Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Quiet Please, Quiet Please.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
The American Broadcasting Company presents Quiet Please, which is written
and directed by Willis Cooper and which features Ernest Chappele.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Quiet Please for Today is called Very Unimportant.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Person, The Hollow Men. You ever read it? A lot
of people were very fond according from it when T. S.
Eliott got the Nobel Prize, especially.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
That part this is how the world.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Ends, not with a bang but a whimper. No, it
wasn't so Australia as you were wrong.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Me.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
How do I know? I was there. I don't know
how it happened.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Maybe somebody dropped something, Maybe one of our own people
pushed the wrong button.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Maybe the thing got tired of being in one piece
and just went off by itself.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
All I know is I was standing outside the Operation's
office of Bowling that morning and I heard a funny
noise and I looked up. I just happened to be
looking north in the direction of Baltimore, and I knew
what it was the minute I saw it. I was
a bikini, and I saw both test stables and test baker.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
You couldn't pull me for a minute.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
So there's an airplane standing there, and I saw Ruth
alongside the doorway to the office, and I grabbed it
over with.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
The arm, and I'd boosted her into that airplane and
I'd took off.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Because when you see that pink and cream colored mushroom cloud,
we don't wait.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
If you do, you might teeth part of the next week.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
So Ruth didn't put that much of an argument. After
I pointed at the things she couldn't argue. Her mouth
was hanging open the foot. To me, I was too
busy to talk for a couple of minutes. I got
to ten thousand.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Feet off of fast.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
We got ourselves a good twenty miles away from Washington.
I was noticing that, for a miracle, both fuel tanks
were full.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Then Ruth just.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
About jumped out of her stats about one.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
I said, what's the matter now?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
And as I said it, I felt the blast.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
I see what you mean. Why don't we ask for it?
I'm just looking at the capitals, modulous.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
What everybody's been waiting for?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Honey? Well, look it was, it's all over now. I've
got better dropped a couple of more of those bombs.
What are we going to do.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
We're going to get out of here as fans as
this airplane will take us. Hope we won't fly right
into one of those things terrible.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
Where can we go? Give me the microphone here, I'm
gonna see who's still alive. Thanks. I don't know who
to call. Hello, c Q, Hello, c Q c Q.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
This is USA F plane the nine oh nine three four.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Four calling c Q, c Q, c Q.
Speaker 6 (03:31):
If you hear me, anybody, give me a call? Speak
up somebody over? Do you hello, c Q c Q
from US A plane nine oh nine.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
Three four four.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Do you hear me over? I don't expect it.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
Wait, Philadelphia, This is Army nine oh nine three four four.
I hear you very well? Is everything all right there?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I say again?
Speaker 5 (04:01):
Is everything all right?
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Over?
Speaker 5 (04:04):
Hello Philadelphia?
Speaker 6 (04:05):
This is USAF nine oh nine three four four, Hello Philadelphia,
answer me over, Hello Philadelphia. This is USAF nine oh
nine three four four over.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Hell Philadelphia. Wait at Philadelphia, But let me stop? Who
says Pittsburgh?
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Pittsburgh, This is USA HAVE nine oh nine three four four.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I hear you very well. What is the situation there?
I say again, what is the situation there? Over? Hello Pittsburgh.
Maybe as you darling, nobody answers.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
It can't be something just like the Nascat.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Honey, there's no place to hide. Wherever we turned, we
saw the towering, great clouds starting.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Out to blow away and getting raggular around the edges,
and clearing enough so we could see the ground.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Once in a while. There'd be little town sure, but
we couldn't tell what was going on down there, and
I knew it might be happening. I didn't choose to
land because the rankt edges of those clouds would be
blowing across those little towns down there. I hadn't been
hammered into nothing yet.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
And the pretty little towns of the m trees along
the streets, the pleasant little towns sitting on the edges
of the river banks, nice little towns. They'd get there's
pretty quick. I didn't want to be there. Yeah, if
I can just keep this airplane flying long enough, I thought,
And I guess I must have said it aloud.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Because roof hass to me here.
Speaker 5 (05:56):
Well, I think if I can get through, maybe the
woods up.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
In Canada'll be say. I can try an air script somewhere.
I'm hoping sat down.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
There, Tom, can we we can try?
Speaker 1 (06:07):
That's all. This looks like a pretty good airplane and
we've got yes.
Speaker 7 (06:13):
Oh, yes, look that's the wonderful country.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Yeah. Wow, it's done. Now you suppose I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I have an idea that if somebody done these things
on us, there's more than one country like this. By
now it's and the Workay, let me try that radio again.
I tried the radio for an hour. I tried Pittsburgh again,
Detroit and Chicago. I didn't get any answer at all.
(06:50):
He listened with my ears heard. The only single thing
I heard was the leader of a jet fighter squadron
somewhat over the hearing.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
His voice was so paink He was talking to his
pie and he said there wasn't any feel luck to
go back to. And then I was studied, and he
faked out, and we flew on.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Heading north of the snows in the wilderness of Canada,
whatever kind of sanctuary that might be. I often wondered
what people would say to each other in the face
of an awful disastrophe.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Would they pray? I wondered, how would they try to
comfort each other? How would they try to reason their
way out of disaster?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
What I found out, if we didn't say anything and
there wasn't anything to say, it got dark, and all
around this on the horizon.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
And it was the glow of fires from the luminous.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Clouds, the clouds that a few hours ago had been cities,
great industries.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
And people the fuel think I was using round dry
and I.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Switched to a second one. We flew on itbody comes
and feet. I could hardly see. I was tired and
wrought up. I saw Ruth had just given up. She
was lying back in the seat, not smiling, but making
the kind of sound.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Of her sick hammonies. And she sat up suddenly opened
her eyes. Huh, okay, okay, I was screaming, you about
to go back to sleep? Where are we? Handada somewhere
still see that's fine.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I don't know if I've made a wrong guess coming
up here or not. I don't see it to be
getting away from anything.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Are you afraid? Tom?
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Me?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yes? What do you suppose? Time back in Washington? I'm
trying not to think about it. Lade fire job and nothing?
Speaker 7 (08:56):
Oh Tom, do you think anybody else got lad?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
I don't know I got it. I wonder who's play?
Who was waiting for somebody?
Speaker 7 (09:07):
Some d I d all the up? Now what very
unimportant person now. Yeah, but whoever he is, we ought
to be awful grateful.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Yeah, I'm sure, very welcome.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Why I'm afraid I'm the day unimportant because.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
The only thing I remember about him is his eyes.
The light wasn't very good, naturally, and I had to
twist my head over my right shoulder to see him
at all, standing.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Between the confet seats behind us, so about all I
could see was his eyes.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
I couldn't see them very well. He didn't have any hat.
He sounded so tired. I felt sorry, sorry. Then I
felt myself for Roof.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I must have said something like that, because he put
his hand on my shoulder. Thanks, son, I am tired.
It's been a long drag. Yeah, this you're airplane, sir.
I was under the impression that belonged to the air force.
I have a parent hunts there isn't any air force.
That's probably right.
Speaker 7 (10:22):
Were you sat there all the time, sir?
Speaker 1 (10:26):
Yes, it's pretty rugged, Yes, it is, it's very rugged.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
I heard you say you're going to try to sit
down somewhere in the Canadian woods.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Yes, sir, I'm going to try. Don't try it. I
haven't got much choice. Don't try it.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Well, sir, if I run out of field, just keep
right on going, I said, if I run out of gas.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
The point I was making is that there may not
be any Canada by the time you run out of gas.
Well in that case, sir, yeah, do you think this
is the end of the world. I wouldn't be surprised.
Oh no, I wouldn't be surprised.
Speaker 7 (11:09):
Do you really think everybody is going to die?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Everybody does die, right, dear? I kidding you. Do you
think this is a finish.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Well scientists have worn What would happen that the destructive
power of these things?
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Well, look at your words, I see what you mean. Oh,
it can't be.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
It can't be.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Think anybody will survive? I think?
Speaker 7 (11:33):
So?
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Yeah? Oh what do you erase that? Answer? You're not
a very observant, silent young man? Or what do you mean?
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Or if you look out your window, you you'll see
another airplane lying right along with us.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
And I looked about half a mile away a little
behind this was a constellation with the Lovely Way Market's
on her.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
And I grabbed a microphone and yelled at him.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
I've been trying to read some many last two hours here,
of course, why don't you keep your reading on Uber.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Where'd you come from? Over? I did to listen to
New York. We were just over inters you go to.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Mexico when we heard from two so numbers? You and
I for what records to you?
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Here?
Speaker 5 (12:21):
I happened?
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Overt, We don't know.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
I haven't heard anything since this afternoon. I can't raise anybody.
I thought everybody else was dead.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
Over good night? What are you going to do? Overt replies,
will I run out of gas?
Speaker 1 (12:40):
You've got passengers?
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Over?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
I'll play it out you a VIP of my girlfriend
and me over fee you fee? You mean, Obert? That's
what he says. We're all your piece? But over?
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Yeah, I don't think we haven't my guest friends?
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Now?
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Hid we better say of our radio?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
We may heal over? You're right, kid? Over and up? Tom.
Do you suppose there are other airplanes anywhere? I don't know, honey.
What do you think? So? I think there are? Really? Yeah? Well,
if they can fly far enough. How much gas have
(13:34):
we got left? Well? Can you read that Gainser? Yes,
it says a little more than half full. I just
wanted to be sure that's what I read too.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
How long is that good for?
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Tom. Well, honey, that's good for about another three hours,
three hours and then what well, the lad will provide baby,
I hope you really think you will, sir, I said,
(14:16):
do you believe that? Well, yes, he always has up announcer.
He provided fire and destruction in the end of the world.
The law didn't do that, child, That was the people
of the earth thought better. Yet, but everyone on Earth
isn't wicked, that's right, that's why sub of the got
to escape.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Yes, but how aren't you the one who said the
law would provide you just go ahead and buy your airplane.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
So so I flew my airplane. I flew it and
flew it and fluid.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
The constellation flew right alongside us. He troddled back so
he wouldn't outrun us. But once in a while I'd
flipped the radio and want and ask him.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
How he was doing. He was doing all that his
They got light. They were pretty far north by supported
and they got light quicker, I thought. But it wasn't
long until I discovered that the light wasn't from the sun.
It was coming from the.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Wrong direction behind us. Sow our passenger was asleep. At
least he wasn't in a cocktait, but he came up,
and I swung our head around a little and looked back,
and I just looked out the window, and we didn't
say a word.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
What would you say to a whole rolling world full
of fire, flames leaping a.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Mile in the air, flames and smoking, destruction, chasing you,
consuming everything in their path. What would you say to
the solid rock boiling like water in a kettle, the
world vaporizing hobly behind you, and coming on and on
and on.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
So that we flying at.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Two hundred miles an hour, I could see it overtaking us?
Speaker 1 (15:52):
What would you say?
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Ruth had fallen asleep again, she couldn't see it, but
I saw it. The pilot of the other ship saw it,
and I heard his voice.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
In my ears. You see that air force over? I
see it overt? How's your gain?
Speaker 5 (16:14):
I'm squeezing out the pottom of the tank.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Overt? What sure I can get it through? Over? Thanks?
It's over all right, isn't it?
Speaker 7 (16:29):
How they hit you with this before you're a guest?
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Well, we tried over cover it up, and I flipped.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
The radio off and I swung us back on the
course again, and of course it all of a sudden,
it didn't mean anything anymore, and.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
It woke up Ruth because I didn't want all this
day in but I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Your mind work. After all, I've loved you for all
these years. It comes a time. And I glanced at out,
passing me as a very unimportant person. He just turnstall,
looking back at the terrible sea of planes that followed us.
He didn't look scared at all. He looked sad and
he was crying. I had a strained my ears, you know,
(17:17):
he said, And there's such a beautiful.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
And then the engine started to spit anooked of fuel again.
Well so long, honey. No they gonna ask me, well, no, no,
I love you. I love you.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
I put my arms around her, and I felt the
plane slip off from under us as we lost flying speed,
and I thought, wow, this is it now the fireworks.
Ruth was squeezing me so hard. All of a sudden,
I said, hey, what's this? Because the plane had her
nose up again. We were flying around just as good
as new. You know what our passenger are, Vip how
(18:04):
Vup had hold of the wheel and he was pulling
it back and we were climbing like mad and I
looked at the fuel gauge.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
It still said empty.
Speaker 5 (18:12):
They said, say that there must be some kind of
emergency tank.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
I don't know about it.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
We're good for another couple of hours. Well, thank god, I.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
Said, And then I looked out the window and the
propellers were standing still. What happened there was over? I
don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
My fuel gauges show both tanks are empty. But I'm
flying over.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
I'll tell you what, just for your own information.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
The same thing happened to Age twenty minutes ago. Look, mama,
no engine, Look mama, no again, no nothing, mama, But
I'm flying. What do you'll think of that? Over?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
And that was when I looked at my Timothy Theretta,
when Ruth poked me and pointed at it, and I'd
been over and looked at it.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
The needle had gone on around the dial.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Passed the thirty thousand feet at the end, and on
around again, and it.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Was starting the Third Revolution.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
That meant we must be at least seventy thousand feet high,
and nobody in all the world has ever been up
that high.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
I looked out the window again.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
The flames were so far, so far below us, they
extended back to the farthest horizon that any man has
ever seen.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
The horizon that was a definite arc of a circle.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
The edge of a great sphere. As far as we
could see. Below us, the world was in flames. And
then how close the stars were. And Ruth was pointing
out the window again. I looked two and above us,
to each side of US airplanes, one hundred one thousand,
(19:52):
the long shining river of airplanes, and I could read
the identification on the sides of some up in G
for Britain, MC for the United States, H for sweats
and LES for Mexico, Russian plane, Swedish and Austrian.
Speaker 5 (20:03):
Every nation in the world, at least one plane for
each country. And my heart jumped because I knew that
all the world wasn't coming on him now.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
When I looked back at our passenger, he was smiling
as he looked back out the window, and I said, look, sir,
I said, sir, I don't I don't get this.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Why. It's a very simple son, not the macer But
who are those people, where'd they come from?
Speaker 5 (20:28):
Where are they going?
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Isn't the world really destroyed?
Speaker 4 (20:32):
I'm afraid it is, child, But it was a very
wicked world, wasn't it. Well, I suppose something has to
happen to the world every time it gets too wicked.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
Well, once upon a time Adam and Eve sinned and
they got punished.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
I suppose the reason the world wasn't destroyed then was well,
they had their world taken.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Away from them, didn't they. That's right. And then there
was the time when they had the big flood. Because
everybody was so wicked, Noah and his family escaped. That's right,
the only good people in the world. They escape. But
the world wasn't completely bad luck now, I mean.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
They've set upon each other and they've murdered and burned
and destroyed. They have denied their creator, they have been worn.
But sir, this thing that has happened and destroyed the world,
they dug it out of the forbidden blackness to give
them a more terrible weapon against their brothers. They have
plotted among themselves and forgotten charity and love and brotherhood.
(21:43):
Isn't that sin enough? Isn't that wickedness enough to merit
this punishment?
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Way the whole world not all. There are some few
good people, the ones that knows their planes at all.
That's true, that's right. Do you believe that what I've
told you? Yes, of course I believe it, don't you.
(22:08):
I don't know. I I think it's terrible. I think
it's an awful punishment. You do, yes, sir? Do you? Well?
In some ways it was a pretty good world. I
had lots of fun. What what about a brand new world?
(22:29):
I don't get it.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
Oh what if all these people, these good people, these
saved ones, are going to a new world where they
can start life all over again and find the real
happiness that it was intended?
Speaker 1 (22:42):
They should have the true goodness they I don't know.
I like the old one, of course, that's right, Tom.
There isn't any way out. I suppose whatever world we
go to will be better than that one down there
and destruction and ashes.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
But will it be better than the old world we
had before this?
Speaker 1 (23:08):
It's up to you and the others. Well, it's nice
to believe that we're going to hit a better world.
But but what Well, look at the flood.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
The word was destroyed then, and Noah and all the
others that were saved rebuild it.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Yeah, yeah, look at it. That the fine job rebuilding it,
didn't they three or four thousand years, it has to
be destroyed all over again. But this will be a
new world. I hope it'll be all right. Say how well?
Speaker 3 (23:41):
I mean, this is all a very pretty theory. But
what if it doesn't work out that way?
Speaker 1 (23:47):
It'll work out that way, I'm confident of it. Just
for fun, give me the radio route?
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Yeah, hey, there constellation over here?
Speaker 3 (24:00):
Yourself over listen, My very important, unimportant person says he
thinks we're going to another world, a nice new one.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
How's that with you? Over? Ye, I tell you.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I had my way us rather ride accounts California.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
We're turning in at six six old mine, thank all.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
While I'm coming in froving on turning a world.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
It's probably not very comfortable anyway, how about you?
Speaker 5 (24:37):
Over?
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Thanks? Just asking over and out. Well, so you see
what I mean, But we don't know what's going to
happen to Is tomdy something pretty special? No doubt? You
see what I mean, sir, Hi, I don't know how
many other people think that way.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Well, we could conduct a pole or something, if we
could pick up those planes with our radio.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
You want to try? But what good it it do?
It's purely what do you call it?
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Academic, A bright new world, people by only the good
in half, the righteousnes, the ones plucked from the burning
for the goodness of their souls. Doesn't it sound wonderful world?
No wars, no unpleasantness, no trouble.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
It sounds okay to happiness. Well, I'll tell you, sir,
it's too late to wish. But well, God knows where
we're going to land this time.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Suddenly, to be perfectly honest with you, I'm really not
so sure after all.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Honestly, I'm not what you think. If you could go
back to the world as it was before I, uh,
let this all happen, you might help make something out
of it. Honestly, now, sir, I don't know. I need
(26:02):
an awful lot of help. You sure would.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
Hey, you know what, I'll tell you what I'm going
to do. I'm going to give you a chance to
make up your own minds.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Well, that's fair enough. You and Ruth decide what you're
going to do. Think it over. You can have your choice.
We can all go on to the beautiful new world
I've got all ready for you. Or if you want
all that's happened to turn out to be a dream,
(26:37):
do you say so? Is it a deal? Sir? It's
a deal, okay, son, But you better get a lot
of help while you're making that decision.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
You're going to be responsible for a lot of people
you know, and a lot of future. I know what
your future will be if you take up my proposition,
if you want it to be a dream, I can't promise.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Okay, okay, sir, okay, Well, Ruth, I know what I think?
Or what does everybody else think?
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Here, Ruth, give me that microphone?
Speaker 5 (27:28):
Shall some of us take the nice, bright new world?
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Why shall we try to fix this one up for
all of us? What do you say? Will you tell me?
Quick over?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
The title of today's Quiet Please story was Very Unimportant.
Person is written and directed by Willis Cooper, and the
man who spoke to you was Ernest Chappell, and others
heard in today's cast were Nancy Sheridan, James Monks, and
Frank Thomas.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
As usual, music for Choiet Please is played by Albert Burman.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
Now for wordy about next week, I'll write a director
Willis Cooper, thank.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
You for listening to Quiet Please.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Next Sunday Your hairs A half hour later, at five
point thirty pm Eastern Standard time instead of five o'clock.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Will you remember, please five thirty a half hour later,
and the story will be read me.
Speaker 3 (28:46):
This riddle, and so until next week at five thirty
Eastern Standard time.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I am quietly. Yours is chuckle.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
Beginning next Sunday, as you have heard, quiet please, will
be broadcast one half hour later in all time zones.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
This is ABC, the American broadcasting Company.