Wheaties present Dimension X. Adventures in time and space, transcribed in future tense. Dimension X. On stage tonight, Dimension X, another in the Wheaties big parade of exciting half-hour presentations. I don't mean to be too personal, mind you, but have you found out how Wheaties at 7 can help at 11? It's really very easy to find out, you know, and it's mighty worthwhile. Now what you do is this. Come breakfast time some morning real soon. Visc yourself up a bowl of Wheaties. Crisp golden flakes, 100% whole wheat. Add some fruit, add milk, and you'll be getting some real nourishment. At 11 a.m., I think you'll begin to understand why. Because Wheaties have it. The whole wheat energy that makes such a difference come mid-morning. Wheaties have it, and it's for you. Now see, if you don't look better, feel better, smile easier every day, that breakfast begins with Wheaties. I know, I do. See for yourself how Wheaties at 7 can help at 11. It's amazing, really. Do you remember when you were young how your elders would tell you bedtime stories about the man in the moon? Well, tonight we have a different kind of story to tell about him. A story of suspense in the unknown world of the future where anything can happen. Attention, attention. This is the Federal Bureau of Missing Persons calling all local agencies. Attention. This is a coded report nationwide. Calling since 9 o'clock this morning the following persons. Smidgley, Jonathan, 5 feet 8 inches tall, brown hair, brown eyes, mastoid. Hello, hello, hello, Earth. Hey, hey, get off this wavelength. This is a restricted band. Hello, Earth. Hello, Earth. Look, whoever you are, you're on a coded wavelength. Now tune out. This frequency is reserved for the Federal Bureau of Missing Persons. Hello, Earth. This is the moon calling Earth. Hello, Earth. This guy's loony. Transmitting room. Jake in transmission. Jake, this is Charlie in the code room. Some crack pots on our frequency. Yeah, I heard him, Charlie. I've got CQ trying to trace it now. Yeah, well, hurry it up, will you? Some ham's in for a good stiff find by the FCC. They ought to take his license away. Oh, here comes Lenny with a directional fix. Here you are, Jake. I checked it four times. Why, this is impossible and you know I can't help it. Hey, what's going on down there? How about it? Get that ham out of my killer cycle. Listen, Charlie, that interference is being beamed from 240,000 miles away. Oh, now, Jake, you know there ain't no such thing as 240,000 miles away. Oh, yes there is, Charlie. Straight up. Straight... Hey, now, wait a minute. Charlie, that signal's coming from the moon. The moon? Are you nuts? Somebody might be bouncing it like a radar signal. Radar? On this frequency? Where did you study basic radio? Listen, flathead, you asked for a fix. I gave the best fix. Our instruments confined. Take it or leave it. Somebody on the moon is calling the Bureau of Missing Persons. Mr. Timken, Mr. Timken. Who wants the sweat, Charlie? Shouldn't you be broadcasting? Now, listen, Mr. Timken, you know I'm a sober citizen, right? Never once have I broadcast with the smell of alcohol on my breath, right? In all your 12 years here at the Bureau, did I once... What's the matter, Charlie? We're picking up a message on our wavelength. What did you report to the FCC? I ain't got the nerve. But what's wrong? You'll scream when you hear this, Mr. Timken. You'll jump right out the window, but... We are getting an SOS from the moon. That scutted. Started on voice and switched to Morse. What did he say? Let's see now. Can you read me? Help Otterburn will contact when the moon is in phase. Otterburn. Sounds like a name. Otterburn. Otterburn. Holy jumping Jehoshaphat. Hey, where are you going? To talk to the chief. Hey, now, wait a minute. What are you going to tell him? We just got a CQ from the man in the moon? That's exactly what I'm going to tell him, Charlie. What? Oh, no. This is too much for me. I'm going to have to go to the city. Let me have O'Brien on the city desk. One moment. O'Brien speaking. Seamus? Yeah. This is Charlie Starbuck down at the missing persons bureau. You want a hot one? No kidding. This will cost you a beer, okay? Shoot, Buck. I'll stay in your wavelength for 30 seconds. Okay. We just got a radio message from the moon. What? From the moon. Call me back when you're sober. Okay, Seamus. If you don't know a story, when you see one. I'll send you the name of a good psychiatrist. So long, Orson Welles. Orson Welles? How do you like that? He don't believe me. Otterburn, Mr. Wade. Does that name ring a bell? You're the man with the photographic memory, Henry. What about Otterburn? Cornelius Otterburn, atomic physicist, reported missing from his home in Baltimore on June 5th, 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? Henry, I'm surprised at you. This is some crackpot trying to jam the airwaves. But the name Otterburn is so unusual. So are a lot of names. Mr. Wade, I have a theory. Henry, you always have a theory. But Mr. Wade. Out, Henry. Mr. Wade. Out. I'm busy. Yes, sir. I'm sorry, Henry. Oh, here, take this folder of reports for the death file. Oh, yes, sir. And no more nonsense, eh, Henry? I appreciate that you have a very dull job filing old missing person reports, and I appreciate that you take an active interest in the affairs of the Bureau. But no more nonsense. No, sir, chief. No more nonsense. Oh. Pardon me. Are you Mr. Henry Timken? That's my name. Forbid me. Jefferson Filo, scientific feature writer. May I have a moment of your time? Certainly. Just sit down at my desk right over here. Thank you. My, that's quite a stack of papers. Filing. Filing. I'm the records custodian of the Bureau. Twelve years and never misplaced a record. Magnificent. Now, Mr. Timken. Yes? Mr. Bryan, the editor of the Star-Legislative, said I might drop by and investigate a rumor. Only a rumor, mind you, but a message from the, uh, moon. Moon? Well, 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. Oh, really? Well, I'd be interested to read it. I must have a copy in my briefcase. Well, don't bother. Oh, but I insist. There you are. I'll leave it on your desk. Thank you very much. Now, about this message from the moon, Mr. Timken. Well, we don't know for sure, as I said, but I believe that this message, wherever it originates, is from Cornelius Otterburn. The physicist? Oh, you know him. I once wrote an article on his contribution to nuclear mechanics. The brilliant man Otterburn, years ahead of his contemporaries. Whoever is sending those signals, if he isn't on the moon, he's at least using the moon as a sounding board, uh, bouncing the signal. But why, Mr. Timken? Why? Well, look here, Mr. Filo, if you will come here tomorrow night at eight, we may learn the answer to that question. I have 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, sir. Goodbye, Mr. Filo. Goodbye. Ah, ah, ah, ah, lackaday. Ah, let me see now. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Oh, that must have gotten mixed up with the papers on my desk by accident. That's a peculiar list of names. Peculiar. Good morning, Charlie. Oh, hi, Mr. Tipkin. See, we made the papers. Oh? And how? Mr. Chief steamed up about it. What did the papers say? Mostly, ha-ha. Here's the herald. Oh? Oh, brother, what a penny. Uh-huh. Oh, dear. Oh, my. No wonder Mr. Wade is hopping. Oh, uh, about tonight, Mr. Tipkin, I don't know. Now, you promised you'd give me a key to the radio room, Charlie. Yeah, but I didn't expect this. Listen, Charlie, we've got to find out if there's something to that message. If Otterburn is alive somewhere and radioing for help, it is our... Oh, hold it, hold it. Time for the morning broadcast. We've got quite a lift today. Would you mind if I listen a while? We may hear Otterburn. Oh, I ain't so conscious. Stick around. Attention. Attention. This is the Federal Bureau of Missing Persons calling all local agencies nationwide. This is a coded broadcast. The following persons are missing. Aaron, Dr. Paul, 5'5", brown hair, brown eyes, scar on left side of chin. Aaron? Thick glasses, occupation astro-mathematician. Missing since 6 o'clock this morning. Missing? Being sought by Bel Air police. But Charlie... Repeat, Dr. Paul, Aaron... Charlie, shut it off a second. Oh, now listen, Mr. Tipkin, it's okay to stay, but you can't interrupt... It's important. Now, what time was Dr. Aaron's report missing? 6 a.m. We got the report from Bel Air less than an hour ago. Are you certain, Charlie? Yeah, positive. What is this? Charlie, what's the next name on the list? Let's see, uh, Simon's, Robert. What? Engineer, came in less than 20 minutes ago. 20? What's the matter with you? You look like you've seen a ghost. Nothing, Charlie. Except that last night, quite by accident, someone left a list of names on my desk, and that list included the names of those two men who weren't reported missing until an hour ago. What? Yeah, that don't sound right to me. It isn't right, Charlie. Which raises a question. Who would make up a list of missing persons before they were missing? Not after. The Mansion X will continue in just a moment. You know, friends, when I talk about Wheaties breakfast of champions, I mean something like this. Champions do eat Wheaties because they feel Wheaties give them energy they need and because they just plain like the way Wheaties taste. And even though they are champions, that isn't unusual. Sort of the way you and I look at it, isn't it? Here's Ed Prentice with a perfect illustration of my meaning. Now, young man, will you tell us what you do for a living? I pitch. You what? Pitch, pitch. You know, baseball. When you have a baseball team, you have to have a pitcher. I have a pitcher. I pitch. Oh, yes. Yes, I see. And are you on a team? Yes, sir. I'm on the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland Indians, hmm? What is your name, young man? I'm Bob Feller. And you know it as well as I do, Ed. Sure I do, Bob. It's good to see you. This makes you a 14th season playing with the Indians, doesn't it? Yeah, Ed. 14 years. Well, tell me, Bob, how long have you been eating Wheaties? Oh, about 20 years, give or take a couple. You mean you started eating Wheaties before you started playing ball? Oh, of course. What's so strange about that? Most people start eating Wheaties before they get to playing ball. In fact, most people never start playing baseball. You don't have to be a ball player to enjoy the lift you get from Wheaties with milk and fruit. You're right as rain, Bob. No champ ever said a truer word about Wheaties. Breakfast of champions. And you say this list of names was left on your desk accidentally? I believe so, Mr. Wade. Do you have any ideas? Well, it's hard to say. Mr. Filo left some papers from his briefcase. Mr. Filo? A science feature writer. I see. You were the leak on the story then. Oh, oh yes, sir, I'm afraid I was. I didn't think it would be treated as a laughing stock. We'll deal with that later. What's this Filo like? Well, he's strange. Bald, thick glasses, tall. Seems to know a great deal about scientific data, but being a science writer... Is there any other possibility? I don't know. But I do believe that this is all hooked up with the broadcast from Otterburg, sir. That seems like a very remote possibility. A missing persons bureau deals in remote possibilities, Mr. Wade. Henry, I do not require a statement of policy. What's the theory? Mr. Wade, 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, well, say coal miners. Next year the proportions of engineers increases, then scientists... 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. Philo? I don't know. But I would like to find out. And you think Otterburg may be a part of this picture? I definitely do, Mr. Wade. Henry, do you honestly expect me to buy an idea like that? It's more than an idea. The two top men on this list are missing. Maybe so. But the rest of them aren't. Parker, Watson, Gibbs. Why, I saw Parker in the restaurant where I had lunch today. Yes, sir. But you think I'm going to make myself a laughing stock by putting anybody in such a crack-brained theater? Excuse me. Yes. Hello, Wade speaking. Yes? Yes, I see. What name? Just a moment. Henry, let me see that list again. Oh, yes, sir. Here you are, sir. Go ahead. I see. I'll get back to you. I guess I owe you an apology, Henry. Yes, sir? Carl Parker was just reported missing. Parker? The third man on your list. Holy mackerel. Exactly. Henry, perhaps I've underestimated you. Maybe this time you really stumble 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. I'll join you. I also invited Mr. Filo, the science feature writer. Oh. I'll be glad to meet him. I'm beginning to get interested in your Mr. Filo. Mr. Wade, you don't think... That he's mixed up in this? I don't know, Henry. Mr. Wade, let's contact the police. No, Henry, I think we're better off keeping this between ourselves for the moment. I don't want the police laughing at the Bureau if you're wrong. I don't know, Mr. Wade. Besides, there may be more danger than you realize. Let's keep it quiet. Shall we, Henry? Yes, sir. I didn't realize there was any danger. The police are coming. Eight o'clock. Friend Mr. Filo was late. He said he'd be here, sir. The moon is almost in direct phase. You can't wait much longer. You'd better switch on the set. I left a light in the hall for Mr. Filo when he comes. Are you getting anything? Just some foreign stuff. ...programming from Johannesburg, South Africa. Will you continue in Africa? Oh, no, Henry. That's a very peculiar transmission sound. Sir? Sir? That sounds like something. See if I can work a selector here. The moon is in phase. Hello. Earth, can you hear me? I'll try to return. Hello? Hello? Hello, Earth. Hello, do you hear me? I get you now. Thank God. Who are you? Can you hear me? Who are you? This is Professor Cornelius Otterbird. Hello? Go on, 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 need 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. Good Lord. Start that recorder, Mr. Wade. Go on, explain please. Explain please. 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 Holtzman... Holtzman? He died in an insane asylum in 1938. Professor Ernst Holtzman discovered nuclear rocket power in 1935. Turned 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, we're recording you. Each year they repute new colonists from Earth. Slave labor mostly. Some women scientists. The oxygen problem is a big one. I was kidnapped in 1945. Yes, we know. Keep talking. They wanted me to work on atomic drive with their flying gizmos. Hello? We're still getting you. Go on, go on. Speak louder. We're getting weaker. We've pulled out a little oxygen we had. The others, get down. Look how they raised you. You've got to stop them. Stop them. Stop who? The moon colony. Planning to take over the Earth. Listen, they have agents on Earth. Hear me? Agents on Earth? Where? Who? Hello? Hello? Agent in... Henry, look out. It's a light. Someone at the window. Get down. Henry, are you all right? I... I think so. Oh, his shot smashed the transmitter. It's like a match. Careful. Phew, that was close. I got a look at him. From the description, it was your Mr. Filo. Well, we got a recording anyway. But not the most important part of the message. Henry, we've got to get you out of here. He said they have agents. Filo's probably one of them. He'd be looking for you now, trying to kill you. 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. Henry, believe me, they'd clap us into straight jackets before we could finish. We've got to do something. We need time. Time to get proof. But we can't walk out of here. Filo's probably waiting. We'll only figure some way. Wait, I know. How? Listen, there's a service elevator that leads to the basement garage. My car is there. Mr. Wade, let us call the police. By the time the police get here, we'll be dead. You think Filo will wait outside all night? Come on. This is the basement. Come on. Keep to the side. Yes, sir. Shh. Here's the car. All right, Henry. You open the garage door, then jump into the car. We'll make a dash for it. Where can we go? I have a farm outside Chivvy 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, Mr. Wade. Quick, jump in. Yes, sir. All right, here we go. Cross your fingers, Henry. We made it out all right. Anything doing? There's a blue coupé behind us. It seems to be following. I'll cut off Pennsylvania Avenue and out Route 1 toward Baltimore. It is following. He turned with us. Can you go faster? Not much faster. He's gaining on us. I've got an idea. Hang on, Henry. Yes, sir. Why did you stop? Turn off the lights, quick. It worked. He shot right past us. Now we'll double back and go out another route. I think everything is going to be all right now. We can be at my farm in less than an hour. This place is really out in the wilderness, Mr. Wade. You can stay here indefinitely till we figure out the next move. Just up this dirt road now, there's a big abandoned wheat silo on my grounds. It's down in a hollow where it can't be seen except from the air. And even then the oak tree shielded it. It'll hide you out there. Now we can leave the car here. We'll go to the sink. Come on. How did you ever find this place, Mr. Wade? I've always liked seclusion. Came up here to get away from it all. There's the silo. Well, it's certainly well hidden. There's a small door around the side. Come on. Yes, sir. Oh, careful of those bushes. It's hard to see them in the dark. Do you suppose Filo will find us? I assure you, Henry, that Mr. Filo will never find us here. Not in a million years. Here's the door. It's pitch dark. Hold my arm. I know the way. Just a few steps up, then another door. Yes, sir. Steel. This is an unusual silo. Double walls, wood outside, steel inside. Completely fire. An army couldn't break it. We're inside the inner shell. Careful. You're in a circular room. Stay here a 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. Don't be long, Mr. Wade. This place gives me the willies. I'll just be a moment. Mr. Wade. Mr. Wade. I swear I hear something. Mr. Wade. What's that? There is something. Good Lord. There's someone in here. 50 slots. Oh, no. This must be a light switch. Oh, thank God. Oh, no. People. 10, 15, 20 of them. Mr. Wade! Help! Help! We'll do you no good to shout, Henry. Mr. Wade. Where are you? I'm outside, speaking over the intercom. Mr. Wade, there are people in here. 15 or 20 of them. They're sitting like statues just staring at me. They won't hurt you, Henry. They've all been drugged. They're even more helpless than you. Yes, but who are they? Permit me to introduce them, Henry, since they are currently unable to introduce themselves. The gentleman seated before you is Dr. Paul Ahrens, the astro-mathematician. Ahrens? Next to him is Mr. Robert Simons, electronic engineer. Names on the list? Yes. They've all been recruited for work with Professor Halsman's group on the moon. On the moon? And you're one of them? Of course. You'll turn around, Henry. You'll recognize the drugged form of your old friend, Mr. Filo. Filo? But I thought... That he was part of the conspiracy? No, on the contrary. His dooming made it necessary for me to include him. Yes, but the man in the window, the one who fired the shots... An agent of mine, the pilot of the ship. Ship? What ship? This silo is a camouflage for a rocket launching platform. In a moment, the roof will slide back for the rocket's take-off. A rocket ship? In exactly 70 hours, you and your companion will join Professor Otterburne on the moon. But you... you... you... you can't do this to me. We have done it, Henry. No! You see, there was another name omitted from that list which was carelessly mixed up with your papers. That of Henry Timken. No! Fun voyage. I... I... I won't let you do this! You can't! Please let me out! Let me out, please! This can't happen! Let me out! Attention. Attention. Missing since 8 o'clock last night the following persons. Timken, Henry. Age 45. Height 5 feet 8. Brown eyes. Slightly balding. I can't... Tonight Dimension X has presented The Man and the Moon. An original story by George Lefferts. The other players were Louis Van Roeten as Henry Timken and Santos Ortega as Wade. Your narrator was Norman Rose. Music by Albert Berman. Engineer Bill Chambers. Dimension X is produced by Van Woodward and directed by Edward King. In a moment we'll tell you about next week's show. And now here is your Wheaties Man, Frank Martin. Everybody knows whole wheat has vitamins and minerals in quantities. No great trouble figuring that out. The trick is in making the whole wheat into crisp, toasty flakes like Wheaties. With all the good whole wheat things still in them. And with all the good natural whole wheat taste. Well do you know how the Wheaties people do it? Well I'll tell you. It's simple. They use a whole kernel of wheat to make one Wheaties flake. You see? No wonder Wheaties are good for you. And you know how good they taste. Crisp, sweet as a nut, simply wonderful. How can you stand missing them if you are missing them? When they're all that good. And all that good for you. Why don't you breakfast up to Wheaties tomorrow morning, huh? And see for yourself how Wheaties at seven can help at eleven. Breakfast of champions. Yes, yes. Next week, a strange and thrilling story of the foreign underground. Of a brilliant young scientist and his wife whose only chance for escape from the secret police. Lay in a world that is beyond infinity. The world of Dimension X. And this is the Wheaties man, Frank Martin, inviting you to listen tomorrow night to Joel McCray in Tales of the Texas Rangers on the Wheaties Big Parade. See you then. This program was transcribed. Jack Blate tells the story of the underworld next on NBC.
