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Transcript

Suspense - "A Murderous Revision" (Old Time Radio, 1951) · Suspense | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chris Turner writes for the radio mystery series Murder, Please,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: where producer Ken Avery's revisions have driven their working relationship
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: to a breaking point. Their dispute moves from typed scripts
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: and studio sound effects into a private confrontation as Turner
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: prepares an elaborate answer of his own. On December 3rd, 1951,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: CBS Radio Network brought this story to suspense in A
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Murderous Revision, Episode 3, with Richard Widmark as Turner and
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Joseph Kearns as Avery. Adapted by David Ellis from S.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Lee Pogostin's story and directed by Elliot Lewis, it also
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: features Kathy Lewis, Charlotte Lawrence, and Jerry Hausner. Here is
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: the original broadcast.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Autolite and its 96,000 dealers present... Suspense. Tonight, Autolite presents
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: transcribed A Murderous Revision. The story about a man who
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: made a recording of a violent death starring Mr. Richard Widmark. Hi, Hap.
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: Meet the team. Where? Why, right under your car's hood, Hap.
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: The Autolite Electrical System. The family team of precision-made units,
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: including the coil, distributor, starting motor, and the other parts
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: that make up the complete Autolite Electrical System. Used as
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: original factory equipment on many leading makes of our finest cars, trucks,
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: and tractors.
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: What does this team do, Harlow?
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: Why, Hap, it goes to work for you every time
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: you press the starting switch, sound your horn.
• 1:54
  Speaker 5: Or play your radio.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: The Autolite electrical system does all that, huh, Harlow?
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Right, Hap, because all its units are related like a
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: family team by Autolite engineering design and manufacturing skill for
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: the smoothest performance money can buy. So, friends, when your
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: Autolite-equipped car needs replacement parts, insist on Autolite original factory
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: parts because from bumper to taillight, you're always right with Autolite.
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: And now, with a murderous revision and the performance of Mr.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: Richard Widmark, Autolite hopes once again to keep you in suspense. Yeah?
• 2:54
  Speaker 5: What did you want to see me for?
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: Oh, Chris.
• 2:57
  Speaker 6: Come in.
• 2:57
  Speaker 5: Sit down.
• 2:58
  Speaker 6: Did you get to hear the show Sunday?
• 3:02
  Speaker 5: I don't like to listen to the show. Why not?
• 3:04
  Speaker 5: Because I don't, that's all.
• 3:06
  Speaker 6: You missed a good one. I put some zip in
• 3:07
  Speaker 6: that closing scene. I want you to hear it. Got
• 3:10
  Speaker 6: the playback ready. Hand me that record marked Part 2,
• 3:13
  Speaker 6: will you?
• 3:14
  Speaker 7: Thanks.
• 3:16
  Speaker 6: I don't know, Chris. I don't make you come to rehearsals.
• 3:19
  Speaker 6: You don't have to sit in the control room all day.
• 3:21
  Speaker 6: The least you can do is listen to the show
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: at home. Well, listen to this now.
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: George.
• 3:30
  Speaker 8: Honest, I didn't mean it, George.
• 3:32
  Speaker 5: Get this, Chris. Get this.
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: Do you mean to say that you didn't really mean
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: it when you.
• 3:35
  Speaker 5: Told my brother you didn't love him?
• 3:37
  Speaker 9: You forget, Doris, that I heard you every word while
• 3:39
  Speaker 9: I was hiding behind the Davenport the night my mother
• 3:41
  Speaker 9: was here.
• 3:41
  Speaker 8: George, I beg you, don't do this thing. Put down
• 3:44
  Speaker 8: the gun, George.
• 3:45
  Speaker 9: This is only what you deserve. You tricked me for
• 3:52
  Speaker 9: the last time, Doris. You tricked me for the last time.
• 4:03
  Speaker 5: What did you change it for? What was wrong with
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: the ending the way it was? Why did you change it?
• 4:07
  Speaker 6: Now, just take it easy, Chris. I'll tell you why
• 4:09
  Speaker 6: I changed it. Because it was wordy and repetitious. It
• 4:12
  Speaker 6: didn't tell the story. Boys upstairs?
• 4:14
  Speaker 5: The boys upstairs. Yeah, that's just what I thought.
• 4:16
  Speaker 6: The boys upstairs.
• 4:18
  Speaker 5: They do everything but breathe for you. Did it ever
• 4:21
  Speaker 5: occur to you that maybe people are wordy and repetitious?
• 4:24
  Speaker 6: Chris, I'm trying to tell you the scene the way
• 4:26
  Speaker 6: you wrote it. Just didn't play.
• 4:28
  Speaker 5: Yeah, that's right. All the trade cliches. Drag them out.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: It didn't live.
• 4:31
  Speaker 5: It didn't play. It didn't make the right goosebumps come
• 4:33
  Speaker 5: out on your left elbow. How did you ever get
• 4:35
  Speaker 5: into this business? Who ever lets you into a radio studio?
• 4:38
  Speaker 6: I'll tell you what's wrong with you. What you need
• 4:40
  Speaker 6: is a good psychiatrist. Don't you tell me I need
• 4:43
  Speaker 6: a psychiatrist.
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: Let go of me.
• 4:45
  Speaker 5: I said let go. Why, you're nuts. Now you listen
• 4:49
  Speaker 5: to me, you.
• 4:51
  Speaker 10: For two years now, I've turned out a murder a
• 4:53
  Speaker 10: week for you. Week in and week out. A murder
• 4:56
  Speaker 10: a week. I eat murder. I talk murder.
• 4:58
  Speaker 5: I dream murder. And for what? Every time I turn
• 5:00
  Speaker 5: in a decent script, you chop.
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: The heart out of it.
• 5:03
  Speaker 6: Your contract's up next week, Chris. You've got only one
• 5:07
  Speaker 6: more script to do. Well, write it and get out.
• 5:09
  Speaker 6: You'll get better than a script. You'll get everything you deserve.
• 5:13
  Speaker 6: I'm going to show you what a real murder sounds like.
• 5:16
  Speaker 6: I'm going to show you if I have to kill
• 5:17
  Speaker 6: you to do it.
• 5:32
  Speaker 5: Good evening.
• 5:34
  Speaker 10: This is a recording of an actual murder. The first,
• 5:39
  Speaker 10: as far as I know. Not written, not rehearsed, but
• 5:43
  Speaker 10: well planned. It is respectfully dedicated to Mr. Ken Avery,
• 5:48
  Speaker 10: editor and producer of the radio program Murder, Please.
• 5:54
  Speaker 5: This is my last show, Mr. Avery.
• 5:57
  Speaker 10: I'm delivering it to you in its entirety. Cast, music, everything.
• 6:02
  Speaker 10: The events and persons are absolutely real.
• 6:06
  Speaker 5: It's going to be a great show, Mr. Avery.
• 6:09
  Speaker 10: You'll hear everything but the climax. I'm speaking into a
• 6:13
  Speaker 10: microphone concealed in my desk, concealed with the other recording
• 6:17
  Speaker 10: equipment I've rented for the occasion. The music you hear
• 6:20
  Speaker 10: is coming from a high-fidelity phonograph at my side. This
• 6:24
  Speaker 10: program is produced, edited, directed, narrated, engineered, and plotted by
• 6:28
  Speaker 10: Christopher Turner. whose only claim to immortality is this single
• 6:33
  Speaker 10: half hour.
• 6:35
  Speaker 5: And now, Mr.
• 6:36
  Speaker 10: Avery, the leading characters in order of appearance. The murderer,
• 6:40
  Speaker 10: Christopher Turner. The catalytic agent, your daughter, Lois. The victim, yourself.
• 6:51
  Speaker 10: And now, please to begin. The End.
• 7:02
  Speaker 5: Murder, please.
• 7:20
  Speaker 7: Hello?
• 7:23
  Speaker 5: Hello, Ken, this is Chris.
• 7:24
  Speaker 10: I hate to bother you at home, but I wanted
• 7:26
  Speaker 10: to apologize for the way I acted.
• 7:27
  Speaker 5: Could you drop over to my office right away?
• 7:29
  Speaker 6: Sorry, Chris, no go. I put up with your little
• 7:32
  Speaker 6: insanities for two years now. Temper tantrums, insults, coming in
• 7:36
  Speaker 6: stewed to the gills. Two years of that was plenty.
• 7:38
  Speaker 5: I see. You won't change your mind.
• 7:41
  Speaker 6: Not a chance.
• 7:42
  Speaker 4: Maybe you can find somebody more patient than I am.
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: Good luck.
• 7:46
  Speaker 5: Thanks, Ken.
• 7:48
  Speaker 10: Thanks a lot. Lovely opening scene, Mr.
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: Avery.
• 7:53
  Speaker 5: Thank you.
• 7:54
  Speaker 10: You did exactly what I wanted you to do. You
• 7:57
  Speaker 10: just threw away your last chance to save your life.
• 8:00
  Speaker 10: Good work and excellent performance. Well, if you won't come
• 8:04
  Speaker 10: up to my office by invitation, which I suspected you wouldn't,
• 8:07
  Speaker 10: there's still another way.
• 8:09
  Speaker 5: The telephone book. Listen, Mr. Avery. The sound of the
• 8:14
  Speaker 5: flipping pages. Your daughter's phone number.
• 8:18
  Speaker 7: Ah, here we are.
• 8:22
  Speaker 6: Hello?
• 8:38
  Speaker 7: Hello.
• 8:39
  Speaker 5: Hello, Lois. It's been a long time. Bet you don't
• 8:42
  Speaker 5: even know who this is.
• 8:44
  Speaker 4: I don't recognize the voice.
• 8:45
  Speaker 5: This is Christopher Turner.
• 8:47
  Speaker 4: Oh, sure, Mr. Turner. How are you?
• 8:49
  Speaker 5: Fine, just fine. Well, how do you like living alone?
• 8:52
  Speaker 4: It's all right, I guess.
• 8:54
  Speaker 5: Rather be living with the folks?
• 8:56
  Speaker 4: No.
• 8:57
  Speaker 8: It's kind of independent this way.
• 8:59
  Speaker 5: Yeah. How's the writing coming?
• 9:02
  Speaker 4: Not so good, Mr. Turner.
• 9:04
  Speaker 8: I've written five scripts so far, and every one of
• 9:06
  Speaker 8: them has been rejected.
• 9:08
  Speaker 4: I don't know what's the matter.
• 9:09
  Speaker 10: Well, the reason I called was your dad and I
• 9:11
  Speaker 10: had a talk this afternoon about you.
• 9:13
  Speaker 5: He thought maybe I could pass on a few tips.
• 9:16
  Speaker 4: Oh, I wouldn't want to bother you.
• 9:17
  Speaker 10: Oh, now, this isn't an obligation on my part, Lois.
• 9:20
  Speaker 10: I like to help young people. Say, what are you
• 9:23
  Speaker 10: doing this evening?
• 9:24
  Speaker 7: Well.
• 9:24
  Speaker 10: You see, here's the point, Lois. This is the only
• 9:26
  Speaker 10: free night I'll have this week. Things are sort of
• 9:28
  Speaker 10: piling up. And maybe you're doing some little thing with
• 9:31
  Speaker 10: your writing that I could straighten out in an evening.
• 9:34
  Speaker 4: Well, all right, Mr. Turner.
• 9:36
  Speaker 5: Good. You know where my office is?
• 9:38
  Speaker 4: I don't think so.
• 9:39
  Speaker 10: It's right across from the broadcasting studios, the Brown building,
• 9:41
  Speaker 10: room 208.
• 9:43
  Speaker 4: I'll be right over.
• 9:44
  Speaker 5: Fine. And bring your scripts with you, huh?
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: I will.
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: I certainly appreciate this.
• 9:48
  Speaker 5: Not at all.
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: Bye.
• 9:50
  Speaker 6: Bye.
• 9:55
  Speaker 5: I'll be right over and bring your scripts with you.
• 9:58
  Speaker 5: I certainly appreciate this.
• 9:59
  Speaker 7: Not at all.
• 10:01
  Speaker 5: You see, that's how people talk, Mr.
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: Avery.
• 10:05
  Speaker 5: Let's see, what else?
• 10:06
  Speaker 7: Oh, yes, sound.
• 10:08
  Speaker 5: Drawer opens. Gun taken out. Click of breech.
• 10:16
  Speaker 10: Whirl of chamber. Bullets inserted in chamber. Three, four, five, six.
• 10:27
  Speaker 5: Gun in drawer, drawer closed. And now we must wait.
• 10:34
  Speaker 5: And you see, Mr.
• 10:35
  Speaker 10: Avery, fate is a better dramatist than either. Just when
• 10:39
  Speaker 10: things start getting dull, the phone rings.
• 10:44
  Speaker 5: Hello.
• 10:44
  Speaker 4: Hello, Chris. Hank.
• 10:46
  Speaker 5: Oh, what's up?
• 10:47
  Speaker 4: I tried your place all night. I tried your sister's place. Finally,
• 10:50
  Speaker 4: I called your office.
• 10:52
  Speaker 9: I wouldn't let myself believe it, but here you are,
• 10:54
  Speaker 9: slaving away for old man Avery again.
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: Say, when are you going to tell him to go
• 10:58
  Speaker 4: take a flying leap?
• 10:59
  Speaker 5: I did that just today.
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: No kidding?
• 11:01
  Speaker 5: Yes.
• 11:02
  Speaker 4: Well, congratulations. From here on in, nothing but bigger and
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: better things.
• 11:07
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 11:07
  Speaker 4: Say, there's a rip-roaring poker game going on over here.
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: Just room for one more sucker. What do you say?
• 11:12
  Speaker 10: No, I can't tonight. I'm doing my last show.
• 11:15
  Speaker 4: Oh, forget it for one night. Why don't you live
• 11:18
  Speaker 4: a little?
• 11:18
  Speaker 5: Thanks, Hank, but I can't.
• 11:20
  Speaker 4: I'm coming over and get you away from that typewriter
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: if I have to use force.
• 11:23
  Speaker 5: No, I can't, Hank. The show's Sunday.
• 11:25
  Speaker 4: Look, I got a script due tomorrow. You don't see
• 11:27
  Speaker 4: me knocking myself out. Let him wait.
• 11:29
  Speaker 5: Listen, Hank, you can't come over here. Don't you get it?
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: Oh.
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: Oh, I'm sorry, Chris. If I'd suspected. Sure thing. Well,
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: take it easy. Call me for lunch or something.
• 11:42
  Speaker 5: You bet.
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: Sorry, boy.
• 11:44
  Speaker 5: Bye. Bye.
• 11:47
  Speaker 7: That was close. Good scene, though.
• 12:00
  Speaker 10: Lois Avery is just driven up in front of the building.
• 12:03
  Speaker 10: She's getting out of the car, carrying her scripts. She
• 12:07
  Speaker 10: wears a cardigan sweater, tweed skirt, flat shoes. She's young.
• 12:11
  Speaker 10: She's very pretty. A girl with everything to live for.
• 12:17
  Speaker 10: Now she's disappeared into the building. In a moment, she'll
• 12:21
  Speaker 10: knock on my door. And then you'll see for yourself
• 12:24
  Speaker 10: how youth resists the threat of death.
• 12:28
  Speaker 5: And this, Mr.
• 12:29
  Speaker 10: Avery, would be the proper dramatic moment to end Act I.
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: Autolite is bringing you Mr. Richard Widmark in A Murderous Revision.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Sal Spence. Hey, Hap,
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: better turn on your lights.
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: They're stoned, they're on.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: Thank you, and thank Autolite.
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: Why, Harlow?
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: Because in your Autolite-equipped car, the lights as well as
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: the power for your radio and power to crank your
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: motor are all provided by the Autolite electrical system.
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: It has to be good, huh, Harlow?
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: You bet, Hap. And that's why complete Autolite electrical systems
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: are used as original factory equipment on many leading makes
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: of our finest cars, trucks, and tractors.
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: And that's good enough for me, Harlow.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: You bet it's good, Hap. And that's why it pays
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: to treat your car's electrical system to a periodic checkup
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: at your authorized Autolite service station or the dealer who
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: services your make of car. You can quickly locate your
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: nearest authorized Autolite service station in the classified section of
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: your telephone directory or by calling Western Union by number
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: and asking for Operator 25. And remember, from bumper to
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: tail light, you're always right with Autolite. And now, Autolite
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Mr. Richard Widmark in
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Elliot Lewis' production of A Murderous Revision, a tale well
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: calculated to keep you in suspense. Suspense.
• 14:43
  Speaker 5: Act Two. This is Christopher Turner once again, Mr.
• 14:46
  Speaker 10: Avery, bringing you by transcription the first recording of an
• 14:49
  Speaker 10: actual murder ever made specifically for broadcast. The setting, my office.
• 14:57
  Speaker 10: The music, recorded. The time, night. The victim, yourself. Your
• 15:07
  Speaker 10: daughter has just.
• 15:08
  Speaker 5: Entered the building.
• 15:11
  Speaker 10: And so concludes the usual resume with which we begin
• 15:14
  Speaker 10: the second act of every murder-please program.
• 15:18
  Speaker 5: I hear footsteps in the hall. Your cue, Lois. Sound.
• 15:23
  Speaker 5: Knock on door. Come in. Hi, Lois. Come on in.
• 15:29
  Speaker 8: Thanks. I brought the scripts with me.
• 15:33
  Speaker 5: Wonderful, wonderful. Sit down.
• 15:37
  Speaker 8: I hope I'm not putting you out. I always tell
• 15:40
  Speaker 8: Dad to stop imposing on my behalf, but I guess
• 15:42
  Speaker 8: he'll never learn.
• 15:43
  Speaker 5: Now, look, you're here because I want you here, for
• 15:45
  Speaker 5: no other reason. Cigarette?
• 15:48
  Speaker 8: No, thanks. This is a nice office.
• 15:52
  Speaker 5: It serves. Just a hole in the wall, but quiet,
• 15:55
  Speaker 5: nothing fancy.
• 15:56
  Speaker 8: I like it.
• 15:58
  Speaker 5: Well, how long have you been scribbling?
• 16:00
  Speaker 8: Six months, Mr.
• 16:02
  Speaker 3: Turner.
• 16:02
  Speaker 5: Let's just make it crisp. What sort of things?
• 16:07
  Speaker 8: Murder, mostly. Somebody told me that's what sells best.
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: True, true.
• 16:13
  Speaker 10: Well, let's just start talking about murder. Maybe something interesting
• 16:18
  Speaker 10: will come out.
• 16:19
  Speaker 5: Question number one. Why do you think people kill?
• 16:24
  Speaker 8: Lots of reasons, I guess.
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: Money?
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Love?
• 16:31
  Speaker 8: Revenge?
• 16:32
  Speaker 5: Not really.
• 16:34
  Speaker 10: Only for survival. They kill for money only when money
• 16:37
  Speaker 10: means life.
• 16:38
  Speaker 5: Their idea of life.
• 16:40
  Speaker 10: They only kill for love when life depends upon that love.
• 16:43
  Speaker 10: They only kill for revenge when life is intolerable without it.
• 16:48
  Speaker 5: You see?
• 16:49
  Speaker 8: That's very interesting.
• 16:51
  Speaker 5: Could you kill?
• 16:51
  Speaker 8: I don't think so.
• 16:54
  Speaker 5: Well, maybe you could.
• 16:55
  Speaker 7: Here.
• 16:58
  Speaker 5: See?
• 16:59
  Speaker 8: A gun.
• 17:00
  Speaker 5: And loaded.
• 17:02
  Speaker 8: Please put it away.
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: Take it.
• 17:03
  Speaker 8: No, I'd rather not.
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: It's very obedient. It won't fire unless you press the trigger.
• 17:07
  Speaker 3: Take it.
• 17:09
  Speaker 5: That's it. Now point it at me.
• 17:12
  Speaker 8: Please, I.
• 17:13
  Speaker 5: Think now, think.
• 17:15
  Speaker 10: One touch of your finger and you kill me.
• 17:17
  Speaker 5: One little touch. A very delicate instrument, the trigger.
• 17:21
  Speaker 10: There's a sense of power there.
• 17:24
  Speaker 5: You feel it?
• 17:25
  Speaker 8: I'm afraid.
• 17:26
  Speaker 5: Fear, yes, but exhilaration, too. Like the second drink.
• 17:31
  Speaker 8: I feel it, yes.
• 17:32
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 17:34
  Speaker 5: All right, you can give it back to me now. Well,
• 17:37
  Speaker 5: so much for the murder. Now, what about the victim?
• 17:42
  Speaker 5: Afraid of death?
• 17:44
  Speaker 8: Sometimes.
• 17:46
  Speaker 5: What is death to you?
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: Death?
• 17:51
  Speaker 6: I don't know.
• 17:51
  Speaker 5: No idea?
• 17:54
  Speaker 8: Emptiness. Blackness.
• 17:58
  Speaker 3: Nothing.
• 17:59
  Speaker 5: Is that so terrible?
• 18:01
  Speaker 8: Yes, because you really don't know.
• 18:04
  Speaker 5: Like the dark. Do you know any more about death
• 18:07
  Speaker 5: than you do about me? You? Yeah.
• 18:11
  Speaker 8: Well, I know you work for Dad.
• 18:13
  Speaker 10: Yes, but you've never even spent one hour with me.
• 18:16
  Speaker 10: Once at lunch, you and your father sat down with me,
• 18:18
  Speaker 10: yet you come up here alone.
• 18:20
  Speaker 5: How do you know you can trust me?
• 18:22
  Speaker 8: I suppose I don't, really.
• 18:25
  Speaker 5: Look at this.
• 18:26
  Speaker 8: Please put it down. It makes me terribly nervous.
• 18:28
  Speaker 5: Do you have any money? A little. How much?
• 18:32
  Speaker 8: Ten dollars, maybe, some change.
• 18:33
  Speaker 5: Give it to me.
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: Here.
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: Why did you give me the money?
• 18:40
  Speaker 8: Because you asked me for it.
• 18:42
  Speaker 10: No, because you were hoping I'd put down the gun.
• 18:44
  Speaker 10: And if I'd said a kiss, one kiss, and I'll
• 18:47
  Speaker 10: put down the gun, what would you do?
• 18:49
  Speaker 8: I suppose I.
• 18:52
  Speaker 8: I suppose I'd give it.
• 18:54
  Speaker 5: But a kiss, that would be harder to give, wouldn't it?
• 18:57
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 18:59
  Speaker 5: Kiss me.
• 19:03
  Speaker 7: Thank you.
• 19:06
  Speaker 8: Now put down the gun.
• 19:08
  Speaker 3: Please.
• 19:09
  Speaker 8: I know it's a lesson in writing and all that,
• 19:11
  Speaker 8: but it scares me.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: No.
• 19:12
  Speaker 8: But you said you would.
• 19:13
  Speaker 10: I said nothing of the kind. And if I had
• 19:16
  Speaker 10: said it, you'd have been foolish to believe me. You
• 19:19
  Speaker 10: can't trust a man with a gun. You feel helpless,
• 19:23
  Speaker 10: don't you?
• 19:24
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 19:24
  Speaker 10: While you could give me money, there was hope. While
• 19:27
  Speaker 10: you could give me love, there was hope. But if
• 19:29
  Speaker 10: all I wanted was revenge... there'd be nothing you could
• 19:33
  Speaker 10: do to save yourself.
• 19:35
  Speaker 3: Nothing.
• 19:35
  Speaker 10: And if I told you that right now, right this moment,
• 19:38
  Speaker 10: I'm going to pull this trigger and blow you to bits,
• 19:41
  Speaker 10: tell me, what.
• 19:41
  Speaker 5: Would you say?
• 19:43
  Speaker 8: I'd try to talk you out of it.
• 19:45
  Speaker 5: What would you say?
• 19:46
  Speaker 8: I wouldn't know what to say.
• 19:48
  Speaker 5: Then I'd shoot.
• 19:50
  Speaker 8: I'd tell you about the electric chair.
• 19:51
  Speaker 10: Very little threat to a man about to kill. Later, maybe,
• 19:54
  Speaker 10: when he's running away, then he'd think about consequences.
• 19:57
  Speaker 5: But not now. Now it's only kill. Now what else?
• 20:00
  Speaker 5: What else would you say?
• 20:02
  Speaker 8: I'd beg him.
• 20:03
  Speaker 5: He wouldn't listen.
• 20:04
  Speaker 8: I'd plead with him. I'd say, please don't kill me.
• 20:08
  Speaker 5: And if he still wouldn't listen?
• 20:12
  Speaker 8: Then I'd die.
• 20:29
  Speaker 5: Hello.
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: Bet you don't know who this is.
• 20:32
  Speaker 5: I can't place the voice.
• 20:34
  Speaker 4: Try.
• 20:35
  Speaker 5: I haven't the slightest idea.
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: Remember San Francisco and the Italian pizza and the cigarette holder?
• 20:41
  Speaker 5: Vaguely. Who is this? I hate guessing games.
• 20:44
  Speaker 10: Harriet.
• 20:45
  Speaker 5: I know at least 18 Harriets. Harriet who?
• 20:48
  Speaker 4: Crawford.
• 20:50
  Speaker 7: Oh.
• 20:51
  Speaker 4: I just came in. I thought maybe you could meet
• 20:52
  Speaker 4: me for a drink. I don't know a single solitary
• 20:55
  Speaker 4: soul in town.
• 20:56
  Speaker 5: How did you happen to call here?
• 20:58
  Speaker 4: I shouldn't tell, I suppose, but Hank said you were
• 21:00
  Speaker 4: working late at the office.
• 21:02
  Speaker 5: Hank, huh?
• 21:03
  Speaker 4: He gave me the number and said to be sure
• 21:04
  Speaker 4: to call.
• 21:05
  Speaker 5: Bless his heart.
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: What was that?
• 21:07
  Speaker 5: I said bless his heart.
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah. Well, I'll call you tomorrow.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you do that.
• 21:14
  Speaker 4: Well, bye.
• 21:18
  Speaker 8: Guess I'd better get going.
• 21:20
  Speaker 5: Why? We're not even started yet.
• 21:22
  Speaker 8: Well, if you don't put down that gun, I'm going.
• 21:25
  Speaker 8: I don't like it.
• 21:25
  Speaker 5: Sit down. I want to tell you a story.
• 21:28
  Speaker 8: Now, listen.
• 21:29
  Speaker 5: Please.
• 21:31
  Speaker 7: Please sit down.
• 21:35
  Speaker 5: Now, this is just a sample plot. You can have
• 21:38
  Speaker 5: it if you want it.
• 21:40
  Speaker 10: It's about a writer who had great novels in him,
• 21:42
  Speaker 10: great plays.
• 21:44
  Speaker 5: But he was broke.
• 21:46
  Speaker 10: So for the sake of a place to stay and
• 21:48
  Speaker 10: a meal to eat, he started turning out radio mysteries.
• 21:52
  Speaker 10: He turned them out until every drop of originality was
• 21:55
  Speaker 10: squeezed out of him. And all the greatness he might
• 21:59
  Speaker 10: have been ate into him because he'd leave nothing to
• 22:01
  Speaker 10: the world, nothing but scripts to be swept up by
• 22:04
  Speaker 10: studio janitors after the broadcasts. Well, the writer made his
• 22:09
  Speaker 10: decision one day. He'd do a last radio play. A
• 22:14
  Speaker 10: radio play with an actual murder, the only chance he
• 22:17
  Speaker 10: had for permanent survival. And he selected as his victim
• 22:21
  Speaker 10: the man who had ground him into the dust.
• 22:24
  Speaker 5: He selected his editor and producer, Ken Avery.
• 22:28
  Speaker 8: Please.
• 22:28
  Speaker 5: I like you.
• 22:29
  Speaker 10: I like you very much. I wish this could be
• 22:34
  Speaker 10: happening to almost anyone but you.
• 22:37
  Speaker 5: Get to the phone.
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: What?
• 22:39
  Speaker 5: The telephone.
• 22:41
  Speaker 8: What for?
• 22:41
  Speaker 5: You're going to call your father.
• 22:43
  Speaker 7: No.
• 22:44
  Speaker 8: No, I won't do it.
• 22:45
  Speaker 10: You'll call your father and you'll tell him to come
• 22:47
  Speaker 10: up to my office. Now pick up the receiver.
• 22:51
  Speaker 5: Now wait. I'll do it. Now take the phone. Tell him.
• 23:03
  Speaker 3: It's ringing.
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: Take it.
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: Hello?
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: Hello?
• 23:12
  Speaker 5: Dad? Lois?
• 23:15
  Speaker 4: Lois, what are you calling this time of night for?
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: Something the matter?
• 23:19
  Speaker 3: No, nothing.
• 23:19
  Speaker 5: You want him to take you home, but you don't
• 23:22
  Speaker 5: feel well.
• 23:24
  Speaker 4: Lois, something's the matter. Where are you? You home?
• 23:28
  Speaker 8: No, I'm at Mr.
• 23:29
  Speaker 3: Turner's.
• 23:29
  Speaker 4: Turner's? His apartment?
• 23:31
  Speaker 8: His office. I don't feel very well.
• 23:35
  Speaker 5: Come in.
• 23:39
  Speaker 8: Come and take me home. I don't feel well.
• 23:42
  Speaker 6: Here, give me the phone.
• 23:44
  Speaker 5: Hello, Ken. Yes, Chris?
• 23:45
  Speaker 10: Yeah, Lois came up tonight to discuss some scripts she wrote,
• 23:48
  Speaker 10: but she doesn't feel very well.
• 23:49
  Speaker 5: You'd better come and get her.
• 23:51
  Speaker 6: I'll be right over.
• 23:55
  Speaker 5: Sit down. We haven't got very long to wait. Twenty
• 24:04
  Speaker 5: minutes have gone by.
• 24:07
  Speaker 7: I hear the steps in the hall.
• 24:09
  Speaker 10: The sure, plodding steps of her father, Mr.
• 24:12
  Speaker 5: Ken Avery. The climax, ladies and gentlemen, of the listening
• 24:16
  Speaker 5: audience I address to you. Mr. Avery will never hear
• 24:20
  Speaker 5: this portion.
• 24:21
  Speaker 7: Of the entertainment.
• 24:24
  Speaker 5: Come in.
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: Lois, are you?
• 24:28
  Speaker 6: What is this?
• 24:29
  Speaker 5: Sit down. There's a chair reserved for you.
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: Lois, what's been going on here?
• 24:34
  Speaker 5: Tell him, Lois.
• 24:35
  Speaker 8: He's going to kill you. He's going to kill both
• 24:38
  Speaker 8: of us.
• 24:38
  Speaker 5: Close the door.
• 24:42
  Speaker 6: Chris, put that thing down. Somebody's liable to get hurt.
• 24:45
  Speaker 6: What's the matter with you? Drinking again?
• 24:47
  Speaker 5: Nothing to drink. Very sober. Sit down. Chris, are you crazy?
• 24:52
  Speaker 5: Good line.
• 24:53
  Speaker 10: Perfectly in character. The inane cliche from the mouth of
• 24:56
  Speaker 10: the great producer. You see, Ken, everything is being recorded
• 25:00
  Speaker 10: right now. Your voice, Lois's mind.
• 25:03
  Speaker 5: Sit down. Recorded for what? For posterity for the show
• 25:06
  Speaker 5: next week. You will have the honor of appearing on
• 25:09
  Speaker 5: your own program as the murder victim. Here, let me
• 25:12
  Speaker 5: show you. Right here on the desk.
• 25:15
  Speaker 10: You see, it's a recording machine. I've stopwatched every second.
• 25:19
  Speaker 10: It's been running exactly 25 minutes. You always made it
• 25:22
  Speaker 10: a rule to plan the climax for 2630 so you
• 25:25
  Speaker 10: could have room for a final commercial.
• 25:27
  Speaker 5: Well, that's just what I'm doing.
• 25:29
  Speaker 10: According to my timing, you have about one minute and
• 25:31
  Speaker 10: 30 seconds to live.
• 25:34
  Speaker 6: All right, Chris, that's enough of the phony dramatics. Now
• 25:37
  Speaker 6: give me that thing before somebody gets hurt.
• 25:39
  Speaker 5: Stand back. I wouldn't want to mistime the climax of
• 25:41
  Speaker 5: the show.
• 25:43
  Speaker 6: This won't make a show.
• 25:44
  Speaker 5: You won't have much editorial power, Mr. Avery, after a
• 25:47
  Speaker 5: few seconds.
• 25:48
  Speaker 6: There's the agency. They wouldn't put this thing on the air.
• 25:50
  Speaker 5: No, why not?
• 25:52
  Speaker 6: You planned to kill me.
• 25:54
  Speaker 5: From the beginning.
• 25:55
  Speaker 6: There's the trouble right there, Chris. There's no twist.
• 25:58
  Speaker 5: Oh, yes, the twist.
• 25:59
  Speaker 6: Right, the surprise ending. You told the audience to expect
• 26:03
  Speaker 6: the murder to be successful. But our shows have to
• 26:06
  Speaker 6: have some kind of surprise for the audience, Chris.
• 26:08
  Speaker 5: You know that.
• 26:10
  Speaker 6: Where's the twist?
• 26:11
  Speaker 5: Still the editor right to death's door.
• 26:14
  Speaker 10: All right, Ken, perhaps you can provide the surprise ending
• 26:17
  Speaker 10: that's going to save your life.
• 26:19
  Speaker 5: I don't have to.
• 26:20
  Speaker 4: Oh?
• 26:20
  Speaker 6: You provided the twist yourself, but you didn't know it.
• 26:23
  Speaker 6: And yet the twist was part of the story all
• 26:25
  Speaker 6: the time.
• 26:26
  Speaker 5: Where, Mr. Editor Avery?
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: You.
• 26:28
  Speaker 5: You, Chris.
• 26:28
  Speaker 6: You're the twist.
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: Me?
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 26:31
  Speaker 6: You're a flop, Chris. You're so used to dreaming on
• 26:35
  Speaker 6: paper you can't live anymore. You wrote about love because
• 26:39
  Speaker 6: you never had it. You wrote about fortunes and you're
• 26:41
  Speaker 6: still two bits. You wrote about murder, but you haven't
• 26:45
  Speaker 6: got the guts to pull the trigger. Now give me
• 26:48
  Speaker 6: that gun.
• 26:49
  Speaker 5: You think I won't shoot? I know you won't.
• 26:51
  Speaker 6: Give me that gun, you hack.
• 26:54
  Speaker 5: What did you say?
• 26:54
  Speaker 2: I said you were a hack. Now give me that gun.
• 26:56
  Speaker 3: Stay away.
• 26:56
  Speaker 5: Give me that gun, you hack.
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: No, I'm not.
• 26:59
  Speaker 5: Dad. Let go. Let go of my hand.
• 27:01
  Speaker 2: Drop it, I said.
• 27:02
  Speaker 8: Drop it.
• 27:03
  Speaker 4: Let go.
• 27:04
  Speaker 7: Chris.
• 27:09
  Speaker 6: Chris.
• 27:10
  Speaker 7: Do you always.
• 27:16
  Speaker 5: Like to change the ending?
• 27:19
  Speaker 7: Dad.
• 27:23
  Speaker 6: It's all right, Lois.
• 27:24
  Speaker 4: Dad, take me home.
• 27:27
  Speaker 5: The records. They're all we have to clear us.
• 27:29
  Speaker 7: Take me home, please.
• 27:32
  Speaker 6: As soon as I see what's on those records. Oh,
• 27:36
  Speaker 6: this must be part one.
• 27:39
  Speaker 5: Let's see. Good evening. This is a recording of an
• 27:52
  Speaker 5: actual murder. The first, as far as I know. Not written,
• 27:57
  Speaker 5: not rehearsed.
• 27:58
  Speaker 2: Suspense!
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: Suspense!
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: Presented by Autolite. Tonight's star, Mr. Richard Widmark. Friends, this
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: is Harlow Wilcox again to remind you that Autolite is
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment. In
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: 28 plants from coast to coast, Autolite makes over 400
• 28:38
  Speaker 2: products for cars, trucks, tractors, planes, and boats. These include
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: complete electrical systems, a complete line of ignition-engineered Autolite spark plugs,
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  Speaker 2: both standard and resistor types. Autolite batteries, including the famous
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  Speaker 2: Autolite Stay Full. Autolite also makes automotive wire and cable,
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  Speaker 2: bumpers and hubcaps, electric windshield wipers, and many more. All
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: are backed by constant Autolite research and are precision-built to
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: highest standards of quality and performance. So remember, from bumper
• 29:09
  Speaker 2: to tail light, you're always right with Autolite. Next week
• 29:13
  Speaker 2: on Suspense, our star will be Mr. Victor Mature as
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: a man who made his living as an assassin. A
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: tale we call Black Jack to Kill. In weeks to come,
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: we shall also present Mr. John Hodiak and Mr. Herbert
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: Marshall all on Suspense. Suspense is produced and transcribed by
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: Elliot Lewis, with music composed by Lucian Morawick and conducted
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: by Lutt Gluskin.
• 29:38
  Speaker 5: A murderous revenge.
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: Was adapted for Suspense by David Ellis, from a story
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: of S. Lee Pagostin. In tonight's story, Kathy Lewis was
• 29:47
  Speaker 2: heard as Lois, Joseph Kearns as Ken, Charlotte Lawrence as Harriet,
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: and Jerry Hausner as Hank. Tonight's appearance of Richard Widmark
• 29:55
  Speaker 2: was made possible through the kind permission of 20th Century
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: Fox Studios.
• 29:59
  Speaker 7: Mr.
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: Widmark may soon be seen in the Technicolor production Red
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: Skies of Montana. For the location of your nearest Autolite
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: service station or your nearest Autolite spark plug or battery dealer,
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: phone Western Union by number and ask for Operator 25.
• 30:14
  Speaker 4: Switch to Autolite.
• 30:16
  Speaker 3: Good night.
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: This is the CBS Radio Network. This has been Suspense,
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: a murderous revision from 1951 on CBS Radio.
• 30:26
  Speaker 5: Follow Suspense for more classic broadcasts.