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Transcript

Suspense - "The Doctor Prescribed Death" (Old Time Radio, 1943) · Suspense | Old Time Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: Psychologist Dr. Antonio Basile, ridiculed for his theory about the
0:04
Speaker 1: narrow boundary between self-destruction and violence toward others, decides to
0:09
Speaker 1: put that theory to a practical test. Tonight's suspense is
0:15
Speaker 1: The Doctor Prescribed Death, Episode 2, first broadcast on CBS,
0:20
Speaker 1: February 2, 1943. Bella Lugosi portrays Dr. Basile, with Geraldine
0:27
Speaker 1: Fitzgerald as Myra Basile, Lorene Tuttle as Gladys Tanner, Lou
0:31
Speaker 1: Merrill as Lieutenant Davis, and Joseph Kearns as the Man
0:34
Speaker 1: in Black. J. Donald Wilson wrote the script, Ted Bliss directed,
0:39
Speaker 1: and William Speer produced this sustaining presentation. As Basile tries
0:45
Speaker 1: to turn theory into proof, his wife, a troubled woman,
0:48
Speaker 1: and a police lieutenant are drawn into the experiment. And
0:52
Speaker 1: now we return to the original broadcast.
1:13
Speaker 2: Suspense. This is the man in black. Here again to
1:31
Speaker 2: introduce Columbia's program, Suspense. Our star tonight is Bela Lugosi,
1:37
Speaker 2: playing the part of Professor Antonio Basile, psychologist.
1:42
Speaker 3: The story is by J.
1:44
Speaker 2: Donald Wilson, who calls it The Doctor Prescribed Death. If
1:50
Speaker 2: you have been with us on these Tuesday nights, you
1:53
Speaker 2: will know that suspense is compounded of mystery and suspicion
1:58
Speaker 2: and dangerous adventure. This series of tales is calculated to
2:03
Speaker 2: intrigue you. Stir your nerves to offer you a precarious
2:07
Speaker 2: situation and then withhold the solution until the last possible moment.
2:15
Speaker 2: And so it is with the doctor prescribed death and
2:17
Speaker 2: Bela Lugosi's performance.
2:20
Speaker 3: We again hope to keep you in.
2:23
Speaker 1: Suspense.
2:26
Speaker 2: Professor Antonio Basile has a theory, but let him tell
2:31
Speaker 2: you about it.
2:33
Speaker 4: As a psychologist, I have worked out a theory. A
2:37
Speaker 4: theory I know to be sound. I contend that a
2:41
Speaker 4: person who has decided to kill himself can very easily
2:45
Speaker 4: be turned from this desire to the desire of taking
2:48
Speaker 4: the life of another. I can prove my theory. And
2:53
Speaker 4: if necessary, that is exactly what I will do.
3:03
Speaker 2: Yes, Professor Antonio Basile has a theory, but only a theory.
3:10
Speaker 2: And he's worried about what his publisher will say, so
3:13
Speaker 2: he visits the editor.
3:15
Speaker 3: Whose name is Hellman.
3:18
Speaker 2: Hellman finishes the manuscript and tosses it on the desk.
3:21
Speaker 2: Professor Basile leans forward eagerly and.
3:25
Speaker 3: Well, Hellman, what do you think?
3:27
Speaker 4: Professor Basile, it's purely conjecture, simply a theory, and I
3:30
Speaker 4: wouldn't advise publishing it. I worked on that theory for
3:33
Speaker 4: a long time. I am positive of it. I know
3:36
Speaker 4: it'll work. Suppose it will.
3:37
Speaker 3: What good is it? What good have you accomplished if
3:39
Speaker 3: you can prove it'll work? Are you laughing at me, Herman?
3:43
Speaker 4: It's so silly. An ordinary human being has suffered reverses.
3:46
Speaker 4: He's sick of it all. He wants to leave it
3:48
Speaker 4: all behind. And you say he can be changed to
3:50
Speaker 4: want to kill someone else.
3:52
Speaker 3: I do.
3:53
Speaker 4: Self-destruction and the destruction of other life are closely related
3:58
Speaker 4: in the mind.
3:59
Speaker 3: The dividing line is very thin. It's ridiculous. And you
4:04
Speaker 3: won't publish it? Granger would fire me. Why? He told
4:07
Speaker 3: me that, in his opinion, you should be in the asylum. Mr.
4:11
Speaker 4: Granger said that? Does he think I'm insane? How do
4:15
Speaker 4: I know?
4:15
Speaker 3: Herrmann, Mr.
4:17
Speaker 4: Granger didn't say that. It's you who thinks I'm crazy.
4:22
Speaker 4: You've never liked me. For some reason, you are trying
4:24
Speaker 4: to tear me down. Well, we'll see, Mr.
4:28
Speaker 2: Herrmann.
4:29
Speaker 3: You'll see. Now, wait a minute. I'll show you whether
4:32
Speaker 3: my works are illogical. I'll show you whether I'm insane. Oh,
4:36
Speaker 3: calm down. I'm going to make you heed those words.
4:42
Speaker 3: I know you don't like me. But I'm going to
4:44
Speaker 3: prove that my theory is sound. Good night. Wait a minute. Busset, wait.
4:49
Speaker 4: You wait, Hellman. You wait.
4:52
Speaker 3: Yes, wait, Hellman. Wait.
5:00
Speaker 2: Professor Basile, seething with resentment, rushes from the office and
5:04
Speaker 2: strides angrily down the street.
5:07
Speaker 3: Insane, huh? I'll prove my theory. I'll find the subject.
5:14
Speaker 3: I'll find someone who wants to take his own life.
5:17
Speaker 3: And so Basile goes home late for dinner.
5:20
Speaker 2: He finds a note from his wife, Myra, saying she's
5:23
Speaker 2: decided to attend the opera and will be home around 11.30pm.
5:28
Speaker 2: Then Professor Basile gets an inspiration. He goes to the
5:32
Speaker 2: bridge over the deep canyon, the bridge called Suicide. And
5:37
Speaker 2: strangely enough, he hasn't long to wait. As he stands
5:40
Speaker 2: against the railing in the fog, a figure appears a
5:44
Speaker 2: few feet beyond, stops.
5:46
Speaker 3: Prepares to leap. Don't do it! Wait a minute! Listen.
5:52
Speaker 4: Huh?
5:53
Speaker 3: That's very silly. Let go of me!
5:56
Speaker 4: Oh, no.
5:58
Speaker 3: I couldn't do that. I need you. I don't need you.
6:02
Speaker 3: Don't you know this is against the law? You're not
6:04
Speaker 3: an officer. You can't stop me. It's 500 feet to
6:08
Speaker 3: those tracks below. Hard steel rails.
6:12
Speaker 4: And don't believe what they all tell you about not
6:15
Speaker 4: being conscious of what happened. You'd know. People don't die instantly.
6:21
Speaker 3: Let loose. They lie in agony for minutes and sometimes
6:24
Speaker 3: for an hour. It's a horrible death, I know. How
6:27
Speaker 3: do you know? I'm a doctor. Doctor? Yes.
6:30
Speaker 4: I can tell you much simpler ways. Much less painful
6:34
Speaker 4: ways and quicker. You're a nice young girl. An intelligent girl.
6:39
Speaker 4: You wouldn't want it to happen this way. Maybe after
6:43
Speaker 4: I talk to you a while, you wouldn't want to
6:45
Speaker 4: do this at all. No?
6:47
Speaker 2: No.
6:49
Speaker 3: But come on. Let's talk it over.
6:52
Speaker 4: Maybe a few minutes' talk will change the entire picture
6:56
Speaker 4: for you.
6:56
Speaker 3: What could you do to help me?
6:58
Speaker 4: If you'll come, I'll tell you. There's a motive bag
7:02
Speaker 4: of your wanting to do this. And I'd like to
7:05
Speaker 4: know what it is.
7:06
Speaker 3: Nothing doing. Haven't you any relatives? Any loved ones you'd
7:10
Speaker 3: like to do something for?
7:11
Speaker 4: Yes. Then if you'll talk with me for a while...
7:16
Speaker 4: Maybe I can find my way clear to help those people.
7:20
Speaker 3: You sound crazy. Oh, no. All right, I'll... Where? My apartment.
7:26
Speaker 5: Let's go.
7:37
Speaker 4: Well, here we are.
7:40
Speaker 3: Come in, please. Well, what do you want to know?
7:45
Speaker 4: Sit down first.
7:47
Speaker 3: Are you hungry? No, I'm not that broke. It isn't pop.
7:51
Speaker 4: I knew that.
7:52
Speaker 3: I could tell by your clothes.
7:57
Speaker 4: Now, first, why did you come here?
8:00
Speaker 3: Why? Why, because you talked me into it. I see.
8:04
Speaker 3: You are not afraid of me? Afraid? In my frame
8:07
Speaker 3: of mind. What could I lose?
8:10
Speaker 4: Suppose I told you that I really brought you here
8:13
Speaker 4: to kill you.
8:15
Speaker 3: Kill me?
8:17
Speaker 4: You know, you're a very pretty girl, don't you?
8:21
Speaker 5: Yeah.
8:24
Speaker 3: That doesn't always mean so much. The right man, it might.
8:28
Speaker 3: That's what I thought. But I found out it didn't
8:31
Speaker 3: mean a thing.
8:32
Speaker 2: Ah.
8:33
Speaker 3: Then it was because of a man.
8:35
Speaker 4: I knew it.
8:36
Speaker 3: Really? How did you guess? I'm a student of psychology.
8:40
Speaker 3: I'm Professor Antonio Basile. I see. And you want to
8:44
Speaker 3: know what makes me tick... You want to know the
8:47
Speaker 3: reason behind my action tonight. That's right.
8:50
Speaker 4: I would like to know what happened to make you
8:53
Speaker 4: want to kill yourself. Suicide is a mental aberration.
8:56
Speaker 3: Yeah?
8:57
Speaker 4: I'd like to know what preceded the decision to destroy yourself.
9:01
Speaker 4: What you thought about until the moment I stopped you
9:04
Speaker 4: on the bridge.
9:05
Speaker 3: What good will that do me?
9:07
Speaker 4: You said you weren't broke, but you also said you
9:10
Speaker 4: had some loved ones you'd like to do something for.
9:12
Speaker 3: I meant I wasn't broke to the point of being hung.
9:16
Speaker 3: I have a few dollars. But you suggested help for
9:20
Speaker 3: someone in larger terms. Yes, I did. Who is the
9:25
Speaker 3: loved one? My mother. You are her only means of support?
9:30
Speaker 6: Yes.
9:31
Speaker 3: And you intend to kill yourself? Yes. That's being selfish,
9:37
Speaker 3: isn't it? Selfish? Yes. Yes. You are concentrating solely on self.
9:41
Speaker 3: You think so? What else? The first law of human
9:44
Speaker 3: nature is self-preservation, right? I suppose so. The second law
9:47
Speaker 3: is the preservation of family. Yeah.
9:50
Speaker 4: So you decide to deny the first law and destroy yourself.
9:54
Speaker 4: And as a consequence, deny the second and leave your
9:57
Speaker 4: mother alone and in need. You indicate a foresight.
10:00
Speaker 3: Of insanity. What would be normal? To destroy the other person.
10:03
Speaker 3: The one who has done you wrong. Have you heard him?
10:07
Speaker 7: No.
10:09
Speaker 4: Then the one who has done wrong should be the
10:12
Speaker 4: one to suffer. You have no legal recourse?
10:16
Speaker 3: Legal recourse?
10:17
Speaker 4: Yes.
10:18
Speaker 3: No, I haven't, I'm sorry to say.
10:21
Speaker 4: And you would kill yourself to let your poor mother
10:24
Speaker 4: suffer because of the wrong of another.
10:27
Speaker 3: Why shouldn't he be the one to suffer? I suppose
10:29
Speaker 3: you're right. Why shouldn't he? What happened after all? Why
10:36
Speaker 3: not tell me about it?
10:37
Speaker 4: Were you married?
10:39
Speaker 2: No.
10:39
Speaker 8: He never seemed to find time to get around to marriage.
10:43
Speaker 3: What's your name? Gladys. Gladys Tanner. How long? How did
10:48
Speaker 3: you know him? Almost four years. And you always thought
10:52
Speaker 3: he meant to marry you?
10:54
Speaker 4: Yes.
10:55
Speaker 3: Until three weeks ago. Yes?
10:59
Speaker 8: On July 1st, he had to leave town for a
11:01
Speaker 8: week on business. Said he was going to Kansas City.
11:06
Speaker 8: When he came back, he seemed to be too busy
11:07
Speaker 8: to see me. Then a week ago, I found a
11:11
Speaker 8: snapshot along with several others in his desk in his home.
11:14
Speaker 3: May I see it?
11:16
Speaker 6: Certainly.
11:18
Speaker 7: It's a picture of him and another woman. But the
11:21
Speaker 7: picture was not taken in Kansas City.
11:23
Speaker 3: It wasn't?
11:24
Speaker 4: No.
11:24
Speaker 3: It was taken on the beach at Atlantic City. And
11:27
Speaker 3: it's dated by the finisher, July 3rd.
11:28
Speaker 8: Since he returned, he's refused to see me.
11:33
Speaker 3: Yesterday, he finally said he didn't care to see me anymore.
11:38
Speaker 3: But I'd better forget him. But it isn't so easy
11:41
Speaker 3: as that, is it? No. I figured I'd done something.
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Speaker 3: And blame myself.
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Speaker 4: Do you.
11:52
Speaker 4: Do you know this blonde woman in this snapshot?
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Speaker 3: No. Then it must be a woman he has met recently.
12:04
Speaker 3: You've known him for four years. I don't think you
12:08
Speaker 3: have to blame. He's the one in the wrong. And
12:12
Speaker 3: he should be made to suffer. How? You were going
12:16
Speaker 3: to kill yourself. Why should you? Kill him instead. He
12:20
Speaker 3: double-crossed you. He deserves it. Now, let me go a
12:24
Speaker 3: little deeper into the situation.
12:26
Speaker 9: Whenever a person has reached the conclusion... You.
12:40
Speaker 4: Are sure you have made up your mind, Miss Tanner?
12:47
Speaker 3: Positive. Now, if you're careful, you won't be caught.
12:52
Speaker 2: No.
12:53
Speaker 4: It's whether you are or not, I'm giving you this
12:56
Speaker 4: check for a thousand dollars made out to cash to
12:59
Speaker 4: be sent to your mother only after the man is dead.
13:05
Speaker 3: Write his name on this pad. There you are.
13:10
Speaker 4: I will know what has happened by the newspapers. And
13:13
Speaker 4: I will be told payment until I learn that you
13:16
Speaker 4: have gone.
13:16
Speaker 3: Through with it. It'll happen tonight. Very well.
13:21
Speaker 4: You are sure?
13:23
Speaker 3: You are determined? Absolutely. Nothing could stop me. Very good.
13:28
Speaker 3: But just what would happen if I did get caught?
13:33
Speaker 3: You won't get caught if you follow my instructions.
13:36
Speaker 4: I know.
13:39
Speaker 3: Now, here is a small revolver. It'll fit easily in
13:43
Speaker 3: your purse. That's all you need. Be sure to wipe
13:46
Speaker 3: your fingerprints off. And leave the gun near the body.
13:50
Speaker 2: Yeah.
13:53
Speaker 3: Well, goodbye, Dr. Basile. Goodbye, Gladys. And good luck.
14:04
Speaker 2: Professor Basile watches Gladys as she crosses the street to
14:08
Speaker 2: the dimly lighted bus stop.
14:11
Speaker 3: Then he rushes to his.
14:12
Speaker 2: Car and drives away. A few minutes later, he comes
14:16
Speaker 2: to a stop at Hellman's house. Hellman, the editor who
14:21
Speaker 2: ridiculed his theory.
14:24
Speaker 3: Just a minute.
14:29
Speaker 4: Oh.
14:30
Speaker 3: Hello, Vasil. Good evening, Hellman.
14:34
Speaker 4: Thought I'd drop out to have a little chat with you. Well,
14:37
Speaker 4: why this time of night? It's kind of late, isn't it?
14:40
Speaker 3: Eleven. Didn't think that was late for you.
14:45
Speaker 4: Come in. Thanks.
14:48
Speaker 3: Sit down. What's on your mind?
14:50
Speaker 4: I want to talk to you about my theory you
14:53
Speaker 4: ridiculed so definitely. My theory about Susette.
14:56
Speaker 8: Oh.
14:57
Speaker 4: Well, I just don't believe it, that's all. And I
15:00
Speaker 4: said I'd prove it, didn't I? Yes, but what are
15:04
Speaker 4: you getting at? It's going to be proved. My theory
15:09
Speaker 4: is going to be proved tonight.
15:11
Speaker 3: Oh, that's fine. Go right ahead and prove it.
15:15
Speaker 4: I don't like you, Hellman. I never liked you. And
15:19
Speaker 4: I know you don't like me. I can't help that, Basil.
15:24
Speaker 4: Who are you staring at? Is that someone here with you?
15:27
Speaker 3: Certainly not. Why?
15:28
Speaker 4: That's a woman's purse on the Davenport. Oh, my secretary
15:32
Speaker 4: dropped by earlier this evening with a manuscript. She must
15:34
Speaker 4: have forgotten it. She's not here now?
15:35
Speaker 3: Of course not. Then I'll continue.
15:37
Speaker 4: Thank you. I found a subject. A girl who was
15:41
Speaker 4: ready to commit suicide because a man jilted her. In
15:46
Speaker 4: a few hours, I was successful in changing her thoughts
15:49
Speaker 4: from suicide to homicide, and she is going to kill
15:52
Speaker 4: the man tonight. What do you think of that? There
15:56
Speaker 4: may be a dozen murders tonight. Ah, but you'll know
16:01
Speaker 4: which one I mean. You'll know about this murder. What
16:04
Speaker 4: do you mean? Because I'm going to tell you who
16:07
Speaker 4: the victim is going to be.
16:09
Speaker 3: You know who the intended victim is? Why don't you
16:10
Speaker 3: stop it?
16:12
Speaker 4: But then I wouldn't have proved my theory. If you
16:15
Speaker 4: put this girl up to it, you're as guilty as
16:17
Speaker 4: she is. You're insane, Basile. Hopelessly insane. You don't think so, Hermann.
16:22
Speaker 4: The whole idea is mad. Too utterly ridiculous for words.
16:26
Speaker 4: No sane man would ever think of such a useless,
16:28
Speaker 4: senseless idea. And for heaven's sake, stop laughing. I'm thinking
16:32
Speaker 4: about the victim... Then he learns.
16:34
Speaker 3: Who is the victim? Martin Harriman. Me? Yes, you. I
16:39
Speaker 3: don't believe you. You will this time. Who is this girl?
16:44
Speaker 3: I know no girl who'd want to kill me. This
16:46
Speaker 3: one does.
16:47
Speaker 5: Now.
16:47
Speaker 4: Oh, nonsense. However, I wouldn't put it past you to
16:51
Speaker 4: hire someone to do something like this. No, no, this
16:54
Speaker 4: girl is no fake. This girl is serious, deadly serious.
16:58
Speaker 4: You probably hypnotized some poor woman, figuring she'd never remember
17:02
Speaker 4: what happened. Oh, Herman, you underestimate me. Maybe I do
17:07
Speaker 4: underestimate your evil mind.
17:10
Speaker 3: But believe me.
17:11
Speaker 4: Put up your hands, Herman. Get away from the desk.
17:15
Speaker 4: I'll just take care of the gun, Herman.
17:19
Speaker 3: That's better.
17:20
Speaker 4: Well.
17:22
Speaker 3: Since when did you start carrying a gun, Basil? Ah,
17:25
Speaker 3: your gun? Don't be silly. This isn't a gun in
17:28
Speaker 3: my pocket. It's just my pipe. See? Well, what do
17:36
Speaker 3: you hear, Herman? Nothing. Oh, yes, you do. I heard it, too.
17:41
Speaker 3: The sound on the porch.
17:42
Speaker 4: I leave now.
17:43
Speaker 3: The back way. I put your gun in the kitchen.
17:46
Speaker 4: And I'll be very careful to remove all my fingerprints.
17:49
Speaker 4: You insane fool. Fancy you. You, Hellman, you are going
17:55
Speaker 4: to help prove my theory. Good night, Hellman.
18:06
Speaker 3: Crazy devil. I'll have him locked up before he gets
18:09
Speaker 3: across town. Good evening, Mr. Hellman. Huh? How did you
18:19
Speaker 3: get in here? Through the patio door. What do you want?
18:23
Speaker 3: I wanted to talk to you. Very strangely. You're just
18:30
Speaker 3: imagining things. And what are you doing here? I wanted
18:33
Speaker 3: to tell you something. Yeah? What? When you first indicated
18:37
Speaker 3: to me that you were through with me... I was
18:40
Speaker 3: terribly hurt. I thought all along that we were to
18:42
Speaker 3: be married.
18:44
Speaker 7: I couldn't understand I tried and tried to think of
18:47
Speaker 7: something I'd done to cause our breakup Then I happened to.
18:51
Speaker 3: Find this snapshot in your desk Snapshot?
18:53
Speaker 7: Take a look at it Kansas City No, Atlantic City,
18:58
Speaker 7: New Jersey You and a blonde And the date is
19:02
Speaker 7: stamped on the back A business trip Ha!
19:07
Speaker 3: Oh What about it? I just wanted you to know
19:12
Speaker 3: that you weren't so slick I wanted you to know
19:16
Speaker 3: that I knew about the blonde. That I knew you'd lied.
19:20
Speaker 3: Now that you've told me, what good does it do you?
19:22
Speaker 3: A lot of good. First, I thought you came here
19:28
Speaker 3: for money. How could you think such a thing? Well,
19:32
Speaker 3: I think you'd better go now. I'm going. Goodbye, Morton.
19:41
Speaker 3: And good luck in your new venture. What venture? This one. Gladys. Gladys!
19:53
Speaker 3: Wish me luck in mine.
19:56
Speaker 2: Gladys stands staring a moment at the body of Hellman.
20:04
Speaker 2: Then wipes off the gun. Drops it to the floor.
20:07
Speaker 2: takes the professor's check from her purse, steps to Hellman's
20:10
Speaker 2: desk and writes a note. Then she puts the note
20:14
Speaker 2: in an envelope with the check, addresses it, stamps it,
20:18
Speaker 2: turns out the lights, steps out into the dark street.
20:22
Speaker 2: At the corner, she drops the envelope in the mailbox
20:26
Speaker 2: and disappears. Professor Basile heard the shots. His theory worked.
20:32
Speaker 2: Hellman will torment him no more. The perfect crime. so
20:38
Speaker 2: he can go home to his wife now and go
20:41
Speaker 2: to sleep.
20:44
Speaker 4: Myra.
20:46
Speaker 3: Myra. Huh? What? Oh, Antonio. What are you doing asleep
20:53
Speaker 3: on the Davenport? Do you know what time it is?
20:55
Speaker 3: Must be after midnight. I've been waiting for you. How
20:58
Speaker 3: was opera? Oh, fair. Nothing to brag about. Who sang
21:02
Speaker 3: the lead?
21:02
Speaker 6: Belchiati.
21:03
Speaker 3: He wasn't very good.
21:04
Speaker 4: Belchiati? Mm-hmm.
21:06
Speaker 3: Poor Othello. Othello?
21:08
Speaker 4: I thought they were doing Ida tonight.
21:11
Speaker 3: No, they switched because someone was ill. They just as
21:15
Speaker 3: soon as stayed home. Good night, Captain Ida. No, thanks.
21:18
Speaker 3: I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed. I belong presently.
21:22
Speaker 3: Good night.
21:24
Speaker 2: Then the night passes and the morning comes. The professor
21:35
Speaker 2: rises cheerfully and prepares for breakfast. And....
21:42
Speaker 4: I'll get it, Myra.
21:47
Speaker 3: Yes? Are you Professor Basile? Yes. May we come in?
21:50
Speaker 3: We'd like to talk with you. Of course. What is
21:54
Speaker 3: it you want? Is your wife in?
21:56
Speaker 5: Yes.
21:57
Speaker 3: We'd like to see her, too. What? Oh, I'm Lieutenant Davis.
22:03
Speaker 4: Detective.
22:04
Speaker 7: Well.
22:05
Speaker 3: What do you want? Will you call your wife? Fire.
22:08
Speaker 3: And suddenly... Myra! But what's this all about? What is it, Antonio?
22:16
Speaker 4: These men are from detective headquarters.
22:19
Speaker 3: They want to talk to us. Really? What about? May
22:21
Speaker 3: I ask where you were last night, Mrs. Basile? Certainly.
22:24
Speaker 3: I went to the opera. What time did you get home? Oh,
22:27
Speaker 3: I imagine it was around 11 shortly after. Mm-hmm. Were
22:30
Speaker 3: you at home last evening, Professor? Well, I was at
22:32
Speaker 3: the club and got home about 12.30. By the way,
22:36
Speaker 3: do you know Morton Hellman? Certainly. What about him? He's
22:40
Speaker 3: been murdered.
22:42
Speaker 2: Murdered?
22:43
Speaker 4: Good Lord.
22:44
Speaker 3: When? Around midnight last night. I found him this morning.
22:47
Speaker 3: How terrible.
22:49
Speaker 4: Why, I've known him for years. He was editor-in-chief of
22:53
Speaker 4: the company publishing my writings.
22:55
Speaker 3: I'm a psychologist, you know. Yes, I know.
22:58
Speaker 4: But what do you want to know from us?
23:02
Speaker 3: We weren't connected socially with Hellman. Just in business.
23:05
Speaker 6: Did you know him, Mrs. Basile?
23:07
Speaker 3: Yes, I knew him very slightly.
23:09
Speaker 6: Either of you know of anyone who'd have reasonably killed him?
23:12
Speaker 3: Certainly not. Everyone thought highly of him. Did you ever
23:15
Speaker 3: hear of a girl named Gladys Tanner?
23:17
Speaker 6: Gladys Tanner?
23:18
Speaker 3: No.
23:19
Speaker 6: Did you know of a Gladys Tanner, Mrs. Basile?
23:22
Speaker 4: No.
23:22
Speaker 3: Is this your purse, Mrs. Basile?
23:25
Speaker 4: Why, of course it is.
23:27
Speaker 3: That's the one I gave you last Christmas, Myra. Oh, yes.
23:31
Speaker 3: I must have lost it downtown. Where did you find it, Lieutenant?
23:33
Speaker 3: At Hellman's home. Hellman's home? Well, how in the world?
23:38
Speaker 3: Good heavens, but how? We found it on the sofa.
23:40
Speaker 3: But I can't imagine how it could get there. And
23:42
Speaker 3: this is the revolver that killed Hellman, found on the
23:44
Speaker 3: floor beside him. What? No fingerprints on it, however.
23:47
Speaker 2: But.
23:48
Speaker 4: May I see it? Why, Myra, this is your gun.
23:53
Speaker 4: I bought this for you two years ago. When I
23:55
Speaker 4: went on the lecture tour.
23:56
Speaker 3: Yes, I think it's mine, but it just doesn't make sense.
23:59
Speaker 3: Did you have the gun in your purse when you
24:01
Speaker 3: lost it last time? Perhaps I did. I'm so confused now,
24:05
Speaker 3: I can't remember. I think it is terrible.
24:09
Speaker 2: Oh, I know.
24:10
Speaker 3: Oh, dear, I feel ill. Did you ever fire this gun? Yes,
24:14
Speaker 3: once last year up in the mountains. I wanted to
24:16
Speaker 3: see how it worked. Ever reload it? No, I've never
24:18
Speaker 3: reloaded it. I just didn't think about it. Maybe I
24:21
Speaker 3: did put it in my purse. Why, I don't know,
24:24
Speaker 3: and whoever found the purse may have used the gun to.
24:28
Speaker 3: Oh, it just can't seem to seem... This gun misfired
24:30
Speaker 3: on the first two shots. The other three killed Hellman.
24:33
Speaker 3: This is the most amazing piece of coincidence I ever
24:35
Speaker 3: heard of.
24:36
Speaker 4: Why would my wife want to do.
24:38
Speaker 3: Such a thing? Why should she get to Hellman? She
24:42
Speaker 3: hardly knew him.
24:43
Speaker 6: Are you sure about that, Professor?
24:45
Speaker 3: Of course.
24:46
Speaker 6: Well, sorry to say that I don't believe her.
24:48
Speaker 3: What?
24:49
Speaker 6: This is ridiculous. This is going to be a shock
24:51
Speaker 6: to you, Professor, but... Here's a snapshot we found on
24:54
Speaker 6: Hellman's desk. Taken in Atlantic City last July.
25:00
Speaker 3: Good heavens.
25:02
Speaker 4: Why, this is you, Myra. You and Hellman. You were
25:09
Speaker 4: at your mother's in Florida in July.
25:11
Speaker 3: Myra, look at me. What does this mean? I can't.
25:17
Speaker 4: I can't. And I can't believe such a thing.
25:20
Speaker 3: May I have the purse, the gun, and the photo? Here.
25:23
Speaker 3: Thank you. I'm sorry, but I'll have to take her
25:25
Speaker 3: down to headquarters. But I didn't kill him. I didn't.
25:28
Speaker 3: I wouldn't. I loved him. Myra. Better pull yourself together.
25:38
Speaker 3: You'll have to go back. They'll want photos and fingerprints. Yes.
25:41
Speaker 4: Better get it ready, Myra. Certainly looks bad for her.
25:45
Speaker 4: Afraid it does. Looks like an open and shut case. Oh,
25:49
Speaker 4: will you come along too, Professor?
25:51
Speaker 3: Certainly.
25:55
Speaker 2: And so it all worked out beautifully. Not quite as
25:59
Speaker 2: the professor had planned. But then he changed his plan...
26:03
Speaker 2: from the moment when Gladys Tanner... showed him the snapshot
26:06
Speaker 2: taken in Atlantic City. And he realized that the girl's
26:09
Speaker 2: fiancé was Hellman... and the blonde was Myra, his wife.
26:15
Speaker 2: He had no intention of allowing Gladys Tanner to kill Hellman...
26:18
Speaker 2: until he saw that snapshot. And when he recognized Myra's
26:22
Speaker 2: purse in Hellman's home... He decided to let Gladys kill
26:26
Speaker 2: him and the blame be placed on Myra.
26:30
Speaker 3: The perfect crime.
26:33
Speaker 2: But several hours later, after fingerprints and many questions, the
26:37
Speaker 2: professor is just about to be dismissed when Sergeant Rankin
26:40
Speaker 2: steps into the room and speaks quietly to Lieutenant Davis.
26:43
Speaker 3: What is it, Rankin?
26:44
Speaker 6: I stayed at Basile's place, as you said.
26:46
Speaker 3: Well?
26:47
Speaker 6: A few minutes ago, a special delivery letter came for
26:49
Speaker 6: the professor. This will knock your eye off reading.
26:52
Speaker 3: All right.
26:54
Speaker 4: Well, this fits perfectly with the writing we're trying to
26:57
Speaker 4: make out on Helm's desk blotter. Professor, here's a letter
27:00
Speaker 4: sent special delivery to you a few minutes ago, postmarked
27:02
Speaker 4: last night.
27:03
Speaker 3: Read it.
27:06
Speaker 4: Dear Professor Basile, your theory worked a certain degree.
27:11
Speaker 3: You convinced me I should kill him.
27:16
Speaker 4: I should kill him, but when that gun you gave
27:20
Speaker 4: me misfired twice, I almost quit.
27:25
Speaker 3: Go ahead, Professor. Read on.
27:28
Speaker 4: Then as I looked at him on the floor, the
27:30
Speaker 4: feeling of self-destruction came back.
27:33
Speaker 3: I'm going ahead with my plan. Here's your check.
27:36
Speaker 4: I won't need it. Besides, I lied to you. I
27:40
Speaker 4: lost my mother long ago. Better luck next time.
27:43
Speaker 3: Gladys. Tanner.
27:46
Speaker 6: A half hour ago, they found her body beneath Suicide Bridge.
27:50
Speaker 3: Well, Professor, your perfect crime has failed. Failed.
27:54
Speaker 4: Yes, failed.
27:55
Speaker 3: Wonderful setup on paper, but your theory backfired and you're
27:58
Speaker 3: up for murder. But I didn't kill him. But you
28:00
Speaker 3: planned it and yours guilty as Gladys. She's paid her penalty.
28:02
Speaker 3: Now it's your turn. No. No.
28:05
Speaker 4: I won't. I won't be hanged. Never.
28:14
Speaker 2: And now the doctor lies on the sidewalk 17 stories below.
28:19
Speaker 2: His entire theory work in reverse. And so closes The
28:45
Speaker 2: Doctor Prescribed Death, starring Bela Lugosi. Tonight's story of suspense.
28:56
Speaker 2: It came to you from Columbia Square in Hollywood. This
29:06
Speaker 2: is the man in black who conveys to you Columbia's
29:09
Speaker 2: invitation to spend this half hour in suspense with us
29:13
Speaker 2: again next Tuesday night. When we present the noted actor, Mr.
29:18
Speaker 2: Sidney Greenstreet in The Hangman Won't Wait.
30:16
Speaker 3: This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.
30:30
Speaker 1: We close this 1943 visit with suspense. The Doctor Prescribed Death.
30:35
Speaker 1: Follow suspense for more classic broadcasts.