 Lux presents Hollywood. Lux Radio Theatre brings you Cary Grant, Gene Arthur and Ronald Coleman in The Talk of the Town. Ladies and gentlemen, your producer, Mr. Cecil B. DeMille. Greetings from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. Good things come in small packages, but better things often come in big ones. And three stars like Cary Grant, Gene Arthur and Ronald Coleman make a colossal bundle of entertainment. And that's what we've got tonight in a play called The Talk of the Town. It was over at Columbia Pictures that they had the idea of co-starring these fine players and the right story to do it with. And with the same formula, we can't go wrong in the Lux Radio Theatre. The story is unique, as you might expect, with an interplay of comedy, drama and romance that doesn't leave room for a dull moment. Cary Grant, unjustly accused of crime, Gene Arthur, his only defender, and Ronald Coleman, knowing justice in books, but not in people, make a triangle that should be the talk of any town. Suppose a Broadway producer were to put the names of Ronald Coleman, Gene Arthur and Cary Grant in front of his theatre, as Lux Flakes makes it possible for us to do all over the nation tonight. I'll make a quick guess that he'd discover his theatre was sold out months in advance at 660 or so a ticket. The line at our box office runs from Greenland's icy mountains to Hollywood and Vine, but the tickets don't cost a cent. And every seat is the best seat in the house. The only box office return is your loyal support of our product, Lux Flakes. And once you've tried it, you will make it a habit for its own sake. Now it's curtain time for the talk of the town and the first act, starring Gene Arthur as Nora Shelley, Cary Grant as Leopold Dillg, and Ronald Coleman as Michael Leitkamp. Mill burns to ground. To serious place, levels factory. They, Andrew Holmes, owner of the low-tester woollen mill, accused Leopold Dillg of setting the fire in which a foreman perished. Dillg, a factory worker, is being held by police. Dillg accused. Dillg held for trial. Maximum penalty asked for Leopold Dillg. Dillg escapes jail. Dillg escapes. My name is Leopold Dillg. I worked at that mill in low-tester mass, but I never set that fire. All they had against me was that I once set the place all to be burned. Well, it should have been. It was a rat trap. Anyway, the evidence seemed to be enough for the jury. I got one look at their faces when the judge was charging them and I knew I was a dead duck. So that night I escaped from the jail. I dropped from the second-story window, almost breaking my leg, and started hobbling away across the fields. They weren't long getting after me. I could hear them yelling in the woods right on my tail. It was rainy. I guess that slowed them up, but I couldn't go much further. And then I came to Sweetbrook. That's Miss Shelley's cottage on the edge of town. I managed to get to the back door. Who's there? Who is it? Miss Shelley. I've got a baseball bat here. One move and I'll brain you. Miss Shelley, I'd appreciate the keys to your car. Leopold Dillg, you get out of here. I'm sorry, Miss Shelley, but it's very important. I'm warning you. All I want, all I... Oh, you're hurt. Oh, Dillg. Just tired. Come on. Get up. Here, let me help you. What are you doing here anyway? I broke out of jail. Oh, you fool. The whole police force must be looking for you. The whole country. I'd like to stay here, Miss Shelley. You can't. I'm fixing this house up for rent. It'll be occupied tomorrow. Oh, my ankle. Oh, my gosh. How far do you expect to get with that? And where are you going? I would appreciate any suggestions, Miss Shelley. Why didn't you think of that in the first place? Miss Shelley, do you believe I could burn down a factory? Kill a man, or... You're crying. One day, you'll love the whole world. And all of a sudden, everything you come down... Oh, for heaven's sakes, there's someone at the door. Get upstairs, quick. Go in the attic and keep quiet. Thanks, Miss Shelley. Now, don't even breathe. Do you hear? And close the door behind you. Oh, my gosh. Just a minute. Oh, my gosh. Good evening. Yes? I am Michael Lightcap. Oh. Oh. Oh, Professor Lightcap. Why, you weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow. My secretary is getting married. Nothing deranges a woman's mind more than marriage. You must be the person with whom I've corresponded. Yes, Nora Shelley. An excellent name. Yes, I... It's raining, isn't it? Definitely. We're having an early summer. Yes, but could we continue the conversation inside? It's rather damp out here. Oh, nothing is ready. I thought that tomorrow about noon you'd... Really, I suggest a hotel. I plan to spend the night here, so I'll spend the night here. I'll get my bags. I had a good look at Lightcap from the top of the stairs. Very dignified gentleman. It was the beard that did it, I guess. A black van dyke. When he went out for his grips, Miss Shelley came flying up the stairs. Get back up in the act. Go on. Who's the guy with the beard? The new tenant. He's the number one legal genius in the state. He's Dean of Commonwealth Law School. He eats with the governor. He writes to the president. Yeah, a very cold character, Mr. Lightcap. He's back. Now remember, keep quiet up here. And later, out you go. I wonder where. Miss Shelley, open the door. Oh, hello. Why did you lock the door? Why did I? Why isn't that queer? Miss Shelley, there seems to be a strange atmosphere hanging over this house. Oh, as soon as I get the curtains up, it'll be all right. Any improvement will be welcomed. You're a very sarcastic man, aren't you? Miss Shelley, for the past nine months, I've been teaching 400 weary young men the rudiments of law. I've had to drive all the way down here myself because my man went to see his ailing mother in West Virginia. I was looking forward to a cheerful, brightly lit house and a warm bed. And I find myself in this... this shambles. Well, why didn't you tell your blithering secretary to get things right? She'd come tomorrow like you were supposed to. This house would have been efficiently whipped together and would have been cheerful and bright. Are you through? Yes. There's a certain justice in what you say. However, the violence with which you say it... Well, I'm sorry, but I... I accept your apology. Now, please accept mine. And now may I ask, is there a bedroom in the house fit to be slept in? The master bedroom happens to be quite fit. Thank you. Good night, Miss Shelley. You may leave now. Hiya. I thought you went home. How could I with you up here? You can leave now. He's asleep. You used to live in this house, you and your mother, didn't you? Yes. We live in town now and rent this place. Come on, get up. My ankle's so swollen now I couldn't walk five yards with it. Oh, what are you going to do? You can't stay here. You're still the prettiest girl in Lochester. Now look. This escape was insane. You haven't been convicted yet. Now they'll think you're as guilty as sin. It's possible I am, don't you think? Maybe. Maybe not. Leopold, as far as I know, you're capable of anything. You were the wildest kid that ever went to a Lochester school. You wore pigtails then. I was in love with you. Always collecting a bad reputation. Even after you grew up, speeches on street corners, petitions, any kind of a squawk, and Leopold digs right in the middle of it. Yeah, you know you're even prettier now. Look, what about Yates? Does he know what you've done? Yates? Yates, Sam Yates, your lawyer. Don't you know your own lawyer? The state made me a president of a lawyer. Well, if anybody can help you at Sam Yates, I'll call him, and that's the end of the line as far as I'm concerned. Thank you, Miss Shelley. See that you keep quiet up here. Yes, Miss Shelley. The next morning, Nora was still there, floating around the house. Her mother had been over to see why she wasn't home. The moving man had been in, and a reporter from the Sentinel to interview Light Cap. I felt like I was hiding in the middle of a parade. Then Sam Yates showed up. Hello, Nora. Oh, Sam. I've got a message they said you wanted to... Why, Sam Yates? Michael, well, I'll be dug going. Well, how are you, Sam? Nora, how'd you know that Michael Light Cap was the one man in the world I wanted to see? Well, I didn't. I didn't know you knew him. Went to school with him, that's all. How are you, Michael? What are you doing up here? Came up to write a new book. I... Sam, is that a black eye? Oh, yes, I guess it is. You've been fighting, Sam? Why, I fight on the average of three times a day. In school, you had a tendency towards riot. I can't stand the way this town is going after a fellow named Leopold Dill. He's the only honest man I've come across here in 20 years. Naturally, they won't want to hang him. Sam... He's been shouting for years that Andrew Holmes, the mill owner, is crooked as a dog's hind leg. So what happens? Dill predicts the mills will burn down. They do. One man has burned to death. Here's Holmes' chance. It was Dill, he says. Go get him. He starts slicing this burger to a frenzy. Sam, what did you expect me to do? Well, I figured if you demand a fair trial for him, you see, Judge Gunstead, who's trying the case, is nothing but a tool of Holmes and out to get Dill. He said as much. And I say that... You're not buying the idea. Sam, my business is with the principles of law. I can't allow myself to get mixed up in these little local squabbles. Little squabbles, eh? Well, let me tell you, Michael... Now, what's all that? Yes, what is all that? Who is it? Who lives here? Professor Michael Leitkapp. I'll take the house, Joe. You take the grounds. Now, just a minute. Where do you think you're going to take the grounds? Have you got a search warrant? Dill escaped. We're searching every house on this side of the road. Have you a warrant? Now look, lady. No warrant out. That's from the Constitution, isn't it, Sam? Well, not exactly in those words. We guarantee nobody's here but us. And that's too many. Now will you please leave all of you? You're wasting my entire morning. Go on now. Go on. They didn't search the house. When things quieted down, Sam Yates left, and Nora went out to speak to him in the car. Sam, listen. Do you know who's up in that attic right now? Leopold Dillk. Who? Dillk. In the attic? Yes. Now? Yes, now. He stumbled in here last night with a bad ankle. What's funny? Can't get involved in little local affairs, says Leitkapp. And there's a little local affair sitting right in his own house. You've got to get him out of here. Why? Why? Where could he be as safe as in the home of the dean of a law school? Are you kidding? Nora, Dillk's life won't be worth a dime if I turn him back to that jury now. Leitkapp can help us, but it'll take time. That's nothing to me, one way or another. He can't stay up there. Why not? Are you insane? Who'd take care of him? Why, you. Me? Listen, I can't hang around here even if I wanted to. Leitkapp's ordered me out 50 times since last night. Oh, you're doing all right so far. Sam. Not so long, Nora. But Sam. I'll keep in touch with you. Oh, Sam. Smart girl, that Miss Shelley. You know, once she did so, she could stick around, but she got herself hired by Leitkapp as a combination secretary and cook until his man could get up here. Yes, smart girl. That afternoon, they went out the garden to work on the new book. And meanwhile, I was up in the attic, slowly starving to death. A man can stand just so much. When I sneaked down to the kitchen to get some food, I could hear Leitkapp dictating. Uh, the beginning is always a little difficult. Yes, sir. Uh, let's see. Uh, jot down this title. The relation of literature to legislation in the 18th century in England. Yes, sir. The effect of literature upon the legislation is a... Bless you. Thank you. Is a study that has long claimed the interests of social scientists. The law is... There was really some high-class stuff he was dictating. I stood there listening for a while, and then he made a statement that sounded a little silly to me about the law being at all times reasonable. The law must be built firmly on principles which are above small emotions, greed, and the loose thinking of everyday life. Impossible! Oh! What is the law? It's a gun pointed at somebody's head. Oh, it depends upon which end of the gun you stand. What do you think the law is just or not? Who is this man? Oh, he... He's the gardener, Joseph. Joseph, this is Professor Lightcap, the new tenant. Pleased to know you. Still, you know your point of view about the law is very interesting. Thank you. Yep, yep. It represents the ideal condition. I don't approve of it, but I like people who think in terms of ideal conditions. They're the dreamers, poets, tragic figures in the world, but interesting. Um, how are the Zinniers getting along, Joseph? Dying. You see, Professor... Joseph. Uh, if you... If you don't mind, I must get on with my dictation, and you might see if you can save the Zidniers' trip dying. Bless you. Thank you. Uh, Miss Shelley. Mr. Lightcap, you're catching cold. Out in the rain last night, Professor? Yes, I was. Professor, about that idea now... Miss Shelley, I see you're about to have some more company. I'll be in the study. Yes, sir. They'll get out of here. What are you trying to do? Well, when I hear a man talk nonsense, I always get an impulse. You get upstairs. With this ankle, it's too late. Then hide somewhere, quick. We had company all right, only it wasn't for Nora. I knew the fellow who got out of that car had seen his picture. A fellow by the name of Senator Boyd. Sit down, Senator. Sit down. Thanks. Well, Professor, I tracked you up here because the news I have for you couldn't be entrusted to the males or the telegraph wire. Yes, Senator Boyd. Lightcap. The President would be pleased to appoint you through the bench of the Supreme Court in September. The Supreme Court? Me. That's it? I don't know. It's a great honor, Senator. A great honor. Well, would you be willing to accept? I... I'd be willing to accept. Wonderful. The Senate will investigate naturally. I don't think we have to fear that, but I'd keep my name out of the papers in any connection if I were you. I've been keeping my name out of the papers for nearly 20 years. It shouldn't be difficult to continue. Supreme Court? That's something. When the senator left, the professor walked around the house in a kind of a happy day. He could tell what it meant to him. And then Nora got him off the bed with a hot water bottle. He had a bad cold. You've got to be careful with a guy like that. Yeah. That night, Sam Yates came to talk things over. Supreme Court. Well, what do you know? Hey, this stuff he reads is remarkable dead. Tell him more chicken, Nora. Are you eating again? Oh, that prison food was terrible. Nora, Supreme Court appointment and no appointment. We're dragging light cap into this. Yeah, we certainly must. Oh, we must, Mustly. How do you suggest we start? Well, what have we here? An intelligent man, but cold. No blood in his thinking. So we must start to thaw him out. Oh, we thaw him. Yeah. We can't let a man like that take a seat on the highest court in our land. It's bad for the country. Oh, I see. All of a sudden you're concerned about your country. Our country first, yes. Then my neck, next. Ha-ha. Leopold, that's all very beautiful and commendable. But this storing our process, we haven't got months, you know. Oh, plenty of time. I like to break out in a cold sweat every time the doorbell rings. How do you propose we thaw him, Leopold, with a blow torch? Well, we have to give that some thought. But we have a good start, Miss Shelley. What start have we got? Thank you, Miss Shelley. The prettiest woman in Lowchester. In a moment, Mr. DeMille presents Gene Arthur, Ronald Coleman, and Carrie Grant in act two of The Talk of the Town. Now, has this ever happened to you on a bright spring afternoon when you wanted to look your very best? While strolling through the park one day in the merry month of May I was taken by surprise by a run of monstrous sighs The run your stockings certainly can make you feel like a blot on the landscape. Well, if you would lux your stockings after every wearing, you wouldn't be having such trouble. You mean just the way you wash your stockings can make a difference in the way they wear? It certainly can. A whole series of tests has proved that luxing stockings cuts down runs by more than 50%. The United States Testing Company, Incorporated, washed rayon stockings over and over again in different ways, and then tested them on a machine that pulls and strains them the way you do when you wear them. Stockings washed with new improved lux flakes didn't go into runs nearly as quickly as those washed with a strong soap or rubbed with a cake soap. Luxing actually cut runs in hash. My, that sounds good to me. Well, here are some new words for that song of yours. If you'll do what they say, you can give those stocking runs the run around. I lux my stockings every day every month including May. If you want to save your home take a tip from one who knows Luxing helps to keep those stocking runs away. Now, Mr. DeMille will return this to the microphone. Act two of the talk of the town, starring Cary Grant as Leopold Dill, Jean Arthur as Nora, and Ronald Coleman as Michael Leitkamp. In the matter of Leopold Dill versus the town of Loachester, Massachusetts, we call to the stand our second witness, Miss Nora Shelley. Professor Leitkamp wasn't very sick and the next morning we figured it was all right if he got up for breakfast. His cold was much better. But we hid the morning paper because Leopold's picture was right smack on the front page. When the professor came downstairs, Leopold was just finishing his breakfast. Well, well... Excuse me, professor. I didn't think you'd be down this early. Oh, that's quite all right. Stay as you are. No, no, no. The gardener shouldn't be eating in here. Sit down, I insist. Good morning, Miss Shelley. Are you sure you feel all right, professor? Oh, yes, quite well. Thank you. Oh, that's good. Is there a morning paper? Now, no, it hasn't come yet. Miss Shelley's a wonderful cook, professor. We're in clover. Coffee? Thank you. Well, Joseph, this is very nice and companionable. You know, there's a touch of the philosopher about you that I like. And you interest me enormously, professor. Good. Hey, it tastes that ham. Great, isn't it? I appreciate good food. Ever had borscht, professor? Borscht? What's that? Beet soup with sour cream. It's a Polish dish. Yeah, yeah. With an egg beaten in it. Don't let anybody give it to you without an egg in it. We must have some, Miss Shelley. Oh, yes, of course. As soon as I finish my course in American cooking... Oh, you can buy it, Donnie. Mrs. Pulaski's Polish Dairy near the factory. Mrs. Pulaski's? Well, by all means, let's get some. I do wish the paper had come. Uh, yeah, well, that's too bad. Still, if you read yesterday's, why read today's? There's just some more about that terrible man, Dilg. Dilg? Oh, the, uh... The fugitive from Justice, huh? Uh-huh. Or a miscarriage of Justice. Your opinion, too? It might be yours, too, professor, if you knew Andrew Holmes. He makes the laws. He puts a fellow like Judge Grunstadt on the bench and Grunstadt takes orders. Well, the voters may exercise their right of the ballot and remove it. Oh, this corruption is too thick. That's the way every decent person around here feels about it. Feelings of no influence on the law. Facts, Miss Shelley, facts. My dear professor, people wind facts around each other like pretzels. Facts alone? That's a nut without a kernel. That's the sugar. Where's the soul? Where's the instinct? Where's the worn human side? All right, Joseph, all right. Two schools of thought. I see your point of view, theoretically. In fact, I respect it. I wish I could respect yours, professor. Joseph puts it a little strongly, professor. He does respect you, of course, but as you can see, he's for the practical side. Yes, yes. It makes the law up as he goes along. Out of common sense, yes. In fact, professor, the way I see it, if you don't live in this country, you just take up room in it. Now, Joseph. It's a discussion amongst friends. Of course. Delightful. All you know about the American scene is what you read in newspapers and magazines. Somebody else's impressions hashed up for lazy people. If you don't feel it yourself, you've learned nothing. Just like having somebody tell you about his operation. That'll do, Joseph, for this morning. Professor, I challenge you to make an experiment. Spend half a day with your books and the other half finding out what people do. Yeah. By the way, with these indoor habits of yours, you've got the complexion of a gravel pit. Well, really. You know, Joseph, you're no oil painting yourself. No. No, a mummy would be closer to you. They wore beards, too. Well, now, Joseph, what would you suggest? Well, there's a baseball game today. Go to it. Baseball? Baseball. That was the first step in throwing out the professor. I took him to the game myself and we sat right next to Judge Grunstapp. Leopold said there was no one like Grunstapp to teach the professor the facts of justice. Professor Lightcap, this is Judge Grunstapp. Lightcap? Of course, of course. How do you do, sir? How do you do? Well, this is a great honor. Thank you. Did you say Judge? Mm-hmm. Grunstapp. Not whether you've heard of me, but your work. I've read it in the law review every year. Hey, sit down. Oh, how I envy you, sir. You work in the quiet of your librarian. How do you like that? Are you blind? I was right across the plate. That dope. But me. Me, I labor in the vineyards. You've heard of the dill case. I take it? Yes. Well, there's luck for you. First case I've had in 10 years that drew any outside attention. Look at that. Look at that. Slide, you idiot! Oh, he could have made it. And right in the middle of the trial, the swine skips out like a butterfly, and I was repairing a brilliant opinion on the case. Oh, the trial was finished? Oh, he was as guilty as Judas, the town milk intent. You consider it ethical to judge a man before all the evidence is in? My dear fellow, he broke jail. That proves it, doesn't it? Why, even a librarian philosopher like you would have to admit that. Yes, Miss Shelley, I think we've had enough baseball for today. That evening, Leopold and Professor Leitkamp played chess. But the professor's mind wasn't on the game. Yes. Yes. You play very well. Where did you learn? My father. He was the kind of man who resented work. It interfered with chess and argument. Yes. Sure, you're a man of many parts, Joseph. I look forward to a very pleasant summer. Thank you, Professor. Your king is still in check. Yes, let's see now. Miss Shelley, did you actually hear what that fool, Grunstadt, said? Yes, wasn't it remarkable? Joseph, what do you think? Judge Grunstadt was sitting in the box right next to us. Now, here's a very charming man. He's an idiot, writing an opinion of a case before hearing all the evidence. Preposterous fake. That's serious. Your rules don't allow that. Naturally not. Well, what do you do about it? There's just nothing to do. I can't intrude on the business of the superior court of the county. So you just turn your face? Joseph, you don't understand. I understand this much. You laugh at my kind of long wink at the other. You practice. I refuse to be dragged into any further discussion of the philosophy of law. All right, then let's not. Oh, Joseph, I'm sorry. It wasn't that I have no respect for your intelligence, which I may say I find extremely lively. That you're taking a vacation from law. Exactly. I was a little sharp, though, I'm afraid. Oh, mention it. Now, let's see, my king's in check. Uh, yes. As a matter of fact, Joseph, I'm grateful for your presence in this house. And you're a big treat to me, professor. Thank you, Joseph. Thank you. He was a wonderful man, the professor. He was... Well, in so many ways, he was like a little boy. I was very fond of him. The next day, we went for a walk through town. A couple of high school kids passed us and giggled. You know it was the beard. Beaver! What did they say, Miss Shelley? Beaver. It's a game. First one to spot a beard. Beards are quite unusual in these parts. Yes, I suppose they are. You know, I don't think I've ever told anyone how I came to grow it. No? Well, I was one of the youngest men ever to graduate from Harvard Law School. In fact, I was teaching at Commonwealth before I was 22. Wow. It was like a bank and open face. People in trolley cars used to call me sunny. Boys, I was teaching with slapping on the back. Women would wink at me in the streets. Is that bad? No, but I was busy and had no time for nonsense. And so, the beard became a sort of fortress. And, well, I suppose I grew attached to it. Well, I think it's very pretty. Now, what am I to say to that? I mean, Shelly, isn't that the borscht place? Oh, oh, Pulaski's. Pulaski's. We must get some for Joseph. Oh, I'm afraid we haven't time, Professor. Oh, but think of his face, the ecstasy. Come in a moment. You're going to spoil it, man. Some borscht, please. Yes, ma'am. With an egg in it. With an egg? Oh, it must have an egg beaten up in it. Yes, sir. I didn't know it at the time. It was probably a polled dill. But Pulaski knew it. We would have to find that out later. We left Pulaski's and I steered the professor over toward the factory ruins. I knew Holmes was staging a demonstration that morning. Pipping the town up into a frenzy. It was something the professor ought to see. Mr. Lycep, it's a pleasure to see you here. Holmes is my name. I own this mill or rather what's left of it. Well, really, I... I've never known public feeling to run so high and low, Chester. As for Mr. Dill, justice will not be cheated. Oh, Miss Bush, come here. Professor, this is Miss Bush. A close friend of Clyde Bracken, my foreman. A man who was killed in the explosion. This is Professor Lycep, Miss Bush. I'm pleased to meet you. We found her here today, searching the ashes. Yeah, I was looking for wristwatch I gave Clyde just two weeks ago. All they found of Bracken was a tiny athletic medley at one in high school. Gives the girl a queer feeling. One night you got a man who weighs 211 pounds and the next day, wham! Is this a medal for shot-putting? Yes, I'm sorry. Too bad then I've taken pictures of Dill swinging from a telegraph ball. Who said that? I did, Yates, and what about it? Jake, I told you anybody I heard talking like that had to count on Friday me. Put them up! Sure. I won't have it, Miss Shelley. You deliberately dragged me into this. It's been your purpose since the day I arrived. Well, if I have, my motive is far from selfish. That has nothing to do with it. I've said again and again I cannot be involved. Well, Professor, this amounts to violence. And from you, making charges against Miss Shelley without evidence? Perhaps I'd better resign, Professor. No, no, Miss Shelley, I... You all right, Joseph? I apologize, Miss Shelley. Now you see, a happy family again. Now the question is, are we ready for dinner? Yes, are we ready for dinner? Anytime you are, Professor. Thank you. Sergeant Mack. We just heard a hot tip from a guy named Pulaski. He says Dale is hiding out in the Shelley house. Yeah, get over here right away. Come on, Miss Shelley, sit down. Right here, Professor. Thank you. Hey, wait a minute. Who put on the soup plates? There's no soup. No soup, eh? No, no. No soup. My dear Joseph, while strolling in town today... No, no, no, that's a bad beginning. My dear Joseph, to cement the bonds that bind our happy little family together, what could be more fitting than this? Forced. Pulaski's. I'd know it anywhere. Oh, be careful, you'll spill it. Well, only Pulaski's would wrap up Forced in a newspaper. No, no, no. Let me unwrap it, please, Joseph. Your eagerness, your... This is the stuff I've been waiting for. Come on, Professor, shake it up. All right, here we are. Now, if you'll just get rid of this newspaper, Miss Shelley, I... What's the matter, Professor? Is something wrong? There seems to be a picture in the paper, Joseph. A man named Leopold Dill. Professor. He bears a remarkable resemblance to you, Joseph. Professor, what are you going to do? Call the police and tell them to come and pick him up. No, no, you won't do that. Wait, Professor. I'm sorry I spoiled your party. Of course, there's no use discussing the merits of my case right now. I'm afraid not, Joseph. Leopold. I have a simple duty to perform and I must do that before anything else. Well... Well, here we have the two schools of thought, Professor. This time in action. That telephone to you means law and order. And to me? Well, I've got to stop you using that telephone by violence if necessary. Yes, I see. That's bad. I've a very warm feeling for you, Joseph. But I must use that telephone. Well, if you do, Professor, and I am as fond of you as a brother, I'll be compelled to knock you down. No, no, please! I should regret that too. I've never been fond of a man in my life, but... Hello, Operator? Give me the police station. Hello, is this the police? Sorry, Professor. No! I'm sorry. What else can I do? Oh, help me get him up. You've hurt him. Leopold! Listen! I couldn't help it. I didn't want to hit him. Please, get out of the back way. Go on, go on! Get out of your way! Where is he? Come on! Where is he? Help me with, Professor Lightcap. He's hurt. Where's Dilg? I don't know. All right, did Leopold get away? Sam, Sam, help me. What's the matter with him? Look, Sam, is he all right? Oh, sure, he's fine. Come on, Professor. He's coming around all right. Professor Lightcap. You knew it was Dilg, Miss Shelley. All those lies, attentions just for Dilg. You planned it all, didn't you? Take it easy, Michael. You're a silly, dangerous girl. You had me feeding and lodging a notorious fugitive from justice. You've endangered a lifetime's career for a stupid gesture. Our association is at an end, Nora. That's a tip-off, Professor. You had to get good and sore before you got around to calling me by my first name. Miss Shelley. Nora, when you're angry. That will be all, Miss Shelley. That will not be all, Mr. Lightcap. Dilg is innocent. And I'd rather be hated by 40 frozen legal giants like you than turn him over to those bloodthirsty idiots of Lochester. You were right to grow a beard. You were an old man all your life. You put on the proper costume just as soon as you were able. Don't ever shave it off, Mr. Twilight. Somebody might think you were alive. And that would be misrepresentation. Come on, Sam, let's get out of here. Identification. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System. Brief intermission. Mr. DeMille presents Ronald Coleman, Kerry Grant, and Gene Arthur in the third act of The Talk of the Town. Tonight, Sally and I have a conservation quiz for you. Questions and answers on care of clothing that every conservation-minded woman needs to know. We've asked some members of our studio audience to try to answer a question apiece. But whether their answers are right or wrong, there's a big box of new improved lux waiting for each. Here's our first contestant, Sally. Mrs. Charles Isaacs of Los Angeles. Mrs. Isaacs, if you've had washable gloves dry-cleaned, should you try to wash them? Well, no, that's right. If you try to wash them after they've once been cleaned, they're apt to get stiff and be ruined. If you lux them right from the start, you're all right. Just follow the directions right there on the box of lux flakes that Mr. Kennedy has for you. Here you are, Mrs. Isaacs. Thanks a lot for helping us out. And I know new improved lux will help you out, too. Help you make gloves and other washables last longer. It's the mildest, safest lux ever made. Now, our second contestant, Sally, is Mrs. Bruce Wilkins of North Hollywood. Hello, Mrs. Wilkins. Here's your question. If the neckline of a blouse or sweater, for instance, is specially soiled, should you rub cake soap on it to get it clean? Yes. No, very definitely no. Rubbing is hard on fabrics, especially on woolens. Take a few dry lux flakes and work them in gently with your fingers. But don't rub. Thanks for coming up, Mrs. Wilkins. You will find this box of new improved lux flakes is super safe care for all your washables. I'm afraid that's all we'll have time for. We'll have to save our other questions for another night. But ladies, don't you wait another night or another day to try new improved lux flakes. It's better than ever in three important ways. It's the mildest, safest lux ever made. It's suds are richer, more cleansing than ever. And they last longer than ever. Give more of your washables this super safe care so they'll last longer than ever, too. Now, our producer, Mr. DeMille. We'll ask our stars to step out of character for a chat when the play is over. But right now, we present the third act of the talk of the town. Starring Ronald Coleman, Gene Arthur and Cary Grant. From the personal journal of Professor Lightcap comes the following narrative. The private diary of a modest and retiring student of the law. Since I trust no eyes but mine will ever read these words, I may confess that Miss Nora Shelly had made a distinct and lasting impression upon me. And when she left Sweetbrook that night, I felt very much alone. But she had shown me what I was, a frozen legal giant she had said with a beard. So when my man Tilney arrived, I took the first step toward correcting that impression. Tilney found me that night in front of my mirror, razor in hand. Mr. Lightcaps, what you doing, sir? I'm about to shave, Tilney. Oh, no, sir, you can't do that, sir. Sorry, Tilney, there's work to do. The beard is in my way. Yes, I know, but for 15 years, sir. 15 years, beaver. The work I referred to was discovering for myself whether or not justice had been hoodwinked in the case of Leopold Dill. I went first, clean shaven, of course, to a beauty parlour in Lowchester. It was run by Mr. Regina Bush, the sweetheart of the foreman who had died in the fire. She manicured my nails. You got beautiful hands, professor. Clyde had hands you could use to knock in spikes with. Who is Clyde? Who was Clyde? It'd be more accurate. I'm not sure. Who was Clyde? It'd be more accurate. I'm in mourning. It's a great hardship because I'm the type of girl who loves to get around. You visiting here for the summer? Yes. Gee, I wish he wasn't dead. At least for one night. I sure would love to go dancing tonight. Miss Bush, I... I wonder if I might have the... the pleasure of taking you dancing tonight. The pleasure? We'll say now. We'll say now. You're real cute. Listen, you blow your horn at seven tonight, right outside, Sonny. Thank you. Sonny. What time is it, Tilney? Seven two, sir. Well, it's just at the next corner. Yes. Tilney. If you wanted to get some information out of a woman, how would you go about it? Well, Mr. Lightcap, sir, and on the subject of that sort, we're babes in the woods. But you... you were married once, weren't you? Oh, that was the folly of you, sir. But you wooed her and won her. How? Well, by the dawn, the series of lies you ever heard. I gave her a character and charm she never possessed. I purged my soul for a thousand years to come. Well, that's very interesting, Tilney. Thank you. Shall we sit down, Miss Bush? Why don't you think of it? I'm getting hungry. You dance divinely, Miss Bush. Your... your physical coordination's are remarkable. I thought I heard them all, Professor, but your line's brand new. Ah, you know. You're definitely a superior person, Miss Bush. Ah, you're cute. You know what? If I was free, I'd take you very, very seriously. Oh, but you... you are free, aren't you? Your... your gentleman friend is... he's dead, isn't he? That's a general impression. Well, what do you mean? Ah, little Regina's drinking too much. Makes the tongue very, very loose. You know, you're... you're beautiful, Regina. Extraordinarily beautiful. Oh, would you like to kiss me? Why, very, very well. I mean, certainly. Oh. On the forehead. Cultured. A cultured kiss. Gee, if I was only free. Oh, but you are free. You're only saying that to torment me. No, no, I'm not. Now here, I got a letter from him. A letter? He wants me to meet him in Boston in a couple of weeks. See? A letter? From Clyde? Yeah, it says C. Bernard, General Delivery Boston. But that's him all right. C. Bernard, he isn't dead at all. Well, let's see, what are you... Hey, give me the letter back. No, but Miss Bush, now, Regina Darling... Don't Regina Darling me. What is she about you, mister? Help! Throw this guy out! I left the cafe as quickly as possible and drove back to Sweetbrook. Of course, I didn't realize at the time that Leopold Dill was still hiding there in the attic. It was the most obvious place and therefore the best. Miss Shelly found him there that night. Oh, Leopold. Oh, you idiot. Hey, hey, cut it out. How did you know I was here? It suddenly came to me you couldn't go anywhere else. Your ankle. Oh, Leopold. No, no, no. Nora Shelly crying. Oh, I've been out of my mind for 24 hours. I thought you were dead. What an idea. You know something, Nora? Our friend, the professor, shaved off his beard. He did? Yeah, I heard him talking about it. But why? Well, who can tell what a man in love will do? In love with who? You. I know just how he feels. The prettiest girl in Lowchester. Oh, Leopold. I've been so miserable to you. I never really knew you. Oh, Leopold. Well, stop saying Leopold like that tenderly. Oh, Leopold. That's funny. You can't do it with a name like Leopold. Oh, shut up. Where did he go without his beard? He'll be all right. He'll be all right. He's a child. Yeah, I know just how you feel. Now, don't start that soupy stuff again. You don't know how I feel about anything. Yeah, look, Nora. He's quite a man, you know. An important man. Be quiet. There's a car. He's back. Now, get up in the attic. Go on. Think it over. I'll meet the car. Tell me. Yes, sir. Hello? I'm glad to see you. I have every reason to believe that Clyde Bracken is still alive. It seems that... What are you staring at? If you find my face unpleasant? No, no, no. It's... The beard, gone. I mean... Did you say Bracken? Bracken, yes, alive. Well, I guess at last you know the truth about Mr. Dill. I don't know anything until I can prove it. A stickler to the last. I bet if you knew where he was right now... I'd turn him in, yes. You just took that beard off your face. Inside, you're as whiskered as the Smith brothers. Bring me in right now, Professor. Leopold! What do you say, Professor? Leopold, get back up there. What's the matter with you? Leopold, I'm leaving immediately for Boston to find Mr. Clyde Bracken. How about dropping you off at the police station? Do you hear Bracken's alive? Very interesting. Well, let's go, Professor. Will somebody please listen to me? Bracken's alive. Why should Dill go to jail? It's the principal. The law says that's where I should be. Thank you, Leopold. Listen, if they get him in jail, they'll make Paddy to forego out of him. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Well, that's a bridge we can cross when we come to it. Right. Who knows who's right? Why does Dill have to make all the concessions, Professor? Isn't there one concession in your bones? Concessions? Why, I shaved off a beard I was fond of. I danced with a blonde beauty parlor owner. I kissed her in public. Concessions. All right. All right. All right. Turn him over. Give him to the mob. Go ahead. Mob? What mob? Do you think they'll let him stay in jail while you're looking for Bracken? They'll drag him out by the hair, they'll... Come on, Professor. Now, wait, wait, wait. Miss Shelley has been right in the past, and perhaps you'd both better come to Boston with me. Well, that's a very noble gesture, Professor, but my place tonight is in jail. I'm sorry to disagree with you. Come along, Leopold. That's taking the law in your own hands, Professor. Oh, shut up! Leopold, sometimes the letter of the law might be wrong. No, I'm afraid I can't agree with you, my dear friend. Well, I'll have to be firm, Leopold. Oh! Now, Miss Shelley, if you'll... if you'll help me to get him into the car, please. Oh, Professor, you're wonderful. You're really wonderful. Thank you, Nora. Oh, Leopold. Poor Leopold. Did he hit you? Where did he hit you? Oh, poor Leopold. We found Bracken, Dalia C. Bernard, in Boston. There was a brief and heated discussion. He didn't wish to return with us to Lochester, but we prevailed upon him. By force, I'm afraid. Oh! Bracken, let's have the truth. Turning state's evidence is about the only hope you've got now. You know that, don't you? Talk, Bracken. Leopold, how about stopping the car and giving him another going over? Pleasure. Wait a minute. Holmes paid me to burn it. In fact, he was on the rocks and there's only chance to get the insurance money for that broken-down bond. That's what Leopold said for years. Well, why did you have to play dead? To get the people more excited. So when Holmes printed on that thorn in his side dill, he could put him away good, huh? Yeah. A very simple plan. It's astonishing. Better go straight to the Lochester City Hall, Miss Shelley. No, no. Drive straight home. Home? Why? Well, I'd rather take Bracken alone. What? What about the mob? The mob won't hurt anybody. Professor, you've solved this case beautifully and I'm very grateful to you. But this country needs a man like you on the Supreme Court bench. I don't want to take the risk of you losing that. That's very thoughtful of you, Leopold, but I see things differently now. So do I. And I want to see this job through. Well, I'm sorry, my friend. Now stop it. The professor's right. Friendly feelings are one thing, Leopold, but a mob's another thing. You ain't going to turn me over to any mobs. Sit down, Bracken. I'll show you. Look out. Leopold! Work had gone for nothing. In the excitement of the accident, Bracken escaped and the police took Leopold. He went to trial within a week. Yep, I've come up here to talk sense to you. Thank you, Senator. Nobody believes this Bracken story. You'll go into that court and make yourself ridiculous with it. So will you please get out of this town? Nope. No, a man's life is at stake. Senator, a friend's life. Michael, I'm warning you. I just came through that town. They're out for blood. There's a crowd in front of the court right now with rope. Oh, no, no. Miss Shelley, Nora, I know just how you feel. I didn't understand at first. You couldn't help feeling the way you do about Leopold. Now don't you start that. Who says I feel any way about anybody? Why does everybody try to make up my mind for me? Why should my love life be kicked around from pillar to post? I hear you're in love with Regina Bush. Regina Bush? Yes, Regina Bush of the Delors Beauty Salon. How do you like it? Regina Bush? That's where Bracken is. He's hiding there. Nora, did I see a gun somewhere around this house? A gun? I know it's in the desk. What are you going to do? I'm going to settle this dill business if I have to shoot to kill. I can't do it. Oh, can't I? Listen. My great-great-great-grandfather fought off two dozen Indians for a whole week in 1756. And I'm a direct descendant. Now, you tell that to the Senate. And if it isn't good enough for the Supreme Court bench, it's just too bad. Outside of this court right now, you can hear the voice of the people. Listen to it. The voice of justice. The state and the people of Lochester will tolerate only one verdict from this jury. And that verdict should be quick. Keep that crowd out of here. I did. Judge Grandstadt, this gentleman with me is Mr. Clyde Bracken. Bracken? Clyde Bracken, alive. He's the man the law is looking for, not Leopold Ilge. His only crime was that he had courage and spoke his mind. And you, you people of Lochester, what are you doing in a court of law with weapons and ropes? This is your law. This is your law and your finest possession. It makes you free men in a free country. Why have you come here to destroy it? If you know what's good for you, take those weapons home and burn them. And then think. Think of this country and the law that makes it what it is. And think of a world today crying for this very law. Then maybe you'll understand why you ought to guard it. Violence against it is one mistake. Another mistake is for any man to look upon the law as just a set of principles, something he recites, and then leans back and takes it for granted that justice is automatically being done. Both kinds of men are equally wrong. The law has to be engraved on our hearts and practiced every minute to the letter and spirit. It can't even exist unless we're willing to go down into the dust and blood and noise of battle every day of our lives to preserve it. Put our neighbor as well as ourselves. I received Maya's Supreme Court appointment in September. Norah Shelley was there the morning I took my seat for the first time. You look so wonderful, Professor Light-Cat. Miss Shelley, you must stop staring. It's just a robe, isn't it? Where's Leopold? I tried to bring him with me, but he just disappeared. Where? Why? Well, you never can tell about Leopold. Oh, but he must come. Now, why do you look like that? I really don't know. It's just all seemed so far from Sweetbrook. No, it isn't. Sweetbrook will never be far. Norah, look at me. A dream of 20 years come true. More happiness than any man deserves. But now there's something else, Norah. My friends, I want to see them as happy as I am. Nothing less will do than Leopold. What a fine fellow he is. And I've been thinking, Norah, that if someone were to take his hand and say, Leopold, my reckless friend, here's love and companionship forever, well, someday that man would... you see what I mean, Norah? Mr. Justice, it's time, sir. Mr. Justice, I'll go now. Will you kiss me goodbye? Far from Sweetbrook, never. Leopold had come after all. I saw him from my seat on the bench. He smiled at me and left. And Norah followed him. Huh? Oh, oh, oh. Uh, where are you going? Well, that's all I wanted to see. The professor. The rest is about law. Very boring. Hey, he looks fine up there, doesn't he? Yes. Well, our country's in good hands. The woman's touch. Indispensable. You better go back in. But, uh, where are you going? Oh, no, just there, why? Then what? Ah, you're gonna like Washington. Wonderful town. And he's a wonderful man, too. Well, Norah, see you sometime. Leopold. Uh, I'm in a hurry. You better go back in. He's probably looking around for you now. Leopold, I'm getting pretty tired of having people trying to make up my mind for me. Yes, I tell you. Leopold. You take a stubborn woman, they're a curse. My mother always warned me against stubborn women. Leopold. Now, stop following me or I'll call the police. Leopold. And don't say my name like that, Leopold. I told you, they did it. Oh, come on. Come on, we missed the train. So they went back together to Lochistan. To Sweetfield. What would you say was the hardest thing about washing dishes? I'd probably get a lot of different answers to that question if I could talk to each one of you. But when it comes right down to it, if there's one thing that makes dishwashing doubly hard, it's hard water. Well, there is a way to get wonderful suds in any kind of water. Just use new, improved Lux Flakes. By actual test, this amazing new Lux gives you more suds ounce-for-ounce than any of ten other well-known soaps. And they're rich, long-lasting suds that make that daily job of dishwashing easier and pleasant for you. Just sprinkle new, improved Lux Flakes into your dish pan, turn on the water, and watch those flakes bubble into thick, hard-working suds fast. You see, Lux is all pure soap. That's why it gives you richer suds. And of course, it's kinder to your hands. Doesn't leave them red, rough, course-looking. Your dealer has new, improved Lux Flakes now in the same familiar package. Better get an extra box tomorrow. Keep it handy in the kitchen for dishes to give you rich cleansing suds even in hard water. Now, here's Mr. DeMille with our stars. Tonight's performance deserves to be the talk of the town, also of the city and the county. And the credit goes to Gene Arthur, Kerry Grant, and Ronald Coleman. Thank you, CB. Keeping Kerry Grant out of jail was a very pleasant assignment. But difficult. Kerry's a stubborn criminal. CB, I appeal to you. Do I look like a criminal? Well, no. I wish you'd be a little more confident. That's a tribute to your acting, Kerry. Don't you think so, Mr. Justice Coleman? Now, Gene, don't be formal. Call me Judge. You were all so perfect in your part tonight that I almost suspect you had experience in the same jobs. Ever studied law, Ronnie? I'm afraid not, CB. Were you ever a combination secretary and cook, Gene? No. Well, it's up to you to save my theory, Kerry. That's the politest way I've ever been asked whether I've been in jail. Thanks. He was a very polite man. He told me once that he had a perfect part for me, that I was the only one who was right for it. I hope you took it. What was the part? Calamity, Gene. I'd like to suffer a box office calamity like that picture more often, Gene. Ronnie was telling me he's joined a very interesting crusade. Yeah, I understand. He's out for blood this time. Well, Kerry is just this. I'm out to remind those of British birth in the United States that the American Red Cross needs more blood plasma, and this week is set aside for donations of British blood for American forces. We can show our gratitude for America's tremendous generosity to Britain in her days of trial by going now to the nearest blood center and offering British blood to save American lives. As an old campaigner for the blood donor service, I know how much it's needed, Ronnie. Good luck. Now, I know the audience is anxious to hear about next week's play, Mr. DeMille. The next week, Gene, our play will be the motion picture surprise of the year. The RKO dramatic success, Hitler's Children. And our stars will be Bonita Grandville, Otto Kruger, Kent Smith, and Walter Reed. This is not a war play. It's a drama of youth behind the scenes in Germany. A story of courage and love, which the Nazis could not destroy. And it's an inside glimpse of the Nazis' secret weapon. Well, I look forward to hearing it, CB. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. You convinced the jury. Respond to the makers of Lux Flakes. Join me in inviting you to be with us again next Monday night when the Lux Radio Theatre presents Bonita Grandville, Otto Kruger, Kent Smith, and Walter Reed in Hitler's Children. This is Cecil B. DeMille saying good night to you from Hollywood. Grant's new picture is the RKO production, Mr. Lucky. Gene Arthur will soon be seen in the Columbia picture, the more, the merrier. Heard in tonight's play were Lynn Whitney as Regina, Leo Cleary as Yates, and Norman Field, Horace Willard, Charles Calvert, Robert Harris, Warren Ash, Charles Seal, Fred Mackay, Stanley Farrar, Ken Christie, and Julia Warren. Our music was directed by Lois Silvers, and this is your announcer, John M. Kennedy, reminding you to join in next Monday night to hear Bonita Grandville, Otto Kruger, Kent Smith, and Walter Reed in Hitler's Children. Today you can't afford to be tired or nervous because of a diet low in vitamins. Yet with food rationing and shortages, it's harder to get vitamin-rich foods. So take VIMS. VIMS are scientifically designed to help make meals complete. VIMS give you all the vitamins government experts say are essential, balanced in the formula doctors endorse. And VIMS supply all the minerals commonly lacking. Get VIMS at your drugist. VI for vitamins, double MS for minerals. VIMS. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.