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Transcript

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Richard Widmark stars as Chris Turner, a bitter writer recently
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: dismissed from the fictional radio mystery program Murder, Please. From
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: CBS's Suspense, this is A Murderous Revision, episode 450, broadcast
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: December 3rd, 1951. Turner confronts producer Ken Avery through a
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: carefully arranged recording involving Avery and his daughter Lois as scripts, cues,
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: and studio equipment become part of the encounter. Kathy Lewis
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: and Joseph Kearns co-star David Ellis adapted S. Lee Pogostin's
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: story and Elliot Lewis produced. And now, the original broadcast.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Autolite and its 96,000 dealers present.
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: Suspense.
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: Tonight, Autolite presents transcribed A Murderous Revision, the story about
• 1:06
  Speaker 4: a man who made a recording of a violent death
• 1:09
  Speaker 4: starring Mr.
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: Richard Widmark. Hi, Hap.
• 1:18
  Speaker 5: Meet the team.
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: Where? Why, right under your car's hood, Hap. The Autolite
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: Electrical System, the family team of precision-made units, including the coil, distributor,
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: starting motor, and the other parts that make up the
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: complete Autolite Electrical System. Used as original factory equipment on
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: many leading makes of our finest cars, trucks, and tractors.
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: Well, what does this team do, Harlow?
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: Why, Hap, it goes to work for you every time
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: you press the starting switch, sound your horn....
• 1:48
  Speaker 6: Or play your radio.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: The Autolite electrical system does all that, huh, Harlow?
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: Right, Hap, because all its units are related like a
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: family team by Autolite engineering design and manufacturing skill for
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: the smoothest performance money can buy. So, friends, when your
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: Autolite-equipped car needs replacement parts, insist on Autolite original factory parts,
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: because from bumper to taillight, you're always right with Autolite.
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: And now, with a murderous revision and the performance of Mr.
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: Richard Widmark, Autolite hopes once again to keep you in suspense.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 2:48
  Speaker 6: What did you want to see me for? Oh, Chris.
• 2:50
  Speaker 5: Come in.
• 2:51
  Speaker 6: Sit down.
• 2:51
  Speaker 5: Did you get to hear the show Sunday?
• 2:55
  Speaker 6: I don't like to listen to the show. Why not?
• 2:58
  Speaker 6: Because I don't, that's all.
• 2:59
  Speaker 5: You missed a good one. I put some zip in
• 3:01
  Speaker 5: that closing scene. I want you to hear it. Got
• 3:04
  Speaker 5: the playback ready. Hand me that record marked Part 2,
• 3:06
  Speaker 5: will you? Thanks.
• 3:10
  Speaker 6: I don't know, Chris.
• 3:11
  Speaker 5: I don't make you come to rehearsals. You don't have
• 3:13
  Speaker 5: to sit in the control room all day. The least
• 3:15
  Speaker 5: you can do is listen to the show at home. Well,
• 3:19
  Speaker 5: listen to this now.
• 3:23
  Speaker 7: George. Honest, I didn't mean it, George.
• 3:25
  Speaker 6: Get this, Chris. Get this. Do you mean to say
• 3:27
  Speaker 6: that you didn't really mean it when you told my
• 3:29
  Speaker 6: brother you didn't love him?
• 3:30
  Speaker 5: You forget, Doris, that I heard you every word while.
• 3:32
  Speaker 8: I was hiding behind the Davenport the night my mother
• 3:34
  Speaker 8: was here.
• 3:35
  Speaker 7: George, I beg you, don't do this thing.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: Put down the gun, George.
• 3:39
  Speaker 8: This is only what you deserve. You tricked me for
• 3:45
  Speaker 8: the last time, Doris. You tricked me for the last time.
• 3:56
  Speaker 6: What did you change it for? What was wrong with
• 3:59
  Speaker 6: the ending the way it was? Why did you change it?
• 4:01
  Speaker 5: Now, just take it easy, Chris. I'll tell you why
• 4:03
  Speaker 5: I changed it. Because it was wordy and repetitious. It
• 4:05
  Speaker 5: didn't tell the story.
• 4:07
  Speaker 6: Boys upstairs?
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: The boys upstairs.
• 4:09
  Speaker 6: Yeah, that's just what I thought. The boys upstairs. They
• 4:12
  Speaker 6: do everything but breathe for you. Did it ever occur
• 4:15
  Speaker 6: to you that maybe people are wordy and repetitious?
• 4:17
  Speaker 5: Chris, I'm trying to tell you the scene the way
• 4:19
  Speaker 5: you wrote it.
• 4:20
  Speaker 6: Just didn't play. Yeah, that's right. All the trade cliches.
• 4:23
  Speaker 6: Drag them out.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: It didn't live.
• 4:25
  Speaker 6: It didn't play. It didn't make the right goosebumps come
• 4:27
  Speaker 6: out on your left elbow. How did you ever get
• 4:29
  Speaker 6: into this business? Who ever lets you into a radio studio?
• 4:32
  Speaker 5: I'll tell you what's wrong with you.
• 4:33
  Speaker 6: What you need is a good psychiatrist. Don't you tell
• 4:36
  Speaker 6: me I need a psychiatrist.
• 4:37
  Speaker 5: Let go of me.
• 4:38
  Speaker 6: I said let go. Why, you're nuts.
• 4:42
  Speaker 9: Now you listen to me, you. For two years now,
• 4:45
  Speaker 9: I've turned out a murder a week for you. Week
• 4:48
  Speaker 9: in and week out. A murder a week.
• 4:50
  Speaker 6: I eat murder. I talk murder. I dream murder. And
• 4:52
  Speaker 6: for what? Every time I turn in a decent script,
• 4:55
  Speaker 6: you chop the heart out of it.
• 4:57
  Speaker 5: Your contract's up next week, Chris. You've got only one
• 5:00
  Speaker 5: more script to do. Well, write it and get out.
• 5:03
  Speaker 5: You'll get better than a script. You'll get everything you deserve.
• 5:06
  Speaker 5: I'm going to show you what a real murder sounds like.
• 5:09
  Speaker 5: I'm going to show you if I have to kill
• 5:11
  Speaker 5: you to do it.
• 5:26
  Speaker 6: Good evening.
• 5:28
  Speaker 9: This is a recording of an actual murder. The first,
• 5:32
  Speaker 9: as far as I know. Not written, not rehearsed, but
• 5:36
  Speaker 9: well planned. It is respectfully dedicated to Mr. Ken Avery,
• 5:42
  Speaker 9: editor and producer of the radio program Murder, Please.
• 5:47
  Speaker 6: This is my last show, Mr. Avery. I'm delivering it
• 5:51
  Speaker 6: to you in its entirety.
• 5:53
  Speaker 9: Cast, music, everything. The events and persons are absolutely real.
• 6:00
  Speaker 9: It's going to be a great show, Mr.
• 6:01
  Speaker 6: Avery. You'll hear everything but the climax. I'm speaking into
• 6:06
  Speaker 6: a microphone.
• 6:07
  Speaker 9: Concealed in my desk, concealed with the other recording equipment
• 6:10
  Speaker 9: I've rented for the occasion. The music you hear is
• 6:13
  Speaker 9: coming from a high-fidelity phonograph at my side. This program
• 6:18
  Speaker 9: is produced, edited, directed, narrated, engineered, and plotted by Christopher Turner.
• 6:24
  Speaker 9: whose only claim to immortality is this single half hour.
• 6:29
  Speaker 6: And now, Mr.
• 6:29
  Speaker 9: Avery, the leading characters in order of appearance. The murderer,
• 6:34
  Speaker 9: Christopher Turner. The catalytic agent, your daughter, Lois. The victim, yourself.
• 6:44
  Speaker 9: And now, please, to begin.
• 6:46
  Speaker 6: ¶ ¶ Murder, please.
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: Hello?
• 7:16
  Speaker 9: Hello, Ken, this is Chris. I hate to bother you
• 7:18
  Speaker 9: at home, but I wanted to apologize for the way
• 7:20
  Speaker 9: I acted. Could you drop over to my office right away?
• 7:23
  Speaker 5: Sorry, Chris, no go. I put up with your little
• 7:26
  Speaker 5: insanities for two years now. Temper tantrums, insults, coming in
• 7:29
  Speaker 5: stewed to the gills. Two years of that was plenty.
• 7:32
  Speaker 6: I see. You won't change your mind.
• 7:34
  Speaker 4: Not a chance.
• 7:36
  Speaker 5: Maybe you can find somebody more patient than I am.
• 7:38
  Speaker 5: Good luck.
• 7:39
  Speaker 6: Thanks, Ken. Thanks a lot. Lovely opening scene, Mr.
• 7:46
  Speaker 5: Avery.
• 7:46
  Speaker 6: Thank you.
• 7:48
  Speaker 9: You did exactly what I wanted you to do. You
• 7:50
  Speaker 9: just threw away your last chance to save your life.
• 7:54
  Speaker 9: Good work and excellent performance. Well, if you won't come
• 7:58
  Speaker 9: up to my office by invitation, which I suspected you wouldn't,
• 8:00
  Speaker 9: there's still another way.
• 8:02
  Speaker 6: The telephone book. Listen, Mr. Avery. The sound of the
• 8:07
  Speaker 6: flipping pages. Your daughter's phone number. Ah, here we are.
• 8:15
  Speaker 6: PHONE RINGS.
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: Hello.
• 8:32
  Speaker 6: Hello, Lois. It's been a long time. Bet you don't
• 8:35
  Speaker 6: even know who this is.
• 8:37
  Speaker 7: I don't recognize the voice.
• 8:39
  Speaker 6: This is Christopher Turner.
• 8:40
  Speaker 7: Oh, sure, Mr.
• 8:41
  Speaker 6: Turner.
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: How are you?
• 8:42
  Speaker 6: Fine, just fine. Well, how do you like living alone?
• 8:46
  Speaker 6: It's all right, I guess. Rather be living with the folks?
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: No.
• 8:50
  Speaker 7: It's kind of independent this way.
• 8:52
  Speaker 6: Yeah. How's the writing coming? Not so good, Mr. Turner.
• 8:58
  Speaker 7: I've written five scripts so far, and every one of
• 9:00
  Speaker 7: them has been rejected. I don't know what's the matter.
• 9:03
  Speaker 6: Well, the reason I called was your dad and I
• 9:05
  Speaker 6: had a talk this afternoon about you. He thought maybe
• 9:07
  Speaker 6: I could pass on a few tips.
• 9:09
  Speaker 7: Oh, I wouldn't want to bother you.
• 9:11
  Speaker 6: Oh, now, this isn't an obligation on my part, Lois.
• 9:14
  Speaker 6: I like to help young people. Say, what are you
• 9:16
  Speaker 6: doing this evening?
• 9:17
  Speaker 9: Well... You see, here's the point, Lois. This is the
• 9:19
  Speaker 9: only free night I'll have this week. Things are sort
• 9:22
  Speaker 9: of piling up. And maybe you're doing some little thing
• 9:25
  Speaker 9: with your writing that I could straighten out in an evening.
• 9:27
  Speaker 7: Well, all right, Mr.
• 9:29
  Speaker 6: Turner. Good. You know where my office is?
• 9:31
  Speaker 7: I don't think so.
• 9:32
  Speaker 6: It's right across from the broadcasting studios, the Brown building,
• 9:35
  Speaker 6: room 208. I'll be right over. Fine. And bring your
• 9:39
  Speaker 6: scripts with you, huh? I will.
• 9:40
  Speaker 7: I certainly appreciate this.
• 9:42
  Speaker 6: Not at all.
• 9:43
  Speaker 9: Bye. Bye.
• 9:48
  Speaker 6: I'll be right over and bring your scripts with you.
• 9:51
  Speaker 6: I certainly appreciate this. Not at all. You see, that's
• 9:55
  Speaker 6: how people talk, Mr.
• 9:57
  Speaker 5: Avery.
• 9:58
  Speaker 6: Let's see, what else? Oh, yes, sound.
• 10:02
  Speaker 9: Drawer opens, gun taken out, click of breech, whirl of chamber,
• 10:12
  Speaker 9: bullets inserted in chamber.
• 10:16
  Speaker 6: Three, four, five, six. Gun in drawer, drawer closed. And
• 10:25
  Speaker 6: now we must wait. And you see, Mr. Avery, fate
• 10:30
  Speaker 6: is a better dramatist than either. Just when things start
• 10:33
  Speaker 6: getting dull, the phone rings. Hello.
• 10:38
  Speaker 4: Hello, Chris.
• 10:39
  Speaker 7: Hank.
• 10:40
  Speaker 6: Oh, what's up?
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: I tried your place all night.
• 10:42
  Speaker 8: I tried your sister's place. Finally, I called your office.
• 10:45
  Speaker 8: I wouldn't let myself believe it, but here you are,
• 10:48
  Speaker 8: slaving away for old man Avery again.
• 10:50
  Speaker 6: Say, when are you going to tell him to go
• 10:51
  Speaker 6: take a flying leap? I did that just today. No kidding? Yes. Well, congratulations.
• 10:57
  Speaker 8: From here on in, nothing but bigger and better things.
• 11:00
  Speaker 6: Yeah.
• 11:01
  Speaker 8: Say, there's a rip-roaring poker game going on over here.
• 11:04
  Speaker 6: Just room for one more sucker.
• 11:05
  Speaker 9: What do you say?
• 11:06
  Speaker 6: No, I can't tonight. I'm doing my last show. Oh,
• 11:09
  Speaker 6: forget it for one night. Why don't you live a little? Thanks, Hank,
• 11:12
  Speaker 6: but I can't.
• 11:13
  Speaker 8: I'm coming over and get you away from that typewriter
• 11:15
  Speaker 8: if I have.
• 11:15
  Speaker 9: To use force.
• 11:16
  Speaker 6: No, I can't, Hank. The show's Sunday. Look, I got
• 11:19
  Speaker 6: a script due tomorrow.
• 11:20
  Speaker 8: You don't see me knocking myself out.
• 11:22
  Speaker 6: Let him wait. Listen, Hank, you can't come over here.
• 11:25
  Speaker 6: Don't you get it?
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 11:29
  Speaker 6: Oh, I'm sorry, Chris. If I'd suspected. Sure thing.
• 11:33
  Speaker 5: Well, take it easy.
• 11:35
  Speaker 6: Call me for lunch or something. You bet.
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: Sorry, boy.
• 11:37
  Speaker 6: Bye. Bye.
• 11:40
  Speaker 9: That was close. Good scene, though. Lois Avery is just
• 11:54
  Speaker 9: driven up in front of the building. She's getting out
• 11:57
  Speaker 9: of the car, carrying her scripts. She wears a cardigan sweater,
• 12:02
  Speaker 9: tweed skirt, flat shoes. She's young. She's very pretty. A
• 12:07
  Speaker 9: girl with everything to live for. Now she's disappeared into
• 12:12
  Speaker 9: the building. In a moment, she'll knock on my door.
• 12:16
  Speaker 9: And then you'll see for yourself how youth resists the
• 12:19
  Speaker 9: threat of death.
• 12:22
  Speaker 6: And this, Mr. Avery, would be the proper dramatic moment
• 12:25
  Speaker 6: to end Act I....
• 12:42
  Speaker 4: Autolite is bringing you Mr. Richard Widmark in A Murderous Revision.
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Sal Spence.
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: Hey, Hap, better turn on your lights.
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: They're stoned, they're on.
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: Thank you, and thank Autolite.
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: Why, Harlow?
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: Because in your Autolite-equipped car, the lights as well as
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: the power for your radio and power to crank your
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: motor are all provided by the Autolite electrical system.
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: It has to be good, huh, Harlow?
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: You bet, Hap. And that's why complete Autolite electrical systems
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: are used as original factory equipment on many leading makes
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: of our finest cars, trucks, and tractors.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: And that's good enough for me, Harlow.
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: You bet it's good, Hap. And that's why it pays
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: to treat your car's electrical system to a periodic checkup
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: at your authorized Autolite service station, or the dealer who
• 13:43
  Speaker 3: services your make of car. You can quickly locate your
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: nearest authorized Autolite service station in the classified section of
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: your telephone directory, or by calling Western Union by number
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: and asking for Operator 25. And remember, from bumper to
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: tail light, you're always right with Autolite. And now, Autolite
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Mr. Richard Widmark in
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: Elliot Lewis' production of A Murderous Revision, a tale well
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: calculated to keep you in suspense. Suspense.
• 14:36
  Speaker 6: Act Two. This is Christopher Turner once again, Mr.
• 14:40
  Speaker 9: Avery, bringing you by transcription the first recording of an
• 14:43
  Speaker 9: actual murder ever made specifically for broadcast. The setting, my office.
• 14:50
  Speaker 9: The music, recorded. The time, night. The victim, yourself. Your
• 15:01
  Speaker 9: daughter has just.
• 15:02
  Speaker 6: Entered the building.
• 15:05
  Speaker 9: And so concludes the usual resume with which we begin
• 15:07
  Speaker 9: the second act of every murder-please program.
• 15:11
  Speaker 6: I hear footsteps in the hall. Your cue, Lois. Sound.
• 15:17
  Speaker 6: Knock on door. Come in. Hi, Lois. Come on in. Thanks.
• 15:25
  Speaker 7: I brought the scripts with me.
• 15:26
  Speaker 6: Wonderful, wonderful. Sit down.
• 15:31
  Speaker 7: I hope I'm not putting you out. I always tell
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: Dad to stop imposing on my behalf, but I guess
• 15:35
  Speaker 7: he'll never learn.
• 15:36
  Speaker 6: Now, look, you're here because I want you here, for
• 15:39
  Speaker 6: no other reason. Cigarette? No, thanks.
• 15:44
  Speaker 7: This is a nice office.
• 15:45
  Speaker 6: It serves. Just a hole in the wall, but quiet,
• 15:48
  Speaker 6: nothing fancy.
• 15:49
  Speaker 7: I like it.
• 15:52
  Speaker 6: Well, how long have you been scribbling?
• 15:54
  Speaker 7: Six months, Mr.
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: Turner.
• 15:56
  Speaker 6: Let's just make it crisp. What sort of things?
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: Murder, mostly.
• 16:02
  Speaker 7: Somebody told me that's what sells best.
• 16:04
  Speaker 6: True, true.
• 16:06
  Speaker 9: Well, let's just start talking about murder. Maybe something interesting
• 16:11
  Speaker 9: will come out.
• 16:13
  Speaker 6: Question number one. Why do you think people kill?
• 16:18
  Speaker 7: Lots of reasons, I guess. Money, love, revenge.
• 16:26
  Speaker 6: Not really.
• 16:27
  Speaker 9: Only for survival. They kill for money only when money
• 16:31
  Speaker 9: means life.
• 16:32
  Speaker 6: Their idea of life.
• 16:33
  Speaker 9: They only kill for love when life depends upon that love.
• 16:36
  Speaker 9: They only kill for revenge when life is intolerable without it.
• 16:41
  Speaker 6: You see?
• 16:42
  Speaker 7: That's very interesting.
• 16:44
  Speaker 6: Could you kill?
• 16:45
  Speaker 7: I don't think so.
• 16:47
  Speaker 6: Well, maybe you could. Here. See?
• 16:53
  Speaker 7: A gun.
• 16:54
  Speaker 6: And loaded.
• 16:55
  Speaker 7: Please put it away.
• 16:56
  Speaker 6: Take it.
• 16:57
  Speaker 7: I'd rather not.
• 16:58
  Speaker 6: It's very obedient. It won't fire unless you press the trigger.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: Take it.
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: That's it. Now point it at me.
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: Please, I.
• 17:06
  Speaker 6: Think now, think. One touch of your finger and you
• 17:10
  Speaker 6: kill me. One little touch. A very delicate instrument to trigger.
• 17:16
  Speaker 6: There's a sense of power there. You feel it?
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: I'm afraid.
• 17:20
  Speaker 6: Fear, yes, but exhilaration, too. Like the second drink.
• 17:24
  Speaker 7: I feel it, yes.
• 17:27
  Speaker 6: All right, you can give it back to me now. Well,
• 17:31
  Speaker 6: so much for the murdery. Now, what about the victim?
• 17:36
  Speaker 6: Afraid of death?
• 17:38
  Speaker 7: Sometimes.
• 17:39
  Speaker 6: What is death to you?
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: Death?
• 17:43
  Speaker 6: I don't know. No idea?
• 17:48
  Speaker 7: Emptiness.
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: Blackness.
• 17:52
  Speaker 7: Nothing.
• 17:52
  Speaker 6: Is that so terrible?
• 17:55
  Speaker 7: Yes, because you really don't know.
• 17:57
  Speaker 6: Like the dark. Do you know any more about death
• 18:01
  Speaker 6: than you do about me?
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: You?
• 18:03
  Speaker 7: Yeah Well, I know you work for Dad Yes, but.
• 18:07
  Speaker 9: You've never even spent one hour with me Once at lunch,
• 18:10
  Speaker 9: you and your father sat down with me Yet you
• 18:11
  Speaker 9: come up here alone How do you know you.
• 18:14
  Speaker 6: Can trust me?
• 18:15
  Speaker 7: I suppose I don't, really Look at this Please put
• 18:20
  Speaker 7: it down, it makes me terribly nervous.
• 18:22
  Speaker 6: Do you have any money? A little How much?
• 18:25
  Speaker 7: Ten dollars, maybe, some change.
• 18:27
  Speaker 6: Give it to me Here Why did you give me
• 18:32
  Speaker 6: the money?
• 18:34
  Speaker 7: Because you asked me for it.
• 18:35
  Speaker 6: No, because you were hoping I'd put down the gun.
• 18:38
  Speaker 9: And if I'd said a kiss, one kiss, and I'll
• 18:41
  Speaker 9: put down the gun, what would you do?
• 18:42
  Speaker 7: I suppose I.
• 18:46
  Speaker 7: I suppose I'd give.
• 18:47
  Speaker 6: But a kiss, that would be harder to give, wouldn't it?
• 18:51
  Speaker 7: Yes.
• 18:52
  Speaker 6: Kiss me. There. Thank you.
• 18:59
  Speaker 7: Now put down the gun.
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: Please. Please.
• 19:03
  Speaker 7: I know it's a lesson in writing and all that,
• 19:04
  Speaker 7: but it scares me.
• 19:05
  Speaker 6: No.
• 19:06
  Speaker 7: But you said you would.
• 19:07
  Speaker 9: I said nothing of the kind. And if I had
• 19:10
  Speaker 9: said it, you'd have been foolish to believe me. You
• 19:12
  Speaker 9: can't trust a man with a gun. You feel helpless,
• 19:16
  Speaker 9: don't you?
• 19:17
  Speaker 6: Yes. While you could give me money, there was hope.
• 19:20
  Speaker 6: While you could give me love, there was hope.
• 19:22
  Speaker 9: But if all I wanted was revenge, there'd be nothing
• 19:26
  Speaker 9: you could do to save yourself. And if I told
• 19:29
  Speaker 9: you that right now, right this moment, I'm going to
• 19:31
  Speaker 9: pull this trigger and blow you to bits, tell.
• 19:35
  Speaker 6: Me, what would you say?
• 19:36
  Speaker 7: I'd try to talk you out of it.
• 19:38
  Speaker 6: What would you say?
• 19:40
  Speaker 7: I wouldn't know what to say.
• 19:41
  Speaker 6: Then I'd shoot.
• 19:43
  Speaker 7: I'd tell you about the electric chair.
• 19:45
  Speaker 6: Very little threat to a man about to kill. Later, maybe,
• 19:48
  Speaker 6: when he's running away, then he'd think about... consequences. But
• 19:50
  Speaker 6: not now. Now it's only kill. Now what else? What
• 19:53
  Speaker 6: else would you say?
• 19:55
  Speaker 7: I'd beg him.
• 19:56
  Speaker 6: He wouldn't listen.
• 19:58
  Speaker 7: I'd plead with him. I'd say, please don't kill me.
• 20:01
  Speaker 6: And if he still wouldn't listen?
• 20:05
  Speaker 7: Then I'd die.
• 20:22
  Speaker 6: Hello.
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: Bet you don't know who this is.
• 20:26
  Speaker 6: I can't place the voice.
• 20:27
  Speaker 5: Try.
• 20:28
  Speaker 6: I haven't the slightest idea.
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: Remember San Francisco and the Italian pizza and the cigarette holder?
• 20:35
  Speaker 6: Vaguely. Who is this? I hate guessing games.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: Harriet.
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: Harriet.
• 20:39
  Speaker 6: I know at least 18 Harriets. Harriet who?
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: Crawford.
• 20:43
  Speaker 6: Oh.
• 20:44
  Speaker 7: I just came in.
• 20:45
  Speaker 6: I thought maybe you could meet me for a drink.
• 20:47
  Speaker 7: I don't know a single.
• 20:48
  Speaker 6: Solitary soul in town. How did you happen to call here?
• 20:52
  Speaker 7: I shouldn't tell, I suppose, but Hank said you were
• 20:54
  Speaker 7: working late at the office.
• 20:55
  Speaker 6: Hank, huh?
• 20:56
  Speaker 7: He gave me the number and said to be sure
• 20:58
  Speaker 7: to call.
• 20:58
  Speaker 6: Bless his heart.
• 21:00
  Speaker 7: What was that?
• 21:00
  Speaker 6: I said bless his heart. Yeah. Well, I'll call you tomorrow.
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you do that.
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: Well.
• 21:09
  Speaker 5: Bye.
• 21:09
  Speaker 7: I guess I'd better get going.
• 21:13
  Speaker 6: Why? We're not even started yet.
• 21:15
  Speaker 7: Well, if you don't put down that gun, I'm going.
• 21:18
  Speaker 7: I don't like it.
• 21:19
  Speaker 6: Sit down. I want to tell you a story. Now, listen. Please.
• 21:24
  Speaker 6: Please sit down.
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: Now.
• 21:29
  Speaker 6: Now, this is just a sample plot. You can have
• 21:31
  Speaker 6: it if you want it. It's about a writer who
• 21:34
  Speaker 6: had great novels in him, great plays. But he was broke....
• 21:40
  Speaker 9: So for the sake of a place to stay and
• 21:42
  Speaker 9: a meal to eat, he started turning out radio mysteries.
• 21:46
  Speaker 9: He turned them out until every drop of originality was
• 21:49
  Speaker 9: squeezed out of him. And all the greatness he might
• 21:52
  Speaker 9: have been ate into him because he'd leave nothing to
• 21:55
  Speaker 9: the world. Nothing but scripts to be swept up by
• 21:57
  Speaker 9: studio janitors after the broadcast. Well, the writer made his
• 22:03
  Speaker 9: decision one day.
• 22:05
  Speaker 6: He'd do a last radio play.
• 22:07
  Speaker 9: A radio play with an actual murder, the only chance
• 22:10
  Speaker 9: he had for permanent survival. And he selected as his
• 22:14
  Speaker 9: victim the man who had ground him into the dust.
• 22:18
  Speaker 9: He selected his editor and producer, Ken Avery.
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: Please.
• 22:22
  Speaker 6: I like you.
• 22:23
  Speaker 9: I like you very much. I wish this could be
• 22:27
  Speaker 9: happening to almost anyone but you.
• 22:31
  Speaker 6: Get to the phone.
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: What?
• 22:33
  Speaker 6: The telephone.
• 22:34
  Speaker 7: What for?
• 22:34
  Speaker 6: You're going to call your father. No.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: No.
• 22:38
  Speaker 7: No, I won't do it.
• 22:38
  Speaker 9: You'll call your father and you'll tell him to come
• 22:40
  Speaker 9: up to my office. Now pick up the receiver.
• 22:44
  Speaker 6: Now wait. I'll do it. Now take the phone. Tell him.
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: It's ringing. Take it.
• 23:03
  Speaker 6: Hello? Hello?
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: Dad?
• 23:07
  Speaker 6: Lois?
• 23:08
  Speaker 5: Lois, what are you calling this time of night for?
• 23:10
  Speaker 5: Something the matter?
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: No, nothing.
• 23:13
  Speaker 6: You want him to take you home, but you don't
• 23:15
  Speaker 6: feel well.
• 23:18
  Speaker 5: Lois, something's the matter.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: Where are you?
• 23:19
  Speaker 8: You home?
• 23:21
  Speaker 7: No, I'm at Mr.
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: Turner's.
• 23:23
  Speaker 5: Turner's?
• 23:23
  Speaker 6: His apartment?
• 23:25
  Speaker 7: His office. I don't feel very well.
• 23:29
  Speaker 6: Come and take me home.
• 23:32
  Speaker 7: Come and take me home. I don't feel well.
• 23:35
  Speaker 3: Here, give me the phone.
• 23:37
  Speaker 6: Hello, Ken.
• 23:38
  Speaker 5: Yes, Chris?
• 23:39
  Speaker 9: Yeah, Lois came up tonight to discuss some scripts she wrote,
• 23:42
  Speaker 9: but she doesn't feel very well.
• 23:43
  Speaker 6: You'd better come and get her.
• 23:44
  Speaker 5: I'll be right over.
• 23:48
  Speaker 9: Sit down. We haven't got very long to wait. Twenty
• 23:58
  Speaker 9: minutes have gone by.
• 24:00
  Speaker 6: I hear the steps in the hall. The sure, plodding
• 24:04
  Speaker 6: steps of her father, Mr. Ken Avery. The climax, ladies
• 24:09
  Speaker 6: and gentlemen, of the listening audience I address to you. Mr.
• 24:13
  Speaker 6: Avery will never hear this portion of the entertainment. Come in.
• 24:20
  Speaker 5: Lois, are you? What is this?
• 24:22
  Speaker 6: Sit down. There's a chair reserved for you.
• 24:25
  Speaker 3: Lois, what's been going on here?
• 24:27
  Speaker 6: Tell him, Lois.
• 24:29
  Speaker 7: He's going to kill you. He's going to kill both
• 24:32
  Speaker 7: of us.
• 24:32
  Speaker 6: Close the door.
• 24:35
  Speaker 5: Chris, put that thing down.
• 24:37
  Speaker 6: Somebody's liable to get hurt.
• 24:39
  Speaker 5: What's the matter with you? Drinking again?
• 24:40
  Speaker 6: Nothing to drink. Very sober. Sit down. Chris, are you crazy?
• 24:45
  Speaker 9: Good line. Perfectly in character. The inane cliche from the
• 24:49
  Speaker 9: mouth of the great producer. You see, Ken, everything is
• 24:52
  Speaker 9: being recorded right now. Your voice, Lois's mind.
• 24:56
  Speaker 6: Sit down. Recorded for what? For posterity for the show
• 25:00
  Speaker 6: next week. You'll have the honor of appearing on your
• 25:02
  Speaker 6: own program as the murder victim. Yeah, let me show you.
• 25:06
  Speaker 6: Right here in the desk.
• 25:08
  Speaker 9: You see, it's a recording machine. I've stopwatched every second.
• 25:12
  Speaker 9: It's been running exactly 25 minutes. You always made it
• 25:16
  Speaker 9: a rule to plan the climax for 2630 so you
• 25:18
  Speaker 9: could have room for a final commercial.
• 25:20
  Speaker 6: Well, that's just what I'm doing. According to my timing,
• 25:23
  Speaker 6: you have about one minute and 30 seconds to live.
• 25:27
  Speaker 5: All right, Chris, that's enough of the phony dramatics. Now
• 25:30
  Speaker 5: give me that thing before somebody gets hurt.
• 25:32
  Speaker 6: Stand back. I wouldn't want to mistime the climax of
• 25:35
  Speaker 6: the show.
• 25:36
  Speaker 5: This won't make a show.
• 25:37
  Speaker 6: You won't have much editorial power, Mr. Avery, after a
• 25:40
  Speaker 6: few seconds.
• 25:41
  Speaker 5: There's the agency. They wouldn't put this thing on the air.
• 25:44
  Speaker 6: No, why not?
• 25:46
  Speaker 5: You planned to kill me.
• 25:47
  Speaker 6: From the beginning.
• 25:49
  Speaker 5: There's the trouble right there, Chris. There's no twist.
• 25:52
  Speaker 6: Oh, yes. The twist. Right.
• 25:53
  Speaker 5: The surprise ending. You told the audience to expect the
• 25:57
  Speaker 5: murder to be successful... Our shows have to have some
• 26:00
  Speaker 5: kind of surprise for the audience, Chris.
• 26:02
  Speaker 6: You know that. Where's the twist? Still the editor right
• 26:06
  Speaker 6: to death's door.
• 26:07
  Speaker 9: All right, Ken, perhaps you can provide the surprise ending
• 26:10
  Speaker 9: that's going to save your life.
• 26:12
  Speaker 6: I don't have to.
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: Oh?
• 26:14
  Speaker 5: You provided the twist yourself, but you didn't know it.
• 26:17
  Speaker 5: And yet the twist was part of the story all
• 26:19
  Speaker 5: the time.
• 26:19
  Speaker 6: Where, Mr. Editor Avery?
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: You.
• 26:21
  Speaker 6: You, Chris.
• 26:22
  Speaker 5: You're the twist.
• 26:23
  Speaker 8: Me?
• 26:23
  Speaker 6: That's right.
• 26:25
  Speaker 5: You're a flop, Chris. You're so used to dreaming on paper,
• 26:29
  Speaker 5: you can't live anymore. You wrote about love because you
• 26:33
  Speaker 5: never had it. You wrote about fortunes and you're still
• 26:35
  Speaker 5: two bits. You wrote about murder, but you haven't got
• 26:38
  Speaker 5: the guts to pull the trigger.
• 26:41
  Speaker 6: Now, give me that gun. You think I won't shoot?
• 26:44
  Speaker 6: I know you won't. Give me that gun, you hack.
• 26:47
  Speaker 6: What did you say? I said you were a hack.
• 26:49
  Speaker 3: Now give me that gun.
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: Stay away.
• 26:50
  Speaker 6: Give me that gun, you hack.
• 26:51
  Speaker 3: No, I'm not.
• 26:52
  Speaker 6: Dad.
• 26:53
  Speaker 5: Let go.
• 26:54
  Speaker 6: Let go of my hand. Drop it, I said.
• 26:55
  Speaker 7: Drop it.
• 26:56
  Speaker 6: Let go. Chris. Chris. Do you always like to change
• 27:12
  Speaker 6: the ending? Dad.
• 27:15
  Speaker 2: Dad.
• 27:16
  Speaker 6: It's all right, Lois.
• 27:18
  Speaker 7: Dad, take me home.
• 27:20
  Speaker 5: The records.
• 27:21
  Speaker 6: They're all we have to clear us. Take me home, please.
• 27:25
  Speaker 5: As soon as I see what's on those records. Oh,
• 27:30
  Speaker 5: this must be part one.
• 27:33
  Speaker 6: Let's see. Good evening. This is a recording of an
• 27:45
  Speaker 6: actual murder. The first, as far as I know. Not written,
• 27:51
  Speaker 6: not rehearsed.
• 27:52
  Speaker 4: Suspense!
• 27:58
  Speaker 3: Suspense!
• 28:15
  Speaker 4: Presented by Autolite. Tonight's star, Mr. Richard Widmark.
• 28:20
  Speaker 3: Friends, this is Harlow Wilcox again to remind you that
• 28:23
  Speaker 3: Autolite is the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment.
• 28:28
  Speaker 3: In 28 plants from coast to coast, Autolite makes over
• 28:31
  Speaker 3: 400 products for cars, trucks, tractors, planes, and boats. These
• 28:36
  Speaker 3: include complete electrical systems, a complete line of ignition-engineered Autolite
• 28:40
  Speaker 3: spark plugs, both standard and resistor types. Autolite batteries, including
• 28:44
  Speaker 3: the famous Autolite Stay Full. Autolite also makes automotive wire
• 28:49
  Speaker 3: and cable, bumpers and hubcaps, electric windshield wipers, and many more.
• 28:54
  Speaker 3: All are backed by constant Autolite research and are precision-built
• 28:57
  Speaker 3: to highest standards of quality and performance. So remember, from
• 29:02
  Speaker 3: bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolite. Next
• 29:06
  Speaker 3: week on Suspense, our star will be Mr. Victor Mature
• 29:10
  Speaker 3: as a man who made his living as an assassin.
• 29:12
  Speaker 3: A tale we call Black Jack to Kill. In weeks
• 29:16
  Speaker 3: to come, we shall also present Mr. John Hodiak and Mr.
• 29:19
  Speaker 3: Herbert Marshall all on Suspense. Suspense is produced and transcribed
• 29:27
  Speaker 3: by Elliot Lewis, with music composed by Lucian Morawick and
• 29:30
  Speaker 3: conducted by Lutt Gluskin. A murderous revision was adapted for
• 29:34
  Speaker 3: Suspense by David Ellis, from a story of S. Lee Pagostin.
• 29:39
  Speaker 4: In tonight's story... Kathy Lewis was heard as Lois, Joseph
• 29:42
  Speaker 4: Kearns as Ken, Charlotte Lawrence as Harriet, and Jerry Hausner
• 29:46
  Speaker 4: as Hank.
• 29:47
  Speaker 3: Tonight's appearance of Richard Widmark was made possible through the
• 29:49
  Speaker 3: kind permission of 20th Century Fox Studios.
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 29:52
  Speaker 3: Widmark may soon be seen in the Technicolor production, Red
• 29:55
  Speaker 3: Skies of Montana.
• 29:59
  Speaker 7: For the location of.
• 30:00
  Speaker 5: Your nearest Autolite service station or your nearest Autolite spark
• 30:03
  Speaker 5: plug or battery dealer, phone Western Union by number and
• 30:06
  Speaker 5: ask for Operator 25.
• 30:08
  Speaker 7: Switch to Autolite.
• 30:09
  Speaker 3: Good night. This is the CBS Radio Network.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: Our presentation of suspense and a murderous revision now comes
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: to a close. Good night, and thank you for sharing
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: this broadcast. Follow Old Time Mystery Radio for more classic
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: mystery and detective broadcasts.