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Dimension X - "Childs Play" (1951) · Old Time Sci-Fi Radio | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: In December 1945, New York attorney Sam Weber receives a
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: package from the future, a children's build-a-man set, complete with instructions.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: In episode 38 of NBC's Dimension X, Leon Janney plays Weber,
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: a man under pressure at his law office and facing
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: a romantic rival, circumstances that make the prospect of remaking
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: his life difficult to dismiss. The broadcast adapts William Tenn's
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: short story, first published in Astounding Science Fiction in 1947.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: George Lefferts wrote.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: The radio adaptation, with Carl Weber and Patsy Campbell in
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: the cast. Originally heard June 24, 1951, this is Dimension X,
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: Child's Play.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: And now, our story begins.
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: Adventures in time and space. Transcribed in future tense.
• 1:05
  Speaker 4: Dimension.
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Street & Smith,
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: publishers of astounding science fiction... bring you Dimension X. In
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: these times, even a child knows the meaning of atomic fission,
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: jet propulsion, and electronic transmission.
• 1:40
  Speaker 5: What, we ask ourselves, will the child of the future know?
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: What of the time when science unlocks the secret.
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: Of life itself?
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: Could it be that one day such things as constructing human.
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: Life or passing back and forth from one.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: Dimension to another will become mere child's play?
• 2:03
  Speaker 6: My name is Sam Weber. I'm an attorney and a
• 2:05
  Speaker 6: pretty successful one, if I do say so myself. My wife, Tina,
• 2:09
  Speaker 6: and I live in a comfortable 12-room place up in Westchester. Now,
• 2:13
  Speaker 6: I've read a lot of Horatio Alger stuff in my time,
• 2:16
  Speaker 6: and so have you probably, but I'll bet you've never
• 2:18
  Speaker 6: heard anything quite as spectacular as my story. Maybe you
• 2:22
  Speaker 6: won't believe it, but I used to be a completely
• 2:24
  Speaker 6: different guy. Frightened, sickly, nearsighted, a real mortem of me.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: No kidding. That was five years ago.
• 2:33
  Speaker 6: The big change in me began to take place on
• 2:34
  Speaker 6: a cold December morning in 1945.
• 2:39
  Speaker 5: Just a moment, please. Yes, please.
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: Weber?
• 2:44
  Speaker 5: Yes.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: Samuel?
• 2:45
  Speaker 5: That's right.
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: Step back. Okay, fellas, bring it in. Oh, just a moment.
• 2:49
  Speaker 5: You must have the wrong address.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: Watch it, buddy.
• 2:51
  Speaker 5: All right, sign here. Is that for me?
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: Weber Apartments. Looks like a coffin.
• 3:01
  Speaker 6: I don't design them, Jack. I just deliver them. Sign here.
• 3:13
  Speaker 6: After much straining, I wasn't in very good physical shape
• 3:16
  Speaker 6: those days, I managed to push the box under my
• 3:19
  Speaker 6: single light bulb.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: There was a card in the small envelope.
• 3:24
  Speaker 5: Let's see.
• 3:27
  Speaker 7: To Sam from your classmates at the Interdimensional and Cosmic Institute.
• 3:32
  Speaker 5: Merry Christmas. 2145 A.D. Holy jumping catfish. Hey, mister, there
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: must be some mistake.
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: Hey!
• 3:45
  Speaker 5: Holy jumping catfish.
• 3:55
  Speaker 6: They were gone, and I didn't even know which delivery
• 3:57
  Speaker 6: company it was. Well, I finally decided to open it
• 4:00
  Speaker 6: up and see what was in it. After about a
• 4:03
  Speaker 6: half hour of fumbling, I gave up.
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: All right, then, don't open.
• 4:10
  Speaker 6: No sooner had I said the word open than it
• 4:12
  Speaker 6: came apart like the skin off a banana. There inside
• 4:16
  Speaker 6: was something resembling a kid's chemical set. Vials, jars, tubes, wires.
• 4:21
  Speaker 6: You never saw so much scientific-looking junk in your life.
• 4:24
  Speaker 6: And on top of it all.
• 4:25
  Speaker 5: Was a book of instructions. Build a man set number three.
• 4:32
  Speaker 7: This set is intended solely for uses of children between
• 4:35
  Speaker 7: the ages of 11 and 13.
• 4:38
  Speaker 5: The equipment will enable the.
• 4:39
  Speaker 7: Child to build and assemble complete adult humans in perfect
• 4:44
  Speaker 7: working order. A disassemblator is provided so the set may
• 4:49
  Speaker 7: be used over again. Refills and additional parts may be
• 4:53
  Speaker 7: acquired from the Build-A-Man Company, 928 Diagonal Level, Blount City, Ohio. Remember,
• 5:00
  Speaker 7: only with Build-A-Man can you build a man.
• 5:04
  Speaker 6: Build-A-Man When I left for work that morning, my brain
• 5:15
  Speaker 6: was still reeling with the stuff I'd read in the
• 5:17
  Speaker 6: instruction book.
• 5:17
  Speaker 8: Someone's had an O-Jack and he's at law.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: Just a moment, I will connect you with Mr. O-Jack. Oh,
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: good morning, Mr.
• 5:25
  Speaker 5: Webber. Good morning. I mean, good morning. I've got to
• 5:30
  Speaker 5: get my mind off that book.
• 5:32
  Speaker 6: Only with Build a Man can you build a man.
• 5:36
  Speaker 6: Chapter one, making simple living things. Chapter two, duplicating babies
• 5:41
  Speaker 6: and other small humans.
• 5:43
  Speaker 4: Oh, no.
• 5:46
  Speaker 5: I've got to get a grip on myself. Do a
• 5:49
  Speaker 5: little work.
• 5:51
  Speaker 7: O'Brien versus O'Brien. Martin versus the city of New York. Oh,
• 5:56
  Speaker 7: it must have been a dream. Probably go home tonight
• 5:59
  Speaker 7: and find the place empty.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: Well, well, well, if it isn't the poor man's Clarence Darrow. Hello, Lou.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: I come as a bearer of sad tidings.
• 6:11
  Speaker 5: Well, you don't look very sad.
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: The boss wants to see you laughing, boy. What about?
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: How should I know? Oh, and by the way, you'll
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: be very happy to know that I've just been promoted.
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: I'm handling all the criminal stuff from now on.
• 6:25
  Speaker 5: Congratulations.
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: You know what this means for Tina and me, don't you, Junior?
• 6:29
  Speaker 5: Oh, well, cheer up.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: Tina's not for you anyway. Some got it, some don't.
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: I got it, you don't.
• 6:38
  Speaker 5: So long, laughing boy.
• 6:46
  Speaker 6: That was my good friend, Lou White. In the year
• 6:48
  Speaker 6: I'd known him, he'd already managed to steal the job
• 6:51
  Speaker 6: I wanted. And he was now working on the girl
• 6:53
  Speaker 6: I wanted.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: Her name was Tina. Tina of Albert.
• 6:58
  Speaker 5: Good morning, Sam. Oh, good morning, Tina. My, you look
• 7:03
  Speaker 5: good enough to... Yeah? Take to lunch. Oh, I'm sorry, Sam,
• 7:07
  Speaker 5: but I promised Lou. Oh, sure.
• 7:09
  Speaker 8: I hope you're not too disappointed.
• 7:11
  Speaker 7: Me?
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: Oh, no, no.
• 7:13
  Speaker 5: Some got it, some don't.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: I don't. And that was Tina.
• 7:26
  Speaker 6: I tried to steady my blood pressure as I walked
• 7:28
  Speaker 6: into the boss's office.
• 7:31
  Speaker 5: You sent for me, Mr.
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: Rojack? Oh, yes. Sit down, Weber. Sit down.
• 7:35
  Speaker 5: Oh, thank you, Mr.
• 7:36
  Speaker 4: Rojack.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Weber, I've been reviewing the.
• 7:38
  Speaker 9: Work of my staff counselors for the past six months.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: I want to know only one thing.
• 7:42
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir? What happened? I don't understand.
• 7:47
  Speaker 6: You haven't had a single new client in six months.
• 7:50
  Speaker 5: But no one has come in, Mr. O'Jack.
• 7:52
  Speaker 10: My boy, in this business, you've got to be aggressive.
• 7:55
  Speaker 10: You've got to go out and create new clients. You've
• 7:57
  Speaker 10: got to show some zip.
• 7:59
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: Do you have any zip?
• 8:02
  Speaker 5: Oh, yes, yes, Mr.
• 8:03
  Speaker 4: O'Jack.
• 8:04
  Speaker 7: Oh, I've got zip, all right. I just can't seem
• 8:06
  Speaker 7: to turn it loose, that's all.
• 8:08
  Speaker 10: Well, get in there and punch now, Weber. I want
• 8:10
  Speaker 10: to see a change in you in the next few months.
• 8:13
  Speaker 10: As a matter of fact, I'd better.
• 8:15
  Speaker 5: You got that? Yes, Mr. Rojack, I'll... I'll try to...
• 8:20
  Speaker 5: show some zip.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: I left the office early and went home.
• 8:31
  Speaker 6: Sure enough, there it was, my build-a-man set, gleaming a
• 8:35
  Speaker 6: little obscenely in the corner. I walked over to it,
• 8:38
  Speaker 6: gave it a kick, and hollered, Open sesame!
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: Open sesame!
• 8:43
  Speaker 6: Three minutes later, I was flopped down in bed reading...
• 8:47
  Speaker 6: Chapter One.
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: Making Simple Living Things.
• 8:52
  Speaker 6: An hour later, I was fooling around with such complicated
• 8:55
  Speaker 6: items as the Junior Biocalibrator, which measured everything from blood
• 8:59
  Speaker 6: pressure to hemoglobin content, and the Jiffy Vitalizer, which was
• 9:03
  Speaker 6: actually supposed to put life in your creation, providing you
• 9:07
  Speaker 6: had followed instructions carefully. At 8.30, I made my first
• 9:11
  Speaker 6: simple living thing.
• 9:14
  Speaker 5: Here, boy.
• 9:15
  Speaker 6: Here, boy.
• 9:17
  Speaker 5: Oh, maybe you aren't a boy. Oh, let's see.
• 9:22
  Speaker 7: According to the book, you are a rubicular oyster hog.
• 9:26
  Speaker 7: Not much to look at, but I made you. Me,
• 9:31
  Speaker 7: Sam Weber, attorney at law. I have created life.
• 9:35
  Speaker 5: Hey, come back here.
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: Come back.
• 9:38
  Speaker 9: Here, boy.
• 9:39
  Speaker 10: Here, boy.
• 9:39
  Speaker 6: Hey, hey, hey.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: It was no use.
• 9:46
  Speaker 6: My rubicular oyster hog, which was a cross between a
• 9:49
  Speaker 6: field mouse and an oyster, had run out under the
• 9:51
  Speaker 6: door and into the world. I was about to take
• 9:53
  Speaker 6: off after it when there was a knock on my door.
• 9:55
  Speaker 5: It was Mrs.
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: Lepanti, my landlady. Oh, hello, Mrs.
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: Lepanti.
• 10:03
  Speaker 4: I heard a noise.
• 10:05
  Speaker 5: Oh, just rehearsing a speech I have to make in court.
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: You were squeaking.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: Bad throat.
• 10:12
  Speaker 5: Oh. Oh, by the way, there was a gentleman looking
• 10:14
  Speaker 5: for you this afternoon. A gentleman?
• 10:16
  Speaker 9: Yeah, a tall old man in a black overcoat.
• 10:18
  Speaker 5: Kind of nasty.
• 10:19
  Speaker 6: When I told him, there wasn't anyone to go up
• 10:21
  Speaker 6: to your room.
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: Tell you what, I showed him the way.
• 10:23
  Speaker 6: Out in a hurry.
• 10:24
  Speaker 5: Oh, thanks, Mrs. LaPante.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: Probably a bill collector.
• 10:26
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: Well, I've got to run. Oh, good morning, Sam.
• 10:43
  Speaker 8: Here's that memo on Rosenthal versus Rosenthal and also a
• 10:46
  Speaker 8: letter for.
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: What's the matter?
• 10:48
  Speaker 5: You look tired. Oh, I had a bad night. Your
• 10:51
  Speaker 5: lumbago again? Yes, yes. Oh, say, by the way, your
• 10:55
  Speaker 5: client was here again this morning. The client?
• 10:58
  Speaker 7: Mm-hmm. Oh, it must be the same fella that called
• 11:01
  Speaker 7: at my house the other day. Well, what did you
• 11:04
  Speaker 7: tell him?
• 11:04
  Speaker 5: Oh, I said you'd be in later. Oh, thanks. Um,
• 11:09
  Speaker 5: will that be all, Sam? Yes, yes. Oh, no, no.
• 11:15
  Speaker 5: Are you doing anything New Year's Eve?
• 11:17
  Speaker 8: Oh, Sam, you haven't even noticed.
• 11:20
  Speaker 5: Noticed what? Well, the ring, silly.
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: Third finger, left hand.
• 11:24
  Speaker 5: What?
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: Lou gave it to me.
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: Isn't it simply gigantic?
• 11:28
  Speaker 5: But you, you're not going to.
• 11:29
  Speaker 8: We're going to be married as soon as Lou finishes
• 11:31
  Speaker 8: his next case. Lou is so sharp and businesslike.
• 11:35
  Speaker 5: So is a guillotine.
• 11:37
  Speaker 8: Sam, after Lou gave me the ring last night, I
• 11:41
  Speaker 8: began thinking how, well, how I used to hope that
• 11:46
  Speaker 8: it would be you. But, well, then I realized you'd
• 11:50
  Speaker 8: never have the money, and, well, a girl has to
• 11:53
  Speaker 8: think of things like a good steady income and a
• 11:57
  Speaker 8: husband with.
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: Zip.
• 12:00
  Speaker 5: Yes, with zip.
• 12:01
  Speaker 7: Well, Lou has plenty of zip. I'm sure you'll be
• 12:04
  Speaker 7: very happy zipping around with each other.
• 12:06
  Speaker 4: Oh, Sam.
• 12:10
  Speaker 6: Well, Sam, I.
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: Hey. Hey, what's going on in here? Honey, is that
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: little baboon giving you any trouble? If he has, I'll
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: take him apart like an egg crate.
• 12:22
  Speaker 5: No, no, no. Take it easy, strong heart.
• 12:25
  Speaker 7: Tina just told me the good news about your engagement.
• 12:27
  Speaker 7: She's crying with happiness.
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: Is that right, honey? Well, then, no hard feelings, Sam.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: Just that the best man got the girl, you understand. Oh, say,
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: by the way, we're having a little celebration at Sigali's tonight.
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: Drop in and we'll live it.
• 12:44
  Speaker 5: Up a little, huh?
• 12:55
  Speaker 6: I went home feeling like a man who has been
• 12:57
  Speaker 6: stuffed into a washing machine with the dial set at
• 12:59
  Speaker 6: rinse dry.
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: I was a failure.
• 13:02
  Speaker 6: I walked over to the mirror for a heart-to-heart talk
• 13:04
  Speaker 6: with myself.
• 13:06
  Speaker 5: Nothing.
• 13:07
  Speaker 7: That's what you've got, Sam Weber, in unlimited quantities.
• 13:12
  Speaker 5: Nothing. We ought to just tear you down and start
• 13:16
  Speaker 5: all over again. We ought to take you.
• 13:17
  Speaker 4: Hey. Oh, no.
• 13:22
  Speaker 5: No, not that again.
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: But.
• 13:25
  Speaker 5: Why not? Think of it.
• 13:28
  Speaker 7: A Sam Weber without the psychological problems you've got.
• 13:32
  Speaker 5: A dynamic, uninhibited Sam who could win a girl like
• 13:36
  Speaker 5: Tina by sheer magnetism.
• 13:39
  Speaker 7: Then when it was all over, we could just take
• 13:41
  Speaker 7: the old disassembler later and presto.
• 13:46
  Speaker 5: And I can do it, too.
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: The End.
• 13:55
  Speaker 5: Chromosome content. Check. Cerebral content.
• 14:00
  Speaker 7: Maybe a little more id and a little less superego.
• 14:05
  Speaker 5: Limbs, eyes, hair, general endocrine reaction. Well, here goes. It's moving.
• 14:20
  Speaker 5: Holy mackerel, it's alive. It's getting up.
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: Say, I feel great.
• 14:27
  Speaker 5: Oh, now, now, now, take it easy. Do you know
• 14:30
  Speaker 5: who you are?
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Of course I do.
• 14:32
  Speaker 6: I have all the thoughts you ever had up until
• 14:34
  Speaker 6: the point I was vitalized. My brain is an exact
• 14:37
  Speaker 6: duplicate of yours, except that I'm not all blocked up psychologically.
• 14:41
  Speaker 5: It said in the instruction manual you'd be uninhibited.
• 14:43
  Speaker 6: Say, this is all right. Oh, by the way, since
• 14:46
  Speaker 6: we both have the same name, it'll simplify things. If
• 14:48
  Speaker 6: I call you Weber, I'll be Sam.
• 14:50
  Speaker 5: Oh, now look here. I'll make the decision.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: How would you like a good punch in the nose?
• 14:54
  Speaker 6: Well, is that any way to talk.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: To your own parent?
• 14:57
  Speaker 6: I did create you, you know. Don't think I don't
• 14:59
  Speaker 6: appreciate it, Weber, old man, but let's get one thing straight.
• 15:02
  Speaker 6: I live my life and you live yours.
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: You got that? Who pays the rent? You do, for
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: a while anyway.
• 15:06
  Speaker 6: I haven't decided whether or not I want to stay
• 15:08
  Speaker 6: in the law business.
• 15:09
  Speaker 5: The law business?
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: I may want to spread out a little.
• 15:12
  Speaker 6: Tina's the kind of girl to whom money is very important.
• 15:15
  Speaker 5: Tina?
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: Well, what did you expect?
• 15:17
  Speaker 6: I have enough of your likes and dislikes to want
• 15:19
  Speaker 6: her just as badly as you do. The only difference
• 15:23
  Speaker 6: being that I can get her. No, we're not quite
• 15:27
  Speaker 6: the same, you and I.
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: I've got zip.
• 15:30
  Speaker 5: Don't use that word.
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: Now, how about some dinner? You know, I'm starved.
• 15:33
  Speaker 5: You'll have to go out.
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: I'll need some clothes.
• 15:35
  Speaker 5: Sorry, I only have this one suit. Fine, you can
• 15:37
  Speaker 5: lend it to me. Well, what about me?
• 15:39
  Speaker 6: I'll bring you a sandwich after I come back from Seagally's.
• 15:41
  Speaker 5: Seagally's?
• 15:42
  Speaker 6: Well, you haven't forgotten, have you, Weber? We're invited to
• 15:44
  Speaker 6: the celebration. Tina and Lou White. Only it wouldn't look
• 15:48
  Speaker 6: quite right if we both showed up, so... I'll tell
• 15:51
  Speaker 6: you all about it.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Now, off with that suit. And no nonsense. Well, this
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: is living it up, folks.
• 16:10
  Speaker 9: Yahoo!
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: Have another drink, Mr.
• 16:14
  Speaker 6: Ojek.
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: Thank you, Lou. Well, is everybody happy?
• 16:18
  Speaker 4: Yes, sir.
• 16:19
  Speaker 2: Hey, honey, are you having yourself a little old time?
• 16:22
  Speaker 4: Oh, yes, Lou.
• 16:22
  Speaker 8: Fine, fine.
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: But you seem to be preoccupied.
• 16:26
  Speaker 5: Oh, I was just wondering if Sam is coming.
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: Sam? Oh, no. Did you hear that, Mr. Rojack? She's
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: worrying about Sam. Why, that little runt probably got frightened
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: by a noisemaker. Well, well, well, the happy couple.
• 16:40
  Speaker 5: Sam!
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: Good evening, cats. Everybody's lit up like a Christmas tree. Well,
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: I'll be... Say, Sam, are you in the bag?
• 16:46
  Speaker 6: Never touch the stuff, Luma boy. Never touch it, Boy
• 16:49
  Speaker 6: Scout training.
• 16:49
  Speaker 5: Oh, Sam, I was afraid you weren't coming.
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: Miss a chance to be with you, beautiful.
• 16:54
  Speaker 4: Never.
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: Hey, what's got into you, Weber? Monkey glands? I don't
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: read you, muscle-bound. Well, you seem different somehow, even your voice.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: Do you notice anything, Tina?
• 17:02
  Speaker 5: Well, yes, it does seem richer somehow. Oh, nonsense.
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: Sam Weber, you're nothing but a clean puff and you
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: always will be.
• 17:09
  Speaker 6: Mr. O'Jack, I think he owes me an apology for that.
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: I should think so.
• 17:13
  Speaker 6: All right, all-American boy, make with the apology.
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: Apologize me? Oh, no. Why, for two cents. Folks, would
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: you excuse Mr. White and me for a few minutes?
• 17:23
  Speaker 6: We want to step out into the hall for a
• 17:24
  Speaker 6: little private conference.
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: Coming, Mr.
• 17:27
  Speaker 5: White?
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: I'll be right back, honey. Don't worry about a thing. Okay,
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: big boy, you've taken enough punishment.
• 17:45
  Speaker 5: Now!
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: Sam!
• 17:48
  Speaker 5: Lou! Lou, don't kill him.
• 17:49
  Speaker 4: He did.
• 17:51
  Speaker 10: Oh, dear.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: He'll be all right in a little while, baby.
• 17:54
  Speaker 5: But did you?
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: I mean.
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: Oh, Sam.
• 17:57
  Speaker 5: Tina. We really shouldn't kiss like this.
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: It's what you've always wanted, isn't it? Well... isn't it?
• 18:09
  Speaker 5: Oh, Sam.
• 18:23
  Speaker 7: By this time, he's probably kissing her. And there's nothing
• 18:26
  Speaker 7: you can do about it, Weber, old man.
• 18:29
  Speaker 5: Nothing. Hey, wait a minute. Where's that book of instructions?
• 18:36
  Speaker 4: To.
• 18:37
  Speaker 7: Disassemble a Build-A-Man model. Merely focus the ray of the
• 18:42
  Speaker 7: disassemblator device and press lever X.
• 18:46
  Speaker 5: But that's murder, Counselor.
• 18:49
  Speaker 7: Still, legally, in order to prove there's been a murder,
• 18:52
  Speaker 7: you need a corpus delecti.
• 18:54
  Speaker 5: And nobody even knows there is another Sam Webber. So
• 19:00
  Speaker 5: you're finally home.
• 19:03
  Speaker 6: I'm starved.
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: Sorry, Weber, old man, but very pressing business detained me.
• 19:07
  Speaker 5: I suppose you made a fool of me over at Cigali's.
• 19:09
  Speaker 2: Oh, on the contrary.
• 19:10
  Speaker 5: What do you mean?
• 19:10
  Speaker 6: My boy, you are looking at a man who in
• 19:12
  Speaker 6: one fell swoop has got himself a raise, a promotion,
• 19:15
  Speaker 6: and a wife.
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: At least she'll be my wife tomorrow.
• 19:18
  Speaker 6: Who?
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: Tina, of course.
• 19:20
  Speaker 5: I don't believe you.
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: I had to put on quite a show, but all
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: around it was a real success.
• 19:24
  Speaker 4: Mr.
• 19:24
  Speaker 6: Ojak was so impressed, he called me aside and said
• 19:27
  Speaker 6: he was going to give me a crack at some
• 19:28
  Speaker 6: criminal cases. And if I made the grade, why, who knows,
• 19:31
  Speaker 6: I may even accept a partnership.
• 19:34
  Speaker 5: You've got it all figured out, haven't you?
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: That's about it.
• 19:37
  Speaker 7: Only you neglected to consider one thing.
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: Oh, what's that?
• 19:42
  Speaker 5: This.
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: Hey, put that down.
• 19:44
  Speaker 5: Get back, you. You usurper, you.
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: I'm going to melt you down like a Welsh rarebeck. Weber,
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: you can't do that. It's murdery. It's like killing your
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: own son.
• 19:53
  Speaker 5: After what you've done to me, it's a pleasure.
• 19:55
  Speaker 6: I didn't ask to be brought into this world, but
• 19:57
  Speaker 6: now that I'm here, I like it enough to want
• 19:59
  Speaker 6: to survive.
• 20:00
  Speaker 5: Take off my suit, you phony.
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: You won't be needing it again. You're really going through
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: with it, huh?
• 20:06
  Speaker 7: I am.
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: All right. Oh, here's your jacket. Give me that thing.
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: Give it to me. That's better. Now we'll fix this
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: little item so it can't do any damage.
• 20:19
  Speaker 5: Oh, no.
• 20:21
  Speaker 6: You see, Weber, you don't have the guts to stand
• 20:24
  Speaker 6: up against the man you might have been.
• 20:28
  Speaker 5: Oh, what's that sound?
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: I don't know.
• 20:31
  Speaker 5: Seems to be inside the house.
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: Somebody's coming up the stairs.
• 20:34
  Speaker 3: Listen.
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: Take a peek through the keyhole, Weber. Holy chump. It's him.
• 20:46
  Speaker 5: The old man with the black coat. His eyes all
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: black and shiny without any whites. Looks insane.
• 20:52
  Speaker 4: Don't open it. He's burning it.
• 21:00
  Speaker 5: He's burning a hole right through the door.
• 21:09
  Speaker 9: Good evening, gentlemen. As I feared, I'm too late to
• 21:12
  Speaker 9: prevent you from duplication, Mr.
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: Webber.
• 21:16
  Speaker 9: And I see that you have destroyed the disassemblator. That
• 21:20
  Speaker 9: means I shall have to do the job manually. An
• 21:23
  Speaker 9: ugly task.
• 21:24
  Speaker 5: Who are you?
• 21:25
  Speaker 9: I am the census keeper for the 24th oblong. You see,
• 21:29
  Speaker 9: your build-a-man set was intended for one of the Webber
• 21:31
  Speaker 9: children who is on a field trip in this oblong
• 21:34
  Speaker 9: 200 years from now. Because of an unfortunate time.
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: Warp, the set was delivered here accidentally.
• 21:43
  Speaker 6: You mean this set came here from 200 years from now?
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: Precisely.
• 21:47
  Speaker 9: Time, as with all things, is relative. We shall have
• 21:52
  Speaker 9: to recover the set, of course, and adjust any discrepancies
• 21:55
  Speaker 9: it has caused.
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: Meanwhile, the problem is.
• 21:59
  Speaker 9: Which of you two gentlemen is the original Sam Webber?
• 22:03
  Speaker 5: Oh, I am. Listen.
• 22:04
  Speaker 9: Difficulties, difficulties. Why cannot I ever have a simple case
• 22:09
  Speaker 9: like a double con duplication?
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: Now, look here, Mr. Census Keeper. The duplicate will obviously be.
• 22:15
  Speaker 5: Less stable and more emotionally unbalanced.
• 22:18
  Speaker 7: Certainly, a man of your qualifications can decide which of
• 22:21
  Speaker 7: us is the more valid member of society. Which of
• 22:24
  Speaker 7: us will conform more readily to the standards of.
• 22:27
  Speaker 9: Naturally... I observe that one of you is naked. Oh,
• 22:33
  Speaker 9: wait a minute. And you also seem to be trembling.
• 22:37
  Speaker 9: Whereas this gentleman seems quite calm.
• 22:40
  Speaker 5: Now, now, now, hold it.
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: You're making a mistake. I hardly think so. Now, now,
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: stay away from me. Please do not struggle. Help, please, please.
• 22:47
  Speaker 4: Mr.
• 22:47
  Speaker 6: Webber. Yes.
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: It would be better if you didn't watch.
• 22:52
  Speaker 5: Of course.
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: Well, that's my story.
• 23:05
  Speaker 6: Within ten seconds, the old Sam Weber had been completely
• 23:09
  Speaker 6: dismantled and.
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: Packed into the box.
• 23:12
  Speaker 6: Tina and I were married, and I went on to
• 23:14
  Speaker 6: become a full partner in the firm of O'Jack, Somerset,
• 23:17
  Speaker 6: and Weber.
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: Oh, and by the way, Tina and I have been doing.
• 23:20
  Speaker 6: Quite successfully what the old Sam Weber and his build-a-man
• 23:24
  Speaker 6: set made such a mess of.
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: We have one, two, three little conuplications. Sam Jr.
• 23:31
  Speaker 6: age four, Sametta, age three, and Samina, age four months.
• 23:36
  Speaker 5: Good night.
• 23:50
  Speaker 3: You have just heard another adventure into the unknown world
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: of the future. The world of Time is a strange
• 24:11
  Speaker 3: and mysterious dimension. Could we alter the future if we
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: could travel back in time to our own youth? Next
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: week we bring you a story of a man who
• 24:20
  Speaker 3: found the answer in Time and Time Again.
• 24:31
  Speaker 6: Dimension X is presented transcribed each week by the National
• 24:34
  Speaker 6: Broadcasting Company in cooperation with Street and Smith, publishers of
• 24:38
  Speaker 6: the magazine Astounding Science Fiction.
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: Today, Dimension X is presented.
• 24:42
  Speaker 6: Child's play, written for radio by George Lefferts from the
• 24:45
  Speaker 6: story by William Tenn. Featured in the cast were Leon
• 24:49
  Speaker 6: Janney as Sam, Carl Weber as his alter ego, and
• 24:54
  Speaker 6: Patsy Campbell as his girl. Your host was Norman Rose.
• 24:58
  Speaker 6: Music by Burt Berman. Dimension X is produced by William
• 25:01
  Speaker 6: Welch and directed by Fred Way. In reply to many
• 25:13
  Speaker 6: queries from our listeners, last week's story on Dimension X,
• 25:16
  Speaker 6: Pebble in the Sky, was written by Isaac Asimov. This
• 25:20
  Speaker 6: is NBC, the national broadcasting company.
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: Dimension X closes its 38th broadcast, Child's Play, until the
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: next visit with classic science fiction radio, Good Night. Follow
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: old-time sci-fi radio for more classic science fiction broadcasts.