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X Minus One - "Mars Is Heaven" (Old Time Radio, 1955) · X Minus One | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: May 8, 1955, NBC's X-1 brought listeners its third broadcast,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: adapted from Ray Bradbury's story, Mars is Heaven. In the
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: year 1987, the Earth Expedition XR-53 lands on Mars under
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the command of Captain John Black. With Lieutenants Lustig and
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: Kingston and Dr. Horst, Black steps through the ground mist
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: expecting another world. and finds the signs of a small
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: American town, with houses, lawns, and memories of an earlier Earth.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Ernest Kenoy prepared the radio adaptation, with Wendell Holmes, Peter Capel,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: William Zuckert, and Bill Lipton among the cast. Here is X-1,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Mars is Heaven. And now, our story begins.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: Countdown for blastoff.
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: X minus 5, minus 4, minus 3, minus 2, X
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: minus 1.
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: Fire!
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories
• 1:20
  Speaker 3: of the future, adventures in which you'll live in a
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: million could-be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: Broadcasting Company presents X minus 1. Tonight's story, Mars is Heaven.
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: When the first space rocket lands on Mars, what will
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: we find? Only the ruins of a dead and deserted planet?
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: Or will there be light? in some strange form that
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: we can only imagine. Will we be welcomed with open arms?
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: Or will the Martians treat us as invaders? Only one
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: thing is certain. Someday, a giant metal ship will take
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: off from Earth to travel through the black velocities, the
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: silent gulfs of space, to descend at last into the
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: darkness of the upper Martian atmospheres. And on that day,
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: man will finally know the answers. The day we first
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: land on Mars.
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: Now hear this. Now hear this. Approaching critical deceleration. Fastened
• 3:12
  Speaker 4: gravity suits. Stand by to land.
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: There it is.
• 3:16
  Speaker 5: We've intersected the course vector, sir.
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: All right, Mr.
• 3:18
  Speaker 5: Lustig. Over to manual control.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: Aye, sir.
• 3:21
  Speaker 5: Masters, sound general quarters. Aye, sir.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 3:24
  Speaker 5: Lustig, what do you make of the terrain? There seems
• 3:30
  Speaker 5: to be a heavy ground, Miss Captain. We won't be
• 3:32
  Speaker 5: able to use the infrared lights. Then we'll have to
• 3:34
  Speaker 5: come in on radar. Isn't that a little risky, sir?
• 3:38
  Speaker 5: Landing in the dark? I'd rather run the danger of
• 3:40
  Speaker 5: a blind landing, Lieutenant, than come in without the cover
• 3:42
  Speaker 5: of darkness. Remember, we don't know what kind of reception
• 3:46
  Speaker 5: is waiting for us down there.
• 3:47
  Speaker 6: Airspeed 500.
• 3:48
  Speaker 4: Altitude now 4,000.
• 3:54
  Speaker 5: Bridge to engine room. Stand by for deceleration. Fire forward
• 3:58
  Speaker 5: tubes one and three. Steady as she goes, Mr.
• 4:06
  Speaker 7: Lustig.
• 4:06
  Speaker 6: As she goes, sir.
• 4:07
  Speaker 8: Airspeed 100.
• 4:07
  Speaker 9: Altitude 1,000.
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: Radar indicates a level stretch dead ahead, sir.
• 4:11
  Speaker 9: Skids down. Skids checked.
• 4:13
  Speaker 5: Altitude 500. 4.
• 4:13
  Speaker 6: 350. 3.
• 4:14
  Speaker 5: Up a point now. All right. Let's set her down.
• 4:47
  Speaker 5: Cut the power. Masters, pipe battle stations.
• 4:52
  Speaker 6: I see. All secured, sir.
• 4:55
  Speaker 9: Well, gentlemen. Gentlemen, we're now on Mars.
• 4:59
  Speaker 5: April 20th, 1987. 4.33 Greenwich time. Enter that in the log, masters.
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 5:07
  Speaker 5: Well, gentlemen, it's less than two hours till dawn. As
• 5:10
  Speaker 5: soon as it's light, we'll send out a landing party. Masters,
• 5:14
  Speaker 5: get me an all-over hookup.
• 5:15
  Speaker 6: Okay. Now hear this.
• 5:27
  Speaker 5: All right, men. The smoking lamp is lit. Well, we're
• 5:33
  Speaker 5: on Mars. The first manned ship from Earth to land here.
• 5:38
  Speaker 5: We don't know what we're going to find or what
• 5:41
  Speaker 5: dangers we may face. We're 17 men on an alien world.
• 5:46
  Speaker 5: It's up to us whether we ever get home again.
• 5:49
  Speaker 5: The next few hours should tell the story. And I
• 5:53
  Speaker 5: want instant obedience to all commands. I'll court-martial the first
• 5:58
  Speaker 5: man who doesn't jump to when he's ordered.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: And one other thing. We may be on Mars, but.
• 6:03
  Speaker 5: This is still a United States naval vessel. Officers will
• 6:07
  Speaker 5: conduct a personal and weapons inspection in one hour.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: That's all. An inspection, Captain?
• 6:13
  Speaker 9: Now?
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 6:15
  Speaker 5: Lustig, we've got an hour and a half to sweat out.
• 6:19
  Speaker 5: before we find out what's outside that airlock. I'd rather
• 6:23
  Speaker 5: have a man worried about his stripes than about what's
• 6:27
  Speaker 5: waiting outside on.
• 6:29
  Speaker 10: Mars.
• 6:32
  Speaker 6: Whistle Now, hear this.
• 6:43
  Speaker 4: Landing party report to forward airlock. Captain Black, Lieutenant Hinkston,
• 6:49
  Speaker 4: Lieutenant Lustig, and Dr. Horst report immediately to forward airlock.
• 6:55
  Speaker 9: It's now landing time minus five.
• 6:58
  Speaker 5: Well, they're paging us. You ready, Dr.
• 7:01
  Speaker 7: Horst?
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: Yes, Mr.
• 7:02
  Speaker 9: Lustig. As ready as I will ever be.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: Come on. Let's get in the lock. Hinks and Lustig
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: and Horst reporting in the airlock.
• 7:15
  Speaker 9: Very well, sir.
• 7:15
  Speaker 4: The captain will join you.
• 7:21
  Speaker 9: Four minutes to go.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: At least the captain would get here.
• 7:25
  Speaker 9: What difference does it make?
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: I just want to get it over with, that's all.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: Anybody got a cigarette?
• 7:31
  Speaker 9: I think you're smoking too much, Lieutenant Lustig. Are you nervous,
• 7:33
  Speaker 9: I offer you, Horst? Wondering what's hidden outside underneath that
• 7:37
  Speaker 9: ground mist? I've been giving it some thought.
• 7:40
  Speaker 7: It'll be very interesting to find out.
• 7:42
  Speaker 9: A very unusual planet, Mars.
• 7:44
  Speaker 6: Why?
• 7:45
  Speaker 7: It has an atmosphere. A wonderful thing, an atmosphere. Where
• 7:49
  Speaker 7: you find one, you find life.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: You mean Martians? What do you think they'll look like?
• 7:56
  Speaker 9: Who knows? Intelligent life can take many forms.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: You mean they may have green skins and eyes on
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: stalks or something?
• 8:03
  Speaker 7: The comic book conception is possible, of course.
• 8:06
  Speaker 9: Or they may have developed far beyond us.
• 8:08
  Speaker 7: Perhaps they have a science that can produce weapons far
• 8:11
  Speaker 7: more dangerous than our atomic missiles.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: You think we may have to fight our way up?
• 8:16
  Speaker 9: After all, we are invaders.
• 8:21
  Speaker 11: I hear this.
• 8:22
  Speaker 5: Landing time minus two.
• 8:25
  Speaker 9: All right, all right.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: We heard this. You know what I'd like to find
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: outside that airlock? Go to Illinois. Ever been there, Lustig?
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Only Chicago. Well, you ought to see my hometown. Green lawns,
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: big white houses.
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: Sounds like my hometown.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: My grandmother used to have one of those iron deer
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: on the lawn. Every Halloween, we'd paint another color. One time,
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: we painted it black and white like a Holstein cow.
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: Where does your family live, Dr.
• 8:48
  Speaker 7: Horst?
• 8:49
  Speaker 9: I have no family.
• 8:50
  Speaker 7: When I was a child, they were gassed to death
• 8:53
  Speaker 7: in the Dachau concentration camp.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: Tough.
• 8:55
  Speaker 9: No, it has its advantages. I have no ties on Earth.
• 8:58
  Speaker 9: Nothing to lose now.
• 9:00
  Speaker 7: I imagine I'm the only one on board who is
• 9:01
  Speaker 7: free to enjoy our present peculiar position.
• 9:03
  Speaker 5: All right, masters, you can button it up now.
• 9:06
  Speaker 6: Aye, sir.
• 9:11
  Speaker 5: Well, gentlemen, check your sidearms. In one minute, we'll be
• 9:14
  Speaker 5: the first men to set foot on Mars. Quite an honor, eh?
• 9:18
  Speaker 9: As long as the medals are not rewarded posthumously.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: Still uneasy, Dr. Horst?
• 9:23
  Speaker 9: Captain Black, I've been uneasy ever since I can remember.
• 9:26
  Speaker 9: On Earth and on Mars.
• 9:28
  Speaker 5: Well, 30 seconds. Give me the intercom phone, Lester.
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir.
• 9:34
  Speaker 5: Masters.
• 9:35
  Speaker 6: Aye, sir.
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: Battle stations are to be manned until we return. If
• 9:38
  Speaker 5: we're not back in two hours, I want no rescue
• 9:41
  Speaker 5: party sent out. Blast off and save the ship.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: You understand?
• 9:44
  Speaker 7: Aye, sir.
• 9:46
  Speaker 9: All right.
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: Five seconds. Four.
• 9:49
  Speaker 9: Three. Two.
• 9:52
  Speaker 7: One.
• 9:53
  Speaker 5: Lustig, open the outer airlock.
• 9:56
  Speaker 9: Aye, sir.
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: It's fresh air. Let's go. Right now, take it easy.
• 10:15
  Speaker 5: It's too dark to move fast.
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: Quiet, isn't it?
• 10:22
  Speaker 5: Not even a wind.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: Can't see anything from this ground, mister.
• 10:25
  Speaker 6: Quiet.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: We don't know what's out here.
• 10:26
  Speaker 6: All right, come on.
• 10:31
  Speaker 9: Quiet.
• 10:32
  Speaker 8: Captain, I can swear that... That sounds like a rooster.
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: I don't hear it anymore.
• 10:38
  Speaker 9: Very homely, but unlikely sound. A rooster crowing on Mars.
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: Higston.
• 10:42
  Speaker 9: Aye, sir.
• 10:43
  Speaker 5: Set that machine gun 25 yards to the flank. We'll
• 10:46
  Speaker 5: stay here till the ground mist lifts.
• 10:48
  Speaker 9: Aye, sir. What do you make of the ground, Horst? Grass.
• 10:52
  Speaker 9: Plain grass. You can see some large foliage there where
• 10:55
  Speaker 9: the mist's thinned out. What the.
• 10:57
  Speaker 8: Hold your fire, you fool! I hit it, Captain!
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: What?
• 11:00
  Speaker 8: Some kind of wild animal. I hit it. I could
• 11:01
  Speaker 8: see the tracers, but it's still standing.
• 11:03
  Speaker 9: Come on, Horst.
• 11:04
  Speaker 8: Doctor, where are you? Up ahead, admiring the wild animal.
• 11:07
  Speaker 5: Careful, Horst.
• 11:09
  Speaker 8: Wait for us. Don't worry, Captain.
• 11:10
  Speaker 9: It's an iron deer. A lawn ornament. Well, that's impossible.
• 11:17
  Speaker 9: It's hollowed. Interesting, isn't it?
• 11:20
  Speaker 7: A whitewashed Victorian iron deer sitting on a lawn in
• 11:23
  Speaker 7: the middle of Mars.
• 11:24
  Speaker 5: I don't understand.
• 11:25
  Speaker 9: Look around.
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: The mist's lifting.
• 11:26
  Speaker 8: Hey, Captain, look there. It's a house, a regular old-fashioned house.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: But, sir, on Mars.
• 11:33
  Speaker 9: Good Lord.
• 11:36
  Speaker 5: I haven't seen carved scrolls and gingerbread like that in years.
• 11:39
  Speaker 5: Look at that port swing.
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: The geraniums.
• 11:44
  Speaker 7: There.
• 11:45
  Speaker 8: I told you it was a rooster, Captain.
• 11:46
  Speaker 5: Give me the glasses, Lustig. I want to take a
• 11:48
  Speaker 5: look through that front window. Well, there's an upright piano.
• 11:53
  Speaker 5: Some sheet music on it. Plastic, it's... It's beautiful Ohio.
• 11:59
  Speaker 5: It can't be, sir.
• 12:00
  Speaker 9: Horst.
• 12:01
  Speaker 5: Horst, do you think that civilization of two planets could
• 12:03
  Speaker 5: be identical?
• 12:04
  Speaker 9: I don't know.
• 12:05
  Speaker 7: That specific variety of geraniums is only 50 years old
• 12:07
  Speaker 7: on Earth.
• 12:08
  Speaker 5: Is it logical that they should develop in Mars? How
• 12:10
  Speaker 5: about that port swing and the piano and beautiful Ohio?
• 12:13
  Speaker 9: Why, it's impossible.
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: Captain Black.
• 12:17
  Speaker 11: This looks like the town I was born in. Well,
• 12:21
  Speaker 11: it looks like my hometown, too. I thought of something, sir.
• 12:24
  Speaker 11: It's the only solution. Maybe we're not the first ship
• 12:28
  Speaker 11: to reach Mars from Earth. Don't be ridiculous, Lustig. Oh,
• 12:30
  Speaker 11: how else can you explain it? Suppose some scientists got together.
• 12:33
  Speaker 11: They invented some spaceship and planted a colony here.
• 12:36
  Speaker 12: That's the only answer. That's impossible, Lustig. In space travel,
• 12:39
  Speaker 12: it couldn't be secret. Do you have any idea what
• 12:41
  Speaker 12: ships cost, what industrial power is needed? No, there's got
• 12:44
  Speaker 12: to be some logical reason.
• 12:46
  Speaker 9: I think perhaps we might find out, Captain. The light
• 12:48
  Speaker 9: just went on in that house.
• 12:49
  Speaker 5: Kingston, cover that door with the machine gun.
• 12:50
  Speaker 9: I see.
• 12:51
  Speaker 6: All right.
• 12:52
  Speaker 5: Come on, Horst. We're going to ring that doorbell. There's
• 12:56
  Speaker 5: got to be a scientific answer.
• 12:57
  Speaker 9: To all this.
• 13:03
  Speaker 7: There's something moving in there. Stand back, Horst. Give me
• 13:06
  Speaker 7: a clear shot. Are you sure a bullet can stop
• 13:08
  Speaker 7: a Martian? Steady now.
• 13:11
  Speaker 9: Can I help you? I.
• 13:14
  Speaker 9: Well, we.
• 13:14
  Speaker 13: If you're selling anything, it's much too early.
• 13:16
  Speaker 5: No, no, no, wait just a minute.
• 13:18
  Speaker 9: What town is this?
• 13:19
  Speaker 13: What do you mean?
• 13:20
  Speaker 5: Are you census takers?
• 13:21
  Speaker 9: No, no, we're strangers here. We want to know how
• 13:24
  Speaker 9: this town got here.
• 13:26
  Speaker 13: Is this a game?
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: No, no, it's not a game.
• 13:28
  Speaker 9: We're from Earth. From where? From Earth. Do you mean
• 13:32
  Speaker 9: out of the ground? Are you sure you're feeling well?
• 13:35
  Speaker 12: Madam, we came in a flying ship across space. We're
• 13:38
  Speaker 12: from the third planet Earth.
• 13:39
  Speaker 9: This is Mars.
• 13:40
  Speaker 5: Now do you understand Mars?
• 13:42
  Speaker 9: You go away now, you hear? I'll call my husband
• 13:44
  Speaker 9: from upstairs and.
• 13:45
  Speaker 13: He'll chase you.
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: Go on.
• 13:46
  Speaker 9: But this is Mars, isn't it?
• 13:49
  Speaker 13: This is Green Lake, Wisconsin in the United States of America.
• 13:52
  Speaker 10: Bounded on the east by the Atlantic and on the
• 13:54
  Speaker 10: west by the Pacific.
• 13:55
  Speaker 9: Now go away.
• 13:56
  Speaker 13: Goodbye.
• 13:58
  Speaker 12: Horst, do you suppose it's really possible... I've got to
• 14:01
  Speaker 12: find out more about this.
• 14:04
  Speaker 9: I told you I'd call my husband. Now you go away.
• 14:06
  Speaker 5: You've got to tell me one thing first. What year
• 14:09
  Speaker 5: is this?
• 14:09
  Speaker 9: Year?
• 14:10
  Speaker 13: 1928, of course.
• 14:12
  Speaker 9: For goodness sake. You hear that, Horst?
• 14:14
  Speaker 12: And we know it's 1987.
• 14:16
  Speaker 5: And we know this is Mars.
• 14:18
  Speaker 12: Horst, is it possible that we got fouled up, made
• 14:20
  Speaker 12: some tremendous blunder, circled around and landed back on Earth?
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: In 1928?
• 14:23
  Speaker 9: Well, maybe some switch.
• 14:25
  Speaker 12: In time or dimension. Could we have shifted somehow, gone
• 14:28
  Speaker 12: backward in time? Oh, Horst, this won't hold water. It's
• 14:32
  Speaker 12: not logical. We checked every mile. We went past the moon,
• 14:36
  Speaker 12: out into space.
• 14:37
  Speaker 5: We're on Mars. Lustig, out at point. Hinkston in the rear.
• 14:40
  Speaker 5: Keep that gun at half load.
• 14:42
  Speaker 11: Aye, sir.
• 14:43
  Speaker 5: Horst, there's got to be some cold, logical solution.
• 14:46
  Speaker 9: Captain.
• 14:48
  Speaker 7: What?
• 14:48
  Speaker 8: That house down the street, the white one with the
• 14:49
  Speaker 8: green shutters.
• 14:50
  Speaker 5: Lustig, what's the matter?
• 14:51
  Speaker 8: I never thought I'd... I never thought I'd... Thank God!
• 14:54
  Speaker 9: Lustig!
• 14:55
  Speaker 8: Lustig, come back here!
• 14:55
  Speaker 9: He's running for that house.
• 14:56
  Speaker 8: That crazy fool!
• 14:57
  Speaker 5: After him, quick!
• 14:58
  Speaker 8: Rustig, stop! Come down off of that porch!
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: Grandpa! Grandpa!
• 15:03
  Speaker 8: Rustig, what the devil do you think you're doing?
• 15:05
  Speaker 9: Albert!
• 15:07
  Speaker 6: Grandma!
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: Grandpa, it is you.
• 15:10
  Speaker 5: Rustig, what is going on here?
• 15:11
  Speaker 9: Albert, it's been so many years.
• 15:14
  Speaker 13: How you've grown, boy.
• 15:15
  Speaker 9: It's so good to see you.
• 15:17
  Speaker 5: Lieutenant Rustig!
• 15:18
  Speaker 9: Captain, I... Grandma, I want you to meet my friends.
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: This is Captain Black. Captain, I want you to meet
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: my grandfathers.
• 15:27
  Speaker 8: Howdy.
• 15:28
  Speaker 9: Any friend of our boots is a friend of ours.
• 15:31
  Speaker 9: How long have you been here, Grandma?
• 15:33
  Speaker 13: Oh, a good many years. Ever since we died.
• 15:36
  Speaker 5: Ever since you what?
• 15:37
  Speaker 9: Oh, yes, sir.
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: They've been dead 30 years. What?
• 15:40
  Speaker 9: Oh, now, don't you trouble yourself. It's all right.
• 15:42
  Speaker 13: We're alive again, that's all.
• 15:44
  Speaker 5: You mean to tell me that Mars is heaven?
• 15:47
  Speaker 10: Oh, nonsense, no. All we know is here we're alive again.
• 15:53
  Speaker 10: And who are we to question God's infinite ways? Well, Lustig,
• 15:57
  Speaker 10: we're going back to the ship. But, Captain, I want
• 16:00
  Speaker 10: to talk to my grandpa.
• 16:01
  Speaker 12: Lieutenant Lustig, I don't like any part of this. You'll
• 16:04
  Speaker 12: come back with us if I have to club you
• 16:05
  Speaker 12: and carry you.
• 16:06
  Speaker 9: I see.
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: Now, let's go.
• 16:08
  Speaker 5: Heaven only knows what they've run up against back.
• 16:09
  Speaker 9: At the ship.
• 16:21
  Speaker 12: Horst, look at that crowd around the ship.
• 16:23
  Speaker 9: Looks like we're being welcomed with a celebration, Captain.
• 16:26
  Speaker 5: Celebration? We've abandoned ship. Every port is open. No guard set.
• 16:29
  Speaker 9: You!
• 16:29
  Speaker 5: You, master!
• 16:30
  Speaker 9: Hiya, Captain.
• 16:32
  Speaker 8: Meet my old dad. Dad, that's Captain Fleck.
• 16:34
  Speaker 6: He's not a bad guy for an officer.
• 16:37
  Speaker 5: Higston!
• 16:38
  Speaker 9: What, sir?
• 16:38
  Speaker 5: Bring that man back. Use force if you have to.
• 16:41
  Speaker 8: Oh, excuse me, sir. There's my Uncle George.
• 16:43
  Speaker 9: Higston! I'll be right back, Captain. Uncle George!
• 16:45
  Speaker 6: What?
• 16:45
  Speaker 5: What the devil is going on here?
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: Don't you understand, sir?
• 16:47
  Speaker 5: They've all found friends and relatives.
• 16:48
  Speaker 11: They're all here.
• 16:49
  Speaker 6: That's right, Captain.
• 16:50
  Speaker 9: I found it.
• 16:50
  Speaker 7: The whole crew is out in the crowd.
• 16:52
  Speaker 8: But I gave orders.
• 16:53
  Speaker 5: Definite orders.
• 16:53
  Speaker 8: You don't understand, Captain.
• 16:55
  Speaker 5: I understand mutiny. I don't care how many relatives show up.
• 16:58
  Speaker 5: I'll have discipline.
• 16:59
  Speaker 9: Johnny! Johnny, you old son of a gun. It's you.
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: Edward.
• 17:04
  Speaker 9: Yes. It can't be.
• 17:07
  Speaker 6: Of course it is.
• 17:08
  Speaker 5: Johnny. Johnny, you old... Edward.
• 17:12
  Speaker 6: Dr.
• 17:12
  Speaker 9: Horst.
• 17:14
  Speaker 5: This is my.
• 17:15
  Speaker 9: Brother, Edward. How do you do?
• 17:17
  Speaker 5: Hello, sir. It's wonderful to see you, Edward. Look, I've
• 17:23
  Speaker 5: got to get back to my ship.
• 17:24
  Speaker 9: Oh, Johnny, wait.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: I almost forgot.
• 17:27
  Speaker 9: Mom's waiting at home.
• 17:29
  Speaker 5: Mom?
• 17:29
  Speaker 9: Yeah, and Dad, too.
• 17:31
  Speaker 5: Mom and Dad are alive?
• 17:35
  Speaker 9: Then you're real, Ed.
• 17:37
  Speaker 5: Well, of course. Don't I feel real?
• 17:39
  Speaker 6: How's that, huh?
• 17:40
  Speaker 5: Why, Ed.
• 17:41
  Speaker 6: Ed.
• 17:42
  Speaker 9: We've got lunch for you, Johnny. Mom's making corn fritters.
• 17:46
  Speaker 5: Dr.
• 17:47
  Speaker 9: Horst, haven't you found anybody? No, no, Captain. I have nobody. Well,
• 17:50
  Speaker 9: then you come on home with me, right, Ed?
• 17:52
  Speaker 5: Why, sure.
• 17:54
  Speaker 12: Horst, Horst, you wouldn't believe it, but it's been 35
• 17:58
  Speaker 12: years since I had Mom's corn fritters.
• 18:02
  Speaker 9: Bye, George. 35 years.
• 18:20
  Speaker 13: And there's plenty more in the kitchen, so don't hold back, Johnny.
• 18:24
  Speaker 13: You too, Dr.
• 18:24
  Speaker 9: Horst. Well, Johnny, you're still in the Navy, eh?
• 18:27
  Speaker 5: That's right, Dad. I'm in command of the ship.
• 18:29
  Speaker 9: We're an old Navy family, Dr.
• 18:30
  Speaker 5: Horst.
• 18:31
  Speaker 9: All three of our boys in the service.
• 18:33
  Speaker 5: Ed was the best pilot in the Pacific, too.
• 18:36
  Speaker 9: What did happen, Ed?
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: What's the difference?
• 18:40
  Speaker 9: I'm here now. Yeah, but.
• 18:41
  Speaker 14: You know, it's almost perfect. All we're missing is your brother, Will.
• 18:45
  Speaker 14: Then the whole family could be together.
• 18:47
  Speaker 5: Well, it won't be long, Mom.
• 18:48
  Speaker 12: Will's in charge of the XR-54. Next rocket coming out
• 18:51
  Speaker 12: to Mars.
• 18:52
  Speaker 9: Will, little Will. When does he leave, Johnny?
• 18:54
  Speaker 5: Well, the takeoff's scheduled for September, but it depends on
• 18:57
  Speaker 5: what we report.
• 18:57
  Speaker 9: Oh, yeah.
• 18:58
  Speaker 5: There's no question about that now, huh?
• 19:00
  Speaker 9: No.
• 19:01
  Speaker 5: Christmas together again.
• 19:03
  Speaker 9: That'll be something. Sure will. Yes, sirree. Well, this calls
• 19:07
  Speaker 9: for a celebration. How about a little of the old
• 19:09
  Speaker 9: dandelion wine, eh, Johnny?
• 19:10
  Speaker 13: Now, Father, don't you go giving Johnny too much wine.
• 19:14
  Speaker 9: He's a big boy now, Mother. Well, sir, isn't everything
• 19:18
  Speaker 9: just fine? Just fine.
• 19:21
  Speaker 7: Oh, I'll be melancholy too.
• 19:24
  Speaker 6: All right, play that one again, will you, Ed? Oh, sure. Hmm.
• 19:40
  Speaker 5: All right, play that one again, will you, Ed?
• 19:45
  Speaker 9: Oh, sure.
• 19:50
  Speaker 13: Well, Dr.
• 19:51
  Speaker 14: Horst, what are you doing sitting over here alone? What
• 19:55
  Speaker 14: do you think of my little family?
• 19:56
  Speaker 9: Very nice.
• 19:58
  Speaker 14: You know, I can't understand why you didn't find any
• 20:01
  Speaker 14: folks here, Dr.
• 20:02
  Speaker 6: Horst.
• 20:06
  Speaker 9: Well, I never remembered my family, Mrs.
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: Black.
• 20:08
  Speaker 7: All I know is they were gassed at Dachau during the.
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: Second World War.
• 20:12
  Speaker 9: When I was liberated, I was in delirium three months.
• 20:14
  Speaker 9: I cannot remember anything before then. A psychiatric phenomena. That's terrible.
• 20:19
  Speaker 13: Isn't there anything anybody can do?
• 20:21
  Speaker 9: I don't want to remember. I have not had a
• 20:24
  Speaker 9: pleasant life.
• 20:25
  Speaker 7: I prefer to be free of emotional entanglements.
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: They interfere with a scientific approach.
• 20:29
  Speaker 13: I'm sorry, Dr.
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: Horst.
• 20:31
  Speaker 9: I'm sorry. Oh, I'll get it.
• 20:37
  Speaker 5: That's our ring, long and three shorts. I remember that.
• 20:40
  Speaker 14: Well, maybe we'd better call it a night. You must
• 20:42
  Speaker 14: be getting tired, Johnny. I'd better be going back to
• 20:44
  Speaker 14: the ship.
• 20:45
  Speaker 9: Nonsense. You stay the night. We insist.
• 20:47
  Speaker 13: I just couldn't rest thinking of you all alone on
• 20:50
  Speaker 13: that ship.
• 20:51
  Speaker 9: I'll be all right. Well, good night. Oh, wait a minute, Dr. Horst.
• 20:55
  Speaker 9: That phone message was for you.
• 20:57
  Speaker 5: Me?
• 20:58
  Speaker 9: Yes, that's right. A message from Anna. Anna?
• 21:02
  Speaker 13: I don't... Well, there, she must be an old friend.
• 21:04
  Speaker 13: Isn't that nice?
• 21:05
  Speaker 9: I don't... If she was for me, I don't remember
• 21:09
  Speaker 9: any Anna. Well, she asked if you were better.
• 21:11
  Speaker 13: Perhaps she's someone who knew you at Dachau.
• 21:14
  Speaker 9: Anna? She said she's coming over here first thing in
• 21:16
  Speaker 9: the morning. So you have to stay over.
• 21:18
  Speaker 12: Yes, but.
• 21:19
  Speaker 5: Well, that settles it, then. You stay here, Horst. You
• 21:21
  Speaker 5: can bunk with me in my old room.
• 21:22
  Speaker 9: Yeah, but, Johnny, we thought you'd like to be with Edward.
• 21:25
  Speaker 13: So you could talk the way you used to.
• 21:27
  Speaker 12: Well, we can't put Dr. Horst on the daybed. I
• 21:29
  Speaker 12: think we'd better share the room tonight.
• 21:31
  Speaker 5: Be plenty of.
• 21:31
  Speaker 9: Time for talking, Ed.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: Yes, I guess so.
• 21:34
  Speaker 5: I suppose I better drop back to the ship. You know, Ed,
• 21:37
  Speaker 5: security check.
• 21:39
  Speaker 13: Why do you have to do that here?
• 21:40
  Speaker 5: I don't know, Mom.
• 21:42
  Speaker 9: There's no good reason, I guess. Suppose we skip it tonight, eh? Well,
• 21:48
  Speaker 9: good night, everybody.
• 21:49
  Speaker 13: Oh, it's good to have you home, Johnny.
• 21:52
  Speaker 5: It's good to be home, Mom.
• 22:07
  Speaker 9: Captain Black, huh?
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: You asleep?
• 22:15
  Speaker 5: No, no. I've been thinking about what we were expecting.
• 22:21
  Speaker 5: Green-skinned Martians. All the time there was only Mom and
• 22:24
  Speaker 5: Dad and Edward waiting. That's funny what tricks your imagination
• 22:29
  Speaker 5: can play on you. Well, I guess Mars is.
• 22:33
  Speaker 2: Heaven, Horst.
• 22:33
  Speaker 7: You know, I've been thinking about Martians, too. Captain, just suppose...
• 22:41
  Speaker 7: Suppose there were Martians, and they saw us land. And
• 22:44
  Speaker 7: suppose they thought of us as invaders. What would be
• 22:47
  Speaker 7: the best weapon they could use against our atom bombs?
• 22:50
  Speaker 7: I don't see what you're getting at. They would want
• 22:53
  Speaker 7: to disarm us first, huh? To wipe out all suspicion,
• 22:56
  Speaker 7: to make us feel at home. Suppose this house isn't real.
• 23:04
  Speaker 7: Suppose the people are just images stolen from our own
• 23:07
  Speaker 7: memories by Martians, created for us by telepathy, hypnotism.
• 23:12
  Speaker 9: Oh, that's the craziest theory I ever heard. Maybe that's
• 23:15
  Speaker 9: why there was no one for me.
• 23:16
  Speaker 7: Because in all my life, there is no happy memory,
• 23:19
  Speaker 7: no real loved person, not even my mother. I don't
• 23:21
  Speaker 7: remember her. Only the piles of rotting corpses of Dachau.
• 23:24
  Speaker 7: There was no happy emotion for these people to.
• 23:28
  Speaker 9: To recreate.
• 23:29
  Speaker 5: How about that phone call?
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: Anna?
• 23:31
  Speaker 9: Yes, Anna. I didn't remember who she was, but I
• 23:33
  Speaker 9: do now. I just remember.
• 23:36
  Speaker 7: When I was freed from Dachau, sick, delirious, I raved
• 23:40
  Speaker 7: about a wonderful, kind nurse named Anna that took care
• 23:43
  Speaker 7: of me.
• 23:43
  Speaker 5: Well, there you are.
• 23:43
  Speaker 9: It's logical.
• 23:44
  Speaker 5: She's coming to see you tomorrow.
• 23:45
  Speaker 9: But there was no Anna. I'd been nursed by a man. What?
• 23:49
  Speaker 7: Anna was only a dream. And there's only one way
• 23:52
  Speaker 7: they could have learned about her. By reading my subconscious mind.
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: That's impossible, Horst.
• 23:56
  Speaker 6: Why? Why?
• 23:57
  Speaker 7: The whole crew was thinking of home. Suppose the Martians
• 24:00
  Speaker 7: read our minds. Yes, but if there are Martians... If
• 24:03
  Speaker 7: there are, they have us separated.
• 24:06
  Speaker 9: Each man in a different house. Sleeping. Trusting. No one
• 24:12
  Speaker 9: at the guns.
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: I left my pistol downstairs.
• 24:18
  Speaker 5: Do you think there's something to this, Horst?
• 24:24
  Speaker 9: It's a perfect trap, Captain. Who would suspect his own mother,
• 24:30
  Speaker 9: his grandparents? How easy. Just a knife in the heart
• 24:35
  Speaker 9: of each sleeping man.
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: That's impossible, Horst.
• 24:39
  Speaker 9: But we've got to get back to the ship. Listen.
• 24:44
  Speaker 9: The crickets have stopped.
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: Come on.
• 24:47
  Speaker 9: We don't know when they change back to whatever they
• 24:50
  Speaker 9: really are. Cattle.
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: Cattle.
• 24:57
  Speaker 5: Where are you going, John? Ed, we wanted a drink
• 25:03
  Speaker 5: of water. That's all, Ed.
• 25:05
  Speaker 9: You're not thirsty, John. You don't want a drink. Look out!
• 25:11
  Speaker 5: You don't want a drink.
• 25:12
  Speaker 9: His face! It's changing!
• 25:14
  Speaker 8: He's a monster!
• 25:15
  Speaker 9: Run, Horst! Run!
• 25:16
  Speaker 5: You can't get away, John.
• 25:19
  Speaker 8: This way, Horst!
• 25:21
  Speaker 6: Horst, where are you?
• 25:22
  Speaker 7: Ah!
• 25:28
  Speaker 9: Hello?
• 25:29
  Speaker 7: Hello?
• 25:30
  Speaker 5: Can you hear me, Earth?
• 25:31
  Speaker 12: This is Captain John Black, the XR-53, calling for Mars.
• 25:36
  Speaker 12: I've locked myself in the ship, but they've crippled it.
• 25:38
  Speaker 12: I can't take off or fire the guns, and they're
• 25:40
  Speaker 12: coming for me now, the Martians. I'm all alone here.
• 25:42
  Speaker 12: All the rest are dead. Hinkston, Lustig, Dr. Horst, poor Horst,
• 25:45
  Speaker 12: he didn't even reach the door.
• 25:47
  Speaker 5: Listen!
• 25:48
  Speaker 11: Listen!
• 25:48
  Speaker 5: They're trying to break.
• 25:49
  Speaker 9: Through the hull. Edward and Mom and Dad and all
• 25:52
  Speaker 9: the folks.
• 25:52
  Speaker 5: But they're changing now.
• 25:54
  Speaker 12: They're melting and changing back into.
• 25:56
  Speaker 9: They're Martians!
• 25:57
  Speaker 5: Can you understand?
• 25:58
  Speaker 9: Martians, not men!
• 25:59
  Speaker 12: They make us think that Mars was heaven and we.
• 26:01
  Speaker 5: Fell into the trap.
• 26:02
  Speaker 9: Can you hear me, Earth?
• 26:04
  Speaker 5: You've got to stop them! Listen, tell my brother Will.
• 26:07
  Speaker 5: Tell my brother not to come. They'll trap him, too.
• 26:09
  Speaker 5: They'll kill them all.
• 26:11
  Speaker 9: Hello!
• 26:12
  Speaker 3: Hello!
• 26:13
  Speaker 5: Can you hear me, Earth? This is John Black on Mars.
• 26:17
  Speaker 13: Hello, Earth!
• 26:18
  Speaker 5: This is John Black on Mars.
• 26:20
  Speaker 6: Hello, Earth! Hello, Earth! Hello, Earth!
• 26:28
  Speaker 15: Tonight, X-1 has brought you the science fiction classic, Mars
• 26:32
  Speaker 15: is Heaven, written by Ray Bradbury and adapted for radio
• 26:36
  Speaker 15: by Ernest Canoy. Featured in the cast were Wendell Holmes
• 26:40
  Speaker 15: as Captain Black and Peter Capel as Dr.
• 26:42
  Speaker 5: Horst, with Bill Zuckert.
• 26:43
  Speaker 15: As Masters, Bill Lipton as Hingston, Margaret Verlin as the
• 26:46
  Speaker 15: Old Lady, Bill Griffiths as Edward, Ken Williams as Lustick,
• 26:50
  Speaker 15: Ethel Everett as Mom, and Edwin Jerome as Dad. Your announcer,
• 26:53
  Speaker 15: Fred Collins. X-1 was directed by Fred Wayne. It's a
• 26:56
  Speaker 15: transcribed NBC Radio Network production.
• 27:09
  Speaker 9: Minus one.
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: You have been hearing X minus one. Mars is heaven.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: Follow X minus one for more classic broadcasts.