Narrator (0:12)

Now, let's see. Suspect suspected. Suspend. Ah, here we are. Suspense, the condition of mental uncertainty, usually accompanied by apprehension or anxiety. Fear of something which is about to occur as. Do not keep me any longer in suspense. Hello and welcome to Stars on Suspense for a special episode today that combines two of my favorite things. Old time radio thrillers and Columbo, the classic detective series starring Peter Falk as the rumpled super sleuth, aired in one incarnation or another on and off from the late 60s all the way up to 2003. And along the way over that long run. A murderer's row, no pun intended, of guest stars portrayed the killers Columbo captured in each episode. Many of them were big stars of the day, TV leading men like Robert Culp, Leonard Nimoy and Dick Van Dyke. But others were stars of the previous generation in Hollywood, big screen veterans whose careers coincided with the golden age of radio and who made visits to suspense back in its heyday. So today I've picked four actors who both starred on Suspense and played the killer in classic episodes of Columbo. But before we hear them, some quick background on Columbo. In case you're not familiar with it, and if you're not, I recommend that you check it out right away. It's maybe the definitive example of the inverted mystery, a story that starts out with us seeing the killer commit their crime. We watch them, plan it and execute it. And at first glance, it looks like they've anticipated every possible detail and are on the verge of getting away with murder. Everything seems to be going well for them until Lt. Columbo pulls up and is beat up. Car and his rumpled raincoat. To all outward appearances, Columbo seems distracted, maybe even a little dimwitted. And that helps to lull the killer into a false sense of security. Until, as the investigation goes on and the killers discover that there's more than meets the eye to this detective. What follows is a cat and mouse game between Peter Falk and the guest star of the week. And it eventually comes to a head in a great climax where Columbo reveals the single clue that helped him unravel the mystery again. If you've never seen it, I cannot recommend it enough. The whole thing is streaming on Peacock if you subscribe to that service. It's also available on DVD and in a really nice Blu Ray set that was recently released by the folks at Kino Lorber. But if you're a mystery fan, a fan of old Hollywood, or both, Columbo should be high on your watch. List. First up today is Anne Baxter, who played one of the few female murderers Columbo caught on the series. She played a fated movie star who bumps off her assistant to keep some long held secrets. In the season two episode Requiem for a Fallen Star, which is one of my personal favorites. We'll hear her today in the Death of Barbara Allen, one of several appearances she made on suspense. This is a great example of a type of show suspense experimented with a few times through the 1950s. It's based on a folk song, in this case an old Irish folk song that tells the story of a woman who does away with her unfaithful lover. The ballad itself is performed in the episode and used as a way to bridge the scenes together. In addition to Ann Baxter, you've also got a great supporting cast of radio William Conrad, Joseph Kearns, Jeanette Nolan and Harry Bartel. Then we'll hear Richard Basshardt, who played half of a murderous duo along with Honor Blackman in the London set Columbo episode Dagger of the mind. Well, here Mr. Basshardt in his only suspense appearance, the Perfectionist from January 21, 1952. Much like a Columbo killer, Basshardt considers himself to be a perfectionist, a man who's accounted for every possible detail in the murder he just committed, except that the trunk containing the dead body of the victim has been sent to the wrong address. Up third is Jose Ferrer, who guest starred in the season three episode Mind Over Mayhem, where he played the director of a military think tank who plots out the murder of his son's mentor. On suspense, he starred in an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale of the Spanish Inquisition, the Pit and the Pendulum. This version of the story originally aired on CBS on November 27, 1947. And finally, finally, we'll hear a double feature from Ray Milan, who has the unusual distinction of appearing in two episodes of Columbo, once as the murderer in the season two episode of Greenhouse Jungle, and once as the husband of the victim in the season one episode Death Lends a Hand. In that show, his wife is bumped off by Robert Culp. So since he made two appearances on Columbo, we'll hear two of his suspense shows. Raymond stars in Chicken Feet, originally aired on CBS on September 8, 1949, and in after the Movies from December 7, 1950. But now sit back, turn on your radio and your TV, and enjoy these Columbo killers and tales well calculated. To keep you in suspense, Auto light and its 98,000 dealers bring you Miss Anne Baxter in tonight's presentation of suspense. Tonight, Auto Light recreates a classic tale as with song and story we tell of the death of Barbara Allen. Our star, Miss Anne Baxter. Hey, Harlow. You got in my way, huh? Oh, Oscar. Auto. Sorry, I was daydreaming. About what? Why, about the Auto Light Stay Full, the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. I've got one. Then my speaking sedan. You've got the world's most desired dynamic and dependable battery. It has fiberglass retaining mats protecting every positive plate to reduce shedding and flaking. That's one of the reasons why the Autolight Stay Full gives longer life as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards. My owner got mine from our neighborhood Autolight battery dealer friends. To quickly locate your nearest Auto Light battery dealer, phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25. That's me. And I'll gladly tell you where you can get an Autolight staple the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight. And now, Autolight presents the Death of Barbara Allen. Starring Miss Anne Baxter. Hoping once again to keep you in suspense. In Scarlettown where I was born There was a fair maid dwellin Made every youth cry well a day and her name was Barbara Allen his voice was on the wind calling, calling to me and the surf was to the west of me and to the east and the sounds of the night sea were all around and on the finger of strand I waited for him for my love for my love as he rode to me and a star swung across the moon and the wind rose from the night as he rode to me as he came to me I thought you wouldn't be here, Barbara Allen. And where else would I be on such a night? Home, perhaps, where it's warm and the young men of Scarlett town to knock on your door. Not here, where the sea rises and the moon is cold Where I need my love. But there's a storm coming. Let it. The storm and the tides will drown this strand. And we would drown. Yes, we would drown, Will. And you would live no longer than I and I no longer than you. Our love would die at once on a storm. Why do you talk of death? No, I talk of love and I do. And there's no death in it, no Will. Only this. Oh, Will. Fair Barbara Allen Wild Barbara Allen Ride with me yes, they rode, they rode on a stallion black the sea it was a swelling and dark Dark clouds a shadow Lay on the lips of Barbara Allen Then Willie hail her oh so cruel and he kissed a little Tremlin Then kissed again in fond adieu and took her to her dwelling. Father. In the kitchen. Sean's here. He's been waiting. Hello, Barbara Allen. I'll get you some tea. No. The pillow in back of me slid down, Barbara Allen. Fix it. Where have you been? On the Strand with Will. With Will? Sean's been waiting. You knew he was going to be here. You've been sitting with your father, waiting, doing the things you should be doing while you meet Will on the Strand. Ah, he can do for himself, thank you. Tea, Father? I like whiskey in it. Here, drink, old man. I like whiskey in it because whiskey keeps the warm down. And it's a cold house. It's a season of storm, and I have a daughter who's never home, Father. The warmth of my daughter is for a sailor named Will, Father. And my house is cold. You'll need a pillow for his chair, Barbara Allen. He can do for himself. He can do whatever he needs for himself. He sits there and rocks and remembers a time when he had a wife to do for him. Do everything but walk for him. My house is cold. Listen to him, Barbara Allen. Yes, Sean? Will is a sailor. Yes. With a small boat. Yes. And a narrow life. You couldn't know. I know. And one day he'll say goodbye to you and sailor's small boat. That will be the day when the sea will throw him back to you, wrapped in kelp and drowned. And what of you, Sean? Shopkeeper. Shawn. Seller of pots and fish hooks and whiskeys. Jean. Should I love you, Jean? Yes, Cole. And what will you make of me? One like him who sits in a rocker and remembers you love Will. How many others love Willie the sailor? And how many does he love? No one. There's a girl. You've seen her. Barbara Allen. She's new to Scarlett town. Her name is Moya. And she drinks wine with Will. They whisper and laugh together. Get out of here, Sean. They say when Will leaves you, he goes to her. You lie. And if I'm not lying? If he hurts you, Barbara Allen, I'll kill him. Get out of here, Sean. I would. I'd kill him. And later I could still hear my father rocking in the sounds of his remembering. For me, it was a night of no sleep. I lay there in my bed and outside was fitful scrawls of rain that began, stopped and began again. Outside was surf that eddied in the rocks and mist and choke and tangle of kelp flung against the strand. And Will's face and his words. And the words of Sean. And the sudden blaze of light across my bed. The night careened against the sea. And then the night was still. Then it was morning. I got up and dressed. Walked through the room where my father was still sleeping in his chair. The beach had been pitted by the rain. When I walked it. The dune grass was green and shining. The wind held stung the sand against my leg. And down the curb of the beach. And near the end of it, Will's boat. The sail on it. To be mended for me to mend for Will. Hello. What are you doing on Will's boat? It's where I belong now. On Will's boat. To mend his nets in the sail. Will sent you here? He left me here. I know who you are. You're Morya. You wear a silk dress in the morning to mend a net. Here. This is a net. Mend it. Let me watch what you'll do with it. He will teach me when he returns. When did you see Will? I saw him. When? When I was with him. When he told me to stay here. And today we would go sailing together. Sailing? Where? Why, to some place. This coast is new to me. Will wants me to know it. What other places has he shown you? Scarlett Town and what's around it. You've ridden with him on his black horse? Ridden the strand at night? Yes. And the ruined church at the end of it? Yes. All of these things. Where is Will we sail today? Will's in Scarlett Town. He's buying things for the sailing. Wine at Sean's. What? Will is at Sean's. And he'll stay there. He won't sail with you across the dunes. Oh, she did run the wind with her. A cyan. And as she ran, the more she grieved. Until she burst out crying. When she came down to Scarlett Town, the street with crowd was filling. When they saw her, they stepped aside, made way for Barbara Allen. He's in there. Barbara Allen. In Sean's place. Why is there a crowd, Mr. Eamon? In Sean's place. Will's in there. What happened? I was in there. Will was buying things of Sean. Will was laughing. He broke open a bottle of wine. He made a toast. A toast? To whom? To the ladies all around. To Marya. To her. And what happened? There was talk. Then Will had a knife in his hand. And Sean did too. There was a fight. Will's in there, Barbara Allen. He's lying on the floor. He called your name Hello, Will. I'm dying, Barbara Ellen. What did you say? Will, I'm dying. Die. Autolight is bringing you Miss Anne Baxter in the death of Barbara Allen. Tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspense for fine dependable starting power. All can well agree your best buy by far is an Autolight staple battery. Right, Oscarotto. And that's the great battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use the battery with advanced engineering design. Eh? Hello. Right. My loquacious limousine. It's protected with fiberglass retaining mats to give longer life as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards. My money just can't buy a better battery than the famous Autolight Stay full. So, friends, see your nearest auto light battery dealer. He services all makes of batteries. To quickly locate him, phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25. That's me. And I'll gladly tell you the name of your nearest auto light battery dealer where you can get an Autolight staple the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight. And now Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, Ms. Ann Baxter in Elliot Lewis production of the Death of Barbara Allen. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. In Scarlett Town, where I was born twice twilight was a fallen on William green cold death it lay no grief from Barbara Allen. They carried Will to the edge of the Strand the people's scarlet Town and I was not there. They opened the earth of the old churchyard and they scattered the earth over the body of Will and I was not there. I walked the sands of Scarlet shore and I cursed the grave that held him. Is that you, Bob Roland? How do you want, old woman? Is that you, Bob Rollins? I'm old and I can't tea so good. Especially with the mist so heavy and drifting like they do. What do you want? Oh, give me some of the driftwood you're gathering. I'm an old woman and when I bend for the wood, the sea snatches it from my hand. Take what I have. There's more. Let me walk with you and fiddle my apron for me. All right. Your Will is dead. He's dead. They're burying him. The whole town's there. You're not there, Bob Rowland. And you're not there, old woman. I buried three sons on that strand in the churchyard at the end of it. Never do I want to be on that strip of land again. Nor I. But you will. And I. Your death place is there and mine. And all of us at Scarlett Town. The earth covers us in summer and the sea in winter and storm. Give me that piece of wood from my apron. Take it. You met Will there on the Strand, didn't you, Barbara Allen? It was a place of love and death. That Will was handsome. Listen to me, old woman. Walk with me and beg my driftwood and I'll give it to you. But don't talk to me. You Will. And why not? He died for the love of you. For the love of me. And one called Moya and the rest of the ladies all around. For the love of you. I was there, ensuring, touching the vaults of dress goods and close. I heard what happened, all of it. For the love of me. Sean spoke your name lightly, in a teasing way. And he leaned over with a smile and whispered a question in Will's ear. Then in Will's hand was a knife because of what Sean had asked. You lie, old woman. It's how Will died. For the love of you. I swear it on the graves of my three sons who lie dead for the love of me. Not for the one called Moria, her of the silk dress, who paid Will to take her sailing. Paid him. This I heard too, when the toasts were drunk in Sean's place. Gave him money to take her sailing. Will spoke her name lightly and laughed when he told. Oh, fetch me that piece of wood there, Bob Rowan, and my apron will be full. And then she left me. The old woman did. And for an hour I walked the beach gathering driftwood for my house. And all the while the bell of the ruined the church told for Will. For the death of Will. For my true love for Will. Night came swiftly with the rain. And the moon said behind something black in the sky. And it stayed there. The sea was vast, it rolled in and broke. And the end of it was chill against my feet. Far away the file of mourners lights as they walked. And I went home too, and made a fire. Waited till the sound of my father's returning. The funeral was over. The dead had been buried. My father asked for his tea with whiskey in it. I gave it to him. I left. I went to a place. Sean's place. Barbara Allen. The storm outside. You're drenched. Kick my coat. Jean. Yes? You killed Will. It was a fair fight. You killed him. With a knife in my belt. You're hanged for it. No, it was a fair fight. According to the law of Scarlet Town. He could have killed me. I'm alive. He's dead. No. One will hang. Oh, I'm glad. I was worried for you, Barbara Allen. No, no, wait. Tell me about it. About what? The fight. How you killed Will. Will was your love and you want to know how he died. Will is dead and I can't grieve. Tell me why, Sean. I'll make you happy. Yes. Tell me how you killed Will. Will was a sailor, but he was clumsy with a knife. And when I drew mine and we faced each other and we circled, I could tell it heavy footed and awkward. And when he rushed me, I stepped aside and he fell. And everybody laughed. And I let him get up. And somehow he closed with me and cut me here on my arm. Oh, show me. Poor Sean. We bent back over the counter, the two of us struggling. And I looked into his face and I saw a thing fright. Willie the sailor was scared. And I brought my hand up. Up, Barbara Allen. How you should have seen it, his face when the knife went into him. That knife in your belt. Yes. I want to see it. Put it there on the table where I can look at it. Jean. Yes? What else will you do for me? What? It is storm outside and I came to you. What will you do for me now? I love you. How? With fine things, Barbara Allen. With silk from my shelves. Whatever you want. This one? This bolt of silk? Or this one? Or this one? Which one, Barbara Allen? Which one? They're at your feet. Whatever you want. And listen, I have these too. Mirrors. And these buttons of shell. And these combs of mother of pearl. For your hair, Barbara Allen. Sean. For your hair. And you will love me forever, Sean. For as long as I live. Tell me again. For as long as I live. Yes. You, with a knife. You killed Will. I killed you. Father. We're home, Barbara Allen. Nothing happened, Father. You left me alone again. The fire's gone. After I went to Sean. Fire's gone out. And I killed him. The sea spills over the churchyard and the dead will drown. The dead in the old graves and the dead in the new graves. Will. That's why I killed Sean, Father. Because of Will. His grave will sink beneath the sea and the storm will wash over. Don't you hear what I'm saying, Father? I killed Sean. Will is dead. I killed Sean. And your life is over. Yes. Like mine. Sit with me, Bob Allen. Yes. And I sat with him at his feet while he rocked. He remembered and I remembered. And once my father got up, walked to the fire and threw on Ruth. Sat down again, rocked. And I remembered. Will. Will. The grief came and the tears. Will. Will the tears. His grave would sink beneath the sea. I'll make your bed, Barbara. All right. See? You killed Sean. I did. Look through the window. Oh, the light. The people from Scarlett Town. They're coming after you. Oh, they'll hang me for what I did. Your love lies on the Strand. He sleeps on the Strand. Your love is lonely. I ran. I ran to where my love was. Where Will was down to the beach under the strand. And they followed me. The lights of the people from Scarlett Town. And their voices on the howling wind. And I ran down the Strand where the black sea was covering it. And they followed me. Their voices and the bell on the wind. And their voices on the wind. I ran, ran and fell and ran again to where my love lay lonely To Will in his grave in the churchyard I calmed him and no longer was he lonely Sweet William lay in the old churchyard his love so fair beside him out of William's heart grew a red, red robe out of Barbara's groobrier they grew and grew to the old church tower and they could not grow higher and at the end tied a lover's knot and the rose wrapped round the briar Suspense presented by autolight. Tonight's star, Ms. Ann Baxter, will return in just a moment. This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for Autolight, World's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment. Autolight is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry. They are members of the auto light family, as well as are the 98,000 autolight distributors and dealers in the United States and thousands more in Canada and throughout the world. Our family also includes the nearly 30,000 men and women in 28 great autolight plants from coast to coast, as well as the 18,000 people who have invested a portion of their savings in Autolight. Every Autolight product is backed by constant research and precision built to the highest standards of quality and performance. So remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight. And now we bring back to our suspense microphone, Miss Anne Baxter. Miss Baxter, we of Autolight would like to thank you for another magnificent performance and to announce to our listeners that you have won the first annual Golden Mic Award for the best feminine performance of the past year on suspense. And here, Anne, is your handsome golden mic to add to the Baxter Trophy kit. Thank you, Harlow. It's beautiful. And thanks to autolife. I'd also like to thank the wonderful group of suspense players who worked with me, especially Joseph Kearns and Jeanette Nolan, who have also won golden Mics for the best supporting performances on suspense. Thank you for all of us and good night. Next week, a story that will prove once again that truth is stranger than fiction. Mr. Cornell Wild will star as a man who inadvertently was hired to be an assassin. The story is called Alan in Wonderland and will be heard on suspense. Suspense was produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music written by Lucian Morowick and conducted by Lud Gluskin. The death of Barbara Allen was written for suspense by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. In tonight's story, Jeanette Nolan was heard as the old lady. Joseph Kearns as Barbara's father. Featured in the cast were Harry Bartel, William Conrad, Louise Lewis and Junius. Matthew and Baxter is soon to be seen in Alfred Hitchcock's I Confess and remember. Next week on suspense. Mr. Cornell Wild. In Allen in Wonderland, you can buy Autolight stateful batteries, Autolight electrical parts and Auto light resistor or standard type spark plugs at your neighborhood Auto Light dealers. Switch to Autolight. Good night. This is the CBS Radio Network. Auto light and its 96,000 dealers bring you the brilliant young motion picture star, Mr. Richard Basehart. In tonight's presentation of Sal Spends. Tonight, Autolight presents the story of a man who found it necessary to commit the perfect crime. A tale we call the Perfectionist. Starring Mr. Richard Basehart. Hip, hip hooray. Hip hip hooray. Hey, Harlow. Why the cheers for the team, Hap? What team, Harlow? Why the team under your car's hood? The Auto Light electrical system. The family team of precision made units including the generator, battery, coil, distributor, starting motor and all the other important parts of the complete Autolight electrical system. Used as original factory equipment on many leading makes of our finest cars, trucks and tractors. Does this team play full time, Harlow? It works full time, Hap. Every time you press the starting switch, every second your engine is running. And whenever you use your horn, lights or radio, that Autolight electrical system is a real winner, eh, Hilo? You bet, Hap. With all units related by Autolight engineering, design and manufacturing skill to give you the smoothest performance money can buy. So, friends, when your Autolight equipped car needs replacement parts, take a tip from me and insist on Autolight original factory parts. And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light. And now with the perfectionist and the performance of Mr. Richard Basehart. Autolight hopes once again to keep you in suspense. There. It's all written. I couldn't confess it verbally to these police as stupid men. Men who discovered nothing about the murder through their own efforts. It was a Mishap. A blunder which revealed me. I know I killed him. When it comes to murder, few know it as I do. Few could have planned as I planned. Few could have put the body in such a trunk as I designed. A perfect trunk for transporting the body. Perfect. I'm a perfectionist, and that is my failing. I have been, in my perfection, destroyed by imperfect men. The man I killed, he was old. Old enough to be my father. I had planned each step and shipped his body in the trunk to a City only 90 miles away from the scene of the murder. Only 90 miles. And it was the fourth remaining step of a calculation in which each move had the precision of a mathematical equation. Check, please. Here you are. It's a medium sized trunk. Now we go by the numbers. It was train 91 out of Carlton. We arrived 30 minutes late at 7:21am Precisely. You should have been a train man. You're better than the dispatchers. Gee, I'm sorry, mister, but I think we sent your trunk out by mistake. You what? We'll get it back. Happen sometimes. You idiot. You stupid idiot. Now, wait a second. I don't have to. Yes, yes, you're quite right. And I apologize. When was it delivered? Yesterday. Has anyone phoned about it? Has anyone called complaining of the error? No. Perhaps they don't realize they have the wrong trunk. Perhaps they haven't opened it yet. Do you think that's possible? Do you think they might not have called because the trunk is still closed? It's the only reason people really beef. When they get the wrong trunk, they scream like wounded eagles. Give me their name and address. Oh, I'll look it up in the book. Oh, yeah, yeah. Here. Here it is. Name's Grannick. Yes. Thank you. Oh, aren't you going to write it down? I don't have to write it down. Oh, well, see you. Clerk, let me see that trunk. What? I want to see the trunk. I. I want to be sure it's not mine. The claim check's wrong. Yes, perhaps that's what the mistake lies in. The claim check. Okay, okay. So much nonsense about a lousy truck. Yeah, it's right here. Come on in here and look. Yes, this is my trunk. You sure you have skeleton keys? Open it. But your trunk. You got a key? I. I lost my key. Here's $10. Open it. Oh, that is my trunk. The drafting equipment, surveying instruments, they're mine. The tags must have been mixed up. If you want proof, why haven't they phoned? This is my trunk. This one, not the other. 1. I hated that clerk. I hate anyone I have to depend on. And I had to depend on him. I had to ask him to help me when I know you can never trust anyone's help. Ever. But I had to discover who the other people were. And their trunk would tell me. I had to know their secret before they found out mine. Take their trunk. Not to exchange it with mine. They might doubt me, ask me to open it. No. I had to get my trunk my own way and dispose of the body before anyone missed the man I had killed. Their name was Granick. And some letters in their trunk told me he had been a cripple for three years. Paralyzed in the waist down. An accident fall. I knew more than that. Much more. I knew he had just come out of a rehabilitation hospital. But did I know enough to get my trunk? Without their knowing who I really was or knowing the trunk was gone. They would know nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing of me. But I would know about them. Doesn't it give you a sense of power to know someone else's secret without their knowing any of yours? Yes. How do you do, Mrs. Granny? Yes. My name is Christensen. Is your husband around? My husband is in the living room. I know you're going to say he can't come to the door. I know of this accident. What did you say your name was? Christensen. Chris. I know your husband has a great problem. He must. Anyone handicapped like that must have. You have no right to say anything like that. No, no. Didn't they call you from the office? Didn't they tell you I was coming here? Who is it, Betty? It's just. If they didn't call you, then. You must listen to me. It's to your benefit to listen before I see him. Betty. In a minute, dear. We're a non profit organization devoted solely to evaluating the attitudes of the cripple. How they're functioning. How much help they need. How dependent they are on others. On their loved ones. You know what I mean, Mrs. Granny. Surely you must know how terribly dependent such victims become. With an inability to help themselves. The refusal, or rather a refusal to see what they're doing to the lives of their loved ones. Isn't that so, Mrs. Granick? Do you. Do you want me to tell him who you are? You can tell him I'm from the hospital. Routine interview. Checkup. Follow through checkup. Come in, Mr. Christensen. Two hours had been lost. But once more I began to feel better. Control of the whole situation was coming back into my hands. Once more I knew I could succeed. I could get the trunk and dispose of the body as I'd planned to do it, not as circumstance dictated. And because I had control again, I was able to listen to this wasting hulk of a man, this William Grannock, as he regaled me with his memories. But the trunk. Where was the trunk? I suppose everyone goes through this. Maybe I've taken longer to recuperate. Why is that? It's because of your active life, Mr. Grannick. Your previous activity was outdoors. Always. Civil engineering isn't for sissies. Oh, no, it's for men. For real men. Building bridges and roads. That's for doers. And you were a doer? Was a doer. Was Aztecs. And will be again. Never again. You had a hobby? Yeah, when I worked out. The hospital doll is stupid. He still has his drafting equipment. We kept that. Yes, that would be good work. Hypothetical engineering problems. I used to do that. I was going to be an engineer. For amusement, I used to pose hypothetical problems for myself and work them out. Really? Where'd you study? Back east. A long time ago. It couldn't be too long. Very long. But you're a young man. You. About your civil engineering. The drafting equipment, surveying instrument. I lost interest. I can't do anything with it. I can't sit indoors and pretend it's outdoors. Where is the equipment? Around. You know very well where it is, Bill. We put it in storage back home where we used to live. We took it out of storage. Mr. Christensen had it shipped here. Is it in a packing crate? No. Well, then what? What is it in? Well, what difference does it make? In case I could help to get it for you. A woman alone can't do it. Such equipment is heavy. She isn't alone. I'm here. Yes, darling. Yes, you are. You are here. And you do help me. It's in a trunk. An old trunk. And where is this old trunk? In the closet. But I don't want to see it. Had a man who delivered it put it there. In the closet. I'm through with it. And you haven't opened the trunk. You haven't opened it for a long time. In a way, that's better. It's raining. What? It started to rain. Are you? Maybe it's presumptuous, but not many people come over these days. But are you busy for supper? Why, no. No, I'm not. I'd be delighted. I was exhilarated. The excitement of getting my trunk, the thrill of my long battle almost won. Almost over. Ah, it's important to be exact. Only the exact survive. I felt as if I could do anything that night. Anything I wanted to. All the skills I developed over the years. Waiting. Waiting for them to go to bed. Waiting to get to the trunk. I used one of those skills. I made a pencil drawing of the man. All right. Turn your head a bit this way. Can I kiss? There. That's it. No, it's not right. We'll start over. It's about the 10th time. I'm going to do this in oils. Ultimately, it must be right. Exactly right, yeah. Maybe in engineering you have to be that accurate or a bridge would collapse if we went off a fraction. But in this. In Europe. I studied in Europe, I was told I had a great talent. Truly great talent. Correggio. You ever heard of him? He's a great teacher. He told me I'd never make a living at it because I was too demanding of myself. That's not good. Be too demanding, expect too much of yourself. That's. It's wrong. It's gone. Once you decide to abandon a talent, never turn back. My husband is going to turn back, of course, but that's different. I mean, an artist, when he doesn't feel greatness in one field, should go on to another. And an engineer. And I'm sure you were a fine engineer. Yeah, it was one of the best. He's won awards. Mr. Christensen, would. Would you like to see him? Why, yes. They're in the trunk, honey. I'll show you. No, please, don't bother yourself now. We'll have lots of time to talk. Lots of other conversations. Many. I guess it would be kind of boasting. It wouldn't be. There's nothing wrong with being proud of what you've done. No, no, no. Never mind. Betty. Oh, excuse me. It's awfully late. You know, Mr. Christensen, you've been kind of good for me. Brandon. Jose. Oh, Brandon. Brandon Christensen. My first name. Oh, I'm glad I've helped you. But how? Well, by showing me that we shouldn't hold on to something we can no longer do. But you can, darling. You can. I'm a cripple. I can't. And what would you propose as a solution? Maybe I ought to start with those drafting instruments. Start how? Maybe sell them. Maybe get them out of the trunk tomorrow morning and sell them. Yeah. Well, I better get to bed. Good night, Mr. Christensen. See you, my buddy. I can manage the crutches. Would you. Would you mind if I finished filling in my report here? Oh, certainly not. Go right ahead. Thank you. I'll see myself to the door, Mrs. Gunick. Well, good night, Mr. Christensen. Yeah, good night. Now wait. Wait for them to sleep. Autolight is bringing you Mr. Richard Basehart in the Perfectionist. In tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills. So spends. Hey, Harlow. What are you doing? I'm showing you how the auto light electrical system in your Auto light equipped car provides the power for starting the engine, sounding the horn and playing the radio and the lights and heater too. Hey, Harlow. Right, Hap. As well as the power that's so important every second your engine is running. They're all powered by the Autolight electrical system in which every unit and component part are related by Autolight Engineering, design and manufacturing skill to give you the finest performance money can buy. The electrical system is mighty important to us car owners, Harlow. And that's why you should treat your car's electrical system to a periodic checkup at your authorized auto light service station or the dealer who services your make of car. You can quickly locate your nearest authorized auto light service station in the classified section of the phone directory. Or call Western Union by number and ask for operator 25. She'll quickly tell you the name of your nearest authorized auto light service station. And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight. And now, Autolight brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, Mr. Richard Basehart in Elliot Lewis production of the Perfectionist. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. I waited until the house was silent, motionless, staring, listening. There in the open closet. In the trunk was the body. My heart started to pound. I advanced toward it in the dark. I felt wonderful here. So near completion. Here in the dark. In a moment, I would have it open. In a moment, she. She came into the room and turned on the light. I slammed the lock back and whirled to face her. What do you want, Mr. Christensen? I only wanted to. I. You had the key to that trunk, didn't you? I. I wanted to tell you something. Yes. Don't. Don't press me. Don't demand. I'll wait. Well, it's. It isn't easy. It isn't easy. It's very difficult to admit an error. A lie. Not an error. No, no, not a lie. Yes, it's a lie. You're not from the hospital. You were never near the hospital my husband was in. How did you know? How did you find out about us? Who are you? Can you forgive me? Listen. Don't judge before you listen. What's your name? And don't come any closer. I have this poker. I won't be threatened. I won't. I mean you no harm. My real name is Brandon. Carl Brandon. I mean you no harm at all. Please believe me. Please. Please. Why did you come here? I'm. I'm a student. Yes, I was in the army and wounded. I had wonderful dreams and plans about what I'd do after I got out. Wonderful dreams. My father's a rich man. He's old and rich. But I couldn't take anything from him after the war. And a pension isn't enough. But I couldn't take anything from him anymore. He gave me money and he told me what to do all the time. Why did you come here? I obtained a part time job in the hospital to support myself. I did work there, you see. But in their storage room. And I heard about the trunk your husband had with his drafting equipment in it. Yes, yes, the valuable equipment. I knew I could steal it and sell the things. I knew they were valuable. I know about things like that. I can tell you the cost of each instrument. Didn't the fact that my husband and I couldn't afford to buy new ones affect you any? Yes, that's what I'm trying to say. Yes, I admitted everything. Why do you keep accusing me? I admitted everything and I asked your forgiveness. Yes, I was wrong. What more can I do? What more do you want me to do? To leave? Turn to my father and say that I was wrong, I made a mistake, that he was right? Give me money, Tell me what to do. Order my life. Live my life. Show me my failings. Show me where I'm not as strong as he, as bright as he. As strong. As strong. No, wait. Don't leave. What? Stay a while. Just a minute. Sit down, Mr. Brannon. Go on. That's it. The Mr. Brandon. Sounds wrong. Mind if I call you Carl, isn't it? Yes, Carl. Carl Brandon. It's a nice sounding name, huh? Betty, make some coffee, will you, honey? Coffee? Yeah. How do you like it, Carl? Just plain black coffee. The way they drink it in the army, huh? Be, honey? Oh, yes, always. I was there myself. I know what it's like to come out and be hit with civilian life. This isn't a problem. There's nothing one cannot work out if one has the willpower and the self discipline. No, I couldn't have. Not without Betty. It takes a woman or a friend or just somebody who cares. It takes someone to help. I don't need any help, Mr. Greenig. Bill. Just call me Bill, Mr. Greenock. I don't need any help. I'M fully capable of solving my own problems without help, without advice. We all need help sometimes. None of us can live without it. You're bitter. I can understand it. I've felt it. But you have to listen to other people sometimes. Now, why don't you try your homey little platitudes on yourself? Did they do you any good in that wheelchair if they made you bounding with hope and ambition? Are you a better person now than you were before you were paralyzed? Don't preach to me. You'd better leave right now. Now. No, no, no. Betty, you have to listen. Maybe he's right, too. Maybe he can see my problem clearly the way I can see his. I can't stand waiting. Waiting sometimes makes me angry. I'm sorry. Sure. Sure, I understand. And even though I'm not too much older than you, Carl, I. I've seen an awful lot. I've been around a lot. And that's why, even though we might not meet again, I. I'd like to talk to you straight, like a member of your own family would. I don't need instruction. It's advice. And I don't need advice. We all need it sometimes, Carl. His advice was just like yours. To do things the way he did them. But letting me know that I could never do the things the way he did them. That I was incompetent and he was better, always better. I don't mean that. Not that way. Well, I did something better. Braver, something more daring, more skilled than he'd ever dreamed of doing. You understand? I've accomplished what he could never do. What do you mean? What are you trying to say? That you can keep your rotten advice to yourself? That you're nothing but a cripple? You're the cripple, not my husband. You're the cripple in your head. Only his legs are gone, but all right. Carl, what is it that you've done that so great? Get up. Go ahead of me. I'll show you. Do as I say now. Right now. I knew then. I knew I'd have to kill them. And perhaps they knew. A woman with a cripple for a husband. Perhaps they knew they had to be killed because. Because I don't know why I knew then, but I can't remember now. I knew more and more as they went fearfully toward the closet, afraid to make a move, to attack me. Afraid because he was a cripple and she was powerless. And I opened the closet door. My excitement was so great I hardly remember each step. I'm not lying. I barely remember. I turned the key in the lock. Each move was precise. Not a motion wasted. Not one action misplaced. For this was my victory against everything that stood in my way. Not to argue, not to discuss, but to kill. To kill perfectly quickly. Kill what stands in my way. Kill the Grannicks. Kill the man in the trunk, the man who looked like my father. And I swung it wide. It will do no good. It will not help. The time is past. Why not me first, Carl? You afraid of me? Afraid of a cripple? Why didn't I think? Why didn't I calculate? Why for the first time in my life, an act of passion. Without thinking, I leaped at him like an animal, like a beast. Have you ever fought a man whose legs are useless? Have you ever felt the arm of a man who uses his arms to sit and go and move and rise? They're steel. They went to my throat. And I struggled in a dream. I can even feel them now. This wasn't the way. Where is my triumph? My victory? Where is my glory? You afraid of me? Please. Please. You afraid of a crippled, perfect man? Stop. Please stop. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Bill, call the police first, buddy. Then come back and help me up. Presented by autolight. Tonight's star, Mr. Richard Basehart. This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for Autolight, world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment. Autolight is proud to serve the greatest names in the industry. That's why during the early months of 52, the autolight family will join together in saluting the leading car manufacturers who install Autolight products as original equipment. Our Autolight family is made up of the nearly 30,000 men and women in 28 great autolight plants from coast to coast. Our family also includes more than 18,000 people who have invested a portion of their savings in Autolight, as well as 96,000 autolight distributors and dealers in the United States and thousands more in Canada and throughout the world. Our Autolight family will salute the Dodge division of Chrysler Corporation on the next Autolight suspense television program. Check the day and time of suspense on television so that you will be sure to see this program and be with us next week for another thrilling suspense program on radio. Next week on suspense, our star will be Mr. Joseph Cotton, who will portray a man without emotion, the mechanical man in a tale we call Carnival. In weeks to come, we shall also present Mr. J. Carroll Nash, Mr. James Mason and Ms. Barbara Stanwyck, all on suspense. Suspense is produced and directed By Elliot Lewis. With music composed by Lucian Morowick and conducted by Lud Gluskin. The Perfectionist was written for suspense by Arthur Ross. In tonight's cast, Charlotte Lawrence was Betty Granick. William Conrad was Bill Granick. And Joseph Kearns was the attendant. Tonight's appearance is made possible through permission of 20th Century Fox. Mr. Basart may currently be seen in their production of Decision Before Dawn. And remember, next week on suspense. Mr. Joseph Cotton in Carnival. This is the CBS Radio Network. Suspense Tonight as we open a special limited series of five Friday night performances. At this hour, suspense brings you an incomparable study and terror. This Edgar Allen Pose, the Pit and the Pendulum. And a new setting as a radio player. Especially written for suspense By a contemporary master of the art, John Dixon Carr. As star. This evening we bring you a noted actor of the New York stage, Mr. Jose Ferrer. And as usual, suspense is produced, edited and directed by William Speer. I was sick. Sick unto death with that long agony. And when at length they unbound me and I was permitted to sit, I thought my senses were leaving me. The sound of the inquisitorial voices seemed merged into one dreamy, indeterminate harmony. Yet for a while I saw with how terrible an exaggeration. I saw the soft and nearly imperceptible waving of the stable draperies on the walls of the room. I saw the flames of the seven tall candles which burned on the table. I saw the lips of the black robed judges. And these lips appeared to me white. White as paper. White as horror. I saw them rise with a deadly locution. I saw them fashion the syllables of my name. Jean Dalbre. Captain Jean Dalbre. Good fathers, gentlemen, we hear you. My son. I am very weak and infirm. I have been confined for many months in a dungeon. I have been tormented by nightmares. Conscience. One trust. Free. Silence. Frantonia. Even now I have no knowledge of where I am or to whom I may be speaking. You're speaking to me, my son. I am Fra Pedro de Spedia. Friar of the Dominicans of Segovia. And Grand Inquisitor for all Spain. Is this the court of the Inquisition? It is. Thank God. Help me. He will help you, my son, if you trust him. But I am a French officer. That is true. A soldier and creature of the arch theme. Napoleon Bonaparte. But a French officer nonetheless. A prisoner of war. By what right do you try me in this court? Let the clerk read the charges against this prisoner. Pray silence while the clerk reads the charges. The charges against the prisoner are as follows. In Primus that he is one Jean Del Bray, a captain of artillery in the army of Bonaparte, so called Emperor of the French. This means nothing. Is the prisoner says it is no crime. Proceed. I tell that on the fourth day of September in the year of our Lord 1808, the said Jeanne Dalbray did wed, espouse and marry that most noble lady, the Donna Beatrice spouse Cordes, niece and ward of the Illustrious. One moment, your excellency. Spoke, Frantonio. Was any cheat employed to trap this girl into marriage against her will? No, we have no actual evidence of any cheat. Was the girl of age? I believe so. Then wherefore is the prisoner here? This marriage was a deplorable thing. If you like. Bonaparte himself is almost at the gates of Madrid. His general Lasalle menaces our city of Toledo itself. But lawful marriage, however regrettable, is no sin or crime. There are other matters in the indictment, I think. Then continue, but give us nothing that is not material. Item. That on 12th October 1808, the Sergeant Albray, being in command of a five gun battery of light artillery, did direct the fire of his guns against the Holy Church of St. Martha the Innocent and thereby of his wicked malice destroyed that church utterly. Captain Dalbr, Is this charge true? Yes. You admit it? Good father, hear what I have to say. If you recall, the church blew up. Would you boast of your sin, young man? It blew up because it was stored with kegs of gunpowder for your army. I had every right to fire on it. And that is all the defense you have to me. I tell you I had every right to fire on this by military law. Is military law above God's law? I don't know. I did my duty. Long live the Emperor. Captain Dalbray, hear the sentence of this court. Must I stand up to hear it? I am very weak. You may remain seated. I thank you most humbly. Had your offense been any acceptance, the Holy Office would have been merciful. Mark what I say. No man, however great his heresy, is ever condemned to be burnt in the fire. Fire. Fire. If he first recant and acknowledge the error of his ways. But for you, Jean d'albret, there can be no mercy, no pity. No. The only sentence of this cult can be the secular government arm to which we must release you has devised two ways of punishment in cases such as yours. You hear the tolling of bells? I hear them. It is the procession of the condemned going to the altar of the day. Soon the yellow light of the flames will stream through the windows and flicker on floor and ceiling. Don't get in horror, mo. Most of those condemned out of mercy will be strangled before they are burned. It cannot be so with you, Jean d'you. Must die in one of two ways. Either with the direst of physical a slow fire of green wood, ice, bandages about the head and heart, so that the fire does not approach too quickly. Love. Be silent, Antonio. I cry your pardon, Grand Inquisitor. Or else, Jean d'albret. You must die in a certain other way. I'm done with this. Pass your sentence and let me go. The law does not permit me to tell you now what this other way is. It must approach you slowly and force itself into your mind. It will stalk you like a tiger. It must bring you face to face at last with the King of Paris. The sentence of this call I have soon. Yet still I will not say that all of consciousness was lost. There are shadows of memory which tell me indistinctly of tall figures that lifted me and bore me in silence. Down, down, still down. Until a hideous dizziness suppressed me. At that descent into the earth, there was a vague horror at my heart because of that heart's unnatural stillness. Then consciousness swam back to my wits again. Darkness. Stone, floor and darkness. Oh, be wife. Did you call me young? Be that you who spoke? Yes, John. You here in the dungeons of the Inquisition? I am not really speaking to you, my poor Jean. I am only in your imagination. Am I mad, then? No. But your brain is fevered. You only think you hear me. I hear you clearly. As clearly as I once heard you in the little church near the Abram where we were married. I destroyed that church, Idris. I had to. It was my commanding officer's order. I know, John. Be comforted. There are those who you won't believe me. As long as I am in your heart, I shall be here. I was strong once, but now I'm weak. Once I was reckless. I'm afraid. Where am I? Beatrice. What are they going to do with me? I cannot tell. Remember, my voice comes only from your own brains. Are you fettered? No. They have not chained you to the wall? No. They've taken away my uniform. They've given me sandals and a robe of what feels like coarse surge. But I'm still free. Free. Take courage, y'all. Free and in the grasp of the Inquisition. I. Beavis, please. Jo. It is completely dark. There's hardly any air. I dread to get up. And I dread to stretch out my hands. Suppose they burnt me alive. Courage. Can you stand up? I Think so? Then walk. Walk as far as you can measure the living of the cell. If this is not a tomb. You're right, Beatrice. As always. I'll cry. Courage. Yes, silly, courage. Now I'll pray for a poor devil who always went well. One pace. Two. Three. Four. You are very weak. You rest a moment. Yes. Where are you now, Beatrice? In the flesh, I mean. You know that, Joe. In the old house by the olive grove corn of my people. Yes, I know it. Each morning I climb to the hilltop and watch. Go on. Sometimes I think I hear gun fields rumble in the hill and long moving columns with the red dust rising about them. Go on. First come the heavy cavalry. In plume crested helmets on their flanks, wailing like hawks. Light hussars in blue and scarlet. And behind them, in a glitter of bayonets as vast as light, points on the sea. Rank upon rank, the long grey coast and palms bearskin caps of the old gods and the grand army. It is only a vision, my dear one. They do not come. Will they ever come, Beatrice? I cannot tell. Then I must face what has been prepared for me. Beatrice. Yes. Yes. I tried to walk. I took some steps first. Yes, yes. In which direction, I can't remember. Are you facing the same way? I don't know. Perhaps. Then walk again. Try. Keep your hand in front of your Robin. Feeds me in. The floor is slacken. I'll try. Four pieces. Five. It can't be a tomb. Eight. Nine. Ten. Look out. I'm all right. I tell the rope. Trip me. Stop now. What is it? My hand is in front of me, lower than my face. But I feel nothing. Nothing. It's a pit. A circular pit. And I fell on of the very edge of it. She would have made you walk into it. There's a loose fragment of rock just inside the edge. If I can dislodge it. Listen. Water. There's something down there. Rest. It may be. Rest, yes. But something else. I heard it move. So do I. Accident. Save me. They would have had me plunged there, symbolically, like the descent of the soul. To keep company with something else. And quick. Death forms no part of their plan. What is in the pit, Theo? I can't say. But you are safe. Save be saved from the Inquisition. My torture has been nearly posted. Stoned. Deep sleep fell upon me. A sleep like that of death. How long it lasted, I know not. But when I opened my eyes once again, I could see. Yes, My prison was large and lofty, its walls formed of massive iron plates, bolted or joined together. A wild sorcerer's luster, I could not trace its origin, lit up the dungeon and the circular pit and the crudely dodged skeleton figures painted in evil colors on the iron walls. Skeleton figures. Demon figures, gargoyle figures. Their colors a little blurred as from the effects of the damp. And I must approach you slowly and force itself into your must stalk you like a tiger. It must bring you face to face at last. For the King of Terror. I now lay on my back and at full length and on a low framework of wood. To this framework I was securely bound by a long fastening resembling a surgical bandage. Bound? But why? Why? Why? Why? Why? The bandage passed round and round my body, leaving at liberty only my head and my left arm. With much exertion I could supply myself with food from an earthen dish on the floor beside me. It was meat, highly seasoned. And there was no. Beatrice. Beatrice, where are you? I am here, Jean. As always. Once I'm stronger. Does it? Jean. I can see you now. I can see you as clearly as I saw you months ago. Oh, I wish it were true. Your bonnet and the parasol you carried in summer. And the high waisted blue dress. You are weaker, my dear, and more fevered. Have I been asleep? Yes. They must have been here while I. Except they have bound me. Why? Why? Why? Why? Stop those voice and stop them. I am not here either, you know. Don't drive me away if it's locked. Where? At the ceiling of this room. 30, 40ft up. What do you see rested on the ceiling? A figure of Father Time. Anything else Father Time carries? No. S. He carries instead what looks like a gigantic pendulum from an ancient clock. About one thing. I swear I'm in my right senses. I saw that pendulum move. Painting cannot move. If pendulum did. It swung a little back and forth just like a real pendulum. Try not to trouble your brain. Father Time is not like those other paintings stored on the walls. The imps and devils and skeletons. That pendulum is real. It. Take care. Take care of what? You are not looking at the pendulum. Now take care of the rats. The rats from the pit. I see them warming up in dozens. You can see their glitter. One of them ran across hem of yours. Chris did it. What do they want? They have caught the scent of the meat in the dish beside you. Get it. Go. Go away. You hand above the plate. You are moved. Beatrice, where are you going? I can hardly hear you. You are sending me away. I'm sending you away? My poor loved one. You can't bear to see the rats running about my feet, can you? Even when you know I'm not here. Beatrice. It is true. Y'all. You are standing in. Yes, it's true. So, in a cell swarming with vermin. There are others. I had rather see here. I had rather. Did you call me Captain Dalbr? Man? In spirit. I am here. Who are you? Don't you recognize me? No. I am that second inquisitor, S. Antonio, whom you thought ant fair at your trial. But we were not unfair. We administer the law. That is all. Go. I command you, go. Not until I have first told you what you already guess. Which is? As the Grand Inquisitor said, There are two forms of death for such as you. One, death with its direct physical torture. The other death with. With its direct mental torture. And I have been condemned to the second. Your guess is good. Listen. Do you hear anything? Yes, I hear something. Turn your eyes upwards. Look at the ceiling. Huh? The pendulum. Aye, the pendulum. It has descended only a foot or so as yet. As you notice, it is not really a pendulum. No? No. Its underside is a crescent formed of sharp. Of razor sharp steel. A ponderous way, Captain Dubray. Its movement is slow now. Soon it will take on momentum. It will swing wider and wider. 30ft, perhaps. Presently, as it swings, you will hear it hiss. And with each broad movement, it will creep a trifle lower. Is directly above me? Yes. Above the region of your heart. Lie still and look up at him. How long before you need have no immediate fear? It will not be too soon. But how soon? In the name of pity, give me some answer. Hours, perhaps. Days. Its motion can be arrested while you sleep. And now, Captain Dalbrid, I leave you to your meditation. Minutes, hours, Days. Down, steadily down. It swept days past. It might have been many days before. It swept so closely as. Who? Stanley. With its acrid breath, the odor of the sharp seals forced itself into my nostrils. The right to the left. Ah. Why the street spirits through my heart. With the filthy face of a tiger, Certainly relentlessly power, I prayed I were in heaven. With my prayer for its most speedy disaster. I grew frantically mad and struggled to force myself up against that swing. Glittering death. No avail. Down, still unceasingly down, still inevitably down. The sharp speed flashed past within 3 inches of my chest. And then, only then, I heard you calling. I am here. It's a strange thing, Beatrice. I am quite calm. You are resigned, then? No, that is the strange thing. Even now I am not resigned. Is there a way out? How can there be? 10, 12 more vibrations and it will fray the surge of my robe. One slightly As a razor in a delicate hand. There will be many sweeps before its bite. I can't escape it. And yet. And yet. I could only use my wits. You kept me away from you, Jean. You locked me out of your thoughts. If I only in your thoughts, why should I fear the rats? Rats? What do they still swarm here across the floor? And over the week. Have you taken nearly all your food? And they have sharp teeth. Well, the meat is oily and spiced. If I take what remains of it. Stab her, you Vernon. And rub that meat on the bandages that hold me here. Try it. You try. Maybe too late. If I move my body a fraction of an inch out. Try it, I tell you. Try. I do try. But they are watching you. I can see their eyes glitter. They are creeping back on the wooden framework. Another follow. They are gnawing at the bandage Heaven. Eight more sweeps of the pendulum. The bandage gets read and little life still. Your life still heaven doesn't that sn is that, I wonder. Worse than this. A dozen sharp knives would do no better. Appendage loosely to ribbons. If you move sideways carefully and drop to the sniff. If I can't. I haven't read you. Ro minute more will be too late. Try and. And with all the power that is in me and the hatred that I bear my enemies. I'm tired. The pendulum stuff. They are drawing it back up through the roof. It's move by makers. Watch. You never doubted that. No. Yet with all they could do to you, they have failed twice. They will not fail at first time, my dear. There must be no more dallying with the king of terrors. What else can they? I can't say. See how the rats gnaw and silence the bandits? To what food, I wonder, have they been accustomed in the pit? But you escaped the pit. I escaped at once. Listen. What do you hear? Groaning. A grinding is of metal. It's only the cogwheels of the pendulum knife. I think not, Beatrice. Why not? It seemed to come from behind these iron plated walls. It seemed to shake the dungeon as a mille might shake it. Stand up, Michael. Get up off your knees. I can't be this. I can't enjoy the paintings on the wall of this dungeon. The skeletons and the empathy different. They are different. The colors sharpened grow bright. The demon's eyes glare skeletons hands outstretched. Don't you catch even yet the odor of heated iron? Heated iron. Have you been much humbled? But I won't have you in tears. I order you to go in the name of heaven. Yes, in the name of heaven. Suffocating heat pervaded the prison. The deeper glow settled in the painted eyes that cleared at me. I could draw no piece of air into my lungs. Against the loom of that fiery dysfunction, the thought of the pit and its coolness came like balm. I stagger to the edge of the pit. I look into it. The enkindled walls and roofs lighted to its depths. Yet for one wild moment, even then, I refuse to believe the meaning of what I see. Does the pit please you, Captain Albray? You do you find its contents pleasing? Not the pit, merciful God, anything but the pit. And how shall you avoid it? Look. Dungeon has changed its shape. That is true. The walls are closing in. It was formerly a square and now that means slowly towards the center to force me into the pit. Of course it will force you along with me. And apparently you must be told, Captain Dalbr, that you are speaking only to your own six hands. We are not here at all. Farewell. And now flat run flattered through the red burning walls with a quickness that left me no time for thought. Right back as the coating walls pressed me resistlessly onwards at length for my steered and rising body there was no longer an inch of foothold. I green worms I cluttered on the edge of the tent. I averted my eyes. There was a despondent hum of human voices. There was a loud laugh as of many trumpets. Fiery walls rushed back an outspread arms. Hy fel angels of the abyss. It was the arm of General La Salle. The French army had entered Toledo. The Inquisition was in the hands of its enemies. Suspense Produced, edited and directed by William Spear. Tonight you heard Mr. Jose Ferrer as star of the Pit and the Pendulum. First in a limited series of five Friday night performances at this hour which will present radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Suspense. Tonight's radio play was adapted by John Dixon Carr from the famous short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Jose Ferrer will soon be seen with Ingrid Bergman in Joan of Lorraine. Appearing tonight with Mr. Ferrer were Jeanette Nolan, John McIntyre, Elliot Lewis, Joseph Kearns, Eric Snowden and Paul McVeigh. Music for suspense is under the direction of Lud Gluskin with original music composed by Lucian Marwick. Next Friday, same time, we will again bring you suspense S.A. this is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. Tonight, Auto Light and its 96,000 dealers present Mr. Ray Milan in Chicken Feed, a suspense play produced and edited by William Spears. Hey, Hap. What happened? Get me a doctor. Rush. The fast getting here. Run my battery Dry. Why, you don't need a doctor. You need an Auto Light stay full battery. Why, these brilliant, beautiful, bouncy babies want water only three times a year. Yes, only three times a year. In normal car use, their larger liquid load is like a lake compared to ordinary batteries. And auto Light stay full batteries have extra protection with fiberglass retaining mats for longer life. Why, in tests conducted according to life cycle standards of the Society of Automotive Engineers, Autolight stay full batteries gave 70% longer average life than batteries without the stay full features. So, folks, get an Autolight stay full battery. Remember, you're always right with Autolight. Oh, and friends, a reminder. Suspense may be seen on television in many parts of the country every Tuesday night. And now with Chicken feed. And with the performance of Ray Milan, Autolight hopes once again to keep you in suspend. All right, it was a silly thing to fight over, I admit it. But there it was. A nickel. A measly worthless nickel. Chicken feed. But of course, that was the only the beginning. Junior had asked for a nickel, and I flipped it over to him. After he left the room, Mary said I shouldn't spoil the kid. It was time he learned the value of money. And I said, grace Scott, if I couldn't give my own child a nickel without her jumping down my throat, I said, after all, what's a nickel good for? Cup of coffee or. Oh, you know. You know how these things get going. You keep saying things you shouldn't. And she lashes out with an answer and before you know it, you've stormed out of the house and you're taking it out on the 50 miles. Cooled me down a little, but not much. I automatically slowed up when I came to the sign. You are now entering Lansing, California. Go slow and see our town. Go fast and see our jail. Everybody knew Lansing. Speed trap. Tough town. Driving at a normal speed through the quiet Sunday street gave me time to think of something besides the biting words Mary and I had slugged at each other. I pulled up at a little cafe next to the police station. Had a whitewash sign in the window. Best cup of coffee in town for 5 cents. And I resent that. Officer Brady too. Over easy, Sam, and heavy on the fried. What's yours, mister? Coffee, please. Coming up. Here you are. Say, Officer Brady, how's your star? Border Phillips? They're coming for him in the morning. They could be able to hold him until then. He got out of that Pennington jail like a paper bag. But don't worry, sister, Mr. Phillips won't get out of this one. Well, I Listened to him for half an ear while I sipped my coffee. Best cup in town for 5 cents. That reminded me of our argument over a nickel. That's about all a nickel's good for. A cup of coffee. Some places, a newspaper, phone call. There was a stack of the local papers nearby, and I pulled one over to look at this. Phillips is on the front page. Bank robber killed a teller. He had a face I wouldn't want to run into close. After a while, the hot coffee made me feel a little better. And maybe. Well, maybe I'd been at fault as much as Mary. She wasn't the only one who had a bad temper. On a sudden impulse, I left my coffee, went over to the phone on the far wall. I heard the dial tone, and then I fished in my pocket. But change it was. Was empty. Say, miss, could you change a dollar for me? I want to use the phone. Oh, yes, sir. Well, I. What's the matter, mister? Well, my. My wallet, I seem to have. Look, I'll be back in a minute. No, Mary wasn't the only one with the temper. I'd stormed out of the house without changing the contents of my pockets to clean my suit. Didn't have a dime on me, not a nickel. I rummaged in the glove compartment. Mary sometimes left the coin first, but this time, naturally, it wasn't there. I felt like a fool. What seems to be the trouble, mister? Oh, hello, officer. Well, I seem to have come out without any money. It's embarrassing. Yeah. Yeah, embarrassing. I didn't realize it. I tried to phone, but I. Oh, wait a minute. Just a minute. Huh? Where's your driver's license? Oh, it's in my wallet. San Francisco. Got any other identification? Well, the registration slip on the car. Oh, yeah, that's the car. What about you? Look, officer, I'm Ralph Clark. Clark and Jacobs, in the Hatfield building. They're attorneys. Attorneys. I should have a card somewhere. Kind of far from home to be without any dough, ain't you? Well, I came out of the house without changing the stuff into this suit. You know how it is. Yeah. How do you happen to have the keys to the car? Well, I don't take them out, and it's in the garage. Yeah. Say, you don't think. Where you headed for? Well, I know it sounds funny, but nowhere, really. You see, you had a fight with my wife, and I just batted out of the house to cool off. I tell you what, Mr. Clark. Suppose we just mosey over to the station house. The station house? Say, what is this? Oh, Nothing. Nothing at all. Right next door. And you can call your wife from there. But I don't see why that's necessary. If you just lend me a nickel, I could call here and reverse the charges. Well, we'll go. You can leave the car here. I'll take that key and. Look here, robbers. I don't. Move on, move on. All this stupid situation is still here. All right, Jim, what you got this time? Tell you better after he makes his call. Give me the phone. That's out of order. Went dead half hour ago. Yeah, I reported it. They said they can't have a man here before tomorrow. What did you tell him? This is a police station, for Pete's sakes. Sure, I told him it ain't dead, though. We get incoming calls and we still got the nickel snatcher over there. Oh, yeah? Well, there's a pay phone, Mr. Clark. You can make your call from there. I don't have any money, remember? Oh, okay. There's a nickel. Gee, thanks. Let me speak to your wife when you get her. This is going to sound fine, just fine. She'll think I really tied one on. Operator, I want to call San Francisco Filmo 6098 and reverse the charges, please. Thank you. Your number, please. This is four six zero. Hello. I have a collect call from Lansing, California for Fillmore 60098. Will you accept it? Lansing? Well, I don't know anyone. It's me, Mary. Take the call. Oh, it's you, is it? What do you think you're doing, 50 miles? Will you accept the call, madam? I should say, not the very ideal. Hey, Mary, wait. I'm sorry, the party will not accept the call. Look, operator, get her back, will you? This is important. I will read. Well, that's a sweetheart. She's there, the little. Why doesn't she pick up that phone? Your party does not answer? No. Well, that's your nickel. Let me have another one, will you? I'll get hold of my partner. He'll identify me. Look, we've wasted enough time. Come on in here. But those are the cells, Right. You're locking me up. Right again. But what's the big idea? I didn't do anything. What are you charging me with? I don't have to charge you with anything. I'm holding you on suspicion. Suspicion? Suspicion of what? Defrauding the cafe, for one thing. And I want to check that car. You think I stole it? Well, it's been done. Now wait a minute. If you'll just let me fall. You're entitled to one Call. You've had it. But look here, officer. Come on inside. Jail in jail. All on account of a measly nettle. A lousy stinking nickel. Hey, welcome to our jail, Stink pot of descent in the Weber Valley. That's slim. Yeah, you said it. Watch your beef, chum. Suspicion. Can you feature that suspicion? They won't even give me a nickel to phone. You mean you ain't even got a nickel? No, you see, I. Yeah, that's too bad, ain't it, Pete? Oh, yeah, sure is. I wish we could help you out. Yeah, maybe we can at that. You got a nickel? Sure, I got three of them. Well, lemme one, will you? Just one. I'll pay you back. I'll send you $10 as soon as I get out of here. What's it worth to you, chump? What I just told you. $10. Yeah, yeah, I know. Pie in the sky. Hey, my wristwatch. Why didn't I think of that before? What's the matter with it? Oh, nothing. Nothing's the matter with it. It's worth $50. Yeah, you fool. Look at it. It's yours for 5 cents. For one measly nickel. What can you lose? Must be something wrong with it. Is it hot? Hot? You mean stolen it? Of course not. What are you offering it for nickel for? Because I want to get out of this filthy place. Huh. So you don't like our company, is that it? Well, if you want to put it that way. No, I don't. The man don't like our company. Now, ain't that just too big? Hey, what do you think of that, Mr. Phillips? He don't like us. You got any nickels, Mr. Phillips? I followed his glance. For the first time, I saw, deep in the gloom of the locked cubicle, the face I'd seen on the front page of the newspaper. The face I'd said I wouldn't want to run into. Close. Well, it was close. And I was glad there were bars between us. Of course, us guys ain't much, but Mr. Phillips here, he's a big shot. Robbed four banks and broke into two jails. Killed a man, too. Yeah, sure, we're just vags, but Mr. Phillips, he's going to the hot seat. Yeah, they're coming to get him. Take him back to Utah. And Vinham, they don't burn him in Utah. They sure em. Ain't that right, Mr. Phillips? Mr. Phillips don't want to talk about it. Yeah, Mr. Phillips, he don't want to talk about nothing. Mr. Phillips seemed very sociable. Just like this. Oh, now, look, fellas, I didn't mean. I just meant I want to get out of this jail. Here, take the watch and give me the nickel, huh? Tell you what I'll do. I'll match you for it. Match me? Yeah. Nickel against the watch. Well, take it or leave it. All right, leave Pete Hall a watch here. I'll flip a nickel on the floor and you call it. Heads. Tails. I win. Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Get your foot over it. How do you know it's tails? It's tails, ain't it, Pete? Sure, it's tails. All right. Here's the watch, Slim. Say, what is this? Brother, you're not gonna get away with this. Get him, Pete. Yeah, this is for me. And me. Oh, don't kick me. Hey, what's going on in there? Officer, these men. No, it ain't nothing, Officer. This new guy is acting up, that's all. Well, quiet down in there. Now, get up. I can't. He kicked me. Trying to get us in trouble, huh? No, no, I. Look, fella, for heaven's sake, shut up. Okay, Kangaroo, I'll be the judge and you'll be the prosecutor, huh? Right. Maybe Mr. Phillips will be defense attorney. You want to. Mr. Phillips? He don't want him. Prisoner at the bar. Stand up. I said, stand up. Cut it out, William. Shut up. All right, counselor, what is the prisoner charged with? Your Honor, this man's a desperate criminal. He's charged with breaking into jail, insulting his fellow boarders, poor sportsmanship, fighting a very dangerous character. Your Honor. Oh, yeah, yeah. Guilty on all counts. Prisoner, have you anything to say before I pronounce sentence? No. Well, I fine you 5 cents. Hand it over. You know I haven't got it. Can't pay, huh? Well, then you can work it out. A rate of $0.01 a day. Your first job will be to shine the court's shoes. Shine your own shoes. Oh, he's going to be like that. Hold him, Slim. Yeah. Officer. Officer. Place them in there. Yes, sir. All right, now get on them shoes. I don't have anything to shine them with. You got a coat, ain't you? Now get going. The next hours were unadulterated agony. It was unbelievable, the filthy, inhuman things they could think up for me to do. It was. It was just frightful. With every move I made, I could feel the glittering steely eyes of the silent man in the locked cage on me, following me, weighing me. And finally, when they couldn't think of anything more, they forced me to stand at attention, looking Right into Phillips's cage. They couldn't see his face. It was too close to mine. But he. He winked at me and he nodded his head as though it were a signal. And then his two huge arms came through the bars and trust me, reading across the cell. And I fell and hit my head. And that's all. Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Ray Milan in Chicken Feed. Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspend. Hey, Hap, get a load of this picture. What the. A herd of camels picketing the auto light battery plane. Yeah, look at the signs. Auto light stay full batteries unfair to camels. Now how do you figure that? Well, it's easy. Those thirstless Auto light stay full batteries have kicked Camel's water reserve reputation into a cocked hat. You mean because an auto light stay full needs water only three times a year. Yay. And verily and also correct. Auto light stay full batteries need water only three times a year in normal car use. This extra liquid reserve expels one of the major causes of battery failure means exceedingly excellent performance and extremely long life. You'd say it's expedient to own an auto light stay full battery? Exactly. And for a few more Autolight stay full extras, get this. Extra protection with fiberglass retaining mats. Extra long life as compared to batteries without stay full features. In fact, 70% longer average life as established by tests conducted according to life cycle standards of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Why, with an Autolight stay full battery you can tell the difference in your car. You're right with Autolight. And now Autolight brings back to our Hollywood sound stage Ray Miland in Chicken Feed. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspend. I don't know what time it was. Two or three in the morning, I guess. When I felt a stealthy touch on my shoulder, I opened my eyes. I was still on the stone floor and Phillips was bending over me holding a revolver. My mouth opened for an involuntary cry and he clapped a hand over. Shut up, you fool. You want to wake him, punk? Get up quick and be quiet about it. I glanced quickly at Phillips's cell. It was open. So was the door to the corridor. He pushed me on and locked the door behind us. In his office, bound and gagged securely to his desk chair. Sergeant Ross glared at us. The empty holster at his side told where Phillips had got his gun. Here. Which is the key to your car? This one. Okay, take it and let's move. Where's the car? Over there. You drive. Yeah. Well, we made it Them hick bulls, they panicked me. Guy could spring that croc with a hairpin. But you, you nearly done a fine job of lousing things up. What happened? Getting thrown in the can in the middle of the day, huh? Well, they picked me up on suspicion. Well, it wasn't supposed to be till midnight tonight. And all that phony kid stuff about the nickel. The nickel? Yeah, all that double talk when all you had to do was slip me the word that Jerry Nickel sent you. Served you right, the way them luscious treated you. Acting like I died in a world square. Jerry. Nicholas Nichols. Nichols. My numbed brain slowly put the meaning of his words into shape. He thought. He thought I was an accomplice sent by a partner to help him break jail. Then all my screams about a nickel had been nothing but a signal to him. A signal that I came from Jerry Nichols. Jerry got the hideout set up? Yes. Where is it? The hideout? The hideout. Going to Jerry's place first, ain't we? Then what? Well, I. I'll take you to Jerry's. Then I guess he'll take you. Take over from there. How far is it to Jerry's? Can't be any more than about five miles. Is it? Well, it's. Look behind you. What's the matter? There's a car following us. Without lights. Well, I don't see. Hey, what's a big idea? You're trying to cross me. I couldn't help it. My foot slammed on the brake. That car. We. We've got to get out of here. Go ahead, get it started. Come on, come on. It's flooded. I'm getting out till that car passes you. Make for the other side. No tricks. Just to make sure, I'll take this key. I'd made myself a chance and I took it. I slipped out of the car on the other side and ran. Ran across the fields until I could run no more. After an interminable two miles, I found a road. And after a while of tramping along the road, A dark shape loom up before me. A gas station. And through the glass I could make out the outline of a telephone. I tried the door. It was locked, of course, but I found a tire iron and sprang the latch. I'd run to the phone, almost thrown myself on it before I saw it was a pay phone. In a rage, I shook the black box. I could hear the nickels inside, of course. A sheet of metal no thicker than a playing card, yet as inaccessible as the moon. But there must be some money in this room. My eyes focused On a battered desk. There was some change in it and a couple of dollar bills. The kind of money a man will leave as a sup to possible burglars. Burglars that meant me. Carefully, I abstracted a single nickel number. Please get me San Francisco Sutter one five double nine four. It's Morris Jacobs. Tell him that this is his partner, Ralph Clark, and ask him to accept the charges. Thank you. There's an interruption on the line and there may be a slight delay, sir. Will you hold on or shall I call you? I'll hold on, but hurry. Operator, it's important. One moment, please. As I waited, a glint of light pulled my eyes away from the phone. Far down the road, headlights of a car juggled over the rise and aimed towards me. It was the first car to come by since I'd hit the road. It might be a stray, a farmer starting out before sun up. But I. I couldn't take the chance. Hasty, I hung up the receiver, closed the cash drawer, snapped a lock on the door. Then I crouched beneath the desk. Open up. Hey, I've tried to wake that geezer before. He sleeps like a dead man. He may be back on the bottle again. I will get him up. Hey, Jerry. Jerry. To my horror, I had to creek bed springs from the rear of the station. A light appeared under the door I thought was just a rear door to the outside. It opened and two hairy barefoot legs under a fan of gun came through and made for the front. Who? Who is it? Freddy and Ross. Open up. Well, you're a fine bunch of cops running out of gas in the middle of the night. Come on, you. Come on, you chilly with the door open. I didn't get Phillips broke jail. What? Oh. Oh, you don't tell me. Well, how did he do that? You see, there was two of them. He had an accomplice, said he was a lawyer. We found their car abandoned on the road back of Ferris Hopper. Ran out of gas, so they can't be far away. Say, there was a big reward for Phillips after he broke jail at Bennington, wasn't there? Yeah. A thousand dollars. Hey, you know him, don't you? Yeah. You was in the Bennington Polk when he done that break. What was it? A drunk and disorderly or something? Had me a little too much in broker wind in the general store. We was roommates for the night. I was pretty scared. How did he do at the break? Oh, I don't know. I was sleeping it off. Thousand dollars reward, huh? Man could do a lot with a thousand dollars. Not that he couldn't. Aren't you getting any ideas now? That Phillips is a killer. And so is his partner, most likely. Well, I ain't exactly helpless myself. Get a nice little fellow on my side. Now, you take my advice, chum, and put that gun away. They show up here, you talk soft. Let us do the captures. Oh, sure, sure, I'll play saved. Well, we'll be going. Just wanted to alert you, Jerry. Yes, thanks. Thanks. Shalom, Bo. All right, you. Come out from under that desk. Come on out. I say, this gun's mighty nervous. Now, get your hands up and stand over there. Look, mister, I'll do the talking. Who are you? Look, you've got to believe me. I'm not a criminal. I'm a lawyer, and I. Oh, you must be the other one, huh? Keep them hands up. But I got into this by accident. I don't know. He helped me escape. Yes, Phillips. Well, I left him in the car. And that's another thing. You can get the reward. I know who he's going to meet, and they're going to a hideout and. Oh, I see. Who is he going to meet? Well, somebody named Jerry Nichols. He. There you are. If you let me get her that phone, I can clear everything. No, you don't. Stay right where you are. I'll plug you. But that's my partner. My law partner in San Francisco. I only broke in here so I could phone him. He'll identify me. You don't believe me? Oh, I believe you are. Then what? Answer it yourself. You'll see. Not on your life, mister. You think I'm out of my mind, but you've got to answer it. Jerry. You don't know what I went through to place that call. You just can't stand it. But, Jerry. You're Jerry Nichols. That's right. So you see, Jerry. Jerry. Turn off that light, you. It's Phillips. Stand over there by the window where he can see you. Go on, Jerry. Hey, come on in, Phillips. I ran out of gas. And that puncture. Jerry, I. What? It happened so fast that for a moment I had no reaction at all. None. I just watched it. Watched Phillips holding his chest with both hands. Watched that giant body twist convulsively on the floor and then lie still. Watched Jerry bend over him, then straighten up. Then as he turned, grinning to me, emotion, feeling came back. And what I felt was seething, overpowering. Rage, fury. Everything had been through this night. It was like a boiler that had to burst. Well, dead or alive, I just made me a thousand bucks. You foul Stinking scum. What? You're worse than he is. Shut up. Maybe I'll get a reward for you, too. A small one. I could feel the bullet land in my side just below the belt, and the avenues of pain spread out like the cracks in the hammered window glass. But somehow, strangely, it didn't stop me. I kept moving toward him. He backed away, surprised. He was aiming for another shot when we grabbed one. I got the gun. He got me by the throat. I'm kidding. He stumbled. I held out of his hand that was holding the gun. I wouldn't let go. And then, as he fell back, was over the chair. I was on top of him. He wouldn't let go of that gun. As we thrashed around there on the floor, I brought his hand up suddenly and smashed his own gun into his face. Then he laughed. I listened. I listened to his heart. He was all right. He was all right. I got up, gasping for breath. And then I realized that I was all right. Yet he'd shot me, hit me. I should be lying there on the plank floor instead of that grotesque heap in the shapeless flannel light gown. I felt my side with a bullet had struck, brought my hand away. There was no blood on it, yet there should be blood. I touched the spot again. I fingered the contour of something small and hard and round. I pulled it out of my watch pocket, battered with a slug that struck it bent almost double. A nickel. A nickel. The 20th part of a dollar. All a man need to buy a cup of coffee to make a phone call, to buy a fine in a kangaroo court to save his life. And I'd had it all the time. I'd had it all the time. I'd had it all the time. Huh? Huh? Oh. Oh. Hello. I have your party now in San Francisco. Shall I connect you, sir? Huh? Yeah, but first. First get the Lansing police station, will you? Operator, Lansing police. Yeah. Shut up, Jerry. You're gonna live and I'm gonna be in court with you. Yeah, well, I wouldn't give a plug nickel for suspense. Presented by Autolight. Tonight's star, Ray Miland in chicken feed. Say, Mr. Miland, in a recent movie, I saw you as a baseball pitcher. Yes, that's right. You as a pitcher and Paul Douglas as a catcher made a wonderful battery. That sounds like a lead in for me to say that Autolight makes a wonderful battery, too. You can say that again. All right, I will. Autolight makes a wonderful battery. Right you are, Ray. It's the Autolight stay full that needs water. Only three times a year in normal car use. Made by Autolight, makers of over 400 products for cars, trucks, airplanes and boats in 28 auto light plants from coast to coast. Autolight also makes complete electrical systems for many makes of America's finest cars. Batteries, spark plugs, generators, starting motors, coils, distributors, all engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. So folks, don't accept electrical parts that are supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on Autolight original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with Autolight. Next Thursday for suspense, Dorothy McGuire will be our star. The play is called Last Confession, and it is, as we say, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Tonight's suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by Norman MacDonald. Music for suspense is composed by Lucian Morawek and conducted by Lud Gluskin. Chicken Feed was a radio play by Lawrence Goldman. Ray Milan appeared through the courtesy of Paramount Pictures, whose current release is Top of the Morning, starring Bing Crosby, Ann Blythe and Barry Fitzgerald. Don't forget, next Thursday, same time, Auto Light will present Suspense, starring Dorothy McGuire. You can buy Autolight stateful batteries, Auto Light resistor, spark plugs, Auto Light electrical parts at your neighborhood Auto Light dealers. Switch to Autolight. Good night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. Autolight and its 96,000 dealers present suspense. Tonight, Auto Light brings you after the movies, a suspense play starring Mr. Ray Milan. I'd been called a jury duty a couple of weeks before all this happened. It was one of those kind of sensational trials. And a judge told us jurors not to go out in any public places where we might be approached or influenced. So I've been sticking pretty close to the hotel. So it was a real treat when they said we were free for a couple of days because the witness was sick. Of course, the movies is a public place. But Ann didn't think that would really count. And neither did I. We went to the early show across the street from the hotel and got out about half past nine. I thought she was darling. I didn't care so much for him, though I didn't think she was too hot either. Say, what's the difference, really? The first movie I've seen since the trial started. How about some ice cream? We got those little cakes at home. Some ice cream might go nice with them. I don't know if I can go home. You mean this jury thing? Oh, you're free for a Couple of days. Isn't that what they told you? Not gonna do any harm for you to sleep home tonight. I suppose not. What kind do you want? What? Ice cream. Chocolate. Come on. Well, well, hello there. How are you this evening, folks? Yeah, fine, just fine. What can I do for you? About a quart of ice cream. Chocolate. Right. Say, how's the trial going? You're on the jury, aren't you? Yeah, but I'm not supposed to talk about it. Oh, yeah, I should know better than to ask. I bet you we have five, seven jurors a day come in here from a hotel across the street. Hey, you think you've been on this trial a long time? Some people stay on for months. Well, I'll tell you what I think about this Harmon fella. I'm not supposed to let anybody talk to me about it either. Oh, say, that's right. I forgot about that. Well, that'll be 60 cents. Yeah, I got it, Ann. Now what did I do with my wallet? No, here at 60 out of one. And thank you. Well, I hope now that you know us, you'll trade here sometimes even after the trial's over. My name is adelson. Well, I'm Mr. Benig and this is my wife, Ann. I'm happy to know you. I hope you'll be through with the thing real soon. I hope so, too. Good night. Al? Yeah? Look what I found. What? An envelope on the floor right here. Somebody dropped something, huh? Yeah, it's open too. I wonder if we should, you know, to find the owner. Say, hey, money bills. Hey, let me see. How much is there, Al? Al? How much, Al? $10,000. Huh? 10,000. Who dropped $10,000 on the floor of a. In just a moment, Mr. Ray Milan in the first act of after the Movies. Hello there. Harley Wilcox. Why, it's Santa Claus. That's right. What are you doing here, Santa? Well, I thought you'd like to hear about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. Your reindeer. No, no, my ignition engineered auto light spark plugs on a sleigh. Oh, I turned in my sleigh for a sky sedan. And since I replaced my worn out reindeer, I mean spark plugs with ignition engineered auto light spark plugs, why, I've been getting. I know. Smoother performance, fast starts, gas savings. Ignition engineered auto light spark plugs, you know, are world famous for quality and dependability. Ah, how right you are, Harlow. Now, I know what you mean when you say ignition engineered auto light spark spark plugs are designed by the same auto light Engineers who designed the coil, distributor and all the other important parts of the complete ignition systems used as original factory equipment on leading makes of America's finest cars. That's why auto light spark plugs work as a perfect team with your car's ignition system. Well, hang up a big stocking. Harlow, you've been a good boy to tell me about ignition engineered Auto light spark plugs. Glad to do it, Santa. And whether you choose the resistor type or the standard type, you'll be right, because you're always right with Autolight. And now with after the movies and the performance of Mr. Ray Milland, autolight hopes once again to keep you in suspense. $10,000. You mean the envelope was just laying there on the floor? I almost stepped on it. And then I picked it up and I saw there was something in it. Al, what should we do? Gee, a thing like this, I. I don't know what to say. If I was you, I'd keep it. That's what I'd do. And since it was in my store. Oh, no, we couldn't do that. Well, I could. It ain't stealing. You found it. And it was my store you found it in. We better turn it in. Look, if there's a reward, we'll get together on it, won't we? There's some kind of a note in it. A note? Yeah, in with the money. This is your first half as agreed. And no signature. Doesn't make much sense to me. Me either. Hey, where you going with that money? If anybody comes looking for it, we live on 5th Street. 2:29. If as a reward, we'll see you get your share. Mr. Adelson. Come on in. Don't worry, Mr. Adelson. Don't worry. $10,000 is a lot of money. I said there was nothing to worry about. But I wasn't feeling quite as breezy as I sounded. $10,000 is an awful lot of money. Anne was still trying to figure it out when we got home. One thing I'd always said about Ann, she had a good mind. Now she remembered the note and she took off from there. Al, it must mean something. It was written to somebody. It must mean something to them. After all, it's $10,000. Let's get on with the ice cream. Oh, all right. Look, Annie, if nobody claims it by tomorrow, we'll put an ad in the paper or something. It's not our worry. Yeah, Chocolate. We could keep it, couldn't we? I mean, the law says finders keepers. If nobody can prove it's Theirs. We can keep it, can't we? Isn't there a law? Well, I guess as far as the law is concerned, we could keep it. Of course, we'd have to give part of it to Mr. Adelson. Mm, I don't know, Al. That money belongs to somebody, all right. If they claim it, all right. If they don't, well, all mine. Why worry about it? Belongs to whoever that note was written to. Now, listen, listen. This is your first half as agreed in the, eh. Business. But if they are not hung up when the time comes, don't expect to get the rest or stay healthy very long. No signature. No signature. Al, that last part about staying healthy, that's a threat. That's what it is. Threat. Well, yeah, it could be. The man who's giving the money is threatening the man who's getting it. That if he doesn't. Doesn't what? Al, don't be so dense. Help me a little. Doesn't do what they're paying him to do. It's a bribe. Don't you see, Al? This money is a bribe. Bribe? That's right, Annie. You could be right at that. Well, now we're getting somewhere. All right, a bribe. And it has something to do with something being hung up. If they are not hung up when the time comes, it says what could be hung up that's so important to anybody? Jury. That's it. A jury that can't reach a verdict. Al, I'll bet that's it. Somebody is trying to bribe somebody on a jury. To what, Al? Those initials, eh. Edward Harmon. The name of the man that's on trial. The jury that you're on. Gee, I don't know, Ann. They all seem like such nice, decent people. Listen, listen. This is your first half. The $10,000 as agreed in the EH. That is the Edward Harmon business. But if they are not hung up as a jury, don't expect to stay healthy. Yeah. Yeah, it does make sense, Annie. Hal, we've got to call the police. Police? Sure. We've got to report it right away. Well, maybe I should give it the district attorney in the morning. No, don't you see, Al? You're on that jury. Why, if we delay telling them for even an hour, they may think you've got something to hide. No, I think I better wait till the morning. If you don't phone them, I will right away. Now. Well, I hope you're right. I hope this is the right thing to do. My name is Albert H. Benig. That's right. I live at 229 Fifth Street. Yeah, I want to report something to you. There's a drugstore on the corner across the street from the courthouse. And my wife and I were in there earlier this evening, and my wife found something. Yeah? Well, on the floor it was an envelope with $10,000 in it and a note. Now, we think it has something to do with the Edward Harmon trial. Yeah. No, just my wife. Yeah, she's sitting right here with me. Yeah, that's what I think. You'd be doing me a great favor if you'd. Yes, we'd wait right here. We'd be expecting you. What did they say? They said they'd send somebody up just as soon as they could. Well, weren't they excited about it? Didn't they say anything? Well, Ann, I guess with people like that, these things are just sort of routine. That must be them now, Al. I'll go. I must say, they took their time about it. Oh, good evening, gentlemen. Come in. Thanks. You're Mr. Benig? Albert H. Benig? That's right. This is my wife. How do you do? I sort of expected to see someone in uniform. I should have known, I suppose. Uniform, yes. You gentlemen are from the police, aren't you? No. No, we're not. Oh, you expecting the police, lady? Yes, we were. Better not take too much time, Johnny. I think you people got something that belongs to us. Something you found in the drugstore in the corner. Oh, we lost it there. Druggist told us you had it. Well, we did find something. Yes. Ten grand and five hundreds in a white envelope. Well, I guess it's theirs all right, Anne. Yes, but. But what? Well, I'm sure it's yours. But there was something else, too. We better just give it to a man. The note. I always said that was foolish. There was a note? Yes. You read it? We glanced through it, of course. We thought it might tell us who the money belonged to. And it did, didn't it? No. Oh, no. Come on, lady. Now, wait a minute. This is a gun, man. Hi. The note told you that the DOE was to buy off somebody on the jury of the Harmon trial, didn't it? You talk too much, Johnny. Come on, let's get out of here. What's the difference? Use your head. All right. What about it, Mrs. Benning? How did you know it was in the note? We gotta know these things. We work for Mr. Harmon. We know you're on the jury, too, Mr. Benning. Al. Where you from, Mrs. Benning? I mean, where do you folks live? What part of the country? Why Washington? Spokane, Washington. All right, Mr. Bennett, you go on down that trial. Amar. Just thought nothing had happened. Anybody asks you about your wife, you tell them she's gone on a little visit to old folks in Spokane. Visit to my folks? The case will go to the jury on Friday. If everything goes like it should, your wife will be back here safe and sound first thing Monday morning. Oh, good Lord. But you can't do a thing like this. You can be reasonable, Mrs. Benick. We gotta. You people know too much about this thing. Well, we wouldn't say anything, I promise. I swear it. Now how can we take a chance like that? Armin is up for murder. Better get your things together, Mrs. Penic. Go with us, Sam. We ain't got all night, though. I'll take the money, Mr. Pennick, before I forget it. Thanks. I hope you understand our position. What are you going to do? Well, obviously the money went to the wrong party. So we got to use another method. If everything goes like it should on that jury, your wife will be okay. But if it doesn't, you can't. You can't do that. Oh, but we can. Saves us a lot of money too. And Mr. Benig, not a word to the authorities. Your wife would make a cute corpse. Autolight is bringing you Mr. Ray Milan in After the Movies. Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspends. Hey, Santa Claus. No kidding? Did you really name your Autolight spark plugs after your reindeer? I certainly did, Arlo. How come? Well, for one thing, those reindeer were always unexcelled for fast starts, smooth performance and gas savings. And so are those ignition engineered auto light spark plugs. They sure are, Harlow. And of course, those reindeer are famous as a perfect team. Just as ignition engineered Autolight spark plugs are famous for working as a perfect team with your car's ignition system. Because you see, they're designed by the same Autolight engineers who designed the complete ignition systems used as original factory equipment on many leading makes of America's finest cars. That's why you say they're ignition engineered, hey, Harlow? Sure, Santa. So, folks, see your friendly Autolight spark plug dealer and have him replace worn out spark plugs with ignition engineered Autolight spark plugs. And whether you choose the standard type or the resistor type, remember, you're always right with Autolight. And now, Autolight brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, Mr. Ray Milan in Elliot Lewis production of after the Movies, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspend. After they left, I just sat there. Maybe another Guy would have rushed right off and done something, but I couldn't. I had to think. It had all happened so suddenly, in less than an hour. The whole thing. And picking up the money on the floor at the drugstore and then figuring out from the note that it was a bribe to someone on the jury of the house Harmon trial. The jury I was on. And those gangsters arriving and claiming the money and taking Ann as a hostage for my verdict. The police hadn't arrived. I left home, sneaked out the back way, took the side streets and went to the office of the chief of detectives. So you came down here. What are we sitting here for? Why don't we do something? We got to know what we're doing before we start doing it. Anyway, from what you told me, I don't think she'll be in any. No real danger. She's been kidnapped by gangsters. But why? That's what doesn't make sense to me yet. I told you the money was some kind of a bribe. They thought we knew about it. But you didn't. How could we? Ann just picked up the money off the floor and they said that they'd have her back by Monday. That's what they said. You can believe them if you want her, but she's my wife. Okay. Okay. What do these two cookies look like? I don't know. Average sized, Doc, I think. I don't remember what they looked like. Did you catch their name? I didn't ask them. You're not going to be much help for a while, are you? Okay. It's all right. By the way, my name's Dan. Mine's Al. You'll probably be seeing quite a lot of me in the next day or two, so we might as well get acquainted. And Al. Yeah? Take it easy. We'll find your wife. His being friendly like that made me feel a lot better. But we still weren't doing anything. First he got out a lot of pictures and I had to go through all those, but of course I couldn't recognize anybody. And then he started making phone calls that didn't make much sense to me either, except that he figured they might have the stolen car and he was trying to check on it. Finally, he called a police car and we drove back toward the courthouse. It was 12 o'clock, but Mr. Adelson hadn't left the store. He was anxious enough to talk, but didn't look as though he was going to get us any place. I tell you, Lieutenant, it was right there on the floor. Right there. Yeah, but when you talk to these two men? Oh, yes. Well, I talked to them, the one that is. And he said he'd lost an envelope, he thought, in my store. And I said, yes, we'd found it, and Mr. Benig had it. So you talked to him. What did they look like? Well, now, how can I know what they look like when they called me on the telephone? Okay, I guess that's all, Mr. Adelson. I'm sorry, lieutenant. I wish I could help you. That's perfectly all right. If there's anything else to do, we'll call you. Hey. Hey, Mr. Benny. Yeah? Did you tell him about the note? Note? Yeah, the note that was in with the money. So there was a note? Sure. In with the money, wasn't it, Mr. Benning? What about it, Al? Well, I. I'm sorry. I. I guess I forgot. We drove back to 5th street and parked in front of our apartment. Dan didn't say a word until we got into the elevator. Then he spoke to the elevator boy, not to me. You take Mrs. Benig and a couple of men down tonight, about 10:30? Yeah, that's right. Police? Mm. What'd they look like? I couldn't really tell you. They had their hats pulled down, sort of. One was tall and the other was short. That's about all I noticed. Oh, wait a minute. Yeah, the tall one had kind of a limp. He had a cane. A limp, huh? You hear any names? Yeah. And now that you speak of it, the short one called the tall one Johnny. Funny, I didn't think of it. A tall one and a short one, and the tall one's name was Johnny, and he had a lance. Bet that breaks the case wide open, huh? Yeah. Yeah, I'll see that you got a citation. We got off at my floor and I opened up the apartment and we went in and he still didn't say anything. He prowled around the apartment, poking into bureaus and closets, but not saying a word. Then he came out in the living room and sat down in the big armchair and looked straight at me. All right. O What about the note? Well, I'm sorry, Dan. I didn't think it was important. You're not sore, are you? Me? What have I got to be sore about? It's your wife. Yeah, and I'm sorry. And what about the note? All it said was something like, this is the first half, as we agreed, and no signature. Have you got it? No. They took it when they took the money and you couldn't remember. That one was a tall guy and the Other was a short guy and that the tall guy's name was Johnny. But I was all upset. I didn't even know if I heard his name. Are you trying to pretend protect her, Al? No, no. I've told you everything I can. Okay, Forget it. Tennessee. A bribe. That means that somebody wants something or is on the spot. The fix will be on by Monday, they say. Now, who is there in this town that employs gunsels that would have a deal with that much dose set for next Monday? There could be a million deals like that. Quiet. Let me think a minute. William. Johnny. A cane and a short guy. It's on the tip of my tongue. And it wasn't so long ago either. Sure, sure. Why didn't I think of it? Think of what? Bill Quinlan, the defense lawyer in the Harmon case. Those are his boys. Had him up a dozen times. He always comes and gets them off. The Harmon trial? Yeah. This Harmon is up on a murder rap, a bank robbery, a guard was killed. His lawyer is Bill Quinlan. Quinlan's bribe. More juries and I got hairs on my head. If you could ever prove it. Get a couple of hung juries and they let you off the hook. He's pulled up plenty of times. Well, isn't that a little far fetched? It's like I say, Al. It's all we've got. I'll have the boys check the jury list anyway. Where's your phone? In there. Dan. Yeah? Dan, I'm on that jury. You what? Well, don't you see? If I opened my mouth, they'd kill her. They told me so. So that's it. I didn't dare tell you, Dan. I hoped you'd find her without. Oh, you long legged, thick headed idiot. Don't you think I've been in this business long enough to know it a little better than you do? Don't you think I know how to give people protection when I have to? Do you think we go around trying to get people killed? Do you know any more that you haven't told me? No. You know who the juror is they're trying to bribe? Nope. Yeah. Okay. At least now we know where to start looking. Dan? Yeah? You're not sore at me, are you? Me? No. What have I got to be sore about? We knew where to start looking, but it wasn't as easy as that. I was still on the jury, of course. And they didn't dare make a move against Harmon because of Ann. The case went to the jury and there was still no word of her. And of course I Had to vote not guilty. They understood that. But as it turned out, the vote was 8 to 4, so it didn't really matter with a hung jury. Harmon was scheduled for a new trial anyway, by now. It was Monday, the day Anne was supposed to return. But there was no word. What if they'd found out? The police knew I was on the jury. It was nearly midnight when Dan came to the apartment. He looked as though he hadn't. I hadn't either. He told me to come along with him. He didn't say much until we were way down on Avenue C in the Lower east side. Don't let her get out, fella. But I think we're gonna come out all right. When did you find out? About an hour ago. We trailed Harmon. That's why he got bailed. Dan, don't kid me. Are you sure that she's. As sure as we can be. We know where they are. She'll be there. Now, that's the place. Third house down. Ellis, you and Wilson stake out the back. Farley, Edwards, take the front. I'm going in. All right, get going. Dan? Yeah? I want to go with you. You stay in the car. I'm going with you. Okay. Come on, now. Let's go. There's a light in the front. They may give us a little reception. I'll. They wouldn't do anything to her, would they, Dan? I'll try the door. It's locked. Can we bust it open? I got a skeleton. All right, close it behind you so the streetlight won't show us up. Okay. They're coming now. Those are my boys. Let's try in here. I don't think anybody's around. Come on. Maybe they took us someplace else. Quiet. No, Al, you better stay up. Why? What is it? What is it? It's her, Al. Your wife. She is dead. She was dead. And the next day, there was the funeral. A lot of friends came around and shook hands and looked at me sad. And I stood by where she was lying with all the flowers around her. This wasn't the way it was supposed to work out. Dan came, too. For a long time, he stood there looking at her and my friends and me. You called them, didn't you? I called them. Yeah, you called them. And she thought you were calling the police. That's why the police never showed up. I called them. She was so insistent, I had to call somebody. I didn't think they'd take her away. I thought they'd just take the money and leave, forget the whole thing. But they took her too. What about the money? The money they paid me for the trial. The money for the trial. The $10,000. I told you they took it. They took the money and they took her. All except $500. I kept that in my pocket. They didn't get that. That's what I paid for the funeral with. I know we had the numbers of the bills when we picked them up later last night. They had it all except $500. That's what brought me back to you. It's funny. I did it for her. To buy her nice things. And all I bought her was a funeral. Say goodbye, Al. You'll have to come with me. Suspense Presented by Auto light tonight's star, Mr. Ray Milan. @ my workshop we make toys for all the little girls and boys. We work hard to make them right. Make em perfect, like Autolight. You said it, Santa. Autolight makes more than 400 products for cars, trucks, planes and boats in 28 plants from coast to coast. These include complete ignition systems. Used as original factory equipment on many makes of America's finest cars. Generators, coils, distributors, voltage regulators, wire and cable starting motors. All engineered to fit together perfectly. Work together perfectly because they're a perfect team. So friends, don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good. Ask for and insist on original factory parts at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage or repair shop. And because all Autolight parts are original factory parts, you can be sure you're right. Because you're always right with Autolight. Next week on suspense, Mr. Alan Ladd as star of A Killing in Abilene. And in weeks to come you will hear such famous stars as Dennis Day, Cornell Wilde and Ginger Rogers. All appearing in tales well calculated to keep you in suspense. Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis. With music composed by Lucian Morowek and conducted by Lud Bluskin. Parts of this program were transcribed after the movies. Was written for suspense by Jack Finney and was adapted by Robert L. Richards and David Ellis. Ray Milan appeared by arrangement with Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Producers of the Technicolor picture King Solomon's Minds. With Deborah Carr, Stuart Granger and Richard Carlson. And remember next week on suspense. Mr. Alan Ladd in A Killing in Abilene. You can buy world famous Auto Light resistor type or standard type spark plugs. Autolight safe or batteries. Auto Light electrical parts at your neighborhood Autolight dealers. Switch to Autolight. Good night. This is cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System. That will do it for our bonus episode featuring Columbo killers who also starred on suspense. Thanks for joining me and thanks for your patience. I know I've been MIA a lot over the last few weeks, but I'm hoping that finally changes. We're heading into the holidays now. There's some family stuff that's been sorted out, and I'm hoping to be able to bring you new shows through the end of the year and beyond. My plan is to be back on Thursday with our next regular episode featuring John Payne. And in the weeks to come, we'll hear from Herbert Marshall Bartlett Robinson, our annual holiday special. And right around the Corner is the 400th episode of Stars on Suspense. In the meantime, you can check out down these Mean Streets. That's my old time Radio Detective podcast. New episodes of that show are out on Sundays. 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 now good night until next time when I'll be back with another Hollywood legend in More Tales well calculated to keep you in suspense. Ladies and gentlemen, the chief hope of our enemies is to divide the United States along racial and and religious lines and thereby conquer us. Let's not spread prejudice. A divided America is a weak America. Through our behavior, we encourage the respect of our children and make them better neighbors to all races and religions. Remind them that being good neighbors has helped make our country great and kept her free. Thank you.