THE EDGE OF NIGHT
Airdate: December 1959
Episode 7 of 8
Summary By: Mark Faulkner
ACT ONE
At the Grimsley plant, Ruth takes a call from Betty Jean. Ruth pretends to not know who she is and says that Jack’s in the engineering lab. Can she take a message? When Betty Jean tells her to have Jack phone his wife at his sister’s house, Ruth says innocently that she knows where Betty Jean is. Ruth wishes her a Merry Christmas. Betty Jean quietly wishes her a Merry Christmas, too. Ruth hangs up and says that Betty Jean doesn’t know it yet, but Ruth’s Christmas is going to be a lot merrier than hers.
COMMERCIAL
ACT TWO
Jack returns to the office and asks if there were any calls for him. Ruth lies and says no. Jack appears dejected. Ruth rubs salt in the wounds by saying that Jack probably is alone and doesn’t have anything to do. Why doesn’t he come around her apartment tonight. He feels that it’s not a good idea. It might give people the wrong idea, and he’s already got enough trouble at home. Ruth plays on his feelings of loneliness. She talks about how alone they both are at Christmas. She thought she might buy a little Christmas tree and trim it. No one wants to trim a tree and look at it alone. Jack says that he still thinks it’s not a good idea, and what’s the use of crying on one another’s shoulders. Ruth replies that she has surprise for him. It’s a Christmas gift to show how much she appreciates her nice boss. It’s not very cheery to give a gift at work. Wouldn’t it be better to get it by a tree and singings carols? Jack insists that he really should stay at home in his apartment. Ruth counters that he’ll have to go out and get something to eat. Why not eat with her? Jack doesn’t like the idea of being seen in public with an attractive young woman. Ruth says she knows a small place. An out-of-the-way Japanese place called The Geisha. No one will see them there. Jack is worn down. He can’t deny her a dinner, especially after she bought him a gift. He agrees to meet her there at 8 p.m.
COMMERCIAL
ACT THREE
Betty Jean comes in while Mattie is unloading Christmas decorations. Mattie says that she’s getting things ready because Bud wants to help her trim the tree when he gets up from his afternoon nap. Betty Jean wants to take a few of the ornaments. She’s gotten a small tree for Jack, as she can’t bear the thought of him being alone and without a tree at Christmas. Mattie thinks it’s a wonderful idea, as Jack always loved the holiday trimmings. She’s so sorry that Jack and Betty Jean have allowed a quarrel to come between them. Betty Jean admits that she loves Jack. Mattie says that she knows. She’s been watching Betty Jean, seeing how tender she is with Bud and how loyal she remains to Jack, never saying an unkind word about him. Mattie confesses that when they separated, she blamed Betty Jean, but now she realizes that Jack is responsible. Betty Jean says that they’re both to blame. Mattie agrees that it takes two people to make a quarrel. Betty Jean tells her that she called Jack at work to make sure that he wouldn’t be in the apartment when she went over to drop off the Christmas tree, but Jack was out of the office and hasn’t returned her call. She begins to cry. She just wants to hear his voice. Mattie takes Betty Jean in her arms and begins to comfort her.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FOUR
Betty Jean trims the tree in her apartment. Jack arrives home and surprised to find her there. Betty Jean is very sweet and demure. She tells him that it’s the season of goodwill to men, and she wanted him to have a tree. Jack is unemotional. He wants to know if she’s home for good.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FIVE
Scene 5A
Jack coldly tells her that she brought him a tree only because she feels sorry for him. Noting his apparent lack of appreciation for her gesture, she warns not to make her sorry she did it. He says he won’t. Betty Jean explains that she left a message for Jack at his office. He replies that he didn’t get it. Betty Jean asks if he wants her to tidy up. He declines. He had the cleaning lady in the day before. It’s already tidy. Jack changes the subject. He tells her that Alan Johnson was given a promotion to the West Coast, so it didn’t matter that Jack’s ideas for the marketing survey were the same. Betty Jean doesn’t agree. Jack tries to convince her that it’s ok because Johnson wasn’t hurt, and he didn’t complain about it to Mr. Grimsley, so his job is safe. Betty Jean asks if Jack really doesn’t get why she left him, or is he just kidding himself. He retorts that she sure has some old-fashioned ideas and hasn’t a clue about business, because a working man has to seize every opportunity he can. Betty Jean says not with dishonesty. How would he like it if Bud did the same thing? Jack replies that he’s going for the “big time” so that Bud will never have to resort to dishonesty. Betty Jean is unmoved. She insists that he go to Winston and admit everything he did. If he does, then he’s the kind of man she wants to be married to, but if he doesn’t, she’ll still love him and make sure Bud loves him; however, they won’t continue to live with him. Jack asks what kind of love is that? She replies that it takes a lot for a woman to give up everything she wants because she knows it’s not good for her husband. Jack argues that if he admits the truth, Winston will fire him, and everyone will know that he didn’t earn his promotion. Betty Jean insists that he decide what he wants more: his wife and child or his stolen job. She starts to leave. Jack tells her that he loves her, but he’ll have to think about her ultimatum. She tells him to think about it carefully.
Scene 5B
Ruth stops her friend who has a hot date. Ruth says she has one, too, but she’s got a favor to ask. She gives her friend a telephone number and instructs her to phone it and say exactly what Ruth tells her to say. Her friend refuses unless Ruth tells her the whole story.
COMMERCIAL
ACT SIX
Scene 6A
Ruth explains that she doesn’t have Jack completely yet. She can fight Betty Jean, but when Jack went over to take Bud his present, he kissed Betty Jean under the mistletoe and sang Silent Night with the kid. Ruth can’t fight that. Her friend wants to know how an anonymous phone call can solve it.
Scene 6B
Betty Jean arrives back at the Karr home. She tells Mattie that she saw Jack, and they didn’t fight. She thinks that he was happy to see her there. Mattie recalls that as a child, Jack was always an especially good boy at Christmas. Betty Jean thinks maybe the season is melting him a bit because she got the feeling that he really intends to think about what she told him. Betty Jean is hopeful that she and Jack will be together again –really together- at Christmas. Mattie says that would make the most glorious Christmas ever. The phone rings. Betty Jean goes to answer it. Ruth’s friend tells Betty Jean that if she wants to know the reason behind the troubles in her marriage, she should go to The Geisha restaurant at Madison Avenue and Main Street after 8 p.m. Betty Jean implores her to tell who her who she is and why she should go there. Ruth and her friend laugh at what a clever stinker Ruth is, while Betty Jean, perplexed and disturbed, wonders what the call was about.
COMMERCIAL
Harry Kramer:“Watch this scene from tomorrow’s story.”
TEASER:
At The Geisha restaurant, Jack thanks Ruth for the gift and says that he needs to go home and think. She asks him if he isn’t going to dance with her. Betty Jean watches them from a distance.
CLOSING TITLE CARD -EDGE SHADOW WIPE
Harry Kramer: Tune in again tomorrow for The Edge of Night, created by Irving Vendig.
Airdate: December 1959
Episode 7 of 8
Summary By: Mark Faulkner
ACT ONE
At the Grimsley plant, Ruth takes a call from Betty Jean. Ruth pretends to not know who she is and says that Jack’s in the engineering lab. Can she take a message? When Betty Jean tells her to have Jack phone his wife at his sister’s house, Ruth says innocently that she knows where Betty Jean is. Ruth wishes her a Merry Christmas. Betty Jean quietly wishes her a Merry Christmas, too. Ruth hangs up and says that Betty Jean doesn’t know it yet, but Ruth’s Christmas is going to be a lot merrier than hers.
COMMERCIAL
ACT TWO
Jack returns to the office and asks if there were any calls for him. Ruth lies and says no. Jack appears dejected. Ruth rubs salt in the wounds by saying that Jack probably is alone and doesn’t have anything to do. Why doesn’t he come around her apartment tonight. He feels that it’s not a good idea. It might give people the wrong idea, and he’s already got enough trouble at home. Ruth plays on his feelings of loneliness. She talks about how alone they both are at Christmas. She thought she might buy a little Christmas tree and trim it. No one wants to trim a tree and look at it alone. Jack says that he still thinks it’s not a good idea, and what’s the use of crying on one another’s shoulders. Ruth replies that she has surprise for him. It’s a Christmas gift to show how much she appreciates her nice boss. It’s not very cheery to give a gift at work. Wouldn’t it be better to get it by a tree and singings carols? Jack insists that he really should stay at home in his apartment. Ruth counters that he’ll have to go out and get something to eat. Why not eat with her? Jack doesn’t like the idea of being seen in public with an attractive young woman. Ruth says she knows a small place. An out-of-the-way Japanese place called The Geisha. No one will see them there. Jack is worn down. He can’t deny her a dinner, especially after she bought him a gift. He agrees to meet her there at 8 p.m.
COMMERCIAL
ACT THREE
Betty Jean comes in while Mattie is unloading Christmas decorations. Mattie says that she’s getting things ready because Bud wants to help her trim the tree when he gets up from his afternoon nap. Betty Jean wants to take a few of the ornaments. She’s gotten a small tree for Jack, as she can’t bear the thought of him being alone and without a tree at Christmas. Mattie thinks it’s a wonderful idea, as Jack always loved the holiday trimmings. She’s so sorry that Jack and Betty Jean have allowed a quarrel to come between them. Betty Jean admits that she loves Jack. Mattie says that she knows. She’s been watching Betty Jean, seeing how tender she is with Bud and how loyal she remains to Jack, never saying an unkind word about him. Mattie confesses that when they separated, she blamed Betty Jean, but now she realizes that Jack is responsible. Betty Jean says that they’re both to blame. Mattie agrees that it takes two people to make a quarrel. Betty Jean tells her that she called Jack at work to make sure that he wouldn’t be in the apartment when she went over to drop off the Christmas tree, but Jack was out of the office and hasn’t returned her call. She begins to cry. She just wants to hear his voice. Mattie takes Betty Jean in her arms and begins to comfort her.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FOUR
Betty Jean trims the tree in her apartment. Jack arrives home and surprised to find her there. Betty Jean is very sweet and demure. She tells him that it’s the season of goodwill to men, and she wanted him to have a tree. Jack is unemotional. He wants to know if she’s home for good.
COMMERCIAL
ACT FIVE
Scene 5A
Jack coldly tells her that she brought him a tree only because she feels sorry for him. Noting his apparent lack of appreciation for her gesture, she warns not to make her sorry she did it. He says he won’t. Betty Jean explains that she left a message for Jack at his office. He replies that he didn’t get it. Betty Jean asks if he wants her to tidy up. He declines. He had the cleaning lady in the day before. It’s already tidy. Jack changes the subject. He tells her that Alan Johnson was given a promotion to the West Coast, so it didn’t matter that Jack’s ideas for the marketing survey were the same. Betty Jean doesn’t agree. Jack tries to convince her that it’s ok because Johnson wasn’t hurt, and he didn’t complain about it to Mr. Grimsley, so his job is safe. Betty Jean asks if Jack really doesn’t get why she left him, or is he just kidding himself. He retorts that she sure has some old-fashioned ideas and hasn’t a clue about business, because a working man has to seize every opportunity he can. Betty Jean says not with dishonesty. How would he like it if Bud did the same thing? Jack replies that he’s going for the “big time” so that Bud will never have to resort to dishonesty. Betty Jean is unmoved. She insists that he go to Winston and admit everything he did. If he does, then he’s the kind of man she wants to be married to, but if he doesn’t, she’ll still love him and make sure Bud loves him; however, they won’t continue to live with him. Jack asks what kind of love is that? She replies that it takes a lot for a woman to give up everything she wants because she knows it’s not good for her husband. Jack argues that if he admits the truth, Winston will fire him, and everyone will know that he didn’t earn his promotion. Betty Jean insists that he decide what he wants more: his wife and child or his stolen job. She starts to leave. Jack tells her that he loves her, but he’ll have to think about her ultimatum. She tells him to think about it carefully.
Scene 5B
Ruth stops her friend who has a hot date. Ruth says she has one, too, but she’s got a favor to ask. She gives her friend a telephone number and instructs her to phone it and say exactly what Ruth tells her to say. Her friend refuses unless Ruth tells her the whole story.
COMMERCIAL
ACT SIX
Scene 6A
Ruth explains that she doesn’t have Jack completely yet. She can fight Betty Jean, but when Jack went over to take Bud his present, he kissed Betty Jean under the mistletoe and sang Silent Night with the kid. Ruth can’t fight that. Her friend wants to know how an anonymous phone call can solve it.
Scene 6B
Betty Jean arrives back at the Karr home. She tells Mattie that she saw Jack, and they didn’t fight. She thinks that he was happy to see her there. Mattie recalls that as a child, Jack was always an especially good boy at Christmas. Betty Jean thinks maybe the season is melting him a bit because she got the feeling that he really intends to think about what she told him. Betty Jean is hopeful that she and Jack will be together again –really together- at Christmas. Mattie says that would make the most glorious Christmas ever. The phone rings. Betty Jean goes to answer it. Ruth’s friend tells Betty Jean that if she wants to know the reason behind the troubles in her marriage, she should go to The Geisha restaurant at Madison Avenue and Main Street after 8 p.m. Betty Jean implores her to tell who her who she is and why she should go there. Ruth and her friend laugh at what a clever stinker Ruth is, while Betty Jean, perplexed and disturbed, wonders what the call was about.
COMMERCIAL
Harry Kramer:“Watch this scene from tomorrow’s story.”
TEASER:
At The Geisha restaurant, Jack thanks Ruth for the gift and says that he needs to go home and think. She asks him if he isn’t going to dance with her. Betty Jean watches them from a distance.
CLOSING TITLE CARD -EDGE SHADOW WIPE
Harry Kramer: Tune in again tomorrow for The Edge of Night, created by Irving Vendig.