310601 - The Belled Bridge

 

Recording status:  Recorded, not in circulation

It is now June. On June 22, 1931, the Empire Builders series aired for the last time. With so few remaining broadcasts to write about, let’s start with the press release issued for this show. Here are the key elements of the presser, as issued by the GN’s Harold M. Sims:

               “The Belled Bridge” is the title of an exciting story the Old Timer will tell on Empire Builders Monday night, June 1.

               Swinging perilously across Roaring Canyon out in the Rockies, a frail footbridge is guarded against railway surveyors by an old hermit who is warned of the approach of intruders by the ringing of the bell.

               A thrilling climax is reached when a child attempts to cross at night.

In addition to Harvey Hays as the Old Timer, the cast includes Don Ameche as the railway surveyor, Lucille Husting as his wife, and Betty White, the child.

               The story depends largely upon sound for its dramatic effect, making it ideally adapted for radio presentation.

               June 22 will mark the conclusion of the Great Northern’s Empire Builders series. The remaining plays are: June 8, “Room 20,” a mystery comedy-drama; June 15, “The Silk Special,” a railway melodrama; and June 22, “The Seal of the Great Spirit,” a story of the early west.

If you have been reading this blog with any regularity, or if you have even just perused a random selection of my brief essays on this radio advertising series, you must know by now that one of the featured actresses of the final season of this radio show was a woman named Betty White. At the risk of annoying those of you who already have this issue straight, I will write about Betty White once more, just to drill home the point that there are some who would erroneously conclude, apparently without the slightest effort to research the facts, that the Betty White known to millions of TV viewers is the same Betty White heard on the Empire Builders radio programs. I assure you, these are two different people.

Certain old time radio sites recognize that one of the featured performers on Empire Builders was “Betty White,” but they have incorrectly asserted that it was an eight- or nine-year-old Betty Marion White (she of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls, Hot in Cleveland, etc.).

 Betty Marion White DID NOT appear on Empire Builders. EVER.

The actress heard on Empire Builders by the name of Betty White was Betty Reynolds White, born Elizabeth Myrtle Reynolds in 1904. A petite 4 feet 11 inches tall, Betty White was 27-years-old, married, had two infant sons at the time of this broadcast. She specialized in children’s voices. Betty was married to Robert “Bob” Grubb White, Jr., both of whom appeared multiple times on Empire Builders during its final season of 1930-31. They both remained very active in commercial radio for many years. I have interviewed two of their three sons (the third, Bradley, passed away in 1988, just a couple of months after the death of their mother, Betty Reynolds White). The White brothers explained to me their mother had a very difficult time with their father, who was, according to them, an alcoholic and quite abusive to their mother. So unpleasant was this situation that neither brother could confirm for me the dates of birth or death of their own father. But they did provide me with additional biographical information about their mother.

Born Elizabeth Myrtle Reynolds in Grinnell, Iowa, Betty was the third eldest of four sisters whose parents both died when their girls were young. Betty’s mother died in 1911, and her father passed away in 1918. After their father’s death, Betty’s oldest sister Odessa (nicknamed “Dessa”) looked after her younger siblings as the de facto head of household. With the kindly assistance of Dr. Evan Evans and his wife, who lived nearby, Dessa helped raise her sisters as best she and the girls could collectively manage. Betty Reynolds left home after high school, and attended Grinnell College. She became a school teacher for a couple of years.

 

From the December, 1930, press release attached to this photograph:

The contraption which W. O. Cooper, assistant production manager of the “Empire Builders “, is showing to pretty Betty Reynolds, who plays child parts on the same program, is the device that produces the noise of the Great Northern’s railway trains.

 

Betty has risen to radio fame through her clever playing of child parts, and on December 22, she will make her debut in the leading role of “Attar of Roses,” an original Christmas story which the producers of Empire Builders are confident will go down in radio annals as one of the classics of the air.

Let’s get something straight here. Elizabeth Myrtle Reynolds, later known as Betty Reynolds White, was an actress on Empire Builders for multiple broadcasts between September, 1930, and June, 1931. The woman known to many Americans as Sue Ann Nivens on the Mary Tyler Moore Show; Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls; and Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland – the woman named Betty Marion White, who was born January 17, 1922, near Chicago but moved with her parents to California when she was only 2 years old – THAT Betty White NEVER appeared on Empire Builders. Ever.

Now, on with our show!

The continuity that I have for this broadcast is missing a couple of pages, which includes the opening announcement. However, the over-the-air sound check recording has surfaced, and I have access to a copy. Even so, that recording seems to be missing as many as six minutes, and clips off the first portion of the opening of the show. It picks up with announcer Ted Pearson commenting on railroad safety in general, and specifically the safety record of the Great Northern Railway. It’s interesting to see how they couched that achievement, and how they tried to draw positive attention to “only” one fatality on the railroad in the past ten years:

ANNOUNCER:    … (prior audio missing). In a period of more than thirteen years, carrying millions of passengers annually, it has lost but one passenger – and the one fatality resulted from causes beyond the control of human hands. Thirteen years of carrying passengers, with but one fatality to a passenger! Safety always first.

After a brief musical bridge, the radio listeners heard some passengers on the Empire Builder exclaiming about a remarkably deep canyon over which the train had just passed. They all wanted to know the name of the canyon, so they called over the Old Timer and asked if he knew the name. “Bust my buttons,” replied the Old Timer, “that’s an easy one – that’s old Roarin’ Canyon.” Before you knew it, the Old Timer was regaling his train-mates with a story of Roaring Canyon from just a few years before.

OLD TIMER:        A couple of years ago, the Great Northern was a-straightening out their right-of-way along here, taking out several miles of curves. And I was up here. Well, never mind why, but there weren’t any bridge across here, that is, there wasn’t anything but a little flimsy sort of swingin’ plank bridge – right about where that trestle is now. Well, it was along about this time of the afternoon, I and a young fella named Ralph Gray, who was workin’ for the Great Northern. We was walkin’ down the rim rock toward the foot bridge.

With another musical bridge, the story flashed back to a scene from years ago. I’m pretty sure this is where the audio dropped a couple minutes of the radio play (Rose Mary Woods, is this how you got started erasing audio tapes??). The continuity contains dialog between Ralph and the Old Timer in which it is revealed that Ralph and his wife had eloped a few years earlier, and this had angered his father-in-law – old man Clark. It seems Clark was something of a hermit who lived near the canyon and jealously guarded his privacy. He wouldn’t let anyone cross the rickety bridge, and had rigged it with a string of bells to warn him if anyone tried to cross.

RALPH:                 He hasn’t given us a chance to talk with him since – he won’t even talk with Mary across the canyon – walks into his cabin and slams the door.

OLD TIMER:        How about your little Betty, his granddaughter. Has he ever seen her?

RALPH:                 Yeah, from across the canyon! But it’s no use, Old Timer. We’ve tried everything. And the Great Northern’s depending on me to get this survey completed so construction work can go right ahead. I’ll tell you, Old Timer, it means a lot to me!

Ahhhh…. little Betty… three guesses who portrayed “little Betty” – you know the drill; the first two don’t count. Ralph continued to explain to the Old Timer what the Great Northern Railway had been accomplishing with their capital improvements.

RALPH:                 We’re offering him a big price for a right of way too – the railway can afford it because they’ll save three miles and cut out a lot of curves by throwing a bridge across this gorge. You know, the Great Northern’s spent millions of dollars the last few years eliminating curves and grades, and this bridge we’re going to put across here’ll be one of the finest places of line straightening we’ve ever tackled.

OLD TIMER:        I’ve often wondered, riding past here on the railway, why they didn’t run it straight across this gorge instead of winding along the river.

RALPH:                 Well, you see, Old Timer, at the time the Great Northern was built, a big bridge across here was probably considered too expensive a job. But during the last ten years nothing’s seemed like too big a job for the Great Northern to tackle – nothing that gives ‘em a better railroad – like that big eight-mile tunnel they built through the Cascade mountains …

Ralph explained about the warning bells on the bridge, and added that old man Clark was kinda nearsighted, too. He was liable to start shooting anytime the bell rang.

The Old Timer wasn’t buying it. He figured Clark was just grumpy, that he wouldn’t actually try to hurt anyone. He was convinced he could talk to Clark, one old timer to another, and get him to simmer down some.

The Old Timer slowly began to work his way across the rickety footbridge, rotted planks and all, and sure enough the warning bell began to clang. Ralph shouted in vain for the Old Timer to come back – he was sure to be killed. But the Old Timer kept working his way further across the swaying bridge.

Clark heard the bell, and was immediately in defense mode.

Old man Clark bellowed at the Old Timer to turn back, but the Old Timer proceeded stubbornly on across the bridge. He responded to Clark – both of them shouting to be heard over the howling wind incessantly roaring through the canyon – that he was just coming over for a social chat. Clark wasn’t having any of it. He fired his rifle. A whizz of a bullet zinged past the Old Timer, and he beseeched Clark not to fire again, but Clark once more warned the Old Timer not to take another step.

The Old Timer called his bluff and, after another shot was fired, rushed Clark and grappled with him over his rifle. Ralph rushed across the bridge to help.

RALPH:                 (CALLING – OFF)  Hold him, Old Timer – hold him, I’m coming - - - -  I’ll try to help you!

    (BELL RINGING RAPIDLY – UP – AS RALPH IS RUNNING ON BRIDGE)

OLD TIMER:        Come on, Ralph, I got him!  (CLARK CEASES STRUGGLES)

    (BELL CONTINUES RAPIDLY – UP – THEN A SCREAM FROM RALPH – OFF – AND BELL STOPS)

RALPH:                 (CALLS – OFF)  Help! …….  Help! ……………

OLD TIMER:        My God, he’s fallen!

     (WIND UP SHARPLY; BELL RINGS RAPIDLY AS OLD TIMER RUSHES TOWARD RALPH CLINGING TO BRIDGE. EXCITEMENT MUSIC WHICH GRADUALLY SEGUES INTO QUIET, HOMEY THEME)

The radio play switched scenes to the cozy home of Ralph, Mary, and their little girl Betty. Mary and Betty busied themselves in preparation for dinner. Ralph was a good thirty minutes late, and little Betty was pressing her luck, trying to snag a treat from the cookie jar. Mary got Betty’s mind off her hunger by tasking her with setting out the flatware for dinner. Betty asked her mother when they were going to see her grandfather again.

MARY:                  Sometime, dear, when Daddy gets a great big bridge over to where Grandpa lives.

BETTY:                 But my grandpa’s got a bridge, Mother. I want to go over Grandpa’s bridge.

MARY:                  Betty, don’t you ever go near that bridge.

BETTY:                 But I like grandpa’s bridge!

MARY:                  Betty – now how many times have I told you – I don’t want you to ever go near that bridge.

BETTY:                 Why, Mother?

MARY:                  It isn’t safe dear – you might get hurt. When Daddy’s new bridge is built, then we’ll see grandpa.

Mary told Betty to set an extra place for dinner – the Old Timer was coming home with Daddy to join them for their meal.

It wasn’t long before Ralph and the Old Timer did arrive for dinner – and Mary could tell something was amiss. Ralph assured her it wasn’t serious. It was, however, a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Ralph was bleeding, and the Old Timer had him lie down on the couch and asked Mary to fetch some hot water. Naturally, Mary demanded details.

RALPH:                 (PAINFULLY)  I’ll tell you, Mary. We were at the belled bridge … and …

BETTY:                 Oh, did you see Grandpa, Daddy?

MARY:                  Take some cookies, darling, and go in the other room and play with your dollies.

BETTY:                 I want-a see Grandpa, too, Mother.

MARY:                  Betty! Do as I say. Go play in the other room.

                              There now, we’ll clean this wound.

Mary and the Old Timer tended to Ralph’s wound. Mary pressed the Old Timer to explain what happened.

OLD TIMER:        Well-l … me and your Dad were sort of tusselin’ when I heard your husband call for help … an when I saw him hanging to the bridge … well, I just naturally forgot all about your Dad. You know, I feel kind-a sorry about that, Mary. I figured in just a few more minutes your Dad and I would have got real well acquainted and everythin’ would have come out all peaceful and congenial-like.

MARY:                  Old Timer, I’m afraid it never will. Poor father … he’s … he’s …

OLD TIMER:        Let’s not talk about it, Mary. I think your husband here should get some sleep. That’s one of the best doctors I know of. How about it, Ralph?

Ralph agreed to the Old Timer’s suggestion. He said goodnight to Mary, and then asked where Betty was. Mary said she was playing in the other room. Mary went to bring Betty in to say goodnight to her father – but Betty wasn’t there. Mary surmised Betty had run over to her friend Sally’s house to play, but mentioned she had told Betty before not to go out after dark like that.

With Ralph all tended to and drifting off to sleep, Mary stepped outside to call out to Betty. There was no response, but their little home was near enough to the belled bridge that she could hear an occasional tinkle of a bell, even over the roar of the canyon wind. Mary quickly pieced things together. She lapsed into panic as she realized Betty must be trying to cross the rickety old bridge.

Sure enough, shots began to ring out. Mary’s running turned to a mother’s single-minded sprint to protect her little girl. She began to curse her own father for shooting at her baby.

     (TWO SHOTS, CLOSE TOGETHER AND NEARER UP – TWO TINKLES AFTER SECOND SHOT)

MARY:                  (FRANTIC, STILL RUNNING – SCREAMS)  STOP!  Stop! Oh, damn you, I’ll kill you! Oh, God, Oh my baby, my baby – oh, my baby – Betty – Betty

      (CANYON ROAR UP FULL BY NOW; MOTHER RUNS OUT ON BRIDGE, PANTING AND SOBBING, BELL RINGING OUT ABOVE CANYON ROAR RELATED TO MOTHER’S RUNNING AND COMING CLOSER)

For his part, Clark kept up his usual verbal assault of “stop, or I’ll shoot!” And shoot he did. The bell stopped ringing. Mary surmised the worst, and became virtually apoplectic with anger, grief, and despair. Clark suddenly understood who he had been shooting at. He, too, was stunned at the turn of events. But alas, this was a family show, for the most part. Little Betty was just fine.

BETTY:  Oh, Mother, I’se found gramp-pa!

MARY:   Betty!  Oh, my baby, my baby, my baby. Oh thank God.  (SOBBING)  Oh darling baby, Betty, Betty.

CLARK:  (SOBBING)  Mary, Mary, can you ever forgive me!

MARY:   (CONTINUES SOBBING OVER BABY)

CLARK:  Oh, Mary, I’ve been an awful fool … Oh, God, to think tonight I almost …. Oh, Mary, Mary – forgive me, forgive me!

MARY:   Oh, Dad!

BETTY:  Mother, I’se hungry again.

MARY:   You darling!

BETTY:  Ain’t we going to have no supper?

This brush with tragedy brought a veritable paradigm shift upon crusty old Clark. Between sobs of atonement, he questioned Mary if she really meant it when she asked him to come back to the house with her and Betty to have dinner with them.

The continuity comes to a close here, indicating that the only remaining material was the closing announcement.

GN Standard Sign drawing
showing example of arrow
signs used near Glacier Park.
From GNRHS Reference Sheet #187

However, rather than having the music fade for the closing announcement, the audio of this broadcast includes another brief conversation between the Old Timer and the folks on the Empire Builder. One woman suddenly commented on a series of large wooden arrows not far from the tracks. The Old Timer explained they were placed there by the Great Northern Railway so people riding the rails could know which of the Glacier Park Rocky Mountain peaks they were looking at.

Someone mentioned that Glacier Park was set to open for the summer season on June 15^th. The Old Timer piped in with a reminder that he, himself, would be there for a tour of the park beginning on July 1^st, along with a group of his “radio friends.” One of the travelers revealed that the group had been holding out on the Old Timer – it turns out they all had reservations to join the Old Timer on his Glacier Park tour (or so they claimed).

They all prattled on about the attractions of Glacier Park – in particular, the fly-fishing. The Old Timer pointed out that visitors to Glacier Park (at least back in 1931) were not required to have a license to fish, and the daily limit was 10 fish of 7 inches or more. Fishing gear was readily available to be rented from any of the hotels or chalets.

Someone then set the Old Timer to talking about the Blackfeet Indians who live just east of the park, and many of whom could be seen as greeters at the Glacier Park Station and Glacier Park Hotel. As he continued his monologue about Glacier Park, the Old Timer’s voice faded away and was replaced by that of Ted Pearson, Empire Builders announcer. Pearson took a turn himself at giving a verbal version of a Great Northern travel brochure description of the park and all its wonders. He also reminded listeners of the Old Timer’s 10-day tour of the park, and pointed out the GN’s low round-trip summer fares were going into effect. Pearson also encouraged listeners to write to the Great Northern for “profusely-illustrated brochures and maps” to help them plan their vacations for the coming summer.

Pearson finally closed out the broadcast with a review of the principal players.

ANNOUNCER:    Tonight’s Empire Builders playlet again featured Harvey Hays as the Old Timer; Lucille Husting played Mary; Ralph was Don Ameche; Betty the baby was Betty White; and the grandfather was John Daly. Empire Builders comes to you from the NBC studios in Chicago.

Until next time, keep those dials tuned to Empire Builders!