, will ya, Janie? Sure. And, look, don't take any chances. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. You wouldn't? Of course not. Well, my gracious co-pilot. Edward. Oh, co-pilot Edward. Just plain Edward. Forget the co-pilot. Oh, no, Edward. I couldn't do that. Oh, yeah. I better go forward now. I'll see ya later, Janie. Coffee, I like tea. I like the co-pilot and he likes me. Excuse me, please. Oh, no, no, no. Please. No smashings, please. Oh, Mr. Metamuff. I didn't see you in the dark. I ask, please, a favor. You have a pill for sleeping. I couldn't sleep. A pill? Yeah, yeah. And twing my head, too. Like fire. And twing my head, too. Like five hammers pounding at the same. At least I couldn't sleep. Well, you sit right down here in my seat, Mr. Magdalena. I'm warming up some milk. Please, I'm not for milk. I'm for a sleepy pill. Well, yes, of course. But I'll have to go up front to get one from the pilots. They have all the sleeping pills. Now you wait here and I'll be right back. Also, please, bring for my head a pill. Yes, yes, an aspirin. I will. His seat's right along here. Now, if I can just grab his briefcase for a few moments. Is there anything wrong, Ms. Wiley? Oh, Ms. Robinson, you're awake. I felt you leaning over me. Well, where's Mr. Magdalena? Oh, Ms. Robinson, you've got to trust me. I'll explain later. We thank Mr. Magdalena's an agent for a foreign government and a man from the FBI was supposed to be following him on this flight. But something's happened to him and I'm sure I can prove Mr. Magdalena's an agent for a foreign government if I can just look through his briefcase. Oh, good heavens. Are you sure of what you're saying? Oh, no, in a minute. Please hand me that briefcase. Please. We're here. Thank you. I'll be right back. Right back. Be careful, deep. Be careful. I've got it. I've got it. Jeannie. Close the door. Close the door. I've got it. Got what? Mecklen's briefcase. Holy smoke. Well, is he asleep? No. He's back by the buffet waiting for a sleeping pill. Let's take a look inside. Quick. We've got sleeping pills back there. Of course I have. I just used coming up here as an excuse to pass his seat and grab the briefcase. Oh, you better look fast, Eddie. If he comes back to his seat before she returns that case. I'm hurrying. I'm hurrying. Hey, here's some papers. These are sales reports. What do you got? I don't know. Be careful. Be careful. Something wrapped in brown paper. That's about six inches square and it's two inches deep. Don't squeeze it for Pete's sake. You think we ought to open it? Oh, it might go off. But it looks harmless enough. Well, don't jiggle it, huh? Oh, what are we going to do? I say we ought to keep it up here in front with us. We can turn it over to the authorities when we get to England. If we get to England? But what about Mr. Mecklen? You take the briefcase back to his seat. Don't say anything. We'll let him make the next move. All right. Give it to me. Here. Keep your chin up, honey. Eddie, don't you try to open that thing. Don't worry. We won't. Now get going. And be careful. Yes, indeed. Be careful. Return the briefcase. Is Wiley's everything all right? Yes. No. Well, I don't know. I think so. Oh, here, Ms. Robbins, and put this briefcase back on his seat. All right. Did you find what you were looking for? I think so. I mean, I hope not. I mean, oh, I'll tell you later. Did Mr. Mecklen... No, no. He hasn't come back yet. Oh, thank heavens. I'll tell you all about it later. Oh, no. If I can help you in any way. Oh, thank you. I'll let you know. There. Well, so is now for my head a sleepy pill you have? Sleepy pill? Oh, yes. Oh, I had them here all the time, Mr. Mecklen. So here, here where? Here where? Oh, here. Here in the cabinet here. Ah, so the little bottle. Fine, fine. Here you are. Thanks you, thanks you. Well, gone you were. I smell the hot milk on the cooker. Smells good on the cooker. Would you like a cup of hot milk? Yeah, should like, please. But also, I should make sorry for my outshouting when you smage my face. Oh, you don't have to apologize for that. Well, no, no. I think about it and I think it wasn't a hit on purpose. Oh, of course it wasn't, Mr. Mecklen. So I think I shouldn't outshout because anyone can make an accident. So I want to be sorry about it. Why, certainly. And I'm terribly sorry about it too. Fine, that's fine. Ah, I must just think of an idea. You wait, I get it. Mr. Mecklen, where are you going? Just right here, my seat. I've got some. What? Right here inside my briefcase. Your briefcase? I carry all this inside, thumbing for a little. It's not. What? Gone, my sandwiches. Sandwiches? Two cheese, gone, limbo, gone, swiss. I've been stolen. Mr. Mecklen, please calm yourself. You wake everyone up. And poo must be some mistake. Speak up! Who is the cheese stealer? Mr. Mecklen. What's the matter? What's going on back here? A stealer has stolen my sandwiches. Two cheese. Your sandwiches. One limbo, gone, swiss. He has them in his briefcase. Stop! In his briefcase. Find who smells of limbo. That's the stealer. I'm sure we'll find your sandwiches, Mr. Mecklen. Oh, of course that they must be around somewhere. So, first a belt is in the face, then it's gone. Two sandwiches. Who would steal a sandwich? Who I questioned? Maybe it was a mouse. Mr. Mecklen was a foreign agent captain. Now, now, Janey, no tears. We're going to be sitting down in London in a minute. I'd better get back and get the passengers ready. And in a few minutes, that person Mr. Rinella was after is going to walk off this plane scot-free and we can't stop them. I'll be along with you as soon as we land. All right, Eddie. Well, we're almost there, everyone. Almost to London. London, England. And don't forget to visit the House of Commons and see the Thames and our Westminster Abbey and see the tombs. There we are, on the ground again, pulling right up the runway. In a moment you can loosen your seat belts. In a moment. All right, now you can. Now you can. Here, Ms. Robinson, let me help you with that belt. Oh, dear, I'm afraid it doesn't seem to be stuck again. Here, I'll loosen. Oh, they'll roll up the ramp in just a moment, everyone. No need to crowd around the door. Oh, you've certainly had your travels on this trip, haven't you, Ms. Wiley? Oh, yes, this belt... Uh, you don't please crash me in the face again, I hope. Oh, no, Mr. Mecklin, just remain seated. I'll be very careful this time, don't you worry. If I could just pull this through. Oh, I'm sorry to be such a nuisance. Oh, no, no, Ms. Robinson, compared to most of my problems on this flight, this is a very little... Then you never did find the person Mr. Rinella was following? No, we tried everything but... Mr. Who? Why, that FBI man, you said, was following Mr. Mecklin. Two belts in the face, one for you and she's sandwiched. I never said it was Mr. Rinella. You did, you said... I didn't. Not once. You, it must be you thereafter. Oh, you're crazy, I don't know what you're talking about. Jenny, we just got work from the tower. Hey, Captain Griggs, I found her, it's Ms. Robinson. What's going on here? This poor girl, hysterical. Back in New York, did Mr. Rinella tell you that it was a man he was following? Did he say that for sure, a man? Well, I don't know, come to think about it. Golly, that's right, all Rinella said was a passenger. It's her, Ms. Robinson. She knew Rinella's name, I didn't mention it to her. I know I didn't. You didn't crash her either in the fees, like me. I'm warning you people, you're making a big mistake. You can't prove a thing, not a thing. Well, we'll see about that, Ms. Robinson. As captain of this ship, I'm placing you under arrest. Come on. My lawyer will have something to say about this. Yeah, and it better be good. I'll get a hold of you two later. Excuse me please, I also am for a judge. Oh, Mr. Macklin, you mustn't, I'm so sorry. After all, it was an accident, Mr. Macklin. So it's once too much an accident, a judge could settle it. I heard somewhere it's a law on the airlines that says... You, you're going to have me put in jail. Jail, who said jail? You're for a judge, all of you. All of us. I mean both, each, two is a rule. No, on the airlines, no lady help us a married. That's right, stewardesses can't be married. A fine rule, I think. I want you make baby faces at each other on the trip. Please, accept the proposal. Proposal? What, what, Eddie hasn't proposed to me? Please propose to her? Well, I don't... Well, will ya? I mean, would ya, Janey? She's accepted. Why, of course I do, Eddie. I accept on behalf the airline her resignation. So now, as I told, you are all at last for the judge excuse me, please. This is Joey Brown again. On September the 25th, a monument was dedicated to four men. Actually though, it wasn't dedicated so much to the men as it was for us. For monuments are really only a type of insurance. A way we have of being sure, we will always remember great people and great deeds. It's like the bit of string about the finger. The outward sign that physical thing which triggers a memory and makes us recall something we should remember. In this instance, four chaplains who gave up their life preservers and their lives when the ship on which they were sailing was torpedoed and sunk in 1943. They gave their lives to four other men. In a sense then, the monument at Falls Church is really a monument of love. Something to remind us of four men who love their fellow men and dramatically demonstrated that love in their last earthly act. Greater love than this no man has that he lay down his life for his friends. The monument of four chaplains is there to remind us of the importance of love and of something else, of its power to unify. For these four men, though miles apart in so many ways, including even their religious beliefs, were united by love. It is to remind people of the unifying power of this great gift of God which is the real reason for these weekly broadcasts. For family theater is dedicated to keeping the families of the world strong and unified. That's why each week we remind you that you can keep your family unified through the simple act of gathering together with your loved ones in daily family prayer. If you'll gather with your family once each day to ask God to fill your home with his greatest blessing, love, you'll find, as millions of others have found, the family that prays together, stays together. More things are brought by prayer than this world dreams of. In Hollywood, family theater has brought you transcribe the fledgling starring Betty Lynn. Joe E. Brown was your host. Others in our cast were Barney Phillips, Herb Ellis, Marvin Miller, and Lillian Bayef. The script was written and directed for Family Theater by John T. Kelly 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 state 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 Follow Me, starring Phil Kerry. Hildegard will be your hostess. 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 radio network for all America.