Tales of Tomorrow

Tales of Tomorrow

When a jet plane disappeared in mid-air

what was the explanation?

Tonight, Chrysler presents Flight Overdue.

Starring Veronica Lake.

With Walter Brooke.

This is the story of a great aviatrix, Paula Martin,

whose exploits blazened across the sky,

whose name was on everyone's lips,

who was the idol of the airways.

The nation followed her career until the very end.

Yes, it was a tragic flight over the ocean.

She just disappeared into thin air.

The search kept up for weeks

until finally all hope was given up.

But was that all it was,

just a crash at sea.

There were rumors of something strange,

something mysterious.

Now for the first time,

we can tell you that story of Paula Martin.

Perhaps the best place to start is here,

where Paula used to live.

This is her husband, Don Bennett,

who never really believed the story of her disappearance.

Never really convinced himself she was lost.

I, I, I...

Oh say it, spit it out.

Speak up.

Hello, whoever you are.

You hear me?

This is WX432.

I've been getting your signal for days now

but it continues scrambled.

Will you clarify your signal?

I want to know your position. Over.

Hello?

Hello?

My name is Donald Bennett.

I'm operating experimental station WX432 in New York.

Will you give me a sign that you hear me. Over.

It's all right Don,

I'll take it in the living room.

Thanks Deirdre, I wish you would.

Hello? Wherever you are

I'm going to try broadcasting

on another wavelength.

Hello Mr Rutgers. Fine thanks.

Yes, my husband's in

but he's been doodling over that peculiar radio signal

the newspapers have been talking about all week.

It is weird, isn't it?

I'll try and see if I can tear him away.

You, out there.

Can you hear me?

This is WX432, WX432 in New York.

Please identify yourself. Please identify yourself.

It's Sam Rutgers dear.

Sam Rutgers, gee thanks darling.

After all these years.

Hello Sam.

Yes.

Yes, I'm doodling with airwaves again.

Well, personally I'm beginning to believe

that it is nothing but sunspots.

You want to see me? Well come on over?

Why yes, Anna is still our maid.

All right, I'll tell her.

See you in about 15 minutes then.

Okay. Goodbye.

Gee, Sam Rutgers, my old lawyer.

Don, how long must this go on?

What?

Must we always be beholden by her.

By whom?

Paula was wonderful, I'm sure.

The greatest woman flier in the country

but Don it's been four years

since she was lost over the Pacific.

You're married to me now.

I think it's time you accepted the idea that she's gone.

- Darling. Those signals have nothing to do with Paula.

I'm curious, that's all.

Communications is my business.

- No Don. In your mind there's still the notion

that from somewhere, from some island on the Pacific,

you might still get a message from her.

How can I compete against that?

You don't have to darling.

Please forget it.

Oh, would you ring for Anna please?

This was Paula's home for so long

and it still is.

Oh darling, Anna was her maid

and she still is.

Please honey.

- I'm the only stranger in this house, the outsider.

Oh Don I'd rather you admitted it.

I'd rather you accepted the fact that...

... It haunts you.

It's a shadow in this house.

- Darling, you're making a great deal out of nothing.

Am I?

Yes.

- Then why is her picture still on your desk.

Why?

Because there's more to it than you know.

What darling?

All I remember hearing

is she took off to fly the Pacific.

Half way across she blacked out and was never seen again.

What more, Don?

To the world,

Paula Martin was the most exciting woman on earth.

Speed and thrills.

That's great newspaper copy.

But to those of us who knew her,

she was something else.

You rang for me Mrs Bennett?

Ah, that's the way I shall always remember her.

I raised her from a baby.

Anna, Sam Rutgers is coming over.

He asked that you be here and said he'd like to say hello.

Yes, sir.

It would be nice to see Mr Rutgers again.

Mr Bennett, those signals,

do you think they might be from Miss Paula?

I don't think so.

Why it's four years now, it's not likely.

- Oh there will never be another one like her.

There was no holding on to her.

She would go through your hands like quicksilver.

Yes. Quicksilver.

When we were first married...

I'm sorry darling.

Oh I don't mind hearing Don, I want to.

I think it's better for both of us to talk about her.

Well, when we were first married

there was always something calling her away.

New worlds to conquer.

It was ages before

I could pin her down long enough to listen to me.

But I finally did,

out at the Bendix meet one day.

It was her second trophy.

Another great day for Paula Martin.

- Just one more shot Miss Martin,

and face this way.

- Alright boys, but this'll have to be last one.

Thank you Miss Martin.

Hi darling, ah sweetie, congratulations.

Hello Don, did you see it all?

I sure did.

When I came in for that finish.

Oh honey, it was wonderful.

Oh Paula now, this is your second Bendix trophy.

Now you've certainly proven

that you're the greatest woman flier in the world.

Now you can stop proving things and marry me.

We've been all through that before Don.

I'd never give up flying.

I've still got a lot of unfinished business up there.

There's still so much to do.

Well there'll come a time

when there'll be nothing new to do, what then?

I'll worry about that when I'm 30.

In the meantime,

think of all the new type planes there'll be to fly.

I'll buy you any type of plane you want.

- I might still be interested in some more meets.

I haven't flown the Pacific or the Arctic yet.

Yes, there's still so much to do.

I'd just never be happy giving up flying.

Those are awfully tough terms, Paula.

Yes, aren't they.

And so we married

on Paula's terms that she could go on flying.

A year later, she was doing a solo over the Atlantic,

the first woman ever to do it in a jet plane.

You know that should have been enough to satisfy any flier

and for a while it did.

But then suddenly,

Paula began disappearing on long flights,

weeks at a time talking very evasively about them

because some entirely new interest

had come into her life.

Dinner, tonight?

Isn't that rather quick notice?

Paula.

In a second darling.

Well if it's really that important.

Well, goodbye until later then.

Don, about tonight.

About tonight?

I had a notion that you and I were seeing a show.

Was I wrong?

- No darling, but I, I simply must beg off.

Why?

Well something's come up.

What?