Suspense!
Tonight, The Singing Wall, starring Van Johnson.
Have another cup, another nice hot cup. If that special queen makes it taste good.
So a guy named Joe brought you, huh? You come up here from Joe's place. From Joe's place.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Yeah, hear it? Ain't that pretty? Yeah, that's right. It comes right out of the walls.
Singing walls. We got hot and cold running water here and singing walls, yeah.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Have another cup, and a little more of the extra heavy cream. What? Well, lie down and take a little snooze. I'll be right back.
Hey, look at you. It's blood. Blood all over your shirt. Oh, him? He's all right. Just lock him in the closet.
I'll put the key right in your pocket so you'll know just where to find him. Sure, I'll be back. I'll be back in just a minute.
No, let me out of here. No, let me out of here. No. Tommy! Tommy! Tommy!
Tommy, wake up. What? What is it? I've been knocking at your door the longest time. You were having a dream or something.
Yeah. Gee, what time is it? It's way afternoon. You came in pretty late. I did, huh? Toss me my bathrobe, will you, sis?
Don't you know what time you got in? No, no, not exactly. Oh, Tommy, I know it's tough not having a job all these months, but the kind of people you're getting away with.
Oh, my head. Have anything to eat last night? Yeah, yeah. They bought me some coffee. Coffee? Who did? Where was this?
Oh, well, honest, sis, it's no alibi, but I don't remember where I was. Only just now I seem to be dreaming about it.
About what? About last night. I could hear you banging on the door all the time I was dreaming. And it seemed as though I wasn't dreaming at all. I was remembering a lot of things.
What sort of things? Oh, I was all mixed up. There was a guy with a kind of frog voice that kept giving me eats and coffee. I was sort of floating.
There was a place with music coming out of the walls. There was something about blood on my shirt and a key to a closet. Tommy, you're shaking like a leaf.
Yeah, it was a pretty scary dream, all right. If it was a dream. Well, you get dressed and come on downstairs. Here, here, I'll get your clean shirt.
No, I better wear the old one. I've worn it only once. But it's all messy. Yeah, it does look kind of... Mildred. What? My shirt. Give me it.
Now what's the matter? Look, Mildred, that's blood. Well, I guess it is. I know it is. Just like it was in the dream.
Oh, Tommy, don't be silly. You must have hurt yourself somewhere. But I didn't. Look, there isn't a scratch on me. Well, then you got in a fight.
Maybe. What else could it have been? That's what I'm trying to think. Well, stop thinking and hurry up and get dressed.
Oh, my goodness. Look at the way you threw your clothes around last night. Trousers on the floor here. Oh, dear. Everything all over the place fell out of the pockets.
I'll pick it up. You get dressed. Thanks. You didn't come home with much, did you? I didn't have much to start with.
Well, I'll put it all up here on the bureau. 25 cents and change and your keys. Now hurry, will you? What did you say? I said hurry.
No. Oh, I said I put your change and your keys up on the bureau. Keys? Yeah. Mildred, I only have one key. Well, there are two there now.
I know. Let me see them. Here. One's the key to the front door. But the other one. Doesn't belong to any door in this house. It's the key to the closet.
What closet? Last night. It wasn't a dream. Tommy, what are you talking about? Mildred, you better call Danny. Danny right away.
But he's on duty. I know, I know. But get him over here right away. Tommy, what is it? Last night. I think I killed a man.
Yeah. Let me look at your eyes, Tom. Listen, Danny. Uh-huh. You were doped, all right? I didn't know what it was.
Never mind that now, kid. How much do you remember? Danny, I hated to bring you in on this, but I didn't know who else to go to.
Skip it, skip it. What's the use of having a brother-in-law who's a cop if he can't help you once in a while? How much do you remember?
Just what I've told you. Just like it was in the dream. Only it wasn't a dream. There was this guy, Joe. Just some guy I'd known from someplace.
I don't know where. They met on the street and he took me to the party. Then the guy with the frog voice began giving me eats and coffee.
He'd give me a lot of coffee. Then everything got confused. I was in the place with a singing wall, some harmonica playing or something. That's where the closet was.
What about the guy you... the dead guy?
First he wasn't there. Then he was. He was sort of slumped over in a big armchair.
And then frog voice put him in the closet?
That's what I remember. Then he left. I suddenly seem to realize that the guy in the closet was dead. That's when I get out of there. I don't know how. I don't know how.
You don't have any idea where it was?
No, I didn't even know where the party was.
And you've never even seen any of these people before?
Except this guy, Joe, who took me to the party. And that's all I know about him.
Just a guy named Joe that I knew by sight from someplace. But I don't know where. His last name or anything.
Whew. That's not much to go on, is it, kid?
No, not much.
A guy named Joe, singing walls in the closet, and another guy with a froggy voice.
Well, I'd recognize him or his voice if I ever saw him again.
Tommy, you're in a jam, kid. The way it looks right now, there's a dead man in a closet somewhere in this town, and you killed him.
Maybe you didn't. And if we find him before somebody else does, maybe we can figure out what did happen.
But the way it stands now, kid, you're it.
Yeah, I know.
We haven't got much time either. If the place is an apartment, they've probably found the body already, and I'd know about it.
If it's a hotel, they check the guest out by six o'clock. That gives us about four hours.
Four hours for the murderer to find the guy he murdered. Kind of crazy, isn't it?
Tommy, you know how I feel about Newwood. And you know I don't exactly hate you either.
You know, I'll do everything in the world I possibly can to clear you.
Sure, Danny, I know, I know.
But I'm a cop, Tommy. And if you did do it, you know I'm going to turn you in, don't you?
Sure. I know that too.
Okay, kid, okay. Now let's start from the beginning. What about the Sky Joe?
But I don't know anything about him.
You know his name, you know his face. Now think, Tommy, think.
I'm trying to. If I could only remember. If I could only remember.
So a guy named Joe brought you, huh? You come up here from Joe's place. Joe's place.
You see, Tommy, when you remembered that, you told me where Joe is.
I did?
Yeah, sure. You see that sign over that restaurant?
Yeah, Joe's place. Joe's place, yeah.
Tommy, you were playing with bad boys last night. And this is where bad boys hang out.
So?
It all clicked when I remembered you. Said the guy with the frog voice asked you if you could come.
And this is where bad boys hang out. It all clicked when I remembered you. Said the guy with the frog voice asked you if you could come up there from Joe's place.
He didn't mean where Joe lived or anything. He meant this place. He thought maybe you were one of the boys.
How did I ever meet this Joe? I've never been here in my life.
He runs another place more respectable as a sort of cover. About three blocks from our house, the grotto.
Hey, that's right.
Yeah, remember now? If my hunch is right, Joe is going to be plenty surprised when he sees you walk in there.
Me? Walk in there?
Now, don't worry, kid. Just walk in and sit down at the table. If you're not out of that place in a couple of minutes, I'll know you recognize the guy and we're on the right track.
I'll come in as though I didn't see you and go to the phone booth.
Then what?
Then we'll see, kid. Are you okay?
Okay.
Oh, one thing more. If he offers you anything to eat or drink, take it.
Sure. Well, here goes. What'll it be, Mike?
Orange juice.
Right.
Well, well, well, well. What do you know? Hello, Tommy.
Well, hi, Joe.
What are you doing down in this part of town, kid, huh?
Oh, I had to come down to see a guy. I didn't know you had this place.
Ah, just a little sideline. That's where I first started, you know.
Sure.
One orange juice. That'll be ten cents.
Oh, no. You gotta have a little something to eat on me, kid. What do you have? Coffee, at least, huh?
Well...
Nice hot cup?
Yeah, okay.
Coffee for the gentleman Larry with the extra heavy cream. Understand?
The extra heavy? Sure.
I'll take tea with lemon. Hey, Tommy, that was some fun last night, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah. What'd you disappear to? I was looking all over for you.
Oh, that's the funny thing. I don't even remember.
I get it. Well, a guy has to cut loose once in a while.
Here, one coffee with extra heavy cream. One tea.
Well, this'll warm you up.
Wait a minute.
Hey, who are you?
Oh, this is my brother-in-law, Denny. This is Joe.
Say, you must have got things mixed up. You never drink coffee, Tommy. You only drink tea.
Yeah, that's right.
Here, you take the tea, give Joe the coffee, and I'll take the orange juice.
I don't like coffee. I never touch it.
Okay, I'll take it. Thanks.
By the way, Joe, you haven't got a little bottle I could pour this into, have you?
Hey, who do you think you're kidding, bub?
I'm from headquarters. There's a badge.
No, no, wait a minute. I didn't know that...
I suppose you didn't know that what I'd find in this coffee if I took it down to have it analyzed, would you?
Look, I don't want any trouble. I never had any. They'll tell you at headquarters.
If it's a matter of dough...
You can't buy your way out of this one, chum. I want talk and I want it quick.
What kind of talk?
Where did you take Tommy last night?
It was just a little party, a card party, just coffee and cake.
Yeah, and they slipped things in people's coffee there, too.
I don't know anything about that, honest. I hardly know the people.
Who's the guy with the frog voice?
Voice? I don't know any guy with a frog voice.
Look, I don't want no trouble. They'll tell you at headquarters.
Listen, there's a narcotics trap in this for somebody and it could be you. Come on, where was the party?
Courtney Square West, number 75, some people named Sorel.
Come on, Tommy, and you're going too, Joe, just in case.
Sorel, A.J. Does this look like the place, Tommy?
Yeah, it looks like it. It could be. Everything's been so confused since last night.
This is it.
It better be. Mrs. Sorel?
Yes?
I'm from police headquarters.
Oh.
Do you mind if we come in and look around?
Oh, why, no.
Come on, Tommy. You too, Joe. Oh, by the way, do you two know each other?
He... Why his face is familiar? I think he's been here a couple of times.
We play a lot of cards. All kinds of people wander in and out. Is that what the trouble is?
It might be. You know anyone with a froggy voice?
No. Not that I can remember.
Okay, let's look at the apartment.
Well, this is the hall, of course, and here's the living room.
Joe, you stay here in the hall, and you better be here when I get back.
I'll be here.
So, this is the living room.
Uh-huh. This is the bedroom. Looks kind of messy now.
See anything?
No.
Over here's the kitchenette.
I see.
That's about all there is to it.
Denny, that closet.
Oh, there's nothing in there. Just a lot of old odds and ends.
Open it.
Well, it's locked.
All right, unlock it.
I'm not sure where the key is.
Then, lady, you'd better find it.
Well, I'll try.
Is this it, Tommy?
There was a closet like that, and a window just over there where that one is,
and the armchair and bed.
Don't you remember?
I can't, Denny.
Let me have that key.
Wait a minute. Here she comes.
I think this is it.
Try it.
It sort of sticks sometimes.
I'll help you.
There it comes.
See? Just a lot of old junk.
Uh-huh.
Come on, Denny.
You sure?
Sure. Come on.
Well, I guess that's all, Mr. Sorrell.
Thanks for showing us around.
That's all right.
Hello, Joe.
Still here?
Yeah.
You, uh, don't mind if I stay here and visit a while, do you?
No, I guess not.
Well, goodbye.
Goodbye.
Thanks again.
Goodbye.
Good luck.
Copper.
I'm sorry, Denny.
Well, it was a try.
What do we do now?
I don't know, Tommy.
We found Joe.
Now, what about those singing walls?
Come on, think, Tommy, think!
Yeah, yeah.
That's right.
It comes right out of the walls.
We got hot and cold running water here.
And singing walls.
Yeah, singing walls.
Denny.
Yeah?
Listen.
What?
That's it.
The singing walls.
Sure.
Sure.
I remember the piece and the harmonica and everything.
It's coming from around here someplace.
Denny, it's coming from their apartment.
The one we just left, Sorel's.
Come on!
This must be the place, Tommy.
The closet and now the music.
They must have been pulling a fast one on us.
Well?
All right, quit stalling.
Come on, Tommy.
Stalling?
Yes, you heard me.
You two brushed us off pretty slick, didn't you?
Listen, I don't know what this is all about, but...
Where's that music coming from?
Well, from the radio.
The radio?
Yeah.
I turned it on the kitchen just now when I started to fix dinner.
It's a little portable.
From here.
See?
Okay.
I don't get it.
What did you mean by...
Oh, skip it, skip it.
Well, Tommy, here we go again.
I don't care.
That was the music I heard.
And that's the same number.
Sounds like the same band.
Hey, wait a minute.
Now what?
Where's your phone?
On the desk.
Denny, look and see what station that's coming over.
It's WBTA.
Thanks.
Hello, operator?
Get me station WBTA, a radio station.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
It's a radio station.
I don't know what the number is here.
Tell him it's a police call.
It's a police call.
Thanks.
I may be wrong, Denny, but I got a hunch.
Hello.
WBTA?
What's that band you've got on now?
I don't care if it's an electrical transcription.
What's the guy's name?
What?
Turn off that radio.
What was that name?
He, uh...
Uh.
Well, where can you get a hold of this guy?
Where does he hang out?
I see.
I see. Five nights a week. That include tonight? Thanks.
Well?
He's a small town bandleader. Harmonica Hall and his harmoniers, he calls himself.
And he plays at a place called the Silver Slipper out in the concourse.
Come on!
You better get on that phone, Joe.
Ah, you dumb. You would have to turn on that radio.
There's the Silver Slipper right over there.
Okay, let us out here.
Right.
Here you are.
Thank you, sir.
It looked familiar to you around here, Tommy?
I'm afraid it's a bum steer, Denny.
Look, kid, do you know what time it was when you heard the music?
It was just night. That's all I know.
All right. They don't play with the music.
They don't play with the music.
They don't play with the music.
It was just night. That's all I know.
All right. They don't play recording so much at night, particularly of small bands.
And this Silver Slipper isn't on the air.
So maybe you were out here someplace and you heard the band itself.
Yeah, maybe.
I know it's kind of a long shot, kid, but right now it's the best we got.
Let's case the joint.
Okay.
Hmm. Don't look like there were any rooms with closets in the Silver Slipper.
Denny, look, right next to it.
Yeah, a hotel.
That would make sense.
Yes, and the shape you were in, you probably would have signed your own name too.
Come on.
Oh, by the way, what time you got?
Ten to six.
Ten to six. Our deadline's getting pretty close, kid.
Yeah.
This better be right.
Oh, what a place.
I can only remember.
There's the clerk. We'll see, kid. We'll see.
Say, lady, you got a guy named Tom Cochran here?
Tom Cochran? I don't know.
Oh, it's all right. It's all right. We're friends of his.
I'll see. When did he register?
Last night.
Yeah. Oh, sure. Here he is. Tom Cochran and Ben Doyle.
Yeah, yeah.
Room 209. I don't think they're in, though.
Oh, no?
No. I've been ringing them to see if they were going to check out by six.
I was just going to send somebody up. Shall I ring again?
No, no. We'll sort of surprise them.
Okay. Right up those stairs. They got to be out by six to pay for another night.
Yeah, well, we'll take care of it. Let's go, Tom.
Denny, did you see the handwriting on that register?
Yeah, yeah.
It was mine all right, Denny.
This is it, Tommy. One way or another.
Yeah.
Here we are.
Don't put your hand on that doorknob, kid. Fingerprints. Use your handkerchief.
Locked. I got some keys. It's an easy lock.
Here we go, kid.
Denny, this is it.
Close that door.
That's the closet.
Give me your key. Here.
Here, you better hold my gun on that door just in case.
All right.
Denny, look out.
Oh, he was just falling.
He's dead.
Oh, gee. This is...
You remember now?
Yeah. Yeah.
Let's have a look at him.
Stabbed.
And here's his driver's license. Benjamin Doyle.
Denny.
Give me it.
Hello?
Yeah, we found him all right.
No, they're going to keep the room for another night.
No, there's not a thing we want.
We're in for it now, kid.
Denny, look. On the floor over there.
A clasp knife covered with blood. That's what did it all right.
Yeah.
Hey.
I know. I know. It's mine.
Tom, why didn't you tell me?
Honest, Denny. I didn't even remember I'd lost it until I saw it there just now.
Fingerprints all over it.
That's clear as though they'd been made in ceiling wax.
Right-handed, aren't you, Tommy?
Uh-huh.
Let me see your right hand.
Doesn't take an expert to read these.
Those are your prints, all right, kid?
Yeah, I guess they are.
And you still don't remember?
Honest, Denny. I don't.
Can you think of any other explanation?
No. There's the guy with the frog voice.
How much I just dreamed him up. I don't know. I don't know.
Well, kid?
You did all you could, Denny. But don't feel bad.
We can plead insanity or something.
Maybe we can prove you were doped.
Maybe.
You better call headquarters, Denny. Let's get it over with.
All right.
Where are you going?
I don't want a phone from here. That clerk will listen in.
There's no use getting all the wolves on us before we have to.
Aren't you afraid I'll...
No, no.
I won't.
I'll just have them send a detective car, kid.
You won't have to go in the wagon.
Thanks.
Oh. You better let me have my gun.
Huh? Oh. Yeah, sure.
I'll be back, kid.
Lie down for a couple of minutes. You look kind of sick.
I am.
Oh.
That's the idea. Take a little snooze.
I'll be right back.
Hey, look at you. Blood.
Blood all over your shirt.
Him? Oh, he's all right.
Put him in the closet. Yeah, lock the door.
Be right in your pocket.
Sure, I'll be right back. Be right back. Be right back.
Here he is.
You? Yeah, me.
What are you gonna do with him, Froggy?
Get him in the other room until his copper friend misses him and starts looking.
Listen, I don't want to be in on anything like this.
Shut up. You're in it up to your neck already.
Come on, you. Come on, get up.
Okay. And get going.
Get going up the hall.
Open the other door, Joe.
Sure.
Get in there.
Is that the guy, Frog? Yeah, yeah.
Listen, Froggy, this don't look so good.
There were people who knew you were getting ready to give it a doil.
Sure, that's why I framed this guy.
Oh, that trouble I went to. Doped him and brought doil in there while he was out.
Planted the key on him, bloodied him up, put the knife in his head.
I still don't see how he ever come to in time.
Yeah, but he did.
So what? We frame him again.
Music. Yeah.
You like music, don't you?
You're pretty sweet about music, huh?
Well, for your information, that's how Monica Hale rehearsed for the night.
And in this room, it comes through the window.
On the counter, there is a window.
But in the other room, it comes through the walls.
On the counter, there ain't no window.
Catch on.
Better close the window, Joe.
Wait a minute. I do like music.
You mind if a guy on a spot like I am hears a little music?
What about it, Froggy?
Sure, sure, sure. Leave it open. Leave it open.
Let's have some music while we work.
He'll cover up the noise if he makes any fuss.
So what's the new angle?
Knock him out, dump him in the park.
Dead by his own hand.
Yeah. Remorse.
We leave the gun be signed up and plant some doil stuff on him.
I got it.
All right, get going, get going. Tie him up.
Put a handkerchief at least, and a coat of coat around him.
He's sick, see? We're taking care of him.
Okay.
Where's the car?
It's around the back. It's around the back.
Nobody else see us going out that way. You ready?
Yeah.
Take a look out the door.
Okay.
All clear?
Yeah, yeah.
Let's go, let's go. Lock the door after we go out.
Okay.
Down the hall to the back.
All right.
Hey, hey, what?
Stop those guns and put them up.
Cover them up, you guys.
I got him.
Hey, what is this?
You'll find out, Grutziani.
Get the gag out of the kid's mouth and untie him, Mike.
Yeah, sure.
Denny.
Yeah, kid, I heard the music.
I hoped you would. I asked him to leave the window open.
I heard the conversation too. Enough.
Okay, boys, okay. Take him down.
All right, all right. Come on, man.
You don't need to cut me into it.
Boy, who are they?
Grutziani's a mobster.
Doyle was one of his boys who double-crossed him.
How you feeling, kid?
Okay, I guess.
It's kind of close.
Yeah.
All the way around.
Yeah.
Look, kid, uh...
Oh, skip it.
I'm...I'm sorry, Tommy.
Honest, I am. I...I thought you did it.
Denny, until just now, so did I.
And so closes The Singing Wall, starring Van Johnson.
Tonight's study in...
Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed by William Spear.
And now, further to entreat you,
we have a special guest,
the famous actor,
who has been a great actor for many years.
He's a great actor,
and he's been a great actor for many years.
He's been a great actor,
and now, further to intrigue you,
we of Suspense present a special preview
of our next exciting tale.
And here it is,
a tantalizing glimpse of our next adventure
in Suspense.
Hola, Johnny.
Ah?
Que de nuevo?
Que de nuevo, Johnny?
Ah, sure, here.
Sombero?
Yeah, check the sombero.
Good evening, Mr. Winnington.
Do you wish a table?
No, thanks.
No, I'm just browsing.
Is, uh, Ronaldo...
Oh, there he is now.
Oh.
Hello, Johnny. Hello.
Hi, Ronaldo.
Well, um, sit down.
Have a little supper with me, huh?
Oh, no, thanks. I'm not hungry.
Well, come on, come on. Sit down anyway.
All right. Anything to please you, sweetheart.
Tell me, how's business?
Oh, fine, great.
Every time I get a bad break nowadays, Johnny,
I get two good ones right after.
Ha, ha, ha.
Say, when did you ever get a bad break?
Well, you know Jackie, my little singer.
Yeah, sure, I know.
Yeah, of course you do.
Well, Jackie is quitting.
Oh, that's too bad.
And who do you suppose I'm getting,
just by the merest accident?
Who do you suppose I'm getting to take her place, huh?
All right, I'll bite.
Lor Nadine.
Lor Nadine? Oh, you're kidding.
Oh, what do you think of that, huh?
Pretty good, huh?
Well, if you'll excuse the aspersions, Ronaldo,
I think what does a dame with an international reputation
like Lor Nadine want to be singing
in a third-rate cabaret like this for?
Oh, no, no, second-rate maybe,
but third-rate, no, no, no.
All right, all right, second-rate.
But you can't pay her a tenth of what she's used to getting.
And what is she doing down here in Buenos Aires anyway?
Oh, now, what you want to ask a lot of questions for.
She's going to sing.
That's good enough for me.
Yeah, I guess it is.
She's terrific, all right.
Tell me, when does she start?
Uh, two weeks from tonight.
Why, uh, why did Jackie quit?
It was kind of sudden, wasn't it?
Oh, I don't know.
She's, uh, nervous lately.
She wants to go back to the States, I guess.
Oh.
Say, uh, Johnny.
Yeah?
Uh, when are you going back?
To the States?
Mm-hmm.
Oh, six months a year, two years, whenever this war is over.
Don't you think you better, uh,
better go home maybe a little sooner, huh?
Look, I don't want any lectures on my patriotism,
if that's what you mean.
Well, who's giving lectures?
Down here, we are, uh, well, we are neutral.
Yeah?
Well, all right, that's what I am.
The U.S. is okay, it's fine.
It just happens that it never did so much for me
that I feel like getting knocked off for it, that's all.
Sure, sure, I don't want you to get knocked off.
That's what I'm talking about.
What are you talking about?
Your health, Johnny.
Do I take that two ways or only one?
One.
Listen, Johnny, listen, I see these things before.
Sometimes, folks stay around these places so long,
they forget all about home.
And then one day, pfft, finish.
I pay my bills, don't I, eventually?
Johnny, don't talk that way.
It's only because I like you, you know that.
All right, all right, cut it, cut it.
Okay, okay.
Ah, here comes Jackie now.
Ha-ha.
Al-ma
De la frica lejana
Ye-na
Mi pecho, mi...
What's wrong?
What's happening?
Come on, Ronaldo.
I can't understand.
She wasn't feeling well. Why didn't she tell me?
She didn't have to go on.
Coming through, please, please.
Please stand back, please stand back.
What's the matter here?
This woman has been drugged, apparently.
I am a doctor.
Please let me through.
Mr. Ronaldo.
What do you want? I have no time now.
I want the job, now.
Job? Oh, it's you, Miss Dean.
You got the poor kid over before coming here.
Did I ask you anything?
Look, Mr. Ronaldo, I'm sorry for the girl,
but I'm a singer, not a sob sister.
I was going to start in two weeks anyway.
I might as well start now.
Well, all right then, until Jackie can come back
to finish off.
Oh, yeah? It'll be about the longest run on record, then.
What do you mean?
This young lady is right, Senor Ronaldo.
This girl is dead.
Dead?
Do you still want the job, Miss Dean?
I still want the job.
And so until our next performance,
when you will hear the rest of this exciting tale,
we keep you in...
Suspense!
Suspense!
Suspense!
This is the Armed Forces Radio Service.
The Armed Forces Radio Service.
The Armed Forces Radio Service.