← Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)
Episode 610 - Cops and Commies (Lux Radio Theatre, Suspense, & I Was a Communist for the FBI)
02:07:51
We kick off 2025 with a radio recreation of one of the all-time great mystery films and a birthday salute to its star. Dana Andrews reprises his role as a detective obsessed with the woman whose murder he's investigating as The Lux Radio Theatre...
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Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road and those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave. The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The Adventures of Sam Spade Detective the Adventures of the Saint Starring Vincent Price. Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action packed expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Hello and welcome to down these Mean Streets and the start of a brand new year of old time radio detectives and crime fighters. We're opening 2025 with an adaptation of one of the all time great mystery films and a birthday salute to its star. The movie is Laura, Otto Preminger's noir classic about a detective who becomes obsessed with the woman whose murder he's investigating. And the star is Dana Andrews. Andrews headlined several classic noirs including where the Sidewalk Ends, Boomerang and While the City Sleeps. And he had a stint as a radio detective, an undercover agent to be exact, in I Was a Communist for the FBI. Andrews was born January 1, 1909, and today we'll hear him recreate his role from Laura. Plus he'll star in two more radio mysteries, including one of his undercover assignments for Uncle Sam. But first up is Laura, presented on the Lux Radio Theater on CBS on February 6, 1945. Andrews recreates his role of Detective Mark McPherson and he's joined by his co stars Gene Tierney as Laura Hunt, the mysterious woman whose murder kicks off the story, and and Vincent Price as her playboy fiance, Shelby Carpenter. The film's fourth lead, Clifton Webb is absent, so his role of acidic newspaper columnist Waldo Lidecker is played instead by Otto Kruger. If you want to watch Laura before or after you hear the radio version, it's streaming right now on the Criterion channel. And at least as of today, you can pick it up for $5 via iTunes. It doesn't appear to be streaming for free on any of the other big platforms. There's a DVD available via Amazon, but sadly it looks like the Blu Ray is out of print. Here's hoping a boutique label, maybe Criterion themselves, picks it up and puts it back out on the market. Then Andrews plays another cop on the trail of a Killer in the Crowd, a tale from the pen of Ray Bradbury, adapted for suspense. Originally aired on CBS on September 21, 1950. It's a pretty significant reworking of Bradbury's short story. His version is about the seemingly otherworldly way that an accident attracts a crowd of morbid onlookers before detouring into the world of the supernatural. But in the radio version, Andrews plays a New York cop who's after a killer who picks off his victims in broad daylight in order to draw crowds of onlookers to observe his handiwork. The script for the Crowd is written by Morton Fine and David Friedkin and it's very reminiscent of their work. From Broadway Is My Beat, right down to the vivid and colorful narration of Andrew's cop. It's a great suspense episode and a very good police procedural as long as you don't go in looking for a straight adaptation of Bradbury's short story. And finally, we'll hear Dana Andrews as Matt Svetic infiltrating the Reds for the G Men in Courier for Disaster, a syndicated episode of I Was a Communist for the FBI. The series was based, very loosely based on the exploits of the real life Svetic, who parlayed his work into a movie and a radio show, but who didn't really do much in terms of quality intelligence gathering. In fact, he was prone to getting drunk and telling people that he was a spy, qualities that aren't ideal for undercover operatives. But it made for entertaining radio and a good role for Dana Andrews as a quick witted two fisted hero, even if the stories in no way resembled the actual savetics work of mostly attending labor meetings and taking down the names of fellow attendees. We kick off our Dana Andrews birthday celebration with a trip to the movies and Laura. The Lux Radio Theater will begin right after these messages. Looking for a good food buy? Then get Velveeta, Kraft's famous pasteurized processed cheese food. Velveeta is one of the best food buys you can make because Velveeta is not only delicious, but it's nourishing too. And you can use Velveeta so many ways in snacks, sandwiches and for a variety of economical hot main dishes. Melt Velveeta for a smooth golden cheese sauce to extend leftovers or to use in new made dishes. Make it your handy helper for all kinds of money saving hot meals. Get it tomorrow. Your best buy in cheese food Velveeta made only by Kraft. 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Little you know about the little white tablets in the little green pocket roll. Just awaiting for the moment when you need them to bring your acid indigestion under control. Tums are the little white tablets in the little green pocket. Ro Tums for the tummy. T U M s bring relief quicker than you'd ever guess. Best for any kind of acid distress. Keep them handy in the pocket roll. Keep your tummy under tummy control. Tums are fast, effective and safe. Tums relieve the discomfort of acid indigestion quickly with no danger of acid reflect bound. Sometimes caused by harsh alkalizers. Always carry Tums. 10 cents. Three roll pack. A quarter. New Tom 6 roll pack with free metal carrier 49 cents. Because this is New Year's Day, Signal Oil Company has asked me to skip the regular message about Signal Gasoline in order to bring you a few extra chuckles with these limericks. Mrs. Don Bonaquista of Phoenix, Arizona will start her new year with a $20 signal gasoline book for this limerick. Like the man on the flying trapeze, you can drive with the greatest of ease if you'll only be smart. And right from the start, say, fill it with Signal Gas. Please Signal, signal, Signal Gasoline. Your car will go far with no further gasoline. Tonight's second $20 signal gasoline book goes to Mrs. Rod Dube of Coeur d'alene, Idaho for this limerick. A man with a love for smooth driving found his car needed reviving. He tried Signal Gas and now he can pass all road tests without even striving. Signal, signal, Signal Gasoline. Your car will go far. We'll go, brother. Gasoline. We regret that we couldn't start the new year for all of you with a $20 signal gasoline book. But we do hope that happy, safe driving will fill your new year with miles of smiles. I dedicate this program to the fight against crime. Not merely crimes of violence and crimes of dishonesty, but crimes of intolerance, discrimination and bad citizenship. Crimes against America. Lux presents Hollywood Deluxe Radio Theater brings you Laura, starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Vincent Price and Otto Kruger. Ladies and gentlemen, your guest producer, Mr. Lionel Barrym. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Now, if there is one form of entertainment we Americans are singularly partial to, it's the mystery or detective story, popularly known as the whodunit. One out of every four new works of fiction published in this country is a mystery or detective story. Some 300 new books of this sort appear each year. Needless to say, you couldn't read all of them if you tried. But tonight we're bringing you one of the most intriguing mysteries of recent years. The current 20th Century Fox hit, Laura. Our stars are Gene Tierney, who is just completing A Bell for Adano at 20th Century Fox. Dana Andrews and Vincent Price, all three in their original screen roles. Also, the ever versatile Otto Kuber. Now, I think one of the reasons mystery stories are so popular, especially in troubled times like these, is that they satisfy our sense of order. They take a troublesome and seemingly hopeless situation and they put everything to rights simply by the use of human intelligence and sensible method. Of course, you could say the same about lots of things. Luxe Flakes, for instance. They take those troublesome problems of how to wash fine fabrics safely so they'll wear longer and look better. And they give a quick and very satisfactory solution. Especially in the difficult times when it's important to take care of what we have. It's little wonder luxe flakes are so popular. Well, now it's curtain time, and here's Act 1 of Laura, starring Dana Andrews as Mark McPherson, Gene Tierney as Laura, Vincent Price as Shelby Carpenter and Otto Kruger as Paul Lydecker. Now, most people who read a newspaper or listen to the radio know the name. Mr. Lydecker is a legendary oracle of barbed wire and forget me not, whose enchanted pen and acid tongue have brought fame to hundreds and oblivion to just as many. His New York apartment is a combination art gallery and Roman bath. And now, immersed in one of his marble pools, Mr. Lydecker has a visitor. Detective Lieutenant Mark McPherson of the Homicide Bureau. Be careful, will you? That stuff is priceless. Oh, Mr. Lydecker. Quite an art collection in there. Those pieces you are pawing over are irreplaceable. Nice little place you have. It's lavish. I call it home. You'll hear about the murder of Laura Hunt. I made my statement yesterday to Sergeant Detective Crane. I know. Told him what I know. Now suppose you tell me what you know. Why not hand me that washcloth, Mr. Black Person, how good a detective are you? I've picked up a few facts. Laura Hunt was killed the night before last. A bell Rang, she opened the door. And someone pulled the trigger of a shotgun. It wasn't nice. The rain was close. Have you found the shotgun? No. What else? The thought comes to me, Mr. Lydecker. Who's questioning who? May I remind you that you're a guest in my home? Yeah, that's right. What else? Huh? Well, Miss Hunt was a very good looking girl, probably about 25. Lived in a swell apartment, had a maid named Bessie. And where did she get the wherewithal to support such a menage? Bullet Company Advertising agency. She had a good job. Art director or something? Not or something. She has a lady cousin in town and a couple of boyfriends. One named Shelby Carpenter, and the other is Paul Lidecker. Today is Sunday. Why haven't you tried to see me? Because it's a peculiar case, and I wanted to think. If you'll wait, I'll go with you when you leave. Why? Murder is my favorite crime. My radio audience loves it. I know you'll visit all your suspects, and I'd like to study their reactions. You're on the list yourself, you know. Be insulted if I weren't. Were you in love with Laura Hunt, Mr. Lydecker? Was she in love with you? Laura considered me the wisest, the wittiest, the most interesting man she'd ever met. I was in complete accord with her on that point. Now, if you'll excuse Excuse me. I'll get dressed. Oh, where shall we be stopping, first Lieutenant? I'd like to see Laura Hunt's cousin, Mrs. Ann Treadwell. Yes, of course. I'd like to ask a few questions, Mrs. Treadwell. I'll do anything I can to help. Oh, good morning, Paul. Good morning. Huh. You were fond of your cousin, Mrs. Treadwell? I adored Laura, Paul can tell you. I can tell you considerable. Did you approve of Miss Hunt's coming marriage to Mr. Carpenter? Why? Shouldn't I approve? I don't know. Just what does Shelby Carpenter mean to you, Mrs. Cradle? To me? Well, he comes here regularly. Is he a friend, acquaintance? Or are you in love with him? This is beginning to assume fabulous aspects. What are you driving at? The truth. Are you in love with him? Why, no. I'm very fond of Shelby, of course. Everybody is. I despise him. You've been withdrawing a lot of cash from your bank, Mrs. Federal. 1500 at Eclipse. 1700. I needed that money. Mm. The day you took out 1500, Carpenter deposited 1,350. When you withdrew 17, he deposited 15. You shooting craps, Anne? Oh, must I be insulted like this? Shelby needed some money. I lent it to him. I suppose I could do with it as I pleased. Sure, sure. Now, on Friday night you were home alone. Why didn't you go to the concert with Mr. Carpenter? Concert? Why? I didn't go because he didn't ask me. Well, hello. Oh, just talking about you. Carpenter. What a coincidence to find you here. This is Lieutenant McPherson. Yes, we've met. I didn't know you were here, Mr. Carpenter. I've been lying down. My hotel room is so hot. And then all the reporters and the telephone. You know how it is, Lieutenant. I've hardly slept a wink since it happened. Is that a sign of guilt or innocence, McPherson? I'm as eager to find the murderer as you are, Lieutenant. Laura and I were going to be married this week, you know. No, he doesn't know, and neither do I, nor you nor anyone else. Oh, Laura had not definitely made up her mind to marry him. She told me so herself. She was going to the country to think it over. Laura was extremely kind, but she'd never have thrown her life away on a male beauty in distress. I suppose you've heard losers whine before, eh, Lieutenant? Yesterday you said you went to that concert Friday night, Mr. Carpenter. What did they play? Oh, some Brahms and Beethoven's knife. Mm. For this place, Miss Unhat in the country. Have you got a key to it? No, but I think there's one in her apartment. Well, I'll have a look, and perhaps I could help you. Okay. Come along. Goodbye, Mrs. Bedlow. You can start looking for that key now, Miss Carpenter. Oh, yes, yes, I'll try the dead excuse. That's the dame's portrait on the wall, isn't it? Will you stop calling Laura a dame? Look at the furnishings. Would you call this the home of a dame? Look at her portrait. I am not bad. It was painted by Joseph Carter. He was in love with her then. Have you ever been in love, McPherson? A doll in Washington Heights once got a fox fur out of me. Have you ever known a woman who wasn't a doll or a dame? Yeah, one, but she kept walking me past furniture stores. Where are you going? Phonograph. Is a record on here? Selection from Fittest. Tweet. One of Laura's favorites. Not exactly classical, but very nice. You know a lot about music? I don't know a lot about anything, but I know a little about practically everything. Then why did you say they played Brahms and Beethoven at that concert? They played nothing but Sibelius. Did they? Well, to be perfectly honest, I fell asleep And I didn't hear a note. I know it sounds phony, but I'm just a natural born suspect. You see, I'm not the conventional type. Don't worry. I fall asleep at concerts myself. Find that key? No. Maybe it's in here in her desk. Yes. Yes, it is. I knew there must be one around somewhere. It's funny. The police looked in that death drawer yesterday, and the drawer was empty. You had the key right along, didn't you, Carpenter? Yes. I didn't want to give it to you while Lydecker was present. I have private reasons that don't concern him. You have private reasons, no doubt, to lie about that key. Paul, I'm warning you to stop implying I had anything to do with Laura's death. Very well. I'll stop implying. I'll make a direct statement. You asked for this, Paul. Get it out, the two of you. Okay. We came here to find the key, and I've got the key. Now let's get out. There's nothing more you want from me? No, not now. I'll run along then. Can you. Having lunch, Lieutenant? I guess so. There's rather a superior restaurant nearby. Okay, let's go. Nice, quiet little place. Mr. Lydecker? Yeah. What's the matter? You wouldn't call me a sentimental person, would you, Lieutenant? Well, I. Dozens of times we sat here at this very table, Laura and I. How long did you know her? Nearly five years. I was just thinking, we're here, we're eating lunch, and it was at lunch that I first met Laura. Algonquin Hotel. I was alone. I looked up and I found her standing in front of me. She had a layout in her hand. How do you do? I'm Laura Hunt. Well, I'd like to talk something over with you, if I may. I am eating my lunch, yes, but it's practically impossible to get to see you and I. Either you're from some incredibly remote community where good manners are unknown, or you suffer from a common delusion that being a female exempts you from all the rules of civilized conduct. Possibly, but I wanted to show this to you. It's an ad for the Wallace Flow Rite Pen. You're such a famous writer and commentator, it would be tremendously helpful if you'd endorse what we say about the Flow Rite pen. I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in poison. And you may tell your employers. Oh, they don't know anything about this. It was all my idea. They'd give anything to get your Endorsement. And if I were the person getting it. You disregard completely something far more important to me than your career. Oh, my food. You mean that, don't you? Well, of course. I mean, I never heard of anything so selfish. In my case, self absorption is completely justified. I have never discovered any subject quite so worthy of my attention. What? In your column on the radio. The things you say. They're filled with such understanding, such sentiment. Miss Hunt, you are beginning to bore me. You're a poor man, Mr. Lydecker. I feel very sorry for you. Goodbye. Hunt occurred about two hours later. Kept after you, did she? No. I went to her because I couldn't stop thinking about her. I was more than slightly annoyed. But she had something, that girl. Something far deeper than good looks. I went to Bullet and Company. Proceeded to do something I have carefully avoided since the age of two. I apologized. Laura looked at me, smiled. Your apology is accepted, Mr. Lydecker. It was very nice of you to go to all this trouble. Goodbye. In a moment. Miss Hunt. For reasons which are too embarrassing to mention, I'd like to endorse the Wallace fluorite pen. Have you an ad? You're a very strange man. Now, I'm sure you're sorry for the way you acted. Let's not get psychiatric. But in a word, yes. And you are a very kind person. No, I'm vicious. The real secret of all, my charm. But if you think me kind. I'll call for you here at 6. What? We'll have dinner together. I can't make it any later. Will you be ready? Why, yes, I'll be ready. Thanks. I started then to help Laura. I did everything in the world for her. I am a man reputedly of overwhelming ego. But this, I admit without reserve. It was Laura's own talent, her own incredible charm that enabled her to rise to the top of her performance. Through me, Laura met everyone famous and the infamous. And deferring always to my taste and judgment, she captivated them all. She became as well known as my walking stick in white carnation. And like them, she was always with me. When does Carpenter enter the picture? Men couldn't keep away from Laura, but she never regarded them seriously. But me, her own discrimination ruled them out. And I never had to intercede. She met Carpenter one night at a party at Anne Treadwell. She became attracted to him instantly. I was shocked as a fellow completely without talent, with as much depth of character as a saucer of stale gin. Shortly before I took Laura home, I overheard her talking with Carpenter on the carriage. So I Spend my time doing what I've always done. Nothing. Then tell me, what does it feel like living on the income from an estate? Oh, I once knew what it felt like, but the sheriff interfered with that over 10 years ago. Then why don't you work for a living? Oh, I did ask a friend for a job once. All he did was laugh. He thought I was joking. Weren't you? No. When he saw I was sincere, he just got embarrassed. He said he'd phoned me. That was months ago. Do you really want a job? Yes, I do. Then you've got one. What? Now you think I'm joking? Well, I'm not. You just be at Bullet and Company tomorrow morning. You're going to work, Mr. Carpenter. And so, in time, they got engaged, huh? They became attached to each other very quickly. I concealed my annoyance with masterly self control. But here was a situation, however ridiculous, that required my attention. As you will see, it was for Laura's own good. Well, I followed them one night to this very restaurant. They had been working late on some advertising campaigns. Tell me the truth, Laura. Will it really make people brush their teeth? Teeth more often? The idea is wonderful, Shelby, and so are the layouts. By the way, who's the model you use? You don't remember? Well, you hired her yourself. Diana Redford. Oh, of course. Laura, you look wonderful. Well, that's a quick switch of subjects. Oh, I like this one much better than toothpaste. Good. Could you have dinner with me tomorrow night? Just like this? Maybe. And what about the night after that? Shelby, I can't just. What about three weeks from tonight and all the nights in between? Don't you think I have any other engagement? What about two months from now and the month after that? And what about next year? Then it's all settled. What about breakfast? What about lunch? Beautiful lunches, day after day. And what about beautiful work day after day? Why, Miss Hunt, the way you talk, you'd think I was in love with you. Sparkling bit of dialogue, wasn't it? Lieutenant McPherson, if they'd known you were listening, they might have snapped it up a bit. Laura knew that I had overheard them because I told her so the following evening. By then, I had some other information. I don't care what you found out about Shelby. It's the snooping about Paul. It's degrading, of course, but I thought you'd want to know. That sterling character almost went to jail last year for passing rubber checks. And after that, in Virginia, he was suspected of stealing his hostess jewelry. Those are only Insinuations. I know his faults, but a man can change. Can he? No. Laura, for heaven's sake, open your eyes. So Carpenter has changed. Yes, he's changed. From you to Diana Redfern. Running around with her now a model from your own office. Paul, how can you be so despicable? You know what you mean to me. How can you try so deliberately to hurt me? Hurt you? For Shelby and I are going to be married next week. Ah. You gave him a cigarette case on his birthday, didn't you? A valuable case. Where did you get it? From the pawn shop, where Diana Redfern took it after he gave it to her. I don't believe it. He probably needed money and was too proud to borrow. Perhaps that's why this pawn ticket is in her name. I won't let this go any further. I'm going to telephone him. You won't find him at his hotel tonight. Carpenter's deserted both you and Miss Redfern. He's dining with a young and wealthy widow. Someone you know. Your cousin. He's been treating her rather badly these days. I'll phone Anne at once. Really, my dear, you don't think that Anne would give. Give him away, do you? Oh, it's nasty, I know it, but I must make you realize. Now, suppose we visit Cousin Ann? He won't be there. I know he won't. Oh, good evening, Miss Laura. Good evening, Mr. Lydecker. Hello, Margaret. Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but Mrs. Treadwell isn't at home. Satisfied, Paul? Well, suppose we just wait for her. Oh, please, Mr. Laura. Come in, Laura. Why, Laura, dear. And Paul. We were just having dinner. Yes, I know. Laura. I didn't expect to see you tonight. There you are, Laura. In a moment of supreme disaster, he's trite. I was just telling Anne about our getting married. Well, sit down, you two. Oh, no. No, thanks. I just stopped by to give you this. A cigarette case? You must have misplaced it somewhere. Laura. Laura, wait a minute. I. Good night, Anne. Good night, Shelby. When was this episode of the cigarette case, Mr. Lydecker? Last Wednesday night. On Friday, Laura had lunch with a Redfern girl. I wish I'd been there. And as I said in my statement, Laura and I were to have had dinner that night. At 7 o'clock my phone rang. I had a sudden sensation of depression, a foreboding of disaster. Hello, Paul. I'm frightfully sorry, but I just can't meet you. Well, there's nothing wrong, Laura. I mean, you're not ill? Oh, no, no. I Just decided to go to the country for a few days. What, in this storm? Why, it's pouring. It won't last, Paul. It will do me a lot of good to be alone. Oh, you're thinking about Carpenter. Of course. Please, I simply must have time to think this out for myself. When will you be back, dear? I don't know. I'll call before I leave. Maybe you could meet me. Well, of course I will. Thank you, Paul. Goodbye. Goodbye, my dear. That was the last time I ever heard her voice. This. This red fun girl, where does she live? In Newark. She's in the phone book. I will never forgive myself for allowing Laura to become involved with Carpenter. That was my fault. I should have stopped it long ago somehow. She's dead now. It's too late even to think about it. Well, so long. Yeah. Too late even to think about it. Oh, goodbye, Lieutenant. Our stars will return with Act 2 of Lord in a moment. Now, here's what a young girl said to me the other day. Mr. Kennedy, why do you always talk as if only housewives wash dishes? Now, I work in an office from 9 to 5:30, but I'm the KP at home. Wash dishes every night for five of us. Mother cooks the dinner, but I clean up afterwards so she has a chance to talk with dad and catch up on mending for the kids. And I know a lot of other business girls who do dishes too. So I asked her if she knew what dishpan hands were. You bet I do. For a while, Mother brought home any old kind of soap. Strong chips, granules, bars. Well, sometimes my hands were so red I wanted to wear mitts when I took dictation. So that's why the dishpan test you talk about interested me. Now, you say changing to luxe takes dishpan hands away. And you're right. One day, Mother brought some luxe flakes home, and in just a few days, my hands look nicer. Soon they were as soft and smooth as you please. Then I said, maybe you're too young to worry about being thrifty. But that's another advantage With Lux, it goes a long way. Ounce per ounce does up to twice as many dishes we've found as other leading soaps tested. Then she said, well, I can believe that too. Some of the soaps I used to use didn't dissolve completely and made little gooey lumps in the dish pan. But with Lux, I get such quick and abundance, it dissolves so quickly. So I've told Mother to keep on getting Lux if she wants me to keep on washing dishes. And now Mr. Barrymore returns to the microphone. Act two of Laura, starring Gene Tierney as Laura. Dana Andrews as Mark McPherson. Vincent Price as Shelby Carpenter. And Otto Kruger as Lyd. It's an hour later, in front of Laura Hunt's apartment. Lieutenant Detective Mark McPherson picks up Sergeant Crane. Together they make another thorough search of the girl's rules. Two things interest McPherson. A pile of Laura's letters and a bottle of Scotch whiskey. If you're thirsty, Lieutenant, I think you can do better than that. There. I'm not thirsty. When did you say that maid was due here? Any minute now. Say, where's McCavity? In the basement. I've had the telephone tapped. He's sitting on it. Who's gonna use the phone besides us? Nobody I know of. Still a good idea. I'm making a call now myself. Go down in the basement and relieve Mac. I'll wait here for the maid. Carpenter's coming, too. Okay. Hello, Moscone's? This is Lieutenant McPherson, Homicide Bureau. Laura Hunt's been buying liquor from you, hasn't she? Yeah. Did she ever buy a brand of scotch called Black Pony? You sure of that? Okay, thanks. Come on in, Miss Clary. Never mind that Miss Clary stuff. My name's Bessie. Have a chair. It seems to me you. Those letters. Those letters belong to her? Yeah. You've been reading her private letters. I said, sit down. Cops. I was brought up to spit whenever I saw one. Okay, go ahead and spit it. That'll make you feel any better? What do you want? To find out who killed Laura Hunt. How would I know? You think I'd done it? Ask anyone. Anyone who ever came here. Why, I'd have worked for her, scrubbed for her, Done anything she would have wanted of me, pay or no pay. You're loyal, Bessie. It wasn't only on account of the wonderful things she'd done for me. It was because she was so wonderful herself. Ms. Hunt was a real lady. Something cops wouldn't know about. How'd this bottle get into her cabinet? I put it there. It's cheap scotch, Betty. Laura Hunt wouldn't buy cheap scotch. I found it on a kitchen shelf Saturday morning. You know what that means? It means that somebody brought it here Friday night. And that somebody was here with her Friday night. Now, who was it? I don't know. But I didn't want anybody to get any wrong idea about her. God rest her soul. Why, I put the bottle in a liquor cabinet. I done more than that. There were two glasses. I washed them out and cleaned off the bottle. Too. Destroying evidence, Bessie, I don't care. I'll do anything to keep her name from being dragged through the mud. Relax, Bessie. I'd like some ice in the setup. You mind? I'll get it. A couple of highball glasses. I'm expecting somebody. More cops? No, Shelby. Carpenter. Let him in and then get the glasses. The door's open, Lieutenant. Come in. I didn't expect you, Mrs. Treadwell. Oh, are you either, Mr. Lydecker? Shelby's dropping me at the hairdresser later. I only sent for you, Carpenter. I know, so I thought I might as well come along. Yes, my excuse is equally feeble. I just dropped in to inquire as to the state of your health, Lieutenant. Insipid, I trust. About to have a drink. Oh, Bessie. Two more glasses. Yes, sir. Hello, Bessie. What are you doing here? I'm paid up for the week, and I'm working regardless. Scott Slidecker. Excellent. Will this do? It's Black Pony. I'm a guest here. It'll have to do. Here's the ice in the glass. You can skip mine, Lieutenant. I'm not much of a daytime drinker. Oh, that'll be all, Bessie. You can go home now. But I. Yes, sir. I'll go. Thank you. I remember when Laura bought these glasses. She loved them. She loved all her things so. What are you going to do, sell them? I suppose so. If I'm appointed administrator, I'll probably call in Corey. Corey? The art dealer? Yes. He can dispose of everything. It'll be less. Less gruesome that way. Not quite everything, Anne. There are two or three things that belong to me. That vase, for instance. The antique fire scene. And, of course, the clock. That's quite a hunk of clock. You've got one just like it, haven't you? I noticed it in your apartment. They were made 200 years ago by Courbet Feast. Two clocks, exactly the same, created at the order of the Prince of Wales. I lent one to Laura. Oh, really, Paul. Yes, really. But the vase is the gem of my collection, and I intend to have it back. I can take it with me now. Nothing's leaving here, Lydecker. Only you. Oh, is that your quaint way of indicating dismissal? Well, we're all leaving. I've got to get back to headquarters. But I don't understand, Lieutenant. I. I thought you sent for me. I did. Well, don't you want to ask me any questions? Nothing pressing. Oh, I see. Well, I bid you Goodbye. The vase, Mr. Lydecker. Put it down. Oh. Oh, of course. Just a Slight touch of kleptomania. Crane. Yeah, McPherson. I'm back. Upstairs in her apartment. How you doing in the basement? Any calls come in this afternoon? Not a thing. I've just been looking the place over. I've only done it 40 times. Anything interesting? Everything's interesting, especially that portrait. A really beautiful doll, Lieutenant. Yeah. I've read her letters, smelled her perfume, drank her scotch, gone through her wardrobe. Wait a minute. Yeah? Someone in the hall. Look, it's 7:00. Alford will be along to relieve you. Make sure Alford keeps his ear on that phone. Right. Who is it? Guess. Coming, Lydecker? You just happen to be passing by and I noticed the lights on. By the way, have you sublette this apartment, McPherson? You're here often enough to pay rent. Any objections? Yes. Especially to your prying into Laura's letters. That bundle in your pocket, for instance. No. These. They're yours. The best of the bunch. That's the trouble with getting murdered, Lidecker. It ruins your privacy. And have detectives who buy portraits of murdered victims acclaim to privacy. Lancaster Cory tells me you already put in a bid for Laura's portrait. That's none of your business. McPherson, did it ever strike you that you're acting very strangely? It's a wonder that you don't come here with roses and a box of drugstore candy. Have you been dreaming of Laura as your wife, by your side at the policeman's ball or in the bleachers? Or listening to the heroic saga of how you acquired a silver shinbone in a gun battle with a gangster? Yeah, I see you have. Why don't you go home? I'm busy. Well, perhaps we can come to terms now, huh? You want a portrait. Perfectly understandable. I want my positions, my vase, my clock, my fire screen. Now, if you going, you better watch out, Lieutenant. You'll end up in the psychiatric ward. I don't think they've ever had a patient who fell in love with a beautiful girl who died before he met her. Or did you meet her? Well, good night, McPherson. Roses and the box of drugstore candy. Have you. You been dreaming of Laura as your wife? Yes. I can see you have. You better watch out, Lieutenant. You'll wind up in the psychiatric ward. I don't think that they ever. What's the matter with me? Maybe you can tell me. You the girl in that portrait there? You're beautiful. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Somebody killed you? Why? Why? I could sit here and look at you all night. All night long. I could Sit. Who is it? Who's in there? You. You. What are you doing there? You're alive. If you don't get out once, I'll call the police. You're Laura Hummers, aren't you? Aren't you? I'm going to call the police. But I am the police. You see my badge? Credentials. Mark McPherson. What's all this about? You don't know? Don't you know what's happened? No. Haven't you seen a paper? Where have you been? In the country? I. I don't get a newspaper. Haven't you got a radio? It was broken. What? Here, look at these headlines. Sit down, Miss Hunt. I'm very glad to see you. On Friday night, somebody was murdered in this room. What? What did you say? Until you opened that door just now, we thought it was you. Now, do you have any idea who it could have been? You don't know? A girl died from shotgun wounds, close range. No. Apparently we don't know. Who had a key to this apartment? Nobody, except my maid. And when did you say it happened? Friday night. You better take off that coat. It's dripping wet. When did it start raining? Just a few minutes ago. It's teeny outside. It was raining Friday night, too, when that girl. Wait a minute. Raining? Come with me, Miss Hunt. Here, into your room. I want you to please look in your closet. I simply don't. The closet, Ms. Hunt. Here. Open it up. Do all these dresses belong to you? Certainly they belong to me. All of them? Everyone. Are you out of your mind? Of course they. What's this one? I don't know. You tell me. Why, this dress isn't mine. It's hers. Diana Redfern's. She had it on when she came for lunch on Friday. Well, but this dress wasn't in here when I left. It wasn't. This Redfern girl, is she a girl about your size? Yes, she's a model. She works for us. Yes, and she lives in Newark. But she hasn't been home. Her landlady said she'd gone to Philadelphia. That's right. We have a branch office in Philadelphia. She had an assignment there, but she didn't go. It was postponed. She got relatives in the city. An aunt and uncle, the same name. They live in the Village. Thanks. Where are you going? Just to the telephone, Ms. Hunt. I think Ms. Redfern's aunt and uncle had better go to the morgue right away to make an identification. Identif. Right. So long, Inspector. Well, that's that, Ms. Hunt. They've located the Red train? Yes. We ought to know soon. Now, Miss Hunt, when you went to the country Friday, did you see anyone you knew on the train? No. Then what? I got off at Norwalk. I keep a car in a private garage near the station. I drove to my house. It's about 18 miles. What did you do in the country? Worked in my garden. Didn't leave your place in all that time? I keep everything I need in the house. I went there expressly to be alone. Mm. You were going to marry Shelby Carpenter this week. Yes. But you went away for a long weekend to be alone. You know Shelby Carpenter has a key to this apartment. Why didn't you tell me? Because I know nothing of the sort. He hasn't. How else did the Redfern girl get into the apartment? You knew she was in love with Carpenter. I knew she was in love with him. She told me so herself. But I also know that she meant nothing to Shelby. I understand him better than you do. She was found, and I'm convinced now it was Miss Redfern. She was found in your dressing gown. What of it? You yourselves told me it was raining Friday night. You yourself just saw her dress. It's full of wrinkles and rain spots. How did she get in here? Why? Who brought her here? I haven't the slightest idea. Look, Miss Hunt, do you love this Carpenter fellow so much you'd risk your own safety to protect him? He must have brought her here. You suspect me. You think I killed somebody in jealousy? I'm trying to get at the truth. I'm sorry. Strictly routine. Well, I'll see you in the morning, Miss Hunt. Meanwhile, don't leave this apartment and don't use the telephone. But I've got to use it. I've got to let my friends know I'm alive. I'm sorry, but I must insist. If anything should happen to you now, I wouldn't like it. All right, I promise. There's one more thing. I know that you went away to make up your mind whether you'd marry Shelby Carpenter or. Or not. What did you decide? I decided not to marry. Well, I'll be seeing you in the morning this month. Good night. Good night. Alford. Is that you, Mark? Yeah. Watch your step. It's pretty dark down here. Anything come to those earphones? Yeah. The morgue just called. It's a Redfern girl, all right. Kind of balls things up, doesn't it? Yeah. Say, you seem pretty. Hey, wait a minute. She's dialing a number up there. Give me those earphones yeah. Hello, Shelby. This is Laura. I just. Laura, I gave you a. Don't say anything on the telephone. Meet me right away in front of the office. Can you leave right away? Was that. Yeah. Dames are always pulling a switch on you. You stay here. Alford, McCafferty out front? Yeah. Get headquarters. Tell him to send another man down here right away. McCavity's going to tail the girl. What about you? I think I'll stick by, Mr. Carpenter. I'll see you. We pause now for station identification. This is cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System. In just a moment, our stars will be back with Act 3 of Laura. Now here's our Libby with her head in a turban, looking like a fortune teller. I see the future of your stockings. Well, here's a lady who'd like to know how long her stockings will last. Suppose you tell her. How long have you had them now? They're new. I've worn them twice. You will wear these stockings for three weeks more until Monday, February 26th. Why, how wonderful. How can you tell? It's simple. According to a washing expert, 23 days is the average wearing cycle of rayon stockings. So if you've worn these two days already, you've still got 21 days or three weeks to go. But my stockings never last that long. I must be way under average. Oh, that's. Perhaps I can help you. I see you in the evening washing stockings. I see. Cake soap and rubbing. That's right. In this weather, stockings get all splattered up the back and I have to rub to get the spots out. Well, I think that's your trouble then. You see, stockings are delicate. They just can't take harsh treatment like that. They need gentle care. Lukewarm water and gentle lux. And no rubbing if they are spotted. Just take a few lux flakes in your moistened fingers and work them in gently. Then squeeze the suds through the stocking. Rinse well and dry rayons for at least 24 hours. With proper care, I'm sure your new stockings will last much longer. Yes. Strain tests show that luxe stockings do last longer. Actually, twice as long as those washed with strong soap or rubbed with cake soap. Twice the wear from every pair with luxe care. That's worthwhile, isn't it? So stick to luxe for stockings. Now, Mr. Barrymore returns to the microphone after the play, you're invited to join us for a brief chat with our stars. Now here's Act 3 of Laura. Starring Dana Andrews as Mark, Gene Tierney as Laura. Vincent Price as Shelby. Carpenter and Otto Kruger as Lydic. For three hours, Detective Lieutenant McPherson's been following Shelby Carpenter. Now, in the black hours of night, he stops his car near a lonely house 18 miles from Norwalk. And makes his way carefully toward the front door. It's not quite shut. He peers through the crack for a moment and then walks in. What. What are you doing with that shotgun, Carpenter? Where's my. Must admit this is somewhat embarrassing, Lieutenant. Let me see that gun. It's been fired recently. Yes. I killed some rabbits with it. When? Oh, while back. I don't know exactly. I gave the gun to Laura for protection. You haven't borrowed it lately? You didn't just bring it back? You ought to know. You've been following me. Realize the spot you're in? You brought Diana Redfin to Laura's apartment. You knew all along it was she who was murdered. Didn't you know Laura would come back any day and spill the whole thing? Or did you plan to kill her too? You're being fantastic, McPherson. You took a bottle of Black Pony to her house Friday night. I took it there over a week ago. Bessie says Friday night. I can't help what Bessie says. Where's the key to Laura's apartment? I haven't got one. I never had one. Okay. You didn't bring the Scots there Friday night. You never had a key. How did you get in? Well, I. Come on. Talk. Talk. All right. You see, Laura kept an extra key in her office. I'd asked Diana to meet me in a restaurant. I wanted to have it out with her once and for all. You know, she thought. Well, she thought she was in love with me. She started to get hysterical. We had to leave. Well, I couldn't very well take her to a room in Newark, could I? Or to my hotel room. So we started to walk. It began to rain suddenly, and we got drenched. I thought of the key, and I stopped by the office to get it. We couldn't find a taxi, and so we walked back to Laura's apartment. Dinah went to Laura's bedroom. When she came out, she had on a dressing gown. Well, we talked, argued maybe for a couple of hours. And then the doorbell rang. Why didn't you go to the door? Well, suppose one of Laura's friends had found me there. What would they think of finding Diana there? I told her to say that Laura had lent her the apartment. Anybody who knew Laura would have believed that. Don't stop. Well, I heard Diana open the door. And then there was an awful explosion. By the time I reached her. The door was shut again. Diana just lay there on the floor. Didn't you go out to see who did it? I was too confused, too horrified to do anything. The hallway was dark. I don't remember what I did. I knew I had to keep out of it and keep Laura out of it, too. The only thing on my mind was the safety of a person whose life was dearer to me than my own. Don't you understand that? Did you think Laura had killed her? Did you? I don't remember what I thought. Do you think so now? No. On Saturday, when Detective Crane went to see you, you seemed sincerely shocked. I was. I hadn't expected the police to mistake Diana's body for Laura's. But your alibi was already the concert. You knew the minute Laura got back to town it wouldn't stick. I couldn't think that far ahead. I was groping for some way to keep Laura's name out of it. I was heartbroken about Diana and panic stricken about Laura. Okay. And tonight you met Laura in front of her office. What did you talk about? About what I just told you. What are you turning on the radio for? To see if it works. Why don't you tell her the truth? She says you're here to get rid of that gun. She doesn't even know I came here. It was my own idea. The radio works fine, doesn't it? Why wouldn't it? I hoped it wouldn't. All right, we're driving back to New York. Well, am I under arrest? I don't know. Just don't leave town. It would be a very foolish thing to do. Oh, good morning, Lieutenant. Good morning. You know, I have a terrific yen to call you Laura. Why don't you forget that Lieutenant business and just call me Mark? Because you. Especially since I brought you all these groceries. Breakfast. You didn't buy any food when you went out last night, so you know. Yeah, I can fix bacon and eggs. Can you make coffee? Oh, I spoke to Bessie. She'll be a little late. When I told her you were alive, she darn near passed out. Yes, she phoned. Might have been a little more delicate about it. Suppose you set the table. But we'll have to wait a little while for the courses. I've asked Paul Lydagger to stop by. Did you tell him about me? That I'm alive? No. Why not? It's brutal. I'm not doing it for laughs. Why did you break your promise last night not to go out? Because I'll never be bound to do anything Unless it's of my own free will. The Redfern girl was in love with Carpenter. You admitted that. I also told you he wasn't in love with her. Paul. I don't know. Just sit still in here. Hello, Luque. Laura. Oh, good morning, darling. Hello, dear. Excuse me, Lieutenant. I'd like to kiss my fiance Good morning. Oh, so it's on again. Or do I have to get a police permit? For now? Who Come in, Lydecker. The door's unlatched. Lydecker, huh? Right on my heels. Well, McPherson, have you thought over the delights again suggested? What about the portrait and the why, what? Paul. Laura. Paul. Paul. I'll be all right in a moment. Laura. What? Not now, dear. Don't try to talk now. Come on. I'll take him into the bedroom. Just be quiet. Paul. Yeah. Yes? How is he? He'll be all right. He's lying down. This is going just a little too far. McPherson. Your methods are vicious. Must have been a terrible shock to him seeing me. Poor darling. Don't tell me you're in love with Lydecker too. Stop talking that way to Miss Hunt. Laura, why do you cover up for a guy like Carpenter? What story did he tell you when you met him last night? Don't answer him, darling. Shut up. I got enough on you, Carpenter, to arrest you right now. Quick, McPherson, the handcuffs. Trundle him off to the hoosgow. Pooh. I hope you'll forget my weak touch of angina, my dear. It's an old family custom. Did I Interrupt a pinch, McPherson? I've changed my mind for the moment. Well, in that case, better order some food and liquor. Laura, people are coming to celebrate your return this afternoon. A cocktail party. Who asked them? I did. In the quiet of your boudoir just now. I called my man, and he's calling all our dear friends. Why did you do that? Well, perhaps our friends can weave all the loose ends into a noose, eh, McPherson? You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble, Mr. Lyedecker. I'd already called him. Well, I'll run along now, Laura. Sorry about the breakfast. Some other time maybe. Shelby. Shelby, come here. What's the matter, darling? Your party's a huge success. Shelby, tell me. I must know. Why did you go to the country last night, Laura? Well, you don't know. I was afraid you wouldn't think of hiding that shotgun. What shotgun? The one I gave you. Oh, darling, you don't have to lie to me. Well, what's going on here? Oh, nothing. At all. Anne, in case you don't know it, that macpherson man hasn't taken his eyes off you. I know. Maybe it would be better if I well mingled with our guest. Laura McPherson suspects him. Shelby. He suspects me, too. Oh, don't be absurd. You could never have done a thing like that. Darling. Yes? Are you as interested in Lt. McPherson as he is in you? Anne, I only met him last night. Sometimes that's more than long enough. Anyway, he's better for you than shall be. Anybody is. Shelby's better for me. Why? Cuz I can afford him. He's no good. But he's what I. Wait a minute. He's coming. Mark. Oh, Mark, is it? I'm sorry to break up your party, Laura, but you haven't. You've been a model guest so far. I'm not joking. Get on your things. I'm taking you to headquarters. I was going to get a sell on a denim dress. Is this your office? Before they trot out that denim dress, I want to know what you. Why you've been holding out on me. Have I been? You told me the radio at your country place was broken. It was not. Last night I stopped in the village on my way back. I asked the local handyman to fix it. And how did he get in? With a key. The key I always leave under the flower pot on the porch. All right. I'll accept that. Why? Because you're too intelligent to make up a story I could check so easily. The main thing I want to know is why you pulled that switch about Shelby Carpenter. You told me last night you decided not to marry him. But today it was on again. Why? I changed my mind. What went on between you and Carpenter when you met him last night? Or should I guess he convinced you that if you broke your engagement now. People would think you believed that he killed Diana Redfern. Yes. But now I know the real reason why he wanted to stay engaged. He thinks I did it. So do you. Are you in love with him? No. I don't know how I ever could have been. Come on, Laura. You're going home. But I thought I was. That's what I wanted you to think. You and a few other people. I didn't even book you. And all this was just some sort of a game. I was 99% certain about you. But I just had to make sure of that 1% doubt. Wasn't there an easier way to make sure? You're. You're smiling. You're not so. No, Mark, I'm not so. Go back to your party. If there's anything left of it. And you? I'm going to Lydeck his apartment. I'll drop by later on. I'm glad they've all gone, Laura. It's been a long time since we've been together. Well, darling, what's the matter? Nothing, Paul. You're worried. Yes. McPherson. He's using you for something. I don't think so. I don't deny he's infatuated with you in some warped fashion. But he's incapable of any Norman human relationship. He's been dealing too long with criminals. When you were attainable, unattainable, and he thought you were dead. That's when he wanted you most. Fell in love with your portrait. He was glad when I came back, as if he were waiting for me. You know what he calls women? Dames. A dame in Washington Heights once got a fox fur coat out of him. That's his very word. That doesn't mean anything, Paul. He isn't like that. Laura, my dear, you have one glaring weakness. With you, a lean, strong body is always the measure of a man. And you always get hurt. No man is ever going to hurt me again. No, not even you. I hurt you? Laura, look at me. You were a long time finding out about Shelby. But that's all over now. We'll be together again. Wait. The door just opened. Don't get up. It's only me. Haven't you heard of science's latest triumph? The doorbell. I'm glad you're here, Lydecker. I've just been to your apartment. Do you mind if I search your pockets? I found a shotgun. Oh, but I wasted my time. It wasn't the gun that killed Diana Redfern. First he tell you he thinks you're innocent. And then he proceeds to check up on you. I never said you're innocent. Me? I'm talking about Laura. My dear, this entire maneuver could be a trick to throw you off guard. It could be, but it isn't. I know. I believe you, Mark. See, I'm beginning to get annoyed. Laura, it's the same obvious pattern. If McPherson weren't full of muscles and good looks in a cheap sort of way, you'd see through him in a second. Pa, I mean to be as kind about this as I know how. But you're the one following the same obvious pattern. First with that painter you thought was in love with me, then with Shelby. And now I suppose. Laura, what are you saying? I don't think we should see each other again. Darling, you're not yourself. Yes, I am. For the first time in ages, I know what I'm doing. Very well. I hope you'll never regret what promises to be a disgustingly earthy relationship. Oh, listen to my broadcast in 10 minutes. I'm discussing the other great loves of history. That was the most difficult thing I've had to do in my whole life. Yeah, but I still haven't found it. I haven't found it. What? The gun that killed Diana Redmond. What are you doing? Taking a look at your clock. He's got one just like it, hasn't he? Yes, but I wasn't alone just now in Lydecker's apartment. A guy named Sergeant Crane came with me. Crane's old man is a clockmaker. And while I wore myself out looking for a shotgun, all the sergeant did was drool about Lydecker's clock. He said, probably there's not another one like it in the world. Obviously, he was wrong. Yeah. And he showed me something about that clock. A little feature with all clocks made by Courbet Fils. Underneath here, near the floor, is a little spring. You push the spring, and the whole bottom compartment opens up, See? Like this. But I never knew. In the old days, I guess people used the compartment for a kind of safe. Today they use it for hiding other things. Shotguns, for instance. This is it, Laura. I'm sure of it. And it was put here by the only man who knew about this clock. Paul Lydecker. Oh, no. When the Redfern girl opened the door, this hallway was dark. Lydecker saw a girl, assumed it was you, and he fired. He figured if he couldn't have you for himself, he was going to make sure no one else did. He heard Carpenter, so he hid behind the stairway outside in the corridor. Carpenter was scared to death, and he got out as fast as he could. Then Lydecker slipped back in and tucked the gun away in the grandfather clock. I felt it ever since I came back. I'm the one to blame. Not for anything I did, but for what I didn't do. I should have stopped seeing Paul long ago, but I couldn't. I owed too much to him. I can understand all that, But I can't understand why you tried so hard to protect Carpenter. I was frantic you'd arrest him. I knew he wasn't guilty, but I knew Paul would do everything he could to incriminate him. It was his way of getting rid of Shelby, just as he got rid of every other man who might have meant something to me. For a charming, intelligent girl, you've certainly surrounded yourself with a remarkable collection of dopes. Now, look. Don't touch anything. I'm leaving the gun and the clock. I'll have it picked up in the morning. You're going? Yeah, I'm picking up Lydecker. I've got two, you know that. Try and get some sleep, will you? Sleep well, maybe I can. I'll read a book, listen to the radio. Will you call me later? Sure. Try and forget all this. It's just a bad dream. Good night, Laura. Good night, Mark. Good night. And be careful, please. And now, ladies and gentlemen, with his final word for this evening, Mr. Paul Lydecker. As history has proved, love is eternal. The strongest motivation for man's actions throughout centuries. Love is stronger than life. It reaches beyond the dark shadows of death. May I remind you of some favorite lines of mine from Dowson's poem? They are not long the weeping and the laughter and love and desire and hate. I think they have no portion in us after we pass the gate. They are not long days of wine and roses. Out of a misty dream of path emerges for a while, then closes within a dream. That's the way it is. You heard the voice of Paul Lidecker by electrical transcription. This is the. There is a final irony to all of this, Laura. You know how I despise melodrama. And yet here I am, a gun in my hand, about to kill you. Paul, you've taken one life. Isn't that enough? The best part of myself, that's what you. Laura, do you think I'm going to leave you to the vulgar pawings of a second rate policeman who thinks you're a dame? He'll find you, Pony. No, Willie. Don't you overestimate the man who thought I left a few moments ago. All I did was wait in the hall, Laura. And then I let myself in again with the key I've always had. I'm not going to lose you, Laura. Open the door. Don't move. Laura. He didn't leave. He's somewhere in this building. Laura, are you all right? He'll find us together, darling. As always we should have been. As always we will be. Turn your face, darling. Please turn your face. I'm sorry, Ms. Sanford. I had to do it. I better let the boss in before he busts down your door. Laura. Laura. It's all right. Mark got him through the window, Lieutenant. From the fire escape. I'll call headquarters. Fine detective. A fine detective I am, Laura. Goodbye. Goodbye, my love. It's all right, darling. It's all right. The bad dream is over. Our stars will be back with their curtain calls in a moment. The war is far from over. Now is no time to relax. President says army needs 18,000 nurses. Congress discusses drafting women 18 to 50. This is the crucial year of the war and every woman, like every man, must do her part. If you want to bring your son, your husband, the boy down the street, home sooner, do every single thing you can to help. Now, even if you can't take a war job or be a nurse, you can still help by saving every drop of used fat. Your used kitchen fats make the medicines our nurses need for our wounded men and the raw materials for synthetic rubber, life rafts and airplane tires. The American Fat Salvage Committee says fat salvage can no longer be regarded as a volunteer service. It is a serious wartime obligation that must not be neglected until every Jap is driven back to Tokyo and the South Pacific islands again become exporters of commercial fats and oils. Yes, now the kitchens of America must help supply the fats we used to get from lands the Japs still hold. Save the fat from your broiler and frying pans. Skim it off the tops of soups and stews and gravies. Melt down table scraps and suet. Your butcher will give you four cents and two red ration tokens for every pound you turn in. Save every drop every day until J Day, the day the Japs are licked. Now back to Mr. Barrymore and our stars. Well, now that we've solved tonight's baffling crime with the help of Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Vincent Price and Otto Kruger, we invite our stars to the footlights for their curtain calls. And I might add that for Dana, this is the first appearance on our stage. First for me too, Mr. Paramore. For you too, Gene. Well, with Van Johnson here on our 10th anniversary show, the Lux Radio Theatre's had a pretty good season for new stars. I hear you're making a picture with Van Johnson, Mr. Barrymore. That's right. Vincent between two women. That metro golden man. Well, I'll tell you a secret about Dana. He's going romantic on us in his next picture. What picture's that? Dana. To technicolor, Vincent for 20th Century Fox State Fair. Who's in it with you? Well, the largest group in the cast is 54 Prize Hampshire Hogs. Now let me get this straight, Dana. You're playing a romantic role? Uh huh. And you know one of those pigs weighs 880 pounds. Undoubtedly the biggest ham in the picture. Oh, I can see now why there's a bacon shortage. All the hogs are going to the pictures. Well, Dana, you set those hogs a good example in acting, and we look forward to producing State Fair in this theater someday. What are you going to have on Lux for next week, Mr. Barrymore? For next Monday night, we have from Paramount Studios a play and stars that hundreds of our listeners have requested. For Whom the Bell Toll with Katina Paxinou, Akim Tamirov, Mikhail Razumi and Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. I can guess by the reaction in our studio audience that it's a play you've all been looking forward to and I don't wonder. Based on the novel by Ernest Hemingway, it's one of the great motion pictures of our time. With five great stars in their original screen role. Sounds like a wonderful evening, Mr. Barrymore. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night. Our sponsors, the makers of Lux Flakes, join me in inviting you to be with us again next Monday night when the Luxury Radio Theater presents Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper, Katina Paxinu, Akim Tamirov and Mikhail Razumi in For Whom the Bell Toll. Laura was presented through the courtesy of 20th Century Fox producers of the Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Mr. Barrymore can be heard on his own program, the Mayor of the Town, every Saturday night over the same network. Vincent Price is currently working on the 20th Century Fox production Dragon Wick, Otto Kruger will soon be seen in Samuel Goldwyn's technicolor picture Wonder Man. Heard in tonight's play were Lois Corbett, Leo Cleary, Noreen Gamill, Dwayne Thompson, Charles Seal and Howard McNear. Our music was directed by Lewis Silverstone. This program is broadcast to our fighting forces overseas through cooperation with the Armed Forces Radio Service. Our Lux Radio Theater production of Laura, starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Vincent Price and Otto Kruger has come to you with the good wishes of the makers of Lux Flakes, the tissue thin soap used by smart housewives everywhere. This is your announcer, John M. Kennedy, reminding you to tune in again next Monday night to hear For Whom the Bell Tolls with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, Katina Paxinu, Akim Tamirov and Mikhail Rasoumni. There's less work in my cooking, no guesswork in my cooking. My best work is my cooking Since I have switched to spry. Let new easy bake spry and Spry's amazing shortcut recipes help you serve more delicious meals with far less work for lighter, better tasting cakes. Tender, flaky pastry, crispy, digestible Fried foods. Get spry, spry. And be sure to listen in next Monday night to the Lux Radio Theater presentation of For Whom the Bell Tolls with Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Katina Paxinu, Akim Tamirov and Mikhail rasoumi. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. Autolite and its 96,000 dealers present suspense. Tonight, Autolight brings you the Crowd, a suspense play starring Mr. Dana Andrews. All right, stand back. Keep moving. You got other places to go, go to him. What's the matter, officer? Somebody die? Somebody get killed? Yeah, yeah. Now you know. So keep moving. I didn't see you. I didn't mean to poke you in the tummy with my billy. What happened, officer? Lieutenant, the way it happened, we got the right to know what it's all about. What's going on up there? I can't see. Get somebody to hoist you up on their shoulder, citizen. Then you'll see. Sometimes I don't understand this kind of thing, Lieutenant. A couple of minutes ago this was an empty street. Now this crowd. You still haven't told me what happened. Well, I was directing traffic up the street. The woman screamed. I thought it was just. Well, you know. But no, it was this guy laying on the sidewalk with a knife in him. Dead. Murdered. The people running around him. This crowd. Is he dead? Let me look. Let me look. Get out of my way. I want to see. Dead, huh? Dead. In just a moment, Mr. Dana Andrews in the first act of the crowd. Hi. A hap. New suit? Yeah. Wilcox. You like it? Love it. Reminds me of Auto Light ignition engineered spark plugs. Custom made and a perfect fit for your car. It's real hand tailored too. You said it. Auto Light engineers tailor spark plugs just as they tailor the complete ignition system used as original factory equipment on many leading makes of America's finest cars. That's why ignition engineered Auto light spark plugs are world famous for quality and dependability. Now to give me a lot of wear thousands of miles. Why, when you replace worn out spark plugs with ignition engineered Auto light spark plugs, you get smoother performance, quick starts, gas savings. Hey, Wilcox, everybody knows about Auto Light spark plugs. How about my full suit? Ignition engineered Auto light spark plugs will suit your car in every season. Hap. So, friends, see your friendly Auto Light spark plug dealer and have him replace worn out spark plugs with world famous ignition engineered Auto Light spark plugs. Whether you choose the resistor type or the standard type, you can be sure money can't buy better spark plugs because you're Always right with autolight and now with the crowd. And the performance of Mr. Dana Andrews. Auto Light hopes once again to keep you in suspense. The call had come in from the police call box 12 minutes before. Had come to headquarters, been transferred to me. Johnny Stilano. Because I'm a lieutenant, New York Police. Things like this are my job. It had taken me maybe five minutes to get there. And already the crowd was there. A crowd, a ring of shifting, compressing, changing faces looking down at the dead man, watching the shape of death in his face and back. Stand back. Officer, have you gone through this man's pockets? Do you know who he is? No, sir, I haven't had time. I'll do it. Here comes the ambulance, Lieutenant. All right, you people, why don't you move on? Give them room. Give them room. Hello, Doc. You through? All right, bud, let him through. Come on through. Out of the way. You uniforms don't mean anything to me. Here and there on the fringes of the crowd, a man detached himself from it, bit his lip and left. Even the spectacle of death can't compete with the time clock. Get back to work and tell your friends about it. Then the sound of death fading away. And then the crowd. And in a little while, the only thing left of it was an unconvinced passerby who looked over his shoulder at the spot and hurried on. Then the leavings of the crowd. A dead man identified from a worn leather wallet as Edgar Dale. West 32nd Street. Name and address. Go there. Dig into a life that was done. Ask why at Edgar Dale's rooming house, a woman opened the door only halfway. Touched her cotton wraparound high on her throat, shook her head. To most of my questions, Edgar Dale had no family, lived alone. And a shrug to what friends he worked, that's all. At the Becker Sign Painting Company on First Avenue. Maybe there, Mister, I went. Something I can do for you? I'm a police officer. Johnny Stilano. Oh. Oh. How do you do? My name is Becker. Elliot Becker. A man worked for you. Hector Dale. Edgar Dale. I just put the phone down on the police a minute ago. They called, told me what happened. Then you know why I'm here? I believe so. You'll want to know all about Edgar. I'll help. All I can tell me about him. Edgar. Edgar was like anybody. Looked like anybody, talked like anybody. Kept to himself. He did his job. A man who sat in the supply room and back and read science fiction magazines when he didn't go outside to have lunch. What else? I don't know. Can only judge a solitary man by the things he did to give you that impression. He listened to jokes but never told one. He clipped pictures of movie stars in bathing suits and pasted them over his workbench. Crossword puzzles, contests. The newspapers ran those things. Friends, girlfriends. I don't know, Mr. Stellano. I wondered sometimes who might enjoy Edgar as a friend, but I don't know. Where was he killed? Two blocks from here this morning. I saw the people running. I couldn't get away. That's too bad. How was he killed, Lieutenant? What did he look like? Hello, Johnny. Been waiting for you. What's up, Reardon? Maybe you have phone calls. Five altogether from home. I don't know. I tried to wheedle it out of him, but the man just wouldn't say. He said he keep trying, though. He has to talk to you personally. What else? This envelope came addressed to your special delivery. It's marked personal. Open it. Says personal. Open it. What is it? A picture, Johnny. Clip from this afternoon's Extra in the News. I saw it there myself. A picture of the man who was stabbed to death on the street with the crowd around him. That's it. Look what's written under it, Johnny. Yeah, I did. Well, didn't I? Police. Next time it will be even better. Johnny Celano speaking. Oh, I. I finally got you in, Lieutenant. I read in the papers you were assigned to the case. The man found dead on the sidewalk. Yes. I just called to ask you if you got the clipping I sent you. The one of the dead man lying on the street. I sent it special. Oh, I just got in. I haven't had a chance to look at the mail. Will you hold on just a minute while I check? Face this call, quick. Right. Johnny, I. Oh, yes, I have it here. The words written underneath. Did you write them? Oh, yes, and I meant them. Every word. There will be a next time, Lieutenant. There will be another murder. I. I believe you. I won't be so foolish as to think you're some kind of a crank. I can see you're a very intelligent man. It was very clever how you committed the murder. Broad daylight, on the street. Oh, the next one will be even more spectacular. Far more. Well, tell me about it. There's no need. There'll be a crowd. You'll read about it. I'll send you a picture. I got it, Johnny. Gilbert Shoe Repair. It's right around the corner from here. I got the blotter on my desk. Gilbert Shoe Repair. I never saw Gilbert. Hey, Gilbert, turn off that Machine. I want to talk to you. Turn off that machine. Oh, sure, Johnny. Oh, you want your shoes. Johnny ain't been in here so long, I was going to put him in the window with a For Sale under. I don't want to talk to you about shoes. Not about shoes. There's something else we can talk about. About a man. He just made a phone call from here. What man? Listen to me, Gilbert. Just a couple of minutes ago, a man came in here. I don't know what man. He made a phone call from here. Use my phone. Yeah, maybe he did. All right, so he did. You don't understand, do you? This man was a murderer. Two minutes ago, he was in here using your phone. Oh, so what am I supposed to do about it? I'm a shoemaker. But look out through the window, Johnny. See all those people? Every now and then one of them breaks off, comes in. Once his shoes fixed. Once he uses the phone. Oh, yeah, a few minutes ago, one of them did come in and he asked to use my phone. Well, I didn't notice anything about him. I never noticed anything about any of them. They're all alike. Some are men, some are women. This one was a man. Then back into the street again and into the swarm of crowd, into the wash of anonymous faces. The blob. And somewhere in it, a murderer. Then back into the office, sit down again, stare at Reardon again. Reardon stares back. And then get up, walk to the window, stare at the crowd. Phone's ringing, Johnny. Uh huh. Donna Stalano speaking. You don't run so fast, Lieutenant. You know. You know, you almost knocked me down when you ran across the street into that shoemaker's shop. I'm close by, Lieutenant, in the payphone, on the subway. 34th Street. Run fast, Lieutenant. Hello? Hello? Never mind, Reardon. Him again. Him again. He even told me where he was. So I'd go there and close my eyes and point a finger at the 5 o'clock subway crowd and say, you. You're a killer. I almost knock him down. I talk to him. We chat on the phone. I can give you a category for this murderer. These phone calls, a boasting of his killing. I'm not a doctor and I know he's crazy. Sure, sure, sure you do, Reardon. I don't know where to start. Where do I start, Reardon? Take it easy, John. A lonely little man is stabbed to death on the street in New York City. For all I know, this killer is standing right beside me, looking down at the dead man. The killer Sends me a picture. Killer calls me on the phone. The killer tells me he's in a subway at 34th Street Station. The killer. Lieutenant. Yeah? Call box report just came in. Man was pushed in front of a subway, 34th Street Station. And the pattern repeated itself, but with variation. Now the body of a man, broken, crushed with a like a child's drawing of death lay on a beer of railroad ties. Of glistening steel rails. Over him the shroud of a subway car. And deep in the cavern, the lament of hurtling steel. The crowd. The crowd watching on the platform. No variation here. Same crowd that gathers and watches at all death's public performances. Dead, huh? Dead. Autolite is bringing you Mr. Dana Andrews in the crowd. Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Satan spend. Say, Wilcox, do you have a good tailor? Sure. Sam is a suit stitcher supreme now. He never makes the pants too long since his car worries stopped. What was his trouble? Why Sam's sedan used a tank of gas just to get out of the garage. That's ridiculous. That's what I said. I told him to stop blowing his top and have his spark plugs checked by his friendly Autolite spark plug dealer. Did he do it? Yep. Now this pleased pantaloon producer is getting a real run for his money. He replaced the spark plugs that were not functioning properly with ignition engineered auto light spark plugs. And now he gets smoother performance, quick starts, gas savings. I'll bet he thank you, Wilcox. He did half. He did. And he couldn't have bought better spark plugs for his car than ignition engineered auto light spark plugs. So friends, see your friendly Autolite spark plug dealer and have him replace worn out spark plugs with ignition engineered Autolite spark plugs. Whether you choose the resistor type or the standard type, you'll know why you're always right with Autolite. And now Autolight brings back to Our Hollywood soundstage Mr. Dana Andrews in Elliot Lewis production of the crowd. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Come on, Johnny, I'll push him away for you. One side here, one side. Out of the way. Police. Out of the way. I guess we'll have to go through the car, Johnny, and out through the end to get to him. Yeah. Come on. Hey, is there a Stano here? A Lieutenant Johnny Stalano? Yeah, Stano. Somebody on our phone booth here wants a Lieutenant Stano. Lieutenant Stano on a phone. He's wanted. Sure, he's wanted by the grab for. Yeah, I'm here. Don't Hang up. I'm here. What's the matter, Lieutenant? You're on a uniform. Former PFC presents you with a phone. Dan is no speaking. Oh. Oh, I'm glad they reached you, Lieutenant. You see, there was another dead man. Crowd much better than the first. Much. Don't you think? Much better, the man said. Much better. How good does death have to be this time? The murderer had chosen to push a man under a subway train. The crowd seemed to like this one better too. They stayed longer after we got the body out from under the train. Legwork. Questions. The dead man. Adam Trepple, the Bronx. Inquiries. He's married, three children. Managed the supermarket. More inquiries. No motive for his murder. No one wanted him dead. Everybody said so. Johnny, I brought you a thermos of coffee. Thanks. And this envelope just came for you. Special delivery, marked personal. Give it to me. Like the last time. Like the last time. Newspaper picture. This is a triple. Under the subway train with the crowd around. Look at him. And look at this one. The first one I got when Edgar Dale was stabbed. Crowd. Why do people always hang around other people's hurt? I'll pour you some coffee. You want coffee, Johnny? Yeah, yeah. Here. Here you are, Johnny. Johnny what? Huh? This man standing here in the picture, right up front of the crowd around Edgar Dale. This man here, not very clear. So the other picture, the one on the subway. This man also in the front row of the crowd. Also not very clear. So look at him, will you? I'm looking. Hey, the same man, Reardon. The same man in both pictures. I won't say no. Me neither. Because it's the same. It could have been a coincidence. It could have just happened that way. One chance at 50,000, 100,000. A thousand thousand. But it could have happened. One man, a part of a crowd, having his picture taken as a spectator of violent death on a crowded street in a subway. One man pushing his way to the front of the crowd to have his picture taken. Just because it happened to him twice in the same day. By some sly smile of fortune, it was arranged for two people to die just where he happened to be. Just where there was a man with a camera to take a picture to. A picture that would give him a name in his neighborhood, make people look up to him. Don't tell me how it was. He was there twice. Then there was the other chance that he was the murderer. That's the one a policeman had to put his money on. He could do that by talking to a man he knew in a newspaper office. Man in Charge of the morgue. Man named Marty Powell. You slumming, Lieutenant? Don't you ever open a window in here, Marty? Who wants fresh air? Fresh air is for the birds. You don't like it here, Go away. Still sour, huh, Marty? You come from out there? Anything happen to it out there just before you came in? No. I didn't think so. When it does, when it dries up and blows away out there, I might sweeten up if I feel like it. What can I do for you, Lieutenant? I want to look at some pictures. Don't we all? Pictures where people were killed. Look, Lieutenant, I got files and files of those to the ceiling, see? Be more explicit. How were they killed? Accident. War. By a wife, a jealous lover. Suicide. Stop me anytime you like. I tire easy. Unloaded revolver? Well, it's hard to explain, Marty, but pictures like these local. Let me see. Mm. Pictures like unsolved murders, huh, Lieutenant? Where the killing was violent. Too violent for you boys to solve. I'll get some for you. I know he explained. How far back, Lieutenant? Two, three years maybe. I was afraid of that. Hey, I made a selection for you. The most artistic, the most captivating. Several of these won prizes. We are very proud of. This one, for example. To your taste? Mm. Mm. Let's see some more. This one. Pull that one out, Marty. Not the one with the guy who fell out of the window or the other one? Window. I'll see some more. You've been here for two hours, Lieutenant. I told you I tire easy. More. Okay, that one. I'll take these. These two. Goodbye, Marty. Ready on that protector, Reardon? Uh huh. Pull the screen down. Okay. Turn out the lights. That's how the first one. This is a picture of a man pulled out of the river. He was shot. This picture was taken in December 1948. Notice the crowd. Notice this spectator, the one in the front row not wearing a hat. That's hat number two. A picture of a man who was pushed or fell out of a window from a 10 story building. June this year again. Notice the crowd and the man in the right hand corner of the crowd being pushed back by a policeman. Now run the slides of the ones we had made from the newspaper clippings. The crowd around Edgar Dale. Notice that man up front on the end. The crowd around Adam Trepple. Notice the fourth man down in the front row. What do you think, Reardon? They're all the same man. You sure? The same man. It took an hour for the newspapers to hit the streets with a front page picture of a Man wanted for murder. A man in the crowd who for two or three years had quietly committed murder. Four killings to our knowledge. Now we knew what he looked like, what went on inside his mind. He liked to kill. He liked to stand with a crowd over his kill with the crowd. Like to see death up close. That man is my husband. Where's your husband now? He's in bed. He pretends he's an invalid. Been lying there for five years. But I know he sneaks out at night when I'm asleep. Waiting on him hand and foot for five years. And I know he only pretending. We checked it. The man was an invalid. Paralyzed. Then I'm the man. I'm the man you want. I did all those killings. This picture of you we have. You don't look the same. You've changed. That's right, I've changed. I change all the time. Don't you think that's clever of me? Yes, it is. Will you wait here a moment? What is it, Johnny? As a man in my office. Take him to the psycho ward for observation. Johnny Stilano speaking. Please, can you come here quickly? Who is this? I'm Mrs. James Shirley. I. I have a rooming house at 1216 East 38. What is it you want, Mrs. Shirley? The man whose picture's in the paper. The man you're looking for. He has a room in my house. Is he there now? No, but I expect him home any minute. Please, will you come quickly? Right away. His name is Charles Turner, Mr. Stilano. At least that's what he told me it was. He's been living here for the past seven years. I don't know much more about him than that. He comes and he goes. Take me to his room, Mrs. Shirley. Yeah, right down the hall. Turn on the light. This is his room. These pictures on the wall. A man in a subway, on a street corner. A man who fell out of a building. Yes. They all belong to Mr. Turner. He hung him on the wall. I never asked him what'll happen now. Do you have a room near the front of the house? My room. We'll wait for Mr. Turner. It's just Delano. Don't worry about a thing. I'll get it. Johnny. What are you looking at me like that for? I told you to wait in the squad car. Well, a call just come through. A guy's holding our killer. What? Yeah, a greasy spoon lunchroom down the corner. Mr. Turner always eats right down the corner. The guy who runs the joint phoned in that our man is eating his supper there. Right now. Let's go. There's a crowd. That's funny. The street was deserted less than a minute ago. Let's go. All right, let us through here. Police officers. Let us through. What happened to you? You. You police? That's right. I own this place. He saw me making the phone call, ran out. I ran after him. He had a knife and. He's dead. Reardon. Huh? Johnny. He's not. He just fainted. I said he's dead. But one of you people in the crowd, go in the store and call an ambulance. This man's dead. Let me through. Let me. That's him, Johnny. This man, is he dead? What happened to him? Anybody know what happened? Would you like to see him, mister? Would you like to see him up close? Why? Why? I. The photographers will be here in a few minutes. Why don't you stick around and have your picture taken, Mr. Turner? Well, you're wrong. My name is not Turner. I just wanted to know whether the man was dead, that's all. I. I want to get out of here. Come back here, Turner. One side. Come back here, Johnny. Yep. Let's go. River. Dead. Johnny. Look at him. Look at him. Yeah. Here comes the crowd. Is he dead? Get out of my way. I want to see. I want to see. Did he really die? Huh? I want to see him. Suspense presented by Autolite Tonight's star, Dana Andrews. Say, Wilcox, your tailor has a lot of satisfied customers, huh? Yes, Hap. But nowhere near the hundreds of thousands Autolite satisfies each year. Because AutoLight makes over 400 products for cars, trucks, planes and boats in its 28 plants from coast to coast. These include complete electrical systems used as original equipment on many of America's finest cars. Generators, coils, distributors, voltage regulators, wire and cables, starting motors and electric windshield wipers, all engineered to work together perfectly as part of the Autolite team. All engineered to give you unexcelled auto light service. Don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on Autolite original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with Autolyte. Next week on suspense, Mr. Joseph Cotton as star of Fly by Night. And in the weeks to come, you will hear such famous stars as Miriam Hopkins, Milton Berle and Howard Duff, all appearing in tales well calculated. To keep you in suspense, Tonight's suspense play was produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music composed by Lucian Morrow and conducted by Lud Bluskin. Parts of this program were transcribed the Crowd by Ray Bradbury was adapted for suspense by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. Dana Andrews appeared through the courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn. He may currently be seen in the Goldwyn production Edge of Doom. And remember, next week on suspense, Mr. Joseph Cotton in Fly by Night. You can buy world famous Autolite resistor or standard spark plugs, Auto Light staple batteries, Auto Light electrical parts at your neighborhood Autolite dealers. Switch to Autolite. Good night. This is cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System. I Was a Communist for the FBI Starring Dana Andrews. And an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I Was a Communist for the FBI. Hi. From the actual records and authentic experiences of Matt Civetic how many of the incidents in this unusual story? Here is our star, Dana Andrews as Matt Stavetic, who for nine fantastic years lived as a Communist for the FBI. Nine years of walking a narrow, tortuous path with sheer drops to oblivion on both sides. Nine years of quiet, desperate fear that somewhere, sometime, I will take a false step and go plunging to disaster. Nine bitter, lonely years with my own life, a cheap pawn and a great international chess game between the forces of freedom and the forces of enslavement. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Sebetic, undercover. Now here is Dana Andrews as Matt Satic, undercover man. This story from the confidential file is marked Courier of disaster. Speeding along U.S. highway number one. 100 miles out of Washington, D.C. speeding toward New York City and Disaster. Beside me in the car. Comrade Smith watches my every move. We're making good times, Vedic good time. 100 miles out of Washington. 130 more to New York. The car is like a prison. The speedometer steady like the sights in a gun. And no way to stop it. No way to get out. No way to get to a telephone. Over and over in my mind I review the steps that brought me to this point. To this point of no escape. Over and over I try to find some way out. Nothing. Nothing. It's hard to believe. It begins at 24 hours ago when Comrade Revchenko, my cell leader, called me to local party headquarters. You have it memorized, Comrade Civetic. The name of the girl? Yeah. Gladys Flooring. The hotel in Washington. The Belmont, room. 6:16. The time? 8:30. Good. Any questions? Yes. This is courier work. We have specialists paying for this work. Why pick me? This job requires the single talent of being able to give the impression that you're anything but a courier. And since you've never done it before, you've been chosen. All right. I board the plane here and go to Washington. Arrive tonight, contact Gladys Flooring and she will give me further instructions. Instructions and a package. What is this package, Commodore Evchenko? Must be something pretty important, huh? Important enough civetic so that even I don't know what it is. Important enough so that our regular courier system is being bypassed. Well, then I'll just have to pack a few things. You won't have time. I've got to take some. You got to do nothing but go to the airport. Now with me. At the airport, he waves goodbye to me. And just like a friend waving goodbye to a friend, I hold up my end of the act and wave back and we take off in Washington, after making sure I'm not being watched or followed, I duck into a phone booth and dial my FBI call. Contact O'Driscoll. O'Driscoll's red. Hi, Red. How are things? Things are looking up, Matt. How are you? Well, I'm not sure, Johnny. Where are you calling from? I'm right here in Washington. What are you doing here? Courier work, Matt. That's great. Where are you going? I don't know. Well, maybe I do, but we'd better not discuss this on the phone. Matt, can you meet me in Don's lunchroom at the corner of 6th and East Street? It'll have to be quick. In 10 minutes, the last booth on the left. Right. Good to see you, Matt. What did you mean on the phone, O'Drisco, when you said maybe you know where I'm going? Who's your contact here in Washington? There's a girl by the name of Gladys Flooring. Oh, and you're going to New York. You know her? Sure. She's a sitting duck for us. But we let her operate like a decoy so we can bag the rest of the flock. We've been trying to bust open their courier system for a long time. A few nibbles around the edges are the best we've been able to do. What we want is a lead to the top man in New York. This may be it. You know a lot more than I do, Johnny. I've got an appointment with this gladys flooring at 8:30. He's got some microfilm, Matt. Important. So I thought, carry through. You'll be able to lead us to the New York contact. I hope you know what the microfilm is. I don't worry about it. It's only half the story. No good by itself. Then I'm to go through with my assignment. All the way way through. Don't worry. We'll be on your tail. The microfilm is important, but only with the other half, and we don't know where it is or if they have it. Whatever happens, go through with your mission. Look, if something comes up and I can't reach, don't worry about it. We'll have a man at the railroad station, another one at the bus depot, and a third at the airport. All right, Johnny. Luck. Matt. And remember, no matter what happens, follow through with your part. No improvising. Got it? Got it? Yes? Pardon me, I. You were looking for room 616? Yes. Gladys Flooring? Yes. You are Gladys Flooring. You disappointed? No. Oh, no. And are you Philip? George? Charles? No, not Tom Dig or Harry? Either. Oh. Then who are you, friend? Your slave, Ms. Flory. That's a letter. Come in, comrade. You're on time. Precisely. You have my instructions? Of course. Business first. I have something to deliver to you here. Such a tiny package to be so important. This is all for the moment. You're to wait here. I can think of no pleasanter. Occupation. What am I going to do with this package? Put it in your pocket. You're to deliver it to whom? I know. Come on, sit down, comrade. Comrade Spic. The Party's always right, huh? The Party says if we find friends within our ranks, so much the better. Hooray for the Party. Oh, it's so nice to be able to relax and be yourself with someone you trust. By all means, comrades, be yourself. Comrade. Steady. Oh, company. It's such a moment. Lark. Gladys. Conrad smith. Come in. Mr. Smith, Mr. Matt Svetik. Well, it's good to meet you, Svetik. We have a job to do. Fine. What is it? Oh, very simple job in easy stages. We take a little trip, deliver a little package. Simple, eh? Depends. You said we. Yes. I will accompany him. My instructions. Your instructions were to take him. You are to take possession of the package until we get to New York. When do we leave? Now. Good. How do we go? Train, plane or bus? By car. Car. But I thought. You thought what? Well, I thought we were in a hurry. I thought driving would be the least practical way to get to New York. Exactly. Not to be expected, eh? Yeah. And that is why we're driving. Come along, Semic. We'll go out through the basement. My car is two streets away. All right, Smith. We'll have time to pick up my toothbrush at my hotel. No, we will leave from here together and immediately. But my hotel bill has. It has been paid well. The Party is very thorough. Always. Well, Svec, want to say goodbye to Comrade Flooring? Go with haste, comrade. Return with speed for a better tomorrow. Not one stop 115 miles out of Washington. The FBI is probably still waiting at the airport, the railroad station or the bus depot. There's no way on earth for them to know that. Traveling by car. I've been watching through the rear view mirror ever since we left Washington. No luck. No one is following in this prison of a car. And that package burning a hole in my pocket beside me. Driving is Comrade Smith. And I've got to get to a phone. Our gauge is a little low. Savetic. We'd better pull into this gas station. Won't be another for 20 miles. I'll be glad to stretch my legs. Fill her up. I'll be right back, Spencer. Right back. I'm going to wash up. Powder your nose, huh? Okay, I'll wait for you. Now, my only chance. The washroom around the side of the station, right outside the telephone booth. A call to let the FBI know where I am, what kind of car we're driving in, where we're headed. Long distance. Long distance. I want to call Washington. Washington, D.C. what number in Washington, please? I want to call the. Wash up a bit, Comrade Spidic. All right, I was just. No wash basin in a telephone booth, comrade. What number and what Washington, please? What number in Washington? Sveic? Now back to Dana Andrews starring as Matt Sebetic. And I was a Communist for the FBI. And the second act of our story. They say, laugh and the whole world laughs with you. But they never heard Comrade Smith laughter. Especially when he's just caught me trying to make a phone call when I was supposed to be in the washroom of the gas station. In my pocket is a package containing microfilm. And my mission for the communists is to deliver it to someone in New York. Now, here at a wayside gas station halfway between Washington and New York, I've missed what may be my last chance to get in touch with the FBI. Or perhaps anyone else. From the way Ahmed Smith laughed. There's no wash basin in this phone booth. Svetic, what are you doing here? My love life is no concern of the party. Your dreams are a concern of the Party. Comrade Flooring is a party member. Certainly you don't. No phone calls, Vedic. This work is new to you. Let's get back to the car. There isn't much traffic. Smith, why don't you let it out a little? We can't afford to get a ticket delay. Yeah, we can't afford. What's that sign say? You are now entering the city of Millersville, New Jersey. Population 17,000. Look for a park on the right. A park? Yes. Where to meet someone at an evening band concert. Oh, another chance. Maybe another chance to get to a phone. Got to try. I've got to get the FBI back on our trail or they'll. Ah, there it is. Now, if we follow this road through the park, do you hear anything? No. Ah, there it is. Through those trees. See? Now let's go. Look, you can take care of this without me. I'm gonna grab a bite at that refreshing stand over there and I'll meet you. No telephones here to call, comrade. Slowing. Medic. Come along. I'll need you. All right. Who's our contact with the fellow who plays the cougar in the band? Milan and the son. Musicians are taking a break. Do we have a code word, some identification? One word. Levchenko. Oh, here, behind the band stand. Man will be waiting. Ah. What is that instrument, sir? A tuba. That's right. It's an instrument that has always fascinated me. Can I offer you a cigarette? Thanks. Got a light? No, but Ravchenko has. Huh. Well, we better go over behind that tree out of the wind. You have the package. Where's yours? Spider? Kansas. Show him, comrade. Hmm. Look like two peas out of a pot. Give it to him. Thanks. What do I do with him? Your instructions are, when you arrive in New York, go directly to the newsreel theater on Broadway near 42nd street and find two seats on the aisle in the third from the last row, third from the last. You'll keep an empty seat between you and someone will ask, is there an empty seat for me? You will sit between you. You'll have both packages in your left hand jacket pocket. The empty seat will be on my left, then right. The man will sit down. All you will have to do is wait until he removes the package from your pocket. That's all? That's all. Your assignment will be finished. Simple, eh? Yeah. Well, break is over. I got upon my lip again. Thanks for the smok. Let's go, Svetic. Look, Smith, we'll get to New York too late for me to call Gladys. I'll give her a bus from here. No phone call, remember? Svetic. I can't understand your single minded desire to telephone, Comrade Fleury. Well, when you've done your duty. Yes, you think of rewards, don't you? Let's do our duty first. Why so? Silence. Very. Only another 55 miles to New York. Any more stops? No, no more stops until we get there. Nothing to do but sit back and relax. Relax. Just 55 miles from New York. 55 miles with the tires humming and both halves of the precious microfilm in my pocket now. And no way to stop the car, no way to stop this whole business from rushing to its finish. Unless. Unless something happened to Smith and I could dispose of the film. But that would tip my hand and I'd be of no more use to the FBI. Besides, my instructions from O'Driscoll were explicit. No improvisations. Go through with it. Go through with it. In that glove compartment. Medic. A pack of cigarettes. Have one. No, thanks. You were angry. Yeah, I'm angry. You need a little discipline. The first time I met Gladys Fleuring, I, too, didn't pay any attention to what I was doing. She's beautiful, isn't she? She's a party member. Makes your head spin, doesn't she? Shut up. Shut up. No orders about not talking, Smith, Are there no instructions? You and I can't talk. I suppose she has other party business tonight. Wouldn't you like to talk to her? Wouldn't you like to check up on her? Shut up, sir. She's my wife. Ah, I thought so. The party uses her talents well. You dog. Looking at her with your filthy eyes. Why don't you go back to her, Smith? Go back to her now. I'll keep on. I'll deliver the packages. Now, you listen to me. Listen to me. Some ethic I am a communist like you. You can't trap me. You can't make me break my orders. I know you don't want to call Gladys for yourself. You only want to try to break me down. But you can't do it. You can't do it to you Here. All right, man. Pull in and we can go on. No more, eh? No more stops. No more needling. Nothing, eh? Nothing. Good. Now we understand each other. I think I have my problems. I think this is a problem when the man who laughs sitting next to me driving, has a problem every day of his life. A problem that eats into him and destroys his soul. Now, we threw the Holland. Tomorrow. Still we keep on. There's nothing I can do. No way now to prevent the accomplishment of my communist mission. Ah, there's something about New York City, Svetic, that stirs my blood. Its hugeness. Its. Its greatness. It will be ours someday. Cut across 42nd Street. Huh? Oh, yes, yes. There's a parking lot there, close to the theater. We buy tickets and go into the theater. And my head spins. How to stop it? How to stop it? What to do? You sit down in the third from the last row, near the aisle. And keep a seat vacant. And I don't see the newsreel, don't hear the sounds, the pounding of my heart, no matter what comes. Should I destroy the microfilm, Say I lost it, get up and run from the theater. What does it contain, this microfilm? Blueprint specifications. I cast around and is there an empty seat for me? It's done. The hand fumbles into my pocket and takes out the two small packages. I can't even see. This face stays in the darkness. And then a few moments, he gets up and leaves. Smith and I wait. Then we're out on the street again, our mission accomplished. You gonna stay here in New York? I guess so. Any place I can drop you? I'm returning to Washington. Good luck. Good luck? We just had a lot of good luck. We've done our jobs. That is good, eh, comrade? Yeah. Wow. Hello? Hello, this is Red. I'd like to speak to you. Hi, Red. How are things? Well, Driscoll, what are you doing in New York? Matt, get on your bicycle. Where to? There's a tobacco store on the corner of 53rd and 8th. How long before you can get there by taxi? 10 minutes. See? Come in, Matt. There were no lights, so I didn't know. Come in through here, the back. Well, Matt? Matt followed instructions. I couldn't get to a phone. We didn't leave by train or bus or plane. I didn't get a chance to call you. Yes, we figured that out. You said that microfilm Gladys Flooring had was one half the information. We stopped at Millersville and picked up the other half. Millersville? Who was it? The tuba player in the band. There was an evening concert there. We'll take care of them. What use is it? Too late now. The packages were delivered. They're gone. I didn't dispose of them. Maybe I should have. No. No. Matt. Huh? We've got them. You've got them, huh? Johnny? Now, we figured out pretty quick you must have gone by car. Oh, you knew I went by car. There's no one following. We've had the license number and description of Comrade Smith's car in our files for months. Of course, I didn't think of that. I flew here to New York, and we had the tunnels and the bridges covered like a championship fight. We spotted you when you stopped to pay your toll. And you followed from there. Sure. And you followed us into the theater. Well, you were on your own after that. We followed the guy who took the. The seat between you and he Led us right to the spot we wanted to get to. They're down at FBI headquarters right now. You look sort of beat. Maybe a little relaxation tonight. A date? No thanks, John. You might be somebody's wife. I walk down to your York's busy streets alone, watching the friends, the couple, the normal, happy people enjoying their normal, happy lives. For me there's no normalcy, no happiness, no peace. For me there's only the emptiness of a friendless world as I walk alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews. Friends, Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, of what avail the plow or sail or land or life if freedom fail, let's be sure, freedom does not fail. The story you've just heard is based on notes from the files of Matt Civetic, FBI undercover man. Names have been changed and events modified for obvious reasons. Next week, another exciting adventure out of Matt Svetic's experiences as a communist for the FBI. So be with us then. We'll be expecting it. We just heard Dana Andrews and Laura the Crowd and I was a communist for the FBI. That will do it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining me. I hope you'll be back next week when we salute the Robin Hood of modern crime, Simon Templer, AKA the Saint, with a collection of his radio adventures. In the meantime, you can check out Stars on Suspicion, Spence, my other old time radio podcast. New episodes of that show are out on Thursdays. If you like what you're hearing, don't be a stranger. You can rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. And if you'd like to lend support to the show, you can visit buymeacoffee.com Meansts OTR Next time, the Saint. Until then, good night and happy listening. Now here is our star, Vincent Price. Ladies and gentlemen. In a prejudice filled America, no one would be secure in his job, his business, his church or his home. Yet racial and religious antagonisms are exploited daily by quacks and adventurers whose followers make up the irresistible, responsible lunatic fringe of American life. Refuse to listen to or spread rumors against any race or religion. Help to stamp out prejudice in our country. Let's judge our neighbors by the character of their lives alone and not on the basis of their religion or origin.