The Big Story: The Miracle Phone Call (EP5062)

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas

In this classic episode of 'The Big Story,' newspaper reporter Dorothy Patterson faces a moral challenge when she receives a desperate plea

Key takeaways

• Dorothy Patterson's unwavering faith in human kindness drives the narrative despite widespread cynicism.

Main topics

• Humanitarianism in journalism
• Community fundraising and public generosity

Notable quotes

"You can depend on people, Ted. Honestly, you can. You just have to give them a chance."

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Dorothy stepping forward as a moral beacon,

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:27) Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this week's episode of The Big Story. But first, I want to encourage you, if you're enjoying the podcast, to follow us using your favorite podcast software. Our listener support and appreciation campaign continues. You can become one of our ongoing Patreon supporters for as little as $2 per month. Just go to patreon.greatdetectives.net. Now, I should say before we play today's episode that it was actually an Easter episode. Had I known that, I might have played it at Easter instead of now, but it's pretty rare for a detective program to do an Easter-themed episode. I think this is only the second one we've ever played. But at any rate, from April the 1st, 1953, here is... The Miracle Phone Call. The Big Story. Speaker 2 (1:36) In New Jersey, the story as it actually happened, Dorothy Patterson's story as she lived it. You, Speaker 4 (2:03) Dorothy Patterson, are a newspaper woman with equal emphasis on newspaper and woman. It's rough competition in this man's business. You've got to be good. And you are. But still, you're a woman. And sometimes you take a rising because of it. Speaker 6 (2:22) Hey, Dorothy, you busy? Speaker 1 (2:23) Uh-huh. Something important on your mind, Ted, or can it wait? Speaker 6 (2:26) It's pretty important. Can you hold it a moment? Speaker 1 (2:29) What's up? Speaker 6 (2:29) I'm depending on you for the answer to this. I don't think anyone else can help me. Speaker 1 (2:34) Sounds like a pretty big order. Speaker 6 (2:35) It is. Dorothy, when are you going to throw away those dead flowers on your desk? Speaker 1 (2:39) What? That's the big question. And me right in the middle of my column for two cents? Speaker 6 (2:45) Two cents? You don't get the picture. This is a big money operation. We've got an office pool, and how long you'll keep those flowers there just because you're too much of a softie to throw them out? Speaker 1 (2:55) I give up. You guys don't let me get away with anything, do you? Speaker 6 (2:59) Maybe it's not all for jokes, Dorothy. Speaker 1 (3:02) What do you mean? Speaker 6 (3:03) Well, you are a softie. You go through life believing everybody's thinking about everybody else, watching out for everybody else. It ain't so. Speaker 1 (3:10) Oh, I don't know. I Speaker 6 (3:11) do. Maybe that's why I worry sometimes. I'd hate to see you lead with that soft little chin someday and get slugged just because you have the idea that everybody's as nice as you are. Do Speaker 1 (3:21) you have to be a cynic to be a reporter? Speaker 6 (3:23) No, but it's like being crazy. You don't have to be, but it helps. Speaker 1 (3:27) Dog eat dog. That's your theory, hmm? Speaker 6 (3:29) I've been around. Speaker 1 (3:30) The wrong places. It's not true. You can depend on people, Ted. Honestly, you can. You just have to give them a chance. Speaker 4 (3:44) That, Dorothy Patterson, is your credo. You can depend on people. And in another part of the city, something is happening that will soon put that credo to a test. Something that will decide whether or not you can really depend on people. Speaker 7 (4:02) Jim, is that you? Speaker 2 (4:04) Yes. Speaker 7 (4:06) All right, tell me. Speaker 2 (4:08) There's nothing to tell. Speaker 7 (4:09) But you went to visit... I Speaker 2 (4:10) said there's nothing to tell. Speaker 7 (4:12) Didn't you go see them? Didn't you explain? I Speaker 2 (4:14) went. I went to every hospital, every nursing home, every welfare agency, and I told them over and over again the same thing. My son Johnny, five years old, he's got nephritis. He's going to die. He's all swelled up so he can't even move, and he's going to die unless we can get the money for this new series. They didn't have the money. Speaker 7 (4:33) Somebody must have it. Speaker 2 (4:34) $3,000? Murray, it's too much to ask for. It's too much when the doctors say it probably won't help anyway. Now, who's going to fork over $3,000 for something that probably won't work? I Speaker 7 (4:46) don't care what it costs. It's worth it to try to save Johnny. Speaker 2 (4:49) We say that's sure. He's our kid. Other people, well, it's not their kid. Why should they care? Speaker 7 (4:55) You're going to give up just like that? Speaker 2 (4:58) Marie, I... You're Speaker 7 (4:58) going to sit and watch him die? You're going to sit and watch him lie there looking at that baseball bat you gave him, just looking at it because he can't even close his fingers around it anymore? Are you... Speaker 2 (5:08) Marie... Speaker 7 (5:09) Well, I'm not. I'm going to do something. I'm going to keep on trying. Speaker 2 (5:13) But Speaker 7 (5:13) how? I don't know how, but he's got to be away, hasn't he? Hasn't there just got to be a way? Speaker 4 (5:25) This is the beginning. These are the elements. In one part of town, a frantic, desperate mother. In another part of the same town, a reporter. A warm-hearted, compassionate reporter. Two elements. And when a phone call brings them together, a big story starts to roll. Oh, Speaker 1 (5:48) Dorothy Patterson speaking. Well, I'm glad to hear it. Turn Speaker 7 (5:59) to him. This is Patterson. My boy is sick. He's dying. Oh, I'm so sorry. Will you help me? How? Come tonight and talk to me, please. Well, I... Don't let me down. Speaker 1 (6:25) 100 Crescent Street. I'll be there this evening. Speaker 4 (6:33) 100 Crescent Street is a pleasant, comfortable house. As you, Dorothy Patterson, walk up the broad, worn steps, you think it looks like most of the other houses on the block. A good home, pleasant place to live. But as you ring the front doorbell and wait for an answer, you're aware of something else. Something that sets this house apart from the others on the block. The quietness. This is a quiet house. Next door, the children shout and play in the yard. Across the street, you hear the clear call. Ready or not, I'm coming. But not here. There are children here at 100 Crescent Street. They're not playing. One is quiet. The other is dying. Speaker 7 (7:24) I guess you can tell just by looking at him, Mrs. Patterson, how bad it is. Yes. Can you hear me? I don't know for sure. Sometimes, maybe. He just lies there like that, all swollen. He can't move. When he has to turn over, I