Latest / If You Please, Himan Brown’s Radio Mystery Theater / S2E7: Dead Ringer

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S2E7: Dead Ringer · If You Please, Himan Brown’s Radio Mystery Theater

0:00
>> Welcome to the second season of "If You Please,
0:03
Himan Brown's Radio Mystery Theater."
0:05
On this series, we are offering rebroadcasts
0:07
of a select group of programs
0:09
created by this legendary producer for CBS
0:12
between 1974 and 1982.
0:15
Brown reimagined radio drama for contemporary times.
0:19
Our new series offers some of these exciting works again.
0:22
In Season 1, we delivered riveting tales
0:26
of foul play, betrayal, greed, and misguided love.
0:28
We foiled a murder, considered reincarnation,
0:31
pondered the nature of guilt, and traveled through time.
0:34
We heard Himan Brown's troupe of seasoned audio actors
0:38
embody a wide range of characters
0:40
and deliver thrills time and again.
0:42
And for Season 2, they are all set to keep our headsets on
0:46
and our fingers tapping play.
0:48
Before each program, Commentator John Slavney
0:51
shares details about the cast, the writer, and the plot.
0:54
Your job -- listen.
0:56
"If You Please" is produced in loving memory
0:58
of Robert Isaacson.
1:01
♪♪
1:06
>> Hello, everyone,
1:08
and welcome to the latest episode of our podcast,
1:10
a psychological thriller with a supernatural twist
1:13
entitled "The Man Who Heard Voices."
1:15
I'm John Slavney.
1:16
I hear voices all the time, and you do too.
1:18
You're hearing my voice right now,
1:20
and ordinarily it's nothing to be alarmed about.
1:22
But when the voices you hear
1:24
are the unspoken thoughts of other people,
1:26
a certain degree of alarm might be in order.
1:28
Our protagonist here is 42-year- old George Wesley Sanderson,
1:32
a successful lawyer in a big-time Manhattan law firm.
1:35
Fifteen years ago, George's wife, Margaret,
1:38
developed a strange illness that left her bedridden
1:40
and dependent on pills.
1:42
Into the mix drops the lively and beautiful Sally Cartwright,
1:45
his boss's daughter, who sets her sights on George,
1:48
wife or not.
1:49
George wants to be a good husband and an honest man,
1:52
but he finds himself falling for Sally
1:53
and soon forgetting his marriage vows.
1:55
He also begins to hear voices --
1:57
voices from the past, the present, and the future,
2:00
even his own voice.
2:01
And this weird talent only complicates matters more.
2:04
The great Larry Haines stars
2:06
as our beleaguered attorney Sanderson.
2:08
His film "The Seven-Ups" had opened in theaters
2:11
just five days before this recording session.
2:13
On Broadway, he was nominated in 1969 for a Tony
2:16
for his work as Dr. Dreyfuss in "Promises, Promises,"
2:19
a production that also featured "RMT" players Jerry Orbach
2:23
and later Tony Roberts.
2:24
California-born Augusta Dabney
2:26
voices George's unfortunate wife, Margaret.
2:29
A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, she moved to New York
2:32
to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
2:35
and was soon appearing on Broadway stages.
2:37
In the early 1950s,
2:39
Dabney frequently appeared in early TV anthology series
2:42
including "Studio One," "Kraft Television Theatre,"
2:45
and "The Philco Television Playhouse."
2:47
Later, she could be seen on a variety
2:49
of New York-based soap operas,
2:50
and at the time of this recording, she was appearing
2:53
on the daytime drama "As the World Turns" on CBS.
2:56
Swiss-born Suzanne Grossman, an actress and playwright
2:59
who made her Broadway debut in the original 1966 production
3:03
of "The Lion in Winter," plays fiery Sally Cartwright.
3:06
Grossman earned her bachelor's degree
3:08
at McGill University in Quebec
3:09
and, along with "RMT" colleague Paul Hecht,
3:12
was among the first graduates
3:13
of the National Theatre School of Canada in 1963.
3:16
Gravel-voiced Leon Janney,
3:18
whom we've heard in two previous episodes,
3:20
doubles capably as George's boss, Mr. Cartwright,
3:24
and as the Sanderson family doctor.
3:26
Also in the cast, as sharp-eared listeners may notice,
3:29
is "Radio Mystery Theater" producer/director Himan Brown
3:32
in the small role of the minister
3:34
who officiates at George and Margaret's wedding.
3:36
Over the years, Brown appeared in numerous episodes
3:39
of "Mystery Theater," always in smaller roles,
3:41
and he clearly seems to enjoy stepping in front of the mic
3:44
now and again.
3:45
It was his first appearance on his own show.
3:47
Our show was recorded on Wednesday, December 19, 1973,
3:51
and it aired just six weeks later, on January 29, 1974.
3:56
Now I hope you enjoy hearing the voices of our "RMT" actors
4:00
in "The Man Who Heard Voices."
4:02
♪♪
4:08
>> "The CBS Radio Mystery Theater" presents...
4:12
[ Door opens, hinges creaking ]
4:20
♪♪
4:28
>> Come in.
4:31
Welcome.
4:33
I am E.G. Marshall, and I have a ghost story to tell you.
4:37
But a most unusual ghost story,
4:40
since it violates all the established rules.
4:44
You know the rules for a ghost story.
4:46
It must be set on some desolate, windswept moor
4:50
or perhaps in a ruined, isolated mansion
4:54
or a lonely, deserted castle.
4:56
However, this spine-tingling tale actually takes place
5:00
in a modern luxury high-rise apartment building --
5:03
and in broad daylight.
5:05
>> I...don't want to die, George.
5:08
Please. I don't want to die!
5:11
>> Margaret, darling, listen to me.
5:13
>> No. No! >> Margaret, it would be better.
5:15
>> Better for who? >> For you, dear. For you.
5:17
>> I have...very little left, George.
5:21
Please. Just let me live a little longer.
5:23
>> Margaret, life means nothing to you now.
5:26
>> I know, but...just let me live a little bit longer.
5:31
>> I can't, Margaret. >> [ Gasps ]
5:33
>> I can't!
5:34
♪♪
5:41
>> Our mystery drama, "The Man Who Heard Voices,"
5:45
was written especially for the "Mystery Theater" by Sam Dann
5:48
and stars Larry Haines.
5:51
I'll be back shortly with Act 1.
5:54
♪♪
6:01
♪♪
6:10
At 42, George Wesley Sanderson is handsome,
6:15
intelligent, and wealthy.
6:17
He is married to a most beautiful woman.
6:20
He is a partner in a prestigious law firm.
6:23
He has a host of friends because he is gracious,
6:26
considerate, sensitive, and obliging.
6:29
And so you look at him, sipping his morning coffee
6:32
in his luxurious apartment in New York City,
6:35
and you say to yourself,
6:37
"Here indeed is one of fortune's favorites."
6:40
How wonderful life must be for George Wesley Sanderson.
6:45
But we have invaded his privacy.
6:48
We have caught him alone and off guard.
6:52
And so we see a look of terror in his eyes.
6:56
And no wonder.
6:57
Because George Wesley Sanderson hears a voice --
7:00
a woman's voice.
7:02
>> [ Voice echoing ] It's time for my pills, George.
7:05
>> The voice is clear and distinct.
7:08
>> May I have my pills, George?
7:10
>> But George is alone in the room.
7:13
>> My pills! George?
7:16
>> Not only is George Wesley Sanderson alone in the room,
7:20
but the voice belongs to a woman 10 years dead.
7:24
♪♪
7:25
>> Margaret.
7:27
Margaret. >> George...
7:29
you must give me my pills.
7:31
>> Oh, no. No, no.
7:33
>> George! [ Inhales deeply ]
7:37
George...
7:39
I understand.
7:42
I forgive you...George.
7:47
I forgive you.
7:49
[ Telephone ringing ]
7:55
[ Receiver rattles, ringing stops ]
7:57
>> Hello. >> Georgie?
7:58
Get on the 10:00 plane and come down.
8:01
Georgie? George, are you there?
8:04
>> Uh, yes. Yes, I'm, uh, I'm here, Sally.
8:06
>> We all decided that you should be down here.
8:08
>> Well, I, uh... >> Well you what?
8:11
Are you all right, George?
8:13
>> Y-Yes. I'm fine. >> Good. Get on the plane.
8:16
>> W-Well, darling, somebody has to work.
8:18
>> Oh, come on. That silly place runs itself.
8:21
>> Goodbye, dear. >> [ Sighs ]
8:22
Georgie. Are you sure you're all right?
8:25
>> Y-Yes. Yes, I'm -- I'm fine.
8:27
And, uh, really, I-I have to get to the office.
8:30
>> I notice you'd rather get to the office than fly to me.
8:33
>> Darling, it's not what I'd rather do.
8:35
It's what I have to do.
8:36
>> My next husband will be a man
8:38
with absolutely no ethics at all.
8:40
Goodbye. [ Click, receiver rattles ]
8:43
>> My name, as you know, is George Wesley Sanderson.
8:48
And I must talk to somebody, unburden myself.
8:51
But there is nobody.
8:53
Oh, my wife loves me.
8:54
My father-in-law is most understanding.
8:56
I have good friends.
8:59
I could confess to a priest... visit a psychiatrist.
9:05
But you see, each, in its own way, would fail me
9:07
because no one would accept the basic point of my problem.
9:10
No one would ever believe that...
9:13
that I'm a man who hears voices.
9:17
There are times when I can hear what people think
9:20
or what they're going to think.
9:21
And there are times when I can hear people
9:23
who are miles away or...or even dead.
9:28
It started, oh...15 years ago.
9:34
I was married to my first wife then.
9:36
Her name was Margaret.
9:38
She was 23 years old, vivacious, active, loved sports.
9:42
She could even beat me in tennis.
9:43
But she did it with such charm.
9:46
I didn't mind it a bit.
9:48
[ Racket thuds ] >> That's out!
9:49
>> Oh, that looked in to me. >> Okay! [ Laughs ]
9:52
If you want the point, you can have the point.
9:54
You should have a handicap anyhow.
9:56
>> Okay. Just look out for this ace!
9:59
[ Racket thuds ] Ha! An ace.
10:01
How'd you like that, huh? [ Birds chirping ]
10:03
I say! How'd you like that?
10:06
Margaret?
10:08
Margaret, is something wrong?
10:10
>> No. I'm fine.
10:13
>> Well, you had a funny look on your face.
10:15
>> Did I? [ Chuckles weakly ] It's just...
10:18
>> Just what? >> Nothing, nothing I-I...
10:21
[ Inhales sharply ]
10:22
I just had a funny little twinge in my back.
10:26
But it's gone now.
10:28
Your serve.
10:31
Then and there, I heard a voice.
10:33
It was the voice of our doctor.
10:35
>> [ Voice echoing ] You both should know the truth.
10:37
We don't know what's wrong with Margaret.
10:41
She won't be able to walk.
10:43
She'll have to stay in bed -- for a while, anyway.
10:48
These pills will keep her alive.
10:52
♪♪
10:54
>> Exactly one year later,
10:57
the doctor spoke those very words to us in the hospital.
11:01
♪♪
11:05
[ Knock on door ]
11:07
[ Door opens, footsteps approaching ]
11:10
[ Door closes ]
11:11
You, uh, sent for me, Mr. Cartwright?
11:14
>> Yes, George. Sit down. >> Thank you, sir.
11:17
>> George, I, uh,
11:18
I read your brief on the Hollingsworth case.
11:21
Brilliant.
11:22
Is that what you'd like to specialize in -- criminal law?
11:25
>> Yes, sir. >> Good.
11:27
This firm could use a crackerjack trial lawyer.
11:30
Uh, let's have dinner one night this week
11:32
and start making some plans for you.
11:34
>> Well, sir, I, uh, really can't go out much at night.
11:38
>> No? >> No. You see, uh,
11:40
my -- my wife is, uh, bedridden.
11:43
>> Oh. Well, I'm -- I'm sorry to hear that.
11:45
>> We, uh, we don't even know what it is.
11:47
One of those, uh, mysterious ailments.
11:49
Anyhow, she has to have constant attention.
11:51
I have a woman who stays with her during the day,
11:54
but at night, I can't leave her alone.
11:56
>> Mm. Well, that's too bad.
11:59
We'll arrange for lunch, perhaps.
12:02
>> Then I heard his voice, his silent voice.
12:07
But to me, it was crystal clear.
12:10
>> [ Voice echoing ] Too bad.
12:12
We may have to forget about George.
12:15
It's a tragedy.
12:18
But if he wants to be an eight-hour-a-day man,
12:24
he'll remain in an eight-hour-a-day job.
12:29
♪♪
12:32
That's, uh... that's all for now, George.
12:36
I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with your work.
12:40
And the other partners are, too. >> Well, thank you, sir.
12:42
[ Door opens ] >> Hi, Dad.
12:44
Your secretary said you were busy, but I'll only be a minute.
12:47
>> [ Chuckles ] >> Well, hello. Who is this?
12:49
>> Uh, this is one of our new young attorneys --
12:53
George Wesley Sanderson. My daughter, Sally.
12:55
>> How do you do?
12:57
>> George Wesley Sanderson. Even sounds like a great lawyer.
13:01
>> [ Chuckles ] >> Now, dear.
13:02
Save that ravishing smile for where it'll do you some good.
13:06
George Sanderson is a married man.
13:09
♪♪
13:10
>> Then, once again... I heard a voice.
13:15
Sally's voice.
13:17
>> [ Voice echoing ] I don't care if he is married.
13:19
I want him. I never believed it.
13:21
But now I know it's absolutely true.
13:24
There is such a thing as love at first sight.
13:28
I love him.
13:29
♪♪
13:32
[ Utensils clattering ]
13:34
>> Oh, thank you, dear.
13:37
But I don't want any more.
13:39
It's time for my pill.
13:41
>> Oh, yes. So it is. I'll, uh, I'll get it for you.
13:43
>> Those pills, they're like a lifeline.
13:45
>> Well, let's be thankful they work.
13:47
>> Poor George.
13:49
You've become a full-time nurse.
13:51
And in addition, you've got a full-time job.
13:55
You really don't get much sleep, darling.
13:58
You have to set an alarm every two hours to give me my pill.
14:02
>> Darling, we stood up together, and we took a vow --
14:06
for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse,
14:08
in sickness and health...
14:10
>> Till death do us part.
14:13
>> Let's, uh, change the subject, huh?
14:17
>> Okay.
14:19
Well, how'd it go at work today?
14:21
>> Oh, everybody flipped
14:23
for the way I handled the Hollingsworth case.
14:25
>> Ah. Will it mean a promotion? >> Well, maybe.
14:27
But more important is the additional money.
14:29
>> Oh, George. >> Now what?
14:32
If you become important, we'll be expected to entertain and --
14:35
>> Oh, no. No. Nothing of the sort.
14:37
I'm gonna run my business the way I want.
14:39
I intend to do my work during the day, in the office.
14:42
I don't have to socialize with people.
14:45
Merit, ability -- That's what should count.
14:48
♪♪
14:51
And for the third time that day...
14:53
I heard a voice, this time, Margaret's.
14:57
>> [ Voice echoing ] Oh, Lord.
15:00
I want to live.
15:02
I'm not much use.
15:05
I can't do a thing.
15:07
I'm a drag on the man I love.
15:11
I'm good for absolutely nothing.
15:14
But I want to live!
15:16
♪♪
15:21
>> And we have a clear precedent here.
15:25
When Theodore Roosevelt was, uh, police commissioner
15:27
of the city of New York, the question of injury incurred
15:31
while making a citizen's arrest --
15:32
>> Do you always talk to yourself?
15:35
>> Oh, I happen to be dictating into this recorder.
15:38
How did you get in here? >> [ Chuckles ]
15:40
Being the boss's daughter
15:42
ought to give a girl certain privileges.
15:44
I came by hoping you might have pity on me.
15:46
>> Pity? >> I'm famished!
15:48
You might take me to lunch.
15:50
>> Well, uh... >> Well what?
15:51
It wouldn't hurt you with the chief.
15:53
Might even pave the way to a promotion.
15:55
>> Well, on the other hand, it might backfire.
15:57
>> How? >> Well, how does your father
15:58
regard married male employees who take his daughter to lunch?
16:02
>> I don't know. It's never happened before.
16:05
As you legal types might say, there are no precedents.
16:08
Come on. Take a chance. Live dangerously.
16:12
>> I'll get my hat.
16:14
♪♪
16:18
[ Alarm clock ringing ] Mm. [ Groans ]
16:23
[ Ringing stops ]
16:24
>> Darling, I'm sorry. I need my pill.
16:27
>> No. It's okay. It's okay, darling.
16:29
[ Sighs ] [ Footsteps approaching ]
16:32
Here you are, dear.
16:34
>> Thank you.
16:37
>> There.
16:38
Now, just let me set the alarm again.
16:41
[ Dial clicking ] >> You must be exhausted.
16:44
>> No, no, no. Not really.
16:46
Are you, uh, feeling any better? >> Yes, a little.
16:50
I was so tired when you came home, though.
16:52
We couldn't even talk.
16:54
And I look forward to our talks so much.
16:58
Anything interesting happen today?
17:00
>> Uh, no. No. Just, uh, a lot of routine.
17:04
>> What did you have for lunch? >> Lunch?
17:06
Uh, lunch. Let's see.
17:07
Uh, I just had a sandwich at the desk.
17:10
>> Oh, George. You should go out.
17:14
>> No. No, dear. No, I shouldn't.
17:16
♪♪
17:22
But I did.
17:24
She would drop by two, three times a week,
17:27
and it just became... well, a-a thing we did.
17:32
We were friends. That's all.
17:35
I knew she was in love with me,
17:36
but I was discovering something else,
17:39
something very unsettling, very disturbing.
17:44
I was falling in love with her, too.
17:47
I tried to fight it.
17:49
[ Engine humming ]
17:52
How about right here? >> Okay.
17:54
[ Engine decelerates, stops ]
17:56
>> There.
17:58
Well, now that, uh, we've scared away every fish
18:01
between here and Europe... >> [ Laughs ]
18:03
I wouldn't know what to do with a fish if I caught one.
18:05
>> Well, uh, let's just drift for a bit, huh?
18:08
>> [ Chuckles softly ] You didn't have to say that.
18:11
>> Say what? >> "Drift."
18:14
Haven't we been doing just that since the day we met?
18:17
>> [ Sighs ] Yes. Yes, I suppose we have.
18:21
>> What are we gonna do, George?
18:24
>> I, uh, I don't know.
18:27
>> I'm willing to settle. >> Settle?
18:29
>> For half a loaf. >> Oh, no. No, no.
18:31
That -- That wouldn't work.
18:33
After a while, you'd get to hate me.
18:35
>> No, George, I wouldn't. >> Well, I'd hate myself.
18:39
>> Do you still love her?
18:42
>> No. [ Water lapping ]
18:44
No. It's a terrible thing, but I...
18:47
I don't love her anymore.
18:49
You know, that happens to people.
18:51
Just as they can fall in love, they can also fall out of love.
18:55
It's -- It's just that the timing
18:56
and the circumstances are bad for Margaret and for me.
18:59
>> But if you no longer love her...
19:01
>> Well, how could I ever divorce her?
19:02
[ Engine starts ] Hey! Hey, where are we going?
19:04
>> I don't know.
19:06
But the one thing I can't do is just to stand still.
19:09
[ Engine revving ]
19:12
♪♪
19:18
>> Nothing and no one in this world ever really stands still.
19:24
Wheels are always turning. Gears are shifting.
19:28
Minds are changing,
19:30
perhaps slowly, imperceptibly, subtly.
19:34
Even a marriage vow contains the seeds of its own dissolution.
19:38
For it says "Until death do us part."
19:43
We'll be back shortly with Act 2.
19:46
♪♪
19:47
>> Like what you're hearing so far?
19:50
Are you curious about the history behind radio programs
19:52
just like this one
19:54
and the dramatic genius who created them?
19:57
In the nine-part award-winning documentary "Audio Maverick,"
20:00
we explore the golden age of radio
20:02
through the life of Himan Brown.
20:05
You'll hear the history of radio come to life as we travel
20:08
from the birth of audio drama
20:10
to the programs that brought millions of families
20:12
into their living rooms every night.
20:14
"Audio Maverick" is available anywhere you get your podcasts.
20:18
♪♪
20:26
♪♪
20:31
>> George Wesley Sanderson is in a motorboat just off Long Island
20:37
on a beautiful day with a beautiful woman who loves him.
20:41
And to make it perfect, he also loves her.
20:45
However, there's a complication.
20:47
George Wesley Sanderson is married,
20:50
and he takes his vow seriously.
20:54
[ Engine humming ]
20:58
>> W-We'll do something, Sally.
21:00
>> You'll have to do something, George.
21:02
People don't stand still. >> Yes, I know.
21:04
>> You can't freeze a relationship.
21:06
It grows better every day or it becomes worse.
21:09
You fall in love because another person has something you need,
21:12
and sometimes... it's the terrible truth --
21:16
When that person loses
21:17
what attracted you in the first place,
21:20
love also goes with it. >> I know. I know.
21:23
>> So many people can't face up to it.
21:26
They're unable to end a thing that really no longer exists.
21:31
>> I love you, Sally.
21:33
>> I love you, George, but...I'm human.
21:39
If I can't have you, sooner or later I'll face it,
21:42
and then...I'll make other arrangements for my life.
21:46
>> Sally, wait for me.
21:49
>> Oh, I'll wait, George.
21:51
But I can't promise to wait forever.
21:54
♪♪
21:55
>> Just then, I heard another voice.
21:57
It was a voice I'd never heard before,
21:59
but there was n-no mistaking who it could be
22:01
and what the meaning was.
22:03
>> [ Voice echoing ] And do you, George,
22:05
take Sally for your lawful wedded wife,
22:09
to have and to hold... [ Engine humming ]
22:12
>> Oh, Sally, darling, don't ask me how or when or why.
22:16
>> George, look out! You'll upset the boat!
22:19
>> Who cares? Sally, it's gonna happen.
22:21
>> What's going to happen? >> You and me.
22:22
We're gonna happen. We're gonna be married.
22:24
>> But -- >> No buts. Just believe me.
22:27
>> I believe you, George.
22:30
I believe you.
22:31
♪♪
22:37
[ Silverware clanking ]
22:39
>> Mm. That was good. I was so hungry.
22:42
>> Oh, Margaret, that's a good sign.
22:45
>> Oh, I don't know.
22:47
Sometimes I just wish...
22:50
>> What? What do you wish?
22:54
>> Oh...nothing. Nothing. [ Chuckles ]
22:57
I don't want to talk about it.
22:59
Well, now, you must have had an interesting morning.
23:02
>> Oh, just so-so. >> Well, what was it?
23:05
What did you have to do at the office?
23:08
You never did tell me. >> No. No, I didn't.
23:10
Well, uh, we had to take a deposition.
23:12
>> Oh? >> And, uh,
23:14
we just spent the morning listening to witnesses
23:16
and, uh...
23:18
Margaret?
23:20
Margaret?
23:22
>> [ Sighs ] What?
23:24
Oh, dear. What is it, George?
23:26
>> Don't close your eyes yet.
23:29
It's time for your pill.
23:30
Here. Take it down with some juice.
23:34
That's all we'd have to do -- just forget one pill.
23:37
>> Oh, George.
23:39
Darling... maybe we'd both be better off.
23:44
♪♪
23:54
[ Door closes, footsteps approaching ]
23:56
>> Good morning. George. >> Good morning, sir.
23:59
>> Sit down. >> Thank you.
24:00
>> Now, George, I, uh... I want you to go to Washington.
24:04
I know you have personal problems.
24:06
>> Yes, sir.
24:08
>> I want you to argue the Stilwell case
24:10
before the Court of Appeals. >> Well, sir --
24:12
>> You can win this case for us. You're a natural.
24:14
Lawyers like you come along once in a generation.
24:17
>> Yes, but, Mr. Cartwright --
24:18
>> The trial date is in six weeks.
24:20
Now, I'm sure you can find a way to, uh, resolve your problem.
24:25
You can buy nursing care while you're gone.
24:27
>> Sir, it's more than that. >> I'm sure it is.
24:30
Now, I don't want to intrude in your personal affairs,
24:33
although I understand I'm indirectly affected.
24:38
My daughter evidently is, uh, quite taken with you.
24:42
Well, that's between the two of you.
24:44
>> I assure you -- >> Of what?
24:45
The two of you are in love.
24:48
It's a very difficult situation.
24:51
But it's your situation.
24:53
For my part, I need you for the Stillwell trial in Washington.
24:57
Now, don't -- don't give me your answer right now.
24:59
♪♪
25:02
>> And then...I heard a voice.
25:06
And this voice I knew very well, because it was my own voice,
25:11
and I could hear myself say...
25:13
[ Voice echoing ] If it please the court,
25:15
the prosecution claims that the defendant, Captain Stillwell,
25:19
has committed the crime of high treason
25:22
against the government of the United States.
25:24
♪♪
25:29
>> George? >> Mm?
25:30
>> George! >> Uh, w-what? What? What?
25:32
>> Well, that's what I want to ask you -- What happened?
25:34
You turned pale. Is, uh, is everything all right?
25:37
>> Oh. Y-Yes, sir.
25:39
Yes, sir. Everything's fine. Just fine. I, uh...
25:41
I mean, I-I b-believe that I will be able to plead
25:45
the Stillwell case after all.
25:47
♪♪
25:56
>> Has she been taking these pills regularly?
25:58
>> Oh, religiously, Doctor.
26:00
The woman we have here in the daytime
26:01
is absolutely trustworthy.
26:03
And, of course, I'm here all night.
26:04
>> And he's a tyrant about it, Doctor.
26:06
>> Well, he should be.
26:08
>> Uh, Doctor, what about Margaret?
26:10
>> Well, for the first time since --
26:13
since this thing struck, I have good news.
26:17
>> Uh, good news? >> I say good.
26:19
These words, "good" and "bad," are relative.
26:22
>> Yes, but what do you mean by "good"?
26:24
>> Well, for the first time,
26:26
I can detect no further signs of deterioration.
26:28
>> I see.
26:29
>> Unless some other complication occurs,
26:32
Margaret can live on indefinitely,
26:35
provided she takes her pills on a regular basis.
26:38
>> Oh, we'll -- we'll see to that, Doctor.
26:39
We'll see to that.
26:41
>> Well, keep in touch if anything unusual happens.
26:44
And I'll be here again next week.
26:45
>> Yes. I'll see you to the door, Doctor.
26:47
>> Goodbye, Margaret.
26:49
>> Goodbye, Doctor. [ Footsteps receding ]
26:52
>> Oh, a lovely day, isn't it, George?
26:54
[ Door opens ] >> Uh, yes. Yes.
26:56
>> Oh, uh, about those pills, George --
26:59
Make sure you never run out.
27:01
And she must have one every two hours.
27:04
♪♪
27:07
>> That's what his speaking voice was saying to me --
27:10
the little amenities, the weather,
27:12
"Don't forget her pills," and so on.
27:15
But there was another voice -- his inner voice.
27:21
And I could hear it so clearly, so plainly.
27:24
>> [ Voice echoing ] Poor kids.
27:27
I'm glad I don't have to decide.
27:30
She's in such terrible pain constantly.
27:35
Well, that's between the two of them.
27:39
Or maybe it's up to him.
27:42
I only know I wouldn't want to be in his shoes
27:46
for all the money in the world.
27:48
♪♪
27:52
Goodbye, George. >> Goodbye, Doctor.
27:54
And, uh, thank you for everything.
27:56
[ Door closes ] >> George?
27:59
George? >> Uh, yes, dear?
28:01
>> I like a pillow.
28:03
>> Yes, dear. I'm coming. [ Footsteps approaching ]
28:05
Here we are.
28:07
Now...does that feel more comfortable?
28:10
>> Mm-hmm. I think so.
28:13
>> Margaret? Look at me.
28:16
>> I'm looking at you, darling.
28:18
♪♪
28:23
>> I wanted to hear her voice --
28:25
not her speaking voice, but her thinking voice,
28:28
her feeling voice, the way I'd heard it once before.
28:32
But this -- this ability, this -- this gift,
28:35
this talent -- call it what you will --
28:36
doesn't work at my command.
28:38
It comes and goes of its own accord.
28:41
I wanted to know how she felt, what she really wished for.
28:44
But try as I might, I...I simply couldn't hear her inner voice.
28:48
And I knew that the decision, one way or another,
28:52
would have to be mine -- all mine, mine alone.
28:56
♪♪
28:59
>> I'm looking at you, darling.
29:01
>> Margaret, are you in pain? >> Oh.
29:04
It doesn't matter really.
29:06
The pill takes care of it.
29:08
Oh, it's such a miraculous pill. It takes care of everything.
29:13
Oh, I think I'd better sleep for a while, George.
29:16
I...I...I just want to sleep.
29:19
>> Margaret, what do you mean? Please tell me.
29:22
What -- What do you mean by -- by "sleep"?
29:25
Margaret? [ Telephone ringing ]
29:26
Oh. Here. I'll get that. [ Receiver rattles ]
29:29
Uh, hello?
29:30
>> George? >> Oh, yes, Mr. Cartwright.
29:32
>> Can you arrange to fly to Washington a week from Friday?
29:35
>> Uh, a week from Friday? >> Yes.
29:37
For a pretrial on the Stilwell case.
29:40
>> Well, sir, I hadn't expected to --
29:41
>> Well, uh, you told me
29:43
just yesterday in the office that you'd handle it.
29:45
>> Well, yes, sir, but that was, uh,
29:47
because I-I thought I had six more weeks.
29:49
>> Well, you do.
29:50
This will just involve you down there
29:52
for a day or two this time. >> I understand.
29:55
>> I'll have Miss Gordon book your flight.
29:57
>> Well, a-a week from Friday.
29:59
That's, uh, that's about 10 days, isn't it?
30:01
>> We'll have all the papers for you at the office tomorrow.
30:05
And I'm taking you off everything else.
30:07
Just remember, we want this case.
30:09
>> Yes, sir. >> Goodbye, George.
30:11
>> Goodbye, sir. [ Receiver rattles ]
30:13
>> George? >> Hm? Oh.
30:14
Oh, darling. I thought you were asleep.
30:17
>> The ringing of the phone woke me.
30:19
I thought it was the alarm for my pill.
30:21
>> Oh, no. No. We still have another hour for that.
30:24
>> Now, what's supposed to happen a week from Friday?
30:27
>> Mm? Oh.
30:29
Oh, uh, just a lunch date with Mr. C-Cartwright
30:31
and, uh, a client.
30:33
>> He must like you a lot, doesn't he?
30:35
>> Well, I'm not really a bad lawyer.
30:37
>> Oh, George, I wish I could be of help to you.
30:43
I wish there was something I could do.
30:46
♪♪
30:53
>> Here I am, George. >> Oh, hi. I'm sorry I'm late.
30:56
>> Dad tells me how busy you are.
30:58
I ordered you your extra dry gimlet.
31:00
>> Thanks. I could use it.
31:02
>> Dad also tells me you're going to Washington.
31:04
>> Yes. Uh, that is, I think so.
31:07
>> You think so?
31:08
I understand the plans are all set.
31:10
>> Well, the fact is, I, uh, know I'll be going, but, uh...
31:13
>> But what? >> Oh, nothing.
31:16
>> Once the trial begins,
31:18
there's no telling how long it may run.
31:20
These government things can go on for months.
31:22
>> Yes, I know. >> How about --
31:24
>> How about Margaret? >> Yes. Margaret.
31:26
>> Let's not talk about Margaret.
31:28
>> But, George -- >> Please.
31:30
>> I said I'd be satisfied with half a loaf.
31:33
>> Right now, I don't want to talk about it.
31:35
>> But, George, I'm entitled --
31:36
>> There are things I must decide.
31:39
>> I want to help you. >> No, no, no.
31:42
>> But when people are in love, there should be no barriers,
31:45
nothing held back. >> Sally...
31:49
Sally, you have a lot to learn about love.
31:50
>> George, I won't be spoken to like --
31:52
>> Please, Sally, don't press me.
31:54
Don't push me, huh?
31:55
I don't care who you are or how deeply you love.
31:57
There are certain things... I must decide on my own.
32:01
♪♪
32:06
>> George Wesley Sanderson is faced with a decision.
32:10
And it's a decision a man doesn't make lightly.
32:13
Nor does he make it every day.
32:16
Because what George must decide
32:19
is whether or not to kill his wife.
32:22
We shall return shortly with Act 3.
32:25
♪♪
32:27
>> Like what you're hearing so far?
32:29
Are you curious about the history behind radio programs
32:32
just like this one
32:34
and the dramatic genius who created them?
32:36
In the nine-part award-winning documentary "Audio Maverick,"
32:40
we explore the golden age of radio
32:42
through the life of Himan Brown.
32:44
You'll hear the history of radio come to life as we travel
32:47
from the birth of audio drama
32:49
to the programs that brought millions of families
32:52
into their living rooms every night.
32:54
"Audio Maverick" is available anywhere you get your podcasts.
32:58
♪♪
33:00
♪♪
33:10
>> It is one minute before 2 in the morning
33:13
in the apartment of George Wesley Sanderson.
33:16
An alarm clock is set to go off exactly on the hour.
33:21
It must awaken George
33:22
so that he can give his wife, Margaret, a pill --
33:26
a pill she takes every two hours.
33:29
Without her regular pill, Margaret will die.
33:34
[ Alarm clock clicking, ringing ]
33:37
>> George?
33:39
George, wake up. >> Hm?
33:41
>> George? >> Wha-- Oh.
33:42
[ Coughs ] Oh. Wait a minute.
33:44
>> Oh. >> Wait a minute.
33:47
>> I was afraid for a minute the clock wouldn't wake you.
33:49
>> Yes. I'm sorry. I was sleeping pretty soundly.
33:52
>> Poor George. You never get any rest.
33:54
>> It's all right. It's all right.
33:56
Here, darling. Take a pill.
33:57
>> Oh. [ Pill rattling ]
33:59
Thank you, darling. Thank you.
34:03
And now go -- go back to sleep.
34:05
>> Well, I better reset the alarm.
34:07
>> You're so good to me, George.
34:10
>> There. There it is.
34:13
I've set it for 4.
34:15
Good night, darling. >> Good night.
34:17
♪♪
34:21
>> I turned to look at her.
34:23
Her eyes were closed.
34:25
She was only 28, but her face was lined.
34:30
Her skin was drawn and flushed, and she looked old.
34:34
Old.
34:36
Where was the pert, vivacious Margaret
34:39
who only a few months before had been bursting with life?
34:43
Wasn't she as good or as bad as dead already?
34:47
Wasn't it a mercy to end her suffering?
34:50
Wasn't her living merely a sham and a pretense?
34:54
Suppose I...
34:56
I would somehow forget to give her the next pill.
35:00
What would I be ending?
35:03
And then, once again, I heard the voices.
35:05
But these were voices from the past --
35:08
the recent past.
35:10
>> [ Voice echoing ] This firm could use
35:13
a crackerjack criminal lawyer.
35:15
>> [ Voice echoing ] I love you, George. I love you.
35:18
>> [ Voice echoing ] We have plans for you.
35:20
>> [ Voice echoing ] I'll wait for you, darling.
35:23
But I can't promise to wait forever.
35:25
>> [ Voice echoing ] We're all pleased with your work.
35:28
>> [ Voice echoing ] Why hold on to a relationship
35:31
that no longer exists?
35:32
>> [ Voice echoing ] I can't do a thing.
35:34
I'm absolutely useless.
35:39
But I want to live.
35:41
I want to live.
35:43
[ Alarm clock ringing ]
35:47
>> George?
35:48
George, the alarm.
35:50
George, wake up.
35:52
George, It's time for my pill.
35:55
George, wake up. You must wake up!
35:58
George? [ Ringing stops ]
36:01
♪♪
36:05
>> [ Voice echoing ] I heard the alarm, Margaret.
36:07
I heard it. >> George...you must wake up.
36:11
>> Believe me, Margaret. I'm doing it for you.
36:14
>> George... George, I must have my pills.
36:19
George, wake up! >> Believe me, Margaret.
36:22
Please believe me. It isn't Sally or the job.
36:25
I admit they both tempt me.
36:27
But I don't want to see you suffer any more.
36:31
>> Aren't you going to give me my pills...George?
36:37
Let me live... just a little longer, please.
36:41
>> And I'm...so tired, Margaret.
36:44
So tired. >> George!
36:46
George, please. >> It's all so mixed up.
36:50
>> George, don't pretend to be asleep.
36:53
>> I'm doing it for you, Margaret.
36:55
Maybe for me too, but mostly for you.
36:59
>> [ Weakly ] Oh, George!
37:03
Darling...I forgive you.
37:09
I forgive you.
37:11
♪♪
37:18
>> Sit down, George. Sit down.
37:21
Now, you didn't have to come into the office today.
37:25
>> Yes, I know, sir, but...she's been dead a week,
37:29
and, uh...well, things go on.
37:32
I'm due to leave for Washington tomorrow.
37:34
>> Yes. Uh, we, uh...
37:36
Well, we wondered whether under the circumstances
37:38
to ask for a delay.
37:40
>> There's no point to that, sir.
37:42
What I need now is lots of work. >> Well...[ Chuckles ]
37:44
...we have lots of work around here.
37:46
[ Door opens ] >> George,
37:48
I've been trying to reach you to tell you how sorry --
37:50
>> Sally, it's all right. >> Now, there is a possibility
37:53
that you people have something to discuss.
37:56
Excuse me for a moment.
37:58
[ Footsteps receding, door closes ]
38:01
>> [ Exhales deeply ] Well, Sally...here we are.
38:07
>> Yes. How did it happen, George?
38:11
>> Well, it's something that could have happened at any time.
38:16
She just, uh, fell asleep, and, uh...
38:20
and she didn't wake up. [ Sighs ]
38:24
>> And now what, George? >> And now...
38:27
we can be married.
38:29
That is, if you'll still have me.
38:30
>> Oh, darling. >> I have to go to Washington.
38:32
>> I'll go with you.
38:35
And you know, of course, what Dad's been talking about.
38:37
>> Well, actually, I don't.
38:39
>> Well...we're fairly direct people, all of us.
38:42
Dad was saying that since you and I would be married,
38:46
there'd be a partnership in the firm as well.
38:49
>> Mm.
38:50
Well, as long as we're fairly direct people,
38:52
I may as well tell you that I deserve it.
38:54
[ Both chuckle ]
38:56
>> Darling, do you know
38:58
that this is the first time I've ever seen you smile?
39:01
>> Oh, I smile all the time.
39:02
>> You listen to me, George Wesley Sanderson.
39:05
You're going to live. You're going to travel.
39:08
You're going to mingle with all the people worth knowing
39:10
in government, politics, the theater, art --
39:12
>> Wait, wait, wait. Now, when do I work?
39:14
>> Oh, you can work as hard as you like --
39:16
as long as you remember you have to play hard too.
39:19
>> When do we start? >> Right now.
39:22
♪♪
39:26
>> That was, uh, what, 15 years ago?
39:29
I was 30. She was 25.
39:32
And the years haven't changed either of us.
39:35
Well, not very much, anyhow.
39:37
Life has been full of excitement, zest,
39:40
and, of course, satisfaction,
39:42
because I've won some very well-publicized cases,
39:45
and there's talk of a judgeship, but that's all for the future.
39:48
The important thing is that for almost 15 years
39:52
since she died... I haven't heard voices.
39:56
You know, those voices.
39:59
Until...Until last week.
40:04
And it happened when I was alone,
40:06
in the morning, at breakfast.
40:08
>> [ Voice echoing ] May I have my pills, George?
40:11
My pills.
40:14
I want to live.
40:16
Please, George.
40:19
My pills.
40:21
♪♪
40:26
>> And I've kept hearing them.
40:28
I don't know what to make of it, because after all,
40:31
she did say...she's forgiven me.
40:34
Why should I hear her now? Why?
40:36
I don't understand it. Why now?
40:38
♪♪
40:47
In the case of Delay vs International Power...
40:50
[ Door opens, footsteps approaching ]
40:52
...the precedent is clearly stated --
40:55
Sally! Sally, what are you doing here?
40:58
>> I'm here to tell you about a precedent
41:00
which is going to be established right now.
41:02
>> I thought you were in London. >> I was.
41:04
And then I decided to come back here for some litigation.
41:07
>> Litigation? With whom? >> With you.
41:10
>> Oh? What, uh, what kind of litigation?
41:13
>> I want to review the basis for our marriage.
41:16
It is rooted in the factors of common interests.
41:18
We're both alive. We like to do things, go places.
41:21
Do you agree? >> Surely.
41:22
>> So why aren't we going and doing?
41:24
>> Well, we -- >> Well we what?
41:25
Do you realize that for the past year,
41:27
you've been working day and night?
41:29
>> Well, darling, it so happens we have some crucial cases.
41:32
>> Do you want our relationship to change permanently?
41:35
Do you want us to drift apart? >> Do you know you're a nut?
41:38
>> Darling.
41:39
A long time ago, we talked about this.
41:42
Nothing, no one ever stands still.
41:46
People change.
41:48
And if they do, so does the basis of their relationship.
41:51
>> All right. We'll go skiing.
41:53
>> Turn your work over to the bright, young eager beavers
41:56
and let's you and I start having fun again.
41:59
♪♪
42:04
>> And we did. We traveled. We played.
42:06
We danced. We enjoyed ourselves.
42:09
And I even managed to get some good work done, too.
42:11
We were never so happy.
42:14
There was, of course, one small dark cloud for me.
42:21
I could hear Margaret's voice.
42:24
>> [ Voice echoing ] I need my pills, George.
42:27
Aren't you going to give me my pills?
42:31
Please.
42:33
>> Penny for your thoughts, George.
42:34
>> Hm? Oh.
42:36
Well, you couldn't buy my high- priced thoughts for a penny.
42:40
>> You seem to be in a state of reverie.
42:42
>> I was?
42:44
>> As if you were listening to something.
42:46
>> Oh. Must be your imagination.
42:49
>> Why, as if... you were listening to voices.
42:52
>> Voices? Are you sure you're all right?
42:55
>> It's positively spooky. >> Spooky?
42:59
Here in our apartment, in the bright sunlight?
43:01
Oh, no.
43:03
You've got to look for your spooks in the dead of night.
43:05
>> Well, I know what we both need.
43:08
>> All right. Tell me. >> A good hard hour of tennis.
43:10
>> Oh, now, darling, I have to be at the office.
43:12
>> You don't have to be anywhere except with me.
43:16
>> Okay. You're on -- for one hour.
43:18
>> Ha.
43:20
♪♪
43:22
[ Birds chirping ]
43:24
>> Ha. That's out. >> [ Laughs ]
43:26
This set has one more game. Your luck won't hold forever.
43:30
>> Oh, no. I don't need luck. I happen to be good!
43:32
[ Racket thuds, George groans ] >> Oh! That was definitely out!
43:35
I think I'm gonna break your service.
43:37
>> Oh. [ Exhales deeply ] [ Birds chirping ]
43:40
>> Well? >> [ Exhales deeply ]
43:42
>> George, what's the matter? >> It's nothing, dear.
43:44
>> Well, I'm waiting! Serve! >> Oh. [ Exhales deeply ]
43:48
>> What is it, George? Is something wrong?
43:50
>> [ Weakly ] No, no. No. No. I'm fine.
43:51
>> You have a funny look on your face.
43:53
>> Have I?
43:54
>> Are you sure you're all right?
43:56
>> Yes. Yes. I'm sure. It's -- It's just...
43:57
>> Just what? >> Oh, it's nothing.
44:00
I, uh...I just had this... little twinge in my back.
44:07
But it's -- it's gone now.
44:09
♪♪
44:13
But it wasn't gone.
44:16
It wasn't much, but it didn't go away.
44:18
And so that afternoon, instead of going to the office,
44:20
I went to the doctor.
44:22
>> I can't see anything.
44:24
Could be a muscle strain.
44:26
Try a little heat at home.
44:29
If it persists, we'll give you some physiotherapy.
44:31
>> Doctor, it's nothing serious, would you say?
44:35
>> Well, right now it doesn't look serious.
44:39
♪♪
44:42
>> I looked very hard at the doctor.
44:45
I tried to listen for another voice -- his inner voice...
44:49
perhaps...perhaps a voice he didn't even know he had...
44:54
...the voice I'd heard 15 years before with Margaret,
44:58
when he predicted...
45:01
But no, there was nothing.
45:04
I sighed with relief.
45:06
♪♪
45:09
[ Cup and saucer rattling ] >> Pour me a cup of that coffee.
45:12
>> Yeah. Sure thing. >> How's the back this morning?
45:15
>> Fine. Just fine. >> How about some tennis?
45:17
>> If you'd like. >> Sure your back's okay?
45:19
>> I said so, honey.
45:21
>> I found out you'd seen the doctor the other day.
45:25
>> Oh? Well, it was, uh, just a check-up.
45:28
>> And the back? >> Oh, a twinge now and then.
45:31
>> Oh. Everybody gets a twinge now and then.
45:34
Dinner tonight at the Caswells'. I'd better call her.
45:36
Then we'll try a few sets.
45:38
Do you love me?
45:40
>> I think so.
45:41
>> I think I love you, too.
45:43
[ Footsteps receding ]
45:46
>> She left the room. I was all alone.
45:49
For a week now, I've been hearing Margaret's voice.
45:53
♪♪
45:54
But now there wasn't a sound.
45:57
I listened, but as mysteriously as it had begun...
46:02
...perhaps it was coming to an end.
46:05
Maybe I was losing this -- this ear I had for voices.
46:11
And then I heard it -- a voice.
46:13
It was very indistinct at first, but I recognized it.
46:15
It was my own voice,
46:17
but I couldn't believe what it was saying.
46:21
I didn't want to believe what it was saying.
46:23
♪♪
46:26
[ Voice echoing ] Sally.
46:27
Oh, please, Sally.
46:30
Sally, give me my pills, please.
46:33
Sally, I-I must have my pills.
46:37
Sally, aren't you gonna give me my pills?
46:40
Sally, don't kill me.
46:43
I don't want to die.
46:45
Sally, my pills.
46:47
>> George. George, what's wrong? >> [ Exhales deeply ] Sally...
46:50
Sally, it's my back. >> I'll call the doctor.
46:53
>> Yes, Sally. Quickly. The pain is terrible.
46:55
Sally, please. [ Telephone dialing ]
46:58
You won't kill me, will you? >> What are you talking about?
47:01
>> When -- When the time comes, you won't kill me.
47:03
You won't -- You won't, Sally.
47:05
Or will you? Will you?
47:08
♪♪
47:13
>> Who knows?
47:15
George and Margaret, that's one story.
47:18
George and Sally, that's another.
47:23
Yes, we often think, many of us, how wonderful
47:27
if we could only hear voices from the future,
47:30
voices that could predict our fate.
47:33
But maybe it's not such a good idea after all.
47:38
Maybe it's better never to know.
47:41
I'll be back in a moment.
47:43
♪♪
47:51
♪♪
47:59
Voices.
48:01
What are the voices we think we hear in the night?
48:05
Are they merely dreams, fantasies, or our own wishes?
48:11
Or are they real?
48:13
And why shouldn't they be real?
48:15
After all, reality is what we think it is.
48:19
Our cast included Larry Haines, Augusta Dabney,
48:22
Leon Janney, and Suzanne Grossman.
48:25
The entire production was under the direction of Himan Brown.
48:29
>> This is E.G. Marshall
48:31
inviting you to return to our "Mystery Theater"
48:34
for another adventure in the macabre.
48:37
Until next time, pleasant dreams.
48:42
♪♪
48:51
♪♪
49:00
♪♪
49:09
♪♪
49:18
♪♪
49:27
>> "If You Please, Himan Brown's Radio Mystery Theater"
49:29
is produced and directed by Sarah Montague.
49:33
Our executive producers are Melina Brown and Sarah Montague.
49:37
CUNY TV's executive director is Chiqui Cartagena.
49:41
The director of production is Susan Iger.
49:43
The associate producer is Corinne Wallace,
49:46
and our audio production intern is Sofia Cedeño.
49:49
Margot Avery is the voice of the series introduction and credits.
49:54
The program commentaries are by John Slavney.
49:57
Our technical team at CUNY TV
49:59
includes senior audio engineer Richard Kim
50:03
and broadcast audio engineers Jackie Mitchell and Kevin Wolfe.
50:07
Our staff photographer is Laura Fuchs.
50:10
Our archivists are David Rice and Catriona Schlosser.
50:14
Our closed caption coordinator is Amy Monte.
50:17
The "If You Please" program mix engineer
50:19
is Lisa Gosselin-Vincent.
50:21
Tink Media handles our publicity and marketing.
50:25
Our director of social media is Karen A. Brown
50:28
In collaboration with StardustBlue PR.
50:31
"If You Please, Himan Brown's Radio Mystery Theater"
50:34
is a production of CUNY TV and Radio Drama Network.
50:38
♪♪
50:39
If you enjoyed the show and are curious
50:41
about the history of these radio programs,
50:44
listen to "Audio Maverick."
50:46
In this award-winning nine-part documentary,
50:49
we explore the golden age of radio
50:51
through the life of dramatic genius Himan Brown
50:54
and then explore the work of contemporary audio dramatists
50:57
who are part of his legacy.
50:59
"Audio Maverick" is available anywhere you get your podcasts.