X Minus One - The Man In The Moon

0:00Countdown for blast-off. X minus 5, minus 4, minus 3, minus 2, x minus 1, fire. From the far horizons of the unknown, come tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future, adventures in which you'll live in a million could be years on a thousand would-be worlds. The National Broadcasting Company presents X minus 1. Tonight's story, The Man in the Moon. The Man in the Moon.

1:02Attention, attention. This is the Federal Bureau of Missing Persons calling all local agencies. Attention, this is a coded report nationwide. Missing since 9 o'clock this morning, the following persons, Smigley, Jonathan, 5 feet 8 inches tall, brown hair, brown eyes, mastoid scar behind right ear, last scene wearing blue top coat and tan cap, wandered by a lost angel. Hello, get off this wavelength, this is a restricted band. Oh, whoever you are, you're on a coded wavelength. Two now, this frequency is reserved for the Federal Bureau of Missing Persons. Guys, loony. Jake, there's Charlie in the code room. Some crack potters on our frequency. Oh, hurry it up, will you? Some hammers in for a good stiff find by the FCC.

2:02Yeah, now to take his license away. Here comes landing with the directional fix. Thanks, honey. Hey, what's this? It's impossible. What's going on down there? How about it? Get that hamm out of my killicycles. Now listen, Charlie, unless this is a gag, that interference is being beaten from 240,000 miles away. Oh, now, Jake, you know, there ain't no such thing as 240,000 miles away. Here's serious, Charlie, straight up. Oh, no, wait a minute. Charlie, that signal is coming from the moon. Are you nuts? Somebody might be bouncing it like a radar signal. Radar on this frequency, where'd you study, basic radio? Now listen, flathead, you asked for a fix. I gave the best fix. Our instruments can find. Take it or leave it. Somebody on the moon is calling the Bureau of Missing Persons. What's the sweat, Charlie? Shouldn't you be broadcasting? Listen, Mr. Timkin, you know I'm a sober citizen, right? Mm-hmm. Ever once have I broadcasted with a smell of alcohol on my breath, right?

3:04Right. In all your 12 years here at the Bureau, did I once ever... What's the matter, Charlie? We're picking up a message on our wavelengths. Did you report to the FCC? I ain't got the nerve. Well, what's wrong? You'll scream when you hear this, Mr. Timkin. You'll jump right out the window, but... We are getting an SOS from the moon. Well, that city started on voice and switched to Mars. The way the signal repeats sounds like a phonograph record or automatic sender of some sort. Oh, what's it say? Let's see here. Can you read me, help, Otterburn? Will contact when Moon is in phase. Let's have that again. Can you read me, help, Otterburn? Will contact when Moon is in phase, Otterburn? It sounds like a name, huh? Otterburn. Otterburn. Wait a minute. Something registered? Cornelius Otterburn. Holy jump in your hose of fat. Hey, where are you going? Dr. Lechee. Hey, wait a minute. What are you going to tell him? We just got to seek you from the man in the moon?

4:05That's exactly what I am. I'm going to tell him, Charlie. Hey. Oh, this... Just too much for me. Washington Starlet요. Let me have O'Brien on city desk. O'Brien. Oh, Brian. James, Charlie Starbuck down at the missing person's view. Are you going to hunt one? No kidding. This will cost you a beer, okay? All right, shoot, noodle brain. I'll stay on your wavelength for 30 seconds. Okay. We just got a radio message from the moon. Yep. What? From the moon. Call me back when you're sober. Okay, James. If you don't know a story, when you see one, huh? I'll sing you the name of a good psychiatrist. So long, Austin Wells. How do you like that? You don't believe me. Otterburn, Mr. Wade.

5:05Now, does that name ring a bell? The old man with a photographic memory, Henry. What about Otterburn? Cornelius Otterburn, a comic physicist, reported missing from his home in Baltimore on June 5, 1945. Just five years ago, vanished completely. Are you trying to tell me you really think there's something to this man of the moon business? Then I'm surprised at you. This is some crack-pop trying to jam the airwaves. This is what the name Otterburn is so unusual. Sorry, a lot of names. I have a theory that I was afraid of. Henry, you always have a theory. Let's see, what was it last year? Oh, yes. People disappear in occupational psych. But it's true, I... Please, Henry, I'm a busy man. Expect me to believe that this Otterburn is sitting up on the moon, sending out short-wave messages. He might be on Earth bouncing the messages off the moon. But who's to say he isn't on the moon? Henry is cheap of this. Bureau, I have my hands full trying to coordinate reports from 48 states on Alaska. I have no time to include the moon. But Mr. Wade. Out, Henry. But Mr. Wade. Out, I'm busy. Yes. Oh, here. Take this folder of reports for the dead file. Yes. And no more nonsense, eh, Henry? Yes. I appreciate that you have a very dull job filing old missing persons reports.

6:05And I appreciate that you take an active interest in the affairs of the Bureau. But no more nonsense, eh? No, sir. No more nonsense. Eh, pardon me. Hmm? You are Mr. Henry Timkin. That's my name. The admit me, Jefferson Philo Scientific Featurewriter. How do you do? Are you the newspaper man? Not exactly. I write as a hobby. Occasionally the papers give me leads on an assignment. If I may have a moment of your time. Certainly. Just sit down in my desk over here. Thank you. My, that's quite a stack of papers. Filing. And the record. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. That's quite a stack of papers. Filing. And the records custodian of the Bureau, 12 years, and never misplaced a record. Magnificent. I admire the precise mind, Mr. Timkin, of course. Now Mr. Timkin, Mr. Brian, the editor of the star, I just said I might drop by and investigate a rumor. Only a rumor mind you, that a message from the moon.

7:05Well, we aren't certain it's from the moon. It may be a bounce. They have bounced radar waves off the moon, you know. Yes, I know. I wrote the first newspaper article on it. Really, I'd be interested to read it. I must have a copy of my bookcase. Well, I don't bother, I'd pull, but I insist. Oh, yes. There you are. I'll leave it on your desk. Well, thank you very much. Now, about this message from the moon, Mr. Timkin. Now, we don't know for sure, as I said. But I believe that this message, wherever it originates, is from Cornelius Honneburn. The physicist? Would you know him? I once wrote an article on his contributions in nuclear mechanics. A brilliant man out of him. Years ahead of his contemporaries. Well, whoever is sending those signals, if he isn't on the moon, is at least using the moon as a sounding board bouncing the signal. But why, Mr. Timkin? Why? And if you will come here tomorrow night at 8, Mr. Philo, we may learn the answer to that question. I've arranged with Charlie our radio man to let me use the equipment. May I consider this an invitation? You certainly may. Very well, sir. Until tomorrow night then. Goodbye, Mr. Philo.

8:05Hmm. Hey, let's see now. Aiken, Abelage, Abramson, Toronto, Etch. That's funny. Now, where did this list of names come from? Paul Arons, Astrol Mathematician, Robert Simon's electronic engineer, Carl Parker, mining specialist. Well, this must have got mixed up with the papers on my desk by accident. Be cuter, Mr. Fanny. Oh, good morning, Charlie. Oh, I was too, Ken. See, we made the papers. Oh. And how? And as the chief steamed up about it, he really gave me what for? What did the papers say? Oh, mostly, haha. Here's a hero. Listen. Man on the moon contacts missing persons, Bureau. Missing atomic scientists sitting on the moon. Say, Bureau experts, et cetera, et cetera. What a panic. Well, no wonder Mr. Wade is hopping.

9:06Say, about tonight was... Now, you promised you would give me a key to the radio room. Yeah, but I didn't expect that. I'll take full responsibility with Mr. Wade. Not the time for the morning broadcast. We got quite a list today. Well, mind if I listen a while, we may hear Auduburn. Why? Self-conscious. Just stick around. Yes. Attention. Attention. This is the federal missing persons bureau called, Local agencies. Nationwide. This is a coded broadcast. Following persons are missing. Erin's Dr. Paul, 5 feet 5, brown hair, brown eyes, scar on left side of chin, thick glasses, Occupation, astromathematician, missing since six o'clock this morning, being sought by Bel Air Police. The Charlie repeat. Dr. Paul Erin off a second. Hold it. A delay one minute. Listen, Mr. Timkin, it's okay to stay, but you can interrupt. This is important. Did you say Dr. Erin's was reported missing this morning?

10:06Six a.m. We got the report from Bel Air Lesson an hour ago. And are you certain, Charlie? Positive. What is this? Charlie, what's the next name on the list? Let's see, Simon's Robert, engineer. What? Came in less than 20 minutes ago. 20? What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost. There's nothing, Charlie, except that last night, quite by accident, someone left the list of names on my desk, and that list included the names of those two men who were reported missing within the last hour. Why? Oh, that doesn't sound right to me. Well, it isn't right, Charlie. It gives a big question to be answered. Who would make up a list of missing persons before they were missing? Not after. And you say this list of names was left on your desk accidentally? I believe so, Mr. Wade. Do you have any ideas, Henry? It's hard to say. Mr. Filo left some papers from his briefcase. Mr. Filo? A science feature writer. And see, you were the leak on that story then. Yes, sir. I'm afraid I was. I didn't think it would be treated as a laughing matter.

11:07We'll deal with that later. Yes, sir. I'm afraid I was. I'm afraid I was. I didn't think it would be treated as a laughing matter. No, I didn't think it would be treated as a laughing matter. I will deal with that later. Yes, sir. What's this file like? Well, he's a strange old duck. Ball, think glasses, tall. He walks to October. Seems to know a great deal about scientific data. But of course, being a science writer, he's a... Is there any other possibility? I believe that this is all hooked up with the broadcast from Otterburn. That seems to be a very remote possibility. A missing person's bureau deals in remote possibilities, Mr. Wade. I do not require a statement of policy. Yes, sir. What's the theory? Well, for some time now, it has been my contention that in a country like ours, where even the cleverest criminal can be ferred out and located eventually, there is no such thing as a missing person. It was afraid of that. For 12 years now, I have kept the central files, where information from all over the country is channeled and recorded. I have made a private study. This is beginning to sound familiar, and...

12:08And I have discovered that each year, literally thousands of persons vanish, leaving no trace. They are never located. Where do they go? Nobody knows. And... And they disappear in interesting cycles. What sort of cycles? Occupations, for example. One year we'll have a run on, say coal miners. Next year, the proportion of engineers increases. And then scientists. And what do you think happens, Henry? I don't know, Mr. Wade, but... I'm beginning to suspect that somebody else has discovered the same phenomenon, even to the point, perhaps, of being able to predict who will turn up among the missing next. Hello? Well... I don't know. But I would like to find out. And you think out of burn, maybe a part of this picture? Mr. Wade, I definitely do. Henry, do you honestly expect me to buy an idea like that? Well, it is more than I, and an idea. There's a two-top man on this list, or missing, and... Maybe so, but the rest of the mind. Parker Watson Gibbs. Why I saw Parker in the restaurant where I had lunch today. Yes, but... And if you think I'm going to make myself a laughingstock by accepting such a crack brain theory. Well, excuse me. Yes.

13:08Hello, Wade speaking. Yes? Yes? Yes? Yes? Let's see. What name? Just a moment. Henry, let me see that list. Here you are, sir. Go ahead. Let's see. I'll get back to you. I guess I owe you an apology, Henry. Sir? Harold Parker was just reported missing. Parker? Third man on your list. Holy mackerel. Exactly. I'm going to make myself a little bit more of a mistake. I'm going to make myself a little bit more of a mistake. Holy mackerel. Exactly. Henry, we're good many years now. I've ridiculed these theories of yours. I don't know. Perhaps I've underestimated you. Maybe this time you've really stumbled onto something. What do you intend to do, Mr. Wade? I don't know. I haven't thought it out yet. I was planning to listen for another broadcast tonight in the hope that Otterburn might try to contact us again. Good idea. I believe I'll join you. I also invite Mr. Fylo the future.

14:09Oh. I'm glad to meet him. I'm beginning to get interested in your Mr. Fylo. Wait, you don't think? He's mixed up in this? Yes. I don't know, Henry. But it certainly strikes me that we don't know very much about him, really. We ought to contact the police. No, Henry. I think we're better off keeping this between ourselves for the moment. We're dealing with the unknown and in solving an equation for the X factor, it's often easier to limit the number of terms. Follow me. We don't know Mr. Wade. There may be more danger in what you have discovered than you are aware of. Let's keep it quiet. You agree? Maybe you're right, Mr. Wade. I haven't thought of the danger involved. I made a clock. Mr. Fylo is late. He said he'd be here. He strikes me as a man who keeps appointments. Look out the window.

15:09Yes. One is almost in direct phase. It'll take a long time. It's a perfectly clear night for transmission. If anybody's sending, we ought to pick it up with this equipment. You'd better switch on the set. Yes. I never realized how eerie this office could be when it was empty. I looked a light in the hole, Mr. Fylo, when it comes. Are you getting anything? Just some foreign stuff, I think. In this concludes the British Court of the Tonight's Programming from Johannesburg, Selvets. We continue in April. That's a peculiar transmission, sir. All right. Well, that sounds like something. See if I can work the selector. The moon is in phase. Hello. Can you hear me? I'll try to return. Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello. Do you hear me? I'll get you now. Thank God. Who are you? Can you hear me? Who are you? This is Professor Cornelius Autobahn.

16:09Hello? Go on. I hear you. Not much time. They're on to me. They've located my sending point. Do you hear me? Go ahead. Keep talking. I've only enough oxygen for a few minutes more. Where are you? I'm on the earth side of the moon. You get that. The earth side of the moon. A volcanic crater. Would you? I'll start that recorder, Mr. Wade. Go on. Explain please. Explain please. I'll listen closely. There is an earth colony on the moon. There is an earth colony on the far side of the moon. Made up of renegade scientists and criminals. Professor Ernst Halzman. He died in an insane ass out of the 1938. Professor Ernst Halzman discovered nuclear rocket power in 1935. Turn his plans over to escape inmates of the asylum. They took off and set up a colony on the far side of the moon in 1938. Go ahead.

17:09We're recording you. Each year they recode new colors. Colors from earth. Save labor mostly. I was kidnapped in 1945. I said, I know. I'll keep talking. You wanted me to work on atomic drive for the flying. Yes. Still getting you, go on. Last month, six others and I escaped. I speak louder. You got to stop them. Stop them. Stop who? The moon colony planning to take over the earth invasion. Oh. Hang on. In an oxygen. Oh, I can't. To breathe. Listen. They have agents. I'm an agent on earth. An agent on earth. Oh, where? Hello? Hello? An agent? Yeah. Turn it. Look out. Someone at the window. Get down. Henry. Are you all right? I think so.

18:09Shot smashed to the transmitter. And the lights. Strike a match. Careful. It was close. I got a look at him. The description was your Mr. Philo. We got a recording anyway. But not the most important part of the message. Poor Otterberg. Suffocating to death. Henry. We've got to get you out of here. He said they have agents. Philo is probably one of them. He'll be looking for you now trying to kill you. The police. You think the police would believe a fantastic story like this? People being kidnapped to the moon as slave labor. Moon colony planning an invasion of the earth. But Henry believed me. They trappers into straight jackets before we could finish. We've got to do something. We need time. Time to get close. You don't think my theory was bunked there? I know it wasn't, Henry. Right now my only concern is for your safety. But we can't walk out of here. Philo is probably waiting. Listen. There's a service elevator that leads to the basement garage. Yeah. We can get down there. There are some delivery trucks parked there all night. We can probably get one started. The garage doors off the ramp work from the inside. We'll start the mechanism and make a run for it.

19:09I don't know. I think if we call the police, we'll be dead. But the time the police get here will be dead. You think Philo will wait outside all night? Come on. That's another. What about the recording of Waterburn's notes? We'll leave that here in the safe in my office. They'll never get into that. Let's go. You buzz the elevator while I hide the recording. This is the basement. Come on. Keep to the side. Yes. Shh. Let's try that delivery truck over there. I'll get in. All right, Henry. You start the mechanism to open the garage door. Then jump on with the truck. We'll make it ash for it. Where can we go? I have a phone outside Chevy Chase. It's private. Miles from the nearest neighbor. And completely hidden by trees. We'll run for that. Go ahead. Start the door. All right.

20:13Quick. Jump in. Let's go ahead. Close your fingers. We made it out all right. Anything doing? There's a blue cook behind us, Mr. Wade. It's he-fe-following. I cut up Pennsylvania Avenue. Now, Ruth won. Todd Volleyball. It is following. He turned with us. Can you go faster? I'm much faster. He's gaining on us. I've got an idea. Hang on, Henry. Yes. What'd you stop? I'll turn off the lights. He worked. He shot right past us. Now we'll double back and go out another route. All right.

21:14I-I don't see anything. I think we've lost him. Good. I think everything is going to be all right now. We can beat my farm in less than an hour. Not much longer now. Is anyone behind us? I-I thought I saw the blue cook again, but I was mistaken. Whew. This place is really hot in the wilderness. We can stay here indefinitely to walk. We'll figure out the next route. Yeah. Now just up this road now. There's the house up ahead. You're not going toward it. No, I have a better idea. There's a big abandoned wheat silo on my grounds. It's down the hollow where it can't be seen except in the air. And even then, the oak trees shield it. We'll hide you out there. Now we leave the truck here.

22:15I'm not missing. Come on. Yes. How did you ever find this place, Mr. Wade? I've always liked seclusion. I bought it about 12 years ago. I might be here on the summertime to get away from it all. There's the silo. You're certainly well hidden. There's a small door around the side. Come on. Careful of those bushes. Yes, part of the scene in the dark. Do you suppose the file will find us? I assure you, Henry, Mr. Fowler will never find us here. Not in a million years. Here's the door. It's a bit dark. Oh, my God. I know the way. Just a few steps up. And another door. Steel. This is an unusual silo. A silo, a double walled wood outside and steel inside. Completely fireproof. An army couldn't wreck it. Or inside the inner shell. Careful.

23:18We're in a circular room. Stay here in moment. I'll go outside and see if the coast is clear. In a moment your eyes will become accustomed to the darkness. I'll bring back some food and water. Well, it won't be long, Mr. Wade. This place gives me the willies. Just a moment. Mr. Wade. Mr. Wade. Mr. Where are you? Mr. Wade. What's that? There is something. Good Lord. Do someone in here? It's locked. I don't know. Mr. Wade. Get the weight on me out. I'm not alone in here. Mr. Wade. This must be a light switch. Thank God. Go to people in 1520. Mr. Wade, out! It'll do you an outfit to the shell, Henry. Wait, where are you? Outside.

24:18Speaking of the intercom. Mr. Wade, there are people in here. 15 or 20 of them. They're sitting like statues. Just staring at me. Well, I won't hurt you, Henry. I've all been drugged. You're even more helpless than you. But... Who are they? The midnight to introduce them. Since they're currently unable to introduce themselves. The gentleman seated before you, the one with the scar, is Dr. Paul Harris, the astromathematician. Next to him is Mr. Robert Simon, select chronic engineer. He's on the list. Yes, you're familiar with the rest. They've all been... shall we say, recruited. We'll work with Professor Horzman's group on the moon. Moon. And you... you're one of them. Of course. Oh, yes. There's one whose name was not on our list. If you'll turn around, Henry, you'll recognize the drug to form of your old friend, Mr. Pylell. Pylell, but I...

25:19I'm sorry. That he was part of the conspiracy. No. In the contrary. His snooping made it necessary for us to include... He's put the man in the window, the one who fired the shot. An agent of mine. A pilot of the ship. Ship of ship. This silo is camouflaged for a rocket launching platform. In a moment, the roof will slide back for the rockets take out a rocket ship. In exactly 70 hours, you and your companions will join Professor Otterberg. But you... You can't do this to me! We have done it to him. No. You see there was another name, omitted in that list, which I, Kellis, be mixed up with your papers. No. Henry, Timkin. No! Oh boy. I won't let you do this! You can't be safe at the hour. Let me out, please. It's hell never. Let me out. Let me out.

26:22Attention. Attention. Missing since 8 o'clock last night, the following persons. Timkin, Henry, age 45. High five feet eight. 165 pounds, brown eyes, slightly balding. Occupation records custodial. Repeat, Timkin, Henry. Age 45. High five feet eight. 165. In just a moment, a word about next week's adventure. Tonight by transcription, X minus 1 has brought you the man in the moon. An original radio drama written by George Lefferts, featured in the cast, where Louis Van Routen as Henry, Satos Ortega as the chief, Ross Martin as Charlie, Sidney Smith as Otterberg, Bob Hague as Jake, Joe DeSantis as Philo and Ed Latimer as O'Brien.

27:24Your announcer, Fred Collins, X minus 1 was directed by Fred Way, and is an NBC radio network production. And Bob, next week, the sign on the window said, 3G's wonderful dolls, a woman and a child waited outside, a little girl peering eagerly through the window, and the woman glancing impatient later wristwatch, as if expecting someone who was late for an appointment, and there was nothing about Poregie's doll shop to warn them that they were waiting to keep an appointment with Doom at... X minus minus minus minus minus minus minus one.