HELEN TRENT

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ANNCR:

Once again, we bring you the Romance of Helen Trent, who sets out to prove for herself what so many women long to prove - that because a woman is 35, or more, romance in life need not be over - that romance can live in life at 35 and after.

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ANNCR:

Lovely Helen Trent, deeply in love with the handsome lawyer Gil Whitney, faces the most desperate hour of her romance, as Fay Granville, an adventuress as beautiful as she is evil, has trapped Gil into a false promise to marry her, and is on the eve of announcing it. Yesterday, we heard Gil say to Helen -

GIL:

Darling, this was devised by an evil woman. I Love You, Helen. I never asked Fay to marry me, but Fay is trying to force it. Somehow I'll fight my way out...

HELEN:

Gil, there's only one way - to find out Fay Granville's past. If you could prove she's a notorious woman - (if you could just...)

GIL:

I've tried, Helen. Fay has covered her tracks TOO well.

HELEN:

Then Gil, I'M going to try. There must be someone, somewhere who knew Fay Granville once.

GIL:

If there is, Helen, YOU'RE not going to find out. Fay, and her brother Darcy, are as vicious and ruthless as they are clever. They'll stop at nothing to harm you if it suits them. That's the hold they have over me, darling. And you, Helen, are going to stay away from them!

ANNCR:

...But Helen has already taken steps to find out who Fay Granville is. And yesterday, Brett Chapman, the multi-millionaire who is still in love with Helen, and whom Gil hates with a violent jealousy, brought Helen snapshots she had managed to take of the elusive Fay Granville. Unaware that Gil is approaching the house through the patio, Helen said to Brett -

HELEN:

Brett - if we could get these pictures of Fay Granville into the newspapers, someone might recognize Fay and stop her from marrying Gil.

BRETT:

That's all you care about, isn't it, Helen? - what happens to Gil Whitney...

HELEN:

I love Gil, Brett. I've never pretended anything else to you. I'd do anything to stop that woman from ruining his life and mine. Let me have the pictures, Brett.

BRETT:

Just a minute! Not so fast, Helen my beautiful!

HELEN:

(surprised) What do you mean? The pictures are MINE...I took them...

BRETT:

But YOU lost the film and I found it. I had it developed. That gives me some claim...

HELEN:

No Brett, don't play jokes with me now, I'm nearly crazy over what Fay Granvile is doing!

BRETT:

Well suppose it doesn't suit me, my darling, to turn over the pictures to you! After all, it's to my advantage to see Fay Granville go hog-tie your precious Whitney and leave you free...because when you ARE free, Helen...well, you'll come back to me! You were engaged to me once -

HELEN:

That was a long time ago! I don't love you, Brett! Don't think you can force me to!

BRETT:

No, not now. Not while you have Whitney and his fool mistakes to moon over. But -after Gil's married to Fay - (why then I'll)

HELEN:

Gil Whitney will never marry Fay Granville!!

BRETT:

Well he's smart, Helen. But I've seen Fay Granville operate. No man is smart enough to get away from her...if she doesn't want him to.

HELEN:

I don't believe that.

BRETT:

Besides, Gil's wife, Cynthia -

HELEN:

- in name only!-

BRETT:

Call Cynthia anything you please! She still holds the legal strings. She's leaving for Mexico right after Fay's party to divorce Gil - providing he marries Fay. You haven't a chance, my pure, noble, beautiful goddess!...

HELEN:

Oh Brett, if you've come here to bully me -

BRETT:

I came here to make love to you. I brought you the snapshots of Fay Granville, didn't I??

HELEN:

Then give them to me, Brett, if you have any

BRETT:

HONOR...is the word...Well I haven't when it comes to you.(VOICE LOWER) I want you , Helen.(VOICE HARD AND COLD) And I'll try every trick in the book to get you. (VOICE NORMAL) Could anything be fairer than a warning like that?

HELEN:

Brett, please let me have the pictures.

BRETT:

(MOCKING) What - do I get for them?

HELEN:

Are you bargaining with me?

BRETT:

You bet I am! My price for the pictures is that you go to Fay's party with me, when she announces her engagement to Gil.

HELEN:

Gil has forbidden me to be there!

BRETT:

You want the pictures, don't you? That's my price!

HELEN:

(NOBLY) I see. You think you can buy me as you do everything else in your life. Well, I.......Alright, I'll go with you, Brett - for the pictures.

BRETT:

PLUS - a KISS. A REAL kiss. Between a woman - you - and a man who's crazy for her. That's me.

HELEN:

(PANICKING A BIT) - Brett!

BRETT:

Price of the pictures! You want 'em?

HELEN:

There the only chance I have to save Gil....Yes - Yes, I want them.

BRETT:

(ON FIRE, JUST ABOUT) ..and I want you. Oh, my darling, my divine fire-and-marble Helen, oh how I want you...kiss me!

GIL:

(BURSTING IN SUDDENLY) Yes, Helen, Kiss him! If that's what you want to!

HELEN:

Gil! Oh, Gil!

BRETT:

(GOADING) You walked in at the right time, Whitney!

GIL:

I usually do when you're around. Chapman!

HELEN:

Gil - You don't understand -

GIL:

I understand what I saw!

HELEN:

Gil I - I don't want to kiss Brett - I don't want to SEE him!

GIL:

You weren't resisting!

HELEN:

It's the price Brett asked for the pictures

GIL:

What pictures?

HELEN:

Gil - ...oh Gil, don't look at me like that!?! Brett- tell him. Explain to him.

BRETT:

Why should I? I'd be happy to have Whitney think anything he chooses! He can't do anything for you now, Helen. It's about time he set you free for a guy like me...who can give you the world!

HELEN:

Gil, don't listen to that! Brett has some snapshots I managed to get of Fay Granville -

GIL:

I thought I told you to stay away from Fay, Helen!

HELEN:

Gil, Fay has never permitted her picture to be taken. I - I thought if I could get one, get the newspapers to print it, someone would see her who knew her. Gil, aren't you listening??

GIL:

Give me the pictures, Helen. (PAUSE) I said, give them to me.

HELEN:

(AFTER A BEAT) Here they are...

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PAPERS RUSTLING

HELEN:

Gil, with these pictures we have a chance - with (these photographs)-

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PICTURES RIPPING IN HALF

HELEN:

(ALARMED) What are you doing?

GIL:

This is what I'm doing!

HELEN:

Gil - don't tear them - don't! They're our only chance, Gil, to get you out of this trap Fay has set! Brett - stop him!

BRETT:

(CHEERFULLY) Not me!

HELEN:

Gil, stop!!(QUIETER) Oh Gil, you've destroyed them. Torn Fay's pictures into shreds.

GIL:

Yes I Have. (NOBLY) I'd rather spend the rest of my Life fighting Fay Granville, than let anything Brett Chapman has to offer come into your home, Helen. (PAUSE) Now go ahead and kiss him if you want to. But Don't do it for a price!

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GIL TURNS AND WALKS OUT, CLOSING DOOR SHARPLY.

HELEN:

(CRUSHED) Oh Gil...Gil, you've ruined everything, everything with your terrible jealousy...

BRETT:

He sure has. (SARCASTICALLY) And that's the guy you love!

HELEN:

Yes, Brett - I love him , I love him. Oh but - Oh Gil, our one chance...

BRETT:

He deserves to have Fay Granville hook him -

HELEN:

No he doesn't! This is your fault, Brett. You came here to make a cheap bargain, knowing how I feel about Gil.

BRETT:

And knowing someday you'll get over it. As for the bargain, I made it and I'm holding you to it.

HELEN:

Don't come near me!

BRETT:

I've had my kiss. I'll wait for the next one. Until I pick you up tomorrow evening at nine, for Fay's party...as agreed, Helen!

HELEN:

(RESIGNED)Yes, I agreed.

BRETT:

Well! Good!

HELEN:

But I'm not going because you forced me to, Brett. I'm going because I must. Gil Whitney has destroyed my one chance at finding out who Fay Granville is with those snapshots of her. The only chance I'll have to find any other evidence will be at her home tomorrow. No matter what Gil says now, I must go! I must get into that house!

PAUSE

ANNCR:

Meanwhile, Gil Whitney, still in a fury of jealousy, reaches his own handsome home in Hollywood. He enters the dimly lit hall, steps into the long, dropped living room in semi-darkness, and stops, as he hears a too-familiar voice -

FAY:

Gil, Darling -

GIL:

Fay Granville, what are you doing here!?

FAY:

(INNOCENTLY) I called you and called you, darling, and got no answer -

GIL:

It's my man's day off, and I was out!

FAY:

I KNOW you were out! When you weren't at the office and you weren't at home, I knew where you'd be! I drove past Helen Trent's house, and there was your car. So I came back here to your house to wait for you.

GIL:

Fay - I don't have to account to you for where I go, and I object to being trailed.

FAY:

Oh, but after all, Gil - we're announcing my engagement to marry at my party tomorrow night -

GIL:

I'm not announcing anything. Fay! What you do is your affair alone!

FAY:

You know it isn't, Gil!

GIL:

Fay, I don't want to talk about this tonight, I - I - I've had a bad day.

FAY:

(SMIRKS) Why yes, I saw through the big patio window at Helen Trent's house. It's just as I told you, Gil darling. The minute your back is turned, you'll always find Helen Trent with Brett Chapman.

GIL:

Fay - I don't permit anyone to say those things to me.

FAY:

You're not still loyal to Helen Trent!?

GIL:

I'll answer your question. Fay, to get rid of you. I've been hurt tonight. Badly. And I'm a wildly jealous man. It'll take me a while to get over it. But if you ask me, do I love Helen Trent? Yes. With all my being.

FAY:

Wellll. It's too bad. But I intend to spend the next months of my life taking your mind off Helen Trent.

GIL:

Fay, I told you I'm tired. I had a rough day. Don't come here threatening me! You're giving this party tomorrow night. And you're going to get up before a lot of people and tell that I'm going to marry you, but you'll know I'm not!

FAY:

Are you trying to walk out now, Gil?

GIL:

I'm not trying anything! But when it comes to a showdown, there are laws of decency protecting honest men from women like you.

FAY:

What laws, Gil?

GIL:

You haven't a thing to hold me with. Fay, except your threat to harm Helen Trent.

FAY:

(SARCASTIC) Have I threatened to harm your precious Helen Trent?

GIL:

Oh look here. Fay, it's too late for kidding! Your wide, beautiful green eyes don't look so innocent to me anymore. You know you and your brother, Darcy, would stop at nothing to harm Helen!

FAY:

Oh, my brother, Gil. You know my brother Darcy - he isn't quite, uhhh, responsible. And Helen HAS made him angry.

GIL:

By not accepting his rotten advances, I suppose?

FAY:

I really can't be responsible for Darcy, Gil - though of course I TRY to control him.

GIL:

Fay, I know his angles as well as you. You, with the help of my malicious wife in name only, Cynthia, have devised this trap to separate me from Helen Trent. I can see it as plain as my hand. And you're using Darcy as a sword over my head! Right now there isn't much I can do. But the next step is your party, and I warn you ---!

FAY:

Warn me of what, Gil darling?

GIL:

Don't come near me. Fay!

FAY:

(PURRING) You're tired, Gil. You're talking too much - wearing yourself out.

GIL:

Fay - Please go away!

FAY:

Why, Gil?

GIL:

Fay - I don't want your arms around my neck!

FAY:

You did once, Gil...And this IS the night before we announce our engagement.

GIL:

Fay. Leave this house. Leave it now. You can't stay here!

FAY:

(WHISPERED) Kiss me, Gil.

GIL:

Fay - let go of me. No - I don't want your arms around me.

FAY:

Kiss me just once, Gil. Just once. Then I'll go. Like this...

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CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS.

GIL:

(STARTLED) What was that?

FAY:

(LAUGHS) Recording our kiss for posterity, Gil. (VOICE UP) You can come out from behind that sofa now, Darcy!

GIL:

(OUTRAGED) What have you done. Fay? What is the meaning of this!

FAY:

Helen Trent thought a picture of me would be so-o-o valuable. So my brother Darcy, and I decided to get one of us, Gil - you and me. I'll send Helen a copy. You can't see MY face, but you'll see yours , Gil, and with this little record for evidence, you won't be so difficult tomorrow night at the party. Yes, I'm announcing our engagement, Gil. And I don't think you'll care to argue with the picture that Darcy has just taken of you and me!

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ANNCR:

Gil Whitney, after his quarrel with Helen Trent, the woman he really loves, returned to his half-darkened home to find Fay Granville, the scheming adventuress, waiting in his living room. As Fay put her beautiful, clinging arms around Gil's neck, there was a sudden flash of a camera bulb, and Fay threatens Gil, saying -

FAY:

I got the idea from Helen Trent! Helen was so anxious to have my picture - I thought I'd get her one she won't forget! One which you can't argue with, when I announce our engagement tomorrow night, Gil. Yes Gil, our kiss now belongs to history, darling - and our future has just begun! See you tomorrow - at the party!

ANNCR:

You won't want to miss the next dramatic chapter in The Romance of Helen Trent at this same time tomorrow. This is Fielden Farrington saying goodbye for the sponsors of Helen Trent.

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THEME UP FULL. HELEN TRENT

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