Captured! (Warner Bros.) (1933)

THRILLING TEN-MINUTE RADIO PROGRAM ADAPTED FROM “CAPTURED!” The powerful melodramatic and romantic quality of this sketch makes it perfect radio material. readily be recognized by your local station manager. The 4 MALE CHARACTERS: CAPTAIN ALLISON: British officer imprisoned by the Germans. LIEUT. DIGBY: Allison’s best friend in love with Allison’s wife. COLONEL EHRLICH: Commandant of prison camp... former friend of Allison and Digby. GUARD: Who informs Allison of Digby’s innocence. Routine Radio Announcement followed by ANNOUNCER: It is our pleasure, ladies and gentlemen to entertain you for the next few minutes with flashes of the thrilling drama of “Captured,” the Warner Bros. picturization of Sir Phillip Gibbs’ dramatic novel “Fellow Prisoners,” which comes to the Strand Theatre next. Soe ener eesrscceeecesete do it: *f over two thousand the beginning and. *2"iioward, Digby’s fs, Jr., Paul Tukas lined. “"windsay. Other well_—~-ywu players are Philip Faversham, Robert Barrat, William Le Maire, Frank Reicher, Arthur Hohl, Joyce Coad, Reginald Pasch, John Bleifer, J. Carroll Naish, Bert ‘Sprotte, Harry Cording and Hans Joby. Roy Del Ruth directed. Mr. (Name of theatre manager or his representative) will now briefly describe the opening scene of the sketch. NARRATOR: Thank you, (Announcer). Captain Allison, one of a group of World War prisoners has for a month been kept in a cellar with them—as punishment for an attempted escape in, which the German Commandant was killed. Colonel Ehrlich, the new Commandant, luckily for ‘Allison, is also an Oxford man, and when the Captain pleads that the prisoners be privileged to occupy huts, the request is granted. Soon after, a new detachment of prisoners arrives. Colonel Ehrlich is addressing them. EHRLICH: (Monotonously) Your fellow prisoners who are already here, have spent almost a month in the dungeon for an attempt at escape. However, you come here at a more fortunate time. Captain Allison has just persuaded me to make an experiment ... to allow you various privileges—Do not make the mistake of abusing them. The Captain will explain to you later. Guards! (Sound of trampling feet ... murMurs, <= fading.” =) What ails you, Allison ... are you seeing a ghost? ALLISON: Among the new prisoners, Colonel Ehrlich ... look... you remember him, too, from Oxford days. You remember him. It’s Digby! (Calling excitedly) Dig, DIG! DIGBY: lo, Allison. (Very quietly, off) Hel ALLISON: Since we are old friends, Colonel Ehrlich, now that we are allowed the huts ... may I ask you to assign Digby to mine? EHRLICH: Why not? Page Twenty-four ALLISON: Lieutenant Digby saw my wife only six months ago! He spoke to her! She wrote me and... EHRLICH: luck... . (Off) That is wonderful ALLISON: Isn’t it? Thank you, sir. (To Digby eagerly) And you saw Monica, Dig... less than six months ago! DIGBY: (Nervously, repressed voice) It was.longer than that... we... we just said... hello.... ALLISON: Why, she wrote me you went to the theatre! DIGBY: Yes... . we did. ALLISON: (Hardly hiding his almost hysterical longing to hear of his wife.) Tell me about her... Dig! we. DIGBY: What shallI... tell you? ALLISON: EVERYTHING! What did she talk about? DIGBY: Oh, she... thought the show was pretty rotten. ... ALLISON: What did she say about ME? DIGBY: Oh... she talked about Vou.=.-. Quite: a>... er. quite Blots. = dé ALLISON: _What did ‘She SAY? DIGBY: I don’t remember, Gack: ly. ... She was... worried about you... of course.... ALLISON: (Pleadingly) But what did she say, Dig? DIGBY: (Nonplussed) We... we just chatted ... There was a show on, you know. ALLISON: (Laughing ruefully) Dash it, Dig—Do I have to crossquestion you like a prosecuting coun sel? I’m simply starved-for news from Monica. I haven’t had a letter in months. DIGBY: How far are we behind the lines? ALLISON: About fifteen miles— DIGBY: Is that all? Not a long go... FOR A BREAK. ALLISON: Nothing doing, old fel low. DIGBY: (Curtly) WHY NOT? ALLISON: There isn’t a chance. But never mind that. Has Monica. . . | DIGBY: all I. know. (Sharply) DVve told you ALLISON: (After a pause, speaks quietly) I’m sorry—Of course ... you have your own troubles. But you know how it is—TWO YEARS! And I knew* her so little—met her —married her—and left for . the front ... all in six days! DIGBY: Sorry, Fred... I spoke as I did... T?m—a bit... ragged! ALLISON: I haven’t even asked . . How did you get here? Shot down? DIGBY: Forced landing—feed line eut off. First flight after leave. . My own fault.... ALLISON: Well, I’m tickled silly . really! We’ve always popped up together haven’t we, Dig? School— Oxford—the Army—and now to wind up here! DIGBY: I’m not winding up here! I won’t rot in this hole! There’s a way out—AND TM GOING TO FIND IT! ALLISON: I suppose there is— but it’s not worth the chance—Dig! This fact will DIGBY: Don’t you want to get away? ALLISON: No one more than I! (His voice rises) To get back to her again! For a day—an hour—! (Snuddenly quiet) But we can’t think of ourselves. There’s the rest of them. Any attempt .. . successful or not —means the loss of their privileges. And it was pretty brutal, Dig—before we got them.... DIGBY: I don’t see it that way. Every man takes his own chances. ALLISON: You must see it that way, Dig. Besides, I have given my word to the Commandant. DIGBY: That was pretty smug of you, wasn’t it, Fred. ALLISON: (Affectionately) That sounds just like the old Dig. We haven’t changed a bit, either of us. That’s what you used to call me when I got you out of jams at school. Good old Dig. (Sounds of throbbing plane, too near). not DIGBY: WHAT’S THAT? ALLISON: The plane base the other side of the woods. They test them at exactly six, every night. It drives the men crazy ... and I don’t blame them—so near and so IMPOSSIBLE! DIGBY: Impossible, you say! NOTHING’S IMPOSSIBLE! At six on the other side of the woods! GREAT! (Zooming of the plane, music). NARRATOR: Digby, true to his threat, risks the perilous way to the plane base. As he creeps through the fields, he hears the agonized shrieks of a woman, but hurries on —steals a plane and returns to London where Allison’s wife meets him. In the mean time, back at the prison camp, Allison has been summoned to the Commandant’s office and asked to sign a request to the English Army Authorities for the return of Digby to the Germans so that he may stand court martial on the charge of assault and murder. The body of the girl whose sereams Digby had heard, had been found. Allison refuses to sign the request because he doesn’t believe, his friend whom he has known all his life, is capable of committing so foul a deed. However, he is handed a letter addressed to Digby which has been found in a coat not far from the missing girl. It is in the handwriting of Allison’s wife, and reads: ‘“<And my dearest I want to be loyal to Fred. I’ve fought with myself again and again, even after you left, but it’s no use. I love you, dearest. The remembrance of our last night and your kisses kept haunting me.’’ Allison then signs the request and Digby is sent back to face court martial, for a crime punishable by death in every country under International Law. The Court Martial is on. Digby stands before the Commandant. DIGBY: I tell you Herr Commandant, I had nothing to do with it. BHRLICH: You keep repeating that. I wish to know your exact movement from the time. ... DIGBY: And I wish to know—if I would have been returned if Captain Allison had not recommended it. EHRLICH: Possibly not. ‘you? DIGBY: Then I know exactly Pas DIGBY: Yes . I’m here ... and so does Captain Allison. EHRLICH: The Captain only did his duty— DIGBY: (Desperately) Stop it, I tell you! Do as you please! I had nothing to do with the girl and have nothing more to say! EHRLICH: one more ¢éhance. DIGBY: I’ve said all I’m going to say. EHRLICH: (Grimly) You’re condemning yourself to be shot— DIGBY: No! You're wrong there —Herr Commandant! I condemned myself six months ago when I put my arms around a woman who was tired of a man she no longer loved. Didn’t I Allison? When I put my arms around her and kissed her for the first time— That was a DEATH KISS, WASN’T IT, ALLISON? That’s why I was accused—that’s why you asked that I be brought back—that was the real crime ... that’s why I’m being condemned, isn’t it, Allison? EHRLICH: What do you mean, Lieutenant? DIGBY: Ask Allison, Why, don’t E 6 EHRLICH: Explain what Captain Allison has to do with it. DIGBY: No. That’s all. EHRLICH: You must explain. DIGBY: I said, that’s all. EHRLICH: (Grimly) Very well, then. I’m forced to order your execution... at dawn... tomorrow. DIGBY: (Faintly) At dawn... tomorrow... ALLISON: Herr Commandant, I seam t sb: EHRLICH: You’ve done all you could, Captain Allison. ALLISON: But we were... EHRLICH: Take him away . (Sounds of marching feet). ALLISON: Colonel Ehrlich... may I see Digby ... alone... . EHRLICH: Surely. I am sorry, Captain. (Music). ALLISON: Guard.. Commandant’s permission Lieut. Digby ... to see (Grating of key in lock, door creaks on hinges and closes with | heavy clang). (Allison speaks in a low voice) Yow’re wrong, Dig... I didn’t bring you back here... for REVENGE... DIGBY: I lied, too . . . I said Monica grew tired of a man she no longer loved ... That wasn’t true. ALLISON: Wasn’t true? DIGBY: No! She never loved you! ALLISON: How do you... know? DIGBY: I know because she told me a hundred times! She was sick, and tired, and frightened of being alone—in London! She had no one . and you were kind to her. She thought perhaps—But she found out —she was wrong. ALLISON: Found out wrong... she was . I have the | I wish to give you].. (Compassionately) | parts may be played by members of dramatic company, by artists at the station, or by people in your own staff. You may plant this sketch assured of wide fan response. . . amd we worried about hurting you... I made her put off telling you the truth... ALLISON: You did. DIGBY: But you’re even with us new... even with us both. ALLISON: (In sudden rage) You liar . . . you rotten liar. She was frightened and alone ... and you ey Ouans. DIGBY: I thought it was that, too... at first. I wanted to be... fair to you... to wait .. ALLISON: You liar... DIGBY: She told me I was wrong . a hundred times she told me.. lyiig in my arms... ALLISON:.. You liar... you eur. = (Sounds of blows ... groans . fading into music and sound of tramping feet). NARRATOR: The guard with difficulty drags Allison away from Digby. As still in a rage, he stumbles into his hut, Allison spies a sheet of paper on his bunk. He picks it 1p ana reads the scrawled words: “Captain... it was me, Strogin... Not Digby, that killed the girl.” He crumples the paper... reads it again... again... The wind rises. He paces the os room like a i animal. Flashes of lightning illumine his gaunt form. Deliriously he mumbles his unanswerable questionings. ... far thunder voice heard (Sounds of wind... ... rain. Allison’s through them). ALLISON: Monica loves him... she was alone .. . frightened and alone ... poor child... (Raging) She might have written ... she had time .. . she had time to write to him; >: bet-him: die. ; . let shim: . DIE ... Revenge? It wasn’t revenge that made me sign the paper... .. Revenge... . 10 no. it couldn’t have been revenge... we were friends... Dig andI.. always perping up together... school... army... and here. Dig and I were like brothers . but he . Monica lying in his arms ... he said so... a hundred times she said to him... he was the one she loved... not me... not . let the wind blow .. . lightning . thunder ... what is he thinkg lying there ... at dawn . he... oh, Monica... Monica only that one week we had together ... we met... married . parted .. .-all in one little week ... and ‘it’s all so long ago we La away: 45. LONG ATO 1 et him die! Let him... (Repeats the note, vfeakly) “Captain... it was me, Strogin not Digby, that killed . the girl!” But he stole my wife . There... There... There they go! (Sounds of marching feet) Hel Iss 3 mets ... feet marching . .. there he is ... bare-headed ... they’ll blindfold him... stand him against the wall...0O, God... they aim— they. 0 =God=.=. (Wind and thunder blot out the voice... music mingles with marching. feet. ..). NARRATOR: What is the outcome for Allison . .. for Monica . for Digby ... What unheard of surprises bring the climax to an emotional height never before attained on the screen? All will be Tev.oaled-tO—Y.0U =the night Bs NO ecccti sees Theatre! Till then, ladies and gentlemen, good |night and good luck.