Auto Light and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. Ronald Coleman in tonight's presentation
of...
Suspense.
Tonight, Auto Light brings you the story of a mind reader who discovers his nightclub
act is not a fake, a vision of death.
Our star, Mr. Ronald Coleman.
Help, help.
What's the trouble, Oscar Otto?
It's my battery, Harlow.
Water, please.
Why, sure.
But why not avoid that battery distress, Oscar?
Get an Auto Light Stayful, the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal
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Is that a fact, Harlow?
A fact that millions of cars and owners have proved for themselves, Oscar.
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the Auto Light Stayful longer life, as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life
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Where do I get this no-worry battery, Harlow?
From your nearest Auto Light battery dealer.
To quickly locate him, phone Western Union by number and ask for operator 25.
I'll tell you the name of your nearest Auto Light battery dealer where you can get an
Auto Light Stayful, the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car
use.
And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light.
And now, Auto Light presents A Vision of Death, starring Mr. Ronald Coleman, hoping once again
to keep you in suspense.
If I speak too rapidly for your stenographer, you'll tell me, won't you, Lieutenant?
No offense, but he impresses me as someone who has to sit on the floor to put on his
shoes.
And stop me if I seem to wander away from the point, won't you?
I mean to say, this is my first and, I hope, final appearance in a police precinct, and
I should hate to give a sloppy performance.
We were always known, Aurora and I, for the smoothness and gem-like precision of our act.
As far as this murder...rap, I suppose it's called, is concerned, an acquaintance with
our act is the essential rabbit.
Awfully good act.
Smart, informal, occasionally humorous and always mystifying.
Well, the act always began with music, never with the cliché fanfare of trumpets or roll
of drums.
I would saunter out to the center of the floor and say something like, good evening, you're
about to witness an exhibition of mental telepathy.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Aurora, my wife.
Ah, they never fail to give her a hand.
Oh, but they applaud.
Why, the vision she presented as she came toward me.
There has never been anyone as lovely as Aurora, the most beautiful flesh in the profession.
Now, Aurora, would you care to tell the audience or shall I?
You tell them, Judd, while I tie the blindfold across my eyes.
Ladies and gentlemen, all mind-readers employ a gimmick.
A gimmick is a trick, a device.
For example, when the mind-reader threading his way through the audience says to the mind-reader
sitting blindfolded on the stage, a lady has given me a small object which I now hold in
my hand, what is it?
And the mind-reader sitting blindfolded replies, a silver coin.
The answer has not come through mind-reading, no.
It has come through the gimmick, a cue or signal communicated through the very question
itself.
But we don't do that.
We do not.
You will notice, ladies and gentlemen, that I never speak to Aurora at all.
Now, are you ready, Rory?
Ready, Judd.
Here we go then.
Now, you, sir, you have something?
Good.
Concentrate upon it like a good chap.
And you, madam...
The gentleman holds a coin in his hand.
It's a Mexican peso bearing the date 1-8-9-2.
Oh, that's very clever of you, madam.
I'll be surprised if she gets this one.
Now, how about you?
She holds in her hand her other hand.
Yep, a sucker once born remains a sucker till death.
The audience never realized, never in all the years we worked, that although I was not
speaking to Aurora directly, my chatter nevertheless was loaded with signals and cues for her guidance.
By revealing the gimmick, we concealed the gimmick, and that, lieutenant, is the knee
plus ultra of gimmicks.
Yes, it was as crude as that, but it enabled us to work 50 weeks a year here and abroad
at an average of over a thousand a week.
Of course, I always gave some credit for our success to our agent, Harry Arnold, although
Rory was inclined to give him no credit at all.
Good knows, Judd, I've managed to book the act into the college inn in Chicago with a
four-week guarantee.
That's not bad, huh?
Not him.
He managed to book the act.
I suppose they never heard of us in Chicago.
I suppose we weren't held over there six weeks when we played the Saint-Souci in 1948.
Well, you think it's easy to get a four-week guarantee these days?
Money is short.
Money is tight.
I have never yet heard you say money is long, money is loose.
You have to sweat for your 10%, don't you?
Yes, you do.
In a pig's ear, you do.
Agents, they're all alike.
There's gratitude for you.
There's the milk of human memory.
What were you when I first saw you?
Playing not this much, playing 10 a day on the canvas in Monash, Wisconsin, and paid
off in bottle tops.
I worked, I schemed, I sweated.
Agents, all of them.
All they know is how to live off a dead whale, scum of the earth.
I'm not going to take that from you, you hear me?
You take it, baby, along with the 10%.
You'll take it, you'll chew it, you'll swallow it, and you'll keep it down.
How do you like that?
I'm warning you, kid, don't push me too far.
Don't push me.
Children, children, now on your way, Harry, and don't let it get you down.
I think a four-week guarantee is pretty good.
Thanks, Judd.
If it wasn't for you, I'd...
Why go into it?
I'm going for a walk.
But aside from these altercations between Rory and Harry, it was smooth sailing.
We wore the best, ate the best, drank the best, stayed at the finest hotels.
And every Saturday night after the performance, Harry would bring us our salary.
He'd bring it in cash, 1,000, 1,250, 1,500.
I've the old performer's distrust of checks.
Been given too many with the high latex content.
Anyway, life couldn't have been more classy.
And then one evening, about five weeks ago, soon after we opened up the Grove here in
town, a frightening thing occurred.
We'd just begun the act, and I was out in the audience.
You'll notice, ladies and gentlemen, that I never speak to Aurora at all.
Now, are you ready, Rory?
Ready, Judd.
Here we go then.
Now, you, madam.
The lady holds in her hand a compact.
It is platinum.
It bears her initials, R-C.
You, sir, have you...
The gentleman is holding an engagement ring.
In it are three small diamonds.
I...
Miss, what would you...
The young lady...
The young lady is holding...
It's a small cameo brooch.
Rory.
Rory.
Maurice, music.
I picked Rory up from the floor and hurried to our dressing room.
Almost beside myself with anxiety.
I placed her on the couch, dampened a towel and put it on her forehead and began to chafe
her wrists.
Rory.
Rory, honey.
Rory.
Judd.
Judd.
I'm here, Rory.
Are you all right?
I guess so.
I don't know what happened.
Well, you fainted away.
Try to remember what happened.
I felt funny.
I don't remember.
Try, Rory.
Try.
Try to remember.
It's important.
I can't.
I can't.
Why is it important?
You don't know?
Rory, you don't know.
You were calling out the answers before I even had a chance to give you the cues.
Do you believe in telepathy, Lieutenant?
I don't mean the sort of thing Rory and I usually did.
I mean real telepathy.
I never did either until that night.
I don't mind telling you I was badly shaken.
I mean, after all, I knew we'd been using a gimmick and suddenly it began to happen without
the gimmick.
Scared us to death.
We didn't know what we were getting into, but we went on with the act.
And in my mind, I began to search about for the answer.
I found it, of course.
You'll find a gimmick in almost everything.
If you look hard enough, I've got it, Rory.
We work together so long that you know what I'm about to say before I say it.
From my inflection, my pauses, even my movements.
You see?
Oh, Judd, that has to be it.
Oh, this is marvelous.
When Harry gets back, I'll tell him about it.
And if I last till tomorrow, he can ask the management for more dough.
Soon as he gets back.
Next Thursday.
Tonight.
How much more should we ask for?
Tonight?
What made you say tonight?
I don't know.
Well, you were there when he told me he'd be in Palm Springs till Thursday.
What made you say tonight?
I don't know.
What difference does it make?
Stop picking on me.
So I made a mistake, so what?
I don't see how you can make such a mistake, that's all.
Oh, Judd, leave me alone.
I've been worried half crazy about really being able to read your mind.
I've been under a strain.
So Harry's coming back Thursday and not tonight.
All right, are you satisfied?
He'll be here Thursday, not tonight.
Your justice stone, mister.
This dresser room, eh?
Yeah, what is it?
I've got a sign here.
Sign for it, will you, Rory?
There you are, kid.
Judd, I'm sorry I blew up in your face.
Judd, what's the matter?
It's from Harry.
He's coming in tonight.
And he did, too, Lieutenant.
Rory was so upset by it, she couldn't go on at all that evening.
She had no explanation for how she knew, none whatsoever.
I don't know, Judd, I just don't know.
My mind seemed to go blank.
I seemed to hear a voice whisper in my ear, Harry Arnold will be with you tonight.
That's all.
When we got back to our suite at the hotel, Harry was there waiting for us.
Oh, what happened?
Oh, what happened?
You both look like ghosts.
Harry, I'll tell you some other time.
Leave us alone, will you?
All right, I'm going.
I just came to wish you a happy birthday and to give you this.
Birthday?
Oh, thanks, Harry.
Thanks.
What is it?
Well, open it, why don't you?
It's a bathrobe, a red silk bathrobe with your initials.
That's right, it's a red...
How does she know?
How do you know?
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
Judd, make him get out of here!
I won't be talked to like that.
I don't care who she is.
I won't be talked to like that.
Harry, shut up.
For the sake of the police, shut up and go away.
Leave us alone.
Go, get out.
Get out!
You too, Judd?
She's got you talking against me too?
All right, I'm going.
I'm going, but from here on, idiot, strictly business between us.
I wash my hands.
He kept his word, Lieutenant.
From that time on, he kept himself to himself.
And I was prepared to let it go at that, much as I liked Harry, until the night I was awakened
by Rory, moaning in her sleep.
No, no, please, no, don't.
Rory, Rory, wake up.
You're having a bad dream, Rory.
No, no.
Judd, Judd.
It's all right, I'm here, I'm here.
Oh, Judd.
What, Rory?
The voice.
Whispering again?
Yes.
Oh, Judd.
What?
He's going to kill me.
Harry Arnold is going to kill me.
And that, Lieutenant, was the beginning of the end of that.
Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Ronald Coleman in A Vision of Death, tonight's presentation
in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Hey, Harlow, here's a riddle.
Shoot, Oscar Otto.
I got it, and I have it.
You've got an Auto Light's day full battery, and now you have a power-packed paragon that
gives quick dependable starts and needs water only three times a year in normal car use.
You said a stay full, Harlow.
Just what every driver should say when he needs a battery, Oscar.
An Auto Light stay full with the fiberglass retaining mats protecting every positive plate
to reduce shedding and flaking, and give that brawny battery longer life as proved by tests
conducted according to accepted life cycle standards.
So friends, choose the battery that states right on the case, needs water only three
times a year in normal car use.
To learn quickly where to get an Auto Light stay full battery, just phone Western Union
by number and ask for operator 25.
I'll tell you the location of your nearest Auto Light battery dealer, the expert on all
makes of batteries.
And remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light.
And now, Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood sound stage Mr. Ronald Coleman in Elliot Lewis's
production of A Vision of Death, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Rory, Rory, get a grip on yourself.
He's gonna kill me.
Harry's gonna kill me.
Harry, don't be ridiculous.
Stop it now.
It was just a bad dream.
He's gonna kill me.
Will you stop that?
Will you stop saying that?
Oh, Judd, hold me.
I'm frightened.
Harry's gonna kill me.
You've had a bad dream, I tell you.
He hates me.
He hates me.
Oh, Judd, he's gonna kill me.
I'm a rational man, Lieutenant.
I've always felt, for example, that when Hamlet says, there is stranger things in heaven
and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio, Horatio, what a reply.
Well, that's a Sweeney.
I knew there was no such thing as mental telepathy.
I knew it as well as I know I'm sitting here talking to you.
Up here in my head, I knew it.
And yet, the next afternoon, I found myself entering a gun shop and purchasing a revolver
and a box of bullets, determined that before Harry Arnold could sew much as injure one
hair of Rory's head, I would kill him.
I should have gone directly to the police first.
You're using hindsight, Lieutenant.
I had all that out with Rory.
Please, Judd, please, go to the police.
Tell them about this.
Let them handle it.
Well, tell them what?
That by reading his mind, we've learned Harry intends to murder you?
They'll believe us.
They've got to believe us.
You're reasoning like a child.
They'll decide that it's either a publicity stunt or else it were both lunatics.
What if I tell them about the telegram and the birthday present?
Rory, we have no proof.
We have to do something.
What?
Tell me what.
You know he intends to kill you.
I know he intends to kill you.
But what can we do?
Do you know when he's going to do it or how he's going to do it?
No.
He hasn't decided yet.
Judd, isn't there anything we can do?
Nothing.
Except wait.
I reacted to the waiting as you might expect, Lieutenant.
Sleeplessness, loss of appetite, growing irritability.
I flared up at everyone.
Waiters, chambermaids, elevator boys, the manager of the club.
The manager of the club.
He finally said to me...
Stun what the devil's gotten into you.
I'd really like to know.
None of your business.
Well, look, I'm only trying to be nice.
Oh, shut up and leave me alone.
Sure, I'll let you alone.
I'd let you alone right now if your contract didn't have another week to run.
But after that, I'll let you strictly alone.
You'll never work this club again.
You maniac.
I began to drink quite heavily, quite noticeably.
I was going crazy just from the waiting.
And then the waiting came to an end.
It was around three in the morning.
I was sitting up in bed in the dark, smoking, when Rory opened her eyes and said...
Yes?
The voice.
Yes.
He... he's going to kill me here.
Right here in this room.
Rory.
Saturday.
The Saturday.
At midnight.
Oh, child.
Oh, Rory.
Rory, sweetheart.
He's gonna shoot me.
He has a gun.
He's gonna shoot me.
He... he's gonna...
He's gonna get you downstairs in the manager's office at the club.
And while you're there, he's gonna come up here.
No, no, no, Rory.
Rory, listen to me.
I want you to listen to me.
You're mistaken, do you understand?
You've been having another bad dream, and that's all there is to it.
No, Judd, I swear it.
He just thought of it.
Just this minute.
He's standing at a bar.
Standing there all by himself, drinking.
And he's just this minute decided.
You're...
You're making it up.
Judd, no.
It's...
It's the bar over at the Tuscany Hotel.
I see it so clear.
Oh, you're wrong.
You're wrong.
I'll prove you're wrong.
Desk.
Get me the bar at the Tuscany, will you?
Over on Sunset.
One moment, please.
You'll see, Rory.
He's not there at all.
You'll see.
It's just a dream.
Just a bad dream.
Tuscany Cocktail Lounge.
Hello.
Is Harry Arnold there at the bar?
Harry Arnold?
No, I'm sorry.
He's not.
He's not?
You sure of that?
Sure, I'm sure.
He was here all evening, left about a minute ago.
I said good night to him myself.
Want me to have...
Look.
Look, Lieutenant, my hands.
It's just the memory of how I was.
I'm not sure if you're going to be able to see it.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
I'm sure you are.
Is there anything strange going on in your head?
I was having a great time looking into.
I started thinking.
I'm wondering what life in pieces was.
I don't know, that's a little bit...
I'm good at life top a little bit.
Yeah, I'm doing things by the book.
I've got the range.
There are plans.
And young people.
A long day before it hits, I'd said, hey, I've got another relationship.
I've got a couple of days.
I've got a couple of days before it hits, I said, you've got to be going.
So he had a straight drift with Mr.....
Pardon me, it's Heppford's.....
He didn't just say, hey, I went to Wowwuk findings and had a head with it.
I got into my car.
The long drive has always relaxed me.
But when I got behind the wheel,
oh, I don't know what it was, possibly the fresh air,
but all at once I felt as though I couldn't keep my eyes
open for another moment.
Simply had to have some sleep.
So I crawled into the back seat, curled myself up
in one corner, pulled the rug over me
and went out like a light.
I was awakened around noon by the sound of voices.
Don't smile at me, you idiot.
He may see us, look businesslike.
Where is he?
I don't know.
Since he hasn't got the car, he must be out walking.
Did he fall for it last night?
Just like he fell for all the rest of it.
The red bathrobe, the stooges you planted in the audience.
He even phoned the bar just after you left.
Oh, I timed it beautifully.
Satin skin, satin skin.
I can hardly keep away from you.
After tomorrow night, we'll have all the time in the world
for each other, Harry.
You about the whole story, that it's
going to happen at midnight tomorrow, your place?
Every word.
Just do what you have to do now.
Remember to come to the dressing room
before the 8 o'clock show.
Tell them you've set up a meeting with Stamper, the manager,
and Stamper's office at 12.
I want them to shake hands and be friends again, I'll tell them.
Yes, and don't forget, when you come to our door at midnight,
keep talking to the elevator boy.
Don't let him go, whatever you do.
You want him to testify for self-defense.
Don't worry, I won't forget a thing.
You'll handle all the rest of it?
Just leave it to me.
I mean, about his gun, that's pretty important, you know.
Don't worry.
It'll misfire.
It would be difficult for me to tell you what I felt
as they walked away, Lieutenant.
One part of me felt the way a man ought to feel, I suppose,
when he learns that the woman he loves is not only unfaithful,
but plotting his death as well.
But another part of me felt only relief, relief at learning
there was a gimmick in this tool.
They'd been fairly clever for amateurs.
Harry had a good excuse for carrying a gun
to protect the cash he brought me each Saturday.
My own behavior in recent weeks would lend weight
to what he would probably offer in his defense,
that I must have been crazy, that for no reason at all
I'd opened the door, pointed a revolver at him,
and threatened his life that he had to shoot in self-defense.
The presence of the elevator boy,
that could mean only that Harry would shoot
just as soon as I opened the door.
I'd be found dead with a revolver in my hand
and a heartbroken agent at my side.
Tableau.
I found myself hoping, as I never hoped before,
that they'd come to their senses before Saturday,
that they'd realize what a vicious, inhuman thing
it was they were planning.
But just before the eight o'clock show that night,
there was a knock at the door of our dressing room.
Come in.
Judd, I've been talking to Stamford, the manager.
He's sorry there's bad blood between you
and wants to square it.
I told him you'd be in his office at 12 to talk things over.
All right with you?
Yeah.
We don't want it so we'll never work here again, do we?
I mean, there's no reason we should.
No reason at all.
Button my dress, Judd.
See you later, Judd.
Yeah, later.
We did the show and then went up to our suite.
I convinced Rory that I should meet Harry alone
and then I helped her pack a small overnight bag.
I loaded the revolver
and then there was nothing to do but wait.
The minutes passed.
Nine o'clock, 10, 10.30, and I waited.
Judd.
Yes?
It doesn't seem right to leave you here alone.
Harry might not want to.
No, no, no, no, no.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry to leave you here alone.
Harry might...
No, no, you go.
Things might not turn out as I planned.
I might not be able to stop him.
If I fail to stop him, no, no, it's best that you go.
Just wait at the motel until you hear from me.
What time is it?
Almost 11.
Two minutes of 11.
I, I'm out of cigarettes.
Desk.
This is Mr. Stone in 1101.
I'll be in the carton of players, will you?
Right away, Mr. Stone.
I want you to go now, Rory.
Judd, let me call the police, please.
It would be useless.
We've gone into it and it would be useless.
Well then come with me.
He won't find anybody here.
Then he'd choose another place, another time.
Here's your valise.
You have your gun?
In my pocket.
You, you won't take any chances.
I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt.
I won't take any chances.
Let me help you on with your coat.
Judd, I love you so.
Yeah, I know.
And I love you, Rory.
I really do, you know.
You ready?
Yes.
11 o'clock.
He'll be here in an hour.
Yeah, yeah, go now, Rory.
Kiss me goodbye.
Judd.
Oh, the cigarettes.
Get them, will you, darling?
I'll find change.
Harry.
Rory.
Rory.
Rory!
Rory!
Rory!
I shall always remember the look on Harry's face,
Lieutenant, as she sank to the floor.
They'd concocted a bad dream between them
and it had come true.
I'll bet he still doesn't know how it happened.
If you pass his cell, you might tell him,
just whisper the word gimmick into his ear.
Yeah, that's what I said, gimmick.
I gimmicked the clock while Rory was dressing,
set it back a full hour.
It was 11 to her, but 12 to him.
I adore gimmicks, don't you?
Suspense, presented by Auto Light,
tonight's star, Mr. Ronald Coleman.
This is Harlow Wilcox speaking for Auto Light
and bringing back our distinguished star, Mr. Coleman.
Thank you, Harlow.
You know, it's been over two years
since I last played in Auto Light's theater of thrills,
but I've listened to Suspense
attain new dramatic heights this season,
with such exciting fare as Edwin Drood
and of course Othello.
Harlow, my congratulations to our producer director,
Elliot Lewis, and to Auto Light
for magnificent radio entertainment.
Thank you, Mr. Coleman.
And friends, you can always expect the finest from Auto Light,
the world's largest independent manufacturer
of automotive electrical equipment.
Every Auto Light product is backed by constant research
and precision built to the highest standards
of quality and performance.
No wonder Auto Light serves
the greatest names in the industry.
Yes, from bumper to tail light,
you're always right with Auto Light.
Next week, we recreate one of the great mysteries of the sea,
a ship found drifting in perfect condition,
but with no human aboard.
The mystery of the Marie Celeste,
our star, Mr. Van Hefflin.
That's next week on Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed by Elliot Lewis,
with music composed by Lucian Morawick
and conducted by Lud Bluskin.
A vision of death was adapted for Suspense
by Walter Brown Newman from the original story by Jerry Hausner.
In tonight's story, Mary Jane Croft was heard as Aurora,
featured on the cast were Hi Aberback, Benny Rubin,
Julie Bennett, and Charles Calvert.
You can buy Auto Light staple batteries,
Auto Light resistor or standard type spark plugs,
and Auto Light electrical parts
at your neighborhood Auto Light dealers.
Switch to Auto Light. Good night.
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