The Dream Makers - The Sound Microscope

Episode Transcript

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The Columbia Workshops. On a directionof irving reeves, ladies and gentlemen,
The Columbia Workshop offers its ninth programin a series devoted to experimental radio.
We're happy to announce that Orson wellspresentation of the first two acts of Shakespeare's
Hamlet brought the largest male response ofany program presented so far in this series.

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Many of you requested us to dothe balance of the play this week.
Unfortunately, mister Wells is opening hisnew play this evening and could not
be here. However, we areplanning to present the other three acts at
the earliest opportunity, and thanks toyour interest, we are also making arrangements
to present similar treatments from the otherplays of Shakespeare tonight. We're dividing the
program into two parts. The firstfifteen minutes will be devoted to an original

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dramatization by Charles Burton, who useshis ten to give us the inside story
on the ghost and Nightmare racket.In the second half, the Workshop,
in conjunction with the ee Free Laboratories, uses the tools of science to analyze
the shadows that walk in the nightThe dream Maker Remember that night you woke

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up trembling, your body bathed ina cold sweat. You had a horrid
suspicion that you've been yelling at thetop of your voice. Probably you tried
to trace its origin, explained iton something you wake, but you were
wrong. We are going to takeyou behind the scenes of dreams and prove
it. Two curious figures approach asif taking shape from within a bank of

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fogs. One is an aged man. He is accompanied by a young fellow.
They converse as they stride along.You've seem in an awful rush.
There's a big night ahead of us, lucky ground to cover. Why start
out so wilily? What do youmean, youngster? Well, I've always
heard that ghosts don't go to worktill the stroke of midnight. Oh bosh,

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that's an old thing, that's all. And some of us even work
in the data Or what on earthcan I ghost accomplish? My daylight plenty?
Don't you realize how many people thereare who work nights and sleep days?
Night marchmen, newspaperman, cops,lunch countermen, radio announces, Oh,
lots of folks. But gosh,mister, you can't very well hold

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a house in the daytime. Nobody'dbe scared. O get your nose.
Honey boy, you don't understand thesetup, probably I don't. You see.
Two big mobs control all the racketsin this business, the Amatlgamated Association
of Nightmare Breeders and the Ancient Orderof Householders. Just don't shoo. It's
all organized. I'll explain it beforelong, but not now. We got

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to go to work here in thishouse. Right is this house? Oh?
My thrilled? Oh boy, wellI scare you do? What were
you doing with that hammer? That'swhat I'll wrap on the wall with,
wasn't it it? And then I'llwalk along upstairs like a ghost with a
wooden leg like this. Oh boy, I'll make your hair stand on him.

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And then after that maybe i'll rattleof chance and then I'll yell oh
no, no, no, youdon't get the idea. We don't operate
that way. No, no,no, that's old stuff belongs to the
opposition. Oh we're different. Comeon, I'll show you here we go,

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give me your hand. What arewe going to do? We's up
into that corner bedroom there you ready? Sure? Here we are, Golly,
here's a man. He's a sweepYou can talk as loud as you're
like, youngster, our voice isa picture and the frequency too high for
the model. He had to pickup that sort. Now this man bit

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on horses. Oh, that's bad, awful bad. Last week he won
one hundred dollars, think of that. So when he gave his wife for
allowance, he added an extra fivedollars. That wasn't much considerable, of
course not. Since then he's lostone hundred and a lot more. That's
the way it goes. He shouldn'tgamble tonight. When he handed over his

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wife's house money, he held outten dollars, told her he had to
pay a bill. Oh my,now, watch, I'm going to roll
him over on his back. Yes, get over there, the isn't he
sure is? Must wait two hundredpounds here now now to fix up a
nightmare. He won't soon forget.Hey, we last. You're a jockey,

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Wheeler, get it, a jockey, and you're riding a horse called
Iron Monkey in the fifty race.Iron Monkey can't lose, Wheeler, you
get it, He can't lose.But you you bet your whole fortune on
another horse in the same race,Sweet Sue, you get it. You're
betting a Sweet Sue. But you'reriding iron horses. I am the parade

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of the post wheeler, got dreamingiron money. I'm I'm gonna win it?
Hey, all right? Yeah?I was that good? Tis all

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set? What do you know?And Iron mykey can't lose. He's in
freshet to us theah the horse.I ain't got a chance. You gotta
beat down. We're sure I'd putmy whole fortune on Sweet Sue. I
beat that sweet too What ain't thattoo bad? I didn't you know that
plan? I'm using that bag topull milk wagons after this rain? What

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life? Do you gotta help me? You gotta help me? Don't you
understand I do well? Here's thecorner the post, he your own goverment.
Come on the horses and operating tothe post for the fifth race.
The race was starting about three minutes. USh One led to Iron Monkey,

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can't win. I've got everything onSweet Sue. Wattle them at Kilden say,
oh gosh, you'll divorce me.Listen, Iron Monkey, you're gonna
get in the jam at the startand trail all the way. If you
understand you've gotta lose, not thatyou're gonna lose. You understand the hertes
and rached the stuning eight. They'rewalking in the position. Now that a

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r R lined up. Iron Monkeylooks emry into the great heart is Oh,
look at that he that's de forthe barrier. That heart is training
every fiber his teroughbred bunny. He'sjust wearing it. Go, come on
back in here, don't be sodonncious hit that nagging a slot when that
back them in? Whoa, takeit easy now, don't get in tided.

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Everything's tank. Everybody's training as theriders and horses wait for that starting
stem. Ah, you're hearing itall. They're off to a perfect start.
Wait still takes the only names.He's way out in front, followed
by paula Bear. There's fantasickle turn. The rest are bunch. It's sweet.
Those race right now by a lengthand a half. The rest is

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dropping back. Iron Monkey is abad lamp. The bad root looks way
out of the running. A babyIron Monkey. Japa could be easy just
with just out for the ride.Take it easy, that it's easy around

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the face turn it's sweet still openingup a wide leave. Captain Jerry has
come up to take second plane leaningPoulo bar by a neck, Far Sickle
is dropping back, and Iron Munkeyis still in. Oh wait a minute,
he seems to be picking up abit here. Iron Munkey, cut
that out, cut it out,I'll tell you so sound. Yes,
he gotta let sweet film with whyand tanks crack is sweet too, going

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away, followed by Captain Jerry BottleBar is coming fast on the inside and
Bear Sickle is giving away the IronMonkey, who seems to be making it
fit for man. Oh god,it all now look what you did your
lug. Let's go on that fakego with you? Wats your hurry?
Henry Wheeler? Where's the house andthe automobile and your tree? Check?

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Answer me? Oh my god,my god? Blow up? Will you
blow up? On the back backsea track is a sea of money.
I can find it to sing withthe colors. One horse is overtaking the
film and it's going into the laneand it's yes, it is. It's
Iron Monkey. Iron Monkey now leadsby take ward in the lane. Hey,

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iron monkeys, please didn't get himuntil them. What do you think
I'm rolling on these frings for me? Done? Your fie? Why all
the horses in the field are stoppedexcept Iron Monkey, who continues to show
the waves. The other jonkeys havedismounted and are pulling hip boots and all
four legs of their mounts on accountof the heavy munch pull up byron monkeys.

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You're no mud horse, and youknow it. Poor luck to you
here. You've gotta get on yourfood. The field is away again.
They've overhauled Iron Monkey. His junkytends to be swall and getting out of
his boot. It's sweet still bya hand, by a half, by
a full length. Oh sweet?Still skid it? He's thinks in the
other way. Why he's running backwardsnow he's had the right way again.

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He's opening up again as they rodehim to the stretch. That's sweet too,
by a wings and going away.It certainly looks nice sweet deals race
at this point. Oh wait,wait, why iron Monkey doings? Iron
Monkey has leaped to the top ofthe infield. Men. He's running along
the rail. He's passing the otherhorses like a break the wire. Heads
down off that friends. Oh,oh my gosh, get off that French

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I turn you, Oh my god. The third is going crazy? Why
this is the most fans ever onefrom last place iron money leaked to the
fence, and it's now heading forthe pennant. It's then taking me.
He's then treaking the lad by fiveway by iron. Oh oh who I'm

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looking them splash around the nightmare believeme. Abut I hope it teaches them
a lesson. But that's what youdo. That's it, boys, What
do you think of it? Well, that's why the mob I work for
is called the Amalgamated Association of NightmareBreathes. But what about the ol mob?
Just a bunch of old fossils,no originality. Call themselves the Ancient

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Order of Househoarders. Yes they've beenestablished in Europe for centuries, but they
hot houses over here too, don'tthey. Oh yes they try to muscle
in, but heck they're adequated.Racket maybe all right in the medieval castle
or an old farm house, butyes it's the bunk don't But all they're

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good phrase to keep British novelists compliedwith materials. WHOA well, and I
always thought they were the top mosteverybody does. That's because they've been established
so long, and of course allthose ghost story writers helped to keep the
impression alive. I guess you're right, just a bunch of old fogies with
a trunk full of sound effects.Well we go in here. We're there

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as well. Saves time. Giveme your hand again? What yeah,
why crib? Don't tell me you'regoing to now this full of the tags
had a hard time of it,your trouble masteroid. Now watch well,

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little fellah. You're out in thecountry now, sun shining birds sings,
and the glassy sauce and grease,and you're riding on a pony. He's
only your very old, isn't itfun? I'm looking smile and your pony's

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taking your right into an ice creamstore. Help yourself, lady boy.
The nice is chocolate ice cream inthe world. Laugh away, baby,
ride your pony all night every nightfor you look like a coal kid.
Fun. Let's go well you chappedso good too? Oh yes, and

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deserving cases. Anytime we make ababy laugh, we can have the rest
of the night off if we like. Well, say, that's fun,
but we'd better keep on going soyou can get broken into the business properly.
That's all right with me. Wheredo we go from here? Hollywood,
Hollywood, California, that's the place. Oh fine, I've always wanted

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to see that place where we needa movie queen, you bet we will?
Gosh, oh set the travel sure? All right? Then? Why
and here we are in Hollywood?Then we make good time. It's not
bad, but I made it faster. This is a nice art gallery,

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not an art gallery. This isthe home of Cleo Divine, the movie
star. With all those paintings.Those are her ex husbands. Couldn't she
make up her mind mine? Ohyeah, no, I guess she couldn't.
Golley. It's some place, though. Where's Cleo? I wonder she

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must be somewhere around here. Listen, there she is. Come on,
Oh there I go, opening thedoor again. I forgot. All we
have to do is walk through them. This is teaching. It's hard to
have it to break. Hey,Cleo, cut out that snoring. So
this is Cleo Divine in person.Well, she asked me, She's not

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all she's screened up to be.Gonna teach her any moral lessons? Oh?
Yes, yes, I was justgetting around to that. Remember you
spoke of mind? Uh huh?And I don't you think we ought to
do something that will help Cleo tolearn how to make up her well mind,
yeah, sure, all right,Cleo divine, it's time to get

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up. Start screaming. Oh no, the bell? Did fetch me my
engagement book? Yes? Miss righthere? No, not that stupid that's
the directory of all the juvenals inHollywood. I beg pardon, miss,

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you asked for your engagement book?I mean my daily reminder? You're miss?
Now let's see. Oh there wassomething I have to do today.
What was it? Oh? Yes, I'm to be married at twelve o'clock.
Who am I marrying today? Hawkins? I didn't catch the name,

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miss, neither did I. Well, let's go Hawkins wholly exactly? Miss.
Oh come on, aren't you gladI'm getting married? Willy say it?
Hawkins? Yes, Miss will beout of by Hawkins? Am I
giving you away? Again? Missus? Yes? Say what everybody staring at?

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Really? Miss? I couldn't say, unless it's because you're still wetting
your night? Go of course.Well here's the city hall. Now where's
the blushing bride room? Oh well, come on, let's go in.
Perhaps you had better sit down.Miss. My words sounds like a fire

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there, maybe the fire with theface. But you have to call off
the wedding. Then right outside thedoor, stop the wedding with the fire

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right there. Please don't be excited, mister, it's not a fire.
I just remembered. There they come? There? Who comes the bridegroom?
Missed? I just recalled? You'remarrying me? Nor thank it's fire.
Depart. You've got some imaginations.It's quite simple after you get the hang

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of it. Just the case ofmaking the punishment fit the crime. I
take it. Did boy? Thatadjusted you caught on quick, and just
for that, I'm going to letyou handle the next case. Oh gee,
thanks, Where do we go?Let's see about time for another good
deed? Isn't it suits me?All right? You've heard of the timid
soul, haven't you. Oh?Yes, he's a man who's worked for

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the same firm for thirty years andnever asked for a raise. That's the
man, for sure, I know. Well, let's make him happy,
poor chap. Fine, I'd loveto he lives right here, he does?
What's going there? Midnight? Soquick? Time flies when you're busy.
It's a funny thing. There's alight in his room, sure there
is. He couldn't be awake atthis hour, you know him early to

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bed and early to rise and allthat sort of stuff. There we see,
come on up, that's dead,but I don't see him anywhere.
Oh look, he's full to coverover his head. What Oh, for

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the love of Mike, what isit? The opposition the ancient order of
househaunted muscle Ina, I'll say soof all places, poor old timid soul,
he's scared stiff. They would pickon a poor chap like him.
That's a shame. I was goingto fix up a pitch of a dream
for him too. Pretty crude,pretty crude. Listen, new guys,

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I want you to stay out ofthis territory, now, Scraham, Why
guy, Yeah, at the lastconvention we agreed you're supposed to stick to
cemetery's in English castles. Now beatit, or will tear up the agreement
and make everybody dream there are noghosts every night, no scrampw Why you

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sure told them? All right?So now you go on with your dream
for mister Timmids. Well, listen, mister Timid Scholes, a king of
a desert island and a south Sea. You're the boss of all the warriors

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and beautiful girls wait on you withfans to shoe the flies away. How
am I doing? What? Well? It's a little bit obvious, but
it's not bad for a start anyway. Mister Simms Gold looks happy more a

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coconut bar. Yeah, he hasa good time. And I'll teach you
a finer point that we go on. You'll be a full fledged member of
the Association of Nightmare Breathing soon.Jeez, argu me ahead, and let's
go. Perhaps you have a betterunderstanding of dreams. Now, all we

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can say is be good, andthe Maker of Dreams will make you an
object of his good deeds. Youhave just heard Maker of Dreams by Charles

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Burton for the second half of thisevening's program. The Workshop is pleased to
have with us doctor E. E. Free, a member of the faculty
of New York University and a fellowin the Acoustical Society of America. We
have asked doctor Free to do againsome parts of a demonstration broadcast which was
presented with much success some time ago. In it, doctor Free turns his

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sound microscope on the subject of ghosts. Doctor Free, almost everyone likes ghost
stories. Probably there is no adulthuman being who has not met at least
one ghost or has seen or heardsomething which he thought might be a ghost.
Even scientists are interested in ghosts,and one of the things we use
to study them and to reproduce themis the sound microscope you just heard mentioned.

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First of all, we want youto hear what this instrument can do.
Here is some water dropping into asmall tank as its sound is picked
up by an ordinary studio microphone.Now we will let you hear those same
water drops as they sound when magnifieda few million times by an electrical sound

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microscope. Now let us see,or rather let us hear, how this
sound magnifier can be used to helpget a scientific idea of some common ghosts.

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Listen to a walking ghost as hisfootsteps come slowly out of the distance,
pass invisibly along the hallway outside yourdoor, and gradually disappear. I

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have heard ghosts who sounded much likethat in lonely houses about three o'clock on
some dark morning, and I havefound out what made them. It was
water dropping slowly from a leaky faucetinto a sink or a bathtub. That
is what you just heard. Ona table here in the studio, we
have a little pool of water connectedwith a microphone and a sound microscope.

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Drops of water were dropped one byone into this. You heard the step
like sounds of these as they fell. Changing the adjustment of the sound microscope
made the footsteps seem to come closeror to go away. A kind of
ghost. Perhaps. Almost as commonas these footstep ones are those who knock

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loudly or tap gently on walls ordoors in the middle of the night.
There is one of them that wasthe cracking of some pieces of wood slid
forcibly over each other. Changes oftemperature or moisture cause these little noises continually.

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Such small sounds almost never heard inthe daytime they are drowned out by
other noise. But at night,when everything else is quiet, our ears
act in some degree like natural noisemicroscopes and magnify these tiny sounds until they
become important. One common instance isthe pistol shop ghost. There usually is

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a story of a secret duel yearsago in the house, or of a
ruined gambler who shot himself, ora brutal murderer who shot the whole family
one after another, night after night. The drama is re enacted audibly for
impressionable listeners. Like this in reality. That was the snapping of wires in

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a piece of ordinary window screen.Actual window screens often sound just like that
as they snap and crackle faintly onsilent nights from changes of temperature. Then
there are the ghosts who stand byyour bedside in the pitch dark room and
breathe heavily, as though they wereexhausted by the labor of climbing out of
their graves to bother you. Hereis one of them. That is another

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common accomplishment of an ordinary window screenor door screen. If these wire screens
contract or expand strongly, they cracklike pistol shots. If they contract or
expand only gently, or if amoderate breeze blows over them, they may
make breathing or sighing noises like thatlast one. Another kind of ghost includes

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the groaners like this. That wasthe magnified sound of a rusty door hinge,

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like one on an unlatched door swinginggently in a breeze. Rusty hinges,
door springs, and so on alsoare responsible for many of the ghosts
who clank up and down hallways,dragging chains behind them. Usually, there
is a story of some ancient piratehanged in chains or a prisoner chain for
years in some basement dungeon. Hereis one of these chain clanking ghosts.

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Another interesting kind of ghost story isthat of the ghosts who strangle and gurgle
in the night, like persons beingchoked to death or dying from sword wounds
through their throats. Like mister Burton'sancient order of househunters that you just heard
about. These usually are European inhabitants. They are much rarer in the United

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States. Here is one of them. The way we made that one was

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to run some water through a pieceof ordinary pipe and let the sound microscope
listen to it. And now forwhy these gurgling ghosts are commoner in Europe
than in the United States, itis merely plumbing. In European houses,
the plumbing is likely to be somewhatout of date. The pipe systems do
a terrible out of gurgling and rumbling, much more of it than the modern

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systems commoner in this country. Butmaybe some of you know of ghosts which
you cannot be explained in any suchway as this. If you do,
and if your ghost can be countedon to perform on schedule, we would
like to know about it. Maybewe can even slip into microphone and broadcast
it so that all of you canhear it and decide for yourselves. Thank

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you, Doctor Freed. Ladies andgentlemen, you have just heard the ninth
program in the Columbia Workshop series devotedto experimental radio. Canight be presented The
dream Maker, an original radio playby Charles Burton, and a demonstration of
the sound microscope by doctor E.E. Free, noted scientists the Columbia
Workshop has arranged for future broadcasts inconjunction with doctor Free. Your comments on

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tonight's presentation will be appreciated. Nextweek, at a new time eight p
m. Eastern Standard Time, theWorkshop will present her request performance of mister
Reese's well known experimental radio drama SaintLouis Blues. The Columbia Workshop's presentations are

(29:27):
conceived and directed by Irving Rees.This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.