Radio City Playhouse 48-07-10 (02) Ground Floor Window

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Radio City Playhouse Attraction 2, Ground Floor Window"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Harold's Old Time Radio
• Episode: Radio City Playhouse 48-07-10 (02) Ground Floor Window
• Release Date: April 7, 2025
• Description: This episode showcases "Ground Floor Window," a poignant radio play from the Golden Age of Radio. Set in a close-knit neighborhood, the story revolves around Danny, a 23-year-old man with cerebral palsy, his interactions with new tenant Ruth, and the challenges they face together.

---

Introduction

"Ground Floor Window" is the second attraction in the Radio City Playhouse series, written by the talented Ernest Kinoy and directed by Harry W. Duncan. Starring Bill Redfield as Danny, alongside Marilyn Erskine, Anna Karen, Bernard Grant, and Arthur Q. Bryant, the play delves deep into themes of isolation, friendship, and the struggles of living with a disability. The musical score, composed and conducted by Dr. Roy Shield, complements the emotional depth of the narrative.

---

Main Characters

• Danny (Bill Redfield): A 23-year-old man with cerebral palsy who spends his days watching over the street from his ground floor window. Struggles with communication and physical limitations.

• Ruth (Marilyn Erskine): A new tenant in the neighborhood who moves into the upstairs apartment. Compassionate and empathetic, she befriends Danny.

• Anna Karen (Anna Karen): Danny's mother, who cares deeply for her son but struggles to manage her own frustrations and societal pressures.

• Skip Parsons (Bernard Grant): Danny's old friend and a war veteran with a leg injury. Attempts to reconnect with Danny amidst his own personal struggles.

• Mr. Gower (Arthur Q. Bryant): Ruth's abusive and alcoholic father, who disapproves of Ruth's interactions with Danny and others in the neighborhood.

---

Plot Summary

Opening Scenes: The play begins with Danny reflecting on his 23 years spent observing the neighborhood from his ground floor window. He reminisces about the children playing on the sidewalk, capturing moments of community life (00:01:42). Danny interacts with his mother, Anna, who expresses concern over his emotional state and urges him to rest, highlighting the strain within their relationship (03:56).

Ruth's Introduction: Ruth moves into the upstairs apartment, introducing herself to Danny (04:08). Despite Danny's communication challenges, Ruth reaches out with kindness, seeking companionship. Their budding friendship is evident as Ruth offers to read to Danny and share moments of understanding that Danny yearns for (05:08).

Conflict with Mr. Gower: Ruth's father, Mr. Gower, enters the narrative as an abusive figure who disapproves of Ruth's interactions with Danny. His volatile temper and intolerance exacerbate the tensions in Ruth's life, making her seek solace in her friendship with Danny (10:25).

Skip Parsons Returns: Skip, Danny's old friend and war veteran, returns to the neighborhood bearing the physical and emotional scars of war. He seeks Danny's help to navigate the strained relationship with Ruth and her father (20:13). The history between Danny and Skip reveals past bullying, with Skip once mocking Danny's mannerisms, adding layers to their complex friendship (20:25).

Ruth's Graduation and Decisions: Ruth graduates from high school, supported by both Danny and Anna, despite Mr. Gower's objections. Skip expresses his intentions to marry Ruth and help her escape her troubled home life, but Ruth hesitates, torn between her father's control and her desire for a better future (16:40).

Climactic Confrontation: Tensions culminate as Ruth decides to follow her heart, leading to a confrontation between Danny and Anna. Danny's internal struggle is palpable as he grapples with his inability to express his emotions fully, feeling trapped between his loyalty to Ruth and his strained relationship with his mother (25:09).

Resolution: The play concludes with Danny writing an unspoken letter of love and understanding to Ruth, symbolizing his deep yearning for connection despite his limitations. The final scenes emphasize the enduring impact of friendship and the silent battles individuals face within their own lives (26:52).

---

Key Themes and Discussions

1. Isolation and Observation: Danny's life is largely confined to his window, observing the vibrant street life outside. This physical and emotional isolation underscores his longing for connection and participation in the world around him.

2. Friendship and Understanding: The bond between Danny and Ruth serves as the emotional core of the play. Their mutual understanding and support highlight the profound impact genuine friendship can have, especially for those who feel marginalized.

3. Bullying and Disability: The interactions between Danny and other characters, notably Skip Parsons, reveal societal prejudices and the cruelty often directed towards individuals with disabilities. Danny's nickname, "Dopey Dad," and the derogatory remarks highlight the rampant bullying he endures.

4. Family Dynamics and Abuse: Anna Karen's relationship with Danny illustrates the complexities of family dynamics when compounded by external societal pressures and personal frustrations. Mr. Gower's abusive behavior towards Ruth adds another layer of familial dysfunction.

5. War and Its Aftermath: Skip Parsons' character brings to light the lingering traumas of war, both physical and psychological. His struggles to reintegrate into civilian life and reconnect with Danny reflect broader themes of post-war adjustment.

6. Hope and Resilience: Despite the numerous challenges, the characters exhibit resilience. Ruth's determination to seek a better life and Danny's unwavering observation from his window symbolize hope amidst adversity.

---

Notable Quotes

• Danny reflecting on his isolation:

  "All day I watched the girls jumping rope and the boys playing stickball. You wrote me, Ruth, but I didn't answer. This is the letter I write in my head."
  (Timestamp: 26:13)

• Ruth expressing frustration with her father:

  "Why can't he be nice, Danny? Why can't he?"
  (Timestamp: 22:57)

• Skip Parsons seeking help from Danny:

  "You've got to help me... Ruth was supposed to be very funny. I wanted to tell him there were lots of prettier girls."
  (Timestamp: 20:16)

• Anna Karen confronting Danny's emotions:

  "A man who can't even button his shirt or tie his shoes. What kind of a man is that?"
  (Timestamp: 24:55)

• Ruth expressing her need for companionship:

  "Danny, I've always been able to talk to you. You're different from the other boys I know."
  (Timestamp: 13:28)

---

Conclusion

"Ground Floor Window" is a masterfully crafted radio play that delves into the intricate lives of its characters, portraying the silent struggles and unspoken bonds that define human relationships. Through Danny's unwavering gaze from his window, listeners witness the complexities of friendship, the scars of bullying, and the quest for understanding and acceptance. Ernest Kinoy's poignant writing, combined with stellar performances and evocative music, make this episode a memorable exploration of resilience and the enduring human spirit.

---

Upcoming Episode: Next week, the Radio City Playhouse presents "Of Unsound Mind," a gripping tale of Myra, Caleb, and Jeff, exploring themes of love, war, and internal turmoil. Be sure to join us for another captivating story from the Golden Age of Radio.

Transcript

[American Express]

Find your AMEX card and earn rewards on everyday purchases like points on groceries. See if you pre qualify with no impact on your credit score. Learn more about our [e-mail] check 4 offers. Your credit score may be impacted if you submit an application. Terms apply.

[Richard P. McDonough]

The National Broadcasting Company presents Radio city playhouse attraction 2. Before we raise our curtain, we'd like to take time for a small speech. It amounts to this. Thanks. Thanks very much for your many, many very wonderful letters in praise of our opening play, Long distance. Bowing to your wishes, we promise we'll repeat it later on in this series. Tonight's play is titled Ground Floor Window. It was written by an extremely talented young author, Ernest Kinoy, with Bill Redfield starring as Danny, and directed by Harry W. Duncan. Here is Radio City Playhouse Attraction two, Ground Floor Window.

[Bill Redfield]

I've been sitting in this ground floor window of ours for 23 years. Yes. Ever since I can remember, I've watched the girls playing potsy on the sidewalk, the boys playing stickball, dodging the cars, shooting marbles in the gutter. I'm 23 now. 23.

[Paul]

Hey, Phillips. Who are here? Come on, Paul, will you come on?

[Bill Redfield]

It was six years ago that I first saw you, Ruth. You were the new upstairs tenants. There was a big yellow moving van, the furniture, your father managing everything. I remember the first words your father ever said to me. The first words your father ever said to me were, hey, you.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

You in the window. This 791. I said, is it 791?

[Skip Parsons]

No, I was asking him, miss.

[Bill Redfield]

But he's dopey.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Yeah, what do you know?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Yeah, he's a regular goof.

[Skip Parsons]

Just sits there all the time.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

I can't see.

[Skip Parsons]

Like I said, he can't even talk straight. Yeah, it's 791, all right. You moving in, huh?

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Yeah. Say, the goof there, he ain't dangerous or anything, is he?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Him?

[Skip Parsons]

Nah. He can't even get out of that chair. His ma even has to tie his shoes for him.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

No kidding.

[Skip Parsons]

Yeah.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Okay, Ruthie, this is the right place. We're home.

[Marilyn Erskine]

What's wrong with a kid in the window, Pop?

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Never mind. Now go find a super and get the key to the apartment.

[Marilyn Erskine]

He looks so funny.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Go on, you heard me. Find a super.

[Bill Redfield]

All afternoon I watched your father and another man carrying furniture and trunks into the house. It was dark before the truck finally pulled away. The kids on the block were shooting bottle caps under the street lamp. And the ice cream man had been around twice.

[Anna Karen]

Jenny, getting late. Let me fix you for bed.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, no, Ma, not yet. I'll stay up a while.

[Anna Karen]

You had a long day, Denny.

[Bill Redfield]

You should rest, Ma.

[Anna Karen]

All day you sat by the window.

[Bill Redfield]

Let me alone, will you?

[Anna Karen]

You want I should get you some ginger ale? It's cold in the.

[Bill Redfield]

I. I don't want nothing, Ma. Just leave me alone.

[Anna Karen]

So you'll call when you want to go to bed? All right. All right, then.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, yeah, Ma. All right.

[Paul]

Tap, tap, Shirley. Tap, tap, Shirley.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Behind a gar. That's.

[Paul]

Hello.

[Bill Redfield]

Huh? Hello.

[Marilyn Erskine]

My name's Ruth. I moved in today.

[Bill Redfield]

Upstairs. Oh, I saw.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Hey, do you mind if I sit on the stoop by your window?

[Bill Redfield]

No.

[Marilyn Erskine]

What's your name?

[Bill Redfield]

Dan.

[Marilyn Erskine]

What's wrong with you? You make funny faces.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, I. I can't help it.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Why didn't you answer Papa when he asked your question this afternoon?

[Bill Redfield]

I have trouble talking sometimes.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Oh. Can you walk?

[Bill Redfield]

No.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Will you run over?

[Bill Redfield]

No. I was born like this.

[Marilyn Erskine]

You ain't really dopey, are you?

[Bill Redfield]

No. It's just I was born with that.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Lady in the blue dress. She's your mother, ain't she?

[Bill Redfield]

Yeah.

[Marilyn Erskine]

My mother died last year. She had double pneumonia.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, that's too bad.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Can't a doctor do something for me?

[Bill Redfield]

Yeah, well, my mother took me to the clinic when I was four. They told her they couldn't do anything.

[Marilyn Erskine]

That's awful. What is it?

[Bill Redfield]

Well, the doctor said cerebral palsy. That. That means something, isn't there? In the part that tells the muscles what to do? Oh, that's what makes me make funny faces all the time.

[Marilyn Erskine]

You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, I don't mind you. You won't laugh at me, though?

[Marilyn Erskine]

No, I won't laugh.

[Bill Redfield]

Rest of the kids on the block, do. I? I'm used to it, I guess. They call me Dopey Dan.

[Marilyn Erskine]

That isn't true. There. It ain't your fault, is it?

[Bill Redfield]

No, it isn't my fault.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Rupee. Ruth.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Papa, I got to go upstairs. I'll see you tomorrow, Dan.

[Bill Redfield]

Good night, Ruth.

[Anna Karen]

Who is that you talking to, Danny?

[Bill Redfield]

Girl from upstairs.

[Anna Karen]

The one who moved in today, huh? She should shame herself with such a dirty face.

[Bill Redfield]

Her name is Ruth.

[Anna Karen]

Such a nice neighborhood this used to be.

[Bill Redfield]

She looks straight at me, Ma.

[Anna Karen]

So she looked at you. You won. I should put you to bed.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, no, no. That's all right, Ma. I want to sit up a while longer. You go ahead. I want to think. I watched you grow up, Ruth. You washed your face now, and soon those long black braids gave way. To a sort of soft tangle around your face. You went to Douglas Junior High School with the kids from the block. And after school, you used to sit on the high brownstone stoop just outside my window and report on the day's activities.

[Marilyn Erskine]

The teacher don't like me, Dan. Right in front of the whole class. She said I didn't do my homework.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, did you?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Well, not exactly. I tried to.

[Bill Redfield]

You went to the movies instead? I saw you go by.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Skip asked me to go. I don't see what good algebra does anyway.

[Bill Redfield]

Did you have a good time with Skip?

[Marilyn Erskine]

I guess so. We had a soda after. You never seen a movie, have you, Dan?

[Bill Redfield]

Well, Ma was gonna take me once, but she couldn't get anybody to carry me.

[Marilyn Erskine]

It was a swell picture.

[Bill Redfield]

I'll see one someday.

[Paul]

Hi, Pepper. Hi, Pepper.

[Marilyn Erskine]

What do you do when I'm in school, Danny?

[Bill Redfield]

I don't know. Watch the street, I guess.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Don't you read?

[Bill Redfield]

Well, I can't turn the pages so good. I. I used to have a teacher come twice a week, but not anymore.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Hey, I know what I'll read to you Saturday afternoon. I've got to read Ivanhoe for school anyway, and I'd just as soon read it aloud.

[Bill Redfield]

Hey, Ruthie, that's Skip calling you.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I'll let him come over here if he wants anything.

[Skip Parsons]

Hey, what you doing, Ruthie? Just talking, but don't be Dan.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Skip Parsons, you shut up.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, that's all right. Sure.

[Skip Parsons]

Danny don't mind, do you?

[Bill Redfield]

No.

[Skip Parsons]

We're old friends, ain't we?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Never mind, Skip. You shut up anyway.

[Skip Parsons]

Girls are crazy, ain't they, Danny? Danny agrees with me.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Why don't you go away, Skip?

[Skip Parsons]

I'll go when I want to. Say, Ruthie, all the kids in school are going up the river on the day line Saturday. You're coming, ain't you?

[Marilyn Erskine]

I don't know.

[Skip Parsons]

Well, of course. Much. Look, I'll tell you what. You come with me and I'll get your ticket.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Well, I was gonna read to Danny on Saturday.

[Skip Parsons]

We're going to Bear Mountain. Joe Vargas. Father's giving her hot dogs for the whole bunch.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I don't know.

[Bill Redfield]

It sounds swell, Ruth.

[Skip Parsons]

Yeah, it's a lot better than just sitting on a stoop reading all afternoon.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I don't know yet, Skip. I'll let you know.

[Bill Redfield]

You went to Bear Mountain with Skip? Ruth, I wanted you to. Skip was supposed to be very funny. He had an imitation of the way I talk and how my face moves. I never saw it, but all the kids in the neighborhood Laughed every time. Saturday afternoon I watched the little kids unscrew the top off the fire hybrid and run around under the water.

[Paul]

Hey, Billy, go to the top of the hybrid. Come on.

[Bill Redfield]

I thought of you on the boat with the wind blowing through that ship. Short tangle of hair. I think I enjoyed that trip more than you did. You came home way after 12, alone. The night was hot and the whole street seemed to be weighed down under a smothering blanket. You sat on the stoop and even in the dark I could tell you were crying.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I am not crying. It's just hot.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, I didn't mean anything. Didn't you have a good time?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Sure.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, how come Skip didn't bring you home? Your father will be awful mad.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I don't care.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, what's the matter? You are crying, Ruth.

[Marilyn Erskine]

It's nothing, Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

Something happened on the trip, didn't it? It was Skip, wasn't it?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Oh, Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

He made fun of the way I talk.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I tried to make him stop, but he wouldn't. He only did it because they all lasted. Danny, it was awful.

[Bill Redfield]

You mustn't mind.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I hit him, Danny. I slapped Skip as hard as I could and then I ran into the cabin.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, please don't.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I didn't come home with him. I couldn't stand it. Daddy. I won't ever talk to the kid as long as I live.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, they don't mean anything, Ruth. It's just that I'm different now. Don't cry, Ruth, please.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Is that you, Ruthie?

[Marilyn Erskine]

It's Papa.

[Bill Redfield]

He's been to Connolly's Bar. I saw him go by around 10.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Ruth, answer when your father calls.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Yes, Papa. Standing strong. What'll I do?

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Didn't I tell you to get home before midnight, Papa? Didn't I say before midnight? Didn't I, Papa?

[Bill Redfield]

Mr. Gower.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

What do you want?

[Bill Redfield]

I, I. Well, Ruth was here talking to me.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Oh, she was, huh?

[Bill Redfield]

She was talking to me. She was? She was back around 11.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Why you lying, half witted cripple.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I don't have dare talk to Van like that.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Why you little. Ruth, go and get upstairs before I beat your head off.

[Bill Redfield]

Mr. Gower, you shouldn't let me.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

Listen, you overgrown idiot. If I didn't know that your mama has to even wipe your nose for you, I, I'd. Stay away from Ruthie, see? I don't want her hanging around. Well, just stay away.

[Anna Karen]

Danny. That was Gower coming home drunk again. Danny. Danny, you're crying.

[Bill Redfield]

No, Ma.

[Anna Karen]

What's the matter? Can I do something for you? Danny, what are you crying?

[Bill Redfield]

Nothing. Nothing.

[Anna Karen]

All right, so let me fix the pillow behind your back. It's all crook, Ma.

[Bill Redfield]

Stop it. I can't stand it any longer. Let me alone. Lemme alone. Let me alone. But my mother fixed my pillow and brought me a glass of water and wiped the tears out of my eyes. I sat at the window staring out at the street. That night I dreamed I could. I was with you, Ruth, walking by the ocean. We were running hand in hand, sort of floating over the sand. Running, running. And then suddenly I fell. I couldn't get up. And you looked down at me and said quietly, cripple. I was screaming. When I woke up and my mother came running. She insisted on sitting up with me all night. I didn't dream again after that. You didn't come every day. You had a job after school. And I'd see you go out in the morning with your books and come back late in the afternoon. You weren't really pretty, I suppose. You always looked tired. And you took a long time climbing the stoop.

[Paul]

Ma cut me up and throw me down.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Hello, Danny. Isn't this a scorcher?

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, hello, Ruth. You tired?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Sometimes I think you're lucky, Danny. I get so worn out in the store, I fall asleep over my homework.

[Bill Redfield]

It gets tiring just sitting too, Ruth.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Do you know what I mean, Danny? Here, I'll straighten your pillow.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, it's all right.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Let me fix your collar, Danny. It's all twisted there.

[Bill Redfield]

I couldn't reach it.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I'm sorry, Dan. I didn't mean to, you know.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, it's all right, Ruth. I never mind when you talk about.

[Marilyn Erskine]

You're different from the other boys I know, Danny. Not only because you're crippled.

[Bill Redfield]

It's all right.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I mean, it seems like I can always talk to you. Papa doesn't seem to understand. Honest, Danny, sometimes I think you're all there there is on the whole block. That's real. I mean, I don't know, I. Danny, why is it you seem kind of good?

[Bill Redfield]

I don't know.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I mean, you seem so. So old. Old as if you knew what was right. Oh, Dan, will you. Will you always let me talk to you? Ruth, I get so tired. I need you to talk to Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

You sat on the stoop with your head in your hands, looking like all the sorrow in the world. Then you looked up and smiled at me and I could see tears in your eyes. And I was glad, Ruth. Glad. You wanted me to listen while you poured out the troubles of your 18 year old heart. The war was over.

[Richard P. McDonough]

Now there was a.

[Bill Redfield]

A big welcome home streamer stretching from our house across the street to 794.

[Paul]

Dad. Daddy, look who's back. Look who's back.

[Bill Redfield]

It was Skip Parson on the sidewalk at the foot of the stoop. He stood looking up at me with his feet apart, leaning on a sort of steel cane that reached up beyond his right hand and clamped his arm by the elbow.

[Skip Parsons]

Hi, Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

Hello, Skip. It's well to see you.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Come on up and sit down a while on the stick. Sure.

[Skip Parsons]

I got nowhere to go.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Hello, Skip.

[Skip Parsons]

Hiya, Ruthie. I guess I kind of joined your club, Danny. There.

[Bill Redfield]

I'm sorry, Skip.

[Skip Parsons]

Well, I still got the leg, even if it is all scrambled up. How you been, Danny?

[Bill Redfield]

All the same. You look great. I. I mean, except for the leg.

[Skip Parsons]

Yeah. But the surprise is Ruth. She wasn't pretty when I went away.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I'm not now.

[Skip Parsons]

Sure you are. Isn't she, Danny? You ought to know. I leave it to you.

[Bill Redfield]

I guess so.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Never mind. What are the ribbons for, Skip?

[Skip Parsons]

Oh, free beers mostly. They're good for at least a quarter. Connolly's. Didn't you notice me weaving?

[Bill Redfield]

That's a Combat infantry badge, isn't it?

[Skip Parsons]

Yeah. I'll tell you a secret. It's the only one that means anything to me. The other stuff is to sweep beautiful ladies off their feet.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Why didn't you write you were coming?

[Skip Parsons]

I didn't think of it. I guess I should have.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, you got home just in time, Skip. Ruth graduates high school tonight.

[Skip Parsons]

Hey, that's swell. Congratulations.

[Anna Karen]

What?

[Skip Parsons]

You should have told me. I'd have brought you a present or something. Maybe flowers.

[Marilyn Erskine]

But Dan sent me flowers.

[Bill Redfield]

Why don't you go with her tonight, Skip? Mr. Gower's working. Ruth won't have anybody there.

[Skip Parsons]

Wasn't that.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Don't be goofy. I need somebody in the audience to clap when they call my name.

[Skip Parsons]

Oh, horny handed Parsons they call me.

[Bill Redfield]

How's this?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Oh, Snoop. I gotta go get dressed now. Oh, your flowers are swell, Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

I'm glad.

[Skip Parsons]

In about an hour, Ruthie.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Maybe a little longer. I'll try to hurry.

[Skip Parsons]

Well, I gotta shave. See you later, Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

Have a good time, Skip. I saw you go off together to the graduation. It was almost dark and the street lamp went on just as you passed under it. Our Skip was wrong. You weren't pretty but the light caught the white flowers in your dark hair. They danced when you tossed your head and waved to me.

[Anna Karen]

That's the Gower girl going to graduation. Yes, Ma, think her father would come home to go with her?

[Bill Redfield]

He's working.

[Anna Karen]

Working? Not working. A girl graduates only once. Who's that with her?

[Bill Redfield]

Skip Parson. He came home today.

[Anna Karen]

I already heard. Shame his leg's such a strong boy.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, she looked nice, Ma.

[Anna Karen]

She ought to. You made me buy expensive enough flowers. So much money for a little girl like that.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, Ma.

[Anna Karen]

Still, you're right. Her father wouldn't get them. And on graduation, a girl should have flowers.

[Bill Redfield]

They were pretty. She had them in her hair.

[Anna Karen]

Lucky Skip came home, so she had someone to take her. Everybody's got his troubles. And the whole world, nothing but troubles. So you want ice cream the next time the man comes around?

[Bill Redfield]

You came home late. I heard you both laughing quietly as you turned the corner. And when you passed under the street lamp, I saw the flowers in your hair, wilted and yellowing. Skip had tucked one of them under his infantry badge like it was a buttonhole.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Dan. Hey, Dan.

[Skip Parsons]

He's probably in bed, Danny. What do you want to wake him for?

[Marilyn Erskine]

I promise to tell him about graduation.

[Richard P. McDonough]

I'll give him a break.

[Skip Parsons]

Let him sleep.

[Marilyn Erskine]

But I promise it'll keep till morning.

[Richard P. McDonough]

Danny won't mind.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Gee, I wish he could have been there.

[Paul]

Why?

[Bill Redfield]

Did I clap loud enough?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Don't be silly, Skip. It's a. Oh, Danny's been something sort of special to me. Oh, Skip, it isn't fair. Why should he be like that? It isn't fair.

[Skip Parsons]

Hey, hey, take it easy. It's graduation night.

[Marilyn Erskine]

He said he was glad you went with me.

[Skip Parsons]

Sure Danny's okay.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Say.

[Skip Parsons]

Say, you're not it. I mean, Danny.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Oh, Skip.

[Skip Parsons]

Ruthie, let's walk down to the river. It's early.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I can't. Pop will be home from work soon. You'll get mad.

[Skip Parsons]

You got lots of time. After all, you only graduate high school once.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Well, I really promise.

[Skip Parsons]

If Danny was up, he'd answer. But, Papa, your old man doesn't come home till three. What do you say?

[Marilyn Erskine]

All right.

[Skip Parsons]

Oh, what's the matter?

[Marilyn Erskine]

My flowers came loose. Here, hold my place.

[Skip Parsons]

Oh, they're drooping anyway. You might as well throw them away.

[Marilyn Erskine]

No, I'll fix the pin. I want to save them. There.

[Skip Parsons]

We can make it to the river and back before your father comes home.

[Bill Redfield]

I'd heard you when you called, Ruth. I don't know why I didn't answer, but I waited up till you came back. I wanted to be sure you got home safely. I was afraid your father would come home and find you still out too. But he didn't it was a week later when Skip came by again. He was wearing his old suit from before the war, but his arm was still braced against. Against that twisted steel half crutch. He pulled himself up the high stoop. Wow.

[Skip Parsons]

It's quite a climb. Mind if I sit a while?

[Bill Redfield]

No.

[Skip Parsons]

Danny, you've got to help me.

[Bill Redfield]

Me?

[Skip Parsons]

I know I got a nerve. All afternoon I sat in Conley's Bar trying to figure out how I had the right.

[Bill Redfield]

What's the trouble, Skip?

[Skip Parsons]

Well, remember when I was a kid, I used to call you Dopey Dad?

[Bill Redfield]

Yes, I remember.

[Skip Parsons]

Ruthie socked me for it once. I was imitating you on the boat coming down from Bear Mountain. She all often sucked.

[Bill Redfield]

I knew about it.

[Skip Parsons]

Well, kids are like that, Danny. You know that, don't you? I didn't mean anything special. I was. I was just. You know, there isn't an excuse.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, I don't mind any more.

[Skip Parsons]

Look, I know it isn't anything like it. I mean, my leg and your trouble, they aren't in the same class. But this morning I saw two kids following me down the street making like my brace with a stick.

[Bill Redfield]

You'll get used to it.

[Skip Parsons]

No, that isn't what I mean. I try to figure how. How I come off to ask you to help. I wouldn't have had the nerve, but Ruthie told me you always were a friend, Ruth. Yeah. I need you, Danny. You're the only one who can help.

[Bill Redfield]

I.

[Skip Parsons]

What's the matter?

[Bill Redfield]

Nothing.

[Skip Parsons]

You see, it's her old man. He won't let her see anybody. Goes crazy every night when he's working because he can't tell where she is. She's scared of him, Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, what do you want from me?

[Skip Parsons]

I gotta see you, Danny.

[Bill Redfield]

I just got her.

[Skip Parsons]

She's going to meet me over at the park. She told her father she's going to read to you.

[Bill Redfield]

He'll ask you, Danny.

[Skip Parsons]

You've got to tell him. She was with you.

[Bill Redfield]

I didn't know what to say to Skip, Ruth. So I stuttered like I always do when I get confused. Skip sat by the window and told me how pretty you were. You weren't really pretty, Ruth. Even on graduation night with my flowers in your hands. I wanted to tell him there were lots of prettier girls. So many others. He could walk. He could find the others. Why did he have to come to me? Why did I have to help him? You stopped by my window before you went to meet him. You sat on the stoop the way you used To.

[Marilyn Erskine]

How do I look, Danny?

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, fine, Ruth. Just fine.

[Marilyn Erskine]

I'm going over to the park to meet Skit.

[Bill Redfield]

Yes, I know.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Oh, Danny, I love him. What's the matter, Danny?

[Bill Redfield]

Skip's a good guy.

[Marilyn Erskine]

He wants to get married and go to California. He knows a job out there where his leg won't matter. Only it wasn't for Papa.

[Bill Redfield]

Well, can't you just go anyway?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Yeah, but Skip and Papa don't like each other, Danny. Why is Papa like he is? He's not really bad. He worries about me that way, you know. And Danny, he don't need to worry. Why can't he be nice, Danny? Why can't he?

[Bill Redfield]

Ruth, I.

[Marilyn Erskine]

You've always been a friend, Danny. I always been able to talk to you. Remember when I said I wanted to talk to you? Always. Ruth.

[Bill Redfield]

Ruth, I can't even talk right hardly.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Even if you couldn't walk or anything. You were my very best friend on the block. You were my best friend in the world, Danny. You could tell what I was thinking. You knew it without my saying anything. That's what I love about Skip, Danny. He's so gentle and sweet like you. Sometimes I think that you.

[Arthur Q. Bryant]

No, Ruth.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Danny, I'll write you off.

[Bill Redfield]

You're not going tonight, are you?

[Marilyn Erskine]

Tomorrow, maybe.

[Bill Redfield]

If Skip one I. I hope you'll be happy, Ruth.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Bend your head up, Danny. Well, your face feels hot, Danny, are you all right? Have you fever or something?

[Bill Redfield]

No, no, I'm all right. Far.

[Marilyn Erskine]

It's so hot, Danny. Tomorrow I'll say goodbye like always. Just like I was going to school or something. But you'll know, Danny, that it's Ruth.

[Bill Redfield]

Don't.

[Marilyn Erskine]

Goodbye, Danny. Oh, Danny.

[Anna Karen]

Who are you talking to? Danny, somebody's bothering you, maybe. Danny, what's the matter? Why you're crying. That's no way for a man to act. A man.

[Bill Redfield]

A man who can't even button his shirt or tie his shoes. What kind of a man is that? What kind of a man? The drools and stammers when he talks like a baby.

[Anna Karen]

Daniel, your mom isn't. You're my son. I lived in the house with you for 23 years. Oh, please, Mama, let's skip past. He went two years to a war, Danny. Your war went on from when you were born. I know. I know. You're Ruth. She's going away, but you've still got to live.

[Bill Redfield]

Oh, Ma, for heaven's sake.

[Anna Karen]

Oh, she goes away, Danny. It didn't take courage to live 23 years sitting in a window watching the world run and play games. A man? Could there be more of a man? Mama, I love her.

[Bill Redfield]

So. Now I sit by the window and watch the street. All day I watched the girls jumping rope and the boys playing stickball. You wrote me, Ruth, but I didn't answer. This is the letter I write in my head. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't put it on paper. I'm 23 years old and I can't hold a pencil in my hand.

[Richard P. McDonough]

That was ground floor window. Attraction 2 Radio City Playhouse as written by Ernest Kanoy and directed by Harry W. Junkin. Bill Redfield starred as Danny and other members of the cast included Bernard Grant, Marilyn Erskine, Anna Karen and Arthur Q. Bryant. The music was composed and conducted by Dr. Roy Shield. Radio City Playhouse is supervised for the National Broadcasting Company by Richard P. McDonough. Next week, the Radio City Playhouse presents Of Unsound Mind. Written by our director, Harry W. Junkins. It is the story of Myra, beautiful, gracious, charming and without a soul. It is the story of Caleb, her war wounded husband, and of Jeff, the other man in her life. We sincerely hope you'll be with us next Saturday when we bring you Of Unsound Mind by Harry W. Duncan. Attraction 3 Radio City Playhouse. Robert Warren speaking. This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company.