Auto Light and its 96,000 dealers present Suspense.
Tonight, Auto Light brings you Alibi Me, a suspense play starring Mr. Mickey Rooney.
A showdown, this time it's a showdown.
No more even Stevens.
A showdown, I took all I'm gonna take from him.
It's tough enough to hustle a buck even without interference from Julie, without aggravation from Julie.
This time it's a showdown with me and him.
For real.
Julie!
Listen to me.
No manners, no knock on the door.
No could I come in, no good afternoon.
No manners, no class.
Always on the muscle, huh?
I wanna talk to you, Julie.
Not so loud, a little more relaxative with the voice.
There ain't no candy store in Brownsville.
What's the big idea?
Didn't you hear what I said?
You ain't on no street corner, you're in a high class office.
Upstairs at dance school, underneath a music professor.
You hear him?
Yeah, I hear him.
So keep it quiet.
Keep it class.
I wanna know what's the big idea, you hear me?
I just came from Pitkin Avenue.
There ain't a candy store, there ain't a pool room.
There ain't a bar that'll handle my punch boards anymore, not one.
We now take from Julie, they said.
They said correct.
But that's my territory, Julie.
I built up that punch board business there.
Oh, I watched, you'd hustle good.
You built it up real nice for me.
And I appreciate it.
I already sent you the biggest lollipop I could find.
The biggest lollipop in town for the town's biggest sucker.
Julie, I'm warning you.
You're warning me what?
What?
What'll you do?
Give me a double whammy like in the Funnies?
Oh, ever since we were kids, you hate me, I hate you.
And it's like a kind of mutual life insurance for both of us, huh?
There's not a cop on the force that don't know how we feel about each other.
You're forgetting what Larkin said those years ago.
If ever one of you punks get knocked off, he says my first suspect will be the other.
So what are you warning me?
Grow up, Georgie, grow up.
I'm not gonna let you get away with it.
That punch board business is mine, I need it, see.
I need the dough, too.
You need the dough.
Well, I'll tell you what.
This is just your speed, here.
Here's a half a buck, run down, get me a corned beef sandwich, and keep the change.
Here, catch.
Julie, Julie, I'm...
Look at the face on him.
If looks could kill, huh, kid?
Eh, go away now, huh?
I got a million one things on my mind.
I need you standing there like a hole in the head.
Larkin, six o'clock, I gotta report to Larkin on my parole.
What?
Georgie, Georgie, put down that phone.
They'll know you've done it.
Georgie, Larkin, oh, no!
Hey, Bill!
It's done.
I put my hand on the big vein in his neck.
Can't feel nothing.
Not a flutter.
He's dead.
In just a moment, Mr. Mickey Rooney, in the first act of alibi me.
Hi, Harlow.
Got any New Year's resolutions?
Sure have, Hap.
First, I'm going to get away fast.
Goodbye.
No, no, no, Hap.
Get my car ready.
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Oh, and what else?
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You an actor, Harlow?
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Sure, but any more pledges, Harlow?
Well, I'll save gas.
Less driving, huh?
No, no.
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But your resolutions, Harlow.
Oh, yes, yes, yes.
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And whether you choose the resistor type or the standard type, you will be right, because you're always right with auto light.
And now with Alibi Me and the performance of Mr. Mickey Rooney, auto light hopes once again to keep you in suspense.
I look at dead Julie lying there, and I pick up the phone, I hit him with it.
I wipe it clean.
No fingerprints.
And I stand still and listen.
Nothing.
No screams, no whistles, no pounding on the door, only the music professor underneath playing like nothing happened.
Nothing much has, just one stinker list in the world.
I look down at Julie and I remember standing next to him in Larkin's office in the precinct station house years ago, and Lieutenant Larkin saying,
If ever one of you punks is knocked off, my first suspect will be the other.
Better have a good alibi, whichever one of you does it.
Because I'm warning you now, once I get you down to headquarters, you're a hot seater.
Good alibi.
How much time do I have to set up a good alibi?
Ten after four.
And at six, Julie was supposed to report to Larkin, till six.
An hour and fifty minutes to set up an alibi.
Not much time, come on kid, come on, get going.
I leave Julie's office, Julie more promotions.
Light my prints off the knob and hurry downstairs.
Hurry down for an alibi I need.
Yeah, I need people too for it.
But who? Who'll alibi for me?
Leo!
He's the one!
He'll alibi me! Leo!
Leo's behind the bar.
I put myself down at one end where I'm all alone.
Leo sees me, gives me a big grin.
I feel relaxed for the first time since I've done it.
I wink and I give him a nod, he comes home and we shake.
Georgie, Georgie, Lord, I love you boy.
You're a cyclist, all right.
Yeah, what'll you have, sir? Just name it, it's in the house.
Give me a scotch, will you, Leo?
We've known each other for a long time, huh?
I hate to think of the years that's passed since we met.
I'm getting old, Georgie, old.
Not too old to remember a couple of favors I've done for you, huh?
Georgie, boy, none of ours will live to be a hundred.
Yeah, see, in the old bunch, what I say, Georgie, I say,
you can have me right arm up to there any time.
Yeah, what you say?
Drink hard, you son.
Well, here's the...
Thanks, I...
Leo, I want you to do something for me.
Well, I'm a little short right now.
I had a gallstone cut out last summer.
It ain't money, Leo, it's just, well, in case you should be asked,
I've been sitting here since half past three.
Yeah? Why?
What's the difference why?
Anybody especially want me to say it to?
What, are you going to do it or not?
Look, Georgie, I've got a right to know what I'm getting into.
You want me for an alibi? I want to know why.
Well, I'll make a production out of it.
Chances are you might not even be asked, but if you are,
I've just been sitting here since half past three, see, okay?
Well, Lieutenant Larkin may be one of the ones who might ask.
Could be. What makes you think of him?
I just seen him going to Andy's place across the street.
He's on the prowl.
Just now?
Leo, you got to do this for me. You've got to.
Not in your life. I ain't alibying you.
Not with Larkin in the picture.
You ain't the guy to forget favor, are you?
Look, you want money, I'll find money.
I don't know where, but I'll find it. You want food, I'll feed you.
You want clothes, I'll clothe you. Just say the word.
No, Leo, it's not...
No alibi, George. No alibi. Excuse me, I got custom.
I feel like taking the bottle and smashing it over his head.
Leo, Leo, just wait till he eats off of me this once.
There'll come a day, Leo, when I remind you what you just said to me.
Georgie, Georgie, take a hold of yourself.
It's 25 past four. You've got only 95 minutes.
Left till six o'clock.
When Julie don't show, Larkin goes looking first for Julie and for you.
I got to get ready for Larkin when he finds me.
It's got to be a good alibi. He won't settle for less.
Think, Georgie, think.
What do you know? Will your friends try to remember me?
Well, you don't even have to have any friends.
I mean, anybody you can pressure will do.
Put down that bottle.
Put it down before you drop it and everybody turns around and looks at you.
Forget the drink and get out of here.
Not the front door, stupid. Larkin's across the street.
When I get your pussy, he knows something's wrong.
The back way. Out the back way.
Hair feels good. I'm hot all over.
I can feel sweat running down my legs. It's like an electric current.
It's juicing through my body. An electric...
Georgie, breathe deep. Take good, deep breaths.
Oh, that's good. That feels better. Now it's gone.
Finland's gone like it was never there.
That's you like, Georgie. That's you, Moxie.
You got brains. You know, like you get an alibi.
You'll have it all set before six, then let Larkin come.
You can laugh at his face. Sure. What time is it? Five minutes more.
Georgie, think. Stop right where you are. Think.
Who? Who? Who?
Aha.
You see, it works.
The second thought and everything comes to you.
Joni. That's who Joni.
She'll be your alibi.
Oh, Georgie, you're such a dope.
Wasting all that time worrying, aggravating yourself.
And all you had to do was come over to the apartment, one, two, three.
You're a piece of mind. She's crazy about you.
Always has been, ever since that day up at Bear Mountain.
Which apartment was hers, EFG? No, J. J. Yeah, J for Joni, huh?
Let her be in. Please let her be in.
I'll never ask nothing again. Just let her be in.
Well, look what the count.
Kiss her, Georgie. Kiss her. Kiss her hard. That's right.
That's it. Now pick her up in your arms, carry her in the living room.
Set her down on your lap. Good, good. You ought to be in the movies.
Oh, Joni.
I don't know how I managed to stay away so long, baby.
I shouldn't talk to you. I really shouldn't.
It's more than two months. You want to know why?
You began to mean too much to me, kid.
She'll stay away from her, I says to myself.
Just don't ever see her. She'll wear off. I was wrong, Joni.
You mean much more to me than ever, though.
I couldn't hold out no longer. That's why I'm here.
Oh, Georgie, baby, don't ever stay away again, no matter what the reason.
Don't ever stay away from me. Shhh. I'm back for good.
Honest? You mean that? Oh, sure. Look at me and the answer.
You get it, huh? Take a good look. Oh, Georgie.
See? Satisfied, huh? Oh, it's just that I'm not going to be there.
Oh, it's been terrible without you.
All the time singing the blues, not feeling like going out or seeing anybody.
Just slopping around the apartment and listening to the radio.
I thought I'd go crazy. Yeah, that's over and done with, honey.
Happy times are back now. You know what?
We're going to celebrate tonight. Yeah.
Put on a fancy smuggle, stepping, dinner a show, dancing after.
How does that sound? Mmm.
I got a new number I've been dying to wear. Good, good, good.
Anybody here today? No. Not so.
I was all alone. Feeling just awful. Until you came.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Joni, look, in case anybody asks you that...
Anybody's... Not that anybody's going to...
I mean, but in case they should, do me a favor, huh?
Will you tell them I was here with you all day?
I'll tell the world you were here with me from the rooftop.
I don't care who knows it. Will you do that, honey?
I love you, Georgie. Oh, baby, I love you, too.
I just love you and I'll love you. Ah, you...
Well, look, Joni, in case anybody wants you to be definite,
will you say I was here since, oh, since half past three
and stick to it no matter what? Half past three?
Oh, Sam. What? Huh? Just a minute.
Wait a sec. What are you trying to get me to do?
Relax, now relax, honey. What are you sitting up for?
No. No, Georgie. What's the matter? What's the matter?
What's the matter? Plenty. Huh? Plenty's the matter.
You dirty, no-good, miserable piece of humanity.
Joni, listen to me. I'm beginning to get it.
I know I'm not the smartest girl ever lived,
but how smart do you have to be to get this picture?
You ought to be... You staying away
because I was getting to be a habit, huh?
Look, please stop, honey. You can't live without me.
Isn't that the way it went? You want me.
You want to spend the afternoon here.
Well, isn't that just too touching for words?
Trying to sucker me to give yourself an alibi.
Now, Joni, stop yelling. Listen to me.
What I said was true. I need you. I'm a thank you.
Sure you do, to give you an alibi. That's why you came here.
Just so I'll say you were here with me since half past three.
You want to use me. What have you been up to, Georgie?
Huh? I mean... What have you done since 3.30
that makes you need me like that? No, don't tell me.
Because it's no good. I don't care what you've done.
I don't care what's done to you either. Huh?
An arrest, jail, the electric chair, I don't care.
You get no alibi from me, Mr. Wiseguy.
Now pick yourself up out of that chair and get out of here.
Don't slugger, Georgie. You got no time for that now.
Lady, but not now. The main thing now is that alibi.
You wasted enough time with her now. You'll have to work fast.
You wasted a whole half hour. And what did you get for it?
Nothing.
Only 65 minutes left. Get that eight-much.
That's a complete show on the newsreel theater.
It's a five-course dinner at the Little Romanian.
You'll have 65 minutes.
You'll find Juliet Sixer a few minutes after, and then...
Close it, Georgie, close it.
Larkin on the prowl. He mustn't see you.
He doesn't let him see you, Larkin.
He'll put two and two together. He'll talk to Joni.
He'll learn you're trying to set an alibi down to the cellar, kid.
Try the backyard.
Wait a minute. No, no. No, no panic. Think.
Fool alibi. Good airtight ironclad.
Cement foundation alibis. Where do you get one? Think hard.
Who's left? Timmy.
Yeah, yeah, Timmy.
Dope. You should have thought I am first.
Timmy, lie in there in the hospital.
Timmy, hurry, Georgie.
Run, hurry!
The
Autolite is bringing you Mr. Mickey Rooney in Alibi Me.
Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
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in Elliot Lewis's production of Alibi Me, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
The lobby of the general hospital is filled with visitors, some laughing, some looking sad.
I walk past the desk in the elevator and up the stairs to the fourth floor.
I'm in luck. I see nobody. Nobody sees me.
And a quick dash from the corridor to Timmy's room and I just...
Georgie. Oh, Georgie, it's good to see you.
Hi, Timmy. You're looking 100% sorry.
I didn't have time to bring candy or flowers. How you doing, kid?
Oh, knock wood, not bad at all. Pull up a chair, Georgie, sit down.
You know something? You look sicker than me.
Eh, how you feeling, Tim?
Oh, not bad. You know how it is with what I got.
The worst part's lying here in the hospital.
I'm a guy who always likes to be in action, you know.
But I'm alive and I'm not kicking.
The doctor say it was a miracle. Yeah, sure.
Well, how are things with you, kid?
Tim, I'm leveling with you, see? I come up by the stairs.
I didn't want no one to see me.
Yeah? In a spot, Georgie?
I need an alibi for this afternoon, see? Since half past three.
You got it, Georgie. I'm in this private room. Nobody comes near it.
The nurses and orderlies don't come unless I give out a yell.
And I can have visitors any time I like, but no one was here all day, not even my wife.
Timmy, I'll... I'll never forget you for this.
Georgie, you got one of the oldest alibis in the world.
What's that? You were sitting up with a sick friend.
Anybody does that, send him to me.
Georgie, you never know who's your friend until you're in a jam, huh?
Yeah, wait, wait. I'll have a nurse come in so she can see you, then you take the elevator down,
ask some dumb questions so he'll remember you.
Do things at all, kid. Do them right.
Yeah, you don't miss a trick, do you, huh? Thanks again, Tim.
I'll ring for a...
Georgie. Georgie. My ticker.
What is it? What is it? You want something? You want a drink of water?
I don't... I don't feel so good.
Timmy. Timmy.
Don't worry. Don't worry about an alibi.
Timmy, don't die now. Timmy, don't answer me, please.
He's dead. My alibi is dead.
Stop moving, Georgie. No point hanging around. You can't do nothing for him.
And he can't do nothing for you. And if you don't find that alibi fast,
you'll be seeing him maybe sooner than you think.
I leave the hospital the way I came in, going through the lobby. I look at the clock.
45 minutes left. It's a quarter after five.
45 minutes left. 45 minus 10 seconds.
20, 30, 40, 50... 44 minutes left.
Hurry, Georgie. Hurry!
I'm... I'm sunk.
It's five or six and I'm sunk.
And in ten minutes, maybe Larkin will be here.
I got nothing. Nothing in the way of an alibi.
I tried and now I'm tired of trying.
What's the use? Washed out. I got no alibi.
So I come home.
I'm walking upstairs, see? And I hear a sound.
My landlady. My landlady. Mrs. Edinger is nailing down linoleum in the hallway.
Mrs. Edinger, yeah. How does that song go?
Castles in Spain, for you to win the payback in your old backyard, sure.
Yeah, Mrs. Edinger. Here, honey, let me do that for you.
Give me that hammer.
Oh, it's you, Georgie. Thanks, but never mind.
You just come in?
Yeah, yeah, but if anyone asks you, especially Larkin,
you tell them I was in all afternoon. Understand?
Larkin? Lieutenant Larkin?
Yeah, yeah, that's him.
Oh, I couldn't do that, Georgie. I won't lie to that cop. Don't count on it.
I do count on it. I do. And you do, too. Don't shake your head.
No, I say you'll do it. You'll tell Larkin. I'm in my room all day.
No, no, Georgie.
Mrs. Edinger, you don't tell Larkin I'm in all day and I'll tell him about Charlotte.
I don't have any idea what you mean.
Fair fact. Not even one. At least, Georgie, I don't want no trouble. I'm honest.
I work hard to keep my kids honest.
You keep your kids honest, huh? So honest that Charlotte lifts a fur jacket right out of the department store.
I made a give-it-back. I marched her into the store myself.
We gave it back to the manager.
Sure, I know, I know, but a crime's a crime where the store prosecutes you.
You couldn't. She's only 15. You wouldn't tell her life would be ruined, Georgie.
No, no, no, Mrs. Edinger, what's to cry?
Am I going to tell on Charlotte? Of course not. I'll keep my mouth shut just like you want.
And you'll open your mouth just like I want and everything will be fine.
If Larkin asks you, I wasn't out of my room all afternoon.
Agree?
You won't tell him about Charlotte?
Not a word. I take a note. Look, I swear.
All right, Georgie. All right. But not a word about Charlotte.
My memory is terrible. As long as yours is good.
And there's my alibi. Safe seal to deliver.
Ha ha ha! The best alibi in the world.
Quarter past six. Won't be long now, but watch yourself when Larkin is here, kiddo.
Just the right attitude, remember. Not too anxious, not too casual. Just right, you know.
Yeah? Who is it?
Open up, Georgie. It's me, Larkin.
Who is it? Oh, well, what a surprise.
And to what do I owe this great pleasure?
Remember I once told you, Georgie, if anything happened to Julie or to you, my first pick-up would be the other one.
Yeah, I remember. So what?
Oh, you mean Julie is... He's been...
He's been made dead.
No, kid. No. What do you know?
And you come over to me with your shoulder to cry on, huh?
You're not surprised?
I'm not the only guy who hated Julie, you know.
Let me know who did it when you find out. I'll contribute a sawbuck to his defense.
Save your money, Georgie. You might need it.
How come?
Remember I told you at the same time you better have a good alibi,
because once I got you down to headquarters, I'd prove you did it.
That word seems to strike a bell.
I'll give, Georgie. Where were you today?
I was nowhere.
Oh, that a fact.
It's a fact. I was right here all afternoon.
Can you prove it?
It ain't easy to prove. You were somewhere alone all day.
Can you prove you were here?
Well, I didn't see anybody except... Oh, yeah.
Yeah, Mrs... Mrs. Edinger, my landlady.
Yeah, all right. Let's hear her version.
Mrs. Edinger! Hey, Mrs. Edinger!
What is it?
Come on up here a minute, will you?
Now?
Yeah, right now.
All right, I'm coming.
Always something.
Come up here, they want me down there.
Yeah.
Down there, they want me up here, Georgie.
All right, all right.
If it's a complaint, I don't want to hear.
Tell me tomorrow. Today I can't take another one.
This is Lieutenant Larkin. He wants to ask you...
Sit down, Mrs. Edinger. You must be tired. I won't keep you long.
Were you in all day?
The whole day.
Was Georgie in all day?
Georgie? Miss Georgie?
How many you got in the place?
Yes, sure, he was in.
You're positive?
I'm positive, I'm positive.
What makes you so positive?
What makes me so positive? I cleaned his room.
That's what makes me so positive.
Yeah, that's what you cleaned it.
And I pressed a suit for him later.
That's what makes me so positive.
And when I was sweeping the hall, his door was open and I saw him.
And when I was downstairs, he yelled down to me a couple of times.
You're prepared to swear to that in a court of law?
Go ahead, Mrs. Edinger, swear by your daughter's head.
I swear. I swear it.
All right, all right. Thank you. You can go.
I worked hard all day, oh, man.
I worked the best I could, I worked the best I could.
Well, that's it then, Georgie.
Meaning?
Meaning your alibi stinks, as far as I'm personally concerned.
But for the record, it lets you off the hook.
Hate that, don't you?
You'd like to hang the big one on me, wouldn't you?
I'll see you around, Georgie. Keep your nose clean.
Yeah, sure thing.
Lennox, Mr. George Lennox.
That's me, kid.
I got a package for you.
Blue arrow delivery service sign here.
Yeah, good. Who's it from?
Mr. Moore, Mr. Julie Moore.
Open it, Georgie. I want to see.
Yeah, open it up and see.
It's Molly, Pop.
I've never seen such a big one.
That's your opinion. Beat it. Will you get out of here?
Look, kid, go on, beat it. What are you waiting for?
What do you think he's waiting for, Georgie? Stake the kid.
You stake him. What am I to meant? You stake him. Go ahead.
Okay, cheapskate, okay. Keep your lousy tip.
Fine thing I'm here twice this morning
and three times this afternoon and you're not in.
Five times up and down them stairs and not even a nickel tip.
Shut up, shut up. Shut up.
Hey, thanks, man. Shut up.
Oh, fuck, thanks.
No mention of it, kid. You deserve it. You earned it.
Shut up. Thanks.
Oh, I almost forgot. There's a message that goes with it.
To the biggest sucker in town.
That's all there is to the message.
It's enough. Get your hat and coat, Georgie.
Suspense presented by Auto Light. Tonight's star, Mickey Rooney.
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Music
Next week on Suspense, Miss Ginger Rogers as star of Vamp Till Dead.
And in weeks to come, you will hear such famous stars
as Eve Arden, Itzio Pinza, and Paul Douglas.
All appearing in tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense.
Suspense
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis
with music composed by Lucian Morrowek
and conducted by Lud Bluskin,
Alibi Me was written by Thur Jeffery
and adapted for Suspense by Walter Newman.
Mickey Rooney is appearing by arrangement with MGM,
producers of the Technicolor production Pagan Love Song,
starring Esther Williams, Howard Keele, and Mina Gomble.
Music
And remember next week on Suspense, Miss Ginger Rogers in Vamp Till Dead.
Music
Music
Ring
You can buy world famous Auto Light Resistor Type
or Standard Type Spark plugs, Auto Light Safeful Batteries,
Auto Light Electrical Parts at your neighborhood Auto Light dealers.
Switch to Auto Light. Good night.
This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
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