Luck an episode of Columbia Workshop -

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

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Call to your attention that the TexicoStar Theatre will be presented a half hour
earlier each Wednesday night at nine pmEastern Standard Time. Beginning next Wednesday,
November twenty third, Remember the changeof time of the Technical Star Theater nine
pm Eastern Standard Time. The ColumbiaWorkshop presents the second in its current trilogy
of stories by the note of Americanauthor Bilbo Daniel Steele. Tonight's program is

(00:24):
an adaptation of the prize winning storyLuck Luck. What is it? What
does it come from? What guidesits strange power? This is the story

(00:50):
of two men and the way ofluck. There's Willyard, big raw bone,
confident, Willyard, the beat thrower, with his easy smile, is
strong movement. Look, there's nosuch thing as luck. You get what's
coming to you, or you takeit. I make my luck. And
there's Jemison, little and dry,with his twisted body, his thin voice

(01:14):
black. HiT's all luck. Youain't got a chance without it, Look
at me. We find Jennison andwill Yard late one winternight with three other
men in the back room of Peter'sMountain store. They've been playing sinceil evenings.
Now it is almost dark all right, all right, I'll stand what
about you, Jennison cards, you'vebeen running your way tonight. You can't

(01:34):
grudge me that, will I ain'thad cards for a long time. All
right? Playing? Then, whatare you gonna do? I'll i'll call
you. You're a piker, Jim. There's three Jack, I got a
flush even with the cards. Hehasn't any guts. Where's your bottle?
Peters? You get cingire all thetime? Yeah? I was telling Peter's
that only yesterday. Dip in thecustomers. There's one thing holding out of
the letter or something else? Isthat? So? Will you hire the

(01:57):
clean up her ound? Here?Tinker and had to do a rich for
sake? Alright? Your birds playingPapa Rachel? Yeah, Peters, push
him out. This is where yourcard stopped, Jenerson. Now they want
I feel lucky to nice, Butthe first time in years lucky, you
feel sorry for yourself? That's whatyou mean, and you call it?
Look well, you're always talking big. Someday you'll come a cropper and find
out a few things. Not me, jen Not me, you with your

(02:20):
twisted neck maybe, but not me. Never mind that. How many cards
you want? Will two? Takeit? Three? You read two and
make him sweet. I don't trustany of this you Jennison, none,
I'll stand non eh? Are yougoing to better an't you? I'll start
with ten. I'm out, I'llstand, lets me out. I'll raise

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your funny Jenison, I'll range yourfifty. Oh cool, fifty. You're
pretty sure? Ainsied, Jennison.I think you're bluffing this time. I'll
raise one hundred. All right,boys, I can't go any higher.
I'll just call him the hundred more. Lets me up, Okay, I'll
call you Jennison. You're losing alot of money this time. Maybe I
am, Maybe I'm not well.Get a look at these four ten four

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ten? That's pretty a pictures yousee this side of North Gap? How
about it? Jennerson? Hit allright? Will good hand? But I
got four queens? Queen? Fourqueens? You got, Jennerson? Yes,
look at him? Yes, Ican see them, or else maybe
I wouldn't have believed them four queens? Eh? Well, I've had enough.

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Where's my coat over there on thebarrel? Your green bags too?
And wait a minute, will youain't sore for me? No? I
ain't sore. What do you thinkthe money is? Hands? Ain't it.
No, I ain't sore. I'mI'm just curious. What do you
mean? Oh? Nothing, nothing, I was just thinking about about your
luck. Shame. Look will,while you're climbing into the coat of yours,

(03:47):
well, do you have just onemore before you go? Plenty of
it and it'll be cold going overthe mountains? Home on just a just
a small one to help the sunup? Oh, never mind, will
you need it? A loon?Call walk home in the snow? Cut
up with you. I'm watching jealousoncow lucky jealouson five seven hundred and fifty

(04:10):
five, seven hundred and sixty five, seven hundred and sixty five, and
he calls it luck Well, I'llbe hanged both poor Queen's warm luck y'add,
old fellow, take a drink andpass the bomb. Sure will you'll
be lucky next time? I will. We'll take it from me and put
it in your pace and smoke witha whole lot of you. There's no
such thing as luck, and theman's a fool of thinks there is.
Good Night, oh my beef.I never can tell her that fella's head

(04:36):
too much, and that he certainlygets nary he's had plenty all right,
and he's sure man, I wouldn'twant to be walking home with him.
Oh it beats me. You heardwhat he said, no such thing as
luck, and him the luckiest devilthat ever drew breath. Yeah, it's
funny, all right, we'll sayin that and saying it to me,
it's real funny. Help me onwith my cook. Well, he d

(05:00):
kind of hard to twist into ittonight. Must be the dampness making the
neck worse. Sure, sure,i'll help you well. Got a good
roll to warm your pockets with,blacking in the shade out Now, how
are you going, Jennison on themountain road? Yeah, I was dull,
the same as will. If II was ill, I shouldn't walk

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too fast on that mountain road.It's a narrow road for two. And
by the looks of will Yard onthe left here, he wouldn't want having
his heels caught on too much thismorning night, I prayed out will Yard.
Maybe not, but i'd give himwhite berth if I was you.
The Yard's all right when he's sober, when he ain't got a grudge,

(05:40):
He ain't got a grudge against me. Just because I want to night he
can't get mad at that. Onlyyou gotta remember you're carrying quite a piece
of money. And by the looksof Will Yard, he wasn't too certain
yet who belonged to it? Bluntsto me, eye on it. Will
knows that. Oh, Jennison,he just being funny. Don't pay no
attention. Hey, how about itquick one for you start? Huh No,
thanks, sir, get along,I come to think of it,

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Maybe I will. It's gonna becold over the month. Sure, that's
a boy here here, I'll joinyou. Well, here's look Jennison.
Thanks. Yeah, and you werebusy these days. Jennerson gonna lead box
preps out this year. Huh Hugh, I got a couple down near the

(06:25):
pond, the pond by the mountainroad. Yeah, Joe Schultzersman cut nice
for him. Yeah, that's wheremy traps are. I feel like it.
When I come by there, Imight have a look at them.
On the way over the pond,eh, that's where we'll search for him.
Yes, sir, we'll drag thepond if we don't turn up in
good time with the money. Youunderstand, we'll drag the pond. And

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oh, you'll go on Jennison.Yeah, yeah, but you're wrong ataday
wrong will ain't gonna hurt me?Y, I guess I better start good,
lay jin and be careful. Yeah, well, don't worry about that.
Well, I'm going to bed.You fellas can stay here and care
as long as you please. Ihave time to listen to you. Tell

(07:05):
let that out. When he beginsto feel like going home, thank the
Lord for Sundy. Well, welllucky Jennison. Well this is a surprise.

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Oh, well, thought your wayahead? What do you want me
me? What do I want?Why? Nothing, Jennerson, Nothing?
What would I want? Why?That is a I don't know. I
just said it, that's all.I just didn't expect to see you.
I didn't know you were ahead ofme either. He why are we standing

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here for like like a couple ofstrange dogs. That's what you mean,
is yeah? I guess. Well, then come on, let's get going.
Light's beginning to break here. Yougo ahead, Will, and I'm
a bit slower and you I'll holdyou back. That's all right, I
got nothing but time. I couldbe home now. But when I came
past the fifth their place down atthe bottom of the hill, I suddenly

(08:16):
remember there's a little piece of money. I've been on him for a bunch
of calves, and oh, Iwas figuring to pay up today. I
just wanted him to know that Iwas. That's what will come on.
And I wasn't able to keep myword about paying him today, just because
I'd gone and lost the money sittingin a poker game like a fool.
I was just a run a lot, you know it was No, it

(08:37):
wasn't luck. I was a foolof set with you and I settled and
done. There's no such thing asluck. A man guess what's coming to
him in a long run. Youcan't believe that. Look at me,
look at me now. They'll tellyou I'm lucky, that lucky son of
a gun wheel yard. That's whatthey'll say. But let me tell you
the secret. Hey yeah, butlook at me, look at me,
will look at my neck face,guess Hey, I unlucky? Hey,

(09:01):
Hey, ain't unluckiness, Jen.You're always doing fool things, that's all.
And you're lazy, gentle, andyou know it. You'll never get
ahead on it. Ain't unluckiness either. I know, I know well,
but I think that I'm thinking ofI've never cared to shock about that.
I've never cared about anything. Willtest lately, not till still till heavy
pol came home from school with herhair. Huh. I don't know what's
making me talk like this to you, but well I'll tell you the live

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it prue, not till then,not till then. I love that girl.
You you love her? Look atyou twist his neck face like that?
You? Oh you make me laugh? Yeah, look at me,
look at me hard, look atmy neck and my face and say I

(09:45):
unlucky. I'll look here. Igo by the judges every day almost.
I'll go five miles out of myway to pass there. I'll go in.
She asked me in, and I'llsit there and I looked at her.
I'll see how her brown hair layslight and warm against her cheek,

(10:05):
and I'll imagine how it would feelagainst my cheek. Me there's ever a
fellow woman's hair. I'll sit thereand talk. I can talk better than
most men. I can talk justas long as she don't look at me.
Oh yes, talk talk talk yeshup and talk. That's all right.
But just the same, my makeher a good husband. Mak or
her husband. You all right,I would. But the minute she looks

(10:26):
at me here, don't that's alie? She don't laugh, No,
sir, Only when I feel herlooking at me I twisted neck. Well,
think you got the nerve to sayI ain't unlucky? Is it?
My father? I would burn likeit. I think it's worth my drink.
And that's all I know. Andthen again, if an answer fall
is to fall to somebody, it'spay for something. Accidents don't happen.
Take me now? If I needwhat you call luck, why I make

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it accidents? Yeah, I'd liketo see the accident that would keep me
from going right on ahead? AndI'll keep on going ahead. I'm bound.
You. Oh you wonder how Hetty'shair would feel against a man's cheek?
Well? I know now, yes, I tell it against my night

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before last when I asked her ifshe'd marry me, and she told me,
all right, that's the way withyou, Jen, you wonder,
and that's the way with me.I know that's true. Will at the
married, before the monk's done,marry, I'll be back you will You
want to know about it? Idon't know. I don't know what could

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I do? Fuck at me?I ain't anywhere near as big as your
nurse. Starting on top of that, you got a gun that's just like
you. Jen, There you are, there's my gun. Here, take
it, don't close your hand onit. There now you've got it,

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Jen, Now what tell you what? I'm going to the pointed that you
will your heart like this? Allright? Let my finger on the trigger.
See, and you're lucky, lucky. You know I can't do it.
You know as well as I do. I can't do it. And
you for snife, as if youwould imagine that anything you could do,

(12:26):
would you make me sick? Younever can carry a thing through. Oh
no, I've never been able tocarry a thing through yet I thought,
as well as you do I Ican't even carry it through. My one
run of luck. Here, here, take the money I want to knife,
Take it of yours. I knowthat I knew it all along,

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that last was too raw. Thosefour queens, are you say? Three
of mortar fulhouse? Three hands beforeI knew it, But I never worried.
I knew I get my money back. I knew you couldn't carry it
through. But look here, Ionly want what's mine. You've got some
of your own in there. Yeahno, no, no, I don't
want any part of it. WillI won't touch it, I see.

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Oh, don't be a fool,how much? Jen? All right,
never mind, I know here youare. I'll take it. Come on
now, shut up and come onalong. Well are you coming? I
ain't going on just now? Notcoming? No, no, I I've

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got a couple of traps down thereby the pond. I'd like to have
a look at for a sun up. Oh, there's there's a blue fox
on the mountain summers, so she'llsee it less than a week ago.
See if I could get that fella? You mean you want? You want
to hunt foxes now? Yeah?Yeah, it'll be full day, so
that's say will So would you mindleaving me take one of them grain bags

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for a spell? We sure?Thanks. I tell you if if I
had the luck to catch that blueand I shouldn't want the whole townshift known
about it. Huh. You knowI could carry it home in this old
bag with your name on it,and nobody'd be the wiser. See Elton
Brook Farm, William Yard proprietor.And if you don't mind, I just

(14:16):
as leave. Have your gun alongand in case that fox. Fox,
Jen, you ain't as scared ofa fox. None of them blow wint
you though I've heard say they oughtto be shot in the eyes. So
it's not Tom the pelt. Ohwell, I don't claim to know anything
about such things. Go on,take the gun and welcome, keep it,
keep it. I make you apresence. No, no, no,
no, that's all right. I'llsee you later with it. All

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right? So long, so long? All will? One thing more if
you don't mind. Maybe you thinkit's funny, but I'd be obliged if
you wasn't to say anything about it, about my attending back the money,
you know, and all that sure, not a word, not a word,
trust me not go on, goalong about your business. So long,
So long will, And I'm mightygrateful, mighty grateful. Save write

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much crust on the snow down thereis there. No, it's got a
hard gun, but I'll manny,he will manage the fool. Look at
him, stumble nody, no,nobody, mmmmmmm fox hunting at this hour?

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Blue fox? Shoot him in theeye. Sounds fishy to me.
He's such a queer bird, Iwonder, Oh jim oh, let him
be the poor gutlass fool with hisluck and his no luck, lobody love

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no body. He said, Inever could carry anything, so he said
I was a push night. Ihad no guts. He said I never

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could do anything to harm him.Well, that's what he thinks. That's
what they all think. They don'tknow. He don't know. There's something
else in me, something besides histwisted neck, something nobody knows about.
That's me. That's right, Jennison, that's right. I'm the part of

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you that nobody knows that you didn'tknow. And you can do this thing.
I tell you you can do it. Yes, I can do it.
I can. They've shown you how, Jennison. Remember what they said.
The yard's all right when he's sober, but he ain't got a grudge.

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They know you're carrying money, Jenny, Yes, but I can fix
that. Just the match. Howpale it burns in this half light.
My hands are shaken. So whatam I doing? Earned money to me,
Jennison, Earned money, and itrushes away like dust, no trace

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of it, don't trace it all. And now I turn my pockets inside
out and starem now the pond.Jennison. Remember what they said they'll search
for you in the pond. They'lldrag the pond. If you don't turn
up at home with the money,they will, Jennison, they'll guess what
happened. They're expecting it. Itlooks cold that spot where Shorts has been

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cutting, and the ice is thinnedover. It looks so black and the
cold. You're not afraid of thewater. Remember he laughed at your neck
and your face. He's strong,and he laughed at your weakness. All
your life he's laughed at you.But jealouson. You're not weak. You're

(18:06):
stronger than he is. I am, I am, and I am.
I can do it. I willgo on first the stone. Many of
them there frozen the bank, butI can brig him out. Yes,
Jealerson, you're stronger than he is. You have a brain, a brain

(18:26):
that's going to destroy him. Goon, Jealison, Dick Dick, yeah,
Gowd dig and he knocks a stoneto fill his bag. Oh my
hands so they're torn, when nailsare bleeding. I don't feel him,
I don't feel anything. I'm diggingstone to fill that bag. The bag
with will blame on it. You'vethought out everything, Jefferson. It's clever.

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It's the cleverest scheme in the world. You'll destroy him so he won't
swagger and laugh again. Only keepgoing. I can only carry it,
so you can, Jetnison, becauseyou're brave. Yeah, ye am,
I know it. Yellows don't,but I do, hell Stones well done.

(19:19):
Yeah, I ain't flu I gottago up the road, after the
road and back so that there aretwo tracks down to the pond and only
one track back. That's right,Jetnison, finish it, finish him completely
with that brain of yours. Nobodycan guess now, nobody, the tracks,
the gun, the bag of stones, but the water it's so cold,

(19:45):
and the gun we've heard only fora minute, Jefferson. But you're
not afraid of pain. You havestrength, Jennison. You're braver than anybody
ever. Get best jealouson Picture what'sgoing to happen. Just picture it.

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Think what they'll say. First,there'll be the sheriff. He'll say Jennison
was shot down like a dog andthrown in the pall. Look at that
bag and gun. Jennifon never hadhis hand, poor devil, no gun
and not very strong. It wasbad. But between them playing poker and
I saw last. They've asked.I thought he was safe enough coming down

(20:29):
to the pond. Look at thosetry lest that brutal less thing as I've
ever heard of. My money tolook at his pocket? Y'all will pay
for this, all right, Will, That's what will happen, Jefferson.
But that's not all. They'll beheady too, heaty, prol seek what

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she'll say? What she is?Oh, hello, Seff Hello, we
ain't coming to see your father,miss Hetty. He's will Yard around here
here. What are all those mendoing here? Never mind them, miss
Hetty. Just tell Will to stepout for a minute. We got some
business with him, of course,Will oh Will yeah, yeah? Coming

(21:25):
Well, well, hello, sheriff, need little help running the law.
I want to know when you lastsaw Jennison. Jeyson, Why I saw
Jennerson last night down at Peter Store. We had a little poker party,
That's all I wanted to know,Will Yard, in the name of the
law, I arrested for Jennison's murder. Murder, Jennerson murdered. No,

(21:45):
you're turkey murdered. Jeferson murdered.Look he never mind the bluff wheel.
Jennison was found in the pond thismorning, shot and sunk with a bag
of stones. It's your grain bagin it. Yeah, here's your forty
four we found under the bushes.You must have needed money bad to do
a thing like that. I tellyou I didn't. I didn't do it.

(22:07):
I can explain the bag and thegun I I gave him for Jennison.
I did meet him on the road. Murderer. You will Yard a
murderer. Hey, you must believeme. I didn't do it. Was
so sweet, so kind, itcan't be true. Will I hate you?
I hate you. I hate you. That's it, Jennison. That's

(22:47):
the way it will be. WillYard hanged for murder? And Hetty thinking
of you? Missing you? Wellthe dice come, Jenison. Are you
ready? Yeah, I'm ready.Just tie this bag around the waist.
Ah, it's heavy, it'll breakue in ice. And now got a

(23:14):
gun. It's funny. I couldn'tpull the pike around the wheel. You
climbed everything. Jealousy. It's justright now, go on pull it.
I can't pull it now, Ican Oh no, no, no,
I have to be too fast,and I've got to get to the water

(23:36):
hole afterwards. No, here inthe chest uh huh, it's it isn't
hurt much. No, the gunin the butchers. M. No,

(24:00):
I can the hold. I must, I must take no hold. But
you just don't that hold be Itseemed so far, so far. I

(24:26):
shouldn't know it was so far,Jennison, don't give way, keep going,
keep going. Think what would happenif you gave way? Now what
I can't see? I can't see. Maybe I've missed it. No,
it's just ahead. You're getting there. Go on, go on, you're

(24:52):
almost dare. Yeah, yeah,I'm baking. There's a hole now will
I'm blasted if you marry heavy sortlike change lordy all hoty mm hmm Fox

(25:38):
something at this hour blue Fox shoothim in the eye. Sounds fishy to
me. M he's such a queerbird. I wonder, Oh, jem
oh, let him be the poorDouglas fool. But his luck and there

(25:59):
is no luck, Lody and all. Oh it's you, judge Proll.
So what are you doing a lotof people down at this time of the
morning. I just got in onthe Pine fifty eight and I'm going home.
Jump in. We'll give you alift twelve thanks, I could use
one. Oh, who's that goingdown the hill? Looks like Jennison,

(26:19):
Yeah it is. We just cameback from Peters together. Well, now,
what on euns he doing at thistime of morning going down to the
pond with that grain bag? Hethinks he's got a fox down there in
his trap? Blue? What hethinks maybe he just borrowed one of my
bags in my old forty four toget it. You haven't here is shooting

(26:41):
the blue fox through the eye,Not unless you're a dunk, good shot.
Is that what he's gonna do?That's what he said. He went
off muttering to himself. He's aqueer word, isn't. He can't stand
him for a cent? Too creepy? Yeah, jump in. Yeah,
let's get out of here before hechange his mind and comes back. Two's

(27:02):
company. Three's a crowd. Can'tstand him. Neither can Henry. I
don't wonder. Oh I'm tired.Well let's go. Yeah, pretty lucky
will you've been on the road along time this cold morning. If I
hadn't just happened along, Yeah,you're in luck. Well I don't know

(27:22):
about the luck, but I'm gratefulfor the lift. You have just heard
a dramatization of Wilbert Daniel Steele's famousshort story Luck, which was adaptive to
radio by Margaret Laworth. This hasbeen the second and the current trilogy of

(27:47):
stories by mister Steele, the lastof which titles The Giants Stare, will
be presented by the Columbia Workshop twoweeks from the ninth on December first.
The night's production featured Walter Grise asWillyard, Louis van Ruton as Jennison,
and Frank Reddick is the voice.The music was created and conducted by Bernard
Hermann, and the entire production wasunder the direction of Martin Gosh. Next

(28:07):
Thursday, we will present the worldpremiere of Beauty and the Beast, a
radio opera written by Vittorio Janini andRoberty Simon for the Columbia Composer's Commission.
Howard Barler will connect a large musicalcast headed by Charles Kohlman, noted tenor
of the Metropoli NAPA Association. Thisis a Columbia broadcasting system