01x06 - Earthquake

[bunniefuu]

[pleasant music]

- Letter to Loretta.

Starring Loretta Young.

And welcome to Miss Young's living room.

I'm your announcer, Bob Wilson,

and I'm very proud to
present the star of our show,

Miss Loretta Young.

[upbeat music]

[audience applauds]

- Hello, how are you tonight?

Healthy and happy, I hope.

Tonight we have two
letters, and both from men.

Now although these two gentlemen

have never met each other,

as so often occurs in our experience,

one seems to answer the other.

This one says there are
certain sets of circumstances

in life that no one should
be expected to tolerate,

much less live with.

Because no good can come from it.

And this one tells of what happened to him

in one of these so-called
intolerable situations.

He mentions a date, July the 22nd, 1952.

And the place, a small town
in Southern California.

Now he starts his story the night before

the day he mentions.

This is his house, the
only one on the street.

And this is his wife, Emily.

[clock winding]

Roy likes this cologne,
it's his very favorite.

- If that fellow leaves a
breath in him to sniff with.

- Don't worry about it, Gwen.

He's very safe with Lloyd.

- Yeah, he's not even a doctor, is he?

- No he isn't, but he's

one of the finest physical
therapists in the state.

And he's taken very good care of Roy

for over three years now.

- All I'm saying is you're
putting too much faith in him.

Emily, don't you realize
that with Roy out like this,

Roy's whole life is in his hands?

- I know it.

- 16 and a half minutes,
is he out of his mind?

Why it's far too long.

- Gwen, don't say anything.

- Great, you're doing great!

- No more.

No more.

- For heaven's sake mister, that's enough!

- That's it.

Ah you, you're terrific.


Next time we go for 18.

- No satisfying you, huh?

- Not 'til I have you up
on your feet and fighting.

- Roy, you were wonderful.

And for your prize, you're gonna
have lemon pie for dessert.

Your sister's own special, okay?

- Gwen, you did it again.

- Yeah, I hope you'll have
strength left to taste some.

- This boy has got the strength

to do anything he really wants to.

All in good time, of course.

- Of course, that's what I
always say, all in good time

and no need to--
- I guess we

kind of overdid it a little.

- You're all right, Roy.

You're bound to be tired after being out

for the first time in so long--

- Bound to be all right, what I always say

is if you--

- Each time it'll get easier.

You'll see, Roy, you'll see.

- Yes, maybe we'll all see, too late.

- It's good of you to
come down here each week

from Santa Barbara to see
your brother like this.

What I always say is lemons
are wonderful in pie.

Emily, you look as if you could
use a breath of fresh air.

- See Lloyd down the way.

- Yeah.

- So long, Lloyd.

- I'll be right back, darling.

- Gonna be warm tonight.

Sticky.

- Yeah.

Lloyd.

I'm worried.

- What for?

Didn't you just see your
husband break a record in there?

If you want to know, it
was 17 and a half minutes.

- Is that really good?

- How do I know?

If that's his limit, of course it's good.

- But you think he could
do better, don't you?

- Yeah.

- He isn't trying anymore, is he?

- [Lloyd] Well, no.

Not as much as he used to.

- I know.

All the fight seems to
have gone out of him.

Oh he jokes still, I mean he
says all the right things,

but I don't know.

I think he's just stopped
believing that he'll get well.

- Loving him like you do, Emily,

he'll have to believe again someday.

- Yeah I know, but I...

- Well, I might've expected it.

- What's that, Gwen?

- What else, two of them
of course, out there.

Well you heard him ask her out there.

- Gwen, what are you getting at?

- Nothing, nothing at all.

None of my business.

If they want to hold hands
right out in the street.

- You're crazy.

- Am I, just am I now?

When she comes in, you
take a look for yourself

and see if she hasn't been crying.

- Crying?

Emily?

- For my part, I've seen enough.

I must hurry, or I'll miss my bus.

See you next Wednesday.

- Goodbye, Gwen.

Say hello to Harry.

Lloyd.

Lloyd and Emily.

But it's not her fault.

She's not to blame.

- Hi, miss me?

- Yeah, where ya been all day,

tearing around town?

- You bet.

Gwen said to tell you she'll be here

at 11 o'clock instead of one
o'clock next Wednesday, okay?

- Okay.

Got a cigarette?

- Yeah, you bet.

And Lloyd wants to know

if you mind skipping the gin game tonight.

- No, I don't mind.

- He's going up to see Roger.

Poor Gwen, did you get what
Lloyd said about the lemon?

- Yeah, she's a card all right.

I'm gonna give her a samba lesson,

relax her a little.

- Well, you taught me.

- Did I?

- You bet.

- You were great.

- I matched, what else?

- Maybe you should try it
again before you're Gwen's age.

- I will, soon as my partner's ready.

- Yeah sure.

The only thing is, honey,

maybe you better watch the
mothballs in the old tux.

Maybe tuxes won't be in style by then.

- That's not funny.

- Not huh?
- No.

- I guess I'd better get me a new gag man.

- [Emily] I'll say.

- I must be going stale.

- Darling, don't go stale.

- I told you, I'm gonna
get me a new gag man.

- No no, I don't mean about the jokes.

I mean you and your heart, yourself,

your belief in yourself.

Don't lose it.

- Okay, baby.

- How about a little
shave before dinner, huh?

- I guess I don't look very pretty.

- You look fine to me.

Well, portrait of a lady
barber going to work, ready?

- No, no, no.

I'm tired, honey.

- Sure, baby, sure.

- Can I have another drag?

- Yeah.

- When Gwen comes next week,

maybe you could get Lloyd to
take you shopping or something.

- Lloyd, oh good heavens, he's a busy man.

I couldn't do that.

- He's kind of a good looking guy.

- Yeah, I guess so.

- This contraption must seem
like a horrible monster to you.

- Oh darling.

- Turn out the lights,
and what do you see?

A dragon, breathing in the dark.

- Oh honey.
- Okay, okay.

It's a nice dragon,

because it breathes for me.

- Darling, you can breathe yourself now.


Why Lloyd says it was just wonderful.

- Do we have to quote Lloyd all the time?

- No, of course not.

- I know, Lloyd's a great guy.

Everything's fine.

It's just me.

- Darling, everybody has moods

and you're just in a mood, that's all.

How about a little music to relax ya, huh?

- Okay.
- Yes.

[gentle music]

Everything really is gonna be
all right, Roy, you'll see.

All you gotta do is just
stop, oh my pressure cooker!

[ominous music]

- Stop breathing, maybe?

[dramatic music]

So you mean,

so you don't think,

just leave.

[earth rumbling]

[electricity crackling]

Emily, Emily!

- Roy!

Roy, are you all right?

- What is it?

- An earthquake.

- It's not running.

- What?

The power's out, dear.

[dramatic music]

Take it easy, darling, don't get excited.

Just breathe easily, now.

Slowly and easily.

In, out.

In, out.

In, that's good, that's
good, now just keep it up.

I'm sure it won't be long now
before the power's on again.

Roy, relax.

Relax, you know.

That's right.

Now breathe in, slowly.

Out, that's right, now in.

Now out.

Just like you did when
Lloyd was here, come on in.

Now out, that's good, that's good.

Now keep that up, darling, keep it up.

And I'm gonna call the light
and power company, all right?

In, out.

In, out.

In, operator?

Get me the light and power
company, quickly please.

The light and power!

[operators chattering]

- Department of light and power,

department of light and power.

- We're doing the best we can.

- Iron lung, 1208 Willow Way?

That's Roy Pierson, isn't it?

- Yes.

- We have that report here.

We have all the iron lung
cases on top priorities.

- I see.

How long will it be?

- [Operator] As soon as we can.

- Fine, thank you.

That's good, dear.

You're doing fine.

- How long?

- Just as soon as they can, dear.

They've got all the iron
lungs on top priority.

Now keep it up, keep it up.

Out, in.

That's good, you've got a
nice rhythm, now keep it up.

Come on, in, out.

That's fine.

That's fine.

You know what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna go out and get
you a glass of water,

and I'll betcha anything
by the time I'm back,

the power's on again, okay?

Good.

- Emily!
[earth rumbling]

No, no, no.

- No, it's all right.

It's only a small one.

Shh.

Come on, breathe.

- See what they're saying on the radio.

- I will, dear.

But relax, Roy.

That's it, so relaxed, easily now.

In, out.

In, out.

That's good, in, out.

In.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I forgot the power's off.

- Em, Em!
- What is it?

- I can't breathe.

- You can, you can, go on try!

- I can't.

- All right, all right, all right.

[air hissing]

Roy?

Okay?

- Okay.

- That's right, ma'am.

We do have you on a priority list.

They'll have it fixed just
as quickly as possible.

[air hissing]

- Within an hour?

Over an hour?

What I'm trying to tell you is

the longest he's ever been out of

the lung before is 20 minutes.

- 17.

- Just a minute, operator.

Don't talk, dear.

Save your energy.

I just wanna make them hurry, that's all.

Yes, operator?

What?

All right, but hurry please.

Oh!

[Roy gasping]

[operators chattering]

- Oh come on Joan, you better
get home and get some rest.

I can take over.

- I don't wanna leave until
I find out he's all right.

They get so tired, you know.

I was with my brother in General Hospital

when he had it.

- Department of light and power.

[Roy gasping]

- Try, dear.

You're not trying hard
enough, Roy, please.

- I don't want to.

- [Emily] Oh, of course
you do, come on now.

- I don't care.

- Of course you care, dear, come on!

Come on!

- I'm no good to anybody.

I quit, Em.

- Roy, Roy!

You can't quit!

Roy, listen to me.

Roy?

You don't understand.

You mean everything in the world to me.

In a lung, or out of a lung,

it doesn't make any difference to me.

It's you I love, darling, it's you I love.

Oh please Roy, I wouldn't
wanna live without you.

Come on darling, breathe!

Breathe Roy, please!

- Okay, sweetheart.

- That's a good boy.

That's a good boy, Roy.

Oh Roy.

I love you, darling.

I love you.

[knocking]

Come in.

Come in.

- I'm from the department
of light and power, ma'am.

How is he?

- He's tired.

Why isn't it fixed yet?

- [Man] We're doing the best we can.

There's a break in the main line.

- He's so tired.

Can't you please hurry?

Hurry it up.

- I think you oughta know
ma'am, it may be another hour.

- Oh, I'm sorry darling.

- Let me take over for you for a while.

- No, no I'm afraid you'll...

- Get, get Lloyd.

- We can't, dear.

He's out of town, remember?

- He should have a pull motor.

Have you called the fire department?

- I did, but I can't get through.

Their lines are all tied up.

- I'll go get 'em.

- Yes sir.

Hurry, will ya?

- Get Lloyd.

- I can't, darling.

You remember, he went to see Roger.

You have to breathe.

[air hissing]

- Boy lady, I gotta
take my hat off to you.

Almost four hours.

You must've worked like a dog.

- You saved his life.

[electricity humming]

- The power!

The power's back on!

Quick, get him back in.

Darling, darling it's all
right, the power's back on now.

Everything's fine.

Oh darling.

- [Reporter] We interrupt this program

for a special announcement.

Casualties in the disastrous earthquake

that struck Tehachapi at 1:16

and shook Los Angeles this morning at 1:47

have risen sharply.

- Em?
- Yeah?

- Lloyd's in Tehachapi.

- [Reporter] In Tehachapi,
hundreds were injured

and scores were hurt, badly
enough for hospital treatment.

The death toll has now reached 11.

- Please God, don't let
him be one of the 11.

[phone ringing]

- Hello?

- [Operator] 9021?

- Yes.

- [Operator] You have an
emergency call from Tehachapi.

One moment please.

- It's from Tehachapi.

- [Operator] Go ahead, please.

- Hello?

- Emily?

- Lloyd!

It is, it's Lloyd.

Are you all right?

- [Lloyd] Yeah, yeah, I'm okay.

- He's fine.

- Thanks, God.

- Is everything all right there?

- Yes, everything's just fine now.

Well, the power went out down
here for about four hours.

Oh Lloyd, he was wonderful.

He tried so hard for so long.

Yeah, I just know he's gonna get well now.

Sure, sure I'll tell him.

All right, goodbye Lloyd.

Oh darling, you were wonderful.

You are wonderful.

- To think it took an earthquake

to knock some sense into me.

[dramatic music]

[audience applauds]

- Miss Young asked me to remind
you that our story tonight

concerned only one case in
which emergency assistance

could not be given immediately.

She also wanted me to tell
you how very grateful we are

to the Los Angeles County General Hospital

for their helpful technical advice,

and to the National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis

for their help to us on this program.

- Thank you, Bob.

You know, the mere fact that Roy was able

to write this letter
indicates a great deal to me.

It seems that there are
all kinds of earthquakes.

Those turmoils that happen within,

and those that happen around us,

and for both, there is a good reason

if we but knew, or had faith.

But wait, it says it here even better.

It's from the New Testament.

"Yet once more I shake not the earth only,

"but also heaven that those things

"that cannot be shaken may remain."

Goodnight.

[upbeat music]