Starring Alfred Lunt in The Gentleman from the Islands, an original radio play on the cavalcade of America sponsored by the DuPont Company, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. Tonight, the cavalcade playhouse is especially proud to welcome for his first sponsored appearance on the air, the celebrated American actor Alfred Lunt. The play he has chosen for this event tells the story of a gallant and courageous gentleman from the islands of the West Indies, whose destiny it was to secure the unity of a great republic. The gentleman's name was Alexander Hamilton. Our play, written by Robert Tallman, encompasses 24 fateful days, days that were to bring death to Alexander Hamilton and to his country a legacy beyond price. The DuPont Company presents Alfred Lunt as Alexander Hamilton in The Gentleman from the Islands on the cavalcade of America. It is near midnight, the night of June 17th, the year 1804. Over the grains, country estate of Alexander Hamilton on Manhattan Island, the moon rides high. Up the lane to the mansion house, silhouetted sharply against the moonlit shrubs, rides the man on horseback. He draws up before the portico and dismounts and tears his horse. In a few quick strides, he is standing before the lighted French windows of the master study. He looks about him, then raises his crop and wraps on the pane. The man inside rises from the desk to answer the door. Who is it? I have the honor to call upon you, General Hamilton, on behalf of a friend. May I come in? Why, Mr. Venet, at this time of night? Come in, sir. Thank you. I trust I do not disturb your household at this hour, sir. The friend I have the honor to wait upon is most impatient. Well, sit down. Sit down. Cigar, brandy. Thank you, though. Just let it, General Hamilton. If you will be so good as to read it. Must I now? I think you'd better. Well, if you insist. Hand me the letter opening there, will you, sir? At your service, General. Thank you. Excuse me. Sit down. Sit down. Be comfortable. Thank you. I prefer to stand. This letter is from Aaron Burr. I recognize the hand. That is correct, General. But I don't understand, he seems to be agitated about some newspaper story. You knew nothing of it? No, sir. I never read scandal-mongering journals. Apparently your friends do. But this concerns something a Dr. Cooper says I said two years ago. You deny having said it? That Aaron Burr is a dangerous man not to be trusted with the reins of government. That is only the published utterance, General Hamilton. Colonel Burr has reason to believe that in private you have sought to place him in an even more despicable character. Mr. Bernas, despicable and more despicable is not worth the pains of distinction. Then you accept the challenge. All right, Colonel Burr, a letter. I don't believe in acting in haste, and I don't understand perfectly as yet what Colonel Burr's motive is in this affair. It couldn't be that you are afraid to meet with Colonel Burr on the field of honor, sir? Field of honor? I couldn't meet Aaron Burr on the field of honor. He wouldn't know where to find such a field. You may tell Colonel Burr that he can wait upon my pleasure. It is not my custom to receive wild challenges to my honor in the middle of the night. Not so wild as you think, sir. Then beg your friend to tell me why, why after all these years of political rivalry between us he has chosen this night to resolve the matter. I have retired from public life to all intents and purposes. As a man who takes the power at the age of 25, I retire at 47, sir. You belittle yourself, sir. That is my privilege, Mr. Biness. I bid you good night, sir. As you wish, General Hamilton. Good night, sir. Alexander? Betsy? James? We didn't mean to disturb you, Father. Mother was worried and called me. But, Alexander, I was certain I heard a horse in the drive. James thought he heard a tune. That's absurd. You've been dreaming. Both of you. Who was it, Father? Now, what have I done to deserve this? My wife and my eldest son doubted my words. Now, don't blame James, my dear. I made him come with me. I had such a strange feeling. Foreboding almost. But here you are, till it's your death. Forgive me. You told the truth. I'm blessed, Mr. Johnston. I must go into the city tonight. Tonight? Well, when did you decide about that? Just now. Father, someone works here. Why don't you want us to know about it? Good heavens, I have been away from home before. Anyway, James is old enough to look after things. I can't bury myself here in the country, you know. Why, Mr. Golden Knight? I had dared hope you'd done with politics. The business that takes you away from us like this so abruptly. I might have been accustomed now to fight state and politics. You'd like to see me? I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of you. now or ever now we know why you oppose to the vote election governor one of the job yourself and i haven't that's all come out come out your man of the world and open this plane is another on your face that you were excuse me missy i didn't want to interrupt but uh... the gentleman most insistent what can you speak up and mister cheetah ms bring them in uh... it's it's where the children feel where i'm waiting to hear the word you are mister cheetah my i believe you have met general hamilton we've met i haven't dreamed we meet again perhaps you've been dreaming about it uh... general hamilton has decided to let by gone to be by gone is that uh... general i haven't that's no i assure you that you don't general hamilton is only waiting to find out what we have to offer him where that's all gentlemen let's come to the point it has been suggested that the office of governor of new york might have its attractions for me i didn't tell you that i resigned from public office once because it didn't pay secretary of the treasury of the united states of america couldn't make it pay what do you need is counsel young man well i'm willing to listen to your proposition gentleman willing to listen we're going to actually them willing to listen when we tell you what we have in store for you you may think it first your ears have been deceiving you hamilton well get on with it uh... and are you quite certain about ground here is what up mister cheetah you let me handle this in my own way is the story our friends in new york have taken control of the other end of that conference they plan that you know and then you know actuals is feed from union eat from the union are you serious indeed we are serious and what's more i am confident that the french minister as a short term of the other problems will back up up with all the military policy has and when the podiums agent says that when the podiums minister says that they were you will be his next victim would that be so unpleasant napoleon is realistic and so we have a manufacturing states of this country jefferson was bound to determine the role of foreign trade all for the sake of a big romantic notion he calls democracy we can't compete with that this blue organized nation like napoleon's france under such a system and so you propose that we should play his game just uh... you begin to see the possibility of mobile i do not and i have just this display are more even get a list war treacherous scheme has never come to my attention that's what you are felt this line may god forgive the american people forever having allowed men like you to be born on the soil of a free nation do you think the unity of this vast continent is subject to the problem of your little corrupt first before i'd tell you what is not and never shall be and just how do you propose to stop us general come up with my life if need be my life is a little thing compared to the future of the unity of the united states uh... my name goes down in history as a matter of small moment all this great nation survives in history and means excellent excellent repair might be a mistress hamilton and music with the feet i have never died so well i held out against the musicians as long as i could such an extravagance but alexander would have it james when you are the head of the house i'd do you do not follow your father's example you see the bank one gets for a generous gesture from the women at least in the women that they we start please after all don't be deceived father mother loves it she told me so before dinner now you're too old to be carrying tales james but it's true alexander it's wonderful to see you so full of the enjoyment of life or one would think i'd done nothing but add columns figures from old these twenty years today is an exception is the fourth of july you know but no brandy you'll be drinking toast till morning i suppose at the celebration in town i certainly hope so i wouldn't have to miss it for the world and i will be there for certain and i want everybody to see how much handsome are you looking your dress uniform arambe will be there of course you always what's the matter i'll have to polish up my speech well pendleton let's be getting on tonight father tonight judge pendleton tonight my dear party home and drink a toast to general washington for us to toast a dozen my boy so you decided you'll be my second and the person you know i can refuse you nothing you remembered to bring my papers you thought what up i thought to swine and i've smoked the filth of the big pan the third sentence challenge from have you considered you leave a line children there are things that mean even more to me just come and another thing you must pledge our adversaries to keep this matter secret no one must have an inkling of it i want my last days with my family to be happy hamilton please no no my mind's made up you should see they will be the happiest days my life here you are my boy got you home earlier than we expected i'm very much obliged to sir magnificent hamilton the way you face burr as if nothing had happened between you at all nothing has happened yet spoke to them yet the course of the evening you live in the day we all can hide cross the hudson the new jersey laws on doing a more liberal july 11th and this is the fourth the fifth now six days well good night judge and god by that still up i found these papers here i've been reading them once a woman's privilege my dear such a lot of papers seems as you you must have been writing letters or making speeches twenty four hours a day for the past fifteen years how did we ever find time to be in love with each other that was easy i'm learning all your secrets oh here's one remember this the letter i wrote told she'd come after that skittler story printed about our marriage how we did it here is still burning ball of the man intimating that i married you for your money well didn't you of course but that's our business from them i'm glad i had some money you really mean that but what do you think or forgive him idea these old memories we've been up how rich they are and how many things we've learned especially me or here's the letter from general washington after you called remember more as i remember he said i kept him waiting i stopped to talk to lafayette on the stairs it couldn't have been more than two minutes but general washington insisted it was ten naturally i had to stand on my honor you had too much on her in those days i like you better now perhaps i haven't changed as much as you think why do you say that in that strange tone of voice alexander what is it with you these past weeks have i seen like myself too much like yourself your own self i mean this elation i remember you like this before we were going to philadelphia stand up against your elizabeth constitution you want i survived it tonight yes and i prayed for your safety every night you know i've spoken there were so many hot-headed men there that kind of fighted dual at the drop of a hat uh... what is it alexander did i think i think you can do no of course not just remembering old times too much of it for one day sometimes i feel i mean so little for all our years together yet i'm glad you've never seen so human so alive i've never loved you as i have these past weeks they've been the happiest weeks of my life say that again the happiest week of my life you do mean it don't you all thank you now i'll say good night again my dear i have a little writing to do before i come to bed good night my love right in from on by james are you up to if i would have i want to talk to you without mother here from your mother i'm flattered i'm preparing my regions examinations now to win the college as you know i thought wasn't sure whether to be going are you getting ready to leave us marana put that idea into your head this letter you left it out on the desk i wouldn't have looked except for a certain top to my son's in the event that i should not return have you showed that to your brothers i want to be sure what it meant what does mean anything i was thinking of taking a fairly long trip perhaps canada naturally if i went by boat there's some danger lying to me from yes perhaps i am i'm going to fight a dual you know i don't approve of doing i didn't ask you that i asked you to go into fight a duel no we'll put it this way if i were i'd want you to do as i said in that letter look after your mother when i'm gone i understand father and don't worry i won't say anything to mother not till it's all over you're a great gentleman james i have no fears for you be a guide to your younger brothers and a comfort to your mother i'll do my best now good night i've worked it out god bless you my son goodbye father good luck uh... generator tentative don unexpected participating sy recommgroaning that's what i think you just don't have to do a lot of place now and i have the honor very good that i choose it as it is general hamilton your choice of weapons thank you this one will do and uh... have the honor let's get on with it at your service and that's it gentlemen are you ready doctor ready gentlemen anyway i have to come in they've been uh... and he did who would you like to buy a lot of them general hamilton can speak please sir i'm a doctor let me get it that won't want to let this is model that we have to get across the river somewhere to a hospital bullet is entered in on gentleman bring a stretcher over here with a stretcher hurry for a start bush died for a week but my wife because record but impressive on that i have meant that she should understand by the papers must published just tell her this is my legacy to her and to my country listen to him he doesn't always say was to have made these last days why else do you always find the suicide brought on my madness brought on my madness yes rules madness does one argue with the dead man for and it not have so dead as erin burr shall be before ever done touches his body give him the strength to go on until his every intrigue should be shown for what it is so we're lifting up doctor inquire yes gentlemen with him if you know please one moment yes general my pistol be careful how you handle it it might go off and do harm it hasn't been fired you know the and now the start of tonight's cavalcade alfred lot thank you ladies and gentlemen it has been a century and a half since alexander hamilton sacrificed himself that our country might continue the course chartered by the founders of this republic it is my sincere hope that in our play tonight there has been some measure of inspiration and encouragement for the gunman men and women who today are fighting to destroy the evil forces once more abroad over there next week on the cavalcade of america the distinguished character actor being jack in a new and thrilling radio play called man of iron a story of john erickson's invention of the monitor don't forget next week being jacked as john erickson in man of iron the orchestra musical score tonight were under the direction of don bori this is clinton carter sending best wishes from the park program broadcast
