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Lux Radio Theatre - "The Stratton Story" (Old Time Radio, 1950) · Lux Radio Theater | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: James Stewart and June Allison return to their film roles
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: as Monty and Ethel Stratton in Lux Radio Theater. Originally
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: broadcast on CBS February 13, 1950, episode 689 adapts MGM's
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: 1949 biographical drama based on the life of pitcher Monty Stratton.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: From a Texas farm, the gifted young pitcher is spotted
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: by former catcher Barney Weil and given an opportunity with
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: professional baseball and the Chicago White Sox. As Monty's career
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: moves forward, Ethel becomes central to his life and a
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: personal challenge puts his identity, family life, and determination to
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: the test.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Sanford H.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Barnett prepared the radio adaptation with William Keeley producing. And now,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: we return to the original broadcast.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Lux presents Hollywood.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: Lever Brothers Company, the makers of Lux Flakes, bring you
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: the Lux Radio Theater.
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: Proudly presenting Photo Play Magazine's gold medal award picture, The
• 1:15
  Speaker 4: Stratton Story, starring James Stewart and June Allison.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, your producer, Mr. William Keeley. Greetings from Hollywood,
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: ladies and gentlemen.
• 1:33
  Speaker 5: This is a very special evening in the Lux Radio
• 1:36
  Speaker 5: Theater because we present the screenplay that you have chosen
• 1:40
  Speaker 5: as your favorite for the year 1949. Tonight's play was
• 1:45
  Speaker 5: selected by the moviegoers of America in a nationwide poll
• 1:49
  Speaker 5: conducted by Photoplay magazine.
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: It's the Stratton story.
• 1:54
  Speaker 5: In the Stratton story, you'll hear James Stewart and June Allison,
• 1:58
  Speaker 5: the original stars of this Metro-Golden-Mare hit. It's the drama
• 2:03
  Speaker 5: of one man's superhuman courage in the face of an
• 2:06
  Speaker 5: overwhelming handicap. A true story of a real-life hero, Monty Stratton.
• 2:12
  Speaker 5: After tonight's performance, the Stratton story will receive Photoplay Magazine's
• 2:17
  Speaker 5: coveted gold medal award, one of Hollywood's highest honors. The
• 2:22
  Speaker 5: vote of the American people is what counts, whether it's
• 2:25
  Speaker 5: for a motion picture or a product. And Lux Flakes
• 2:28
  Speaker 5: have been your choice for years, whenever housewives insisted on
• 2:33
  Speaker 5: quality and economy. An award of confidence we know Lux
• 2:37
  Speaker 5: Flakes will continue to win. Here's the curtain for Act
• 2:41
  Speaker 5: One of The Stratton Story Starring James Stewart as Monty
• 2:45
  Speaker 5: Stratton And June Allison as Ethel With John McIntyre as Barney.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: This is the true story.
• 3:01
  Speaker 5: Of a young American A story told to you by
• 3:04
  Speaker 5: a man who knew him well enough To help shape
• 3:07
  Speaker 5: his entire life A man named Barney Wild.
• 3:16
  Speaker 6: I met Monty Stratton one autumn afternoon near a little country.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: Town, Wagner, Texas.
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: I was bumming my way to California when I saw
• 3:25
  Speaker 6: a ball game going on. After the game, I went
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: looking for the fellow who pitched.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: You calling me, mister? Yeah, I... Hey, can you wait
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: a minute? That game you just pitched... Nice going, son.
• 3:37
  Speaker 7: Thanks, mister.
• 3:39
  Speaker 8: You ever think of pitching regular professional baseball? Oh, I
• 3:42
  Speaker 8: guess that's just about all I ever do think about.
• 3:44
  Speaker 6: Well, what are you wasting your time around here for?
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: Wasting my time? I get $ 3 every time I pitch
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: a game.
• 3:49
  Speaker 6: $ 3, huh? Son, I think you and I ought to
• 3:53
  Speaker 6: have a little talk. Where are you heading?
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: Home, just about four miles up this road here.
• 3:57
  Speaker 6: Four miles, huh? That'll probably kill me, but... Son, I
• 4:00
  Speaker 6: sure like the way you throw a baseball. Thank you, sir.
• 4:03
  Speaker 6: You play ball, mister?
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: Yes, I may. Slow down, will you? Where'd you play?
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: Where'd you play? Chicago, Cleveland, Boston. Whoa, big legs. That's right.
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: One time I was a pretty fair catcher. I can
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: teach you a lot about baseball, son. Well, I don't
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: quite get it. Yeah, I know. Look at me now.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: Down and out. Oh, no, no. I didn't mean that.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: I was a fool. A grand slam double barrel fool.
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: Broke training. Hit the bottle. Well, here I am.
• 4:28
  Speaker 6: But seeing you pitch this afternoon was like seeing a
• 4:30
  Speaker 6: dream come true, finding a hot prospect, coming back into baseball.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: What, you staying around here? Well, not exactly. I was
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: on my way to California. Oh. Of course, it doesn't
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: have to be California. Uh-huh. I could, well, I might,
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: I could help. You ever do any farm work? Oh, I've... Yeah,
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: you sure look mighty flabby. Son, I got muscles I
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: haven't even used yet. Uh-huh. Well, I live with my ma. Oh,
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: your ma. Yeah, she doesn't think very much of baseball. Well,
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: maybe if I spoke to her. No, no, no. You
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: better let me do the talking. You see, mister, this
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: is what us baseball men would call a squeeze play. Now,
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: just let me think on it as we walk home. Well, Ma,
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: I was talking to Mr. Wilde here before He's sort
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: of looking around for something to do And I thought,
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: I mean, sort of figured I might hole up here
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: for the winter Don't say Uh-huh, you know, sort of
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: help out around the place.
• 5:40
  Speaker 9: You know as well as I do, Monty, we can't
• 5:42
  Speaker 9: afford no hired hand Oh, well.
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: He wouldn't expect any pay, you know, just room and keep.
• 5:47
  Speaker 9: Didn't know you were so overworked, son Oh, no, no,
• 5:50
  Speaker 9: it's not that, Ma, but just a lot of things
• 5:53
  Speaker 9: need doing When your father died, Monty, he left this
• 5:56
  Speaker 9: place to you It's yours, and you're old enough to
• 5:59
  Speaker 9: know what you're doing.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Well, I'll, uh... I'd better get
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: that feed out of the barn. Yeah, yeah, we'd better
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: get that feed out of the barn.
• 6:09
  Speaker 10: Mr.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: Weil. Yes, ma'am?
• 6:12
  Speaker 9: This farm's all Monty's got, Mr. Weil, but it's worth something.
• 6:17
  Speaker 9: But you and Monty, will you go ahead and talk baseball?
• 6:21
  Speaker 9: Maybe someday he'll do as good as you did.
• 6:28
  Speaker 6: I couldn't blame his ma. All baseball meant to her
• 6:31
  Speaker 6: was seeing Marty wind up like, well, like me. Anyway,
• 6:36
  Speaker 6: I stayed there. And day after day, I tried to
• 6:39
  Speaker 6: pass on to Marty what I knew about the game,
• 6:41
  Speaker 6: what I knew about pitching.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: And then around March, it was, I knew there wasn't
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: any more I could teach him.
• 6:48
  Speaker 8: That's it, Marty. You're doing fine, son. Well, no more
• 6:52
  Speaker 8: for today, huh? Well, we've barely got started here. That's
• 6:55
  Speaker 8: no workout.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: Put your jacket on.
• 6:57
  Speaker 6: Keep your arm warm. I've been going to say this
• 7:01
  Speaker 6: all week, Barney Say what? That you're ready You're a
• 7:05
  Speaker 6: joke I don't mean you've learned all there is to
• 7:07
  Speaker 6: know about pitching But from here on, you've got to
• 7:10
  Speaker 6: learn it for yourself We've got to get you some
• 7:12
  Speaker 6: action Well, not much action around here, Barney Ah, but
• 7:14
  Speaker 6: there is in California Jimmy Dykes and the White Sox
• 7:16
  Speaker 6: are starting spring training The Chicago White Sox? All I
• 7:19
  Speaker 6: have to do is say the word and Dykes will
• 7:20
  Speaker 6: give you a try-out He will? Sure But out in California?
• 7:25
  Speaker 6: I don't know It's a long ways and you're in law.
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: Ah, uh-huh Yeah.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: Well, let's go into the house, sir. Looks like we
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: got another squeeze play coming up.
• 7:42
  Speaker 9: You might just as well speak your mind, Monty. You
• 7:44
  Speaker 9: got something to say, say it.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Well, it's just this, Ma. Barney and I were sort
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: of thinking about taking a little trip out to California.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: Is that so? Uh-huh.
• 7:53
  Speaker 9: What baseball team's out there?
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: That's the Chicago Whites... How do you know that?
• 8:00
  Speaker 9: I didn't figure you'd be going all that ways for
• 8:02
  Speaker 9: anything important, son.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: But this is important, ma'am. Oh?
• 8:05
  Speaker 9: Worth giving up the farm for?
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Well, if they take him on, the least he'll get
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: is $ 300 a month.
• 8:10
  Speaker 9: That's a lot of money for just throwing a ball around.
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: And I won't have to give up the farm. I
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: saw Cousin Ernie. He said he'd be glad to take
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: care of it while I'm gone. What makes you so
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: sure they'll give you a try? They try just anybody. Well,
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: they sure don't. Well, Barney and Jimmy Dykes are old friends.
• 8:26
  Speaker 11: Who?
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: He's the manager of the White Sox. That way, I'll
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: get a chance for sure.
• 8:30
  Speaker 9: The land's the only place where you're sure, son.
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: Lots of people don't live on farms, Miss Threat. Lots
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: of people don't.
• 8:36
  Speaker 9: Eat regular, too.
• 8:38
  Speaker 12: You.
• 8:40
  Speaker 9: You made up your mind, ain't.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: You, Monty? I... I just gotta give it a try, Ma. Sure, son. Sure. Sure.
• 8:48
  Speaker 9: You go on, then.
• 8:49
  Speaker 13: You give it a try.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: Hey, Rhett, who's the kid warming up? The kid, Mr. Dykes?
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: The tall, skinny one in the leather jacket. I don't know.
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: I thought you sent him out there. I'll tell you
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: who he is. The best right-hand prospect since Christy Mathis. Barney. Oh, no. No,
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: not you again. You bring that kid out here? You
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: bet I did. I want you to have first crack
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: at him. Thanks. He's got everything, Jimmy. I've been working
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: with him all winter. Yeah? Who supplied the hooch? No, no, no, Jimmy. No,
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: I haven't had a drop since... Well, this is him, Marty.
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: Jimmy Dye. I'm sure glad... Just a second, son.
• 9:28
  Speaker 12: Barney's probably filled your head with a lot of cockeyed ideas.
• 9:32
  Speaker 12: But I can't waste time with every kid he digs up.
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: Jimmy, wait, now wait. How many times have I told
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: you not to bother me this way? I'm sorry I
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: busted in on you like that. Oh, that boy's hitchhiking
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: to walk miles to get here, Jimmy. Barney, wait a minute, Barney.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: Don't go running away like that. Hey, you, country. He
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: means you, Barney. Wait a minute. Give me that mitt,
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: will you, Eddie? Come on, country. Throw me a couple.
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: Get that jacket off, Monty. Burn him in, boy. That's
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: some uniform, country. The Wagner Wildcats, Mr. Dykes. That's the
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: team I've been pitching for. The Wagner Wildcats. My, my.
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: All right. Let's see what you got.
• 10:08
  Speaker 12: He really breaks them off, don't he? Simmer down, Barney.
• 10:11
  Speaker 12: So you got a curve. Let me see your fast one.
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: Well, I don't know.
• 10:19
  Speaker 12: Maybe you better work out a while. Keep him around, Barney.
• 10:22
  Speaker 12: He may have something. But for Pete's sake, get him
• 10:25
  Speaker 12: a haircut.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: Sure, Jimmy, sure. But I tell you, Marty, I knew
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: he'd give you a chance. But when? When? What are
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: we supposed to do now?
• 10:36
  Speaker 6: Find us a room. Oh, yeah, in a barber shop. Well,
• 10:45
  Speaker 6: we found a hotel and met a few of the
• 10:47
  Speaker 6: players who were staying there. That night, Monty went down
• 10:50
  Speaker 6: to the lobby to kill some time. And in the lobby,
• 10:53
  Speaker 6: he discovered a fascinating pastime. Monty had never seen a
• 10:57
  Speaker 6: slot machine before. Ten minutes later, he had a pocket
• 11:01
  Speaker 6: full of quarters and a new friend, a rookie named
• 11:05
  Speaker 6: Eddie Dibson. Eddie was flat broke. He had a date
• 11:08
  Speaker 6: that night with his girl. To make matters worse, he
• 11:10
  Speaker 6: was bringing a friend along. But there was Monty, fresh
• 11:13
  Speaker 6: from the sticks and ready to learn all about.
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: Nightlife in the city. Well, they're very nice dancers, aren't they?
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: I mean, uh, Gotti and Eddie.
• 11:26
  Speaker 11: Yes, yes, they are.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: Well, I.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: I guess I shouldn't be here at all. Oh?
• 11:32
  Speaker 11: Well, thank you. Thank you very much.
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no. It isn't you. It's me.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: I mean, it's Eddie. I don't know.
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: But for some reason, he seemed awful anxious for me
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: to tag along.
• 11:45
  Speaker 11: Good friend of yours, hmm?
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess he is. I just met him tonight, though.
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: Come along, he says. I want you to meet the girls,
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: he says. Come along.
• 11:54
  Speaker 12: Oh.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: I'm, uh... I'm sorry I can't ask you to dance,
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: but I don't know how.
• 12:02
  Speaker 11: Oh, that's all right.
• 12:04
  Speaker 10: All right.
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: I guess baseball's about all I know.
• 12:08
  Speaker 11: Well, that's something.
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: Have you seen us work out yet?
• 12:11
  Speaker 10: Us?
• 12:12
  Speaker 11: Who's us?
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: The Chicago White Sox?
• 12:16
  Speaker 11: No.
• 12:17
  Speaker 14: No, I guess that's the one thing I've missed. You see,
• 12:20
  Speaker 14: I'm just visiting here. I'm from Omaha.
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: Oh, well, the team looks good. It looks awful good.
• 12:26
  Speaker 11: Oh, that's very nice. I'll bet you're pretty good yourself.
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: Oh, I don't know. I'm still trying out.
• 12:33
  Speaker 11: I'll bet you can hit a baseball pretty far.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: No, I'm not expected to hit very much, Sam. I'm
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: a pitcher.
• 12:40
  Speaker 11: Well, I'll bet you can pitch far.
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: You don't quite seem to get the idea, do you?
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: You say, I just have to pitch from the mound
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: to the plate. It's just about 60 feet.
• 12:53
  Speaker 11: All right, then I'll bet you can pitch fast.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: Well, sometimes you have to sort of rear back and
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: sort of let them go fast. And then other times
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: you just sort of whip it like this, you see,
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: and curve it in sort of. And you get in
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: spots and you just sort of floater in. It's what
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: you call a change of pace.
• 13:14
  Speaker 14: Speaking of change of pace, would you mind telling me something?
• 13:18
  Speaker 14: Just what is that noise?
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Noise?
• 13:20
  Speaker 14: Well, every time you move, that jingling sound.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: Jingling? Oh, all this.
• 13:27
  Speaker 12: Huh?
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: You see, they have these machines in the lobby of
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: the hotel. I never saw them before, and I... Sort
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: of wondered about them. Before I knew it, I dropped
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: a quarter in and a whole lot of fruit started
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: spinning around. Then things sort of slid to a stop.
• 13:46
  Speaker 11: And out came that.
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: No, no. Nothing happened. Not yet.
• 13:52
  Speaker 7: Oh.
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: Well, before I knew it, I was down to my
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: last quarter. I sort of figured I might as well
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: be broke as the way I was, so... In went
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: the last quarter, and the fruit took off again. Oranges
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: and grapefruit and lemons and spinning around like a top.
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: And then all of a sudden, the quarter started popping
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: out like hen through a busted fence.
• 14:12
  Speaker 14: Well, if you don't make it in baseball, Mr. Stratton,
• 14:14
  Speaker 14: you've got a very fine future in gambling.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: No, I'm through gambling.
• 14:20
  Speaker 11: Why?
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: Well, I found out how it feels to lose and
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: what it's like to win. Why keep at it?
• 14:27
  Speaker 11: Yes.
• 14:32
  Speaker 6: Now, like I said, this other fella, Eddie Dibson, had
• 14:35
  Speaker 6: come with his girl. But one look at Ethel, and
• 14:38
  Speaker 6: Eddie forgot all about Dottie. Eddie had it all figured out.
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: Where's Dottie been hiding you? Oh, we'll make a big
• 14:45
  Speaker 2: night out of this, Ethel. I'm gonna take you to
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: every spot in town.
• 14:48
  Speaker 11: Oh, I wouldn't think of putting you to all that trouble, Eddie.
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: Trouble?
• 14:51
  Speaker 9: Look, if we're going someplace else, let's go.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: Someplace else? Sure, country, sure. Hey, waiter, check.
• 14:56
  Speaker 12: Check.
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: Now, there's a little place I know near Long Beach.
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: Soft music, dancing under the stars. You want something, waiter?
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: You asked for the check, sir? Oh, uh, he wants it. Him.
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: Give it to him. Check, sir. Or maybe you'd like
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: hot music. Now, there's a club in Hollywood that really
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: makes it out. Eddie.
• 15:11
  Speaker 12: Oh, what?
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: Take care of it, will you, Monty? We'll make the rounds, baby,
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: and what we don't hit tonight, we'll hit tomorrow. Take
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: care of the man, Monty. We'll meet you out front. Yeah,
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: take care of the man. $ 14. 40. Yes, sir. You got
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: a pot? I beg your pardon. Oh, never mind. Here,
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: we'll just spread out the napkin here. Yes, yes, sir.
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: Here you are.
• 15:30
  Speaker 10: Did it occur to you, Mr.
• 15:41
  Speaker 11: Stratton, that I might not want to go home? That
• 15:43
  Speaker 11: I might have wanted to go somewhere with Eddie?
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Well, what you wanted wasn't so important.
• 15:48
  Speaker 11: Oh, it wasn't?
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: No, no.
• 15:49
  Speaker 6: I see.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: What was important was the way Eddie was treating Dottie,
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: trying to shine up to you. You know, he shouldn't
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: have done it in front of her like that.
• 15:57
  Speaker 11: Or in front of you.
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: Oh, no, no, no, no, that's not what I mean. Hey,
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: this is it, ain't it, bud? Hmm? Uh, yeah, well,
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: I guess it is.
• 16:05
  Speaker 11: Yes, this is it.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: Well, uh, can you wait, driver? I'll be right back. No, Casey. Look, uh.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: I'm sorry about tonight. Boy, you sort of got stuck
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: with me, didn't you?
• 16:20
  Speaker 11: Oh, that's silly.
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: No, no, it isn't. I just never had much experience
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: with girls. What's so funny?
• 16:32
  Speaker 11: You. You got stuck with the check.
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. I sure did, didn't I? It wasn't worth
• 16:40
  Speaker 2: it to get out of there. Well... Good night.
• 16:45
  Speaker 11: Marty, wait.
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: Hmm?
• 16:48
  Speaker 14: Well, I'm sorry about tonight, too, but you see, I
• 16:51
  Speaker 14: haven't had too much experience myself with ballplayers.
• 16:55
  Speaker 2: Well, I'm not exactly a ballplayer yet. I haven't made
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: the team yet.
• 16:59
  Speaker 11: Oh, you'll make it.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: Well, how do you know? You said you didn't know
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: anything about baseball.
• 17:05
  Speaker 11: I could learn.
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: When do you go home to Omaha?
• 17:11
  Speaker 11: Well, not for a while yet. I'm I'm staying here
• 17:14
  Speaker 11: with my aunt.
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: Well, time for me to come and call on you?
• 17:18
  Speaker 11: Could be.
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: Good night, Ethel.
• 17:22
  Speaker 11: Good night, Monty.
• 17:34
  Speaker 4: In just a moment, our stars will return with Act
• 17:36
  Speaker 4: Two of The Stratton Story. I hear, Libby, you're collecting
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: travel folders.
• 17:41
  Speaker 7: Oh, just a dream so far, John. I got the
• 17:43
  Speaker 7: wanderlust at Paramount watching the Pine Thomas production of Captain China.
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: That's a rip-roaring adventure story if I ever saw one.
• 17:51
  Speaker 7: John Payne in the title role gives a magnificent performance.
• 17:54
  Speaker 9: What a fighter he is.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: And Gail Russell looks more beautiful than ever.
• 17:58
  Speaker 7: Oh, she's ravishing. As a passenger on a tramp steamer,
• 18:01
  Speaker 7: she adds a delightful bit of romance.
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: The typhoon scenes in Captain China got me... They were
• 18:07
  Speaker 4: so realistic, I practically hope the skipper keep the ship afloat.
• 18:11
  Speaker 7: Well, the ship was definitely real. And so rough that
• 18:13
  Speaker 7: when the picture was finished, Gail said she'd take the
• 18:16
  Speaker 7: smooth sailing of a sailboat or a cabin cruiser from
• 18:19
  Speaker 7: now on.
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: Certainly more relaxing.
• 18:21
  Speaker 7: And you can wear such pretty clothes when you know
• 18:23
  Speaker 7: there's a box of Lux Flakes not far away. Gail
• 18:26
  Speaker 7: has a sharkskin rayon slack suit she loves for sailing. Or,
• 18:30
  Speaker 7: if she wants to tan, she takes along some little
• 18:33
  Speaker 7: boy shorts in butcher linen and a jersey halter top.
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: A cargo of Luxables, huh?
• 18:38
  Speaker 7: Gail insists on Lux Flakes for all her washable rayons
• 18:41
  Speaker 7: and nice cottons. They stay so fresh and bright all season.
• 18:45
  Speaker 4: A smart girl. Washing tests prove that Lux Flakes care
• 18:50
  Speaker 4: really makes a difference. Wrong washing methods soon fade colors,
• 18:54
  Speaker 4: weaken fabrics.
• 18:55
  Speaker 7: But even the most delicate shades stay enchantingly fresh and
• 18:58
  Speaker 7: gay the safe Lux Flakes way.
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: And it's such easy care.
• 19:03
  Speaker 7: Just a swish and these rich, gentle suds and your dress,
• 19:07
  Speaker 7: your blouse, your slacks are as lovely as ever. Why
• 19:11
  Speaker 7: not give all your washables that lovely, luxe look?
• 19:15
  Speaker 5: We return you now to William Keeley. Act Two of
• 19:19
  Speaker 5: The Stratton Story. Winner of Photo Play Magazine's Gold Medal Award.
• 19:23
  Speaker 5: Starring James Stewart as Monty Stratton and June Allison as Ethel.
• 19:35
  Speaker 6: Those next few weeks, well, they were quite a strain.
• 19:37
  Speaker 6: Between falling in love and trying out for the White Sox,
• 19:40
  Speaker 6: Marty just didn't know where he stood.
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: But one afternoon Hey, you, country. Oh, here it comes, Barney. Yeah, Mr.
• 19:50
  Speaker 10: Dykes.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: Five innings this afternoon, Jimmy, and he didn't give up
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: a hit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, kid, the team goes
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: east tomorrow. Yeah, yeah, I know. we're going to take
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: you with us. Barney, did you hear that? Did you
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: hear what he said? What are you planning to do, Barney? Well,
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: I guess I don't exactly know. Well, look, Mr. Dykes,
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: Barney's the best... Can't have people hanging around doing nothing.
• 20:12
  Speaker 2: I'll do anything, Jimmy, anything. Like what?
• 20:15
  Speaker 12: Offhand, I can't think of anything. Unless you'd like to
• 20:19
  Speaker 12: coach the young pitchers. Get in the office.
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: We'll sign a couple of contracts. The next day at
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: the railroad station, Ethel was there to say goodbye to Marty.
• 20:30
  Speaker 11: We didn't have very much time together, did we?
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: No, enough to make me wish there was more. Gee whiz,
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: California turned out much better than I thought it was
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: going to.
• 20:39
  Speaker 11: Well, it was nice. You're making the team, wasn't it?
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: Oh, no, that's not what I mean, you know it.
• 20:45
  Speaker 11: I know, Marty.
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: Bye, Ethel. Let's get going, boy. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah,
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: right away.
• 20:49
  Speaker 11: You will write, won't you?
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: Well, I'll never be able to write down what I'm thinking, though.
• 20:54
  Speaker 14: Well, I know you're thinking about me if you don't write.
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: Hey, country. Kiss her goodbye and get on the train.
• 21:02
  Speaker 10: Hmm? Oh.
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah.
• 21:05
  Speaker 11: Oh, that Mr.
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: Dykes.
• 21:07
  Speaker 11: He's a very smart man, darling.
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: And then the season started. Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, back
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: to Chicago again.
• 21:20
  Speaker 6: So far, Marty Stratton's services to the Chicago White Sox
• 21:23
  Speaker 6: consisted of batting fly balls to the outfield in the
• 21:25
  Speaker 6: warm-up before the games. On this day, the Yankees were
• 21:29
  Speaker 6: in town, murdering us.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: Now, the one thing about the dugout, Barney, is you
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: get a good view of the game. Boy, I ought
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: to pay admission.
• 21:40
  Speaker 6: Yeah, well, you can learn plenty just sitting here.
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: Another double for Gary. There goes Dykes. He's taking the
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: pitcher out. What a gang, them Yankees. If a pitcher's
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: going to get by, he's got to give them what
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: they don't expect. Out-think them. Yeah, well, they don't have
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: to worry about me out-thinking them. Boy, every time I
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: get paid, I feel like I'm stealing. Come on, Dykes.
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: Put a pitcher in there. All right, Stratton. Get out there. Huh? What, me? No, Jimmy, no,
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: not at a time like this. But those Yankees have
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: sent more pitchers to Omaha than you. You wanted the
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: kid to get a chance, didn't you? Well, he's got it.
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: Now pitching for Chicago, number 25, Marty Stratton. You know
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: who he's pitching to? Dickie, that's all. Just Bill Dickie.
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: Another ball player. Forget about the runners, kid. Just pitch
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: to him. Tell me it's foul, Jimmy. Tell me it's foul.
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: What do you know? Clear over the center field wall. Omaha.
• 22:42
  Speaker 6: Yeah, Marty went far in his big league debut from
• 22:45
  Speaker 6: Chicago to Omaha. And that's how Ethel happened to have
• 22:49
  Speaker 6: an unexpected visit.
• 22:51
  Speaker 11: Oh, I'm so glad to see you, Marty. What are
• 22:54
  Speaker 11: you doing here in Omaha? I thought you were going
• 22:56
  Speaker 11: to go down.
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: I know, I know, I know, I know. Just sit down.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: I've got a problem.
• 23:00
  Speaker 11: But you said in your letter you might pitch this week.
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I did. Well? That's what I want to talk
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: to you about.
• 23:05
  Speaker 11: Well, what happened?
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: Everything, honey. Now, you know, when I left you in California...
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: What was the score? Now, that's not important. The thing
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: that's bothering me is.
• 23:12
  Speaker 11: Well, they can't expect you to win every game.
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: Honey, they don't expect me to win any games. I've
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: been farmed out to Omaha.
• 23:19
  Speaker 11: Well, they don't put you in jail for playing in Omaha.
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: I know, I know. There's nothing wrong with Omaha. It's
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: just that... I don't know. I might not even make
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: it here. First thing I know, I'll be back on
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: the farm. What?
• 23:32
  Speaker 11: Don't you like the farm?
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: Sure, sure, it's all right, but it.
• 23:35
  Speaker 11: Well, then?
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: Well, I don't... It's just that... that things are... are
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: different now, that's all. Now there's you.
• 23:48
  Speaker 11: Would it help any if... if I said I love you?
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: That's the problem.
• 23:52
  Speaker 11: Oh, I see.
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: No, no, you don't see. I don't know. No matter
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: what I was doing, I kept thinking about you, and
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: every time I'd see something exciting, I'd... Kept wishing that
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: you were there to see it with me. I don't
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: know if that's love, man. I really got it.
• 24:08
  Speaker 11: Oh, you had me worried.
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: But I had all sorts of plans for us. Now,
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: now I don't know where I'm going.
• 24:17
  Speaker 11: Oh, but it doesn't matter to me.
• 24:18
  Speaker 2: It matters to me, honey. It matters to me. A
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: man's got to know where he's going.
• 24:24
  Speaker 11: Well, what do you want me to do?
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: Just, just give me a chance to make it. I
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: just want to make sure that I'm not going to
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: let you down.
• 24:36
  Speaker 11: All right, Marty. If that's what you want.
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: No, you're what I want.
• 24:42
  Speaker 11: Oh, I love you, Marty. You could never let me down.
• 24:47
  Speaker 10: Marty.
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: Yes, dear? What was the score? Sixteen to nothing.
• 24:57
  Speaker 11: Oh, you're a fine pitcher.
• 24:59
  Speaker 6: Uh-huh.
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: There's a tailor in Chicago who gives a suit of
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: clothes to every ballplayer who hits the scoreboard in the
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: center field. As of yesterday, the New York Yankees were
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: the best-dressed team in baseball.
• 25:20
  Speaker 6: Monty pitched six ballgames for Omaha, one of them all,
• 25:23
  Speaker 6: three shutouts. That was good enough for Jimmy Dykes. He
• 25:26
  Speaker 6: brought Monty back to the White Sox. Only this time
• 25:29
  Speaker 6: a girl named Ethel tagged along, because now she was Mrs.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: Molly Stratton. That night, a few of the boys gave
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: him a little party at the hotel. Just proves what
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: I've been saying. How could a guy like you, country,
• 25:39
  Speaker 2: get a gal like that?
• 25:41
  Speaker 11: Oh, it wasn't easy, Mr. Lyons. I just wouldn't take
• 25:43
  Speaker 11: no for an answer.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: Oh, she's pretty, Ted, but she's not very smart.
• 25:47
  Speaker 5: Uh-uh.
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: Here come the bombers.
• 25:50
  Speaker 10: Bombers?
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: Yeah, a few of the Yankee players. This is what
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: they look like, honey, when they're just civilians. Hiya, fellas.
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: I guess you know everybody. Oh, uh, this is Monty Stratton. Stratton,
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: this is Bill Dickey. Mr. Dickey, Mrs. Stratton.
• 26:03
  Speaker 11: How do you do?
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: How do you do? We met you earlier this season,
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: didn't we, Stratton? Man, you met me in everything I pitched. Well,
• 26:10
  Speaker 2: it's nice to have met you, Mrs. Stratton.
• 26:11
  Speaker 11: Thank you. Why, he's awfully nice.
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: Well, wait till you see him tomorrow, honey. Boy, they
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: don't call them the bombers for nothing.
• 26:20
  Speaker 9: Wow.
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: Some poor guy's going to have a rough afternoon. Yeah,
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: could be. By the way, Barney, who's Dykes going to
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: pitch tomorrow? You.
• 26:29
  Speaker 9: Yeah.
• 26:31
  Speaker 2: Who are you?
• 26:32
  Speaker 11: Me?
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: A couple of the boys have sore arms.
• 26:36
  Speaker 9: Oh.
• 26:38
  Speaker 2: Ethel.
• 26:40
  Speaker 13: Yes, dear?
• 26:42
  Speaker 2: Our baggage, you unpack anything yet?
• 26:45
  Speaker 11: No, not yet.
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: Don't.
• 26:55
  Speaker 6: That next day was Monty's real start as a big
• 26:57
  Speaker 6: league ball player. Monty won that ball game all by himself,
• 27:01
  Speaker 6: even the driving in the win and run. And that's
• 27:04
  Speaker 6: just about the way it went all the rest of
• 27:05
  Speaker 6: that season. Not that he won every game, but from
• 27:08
  Speaker 6: then on, the fans knew that Monty Stratton was just
• 27:10
  Speaker 6: about as fine a pitcher as they'd see in the league.
• 27:13
  Speaker 6: In October, Monty and Ethel went down to the farm.
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: Woof! Woof!
• 27:23
  Speaker 8: Well, now, if you'll call off your dog, ma'am, I'm
• 27:25
  Speaker 8: selling some books here that you might like to see.
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: Monty!
• 27:28
  Speaker 9: Oh, for land's sakes, I didn't even know you, son.
• 27:31
  Speaker 9: New clothes and all.
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that isn't the only thing new, Ma. Here's Ethel.
• 27:36
  Speaker 11: Hello, Ma.
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: Oh, Ethel. It seems to me, son, you've been running
• 27:40
  Speaker 2: over with luck. Oh, I sure have, Ma.
• 27:43
  Speaker 9: Got a new car, too.
• 27:45
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes. Bought myself a bucket of bolts. Oh, Eddie.
• 27:49
  Speaker 9: Ernie.
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: Howdy, Monty.
• 27:51
  Speaker 11: Howdy.
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: Ethel, that's my cousin Ernie. If it wasn't for Ernie,
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: I never could have left here.
• 27:56
  Speaker 11: Hello, Ernie. Ma'am.
• 27:58
  Speaker 13: Hey, you're pitching good money. Well, don't tell me you're
• 28:01
  Speaker 13: a fan now. Nope, just heard about it. Well, I
• 28:04
  Speaker 13: guess you won't be needing me anymore, huh, money? Well, uh,
• 28:08
  Speaker 13: I sort of wish you'd stick around, Ernie. Uh, got
• 28:11
  Speaker 13: a lot of things you could fix up around here.
• 28:13
  Speaker 9: Not you know about it.
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: Always, always answers to men. Some fresh paint, maybe. And then, uh...
• 28:21
  Speaker 2: Let me... Let me better build one of those nursery rooms.
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: You leave your mouth open like that, Ma, you're liable
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: to catch a fly in it.
• 28:33
  Speaker 12: Monty.
• 28:35
  Speaker 14: Ethel.
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, now, how about some supper, Grandma? Monty went
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: through the next season like a house of fire. The
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: fans ate him up. The newspapers, too. He was all
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: that Jimmy Dyke said he was.
• 28:53
  Speaker 12: Right now, Barney, I wouldn't trade Monty Stratton for any
• 28:56
  Speaker 12: other pitcher in baseball. A lot of future that boy's got.
• 29:00
  Speaker 12: And Monty had someone else now to win games for.
• 29:03
  Speaker 12: A brand new baby boy. But after a while, I
• 29:08
  Speaker 12: began to worry.
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: Ethel, too. Something would happen to Monty. As often as not,
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: he'd disappear after a game. He'd tell Ethel it was
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: for interviews, newspaper guys. But I knew different, and so
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: did Ethel.
• 29:21
  Speaker 6: Anyway, they were back in Texas now, and Marty was
• 29:23
  Speaker 6: a farmer again for the winter.
• 29:25
  Speaker 9: A little dressy, ain't you, son? My land death will
• 29:28
  Speaker 9: just look at the dude.
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: Shave, too.
• 29:31
  Speaker 11: Oh, no, not another French interview, Marty. Not down here.
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: No, no, no, no. I just thought maybe we ought
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: to go out and do a little celebrating. You know,
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: Junior's going to be six months old tomorrow. so come on,
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: come on. We're going out to dinner.
• 29:42
  Speaker 14: Well, give me a chance to catch my breath. You know, Ma,
• 29:45
  Speaker 14: this is an event. We don't get to do much
• 29:47
  Speaker 14: celebrating in Chicago.
• 29:48
  Speaker 9: Grab him while you can, honey.
• 29:50
  Speaker 2: Well, now, look, you two girls are going to sit
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: around and chew the fat. I'll go and celebrate myself. Goodbye.
• 29:54
  Speaker 10: No, no, no.
• 29:54
  Speaker 11: Hang on to him, Ma.
• 29:55
  Speaker 9: I'll be ready in about five minutes.
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: Would you care to dance, Mrs. Stratton?
• 30:06
  Speaker 11: Marty, you're acting very strangely. Ordering champagne, and now you're... Well, a.
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: Fine thing if a man has to plead with his
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: own wife to dance with him.
• 30:15
  Speaker 11: But darling, you don't dance.
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: You like to dance, don't you?
• 30:18
  Speaker 11: Well, yes, I do.
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: Well, maybe it's about time I learned. Now, come on,
• 30:21
  Speaker 2: come on.
• 30:21
  Speaker 11: Well, you're going to look awfully funny out there.
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: It won't be the first time.
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: That was Lux Radio Theater's presentation of The Stratton Story.
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: Follow Lux Radio Theater for more classic broadcasts.