[Eagle Pictures presents Enemy X, Copyright MCMXLII by Eagle Pictures, Inc.]

[The Players, Keith Prescott...William Harrigan, Rollins Darwin...Edmond Dorsay, Dr. Crandall...Frederic Tozere, Inspector Thorndyke...Royal Beal, Tom Dudley...Robert Allen]

[Director of Photography....George Webber, Art Director....Oscar Yerg, Film Editor....Shirley Stone, Sound....Harold Vivian

[Written and Directed by Owen Murphy]

[Piano music]

[Rawlins:] For heaven's sake, Keith, stop that infernal racket and tell me what's up. It must be something extraordinary to provoke you to such musical lengths.

[Keith:] This infernal racket as you so delicately put it, Rawlins, happens to be one of Schumann's famous melodies. I think I play it rather well, and something important has turned up.

[Rawlins:] I knew it. That falderal at the piano only confirmed my suspicions. What is it this time? Something exciting?

[Keith:] One of the most incredible cases I've ever been called in on.

[Rawlins:] Good. Good. Mystery I hope?

[Keith:] Mystery it is and unbelievable.

[Rawlins:] Wonderful. Wonderful. Unbelievable mystery. Well, come on. Let's have it.

[Keith:] I received a message from Inspector Thorndyke yesterday and I dropped in to see him. The inspector seemed a little bit upset. He had every reason to be as I learned later.

Well, what's up, inspector?

[Inspector:] Plenty. I'm going nuts.

[Keith:] The inevitable ending to one in our profession. What is speeding the day?

[Inspector:] Well, I suppose you read the death of Senator Bentley yesterday?

[Keith:] Yes, I did. A great loss to the nation. Bentley had more common sense than any man in Congress. You know, we're going to miss him. Very sudden wasn't it?

[Inspector:] Very. I hadn't the least bit of evidence but I believe Bentley was murdered.

[Keith:] On what do you base your belief?

[Inspector:] There was the imprint of an X on his forehead.

[Keith:] And you infer that was the signature of the murderer?

[Inspector:] I know it is. Keith, one of the greatest killers in the world is loose in New York; 15 men and women found dead yesterday and on the forehead of every one of them there was scrawled an X.

[Keith:] And yet no evidence of murder?

[Inspector:] None. [Telephone ringing] Yes? Yes? 217 Center. I'll be right over. They just got Major Cullens of the Interceptor command.

[Keith:] Jim Cullens?

[Inspector:] Yeah.

[Keith:] Why, he and I had lunch together at the club yesterday.

[Inspector:] Enemy X is killing the kind of people we can't afford to lose.

[ Background music. The two men enter a room and see a man collapsed at his desk with his head down. They lift his head up and see an X on his forehead. ]

[Keith:] Jim was quite dead. Stricken by some unseen enemy.

[Rawlins:] But I say things like this just don't happen.

[Keith:] Unfortunately, Rawlins, they are happening and in every part of this nation. Over 400 people fell victims to Enemy X yesterday. There were 400 died the day before. There will be 400 today; 400 tomorrow.

[Rawlins:] But that's unbelievable.

[Keith:] It's the bitter truth. At this rate 155,000 men and women of the United States are doomed by Enemy X to die this year. Men and women of all walks of life; the poor, the rich, the famous, the unknown. Even you, Rawlins, may be on the list. So may I.

[Rawlins:] But what can we do? What can we do?

[Mr. Dudley:] Cut! All right, 10 minutes, Frankie. [Save the lights? Save them?]. Ten minutes everybody. Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Dr. Crandall; one of New York's most eminent surgeons. Dr. Crandall, Mr. Dorsay.

[Dr. Crandall:] How do you do?

[Mr. Dudley:] Mr. Dorsay and Mr. Harrigan.

[Dr. Crandall:] Mr. Harrigan.

[Mr. Harrigan:] How do you do, doctor.

[Dr. Crandall:] I enjoyed your scenes in the proposed motion picture. It should be very convincing.

[Mr. Harrigan:] Well, I only hope it gives the same jolt to our audience that it gave to me. You know, doctor, I find it hard to believe that 400 of our people die every day of cancer.

[Dr. Crandall:] Well, the tragedy of it is, Mr. Harrigan, that so many of these people died needlessly. If the disease were discovered in time, they could be cured.

[Mr. Dorsay:] You mean if they go to their doctor in time?

[Dr. Crandall:] I mean they should go to a competent physician at least once a year and have a complete physical examination. In no other way can this danger be averted.

[Mr. Dudley:] Of course victims of cancer are not stricken suddenly as our mystery picture might indicate.

[Dr. Crandall:] Oh, no, Mr. Dudley, I'm quite sure that everyone knows that cancer is a long and drawn-out disease. The technique used in the picture is what one might term, well, a theatrical license to emphasize our point as is also the sinister sign of the X. Each serves to illustrate the treachery of this public enemy known as cancer.

There the allegory ends and make no mistake about the point of the lesson. Just as surely as if they were slain by an unseen enemy 155,000 of our people will be killed by cancer this year.

[Mr. Dudley:] If it's as you say, doctor, many of these could be saved it seems to me our job is to awaken them to the danger.

[Dr. Crandall:] You're exactly right, Mr. Dudley. This is a struggle of life and death and we cannot win if we're afraid or if we're ignorant of our enemy's method of attack. Neither can we win by complacency. We've got to jolt the people into action.

[Mr. Harrigan:] You mention fear, Dr. Crandall, you mean that men and women are afraid to go for an examination?

[Dr. Crandall:] I wish I could tell you of the hundreds of instances that have come to my attention, men and women who came to see me but came too late because they were afraid, or as in the case of so many women a sense of false modesty kept them away. They make false modesty an ally of death.

[Mr. Dorsay:] Let me get this straight, doctor. If a man and woman feels in good health, should they still have a physical examination?

[Dr. Crandall:] Well, it's precisely those people we want to reach. Until certain symptoms appear no one is aware that cancer has begun. To be certain -- and remember, this is your life -- you must have a complete physical examination once a year.

[Mr. Harrigan:] There are so many questions I would like to ask, doctor. Questions I'm sure that everybody would like to ask if they had the opportunity.

[Dr. Crandall:] Well, we wish everyone would ask questions, Mr. Harrigan. Cancer is not something to be spoken of in whispers. There should be open debate, public discussions, such as recently took place on one of our major networks.

[Mr. Bryson:] It's very important that these serious diseases should be brought out in the open. In fact, we ought to talk about things like cancer, we ought to talk about it, we ought to organize knowledge about it. It's important that it be talked about. It's necessary for the state of the nation.

[Dr. Little:] You're quite right, Mr. Bryson. Everything concerning cancer should have the widest possible publicity, because only in that way can the citizens of all the Americas obtain the knowledge necessary to fight this enemy.

[Mr. Bryson:] You're in a position to know, Dr. Little, if you're managing director of the American Society for the Control of Cancer. Is there real progress being made?

[Dr. Little:]  Very definitely Mr. Bryson. The people of the United States and the Latin Americas are coming to be more and more interested in the problem of cancer control. They realize that cancer isn't a hopeless disease but that it's curable and, in fact, is being cured when discovered and treated in time.

[Dr. Binkley:] If I might add to that.

[Mr. Bryson:] Yes, Dr. Binkley.

[Dr. Binkley:] And equally encouraging factor in our fight to control cancer is whereas 10 years ago we had only a few clinics serving our people, today there are nearly 400 qualified clinics serving our people. The research laboratories have kept pace, added to which is the really magnificent work of the Women's Field Army.

[Mr. Bryson:] The Women's Field Army sounds like a fine enterprise, Mrs. [Ellig?], you're national commander of it. Can you tell us something about it?

[Mrs. Ellig?]:] The Women's Field Army, Mr. Bryson, is a voluntary group banded together to fight cancer. Each of our 200,000 members, and we wish that we might make it a million, pays a dollar a year as a membership fee and pledges to work for the control of cancer.

[Mr. Bryson:] Mrs. [Ellig?], you've got 200,000 women enrolled for a fight for cancer control. What is it that these women really do?

[Mrs. [Ellig?]:] Within the limitations of our funds, which are highly adequate for the purpose, we endeavor to keep the message of cancer control constantly before our respective communities. This we do by serving as an information center, by seeing to it that no one is without proper medical treatment, and by ever lastingly pounding away at the necessity of everyone having a complete physical examination yearly.

[Mr. Bryson:] Mrs. [Ellig?], I hope that in every community where your Army is not already established some public-spirited women can be found who will do there what's being so splendidly done where you are underway. This has been very interesting and, of course, it's much more than interesting; it's extremely important. I'm sure that everyone feels that it's an encouragement to know that we have the scientific ways now of controlling cancer and we know how to enlist the interest of everyone.

[Mr. Harrigan:] There are so many questions come to mind, Dr. Crandall, but first and most important what are the symptoms? How will we know?

[Dr. Crandall:] There are certain indications, Mr. Harrigan, that we must lock in our mind and forever remember. If you have a persistent lump or thickening, especially the breast, see your doctor at once. Watch for any irregular bleeding or discharge from any of the body openings. A sore that does not heal especially about the mouth or lips or tongue is a danger signal.

Look out for any sudden changes in the form or rate of a mole or wart. And finally, be wary of persistent indigestion especially when accompanied by loss of weight. However, I must emphasize that these symptoms are not positive proof of cancer, but don't decide that for yourself. You must be guided by your physician.

[Mr. Dorsay:] Thank you, Dr. Crandall. I feel better about this now that I have a little knowledge of what to expect and what to do.

[Dr. Crandall:] And everyone will feel better, Mr. Dorsay, once the fear of cancer is removed and the whole program is brought out into the light of understanding.

[Mr. Harrigan:] I want to thank you too, doctor, and I hope our little contribution helps in the fight.

[Dr. Crandall:] Well, I'm sure it will, Mr. Harrigan. This is a fight in which we must all engage. This is war and we must face the enemy with courage. We are making progress. We are saving lives that might have been lost. We have every reason to face the future with cheer and hope and confidence.

[Speaker:] Hit the lights. Stand by everybody for the scene.

[Mr. Dudley:] [All right Bill, let's take a retake on that one. See if we can ...?]

[ Background music and conversations ]

[People walking across a field]

[Fight cancer with knowledge]

[The End, An Eagle Production]

[This film has been produced under the joint auspices of the American Society for the Control of Cancer and the United States Public Health Service. Grateful acknowledgement is tendered to Mr. Lyman Bryson of the Columbia Broadcasting System for his aid and participation.]

[Seal of the U. S. Public Health Service. 1798]