A blog for this program was posted in 2015 on the anniversary of its broadcast on October 7, 1948. Please see that blog for information about the show, newspaper advertising and audio of the show itself.
We have recently come into possession of an original script for this show and, because of the size, we are presenting it here separately rather than adding it to that blog. The first and last pages of the script have adhesive tape, which has yellow with age, around the edges. A ticket for the show was also taped to the information page. Below is an enlarged scan of the ticket:
Neither my wife nor I were 14 years old at the time of the broadcast, so according to the ticket, we would not have been able to attend. How about you?
The script has been heavily altered with some dialogue crossed out and others written in. Stewart’s character, McNeal, seems to have lost the most lines from this editing. You’ll also notice some times written on the script. These were usually time checks made during rehearsals to give the director an idea of where they should be in the script in order to meet the 30-minute time restraint during the broadcast. He could then speed the actors up or slow them down according. Many times the sound effects person would also use these timing marks to get ready to insert the effects at the proper times.
Some of the notes on the title page are there to remind someone, possibly the announcer, that the show had moved to NBC this year and this was the first broadcast of that new season. The “#2 – Welcome Stranger 3 – Babe Ruth Story” written in the upper right corner refers to the next two plays to be presented. “Volume No. 5” in that same corner refers to this being the fifth season for the program.
What follows then is the entire script for this program. Enjoy!
