
Lest We Forget - Stories To Remember - #2 The Outcasts - 11/04/1948
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Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Neighbor Gable, then Doug. There's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Madge Hennessy
Hey, everyone.
John Newhouse
Check out this guy and his bird.
Madge Hennessy
What is this, your first date?
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
John Newhouse
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Anyways, get a quote@libertymutual.com or with your local agent.
Madge Hennessy
Liberty. Liberty.
John Newhouse
Liberty.
Madge Hennessy
Liberty.
Narrator
Stories to Remember. Stories of people. Stories of human dignity and decency, told by some of America's outstanding storytellers. We present ralph bellamy in a story to remember the outcasts by bj chute.
John Newhouse
Well, here you are, Wallace.
Wallace Adams
Thanks for the lift, John. It makes it easier for Helen when I can let her have the car.
John Newhouse
Oh, sure.
Wallace Adams
Well, thanks again.
John Newhouse
Bye.
Wallace Adams
You stand there for a minute before the entrance to your home. It's the peak of rose time. The rich scent comes at you like a wave. You look at your house surrounded with roses and delphiniums and the smooth rug of green lawn. You stand still for a moment and look at the rich sunset bronzing the windows of your house. Your bright white house with green shutters. Your house and your land. Your piece of earth. With deep contentment, you walk up that neat little path to your home.
Madge Hennessy
Daddy. Daddy.
Wallace Adams
Hey, that was a fine tackle.
Madge Hennessy
Hey, you're home a half an hour early.
Wallace Adams
Mr. Newhouse gave me a lift.
Madge Hennessy
Oh, him. He's fat. Mother's fixing the dinner and Via's upstairs putting her face on. She got a big date tonight with Jim.
Wallace Adams
Jim?
Arthur Hearn
Who's he?
Madge Hennessy
James Bradford Hutchins. Don't you know him?
Wallace Adams
Oh, yes. Yes. You walk into your house thinking about your daughter Vee and her new boyfriend, Hutchins. Yes, that's a familiar name. Vee, who at 17, is any man's dream of spring as beautiful as her mother. You walk into your living room and there's Helen. Self possessed and beautiful. You look at her and you're proud that she's your wife. Darling, you look as cool as a cucumber.
Madge Hennessy
You're home early today, Miss.
Wallace Adams
John Newhouse was good enough to give me a lift.
Madge Hennessy
His wife Katherine called me this afternoon.
Wallace Adams
Did she? Must be arranging another one of her bridge parties.
Madge Hennessy
No, it wasn't that. It's something rather important. I'd like to talk to you about it.
Wallace Adams
About what, darling?
Madge Hennessy
Wait for me on the veranda. It's cooler. I'll be there in a minute. Here.
Wallace Adams
You sound very mysterious. By the way, who's James Bradford Hutchins, known to our daughter as Jim?
Madge Hennessy
Why, he's Clifford Hutchins son. One of our very good families. Jim's a fine, good looking boy.
Wallace Adams
Cliff Hutchins. Mmm. Seems to be a nice fellow.
Madge Hennessy
Yes. Oh, Ollie, it's so nice to know our children are meeting the right people. And I love it here. But I do want to talk to you about something important. I'll meet you on the veranda. Soon as I see what the new cook's doing with dinner.
Wallace Adams
You sit in the wicker chair on the veranda. It's that magical moment. Neither night nor day. You sit and your thoughts are like gusts of soft wind that come from nowhere. Life is full and kind to you, and you wish that all men everywhere could have this same security and peace.
Madge Hennessy
You're not asleep, darling, are you?
Wallace Adams
No. Just relaxing.
Madge Hennessy
Helen, Katherine called to talk to me about Mr. Benson, the real estate agent. He's had an offer on the Stiles place.
Wallace Adams
That's fine. Be nice to have someone living there.
Madge Hennessy
It would be nice, but these people who made the offer wouldn't do.
Wallace Adams
Why? Can't they finance it?
Madge Hennessy
No, that has nothing to do with it.
Wallace Adams
Well, why wouldn't they do?
Madge Hennessy
They're. They're undesirable.
Wallace Adams
What? Oh, I see.
Madge Hennessy
Mr. Benson told Katherine that it's hard to move such big properties, and he wanted to make sure it was the wish of our community to keep them out. So Catherine thought that all the leading members of the community ought to get together and. Well, actually what she said was that she thought our house would be a good place to hold such a meeting.
Wallace Adams
Why our house?
Madge Hennessy
Because we've just recently moved into the neighborhood and the new house is like us and, well, they. They know we think the same way. They do.
Wallace Adams
Do you know anything else about these people?
Madge Hennessy
Not a thing.
Wallace Adams
You know their name?
Madge Hennessy
No, I don't. I told Katherine she could ask whoever she wanted to. It won't be too much fuss. We'll just serve cocktails. Anyway, I. I do think it's a good thing to have the leading people of the community at our house.
Wallace Adams
I suppose so.
Madge Hennessy
It's unfortunate, of course, dear, but it's like zoning a residential district against. Well, against nightclubs or something.
Wallace Adams
People aren't nightclubs or something.
Madge Hennessy
Of course they aren't, but you know what I mean. It isn't just these people. It's what it starts. They bring their friends and they.
Wallace Adams
They're pushing when Are we gonna have this cocktail party day after tomorrow?
Madge Hennessy
Saturday.
Wallace Adams
Will Arthur Hearn be coming?
Madge Hennessy
I hope so, but I think he and Mrs. Hearn are still in Canada. Anyway, we know how they feel. This whole community was part of the Hearne estate. There's no question about them.
Wallace Adams
No, I guess there's no question about them.
Madge Hennessy
I think dinner's about ready, dear. Shall we go in?
Wallace Adams
All through dinner, you think about Mr. Hearn, the unquestioned leader of the community, the man of great wealth and power. He set the tone and pattern of the neighborhood without caring whether he set the pattern or not. What was good for Hearn was good for everybody else. You thought of Mr. Hearn and those nameless people who wanted to buy the Stiles place. The unseen, nameless people. You wonder how it feels to be shut out because someone thinks you're undesirable. How it feels to have a door slammed in your face. And what you say to yourself. What if it were you and Helen? What about that?
Madge Hennessy
Wally, dear? Wally.
Wallace Adams
Oh, what is it, darling?
Madge Hennessy
Is anything wrong at the office, dear? Are you having trouble with that Edgeworth contract?
Wallace Adams
No, no trouble. Everything's going fine, just fine.
Madge Hennessy
You were frowning, darling.
Wallace Adams
You smile again. The whole thing really is straightforward and very simple. It had always been understood that the district was a restricted development. Restricted and exclusive. People ought to realize that you aren't being anti anybody looking at this on a business basis. You're protecting your investments on a human basis. You're safeguarding your family. From what? You ask yourself again, from what?
Madge Hennessy
Are you ready with those drinks, dear?
Wallace Adams
Yes, Helen, just about. You can take some in with you. How many guests do we have now?
Madge Hennessy
Oh, it turns out to be quite a meeting. The Hutchins are here, the Brents, Don Atkinson and his wife and Mayor Tennessee. Oh, Lucy, Carol and her husband just came in. The very best people in the neighborhood are here. All of them.
Wallace Adams
You pick up the tray of drinks and walk into the living room. It's a gay party. Your guests seem to be having a good time. John Newhouse has arrived. You see him standing at the fireplace with an elbow on the mantelpiece, standing where he can dominate the room. Helen is talking to him eagerly with a drink in her hand. She sees you and beckons you to come over.
Madge Hennessy
Darling, here's John Newhouse.
Wallace Adams
Hello, John.
John Newhouse
Glad to see you, Wally. Hope you don't mind if we hold up the meeting another minute or so. There's a chance Arthur Hearn will be down.
Wallace Adams
Really? I thought he was in Canada.
John Newhouse
Flew back on a Chartered plane this afternoon.
Madge Hennessy
Oh, that's wonderful. I do hope he gets here.
John Newhouse
He's a very busy man. I spoke to him and he said he'd try to be here. It's later than I thought. Perhaps we ought to get on with the meeting.
Wallace Adams
That's all right with me.
John Newhouse
Friends.
Arthur Hearn
Friends.
John Newhouse
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. We've been hoping that our good neighbor Arthur Hearn could be with us. However, I don't think we should wait any longer. We all know that he'd feel as we do about this. I don't think this meeting will take much time. You all know why we're here. And you all know Benson, the real estate agent, had an offer on the Stiles place. The people involved don't seem to be suitable. I think we're all agreed on that.
Wallace Adams
You sit and listen to him. If you have anything to say, now's the time to say it. But you just sit and listen.
John Newhouse
It all seems rather formal, but we must establish a clear precedent so that this matter will never come up again. All of us here are property owners. And we chose our section for its neighbors as well as for its beauty. Naturally, we want to maintain it the way it is. Now, it is my proposal that we set up a committee of three to see the real estate agent and make our wishes known to him. And I can think of no better man to be chairman of this committee than our host, Wallace Adams.
Wallace Adams
This is the moment you were afraid of. You look at your wife and she looks back at you, proud and eager of this proof of your position in the community. Everyone in the room looks at you. Now you must declare yourself. You can no longer be an innocent bystander.
John Newhouse
How about it, Wallace?
Wallace Adams
I can't.
John Newhouse
Oh, I know you're a busy man. But you and Helen have our interests so much at heart. I'm sure you can find something.
Wallace Adams
I just don't feel that I want to do this.
John Newhouse
I don't understand. Aren't you with us?
Wallace Adams
Well, no. No, I'm not.
John Newhouse
This is a surprise. I thought we could depend on you. I assume.
Wallace Adams
I'm sorry, John, but your assumption was wrong.
John Newhouse
So it seems. I'll propose another chairman.
Madge Hennessy
John, I'm sure Wally didn't mean what he said.
Wallace Adams
I only meant that we ought to know more about these people.
John Newhouse
You only meant that our wishes and yours are not the same. The welfare of our community doesn't interest you. And I don't think we need trouble you for any other explanation. As for knowing about Benson's clients, why
Wallace Adams
don't you say it? You've been avoiding saying it since you started to speak. Why don't you say they're Jews?
John Newhouse
I don't think it's necessary to discuss that. We're here by agreement. We all agreed.
Wallace Adams
All right. I agreed to it too. But I don't want to agree any longer. If they're undesirable, that's reasonable. But not if they're undesirable just because they're Jews.
John Newhouse
I'm only being realistic. These people may be very nice, but it's what follows. They bring their friends, relatives.
Wallace Adams
I bring my friends, my relatives. What's a home for?
John Newhouse
There are other homes for these people to buy. Let them live in their own communities. We don't ask to come into their lives. But that's neither here nor there. Let's get on. I withdraw Wallace Adams name for the chairmanship. All of us except Wallace are agreed.
Madge Hennessy
I'd like to say something, John.
John Newhouse
Why, sure. Go ahead, Madge.
Madge Hennessy
I'm for letting these people buy the place. I don't really see why Jews shouldn't live as neighbors with. What is that old fashioned term? Christians? Better count me with Wallace.
John Newhouse
Are there any others who disagree besides Wallace and Madge Hennessy? 2 is hardly a majority. I believe the rest of us are in agreement.
Arthur Hearn
Meeting's not over yet, I hope. Sorry I couldn't get here any earlier.
John Newhouse
Oh, Mr. Hearn. It was really good of you to come.
Madge Hennessy
Oh, Mr. Hearn. I didn't hear you come in.
Arthur Hearn
The door was open, so I just walked through. How's the meeting going, John?
John Newhouse
Fine, Arthur. We were just choosing a committee chairman.
Arthur Hearn
Oh, committee for what?
John Newhouse
We're forming a committee to see Benson, the real estate agent. He has some undesirable clients who want to buy the Stiles place. We're organizing formally to see that undesirable people are kept out of the community.
Arthur Hearn
Oh, naturally.
John Newhouse
Of course, we'd be delighted if you took the committee chairmanship yourself, Arthur.
Arthur Hearn
Certainly. Be glad to.
Wallace Adams
You look at the people in the room. The approval of the great Mr. Hearn has settled everything. There's no use in your fighting it. You did what you could. Your conscience is clear. Helen has just caught your eye. She's bitter, even hostile. No need to fight this any longer. The majority rules. But you can't let it go. It's wrong.
John Newhouse
You want to choose your own committee, Arthur?
Wallace Adams
Mr. Hearn, I don't think you know all the facts.
Arthur Hearn
The facts are quite simple. It seems to me we're opposed to undesirable neighbors.
Wallace Adams
How do you know they're undesirable? Mr. Hearn, all we know about these people is that they're Jews. We don't know anything else.
Arthur Hearn
Is that right, John?
John Newhouse
Well, yes, of course.
Arthur Hearn
Now, let me get this clear. Do these people have enough money to finance a property as big as a Stiles place?
John Newhouse
Yes, but that's beside the point.
Arthur Hearn
Not to me, it isn't. I don't want to see that house bouncing back in the market again. Looks bad for the neighborhood.
John Newhouse
It will look worse if we.
Arthur Hearn
If we let Jews in. That depends on the Jews. I know a lot of Jews I'd be glad to have as neighbors. What we need to know about these people is what they're like. That's what the committee ought to be finding out. Mr. Adams, if you'd care to serve with me on this committee, I think we can do right by the community.
Wallace Adams
I'd be glad to serve on that basis.
John Newhouse
What other basis is there?
Arthur Hearn
If there's anyone else in this room who thinks there is another basis for exclusion, let's hear them.
Wallace Adams
Now. You look at these people, your neighbors and your guests. Many of them look relieved, glad that they don't have to go along with Newhouse. And suddenly it's clear to you that the majority didn't like this business of discrimination any more than you do. For these neighbors are like yourself. They've been stampeded by people like Newhouse. You look at Newhouse, he's staring straight ahead at nothing. Sullen, unyielding. And he's alone now. Completely alone, like an outcast. And they know the lost are not the outcasts. The lost are those who cast them out.
Narrator
Ralph Bellamy was starred in today's story, the Outcasts, by BJ Chute. It was published in Collier's Magazine and was adapted for radio by Sigmund Miller, directed by Earl McGill and produced by Harold Franklin. Listen in again next week at this same time for another story to remember a Lest We Forget production of the Institute for Democratic Education.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual. Even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.
Madge Hennessy
Hey, everyone.
John Newhouse
Check out this guy and his bird.
Madge Hennessy
What is this, your first date?
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Oh, no. We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.
John Newhouse
Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.
Liberty Mutual Spokesperson
Anyways, get a'@libertymutual.com or with your local
Madge Hennessy
agent, Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty
Wallace Adams
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John Newhouse
Visit your nearby Lowe's.
Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Lest We Forget - Stories To Remember #2: The Outcasts
Original Air Date: May 23, 2026
Story originally published in Collier’s Magazine by BJ Chute, starring Ralph Bellamy
Adaptation: Sigmund Miller | Direction: Earl McGill | Production: Harold Franklin
This episode presents “The Outcasts,” a dramatized radio play from the Golden Age of Radio, exploring themes of community, prejudice, and the courage to stand against discrimination. Set in a comfortable postwar American suburb, the story centers on Wallace Adams and his family as their idyllic life is disrupted by the prospect of “undesirable” new neighbors seeking to purchase a home. The episode examines the moral choices faced by individuals and a community when confronted with the temptations—and consequences—of exclusion and bigotry.
[01:29 – 04:21]
[03:52 – 06:01]
[07:28 – 09:00]
[09:36 – 11:01]
[11:23 – 11:38]
[11:48 – 13:38]
[13:38 – 14:35]
On exclusion:
On community conformity:
Wallace’s protest:
Madge’s support:
Hearn’s verdict:
Moral summation: