Behold the Man an episode of Columbia Workshop -

Please enjoy Behold the Man a great episode of the legendaryColumbia Workshop - - A Classic Old Time radio Show

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
By William M. Robeson present ekHomo Behold the Man, a Symphony of
reality, written and directed by PearlLaurent. Night's Columbia Workshops Proud to present.

(00:57):
Pel Laurent directed his first document tothe radio plays eke Homo Behold Thems.
This printant young critic and director whosemotion pictures The Cloud Broke, the
Planes and the River have made filmhistory. To Night Fringe's documentary techniques for
a new medium, the radio,based on official reports and on hundreds of

(01:19):
case histories collected by government fieldsmen,mister Brentz has created a tactool drama.
A Columbia Workshop presents eke Homo theWhole the Mass there says in Gustriel America,
Boston, Boots and Tunes, Backand Wolves, Lowell, Wincey,

(01:40):
Dreamers and dyes, silks and paper, sewing, machines and motorcycles, Waller
berries, bridgeports, airplanes and ammunition, brass fittings and cotton skirts, submarines
and watching parrisons, Jersey cities,paint and farming, cacholine and packing,
medicines, electric wire and ice forletther goods and films. Philadelia have them.

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Radios and locomotives, beet cars andcorfe, chemicals and furnaces, hosiery
and turbines, children's cloves and boilers, picks, birds, wheelings, in
plates and fire bricks, air brakesand plumbing pikes, tube, steel and
frate cars, anthracite and mind machinery, luminmen, plate, glass, drawing,
in Stimithson's tastics, buffalo syricushin cansand roller bearings, wax, candles

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and soda adds, mince season,typewriters, washing machines and light bulbs,
Cleveland young plugs, nuts and boltsand printing pressents, diesel engines and motographs,
machines, electric batteries and steel boarding, akrons, holedos, airplane motors
and rubber tires, beer bottles andspox bugs, steel hooks and microphones,

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spray guns and paper bags. LessIndustrial America, The Croydon humjacks, automobiles
and sailors, trucks and busters,taxic gas and proches, drop boardings and
steel books, tabulators and paints,poles, sookas and care gas bombs,
Chicago Derris, bacon and beef andtelepoons, furnatures and pipe off doors and
sashes and freebee marine motives and crockinggloves, trans mission chains and sauce,

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Indian velis, South tends, pressingmachines in which practice and bowlders, fruit
jars and lands, dawn more outboardmotives and ornamental centric That's the city,
say luis. Grain elevators and pipelinepullman ties and beer flows and drugs and
breakfast foot in the office. Saypoor pilos and skis, macaronis, macrosines

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and tatle skins. This is industrialAmerica, a poor and glory of the
wistless country in the world. Afactory of seven million. Ten ever women

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work on number seven seven eighty five. Work a number seven seven eight seis
work a number seven seven eight seven, work a number seven seven light days,
working number seven seven eight nine,working number seven seven nine. Oh,
ladies and gentlemen, this is astraight line. In two minutes before
your very eyes, you will seethirty thousand different deeps of materials assemble into

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one mcque. Two weeks ago,these parks were still in the mines of
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, the oilfields of Texas and Oklahoma, and the
copper gaps in Montana. The ironmountains of Minnesota. They have come from
the striptis of Ohio, from thetextilenders of the South. Testing and tech
process and perfected in plants are thenficateexists. Along the two steel tracks half

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a mile long. You will seesteel, iron, brass, tins,
led zink, aluminum, forma nicks. You will see rubber, microglass,
cotton bowl hair all fit into place, magically assemble into one tested perfect peace
of mchinery the American automobile. Twodays ago, these parks are moving to
one hundred factory. On one hundred. They received the skill of thousands of

(05:01):
men and women in order that theymight make disassembly plans in a state of
perfection. You will see a newcar drive off the line every half a
minute. Here for the vigilance andskill of workers, inspectors, managers and
scientists men in the tane creative purposesimpsom. Here is a sotner of human
engineers, planning and coordinations the druryof Industrial America. Here is a straight

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line number seven seven thirty five engineblock and vowels see number seven seven thirty

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eight thanks half in connecting rod numberseven seven forty NDErs hordes number seven seven
forty three four spring number seven sevenforty five, Yeah Excellent Differential number seven
seven forty eight, Toco Drawlers andgas tank number seven seven fifty don Accellent
Springs number seven seven fifty four Yethalf in Transmission number seven seven fifty seven.

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Engine Blocking Inflation number seven seven sixtythanks half in Vowels see number seven
seven sixty fourstin in Connecting rod numberseven seven sixty six, Gray Paint and
Drying Robyn number seven seven eighty rayFielding number seven seven eighty three, l
con tire number seven seven eighty pieduring garon Radiator number seven seven eighty eight,

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Doors Embraces number seven seven ninety fiveand top Weldy Time Study Department,

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Watson and Sales speaking, We're fortyfive hundred units off this week, right
production, Jenkins and Time Study,We're forty five hundred units off. I'm
sending the break down over, okay, see production. We're cutting down for

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three days a week. Lay upmaye may layo lail layo lael layol,
layo layo layo layol, layo layolayo layo layo layo layo lail layo lail

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M number seven seven Nineer Applications fora lease named Jack Lason eight forty three

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Hi sixty one wait one hundred days. Side. Place of birth Louisa,
Kentucky, father dead, mother deadmarried. A single single served in the
US Army Navy A Marine Corps sergeant. US Army Infantry three hundred eighty sixth
Regiment, seventy seventh divisions present.Employment none, real estate none ever insured

(09:24):
yet any insurance now none. Propertyof an household, good, automobile.
Any income from blind or old,aged tensions, lodges, labor unions,
US government or any other source.None. Cash, securities, doct and
bonds, mortgages, specificates cash thirtyfive dollars no other security SETIA seven seven

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nine oh first taper pass seven sevennine oh first application for a lease past
seven seven nine O seven seven nineOS seven seven nine oh. Is headed
west seven seven nine oh west onHighway Fort It, west of Gary,
west of Chicago Heights and Aurora sevenseven nine oh. Is headed west seven

(10:16):
seven nine hour, headed west intheir thirty six for them and thirty five
bucks in his pocket. Naming oldsthe occupation. I remember when we went
down to the courthouse, would seatthe time setching clear across the Virginia.
Then you could take a peasant outof a laurel bush. You could go

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hook a basket at the head ofthe wrestles and work a corn patch all
in one day. I remember whenwe went down to the courthouse, they
had the old boys in the firefor Montros, and I remember how Jad
Adams got red in the face andwaved his arm going to France to save
the women and children. They keptpicking up Ben Davis and putting it on

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the stiffs. The boy was me, johnswered. I remember the kids didn't
go to school. They sit onthe straight cars and waved their little flags
from the trinning pol out. Yeah, it was hot and shatter cocking seven
seven nine oh, riding with amillion men on fields, the cotton pickers
riding on Root ninety out of NewOrleans for Houston, through the San Antone

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north to Oklahoma in Arizona, andthen you cotton fields. When we came
home, we used to sit onthe courthouse steps and watch for the new
cars going through town. They saidit was the world. But they cut
down the tree while we were awayand put up electric light poles on the
mainstream. They said times are different. The chemical plant killed, the bass

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played down past the black board,and you had walked ten miles behind the
clear stream. They put up prinksseventy five on the Courthouse Square. We
used to sit all they Sunday talkingand were looking at the new cards.
Let seven nine oh. Riding onthe Highway of the unemployed, the fruit
tramps riding on the desert road overfrom Jacksonville, across the continent clear the

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California up roof ninety nine for lemonsand oranges, spoons and teachers up class
prisoner in Washington and Oregon for apples. The man said that he'd give us
all one hundred dollars in a railroad. Pair said they needed strong boys in
the North. They gave us tendollars a day in action. They bought
step shirts and got drunk every night. They stayed out all night and slept

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at the machines in the formlace tosell ranches at it as crazy. Then
you could spend all that at themusement parking by stiff shirt. The body
fence would get twenty dollars if youworked at him. We were twenty seven
years I remember that tough inspection inDetroit. He cut me sitting down,
and he chased me play out ofthe plant man and the check waiting at
the cage. As I went byseven seven nine oh riding west on Forties

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west of the flat corn belts ofIndiana and Illinois. The picker's riding west
on Root had let us sease onionsand finish up eighty seven to Denver and
Tridon along the side of the rockies, the billings in Great Pall the sugar
beet. I remember in twenty sevenin the production department said we couldn't well
zinc. We got the gas tankwells going in six weeks and gave us

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a bonus. Then I remember intwenty nine when you build up fifteen thousand
units a day, and then theyput us on a short time and the
marriage men only got four days July. And then they put that twenty ten
press in plant number ten and gotkids to stamp out tops and fenders,
pushing buttons and punching out body topsand fenders. Seven seventy nine oer heading
west west across the Mississippi. Theweek ten heading west on Root ten out

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of Minneapolis, west across the northerntable top to Fargo and Grand Parks,
Valley City in bismar over the dividefrom Miles City to Missoula and spoke Anne
name age inoxication. They're stid aroundthe union hulls and the marriage men will
get their first release cards. They'llgo to the and the old men will

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get the first short time. Theyhave talked politics in the pass and wait
for the food cards. But there'scountry in the West I've never seen.
They said. The youngsters get alltheir jobs. But the youngsters never carried
duck boys out of breast and mud, lefty and knees. They said,
the bombs go west. But they'rebuilding dams in the desert. They're cutting
down mountains seven seven nine old ridingwith a million men on wheels, hawky

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and hand. They get ten tents, we fixed flats, kicking dinners and
tourists, secondhand tires, free water, tidle, wreck hot dogs and pop.
They special pork and beans. Fifteentents do drop in hawfee brief.
The trunk drives Hollywood cabins fifty tentsa night, dur it far right and
walk. Welcome to the city,Rotary London twelve on Tuesday. Secondhand tires
three Warren air wee big tiles.Uh, alright, brother, here I

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heard it be I fella up,Yes, sir, you come from ease.
Yeah, he going far. I'mpretty far where you have a lot
of something. I'm telling the fellasthe other day. So many people on
the highway, I said, wanderedme. Is anybody to hold its tall?

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There had a be dollar ten withtax? Now, Uh, what
else can I do for you?How many bout the crackers and copings and
cheese store cheese, rat cheese storecheese. Mama friend own box store crackers
and the store cheese. Hey,come over here and set and shade.
Brother, we got the best shadingcabbage. I always saved the thanks of
really well, Oho, it lookslike I got nothing touch there? High

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half filler up? No sair.Three games would be about it, right,
yes? Third, I see yougot a small crow bar around here?
I can bartle my mom? Where'sout of the crow bar? Had
last week? But on the floorand the black might be done this by
one any thing there that'll be fortysix cents attack mm happens? So we
retired? Huh yeah, Ben toroom running on a plat mine if I

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think it, Yeah, for sure, sure Brad, Yeah, I'll sit
over there, any shades and watchit. Uh who who oh, yes,
sure it's the best shaking Candidas.I first got the one said hot
road. Yeah uh you said you'refrom me? Huh yeah, Well I

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don't know easy about then O suta quiet mm. I ain't have been
eat But I tell Mama the otherday, man sit right here on this
porch and just meet people from allover. And I take the other day.
I was taking here and I lookdown the road and well it was
hot or it just hots this daythat to see a woman carrying a mull
in and a man carrying a babycoming down the road. But said,

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I dog got the baby more abouta year old. They come up dragon
in young people. They was andasked him where it's from, and you
know where California. Well she's howit comes to far? I asked me
in to say a while. Wellshe was this fella played in the band.
But it went bo, how faryou going? I said east?
He said how far you used?I said, Well? The girl finally

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says I she's got an aunt inBrooklyn, playing New York. They ain't
seen her in ten years. Butus they figured she's around somewhere and put
him up. Well, Mama,Mama gave him one of our fitch sent
Cabby and set him up. Wegot him a ride with a fella going
in Chicago. But I told Mama, I says, I, George,
like to see you got a amp'sface when they walking with that baby.

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I said, tell you the cowbar partner that's sorry. Uh you got
her, got he fixed already.Yeah, I think I'll just cool off
a minute. Yeah, I saydown, I sit down, And I
told this charge the best Shaden Kansas. Yeah, he was good to me.
My goodness, look up for theboys. Mama, bring out work,

(18:14):
can out. Gotta fell on fireout here. I thought that God
hot in Alabama, But this Kansas, now that's really hot. Brother.
This is mid winter to what wasin thirty six, Now that's when he
was hot. I was sitting roundhere on this porch when old man joines
he's got two sections land west overthat he comes running in to call the
Ablon Fire Department. His wheat fieldjust naturally blew up and caught fire so

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hot. It's a gospel truth.Spontaneous a combustion or something. They said,
just give it to the man,Mama, thank you. Man.
Hey, you better cool her offfor he put that in, or you'll
have spontaneous combustion. Well high,yes, sir, what is well?

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Thank you for some drinking water?For getting around in the Canada? Backa
where just go right inside burg andMama take care of you. Yeah,
I'd like some of that water myself. Where there's a bucket and a dipper
on the porch. You care totell the best of water in the Canadas
to always say right a con backthere? Huh, Yeah, there was

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no use to a man less.It's get a family tell traveling alone wants
to get somewhere. Hey, youhad knees. I'm going west. I'm
even fire away. I'm heading east. Told me if they find some company,
old grandmother always said poor people ortravel together. So I'm heading east.

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I'm from heat and I'll tell youabout it. My pardoner and me
we set the first machinery and thebiggest textile nail on the cap. There's
no two better mail mechanics. Messcudthat we used to say when they shut
the mails down thirty one. Wewere soon was setting there with the broken
windows, just like blind gray oldmen and the fogs drifting in from the

(20:07):
ringing, and we sat down andwatched them, and then we took some
of people for both rides and fishedfor bait and waited. We helped him
tear out the machinery, and wewatched him take down the brick nails.
Was moving toiles, he said,But we're in the winged Man. Sorry,

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bought trailer and we went over thelake and the Neilman and the new
factories were said. The cold miskinapartment had a dog, but we give
him to follow and got cat catto find his own food. Well,
they didn't need mechanics, he said, and we sold the trailer. My

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father took his share and went home, going on the leaves. He said
it, but I'm heading south.What the nails is there? Cotton nails?
They haven't even machine as I toldhim, Yep, it's working it
out, brothers. There's work inthe south. There's worked for eight million

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people planting cotton, chopping, cottonpicking cotton following the sun and the hot
steels. There's work in the newcotton mills. Work enough at eight dollars
a week. The length of chokingin the kids and the store man leaving
you behind. Every Saturday. Mygranddaddy came over to Carolina for my daddy
was born, cleared itself a placein the pine. His people raised cotton

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for Then in seventeen we had onehundred and fifty acres in the clear,
and cotton went from fifty cents tosix cents in a week. The bank
busteres we held home. They hadto go shares in thirty and he never
been ahead since. Sometimes seemed likethe very steeves at time. Now they're
talking about chopping cotton with masche Theythey say they're gonna sell them use and

(22:02):
plant it from picket and chopping,run it right over the mills on machines.
Now, when my women folks wentto the mills, I said,
I'm going north. What I readwhere a fellow died up there and left
nine billion dollars. I said,I'm going north. Well, the meals
pay your enough for radios and movies. I said, I'm going up where
the money is. They said they'rejumping out the bridges. And after they

(22:27):
said they're mumbling the bread line,they said, put the machine and the
men are there. I remember whenthey told the Swede you got to cut
up forty ships. They said they'dtake two years to scratch forty ships.
I remember how the Swede brig gotthe disk saw and we cut'em down
two and await what the machine is? Still, asked, I'm heading west
where they're moving mountains. It tookme worth. When I was six years

(22:52):
old, my father moved me fromMissouri. They said my lungs was dead,
that the river was bad for mylungs. They could see the tan
grass waiting for fifty miles out there, then ninth. They used to cry
when the rock island went through acrossthe plains and the cayosanted. I used

(23:15):
to cry, and once to tryto run away. Then they gave me
a pony and a half hermone,and I never wanted to go back to
Missouri. When I was twenty one, my father gave me a section of
land. My brother and I ranthree sections and seventeen. Then we went
to war and they plowed up therams. Told my father was patriotic,

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so they plowed it all. Whilewe were away, they drought up the
tractors and the combines. Fellas usedto come clear from Chicago playing the crops
go away suitcase farmers, we calledthem. They used to plow a thousand
acres a week, or the dustcame. He stuck at six years.

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We've had six years and watched thedust. He watched the dust drift over
the windows to fall forward and pushthe dust off the field so he could
raise another crop of dust the nextspring. All we hit the highway in
thirty six. I'll tell you aboutthe West. There's work cutting grapes for

(24:26):
a center tray when if a gaspenough to get you to the next camp.
There's work picking cotton at ten centsan hour releven in a migratory camp,
eating beans and meats. The butcherthrows away, and there's a knights
in camp with the children crying andthe woman staring at you, or a

(24:48):
man can't stand it. I said, I drawn mine if I'd raised kids
that way. So I'm had afly away. My wife's falling the crops
to my brother. But I'm leavingthe kid with Ken and I away so
they'll know what a home's like.Maybe I'll go back. They had to

(25:10):
let the dynamiters down the side ofthe canyon on ropes that boulder. Damn.
They blew up a mountain and madea lake in a desert and built
the highest dam in the world.If you can't eat damn, they're changing
the course of the second biggest riverin the country. Grand coolie. Yeah,
but they can't figure out how tofeed eleven millions of us. They
hit quicksand up there, so theysuck Brian piped in and frozer and then
dug it out. But the bigboys have the machine. There's nothing but

(25:34):
relief for the little man. There'smen and machines in this room. There'll
be water enough for thousands of farmsup there. Yeah, but the big
boys have the money. There's roomenough for thirty million people. Why man,
they're building the biggest piece of machineryin the world. But what do
you do when they're finished. Theycan build plenty more. They can make
the desert green. Maybe they'll builda green city. Maybe they'll start east

(25:56):
and build her all over again.Maybe they'll be far. I'm the man.
They can move mountains, and theycan shove rivers around. There's men
and machines, and there's sun andlanding room for a man to turn around
them. And there's a man's sizejob to be done. You have just

(27:04):
heard the Columbia Workshop presentation of EkeHomo, an industrial symphony written and directed
by Pearl Lorent with motion pictures.The plow that broke the Plains and the
river had stimulated minions of American citizensthrough a deeper understanding of their nation's problem.
Bernard Hermann conducted the orchestra, andWilliam N. Robeson, director of

(27:26):
the Workshop, supervised the production.The Workshop is keenly interested in the reactions

(28:18):
of the American public to mister Lorenz'streatment of the vital contemporary problems of men
and the machine. Would you pleasegive us your honest comments, your suggestions,
your criticisms really addressed. The ColumbiaWorkshop chare of the Columbia Networks,
New York City. This is theColumbia Broadcasting S