← Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)
Stars on Suspense (Old Time Radio)
Episode 399 - Frank Lovejoy (Part 7)
01:42:01
We're ringing in 2025 with the great Frank Lovejoy in three radio thrillers, including a belated New Year's Eve story. First, he tries to talk an amateur pilot safely down to the ground in "The Long Night" (originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1958)....
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- [00:13]
Narrator
Now, let's see. Suspect, suspect, 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.
- [00:55]
Host
Happy New Year and welcome to Stars on Suspense. As we kick off 2025 with more Hollywood legends in radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Our first leading man of the year is one of my favorites, Frank Lovejoy, who's back for his seventh showcase on the podcast. Today. We'll hear him in three radio thrillers, including one that's just in time for a belated New Year's Eve celebration. Up first, however, is an encore production of one of Mr. Lovejoy's previous suspense performances in the Long Night. The version we'll hear today originally aired on CBS on July 13, 1958, but the story was first presented with Frank Lovejoy in the lead in 1956. You can hear that version on our third Frank Lovejoy episode. Both productions of the story are great, and the Long Night is one of the best nail biters suspense ever produced. Lovejoy plays an air traffic controller who in real time tries to talk an amateur pilot down to a safe landing. Interestingly, producer director William N. Robeson tells us at the start of the show that between the original production and the 1958 version, Frank Lovejoy went out and got his pilot's license. So maybe the first production got under his skin. Then from December 28, 1958, it's the 32nd of December. No, that's right. Even though that's not a date that appears on any of our calendars. But in this story, Frank Lovejoy discovers there's more to time than he imagined. He plays a gambler deep in debt, but on New Year's Eve, when he visits a pawn shop to raise some much needed cash, he ends up acquiring an unusual watch, a watch with dials that can move him back and forth in time. No spoilers, except to say this one treads into Twilight Zone territory. A rare trip into science fiction for suspense. And for our final suspense show today, we'll hear Frank Lovejoy in Death in Box 2, 3, 4. Originally aired on CBS on March 15, 1959. Here, Mr. Lovejoy plays a bank teller who devises a perfect plan to steal over $100,000 from a recently filled safe deposit box. And since it's an episode of suspense, you can probably imagine the plan goes off without a hitch and no unforeseen complications. Finally today, we'll hear Frank Lovejoy in an episode of Nightbeat his own radio series and one of the best dramas of the era. Lovejoy played Chicago reporter Randy Stone, who walked the streets of the Windy City each night to find stories for his column. We'll hear one of my favorite episodes, a show known as the Football Player and the Syndicate, originally aired on NBC on June 12, 1950. Randy reconnects with a legend from his college football team, played by the great William Conrad. Unfortunately, Randy discovers that the man has fallen on hard times. And worse, he's fallen in with a notorious political boss in an attempt to make ends meet. But first, we'll join Frank Lovejoy for a long night. We'll kick things off right after these messages.
- [04:41]
Narrator
This is the cold season. What do medical authorities say about the common cold? Doctors tell us there's no known drug which will cure a cold. There are effective medications for treating complications accompanying or following a cold. If you've been taking sensible precautions and still have one cold after another, it's best to see your doctor. And here's another important health tip. When you have a cold and need a laxative, that's the time to rely on gentle Ex Lax Pleasant tasting Chocolated Ex Lax helps you towards your normal regularity. Gently, overnight Ex Lax gets along with any cold remedies you may be taking, and Ex Lax works where nature wants in the lower tract, not the stomach. Taken at bedtime, Ex Lax won't disturb sleep gives you the closest thing to natural action. The next morning, you're well on your way toward your normal regularity without upset or discomfort. So when you have a cold and need a laxative, take Exlax, the laxative you can use with complete confidence. Ex Lax helps you towards your normal regularity. Gently overnight Ex Lax to every woman listening tonight, I want to say a special word about making every dinner or supper you serve taste better. I want to urge you to start serving Roma wine with your meals. It's simple, the cost is very, very little, and it works magic in making food more enjoyable. You can serve Roma wine with any meal or any time, in any kind of glass you wish. Serve it chilled. Try different kinds of Roma wine until you find those you enjoy most of all. Try hearty red Roma California Burgundy or the delicately delicious Roma California Sauterne. The cost is mere pennies a glassful, but you'll find even a pickup supper tastes like a banquet. Get Roma wines today and if your dealer is temporarily out of them, please try again soon. Just ask for R O M A Roma Wines, America's largest selling wines made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. Inflation can work the same way in peace that it did in war. Prices rise when goods are scarce and people have money. Instead of making your dollars shrink by spending them needlessly when prices are high, why not make them grow with interest by investing in United States Savings Bonds? Here's the way it works. $75 invested now each month in US savings e bonds will in 10 years turn into an income of $100 each month for as long a period as you bought the bonds. It's as simple and as sure as that. And easiest. When you use the payroll savings plan without missing a dollar, you'll be amazed how savings grow the E Bond way. $4 for every three. Because this is New Year's Day, Signal Oil Company has asked me to skip the regular message about Signal Gasoline in order to bring you a few extra chuckles with these limericks. Mrs. Don Bonaquista of Phoenix, Arizona, will start her new year with a $20 Signal gasoline book for this limerick. Like the man on the flying trapeze, you can drive with the greatest of ease if you'll only be smart and right from the start say, fill it with Signal gas. Please Signal, signal, signal gasoline. Your car will go far with no further gasoline. Tonight's second twenty dollar signal gasoline book goes to Mrs. Rod Dubie of Coeur d'alene, Idaho, for this limerick. A man with a love for smooth driving found his car needed reviving. He tried Signal gas and now he can pass all road tests without even striving. Signal, signal, signal gasoline. Your car will go far with Go, brother gasoline. We regret that we couldn't start the new year for all of you with a $20 signal gasoline book. But we do hope that happy, safe driving will fill your new year with miles of smiles. And now a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Suspense. And the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, the master of mystery and adventure, William N. Robeson. A couple of years ago, we were delighted to chill our audience with the performance of Frank Lovejoy in a story of civilian aviation called the Long Night. Since that time, Mr. Lovejoy, undaunted by the terrors of his performance, began taking flying lessons and recently qualified and was licensed as a private pilot. This accomplishment, plus the many requests of air minded listeners, have impelled us to repeat the story now with a deep bow of appreciation to the unsung heroes of the Civil Aeronautics Administration who man the control towers of the nation's airports all day long and through every long night. Listen, listen. Then, as Frank Lovejoy stars in the Long night, which begins in just a moment. Memo on medals. Interesting information about our military awards and decorations. For almost the first half century of its existence, from 1862 till 1904, the original design of the Medal of Honor was identical for both the army and Navy. A five pointed star with a large medallion in the center showing the goddess of wisdom, Minerva. Warding off the figure of discord. The Navy Medal of Honor hung suspended from its ribbon by a small anchor. The Army Medal of Honor was by an eagle resting on crossed cannons. Originally, the ribbon was the same for both branches of service. 13 vertical stripes of red and white topped with a blue border. In 1904, the army changed its medal to the present design with just the head profile of Minerva in the center of a smaller star backed with a green enamel Laurel wreath. In 1913, the Navy changed its Medal of Honor service ribbon and in 1919 made an additional change resulting in the present day design. Five white stars on a field of blue. The Medal of Honor, today, as in the past, remains the highest military decoration that can be earned by an American serviceman for devotion and valor above and beyond the call of duty. It is an inspiring call to great sacrifice and dedication undimmed throughout the long years of our history as a free people. And now, the Long Night, starring Frank Lovejoy. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Rockford Radio, this is Delta 2318, over. Delta 2318, this is Rockford Radio. Go ahead. You stand in the airport control tower 90ft up in the sky over Rockford Field, waiting to go on the night watch. And you listen to the babble of voices that fill the crowded room in an endless series of requests. Requests for an altitude change, request for landing permission, request for the weather. Ceiling 2,200ft and lowering steadily. Smoke and haze below cloud ceiling with fog blowing in from the northeast. Cloud, smoke, haze and fog. And a ceiling getting lower every minute. This is going to be a long night. Okay, Charlie, I'll take it. Yeah. Well, happy landing. Yeah. So long, Charlie. Rockford, this is TWA flight 701-1000-feet. Medford 2100, TWA 70. Acknowledged. Rockford. Rockford Tower, this is Beechcraft Bonanza 91457. Beechcraft 91457, that's Rockford Tower, over. I've been homing on your range and apparently my automatic direction finder isn't working right. What seems to be the trouble with your adf? I don't know exactly. I've been changing from one range to another, just like I was told to. And I ought to have been somewhere over Minneapolis long ago. I'm not. All right, 457, we'll work something out for you. Where are you flying from? Indianapolis. What was your last known position? Gee, last? Well, I'm trying to think. I guess the last time I positively knew where I was was when I departed Indianapolis. What time was that? About 5:30, maybe 5:45. 5:30. Please verify that would be more than three hours. En route, you should be well out of my range. Yeah, I know, but I've been circling for more than an hour trying to make the ADF work and looking for Rockford. What's your remaining fuel? Well, I guess there's no use kidding myself. I think I've got about 45 minutes. Maybe it's the very best an hour. Now, what's your altitude? I'm at 5,000 indicated about 1,000 above the clouds. 457, take a good look around you. Are there any breaks in that overcast? Do you see any holes, any thin spots in your area at all? No, no, no, it's solid. It's a completely solid layer. Are you an instrument pilot? What do you mean? How many? You checked out on instruments? Do you have any instrument training? No, no, no. I've never been on instruments in my life. I'm just lost in a moment. We continue with the second act of suspense, another visit with Joe and Daphne Forsyth. Oh. Ow. Ouch. Ooh. What's wrong, Joe? Daphne, have you been using my razor again? Just a little. I was peeling peaches. Oh, fine. Why didn't you change the blade? It feels like you've been sharpening pencils with this thing. Now just a minute, buddy. It was you who said we could use more economy around here. And I've been saving wherever I can. And by shaving the skin off the peaches. But look at my face. Think how the Red Cross could have used all this blood. It's your own fault, you and your economy. Well, being penny conscious isn't such a bad idea. Not if you use common sense. Take savings bonds for instance. Uh, here it comes. Go right ahead and scoff, but I got 8 million Americans who agree with me. We all buy savings bonds on the payroll saving plan because we know that investing in bonds is the best way to use our money. We could use some of that money around here. Well, maybe. Or maybe we just think we can. When we buy bonds, we guarantee we'll have the money in the future when we'll certainly need it more. Stop waving that razor. You're splattering me with soap. Well, I don't mean to get excited, but who wouldn't? Where else can a man make an investment that's guaranteed to pay off $4 for every 3? And guaranteed by the credit of the whole US of A. So there. Bravo. Bravo. All right, all right. Now let me change the blade and get back to shaving. I think I'll stay and watch. Why? Because you're so cute when you cut yourself. Oh, fine. And now, starring Frank Lovejoy, Act 2 of the Long Night. You look at the clock. 9:04. You look at the clock and mentally give yourself 45 minutes. 45 minutes to find him, bring him in and get him on the ground. Your mouth feels dry. You reach for a cigarette and you do the next thing that must be done. A mic. Yeah. ATC emergency. Roger. This is Rockford Tower. Emergency to all concerned. Emergency landing at Rockford Airport. All aircraft below 8,000ft within 20 miles of Rockford radio range. Leave courses immediately and maintain Rockford Tower. Beechcraft 91457, come in. 457. Okay, Rockford. Emergency landing at Rockford. Tell me, are you familiar with range orientation? No, I don't know anything about that either. I'm just a businessman with a new airplane. I know only enough about the radio to tune in the station. I know I'm lost though and need help. These gas tanks aren't getting any fuller. Yes, yes, I know. Now I'm gonna try a fix on you and bring you in over the Rockford airport. I'll tell you what must be done, but you have got to do it. I can't fly the airplane for you. Do you understand? Yeah. Okay, Rockford, I understand. I want you to listen very closely to the range signal. Put everything else out of your mind. Listen and describe exactly what you hear. Okay. Hello, Rockford. I. I hear a code sound. Is that the range? That's right. Now what does it sound like? Well, it goes dah dah dah. Okay, 457. Now is it loud or soft? It's pretty loud. Okay, that's the N quadrant. Now I want you to tune to the Madison, Wisconsin range and tell me what you hear. Okay. Wait a minute. Yeah. Hello, Rockford. I've got the Madison. Right. What does that read? What's just like the other, only backwards? Dit da, dit da. That's right. I can hardly hear it, but it's there all right. Okay. 457. Now that's the A Quadrant. Now I want you to try Peoria and then Chicago. Rockford, Madison, Peoria, Chicago, Four corners to check from four radio sounds that you hope he's reading correctly. You finish the check and he comes through without a bobble. You know you have him fixed. You know at least his direction from you. You take a deep breath and for the first time you feel a tiny flicker of hope that you're going to find your stranger and get him in all right. But you're a long way from home. You light another cigarette and you push the black microphone button hard. Now listen carefully, Four, five, seven, I'm going to run a check procedure on you. I want you to take up and northeast heading, turn your volume down as low as you can and still receive the rain signal. At the very moment you detect the change in signal strength either higher or lower, advise me. All right, Rockford, I'll do my best. Hello, Rockford. My gauges indicate empty tanks. There's some gas left. I know, but I have no idea how much. You know where I am. I'm quite sure of your direction from me and I believe I know how far you are out within say, 20 miles if what you've told me is correct. I estimate you have 30 minutes fuel remaining. I believe your gauges are indicating normally. Now try to concentrate on doing what I've told you to do. Yeah, okay. Rockford, I. I don't want you to think I'm. I'm ungrateful. I realize you. You can't afford mistakes. But I can't last much longer. I'm not trying to hurry you, but the gauges stay empty and my son is getting sick. You didn't say anything about having any passengers aboard. How many are there? Just my son and me. Is the air rough? Is there turbulence? No, the air is smooth. You said your son is getting sick. Why? He's scared. That's what's making him sick. You see, he's only nine years old. In a moment we continue with the third act of suspense. We have together ample capacity in freedom to defend freedom. This is NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Soviet dominated nations are held together only by political and military coercion. The strength and fiber of NATO lies in the fundamental unity in the face of dangers which threaten. Thanks to this solid fundamental unity, NATO nations can overcome difficulties and bring into harmony their individual points of view. The United States of America is a part of NATO. You should be aware of and alert to the objectives and programs of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. And now starring Frank Lovejoy. Akbar Part 3 of the Long night. You don't say anything for a long minute. You just stare out into the miserable night and your thoughts are not nice. You think of your own kid and you thank God he's home safely in bed. And now you have an even stronger reason to bring this stranger home. You reach for the microphone button. Now listen carefully, 457. You should be approaching my west leg close into the station. I want you to listen carefully and describe any change in your signal. I won't call you. You call me when you hear anything change. Okay? Rockford. Hello, Rockford. The signal is much louder now and I'm getting more of a continuous tone in my earphones. Although I can still hear that other signal. All right, 457, that's fine. That's good. Now listen carefully. When you hear nothing but a toll, when there's nothing but a loud buzz in your ears, I want you to turn right to 93 degrees on your compass. Do you understand me? Yeah, I understand. Turn right to 93 degrees on the compass. When I hear a loud tone. That is correct. The tone is strong. Now I don't hear the other signal. Nothing but the tone. Shall I. Yes, yes, turn right. Turn to 93 degrees and advise, advise, advise when on course. When on 93 degrees. Advise oh, Roger. Advise when on. Oh. I'm on course now on 93. Good. You're approaching the range now, almost over the station. The range is about two miles from where I'm sitting. The signal you hear will continue to increase in volume until you cross the range. At that time it will fade out quickly and for a moment you may hear nothing. Then it will increase again rapidly. Now at the very instant your signal fades I want you to make an immediate left turn to a heading of 45 degrees. You take that heading and advise. Understand? I understand. Mike? Yeah. Get on the phone and alert the local police and fire departments. Tell them what we've got. Roger. Get all the lights on on the field and the Runway markers. We get him down through this, he won't have any time to spend looking for the field. Yeah, will do. That is if we get him down through it. Rockford. Rockford. I'm over the range and starting a turn. It's just like you said. It's exactly the way you said it would be. Roger, Four five seven, you're doing fine. Now come left to four five, straight and level. Hold it until I tell you different and I'll call you back. I think you got him, Ken. If he's where he ought to be. We'll hear him in about 20 seconds. I'm going out on the platform and listen. Let me know if he calls in. Okay. You stand on the steel grating of the tower platform. You try to hear over the sounds from the field below. You strain your ears for a sound that should come to you out of the southwest. You never want to hear anything so much in your life. You hold your breath. You stop breathing to hear better. And then it's there. A single engine singing, a quiet sweet sound and approaching directly on course. You flick your burning cigarette out into the black space and stumble back into the tower room and grab the mic. 457, this is Rockford. You're over the field. I hear you Clearly. Start a 360 immediately in orbit in your present area. Beginning at 360. For God's sake, tell me what to do. This engine is ready to quit. Snap 11 o'clock. It's 9:46, five, maybe six minutes more if you're lucky. Six minutes at the outside to get him lined up properly for a straight in approach to talk him down through 4,000ft of solid clouds. Six minutes to bring off a miracle. You mash the microphone button hard and you try to sound calm. 457, I hear you plainly. You're circling the airport now. There isn't time to talk this thing out. You'll have to do exactly what I tell you to do the first time and do it right. There simply isn't enough time. Wait a minute. Do you have any shoots parachutes aboard? No, no pap. All right, all right, we'll have to do it this way. Now listen to what I say. You don't have to talk, you just listen. Now come around to a due west heading due west. As you do, start slowing her down, slow her down, trim her up for a power approach, a normal power approach. Do you understand? I understand. Rock. Don't talk, don't talk. Just bring her around. Head west. Power on. Slow her down. Flaps down to approach position. Trim her up, make her steady. Advise me when you're headed west and slow down. I'm trying to get her steady. I'm trying to do what you're telling me. All right, 457, don't talk. Advise when on course. Rockford, I. I'm on 270 now, slowing down. I don't know. I just don't know. I know you don't know. All we can do is try. I'm down to 80 now. Flaps down and power on. Roger, now, 457, you're going to bring her around very slowly and precisely to an east heading. You're going to handle her very gently so she won't fall off on you flying so slow. Do you hear me? Yes, I hear you. Let her continue to settle at 500ft a minute. Just bring her around slowly to the east. Recover and then take your hands off the controls. She won't fly with my hands off the. She will fly. She'll fly better than you can. Now, listen to me. When you're eastbound, hands off. She'll descend slowly into the clouds. After you're in those clouds, do not touch the controls. I don't think that. I don't think. Do as I tell you. Now, when you get in the clouds, everything will change for you. You'll think the airplane is all wrong, that it's doing everything it shouldn't do. If you leave it alone, it'll start a slow spiral to the left. But I don't think it'll be enough to do any harm until you've broken out under the ceiling. Now, whatever it does, you'll think it's going to the right or up or down or even spinning, but it won't be doing any of those things unless you make it do them now. Don't touch it. Are you eastbound? I'm eastbound, yes. Now take your hands off the controls. Take your hands off now. Okay, hands are off. Now, just let her have it. Let her fly herself. Ceiling's down to 600ft, Ken. Oh. Doesn't give him much time to recover and get his bearings when he breaks out. But it's all we can do. It's all anybody can do. You stand there waiting. You're only too aware of what can be happening in the cabin of Beechcraft 457, sweating out each second of the time with a terrified pilot and his deathly scared kid. You wonder if this man, this stranger, and yet no longer a stranger, can keep his fantasies under control for the long letdown. The lonely long letdown through total darkness was nothing but a great fear for a companion. A minute goes by another. And then. Rockford. Rockford. It's turning. Rockford. Turning. Airspeeds high. Going higher. Get off those controls. Cut the throttle. I've got the throttle closed, but she's slowing down fast. I can't see. I can't. All right, she's going to stall. Give her the throttle slowly. Keep your hands off except the throttle. She'll climb back out on top if you keep your hands off her. Two minutes wasted. And now if the tea cup of gas still in his tank holds out, if he gets back, you still have to do it all over again. You begin to feel the long night closing in on you. He's almost calm when he calls you back this time. You can almost hear his sigh of relief. Hello, Ronford. I'm back on top now. Good. Now let's try it with the power off this time. No use, Rockford. It's just no use. I can't. I was fine until I got into those clouds. I just couldn't sit there and do nothing. I just couldn't. I know I can't do it again. Listen, there's time. There's time for another try. Forget it. The engine just quit. That's it, Rockford, you can kill it. You're wasting your time. I just want to save. Thanks for trying. Hello, 457. Hello, Beach 457. He can't hear you, Ken. His hands froze to the mic. Yeah, you better hit the crash button. Roger. Rockford Tower to all planes awaiting landing instructions. The emergency is over. Normal radio procedure is now in effect. Rockford Tower out. This is United Five One Two at 12,000ft, Plainview Range at 2151. Suspense. In which Frank Lovejoy starred in William N. Robeson's production of the Long Night, adapted by Sam Pierce from the story by Lowell D. Blanton. Supporting Frank Lovejoy in the Long Night were Barney Phillips, Peter Leeds, Sam Pierce and Eddie Firestone. Listen. Listen again next week when we return with it's all in your mind, starring Barry Kroger. A tale of telepathy and terror well calculated to keep you in suspense. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. Suspense. And the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, the master of mystery and adventure, William N. Robeson. Pampering with time has been an ambition of man since he first realized how inexorably he is Time's slave. At this time of the year, although we have even less time on our hands, time is much in our minds. We make a magic ritual of New Year's Eve, when we suppose we can flush away all our past impurities and begin afresh at that magic hour of midnight on the 31st of December. But suppose we couldn't. Suppose the 31st of December were not the end. Listen. Listen. Then, as Mr. Frank Lovejoy stars in the 32nd of December. And now the 32nd of December, starring Mr. Frank Lovejoy. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. New Year's Eve. As far as I was concerned, when I got up the morning of December 31st, it could stay 1958 forever. The only trouble is, time doesn't work that way. Time is at downhill ride in a car with no brakes. You can't stop it, even if your life depends on it. And mine did. Joe, your breakfast is getting cold. I'm coming, I'm coming. All I have time for is a cup of coffee anyway. What is this? Milk? Don't we ever have anything but milk to put in the coffee? You know we can't afford cream these days. We can hardly afford to eat. Molly, you'll be wearing mink yet. Just give me a little more time. Yeah, you've been saying that ever since you got married. Well, sooner or later, Molly, I'm going to make it. By the way, honey, let me have you a ring. Why? Well, you said the diamond's loose. I'll drop it at the jewelers on my way to the office. Oh, we can't afford to get it fixed now, Molly, that's an expensive ring. We can't afford not to take care of it. Joe, have you been gambling again? Aw, now, Molly, I told you I'm all through with that. You told me the same thing just before you pawned your watch and the cufflinks I gave you on our first anniversary. I'm not going to pawn your engagement ring now. Let me have it. I'll pick it up on my way home tonight. Well, all right. But, Joe, remember, it's very precious, at least to me. Sure, sure. I've been gambling again. I was in the whole bag. The boys wanted to pay off by midnight, and this time they weren't going to take no for an answer. If I couldn't raise the dough on Molly's ring, I didn't know what I'm. The pawn shop was like any other pawn shop. Dirty and gloomy, full of junk, with clocks ticking all over the place. One thing caught my eye as soon as I came in. In the front case, a watch. Curiously ornate, obviously very old. It sort of glowed in the case. I couldn't take my eyes off it. You like to look at the watch? Ah. Uh, no, no. It's very interesting, but how much can I get on this ring? On this I can lend you $150. 150? The guy I wanted off claimed it was worth More than 1,150. I can probably get 500 for it, easy. Then you would be foolish to accept my offer. That's the best you can do 150. I'll take it. I will get the money. While I waited, I felt my eyes drawn to the antique watch again. I picked it up. It felt warm in my hand, almost as if it were alive. Its face was covered with all sorts of dials and figures. The date of the month, phase of the moon, even the signs of the zodiac. Some of the dials I couldn't read at all. They were inscribed with strange characters, like hieroglyphics or ancient Sanskrit. Suddenly, I felt I had to have that watch. 120, 20, 40, 45, 150. Can you tell me what all these dials mean? I can tell you only that this watch controls many kinds of time. The fellow who pawned it claimed it could make time time pass as slowly or as rapidly as he desired. That's a pretty good trick. But only, Etzik, time is different for each of us, is it not? What do you mean? To a man sitting on a hot stove, one second lasts forever. But to a man making love, forever is only a second. Yeah, I see what you mean. How much are you asking for the watch? $150. Excuse me. Hello? Yes. One moment, please. Is your name Jo Adcock? Yeah. Why, yes, Mr. Adcock is here. Who is it? Who is calling? Hello? Hello? That is odd. Nobody knew I was coming here. Who was it? He did not identify himself. He just said I would not believe him. Then he hung up. It's funny. Say, now, what about the guy who pawned this watch? Any chance of him wanting it back? No, Mr. Adcut, he will not return for it. He has no further use for the watch. Okay. Well, then I'll take it. I don't know why, but I. I've got to have. I had no business buying the watch. It was a crazy thing to do. I hadn't walked more than a few steps from the pawn shop when I learned just how crazy. Hold it, Adcock. Well, who are you? Just one of the boys. What do you want? Little talk private in the alley here. But I don't have in the alley. Oh, my arm. You got the grand, Adcock? I got until midnight to get it. Yeah, that's right. The boss just wants me to make sure you don't forget like last time. Oh, I. I won't forget. I promise. I'll be waiting for you at midnight right here by the pawn shop. Oh, and one more thing. What is it? This. That's just to make sure you don't forget. If you don't show up with the dough, there ain't gonna be no new year for you, you understand? Yes, I understand. Good. See you at midnight. I had to get back the 150. Maybe I could make a fast killing at the track with it or something. I had to get it back. So soon, Mr. Adcock? Yes, yes, I. I made a mistake. We all make mistakes. That is life. Look, I've got to have that money back. Here's your watch. My watch? Mr. Adcock, this is your watch. You bought it. But I don't want it. I want the money. A deal, is it? Deal. But you don't understand. It is you who do not understand, Mr. Adcock. To sell the watch, you must find a buyer. I am not buying. Look, you got to help me. Well, will you take the watch and pawn? Of course. That is my business. How much can I get for it? $5. $5? Just a few minutes ago I paid 150 for it. It is unprofitable that I do not value it so highly now. Five dollars. No, thanks. Five dollars wouldn't help me. I had to have money, big money. My only chance now is to try to borrow it. I know you've had an account here for years, Mr. Adcock, and of course we like to do what we can for our regular customers, but unless you have some collateral. Well, what kind of collateral? Ooh, stocks, bonds, real estate. If I had that kind of stuff, I wouldn't need the loan. Five hundred. Joe, you're crazy. Hey, bartender, another business. All right, all right, Harry. Make it a C note, anything. Yeah, well, what about the C note you borrowed last August? Oh, I'll pay you back, honest. Yeah, heard that. Last August. Oh, Harry, how long have you known me? 10 years, I guess. All right, 10 years. Doesn't that count for anything for a C note? It don't. I'll bet Harry. Not a dime. Not a lousy dime. Only one left to do. Central Flower Shop. Molly, I want you to come home right now. Joe, aren't you at work? No, I'm home. What's the matter? Are you sick? I'm all right. Just come home and hurry. Joe, what's wrong? We've got to get out of town fast. It took only a few minutes to throw everything Molly and I owned in the suitcases. I kept looking at the watch, wondering when Molly was going to show up. Signal the correct time will be 2:30. 2:30. What's keeping her? Well, at least the watch is on time. I wonder when I ought to wind it. Might as well do it right now. If I can figure out which One of these knobs to use. Try this one. What the devil. Where did the sun go? It was shining a minute ago. Now it's snowing. Oh, blast it. I did get the wrong knob. I moved it back to the 28th, so now I've got. Hey, wait a minute. The 28th was Sunday, the day we had the big snowstorms. Could the watch have. Ah, it's impossible. I set it Back to the 31st and I. What? Now the sun is shining. Did the watch change the day or am I losing my mind? Maybe I could set it again, test it. Let me see. I. I was in that pawn shop just before 1:00. I set the hour hand back to 12:45. There. Now we'll see. Hello, is this the 3rd Avenue pawn shop? Yes. Is. Is Joe Adcock there? One moment, please. Is your name Jo Adcock? Yes. Mr. Adcock is here. Who is calling? You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I could hardly believe it myself. But there was no question about it. The watch did control time. Once I grasped that fact, I began to realize its implications. For the first time in my life, I could have all the time I needed. All the time I wanted. Joe. Joe. Oh, Joe, what's wrong? Not a thing, Molly, not a thing. But you said we had to leave town. Oh, did I? Well, that's all over now. Joe. What are you talking about? I'll probably lose my job. Now, don't get excited. I. Well, I might as well tell you the whole story. I lied to you about the gambling. Molly, I'm a thousand dollars in debt. I've got to pay off by midnight. But you pawned my ring, didn't you? Why? Now, don't worry. I'll get it back. You lied to me. I said I'll get it back. I have no right to pawn it. It's mine. I want my ring. All right, I'll get it. Now. Right now. I haven't got time now. I've got to get back to the bank before it closes. Get my ring. You promise? Will you quit nagging me about your blasted ring? Let me get back to the bank. We'll have enough money to buy you a dozen rings. Joe, what are you going to do? I'm going to rob the bank. What else? I had the watch figured out right. Robbing the bank would be as easy as taking pennies from a blind man. It was two minutes to three when I walked into the bank and headed for the vault. Oh, hello, Mr. Adcock. Back again, I see. Yeah, yeah, I'VE got to get into my safety deposit box. Certainly. Go. Good. Nobody else in here now. I just turn the watch back to Sunday the 28th. It worked. I'm locked in the vault and it's Sunday. Now, let's see where they keep the ready cash. There it is. Stacks of it in all mine. Well, that's plenty for now. Enough to pay the mob. And more. There's always more where this comes from. Now, reset the watch to December 31st. Perfect. The perfect crime. All I have to do is get out of here without letting them see the money. Mr. Adcock? Yes? Happy and prosperous New Year to you, sir. Oh, thanks. Thanks a lot. Molly. Hey, Molly. Molly at work. We're rich. Have you been drinking? No, not a drop. Here, look at this. Go on, take them up. They're real. Show these $1,000 bills. Where did you get them? I robbed the bank. Oh, come on, Joe. I always told you I'd make it big someday. Well, tell Today is the day. Now, you go out and buy yourself a dress. We're going to celebrate New Year's Eve in style. Happy New Year, Joe. Happy New Year. Yeah. Come on, let's get out of this crowd. It's almost midnight. I thought we were going to celebrate. You were going to take me to a nightclub. Yeah, yeah, but first I. I gotta meet a guy at midnight. Come on, a guy? I gotta pay off that gambling debt. Where are you meeting me? It's just a block away in front of the pawn shop. Pawn shop? My ring. Joe, you forgot my ring. Oh, for Pete's sake. I'll get your lousy ring back. Just give me a little time. Oh, a little time. That's the story of your life, isn't it, Jo? Just give me a little time. Well, all right. I'll give you all the time you want. All the rest of your life. I'm through with you, Joe. I just can't take it anymore. Molly, don't. Please meet Molly. Come back. Happy New Year. Whoa. What happened? Molly just disappeared. The street is deserted. Molly. Hey, where is everybody? I wonder if this crazy watch had anything to do with the 32nd. It should have clicked over to January 1st. Oh, no wonder everybody disappeared. There isn't any 32nd of December. I'll just. I'll just reset it. It's stuck. It won't budge. Oh, it's got to move. It's just. Oh, no. It can't be broken. I can't stay in the 32nd of December forever. I've got to fix it. I've Got to get the back off. I've got to get it to works there. But there's Nothing inside. It's the 32nd of December, December. And it will always be the 32nd of December. Suspense. In which Frank Lovejoy starred in William N. Robeson's production of 32 December, written by Morris Lee Green and William Walker. Supporting Frank Lovejoy on 32 December were Joan Banks, Barney Phillips, Sam Pierce and Norm Alden. Listen. Listen again next week when we return with another tale well calculated. To keep you in suspense tonight, drill with Gunsmoke on the CBS Radio Network. Suspense. And the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, the master of mystery and adventure, William N. Robeson. Psychiatrists can tell you some very interesting things about the symbolism of money. And they may be right. Have you ever noticed the furtive way people deposit and withdraw money in a bank as though it were an almost indecent act? Something which should be done secretly and in private. Of course, bank employees are different. Money to them is a commodity, the raw material of their business. They handle it impersonally, without feeling. That is, most of them do. But every now and then a man can't stand working around so much loot and he dips his hand into the till and gets it caught. Not so the hero of our story. He has time and patience and brains. He robs a bank and is never caught by the police. Listen. Listen then, as Mr. Frank Lovejoy stars in Death in Box 234, which begins in just a moment, here's actress Joan Bennett. It's terrible to try to act with a dreadful cold. To feel better quickly, I take four way cold tablets. The fast way to relieve nasty cold distress. Yes. Tests of four leading cold tablets proved four way fastest acting of all. Amazing. Four way starts in minutes to relieve aches, pains, headache, reduce fever, calm upset stomach. Also overcomes irregularity when you catch cold. Try my way. Take four way cold tablets. The fast way to relieve cold distress. Four way 29 and 59 cents. Here's a word about another fine product of Grove Laboratories had dandruff for years. Now get rid of it in three minutes with Fitch Dandruff remover shampoo. Three minutes with Fitch regularly is guaranteed to keep unsightly dandruff away forever. Apply Fitch before wetting hair. Rub in one minute, add water, lather one minute, then rinse. One minute. Every trace of dandruff goes down the drain. Three minutes with Fitch embarrassing Dandruffs gone. Fitch can also leave hair up to 35% brighter. Get Fitch dandruff remover shampoo today. And now, Death in box 234. Starring Mr. Frank Lovejoy. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. I'm sure you'll agree the best way to rob a bank is from the inside. Well, I was on the inside. I was the guy you had to sign in with before you could get into your safe deposit box. It sort of gave me a sense of importance and power. Made me a little dizzy, too, thinking of all the loot in those 2,000 boxes. Jewelry, bonds and cash. And it taught me patience. I had to wait a long, long time before I could put my plan to work. But finally, one day, a little old man walked into the bank carrying a covered birdcage. Is this where I can get a safety draw, young fella? If you mean a safety deposit box, this is the right place. Bank ever been robbed? No, sir. Don't trust banks. But I got to unload this case somewhere. Do you want to put a bird in a safe deposit box? No, no, I got my money in the cage. Always keep it there. Half for years. I own a pet store. Lots of bird cages. Some covered, some uncovered. You want to hide something, hide it in the open. But now, I don't know. There's been so many stick ups lately. Tell you what, I'll take one of the safety drawers. Very well. If you'll just sign here, I'll get you a key. I turned to the key chart, my heart pounding. This was the kind of a customer I'd been waiting for. I searched the chart until I found two empty boxes, one above the other. I gave Mr. Jensen two, three, four. And I mentally reserved box 233 for myself. After the old man had left with the empty bird cage. George the guard confirmed my suspicions. Man, do you know what that old guy had in that bird cage? He told me it was money, sir. It was. That cage was stuffed with dough and not a bill. Less than a scene of George. I'm amazed that anyone who worked in a bank as long as you would be impressed by hundred dollar bills and a bird cage. George, you know it's against the bank's policy to discuss the contents of the customer's safe deposit boxes. What are you barking for, a vice presidency? Merely reminding you, George. It would never do for me to betray my excitement to George. Just as it would never do for me to take out the box above Mr. Jensen's in my own name. For this, I needed someone else. Someone who needed money desperately Someone with larceny in his heart. But not grand larceny, just petty larceny. I began to search the classified ads and a couple of days later I found one that sounded just right. Young man wants work, it said. Will do anything for money. Phone UL 23742. Hello. Are you the man who placed the ad in the paper? That's right. Dad. You got a job for me? If I told you that for just three hours a week you could earn $30, would you be interested? Crazy. What's the gimmick? Well, it might involve a little risk. I've taken risks before. What do you want me to do? I can't discuss it over the phone. If you'll meet me at the sandwich mill on the corner of Van Buren and Gilbert streets tomorrow at 1:30, there's a ten dollar bill in it for you whether you take the job or not. I'll be at the table by the door. I'll be there. I hadn't been in a sandwich mill for more than five minutes when he showed up. His name was Gil. He looked like he could use a buck, so I didn't waste any time putting my cards on the table. Three times a week I'll meet you here. I'll give you $20. You'll come to the bank, you'll put $10 in the deposit box and keep 10 for yourself. Mmm, it's too easy. What's in it for you? Well, that's beside the point. If you do as I say, you'll have 30 bucks a week. If you don't, you'll have nothing. First time you don't show up, the deal will be off. Have you got that straight? Yeah. How long will this go on? Well, that depends. When I no longer need your services, all the money you leave in the deposit box will be yours. Plus $1,000 bonus. Still interested? Are you kidding? What have I got to lose? Nothing. He couldn't lose, I couldn't lose. Nobody could lose but Mr. Jensen. And any old man who carries his Doe around in a birdcage deserves to lose. Now that most medium priced cars have raised their prices, must you settle for something less? Not if you buy an Ambassador V8 by Rambler. The medium priced car that did not raise prices for 59. The luxurious but compact Ambassador, American Motors finest is next year's car at last year's price. Come test our best. See how Ambassador gives you full hat room, shoulder room and legroom for all six passengers. Discover luxuries that even the most expensive cars do not offer. Personalized luxury, including front seats that adjust back and forward separately for your individual comfort and legroom. Thrill to the new experience of a perfect power to weight ratio that enables Ambassadors 270 horsepower V8 to outperform other cars in its class. Turn on a dime. Park easily anywhere because Ambassador has no useless overhang. Don't let yourself be priced out of the medium priced field. Get next year's car at last year's price. The luxurious Ambassador at Rambler Dealers. And now, starring Mr. Frank Lovejoy. Act two of Death in Box 234. Like I said, robbing a bank takes a good place and lots of patience. I had both. Three times a week, Gil, my hired stooge, deposited $10 in his safe deposit box. And once a week Mr. Jensen deposited a birdcage full of hundred dollar bills in his. There was only one hitch in the whole beautiful setup. I began to like the old man. Everything under lock and key, young fellow. Safe and sound, Mr. Jensen. That's the kind of talk I like to. How's it with you? Well, not so good. Oh? What's the matter? I'm having trouble with Priscilla somehow. I didn't think you were married. I'm not. Oh, then Priscilla is your girlfriend. At my age? Thanks, young fella. No, Priscilla's a parrot. A lady parrot? I think so. Never been sure though, and had her for 10 years and I'm still not sure. Hard to tell with parrots. What kind of trouble has Priscilla been giving you? Well, I worry about her. She's been off her feed. Hasn't had a single seed for nearly a week now. Usually it's right out of my hand. Now she just sits in a cage and droops. Well, I don't like it. I don't like it at all. Well, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. If you were me, you would worry about it. Why do you suppose I run that pet shop for? Ain't the money I got more than I'll ever need. It's for friends. Friends? Sure. Purcell and the other birds and the puppies, even the goldfish. Friends. They're all the friends I got. But it's more friends than most fellas my age has got left. You see what I mean? He's a nice old guy. As George, the guard escorted him in his birdcage into the vault, I couldn't help feeling like a heel. But only for a moment. On his way out, Mr. Jensen stopped at my desk again. Young fella, I won't be seeing you so often anymore. Oh, you're going away? No, no. But you got all my money here now. So I'll just drop by every month or so to check up on you. Now, you take good care of it, young fella. Don't you worry, Mr. Jensen. I'll take care of your money as if it were my. My own. Now, only one thing stood between me and Mr. Jensen's money. My friend George, the guard. George knew Mr. Jensen. George had blow the whistle if he saw Gil emptying Mr. Jensen's box. So George had to be put out of action during our action. But how? Well, in order to get anywhere in this world, you've got to use the other fellow's weakness. Gil's weakness, like mine, was that root of all evil. The love of money. And George's weakness was alcohol. He kept a pint stashed in the glove compartment of his car. And every day after lunch, he sneaked out to the parking lot for a quick belt and a mickey. And George's pint would put him in the emergency hospital for the afternoon. That night, I called Gil to make sure he'd meet me at the usual time and place. And the next morning, on my way into the bank, I doctored George's booze dragged by slowly. 10:30. 11. 11:30. Everything was set for the big heist. The perfect bank robbery. I'd covered every detail. Nothing could go wrong now. I'd thought of everything. Good morning, young fella. But this. There stood Mr. Jensen, looking like death. Dug up a dirty bandage around his right hand. I come in to look at my money. Of course, Mr. Jensen. What happened to your hand? Is that Priscilla? She bit me. Finally got her appetite back and had a piece of my hand for breakfast. Have you seen a doctor? No, but. Don't believe in doctors. But you never can tell. A thing like that might be dangerous. Give you blood poisoning. Don't you worry about me, young fella. Nature'll take care of it. Always been a great believer in nature. It ain't the bite that bothers me. It's Priscilla. I can't understand why she turned on me. She was my oldest friend. Mr. Jensen was in the vault for a long, long time. And I began to wonder if I'd missed my date with Gil. I couldn't leave, of course, until I was sure he was out of the bank. But at last he came back to the desk and returned the key. Young fellow, you're doing a good job. A real good job. Thank you, Mr. G. Yes, sir. I just counted every single penny of my money. And it's all there. Just as safe as if I was minding it myself. Nothing like counting money, you know? Especially if it's your own best indoor sport I ever heard of. Well, keep up the good work, sire. I will. Mr. Jensen, you better get that hand looked at. Ah, look after my hand. You look after my look. Dad, you know how much dough I got in that safe deposit box? Yes, Gil. Do you? 240 bucks. And I could use it. You know, there ain't nothing that can stop me from going in there and taking it out. That's right, Gil. It's your money. Yeah? Well, then that's what I'm gonna do. And lose your bonus. What bonus? A thousand dollars. Thousand bucks? Who do I have to kill? No one. I don't dig you, man, but I learned a long time ago you don't get something for nothing. That's right. Now, here's what you have to do for your thousand dollars. Go, man. Come into the bank at 2:30. I'll give you a large manila envelope and the key to box 234. That's just below yours. There'll be a different guard, so don't worry about being recognized. Take all the money out of the box and put it in the envelope. When you come back to my counter, return the key, give me the envelope. I'll give you an identical one with $1,000 in it. Just like that. I'm reading your mind, Gil. Don't try to walk out of the bank with the money. All I have to do is push one little button and you'll be shot before you reach the door. Remember that. What about my 240 bucks? You come back tomorrow, you get it out of box 233. And that's the last time I want to see you. Have you got everything straight? I got it straight. I. I'm reading your mind again. Stop thinking about $10,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction. You couldn't prove a thing. It's your word against mine. Not a shred of proof or evidence. So just take your $1240 and go quietly. When I got back to the bank, George was nowhere to be seen. And Big Joe, the guard who works the front door, was back at the boat. Right on the dot of half past two, Gill came into the bank, took the manila envelope and the key to box 234 and disappeared into the vault, followed by Big Joe. Five minutes later, he was back. He shoved the key across the counter, but he held onto the manila envelope Full of money. I held onto the envelope containing the thousand dollar bonus. How do I know there's a thousand bucks in that envelope? You don't. Yeah, but I know what's in this envelope and it's plenty. I know more than a thousand bucks. Lots more. Don't be greedy, Gil. I got a right to some of it. All right, go ahead, take it all. But you better hurry. The guard is looking this way. Now remember, there's the little button under the counter. My finger is on it, Gil. Shall I push it? Now, here's the envelope. Give me the grand. I thought the day would never end. But of course, it finally did. And I rushed home to my apartment, double locked the doors, ripped open the envelope, dumped the money onto a coffee table in a beautiful green pile and began counting. I was only up to $50,000 when I noticed there was blood on the money. Fresh, wet blood. And I discovered I cut my finger when I'd torn open the envelope. One of those deep paper cuts that don't hurt at first, but only bleed. I wrapped my handkerchief around it and went on counting. A hundred. 110. $118,000. Old man Jensen was right. There's no greater indoor sport than counting your own money. And every cent of it was mine. Now here is where the story should end. With a bank robber skipping the country with his ill gotten gains to spend the rest of his life in luxurious ease in some Central American banana republic. But this was no ordinary bank job. And I was too smart a bank robber. I didn't need to make a getaway. I went back to work the next morning. Evening. And you're out visiting friends. The conversation is stimulating. Perhaps a pleasant game of cards has started. You're relaxed and enjoying yourself, but your enjoyment could be spoiled. If you should suddenly feel a troublesome twinge of acid indigestion, heartburn or gas, then your evening is ruined. But not if you bring Tums along. You take a TUMS tablet with no fuss or inconvenience. You relax and let the remarkable medically tested antacid ingredients in TUMS go to work. Tums work fast. As a matter of fact, in a matter of seconds you're feeling better, you're enjoying yourself again. You see nothing but TUMS work so fast to make you feel so good, so long. So wherever you are, always carry TUMS for quick relief from acid indigestion, heartburn, gas. T U M S Tums 10 cents, three roll pack a quarter or get the new six roll Tums pack just 49 cents and now, starring Mr. Frank Lovejoy, Act 3 of Death in Box 234. Yes, I went back to work the morning after I knocked off Mr. Jensen's safe deposit box for $118,000. I went back to work as though nothing had happened. And nothing did. George was back, too, looking peaked and blaming his illness on the lousy luncheon meat his wife put in his sandwiches. Gil came in and emptied box 233 and left without a word. And days went by without a sign of old Mr. Jensen. I gave my notice to the bank and made my plans to move out to the West Coast. But I began to feel loused. And then I began to look like I felt. George noticed it first. Hey, Harry, you look bad. I mean, real sick. Gee, thanks. I mean bad like old man Jensen last time he was in here. George, you say the nicest things. But I knew he was right. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was flushed. There was a hollow look I'd never seen in my eyes before. I got scared. I couldn't figure it out. Somehow counting the money wasn't fun anymore. Finally, I woke up one morning with a raging fever. Going to work was out of the question. I was weak as a kitten. It was all I could do to pick up the morning paper from under my apartment door. I slumped back into bed. And then I saw it. A couple of paragraphs tucked away on the back page. A diagnosis of my illness. And I knew then I would never leave this bed. A cut. If I only hadn't cut my finger on that envelope when I counted the money. Oh, yes, the newspaper is what it says. Bird bites, man dies. Mr. A.J. jensen, 75, was found dead last night in the back of his pet shop at 8,957 Tulane Avenue. Cause of death was determined after examining a serious wound on his right hand. The wound had been inflicted by a parrot which was infected by psittacosis, a deadly disease for which no cure is known. Every article of Mr. Jensen's clothing and personal belongings had to be destroyed as they were highly contaminated. Mr. Jensen died without any living relations or close friends and apparently without any estate. By the way, I've got Mr. Jensen's money right here under my mattress if you'd like to have it. Suspense, in which Frank Lovejoy starred in William N. Robeson's production of Death in Box 234, written by Don Hol. In a moment, the names of the supporting players and a word about next week's story of suspense. Hi there. Frank Fell her up, will you? Sure thing. Say, Frank, what's this I just heard on the radio about a big treasure hunt? Said I might have a FRAM filter cartridge in my car right now? Worth $1,000 and not even know it. That's right. A regular filter check is important to today's cars. So important that Fram Corporation is paying from $1 to $1,000 in prizes to get people to check their filters now. Not cash money, Frank. Oh, yes, sir. This is Fram's silver anniversary. Last year, 10,000 secretly numbered fram filters were distributed all over the United States and installed in cars during regular servicing. And if you have one in your car now, you could get up to 1,000 silver dollars. I'd get up to a thousand bucks, too. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's check my oil filter. And let's check my air filter, too. Hurry, folks. Get in on the big brand treasure hunt. You could win up to $1,000 in cash. Check your car filters now. Supporting Frank Lovejoy and death in box 234 were Edgar Staley, Luke Krugman and Sam Pierce. Listen. Listen again next week when we return with script by Mark Brady. Another tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Hi, this is Randy Stone. I cover the Night Beef. The Chicago star stories start in many different ways. This one began when I bumped into a wonderful legend out of the past and watched that legend die before my eyes. Nightbeat, starring Frank Lovejoy as Randy Stone. You know, I guess the one thing that makes a newspaper guy like me different from any other working stiff is that while a bookkeeper works with numbers, carpenter deals in wood and the miner sweats over coal. A newspaper man, well, all he works with is people. What makes them laugh and dance in the street, what makes them cry in the night. But just the same, like most kinds of work, this has its occupational hazards too. Being a newspaper man doesn't give you painter's colic or housemaid's knee. But sometimes it can sure do some lousy things to your heart. It was my night off. I had a date with a little blonde at the information desk. You know, the girl who tells you where to go after you tell her what you're looking for. I finally talked her into going dancing. I was supposed to pick her up at 9 o'clock. Only here it was 8:30 and I was still trying to find a flower shop to buy her a corsage. I'd walked to the edge of Skid row when I finally spotted this place. A little florist shop in the center of a shabby office building. Looking through the window, I saw a gray haired old lady pinning a boutonniere on the lapel of a chunky fellow in a shiny blue serge. As I came through the front door, the fellow spun around like he was expecting the worst. Will you hold Kelly so I can get this flower in, please? I'm sorry, Mrs. Dunlap. I'm expecting somebody. I thought maybe this fellow might be the one. All right, now, you just stay quiet. I'll be with you in a moment, sir. All right. There's no hurry. No hurry at all. There now. Isn't that beautiful? My husband set it aside especially for you. Tell your husband thanks. I don't know. No matter how punk I feel, if I get a fresh flower in my lapel picks me up better than a shot of raw gin. How much do I owe you? 50 cents. Here you are. Oh, I'll pick it up. You must seem upset tonight. This person you're going to meet must be quite important. Yeah. Yeah, he sure is. He's the man who's going to put me out of my misery. What? Sure. Tell your husband next time I need a flowery, he better make it a nice white lily. Goodbye. That fella's sure upset. Oh, poor Tom Paxton. I've seen him like this before. He's just had a wee bit too much to drink, I'm afraid. Tom Paxton? No. Huh? The rose in his lapel used to be his trademark. Oh, do you know Tom? Well, if he's the same one, I was never that lucky, but best I could do was worship him from a distance. Worship Tom? Yeah. That sounds crazy, doesn't it? Ten years ago, when I was in college, Tom Paxton was the greatest football star we'd ever had. He was one of the greatest in the country. He was a legend. Oh, well, it can't be the same man. I don't know. Once you get over the shock, the resemblance is there. And that rose in the lapel? I don't know, Eddie, but I'm going to find out. I went out the side door of the florist shop into the lobby. There was Tom standing in the dark, pushing the button for the elevator. As I came up to him, he spun around again like it was part of an act that he always did on cue. Are you following me? Well, yes. You weren't just shopping for flowers there, were you? If you're Dixie. All right, don't play games with me. I'm tired of running away. I'm half bats. How much of it can I take. Now look, look, I'm Randy Stone. I. I heard the woman call you Tom Paxton. When I went to college, there was a Tom Paxton who was just about the greatest football player who ever lived. What are you talking about? You got me mixed up with three other guys. Well, this Tom Paxton was always sporting a flower in his lapel. There's no law against that, is there? Now go on, get out of here. Let me alone. While we were talking, the light over the button of the self operating elevator flashed on. The elevator was coming down. Well, if Tom Paxton didn't want me to bother him, I couldn't twist his arm. I turned to leave just as the elevator doors opened. Only instead of Tom stepping in, somebody else stepped out. I was waiting for you, Paxton. You're Dixie, aren't you? Come again, aren't you? Sure, that's where I got this Southern accent. Now listen, come on, somebody wants to see you. Why doesn't the syndicate give me a break? Why don't they give me a chance to pay up? I said, come on. Now wait a minute, buster. You ain't invited. Sir. Sport. This is one of them small affairs, Paxton. This gun in my pocket, it ain't one of them gadgets. You pull the trigger and a cigarette pops out. Come on, Tom. And the mug went out to a small black sedan parked at the curb. As the car raced down the street, I ran across the lobby into Dunlap's flower shop and called the police. When the squad car arrived, I told the boys what little I knew. We found Tom's office on the fourth floor. It told me more about his life since he left college than a 600 page biography. A battered couch, a filing cabinet with nothing filed away except a half empty bottle of gin and a beaten up desk that gave up a couple of oil racing phones. And then on the wall behind the desk, I saw something that really grabbed my heart. A picture of the college football team with Tom right in front with a pigskin in his arms, smiling defiantly like nothing bad could ever happen to him. I hung around after the police left. The picture made me feel low. I wondered how many beatings you had to take to go from All American to skid Row to maybe the county morgue. Then the office door opened and Tom was standing in the doorway. Only he looked different. He didn't seem to be so frightened anymore. Well, I hear there were cops all over the place. What are you trying to do, get me some publicity? Did Dixie give you a stay of execution? No, that wasn't Dixie. Just one of Frank Burr's tough guys. Burr, the big shot politico? Yeah, that's right. Had a little assignment for yours truly. Oh, yeah? How many times do you have to vote for him? No, it's nothing like that. I'm going to conduct a little investigation. So you remembered the old half. I thought you didn't know what I was talking about. Oh, well, I had a lot on my mind downstairs. Wasn't in any mood to chew the fat. Well, what are you doing these days? I work on a newspaper. Oh, is that so? Me, like. You see, I went into the investigating game. It's not much of an office, but if big shots like Burr come to me, I guess it's not so bad. No, I guess not. Say, this fella Dixie I mentioned, I don't want you to get any funny ideas if I just gambled a little over my head, you know, like anybody does now and then. Well, I owe the syndicate a few thousand bucks, so they think they can scare me by putting their hatchet men on my trail. Only if you remember Tom Paxton. You know, he don't scare so easy. Right. That's right. That reminds me, I better call the boys right now and tell them I'll settle up at the end of the week. You know, I don't want them losing any sleep on my account. Well, I'll be going, Tom. No, no, no, no, kid. Stick around, stick around. I'd like to talk to you, kid, about old times, eh? All right. Okay, Tom. Hello, Jack. Hiya, kid. This is Tom Paxton. Say, look, baby, I got some good news for you. I'll be able to settle with you boys at the end of the week. Well, I know I have, but this time it's on the level. Well, now, now, wait a minute, Jack. Don't. Don't hang up on me. Well, now, give me a break, baby. Three days. Oh, but I can't do the job in three days. No, wait, please don't hang up. Okay, okay. Three days only. Tell Dixie to lay off. Yeah, thanks, Jack. Excellent. Three days. How am I going to find him in three days? Tom, there's anything I can do? What? Oh, yeah, yeah, there's something you can do. You can clear out of here. So you found me out, huh? That make you feel good or something? Oh, now, look, maybe if you taken the beatings I have. Maybe if you've been crossed up, stabbed in the back, slug cheated as many times as I have you. Oh, what am I telling you for? Go on, get out of here. Sure thing, so long, Tom. No, no, wait a minute. Yeah? Look, you being a reporter, you could get into records. I couldn't even touch. Couldn't you? Well, I think so. Look, if I had a week, I could do it on my own, but I've got to find him in three days. Who do you have to find in three days? Look, Stone, I'm not going to kid with you anymore. I've got to make good on this job Burr gave me. I've got to get that fee. If I don't, this guy Dixie will. Who is this guy Dixie? That's what drives me nuts. Nobody knows, Only the syndicate. Why don't you go to the police? No, no, no. Cops are out of my line. If I could clean this job up in three days, Burr will pay me $5,000 and I'll be all right. That's like I've always said, all you need in life is one good break, and after that, you can roll on your own. What about Burr? Well, for a big shot, he's sure plenty scared. Says the newspaper is trying to destroy him. Oh, so? So the only way they can do it is to find somebody named John Durand. I never heard of him. Nobody, but not to Burr. What does Duran look like? Well, Burr wouldn't know what he looks like today. He hasn't seen him for 25 years. I've only got one thing to go on now. What's that? John Durand is a blind man. A big shot like Burr afraid of a helpless blind man. Afraid be as frightened of that blind man, John Durand, as. As I am of my unknown pal Dixie. And now back to Nightbeat and Randy Stone. Tom and I started work the next morning right after he picked up a fresh, sweet smelling rose from Mr. Mrs. Dunlap's florist shop in the lobby. It's funny, but for Tom, a flower in his lapel was like a shot of Benzedrine. After that, we split up. I went down to the paper to have a talk with the political editor. Yes, everyone interested in clean government was trying to wash that blood right out of their hair. But so far, nothing definite had turned up against him. Only a funny blank space in Burr's biography. A blank space? That happened 25 years ago. And I got that ever loving jackpot feeling. 25 years ago. That's when John Duran, the blind man, entered the picture. Tom and I had to find that blind man, and we had three days. Randy, I'm calling from City Hall. I've checked all the city directories. No John Duran oh, that's great. I visited every agency that helps the blind. Nobody's ever heard of him. What are we gonna do, Randy? What else can we do? We keep looking. He's not on any credit report. His name's never appeared on any police blotter. Well, we're running out of time. Nothing to do but keep looking. I've been going through the records over at the county building. I can't find a trace. We've got only one day left, Randy. The syndicate gave me till midnight tomorrow. What are we gonna do? What we've been doing right along. Keep looking. The third day, we started making the rounds of all the hoodlum hangouts. The bars, the pool halls, the mangy little side street flop houses. I took one section of the city and Tom took the other. And late that night in one of those flop houses, I got the shock of my sweet life. No, nobody named John Durant ever stopped here. Well, I thought he might have stayed here under a phony name. He's a blind guy. I know all about him. Mister. You what? What did this poor sucker do anyhow? Every hoodlum I know is looking for him. What are you talking about? Just what I said. Every guy in town who'd cut a throat to earn a buck is looking for John Durant. It was after 9pm When I got back to Tom's office to break the news to him. Poor guy. He thought Burr had given him an exclusive assignment. And all the time, Burr had set up a private manhunt. He'd unleashed every mad dog in town to track down John Durand. When I got to the office, the door was open, but Tom wasn't around. I sat down to wait for him and the phone started ring. Hello. I'd like to speak to Mr. Paxton. Well, he's not around right now. Any message? Yes, this is Frank Burr calling. Oh, yes, you can tell Mr. Paxton that he can stop his search for John Durand as of now. Does that mean you found him? Oh, you know about it, eh? Oh, yes. I'm helping Paxton. Did you find Durand? No, but I know where I can find him when I want to. I see. But then I. I guess that winds things up. Yes. Tell Mr. Yeah. Look, as long as it's all over with, why have you been so anxious to catch Duran? After all, he's only a blind man and I. I'll ask a silly question. You get a silly answer. I just hung up the phone thinking, poor Tom. Now there's no way out for him. His three days were just about all washed up now. There was nobody left but his friend Dixie. And then, like I'd said a magic word or something, the door to Tom's office started slowly opening. Tom came in, leading a little old guy with smoked glasses and a white cane. Tom, you found him. You found a rant. I should be so lucky. No, this is Mr. Graham, one of the directors of the Institute for the Blind.
- [88:48]
Host
Hello.
- [88:48]
Narrator
How do you do? I'm going batty, banging my head against walls. I figured maybe Mr. Graham might give us a leap. Oh, Mr. Graham, this is Randy Stone. How do you do, sir? I hope I can be of service. Oh, thank you, but I'm afraid It's too late, Mr. Graham. Too late? What do you mean? A bird just called. He's found Duran. You can forget that $5,000 fee. You're fired. And Dixie comes into the picture again. The syndicate gave me only until tonight. Yeah. Excuse me while I make a call. Who are you calling? About 2,000 cops. Hang up the phone, Randy. What are you talking about? You need them. Now hang it up. Don't be nuts. All right, I'll hang it up for you. Now, what's that for? Calling the cops. Big deal. Maybe it would delay my trip to the morgue, but if that's the best I can get. It's no soap. The cops would protect you. Sure, for a week, two weeks, maybe even a month. But then what? Dixie would still be waiting. He's never missed an appointment. They'd pick him up before he reached you. There's a couple of small laws about killing people. How would they pick him up? They wouldn't even know who to look for. Gentlemen, I seem to be intruding. If one of you will lead me to the elevator. Oh, you lead him, Randy. Then you get on the elevator right with him. Thanks for the try. Oh, now, wait a minute. Read it, will you? I'm expecting a guest. Now, Mr. Graham, before we leave, for my own amazement, I want to ask you something. Yes? Can you think of any reason why a powerful man like Burris should be afraid of a helpless blind man? Well, of course, that's hard to. Randy, will you get out of here, the both of you. Unless, of course, the man saw something just before he went blind that would incriminate Mr. Burr. Yes. You see, the blind never forget the last thing they see before they go blind. It stays alive in their mind until the moment they die. Well, then, if Durand had been a witness to a crime Burke committed and then went blind, that would indeed make him the greatest possible Menace to Burke. Well, then, that's it. A rife or our side. A lot of good it does me. Now I can tell you how it was when I went blind. It happened quite suddenly, as the doctor said it would. I was out in the country with my family. Wildflowers everywhere. Now that my blindness has made me so overly sensitive to the lovely scent of flowers, the picture is even more real. You know, it's a strange thing about flowers. The blind man kept talking softly, more to himself than to us. Tom had spun his swivel chair around so that he was looking out of the window. The back of his shirt collar was soaking wet. I knew the pressure was building up inside him like steam in a boiler. Absently, he'd been taking the ever present flower from his lapel and he was tearing it apart with nervous fingers. And then Tom's back stiffened. He was staring through the window down at the dark street. I looked over his shoulder. A big car had stopped a short way down the street. A heavy set, well dressed man had stepped out. As he passed under the street lamp in front of the flower shop, I recognized him from his pictures. Burr. It's Frank Burr. Tom's voice sounded cockeyed. I looked at him. His face was falling to pieces like an overripe melon. He was looking at the flower he'd taken from his lapel. Mrs. Dunlap, she. She won't like what I'm doing to her flower. Always so proud because her husband could select sweet scented flower. Graham, what did you say before now? That my blindness has made me sensitive to the scent of flowers. Yes, I see. Mr. Dunlop, the florist. I never had a good look at him. He was always puttering around and back. You think so? I know John Durant was always just downstairs in the lobby. And there's still time for me, Randy. There's still time. As Tom raced for the door of his office, he pulled a gun out of his coat. I followed him. He went to the elevator, pressed the button a couple of times and then decided to take the stairs instead. He looked back at me chasing after him and waved me back. He started down the stairs two at a time. I caught up with him at the second landing. I grabbed his shoulders and tried to tear himself away. Let me go, Randy. Let me go. What do you mean there's still time? What are you gonna do down there? Randy, I'm telling you to let me go. Answer me. What are you gonna do? Sure, I'll answer. You're over, boy. What do you think? Burr was Going to pay me $5,000 for just to give him Duran's address so he could send him nasty letters? No. There was one other little item I didn't tell you about. I not only had to find Durant, I had to make sure nobody else found him. I had to. I had to kill him. Oh, Tom, you're kidding. A helpless blind man. Oh, Burr thinks I'm the man for the job. He told me I was the ideal choice. Tom, you're not that kind of a man. Who says so? You think this is still the old football team with a lot of nice rules so nobody gets hurt too bad? This is a jungle rover, boy. It's dog eat dog all the way down the line. Now let me go. No. I said let me go. He broke away and took off the stairs again. Tom had put on a lot of fat since college days, and walking the night feeder kept me lean. I caught up with him just as we reached the lobby. Randy, I'm telling you to lay off of me. Now leave me alone. You're going to listen to reason. All you need is one good break. Well, this is mine, and I'm going to take it. Now let me go. You're crazy. I can't let you do it. You'll have to let me do it, Randy. You're just gonna have to let me do it. Tom brought the gun barrel down on my head. My knees turned to ginger beer. I reached for the wall to keep from falling, but the wall fell right with me. I tried to cry out, but all I could manage was a wheeze. Helplessly, I watched Tom, with the gun still in his hand, go through the lobby entrance into the florist shop. Oh, Tom. Papa, what on earth are you doing with that gun? At that moment, the front door opened, too, and Mr. Burr came into the shop, also carrying a gun. What a spot for a chorus of All Lang Syne. What's going on, Mr. Paxton? What is this, huh? Is the job still mine? A smug little smile crossed Burr's face as he put his own gun away. Sure, why not, Paxton? A deal's a deal. He's in back working on his flowers. But it'll have to be her, too. Oh, okay. Okay. Tom raised his gun as old lady Duran started running for her husband. And then Tom seemed to hesitate, like something was going through his mind. Go on. Go on. What are you waiting for? Maybe Tom was thinking about his last 10 years on skid row, when he'd never done one decent thing. And maybe he thought it was time to start Go ahead and get it over with, Paxton. Suddenly, Tom swung the gun away from the cowering Duran's and began shooting. There wasn't even time for that smug smile to leave Burr's face as Burr slowly crumbled to the floor. After that, everything started getting foggy for me. By the time the police arrived and splashed cold water on my face, Tom had gotten away, disappeared into the night. Burr was dead. And now John Durand wasn't afraid to talk. 25 years before, Burr had been a puppet in the rackets. There'd been a bombing, one man killed, John Duran blinded. And the picture Duran carried in his mind, the last thing he saw before the lights went out forever, was Burr throwing that bomb. After that, Duran was afraid Burr tried to finish the job, so he changed his name and went into hiding. I told the cops about the gambling syndicate that had been hounding Tom, and they went after the boys. And all in all, it was quite an evening. Then around 3:30 in the morning, while I was sitting up in my office trying to bat out my night beat story, my telephone started ringing. Yeah? Randy, this is Tom. Tom? Hey, where are you? Never mind, I'm okay. I just wanted to let you know you. You were pretty good to me, kid. Listen, every cop in the city's looking for you. They can look until Christmas. It won't do them any good. I've got a hideout that they couldn't find with Radar. How come? It's like I've always. All you need is one good break. I got mine right out of a clear blue sky. Yeah, real square. Met him at a bar, didn't know where to turn. This guy buys me a drink, says I look like I could stand a good meal and a place to sleep. He thinks I just blew into town and I'm down and out. Now he says I can stay here as long as I like. He's in the next room, so I gotta make this call short. Tom, I tell you, you're crazy for hiding out. The police will give you a break. I'm telling you they will. And even if they did, what about the syndicate? What about Dixie? There isn't any more syndicate. Most of those hoodlums are already sitting in jail. What, Dixie too? No, but they'll have him soon enough. Now they've got a description of him, they know who to look for. Look, I gotta hang up. This guy's liable to pop in any second. But just for the records, what does Dixie look like? He's an ordinary fella. He wears glasses even. He's got gray hair, looks more like an insurance man than a hoodlum. Dixie looks like that. The only two distinguishing marks, according to the police, is that thumb is missing from his left hand. Randy, has he got a white scar under his eye? How did you know that? Look, Randy, the guy that took me into this hideout, the guy that gave me the break, he sticks here. What? Where are you? Quick, tell me. He's coming. Randy. Tell me. No. No. No. Tom. Tom. Operator. Operator. Operator. Yeah, Like Tom always said, all you need is one good break tomorrow. Sure. A nice, pleasant moral coming right up. Well, maybe not so pleasant. Tom had been dead a long time before Dixie caught up with him. Tom had died when he found out he wasn't always going to be a hero. The Guy on Top of the Heap what is there about people that they've got to be number one or they won't play? What's so bad about being number two or number three? Why does life have to be one great victory after another? What's so fancy about us that we can't afford to fall on our face every so often? The fellow who said, God, give me the strength to fail really had something. And besides, not making the top of the heap has its compensations, too. It's a lot less lonely down here. Among us also Rance Copy Boy Nightbeat, a dramatic series, stars Frank Lovejoy as Randy Stone. Nightbeat is distributed exclusively by Nostalgia Broadcasting Corporation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
- [99:46]
Host
We just heard The Long Night, 32 December, Death in Box 234, and Nightbeat. That will do it for this week's show. Thanks so much for joining me. I hope you'll be back next week for the 400th episode of Stars on Suspense. I'm still not exactly sure what shape that show will take, but it'll be extra big to mark the occasion. And in the weeks to come, we'll hear from the likes of Donald Crisp, Tony Barrett, Torin Thatcher, Vanessa Brown and Francis Lederer. In the meantime, you can check out down these Mean Streets, 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 Meansts OTR now, good night until next week, when we'll celebrate 400 episodes of Hollywood Legends in Tales. Well calculated to keep you in suspense.
- [101:09]
Narrator
Sat the chief hope of our enemies is to divide the United States along racial 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.