Father Knows Best (1954–1960): Season 3, Episode 21 - Short Wave - full transcript
Bud buys a shortwave radio and, while showing it off to the family, hears a distress call. A family had become caught in a tropical storm while offshore in their cabin cruiser, and the father was unable to transmit his desperate call for help to the Coast Guard ... leaving the Andersons as possibly the family's only hope.
[giggling]
With Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray,
and Lauren Chapin
in...
This thing must have
been put together
by a mad scientist.
[ringing]
Hello. Is Joe there?
This is Bud.
I'd like to talk to him
about the short wave set.
Okay.
What's the matter with you?
Nothing.
Hello, Princess. How
was the dinner party?
- Hi, Joe.
- It was all right, I guess.
I can't figure out
the wiring diagram
you drew on the blackboard.
You don't look very
happy. What happened?
What was that,
Joe? I didn't hear you.
There were a couple of girls
there from Washington, D.C.
and one other from San Francisco
and one from New York,
and they were telling
about the exciting things
they did back home.
That sounds very interesting.
Made me feel like a real hick.
I can't hear you, Joe. Tell
me where the tubes go in.
- Why, Princess?
- When they asked me
what I'd been doing
here in Springfield,
I had nothing to tell
them, simply nothing.
Wait a minute,
Joe. I can't hear you.
There's a convention
going on in here.
Here. Wait a minute.
Well, I think
you're exaggerating
just a little, Princess.
Life here in Springfield
isn't as barren...
You don't realize it,
Father, being older,
but we live in an
absolute total vacuum.
We live in a house in
which nothing ever happens
in a town in which
nothing ever happens.
Do you know what
life in the outside world
looks like when we
live in Springfield?
It looks like a great
play on a stage,
and we can barely see it
because we're sitting in
the last row of the balcony.
I can remember some
pretty interesting things
that happened in the
last row in the balcony.
Father!
She came home
from the dinner party
in pretty low spirits.
Seems there were
some girls there
from San Francisco, New
York, and places like that.
I guess the
conversation gave her
a bad case of small town blues.
Oh, well, she'll get over it.
It's the same old story.
Our lives are dull.
Nothing ever happens.
[Bud] Dad! Dad! Come here quick!
Excuse me, kitten.
[Man] The Betty
Ann Alpha Delta 8993
off and clear with KGY.
Did you hear that, Dad?
Do you know what that was?
That was a cabin cruiser
out in the Atlantic Ocean...
The Betty Ann. They were talking
to some friends of
theirs in Sharon City
on their ship-to-shore radio.
I heard the whole conversation.
That's pretty good reception.
Pretty good? That's sensational.
Cape Sharon's
way out on the coast,
a thousand miles away.
Hey, Mom, I heard
a cabin cruiser
- out on the ocean.
- Really?
This is the Betty Ann.
There he is. That's the guy.
Alpha Delta 8993
calling the Cape Sharon
telephone operator KGY.
Come in, please.
Calling the telephone
operator by radio?
Short wave, Mom.
The telephone company
has radio stations
so you can call ship-to-shore,
and they'll connect you
with anybody anywhere.
[Woman] This is the Cape
Sharon telephone operator KGY
back to the Betty Ann.
What number did you
wish to call, please? Over.
Now listen to this. He's
going to make a call.
I'd like to call Sharon
City 1130, please.
[operator] One moment, please.
It's almost like listening
in on a party line.
Do all boats have radios?
Practically all of them.
It's just like having a
phone on your boat.
You can call a ship-to-shore
telephone operator
for phone calls,
or you can call a coast guard
if you get into
trouble. It's great.
I wonder what kind of
a boat the Betty Ann is.
It's a cabin cruiser,
34-foot express.
I heard the guy
say so a minute ago
when he was
talking to his friends.
Who has 34 feet?
The guy who's on
is named Bob Allen.
- On what?
- On the boat.
- What boat?
- Just listen, hmm?
Cape Sharon
telephone operator KGY
to the Betty Ann.
I have your party.
Go ahead, please.
[Man] Hello? Uncle Fred?
This is Bob. Can
you hear me? Over.
[Uncle Fred] Hello, Bob.
Yes, I can hear you all right.
Where are you? Over.
[Bob] We're about 22 miles
off Cape Sharon right now.
I wish you and Aunt
Harriet were with us. Over.
[Fred] Well, thanks, Bob,
but you know how your aunt feels
about the water.
She doesn't care how
far she goes on a boat
as long as she can
keep one foot on dry land.
How are the children? Over.
[Bob] Oh, the kids
are having a ball.
Don's up at the
wheel running the boat.
Julie and Betty are helping
Ann with the dinner dishes.
How are things in
Sharon City? Over.
[Fred] It's been hot here today.
Hot and muggy... Wait a minute.
Your Aunt Harriet
wants to talk to you.
Don't grab the
phone. I'll give it to you.
[Aunt Harriet] Hello?
Do I say "Over"?
[Fred] Not till you finish.
Then you say "Over,"
and he starts talking.
And don't gab all night.
It's costing him money.
Hello, Bob. This
is Aunt Harriet.
How is the new boat?
O-Over.
[Bob] Hello, Auntie.
Oh, the Betty
Ann's a sweetheart...
Comfortable, roomy.
Wait a second. Ann
wants to talk to you.
Aunt Harriet? This is Ann.
Can you hear me? Over.
[Harriet] Yes, I hear you.
How's little Julie?
Over.
[Ann] She was a little seasick
when we first started out,
but she's all right now.
The boat isn't rolling at all.
The ocean's like a mirror.
The moon is out. It's beautiful.
Julie, you want to say
hello to Aunt Harriet?
Is it safe to take children
out on a boat like that?
- Why not?
- This is Julie.
How are you? Over.
I'm fine, darling.
How do you feel?
Over.
I feel pretty good now.
The boat isn't rocking anymore,
and I'm just rocking a little.
Just a second. Here's Betty.
They even have a
daughter named Betty.
It sounds like the
Anderson family out there.
Hello, Auntie, this is Betty.
I wanted to ask you,
did I leave my red
purse at your house?
Red purse?
[Harriet] Hello, Betty.
Yes, it's here.
So what's Betty going to
do, walk back and get it?
Gee, that's a relief.
Thanks, Auntie.
Hold on a second.
Dad's gone up to take the wheel,
and here's Don. He
wants to talk to you.
[Don] Hold it, will you?
I got a mouth full of sandwich.
What a goof.
That is the Anderson family.
Hi, Aunt Harriet.
Hey, we're sure living it up.
What a boat this is.
We're doing about 14 knots.
Dad says we'll be at the island
in about an hour and a half.
We hooked some nice
fish just before dark.
A couple of real monsters.
- How's Buster? Over.
- Who's Buster?
[Harriet] Hello, Don.
Oh, Buster's fine.
Come on. Say hello to Don.
Come on, speak.
[dog barks]
Did you hear him, Don?
Over.
Yeah. I heard him bark.
I sure miss him.
- Well, here's Mom.
- This is Ann.
Anything else you want
to tell us, Aunt Harriet?
- Over.
- No, nothing more, dear,
except be careful,
and be sure and
call us in the morning.
Over.
[Ann] We will, Auntie.
Say good night to Uncle Fred.
And don't worry about us.
Good night.
This is the Betty Ann,
off and clear with KGY.
Cape Sharon operator KGY
off and clear with
the Betty Ann.
It's amazing.
Why, Cape Sharon's
way over on the coast,
a thousand miles or more.
Isn't it unusual to hear
from a boat so far away?
Yeah, but it happens sometimes.
Joe was telling me.
Short wave's tricky.
Sometimes it'll skip.
We probably couldn't
hear the Betty Ann
a hundred miles
from where they are,
but the signal is
jumping, or skipping,
and we're catching it
here. That's really true.
You know, hearing them
talk back and forth like that
gives you quite a
picture of the Allen family
out there on their boat.
Mother and dad
and the three kids.
I'm going to walk
down to the malt shop.
If I'm going to die of boredom,
I may as well do it there.
See if I can't dig
up something to eat.
Well, why so forlorn?
I was trying to figure out
what's come over the kids.
This restlessness and...
This is the Cape
Sharon operator KGY.
Attention, all vessels.
Special bulletin from
the U.S. Coast Guard.
Warning to all vessels.
The storm front off
the coast has turned
and is not moving toward
the Cape Sharon area
with northeast wind velocities
to 60 miles an hour.
All vessels will
please stand by.
Additional weather bulletins
will be broadcast as received.
Cape Sharon operator KGY off.
I wonder if the Betty
Ann heard that bulletin.
[Margaret] I'm sure they would
if they had their receiver on.
Yeah, if they had it on.
Who are you talking
about? Who's Betty Ann?
It's a boat, a cabin cruiser.
They're out on the
ocean off Cape Sharon.
We were listening to them
while you were upstairs.
A guy and his wife
and their three kids.
And their name is
Allen, Bob and Ann.
They had their kids with them.
Sounds like they're
about our age.
They have a girl named
Betty and a guy named Don.
A little kid like
Kathy named Julie.
It's their first trip on
this boat. It's brand new.
[sigh] Lucky people.
[static]
This is the Cape
Sharon Coast Guard
emergency alert to
all units in this area.
Calling the cutter Valiant.
Listen, the Coast Guard
is calling one of its cutters.
This is the Valiant
standing by, skipper.
What is your position
and course? Over.
Valiant back.
We're 8 miles
west southwest of Shark Island,
course 290 degrees,
12 knots. Over.
Back to the Valiant.
We have a storm front
moving into the channel.
Zero warning situation.
Northeast winds to 60 miles.
What does it look
like out there? Over.
Valiant back. It
doesn't look good.
Dead calm. Overcast now.
Swells coming down
from the northeast.
In ten minutes,
it'll be blowing the
shingles off the roof.
Any small boats
reported out here? Over.
Coast Guard back
to the cutter Valiant.
Storm warnings are out on KGY,
but no boats have reported.
We don't know how many
tourists we have out there.
- Emergency standby.
- The Valiant. Roger.
If the Coast
Guard's standing by,
they must figure it's
going to be pretty bad.
What's this got to do with us?
This is someplace in
another part of the world.
What's going to happen, Daddy?
I don't know, kitten.
Is somebody in trouble?
Cape Sharon operator KGY.
An emergency weather bulletin.
All craft in the vicinity
of Shark Island,
full storm warnings
have been posted.
Wind velocities to
60 miles an hour.
The Coast Guard
warns all vessels
principal danger area
in vicinity Shark Island.
Stand by, please.
Are there sharks out there?
No, that's just the
name of the island.
[Bob] The Betty
Ann, the Betty Ann,
calling the Marjoe...
There they are.
There's the Allen family.
Who or what is the Marjoe?
It must be another
cabin cruiser.
[Man] This is the Marjoe.
Back to the Betty Ann.
Where are you, Bob?
They're probably
friends of the Allens.
[Bob] Hello, Harry.
We're about 5 miles
off Shark Island.
Where are you? Over.
The dope. Why doesn't
he get out of there?
Shark Island's where
the storm's going to hit.
[Harry] about 60 miles, Bob.
You're not coming
in too clearly.
I didn't get your location.
I assume you're up north.
Are you getting that storm
we've been hearing about?
Over.
We're off Shark Island, Harry.
I haven't heard
anything about a storm.
We've had the
set off for a while.
The batteries are a little low.
The sky's clouded
over and a few swells.
Is there a storm warning out?
Is there a storm warning?
Everybody on the
coast knows it but him.
I lost a big part of
that transmission, Bob.
You're not coming
in well at all.
Can you switch batteries?
And they have their
children with them?
I can't switch batteries, Harry.
It's strange you're
not getting me.
The meter says I'm
putting out plenty of power,
and I'm receiving you all right.
[Don] Better come up here, Dad!
It's starting to rain.
I can't see ahead.
[Bob] I have to get
back to the wheel, Harry.
A little rain squall.
I'll talk to you later.
Betty Ann off and
clear with the Marjoe.
[Harry] I missed
all of that, Bob.
If I were you, I'd check
the Cape Sharon operator
for the weather.
There's a storm moving
down on Shark Island.
Did you receive that, Bob? Over.
Oh, for Pete's sake,
why doesn't he
keep his receiver on?
The Marjoe calling
the Betty Ann.
Come in, Bob.
Oh, he's turned his set off.
The Marjoe off.
Isn't there some way of
calling them on the radio?
Somebody's got to tell them
there's a storm coming up.
They can't call him
if he doesn't have
his receiver turned on.
Why doesn't he
turn his receiver on?
Probably trying to
save his batteries.
If they didn't have
the children with them,
it wouldn't be so bad.
Why? Are their kids
a pain in the neck?
No, Kathy.
Is it a big boat?
It's a 34-foot express.
How big is that?
Oh, about from the
fireplace up to the stairway.
Is that all? And they're
out on the ocean?
Well, that's a fair-sized boat.
Not the best place to be
in a 60-mile-an-hour wind.
What's an express cruiser?
Well, uh, it's a cabin cruiser
that looks something like this.
Generally, they have an
open cockpit back here
and a forward cabin in here,
and usually they have a canvas
that goes partway back
here over the cockpit.
Then the wheel
and other controls
are right in here,
and generally, right
next to the control panel,
is a companionway, or steps,
leading down to
the forward cabin.
This is the Betty Ann.
The Betty Ann calling
the Cape Sharon
telephone operator KGY.
There they are.
They're finally going to
get the dope on the storm.
It's about time.
Cape Sharon operator
back to the vessel calling.
I cannot read you.
- Will you try again?
- Oh, no.
Over.
[doorbell rings]
Somebody better get the door.
Probably for you, Betty.
- [doorbell rings]
- Oh, of all the times
for somebody to come calling.
[Bob] The Betty Ann to
the Cape Sharon operator.
The Betty Ann, the Betty Ann.
- Do you read me, operator?
- [doorbell rings]
Over.
Would you like to buy
some salt water taffy?
- What's that?
- Salt water taffy.
A little girl was selling
it. What happened?
The Allens couldn't get through
to the Cape Sharon operator.
The operator could hear them,
but she couldn't tell
what they were saying.
Now what are they going to do?
- I don't know.
- Can I have one?
[Ann] This is the Betty Ann.
- The Betty Ann calling...
- That's Mrs. Allen.
Bob, who will I
call? What do I say?
Call CQ. Any boat
around shore...
Why doesn't Bob do it?
He's probably at the wheel.
That CQ is a general call
to anyone who's listening.
This is the Betty
Ann calling CQ.
CQ. Any boat in the
vicinity of Shark Island,
come in, please.
There must be somebody
out there who can hear them.
This is the Coast
Guard cutter Valiant
back to the boat calling.
We hear your CQ,
but that's all we can make out.
Try it again. Over.
Why is it we can
hear the Betty Ann,
and nobody else can?
We're over a
thousand miles away.
Well, it's called a
skip. Bud can explain it.
[Ann] This is the Betty Ann
back to the Valiant.
The Betty Ann.
The Betty Ann.
We're in very rough seas.
What is the weather doing?
Have you heard a
weather forecast?
Come in, please. Over.
The Valiant back
to the boat calling.
You're either a long way off,
or this storm is
hashing up your signal.
We don't read you at all.
Suggest you check
your transmitter
and try to get a shore contact.
Are they going to sink, Daddy?
No. Don't be frightened, kitten.
Do they have any
protection from the storm?
Can they get inside?
Oh, sure. They're protected.
Mrs. Allen, Ann, is down
here in the forward cabin.
That's probably where
the radio's located.
Bob the father's up
here at the wheel,
and the companionway
or stairway's right here,
so you can see they're
just a few feet apart.
Where are the children?
Well, little Julie and Betty
are probably down here
in the forward cabin with Ann,
and Don, if he's
anything like Bud,
is up here at the wheel
and with his father.
You bet. Us guys stick together.
What are they going to do?
Will a boat like that
ride out a storm?
- Well, it's...
- [Bob] Hold her, Don.
Keep the bow
heading into the wind.
This is the Betty Ann,
the Betty Ann calling
the Coast Guard.
Mayday! Mayday!
Emergency to the Coast Guard.
5 miles southwest Shark Island.
- We have one engine dead...
- [glass shatters]
[Ann screams]
There go the dishes!
Grab Julie!
[Julie screams]
Mommy, what's happening?
[Ann] Don't be frightened.
[Bob] Betty, take
her up forward.
We need some help out here.
Mayday! Betty Ann
to the Coast Guard!
Come in!
Cape Sharon Coast Guard
back to the vessel calling.
Your transmission is so garbled,
we can't read any of it.
Try contacting another vessel
in your vicinity for a relay.
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard standing by.
[Man on radio] The
Valiant. The Valiant.
Skipper, we've been
trying to read that boat.
On the last call, we got a name.
She's the Betty Ann.
That's all we got,
then the static covered them up.
We're down off the
south end of Shark Island.
Wind is northeast
35 and rising. Over.
Back to Valiant.
If the Betty Ann comes on again,
crank up everything and
see if you can read her.
Can't tell from here
if it's a mayday or not.
- Over.
- Roger on the Betty Ann.
Valiant standing by.
[garbled message]
There she is, sir.
[Bob, garbled] Can you hear me?
Can you read me?
Can you make
anything out of that?
Valiant to Cape Sharon.
The Betty Ann is on there.
Did you read it?
Back to Valiant.
Couldn't get any of it.
He's either a long way
out or low on power.
Or he could be out in
the middle of the storm
and the lightning's
messing up his signal.
Stand by, Valiant.
Roger.
[garbled message]
He still has power.
It's the storm that's
fouling up the reception.
Somewhere, somebody's
got to be picking this guy up.
[garbled message]
We're holding her into
the wind on one engine,
but the overload
is heating it up.
It can't run much longer.
Are you receiving
me, Cape Sharon?
Calling the Coast
Guard at Cape Sharon.
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard to the vessel calling.
Assume this is
still the Betty Ann.
We can't read any
of your message.
Are you receiving us? Over.
[Bob] Yes, I can
hear you plainly!
I got to have help out here!
[Don] I can't hold
her into it, Dad!
[Bob] Gun the engine, Don!
Hold the wheel hard over.
[Julie] It's stuffy
down here, Daddy.
I'm going up with Don.
[Bob] Stay here, Julie!
- I'm going to get a drink.
- Stay here, Kathy.
Oh, I'm sorry, kitten. Go ahead.
Is any boat anywhere
picking me up?
If anybody is listening,
call the Coast Guard
at Cape Sharon.
Mayday, any boat!
Come in if you read me!
Well, get yourself as drink.
And get me one, too.
Oh, I can't. I've got to listen!
Oh, surely somebody
must be receiving him.
- Well, we are.
- Big help,
a thousand miles away.
Call the Coast Guard, Jim!
[all talking at once]
Sitting on the phone
with those people!
[Bob] The Betty Ann!
Mayday!
Mayday!
[Ann] Bob, try to see
if there's an operator.
Darn long cord.
Calling the Cape
Sharon operator!
- Oh!
- This is the Betty Ann!
Mayday! The Betty Ann!
Come in!
Come in!
Operator, long distance.
I want you to get
the Cape Sharon
Coast Guard base.
This is an emergency.
I'll put your call
through immediately, sir,
to Cape Sharon Coast Guard base.
- Do you have the number?
- No, I don't!
[Bud] Dad! Dad!
The Cape Sharon operator
doesn't even answer.
Yes?
Yes, this is an
extreme emergency.
Will you please...
Well, all right.
What happened?
She's putting the call through.
She's going to call right back.
This is the Betty Ann.
The Betty Ann.
Mayday! Mayday!
Any ship in the
vicinity of Shark Island.
Will someone please answer?
Can you hear me? Can
you hear me, anyone?
Why doesn't somebody answer him?
Because they can't hear him.
He can hear everybody,
but they can't hear him.
Come on, operator,
call back. Call back!
The Betty Ann. The Betty Ann!
I have a family out here!
In the name of heaven,
will somebody answer me?
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard to the vessel calling.
You're still not coming in
so we can understand you.
We've contacted every
vessel in the channel.
No one reads you.
We've assumed
you're calling for help,
but your signal is too weak.
We can't get a
cross bearing on you.
Can you put any more power
into your transmitter? Over.
I'm using all the power I have.
My engine is almost gone.
I'm 5 miles southwest
of the upper end of the island.
[Don] Dad, the
engine's cutting out!
If only we can get
through to the Coast Guard,
we can tell them
who the Betty Ann is.
[phone rings]
Hello.
Hello? Oh, Mr. Anderson.
This is Mrs. Ludlow.
Mrs. Ludlow?
Oh, no.
Mrs. Ludlow, will you
please get off the phone?
I just want to speak to
Margaret for a moment.
It's about the
frosting for the cakes
we're baking for the new...
Mrs. Ludlow, the lives of
five people are at stake.
Will you please
get off the phone?
My, he is high strung.
Of all the times of
Mrs. Ludlow to call.
- [Ann]...the Betty Ann!
- She didn't know...
Will someone please hear me?
Mayday! Mayday!
- The Betty Ann!
- Just give the location!
Keep giving it!
[Don] Dad! She's
taking water up forward!
[Ann] We're 5 miles southwest
of the upper end
of Shark Island.
- 5 miles southwest...
- [Julie] Mommy! Mommy!
- Aah!
- [phone rings]
Hello!
Yes, I'm ready for the call!
Hello, Coast Guard
at Cape Sharon?
Look, I don't have
time to explain,
but we're picking
up the distress calls
of the Betty Ann.
Sir! Some guy says
he's picking up the Betty Ann!
Tell him to get us a relay.
What's her location?
She's 5 miles due southwest
of the upper end
of Shark Island.
Both engines dead.
Two adults and
three children aboard.
He's dead in the
water 5 miles southwest
of the upper end
of Shark Island.
Five people onboard.
Stay on the line.
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard calling the Valiant.
Valiant standing by.
We've made a relay contact
with the Betty
Ann. It's a mayday.
Cruiser 5 miles southwest
upper end of Shark Island.
Five persons
aboard. Engines dead.
- Go get 'em.
- Valiant to base.
Mayday 5 miles southwest
upper end. Here we go.
Open her up. Course 290.
Yahoo!
- You saved them, Daddy!
- Thank heaven!
Hey!
[Bob] The Betty
Ann. The Betty Ann.
We heard the call
from the Coast Guard,
and we'll stay afloat somehow
till the Valiant gets here.
Whoever you are out there
who relayed our message,
if you're still listening,
God bless you.
Hello. Yes? I'm still on.
Our name and address?
The Anderson
family in Springfield.
Where nothing ever happens.
Say, Mom, how about
another sandwich?
- What a hungry crew.
- We've been at sea.
Boy, the Allens can sure
thank us, can't they, Daddy?
Well, maybe we can
thank the Allens, too.
Kind of makes you realize
how much people need
each other in this world.
When the chips are down,
your fellow man's a pretty
nice guy to have around.
This is the cutter Valiant
to Cape Sharon Coast Guard.
We have a Betty Ann in tow.
Taken all passengers
aboard. No injuries.
Weather clearing.
Valiant off and clear.
I actually feel as if I'd
been out on that boat.
Me, too! I'm still rocking.
I can practically feel
the salt on my face.
I bet the Allens are a tired
and happy family right now.
Dad, I've got a terrific idea.
If we all saved up, I
bet we could buy a boat.
What do you say, Dad?
Uh, Dad to Bud.
I hear your signal,
but I don't read you.
Off and clear. Roger and out.
Closed-Captioned By J.R.
Media Services, Inc. Burbank, CA
With Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray,
and Lauren Chapin
in...
This thing must have
been put together
by a mad scientist.
[ringing]
Hello. Is Joe there?
This is Bud.
I'd like to talk to him
about the short wave set.
Okay.
What's the matter with you?
Nothing.
Hello, Princess. How
was the dinner party?
- Hi, Joe.
- It was all right, I guess.
I can't figure out
the wiring diagram
you drew on the blackboard.
You don't look very
happy. What happened?
What was that,
Joe? I didn't hear you.
There were a couple of girls
there from Washington, D.C.
and one other from San Francisco
and one from New York,
and they were telling
about the exciting things
they did back home.
That sounds very interesting.
Made me feel like a real hick.
I can't hear you, Joe. Tell
me where the tubes go in.
- Why, Princess?
- When they asked me
what I'd been doing
here in Springfield,
I had nothing to tell
them, simply nothing.
Wait a minute,
Joe. I can't hear you.
There's a convention
going on in here.
Here. Wait a minute.
Well, I think
you're exaggerating
just a little, Princess.
Life here in Springfield
isn't as barren...
You don't realize it,
Father, being older,
but we live in an
absolute total vacuum.
We live in a house in
which nothing ever happens
in a town in which
nothing ever happens.
Do you know what
life in the outside world
looks like when we
live in Springfield?
It looks like a great
play on a stage,
and we can barely see it
because we're sitting in
the last row of the balcony.
I can remember some
pretty interesting things
that happened in the
last row in the balcony.
Father!
She came home
from the dinner party
in pretty low spirits.
Seems there were
some girls there
from San Francisco, New
York, and places like that.
I guess the
conversation gave her
a bad case of small town blues.
Oh, well, she'll get over it.
It's the same old story.
Our lives are dull.
Nothing ever happens.
[Bud] Dad! Dad! Come here quick!
Excuse me, kitten.
[Man] The Betty
Ann Alpha Delta 8993
off and clear with KGY.
Did you hear that, Dad?
Do you know what that was?
That was a cabin cruiser
out in the Atlantic Ocean...
The Betty Ann. They were talking
to some friends of
theirs in Sharon City
on their ship-to-shore radio.
I heard the whole conversation.
That's pretty good reception.
Pretty good? That's sensational.
Cape Sharon's
way out on the coast,
a thousand miles away.
Hey, Mom, I heard
a cabin cruiser
- out on the ocean.
- Really?
This is the Betty Ann.
There he is. That's the guy.
Alpha Delta 8993
calling the Cape Sharon
telephone operator KGY.
Come in, please.
Calling the telephone
operator by radio?
Short wave, Mom.
The telephone company
has radio stations
so you can call ship-to-shore,
and they'll connect you
with anybody anywhere.
[Woman] This is the Cape
Sharon telephone operator KGY
back to the Betty Ann.
What number did you
wish to call, please? Over.
Now listen to this. He's
going to make a call.
I'd like to call Sharon
City 1130, please.
[operator] One moment, please.
It's almost like listening
in on a party line.
Do all boats have radios?
Practically all of them.
It's just like having a
phone on your boat.
You can call a ship-to-shore
telephone operator
for phone calls,
or you can call a coast guard
if you get into
trouble. It's great.
I wonder what kind of
a boat the Betty Ann is.
It's a cabin cruiser,
34-foot express.
I heard the guy
say so a minute ago
when he was
talking to his friends.
Who has 34 feet?
The guy who's on
is named Bob Allen.
- On what?
- On the boat.
- What boat?
- Just listen, hmm?
Cape Sharon
telephone operator KGY
to the Betty Ann.
I have your party.
Go ahead, please.
[Man] Hello? Uncle Fred?
This is Bob. Can
you hear me? Over.
[Uncle Fred] Hello, Bob.
Yes, I can hear you all right.
Where are you? Over.
[Bob] We're about 22 miles
off Cape Sharon right now.
I wish you and Aunt
Harriet were with us. Over.
[Fred] Well, thanks, Bob,
but you know how your aunt feels
about the water.
She doesn't care how
far she goes on a boat
as long as she can
keep one foot on dry land.
How are the children? Over.
[Bob] Oh, the kids
are having a ball.
Don's up at the
wheel running the boat.
Julie and Betty are helping
Ann with the dinner dishes.
How are things in
Sharon City? Over.
[Fred] It's been hot here today.
Hot and muggy... Wait a minute.
Your Aunt Harriet
wants to talk to you.
Don't grab the
phone. I'll give it to you.
[Aunt Harriet] Hello?
Do I say "Over"?
[Fred] Not till you finish.
Then you say "Over,"
and he starts talking.
And don't gab all night.
It's costing him money.
Hello, Bob. This
is Aunt Harriet.
How is the new boat?
O-Over.
[Bob] Hello, Auntie.
Oh, the Betty
Ann's a sweetheart...
Comfortable, roomy.
Wait a second. Ann
wants to talk to you.
Aunt Harriet? This is Ann.
Can you hear me? Over.
[Harriet] Yes, I hear you.
How's little Julie?
Over.
[Ann] She was a little seasick
when we first started out,
but she's all right now.
The boat isn't rolling at all.
The ocean's like a mirror.
The moon is out. It's beautiful.
Julie, you want to say
hello to Aunt Harriet?
Is it safe to take children
out on a boat like that?
- Why not?
- This is Julie.
How are you? Over.
I'm fine, darling.
How do you feel?
Over.
I feel pretty good now.
The boat isn't rocking anymore,
and I'm just rocking a little.
Just a second. Here's Betty.
They even have a
daughter named Betty.
It sounds like the
Anderson family out there.
Hello, Auntie, this is Betty.
I wanted to ask you,
did I leave my red
purse at your house?
Red purse?
[Harriet] Hello, Betty.
Yes, it's here.
So what's Betty going to
do, walk back and get it?
Gee, that's a relief.
Thanks, Auntie.
Hold on a second.
Dad's gone up to take the wheel,
and here's Don. He
wants to talk to you.
[Don] Hold it, will you?
I got a mouth full of sandwich.
What a goof.
That is the Anderson family.
Hi, Aunt Harriet.
Hey, we're sure living it up.
What a boat this is.
We're doing about 14 knots.
Dad says we'll be at the island
in about an hour and a half.
We hooked some nice
fish just before dark.
A couple of real monsters.
- How's Buster? Over.
- Who's Buster?
[Harriet] Hello, Don.
Oh, Buster's fine.
Come on. Say hello to Don.
Come on, speak.
[dog barks]
Did you hear him, Don?
Over.
Yeah. I heard him bark.
I sure miss him.
- Well, here's Mom.
- This is Ann.
Anything else you want
to tell us, Aunt Harriet?
- Over.
- No, nothing more, dear,
except be careful,
and be sure and
call us in the morning.
Over.
[Ann] We will, Auntie.
Say good night to Uncle Fred.
And don't worry about us.
Good night.
This is the Betty Ann,
off and clear with KGY.
Cape Sharon operator KGY
off and clear with
the Betty Ann.
It's amazing.
Why, Cape Sharon's
way over on the coast,
a thousand miles or more.
Isn't it unusual to hear
from a boat so far away?
Yeah, but it happens sometimes.
Joe was telling me.
Short wave's tricky.
Sometimes it'll skip.
We probably couldn't
hear the Betty Ann
a hundred miles
from where they are,
but the signal is
jumping, or skipping,
and we're catching it
here. That's really true.
You know, hearing them
talk back and forth like that
gives you quite a
picture of the Allen family
out there on their boat.
Mother and dad
and the three kids.
I'm going to walk
down to the malt shop.
If I'm going to die of boredom,
I may as well do it there.
See if I can't dig
up something to eat.
Well, why so forlorn?
I was trying to figure out
what's come over the kids.
This restlessness and...
This is the Cape
Sharon operator KGY.
Attention, all vessels.
Special bulletin from
the U.S. Coast Guard.
Warning to all vessels.
The storm front off
the coast has turned
and is not moving toward
the Cape Sharon area
with northeast wind velocities
to 60 miles an hour.
All vessels will
please stand by.
Additional weather bulletins
will be broadcast as received.
Cape Sharon operator KGY off.
I wonder if the Betty
Ann heard that bulletin.
[Margaret] I'm sure they would
if they had their receiver on.
Yeah, if they had it on.
Who are you talking
about? Who's Betty Ann?
It's a boat, a cabin cruiser.
They're out on the
ocean off Cape Sharon.
We were listening to them
while you were upstairs.
A guy and his wife
and their three kids.
And their name is
Allen, Bob and Ann.
They had their kids with them.
Sounds like they're
about our age.
They have a girl named
Betty and a guy named Don.
A little kid like
Kathy named Julie.
It's their first trip on
this boat. It's brand new.
[sigh] Lucky people.
[static]
This is the Cape
Sharon Coast Guard
emergency alert to
all units in this area.
Calling the cutter Valiant.
Listen, the Coast Guard
is calling one of its cutters.
This is the Valiant
standing by, skipper.
What is your position
and course? Over.
Valiant back.
We're 8 miles
west southwest of Shark Island,
course 290 degrees,
12 knots. Over.
Back to the Valiant.
We have a storm front
moving into the channel.
Zero warning situation.
Northeast winds to 60 miles.
What does it look
like out there? Over.
Valiant back. It
doesn't look good.
Dead calm. Overcast now.
Swells coming down
from the northeast.
In ten minutes,
it'll be blowing the
shingles off the roof.
Any small boats
reported out here? Over.
Coast Guard back
to the cutter Valiant.
Storm warnings are out on KGY,
but no boats have reported.
We don't know how many
tourists we have out there.
- Emergency standby.
- The Valiant. Roger.
If the Coast
Guard's standing by,
they must figure it's
going to be pretty bad.
What's this got to do with us?
This is someplace in
another part of the world.
What's going to happen, Daddy?
I don't know, kitten.
Is somebody in trouble?
Cape Sharon operator KGY.
An emergency weather bulletin.
All craft in the vicinity
of Shark Island,
full storm warnings
have been posted.
Wind velocities to
60 miles an hour.
The Coast Guard
warns all vessels
principal danger area
in vicinity Shark Island.
Stand by, please.
Are there sharks out there?
No, that's just the
name of the island.
[Bob] The Betty
Ann, the Betty Ann,
calling the Marjoe...
There they are.
There's the Allen family.
Who or what is the Marjoe?
It must be another
cabin cruiser.
[Man] This is the Marjoe.
Back to the Betty Ann.
Where are you, Bob?
They're probably
friends of the Allens.
[Bob] Hello, Harry.
We're about 5 miles
off Shark Island.
Where are you? Over.
The dope. Why doesn't
he get out of there?
Shark Island's where
the storm's going to hit.
[Harry] about 60 miles, Bob.
You're not coming
in too clearly.
I didn't get your location.
I assume you're up north.
Are you getting that storm
we've been hearing about?
Over.
We're off Shark Island, Harry.
I haven't heard
anything about a storm.
We've had the
set off for a while.
The batteries are a little low.
The sky's clouded
over and a few swells.
Is there a storm warning out?
Is there a storm warning?
Everybody on the
coast knows it but him.
I lost a big part of
that transmission, Bob.
You're not coming
in well at all.
Can you switch batteries?
And they have their
children with them?
I can't switch batteries, Harry.
It's strange you're
not getting me.
The meter says I'm
putting out plenty of power,
and I'm receiving you all right.
[Don] Better come up here, Dad!
It's starting to rain.
I can't see ahead.
[Bob] I have to get
back to the wheel, Harry.
A little rain squall.
I'll talk to you later.
Betty Ann off and
clear with the Marjoe.
[Harry] I missed
all of that, Bob.
If I were you, I'd check
the Cape Sharon operator
for the weather.
There's a storm moving
down on Shark Island.
Did you receive that, Bob? Over.
Oh, for Pete's sake,
why doesn't he
keep his receiver on?
The Marjoe calling
the Betty Ann.
Come in, Bob.
Oh, he's turned his set off.
The Marjoe off.
Isn't there some way of
calling them on the radio?
Somebody's got to tell them
there's a storm coming up.
They can't call him
if he doesn't have
his receiver turned on.
Why doesn't he
turn his receiver on?
Probably trying to
save his batteries.
If they didn't have
the children with them,
it wouldn't be so bad.
Why? Are their kids
a pain in the neck?
No, Kathy.
Is it a big boat?
It's a 34-foot express.
How big is that?
Oh, about from the
fireplace up to the stairway.
Is that all? And they're
out on the ocean?
Well, that's a fair-sized boat.
Not the best place to be
in a 60-mile-an-hour wind.
What's an express cruiser?
Well, uh, it's a cabin cruiser
that looks something like this.
Generally, they have an
open cockpit back here
and a forward cabin in here,
and usually they have a canvas
that goes partway back
here over the cockpit.
Then the wheel
and other controls
are right in here,
and generally, right
next to the control panel,
is a companionway, or steps,
leading down to
the forward cabin.
This is the Betty Ann.
The Betty Ann calling
the Cape Sharon
telephone operator KGY.
There they are.
They're finally going to
get the dope on the storm.
It's about time.
Cape Sharon operator
back to the vessel calling.
I cannot read you.
- Will you try again?
- Oh, no.
Over.
[doorbell rings]
Somebody better get the door.
Probably for you, Betty.
- [doorbell rings]
- Oh, of all the times
for somebody to come calling.
[Bob] The Betty Ann to
the Cape Sharon operator.
The Betty Ann, the Betty Ann.
- Do you read me, operator?
- [doorbell rings]
Over.
Would you like to buy
some salt water taffy?
- What's that?
- Salt water taffy.
A little girl was selling
it. What happened?
The Allens couldn't get through
to the Cape Sharon operator.
The operator could hear them,
but she couldn't tell
what they were saying.
Now what are they going to do?
- I don't know.
- Can I have one?
[Ann] This is the Betty Ann.
- The Betty Ann calling...
- That's Mrs. Allen.
Bob, who will I
call? What do I say?
Call CQ. Any boat
around shore...
Why doesn't Bob do it?
He's probably at the wheel.
That CQ is a general call
to anyone who's listening.
This is the Betty
Ann calling CQ.
CQ. Any boat in the
vicinity of Shark Island,
come in, please.
There must be somebody
out there who can hear them.
This is the Coast
Guard cutter Valiant
back to the boat calling.
We hear your CQ,
but that's all we can make out.
Try it again. Over.
Why is it we can
hear the Betty Ann,
and nobody else can?
We're over a
thousand miles away.
Well, it's called a
skip. Bud can explain it.
[Ann] This is the Betty Ann
back to the Valiant.
The Betty Ann.
The Betty Ann.
We're in very rough seas.
What is the weather doing?
Have you heard a
weather forecast?
Come in, please. Over.
The Valiant back
to the boat calling.
You're either a long way off,
or this storm is
hashing up your signal.
We don't read you at all.
Suggest you check
your transmitter
and try to get a shore contact.
Are they going to sink, Daddy?
No. Don't be frightened, kitten.
Do they have any
protection from the storm?
Can they get inside?
Oh, sure. They're protected.
Mrs. Allen, Ann, is down
here in the forward cabin.
That's probably where
the radio's located.
Bob the father's up
here at the wheel,
and the companionway
or stairway's right here,
so you can see they're
just a few feet apart.
Where are the children?
Well, little Julie and Betty
are probably down here
in the forward cabin with Ann,
and Don, if he's
anything like Bud,
is up here at the wheel
and with his father.
You bet. Us guys stick together.
What are they going to do?
Will a boat like that
ride out a storm?
- Well, it's...
- [Bob] Hold her, Don.
Keep the bow
heading into the wind.
This is the Betty Ann,
the Betty Ann calling
the Coast Guard.
Mayday! Mayday!
Emergency to the Coast Guard.
5 miles southwest Shark Island.
- We have one engine dead...
- [glass shatters]
[Ann screams]
There go the dishes!
Grab Julie!
[Julie screams]
Mommy, what's happening?
[Ann] Don't be frightened.
[Bob] Betty, take
her up forward.
We need some help out here.
Mayday! Betty Ann
to the Coast Guard!
Come in!
Cape Sharon Coast Guard
back to the vessel calling.
Your transmission is so garbled,
we can't read any of it.
Try contacting another vessel
in your vicinity for a relay.
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard standing by.
[Man on radio] The
Valiant. The Valiant.
Skipper, we've been
trying to read that boat.
On the last call, we got a name.
She's the Betty Ann.
That's all we got,
then the static covered them up.
We're down off the
south end of Shark Island.
Wind is northeast
35 and rising. Over.
Back to Valiant.
If the Betty Ann comes on again,
crank up everything and
see if you can read her.
Can't tell from here
if it's a mayday or not.
- Over.
- Roger on the Betty Ann.
Valiant standing by.
[garbled message]
There she is, sir.
[Bob, garbled] Can you hear me?
Can you read me?
Can you make
anything out of that?
Valiant to Cape Sharon.
The Betty Ann is on there.
Did you read it?
Back to Valiant.
Couldn't get any of it.
He's either a long way
out or low on power.
Or he could be out in
the middle of the storm
and the lightning's
messing up his signal.
Stand by, Valiant.
Roger.
[garbled message]
He still has power.
It's the storm that's
fouling up the reception.
Somewhere, somebody's
got to be picking this guy up.
[garbled message]
We're holding her into
the wind on one engine,
but the overload
is heating it up.
It can't run much longer.
Are you receiving
me, Cape Sharon?
Calling the Coast
Guard at Cape Sharon.
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard to the vessel calling.
Assume this is
still the Betty Ann.
We can't read any
of your message.
Are you receiving us? Over.
[Bob] Yes, I can
hear you plainly!
I got to have help out here!
[Don] I can't hold
her into it, Dad!
[Bob] Gun the engine, Don!
Hold the wheel hard over.
[Julie] It's stuffy
down here, Daddy.
I'm going up with Don.
[Bob] Stay here, Julie!
- I'm going to get a drink.
- Stay here, Kathy.
Oh, I'm sorry, kitten. Go ahead.
Is any boat anywhere
picking me up?
If anybody is listening,
call the Coast Guard
at Cape Sharon.
Mayday, any boat!
Come in if you read me!
Well, get yourself as drink.
And get me one, too.
Oh, I can't. I've got to listen!
Oh, surely somebody
must be receiving him.
- Well, we are.
- Big help,
a thousand miles away.
Call the Coast Guard, Jim!
[all talking at once]
Sitting on the phone
with those people!
[Bob] The Betty Ann!
Mayday!
Mayday!
[Ann] Bob, try to see
if there's an operator.
Darn long cord.
Calling the Cape
Sharon operator!
- Oh!
- This is the Betty Ann!
Mayday! The Betty Ann!
Come in!
Come in!
Operator, long distance.
I want you to get
the Cape Sharon
Coast Guard base.
This is an emergency.
I'll put your call
through immediately, sir,
to Cape Sharon Coast Guard base.
- Do you have the number?
- No, I don't!
[Bud] Dad! Dad!
The Cape Sharon operator
doesn't even answer.
Yes?
Yes, this is an
extreme emergency.
Will you please...
Well, all right.
What happened?
She's putting the call through.
She's going to call right back.
This is the Betty Ann.
The Betty Ann.
Mayday! Mayday!
Any ship in the
vicinity of Shark Island.
Will someone please answer?
Can you hear me? Can
you hear me, anyone?
Why doesn't somebody answer him?
Because they can't hear him.
He can hear everybody,
but they can't hear him.
Come on, operator,
call back. Call back!
The Betty Ann. The Betty Ann!
I have a family out here!
In the name of heaven,
will somebody answer me?
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard to the vessel calling.
You're still not coming in
so we can understand you.
We've contacted every
vessel in the channel.
No one reads you.
We've assumed
you're calling for help,
but your signal is too weak.
We can't get a
cross bearing on you.
Can you put any more power
into your transmitter? Over.
I'm using all the power I have.
My engine is almost gone.
I'm 5 miles southwest
of the upper end of the island.
[Don] Dad, the
engine's cutting out!
If only we can get
through to the Coast Guard,
we can tell them
who the Betty Ann is.
[phone rings]
Hello.
Hello? Oh, Mr. Anderson.
This is Mrs. Ludlow.
Mrs. Ludlow?
Oh, no.
Mrs. Ludlow, will you
please get off the phone?
I just want to speak to
Margaret for a moment.
It's about the
frosting for the cakes
we're baking for the new...
Mrs. Ludlow, the lives of
five people are at stake.
Will you please
get off the phone?
My, he is high strung.
Of all the times of
Mrs. Ludlow to call.
- [Ann]...the Betty Ann!
- She didn't know...
Will someone please hear me?
Mayday! Mayday!
- The Betty Ann!
- Just give the location!
Keep giving it!
[Don] Dad! She's
taking water up forward!
[Ann] We're 5 miles southwest
of the upper end
of Shark Island.
- 5 miles southwest...
- [Julie] Mommy! Mommy!
- Aah!
- [phone rings]
Hello!
Yes, I'm ready for the call!
Hello, Coast Guard
at Cape Sharon?
Look, I don't have
time to explain,
but we're picking
up the distress calls
of the Betty Ann.
Sir! Some guy says
he's picking up the Betty Ann!
Tell him to get us a relay.
What's her location?
She's 5 miles due southwest
of the upper end
of Shark Island.
Both engines dead.
Two adults and
three children aboard.
He's dead in the
water 5 miles southwest
of the upper end
of Shark Island.
Five people onboard.
Stay on the line.
Cape Sharon Coast
Guard calling the Valiant.
Valiant standing by.
We've made a relay contact
with the Betty
Ann. It's a mayday.
Cruiser 5 miles southwest
upper end of Shark Island.
Five persons
aboard. Engines dead.
- Go get 'em.
- Valiant to base.
Mayday 5 miles southwest
upper end. Here we go.
Open her up. Course 290.
Yahoo!
- You saved them, Daddy!
- Thank heaven!
Hey!
[Bob] The Betty
Ann. The Betty Ann.
We heard the call
from the Coast Guard,
and we'll stay afloat somehow
till the Valiant gets here.
Whoever you are out there
who relayed our message,
if you're still listening,
God bless you.
Hello. Yes? I'm still on.
Our name and address?
The Anderson
family in Springfield.
Where nothing ever happens.
Say, Mom, how about
another sandwich?
- What a hungry crew.
- We've been at sea.
Boy, the Allens can sure
thank us, can't they, Daddy?
Well, maybe we can
thank the Allens, too.
Kind of makes you realize
how much people need
each other in this world.
When the chips are down,
your fellow man's a pretty
nice guy to have around.
This is the cutter Valiant
to Cape Sharon Coast Guard.
We have a Betty Ann in tow.
Taken all passengers
aboard. No injuries.
Weather clearing.
Valiant off and clear.
I actually feel as if I'd
been out on that boat.
Me, too! I'm still rocking.
I can practically feel
the salt on my face.
I bet the Allens are a tired
and happy family right now.
Dad, I've got a terrific idea.
If we all saved up, I
bet we could buy a boat.
What do you say, Dad?
Uh, Dad to Bud.
I hear your signal,
but I don't read you.
Off and clear. Roger and out.
Closed-Captioned By J.R.
Media Services, Inc. Burbank, CA