Episode 359: Gremlins and the Future

[00:00:08] Speaker A: The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society, live from the Bryant Lake Bowl. [00:00:18] Speaker B: Good evening, creeps. [00:00:20] Speaker A: Please welcome to the stage your mysterious. [00:00:24] Speaker B: Hosts, Eric, Tim, Joshua and special ghoulish guest star, Shannon Custer. [00:00:35] Speaker C: Woo. [00:00:40] Speaker D: Welcome to the Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society, a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Eric. [00:00:49] Speaker E: I'm Tim. [00:00:50] Speaker A: I'm Joshua. [00:00:51] Speaker C: And I'm Shannon. [00:00:52] Speaker D: So we love mysterious old time radio stories, but do they stand the test of time? That's what we're here to find out. [00:00:58] Speaker C: Tonight, with a live audience, we present not one, but two episodes of my choosing. I know I'm nervous, but okay, I guess, which is pretty much my natural state. Tonight's episodes are part of Orson Welles short lived CBS series called Ceiling Unlimited that ran from 1942 through 1944. [00:01:21] Speaker A: Wells was only part of the first 13 episodes of Ceiling Unlimited, which he wrote, directed, produced and hosted himself. These short patriotic radio plays, each episode clocks in at no more than 15 minutes, featured Hollywood movie stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, William Powell and Basil Rathbone. In addition, Wells brought in his roster of Mercury Theater actors including Ray Collins, Joseph Cotton Everett. Sorry, he got excited about turning that page for me, but good job. Joseph Cotton, Everett Sloan and Agnes Moorhead. The series also featured the works of playwright Arthur Miller, someone Wells had worked with in the Federal Theater Project, as well as author John Steinbeck and radio favorite Lucille Fletcher. [00:02:13] Speaker E: But the real star of Ceiling Unlimited, however, was the program sponsor, the Lockheed Corporation, or Lockheed and Vega, as it was called on the air. The Lockheed Vega was a five to seven seat high wing monoplane, which means it only has one set of wings, in case you weren't sure. The Lockheed Vega's high speed attracted many famous pilots, including Amelia Earhart, who was the first woman to fly solo and one shot across the Atlantic Ocean. The Lockheed Corporation is now called Lockheed Martin and its mission remains much the same as when it was founded in 1926. Aerospace manufacturing with a focus on defense technology. [00:02:48] Speaker D: Sealing Unlimited therefore had one mission, to glorify the aviation industry, namely Lockheed and Vega, and dramatize how it contributed to World War II. Lockheed in Vegas sponsored the program without requiring a single commercial break, absolutely content to have just three one line mentions throughout each show because they only had one lucrative customer, the wartime allied governments. [00:03:15] Speaker C: Orson Welles dedication to creating Ceiling Unlimited was both personal and and dutiful. As John Dunning recounts in on the the Encyclopedia of Old Time Radio, Wells had just returned from Latin America after shooting the never to be released film it's all true and threw himself back into radio. As the story goes, Wells bad back and flat feet prevented him from serving in World War II. But unofficially, Welles was never interested in enlisting, preferring to contribute to the war effort using his voice and art. In addition to Ceiling Unlimited, Wells signed onto another CBS program called hello Americans, which sought to foster understanding between North America and Central and South America. He also led a campaign to sell war bonds and entertain troops with his Mercury Wonder Show. [00:04:08] Speaker A: Despite all his good intentions, Wells new tenure with CBS was brief, as Dunning describes a blow up with an agency man just before airtime one night resulted in a Wells walkout. After a hazy reorganization and a summer series with author James Hilton, the show returned as a half hour Hollywood variety series. That series, perhaps just as hastily renamed Ceiling Unlimited, was hosted by Wells aforementioned friend and collaborator Joseph Cotton, and could be best described as a variety show. The series was last heard in 1944. Each guest star was asked to sign a miniature P38 Lightning plane, which eventually was to be auctioned off at a war bond sale. [00:04:57] Speaker E: Further described by Dunning as aggressively patriotic, Ceiling Unlimited varied in tone and theme depending on its guest stars and writers. But as Orson Welles biographer Bret Stephens put it, the purpose was not to strike fear into the hearts of Americans or to develop overconfidence, but to exemplify a confident, knowledgeable attitude of the war effort and to make the public aware of the sacrifices necessary to win the war. [00:05:19] Speaker D: As mentioned, we'll hear two episodes of Ceiling Unlimited back to back and in the order they first aired. Our first play was the seventh episode during the reign of Orson Welles and was written by Lucille Fletcher. First aired as a Christmas episode on December 21, 1942. Fletcher's play Gremlins featured Joseph Cotton and Agnes Moorhead in addition to Wells during. [00:05:46] Speaker C: World War II, especially gremlins. Chaotic, fanciful creatures bent on causing trouble were how inexplicable technical issues in the air or any mental problem among pilots in combat were explained away. Taken from an old English word, gremion, which literally means to vex, the lore of gremlins was initially only popular among the Royal Air Force until author Roald Dahl popularized it in his first children's novel. Aptly entitled the Gremlins, Dahl's book was so popular that Disney optioned it for an animated feature, but was eventually abandoned due to copyright issues. Still, the book and the creatures that Dahl created were hugely popular. It's evidence that Eleanor Roosevelt read the book to her grandchildren. [00:06:35] Speaker E: So no, these are not the gremlins that you shouldn't feed after midnight. [00:06:39] Speaker A: At the time of Ceiling Unlimited, Lucille Fletcher was a known commodity as well as a collaborator with Wells after he featured and starred in her gripping and highly produced play the Hitchhiker on the Orson Welles show in 1941. Starting at CBS Radio as a copyright clerk and publicity writer, Fletcher reached great heights throughout her career, including being a regular contributor to what would become the longest running and most celebrated anthology series in radio history. Suspends her play Sorry, Wrong Number, during that tenure, featured Agnes Moorhead and later Barbara Stanwyck in the film version and securely placed her as one of radio's most influential and innovative writers. [00:07:24] Speaker D: Our second episode we'll hear, is the final episode for Wells and the Mercury Theater. Wells both writes and performs in this farewell to his time with the series and provides his listeners with a glimpse of an idealized future. Set at the LaGuardia Airport, it's 1946 and we're out of the war and the skies are finally clear. Clearly titled the Future, Wells aired his goodbye to sealing Unlimited on February 1, 1943. [00:07:55] Speaker C: We now invite you to hear Orson Welles experiment in radio, with episodes number seven and number 13 of Ceiling Unlimited originally aired December 21, 1942 and February 1, 1943, respectively. [00:08:10] Speaker A: It's late at night and a chill has set in. You're alone, and the only light you see is coming from an antique radio. Listen to the sounds coming from the speaker. Listen to the music, and listen to the voices. [00:08:27] Speaker B: Ceiling Unlimited. Hello, Americans. This is Orson Welles. The men and women of Lockheed and Vega bring you this radio show with their good wishes for your Christmas. Tonight, we've taken our microphone to an important meeting of military chiefs somewhere in the United Nations. Robert speaking. Yes, sir. No, sir, General. Robert, I'm talking to him now. What am I going to say to him? Yes, sir. Just as soon as we know, sir. General Roberts, here are some new reports, sir. Hmm. Chongqing. He has one from the Kremlin. Look at this one. Typical. A flyer who's had over 8,000 hours. Just as I was preparing to land, he says a large purple one of the big belly type suddenly sucked the air right out from a plane. One of the purple variety, that's what he says. One of the big bellied kinds. They're beastless. Will someone tell me where those creatures come from? Their name derives from the old English transitive verb grammy, meaning to vex, I believe. Grammy to vex, huh? Well, if we don't get something definite, Old Courtney will. Old Courtney? Old Courtney will. What yes, what is it? Old Courtney will do. I'm sorry, General. Courtney? You mean about calling me old? Well, I am old. I've never felt old. 600 miles of the vilest weather I've ever flown in. And literally hundreds of them, gentlemen. Hundreds swarming all over the place. Won't you please take this chair, General? No, I will not. Three of the sharp nosed ones aboard, gentlemen. And, well, no less than 20 of the hairy leggedy ones. Gad, you don't mean the ones with the triangular holes in their stomachs? What's their particular function? The holes for the wind to whistle through, of course. It makes the young pilots think they're going faster than they are. Villainous. There was one who bro a flute in me ear like this. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Yeah, he played it. He did it again. There, hiding in your scarf, sir. Look, there it goes. Someone swat it. Swat it. Bash the little blighter. Oh, no, sir, don't hit it. [00:10:37] Speaker E: It's a Fifinella Blaster. [00:10:39] Speaker B: Fifinella? [00:10:40] Speaker E: They're the females, sir. [00:10:43] Speaker B: Sorry. Bunged right through the windowpane. By thunder. Plug that window, orderly. We are violating the blackout. General Roberts, has that wireless telephone come in again? Yes, it has, shortly before you arrived. What'd you tell him? There wasn't anything I could say. No, I suppose not. Nothing we can say. The official report coming yet? I'll read it to you. Once upon a time, many, many long years ago, when this old earth ours was just beginning to stir in its sleep. Great day. In the morning among the region rushes, there lived the goblins and the gnomes and the elves and other little people of the fairy race. [00:11:24] Speaker C: What? [00:11:25] Speaker B: It's a report, Courtney. Go on. One little clan was different from all the rest. Different? Oh, my great aunt. Thousands and thousands and thousands of years, this little tribe lived in a lovely green wood. Oh, my grandmother's hat. Boil it down, somebody. Well, Courtney, it seems that these little gremlins, they were getting along very well, minding their own business until we came along and dug up their woods to make an affiliate. The general idea is that the gremlins are out to get even. Now, this young lieutenant. What young lieutenant? An American named A. Messler. One of my boys has quite an idea. I ordered him to report here. Where is he? Lieutenant Messler reporting. General Roberts, sir. Mesler, you're an authority on Gremlins and the Fifinellas and the widgets. I've met them all, sir. Oh, Messer, ever come on a Spandoolie oh, yes, sir. Once picked up six of them over Norway. They smeared ice on the wings, had little mops and pails. Ever run into a straighter gremlin? Oh, they're hid. They're blue in color. Blue? Various blue with blue tins. First they snap rubber bands in the pilot's ears to make them pop. Carry a pocket full of soda straws, they do. And blow bubbles in the oil line. Only a week ago, sir. It's only a week ago. Well? Well, I was coming in for a night landing with only one flare at the end of the Runway and a whole crowd of spade nosed gremlins. You know, the kind that dig holes in the landing fields. Rushed out, picked up the Runway and lifted it a good 8ft off the ground. Don't duck. And just as my wheels were going to touch the ground, they all caught sight of a young female. She was behaving just like Margie Hart. I know just what those gremlins did. You're right, sir. They dropped the Runway and ran after her. There you are. Well, Lieutenant, you were brought here I gather, because you have some sort of constructive suggestion. I'm coming to that, sir. However, I would first like to acknowledge my indebtedness to a young lady whose womanly intuition finally enabled me to win through. I'm referring to Ms. Moira O'Dooligan. And as long as this is a confidential report, I can state quite frankly that I hoping shortly to make her my wife. [00:13:38] Speaker D: Congratulations. [00:13:40] Speaker B: It was while I was paying her a visit that I first received my new slant on the situation. Slant, eh? If you will permit me, sir, I will tell you about it. Hello, ducky. Come into the house. My heart. Are you on leave? Only today. Give me a kiss, please. I've had a touch of nerves. Nerves? And you're the calmest of men, Moira. They're getting me down. Is it the gremlin, Jimmy? Indeed. Hopping around the way they do in their suction boots. It very unpleasant. Suction boots? A new wrinkle of theirs so the wind won't knock them down. Ah, the clever ones. Last night they climbed into the gas tank and sucked up half the gas. A couple went swimming in the oil lines and one of them got stuck. He's the worst. He's taken a personal dislike to me. Ah, no, me darlin' the little ones are never personal. This one is Clarence. Clarence? His name is Clarence Gremlin. He carries a hammer as big as himself. I power dive and he clunks me on top of the head with it. Or he runs out on my wrist and bangs me across the knuckles. Poor treasure. One after another bangs him like he was playing a xylophone. And he whispers. He whispers in my ears when it's soupy and thick. He whispers at me. You're flying upside down. Upside down, he whispers. Well, then just when I'm relaxing, he suddenly shouts, there's a Jerry on your tail. I start to do a wing over and get away. And then he laughs that horrible high pitched squeaky little awful giggle and reaches up he does and yanks a hair out of my head. Aw, that's his way of keeping tally. Look at me. I'm almost bald. Just like Muley, dear. Her tail, I mean. I beg your pardon. Muley is our cow at home in Ireland. Very interesting. And do you think there's some resemblance? It was. Muley had the same identical trouble me heart. They pulled all the hair out of her tail. They? The people of the she. Your little one, my dear. Your she. Og, is he fat or thin? Homely thin too. All the gremlins are thin legs like twigs. Ah, the poor wretched, hungry little creatures. It's starving, they are starving with all that good ethyl and oil and glycol they've been lapping up. Ah, my heart. What they want is a bowl of cream. Cream? Faith. Every child knows it. Pixies have ever been wild and mischievous. In the old times they were after coming into the home itself and scaring the cat and sitting up the lamp chimney and tripping the cook. But sure, they only made trouble in houses where the folk were too mean entirely to be setting a bowl of cream out for them each evening by the back doorstep. Light em alive. Feed your gremlins their cream and they'll work for you. Do you mind me now? Cream. Yes, I read that years ago. So you did, my heart. Get along without your cream now and you may save the hairs on your head and the wear and tear in your nerves. And now you can be given me a kiss with your woman. And that, sirs, is how I got onto it. Cream. Cream. Cream, sis. Cream is the answer. If I may continue. Well, I left Ms. O'Dooligan's residence and that very night I remembered to fly with a half pint bottle of the very best heavy cream in my pocket. The visibility was excellent. I was up about 25,000ft when Clarence appeared. He was outside the stairs on one of the wingtips he had his little hammer. I could see him darting back and forth in the moonlight, hammering and testing. Here and there I tried to catch his eye. I waved to him. He just went on hammering. And to make matters worse, who should show up behind me but three Messerschmitts and a Focke Wulf 190? The Volkwolf let go. The hammering continued. Was Clarence inside now, tapping away busily at the dials. I made a grab for him and he got away behind the transmitter. I didn't have anything to throw at him but that bottle of cream. I threw it all right. Smashed just over his head and broke all. A mess of cream flew out all over him, dousing him from head to foot. Says he was the wettest, maddest gremlin you ever saw. The Jerry's was still after me, and I was so busy for the next 10 minutes, I didn't have time to think of Clarence at all. Suddenly I got the queerest feeling in the pit of my stomach. Says the hammering was different. It went something like this. I saw him now close by me in the light of the moon. He looked dreamy and smacked his lips like the cream. [00:18:46] Speaker C: Clarence. [00:18:50] Speaker B: There'S more where that came from. But you've got to behave, okay? If you really want to help, take a look at these Messerschmitts behind us. Know anything about German engines? If you do, then sick em. And that, sirs, is my report. Interesting. Frankly, it's the explanation of how I managed to account for three enemy aircraft. Cream. Cream? Cream. Yes, sir. Cream, sirs. But it's very hard to come by. Hard to come by? Gentlemen, we'll skim every pail in the United nations if necessary. Gentlemen, the gremlins will get their creep. Uh. Oh, headquarters. Oh, yes, sir, it's him. He. You take it, Courtney. Don't want to. Well, you say so, Robert. Seniority, I suppose. Hello? Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir, but I was inadvertently detained. Yes? Oh, sir, flying conditions are excellent. Over the entire period, sir. Over the entire area. Yes, sir. You no need to fear our anti aircraft. And, sir, I think we've got the gremlin problem licked. You do it with cream and then they won't bother you. In fact, they'll help you. Cream? Yes. Just put it anywhere they can get at it. I should say smear some on the reindeers, on the tips of the horns and the hooves, the antlers particularly. And on the runners of the sleigh. Thank you, sir. Good night and merry Christmas. Ladies and gentlemen, only once every couple of centuries, a new legend appears on the face of the earth that there are gremlins in this war is a tribute to the imperishable light heartedness of the heroes whom they are harrying. It's our Happy Christmas thought for this year. But as long as pilots of the Allied nations are capable of gremlins, nothing, gremlins included, can ever get them down in our cast tonight, an old Mercury friend, an old Mercury star. Joseph Cotton enacted the role of Lt. Messler. Agnes Moorhead's part in the festivities consisted of some Irish brogue. Lou Merrill was General Roberts, and General Courtney was your obedient servant. Anthony Collins wrote the music. Lloyd Gluskin conducted it. And all of us wish, all of you all the good things there are to wish for this Christmas. Good night, American. This program has come to you from. [00:22:38] Speaker E: The Lockheed and Vega Aircraft corporations of Burbank, California. [00:22:55] Speaker B: This is the Columbia Broadcasting System, Ceiling unlimited. Hello, Americans. This is Orson Welles. This radio show is brought to you by the men and women of Lockheed and Vega. I'm speaking to you from the main waiting room at the LaGuardia Airport, New York City. The date, by the way, is February 1, 1946. Boston, Halifax, Belfast, Liverpool and London. All aboard Amazon Express leaving at Gate three in five minutes. Have a good trip. Honey, have you forgotten anything? No, I don't think so. Did you pack my raincoat? In the big bag, yes. And your Palm beach suit and your heavy underwear? Oh, yes, and your dress suits and the small trunk along with your white flannels and warm woolly top coat. You'll be back tomorrow night? Yes. I have to stop at Rio on the way back. Pereira lives four or 500 miles out of town. You know air cabs. Takes them half a day to find a number, even if it is painted all over the roof. Daylight Limited for Cairo, Egypt, leaving on Runway 82 in five minutes. Is that my plane? The Daylight Limited. I'm going on to Cairo. Yes, madam. May I see your ticket, please? West Africa Special leaving on Runway 54. Please be sure and remember to return Mrs. Amajo's bag in Buenos Aires. She forgot it last weekend. Call an order, madam. Gate 82. You're sure we won't need a passport? Oh, no. All little be necessary is your certificate of health. Oh, we're going on from Cairo we're going clear around the world. Won't we need a passport anywhere? Oh, no, madam. Passports were abolished during the Second World's Congress. Arctic Express last month. Of course, I knew that. But I thought maybe. What I meant to say is we don't want to run into any wars or anything like that in Some uncivilized part of the globe. There hasn't been a war since 19. I beg your pardon, but when's the next plane for Moscow? Oh, there's a London's commuter express leaving in three and a half minutes, sir. You can change in England. Say, I left my commutation ticket at home this morning. Can I buy a one way ticket? Eastern Express making connections for India at gate nine. They haven't said a word about the South American Express. I'm not taking it. Don't you remember? I have to go to Lisbon first. Of course. That's why you took your raincoat. Well, have fun and I'll see you tomorrow night. Unless you call. I've got a month vacation coming up in July. I think I'll take the family over. Got an 8 year old boy who's never been to China. Australia special leaving in three minutes. Gate six. Last call for Daylight Limited. Dear me, I better hustle. Oh, take the pneumatic conveyor to Runway 32, madam. You've plenty of time landing straight. Trip's only two miles away. You be careful flying back home. And please, dear, watch what you're doing when you put the plane in the garage. [00:25:27] Speaker E: Goodbye, darling. [00:25:38] Speaker B: 1946. Honolulu's an overnight hop from Chicago. You can fly the Pacific for a cent and a half a mile. And if you want to impress your girlfriend via a quarter's worth of orchids flown up this morning from Brazil. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a radio broadcast, but it isn't a hoax. Any resemblance to the Men from Mars is purely accidental. May interest you to know that everything, absolutely everything you've heard in the past couple of minutes, no matter how fictional it seems, is entirely possible. Not next year or in 1946 or 1950, but right now. These aren't wild pipe dreams or blueprints or pulp magazine stuff. For months, the machinery which would make these miracles possible has been rolling off aircraft assembly lines. Just now, of course, our airplanes have more important things to do than to take you to Rio for a weekend. All right, you know what to do? Sure. Down the funnel. Let her rip. Hold your hats, gentlemen. Steady. Steady as you go. Palms away. Solid, Jackson. That Jeff battleship is one dead duck. That's it, gang. Everybody bail out. Orders. How about you take care of yourself? [00:27:16] Speaker A: Don't worry about me. [00:27:42] Speaker B: The rest jumped clear. But the pilot never had time to bail out. Somehow you can't help wondering if anything, even a Japanese battleship, is worth the life of a man like Colin Kelly Jr. In the conviction that the service and example of Captain Colin P. Kelly Jr. Will be long remembered. I ask for this consideration in behalf of Colin P. Kelly iii. That's the passport to an education for CORKY KELLY, Age 3. Signed by the president of the United States. And that answers the questions really all the suffering and sacrifice. It does pay off and make sense on one condition. If it means a better world for Colin P. Kelly iii. This program is about tomorrow. Aw, children call it after the war. You've seen those hopeful happy ads showing some man of the future shopping in his small town sales hangar for a new plane. Those ads are true because we're going to win the war. And there will be airplanes instead of as well as cars for people to ride in. Plain people, little people. But still is this man. You could be my Joe a few years from now. He's in Guadalcanal. That's where he is, I think. Always crazy to fly, never had the chance yet. Or it could be an Eskimo ice fisher in Unalaska, A gland patient in a Texas sanatorium, A diver in a San Francisco harbor, A county doctor back in the Mississippi swamplands. Yeah, or me for instance. I got me a little sheep ranch up in North Dakota. The wife, she's a Bible woman, also what you might call literal minded. And when the book tells her love thy neighbor, it irks her. She only gets chance to do it three or four times a year. That's when we make the trip to Chickasaw for supplies, Meet the Davises that live just around Bear Point, 70 miles up the pass. I got a hunch it ain't just because she feels it her duty. She really does enjoy it when her and Mrs. Davis get together, give each other potholders they've crocheted and swap yarns about what they've been cooking the last few months. I know Harry Davis and me has a good time after the buy in's done. It's a glass of beer here and chocolate bar there. And always. No, no, it's gotta be my treat now till before you know it, it's late afternoon. Time to be getting back the way you were talking. Why, I suppose we could be real neighborly. Just fly across. Like how to do and visit the Davises at their place. Oh yes, you could be neighborly. This earth would bow furling its mountains and its miles while you slipped over to call on the Davises. There'd be other neighbors for you too. Down in Colorado, over in Ontario, distances cease to be the limbo beyond Chickasaw Corners become just the swift little Breezes sparkling past your wings. The advertisement, that picture of the man, whoever he is, buying his little plane, becomes an expanding dream. The transports, tomorrow's workplanes, flying that Eskimo to the University of Chicago. Beating death to the bedside of that country doctor's patient, higher and swifter, flashing through the dead shadows of national boundaries and man's abject isolation from his neighbor. But, Mr. Wells, how do we know our kids are going to be better off? How do we know it isn't going to happen all over again in another 20 years? Worse than the last time? What are we really fighting for? Well, that's the biggest question in the world. Which doesn't mean we shouldn't try to answer it. Please turn to page three of Time magazine for November 9th, 1942. Got it? Mm. Read it. What kind of a world are we fighting for? That's the lead line in a two page advertisement of Pan American World Airways. Herewith we present a statement written for Americans and people throughout the world by the Most Reverend William Temple, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The structure of life as we knew it before the war has already been profoundly modified. How far do we want to restore it, if we can? I offer these suggestions as a goal to aim at immediately. Every child should find itself a member of a family housed with decency and dignity, so that it may grow up in a happy fellowship, unspoiled by underfeeding or overcrowding, by dirty and drab surroundings or by mechanical monotony of environment. Every citizen should have a voice in the conduct of the business of industry, which is carried on by means of his labor and the satisfaction of knowing that his labor is directed to the well being of the community. After the war, every citizen should have sufficient daily leisure, with two days of rest in seven and an annual holiday with pay to enable him to enjoy a full personal life. Every citizen should have assured liberty in the forms of freedom of worship, of speech, of assembly and of association for special purposes. That's what the spiritual head of the Church of England has to say about the world. For Caucasus Kelly, what keeps us from realizing that world? Here's America, the world's granary, but the hungry people don't get the grain. America is the world's hospital, but the patients don't arrive in time. America is the world's university, but the students can't enroll. Ever since the beginning of time, our fruitful heritage has been knotted up, congested, blocked because the trade avenues were so narrow. The road from Sao Paulo to Archangel, from Des Moines to Hankou was never wide enough or fast enough. Well, it is now. You've heard that sound many times on this program. It's a simple sound effect. We've tried to make it more than that. We nominate that noise as a flag for the future. A trumpet call announcing tomorrow the day to come when the bomb sites are dismantled and the guns are taken off and the steel armor removed. And man, the common man, whose century this is to be, rebuilds his cities tomorrow. Just between us, Corky, I'd swap lifetimes with you sight unseen. Ladies and gentlemen, this series of broadcasts is continuing at this same time, but for a while, the Mercury Theater is going off the air. Next week, my friend Ronald Coleman will tell you the story about Douglas Dauntless, the world's greatest dive bomber. We very much wish it were possible for us to go on writing and producing these radio plays. We've never been happier. We've never been as proud of an association in any medium at any time in our life. As a theater company, the Mercury is proud to have been part of a great industry. We're proud of the men and women of Lockheed and Vega. We leave with real regrets. It's not easy this time to say good night, Americans. This program has come to you from. [00:37:32] Speaker E: The Lockheed and Vega aircraft corporations of Burbank, California. [00:37:36] Speaker B: Be with us again next Monday night when Ronald Coleman tells the story of the Douglas Dauntless. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System. [00:37:49] Speaker D: That was Ceiling Unlimited here on the mysterious old Radio Listening Society podcast once again. I'm Eric. [00:37:56] Speaker E: I'm Tim. [00:37:57] Speaker A: I'm Joshua. [00:37:58] Speaker C: And I'm Shannon. [00:37:59] Speaker D: And we are live at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater in Minneapolis. [00:38:04] Speaker B: Yay. [00:38:08] Speaker D: For those of you in attendance tonight who may not know about our podcast and have come down here, we are somewhere over 350 episodes over about 10 years of this podcast. And we occasionally like to come out of the dark room and venture into the real world and see actual humans and do the podcast live. This dark room. So we thank you so, so much for being here with us tonight and that Ceiling Unlimited was picked by our special guest, Shannon Custer. Yeah, it's a little bit outside of our normal purview of stuff that we do on the podcast, but it is a fascinating selection for you to bring, and there are so many elements to this to talk about and explore. But let's start with you. You know the podcast really well. Why did you bring them? [00:39:03] Speaker C: Well, it's because of Lucille Fletcher. I love her so much, and I knew that if I was going to choose something I wanted it to be something that she wrote. And then of course I stumbled upon her short play Gremlin. And then the next thing I knew I was, you know, texting these guys going, could we do two short little plays? And here we are. [00:39:25] Speaker E: Outrageous. [00:39:26] Speaker B: No, outrageous. [00:39:27] Speaker C: They were like, no. But yeah. So I will say that I considered another Lucille Fletcher called Alf, which I was like with Gremlins and Alf, there's just another reason that she's like this 80s fever dream for me as well. But I just decided to go with these. I was so taken with the idea of this project and where it hit during Orson Welles career and I got really into it. So thank you for indulging me. [00:39:56] Speaker D: For those that may not know, Lucille Fletcher is an absolute legend. Legendary writer of all time radio. As we explained at the beginning. From the hitchhiker to many, many, many other things. [00:40:08] Speaker C: Sorry, wrong number. [00:40:09] Speaker D: Sorry, wrong number. But the thing with Fletcher and someone can helped me out because to flush out this story that she was in the typing pool. [00:40:19] Speaker C: Yes. [00:40:20] Speaker D: At one of the radio networks and just started cranking out scripts. I don't know what the leap was. I don't know what the leap was. I don't remember the exact. [00:40:27] Speaker C: She did a lot of things. She took minutes and things like that. She worked in the music library. I mean she was just a girl about the office and started working as. [00:40:36] Speaker D: A writer and at a time when that there was not a lot if any female writers of old time radio. [00:40:43] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:40:44] Speaker D: In the medium that the entire country, it was 90% of information and entertainment and everything was coming from that. [00:40:51] Speaker A: So she used a gremlin to break the glass ceiling. [00:40:54] Speaker D: Right. I see what you did there. [00:40:57] Speaker C: But she did, I mean, she didn't just write radio plays. She, you know, she wrote novels and straightforward plays for the stage and. Yeah. So she's amazing. Really fascinating. Yeah. As a. Just as a person during this time. [00:41:11] Speaker D: My only other connection other than this and all the research you did and everything that we now know about Gremlins was only the Bugs Bunny cartoon. [00:41:24] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. Or isn't it? And there's that Twilight. Not Twilight, the vampires. The vampires, you know, in summer. Werewolves. [00:41:33] Speaker A: Team Jacob, whatever his name is. [00:41:35] Speaker C: No, the gremlin in the play the Twilight Zone, anyway. [00:41:38] Speaker D: Oh, the one on the plane with Captain Kirk. Shatner, whatever his real name is. [00:41:44] Speaker C: I mean, it's very. [00:41:46] Speaker A: James T. Shatner. [00:41:47] Speaker C: Yes, exactly. Yeah. No, I mean it's been, you know, popularized in many different forms. So I think the Looney Tunes is a good place to start actually. [00:41:56] Speaker D: Yeah. That was, you know, I had no idea what they were talking about or context or what that was all about. But it's so interesting as a concept. Gremlins, right? Yeah. First of all, taking away any personal responsibility for anything going wrong. [00:42:13] Speaker C: Well, it's like computer bugs. I mean, we're actually like mobs and stuff that got stuck in mainframes. Now I'm out of my depth. I don't know. [00:42:21] Speaker D: I. I kept thinking while listening to that, the phrase that kept popping in my head every time they describe something that was happening that they were doing was, what if. Yeah, it lifted the entire Runway. [00:42:35] Speaker E: Comparing it to computers is interesting. Of like, if you're in a plane and it's not working and you call the plane help desk and they say, did you try turning your plane off and on again? Different states. [00:42:47] Speaker C: It's a different state. Yeah, you're right. [00:42:51] Speaker A: One thing I enjoyed about this first one, Gremlins, is that I thought it was a contemporary cliche of what Army General sounded like. Everybody sounds like it's Tom Waits doing a Nigel Bruce impression. And it's like, oh, no, that during the war is also what they thought General sounded like. [00:43:13] Speaker C: Amazing. I do love how they. How the actors just completely surrender to it. It's so fantastic. [00:43:20] Speaker D: That voice is also the only voice you can say, bring me pictures of Spider Man. [00:43:25] Speaker C: Exactly. [00:43:26] Speaker E: In the very first little beat of where he. Like, inside the UN headquarters. And suddenly I am convinced, like, oh, this is a very serious piece. [00:43:35] Speaker C: This is going to be. Exactly, yeah. [00:43:36] Speaker E: Very serious wartime piece. It'. [00:43:40] Speaker C: Is it the purple ones with the big bellies? You know, that kind of. [00:43:44] Speaker E: It was. There have been. Over the many years we've listened to radio shows. This is one of those rare ones where, as I'm listening to it, I think what happened in my life that I am listening to this, not that it's bad, it's just like, this is insane. [00:44:01] Speaker D: Right? [00:44:02] Speaker E: These were some of the most talented writers and performers in one of the most desperate hours of American history. And this is nuts. [00:44:13] Speaker C: I'm always so curious about, was this her idea? We'll never know. I mean, there's just. No. But was this her idea or was it pitched to her or. It feels like something that came out of her brain. [00:44:24] Speaker D: But you also get the feeling, listening to Wells and the history that we know of this show, like a very personal show for everybody to want to be involved with. So I don't think it was, here's a pile of money. Write a script for us with big names. [00:44:39] Speaker A: I don't know how personal it was to Wells, who apparently was just mildly insulted by an agent who knew was like, you know what? Win this war by yourself. It's Ronald Coleman's problem now. [00:44:53] Speaker B: We're out. [00:44:54] Speaker C: He seemed so on board. And it was after this really devastating personal setback for him, professional setback for him with the. The filming. And then he was like, I'm gonna throw myself into doing good. And then 20 minutes later, he's like, you're on your own, America. You know, so, yeah, he's an interesting guy. The Orson Welles. [00:45:15] Speaker D: What was the setback with the filming again? [00:45:17] Speaker A: It's his life story. [00:45:18] Speaker D: Right. [00:45:19] Speaker A: You have to be a lot more specific. [00:45:20] Speaker C: He just got really mad at an agent and left with the film. [00:45:24] Speaker E: I just assumed that they ran out of money. [00:45:26] Speaker C: Oh, the film you're talking about as. [00:45:28] Speaker A: Well always ran out of money. [00:45:30] Speaker C: That was just a series of mishaps. [00:45:33] Speaker E: And I think he started a world war. [00:45:38] Speaker C: But when he came back to. When he came back from that trip, he threw himself back into radio. It was like he was. Film had destroyed him. You know, he started to do well in film, obviously, did Wells. Oh, bye. See, now it just got ruined. Everything's ruined. They're scared. They're scared. [00:46:04] Speaker D: So the other thing about this that's so fascinating to me, as you brought up, is the absolute star power that's involved in this with Agnes Morehead and Orson Welles. I mean, how could you not, back at that time, hear those names and not go, well, I'm listening to that. It's like the Dolly Parton Christmas special. Who's gonna be on it? Yeah, I'll watch that. [00:46:27] Speaker C: Well, it was his full roster of, you know, his Mercury Theater actors. But then also, I mean, obviously, he had enough sway in Hollywood. People wanted to be a part of it. You know, it was a big deal. [00:46:39] Speaker A: Christmas time early in the war was a time in which people needed to be distracted and cheered up. So I excuse the incredibly insipid, you. [00:46:51] Speaker E: Know, phone call from Santa Claus. [00:46:52] Speaker A: Yes. But then also, that's what people needed to hear. [00:46:56] Speaker C: And I feel like it's so Lucille Fletcher in her style, too, to have this huge thing that was downing all of these planes be solved by this Irish lass, and she's like, it's cream because of the pixies. You know, Like, I just. That's such, to me, such a loose. Like, to have that moment be such a stark contrast to these blustering generals who are like, we can't fly our planes. And she's like, do do, do, do. In the end, you know, I just think that's so her. [00:47:25] Speaker A: It's also a nice little Lucille Fletcher, that it is the female gremlin that gets into their meeting and vexes them and they can't do anything about it. [00:47:35] Speaker C: And breaks the window. They're like, don't kill it. It's a female. [00:47:41] Speaker A: We need it for our breeding experiments. [00:47:44] Speaker E: Well, the scene of drenching the gremlin in Cream, this is a little PG13. [00:47:50] Speaker D: I feel we are only 47 mentions away from marking how many times they said the word cream. [00:48:00] Speaker A: Oh, so intentionally I was like, cream, cream. [00:48:05] Speaker D: The Prince song has less. [00:48:07] Speaker C: And then I. I love too. But then there's that one moment where they're like, that's kind of hard to get. [00:48:15] Speaker A: All milk and dairy products were highly rationed. So I think that was a. Another joke on Lucille Fletcher because all. [00:48:22] Speaker D: The cows are off fighting. [00:48:23] Speaker A: Yes. [00:48:24] Speaker E: Somebody in the writer pools their note. Technically, cream is very difficult to get. [00:48:28] Speaker D: Damn it, Leonard. [00:48:29] Speaker C: But I will say I did listen to the other, you know, 11 ceiling unlimiteds. This one is definitely different in tone from most of them. [00:48:39] Speaker A: Well, it's very different from the second one. [00:48:42] Speaker C: Yes. And the second one feels more in line with the rest. I mean, there were letters home and, you know, some really. I mean, very beautiful, but very plucking the heartstrings. So hers very much stands out as a different kind of offering in this series. [00:49:04] Speaker A: I honestly think the second one is much weirder. [00:49:08] Speaker C: Yeah, it is weird. Yes. I so agree. [00:49:13] Speaker A: When it opens in 1946 with a one World Government where passports have been abolished and we all fly planes that are. We all own planes, apparently, that Lockheed has a contract with the One World Government. They are essentially the Spacing Guild from Dune. Right. They control everything. And that is the utopia they are presenting. That is vaguely based on the theocratic vision of the Archbishop of Canterbury. [00:49:48] Speaker C: That's the other part. That's why we have slides for those listening at home. But that's why there's a picture of. And what's interesting about that archbishop is he was only the archbishop from 1942 to 1944. [00:50:02] Speaker A: Oh, this. [00:50:03] Speaker E: Never got to see his 1946 utopia. [00:50:06] Speaker C: He didn't know. He was like, these are my thoughts. And they put it in Time magazine in a Pan American ad. And then Orson read it on the air and then was like, I'm leaving. It is very strange. [00:50:23] Speaker A: I love the guy who's like, I've never taken my son to China. [00:50:25] Speaker B: And I'm like, don't do it. [00:50:29] Speaker E: But also that 1946. When was the last war? Recent, I feel. [00:50:34] Speaker A: Yeah. Because they were like, it's 1940. [00:50:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:50:35] Speaker C: They didn't give themselves a lot of time. They were just like, within three months, everything will be different. [00:50:41] Speaker A: Presumably Lockheed also developed some sort of mind erasing power. [00:50:45] Speaker C: Yes. No. And it's so. It's maudlin and it has this. [00:50:53] Speaker A: Don't get me wrong, I think as a piece of propaganda, using that term as neutrally as possible, I think it's amazingly well done because it does that thing where it just keeps moving from idea to idea and keeps you from actually thinking about it. Right. Unless you're in 2024 and have to talk about it on a podcast, you just kind of like, oh, I'll just sort of glide along. [00:51:15] Speaker E: That's also neat. [00:51:16] Speaker A: Sounds cool. I'd like to own an aeroplane. [00:51:19] Speaker C: I would love an airplane. [00:51:20] Speaker D: It's like a propaganda cabaret show without. [00:51:24] Speaker A: Any of the songs. [00:51:25] Speaker D: Right, right. [00:51:28] Speaker C: It's like he thought, I have 15 minutes left. So he put it all in there. I mean, he put it all in there. Whether it wanted to be in there or not. He put it in. [00:51:38] Speaker A: That's the last one. That was probably his ideas for six episodes. [00:51:43] Speaker E: It also has the idea of, like, most of the world's problems could just be fixed if flights didn't take so long. [00:51:49] Speaker A: Yes. [00:51:50] Speaker D: Wells is the king of the uncomfortable pregnant pause to the point of the spacing between. He's being dramatic. Leads you to the point of, oh. [00:52:05] Speaker C: You start to get up. Yeah. [00:52:08] Speaker D: Are we done? No. Oh, okay. He's gonna. [00:52:10] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:11] Speaker D: Just so, so dramatic. Yeah. [00:52:15] Speaker A: I love the way he says, good night, America. Are you on the radio or waiting on me in a bar or. [00:52:24] Speaker D: Or in my closet? [00:52:27] Speaker A: No, it's under my bed. [00:52:29] Speaker C: It's very dramatic. And when the series, you know, that ended, Mercury Theater, the way he says it, we're going off the air, it's like a death. And then he said. And he's like, but we're going to do some stuff next week. Don't worry. And I love that they just called it America Ceiling Unlimited. That's real, right? And it was more of a variety show. I don't. I know very little about that. Although he did show up on those. Some of those. [00:52:54] Speaker D: Are there any in existence, do you know America? [00:52:59] Speaker C: Yeah, I think so. I didn't go down there. [00:53:01] Speaker D: How many Ceiling Unlimited catches were recorded, do we know? [00:53:05] Speaker C: Oh, I don't know. I just know the 13. [00:53:07] Speaker D: The 13 that were. [00:53:09] Speaker C: That were all Orson. I Mean, he did all of them outside of, you know, Lucille's writing and things like that. [00:53:15] Speaker D: Right, right. [00:53:16] Speaker A: The other interesting thing, from a contemporary point of view in that second episode, the future, was the idea that proximity to your neighbor would make them easier to love. [00:53:28] Speaker C: Yes. [00:53:28] Speaker A: We now know that connectedness does not in any way foster love. [00:53:35] Speaker C: Yeah. It was such a. It's a huge theme and it was about that making the world smaller. And again, I just don't know if there is another example of a radio show where the sponsor was the star. [00:53:51] Speaker A: Like, I mean, and shares its plans to take over the world. [00:53:58] Speaker E: Although, do you think the. The model they presented of this young farmer who sees his neighbors, like, only once every few months. That sounds real nice. Just drinking it. Some chocolate and some falling asleep and. All right, see you in six months. [00:54:14] Speaker B: We'll do it again. [00:54:15] Speaker A: He's like, I love my neighbors. I never see them. [00:54:19] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:54:20] Speaker E: Not that I hate neighbors or anything, but just that it sounds like a real nice celebration of like, hey, I'm not bored of you. [00:54:33] Speaker D: Remind me not to come over for Christmas. [00:54:36] Speaker C: I will say too, that the title of this, Ceiling Unlimited, CBS tried to get him to change the title so many times. [00:54:44] Speaker A: Was that Orson's idea? That sounds like Orson. [00:54:46] Speaker C: He was like, I will call it nothing else. [00:54:49] Speaker B: Right. [00:54:50] Speaker C: And so it was very much. Even though, you know, again, the sponsorship was so intense. It was his project and he was very intense about obviously. [00:55:01] Speaker D: Well, everything he did was his. [00:55:03] Speaker C: I don't. Yeah, there's no. What's the word? Chill is. Doesn't figure into Orson Welles life collaboration. But. Yeah. So Ceiling Unlimited was. They were like, that's a terrible name. No one's gonna, you know, no one's gonna listen to. [00:55:18] Speaker D: They talk like the guy in the. [00:55:20] Speaker B: It's terrible. [00:55:21] Speaker C: That's a terrible name. [00:55:22] Speaker B: Bring me pictures of spider man. [00:55:26] Speaker C: So I kind of feel like when they renamed it America Ceiling Unlimited, they felt better about the whole thing. [00:55:32] Speaker A: Wells wanted to call Mercury Theater first person singular. [00:55:36] Speaker D: Yeah, that was. That was the original name. [00:55:42] Speaker C: He would not budge. [00:55:44] Speaker E: And like, could we just call radio Orson Welles? [00:55:46] Speaker D: Is that something we could do? [00:55:49] Speaker C: But, yeah, so he had a lot of run ins early on with it, which is interesting when you think about the amount of star power and. [00:55:56] Speaker D: Right. [00:55:56] Speaker C: And again, it was difficult to see how popular it really was. [00:56:01] Speaker E: Largely forgotten now. [00:56:02] Speaker C: Yeah, it's not even like the fourth thing mentioned in his career. I mean, obviously he. He has big ones, but there are. [00:56:09] Speaker D: Things that we've forgotten from this era of radio that were incredibly powerful and Popular, for example, the yearly Christmas Carol with Mercury Theater. And was it Mercury Theater? [00:56:22] Speaker A: Well, they did it once or twice. [00:56:25] Speaker D: What's his name? [00:56:25] Speaker E: Santa Claus. [00:56:26] Speaker D: Yeah, that guy. No, who played Scrooge Barrymore. Yeah. And it was a huge deal. Everybody's like, oh, you know, the radio version of Christmas Carols coming. It was about nine, 10 years. It was a very popular and important thing. Also, don't forget, this is back when. [00:56:42] Speaker E: Recurring Christmas carols was a thing. [00:56:44] Speaker D: Right, right. And it's also the era, you know, that a ventriloquist act was the most popular radio show in the country. Edgar Bergen did. [00:56:54] Speaker A: The audience had to think about that for a second. [00:56:57] Speaker D: Oh, yeah, yeah. It was one of the most popular. That was the. Here's a little trivia for those who don't know War of the Worlds. Like, did it really have that effect when it was broadcast? [00:57:08] Speaker C: Really? [00:57:09] Speaker D: Very few people were listening to War of the Worlds that night. Percentage wise, majority of the country is tuned into the Charlie McCarthy Edgar Bergen show, which was a ventriloquist act every week on the radio, millions of listeners. It was a huge success. I like the silence because it's not. It's not boredom, it's what you have to envision it. But I will say that way, his lips really don't move. Wow, he's really good. [00:57:42] Speaker E: Did he bring the dummy, though? [00:57:44] Speaker A: Yeah, it's instead of theater of the mind, it's theater of the lips. Imagine I'm not moving. [00:57:50] Speaker D: If no one else has anything, let's vote. I will start with classic. No, it's not a classic of radio drama or audio theater in any way. However, it is amazingly probably top three in our. All of our shows that we've done. The most poignant as far as historical significance. The historical significance of listening to these is absolutely worth the listen. It's amazing to hear all of those nuances of life and culture and the things that were being thought of and coming out through a radio program. So it's absolutely historically significant. And actually, I will say, regardless of content of storytelling or anything of that nature, it's very well produced, extremely well produced. And care. There is craftsmanship in the. [00:58:48] Speaker C: This feels like every email I get after auditions. We really liked you. [00:58:55] Speaker E: You are historically. [00:59:02] Speaker B: Wow. [00:59:02] Speaker A: Yeah. I think often on this podcast we use the verdict of historically significant as a kind of consolation prize. But here it's not. Because I think that is what is so facet. It's so rich with history. Sometimes we do use it as a consolation prizes. And yeah, if you have this obscure Nerdy knowledge of the creator behind the scenes. This is of historical interest to you if you're into old time radio. But this has such broad historical interest and it's just a kind of propaganda. Its specificity, the one world airplane government is just like, that's really weird and fun. I want to sort of flesh that out in some fan fiction, I think. So I had a. An absolute blast with this. And then you combine that historical interest with a cast that is, hands down, a classic Old Time radio cast. Some of the legends, and it was just a great double feature. Thank you. [01:00:03] Speaker E: Yeah, I. Very similar to what has been said, but I was trying to think of, like, if you presented this to maybe some people here who were like, I have no idea what any of this is about. Like, I have this much knowledge of World War II. I have no knowledge of old radio. To what degree do you go have the same reaction of us? Like, wow, that was amazing. Not necessarily that engaging right now, but with the context, amazing. So, yes, let me sleep on it. [01:00:30] Speaker A: And get back to you. That's a vote. [01:00:33] Speaker B: Sure. [01:00:37] Speaker E: But having that context. These are amazing performances and super fun scripts and just a fascinating little nugget of history that is like a loose tooth in the mouth of history. [01:00:51] Speaker A: We just pulled it out. This podcast is a wrench. [01:00:55] Speaker E: I can't stop fiddling with this episode of my tongue. That's what I'm trying to say. So that's my vote. [01:01:07] Speaker C: Oh, my God. I have to vote. Well, obviously I found it fascinating. I feel like I owe everybody a beer. I did love the performances. I love the insight into Orson Welles. I love Lucille Fletcher. She's to blame for why we're here. And I do have a real soft spot for some of the revealing ideologies in this particular set of plays. And I had a good time researching it, but, I mean, my master's degree is in Victorian parlor plays for children, so I lead a quiet, quiet life. Thank you for joining me. [01:01:57] Speaker E: Take our audience's temperature just by applause. How many people had a very positive reaction to these episodes? Lovely. No judgment. Who was like, not so much about these episodes. [01:02:12] Speaker B: Oh, fair enough. [01:02:14] Speaker E: Fair enough. [01:02:16] Speaker A: Good. I read the room accurately. There was like this sort of dementor chill from this corner. [01:02:25] Speaker D: Shannon, thank you so much for bringing that the opportunity to explore. After 350 episodes and a lot more coming up of this podcast, we keep finding new shows that we think we've heard of. Every single show that's out there that still exists that we can listen to, and. And we just Keep getting surprised. Like, oh, what's that? Never heard of that or so it's great to be able to bring something. You know, we've done 60 episodes of suspense. You know, like it's nice to have something really unique like that. And that was. [01:02:55] Speaker C: You mean those fun mystery shows that everyone loves? That everyone loves. [01:03:00] Speaker D: All right, Tim, tell them stuff. [01:03:02] Speaker E: Hey, if you liked this episode, we have got 350 plus more of [email protected] or wherever you get your podcast. If you'[email protected], you can leave comments, you can vote in polls, let us know what you thought of them. And you can also find links to our store to get some mysterious old radio listing society themed swag. And you'll find a link to our Patreon page. [01:03:23] Speaker A: Yes, you can go to patreon.com themorals and guess what? After buying tickets to the show, you could give us more money to support the podcast if you like. We have a lot of bonus content for in exchange for those monthly generous donations, we have bonus podcast episodes. We get together monthly with all our patrons on Zoom and you guessed it, discuss old time radios shows. And we also have book clubs. We do a lot of fun stuff. We have our own Discord Server for Patreons. And so yeah, you pretty much can't afford not to become one. [01:03:56] Speaker D: And if you'd like to see us performing live, the mysterious old Radio Listening Society Theater Company. We do monthly and sometimes more than once a month live on stage recreations of classical time radio shows and a lot of our own original work. We've been doing that non stop for over eight years. If you'd like to find out where we're performing, what we're performing and how to get tickets, just go to ghoulishdelights.com find out when we're doing these live [email protected] and get and come and see us do these like you folks just did. So I don't know why I'm telling you. You know that. All right, what is coming up next? [01:04:35] Speaker A: Next we are going to be doing a Q and A with your mysterious old hosts. We're calling it our mysterious old Leftover Special because it's all the leftover questions from our last Q and A session. Until then, look out. [01:04:52] Speaker C: Originally aired December 21, 1942 and February 1, 1943, respectfully respectively. [01:05:02] Speaker A: But also respectfully. [01:05:03] Speaker C: And also respectfully.