Radio City Playhouse - Elementals

Friends.

When you're telling your neighbors about this story, will you also tell them that you heard it on Radio City Playhouse. Ladies and gentlemen, here's the director of Radio City Playhouse.

Harry W. Duncan thank you, Bob friends.

Tonight's story was written by Stephen Vincent Benet, Pulitzer Prize winner and one of America's most outstanding men of letters. Elementals is a shocking story concerning the deep and hidden chambers of the human soul, which, once they have opened upon a man, leave them change forever.

The leading role of Sherwood.

Latimer is played by a young actor new to Radio City Playhouse, Mister Hall's studor. Mister Studter began his radio career in nineteen forty six in NBC's The Adventures of Frank Merriwell. He was recently featured in the Broadway success Hope is the Thing with Feathers, and he now has more radio and television engagements than he can handle. Here then, is Elementals by Stephen Vincent Bennet, starring Hal Stuter as Sherwood Latimer. Attraction twenty six on Radio City.

Playhouse, Upper Fifth Avenue in New York. It is a clear winter evening, and the air is soft and amazingly warm. For j Any Worries, Sherwood Latimer and Catherine.

Vaine walk arm in arm.

Even the casual passer by, I can see that they are in love, very much in love.

Oh Sherry, don't you love this avenue? The park and the gorgeous old homes.

And everything mostly apartments now at the park, so beautiful. Wonder if we'll ever have enough money to live on Fifth Avenue?

Of course we will. You're going to be famous.

You'll write a play or a novel or something, and everybody who thinks you're a genius. We'll have a beautiful apartment and dozens of wonderful children, and I'll have a mink.

Coach and a convertible on a limousine and six servants.

And you'll see, oh, you just prejudiced, Kathy.

Well, aren't you the youngest assistant professor on the.

Staff and the lowest paid money? How can you say money like that? Still talk about mink coach.

It's a woman's privilege to be in consist.

That's my girl, Thank you, professor.

Oh Kathy, I.

Wish we could get married, do things right, go to the theater and never read hamburgers.

You read hamburgers.

What a horrible thought, hamburgers.

I wonder what mister Slake will give me for dinner.

You are to remember everything.

I want the complete details.

Probably hamburgers served on solid gold.

Plates and gold buns.

I can see it all now.

Gee, Honey, I wish you were coming. I hate to think of you going to dinner alone. I couldn't Slack have invited you. He knows we're engaged.

He knows, Jerry, don't be silly. I'll be fine. Or did you send him a bill for the translation?

Two hundred dollars?

Wonderful? Maybe he'll give you the check tonight. Maybe he will be nice to him, Sherry, be real polite and let him leave the talking and well, don't talk about soaking the rich or anything. Just be real nice and normal.

I will.

A man like John Slake has influenced you.

Never can tell what will happen if.

He takes a liking toe.

I promise I'll be on my very best behavior.

This is the place here, this big gray one, all five stories of him.

He lives all alone in that roomy isn't it.

You should have charged him more two hundred dollars.

You should have charged him two thousands.

I wish you were coming, Kathy, it'd be such a wonderful dinner.

Don't be silly, Sherry. I don't mind it. Bee and anyway, he wanted it to be just the two of you. Maybe he's gonna all be on yob or something.

Maybe.

Well, bye, darlingell me when you get home.

I will you better go in.

It's after seven.

Now where are you going to eat?

You stop worrying out where I'm going to eat?

Do you need any money?

No? I five or six dollars? Now?

Go on?

Why, Sherry Latimer, I believe you're nervous.

I don't go to dinner with millionaires every night.

Well, just be perfectly natural. You look fine. That's a nice suit and you've just had a haircut.

Go on, Darling, you'll be late if.

You don't forget and remember, be on your best.

I will bye, Keathy.

More coffee, Sherry, No thanks, mister slake A liquor? Oh nothing, thank you. It was a wonderful dinner.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

This is a wonderful room. I think it's even more attractive than the dining room.

But a dining room should be simple, Sherry. A man can't enjoy art if his mouth is full. This room, of course, is different, is it where I spend most of my time? I see you're admiring the fireplace. It's magnificent sixteenth century Italian. I had it chipped block by block from Rome. Oh. By the way, speaking of sixteenth century Italian, I have your check here for the Greek ardiny fans place.

So there's no rush, mister Slake anytime, not at all.

I made it out before you arrived.

Hey, I thank you, thank you very much.

He did a splendid job. Splendid. You're the best man in the country on Italian translation.

Thank you, you're very kind.

Tell me, Sherry, what did you think of the little experiment of Prince Alessandro? Which one but you remember the chapter Marry the versions of Prince Alessandro.

I ought to took me long enough to translate it.

What did you think of Alessandro?

Oh?

I thought him an animal, an incredibly cruel animal.

Really, I thought it rather intrieding a very clever way of proving that there are but three elemental emotions.

I see you're admiring my heart. Yes, do you play a little music seems to release me from the dull, vulgarity of life. You know, there's a certain spirituality about the heart. It seems to embody every how should I see see it? There's such an esthetic feel about it. Sometimes I sit here all night and just play that very set. You play beautifully, en amateur, but I enjoy it, you know Brown, No, I don't. And he wrote so little for the half. He's my favorite composer.

I'm afraid I'm not very musical.

So you consider Prince Alessandra an animal? Do you? You're very young?

Serry.

As a matter of fact, I was going to suggest to you that, oh no, no, I suppose we wouldn't considered it.

Consider what.

I understand. You're engaged to a miss Vain, Catherine Vaine.

Yes, she works in the Secretary's office of the university.

I'll in love with her.

Very much, planning on getting married.

As soon as we can afford it.

But you can't afford it now.

Well, assistant professors aren't too well paid.

Now, I suppose.

What did you mean when you said I wouldn't consider something, Cherry.

I'm a very rich man. I've literally so much money. I don't know what to do with it. I'm fifty four now, and I've experienced everything. I've been everywhere, I've seen everything, I've done everything. Sometimes I get very bored, very bored. Indeed, I thought maybe that perhaps you might be interested in giving me a little amusement and at the same time earning yourself some money. I thought that perhaps you No, it's ridiculous.

What's ridiculous?

Huh? When I'm intrigued with Alessandra's experiments, I'd love to repeat it.

You're not serious, Yes, yes, I'm serious, but well I don't understand.

I'd pay you twenty.

Five thousand dollars not.

To go exactly now. Look, I thought it all out this afternoon. There's space on the fourth floor of this house is never used. Now, I would lock you in Miss Vane and adjoining room. See, I'd have a glass partition built between them so that you could see each other but not communicate, and I'd cut the time down to seven days. After all, neither you are Missday and have the physique of the sixteenth century attack.

You're not actually suggesting that Kathy and I should, But of course, for.

Twenty five thousand dollars, isn't this a puplod so sweeping, so sad? I wish i'd known Brown.

I wish you'd leave that harp alone and tell me what's on your mind.

Well, it's very simple. You and Miss Vane need money, or shall I say you'd like to have it? Sew? I'll pay you twenty five thousand dollars. You'll be locked in two rooms that are separated by a glass petition. You'll go each one into one of these rooms on oh, let's say, a Sunday at midnight, and until the following Sunday at midnight. You'll be given nothing to eat. Nothing. You'll be allowed plenty of water, and that's all. You'll

And pay us twenty five thousand dollars.

Shall it not quite?

You?

See?

I agree with Alessandro. There are just three elementals, dear eight and hunger. I believe that you are Miss Vain for all that you say you are in love. I believe that after seven days without food, you'd fall on each other like a couple of snarling animal You crazy, You're crazy. Nevertheless, I believe you'd cry each other to bits and your struggle for that one slice of bread. I believe you'd forget all about love and respect and tenderness.

Don't sit there staring at me, Sherry.

I find it hard to believe that you're serious.

Oh, I'm perfectly serious.

But it's insane.

It's impossible. I look lots of health crank diet for longer than seven days, you say, in love with his skirls.

Mistake, Yes, but I would never subject it to it to such a monstrous experiment once she had the courage.

Of your convictions. You believe that love is stronger than hunger, don't you?

Yes?

But that isn't the same thing.

You're young, you're an idealist. You believe that love is a big, golden, wonderful thing. Well, I say that it isn't I say that after seven days of not eating.

You would hate Catherine Lee you tear.

The bread flummer and stopping in the other.

Will you please leave.

That harple over? I enjoy it so much myself. I forget sometimes that others don't appreciate.

You could never ask a woman too. Will you say you're in love?

Don't you?

Well, of course we're in love.

You could get married at once. No more clubbing, no more tutoring at night. Miss Vain could resign her position.

You have a nice little house, a car, all in exchange for seven days.

Of not eating. Why don't you talk it over in this vein? Tell her how easily you can earn twenty five thousand dollars. Why don't you erry another pastry? And Miss Vain remember you will be eating again until next Sunday.

I couldn't.

I couldn't possibly eat another mouthful.

Well, since it's almost midnight, shall we go upstairs?

We can't do it, We can't do it.

Catch cherry sherry, please, it's so easy. No more pinching, no more going without things. All we have to do is lie quietly on a couch for a week without eating.

You want to call it off?

Of course he doesn't want to call it off. Besides, we've signed all those papers. I don't know if they're legal or not.

Oh, my dear miss Vane, you wander restimate me. I had my lawyers draw up the agreement very carefully. Of course, we can't come out and say that Sherry was to be my slave for ten years.

But don't worry.

I'm quite sure I'll collect my payment if you're so unfortunate as to lose the wager. Well, now I've had workmen in and rooms are all ready. We replaced the wall between the two bedrooms with a full sheet of glass. You'll each have a lamp and the Bible. I'm afraid I'll have to forbid you soap and toothpaste.

Are you afraid we might eat the soap?

Yourem I refuse to believe it. It's so difficult, Kathy.

You don't know.

I was hungry in the war. I know what it's like.

You get crazed and desperate.

I'm sure we can do it. I'm positive. Don't look so bleak, Sherry.

Please think of all the things we can do with twenty five thousand dollars.

Oh, it's wonderful.

We can have a home, a nice little house somewhere and furnish it, furnish it attractive.

Two minutes to twelve, shall we go up?

Come on, Sherry, we can't be ruled out for a late start.

Come on, Erry. This is your room exactly the same, except that your wallpaper has bluebirds, whereas miss Dains has daisies.

Hello, Kathy, Oh.

She can't hear you. That last petition between you was an inch thick.

Oh like, she's so tiny, such.

A little bit of a thing. I like her.

When the nights are on, in both room as you can see each other very well. Looks now. I shall visit you once every twenty four hours. There are glasses in the bathroom there. Drink as much water as you wish. And at twelve o'clock next Sunday night, this partition will rise. I had it especially installed, as I told you, so. At next Sunday midnight, I shall bring you one thick slice of bread and butter. You'll be exposed to the food for twenty minutes. I shall take pictures.

If God can possibly condone such idiotic treatment of the human body, I'm sure he'll help us.

Oh that's very good, Sadry. I think you're going to need help. Is there anything else?

I don't think so.

Miss Vain looks very lovely, Sherry. He's the most charming girl. I don't wonder that you're in love with her. But remember there are just the three elemental far eight, hunger, and now of course that you've lost your wage.

Hecklingus wasn't part of the market.

I can see you now clawing at each other like Anna, Oh stop it, stop it, I'll say. By the way, say I ran across.

The most tantasizing thing today are sort of hop concerto.

Written by a chap called Malmeck Maddam Malneck. It's called hap Fantasy and jazz Excu.

Will you stop making small talk and leave me alone?

All right, Jerry, I'll leave you until tomorrow night.

Twenty one bluebirds pasted to the wall. Twenty one bluebirds a B bass he called the ef aall twenty one bluebirds trying not to fall. I let's see twenty one bluebirds paste it to the wall. Twenty one bluebirds trying not to fall, bluebirds happy in their little trees. Something something something smiling at the bees.

Well, the first twenty four hours are over, Sherry.

How do you feel fine?

Not too uncomfortable? No, Kathy's fine.

Good, not very talkative out it?

That wasn't in the bargain.

All right, then I'll leave you.

Are you enjoying yourself immensely?

I can hardly wait? You see, the first twenty four hours are easy, so what the second? The third day gets worse, and the fourth and fifth that's when the fun. Hello, Sherry, how are you you sto? You were in here yesterday?

You deliberately saw my pipe?

Sorry, Sherry, we're getting a little asthetica. The Bible is on the floor right in fourth.

What that?

Why are you pointing at miss Vain?

She has moved.

She's nonsense. She's asleep. I can see her breathing from here. Say better, get hold of yourself.

This is only the third day.

Good evening, Cherry, Cherry, wakem that's is how are you feeling? You know you're an admirable guest. You and miss Vain, you make so little demand on one's hospitality. I've just been in to see her. She sends you a message. Do you want to hear? Ah? I see my elemental has begun to touch you. You're not so interested in miss Vain?

Now? Why can't you leave me?

Why can't you leave us alone?

People aren't supposed to tortures.

My dear father, I'm interested, Believe me.

I worry about your booth. I thought of you tonight at dinner. The bisk and a trifle, too much whipped cream for my taste.

But the roast was the election, rich red, succulent roe. That wonderful, delicate shade of drink. It cut like, shut up, shut up?

What's another sherry?

You were ever getting a feeling? But you shouldn't. This is only the fourth day.

It's the fifth day?

Is it?

It's the fifth day?

Or is it the third?

You've been here five times?

Oh yes, but the first visit of the Sunday we began? That doesn't count?

Is it Thursday?

Friday?

I wonder? I surry?

Sleep well the fifth day, the fifth day?

Let me sleep, God in Heaven, let me sleep.

Please don't let me think about food.

Please don't let me think about food.

Sausages?

Who me?

I wanna I wanna pick it. I wanna beat it me like an enemy.

Hotcakes, golden puffy, trying to maple syrup, the little sausages bursting with meat and spice, bacon, bake.

They're taking over?

What fire?

Please Heaven.

I can't stand any sale, mold, even a dry.

Tale, moldy press.

Dammit, damn, dammit, dumm it.

Okay, okay, hey, I have anyone thought of And this is only the fifth day, the fifth day, fifth day.

The fifth day, the fifth day.

Who is it?

Who is it? Why is the red? Everything's read the walls and red the blubbers, and read everything. Read the Bible.

Here, eat the Bible, sherry.

Oh, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't eat paper. That'll make you will much longer, much longer. Don't you wish you knew to tell me? Tell me the name of God.

Don't touch me like this, please, I can't stand it.

Will you'll be able to stand it better if you'd stop these elevating hysterics. Look at miss Vanes. He just lies there on the couch. She doesn't prance around the room tearing the pages from her Bible. By the way, you better give me the Bible after all, the binding of his leather and leather was once a former meat. I wouldn't want to disqualify.

You on the technicalssidy. Your night, Jerry, and the time is up, say Jerry, for.

Seven days around or you'll revive soon enough. I brought you a wonderful thing slice of bread and butter. If you just remit the ears of your couch over against the glass, can you hear me?

Sorry?

Can you hear me? At this moment, you're about one foot away from Catherine Vane. There's just a sheet of plate glass between you. Remember I had the glass petition installed. It's like a great big window between two room. Remember Erry, remember Kathy. Now I'm going to raise the glass petition. Now, Sherry, I'm lifting it up there. Now there's brendon you see it. A slice of fresh bread, but a wonderful soft white bread, gold and fresh butter. Aren't hungry, Sherry, Aunt, you're hungry.

Cherry.

She's very clever. She's pretending to be asleep, but she's.

After the bread too.

She'll grab it and eat it and then there won't be any for you, Sherry, you don't want that to happen. My, she's greedy, shaddy, shill eat it, get rid of her, get rid of her. Now, which quick? You've got it in your hand, eat it.

You can't have it, you can't have it. It's mine. It's my bread, my bread, and go on eat it.

Stup it into your mouth, go on, go on, Jerry, it's me.

Cally.

Oh, Jerry, I'm so hungry.

Bad Eat it? Shall he?

Oh he's just a little bit, she would slowly he.

No, no, nodiot, there's only one slice.

Eat it, she would slowly, Sure, Sure, I sweet a little more?

Dolly, Yeah, oh, Kelly, I love you.

No, thank you, you have.

You?

Ye, thanks darling. You're a beast, mister slake. You're a beast, a powerful beast. We proved you're wrong. You're wrong, mister slake. There's another elemental. There's faith and fear and hunger, and there's that.

There's love.

Jerry, I Love you.

You have just heard Elementals, written by Stephen Vincent Denay and directed by Harry W.

Junkin.

Hal Stodter starred as Sherwood Latimer. James Van Dyck was John Slake. Kathy was played by Marilyn Erskine. The music was composed and conducted by doctor Roy Shield. Harp solos were by Edward Vito. Radio City Playhouse is supervised for the National Broadcasting Company by Richard P.

McDonough. This is Harry Junkan again next week.

A story that in print is as simple as one from three leads to in fact, that is its title, One from three leads to a dramatic and suspenseful story is starring Jan Minor and John Larkin. Next week Attraction twenty seven on Radio City.

Playhouse, Bob Warn speaking. This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company.