Latest / If You Please, Himan Brown’s Radio Mystery Theater / S2E8: Here Goes the Bride

Transcript

S2E8: Here Goes the Bride · If You Please, Himan Brown’s Radio Mystery Theater

0:00
>> Welcome to the second season of "If You Please,
0:02
Himan Brown's Radio Mystery Theater."
0:05
On this series,
0:07
we are offering rebroadcasts of a select group
0:08
of programs 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 one,
0:24
we delivered riveting tales of foul play, betrayal,
0:26
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
0:37
embody a wide range of characters
0:40
and deliver thrills time and again.
0:42
And for season two,
0:44
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,
0:53
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.
1:00
♪♪
1:07
>> Hi, everybody, I'm John Slavney.
1:09
We're getting close to the end of the second season
1:10
of "If You Please."
1:12
This time we turn to "Here Goes the Bride",
1:14
a gothic thriller
1:16
that takes place in a rather modern setting.
1:18
Our play opens on a drive along the California coast,
1:20
where we're headed to Bon-Repos,
1:22
a large estate perched on a cliff overlooking
1:24
the Pacific Ocean.
1:26
It's here that Richard Morgan,
1:28
a fading but still famous movie star,
1:29
is bringing his new bride, Jenny.
1:31
She's clearly a bit intimidated. The high walls, the barbed wire,
1:35
the massive iron gates at the front entrance.
1:37
It's like a fortress, she says. But as Richard explains,
1:40
the security measures are the price of privacy.
1:42
The estate is also the home
1:44
Richard shared with his first wife, April,
1:46
an acclaimed beauty who died mysteriously a year earlier
1:49
and whose presence still haunts every room.
1:52
Even her likeness remains painted on a fresco
1:54
in the entrance hall.
1:56
This is April's house, Jenny realizes,
1:57
in April may not be entirely finished with it.
2:00
Ian Martin's script is plainly indebted to Daphne du Maurier's
2:03
1938 novel "Rebecca."
2:05
Better known to most people from Alfred Hitchcock's
2:07
1940 film of the same name,
2:10
Ruby Dee returns to Radio Mystery Theater
2:12
in the leading role of Jenny.
2:14
She and her husband, actor Ossie Davis,
2:16
were also about to launch the
2:17
"Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis Story Hour",
2:19
a weekly cultural radio program distributed
2:21
through the National Black Network.
2:23
She would return to "RMT"
2:25
in 1975 to star in two additional "RMT" episodes.
2:29
Playing Richard is Michael Wager,
2:30
best known as a New York stage actor.
2:32
Here in his second radio role for Hi Brown.
2:35
Wager was also a close friend of the composer and conductor
2:37
Leonard Bernstein, and was his upstairs neighbor at the Dakota,
2:41
the famous New York City apartment building
2:43
we mentioned in an earlier episode of this podcast.
2:46
Another close friend of Wager's
2:48
was the playwright Terrence McNally,
2:49
whose 1985 play "Lisbon Traviata" features a callous,
2:53
obsessed opera fan named Mendy,
2:55
a character generally said to be modeled on Wager.
2:58
Nathan Lane played the role
2:59
in the New York production of that play.
3:01
Also in the cast is Teri Keane as Richard's sister, Lisa.
3:04
At the time of this recording,
3:07
Keane could be seen in the CBS daytime serial
3:08
"The Edge of Night" in the role
3:09
of Martha Spears Marceau,
3:12
a role she had played since October of 1963.
3:15
Bryna Raeburn can be heard as the estate's housekeeper,
3:17
Conchita,
3:19
whose loyalty to April makes her slow to accept Jenny
3:21
as the new mistress of the house.
3:23
Raeburn's accent isn't just an actor's approximation.
3:26
As a girl growing up in Jersey City,
3:28
across the river from the CBS radio studios,
3:31
she learned to speak Spanish fluently
3:33
under the tutelage of her aunt.
3:34
Our scriptwriter, Ian Martin,
3:36
completes the cast as Juan,
3:38
the caretaker and Conchita's husband.
3:40
His accent is another matter.
3:42
Our actors in Himan Brown's staff
3:44
committed the script to tape on Thursday, January 10th, 1974,
3:48
and the result was first broadcast
3:50
less than a month later on February 4th.
3:52
Now make yourself at home.
3:54
Be sure to mind the edge of that cliff
3:56
and enjoy our exclusive presentation
3:59
of this original recording.
4:00
♪♪
4:07
>> The "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" presents...
4:10
[ Door creaking open ]
4:19
♪♪
4:27
Come in. Welcome. I'm E.G. Marshall.
4:34
Welcome to the sound of suspense.
4:38
To the fear you can hear.
4:41
This time around, we're involved in the supernatural.
4:46
Any dictionary will give you several definitions.
4:49
Supernatural.
4:51
Above and beyond the natural order of events.
4:55
Of or related to ghosts,
4:58
behavior caused by the intervention
5:01
or by the action of a God on earthly affairs.
5:05
Choose your own definition for this tale
5:07
we are about to relate.
5:14
>> No, they don't want me here.
5:19
Someone. Something doesn't want me here.
5:24
Who? Who? Richard. Not Richard.
5:32
April. April is still in his mind.
5:37
April. No.
5:43
I don't believe in ghosts.
5:46
I won't, I won't --
5:47
[ Door opens ]
5:49
No! Who's there? Who's there? >> Why?
5:55
Why don't you go away?
6:00
You don't belong.
6:05
Foolish girl. Go away!
6:09
>> April, you're not dead.
6:12
[ Screams ]
6:13
♪♪
6:22
>> Our mystery drama, "Here Goes The Bride",
6:25
was written especially for the "Mystery Theater"
6:28
by Ian Martin and stars Ruby Dee and Michael Wager.
6:34
I'll be back shortly with act one.
6:36
♪♪
6:42
♪♪
6:48
♪♪
6:53
The supernatural doesn't always have to presuppose
6:56
something totally beyond this earth.
7:00
There are those among us
7:02
who hover somewhere between earth and sky,
7:05
the stars
7:07
who light up our theater marquees or movie screens.
7:10
All the human beings who have become, by extension,
7:14
a little larger than life.
7:17
This is the shocking tale about two of those.
7:22
>> Richard. >> Yes, Jenny.
7:25
>> It's such a lovely day. Can't we put the top down?
7:29
>> Well, I don't want to take a chance on being recognized.
7:32
>> Nobody will recognize me.
7:33
>> Just do as I say, please.
7:36
I'm sorry to make you do the driving, darling,
7:38
but that's
7:40
why I had Juan leave my sister Lisa's car in Monterey.
7:41
The damn snoop should know by now
7:43
not to pay any attention to it.
7:46
>> Does your sister look like me, Richard?
7:48
>> Enough from a distance. Same colored hair.
7:52
But not really.
7:54
He's attractive enough, I suppose.
7:56
No, actually, she is very plain.
7:59
And you? >> [ Chuckles ] Yes.
8:02
>> You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known.
8:05
>> And I thought you only married me for my money.
8:07
>> Look, don't say that.
8:09
>> But, darling, I was only joking.
8:12
Did you really mean what you said about me?
8:14
>> Every word.
8:16
>> But she was so beautiful.
8:19
How could you? >> April was April.
8:22
She isn't in my world or anyone else's anymore.
8:25
She's dead. >> I'm sorry, darling.
8:28
I shouldn't have brought her up. I...
8:31
Oh, we're here already.
8:33
So I'm about to see Richard Morgan's folly at last.
8:39
>> Don't let the walls spoil it for you.
8:40
>> Oh, but it's like a fortress.
8:42
Barbed wire, broken glass.
8:45
And the gate looks as though you borrowed it from the Bastille.
8:50
Does it all have to be so high?
8:52
>> The price of privacy. What little we could ever get.
8:56
The fans considered April and myself public property,
9:01
but we could forget that once we're inside.
9:03
From there, looking out, you can't even see the walls.
9:06
Open the gate.
9:08
>> I don't think I could even budge it if I knew how.
9:11
>> Not manually.
9:13
You see the little box on the visor?
9:15
It's an electric gizmo. Just press the button on it.
9:17
[ Gate opens ]
9:20
>> It's a magic castle.
9:22
>> Enter, Your Majesty, and long live the Queen.
9:25
[ Engine revving ]
9:30
Pull over to the gatehouse. Stop a minute.
9:34
[ Dogs barking ]
9:35
>> What are those? The hound of the Baskervilles?
9:37
>> They are our guardian angels.
9:39
They patrol the grounds at night.
9:41
Juan, amigo. [ Speaks Spanish ]
9:45
>> They know you are back in casa, mi patron.
9:48
They will not be tranquil till they see you for themselves.
9:52
Bienvenida casa, senor Morgan.
9:55
>> Muchas gracias. Viejo, amigo.
9:57
Darling, this is Juan El Senor Aguilar.
10:01
Juan. [ Speaking Spanish ]
10:05
Mi esposa.
10:06
>> Senora Morgan.
10:09
>> Juan, put the tarp down for the senora.
10:11
I'll get the dogs quiet!
10:15
>> Oh, it's good to get some fresh air.
10:18
Well, my husband didn't have any trouble quieting down the dogs.
10:23
They're not really as savage as they sound.
10:26
Are they, Juan?
10:28
>> They are trained to kill, senora.
10:31
Anyone who does not belong here.
10:34
>> Oh, goodness. I hope they get to know me soon then.
10:38
>> If they learn to know you belong,
10:40
you have nothing to fear.
10:42
>> You've been here a long time.
10:45
>> Since the house was first built.
10:47
>> Then you were here from the beginning with Richard's --
10:49
with Richard's first wife, April.
10:53
>> Sí.
10:54
>> A terrible tragedy for all of you.
10:56
You must have loved her.
10:57
>> She was la senora de la casa.
11:01
>> I hope you won't blame me for trying to take her place.
11:06
>> There is no one to take her place.
11:09
♪♪
11:16
>> Conchita.
11:17
>> Si, senorita. >> Here in the hall?
11:21
>> Yes, Senorita Morgan.
11:23
>> You didn't take her portrait down.
11:25
>> La Senora? April? That is her place.
11:28
>> I don't think my brother is going to agree with you.
11:30
He is bringing home a new bride, you know.
11:32
>> I know.
11:34
>> Didn't he suggest it might be a sensible idea
11:36
to clear away all the portraits and memories of April
11:38
from around the house?
11:40
>> The portrait here in the hall is painted on plaster.
11:43
It cannot be removed any more than
11:45
her memory can be removed. So it stays.
11:50
This is her place. No one can take it.
11:53
>> A fresco. Funny, I never realized that.
11:58
Because it's framed, I suppose.
12:00
>> It was el patron's idea for the wedding present.
12:03
His way of saying here is my love which will never die,
12:08
as it will never die for any of us.
12:10
>> Except for my brother Richard.
12:14
>> Maybe he thinks so. Maybe not.
12:17
But once he returns again,
12:19
I think he will know there is only one la senora.
12:24
♪♪
12:33
>> Now you're really going to see Bon-Repos is all about.
12:36
I'm going to drive slow so you can drink it in.
12:40
Look. >> Oh! It's breathtaking.
12:44
That's Bon-Repos.
12:46
>> Not only the house,
12:47
but the cliffs and that wild leap off into the Pacific
12:51
and all the way to the horizon.
12:54
Oh, I love it. >> I hope you'll be able to.
12:57
>> But I do already.
12:59
Except... >> Except what?
13:01
>> Well, the rest of it is all so vast
13:04
that suddenly the house seems small.
13:07
Now, the closer we get, I realize how huge it is.
13:10
>> Well, it's -- it's rambling.
13:12
Started from small beginnings and then just kept on growing.
13:16
>> Looking at that main house, it wasn't all that small.
13:18
>> Well, for its day it was.
13:20
Big families then.
13:23
All that's left of mine I see clustered on the porch.
13:26
My sister. >> And the lady with her?
13:29
>> That's our housekeeper, Conchita Aguilar.
13:33
She's Juan's wife. >> I have no one.
13:35
But at least you have a sister.
13:37
It makes me feel a lot less like an orphan.
13:39
And the house is so lovely. I hope I've come home.
13:44
>> I told you when we came back to America,
13:46
that would be your decision.
13:50
Jenny, For many reasons, it --
13:53
Well, it's not going to be an easy one,
13:55
but just give it a chance.
13:58
>> I'll welcome it, Richard.
14:01
If only it will welcome me.
14:03
♪♪
14:10
[ Clattering ]
14:12
>> We flew straight from Japan to San Francisco,
14:15
then drove down to Monterey to pick up the car.
14:17
>> Well, it's so good to see you.
14:19
Your bride is lovely,
14:21
but you could have let us know about the wedding.
14:23
>> Lisa, I wanted to keep it private, so we just sneaked off.
14:26
>> [ Chuckles ]
14:27
More coffee, Jenny? >> Mnh-mnh.
14:29
>> Richard?
14:30
>> No. I think I'll have some brandy.
14:32
How about you girls?
14:34
>> Not for me.
14:35
>> I pass. >> Oh, it's a magnificent night.
14:37
There's going to be a full moon.
14:41
Damn dogs are all stirred up again.
14:44
Jenny. >> Yes, Richard.
14:46
>> Want to walk down with me and start making friends with them?
14:49
>> Well, I'm a little tired tonight.
14:51
I bet I'd make a better dog pal by daylight.
14:54
Well, why don't you go ahead while I go up
14:55
and get ready for bed?
14:57
Well, you're the one they're calling for anyway.
15:00
>> I've missed them, and it's nice to be missed.
15:04
Would you mind? I won't be over a half hour.
15:06
>> I'll be waiting for you when you get back.
15:08
>> I'll close the French windows.
15:10
Don't forget to lock them, Lisa.
15:12
>> No, no. Leave them open. The breeze is wonderful.
15:14
>> I'll see they get closed, Ritchie.
15:16
I've been taking care of that for the last year.
15:17
>> Take care of my bride to, Lisa.
15:20
Good night to you, Lisa.
15:21
[ Dogs barking ]
15:22
I'll see you later, Jenny.
15:27
>> Well, a very sexy goodbye.
15:30
>> Your brother is a very sexy man.
15:32
Or hadn't you noticed?
15:33
>> Well, why should I be the only woman
15:35
in the northern hemisphere to have it escape me?
15:37
>> Oh, Lisa.
15:39
It's what makes my blood run cold sometimes.
15:42
That and April.
15:45
>> She can scarcely run you much competition anymore.
15:48
>> Because she's dead. >> She is.
15:51
>> Well, not really.
15:52
In so many ways,
15:54
I'm -- I'm terribly naive.
15:56
Growing up in Japan, knowing so little of my native country.
15:58
I was always aware that Richard Morgan was a star.
16:01
After all, he was in Japan to make a movie,
16:04
and I knew he'd been married for many years to April Sanders.
16:07
But it was only after I'd married Richard
16:10
and come back to America
16:12
that I began to realize I'd married into royalty.
16:15
Not only that,
16:17
but I'd rushed blindly into marrying the king without seeing
16:21
that the queen is not dead.
16:22
>> Oh, Jenny, don't be silly. The queen is very dead.
16:25
>> Not in most people's memories.
16:28
How did it happen, Lisa? How could that vibrant,
16:32
overwhelmingly wonderful woman have met her death?
16:38
>> Want to take a little walk, Jenny?
16:40
>> I could use some air. Which way do we go?
16:43
>> Oh, towards the sea.
16:45
There's enough moonlight to light the way.
16:47
Are you cold?
16:48
>> Lord, no. I welcome the breeze.
16:50
Well, where are you taking me?
16:52
>> To the end of the world. >> What?
16:56
>> Well, we're April ended hers.
16:59
You wanted to know how it happened, didn't you?
17:02
♪♪
17:11
>> I think I've gone far enough, Lisa.
17:14
>> Only a few steps.
17:15
>> What? What is this path?
17:18
I mean, somebody cut it out of solid rock.
17:20
>> It's called the Seven Steps to Heaven.
17:23
It's more like 70.
17:25
Richard had them cut for April on their seventh anniversary.
17:28
You'll see why
17:30
now as we come out on the ledge.
17:33
It's windier tonight than I thought.
17:36
Most days it's calm up here.
17:39
The sun pours down.
17:41
You can lie out here on the ledge with the sea 400ft below
17:45
and drenched in the sun,
17:47
as though you were the only person in the world.
17:50
April treated this as a shrine.
17:52
She was inveterate sun worshipper.
17:54
>> But it's sheer heaven bathed in moonlight.
17:58
>> If you look up.
18:00
>> I can't see too much of the shadows looking down.
18:03
>> The rocks are as jagged as teeth.
18:06
400ft straight down. This is right where she fell.
18:12
Spread eagled on the rocks, broken and mangled,
18:16
but speared by the sharp edges.
18:18
So even the restless sea couldn't wash her away.
18:20
>> Oh, my God, Lisa! How?
18:24
How could she have gone close enough to fall?
18:28
>> She didn't fall. >> But the paper said she --
18:30
>> That's the story that was given out.
18:32
Conchita believes it. Richie claims he does.
18:36
Others are not so sure. Come on.
18:39
This place gives me the heebie jeebies.
18:41
Let's get back to the house
18:43
before Richie sets those damn dogs loose.
18:44
♪♪
18:51
[ Door opens ]
18:52
>> Oh.
18:54
Excuse me, I was just turning down the bed.
18:56
>> Which I'm sure you're quite ready to roll into, Jenny.
18:57
>> Good night, dear. Welcome home.
19:00
Such as it is.
19:02
>> Good night, Lisa. >> See you whenever.
19:04
Don't feel there's anything to get up for.
19:07
>> Will there be anything else, madam?
19:09
>> No, thanks, Conchita.
19:11
>> Then I will say buenos noches, madam.
19:14
>> Wait a minute.
19:16
>> Sí, madam?
19:18
>> Madam is not a Spanish word.
19:20
Why do you call me that?
19:22
>> What would you have me call you?
19:24
>> Well, since I -- I am Richard's wife.
19:28
Shouldn't it be senora?
19:30
>> In this house, there was only one senora.
19:34
>> But she's dead.
19:35
>> [ Speaks Spanish ]
19:37
Never in the heart for anyone who knew her.
19:42
Buenas noches, madame.
19:45
♪♪
19:52
>> [ Gasps ]
19:53
Richard? [ Roster crowing ]
19:56
Richard, are you awake?
19:58
>> Huh?
20:00
>> [ Wailing ]
20:02
>> It's her. It's -- It's April.
20:06
Oh, my God. Stay away. Stay away.
20:11
Richard, wake up! >> [ Gasps ]
20:14
>> Help me! >> What's happened?
20:15
>> Help! >> Jenny, Jenny, what is it?
20:17
>> Listen, listen. Don't you hear?
20:19
[ Wailing continues ]
20:21
>> Hear what? [ Wailing stops ]
20:23
There's nothing. >> But there was --
20:25
It -- I -- I...
20:27
>> What is it, darling?
20:29
You look as though you'd seen a ghost.
20:31
>> Not seen, I heard. It was her.
20:36
April, your wife. >> Be quiet! You're my wife.
20:40
April is dead.
20:42
>> But she still doesn't want me here.
20:45
Nobody does.
20:47
♪♪
20:56
>> Not a very auspicious housewarming
20:58
for poor Jenny at Bon-Repos.
21:03
A reasonable translation of the French is sweet dreams.
21:09
But there will be few sweet dreams for Jenny,
21:12
at least this night.
21:14
As for others,
21:16
we'll find out when we return shortly with act two.
21:22
>> Like what you're hearing so far?
21:24
Are you curious about the history behind radio programs
21:27
just like this one,
21:29
and the dramatic genius who created them?
21:31
In the nine-part, award-winning documentary "Audio Maverick",
21:34
we explore the golden age of radio
21:37
through the life of Himan Brown.
21:39
You'll hear the history of radio come to life
21:42
as we travel from the birth of audio drama
21:44
to the programs that brought millions of families
21:46
into their living rooms every night.
21:49
"Audio Maverick" is available anywhere you get your podcasts.
21:52
♪♪
21:58
♪♪
22:06
>> By the fresh light of a clear morning
22:09
with the wind stilled
22:11
and the sunlight flooding all the dark corners,
22:14
Bon-Repos is a little more worthy of its name,
22:17
but Richard Morgan is having a difficult time selling that
22:20
to his still shaken bride.
22:24
>> Let a little light in. You'll feel better, Jenny.
22:28
>> Um, no.
22:30
No, Richard, I -- I'm still not over last night.
22:33
Who was it? >> Darling,
22:35
it wasn't anybody.
22:37
>> You still say you didn't hear it that awful sobbing.
22:40
>> It was -- It was nothing but the wind.
22:42
Sometimes it's sighs and moans all around the house
22:45
and you'd swear it was a human voice.
22:47
But -- but look.
22:51
Not a whisper this morning. Even the ocean's like glass.
22:55
Today you'll understand why I love this house so much.
22:59
>> Richard, come here beside me on the bed.
23:02
[ Footsteps ]
23:04
>> All right, darling. >> I know you love Bon-Repos.
23:09
But... >> But why?
23:11
>> Richard, please, I-I don't want to live here.
23:16
>> Why not? >> Darling, try to understand.
23:18
I don't feel I belong here.
23:20
I know Juan and Conchita seem to resent me.
23:23
>> Have they said anything?
23:24
>> No, no, not in so many words.
23:25
It's just a feeling I get. I'm not wanted.
23:28
>> That isn't true.
23:31
>> Richard, don't you see? It's her house.
23:35
It was her family's house to begin with.
23:37
She's here still. She'll never leave it.
23:40
She'll haunt me every minute I'm in it.
23:42
Please take me away from here.
23:43
>> All right.
23:45
If that's what you want, I'll sell the damn place.
23:47
Tear it apart stone by stone. >> Richard!
23:49
>> Oh.
23:51
Oh, Jenny, my darling, look, it's --
23:54
It's just the time lag. The long flight from Japan.
23:56
Days and nights turned upside down.
24:01
I'm going to have Conchita bring us a breakfast up to the room.
24:03
We'll have it out on the veranda.
24:06
Give you a chance to get a good look at Juan's landscaping.
24:09
All that riot of color.
24:11
Bougainvillea, poinsettia, camellia against the green.
24:16
Maybe that'll change your mind about poor old Bon-Repos.
24:19
>> Darling, I know how much you love it, but --
24:23
>> Come on, Jenny, give it a chance.
24:26
A few more days, a week.
24:30
Give it a chance to cast its own peculiar spell.
24:34
>> All right, darling. Go get us some breakfast.
24:38
I'll wash up and -- and brush my teeth
24:40
and get rid of some cobwebs while you're gone.
24:43
>> Jenny? >> Yes.
24:46
>> I love you, Mrs. Morgan.
24:48
>> [ Chuckles ] That's who I am.
24:50
And I love you, my husband.
24:54
[ Door closes ]
24:55
>> Conchita.
24:57
>> Sí, patron? >> Come over here in the alcove.
25:01
What the hell happened last night?
25:02
>> I couldn't help it.
25:04
She woke up, started to scream, and then to sob. You heard?
25:08
>> The whole house must have heard.
25:10
Why didn't you stop her? >> I did as soon as I could.
25:12
>> You know, I don't want my wife
25:13
to know about her being here.
25:14
>> I know. >> Then keep her quiet!
25:17
You've got sedatives. That's your job.
25:20
And I want my new wife made welcome.
25:23
>> That is not my job.
25:24
>> Then I'll find someone else for it.
25:26
>> You would drive Juan and me from this house?
25:30
>> We'll, uh, we'll talk about this later.
25:35
For now, bring breakfast to the veranda for the senora and me.
25:38
>> Sí, senor.
25:40
>> Where's my sister?
25:41
>> In her room, I think.
25:44
>> Muy bien.
25:46
[ Knock on door ]
25:48
>> Come in. It's open.
25:49
[ Door opens ]
25:51
Richard.
25:53
I didn't expect to see you this morning.
25:54
>> Why not?
25:57
>> Well, after all, brother mine, a new bridegroom.
25:59
>> I'm an old bridegroom by now. >> Yes.
26:02
Maybe she is a touch young for you.
26:05
>> Damn you. I didn't mean that.
26:07
>> I didn't mean what I said either.
26:09
I was only teasing you. She's a lovely girl.
26:11
She's sunny and free and unspoiled.
26:13
>> I want to keep her that way.
26:17
What the devil am I going to do about her?
26:19
Upstairs there. You heard her last night.
26:21
>> Well, you know my feelings on the subject.
26:23
Get rid of her for good.
26:27
>> I can't.
26:28
After all, it's partly her house.
26:32
God, why won't she die?
26:34
>> It would be a neat solution to it all, wouldn't it?
26:38
But it seems she just won't.
26:40
I'm afraid you're stuck with her.
26:42
As long as your conscience holds you back.
26:44
>> Please, for God's sake, don't tell Jenny about her.
26:48
>> Just how long do you think you can keep her secret?
26:50
>> I don't know, all I need is a few days, a week.
26:54
By then, one way or another, it won't matter.
26:57
♪♪
27:04
>> Are you going to start country hopping again,
27:06
or are you going to stay home and make some nice,
27:08
solid American movies?
27:09
>> Well, that depends on my negotiations
27:11
in the next week or ten days.
27:13
>> Jenny, you're not eating your steak.
27:15
Want it on the fire a little more?
27:17
>> No, thanks.
27:18
I-I really ate too much of that wonderful salad.
27:21
I-I don't think I could eat another thing.
27:23
>> Conchita. >> Sí, senor?
27:25
>> I think you can clear the table.
27:27
You want dessert, dear?
27:28
>> I don't think so.
27:29
Lisa, please forgive me,
27:31
but I'm so full of sand, sea, air
27:33
and scouring the property that I'm really bushed.
27:36
Would you excuse me?
27:38
>> Of course, Jenny. Get a good sleep.
27:40
>> I'll see you upstairs, darling.
27:42
Shall I have Conchita bring us some coffee?
27:44
>> Oh, no.
27:45
No, I just want to sleep and sleep
27:46
and make up for the last few days.
27:48
You don't have to come up.
27:50
>> Try and keep me away. Good night, Lisa.
27:52
>> Night.
27:54
>> See you tomorrow. I feel like such a party pooper.
27:59
>> Lisa'll forgive us. I'm bushed myself.
28:04
Darling, you're -- you're positively weaving.
28:07
>> Well, I feel --
28:09
I feel a little high or low or something.
28:11
>> Oh, here. How about my arm for support?
28:12
>> I'd love it.
28:15
>> No good? >> No. Fine. I -- I was just.
28:19
She was so lovely, Richard.
28:23
>> Huh? Oh. Oh.
28:27
April, the -- the fresco.
28:31
That damned thing. I wish I'd never dreamed it up.
28:34
I promise you, it'll be removed or covered or something.
28:37
>> Oh, no, darling, it's -- it's too lovely to destroy.
28:39
Besides, no matter what you do
28:42
or anyone tries to do, the memory of April Sanders
28:45
in our time can never be wiped out or erased.
28:48
It's -- It's something we both have to live with.
28:51
>> She was like Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe,
28:55
Elizabeth Taylor.
28:57
She belonged to the public.
28:59
>> But you had her painted to endure forever.
29:03
♪♪
29:10
>> But are you sure the dog was poisoned?
29:11
>> That's enough, you two! Silencio!
29:13
[ Door opens ]
29:15
>> What was all that arguing about?
29:17
>> Nothing, nothing, nothing. Trouble with one of the dogs.
29:20
Come on, Jenny, let's have some morning coffee and juice
29:23
and get back to normalcy.
29:25
>> Well, what's the matter with the dog?
29:27
>> Here's your juice. Oh, it's, uh...
29:29
It's what I've been trying to steel myself to weed out.
29:33
He's a maverick or was.
29:34
>> What do you mean?
29:36
>> Well, some dogs take to training, some don't.
29:38
This one, well, just never did.
29:40
He's unpredictable. A natural born scavenger.
29:44
He picked up something from the garbage
29:45
with a botulism, I guess.
29:48
Anyway, he died this morning.
29:50
>> But what could a dog --
29:51
>> Now look, don't take on about it.
29:54
I'm going down to bring up some eggs and bacon.
29:57
Why don't you set the table for us on the veranda?
29:59
>> Of course, darling. [ Door closes ]
30:02
The steak. I didn't eat...
30:05
Is that what poisoned him?
30:07
Oh, God, help me to know what to do.
30:10
I love my husband, but every instinct in me tells me to run.
30:14
Run for my life.
30:16
♪♪
30:23
>> Yeah. Yeah, sure, J.B. No, I don't like it.
30:28
But if it's the only way, I'll be there.
30:31
Yes, yes. Right away. No, no.
30:33
I'll -- I'll -- I'll drive down.
30:35
It's almost dark already, so I'm not taking much of a chance.
30:39
What? Well, yes. Thanks. Yes.
30:43
I'll stay with you overnight and come right back.
30:45
>> You're going to Los Angeles.
30:48
>> Just overnight, darling.
30:50
>> Well, take me with you. >> Oh, Jenny, I can't.
30:52
This is all strictly business. >> And I stay here alone?
30:55
>> Not alone. Lisa's with you.
30:57
>> Thank God for that.
30:59
>> You have nothing to worry about.
31:00
>> Of course I haven't.
31:03
Go do what you have to do and come back to me safe.
31:06
>> And you stay safe for me to come back to.
31:08
♪♪
31:15
♪♪
31:19
>> Well, wouldn't you know, the moment my brother cuts out,
31:21
the local electricity has to fail.
31:24
Here's your candle, Jenny. Want me to come in with you?
31:26
>> No. I'm fine.
31:28
>> There are plenty of others in the candelabra.
31:29
They can burn all night.
31:30
>> I won't need them.
31:32
That good night drink we had is curdle my brains.
31:34
>> I know, me to.
31:36
I don't know about you, but I'm sailing.
31:38
Maybe there was something in Conchita's arroz con pollo,
31:40
but I'm positively lightheaded.
31:43
>> Well, whatever it was, thank God for small favors.
31:47
I'll sleep sound tonight if I can just find the bed.
31:51
Oh, I'm really high as a kite and no reason for it.
31:56
Whatever it is, don't let Conchita see me like this.
32:00
See me to bed, Lisa.
32:01
♪♪
32:07
♪♪
32:09
No. No, they don't want me here.
32:15
Someone, something.
32:17
But who? Conchita?
32:20
Juan? Richard?
32:22
No. Please. Please not Richard.
32:26
But April. April is still in his mind.
32:31
April? No, no. I don't believe in ghosts.
32:38
I -- I won't. [ Door opens ]
32:40
No! Who's there? Who's there?
32:43
[ Wind blowing ]
32:45
>> Why don't you go away?
32:50
You don't belong here.
32:53
Foolish girl. Go away!
32:59
>> April, you're not dead!
33:01
You're not... [ Hyperventilating ]
33:03
[ Screams ]
33:05
♪♪
33:10
>> Moving towards the bed was the dead woman, April Morgan.
33:15
But what a travesty of that beautiful woman.
33:18
A face gaunt and haggard,
33:21
the eyes staring blankly from the desiccated skin.
33:25
A hellish ghoul raised from the year-old grave.
33:30
No wonder Jenny mercifully passed out.
33:34
We'll return shortly with act three.
33:38
>> Like what you're hearing so far?
33:41
Are you curious about the history behind radio programs
33:43
just like this one?
33:45
And the dramatic genius who created them?
33:48
In the nine-part, award-winning documentary "Audio Maverick",
33:51
we explore the golden age of radio
33:53
through the life of Himan Brown.
33:56
You'll hear the history of radio come to life as we travel,
33:59
from the birth of audio drama to the programs
34:01
that brought millions of families
34:03
into their living rooms every night.
34:05
"Audio Maverick" is available anywhere you get your podcasts.
34:09
♪♪
34:15
♪♪
34:22
>> The spectral figure that hovers over Jenny,
34:26
motionless under the covers,
34:29
stands as still as the girl lies in the bed.
34:33
Is her presence as malign as Jenny deems it to be,
34:38
or as benign as it seems to be?
34:42
>> Hush, child! Hush! I mean you no harm.
34:46
>> But you are...
34:48
How you must hate me.
34:51
>> Her? >> April, his wife.
34:54
>> Oh, no, no, I'm not April.
34:58
April is dead. She died, you know?
35:04
>> I thought I did. Then who?
35:08
>> I'm her mother. April was my daughter.
35:13
>> You live here?
35:16
>> Yes. Up there.
35:19
>> Then you're the one I heard the other night sobbing.
35:23
>> Was I? Perhaps I was.
35:27
I'm very sad, you know.
35:30
>> Because your daughter died.
35:32
>> Because my daughter was killed.
35:34
>> Killed?
35:35
>> What did April have to die for?
35:38
She had everything to live for.
35:40
She'd -- She'd never commit suicide.
35:41
>> But -- But it was an accident, wasn't it?
35:43
>> Oh, April was as graceful as a fawn.
35:46
She was a dancer,
35:48
you know, she had an incredible sense of balance.
35:51
She could never have lost it.
35:53
>> Are you suggesting she -- she was pushed?
35:57
>> Why do you think I'm locked up there in my room
36:00
on the third floor with Conchita as my jailer?
36:03
>> The housekeeper.
36:05
>> Conchita is a practical nurse, and I am a prisoner.
36:10
Half the time under sedation, living in limbo.
36:13
The -- The shut-in to end all shut-ins.
36:16
>> But why?
36:18
>> To keep me from crying it to the skies.
36:20
To keep the truth buried. Like. Like me and my daughter.
36:24
Except that I am on the third floor
36:26
and April is six feet deep.
36:29
He was jealous of her.
36:31
He couldn't stand the fact that she was the talent.
36:34
She held it all together. She made the legends.
36:37
And when the truth was coming out that he meant nothing,
36:40
that she was the star.
36:41
He had to drag her out of the skies.
36:44
Destroy her, kill her. >> Who?
36:47
>> Your new husband, Richard Morgan.
36:50
That's why I came to warn you.
36:53
Get out while you can. [ Knock on door ]
36:54
>> Senora, are you all right?
36:57
>> What is it he wants to take from you.
36:59
>> Senora Morgan.
37:01
Open the door!
37:02
>> I'm coming, Juan. What do you want?
37:05
>> Are you rich? >> Yes.
37:07
>> Are you coming, senora?
37:09
>> Then run like the wind.
37:10
He will kill you just as he did April.
37:14
♪♪
37:24
>> Are you all right, Jenny? Are you all right?
37:26
I-I do, the lights are on again.
37:30
>> Yes. >> What happened to --
37:32
to April's mother?
37:34
>> Juan has taken her back to her room.
37:36
She's mad, you know? She's quite mad.
37:39
>> She -- She accused Richard of killing April.
37:43
>> It's her obsession. She should be institutionalized.
37:47
But, Richie, well, he could never hurt a fly.
37:49
>> But I don't understand why. [ Dogs barking ]
37:53
Now what?
37:54
>> Headlights coming up the drive.
37:57
Must be Richie. I better go down and let him in.
37:59
♪♪
38:07
>> For God's sake, don't be terrified of me, Jenny.
38:09
>> Well, I don't mean to be.
38:11
I don't know what's the matter with me.
38:13
>> Look, April's mother must have shaken you.
38:15
>> Well, why would you have kept it a secret?
38:17
>> Look, I'm -- I'm -- I'm exhausted.
38:19
And you're -- you're tired.
38:21
Must we go through it tonight?
38:23
>> I don't think we can go through any other night
38:26
if we don't.
38:29
>> Okay.
38:30
It all has to do with a living legend.
38:34
April was a star.
38:36
A sex symbol developed by the studios.
38:40
I was a stage actor with a gift of reasonable looks
38:43
and an unusual voice.
38:45
Separately, we had great success.
38:49
But together,
38:51
when we did get together, and particularly after our marriage,
38:55
we became something not only wildly larger than life,
38:59
but larger than even just plain stardom.
39:04
Our own lives disappeared, replaced by a storybook romance
39:09
that our careers had to conform to, despite the fact
39:13
that we had learned, oh well, not to hate each other, but...
39:21
That we had no love left.
39:23
>> You didn't love April?
39:26
>> Jenny, I couldn't stand her.
39:32
She was selfish, avaricious, demanding, petty.
39:37
An impossible woman.
39:39
>> So you -- so you got rid of her?
39:42
>> You don't believe that? >> No.
39:44
Oh, no, Richard.
39:46
>> But how did April really die?
39:50
>> I wasn't asking that.
39:51
>> You don't have to.
39:53
Half the world has speculated on that.
39:57
Her mother thought I killed her.
39:59
Still thinks so. Conchita and Juan?
40:02
know it was an accident.
40:05
Lisa? Lisa has her own theory.
40:09
Something to do with April's star complex
40:11
and the wild winds
40:13
that sometimes blow across the headlands.
40:15
>> And you?
40:19
>> I think she committed suicide.
40:21
♪♪
40:30
Buenos dias, Conchita. >> Buenos dias, senor.
40:33
>> You can serve breakfast for all of us.
40:34
And where's Juan? >> In the south garden.
40:39
>> Will you tell my wife when she comes down where I am?
40:42
>> Sí, senor. Patron? >> Yes.
40:47
>> Will you close up the house?
40:49
>> If I'm going to save my new marriage,
40:52
I think I must.
40:54
I'm not going to argue the facts,
40:58
but it's quite clear that Jenny doesn't fit here.
41:03
>> I'll have some juice and coffee,
41:05
Conchita? >> Sí, senorita.
41:07
>> Oh, and for Senora Morgan too.
41:10
>> Sí, senorita.
41:11
Morning, Jenny.
41:13
>> Good morning, Lisa. >> Oh, heavenly day.
41:15
Breakfast is on the way.
41:17
>> Where's Richard?
41:18
>> Oh, off on the ground somewhere.
41:20
Want to go look for him? >> I would like to get some air.
41:23
>> Well, then let's go.
41:26
Did you, uh, finally get some sleep?
41:29
>> Yes.
41:30
>> Well, with the new day,
41:32
if you're smart, you'll make up your mind to get out of here
41:34
and have Richard all to yourself.
41:36
[ Door opens, birds chirping ]
41:38
>> But what will you and Conchita and Juan and Mrs...
41:42
Isn't that terrible?
41:44
I don't even know April's mother's name.
41:47
Well, what will all of you do?
41:49
>> Oh, life goes on. We'll manage and adjust.
41:53
We might even be able to do it here in time.
41:56
>> Oh, no, Lisa, I never could.
41:58
This isn't my place. It's April's.
42:00
>> It wasn't hers either.
42:02
>> But I thought it was originally her family's.
42:05
That's why her mother is still.
42:06
>> It was a run down, no account mess.
42:09
The stucco peeling, the plumbing, antediluvian,
42:11
the gardens, a shamble.
42:13
Richie cured all that. He's marvelous with his hands,
42:16
and his imagination knows no bounds.
42:18
He made Bon-Repos what it is. It's all his.
42:21
>> I can appreciate that, Lisa.
42:22
And I know how beautiful it is,
42:24
but it's dark and sinister to me.
42:27
Nothing will ever change that.
42:29
I remember that first evening
42:31
when you took me to Seventh Heaven.
42:33
>> Yes.
42:34
>> That was the mark of what was wrong here.
42:37
Such free wild beauty.
42:39
But somehow it was evil and destructive.
42:43
>> Oh, Jenny, that's not fair. You went by moonlight.
42:46
You knew a tragedy had occurred there.
42:48
But Seventh Heaven is just what its name implies.
42:52
Especially on a day like today,
42:54
with no wind and the sun riding high.
42:57
Come on, let me show you. >> No, thanks.
43:00
>> Jenny, you hold a lot of fates in your hand.
43:05
Among them mine. I don't want to leave here.
43:09
Give me a chance to show you.
43:11
Cobwebs cleared away.
43:13
It's not such a bad place to live.
43:15
♪♪
43:20
>> Conchita.
43:22
>> Sí, senor? >> Where is the senorita?
43:24
>> They went out in the garden towards the water.
43:27
>> They? >> Your sister and your wife?
43:30
>> Didn't they know breakfast was ready?
43:32
>> I think, but the Senorita Morgan seemed
43:35
to want to take the senora to the water.
43:39
I should not say this, but I have a sensation.
43:43
You should go quickly after them.
43:45
♪♪
43:50
[ Wind blowing ]
43:52
>> I really don't know why you insisted on me coming up here.
43:56
I won't change my mind, Lisa.
43:58
>> Even now, looking out here at that incredible view.
44:01
>> I told you I didn't like heights.
44:03
>> You know, Jenny, you're a little person with no stature.
44:09
>> Well, I wouldn't quite -- >> Like April, really.
44:13
For all her cheap beauty, she just couldn't measure up.
44:16
And I had to sit by and take the fact that she had cheated
44:19
and stolen Richie away from me. >> What?
44:22
>> My brother. Oh, does that shock you?
44:24
I've loved Richie longer and deeper than all of you.
44:28
How much have I gotten in return?
44:30
Do you have any notion how I hated that smug,
44:34
superior super adulated April?
44:38
Would you be very surprised to find out that she didn't fall
44:42
or stumble or take her life when she blew off here into eternity?
44:48
She was hastened, Jenny.
44:50
Pushed, shoved by me, just as you're going to be.
44:55
>> Why?
44:57
Even allowing for what you confess,
44:59
how can you hate me?
45:01
>> Because you are far worse than April.
45:03
He really didn't love her. They were a team.
45:06
He was trapped. He had to stick with her.
45:09
But you, no, you're different. >> Because he loves me?
45:13
>> Because with you, there's no chance for me.
45:16
There's no chance at all. >> How could there ever be?
45:18
>> I don't have to share his bed.
45:20
Only his life.
45:22
I could have been the one to care for him.
45:23
To console him. To love him.
45:26
Love him, damn you! It'll never be you!
45:30
Never anyone! >> Lisa!
45:32
Wait, wait. Be reasonable.
45:34
>> You can't stand against me any more than April could.
45:36
You are going over.
45:38
Down the rocks. >> Put that grass rake down.
45:40
>> It's a marvelous weapon.
45:42
Hang on to it if you want to, take it with you.
45:43
But you're going!
45:44
>> Jenny! Jenny, you up there?
45:46
>> Yes! >> It's too late!
45:48
>> Richard, hurry!
45:50
>> If I cannot have you, nobody can.
45:52
>> Oh, for God's sake, Lisa, what are you doing?
45:55
Give me that rake! >> Oh, no!
45:57
>> [ Screaming ]
45:58
>> Oh, my God! No! >> Oh.
46:01
Oh, my God.
46:03
What can I say?
46:06
>> Nothing.
46:08
Nothing. >> But your sister.
46:13
>> I loved my sister.
46:15
Neither more or less than my first wife.
46:18
I can't mourn either one of them.
46:23
Jenny, it's too important to celebrate you.
46:28
It'll take some time to straighten out
46:29
my -- my affairs.
46:31
But once we do,
46:34
you and I are going to enjoy our private life.
46:37
>> You'll still be public property.
46:39
>> No. My new deal is a director.
46:43
I'll never act again.
46:45
>> Not even for me?
46:48
>> For you?
46:50
For you, I'll be whatever you desire.
46:53
This affair is finally beginning and will end only the same way.
46:59
Finally. Which is forever.
47:02
>> I love you forever.
47:06
>> That's what I just said.
47:07
♪♪
47:13
>> The walls still stand about more Bon-Repos,
47:16
but the barbed wire and broken glass
47:19
are gone from the parapets.
47:21
The gates stand invitingly open
47:24
and the dogs are gone.
47:27
In the bright sunshine,
47:28
the dark memories too are fading.
47:31
And the clean winds from the sea have washed away the cobwebs.
47:36
Once again the old house lives up to its name.
47:41
I'll be back shortly.
47:43
♪♪
47:50
♪♪
48:00
So again, we return full circle to our definition
48:04
of the supernatural as it applies to tonight's tale of
48:09
or related to ghosts,
48:11
behavior caused by the intervention
48:14
or by the action of a God on earthly affairs.
48:18
Well, April Sanders was both ghost and
48:22
by our modern standards, goddess.
48:26
But her reign is over,
48:28
and so is our up-to-date fable of Richard and Jenny.
48:33
Our cast included Ruby Dee, Michael Wager, Teri Keene,
48:38
Bryna Raeburn, and Ian Martin.
48:41
The entire production was under the direction of Himan Brown.
48:44
This is E.G. Marshall inviting you to return to our
48:47
Mystery Theater for another adventure in the macabre.
48:52
Until next time. Pleasant dreams?
48:57
[ Door creaking ]
49:02
[ Door closes ]
49:03
♪♪
49:12
♪♪
49:20
♪♪
49:27
♪♪
49:36
>> "If You Please, Himan Brown's Radio Mystery Theater"
49:39
is produced and directed by Sarah Montague.
49:42
Our executive producers are Melina Brown and Sarah Montague.
49:47
CUNY TV's executive director is Chiqui Cartagena.
49:51
The director of production is Susan Iger.
49:53
The associate producer is Corinne Wallace,
49:55
and our audio production intern is Sofia Cedano.
49:59
Margot Avery is the voice of the series,
50:01
introduction and credits.
50:04
The program commentaries are by John Slavney.
50:07
Our technical team at CUNY TV
50:09
includes senior audio engineer Richard Kim
50:13
and broadcast audio engineers Jackie Mitchell and Kevin Wolfe.
50:17
Our staff photographer is Laura Fuchs.
50:20
Our archivists are David Rice and Catriona Schlosser.
50:24
Our closed caption coordinator is Amy Monte,
50:27
the "If You Please" program mix engineer is
50:29
Lisa Gosselin-Vincent.
50:31
Tink Media handles our publicity and marketing.
50:35
Our director of social media is Karen A. Brown
50:38
in collaboration with Stardust Blue PR.
50:41
"If You Please, Himan Brown's Radio
50:43
Mystery Theater" is a production
50:45
of CUNY TV and Radio Drama Network.
50:49
If you enjoyed the show
50:52
and are curious about the history of these radio programs,
50:54
listen to "Audio Maverick."
50:56
In this award-winning nine-part documentary,
50:58
we explore the golden age of radio
51:01
through the life of dramatic genius Himan Brown,
51:04
and then explore the work of contemporary audio dramatists
51:07
who are part of his legacy.
51:09
"Audio Maverick" is available anywhere you get your podcasts.