Radium Girls

[Act I, Scene 1]

RODER: We all knew about it. We just didn’t realize what it meant.

(exit)

[Start of Act I, Scene 9]

How long you had this drainage?

GRACE: A week or two. Hurts somethin' awful, Dr. Knef.

Anything else botherin’ you?

GRACE: Back hurts some, too.

Yer back now? You seen yer regular doctor?

GRACE: He says it’s nerves.

Nerves?

GRACE: About my weddin’ and all.

This ain’t no case of nerves. Hope you told him that.

GRACE: What do you think?

Think you better schedule that surgery.

GRACE: Couldn’t… Couldn’t we put it off a little? Till after my weddin’?

You don’t have that surgery, you won’t have no weddin’.

GRACE: Huh?

Miss Fryer. I want you to listen to me. Your jawbone is decaying. That’s the black pus, oozing out of yer gums. It’s the bone itself.

GRACE: That’s impossible!

(pause)

GRACE: I— It can’t be as bad as all that.

Put off the surgery and you will develop a septic condition. It could be fatal.

GRACE: Everything I’ve got— I saved for my wedding.

Well, I got a suggestion for ya.

Go to the radium plant and explain your situation.

GRACE: Go to the company?

Once they see what kinda shape yer in…

…They gotta feel obligated to help ya out.

I don’t see how they could refuse!

Look, if you want, I’ll write to ‘em for ya. They can work through me, just pay my bills directly.

GRACE: You think they’d do that?

They got a moral obligation, don’t ya think?

GRACE: I guess so.

We’ll do it right now. I’ll get some paper.

[Act II, Scene 3]

ELDERLY WIDOW: …It is called Christian Science.

Dear Miss Fryer. I read of your woeful situation in the Atlanta Constitution and I am prepared to offer you a solution! VENECINE! A wonder tonic made from all natural ingredients, VENECINE will restore your health and your vitality. We are prepared to offer you girls a lifetime supply of VENECINE in exchange for the exclusive rights to use your pictures in our advertisements.

GRACE: You want to pay us? To go see Benarr McFadden?

Easy money, huh?

[Start of Act II, Scene 4]

Gentlemen. I have treated a number of the girls who claim they got sick here. One of them, the girl’s jaw had rotted so bad I removed it just by lifting the bone out of her mouth. As you can see.

ROEDER: That’s all right, Dr. Knef. You can put that away.

Maybe you’d rather look at it on the x-ray. This was an expensive case to treat and I never did get no compensation. The girl died. Her family never paid.

ROEDER: I sympathize, Dr. Knef. But what has that to do with us?

Here it is straight: There’s going to be a lot more girls coming out and saying they got sick here. So maybe we can do business. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. That sort of thing.

ROEDER: I’m not following you.

Suppose you was to give me a list of the girls who worked here. I’d see to it there weren’t no more lawsuits.

ROEDER: You think you could cure them?

I couldn’t put out a cure, no. I’m saying— I scratch your back, you scratch mine.

BOARD #1: How so, Dr. Knef?

I’d examine them for radium necrosis and then I would come up with a favorable diagnosis for you— pyorrhea, say, or something else. Quite a few cases will just die a natural death anyway— and the rest we can put off for a while until the statue of limitations kicks in and it’s too late to sue.

MARKLEY: You’ll persuade them they haven’t got a case against the company?

Exactly. And if it did come to court— I could testify that it was some other problem. And it would be strong testimony coming from the dentist who treated them.

ROEDER: What makes you so sure these girls will come to you?

They’ll come to me quick if I don’t charge ‘em nothing.

ROEDER: Because we’d be paying you.

Exactly right. We understand each other, Mr. Roeder.

MARKLEY: Exactly what are you asking for, Dr. Knef?

I’d need ten thousand dollars— for my troubles so far, and for every girl I’d agree to see from here on out, two dollars, plus expenses for the x-rays. I’m suggesting a gentlemen’s agreement here— better off if it’s not in writing

ROEDER: No.

All right, we’ll put it in writing—

ROEDER: We’ll do nothing of the kind. Your proposal is immoral and we’ll have nothing to do with it.

Immoral you say? You’re a fine one to be talkin’ about morals.

ROEDER: Mr. Lee—

When you get your own hired guns, ready to testify—

ROEDER: Those are expert witnesses.

Expert witnesses? Paid lackeys is more like it. And none of ‘em’s got the dirt I got. If you’re smart, you’ll play ball with me. Believe me. There’s plenty of other folks interested in the information…

ROEDER: You’re threatening me.

Just a business proposition, Mr. Roeder. Just lookin’ out for my interests— same way you look after yours.

ROEDER: Mr. Lee! See Dr. Knef to the door.

All right, all right! You don’t want to play ball with me— fine. But believe me. When this all shakes out, it won’t be me holding the short end of the stick.