Starring Burgess Meredith in assignment for the prompt on the DuPont cavalcade of America. One of the most unusual now it can be told stories of this war opens a new cavalcade season. Burgess Meredith in assignment for the prompt on the cavalcade of America sponsored by the DuPont company, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. You can make your home fresh and attractive by painting your walls with speed easy wall finish. Speed easy comes in 11 beautiful pastel colors and it's easy to use. All you do is thin it with water and apply with a brush or roller. Speed easy will cover wallpaper and most other wall surfaces in one coat and it will cost you less than three dollars to do the average room. It's speed easy wall finish and it's made by DuPont. Tonight's cavalcade drama tells of a fascinating secret of this war, a dangerous adventure undertaken by a civilian. All names of persons are fictitious. The DuPont company presents assignment for the prompt starring Burgess Meredith as professor Harold Moffat on the cavalcade of America. It's a warm lazy spring morning in the southern university town of Valehurst. Harold Moffat, professor of geology at the university, is standing on the porch of his house gazing up at the clear blue sky. He's concerned with only one problem at the moment, whether or not his rose vines are going to bloom. Morning professor. Oh good morning Charlie. Looks like you're going to have a nice crop of roses. Looks like Charlie a little worried at first. Too much rain this month brought the aphids out but this spray will get him. Yep. Listen to the radio this morning? The radio? Oh yes. Think the big show will start over there soon? The show? Sure, the invasion, the second front. Oh I don't know Charlie, I'm not a military man. I leave those things to those that know about them. Yeah me too. But it's going to be something when it does start. Yes it will but I hate to think of it. Yep me too. But it's got to be done if we're going to get into Berlin. Yep. They say those beaches in France are so well guarded that a flea couldn't get through. It's not going to be easy. Carol, it's ten after eight. Yes I know dear, thank you. You have to take the car to the garage this morning you know. Oh good morning Charlie. Morning Sally. Well I've got to be going up to the campus Charlie. Well don't forget now, leave the car at the repair shop, pick it up this evening, stop at the store for those things I wrote on the list. No Sally dear, I may be a professor but I'm not absent minded. Anybody who can play bridge the way he does. Oh now Charlie, don't get him started on bridge. All right, see you later Charlie. Is it your thing professor? Goodbye dear. Well how? You're not taking that sprague on the class. What? Oh now I'm sorry. And don't forget the list, it's in your right hand coat pocket. All right dear. Oh great guy. I think so too. Good morning Professor Moffett. Good morning Miss Byrne. There's not much mail, just a letter from the geologist's journal. Your article is due in ten days. Your first class is at 9.45. It's always at 9.45 isn't it Miss Byrne? Mrs. Moffett called, she wants to know if you left the car at the garage. Yes I did, I also have. Yes I do, I have the list in my right hand coat pocket. Now these are my notes for the morning. Yes and you have a luncheon engagement with Dean Collins. Yes I know thank you. Well, time for class. Of course what I have been discussing with the class lies more in the realm of archeology than it does properly in the geological study. However ladies and gentlemen, there is an overlapping of the two sciences that vary. Excuse me Professor, but there's an important telephone call for you. For me? Yes. Well very well. Class let's see, it's only five minutes left of our time. I think we shall dismiss. Good morning. Is it my wife? Oh no sir, Washington's calling. Washington? Which one? DC. You mean for me? Oh yes sir. No this must be a mistake. They asked for Professor Harold Moffett. I see, thank you Miss Byrne, excuse me. Professor Moffett speaking. Yes, when? I see. May I call my wife? A plane? Yes I know where the airport is. Very well, I'll be there. It was for you? Yes Miss Byrne, I have to go to Washington. Oh is there something wrong? I have the slightest idea. The War Department has an airplane waiting for me at the airport. The plane, they'll have me back here in time for dinner. Oh I... What's the matter? My car's at the garage. Oh I can drive you. Thank you. Well, let's go. This is extraordinary Miss Byrne, just think. A plane waiting to take me to Washington. Professor, you are one of 20 men investigated for a certain job. You're a geologist, a soil engineer with a great amount of field experience, right? Well yes. We're going to ask you to go on a mission. Highly dangerous, highly secret, highly important. Yes, I will. I'm going to ask you to go on a mission. I'm going to ask you to go on a mission. I'm going to ask you to go on a mission. I'm going to ask you to go on a mission. I'm going to ask you to go on a mission. Highly important. You will be asked to leave this country for 90 days, to serve in the capacity for which you are so admirably suited. As a geologist? Exactly that. I can't say any more now. Will you take the job? Well now, may I think it over? No, you must decide now in this office. If you say no, there's another man waiting. Now I can refuse. Yes, you can. If you take the job, you may not come back. Oh? You are 48 years old, Professor. Yes, that's right. I mention that because you will be subjected to hardships which will tax you to the utmost. I see. Mental strain will be worse than the physical. Is it a worthwhile job, Colonel? I mean, it's really doing something. Yes. I can't refuse then, can I? I didn't think you would. Thank you, Professor Moffat. I'll take you back to Veilhurst. And by the way, we leave it to you what to say or not to say to your wife. Ah, thank you. I'll think of something. But I still don't see why you can't write to me. I'll try to, dear, but you see this is a somewhat secret mission and the government doesn't want our route, no. Oh, of course. Well, now you're all packed. Yes, I'm all packed. Sally, there's something that I... Yes? I... I'm going to miss you. And I'll miss you. But 90 days aren't so long. No, 90 days aren't, but I... How? Will you be gone long? There's a chance of it, Sally. Well, we'll make the best of it. Now, Hal, don't think you're a young man and go running around with just a shirt and no coat. And for heaven's sake, don't work yourself half to death the way you always do. No, I won't, and please take care of yourself and don't worry. Goodbye, Sally. Well, I haven't been kissed like that for a long time now. Yes, that one has to last you for 90 days. General Beecham, this is Professor Moffat. Welcome to England, Professor Moffat. Thank you. You're the last to arrive. Please join the others. Gentlemen, you are scientists from all the English-speaking allied nations, civilians. However I shall talk to you, as I would men in my command. Because technically, you will be. You know this assignment is dangerous. You know you may not come back. You've been investigated thoroughly, but... And please listen carefully, gentlemen. There is always the chance that someone may talk. I am going to tell you plans known only to a handful of top-ranking officers. Before I do so, I order anyone who thinks he may talk to leave this room now. Very well. If someone does talk, if there is a leak, if security is breached in any way, you will not be caught, Marshal. You will not be fined. You will not be censured. Instead, you will disappear from the face of the earth. I know that sounds rather melodramatic, but millions of lives at stake. There is still time for any one of you to change his mind. Good. Now, this is your mission. Certain beaches of the Normandy coast have been selected for the invasion of Hitler's European fortress. That, gentlemen, is the secret. It is imperative that we have more information concerning those beaches. We must learn where steel mats are necessary to support the weight of our equipment. Where equipment may be pulled to shore without mats. How much weight every section of the landing beaches will support without giving way, causing our trucks, tanks, and other artillery to bob down and perhaps spell failure, even disaster. That is your job. To test those beaches. You will work at night, hide during the day. You will work in pairs. You will undergo a rigorous combat force before... Oh, it's nice to get up in the morning... Oh, McKenna, does it ever stop raining in the British Isles? Aye, it develops into a thick fog after the bits. And you may have my word for it that the fog is every bit as wet as the rain. Oh, I'm tired, Mack. Aye, that I am too, Professor Morphett. It's not a good thing for men of our age to be wallowing in the mud and climbing fences and walls like small children. Every bone in my body's bruised. Well, cheer up, Professor. The worst is coming and not far behind, is my guess. I know we've been training for three weeks now. Three weeks, aye? Oh, when I think of my cozy flat at the University of Edinburgh, I wonder why I didn't open my mouth when I was asked if I wanted to decline this. Probably for the same reason I didn't. Ah, well, I'm going to catch some sleep. You? I will if I can get my legs into bed. For myself, Professor, I lie on my side to save my back. Professor McKenna, Professor Morphett, fall out immediately, full equipment. Oh, not again. But we just got back. Oh, well, there's nothing for it but to play along. Now I know what they meant when they said we may never get back, we may never even start. We won't be able. Gentlemen, this is the real thing this time. It was necessary to do this suddenly. Arrangements have all been made. You know the beaches of the test. You're familiar with your inflated boats. You land by rowing ashore. Your boat officer will give you final instructions. Goodbye, God bless you, and the best of luck. Morphett, McKenna. Aye. Are you ready? Yes, I believe so, sir. The Normandy coast is clear ahead. 500 yards. You? Then, uh, yes, we are ready. Your rubber boat is inflated. This way, please. As quiet as you can. Shut the motor. It's as quiet as the grave. Grave? As soon as Edne mentioned that word. I'm sorry, Mack. You ready for action? Yes. Equipments loaded in your rubber boat. Enlargement briefing. When you hit shore, unload, deflate the boat, and hide it. If you run into trouble before you reach shore, fire a rocket. We'll be waiting out here for 15 minutes. If we don't see your rocket, we'll assume that you're all right. And if it's me asking too much, when will you be back for us, laddie? Four nights from now. Go out here and wait. Suppose, pardon me, suppose you don't show up? We will. But let me warn you, gentlemen, that if you're not here, we'll wait until just before dawn, and we'll leave. And we won't come back. Good luck now. Godspeed. You are listening to Burgess Meredith as Professor Harold Moffat. In the dramatic adventure, Assignment for the Prop, on the cavalcade of America, sponsored by the DuPont Company. A maker of better things for better living through chemistry. As the second part of our story opens, Professor Harold Moffat, far from his southern university campus, is crouched in a small boat off the German-held Normandy coast. This mission, one of the most dangerous of the war, is to test the beaches for the coming invasion. That was the insides of the Dales Parlor. How long have we been paddling? Fifteen minutes. Well, we should be there. You see any lights? Not a sign. Wait, Professor. Look to your right. A flicker. Yes, Mac. Paddle to the left. That must be the sentry post. Hey, come hurry it up, Professor. Hurry it up. Watch it, Mac. Well, you've got the equipment ashore. Deflate the boat. Aye, here it goes. Oh, devil, it's as low as the Midland Express on the moors. Put the valve under water, quick, Mac. Stay right here, Mac. I'll check the orientation points. Yes, don't worry. Set the equipment up for the first test. I'll be right back. Aye, good luck. Same to you. Mac, Mac. Aye, Professor. That is the sentry post up there just beyond the curve. You remember the photographs where there's nothing to the east for almost 500 yards. We'd better get to work. The best way is to take sections of the beach for about 100 yards each night. We can make the tests at 10 yard intervals. Right. Here's the first core pipe. We'd better sink it in sections. Hold it, Mac. Go ahead. Oh, Mac. I've never known a rubber mallet to make this much noise. Like thunder it is. Is the pipe sinking? Aye, fast. There's a soft stuff here. Steel mats will be needed. Professor. They've got dogs. Yes, well, we'd better keep going. When dawn breaks, I'll take the first turn sleeping. You stand guard. Aye. You need to spot the sentries when they make their rounds. How many there are. Once we've learned that, we can work faster. All right, Mac. Here we go. Easy, easy with that paper. Aye. Well, dinner is ready, Professor. What have we got tonight, Mac? Kay-rations. For a change? Three days and nights here without so much as one hot bean. Oh, I'm telling you, mon, once I get back to Edinburgh, I'll never look at another cold meal. Well, only one more night, Mac. What have you got there, Professor? It's a rose. Yes, I found it beside the ruined house where we hid yesterday. I grow roses back home. Aye, home. Your wee wife will be proud when she hears. Mac, did you hear a dog? Oh, we've been hearing things these three nights. It's nerves. You've inflated the boat, haven't you? Oh, aye, every night in case we need it. What's that? That's Germans. Keep down. That's... Dog's got our scent. Aye. We'll have to make a run for the boot. Our equipment. It's buried safe. Here they come. Stop. Mac, give me the rest of the K-ration. Are you daft? Make for the boat, Mac. This fool will throw the dogs off the scent. Now go ahead. I'll nearly leave you here. No, go ahead. I tell you, I'll launch the boat. If they're shooting, I'll come back for you. This ought to do the trick. That'll hold them. This way, Professor. Here now. I'll lend you a hand. Start paddling, Mac. They're coming. They're wasting their ammunition. Fire them in the dark. Oh, well, here comes a Jerry with a torch. The flashlight won't shine this far, I hope. Any way, the dogs are following that K-ration I scattered. Good for you, Professor. Now let's go out to sea. We've got to save our records. We'll land in another place and go back for them tomorrow night. Lean to your paddle, Professor. Mac, I think it's down this way. Come on, we've got to get that equipment before the Jerrys... Aye, this is our last chance, Professor. But if their dogs traced our scent... No, I don't think they did, Mac. Last night's tide must have washed all the traces away. I hope the Jerrys have relaxed from the scare we gave them last night. I don't hear anything. Here we are, Professor. Yes. Our equipment hasn't even started. Good. We'd better hurry and load the boat. Aye. Well, that's the last of it, Professor. Now then, let's paddle out. Wait. We'd better be sure we didn't leave anything. Oh, aye, couldn't e'er do it, they should ken what's about to happen on these beaches. You see, the mallets are here, the corp... Shh! What's the matter? There's something on the beach there, Professor. Jerrys. Just one. Sentry. No dog. He hasn't seen us. But he will if we stay here. He stopped. Looking at the sun he is. He's a suspicious man. Aye. If he sees us... He's coming this way. There's only one thing to do, Mac. Oh. Did you ever kill a man? No. No. I never either, but... You've seen the book, Professor? I think so. Oh. Nowhere in the park. You stay here. I'll work around and back of him. Good luck, Professor. Professor. Professor. Are you all right? I think I'm all right. You've got him in the nick of time. Oh, you've cracked his skull, Professor. Is he? Is he dead? I didn't know and I didn't care. Come along. We'd better run for it. He made enough noise to wake up the whole of Europe. They heard it. Oh, into the boat. Go ahead. I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Oh, I'll push on. Pull hard, lad. Pull hard. Look, searchlight. Oh, the devil. If they get us in that light, we're done for. Where can they pull any harder? To the right, Matt. To the right. Where can they pull hard with all this stuff in the boot? We've got to get it back. Then we'll have to pull with it. Matt. Oh, Matt. There's nothing left. Across the shore, that's all. Oh, I'll get it. Oh, I'll get it. Oh, I'll get it. Oh, I'll get it. Oh, I'll get it. Oh, that's all. But you'll have to pull by yourself. Yes. A boat? Not a boat. Far away, but it's ours. It's ours. Can you make it purpose? Oh, I think so. Oh, I think so. I've got to. Good morning, Professor. Oh, good morning, Charlie. All rested from your trip? Oh, I'm all over it now. How do you know it's almost 8.30? Good morning, Charlie. Oh, good morning. Good morning, Sally. Professor, it looks fine, doesn't it? Wonderful. That trip did him a world of good. Yes, you've been listening to the news this morning, huh? Yes, looks like the real thing, doesn't it? Oh, it's D-Day, all right. Eleven thousand planes were covered. Tanks and trucks landed right on the beaches of Normandy. Ah, that takes nerve, doesn't it, Professor? They're brave boys, Charlie. They sure are. Now, you and me, Professor, we're a little too old for that sort of thing. Yes, we are, Charlie. A little too old. Now, Hal, you'd better go. It's all right, dear. Goodbye. Goodbye. And don't forget the list in your right-hand coat pocket. No, I won't. Bye. Yep, he sure looks great. Yes, he does. You know, he ought to take more trips like the one he just came back from. Gave him a good rest from that teaching job. Yes, sir. Good rest. Our thanks to you, Burgess Meredith, and to all members of tonight's DuPont Cavalcade cast. Now... Now, here is Gain Whitman. American industry will make every effort to provide the greatest number of jobs now that the war is won. Here is a statement about jobs quoted from the Army-Navy Journal by Mr. Walter S. Carpenter, Jr., president of the DuPont Company. Mr. Carpenter said, Everyone agrees that our number one objective now that the war is won is a high level of productive employment. But it's not enough, it seems to me, to talk of providing the returning service man or woman with jobs. It is our plain duty to see that they return not only to a wage and a task, but to an economic environment in which they can do useful work and advance and develop. It is our hope that the chemical industry will be able to contribute in an important way to this prospect. The expansion in chemicals and allied products since World War I, as reported by the Census Bureau, has been encouraging. In 1919, the industry gave employment to about 70,000 workers. By 1939, after a series of depression years, the number of chemical workers had grown to nearly 300,000. That indicates a sturdy, if not spectacular, rate of progress. But chemical manufacture is a contributory industry, an industry which exists to supply and develop other industries. And it's in this phase that its effect on national employment has been notable, and in which it offers its greatest promise to future gain. Scientific progress, as represented by chemistry, has created, since 1920, many entire new fields of enterprise, each of which, in turn, has generated new auxiliary activities and markets and job opportunities of its own. There is, first of all, the actual manufacture of new chemical products alone. There are many thousands of Americans today making cellophane, nylon, synthetic rubber, holding jobs which did not exist at the end of the last war. There are thousands of positions created by product improvement and development. In 1925, for instance, there were 19,000 employees reported in rayon manufacture. In 1939, there were nearly 50,000. In 1919, the air conditioning and refrigeration field was so small that it occupied few more than 5,000 workers. In 1939, there were 35,160. The long-for return to this country of veterans over a comparatively short period of time will no doubt create many problems of adjustment for them and for industry. These adjustments will require some time and a great deal of thought, forbearance, and industrial statesmanship. But American industry must and will go forward, and will need the help of these men to do so. In this program, the chemical industry must and will surely play an important part. Certainly, that is the resolve of the DuPont Company, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. Cavalcade programs of particular interest to service men and women will be broadcast overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. The music for tonight's DuPont Cavalcade was composed and conducted by Robert Ambrusker. Our Cavalcade play was written by Russell Hughes and Bernard Fiennes. We invite you to listen next week to Michael O'Shea and Richard Conti in Cargo Over Burma on the Cavalcade of America, brought to you by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. This is the National Broadcasting Company.
