The Male Animal

Lady Esther presents the Screen Guild Players. The Guild Player tonight, the Male Animal, the Starring Players. This is Olivia de Havilland.

This is Joel McCray and this is Jack Carson. Tonight Lady Esther and the Screen Guild Players are grateful to Elliot Nugent, James Thurber, Herman Schumlin and Warner Brothers Studios for allowing us to present their successful play in motion picture, the Male Animal, starting lovely Olivia de Havilland as Ellen Turner, Joel McCray as Tommy Turner and Jack Carson as Quirling Joel Ferguson.

Joel Ferguson, Tommy Turner and Tommy's lovely wife Ellen were all students at Midwestern University six years ago. Joel was the school's football hero, Tommy the outstanding student and Ellen the collegiate bell. And the entire campus was surprised when Ellen married plotting Tommy rather than whirling Joel.

Now, six years later, Joe has become a spectacular financial success in Pittsburgh, while Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Turner are still at Midwestern, where Tommy is an obscure associate professor in the English department. It's the night before the homecoming game, and Ellen is preparing a cocktail party to celebrate Joe Ferguson's return to the campus.

Joe Ferguson, why should we give him a party? I don't believe you and I ever had a date that he didn't horn in the diagram the Washington Monument play or something. Statue of Liberty play, darling.

Anyway, this will be the first time we've seen him in six years. Well, if I never saw him again, it would seem like yesterday. Tommy, you're not jealous. Jealous? Of that 1A body and 4F mind?

Certainly not. Then why do you object to giving a party for him? I'm just allergic to half-backs, particularly 30-year-old ex-half-backs who can talk about nothing but football. Well, you don't have to talk with him. Ed Keller will be here.