The Green Room, Radio Station WENN,
February 1942
Betty Roberts sighed as she listened to
The Crimson Blade, one of the shows they broadcast on radio
station WENN. Maple LaMarsh sat with her in the green room. She was
studying her script for Amazon Andy, which she would be
performing after Hilary Booth's Woman's View on the News. “I'm
really disappointed this is our last episode. It was a fun
show to write.”
Maple nodded. “And the worst thing
is, you ended on three cliffhangers. The Crimson Blade and the Jack
Carleton the English spy told Lady Deborah she had to choose between
them, Deb's maid proposed to the Crimson Blade's sidekick, and the
governor’s wife said she's married to someone else!” She tossed
her script aside. “Do you know how the show woulda worked out?”
Betty turned off the radio. “Well,
the sidekick and the maid would get married, but not right away.”
She turned to Maple with a thoughtful smile. “The Governor’s wife
was married to The Crimson Blade, but it was all part of a scheme to
pull the wool over the eyes of the evil Baron Dimsley. The Governor’s
wife just said that to get the governor off her back.”
“And,” she sighed and traced a
scratch in the old coffee table, “I have no idea whom Lady Deborah
would have chosen. She probably would have told both men to leave her
alone and give her a couple of weeks to decide.” She shrugged. “I
really liked both characters. The Crimson Blade was handsome and
charming, but he was also a criminal of sorts. Jack was noble and
intelligent, but he was so wrapped up in his work, he barely gave
Lady Deb the time of day.”
Maple chuckled at the last description.
“That sounds like two guys I know.” She sighed. “I wish Victor
hadn't gone to Washington and Scotty wasn't at basic training. This
place has been kind of quiet without them coming up with ideas every
other minute. And Eugenia and Mr. Foley have been busy planning their
wedding.” She leaned back in the couch. “You know...maybe we
could still finish this.”
Betty looked up, surprised. “What do
you mean?”
Maple turned to Betty. “Do it as a
special, or a 'movie on the airwaves' thing. Kind of like that 'When
In Rome' show you did a while back, but it wouldn't last for 52
hours.” She flipped through her script. “We could punch things up
a little here and there. Why do the guys have to be in love with some
fancy dame, anyway? What if they fell for normal workin' gals, like
us?”
Betty made a face. “That doesn't
sound very romantic to me.”
“You'd be surprised what guys go
for,” chuckled Maple. “Just ask Errol Flynn.” She paged through
her Amazon Andy script. “You know...some of this might work
for 'The Crimson Blade.' Those shows have a lot in common. We could
still have nobles, but maybe they're the good guys. The Governor
could be the bad guy. The Baron and his wife are the good guys. ”
Maple's eyes got dreamy. “And the spy could be somethin' a little
less...obvious. Maybe just a normal guy who gets wrapped up in more
government stuff than he can handle. Someone tall, an' sweet, an' a
looker, but really, really smart. Just not smart enough to avoid the
villain.”
Betty moved to the couch with Maple. “Well, we could try something
like that....”
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