AutoLite and its 96,000 dealers bring you Mr. Cornell Wilde in a story taken from life.
Tonight's presentation of Suspense.
Tonight, AutoLite presents The Flame, the terrifying study of a pyromaniac starring Mr. Cornell Wilde.
Hi Harlow.
Well, strip my clutch, it's Oscar the Orating Auto. Where are you going, Oscar?
To see my AutoLite spark plug dealer, Harlow. Winter's coming fast and I want to be ready for it.
Then not a bit too soon for a change of oil and grease, antifreeze.
And check those spark plugs too.
You said it, Johnny Plug Check, the spark plugs are the heart of your car's ignition system.
If they're right, your chances of starting are better than ever, even in coldest weather.
If they're not right, Harlow.
Well then, my curious car, your AutoLite spark plug dealer will recommend ignition engineered AutoLite spark plugs.
To give you smoother performance, quick starts and gas savings.
Well, I'm off to visit my AutoLite spark plug dealer, Harlow.
Right, and friends, you should too. You can quickly find his name by calling Western Union by number and asking for operator 25.
She'll tell you the name of your nearest AutoLite spark plug dealer who's ready to winterize your car.
And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with AutoLite.
And now with the flame and the performance of Mr. Cornell Wild, AutoLite hopes once again to keep you in suspense.
Hey, that's a big one, what a monster!
Still a lot of people left in the building.
It started on the ground floor, huh?
I guess so, I don't know, I just got here. You know, mister?
The first floor.
What a mess. When the hell did that start?
Some joker in bed with a lit-cider cigarette, I probably fell asleep.
No, that wasn't the way it started.
Oh, was it? Hey, you mean...
To take more than a little cigarette to start a fire like that, but a whole apartment building's just about gone.
Maybe the guy who owns the building started it. You know, for the insurance and all.
He didn't have anything to do with it.
Hey, look at it burn with it.
Makes kind of a pretty pattern against this guy though, doesn't it?
Pretty pattern? Hey, are you kidding?
Hey, what are you doing?
What?
I said, what are you doing with that paper?
Oh, I'm drawing. I'm drawing a picture of the fire.
The big heavy man in the turtleneck sweater got flushed in the face.
Red, just like the fire across the street.
It was burning big now, and it went climbing high.
Way up so high it was going to touch off the sky too.
And just when it reached its peak, they put it out.
Then there were big, black, ugly clouds of smoke.
But I had the picture I'd drawn of the fire, just a pencil sketch.
I'd colored it when I got home, just the way I remembered it, with reds, oranges, and pinks.
So I go home. But when I get there, my sister Mary Lee is still up. She's in her robe.
She should be in bed. She has to get up and go to work early in the morning.
Why is she up at this hour?
Andy?
Yes, Mary Lee?
Where have you been all night?
I had supper ready. You promised me you'd be home. What happened?
Andy, just don't stand there. I asked you what happened.
Nothing happened. I just went for a walk, a walk.
What are you so upset about?
Nothing, nothing. Just leave me alone, Mary Lee. Do you have to nag at me all the time?
I'm not nagging you, Andy. I'm just worried. And I get nervous when I worry, that's all.
Forget it. I'm home and I'm all right, so don't worry yourself anymore, okay?
Okay, Andy. Wait a minute. I wanted to ask you for a big favor.
Well, can't you ask me tomorrow morning, Mary Lee? I'm awful tired.
You know Mr. Boyajian, the dry goods store man, Andy?
Well, sure I know. I'm one of my favorite people. What about him?
This morning they took his wife to the hospital.
Oh, to the hospital. What for?
She's sick, very sick, Andy.
Tonight on the way home from work Mr. Boyajian stopped me and asked me if I'd talk to you about helping him.
Help him out? Sure, I will, but how?
Well, he may have to spend some time at the hospital with her.
He doesn't have anybody he can leave in the shop to take care of it. He thought maybe you'd help him out, Andy.
Well, that'd be all right with me, Mary Lee, but I don't know anything about the dry goods business.
It isn't hard, Andy. I told him I thought you wouldn't mind at all.
Besides, it'll give you a little something to do to keep you busy. You won't have to...
Go ahead, say it. You won't have to roam the streets like a bum. Just like Pa used to yell at me.
All right, I like Mr. Boyajian, Mary Lee. I'll watch his store for him.
Mr. Boyajian was a man who looked like Santa Claus.
He had small eyes and big red cheeks. He laughed all the time.
And when he laughed his small eyes got big and they twinkled just like the stars.
Or the flash of a flame when you strike a match and it suddenly flares up with colors and warmth.
And you get a funny sensation in your stomach.
That was Mr. Boyajian, the man who owned the dry goods store on Union Street.
The following morning, Mr. Boyajian wasn't laughing and there was no twinkle in his eyes.
He looked sad sitting behind the counter.
Mr. Boyajian?
Oh, Andy, it's you.
Hello.
Excuse me, Andy. My mind, it's not on what's happening. It's on this music. I'm far away when I listen.
Music?
Yes. It's the kind of music that the Mrs. and I used to dance to when we were like your age.
It's a folk dance, Andy, from the old country.
It's pretty. I like it. Mr. Boyajian, about your wife, I'm sorry she's sick.
You're sorry? Everybody's sorry, Andy. The whole neighborhood, everybody tells me how sorry they are.
But me, I'm sorry most of all.
Is it very serious?
Yes, very.
Well, don't worry. They'll take good care of her at the hospital, I know.
I'm sure they will.
She'll have the best there is to offer.
Well, she would if I could afford it.
Afford it?
Yes. You see, this sickness needs a special kind of doctor. This special doctor costs extra money.
Oh.
And it's the kind of money that I, as proprietor of this small dry goods store, do not have.
I wish there was something I could do.
You're a good boy with a good heart, Andy. I wish I could have had a son like you.
Oh, thank you, Mr. Boyajian. Gee, thanks.
I don't make the money I used to make. I can't work as hard.
Sometimes I think I would be better off if this place should burn down and I should get the insurance money.
Insurance money?
Yeah, from the fire insurance company.
I never thought of that.
You never thought of what, Andy?
What I meant was that I never thought of things like fire insurance.
Of course. To do a thing like this, to even wish it, is against the law. Fire insurance is for the protection.
Of course.
Well, Andy, if you have come to stay, I will go to the hospital.
Go right ahead, Mr. Boyajian. I'll take care of everything. You just leave everything to me.
Mr. Boyajian looked so sad and tired as he walked out the door.
Why did there have to be terrible things like this in the world?
Why couldn't everything be beautiful and good? Beautiful and good like a nice, big fire.
Clean, warm, burning all the evil and hurt. It was so simple.
I had to laugh. I decided I'd use the plumber's candle and the celluloid.
That way all of the evidence would be destroyed and there'd be no way of investigating the claim.
I started to get excited about it. I bought what I needed and went home.
I got out Mary Lee's cake tin, went in my room and started to experiment.
Andy, I wonder if you'd run down to...
What are you doing?
What?
What are you doing? Trying to start a fire?
Nothing, Mary Lee. Nothing at all. Just a little gag.
Gag? With my best cake tin.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Gag for what?
Well, needles and I, we had...
Andy, you've been down to that pool room again, haven't you?
So?
Andy, what's the matter with you? Why aren't you like other men?
What do you mean?
I mean other fellows your age. They're out getting jobs, doing things.
All you do is hang out at that pool room down by the sound.
Take walks at night. Draw pictures.
What's wrong with my drawing pictures? Does it offend you?
I don't know. I'm so disgusted I don't know anything.
You're so right. You don't know anything. You're just like Pa.
You look like him and you act like him. You don't know anything. You're just like Pa.
Shut up!
Get out of my room. Get out before I kill you.
I took a long walk. I thought about leaving Mary Lee, going away, but I remember that I had no place to go.
I found myself down by the shipping piers.
I noticed a small barge loaded with crates of some kind, wooden crates.
It looked beautiful. The red flames licking against blue sky and blue waters.
I felt better now. I started for home.
I began to make plans for Mr. Boyajan's store. I had the equipment, but I needed his key.
I had to get his key without him suspecting a thing.
It wouldn't be good for Mr. Boyajan to know what I was going to do. He might try to stop me.
I was sure he didn't like fires as much as I did.
The next afternoon in the store, just before I was ready to leave, I asked him about the key.
Key, Andy?
Yes, Mr. Boyajan.
But a key, what for, Andy?
Well, I thought that maybe tomorrow morning you'd like to go over to the hospital earlier. I could open up the store for you.
Oh, Andy, already you have done so much for me. It's nice.
No trouble at all. Believe me, Mr. Boyajan, no trouble at all. I'd be happy to do it.
You know, to tell the truth, I would like to get over a little earlier.
I certainly would. Well, Andy, like I said before, you are such a good boy. There never was such a good boy with a big heart.
Oh, well, you're the only person who's ever said that to me, Mr. Boyajan.
Ha ha ha, this I know is a joke you tell on me.
Oh, here, I will give you Mrs. Boyajan's key. Now, how is that?
Oh, fine, and don't you worry about a thing. I'll sell out tomorrow. I'll make you lots of money.
I joked with Mary Lee at dinner that night. It surprised her, but it put her in a good mood.
The nice part about the plumber's candle was that I could measure it to burn at any time.
An hour would be plenty of time. About nine thirty, I told Mary Lee I was going down to the corner drugstore for a few minutes.
And down on Union, I waited until the block was almost deserted. Then I let myself into the dry goods store.
Mr. Boyajan had a crate of little girls' dresses he just received. It would be perfect tinder.
I lined the strips of celluloid up and set the plumber's candle on top of the crate.
Then I struck a match and lit the candle. I watched the flame burn for just a moment.
Then I went back up to the apartment and waited.
Mary Lee was darning some socks. I sat for almost an hour coloring my pictures, getting nervous.
And when it was time, I asked Mary Lee to go get some ice cream with me.
When we got down to the street, Mary Lee, look, it's a fire.
What?
Come on.
What? Andy, I hate fires. I hope it's a false alarm.
No, it's not false. Look, there's smoke, plenty of smoke.
Hey, there it is, Mary Lee. There it is right over there.
Andy, Andy, it's Mr. Boyajan's dry goods store.
Well, for heaven's sake, what do you know, Mr. Boyajan's dry goods store?
Oh, isn't that terrible. Poor Mr. Boyajan, he hasn't got enough trouble as it is.
Don't feel sorry for him, Mary Lee. He's got insurance.
I know, but how'd you know?
Oh, we got to talking the other day. He told me about it.
Hey, Andy, what'd he say? Hot one, huh?
Oh, hello, needles. Yeah, real hot.
Andy, who's that they're carrying out?
The old man.
Mr. Boyajan?
Yeah, somebody said he was passing by on his way home.
He saw out a fire and rushed inside to try to put it out.
Crazy thing to do.
Is he home now?
Look, look at those flames, look up at the sky, would you?
Just like a torch, just like a torch. It's beautiful.
Autolight is bringing you Mr. Cornell Wild in The Flame, tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Say, Harlow, I'm really set for cold weather now.
Ah, winterized by your Autolight spark plug dealer, eh, Oscar?
Yep, he changed my oil, grease, and put in antifreeze.
And checked those spark plugs, too.
And that's important, Johnny Plug Check. When spark plugs are right, your chances of starting are better than ever in cold weather.
And mine are really right, Harlow. My Autolight spark plug dealer replaced my worn out spark plugs with world famous Autolight spark plugs.
For smoother performance, quick starts, and gas savings.
Autolight spark plugs are ignition engineered and used as original factory equipment on many leading makes of our finest cars.
So friends, get your car winterized now.
And check those spark plugs, too.
Right, Johnny. And your neighborhood Autolight spark plug dealer is the only one with the exclusive Autolight plug check indicator to tell you instantly if your spark plugs are right for your type of driving.
And he's the only one who can offer you a choice of standard or resistor type ignition engineered Autolight spark plugs.
Remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolight.
And now, Autolight brings back to our Hollywood sound stage, Mr. Cornell Wilde in Elliot Lewis's production of The Flame.
A dramatic report well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Most everybody in our neighborhood felt sorry about poor Mr. Boyajan.
I wish he hadn't tried to put out the fire.
I didn't go to the hospital with Mary Lee to see his wife, but I did go to Mr. Boyajan's funeral a couple of days later.
He didn't look worried anymore. Instead, he looked very peaceful lying in his casket.
I must admit, I did feel some remorse, but the thing that bothered me most of all was the fact I hadn't been able to draw a picture of the fire.
It was the following Friday night that I dropped into the pool room down near the sound.
Needles was all alone.
Hi, hi, hi, Chef.
Hi, Needles.
I want to play some pool.
Okay.
Where you been? I've seen you around since the funeral.
Here and there.
You shoot first, Andy.
Okay.
Hey, you know, that was tough about old man Boyajan, huh?
Too bad. He shouldn't have tried to put it out.
You know, at first I thought the old guy started it himself. You know, to collect the fire insurance dough.
But I guess he didn't.
Mrs. Boyajan will get the money, though, won't she?
Oh, you never could tell. There were some fire insurance coppers around a couple days ago asking questions.
They'll investigate before they pay off. I ate your shot.
Huh? Huh. Oh, yeah.
Yeah, they talked to a lot of people in the neighborhood. Did they talk to you, Andy? You were working for them, weren't you?
Helping him out so he could go to the hospital.
They'll probably find out if it was a cooked up thing or not.
What do you mean, cooked up thing?
Well, you still can't toss out the idea that maybe Boyajan himself started the fire.
He didn't.
How do you know? He got burned, didn't he? Maybe he got caught or trapped, couldn't get out.
Hey, your shot, Andy.
That's ridiculous. He couldn't have started it.
How do you know?
He couldn't have. He just couldn't have.
Why?
Because he...
Yeah, Andy? Because?
He was just doing something. Shoot, Needles.
Because you started it? Is that maybe why?
I said shoot, Needles.
What did you want to do, Andy? Help the old guy out?
I said shoot.
Well, that was right decent of you, Andy. And a mighty fine job, too.
How much were you in for?
I wasn't in for anything.
Shoot. Sure, just for kicks, huh?
Listen, Needles, don't get me mad.
Cue. I was only kidding. You start fires just for kicks, Andy.
That's a laugh. Sure, Andy. Don't get sore. I was only kidding.
Needles was the type of guy that got into all kinds of trouble.
I wish he didn't get on my nerves so much.
When I got home later and opened the door to the apartment, I suddenly got a funny feeling.
I didn't know what it was, but I was sure it had something to do with the man who was sitting in the living room with my sister.
And when she introduced him as Inspector Shapiro or the fire insurance company, I knew why I had the strange feeling in my stomach.
He's investigating about the fire in Mr. Boyjean's store, Andy.
Oh, Mr. Boyjean was one of my very best friends. I was very sorry about...
I understand. I went to the funeral.
Before we can pay Mrs. Boyjean the money she has coming, I have to make sure the fire wasn't started purposely.
Pur-posely? He means somebody did it just to collect the money.
Oh. So far we haven't been able to learn how it was started.
I see. Andy, the night of the fire, where were you?
I can answer that, Inspector. He was right here in this room with me.
I see.
I remember. I was darning some socks and Andy was drawing.
Oh, and Mary Lee, he doesn't want to hear about that.
He loves to draw.
You want to be an artist?
No, I just like to draw.
I see. You worked for Mr. Boyjean while his wife was in the hospital. At least that's what your sister told me.
I did it to help him out, Inspector Shapiro. I didn't do it for the money.
Did anyone come in while you were there? Someone who may have talked to him?
Inspector Shapiro, you're trying to prove that Mr. Boyjean started that fire himself. You're wrong.
He wasn't that kind of man. I know he didn't start the fire.
I guess you're a blind alley for us too. I'd hoped you'd be able to shed some light on the case.
I'm sorry, but believe me, Inspector, when I tell you Mr. Boyjean didn't start that fire, for one thing, would a man burn himself up in a fire?
He starts, that'd be a crazy thing to do, wouldn't it?
Yes, Andy. Definitely a crazy thing to do.
Inspector Shapiro was not a stupid man. I could see that. I was going to have to be a little more careful for a little while anyway, until the investigation was over.
I hoped that nothing would go wrong, that Mrs. Boyjean would get the money.
About two weeks later, I saw Needles was standing in front of the pool room down near the sound.
He called me over, said he had something very important to talk to me about.
We went in the back room of the pool room, he closed the door and...
Cigarette, Andy? You know I don't smoke, Needles.
Of course not, pal. Of course not.
Well, Hotshot, how's fire bugging these days, huh?
Is that supposed to be a cute remark, Needles?
What's the matter? Can't you take a little kid?
Not that kind. What's the idea of striking the matches?
Oh, it's just a nervous habit, I guess. Yeah, it's a nervous habit.
Pretty flame, huh, Andy?
Say what you have to say.
I was thinking about poor Mrs. Boyjean, Andy. What if they hold up the claim, huh?
Poor Mrs. Boyjean. Stop speaking in riddles.
I got a friend, Andy. He owns a small warehouse a couple of blocks from here.
He don't make much money with his small warehouse, and he'd like to get rid of it.
One night his place burns down, just like that. He's very, very sad.
But then he gets happy because he collects quite a bit of fire insurance.
Fire insurance? Yeah, fire insurance.
My friend would pay good money if his warehouse burned down. Good money.
He would?
You could help out poor, poor Mrs. Boyjean, Andy.
I don't know.
And just think of the fun you'll have. A flame, and you'll make it.
I'll make it. That's right, Andy.
Next Friday night seemed like a very long way off.
A couple of times I wanted to go for walks, but then I kept thinking about the big one I was going to make on Friday night, and I decided not to go for any walks.
I got some money from Needles and bought all the stuff I needed, the celluloid and the plumber's candles.
I met Needles' friend on Thursday, and he took me on a tour of the warehouse.
It was a three-story building. When I finished going through it, I decided it would be best to start two fires on the third floor and one on the first.
When I got home, I let myself in, but I didn't close the door because I heard voices coming from my room.
It was Mary-Lean, a voice that gave me a funny feeling.
You never bothered to look at this crap book?
Why? He draws pictures.
Your brother's a very dangerous man.
I never suspected anything. I never bothered to look at the pictures he's drawn.
He'll have to be turned over to the authorities. They'll give him proper medical treatment. He's a dangerous man with a dangerous sickness.
I got to call Needles.
I had to act now and act fast. I called Needles and told him we had to burn his friend's warehouse tonight.
Tomorrow night would be no good because I'd have to leave Seattle now.
He didn't want to at first because we hadn't planned it that way, but then he finally agreed.
He met me in front of the warehouse a little before nine.
I set two fires up on the third floor, and then we went down to the first and I started another one.
Come on.
No, wait. Let's watch it for a while.
Are you crazy? This place is going to go up like a tinderbox. We'll either get caught.
I said I want to watch it for a while. I'm going to draw a picture.
You're loony as a nut. Come on, Andy. Let's get out of here.
For you, go ahead, Needles. I'll be along in a little while.
Come on, Andy. Come on. Don't be crazy.
I'm glad I brought my pencil and pad with me. I think this is going to be a beautiful one.
And it was.
It had wonderful colors. The flames were all around me now.
Not an awful lot of smoke here inside the building. Just flames.
Beautiful colors. Just beautiful reds. Deep reds and blues, greens, yellows.
I had a feeling this was going to be my best picture.
The most beautiful flames I'd ever seen. Thrilling.
And the picture now. Just one big flame.
And it was.
Suspense.
Presented by Auto Light. Tonight's star, Mr. Cornell Wilde.
And here he is once again, Mr. Wilde. A splendid and convincing performance, Cornell.
Thank you, Harlow, and thanks to Auto Light.
Yes, thanks to Auto Light for many things.
Smoother performance, click starts, and gas savings.
Harlow, you're wonderful. You always have something to say about Auto Light.
Well, of course, because Auto Light makes over 400 products for cars, trucks, tractors, planes, and boats.
Including the world-famous Auto Light Stay Full Battery. Automotive wire and cable, and many more.
Well, no wonder you always have the right thing to say, Harlow.
Cornell, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light.
Next week on Suspense, our star will be Mr. Ray Milland in another story based on actual events concerning a British gunboat trapped by communist fire 100 miles from help.
A dramatic report we call The Log of the Marne.
In weeks to come, we shall also present Mr. Richard Woodmark and Mr. John Lund all on Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with music composed by Lucian Morawick and conducted by Ludd Gluskin.
The Flame was written for Suspense by Richard George Pedicini.
In tonight's story, Kathy Lewis was heard as Mary Lee, Sydney Miller as Needles, and Joseph Kearns as Boyajian.
Featured in the cast were Harry Bartel, Bert Holland, and Charles Calvert.
Cornell Wilde will soon be seen starring in the Cecil B. DeMille production, The Greatest Show on Earth.
And remember next week on Suspense, Mr. Ray Milland in another story based on actual events.
A dramatic report we call The Log of the Marne.
For the location of your nearest autolite battery or spark plug dealer or your nearest authorized autolite service station,
phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25. Switch to autolite. Good night.
This is the CBS Radio Network.