Radio and television mirror (Jan-June 1942)

"The Man I Married" Winkler." Betty stopped. She had to look up, because the voice came from a good foot over her head. She saw a tall, well-built young man. She saw deep, blue eyes and a smile and very dark hair. "Thanks," she said, wondering who he was. And then, the director came over and said, "Miss Winkler, this is Mr. Jennings." "Mr. Jen—" Betty stammered, "Oh, Mr. Jennings!" she said, surprised — but very surprised. "You were swell," he smiled. "You're just right for the part." When Betty got home that night, she had forgotten all about New York, at least for the time being. He's awfully tall, she thought, looking, with round, brown eyes at her five feet, not quite three inches in the mirror. He looks, she thought, about six feet, five. Actually, Mr. Jennings, whose first name was Bob, was six feet, three. Well, Betty thought, I think I'll like Continued from page 33 together. Betty looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks," she said, "for seeing me home." He looked down at her amazed. "You see," she explained, not able to hold back her laughter, "I live here." At first, the tall, young radio executive looked embarrassed. Then, he managed a wry smile. "Well," he said, "I certainly got you home fast, didn't I?" IVOW, these days, most young men -'-^ are very glib and romantic and forward when they meet a girl they like. The sweep-them-ofl-their-feet technique is very much in evidence. But, Betty was soon aware that young Mr. Jennings had never heard of such an approach, or, if he had, it wasn't his style. During the run of the radio show, he asked her out several times, but always, invariably, he also asked anywhere from two to a dozen other people to accompany them. When two Silly question: Is if the typewriter or lovely Madeleine Carroll that Gene Raymond (left) and George Murphy are so eng rossed in? This was a moment's relaxation at rehearsal of a Gulf Screen Theater broadcast. being on that show. And, although she wouldn't quite admit it to herself, she knew why. The night "The Golden Theater" show went on the air for the first time. Bob Jennings asked Betty Winkler to go to the Ambassador Hotel with him — along with all the other members of the cast. I hope, Betty thought, as they were all gaily riding over to the hotel, that he doesn't ask me to dance. I'd love to dance with him, she went on thinking, but how in the world could I ever dance with a man who's so tall! And then, shortly after they were all seated at a table in the Pump Room, Bob turned to Betty and said, "Would you dance with me?" "Of course," Betty said, and whispered a little prayer. But, when they were out on the dance floor, she forgot all about how tall he was because he danced so well and she was having so much fun. It was a wonderful evening. When it came time to go, Bob said, "Can I take you home?" "Yes," Betty said, her eyes dancing mischievously, "you can take me home." They walked out to the main lobby 46 people are surrounded by a small crowd, romance has a very difficult, if not an impossible, time. And Betty could never quite forget that the shy, important young executive was not only her escort, but her boss. Bob Jennings would call up and say, "How would you like to go out with me tonight, Betty?" And Betty would say, "Fine, I'd like to go out with you." And an actress knows how to accent words. But when Bob called for Betty, there was always that small crowd in back of him. What, Betty thought in the months that followed, can you do with a young man with whom you might be falling in love, but who is too shy to take you out alone? Then, the day arrived when the show was finished. Now, Betty hoped, maybe they could be together without the cast. Now, she thought, if he wanted to take her out alone, he would. And, the next day, when the phone rang and she heard Bob on the other end of the wire, she thought, "This is it!" "I wonder," Bob said, "if you'd like to have breakfast with me, tomorrow?" "Swell," Betty said. "Okay," Bob said, "suppose we meet at Huyler's." That next day, Betty walked down Michigan Boulevard toward their designated meeting place, feeling very gay and excited and just a little bit relieved. At long last, they'd be able to talk and have fun together without a small gang around them. Coming from the bright sunlight into the restaurant she was temporarily blinded, and then, she saw him. He was sitting at a table, smiling. She smiled back. Then, her smile faded. Sitting at the table with him were two young men she had never seen before. They were also smiling. They all got up when she came over and Bob said, "Good morning. I'd like to have you meet some friends of mine. They just got into town." Betty managed to get a smile back on her face. "I'm very glad to know you," she said. "They're going to be in town for a couple of months," Bob said, "and I thought it would be nice if we showed them around." "That sounds fine," Betty said. After that, every morning for months, Betty and Bob and his two friends met for breakfast. When they went out at night, the friends were always there. In spite of the fact that she wanted to be alone with Bob — just once — she grew very fond of his two pals. They managed to have wonderful times together. Then, one night, the incredible happened. When Betty opened the door to her apartment, Bob was standing there alone! She looked up and down the hall. Not a soul was in sight. "Where are they?" Betty said, holding her breath. "Oh," Bob smiled, "we're supposed to meet them at the Edgewater Beach." He looked puzzled for a moment. "I think that's where we're supposed to meet them." "I don't suppose," Betty smiled, hopelessly, "we could possibly miss them?" "I don't think so," Bob said. "I'm almost sure that's where they said I should meet them." When they got to the Edgewater Beach, Bob's friends were nowhere in sight. They started into the main dining room. "The headwaiter stopped them. "I'm sorry," he said, "we can't let anyone in unless they're in evening clothes." Bob was in a business suit and Betty was wearing a street dress. "Tell you what," Bob said, "let's both go home and get dressed and come back. They're sure to be here by that time." AS Betty was dressing, she thought, for some reason, about New York, about the plans she had made before she met Bob. All of a sudden, she had the old desire again, the desire to get out of Chicago, to go to New York, the one place she had always wanted to go. When she met Bob in the lobby, she told him how she felt. He didn't say anything for a moment and then he said, "Let's not go to the Edgewater Beach. Let's go over to the Drake, instead, and see Wayne King." Wayne was an old friend of theirs. When he came over to their table and Continued on page 48 RADIO AND TELEVISION IVIIRROR