Winged Victory an episode of Columbia Workshop -

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

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Workshop presents an original radio drama byDavid Redstone, Darring Zeta Johan. It's
title The Winged Victory. There's ahole in the screen door. That's what's

(00:25):
the matter. It seems to me, dear, I mentioned this before you
did, Darling, yesterday. Yesterday. The point is, I can't concentrate
with buzzing all around the studies likea hive. I have to get up
and swat flies in the middle ofan important piece of dialogue. How can
a man be expected to do creativework under such conditions. It's humanly impossible,

(00:46):
you understand, don't you. I'llsee that it's fixed, Darling.
I wish you would, John,Have you sharpened my pencil? I was
just going to, Darling, justgoing to what you should have done it
last night instead of putting it offto the last moment. You might spare
me these trivialities. Now I haveto sit here and listen to you grinding
pencils in my ear. I'll doin the kitchen, Please don't. I'll

(01:08):
do it myself. Only don't haveme remind you about these stupid necessities.
A writer has to have these littlethings taken care of, for he'll never
accomplish anything. What are you doingwith that book, deer? The book
I was reading a good gracious,that's not on the list I made for
you. Oh but George, thebooks on that list are so dull.

(01:29):
I'm not exciting. I'll grant it'sa chronological list. That's the trouble with
you, dear. You must learnto be orderly, and the way to
do that is to have an orderlyfunctioning mind. Reading in an orderly way
will help when your stories and plays, Darling, I mean they're wonderful,
of course, but would you considerthem serious? I mean, who are

(01:49):
readings for enjoyment, isn't it,darling? Well, enjoyment, yes,
naturally, but there's more to itthan that. Well, I feel enjoyment
or to come first, and thenthe rest could be sort of string around.
Child. Well, run along,no, no, no, no,
you leave that book with me.It'll be here when you're ready for
it, Paul, in good time. For heaven's sake, what you're slip.

(02:14):
There's at least an inch showing.Oh there's a hill now. Anyway,
I'm going to put on a bathingsuit and get down to the beach
so it won't show at all.Well, now, for heaven's sake,
don't get sunburned. I can't standyour skin peeling. Where the sun hat?
You're going along? I told Masiewill I join up. She's giving
a beach luncheon when you're no confruiter in the icebox, and don't forget

(02:35):
to eat darling a beach luncheon.The things idle people think of. I
suppose there'll be those newspaper intellectuals sprawlingaround. All they talk about is politics.
You'd think art was dead. She'sinvited editors and what not. Uh
will Mike Campbell be there? Yes? Oh, I suppose, so said,
Yeah, Perhaps you can manage toentice him back here. His outfit

(02:58):
pays rather decently. I don't know. He doesn't like to talk about his
job much. He comes down hereto forget it all and keep away from
writers. Indeed, typical of thesecommercial people. Where would they be if
it weren't for writers? I'd liketo know. Does he suppose we tolerate
his crowd for their immense intellectual attainments? All editors are would be writers who

(03:21):
never wrote anything or tried and failed. Now they topped doctor. I didn't
think that my candle and another thing. Whenever Campbell talks to you, why
do you just walk away in thedaze and let the Gilmore woman snatch him
up with her husband. You couldbe more helpful. Flatter him a little
early in the summer at the Gilmore'syou said I was flirting with him.
We didn't know who he was.Now Wayne Gilmore's wife. She has poise,

(03:45):
splendid looking person. No wonder Gilmoresells so well. These editor folks
feel at home with her. There'sa model for you, my dear.
She has haavois fare, sounds likea bottle of wishy water. Be serious,
please, but this is important tome. You don't know how to
take advantage. I've got a storythat's right up Campbell Street. It didn't

(04:06):
talk shop and you can suggest,mind you, how my work's going great
guns here and there, and beforeyou know it, they'll be clamoring for
my stuff. Why the rock Gilmoreputs out wouldn't get by the first reader
at the event for his wife.Oh why we'll run along and let me
do some work. I can't sithere talking aimlessly to you all morning.

(04:27):
Go try to be helpful about Campbell. I'll try and the screen door.
Will see about that, won't you, dear, yes, darling, please

(04:55):
Joel and I was listening. Idon't know you, mister Campbell. I
saw look and some pickles. I'mdeath of the post and you're a thief.
Oh good lord, here comes togobot. Oh here's Campbell. The
sons in lightful, isn't it?Look it up too? You also chap
tap the store up lots of precioussunshine so you can keep your raggiant mood
during those bad rainy days. Butall the best stories in the world,

(05:16):
he blow me. I'll never forgetthe time Waiting said you were coughing on
and you wrote that to missus Gilmorey, you happen to have a bona fide
ham sandwich with a cream cheese andjelly. I'm throwing a pickle. Oh,
there's nothing serial about you editors.There a big brawnie editor with hair
on chest, once masculine ham onrise. Would you like me to get
fun for you? Say? Thatwould be sporting, would you? Well,

(05:39):
let's see what's happened to my dogand cocky? Oh say sleeezy wheezy,
pleazy wheezy. Oh, can Iget something for you? Zoone,
No, thank you, Hello cousey, Hello, little button nose? What'd
you pick up over there? Andyou better lie down and rest at coffee?
Kicking sand in other people's lunches.John met Jill Moore. Dame's gonna

(06:00):
come back and sit in our lefts. Have a heart. You can't stand.
Why didn't you tell me? Well? I have to mate her in
the village. And it's a postoffice of people's houses all the year around,
all the more reasons. We'll goaway and hide by yourself. That's
a good idea, see, saidcole Joan, please look this way.
No, I only want to showyou. Where do I have to be
shown? Well? And I'm goingcome talking here? I am that's for

(06:30):
the hairset. But what happened tomister Campbell? He's just got mored off?
Oh dear. They are so temperamentallypublishing people. Really, you have
to handle them with tongues. Theyget films just as they were human,
and you know you have to comeright down their level if you want to
get anywhere with him, Wayne says, and he's perfectly right about it.
Enters the children just like the leadingpublic. They have a sounding board,

(06:53):
so to speak. Watch how theyreact and know just what the public demands.
Quite in the artic. Your husbanddoesn't slant for Campbell's outfit, does
they? He's working on a playright now. Oh well, in that
case, you won't mind if Iseemed to be letting him pay attention to
me? Will you? Wayne doesa lot of short things he could buy
you understand? Oh goodness, isn'the ever coming back? Oh? He

(07:15):
said he was sick of her,sick or something. Dear, poor boy,
what if you want to do thetruth? It makes sewel sandwiches.
I think the mayonnaise is boiled.She doesn't have an electric refrigerator. Oh
dear, what shall I do withthis sandwich? Oh? Well, t

(07:36):
coaky, he love boy? Whatdo you want? Oh you starling?
When you twist your head sidewords likethat, I could love you to tell
really sick this let's supposed go getit. I was getting lonely, so

(07:59):
Corky told me, well, forpeace, they don't give him a pickle.
If I had a poppy, I'dhave more consideration for his inner.
Don't worry about him. The otherday he'd a pack of cigarettes and part
of the shower curtain because I lefthim alone fired a poppy. I'd never
leave him alone. I'd take himwith me wherever I went. I'd have
a kitten too, a little tigerkitten with stripes and a terra cotta nose,
and i'd call her Snooper and apuppy's name. At the angus,

(08:24):
I talk to them and they bothlisten. Be somebody listening anyway. They'd
understand too. What else do yousay to yourself? Joan, you talk
to yourself? Do you think I'munbalanced? Michael, not at all?
Yes, you do. I don'tmind if you do. I suppose it
is a little peculiar. No,it isn't at all. In section,
you know all writers often use thedevice of having a character talk to himself

(08:46):
or herself. Rita doesn't think it'speculiar. She's by herself a lot.
She needs to hear the sound ofa human voice her own'll do. There's
no other. Look at that dog. He scooped a way of sand to
get to the cool part. Howdo they know those things? Coky?
Look at him lying on his littlebelly with his hind legs spread behind him
like a half. He doesn't mindthe sand all over his nose, And

(09:07):
do you think you could stand sandon the tip of your nose? Please,
don't talk about fiction, Michael,I didn't mean to. Let's eat
the sandwiches up here right in thewater. Heah, you can rest your
back against this rock. No,I'll spread the world in the sand,
cream, cheese and jelly. Hiehim mind, give it a me oh
shore, Ah, that's the worstof eating on the beach. Twitter.

(09:28):
All those flies come from, andthat kelp over there. I suppose I'm
inte this food around the Will youplease not chase flies? Well, some
of them bite? Let him bite, let him buzz, let him alone,
let them live. Flies? Itcarriers of typhus. Oh, what's
so awful about typhoon? Right?Let typhus terms live? Let him pluse.

(09:48):
Did you ever watch a fly andsee how often it washes its hands
and its neck? I never sawa fly alan on a piece of salt.
If you no, al, So, what's the good of all the
Washington? Oh? I must rememberthe screen door at home? Will you
remind me? Okay, screen door? It's my word. That's the flies
in Oh, of course it bothershis nibs. That's a plaquemm. Do

(10:11):
you really want to know? Idon't care a condimental then talk about something
else. I love you, John, Please, Michael m Shall I have
a cigarette foil? No? Thankyou? M Smoking's good shows up the
hiatus lagging, conversation dissolves, anda fish and soothes the nerves and words

(10:35):
are prohibited. Why do men alwaysmake up reasons? People do things all
the time without any reason in theworld. Now look, I take a
handful of stand let it sifts throughmy fingers. I don't know why.
I wasn't even thinking about it.There's many reasons. I plucked this beach
grass. How long it grows?I twisted round my finger? Green ring,

(10:58):
isn't it? Your hands are lovely? That's why you smoke, because
in the city there's no gracy pulland no sandor sift for no reason?
What the rest of this cigarette?No? You stop smoking? No?
I smoke sometimes. Do you wantme to smoke, Michael? Why no,
I'd guess I assumed you might wadWhy do you want me to smoke?
But I don't care in the leastwhether you do or not? Truly,

(11:22):
of course, then I'd rather not. Then? Why do you sometimes?
But George says it's unsophisticated and inmature not to smoke. Ah right,
So you do it because he I'llnever offer you a cigarette again.
Do you like goats? Did yousay goats? A grocer has a goat,
he sells the milk. Do youknow that a goat plays just like

(11:45):
not like a dog. It nudges, and its furread is so hard.
When you scratch it, it stopssnudging and looks at you with wise,
strange eyes. With a dog ora cat's more practical. God, what
you wouldn't want a goat in thehouse? What in the world are you
doing? I'm being a goat?Ha Your fahad's too smooth. It doesn't

(12:05):
scratch well. Michael's dome. Whatif someone should see me kissing your arm?
Is that it must? What ifsomeone should see me kissing your lips?
That'd be the end. I'd haveto leave town. Then I will
no Michael's dome. We both leavetogether. I don't want to go back
to the city alone. I couldn't. Michael. You love me, don't
you? Yes? I love you. I won't be back next weekend.

(12:26):
You know that may not be hereagain till next summer. You know that,
Yes, I know, Yes,I can't you want to? It
isn't what I want. Look whatare you doing? Taking your captive with
grass, all your rest together?This is an experiment? It cos it's
too tight. Wait, I needmore grass now I'm not. It's a

(12:50):
tough grass, all right. It'shurting. See how pale your arms are?
Now, don't take it off,Michael. Does it give you pleasure
to hurt? Yes? Now Ican kiss you. Oh, Michael,
untie my hands. You didn't haveto really just pull. Look, hold
the heels of your hands together thisway for leverage. The grass will break

(13:11):
if you use a little strength.I can't cry. Oh, please,
Joan. Try Joan, don't yousee? I have to do it yourself?
All right? Then I'll help you. I didn't mean to hurt you.
That's that why I don't crying.I hadn't hurt so much. I

(13:33):
could have done it myself. Icouldn't. Is it better now? Doesn't
hurt? It feels free? Good? Huh? Free? All you have
to do is make a break,that's all, Joan. I want you
to marry me. Listen to me, just listen. You can't go on
this way It isn't living. WhatGeorge wants is an ornament where you're lovely
already. Didn't make any mistake aboutthat, and you took it for love.

(13:56):
Why that conceited fish doesn't know whatlove means. It sticks out all
over His work is as much lovefeeling in there as there is a children's
fairy tale about Cinderella and the Prince. Did you ever feel as a child
if the two people were in love, that they cried or hurt each other
or a kiss. No, Cinderellawas anon him. It nothing but a
stick of glass. That's why theglass slipper fit who lived happily ever after,
and that stops there. The same. More would take explanation might make

(14:18):
them human, It would break theglass. Some women can take that sort
of thing, but it isn't toyou. You're hungry for love. You'd
like to have a dog, akitten, or a goat. But his
NIBBs doesn't see that. He doesn'tsee what you need is something to love
and to be loved. Wouldn't makeany difference to him if he did,
or his wife. He thinks thereought to be enough to make you happy.

(14:39):
Everything is just add junct to hisown little, shallow, microscopic soul,
and after a while you lost yourornamental value. What then, look
at Gilmore's wife. Why the timemay soon come when you'll say, see
here, wifey darling. I oughtto be selling some scripts. So that's
full of campra. I won't stop. You've got to listen to me.
If I've seem brutal, it's toobad. What about me? Don't I
count? I've never I've known agirl like you. I've met lots.

(15:01):
Now I'm home, the trip's over. You're sweet, you're warm, you're
life, You're tender, you understand, you, pity, you love.
That's what I see. I won'tlet it go. It's too good,
Joan Jonah, you're listening to me, yes, but do you hear me?
Now? You don't coffee? Getthe sick boy out there, get

(15:26):
it. You'll miss coffee. I'llmiss you too. He hates to go
back to the city. He hatestrains. He trembles all over when the
big locomotive comes in, like asteaming dragon, glaring with one eye and
breathing fire. Then when it stops, he gets his courage back and he
boxs his head off. You're justa lot of noise, he says,

(15:48):
look out for me. I'm CorkyCampbell. I'm rough and tough than Harry
and bluff Hawk. Go shake yourselfsomewhere else, sad Joan, He'll think
of not hearing his bark again.It's always so joyous. Come on,
life, it seems to say.And I'm not for you any day.

(16:10):
Do you ever say that you oughtto use a whip, would be kinder
and do anything to bring you toyour senses. Think of me when the
train poked out? Think of me, But you expect me to tear myself
up out of the ground you Youhaven't any roots here, Joe John,
Let me go back with y'all.Tell him no, no tellings my job.

(16:30):
You wouldn't, You couldn't. Hewasn't over, so he's been working.
He hasn't had a chance to considerme. If I told him he
might see and understand, he mightchange. It couldn't be fair not to
give him a chance. Give mea hand just for a little while.
That's no use. I've fail me. I can't come back here again because

(16:55):
I love you, Joe. Iguess I'll take the early train, as
sooner the better. I'll try toput ten you'll come. It's hard to
give you up. I pretend you'resitting beside me all the way. Goodbye,
goodbye, Jones say it. Ican't. It's all right. I

(17:17):
know you don't write to me.No, Cooky, you're so wet.
Come on, boy, go on, cookie, Come on, Cooky.
Don't wait for me, little dogcool, go that you there, be

(18:04):
a good girl and type these revisedpages. Oh, Joan, that dress,
it gives you hips. Couldn't youget Campbell to step in a while
he had to make an early train? Huh? Too bad? How's the
recording, darling? Oh, Idon't know. They had visitors for lunch
next door, some yapping little brats, so one where I didn't go crazy.

(18:25):
I don't know why kids have toscream and yell so much. If
I had kids like that, I'dstuff a pillow down their throats. And
these flies hang it? Why dothese pesky things exist? Or did you
see about the screen door? Oh, darling, I forgot. I'll go
right down the line. Now.I stood it all morning. I guess
I can endure it some more.I dare say you had more important things

(18:47):
to think about. However, nowthese pages. Come first. Where are
those notes I made last fall inthat courtroom scene? You wouldn't remember,
I suppose. Oh, I putthem in the attic storeroom, Darling.
Remember you told me to tear themup, but I suggested you might want
to use them in another story.I didn't think they were so bad.
Damned with faint praise some of mybest work. I only needed to put

(19:10):
it in proper place, for Heaven'ssake. Your face is tanning. Didn't
you wear a hat? I hada swim. The sounds quite strong.
Today you'll get swarthy like a gypsy. Be more considerate, darling. You
have a short fingernail. I'd expectto see such hands on some little counter
girl, not on my wife.And I broke it typing this morning.
Use the balls of your fingers,not your nails. Find me those notes,

(19:30):
darling, Now run along. That'sa good girl. I'm so tired,

(19:57):
tire, so hot up here?Firsty I wish I were dead?
Why can't I just die? Lifeis too long? All I feel?

(20:18):
When I'm thirty forty sixty? Isit possible to live so long? A
little fly? How'd you get uphere? Big fella? My? How
long your flies live three weeks.Then they get big and feeble and go

(20:40):
whizzing about a window plane in thesunlight till they die. Not much left
for you? Is there? Nofor me? Oh? Dead? It's
so hot. I haven't any strengthleft. One wing up and one wing
down. You must have got tangledup somewhere, lucky escape huh. Oh,

(21:06):
Now I see how you got inthat little piece broken out of the
attic window. Or you can getout the same way. Go that way,
silly, ten thousand eyes and can'tsee a hole in the window pane.
Oh, maybe there's no spider there. He's afraid walks now stops walks

(21:27):
and stops flies about and walks.Don't walk into that pool of fluff now
so fine and light, dust andair and bits of carpweb. If you
walk into that little flight'll field,just like some old spider's web, then
won't you be scared? Goodness,you've walked right into it. Oh,

(21:48):
you fool, you fool. Youdidn't do it on purpose, did you?
Maybe you did like people who jumpout of windows. Now you think
the spider will get you and wrapyou up like a mumy till he need
you. And now he's given upout of despair. Silly, that's no

(22:12):
spider web. It's only dust,a little bit of fluff that you can
break with your wings if you try, just try, I'll help you first.
Why don't you fly away? Didyou die? Did you die of
fright? All right? Think?Don't give up. Look there's the window

(22:37):
and the sunlight. You can getout. That's it. Try why you're
quite alive? And you might meananother little fly in the sunlight. You've
done it. See, and youdidn't get rid at all in the corner.
That's where the hole is. You'vefound it. You've found it.

(23:03):
Fly use your wings to the sunlight, into the sunlight that I come up
here for? Why am I herewhen there's life left and sunlight? George,

(23:57):
I'm going go to heavens girl?What's the police for? Where do
you think you're going? The train? The early train to the city.
You most certainly are not. I'mgoing away with with Michael Campbell? What
with the police? What do youmean? I mean, George, I've
got to go. Won't you tryto understand? I don't understand, well,

(24:18):
my dear, I understand the words, but they don't make sense.
After the blue like this. Areyou trying to tell me you want to
go off with Campbell? You preferthat that office boy to me. You
want to make me look like acomplete fool of the whole colony here and
all the mucky muck's in the wholefield, and by heaven, you've been
doing it all this time. Ohno, George, I haven't. When
I realized I was in love withhim, I avoided him. But no

(24:41):
I can't anymore. Don't second me, You and that bore And what about
me? You've no obligation to me. It would seem my position, my
dignity, this this mess of typing. But you don't owe me a thing,
George. You don't understand. Ohoh, so that's it now,

(25:03):
my dear. Hadn't you better goupstairs? Take some aspirin now, then
we'll have a talk. You seeme look ridiculous. I'll keep the divorce
business as quiet as possible. IfI thought things could possibly be different,
George, I'd give you another chance. You give me another chance. No,
I'm wrong. Things couldn't possibly bedifferent, just more impossible. Now.

(25:25):
I am sorry, George. Ican't change anything, But I am
sorry. You're not as sorry asyou're going to be my little friend.
There's that too, George. IfI'd ever been your little friend, this
never would have happened. You've nevertaken me close. I've always been well.
Sort of combination astray in desk class. A broken nail that the neighbors

(25:47):
could see would upset you, buta broken spirit that would upset the neighbors
you couldn't see. George. I'msorry, I didn't mean to be unpleasant.
I'm going wait, hold on aminute, John, let me think
you know this is what They're quitesilly. Why you couldn't stand that barbarian
you'd want to come back in aweek now. I'm sure you're a fool.
You've always been one, Jon,This is just two unorthodox. A

(26:07):
man can't say goodbye to his wifelike this at a second, No,
this a man would, under thesecircumstances if he stopped to think. He
wasn't thinking instead of how he couldadapt this scene to a play he was
working on. There's a sight ofyou coming to light I wouldn't like very
much. That's true. That's ends. Goodbye, George, really this time

(26:29):
goodbye. It seems there's no holdingyou back, is there I'm hay about
Campbell, My dear, when youtwo aren't mooning at each other, would
you try to remember me for abit? You know, I should have
something coming to me. I haveno end of stuff I could let him

(26:51):
have. There'll be a short butthe first say. Won't Gilmore turn green
when he hears I've cracked Campbell?Oh? Don't, don't why you have

(27:27):
just heard? The Columbia Workshop's presentationof an original radio drama by David Redstone
Asita. Johann, star of theAmerican Stage and Screen, played the role
of Joan. Others in the castwere Adelaide kleinb Frank Lovejoy, John Griggs,
and Donald bain Tonight's presentation was underthe direction of Brewster Morgan. Next

(27:48):
week, the Columbia Workshop will haveas its guest director Hugh Hunt, who
has long been identified with the famousAbbey Players and who is at present in
this country as director of Paul VincentCarroll's Irish drama The White Steve. Mister
Hunt will offer his own adaptations ofone of the highly impressionistic short stories of
the noted modern Irish author Frank O'Connor. Your announcer is Harry Clark. This

(28:14):
is the Columbia Broadcasting System.