 Ladies and gentlemen, this is C.P. McGregor speaking and welcoming you to another performance of your War Department program, Proudly We Hail. Through the courtesy of the Hollywood Coordinating Committee, we present Mr. Alan Ladd, the star of our play, Top of the World, written by Tom Petty with music by Eddie Skravanik. What would you do if you were young and found yourself sitting beside a pretty girl in a Colorado Resort Hotel? It didn't take Jeff Story long to make up his mind. Now I know why I came here. Yes, I must have known you'd be around. I'd beg your pardon. Oh, but that isn't necessary. You haven't offended me, not at all. I offend you? Don't be alarmed. I'm not crazy. That's just part of the technique. Put them on the defensive before they can put you there. Now, look, you're very amusing, but my uncle is waiting in. Oh, please don't go. Look, I'm Jeff Story. I'm trying my best to pick you up, and if you don't start cooperating, I'll be compelled to take my business elsewhere. Oh, I couldn't think of letting you do that. Better. Much better, I hope. Oh, Miss, uh... Duncan, Nancy Duncan. And the only reason I'm telling you is because I have to. Oh, here comes Uncle Wilbur. Nancy, my girl, I've been looking all over the hotel for you. And I've been right here all the time. Uncle Wilbur, this is Jeff Story. Mr. Story, Mr. Stone. It's a pleasure, Mr. Stone. How do you do? Well, Nancy, I'm glad you've met this young man. I won't feel so bad now, but not going sailing with you this afternoon. Oh, but Uncle Wilbur, it's such a perfect day for sailing. Well, of course it is. And I want you and Mr. Story to take the Seamade out right after lunch. You know, Nancy handles the boat better than a man. Well, I've done a bit of sailing myself. Well, good. We can use another sailor around here. And, Nancy? Well, it looks like I'm going to have to this once. Nice job. Trim, good lines. Handles well. You know, there's something about the Seamade that reminds me of you, Nancy. You're a pretty smooth sailor, Jeff. You seem to know boats as well as women. I'd like to know more about you. You're doing all right. You know, three hours ago, you didn't know I existed. And now, here we are all alone on a sailboat in the middle of a lake. I'd like to know more about your uncle, too. What sort of a fellow is he, honey? Wait, he's a perfect uncle. Well, most of the time. But I'm warning you, he has a violent temper. Oh, are you trying to scare me away about it? No, Jeff. I'm trying to be honest with you. You know, you're the first one of my friends that Uncle Wilbur's ever treated the least bit cordially. I've hardly dared look at a man since I've known him. Since you've known him? Well, he's your uncle, isn't he? Of course he is. But I've known him only a week. Oh, Jeff, watch the boat. Sorry, honey. He's a brand new uncle. No, silly. He's always been my uncle. It's just, you see, we lived in the East, and when mother died, he wrote and asked me to come live with him. Poor kid. Well, that's a trouble. I'm not poor. I think Uncle Wilbur's afraid someone will marry me for my money. You'd look good to me in a five and 10-cent store. Tell me, Buttercup, is there a lot of money? You asked too many questions, stranger. Come on, let's go for a swim. I'll find out even more about you in a bathing suit. Blind man. I've had it on under my beach coat ever since you changed. I'll drop anchor. Come on, honey. Oh, I'm going to dive. I'll be right on your heels, Buttercup. Oh, see the water's cold. Come on, let's race. That'll warm us up. I can't keep up with you. You're too good for me. All right, we'll turn on our backs and float. You like it, won't you? Oh, I love it. Look, Jeff, those two little clouds almost directly above us. Where? Oh, yeah. They shape like two heads. A man's head and a woman's. The wind's blowing them together. Like this, Buttercup. Oh, stop it. Stop, Jeff. You sea wolf, you, Jeff, you. Oh, Jeff, Jeff, look at the sea maid. Holy smoke, she's drifting. Didn't you drop the anchor? Of course I did. Chin up, honey. We'll make it. But, Jeff, but, but, Jeff, I'm getting tired. We, we mustn't drown. Not now. Not now? No, ever, honey. Put your arm on my shoulder. All right. If you were longer, I could swim all day. All right. Now, Buttercup. Nice and warm. Mm, I ought to be all wrapped in blankets and in your arms. Jeff, you saved my life. I had something like that in mind when I introduced myself this morning. Now, I'll tell you about that later. Buttercup, you've got to watch your step. What's the matter now, mister? Somebody cut that anchor chain. Oh. It was sawed right through. Play starring Alan Ladd will continue immediately following an important message from James H. Hope, State Superintendent of the Department of Education of the State of South Carolina. Congress has extended the educational privileges of the G.I. Bill of Rights to young men who enlist in the regular army prior to October 6th, 1946. According to national statistics, from the approximately 600,000 young men who graduated from high school each year prior to the war, only about 100,000 went to college. Usually because of financial reasons, a large percentage of our high school graduates do not go to college. The Army Recruiting Service needs and deserves nationwide support in its effort to enlist a new regular army. They wish to discuss the opportunity for a college education through enlistment with the young men or their parents and teachers who are planning their futures. The army does not seek to change the plans of those who intend to go to college, but since only 10 to 20 percent of the graduates usually enter college, it is the army's desire to outline to them the opportunity of receiving a college education through enlistment. This program has been outlined to me by representatives of the Army Recruiting Service, and should be the means not only of helping to give our country the kind of army that is required, but also of improving the educational standards of our future generation. Full details of the opportunities that await every eligible young man by joining the new regular army are available at your nearest Army Recruiting Station. Looks like someone besides Jeff is after Nancy, and Jeff knows more about it than he has told us. Anyhow, here he is at the hotel to join Nancy and her uncle for a day of mountain climbing in the Rockies. You're pretty cute in that alpine outfit. Now that you've shown it off, let's settle for another swim. Oh, sorry, Jeff. Uncle Wilbur's determined to go mountain climbing. All right, it's not my racket, but I'm willing to learn. Aside from being a swimmer, what is your racket? Looking after you, Buttercup? Oh, and it reminds me there are some things I've got to find out. Maybe you'll feel the answers in none of my business. Not with you, Jeff. Not after yesterday. Oh, that takes care of the important thing, Nancy. Now for some details, you've got money. If anything should happen, like yesterday on the yacht. You mean when you kissed me? No, Buttercup. I mean something like drowning. Who'd get your money? Uncle Wilbur, of course. The insurance money and everything. It's a lot of insurance, isn't it? Yes, Jeff. Father carried $50,000 for me, and after he died, I kept it up. Is that why your uncle doesn't want you to marry? You're awfully suspicious, Jeff. Maybe he likes having me around. Yeah, you've got a point there, Buttercup. But I think it's your money you want. Oh, that was an ugly thing to say, Jeff. Well, sorry to have kept you young people waiting. I've been down talking with a boat housekeeper about that anchor chain, Mr. Story. Yeah, how did you find out? It was a clean break, faulty link. I'm certainly glad you were along to take care of my girl. I'm glad too, Mr. Stone. Well, we'd better get started. The ropes and everything are in the car. Oh, have you done much mountain climbing, Mr. Story? Well, I'm no Matterhorn man. Listen, darling, before your uncle gets back from the car, you're to follow behind me. Don't take a step until I say OK. Well, Jeff, dear, we're not doing anything dangerous. I'm afraid this is going to be the most dangerous morning you ever spent. Promise me you'll wait for my signs. I'll wait, Jeff. Well, everything's ready for the start. We hook onto the rope now, although we won't need them until they get steeper. I thought this was an easy climb. Well, you can never tell in the Rockies. No, Mr. Stone, you never can tell. All right, let's start climbing. Jeff, it's getting a lot steeper. I'm letting out the rope here. You two hold tight until I get on top of this ridge. And we better turn back. This is pretty tough for Nancy. There'll be no turning back now. Yeah, a hard haul, but I've made it. Fine. Give me a hand on the rope, and I'll pull Nancy up. Why, story, I thought you were a big, strong fellow. I'm strong enough. I just don't like taking chances with Nancy. Come on, buttercup, I want you by my side. All right, easy now. There you are. Now you're with me. Jeff, I'm glad. I was frightened down there. Give us a hand, Mr. Stone, we're coming up. I thought you wanted to turn back. Now I've changed my mind. Looking down makes me dizzy. All right, you first, story. Now we're coming together. Jeff, I've got a rest here on this ledge. I can't go another step. All right, buttercup, it's only 10 feet to the top. I'll go ahead and pull you up. Tighten up on the rope, Mr. Stone. It's only a few feet. I made it alone. But it spayed up, and I'm no mountain climber. He'll get no help from me, story. I know who you are. But, Jeff, he's coming the rope. There are a lot of rocks up here, and there's going to be a landslide. A landslide right on top of you. You can't get by with it, Stone. This will be a perfect accident. One more insurance investigator out of the way. I'll get you both at the same time. Come here, Nancy. Proudly against the side of the mountain. I'll cut you with my body. Jeff. We're trembling, honey. Nothing's going to touch you. Hold tight. Here it comes. What, Jeff? We're still here, Stone. You won't be long. I'll get them all rocks. Darling, the ledge, most of it's gone. It'll all go next time. I've got to get up there. Don't leave me, Jeff. It's our only chance, that landslide, to try to path. I can leap, leap across. But no, no, Jeff. I made it. All right, Stone, it's my turn now. Don't touch me. We'll all go over together. That's a chance I'll have to take. No! Nancy, honey, are you all right? I think so, Jeff. I'm jumping back to you. Well, be careful. I saw, I mean, he came right by my head. My uncle. He wasn't your uncle. He wasn't? He killed your real uncle almost a year ago and assumed his identity. They looked enough alike to be twins. We've been after him for months because of the insurance he collected. Oh, Jeff, what a terrible thing. But that's over, honey. From now on, we'll be on top of the world. And so ends our story starring Alan Ladd. But before leaving you, we are pleased to present the Deputy Chief of Air Staff for Research and Development, Army Air Forces, Major General Curtis E. LeMay. General LeMay. During the last war, the Army Air Forces had to divert nearly all of America's aeronautical research facilities from experiment and development to the production of bombers and fighters. While this action gave us the planes to win the air war against Germany and Japan, it placed us years behind in some essential phases of aviation. Fundamental air research must never again be interrupted or neglected. The Army Air Forces needs an engineering development center to apply the results of research to the development of air weapons necessary for the security of our nation. This center would solve the problems of design and construction. The civilian scientists and engineers in our universities and industries would be provided with a workshop possessing unequal facilities to translate their laboratory-born ideas into practical realities. Supersonic aircraft and guided missiles head the list of defensive equipment which the Air Forces plans to develop at this new center. Development is expensive, but its cost even through the years is negligible when compared to the cost of war. The required expenditures are too great for private industry to bear alone. We must help furnish the tools for doing this work. The center would be available to all civilian agencies devoted to the development of aviation. In this air age, until a lasting peace is assured, our security depends on science. Only by constant and vigorous research and development can we hope to retain our place as a leading air power in the world. To this end, the development center is dedicated. Thank you, General LeMay. Visit your nearest Army recruiting station for complete information as to how you can become a member of the new regular Army Air Forces. Our thanks also to Mr. Allen Ladd for appearing on this program. Proudly, we hail will come to you again over this station next week. Listen in.