Autolight and its 96,000 dealers present...
...Stars Spence!
Tonight, Autolight brings you the story of an accidental death and an attempted escape.
Death on my hands, starring Phil Harris and Alice Faye.
Hi, Harlow.
Well, flood my carburetor if it isn't Oscar the Orating Auto. What's up?
My hood, Harlow. It's been nearly 5,000 miles since my last spark plug check.
And you're set for a session with your Autolight spark plug dealer, eh, Oscar?
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...and whether they're right for your style of driving.
I'm not up to par, Harlow. I've lost my usual pep on the hills and I'm using too much gasoline.
Well, if the plug check indicator shows your spark plugs need cleaning or adjustments...
...your Autolight spark plug dealer has all the equipment to do the job right.
And if my plugs are worn out, Harlow?
Then he'll replace the worn out spark plugs with ignition-engineered Autolight...
...resistor-type or standard-type spark plugs to give you smoother performance, quick starts and gas savings.
So, friends, have your spark plugs checked regularly.
And when you do, see your neighborhood Autolight spark plug dealer.
And remember, you're always right with Autolight.
And now with death on my hands and the performances of Alice Faye and Phil Harris...
...Autolight hopes once again to keep you in suspense.
I won't mention the name of the town. It won't help any.
I don't think I'll even tell you what part of the country it's in.
It's just a place in a long valley with hundred-year-old elms and hills you can't stop looking at.
And the people? Well, maybe they're not much different than anybody else.
Twenty-five hundred of them.
The kids went to schools with big lawns and long walks.
And the men walked up Oak Street from the mills right after the five o'clock whistle.
Some stopped for a beer at Mike's or the Green Rooster or Eddie's Tavern.
And some went right on home.
Sounds wonderfully ordinary, doesn't it?
That's what I thought. Until they tried to hang me.
Dixie! Dixie!
Oh, Dixie!
I can't believe it.
It's me, all right. I saw you from across the street.
What in the world are you doing in this little town, Julia?
Oh, just getting a little rest.
Don't give me that. Your idea of rest was always to sit in an air-conditioned cocktail lounge.
Gee, you look good.
Well, what about you? I wish you'd have stayed with the band, Julia.
I just felt like drifting, Dixie.
Where did you drift?
All over. Ended up with a carnival.
A carnival?
I saw the posters about you and the band playing for the high school dance tonight.
I couldn't believe it.
Well, you don't get young doing one-nighters, but you see a lot of country and some swell people.
You, for example.
How are all the boys?
Well, I'm the only one of the original bunch left.
No.
Yeah. Sugar Thompson went with Kenton.
Bill Candoli joined the circus in Cleveland, married a snake charmer.
Oh, no.
Yeah. And then Squeak Hanley lost himself up with the law in Virginia.
You know how it goes. I got all new sidemen now, just kids.
Yeah. Things change, don't they?
Yeah, they do.
Hey, look, Julia, why don't you drop in at the dance?
They'd think I was an old science teacher.
Nah, you'll knock them dead.
No. No, look, Dixie, I want to talk to you.
I'm at the embassy, across from the railroad station, the only hotel in town.
I'll see you after the dance, outside.
And we'll have a sandwich and a drink and a talk, huh?
Okay. That's the way you want it.
Look, it's the high school auditorium, you know.
Uh-huh.
Well, I'll see you.
Dixie.
Yeah.
Who's singing in my place now?
Me.
We walked opposite directions and caught each other looking back a couple of times.
She looked good.
But then she always had.
There had never been anything wrong with how Julia looked.
That night at the high school dance, I played like I hadn't played for weeks.
Man, that band caught fire.
You should have seen the faces of those kids dancing by the bandstand.
They looked at me as if I invented music.
And me, a third-rate clarinet player.
Trouble was as far from my mind as Carnegie Hall is from Bop City.
It was backstage after the dance that the bubble blew up in my face.
Here's the lute, boss.
Look at it. Big, coarse notes.
Yeah, what does it come to, Teddy?
Well, a cashier says 1,200 rounds of simoleons.
But I'd count it myself.
That's not bad for this town.
Listen, it's a lot better than standing on Vine Street waiting for a recording date.
I'll take this kind of lute any day in a week.
Yeah, I'd better put this in my bag.
Man, that bag must be loaded by now.
I got two weeks' take in there.
But I'll drop it in the bank when we get to Kansas City.
Are you still carrying that gun for protection?
Yeah, Ted, right here.
I wouldn't know how to use it, though.
Loaded?
Every chamber. See?
Those things give me the creeps.
Hey, what else you got in that bag?
Just some publicity pictures of me.
I'm gonna get some new ones, though.
Get them while you're young.
When they start camouflaging those age lines in your face,
the cost goes up by leaps and bounds.
Yeah, I know, I know.
Teddy, tell the boys I'll be at the next stop tomorrow.
Oh? Who'd you tie up with?
Julia.
She here? Well, I'll be darned.
Small world, huh? What's she doing now?
I'll tell you tomorrow.
We got about six years talking to do in eight hours.
Now get on out of here, huh?
Yeah, right, boss.
Duh, duh, dah, ding, ding, dah.
Bah, bah, dah, ding, ding.
Come in, come in!
I'll be with you in a minute, Julie. I just want...
My name isn't Julia. It's Emily.
Oh.
Oh, Emily. Hello.
What can I do for you?
Well, they all dared me to come in
We liked your music. Well, bless you
So you liked it, huh? Never had such a good band at our dance before it was like having Benny Goodman
Well, now aren't you sweet? I'll tell Benny when I say him. Do you have a picture I could have?
Well, I don't have any real good ones
But hey, I'll tell you what you give me your name and address and I'll send you one autographed with love to Emily
My prettiest fan I can see some in that suitcase. No, those aren't any good. They're kind of old
I mean, I just gotta get one. They dared me. All right, but don't pull that suitcase kid. Look out
Yeah, yeah, what did you do?
She fell to the floor and her head suddenly spurted red
For a moment. I was so shocked that I didn't know what to do
Then I bent over and I picked her up and I ran to find the nearest doctor
I ran almost four blocks with people staring at me like I was crazy. I couldn't even feel myself
I was just a thought get to a doctor get to a doctor
And I finally did she died instantly. No doctor in the world could help her
Then on it was a nightmare
There's only four policemen in town and they were all handling highway traffic 30 miles away because of a big mill fire
I told the doctor and the people who crowd around me that I'd stay in town and face a police inquest the next morning
There was some grumbles some nasty words
Nobody stopped me from checking in at the Embassy Hotel
But I was there only an hour when I realized I wasn't gonna get off that easily
Group of men formed outside the hotel and stood looking up at my window
And all of a sudden I realized
They wanted to lynch me
Listen now listen down there. I know you're there. You don't need no rocks through no windows. You don't need any lousy notes
I know why you're there
You're never gonna use a rope on me never do you understand never
Oh
What do you want who you're doing all the shouting yet
Then
Those people down there if you can call them people they threw a note through the window on a rock
They want me for killing that girl. Maybe I can help you. What can you do?
Don't kick a friendship in the face Dixie. You never know when it'll come in handy. Yeah, tell me all about
Look at him down there watching the window like hound dogs with a treed possum Dixie
Why don't you think of something to do instead of just burning off steam? Thank
The past hour I've thought more than that Greek philosopher did in a lifetime
But it all boils down to me ending up with a tag on my toe. Oh, I wish I could help
Look, what are you hanging around me for?
They might try to do something to you if they find out you've been nice to me. I'll take my chances
I got nothing else to do. Oh
Thanks
Don't waste your time. I don't think it's gonna pay off
You know what? They make me feel like a criminal
They found my car. They did. Yeah, somebody told the manager. What's his name? Abdo?
No
Cars three miles north of here in an empty riverbed
Burned to a crisp
The only thing in the world I know Dixie don't let it get you but how much do they want?
Julie an accident is an accident. That means it wasn't done on purpose
she grabbed the bag and the gun went off and
She would she would just a little kid Dixie Dixie stop it
You're not doing yourself any good this way. It could happen to anyone
To me or the people next door or or even a one of them down there
Come on, sweetheart and sit down here with me. Wait a minute
What is it Dixie?
More of them and they got guns now not just clubs and ropes guns get away from that window. Maybe I don't want to
Maybe I could get them to shoot me from here and then it well it'd be over with like that
Get back from that window. Come on
Let go of me
They wouldn't shoot they want their fun later. Do what I say
You gotta think Dixie. You gotta think of some way to get out of here
Sorry that girl get killed
Sorry as an honest man can be but
Well, there's no point in dying to prove it. I thank God understands Dixie
Just another rock. No, it isn't look what the
Oh, never mind Dixie. It's what you said. Wait a minute now. It's something else. What is it? Don't hide it from me
Give it to me. Oh
Oh
Shoe one of her shoes
What are they gonna throw up next her body Dixie, let me take it
Let them keep it
You dirty dirty
Dixie Dixie
Dixie Dixie there was only something we could do there isn't
When people get like that, they're they're just as well. I'm not gonna let this happen. I'm not gonna do you listen
They're breaking the door down
They're coming in we've got to get out of here somehow get out
There's no way to get out now now go back to your room. Julie. I won't I said go on
Too light Dixie. They're coming down the hall. Oh
Light is bringing you Phil Harris and Alice Faye in death on my hands
tonight's production in radios outstanding theater of thrills
suspense
Yippee
Why the loud levity my loquacious limousine?
I just visited my neighborhood auto light spark plug dealer Harlow
Did he check your spark plugs with the nimble nemesis of nefarious spark plugs the auto light plug check indicator?
Yes, sir Harlow and it showed that my plugs were not functioning properly
So he replaced those worn out spark plugs with the matchless magic
Manifested by the multiple magnificence of ignition engineered auto light spark plugs a Oscar right now
I'm giving smoother performance quick starts and gas savings
Well, it pays to see your neighborhood auto light spark plug dealer
He carries ignition engineered auto light spark plugs the world famous spark plugs
That are designed by the same engineers who design complete ignition system for many leading makes of our finest car
And I'm off for a spring fling so long
So friends see your neighborhood auto light spark plug dealer soon and have him replace worn out spark plugs with ignition engineered
Auto light resistor type or standard type spark plugs. Remember, you're always right with auto light
And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage
Alice Faye and Phil Harris in Elliott Lewis's production of death on my hands a
Tale well calculated to keep you in
Suspense
Quiet, Junior, don't make any noise
It only sounds like one person
One person can carry a gun
Couldn't be them Dixie, they wouldn't knock
Who is it?
Abdo, the hotel owner, let me in
All right
What's on your mind?
They broke in the door downstairs
I stopped them in the lobby
They had ropes and guns
Thank you Abdo
Don't thank me
I told them that they couldn't come in after you
But that you would go out
You don't mean that
Within 15 minutes
Abdo, let me stay a little longer in the name of humanity till I can dope this out
I got enough money
I don't worry about money
Well, what have you got to lose?
Listen, I give you a break
They could have come in here and got you and torn you up in little pieces
But I said no
One little word
Now long after you are gone, I have to live in this town
You've got your troubles, I've got mine
That's the way things work
What's the matter with this town?
Why does it act the way it does?
After what you did, you expect them to treat you with broadly love?
You've got to be born here before they think you're human?
There's a lot of world outside this flea-bitten town and most of it's better
They should be happy that someone brings a little of it in with them once in a while
What you brought in was tragedy
But it was an accident, a statistic
The kind of thing insurance companies make a fortune predicting
Don't blame me, blame that big wheel of chance
Jixie
I just didn't get the right number on this spin, that's all
Well, you've got now 30 minutes to think of another one
What can I do for you, Jixie?
Tell me something
Just let me alone
Well, I'm going to do something anyway
Did you turn on the radio?
I turned on the radio
Turn it off
I'm not going to
Turn it off
I'm not going to
What do you want music for?
Because I want to dance
Are you crazy?
Ah, come on, Jixie, dance with me
Come on, it used to take your mind off things
Oh, I know, but I...
Ah, come on, come on, that's it
Oh, pull me closer, Jixie
Oh, I wish this hadn't happened
So I could enjoy you, Julia
Let's just pretend this is the future
And we're dancing somewhere in love and...
How can I think like that when all I can see are those guys down there loading buckshot and guns just to...
Jixie, Jixie, just dance
But I can still think
Oh, honey, this is wonderful
You know, I've played for a lot of dances
I never realized until now what it does to you inside
What does it do to you, Jixie?
Makes me wish I'd have gone to high school
I never got there
That was Early Autumn done by the Woody Herman Aggregate
The band that plays the blues
Not that you're blue right now
And this is Charlie Schaefer, your early evening platter party host on KNOK
And I want to remind you that if you have any request whatsoever
Just dial KNOK
The switchboards are waiting
Now, how about a little bit of Glenn Miller, In the Mood?
How do you like that?
I can request any tune in the world
But I can't save my life
What a great place to live
Let's dance some more
Yeah, yeah, what should I request?
Don't break the news to Mother or maybe I'm in the mood for life, huh?
Oh, Jixie, don't talk like that
Jixie?
Give me the railroad station
Um, freight division
Jixie, what are you doing?
Stop talking
Hello? Hello?
Um, what time does the next freight train leave?
Yeah, I have some valuable freight I want to put on board
Oh, an hour, huh?
Are you sure the time? Exactly one hour?
Well, I guess there wouldn't be time tonight
Thanks anyway
Jixie, you just couldn't get to that train
It's my only chance, but I need an hour
An hour of safety to get to it
I'll be right back, Jixie
Where are you going?
To find a policeman or to talk to those men or to do something
The police are all over in another town
They couldn't get here in time
You just wait here, I'll be right back
Emily, if anybody caught me on my knees like this talking to you
I suppose they'd think I was crazy
But I'm not
Emily, you know it was an accident
Pure and simple
It wasn't my fault
Only the police
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 wasn't my fault
Only nobody really believes it
They're waiting for me outside
Your people
And they want me in exchange for you
Only it isn't an exchange
It's just blood revenge
An eye for an eye
And it doesn't make sense
I know that saying all this will never do you any good
But Emily, I just wanted you to hear how sorry I am
How deeply and tragically sorry I am
Emily, have a good long rest
Maybe someday I'll meet you in person again
And we'll talk about it
And that someday might be the day
Hey, what are you doing down in the lobby, young lady?
Where are you going?
Mr. Abdo, we've just got to do something
Get some police or get rid of those men out there
I have long ago sent somebody for the police
But I don't expect them to get here
Why don't you let him stay here longer?
Because I can only hold these men a while
After that they come in
I don't want to see it
Why do these men want him?
I don't want to talk anymore
Well, I'm going to find out
Where are you going, lady?
I want to ask you why you want Dixie
That ought to be plain
He didn't kill that girl
It wasn't his fault
You must have a better reason
Whose little girl was it?
Yours? Or yours? Whose?
Is that why you want him?
Because it was one of your children?
Lady, you'd better go on about your business
And leave ours to us
We've got our own reasons for getting that skunk
What did you find out, Julia? What happened?
Abdo's been trying to get the police
They won't come, don't worry
How many of their neighbors do you think they'll shoot down to save me?
I don't know, Dixie, I don't know
Look, I've got five minutes, that's all
Five minutes to walk out of here
And I need it now
I'm sure the ringleader of that gang would
I talked with him
I'm sure he's the father
Oh, let's see
I give up
But you can't, Dixie, you can't
What do you expect me to do? Perform a miracle?
It's Abdo
Let me in
Are you ready to go, son?
No, I'm not ready to go
I've still got five minutes
You must have made a mistake with the time
Your time is up
It is like... Look at this watch
Look at it, still better than four minutes
I'm sorry, but now is the time
Before they come in the hotel after you
I don't get it
I don't get this whole setup
Why did you bother to stop them once
If you send me out to them now?
I did what I felt I must do
For me, that was enough
Well, I'm not going
Do you understand? I'm not going
They'll have to work to get me
Haven't you done enough to me already?
To you?
The little girl you... who was killed
Was my little girl
Mr. Abdo, I'm...
I'm really sorry
I'll go
You won't have any more trouble
From me
I'm going with you, Dixie
Yeah
I'll turn off the lights in the lobby
At my house
Shall we take the elevator?
No, I need the stairs
I want to make it last as long as I can
Dixie
You must see I want to cry
Why?
Because it wouldn't help
I'm having trouble enough seeing now
I'll go out with you and fight
Let me, Dixie
You're going to stay right here in this lobby
You said you'd do anything for me
And that's what I want you to do
How are you going to do it?
I'm going out
Turn right alongside the building
And then I'm going to run
Run, you hear me?
Then maybe somewhere, somehow, I can find help
Dixie, I love you
Good
Take it easy
Hold it and stay right where you are
Why should I?
Shut up! Now if you know what's good for you
Walk over to that car and make it fast
Take that gun out of my face
Do what I tell you and stop talking
There he is!
Hey, what do you think you're trying to do?
I said stay where you are
I'll put a bullet to the face of the first man who moves
Are you going to let a guy get away with a crime like that?
Baby killing?
Whatever it is, come on, guys
The next one will go through somebody's head
I want you to notice this badge on my coat
You people pay me to protect you and everybody
Against lawlessness in this town
And I'm going to earn my money
Whether you want me to or not
Some more police will be here in two minutes
And anybody standing around will be arrested
Now go on home
Break this up! All the fun is over
Can you drive?
Thank you, officer
I said can you drive?
Well, I could, yes, but I don't know now
My knees...
Well, try. I've got to be ready for anything
Where do I go?
The jail. That's all right, mister
I'll be there in a minute
Hello
Hello, Julia
Would you care to go and get that sandwich
We talked about a thousand years ago
Oh, I'd love to, Dixie
What did they say?
The coroner acquitted me ten minutes ago
Accidental homicide
Oh, that's wonderful
Well, what are you going to do now, Dixie?
Oh, just catch up with the band
And drift, I guess
Dixie, I don't suppose I could...
Go back with the band?
Well, just singing, that's all
You could do a bigger job than that if you want to
You mean it?
Sure. Look, here's your wedding ring
You know, I never threw it away
And as this is Harlow Wilcox again to remind you that Autolite is the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment
Autolite makes over 400 products for cars, trucks, tractors, planes, and boats in 28 plants from coast to coast
These products include world-famous ignition-engineered Autolite spark plugs
which are carried by your neighborhood Autolite spark plug dealer
You'll see him soon and have worn-out spark plugs replaced with ignition-engineered Autolite resistor-type or standard-type spark plugs
for smoother performance, quick starts, and gas savings
And remember, you're always right with Autolite
Next week on Suspense, our star will be Mr. Charles Boyer in Another Man's Poison
And in weeks to come, you will hear such famous stars as Jeff Chandler and Dick Powell on...
Suspense
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music composed by Lucian Morawak and conducted by Lud Bluskin
Death on My Hands was written for Suspense by John Michael Hayes and E. Jack Newman
Included in tonight's cast were Joseph Kearns, Herb Butterfield, Barbara Whiting, Byron Cain, Franklin Parker, and Gil Stratton, Jr.
Alice Fay and Phil Harris may be heard on their own radio program every Sunday over another network
And remember, next week on Suspense, Mr. Charles Boyer in a tale we call Another Man's Poison
You can buy world-famous Autolite resistor or standard-type spark plugs, Autolite staple batteries, Autolite electrical parts at your neighborhood Autolite dealers
Switch to Autolite. Good night
We want to thank the National Safety Council for choosing Autolite for the Council's Public Interest Award of 1950
This award is presented in recognition of exceptional service to safety
Autolite is proud to have been chosen as one of the leaders in this important field and pledges continued efforts toward accident prevention on the highway
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