Now, the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California presents...
Suspense.
Tonight, Roma Wines bring you the distinguished actor, Mr. George Kalouris,
as star in The Last Detail,
a suspense play produced, edited and directed by William Spear.
Suspense is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines.
That's R-O-M-A, Roma Wines.
Those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live,
to your happiness and entertaining guests,
to your enjoyment of everyday meals.
Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant,
as Roma Wines bring you a remarkable tale of suspense.
And with The Last Detail,
and with the performance of Mr. George Kalouris as Professor Moffat,
Roma Wines hope indeed to keep you in...
Suspense.
Something escapes me.
One small detail in all the incredible events of these last weeks.
And without it, the pattern is incomplete.
I think I dream about it.
Yes, yes, I'm sure I do.
But I've lost the ability to reconstruct my dreams.
I wake up with only a fragment,
a ridiculous shred of my unconscious mind.
I dream that I, in my laboratory,
standing before a rather large cage,
an assistant is beside me.
What are you doing, Professor?
Oh, hello, Pete.
I'm recording the behavior of this great ape.
Oh, everything he does, huh?
Yes, and at times I almost believe he's able to reason.
Of course, that's impossible.
Is this the one you call Kalouris?
He calls himself Kalouris.
And look, now he's pretending that he's the scientist.
Why, he's taking notes on me.
That's all I remember of the dream.
But after that, something...
something about the cage.
Well, as a scientist,
I should be able to reconstruct from what I actually saw and heard.
I'll take a cue from my dream.
I'll set down all that happened as dispassionately
as Dr. Kohler recorded the behavior
of his renowned chimpanzees at Tenerife.
Yes, I'll be completely objective.
In the first place, I must remember
that much of what happened was accidental,
happened through blind chance.
It was purely fortuitous that I should be living in that house
on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco,
and no one could foresee that I would be there alone.
I was sitting in my study,
working on a paper for the university,
a paper on instinctual behavior of the spider crab
when the doorbell rang.
As I say, I was alone,
as I'd been ever since Janet went away.
I opened the door myself.
Yes?
We're taking a census.
A census?
Yeah, it's about housing, special survey.
What's your name?
Oh, Leland Jennings Moffat, PhD.
Leland... Moffat.
Occupation?
Professor of Comparative Psychology, Golden Gate University.
Professor...
Professors do.
How many people in this house?
I'm the only resident.
Only one, huh?
No wife?
No, my wife has been away for about six months.
Rumors? Borders?
No, no, and I live alone.
Old house, ain't it?
Yes, I'm told that it was built before the fire.
Yeah, it looks it.
Well, okay.
Thanks, Professor, thanks very much.
Yes, yes, that was the beginning.
A week later, I got the letter.
Dear Professor Moffat,
I'm only an amateur in your field, Comparative Psychology,
but I've made a discovery in my private laboratory,
which I want you, a foremost authority, to check for me.
If you find my observations have been correct,
I'd also like you to take full credit for the discovery,
since I dislike publicity.
To avoid premature and adverse notice,
please tell no one about this,
but phone me collect for information.
Anthony Carlotti, Carlotti Realty, Los Angeles.
Well, Janet would have been wary of such a letter,
but I suppose the one weakness of a higher intelligence
is that it's slow to simple animal suspicion.
Well, in any case, I phoned Mr. Carlotti at once.
His secretary told me that if I caught the morning plane,
Mr. Carlotti would meet me at the airport in Los Angeles.
Pardon me, you Professor Moffat?
Eh? Oh, yes, yes, Mr. Carlotti?
No, I'm just one of the boys. I was sent to pick you up.
Oh, thank you very much.
You work for Mr. Carlotti?
I guess you'd call it that.
This bag yours?
Yes, yes.
I got a car right over there. Let's make a snappy.
Fine, fine.
I wonder...
Have I met you somewhere before, Mr...?
Eh, just call me Pete.
You might have. I've been here and there.
Hmm. Well, I don't suppose it's likely,
but you look very familiar.
Familiar mugs like mine, Professor.
Here.
You ride in the back.
Very well.
Oh, my, this is luxury.
For the boys, nothing but the best.
All set?
Yes, yes, all set.
Well, I'll be going.
Tell me, do we have far to go?
Huh?
Oh, no, not far.
The boss is in Bel Air.
Bel Air? He lives there?
Sure. Some layout he's got.
Quite a change for you, Professor.
What?
Oh, yes.
You're one of the census takers.
You were at my house last week.
Look, Professor, I made a slip. Forget it, will you?
Why should I forget it?
It's the boss. I wouldn't want the boss to know.
Oh, you were trying another job, is that it?
Yeah, yeah, something like that.
I was trying to let it see out.
What, Mr. Carlotti lives here?
Yes, some shack, huh?
Slip me in that bag, Professor,
and I'll take you to meet the boss.
Yes, thank you.
Well, is his laboratory here in the house?
His which?
His laboratory, where he conducts his experiments.
Oh, no, no, he doesn't do an experiment here.
Come on.
Some layout, huh? Swimming pool, all them flowers.
Yes, and the house,
we must have 20 or more rooms.
Oh, closer to 30, I bet.
After you, Professor.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, you nosy. Where's Papa?
He's waiting for you inside.
Oh, this way, Professor. He calls this the study.
Hey, boss.
Close the door, Pete, as you leave.
Sure, boss. This is the Professor, Professor Moffat.
I'll be outside.
So, Mr. Moffat, come in, come in, sit down.
You have no idea how happy this makes me.
Oh, thank you, thank you, Mr. Carlotti.
I'm glad to be here.
You, you know, you touched on my one weakness.
I'll bet I did.
Yes, when you said on the phone
you'd like something on conditioned reflexes,
well, that's rather my specialty. It's my hobby.
Your hobby? You're too modest, Professor.
Oh, I just the other day, I was rereading this.
They're part of your experiments with frogs.
Nothing to compare with it.
Oh, well, frankly, I do consider that a contribution to the field.
Why do you suppose I called on you to check on my experiment?
But you mean because of that pamphlet?
Exactly. I wouldn't trust anyone else.
Oh, I confess that I'm extremely curious to see what you're doing.
You only hinted on...
I can't tell you any more until we get to the laboratory.
I'll take you there after dinner.
Oh, I, well, I hope that sooner...
Well, Professor, since I'm only an amateur scientist,
my business comes first. I have two or three appointments.
Oh, yes, of course.
So if you don't mind waiting here, I'll come back and get you.
There are books and radio drinks in the cabinet.
If you want anything else, you just punch the button, okay?
Oh, yes, I'll be very comfortable.
Fine, fine, fine. I won't be long. An hour or so.
And then, Professor, you'll really learn something about reflexes.
I guarantee it.
Yeah, he went out.
I took a book off the shelf and settled down to read.
It's but my mind wandered.
Mr. Carlotti intrigued me.
He certainly wasn't an intellectual in either appearance or manner.
He was altogether a bit coarse and ruthless-looking.
And I was quite sure his capacity for abstract thinking
was limited, to say the least.
And yet, yet the report on my labyrinth experiments with frogs
had been stimulating to even so dull a mind as his.
I walked over to his desk and looked down at my pamphlet
with a feeling of some little satisfaction.
I picked it up and idly flipped the pages.
And it was then I realized that something was terribly wrong.
Because in the pamphlet which Mr. Carlotti told me he had read twice,
the pages were still uncut.
I threw it down on the desk and went to the door.
The door was locked.
For suspense, Roma lines are bringing you a storm
to George Kolouris in the last detail
by Ellen Obeson and Harriet Krauss,
which is Roma Wines' presentation tonight of Suspense.
Between the acts of suspense, this is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines.
Elsa Maxwell is famous not only as a hostess,
but also for her helpful suggestions on how to entertain more graciously.
Recently she said,
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R-O-M-A, Roma wines.
And now Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage,
George Kolouris,
who in the character of Professor Moffat in the last detail,
continues a narrative well calculated to keep you in...
suspense.
l regret to say it, but when l found that door locked,
l actually lost my temper.
Open this door. You here? Open the door.
Let me out. Mr. Carlotti, feet.
You can't keep me in here. l'll call the police.
Let me out.
Oh. Well. Mr. Carlotti.
There's something wrong, Professor.
Look here. Why is this door locked?
Locked, is it? Oh, it has a spring lock,
and l'm afraid the spring is weak.
l thought it had been fixed.
l rang the buzzer, pounded on the door, but no one came.
Oh, l'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting.
You've done more than keep me waiting, Mr. Carlotti.
You've thoroughly annoyed and angered me.
What's going on? Why did you bring me down here?
Why, to make experiments.
Oh, yes, yes, but my pamphlet. You said you read it twice.
Well?
The pages haven't even been cut. Look.
Oh, not that copy.
That's a copy l'm sending to a friend,
another fan of yours, Professor.
My copy is in my reference library at the laboratory.
Oh, l'm awfully sorry. You misunderstood.
Oh, l'm not sure l've misunderstood.
Well, what about this trip to your laboratory?
Well, we go there now. Pete has a car outside,
and l've invited a friend of mine to go with us.
His name is Sam Schwartz.
l think you two will have a great deal in common.
Well, Professor?
Oh, well, all right. Let's hurry, then.
l want to take the plane back tomorrow,
and l also want a good night's sleep.
Well, l give you my word,
you'll be in San Francisco tomorrow, Professor.
And a good night's sleep?
Why, you'll have time to spare.
You see, Pete knows you're in a hurry.
He's got the motor started.
Here, you run back with me, Professor.
Uh, this is Sam Schwartz,
the friend l told you about.
Oh, how do you do, Mr. Schwartz?
Hello, sucker.
That's right. Professor, climb in.
l forgot to say that Sam tries to be funny.
Well, we're ready, Pete. Let's roll.
Okay, boy.
And, uh, the boy up there with Pete is nosy.
l don't think you know him, Professor.
Why, l... l believe l've seen him.
Somewhere.
What's the matter, Sam? Cat cut your tongue?
Why don't you make yammer yammer with the Professor?
You're nuts.
Sam isn't feeling too well tonight, Professor.
l feel as good as you're going to, Carlotti.
You see, Professor, Sam is from San Francisco too,
but he isn't as optimistic as you are about my, uh, my experiments.
ls that so? You came down too, Mr. Schwartz?
Shut it, you old goat.
l came down here because l was tricked.
Shut up, Sam.
Yes, l was tricked.
You can't be all alone, Carlotti.
You got me on the griddle.
My boys will give you a payoff.
l said shut up.
They'll get you for this, Carlotti.
Shut up, boy. Shut up.
lt's okay, it's okay, Pete.
Sam's all right.
He just wants to brag about his punks
and how they're going to get Carlotti.
He's loyal to the home team.
Mr. Carlotti.
Yes, yes, yes. What's wrong?
l want to know what's going on. There's some mistake.
Oh, no. No, no mistake, Professor.
Well, what? What has all this got to do with your experiments,
with your laboratory?
Ah, Professor, wait and see.
No, no. l insist there's some mistake. l...
l don't think l belong here.
Don't belong here?
Pete, nosy. Listen to the Professor.
Why, you're absolutely a sensible professor.
You're going to be the star in this production.
l knew then that events had gotten rather beyond me.
So l sat back and began to think,
to sort out the facts of my situation
in order to be able to deal with them rationally, scientifically.
Nosy, the other man with Pete, l knew now,
was the second census taker.
And it was apparent to me that l was part of some plan of Carlotti's,
that Carlotti was, after all, what he appeared to be,
a ruthless, stupid man.
Well, at any rate, l would be able to outthink him.
The car swung off the highway
and pulled up in front of a closed gate
over which there was a sign that said, ''Rear Entrance.''
A man in a guard's uniform opened the gate,
and as our car went through, Carlotti leaned out and said,
''Nice going, Mike.''
The headlights were switched off.
There were no other lights on the narrow drive inside,
but on each side of the car, l could see huge open stalls
filled with all sorts of furniture, fireplaces,
pieces of scenery, theatrical props.
Then suddenly we were passing through what looked like a city street,
and l... l knew where we were.
Why, this is a motion picture lot.
Elementary, my dear professor.
Paraton pictures.
Yes, l've never been to one before. It's very interesting.
Oh, you've got to find it very interesting.
Yes, yes, l gather that.
Now tell me, Carlotti,
who is going to be killed tonight?
Why is the guy up, Carlotti?
Shut up, Sam.
Will it be me or Mr. Schwartz or both of us?
What makes you think there's going to be a killer?
Oh, come now. l've been on alert.
l admit it, but l certainly can recognize an objective situation when l have to.
Well, you won't be bumped off, not tonight,
but my friend Sammy here...
Why don't you just drill me? What's all the trimmings?
Well, you know how l like things, Sam, a little gaudy.
Oh, and l am the trimmings, is that it?
You, Professor, are the works,
because you're going to kill Sam.
Oh, you nonsense.
Well, you won't really pull the trigger, but you'll look the part.
What on earth are you talking...
Now, see now, Professor, now on the right to another street.
Now, do you know this city?
What? Why, it's San Francisco.
Yeah, Van Ness Avenue, in fact.
Why, this is my block. There's the house.
lt's astonishing. Fantastic. A movie set.
Really gives you thrill, doesn't it?
My goodness. What a passion Hollywood must have for detail.
Yeah, they really do it right, don't they?
This is San Francisco now.
They got another set off before the fire.
Yes, yes. l remember. l read about it.
Yeah, yeah, the Collins has been telling all about it.
That's how l knew.
Okay, you nosy.
Me, outside. You too, me. Come on.
Cover our friends as they go out.
Professor, Sammy, go on.
What are you gonna do?
lt won't take long, Sam. Just pile out.
Yes, Mr. Schwartz, come on.
Yes, yes, that's my house.
Every detail.
Paint flaking off, a bit shabby looking.
Yeah, you'll be able to tell your friends you were in movies, Professor.
That they'll never believe you.
Oh, l see your plan now, Carlotti.
You're going to photograph me shooting Mr. Schwartz.
Isn't that the idea? On the steps of my house.
Who tipped you off?
Oh, really, l'm a psychologist.
lt's relatively simple for me to follow your mental processes.
Oh, it's simple, is it?
Hey, get Sam up there.
How about a third step and watch him?
Okay, come on, punk.
My boys will fling it at us one, Carlotti.
Get going, Sam, get going.
Get a gun.
Get a gun.
Get your tongue.
So it's simple, Professor, eh?
Well, now that you know how l'm doing it, how do you like it?
Oh, it's a colorful plan, unique, but it won't work.
Oh, you think not, eh?
No, to be blunt, you haven't the mind to carry it through.
You've bitten off more than you can chew, Carlotti.
You haven't the higher intelligence necessary for so much detail.
Look, you'll be laughing out of the other side of your mouth tomorrow,
so l'll let it pass.
Very well.
Now, you take this gun, Professor.
lt ain't loaded.
Now, get up there by the front door.
And when l tell you to, point the gun at Sam like you mean it.
As l climbed the steps of the set, l was filled with an enormous valid amusement.
Carlotti's plan was so ornate, so melodramatic.
l could picture his self-satisfaction when he first thought of it,
the immature pleasure he'd derived from working out the details.
And l could picture the blind, stupefied obedience of Pete and Nosy
when they went to San Francisco to find the right house on Van Ness Avenue.
Mine was a little more
than that of Van Ness Avenue.
Mine was right because l lived alone.
But mine was also wrong because l was trained for detail,
trained to see and evaluate.
Yes, it was like the reasoning of a human being
pitted against that of a fairly adaptable chimpanzee.
And as l stood in the doorway of the admirable replica of my house,
l looked around quickly for the one or two floors which l could later use,
which would prove that that night l was in Los Angeles, not in San Francisco.
And then Carlotti gave his signal.
Okay, Professor, aim your gun.
Pete, get Sam over and then let it fly.
Perfect, perfect. What a shot and what a picture.
ls he dead, Pete?
Yes, it's unnatural.
You did good too, Professor. That picture looked like the real thing.
Thank you, Carlotti. l enjoyed it.
Yes, l suppose everybody likes to act.
Yeah, l got to hand it to you too. You didn't bat an eye.
But to see a man killed,
a scientist can't be too perturbed about death.
Yeah, l guess not. Pete, get the late Mr. Schwartz into the car
and watch the blood.
There won't be a trap for it. l got the code under him right away.
Now, Professor, l promised l'd get you home.
No? Oh, Pete's going to drive me there.
All the way to San Francisco?
Sure, we've got to have Sammy found up there, don't we?
Oh, of course, of course.
Well, so l figured you'd better go along for the ride.
lt was a strange trip. l sat in the back with my feet on Mr. Schwartz.
Nosy sat beside me and covered me with his gun.
We drove slowly through the sleeping towns in order not to arouse suspicion.
But on the long stretches of open road, Pete drove at a terrific speed.
And all the way, l was completely calm and at ease.
Yes, the corpse would be found somewhere in San Francisco
with something on it to send the police after me.
And then they would have the picture of me shooting Sam Schwartz
on my own front steps.
And Carlotti would be safe with alibis in Los Angeles,
420 miles away.
Yes, yes, that was the way it was planned.
Well, l felt a little sorry for Carlotti.
lt was going to be so easy to block him.
After a while, l fell asleep.
l woke up as the car stopped at the curb in front of my house.
You're an excellent driver, Pete.
Thanks, yeah, we make good time.
Okay, Professor, out.
You don't have to wave that gun at me, Nosy.
After all, l'm home. l live here.
Yeah, and l'm going in with you until Pete has time to attend
to a couple of other arrangements.
Yes, of course. He has to dispose of the body
and he has to tell the police and give them the picture.
You know everything, don't you?
Okay, Pete, get going. l'll meet you later.
Sure thing, Nosy. Same time, same place.
Yeah, we just made it in time.
Another hour, it'd be daylight.
Got your key, Professor?
Key? Oh, certainly. l'm a very methodical man.
Yes, yes, that movie set is a clever copy. Very clever.
Yeah, everything's just the same as here.
Oh, no, no, no. There are one or two minor differences.
Thank goodness.
What do you mean by that?
Come in, Nosy.
Well, the doorbell was quite different.
It was like the old one l had replaced last year.
l didn't see that.
Another thing, Nosy, the porch light wasn't there.
What porch light?
My landlord put one in for me because l'm rather short-sighted
and often stumble going down the steps.
And the house in L.A. didn't have that?
Did you see one there?
No, l thought not, and it won't be in the picture.
Well, maybe the picture doesn't show that part of the house.
Oh, l think Carlotti got it all in.
Carlotti's plan doesn't look so good now, does it, Nosy?
The boss said he'd bring you here and stay here.
l hear the cops coming, and that's what l'm gonna do, and that's all.
Even now that you know Carlotti's plan won't work?
l don't know nothing about that.
The boss has made all the right so far, and...
Uh-oh, listen.
The cops!
Yes, yes, that would be the police.
Hmm, Pete worked very fast.
Where was he dumping the body, Nosy?
You'll find out, Professor. l'm leaving.
But if you try to leave the front way, l'll drug you.
Hi. Come in, gentlemen. l was expecting you.
You Professor Moffat?
That's right, and you're from the homicide squad. Come in.
Hey, how'd you know we were coming?
Well, you found a body of a man named Schwartz,
and somebody told you that l killed him, right?
No, we didn't find anybody.
Oh, well, then someone sent you a photograph of me
standing on my front porch shooting Sam Schwartz.
Look, we don't know anything about you or Sam Schwartz,
and we didn't see any pictures.
Well, then why are you here at this ungodly hour?
We got a phone call.
A phone call?
Yeah, someone phoned in that you had a body here,
so we came to check.
Here? A body here?
In this house?
That's right. We always check these calls,
even though a lot of them were from crackpots.
This one said the body was in your cellar.
What? My...my cellar?
Yeah, so if you don't mind, we'll just look around.
No, you can't go in the cellar. There's nothing there.
There's nothing in the cellar.
Hey, grab the old-up, and hang on.
I'll get you...
Then I knew it was no use.
Then I knew that they'd never believe
what had really happened that night.
Then I knew that Carlotti had thought of everything,
down to the last detail.
Yes, except one I'd thought of,
because in the cellar, there were two bodies.
The body of Sam Schwartz that Pete had put there that night,
and the body of Janet, my wife,
whom I'd murdered six months before.
Yes, now I remember my dream, the rest of it.
I'm standing in my laboratory beside a cage.
Only I'm in the cage, and I'm watching Carlotti.
And Pete is there, and Carlotti is talking, talking.
Okay, Pete, lock him up.
I've seen all I want to for today.
He gives me the willies.
Funny to watch these apes, boss.
Sometimes they're almost human.
Yeah. Look at him now.
He's pretending he's taking notes on us.
He's pretending he's a professor.
Yes, sir.
And so closes the last detail,
in which Roma wines have brought to George Calouris
a star of tonight's study in...
Suspense.
Before Mr. Calouris returns to the microphone,
this is Truman Bradley with a word for Roma Wines,
the sponsor of Suspense.
Warm weather and iced drinks just naturally go together.
And as famed hostess Elsa Maxwell recently remarked,
for a gay and colorful warm weather drink,
I recommend Roma wine and soda,
a delightful frosty cold thirst quencher
that's as delicious as it is refreshing.
Yes, and Roma wine and soda,
made with distinguished Roma California burgundy or sautern,
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Half-fill the tall glasses with good Roma burgundy or sautern.
Add ice cubes, sparkling water, and a bit of sugar.
And for a decorative touch, garnish with cherries or fruit.
And for a delightful aperitif,
sip delicious Roma sweet vermouth, well chilled.
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with all the traditional winemaking skill of Roma wineries.
It's made and bottled in the heart of California's famous vineyards,
yet surprisingly low-priced.
Try Roma vermouth soon, won't you?
This is George Calouris with a word from our government.
Large numbers of troops are being redeployed from Europe to the Pacific,
many by way of the United States.
They will have, and their friends and relatives may learn,
facts about their weapons, tactics, training, and future assignments,
which would be of immense value to the Japanese enemy.
There may be a tendency to relax our caution about such war information
now that Nazi Germany has been defeated,
but the fact is that never before in this war has secrecy been so important.
Don't talk. Keep the Japs in the dark. Thank you.
George Calouris appeared through the courtesy of Warner Brothers,
producers of Rhapsody in Blue.
Next Thursday, we'll hear Mr. J. Carroll Nash as star of...
Suspense.
Presented by Roma Wines, R-O-M-A,
made in California for enjoyment throughout the world.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.