June 6, 2024 • 30 mins
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(00:03):
The last real broadcasting company presents RadioCity Playhouse Attraction twenty one. Ladies and
(00:31):
gentlemen, here's the author of tonight'splay and the director of Radio City Playhouse,
Harry W. Duncan thank you,Bob Warren. Good evening everybody.
Although this is not by any meansher first appearance on our show, we
are very happy, indeed to welcomemiss jan Minor back to Radio City Plans.
It was this talented young actress whoopened our series last July third with
(00:54):
a sensational performance in a play calledLong Distance. So stirring was the impression
created by Miss Minor in this playthat we repeated it some weeks later.
It is then, with justifiable pridethat we welcome her back tonight, in
response to many, many requests fromall across the country. She plays the
(01:15):
part of Janet Wood, a roleseldom equalled for the depth and intensity of
emotion which it required. Here isJan Miner in Strange Identity Attraction twenty one
on Radio City Playhouse. Somehow Igot out of that room. I don't
(01:52):
know how that I did. Igot down the stairs and across the street
and stumbled into the same dull,dirty little Hamburger joint down in one of
the bulls. That's where I amnow numb. I'm incapable of any thoughts.
My mind refuses to function in theface of anything so fantastic, so
(02:13):
incredibly evil. I've just seen somethingthat no man or woman has ever seen
before, and I'm stunned. I'mstunned and horrified. I'm so frightened that
when the waitress brings my coffee,I'm not going to be able to speak
to her. She's coming now.She thinks something's wrong with me because of
(02:34):
yesterday has ten cents lady. Thanks, Hey, weren't you in here yesterday
afternoon? Say, honey, youare right listen to this. Do you
gonna please go away? I'm notgoing to faint. I I've got to
decide what to do. Yeah,well, don't do it in here,
(02:54):
honey. It began four weeks ago. I was riding in a taxi going
north on Fifth Avenue at seventy secondsStreet. We stopped for a red light,
pulling up alongside of a Fifth Avenuebus. We waited for a few
seconds, and just as the lightchanged to green, I happened to look
(03:15):
up. He was sitting on thebus. We were so close we could
have reached out and touched each other. I looked right into his face,
right square, smack into his face. There's no possibility that I made a
mistake. I was married to himfor five years, and I looked directly
(03:36):
into his face for at least fiveseconds. That's a long time. It's
one, two, three, fourfive that long. I looked right at
him for that long, and Islid down the level seat onto the floor
of the cab and fainted. Thedriver was very kind, kind, nice
(04:09):
looking boy with a gentle voice.He brought me home. He helped me
upstairs to the apartment. Then hewent next door and got Grace Henderson to
come in and stay with me fora little while. Grace was an old
friend. I say it was becausenow she thinks I'm not quite all there,
and it's hard for friendship to standup against that sort of thing.
(04:30):
She got me undressed, prought meup on the couch, and poured me
a stiff shot of brandy. Gracebelieves that brandy don't cure anything. Drink
that Janet you'll feel better. Brandycure is anything. Thanks, Grace,
scare the living daylights out of mepainting and taxis what's the matter with you?
Anyway? Grace? Hand me Clinton'spicture party, good picture on the
(04:54):
table there, Hand it to me. Why sure, honey, sure there?
Thanks? You never knew him,did you? Nope? I wish
you had. Well, that's war. Yes, it's funny that you know
(05:15):
me so well and yet that you'venever known Clint. I don't want to
be brutal, Janet, but there'sno use brooding over Clint. He's been
dead for five years and it's over. And that's that he's not dead,
I know, honey, and it'sfine to think of him that way.
I saw him in a Fifth Avenuebus this afternoon. That's why I fainted,
Janet. I took a cab homefrom shopping. We came to seventy
(05:36):
second Street and stopped, and wepulled up alongside a bus. I looked
up and saw him in the bus. He wasn't more than three feet away
from me. I looked right intohis face, and then I fainted.
Janet's baby, you mustn't talk thatway. I know it's been tough getting
over Clint. I know you werepretty gone on the guy, but Honey,
this isn't healthy. He's been deadfor five years, and you've just
(05:58):
got to face it. You've gotto stop brooding. Um, he will
start seeing him out of every streetcorner. That's the way people start going
nuts. You've dice the top thatyou're behaving like a right into his face,
Janet stopped. I did. Isaw him. I looked at him
for at least five seconds. I'mgoing to call it. I can call
all the doctors you like. Isaw him. I was as calm and
cool as could be. I wasn'teven thinking about him. I'd been shopping
and had my hair done that Ilooked up the bus and there he was.
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You can call all the doctors inNew York, but there's nothing neurotic
or double vision or queer about this, Janet. Baby, it's so easy
to be fooled in things like this. You saw somebody that looked like Clinton,
and just the way the lights fellor something of the shape of his
head. I mean, it's sobig alive. Janet's a war department.
Never makes mistakes like that. Neverthey sent you his belongings, his letters.
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He made a mistake, baby,and it's upset you. He was
the strongest man I ever knew hewas so big. He taught me so
much. He took me up intothe mountains, and in two weeks I
was skiing like an expert. Hetaught me to shoot, to ride.
(07:03):
When he was with me, Icould do anything, Janet. I began
to get part of his mind insidemine. He took up painting one time.
In four months later he gave aone man exhibition. More than half
the pictures were sold. That's whathe's like, Janet. Please. He
used to say that only geniuses werenormal, that the rest of us were
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subnormal. He didn't think that hewas unusual. He just thought that he
utilized all of his ability. Hehe had the most beautiful body I ever
saw On the beach. Women andeven men would look at him with all
his strength and brilliancy. He wasso tender, honey, so tender.
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I could pick out his hand fromevery hand in the world. I know
it wasn't any optical illusion, graceor mistake. He's alive and I saw
him. I don't know what tosay. After five years, is what
are you going to do? Idon't know. You could check with the
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War Department. They wouldn't believe me. No, no, they wouldn't.
You don't believe me, do you? Hi? Yes, honey, But
it's just that there's no possible wayof explaining it. Do you know anything
about private detectives? How do youfind one? Why don't you call what's
his name? Your lawyer? Grange? And you'd better get some rest or
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you'll break up. You look terrible. I called to it Grange, my
lawyer. He recommended a man namedPowell, a private detective company. I
made an appointment with mister Powell forthe next afternoon, and then I tried
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to get some sleep, but Icouldn't. Over and over and over,
I asked myself, why, why, why? Why? Why would he
be alive and in New York andnot get in touch with me? Why?
There was no answer, no reason. Why would he be alive and
let me go on thinking he wasdead? That's the first question mister Powell
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would ask me. Why would hebe alive and let you go on thinking
he was dead? Why? Whatreason could there be? I don't know,
all right? Could he be ill? I don't know, I mean
mentally ill? Perhaps, I don'tknow. Have you checked with the War
Department? No. Five years agothey sent me his belongings and some letters.
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He's buried in the military cemetery inPyrol. That's what they said.
If I went to see them,they well, you know how far I
did. Have you collected his insurance? Yes, in a lump sum.
I also have a war pension.What would he be using for money?
I don't know. Did he leaveyou reasonably well fixed? I mean,
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would the money be of no interto him? Or how you understand I'm
not trying to He let me thirtyfive thousand insurance, about five thousand cash
and the pension. It's a verybaffling thing. You know, you could
have the caskets. It's the Powell. I'd like to start with the fact
that I saw him alive yesterday.Well, and we've got to find a
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reason. Not yet. We've gotto find Clinton first, and then he'll
tell me the reason. I don'tthink. Please help me. Can you
imagine how I feel? I'll paypay anything you have. He isn't important,
it's we've so little to go on. I brought you his picture,
surely, missus Wood. We oftenhave missing person cases, but usually not
one where there's such incontrovertible proof thatthe person is dead. The War Department
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never makes mistakes like this. They'dhave every widow and mother and wife and
the country raising the very devil.They absolutely never could declare a man dead
until they've absolute and final proof.I think you've made a mistake, missus.
Will you stop treating me as ifI were feeble minded? I saw
him. I tell you stop talkingto me about the War Department. I
saw him. I'm asking you tofind him. I'm not asking for psychiatric
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help. I'm insane and as sharpwitted as you are. If you can't
be of any please, missus Wood, I'm sorry if it makes me so
furious. We got to start withthe assumption that he's alive. We can't
prove he's alive. We've got tobelieve he is alive, and then we've
got to try to find him.Could there be any sort of secret mission,
any reason why the government wishes yourhusband to be thought that? I
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don't know. It doesn't sound verylikely. Could he be Uh could be
having any sort of affair you meana woman? Yes, I suppose he
could. But can you imagine aman pretending he's dead just because he's married
and wants to live with another woman? But he'd come back and ask for
a divorce. Well, I've askedmyself every possible question as to why there
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isn't any answer. You just gotto find him. Well, missus Wood,
I'll put some men on it atonce, and, believe me,
will the very best we can.I'll go home and write me a list
of every place he ever mentioned orever went to. We'll get busy right
away. How long does this sortof thing usually take? Oh, two
days, two weeks, maybe twoyears, maybe never, I see.
(12:15):
We'll keep in touch with you,all right, missus Wood. Yes,
you realize, of course that ifwe do find him, there may be
something behind his well, behind thishis strange behavior, that will make you
wish you'd never tried to find himat all. I'm quite prepared for anything,
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anything. For three weeks I heardnothing. I'd go to bed at
nights and it would start, Whywhy, why? What? Why?
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Over and over? Why should hewant me to think he was dead?
Why when we were so in love, so happy, so completely wonderful to
get us? Why would he dothis? Then I began to get sick,
I couldn't eat. I began togo over our life together, wondering
what I could have done with hismaids. Clinton hate me. I exaggerated
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the silly little differences of opinion whichwe'd had. I began to manufacture terrible,
non existent crimes which i'd committed,always against Clinton. And then I
began to think that perhaps I hadmade a mistake. It couldn't have happened.
He was dead and i'd seen hisdouble. I began to get a
funny twisting feeling in my legs.I'd be walking around the apartment and I
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began to feel as thought nerve wasloose in my knees. And then one
day, mister Powell phones, they'dhad some luck. You want to be
down there right away. One ofmy men located him in a cheap walk
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up on West fiftieth Street. He'sapparently spending a lot of time in Saint
Patrick's Cathedral. St. Patrick's Cathedral. Yes, does that surprise you?
Yes, it does rather. ButI don't think I better wait, would
wait a minute, don't go yet. I'm quite sure there's something, well,
something sinister about this. I don'tknow why, but it's not like
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any case I've ever had before.I was wondering if you'd like me to
go and see him first. Thenlet you know what. No, No,
I'll go give me the address.It's written down. Thanks. You've
been very kindly to Powell, veryunderstanding. You look very tired. Try
to get calm down little before yousee him. All right, I'll go
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in somewhere and have some coffee.I'll be all right. That was yesterday.
I came into this frowzy little hamburgerplace yesterday afternoon. Yesterday it looked
exactly the same way it looks now, and it looked the same way tomorrow.
I came in here because it wasright across the street from the address
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that mister Paul had given me.That was yesterday, less than twenty four
hours ago. I've got to goover everything very careful in my mind,
because I don't dare forget. Idon't dare forget anything, he said.
I came in here yesterday afternoon aboutfour o'clock. The waitress thought I was
behaving strangely. I can hear thesuspicion in her voice. I asked her
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for a check, and she said, why sure, honey, Yes,
five coffee, fifty cents. Listen, Darie, are you sife? Here's
a dollar? No, I'm allright, well, you don't look so
good. I'm all right. Thechange. Well, thanks baby, thanks
a lot, and take care ofyourself. Tell what where you're going?
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What it sounds dirty? So horrible? Yeah, Dear God, whatever this
is, give me the strength tobe, give me the strength to take
it. Please God, Please,I can't go on. It would make
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him hide in this dirty, horriblehouse to be. There's nobody home,
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quin, good God, let me. I'll tell you. You're gonna help
me, help you understand this,help me come in, Janet, don't
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say anything, just to me.Please, don't say anything. Yes,
is it really you? Oh,Janet, Janet Darling, Never it is.
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It doesn't matter. It's so longas you're alive. I don't care.
I want to hear anything. Ijust want old you like this and
not care about why, what's happened? You love me? There's nothing,
nothing else. It's it's morning,Clint. Yes, we've got to talk
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about it now. Yes, you'vegot to tell me. I know I'm
waiting, j Jane. I can'ttell you. Listen, there's absolutely nothing
you can't tell me. I'm yourwife. I love you. I love
you so much that I forgive anything. There isn't anything you could have done
that I wouldn't forgive. There's nocrime, no wickedness, no nothing that
I but you've got to tell meif we're ever to have any life together
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again, you've got to tell mewhy you let me think you were dead
for five years where we're not goingto have any life together. You're sick,
that's it. You're sick and you'vebeen through something. You need rest,
rest and a good food and agood bad and me you need manna.
Boy. Is there some sort ofsecret mission that you're on that I
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well, has it something to dowith the war? No? Yes,
then tell me I can't tell him. Please don't touch yourself. Whatever it
is, I can take it.I'm not afraid. I'll look after you.
I want you to come home withme now, away from this dreadful,
dark apartment. I'm not going homewith you, chaanny, you're what
This is my last day here.HI may have to leave at any minute.
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I just can't understand anything worse.Nothing could be worse than this,
nothing, not knowing, not knowingwhat's behind this fantastic and tell you.
I demand that you tell me.You've got to tell me. I can't
you understand. Look you're go onlike this. I go crazy. I
lost my mind. I saw youthat day on the bus. I should
have left New York and gone away. I knew you'd trying to find me.
I knew it would be like Nowtell me it happened. In Cairo.
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I was hungry forty eight hour passa taxi i'd hired for the day
went over an old man. Hewas a funny, tiny, wistened old
man, a beggar, an Egyptian. He didn't seem to be hurt very
much, but he was so oldthat I made him come back to my
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hotel and lie down for a bit. He was very clean, but so
old that his bones were like likelittle bits of stick. I made him
lie down on my bed for afew minutes. I gave him a sip
of wine, and he closed hiseyes for about ten minutes, then opened
them, looked up at me,and told me he was dying. He
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seemed read. His whole face litup as though it were the most tremendous
relief. He told me not tobe worried, not to try to help
him, that he was very oldand quite ready to die. Then he
reached into his clothes and handed methis. What is it? It's the
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holder? What the holder? It'sa little wheelbarrow made of the finest cold,
a tiny little golden wheel bar andthe green stone inside it as an
emerald. He said it would beof no use to anybody but me.
I didn't understand what he meant.He said I'd been picked, picked,
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chosen. I asked him what hemeant, but he wouldn't say. He
told me the howls had brought goodluck and bad luck. He said,
if I held it over my heartand wished that I get my wish,
then he sort of breathed once,and I can't. I can't go,
Wader, I can't, Janet,Please don't make me well. In just
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a few seconds, there was nothingleft, nothing but a thin, fine,
silvery powder. He he just disintegratedin front of my very eyes,
to dust, dry fine gray dustis old as old this forever, like
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poor mis power. I didn't knowwhat to do. I I called the
manager, but he wouldn't believe thatanybody had just died in my bed.
There was nothing there, just halfa cupful of dust, dry white dust.
And then I went on with myleave. I was a little shaken,
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so I went out and got drunk. The next night I reported back
to camp. I blurted out thestory in the mess. One night I
passed the haul around and everybody wished. Some wished for money, some for
girl something. Of course, nothinghappened. Did you expect something? What?
Oh? Not? Really? II don't know then what? Then?
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I took it and wished that youstanding in front of me. Everybody
laughed. We knew there was nothingin it. Nobody believed the story.
I certainly didn't. I felt sortof sheepish. That night I went to
bed, I got the hauled outand looked at it again. It sort
(24:07):
of fascinated me. I began toimagine all sorts of wishes I could make.
I wished that I could be madeinvisible, that I could move my
body from one place or another instantly, silly day dreaming. Kids, Stop
Clinton, please come home? Knewnot well, you'll let me finish.
Days passed by January. This wasnineteen forty three. The advance in an
(24:32):
issue was told German dive bombers werecontinuously in action. It was a time
of horror and death, and andall through those terrible days, the feeling
gradually came over me that the halderwould for some time when I was in
desperate trouble, that it would helpme. This feeling became very strong.
I can't describe it, but itwas very strong. One night, with
(24:56):
ten men, I was ambushed ina small mountain pass. We knew that
it was the end. We knewwe would all be killed. It was
letterally rained death, and I suddenlybecame terrified. I'd always been nervous in
action, but never before. Ilost control of myself. There were German
plains everywhere. I stood up,scream at the scream at the world.
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I wish for just one month.I begged for a month. If I
have to die, give me amonth, just one month, any time
in five years and ten years,what a month? Give me back a
month to see my wife again.Goddon, Darling, Please come on me.
You're so thick, you for soterrible. Please, Janet, you
may not believe this. I gotmy wish. I was instantly killed that
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night, instantly killed. Yet I'mhere with you in this room. Don't
you understand I'd got my wish andI'm leaving. I've got to leave Clinton.
Stop. Where are you going?Jennet, get away from my door.
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Please, I don't want you tosee this. What Clinton, what
is it? My month is up? Janet? I wished through a month
back here again. I got it. I followed you in the daytime.
I've watched you and seen you.But there was no use my coming back
into your life. You made theadjustment, you were set, you were
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happy. I've never been happy withoutyou. Never Clinton. Please, please
come on, get away door.This is a nightmare. It didn't JENEDI
who Clinton, Glennon, don't doit? Clinton? Wait, No,
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no Clinton, dust up, justthin Greg silver dust. Somehow I got
(27:15):
out of that room. Somehow Ifought down the hysteria, the terror.
I stumbled down the stairs, crossedthe tree, back into this horrible little
Hamburger place. I've got the haltof with me. I want to go
with Clinton. If it worked forhim, perhaps it will work for me.
I'm gonna try it. I justcan't live without him. Oh,
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a loving father God in heaven.If this is just sin, forgive me,
Please, please God, forgive me. But I've got to go with
him. I've got to go withClinton if I can. Hey, Joe
did that gang? It was backing, so queen without pay her checks,
(28:02):
the fancy dresses with the chief cake, Hey, Joey, Dad Camia and
bring a rag his great kind ofdust stuff fall over the floor. You
(28:32):
have just heard Strange Identity and originalradio drama written and directed by Harry W.
Duncan. Jan Minor starred in thedifficult role of Janet Wood. Clinton
was Bernard Grant. Other players wereEtha Laubert and Lyle Sudrow. The music
was composed by doctor Roy Shield andconducted by Joseph Garner. Radio City Playhouse
is supervised for the National Broadcasting Companyby Richard P. McDonough. This is
(29:10):
Harry Johnson Agham. Next week RadioCity Playhouse will not be heard. In
its place a special news program calledPlans for the New Congress, presented under
the auspices of the Democratic National Committee. The week after, Radio City Playhouse
will be back as usual and wevery much hope you'll join us. Good
Night, everybody. This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company.
The last real broadcasting company presents RadioCity Playhouse Attraction twenty one. Ladies and
(00:31):
gentlemen, here's the author of tonight'splay and the director of Radio City Playhouse,
Harry W. Duncan thank you,Bob Warren. Good evening everybody.
Although this is not by any meansher first appearance on our show, we
are very happy, indeed to welcomemiss jan Minor back to Radio City Plans.
It was this talented young actress whoopened our series last July third with
(00:54):
a sensational performance in a play calledLong Distance. So stirring was the impression
created by Miss Minor in this playthat we repeated it some weeks later.
It is then, with justifiable pridethat we welcome her back tonight, in
response to many, many requests fromall across the country. She plays the
(01:15):
part of Janet Wood, a roleseldom equalled for the depth and intensity of
emotion which it required. Here isJan Miner in Strange Identity Attraction twenty one
on Radio City Playhouse. Somehow Igot out of that room. I don't
(01:52):
know how that I did. Igot down the stairs and across the street
and stumbled into the same dull,dirty little Hamburger joint down in one of
the bulls. That's where I amnow numb. I'm incapable of any thoughts.
My mind refuses to function in theface of anything so fantastic, so
(02:13):
incredibly evil. I've just seen somethingthat no man or woman has ever seen
before, and I'm stunned. I'mstunned and horrified. I'm so frightened that
when the waitress brings my coffee,I'm not going to be able to speak
to her. She's coming now.She thinks something's wrong with me because of
(02:34):
yesterday has ten cents lady. Thanks, Hey, weren't you in here yesterday
afternoon? Say, honey, youare right listen to this. Do you
gonna please go away? I'm notgoing to faint. I I've got to
decide what to do. Yeah,well, don't do it in here,
(02:54):
honey. It began four weeks ago. I was riding in a taxi going
north on Fifth Avenue at seventy secondsStreet. We stopped for a red light,
pulling up alongside of a Fifth Avenuebus. We waited for a few
seconds, and just as the lightchanged to green, I happened to look
(03:15):
up. He was sitting on thebus. We were so close we could
have reached out and touched each other. I looked right into his face,
right square, smack into his face. There's no possibility that I made a
mistake. I was married to himfor five years, and I looked directly
(03:36):
into his face for at least fiveseconds. That's a long time. It's
one, two, three, fourfive that long. I looked right at
him for that long, and Islid down the level seat onto the floor
of the cab and fainted. Thedriver was very kind, kind, nice
(04:09):
looking boy with a gentle voice.He brought me home. He helped me
upstairs to the apartment. Then hewent next door and got Grace Henderson to
come in and stay with me fora little while. Grace was an old
friend. I say it was becausenow she thinks I'm not quite all there,
and it's hard for friendship to standup against that sort of thing.
(04:30):
She got me undressed, prought meup on the couch, and poured me
a stiff shot of brandy. Gracebelieves that brandy don't cure anything. Drink
that Janet you'll feel better. Brandycure is anything. Thanks, Grace,
scare the living daylights out of mepainting and taxis what's the matter with you?
Anyway? Grace? Hand me Clinton'spicture party, good picture on the
(04:54):
table there, Hand it to me. Why sure, honey, sure there?
Thanks? You never knew him,did you? Nope? I wish
you had. Well, that's war. Yes, it's funny that you know
(05:15):
me so well and yet that you'venever known Clint. I don't want to
be brutal, Janet, but there'sno use brooding over Clint. He's been
dead for five years and it's over. And that's that he's not dead,
I know, honey, and it'sfine to think of him that way.
I saw him in a Fifth Avenuebus this afternoon. That's why I fainted,
Janet. I took a cab homefrom shopping. We came to seventy
(05:36):
second Street and stopped, and wepulled up alongside a bus. I looked
up and saw him in the bus. He wasn't more than three feet away
from me. I looked right intohis face, and then I fainted.
Janet's baby, you mustn't talk thatway. I know it's been tough getting
over Clint. I know you werepretty gone on the guy, but Honey,
this isn't healthy. He's been deadfor five years, and you've just
(05:58):
got to face it. You've gotto stop brooding. Um, he will
start seeing him out of every streetcorner. That's the way people start going
nuts. You've dice the top thatyou're behaving like a right into his face,
Janet stopped. I did. Isaw him. I looked at him
for at least five seconds. I'mgoing to call it. I can call
all the doctors you like. Isaw him. I was as calm and
cool as could be. I wasn'teven thinking about him. I'd been shopping
and had my hair done that Ilooked up the bus and there he was.
(06:20):
You can call all the doctors inNew York, but there's nothing neurotic
or double vision or queer about this, Janet. Baby, it's so easy
to be fooled in things like this. You saw somebody that looked like Clinton,
and just the way the lights fellor something of the shape of his
head. I mean, it's sobig alive. Janet's a war department.
Never makes mistakes like that. Neverthey sent you his belongings, his letters.
(06:43):
He made a mistake, baby,and it's upset you. He was
the strongest man I ever knew hewas so big. He taught me so
much. He took me up intothe mountains, and in two weeks I
was skiing like an expert. Hetaught me to shoot, to ride.
(07:03):
When he was with me, Icould do anything, Janet. I began
to get part of his mind insidemine. He took up painting one time.
In four months later he gave aone man exhibition. More than half
the pictures were sold. That's whathe's like, Janet. Please. He
used to say that only geniuses werenormal, that the rest of us were
(07:25):
subnormal. He didn't think that hewas unusual. He just thought that he
utilized all of his ability. Hehe had the most beautiful body I ever
saw On the beach. Women andeven men would look at him with all
his strength and brilliancy. He wasso tender, honey, so tender.
(07:48):
I could pick out his hand fromevery hand in the world. I know
it wasn't any optical illusion, graceor mistake. He's alive and I saw
him. I don't know what tosay. After five years, is what
are you going to do? Idon't know. You could check with the
(08:09):
War Department. They wouldn't believe me. No, no, they wouldn't.
You don't believe me, do you? Hi? Yes, honey, But
it's just that there's no possible wayof explaining it. Do you know anything
about private detectives? How do youfind one? Why don't you call what's
his name? Your lawyer? Grange? And you'd better get some rest or
(08:31):
you'll break up. You look terrible. I called to it Grange, my
lawyer. He recommended a man namedPowell, a private detective company. I
made an appointment with mister Powell forthe next afternoon, and then I tried
(08:54):
to get some sleep, but Icouldn't. Over and over and over,
I asked myself, why, why, why? Why? Why would he
be alive and in New York andnot get in touch with me? Why?
There was no answer, no reason. Why would he be alive and
let me go on thinking he wasdead? That's the first question mister Powell
(09:16):
would ask me. Why would hebe alive and let you go on thinking
he was dead? Why? Whatreason could there be? I don't know,
all right? Could he be ill? I don't know, I mean
mentally ill? Perhaps, I don'tknow. Have you checked with the War
Department? No. Five years agothey sent me his belongings and some letters.
(09:37):
He's buried in the military cemetery inPyrol. That's what they said.
If I went to see them,they well, you know how far I
did. Have you collected his insurance? Yes, in a lump sum.
I also have a war pension.What would he be using for money?
I don't know. Did he leaveyou reasonably well fixed? I mean,
(09:58):
would the money be of no interto him? Or how you understand I'm
not trying to He let me thirtyfive thousand insurance, about five thousand cash
and the pension. It's a verybaffling thing. You know, you could
have the caskets. It's the Powell. I'd like to start with the fact
that I saw him alive yesterday.Well, and we've got to find a
(10:22):
reason. Not yet. We've gotto find Clinton first, and then he'll
tell me the reason. I don'tthink. Please help me. Can you
imagine how I feel? I'll paypay anything you have. He isn't important,
it's we've so little to go on. I brought you his picture,
surely, missus Wood. We oftenhave missing person cases, but usually not
one where there's such incontrovertible proof thatthe person is dead. The War Department
(10:45):
never makes mistakes like this. They'dhave every widow and mother and wife and
the country raising the very devil.They absolutely never could declare a man dead
until they've absolute and final proof.I think you've made a mistake, missus.
Will you stop treating me as ifI were feeble minded? I saw
him. I tell you stop talkingto me about the War Department. I
saw him. I'm asking you tofind him. I'm not asking for psychiatric
(11:07):
help. I'm insane and as sharpwitted as you are. If you can't
be of any please, missus Wood, I'm sorry if it makes me so
furious. We got to start withthe assumption that he's alive. We can't
prove he's alive. We've got tobelieve he is alive, and then we've
got to try to find him.Could there be any sort of secret mission,
any reason why the government wishes yourhusband to be thought that? I
(11:30):
don't know. It doesn't sound verylikely. Could he be Uh could be
having any sort of affair you meana woman? Yes, I suppose he
could. But can you imagine aman pretending he's dead just because he's married
and wants to live with another woman? But he'd come back and ask for
a divorce. Well, I've askedmyself every possible question as to why there
(11:52):
isn't any answer. You just gotto find him. Well, missus Wood,
I'll put some men on it atonce, and, believe me,
will the very best we can.I'll go home and write me a list
of every place he ever mentioned orever went to. We'll get busy right
away. How long does this sortof thing usually take? Oh, two
days, two weeks, maybe twoyears, maybe never, I see.
(12:15):
We'll keep in touch with you,all right, missus Wood. Yes,
you realize, of course that ifwe do find him, there may be
something behind his well, behind thishis strange behavior, that will make you
wish you'd never tried to find himat all. I'm quite prepared for anything,
(12:39):
anything. For three weeks I heardnothing. I'd go to bed at
nights and it would start, Whywhy, why? What? Why?
(13:01):
Over and over? Why should hewant me to think he was dead?
Why when we were so in love, so happy, so completely wonderful to
get us? Why would he dothis? Then I began to get sick,
I couldn't eat. I began togo over our life together, wondering
what I could have done with hismaids. Clinton hate me. I exaggerated
(13:24):
the silly little differences of opinion whichwe'd had. I began to manufacture terrible,
non existent crimes which i'd committed,always against Clinton. And then I
began to think that perhaps I hadmade a mistake. It couldn't have happened.
He was dead and i'd seen hisdouble. I began to get a
funny twisting feeling in my legs.I'd be walking around the apartment and I
(13:46):
began to feel as thought nerve wasloose in my knees. And then one
day, mister Powell phones, they'dhad some luck. You want to be
down there right away. One ofmy men located him in a cheap walk
(14:15):
up on West fiftieth Street. He'sapparently spending a lot of time in Saint
Patrick's Cathedral. St. Patrick's Cathedral. Yes, does that surprise you?
Yes, it does rather. ButI don't think I better wait, would
wait a minute, don't go yet. I'm quite sure there's something, well,
something sinister about this. I don'tknow why, but it's not like
(14:37):
any case I've ever had before.I was wondering if you'd like me to
go and see him first. Thenlet you know what. No, No,
I'll go give me the address.It's written down. Thanks. You've
been very kindly to Powell, veryunderstanding. You look very tired. Try
to get calm down little before yousee him. All right, I'll go
(15:01):
in somewhere and have some coffee.I'll be all right. That was yesterday.
I came into this frowzy little hamburgerplace yesterday afternoon. Yesterday it looked
exactly the same way it looks now, and it looked the same way tomorrow.
I came in here because it wasright across the street from the address
(15:24):
that mister Paul had given me.That was yesterday, less than twenty four
hours ago. I've got to goover everything very careful in my mind,
because I don't dare forget. Idon't dare forget anything, he said.
I came in here yesterday afternoon aboutfour o'clock. The waitress thought I was
behaving strangely. I can hear thesuspicion in her voice. I asked her
(15:46):
for a check, and she said, why sure, honey, Yes,
five coffee, fifty cents. Listen, Darie, are you sife? Here's
a dollar? No, I'm allright, well, you don't look so
good. I'm all right. Thechange. Well, thanks baby, thanks
a lot, and take care ofyourself. Tell what where you're going?
(16:26):
What it sounds dirty? So horrible? Yeah, Dear God, whatever this
is, give me the strength tobe, give me the strength to take
it. Please God, Please,I can't go on. It would make
(16:52):
him hide in this dirty, horriblehouse to be. There's nobody home,
(17:15):
quin, good God, let me. I'll tell you. You're gonna help
me, help you understand this,help me come in, Janet, don't
(17:37):
say anything, just to me.Please, don't say anything. Yes,
is it really you? Oh,Janet, Janet Darling, Never it is.
(17:59):
It doesn't matter. It's so longas you're alive. I don't care.
I want to hear anything. Ijust want old you like this and
not care about why, what's happened? You love me? There's nothing,
nothing else. It's it's morning,Clint. Yes, we've got to talk
(18:48):
about it now. Yes, you'vegot to tell me. I know I'm
waiting, j Jane. I can'ttell you. Listen, there's absolutely nothing
you can't tell me. I'm yourwife. I love you. I love
you so much that I forgive anything. There isn't anything you could have done
that I wouldn't forgive. There's nocrime, no wickedness, no nothing that
I but you've got to tell meif we're ever to have any life together
(19:12):
again, you've got to tell mewhy you let me think you were dead
for five years where we're not goingto have any life together. You're sick,
that's it. You're sick and you'vebeen through something. You need rest,
rest and a good food and agood bad and me you need manna.
Boy. Is there some sort ofsecret mission that you're on that I
(19:36):
well, has it something to dowith the war? No? Yes,
then tell me I can't tell him. Please don't touch yourself. Whatever it
is, I can take it.I'm not afraid. I'll look after you.
I want you to come home withme now, away from this dreadful,
dark apartment. I'm not going homewith you, chaanny, you're what
This is my last day here.HI may have to leave at any minute.
(20:03):
I just can't understand anything worse.Nothing could be worse than this,
nothing, not knowing, not knowingwhat's behind this fantastic and tell you.
I demand that you tell me.You've got to tell me. I can't
you understand. Look you're go onlike this. I go crazy. I
lost my mind. I saw youthat day on the bus. I should
have left New York and gone away. I knew you'd trying to find me.
I knew it would be like Nowtell me it happened. In Cairo.
(20:38):
I was hungry forty eight hour passa taxi i'd hired for the day
went over an old man. Hewas a funny, tiny, wistened old
man, a beggar, an Egyptian. He didn't seem to be hurt very
much, but he was so oldthat I made him come back to my
(21:00):
hotel and lie down for a bit. He was very clean, but so
old that his bones were like likelittle bits of stick. I made him
lie down on my bed for afew minutes. I gave him a sip
of wine, and he closed hiseyes for about ten minutes, then opened
them, looked up at me,and told me he was dying. He
(21:26):
seemed read. His whole face litup as though it were the most tremendous
relief. He told me not tobe worried, not to try to help
him, that he was very oldand quite ready to die. Then he
reached into his clothes and handed methis. What is it? It's the
(21:49):
holder? What the holder? It'sa little wheelbarrow made of the finest cold,
a tiny little golden wheel bar andthe green stone inside it as an
emerald. He said it would beof no use to anybody but me.
I didn't understand what he meant.He said I'd been picked, picked,
(22:14):
chosen. I asked him what hemeant, but he wouldn't say. He
told me the howls had brought goodluck and bad luck. He said,
if I held it over my heartand wished that I get my wish,
then he sort of breathed once,and I can't. I can't go,
Wader, I can't, Janet,Please don't make me well. In just
(22:41):
a few seconds, there was nothingleft, nothing but a thin, fine,
silvery powder. He he just disintegratedin front of my very eyes,
to dust, dry fine gray dustis old as old this forever, like
(23:03):
poor mis power. I didn't knowwhat to do. I I called the
manager, but he wouldn't believe thatanybody had just died in my bed.
There was nothing there, just halfa cupful of dust, dry white dust.
And then I went on with myleave. I was a little shaken,
(23:26):
so I went out and got drunk. The next night I reported back
to camp. I blurted out thestory in the mess. One night I
passed the haul around and everybody wished. Some wished for money, some for
girl something. Of course, nothinghappened. Did you expect something? What?
Oh? Not? Really? II don't know then what? Then?
(23:47):
I took it and wished that youstanding in front of me. Everybody
laughed. We knew there was nothingin it. Nobody believed the story.
I certainly didn't. I felt sortof sheepish. That night I went to
bed, I got the hauled outand looked at it again. It sort
(24:07):
of fascinated me. I began toimagine all sorts of wishes I could make.
I wished that I could be madeinvisible, that I could move my
body from one place or another instantly, silly day dreaming. Kids, Stop
Clinton, please come home? Knewnot well, you'll let me finish.
Days passed by January. This wasnineteen forty three. The advance in an
(24:32):
issue was told German dive bombers werecontinuously in action. It was a time
of horror and death, and andall through those terrible days, the feeling
gradually came over me that the halderwould for some time when I was in
desperate trouble, that it would helpme. This feeling became very strong.
I can't describe it, but itwas very strong. One night, with
(24:56):
ten men, I was ambushed ina small mountain pass. We knew that
it was the end. We knewwe would all be killed. It was
letterally rained death, and I suddenlybecame terrified. I'd always been nervous in
action, but never before. Ilost control of myself. There were German
plains everywhere. I stood up,scream at the scream at the world.
(25:18):
I wish for just one month.I begged for a month. If I
have to die, give me amonth, just one month, any time
in five years and ten years,what a month? Give me back a
month to see my wife again.Goddon, Darling, Please come on me.
You're so thick, you for soterrible. Please, Janet, you
may not believe this. I gotmy wish. I was instantly killed that
(25:42):
night, instantly killed. Yet I'mhere with you in this room. Don't
you understand I'd got my wish andI'm leaving. I've got to leave Clinton.
Stop. Where are you going?Jennet, get away from my door.
(26:04):
Please, I don't want you tosee this. What Clinton, what
is it? My month is up? Janet? I wished through a month
back here again. I got it. I followed you in the daytime.
I've watched you and seen you.But there was no use my coming back
into your life. You made theadjustment, you were set, you were
(26:26):
happy. I've never been happy withoutyou. Never Clinton. Please, please
come on, get away door.This is a nightmare. It didn't JENEDI
who Clinton, Glennon, don't doit? Clinton? Wait, No,
(26:47):
no Clinton, dust up, justthin Greg silver dust. Somehow I got
(27:15):
out of that room. Somehow Ifought down the hysteria, the terror.
I stumbled down the stairs, crossedthe tree, back into this horrible little
Hamburger place. I've got the haltof with me. I want to go
with Clinton. If it worked forhim, perhaps it will work for me.
I'm gonna try it. I justcan't live without him. Oh,
(27:37):
a loving father God in heaven.If this is just sin, forgive me,
Please, please God, forgive me. But I've got to go with
him. I've got to go withClinton if I can. Hey, Joe
did that gang? It was backing, so queen without pay her checks,
(28:02):
the fancy dresses with the chief cake, Hey, Joey, Dad Camia and
bring a rag his great kind ofdust stuff fall over the floor. You
(28:32):
have just heard Strange Identity and originalradio drama written and directed by Harry W.
Duncan. Jan Minor starred in thedifficult role of Janet Wood. Clinton
was Bernard Grant. Other players wereEtha Laubert and Lyle Sudrow. The music
was composed by doctor Roy Shield andconducted by Joseph Garner. Radio City Playhouse
is supervised for the National Broadcasting Companyby Richard P. McDonough. This is
(29:10):
Harry Johnson Agham. Next week RadioCity Playhouse will not be heard. In
its place a special news program calledPlans for the New Congress, presented under
the auspices of the Democratic National Committee. The week after, Radio City Playhouse
will be back as usual and wevery much hope you'll join us. Good
Night, everybody. This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company.
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