Episode Overview

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: Young Dr. Malone (534) "Late"
Date: November 30, 2025

In this classic episode of Young Dr. Malone, listeners are transported to Three Oaks, where a seemingly ordinary night takes a tragic turn. The episode artfully blends domestic warmth and community life with escalating tension as Dr. Jerry Malone, after a long, worrisome house call, fails to return home—setting off a cascade of concern, frantic calls, and an eventual accident that deeply affects his family and friends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Domestic Humor & Family Life (00:01–01:50)

• The episode opens with jovial banter between Joe Pringle and his wife Bess regarding dinner, Crisco apple pie, and the woes of their aging stove.
  • Notable Quote:
    • Joe (00:13): "Any chance for a starving plumber to get a hen out here, lady?"
    • Bess (00:27): "I put a Crisco apple pie in along with my roast. Well, I only hope it gets baked. This stove is getting so decrepit."
• The natural product conversation (Crisco) is woven into their humor and daily concerns, reflecting advertising norms of the radio era.

2. The Aftermath of a Health Scare (01:51–03:19)

• The tone shifts from homey to anxious as Joe Pringle goes to sleep and the setting moves to the Deneens' house where Lynn sits watchful over her ailing brother.
• Roger Deneen checks on the sleeping siblings, revealing his own sleepless anxiety and chronicling the tension in the air.
  • Atmospheric Quote:
    • Roger (02:11): "Spoiled, good for nothing written all over his face. Oh, well, no point in disturbing them."

3. The Missing Dr. Malone (03:20–04:35)

• The suspense rises when Mrs. Malone calls Roger Deneen to ask if her husband has returned.
• Their exchange is marked with polite restraint barely hiding genuine worry.
  • Notable Exchange:
    • Mrs. Malone (03:27): "Please excuse me, but I'm worried. Is my husband still there?"
    • Roger (03:54): "Now please wait a moment. Don't begin thinking horrible things."
• Roger reassures Mrs. Malone but resolves to track down Jerry within 15 minutes, hinting at the anxiety gripping both.

4. The Accident Scene (04:58–07:33)

• Roger vents his unease before encountering a bystander alerting him to a car accident up ahead.
• The situation is tense, with terse, urgent commands.
  • Memorable Moment (05:44):
    • Roger: "Yes, yes, what is it? ... Who is it? ... Malone, you poor devil. Malone."
• Dr. Reims and Roger assist at the crash, extracting Jerry and sending him to hospital, but his condition remains uncertain.

5. Conveying the News & Steadfast Resolve (07:07–11:32)

• The family faces the dreadful task of learning and sharing the news.

  • Mrs. Malone’s stoic composure and command permeate the scene.
    • Memorable Exchange:
      • Mrs. Malone (09:21): "You don't mean rather serious. You mean serious. Don't you?"
      • Roger (09:23): "Yes."

• Anne, Jerry's wife, insists on accompanying her mother-in-law to the hospital, showing fortitude in the face of uncertainty.

• Their conversation in preparation is poignant and quietly inspirational:

  • Quote (10:53):
    • Mrs. Malone: "Always remember this, no matter what, millions of people have gone through this experience before us and haven't been broken or beaten by it. I know you're not going to be either."
    • Anne: "I'm not thinking of myself."
    • Mrs. Malone: "But I am. Because if your husband is dead when we get there, it will be you. He's your son. I'm an old woman. The important thing is you, not me."

• The episode ends as dawn arrives, with a final moment of hope amid heartache.

  • Closing Note (11:18):
    • Mrs. Malone: "Look, Anne. There's the dawn. Do you see?"

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Any chance for a starving plumber to get a hen out here, lady?" — Joe Pringle (00:13)
• "You know, that tender, flaky plumber." — Joe, on being called the "Crisco kid" (01:38)
• "Now please wait a moment. Don't begin thinking horrible things." — Roger Deneen (03:54)
• "Malone, you poor devil. Malone." — Roger, upon discovering the accident (06:01)
• "You don't mean rather serious. You mean serious. Don't you?" — Mrs. Malone (09:21)
• "Millions of people have gone through this experience before us and haven't been broken or beaten by it. I know you're not going to be either." — Mrs. Malone (10:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01–01:50 – Home and humor: dinner, stove troubles, Crisco apple pie
• 01:51–03:19 – Aftermath of house call; family worry begins
• 03:20–04:35 – Mrs. Malone's anxious call about her missing husband
• 04:58–07:33 – Roger discovers car wreck; Dr. Malone’s accident
• 07:07–11:32 – Breaking the news, comforting one another, and heading to the hospital

Episode Tone & Style

True to its golden age roots, the episode blends homespun humor and gentle family ribbing with escalating, understated tension and deeply compassionate dialogue. The performances are measured, with moments of dry wit giving way to resilient, earnest concern, culminating in a subtle, hard-won hope as light dawns.

This summary provides a vivid window into the episode for listeners new and old, centering the episode’s key emotional and dramatic beats and recreating its timeless atmosphere.