You, finding life rather dull, dreaming again of exotic places, wishing you were somewhere else, we offer you escape. Come with us now to the outer limits of space and the terrifying experiences of four men who penetrated it, as Ray Bradbury, famous science fiction writer, tells it in his gripping story, The Earth Men. You ready, Clithro? Yes, sir. Communication number one. Mission accomplished. Yes, sir. You better make sure you pause after that. Give them a few seconds to get over their excitement down there. They'll go crazy. Be bigger than New Year's Eve. New Year's Eve? Be bigger than the armistice? Only one celebrational topic in our lifetime. What's that, sir? The one they throw when we get back. Right, now, what was that? Mission accomplished. Yeah. First rocket expedition to Mars landed upon Mars 1203 Earth time. Estimated position of landing, approximately longitude 345 degrees, latitude minus seven degrees. Yes, sir. Landed without incident at edge of forest. Atmosphere, what's a good word to say it's all right for breathing? Optimal? Yeah. Found atmosphere optimal, descended from rocket. Captain Williams. Yeah? Prescott, sir. I see Prescott. He's running this way. Running? Something after him? No, he's just floating along. I think he's smiling. Keep your binoculars on him. Sound off. It looks like he's in trouble. Sent Lieutenant Prescott on reconnaissance mission. Dugan, Prescott, all right? Yes, sir. Want me to yell to him? No, just stay up there and watch him. Morale high. Commend efficiency and discipline of entire crew. Lieutenant Prescott and Dugan, Sergeant Clitherow. Thanks, Captain. There's enough glory for all, Sergeant. Any chance of sending that in now? Not for two hours. Channels won't be clear for voice communication until three o'clock Earth time. You don't even know yet that we made it. I'd like to be down there when they get that message. What excitement. Sirens, bands playing, artillery salutes. Here's Prescott, sir. Good. Come on down, Dugan. Prescott, you all right? People. Here, sit down, sit down. Catch your breath. People? Mars has people. All right, now take your time. You want a drink? Mars is inhabited. People, just like home. Any women? Let him talk. What sort of people? Ordinary-looking people, men, women, kids. Hostiles? I don't think so. I came down a road, a country road, followed it to the right angle into a paved highway. Yeah. Before I could decide whether to go right or left, I heard a buzzing sort of sound. I ducked behind a bush. Vehicle rolled past. One wheel must have a gyroscopic balance of some sort. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Inside was a man and a woman. What'd they look like? Just like us. Hair, eyes, nose, mouth, body, clothes. Mars inhabited. Wait till they hear that down there. After it passed, I followed it. I came to a hill. When I got to the top, there was a little town, buildings, streets, just like home. Then I hurried back here. People. And just like home, huh? Yeah. You suppose they're really friendly? Well, I don't see why not. You heard what he said. Civilization up here resembles the one down there. What would they do on Earth if Martians came down and established contact and make a pretty big thing out of it? The people up here will probably treat us the same way. Even so, we're not going to take any chances. We'll be on. We're going into town? Right. Soon as we camouflage the rocket, I'd start cutting through the city. I'd start cutting some of those branches and gathering leaves. Cover it up good. I don't want anybody monkeying around while we're gone. Right. We can't be gone long, Captain. Channels open at three. We'll be back by then, if everything goes well. Oh, can you imagine their reaction when they see us? Come on, men. Make it fast. All right, men, dress it up. I'm going to knock on the door now and keep smiling to show we're friendly and let me do all the talking. Yes, what do you want? You speak English. I speak what I speak. What do you want? Martian. Speaks English. We're from Earth. I'm Captain Williams, commander of the first expedition to Mars, and you are the first Martian we've met. Martian? What I mean to say is you live on the fourth planet from the sun, correct? Well, everybody knows that. Well, we're from Earth. Where? It's never been done before. What has it? How is it you speak such good English? I'm not speaking, I'm thinking. Telepathy. Now, what is it you want? We're from Earth. From Earth? Some other time, Mac. I got my own problem. How do you like that? You didn't look very bright. I know, but... Try it again. Knock on the door. I'm in telepathy. I'll do all the thinking. Yes, sir. I'll knock on the door and try it again. Yes? Excuse me, ma'am. Was that your husband I was just talking to? Yes. He shut the door so quick I never got a chance to explain... Oh, I'm sorry, but he is busy. Can I help you? Are you strangers in town? No. I'm a friend of yours. I'm a friend of yours. I'm a friend of yours. I'm a friend of yours. Can I help you? Are you strangers in town? I'll say we are. We're from Earth. Earth? The planet Earth. Maybe you have a different name for it. The third in order from the sun. We came in a rocket. Almost 60 million miles... Don't come near me. I just want to shake hands. You and your husband are the first people on this planet we've seen... Don't come near me. You don't understand. We're from Earth. We came in a rocket. We came in a rocket. We came in a rocket. What did I do, Captain? Don't you think we'd better get away from here, maybe? All I did was... was... How far is it to town, Captain? Quarter of a mile. I just... I just wanted to shake hands. What was it that scared you? Uh, all right for us to smoke, Captain? Sure, smoke, yell, unbutton your buttons, do whatever you want. Doesn't seem to make any difference. Nobody's paying any attention to us anyhow. You'd think these people had visitors from Earth every day. Nobody even turns around to look at us. Can I say something, Captain? Yeah. We can't blame them for ignoring us, sir. We look just the same as they do. For all they know, we're just a few Martians ambling through the town square. We ought to take a chance and try telling someone else. We've told three of them already. Back at that farmhouse, a man ignored us and a woman screamed and ran away. And that girl we told fainted. Captain, looks like a bar or a soda fountain in here. Would it be all right if we went in and had something to drink? Well, why not? Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Could we get something to drink here? We've got some nice fruit, Crystal. Is all right. The same for everyone. It's all right. I don't think I've ever seen you fellows around. You strangers? We're from Earth. Where? Earth. The third planet from the sun. Clumsy of me. Earth, huh? Well, what do you know? You mean you understand what I'm trying to tell you? Sure. Sure. That we're the first men from Earth ever to reach Mars that has never been done before? That we came 60 million miles in a rocket? Sure, sure. 60 million, huh? Rocket, you say? Well, I'm proud to make your acquaintance. Captain Williams. This is Lieutenant Prescott, Sergeant Clitherow, and Lieutenant Dugan. I'm honored, I'm honored. You mind if I bring my son in to meet you? This is an occasion. Sure, sure. Bring him in. Son, son, come in here. Rocket, huh? All the way by rocket. Say now. You understand what we went through, the chances we took. Sure, sure. You're real heroes. Let me shake hands again. Can you call me Doc? Son, these men are from Earth. From Earth, understand? Yes, Pop. We're the first men from Earth ever to reach Mars. Isn't that wonderful, son? Think of it. It's wonderful. Go tell everyone. You don't mind if he tells people. Mine. Mine. I should say not. I would like him to. As many as possible. Go ahead, son. Hurry. Think of it. All the way from Earth. There were times in there when I didn't think we'd make it, I can tell you. Hey, I'll bet there were. Turbine counts out when we hit the stratosphere, and I began to sweat a big drop. I can imagine. Turbine, that is pretty serious. Even before we left, we were told we only had about one chance and three of making it. Hey, I don't see where you found the courage. We didn't even know what we'd find when we got here. My, oh my. You see, it's never been done before. Never. Let me shake your hand again. Lots of men were killed trying, but they never succeeded. It was an honor for our little town. You're the first to know, really. The very first. Your name will go down in history in all the school books with us. And the monuments on both planets. Hey, what is your name? Hey, wait a minute, man. Hold on. What's up, Skipper? Outside. All those people. Looks like the whole town. They must have heard the news. The glorious news from my son. Yes, they've come to welcome you. Hey, hold your fire, men. Welcome us. It doesn't sound like they've come to welcome us, Captain. What is this? Why, that's the man we first spoke to. The one whose wife got scared. Gentlemen, please don't shoot. There must be some mistake. I'll just ask them why they're behaving in such a... Here, come back here. Come back here, you old... Come back here. What do you make of that? Captain, I don't understand this and I don't like it. Do good. The back way out. See if it's clear. Prescott, you fire when I say fire, not before I lower your gun. They're all around us, Captain. You make a break for us. One volley at my command. Captain Williams. Yeah? Look, there's a little guy out there giving them all what for. They're starting to disperse. Let me see. Clear this square immediately. Immediately, I say. Go on now. Go on, all of you. Go on home. He's coming in. Now, I'll do all the talking. Put your guns away, but stay on your toes. Dugan, let's keep our eye on the back, huh? Gentlemen, may I apologize for the unforgivable actions of my fellow townspeople. They've acted barbarously, barbarously. We didn't do a thing. We were as friendly as we could be. Well, they're ignorant, ignorant, just ignorant. No reverence for science, none whatever. We're from Earth, did they tell you? Oh, yes, yes. A great honor, sir. This is without a doubt the most memorable moment of my life. As a man of science, I greet you. What have we done to make them so hostile? Well, please, I'm sorry. What have we done to make them so hostile? Please, put it out of your thoughts, you adults, idiots. Simply because two women were stupid enough to be frightened. These are my apologies, my sincere apologies. Believe me, sir, I would never have forgiven them if they had harmed so much as a hair of your head. It's scientific marble and they would do you harm. This is unforgivable. We're wasting time. The members of the Institute are waiting. Institute, the Institute of Science. We have full jurisdiction in such matters. The members have already been informed and are eagerly awaiting your appearance. It will cause a sensation. Well, that's a little more like it. This way, if you please. I have transportation waiting and have no fear of these rustics. You're in my care now. I'm Captain Williams, sir. Who are you? I'm president of the Institute. My name is Dr. Brew. This way, gentlemen. This way. Music Escape under the direction of Norman MacDonald returns in just a moment. How the gambling machine works, the far-reaching effect of legal and illegal gambling, domination of entire areas by racketeers. That's this week's topic on the nation's nightmare tomorrow night on CBS. And now back to Escape. Music In here, Captain Williams. Go right in. I won't make a speech, you understand. Just a few informal remarks. The members of the Institute will listen to you with the greatest interest, no matter how informed, on your remarks. Go right in and make yourself at home. Thank you, Doctor. I'll keep it short. We have to be back at our rocket by three o'clock our time in order to... To communicate with Earth. Yes, you told me. Go right in. I'll join you very soon. Thank you. After you, men. Good night, fellas. Wow, what an auditorium. Must be hundreds of people in there. What are they managed to get them together at such short notice? Straighten up, men. They're looking at us. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. I am Mr. U. And I'm Captain Jonathan Williams of New York City, on Earth. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, one and all, on behalf of myself and my crew. Thank you. Good to see another man from Earth. I am from Earth also. How is that again? There are many of us here from Earth. You? From Earth? Yes. But is that possible? Did you come by rocket? The space travel has been going on for centuries. What, what country are you from? Tuirio. I came by the spirit of my body years ago. Tuirio? I never heard of it. What was that about the spirit of your body? What do you mean there are many of us here from Earth? Not only from Earth. He's from Jupiter. He's from Saturn. Jupiter? Saturn? Wait a minute, this is confusing. Where on Earth is this Tuirio? Tuirio? Is it near America? America? What is America? You never heard of America? No. You say you're from Earth and you never heard of America? Earth is a place of seas and nothing but seas. There is no land. I am from Earth and I know. Earth is a place of all jungle. I am from Auréon Earth, a civilization built of silver. Men, come over here a second. Do you realize what this is? What, sir? This is no celebration. These aren't members of the Institute. This isn't a banquet or a surprise party. Look at their eyes. Listen to them. Now I understand why the woman screamed, why the girl fainted, why the old boy in the sword-a-pond ran out on us, why the crowd was hostile, why they brought us here. Where are we, sir? In an insane asylum. They think we're crazy. Crithero, try the door again. I just tried it, Captain. It's still locked. Go right in, gentlemen. The members of the Institute will listen to you with the greatest interest, no matter how informal your remark. I'll bet they've been listening all right. I'll bet they've had us under observation ever since we entered this building. But, Captain, look. What? You ought to take a look. That woman who said she was from Earth, too. Blue flame is coming out of her mouth and then turning into the shape of a small naked child. You think that's something? I've been watching one of them change into a crystal pillar and then into a golden statue and then into a staff of cedar and then back into a woman again. Never saw anything like that. Magicians? No, not magicians. Those are hallucinations. They pass their insanity over into us and we see their hallucinations, too. Telepathy, autosuggestion, and telepathy. Well, look, Captain. If hallucinations can appear this real to us, to anyone, if hallucinations are catching and almost believable, it's no wonder they took us for psychotics. If that woman can produce little blue-fired children and that one can change into a pillar, how natural if normal Martians think we can produce our rocket ship with our minds. I've been thinking along those lines, too. If someone came up to you on Earth and said he was from Mars, just came in by rocket, wouldn't you think he was crazy? I would. Heaven help me, I would. What time is it? 2.35. Those channels open in 25 minutes. Where's that doctor? Where's that doctor? I said where's that doctor? I'm here, Captain. I demand our release. I demand an apology for this outrage. The government will certainly hear of this. All the governments of Earth will hear of it. I shall tell them of the indignities hitherto upon their representatives. Yes, yes, of course. Don't humor me! Are you going to release us or must I take steps? What sort of steps? I'll kill you. That's very interesting. Excuse me a moment. Dr. Lowell? Yes, Doctor. Did you call me, Doctor? The case is developing along classic lines. I thought you might be interested. He's just threatened to kill me. Proceed, please, Captain. I wasn't joking, I tell you. Are you going to stand aside? No. All right. Jan. Most interesting. What do you suppose the next phase will be? Denial of insanity. Reaffirmation of sanity. But we are sane. We are. You see, classic men try to think of something. He thinks we're insane and he won't understand that we're not. No, no, no, no, not at all. I do not think all of you are insane. Oh, no. Just you, sir. The others, the ones you persist in referring to as your crew, they do not exist. They are secondary hallucinations. Secondary? Hallucinations. But you can touch them. You can hear them. Go ahead and touch them. They've proved nothing. Patients have come to me with snakes crawling from their ears. When I cured them, their snakes vanished. We'll be glad to be cured. Go ahead. It's unusual. Not many want to be cured. The cure is drastic, you know. Cure ahead. I'm confident you'll find we're all sane. He persists in referring to the others. Oh, they never stop. You know, Captain, such cases as yours need special treatment. The others in this hall are simpler forms. Once a patient has deteriorated as much as you have, with primary, secondary, tertiary, auditory, olfactory, and lingual delusions, as well as tactile and optical fantasies, it's a pretty bad business. We may have to resort to euthanasia. Euthanasia? You're crazy! Now, listen. My crew and I left Earth three days ago in a rocket. We landed here in Mars. Yes, yes, yes, you've already told me, Captain. The most detailed dream fantasy I've ever heard. But I can show you the rocket ship! I'd like to see it. Can you manifest it in this hall? No, certainly. It's over there on the corner. I don't see it. Of course you don't. It's not there. You told me to look if the rocket isn't there. I was joking, idiot, joking! Really? You have an odd sense of humor. If you give us transportation and come with us, I can show you the rocket. It's in a small forest near that town where we first saw you. Be rather interesting to observe his reaction at the failure to show it to us. Yes. Would you care to accompany me, Dr. Orr? Oh, I'd be delighted. Very well, Captain. Lead us to your rocket. Here it is. Here's the rocket. Now are you satisfied? Now are you convinced? I see nothing resembling a rocket. Nugent, Prescott, Clithereau, clear away the commissar. Hurry! You will see, Doctor. You will see. All right, there. There. Okay, men, that's enough. There you are, Doctor. That's the main hatch. Now are you convinced? Wonderful manifestation. Wonderful! But like the manifestation of your gun when you threatened to kill me, it's completely unreal and non-functional. I've been thinking about why you're gun jammed, Captain. I think it's a change in atmosphere. I suppose he allows his hallucinatory companion to offer the rational because the reality is too painful for him to offer it himself. Please, precisely, Doctor. It's a rocket. It's a real rocket. See? I can touch it. May we look inside? I insist that you look inside. Come along, Doctor. This is one of the most interesting things. Captain, three minutes or three. If we can keep him here until they open the channels, they'll be able to hear the reaction to our report on Earth, and then we'll be able to... I know, I know, I know. What a suspicious bunch of louts. Two cents, I'd tell the people back home not to bother with Mars. Fascinating. I've never seen anything like it. Now, do you believe? This is the most incredible example of sensual hallucination and hypnotic suggestion I've ever encountered. We went through your rocket, as you call it. I tapped it, and I heard it. Auditory fantasy. I smelled it. Or factory hallucination induced by sensual telepathy. I could even taste it. Lingual fantasy. Allow me to shake your hands, sir, and congratulate you. You are a psychotic genius. You have done the most complete job. By the task of projecting your psychotic image life into the mind of another, via telepathy and keeping the hallucinations from becoming sensually weaker, is almost impossible. Those people in the house usually concentrate on visuals, as the most visual and auditory fantasies combine. But you, Captain, have balanced the whole conglomeration. Your insanity is beautifully complete. My insanity. Yes, yes. What a lovely insanity. Metal, rubber, foods, clothing, fuel, nuts, both? Ten thousand separate items we've checked on your vessels. Never have we seen such complexity. Why, there were even shadows under the bunks, and under everything. Such a concentration of will. Let me embrace you, sir. I'll write this into my greatest monograph. I'll speak of it at the Martian Institute next month. Doctor, he's incurable, of course. Of course. You poor, wonderful man. You'll be much happier dead. What? Have you any last words? No, no, don't you... You poor, sad creature. I'm afraid you are far beyond in the psychiatric therapy. You're an incurable king. I shall put you out of this misery which has driven you to imagine this rocket and these three men. I did not... It will be most engrossing to watch your three friends and your rocket vanish once I've killed each other. Doctor... Then I will write a paper on the dissolution of neurotic images from what I observed yesterday. I'm from Earth. My name is Jonathan Williams, and these men are... Yes, yes, I know. From Earth. Honest. Captain. Captain Williams. They continue to exist. Superb. Hallucinations with time and spatial existence. I wonder how they will react to a bullet. Oh, no. But Anna, don't. An auditory appeal, even with a patient dead. Run, run, run! Run, run, run! They still exist. And so does the rocket. Phenomenal. Such persistence of the psychosis. First time I've ever observed it post-mortem. But... It will fade. It will all fade. Interesting, wasn't it? Shall we be returning to the Institute? I should like you to explain certain aspects of the case to the members of my department. Oh, gladly, my boy, gladly. Earth to Mars. Earth to Mars. Calling rocket expedition. Calling rocket expedition. Do you read me? Do you read me? Come in, Captain Williams. Come in, Captain Williams. Earth to Mars. Earth to Mars. Under the direction of Norman MacDonald, Escape has brought you The Earthmen by Ray Bradbury, especially adapted for Escape by Walter Newman, starring Parley Bear with Harry Bartel, Hans Conrad, Larry Dobkin, and Lou Krugman. Featured in the cast were John Danaer, Sydney Miller, Georgia Ellis, Jack Krushen, and Byron Cain. The special music for Escape is composed and conducted by Leith Stevens. Next week, Escape will us to an island off the northwest coast of Africa, and the story of a man whose quest for happiness was blocked by a giant, a madman, and a beautiful girl. As Millard Kaufman tells it in his exciting story, The Gladiator. There's all fun each and every weekday when most of these same stations bring you CBS Radio's Arthur Godfrey time. This is Roy Rowan speaking. This is CBS where you hear the FBI and peace and war every Thursday night. The Columbia Broadcasting System. This is KNX Los Angeles.
