Auto Light and its 98,000 dealers bring you Mr. Frank Lovejoy in tonight's presentation of Suspense.
Tonight, Auto Light presents the story of a man who wanted to save his life, but he had to get into a fight to do it.
And the fight was with the giant of Thermopylae, our star Mr. Frank Lovejoy.
Hi Harlow, doing some gardening?
Yes sir, Hap, and here's my favorite plant.
Why, that's an Auto Light Stay Full Battery.
Sure, the power plant for quick, dependable starts, Hap.
And unlike other plants, this one needs watering only three times a year in normal car use.
Oh, it's a daisy, Harlow.
Sure as, Hap, it's fern away the best battery blooming.
And it never gets bush.
Of course not. The Auto Light Stay Full can take it better than a cactus plant because of fiberglass retaining mats around every positive plate.
They prevent shedding and flaking to give the Auto Light Stay Full longer life, as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards.
Do you dig me, Hap?
Had you planted before you opened your two lips, Harlow.
Okay, then cultivate the acquaintance of the best battery botanist in town, your Auto Light Battery Dealer.
He'll give your car that hearty perennial, the Auto Light Stay Full, the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use.
Remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light.
And now, Auto Light presents transcribed Mr. Frank Lovejoy in The Giant of Thermopylae, hoping once again to keep you in suspense.
James Bernard Walters? Walters?
Right here.
All right, son, let's go.
Sure thing.
What's happening, Constable?
Happening? It's your lucky day, big fella, you're getting out.
Yeah?
Yeah.
And then you can go home and get yourself in trouble all over again, huh?
All right, in here.
Here, sign.
For your stuff, son. You want it back, don't you?
Oh, sure.
There.
Oh, the boy.
Yeah.
Now then.
Yeah.
Wristwatch, ring, billfold. Oh, better count your money. Dark glasses, your belt and your tie.
Yeah, that's it, I guess.
Seems to be all here.
Okay, big fella, take him and get going. Through that door.
Nothing personal, Constable, but I'm glad to. So long.
You know, if they'd needed just one more guy on the county farm to fill out that labor gang they're getting up, you'd be a mighty overworked young fella about now.
Too bad I missed it, huh?
As I say, this is your lucky day, kiddo. But I got a little advice for you. Don't walk into any more bars in this town and start trouble. We don't like that sort of thing.
I don't like your town, Constable. What do you think of that?
Well, I think you're kind of a smart alecky young fella. I think you should get out and leave it alone if that's the way you feel. And don't get fussy with me. I like the town and I'm the law.
What kind of work do you do?
I'm a riveter, construction jobs.
Well, that's what you ought to do instead of getting into trouble, work at your riveting.
But I told you this when they brought me in here and I'm going to say it once more before I go.
What's that?
That bird I hit. He didn't have any reason to get huffy with me. I wasn't doing anything to him. I was just in there having a beer by myself. He got nasty, I hit him, and I wind up in jail. Doesn't seem like justice to me.
Did he hit you?
No, but he tried, Bill.
Law says you assaulted him, big fella. Well, you see, you learned something here at that. Where are you from?
Illinois.
Well, maybe you ought to go back there, son. I wouldn't stick around here if I was you. You don't seem to get along with us here.
I get along okay. All I need is a fair shake.
Maybe so, maybe so, but I've hauled a lot of people in here in my day. And you know what I called you when I first saw you, when I didn't even know why you were brought in? I called you a brawler, son. I called you a gas house playboy. Always got to get yourself in fights. Now, am I right?
I don't look for trouble. I just like to haul my own.
That's up to you, of course.
Hey.
What is it, son?
Two dollars and ninety cents missing out on my bill fold.
Oh, I took it.
Huh?
For two meals you had here, breakfast and lunch. This county don't pay board for prisoners who can afford it.
Well, thanks.
Better run along now and stay out of trouble. All my boys know you and our policy is to keep an eye on fellas like you, so watch your step.
I will. I couldn't afford another day in your jail.
That's pretty good, son. That's pretty good.
That's about the way this whole thing began. I mean me getting out of jail after a night and morning of cooling off.
I've been in jail before and I guess I deserved it, but this time I didn't.
I've been watching my step for a long time now and they didn't have any call to book me in.
When I walked outside that afternoon I began looking around for this guy.
I didn't know his name or anything, but I sort of remembered what he looked like.
Seemed as though it would be a good idea to hit him once more before I left town.
I'd have been much better off if I'd gotten out of there on the next bus.
Oh, you. You.
Huh?
You.
Me?
Yes. I'm sorry I don't know your name, but you're the one who was in the bar last night, aren't you?
I guess I was. Why?
Is it all right now?
Well, I'm out if that's what you mean.
My name's Mary Jane. Mary Jane Kennedy.
I knew they put you in jail and I don't think it was a bit right, but I'm glad you're out now.
I was going to come in and ask about you just now, but I didn't even know who to ask for.
Jim Walters. They call me Walt.
Well, Jim, I mean Walt, that was a pretty decent thing you did last night.
I'm awfully sorry you got into trouble over me.
Huh?
Well, I'd like to do something. I mean, it was very nice of you and I...
Where are you going now?
No place.
Well, come on, let's talk.
Sure, why not?
Now, for a couple of seconds there, I forgot all about this fellow I was looking for because this little girl was real cute.
So I went along with her.
But I also thought maybe I'll find the guy this way.
So this is your place, huh?
Yeah. Excuse me.
Sure.
Pretty nice.
Oh, not so nice. Pretty awful, as a matter of fact.
I'm going to move as soon as I get a chance.
Yeah? But what's so awful?
Oh, out there.
That's what's wrong. The fun park.
I think it looks kind of pretty myself.
The Ferris wheel and the roller coaster and all. It sure does.
You don't have to live with it every day and every night.
You did. You'd soon get over that.
It's a horrible place.
Ugly and cheap and noisy.
Just horrible.
Oh, well, that's too bad.
But I work near here. This is the only place I could get.
So I have to live in the area until I can afford something better.
So noisy.
Where do you work, Mary?
At Allied Aircraft. I'm a secretary.
That's pretty nice.
Say, wouldn't happen to have a little drink around here, would you?
Drink?
Yeah, you know, bourbon maybe or a glass of beer.
I wasn't thinking of anything like that, Walt.
Oh? What were you thinking of then?
Well, I just wanted to talk to you quietly for a minute.
Thank you for your help last night.
Oh, that's it, huh?
Yes, that's it.
Beats me. Just beats me.
Maybe this is just a crazy town. I don't know.
I don't understand you.
Look, sugar, you can play it any way you want to,
but it was you who met me outside the jailhouse.
You were waiting for me.
And you brought me over here.
Now, I saw you, maybe I saw you, I don't know,
once before in my life in that beer joint last night, maybe.
You say you were there, I guess I might have seen you.
Now, here I am at your place. I ask you for a drink, you start getting coy.
Mary, you can thank me all night long, but I never did anything for you in my life.
You're very funny, Walt.
Yeah, it's a real scream, all right.
Suppose we look up a drink around here and then, well,
we sit down over there where we can look surprised at each other a little better, huh?
I don't have anything to drink here. I don't want anything.
Well, that's pretty definite.
Walt, last night you hit Tim.
You hit him good and hard and you got in trouble for it.
Why'd you hit him?
Tim, that's the name of the guy?
Yes, Tim Bennett. Why'd you hit him?
Well, because he got awful frisky with me and I don't let anybody get away with that kind of thing.
If he hadn't combined, started shooting off his face, everything would have been all right.
As it was, he made me hit him and then I had to spend the night in jail because he felt frisky.
I don't understand this. I've made a mistake.
Well, I don't understand it either. Don't look at me that way. I haven't done anything to you.
Didn't you know I was with Tim Bennett last night?
Were you?
Yes, of course I was with him and it was pretty nasty about Owen and me.
Just when he was going to hit me, you hit him.
Oh, well, that clears that much up. So I did do something for you at that.
But you didn't hit him on account of me, did you?
Sure I did, baby. Sure I did.
Oh, no, you didn't. You hit him for some other reason.
No, no, baby. Now let's have a drink.
Oh, get out of here. I met you today because I thought you helped me last night.
You didn't help me. You're nothing but a brawler.
All right. I hit him because he walked by and said something. That doesn't mean we can't be friends.
My mistake, mister. Just go and forget it.
Okay. We both messed this one up, didn't we, Mary?
Well, can you tell me something?
What?
Where can I find him?
Tim Bennett?
Yeah.
Works at the fun park. He owns part of it.
Where do I find him over there?
I don't know. Maybe at the Ferris wheel. Sometimes the fun house.
Who's all around? Why?
Well, I still remember I spent the night in the pokey on account of him.
I figure he's kind of a big talker and needs a little working over before I leave town.
Before I leave town, I think I'll look him up and smack him once again.
Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, but I had it on my mind and I let it out.
It's just the way I am. Get everything squared away in ship shape before I move on to the next town.
You know, no loose ends, tidy things up.
Besides, I've always been a sucker for an amusement park.
Get your hot doggy here. Get your red hot hot doggy here.
Get him, my man, hot. Get your hot doggy here. Hot dog.
All right, get your hot doggy here. Hot dog.
Get your red hot hot doggy here.
Just look at her and be amazed.
Now step right up and get your sick shows about to begin on the inside.
Tickets. Tickets.
How many, brother?
Where do I find Tim Bennett?
Tim Bennett, friend.
He owns part of this junkie. He works here. Where do I find him? I want to talk to him.
Try the fun house, paly.
Thanks.
Hey, don't I know you?
Why should you?
Oh, because I hear you had a little trouble in a beer joint with Tim last night.
Then I guess you know me. You say the fun house?
Yeah, right across the way. And I have fun.
Don't worry, I will.
Where do I find Tim?
Tim Bennett? Yeah.
Back there.
Inside? You mean inside?
That's right.
When will he be out?
I don't know. He's working on the giant.
On the what?
The giant of Thermopylae. He guards the back exit. He was a Greek.
Is that him back there?
No, you can't see him from here.
What's the gimmick?
Well, you seem like a bright guy, so I'll tell you.
See, the civilians go in through here. They walk all the way through the fun house to the back.
And they think that's where they're going to come out.
But they can't because the giant is standing there guarding the door.
So they have to come back through the whole place and come out the front here.
Same way they went in.
Hmm, now isn't that fancy?
We think it is.
How big is this giant?
Oh, nine feet tall maybe.
Hmm, isn't that cute?
Yeah, every once in a while he don't work so good. Tim is the only one who knows how to fix him.
The levers go bad and everything. Happened this morning. Tim's been back there ever since. Wait.
Shh! Ah! Ha ha ha ha ha. Got her going in too.
Oh, you're a real panic. I want to see Bennett.
Well, you'll have to go through the house.
Okay.
And you have to get a ticket.
Oh, well I wouldn't want to miss it. Here.
Sure, that way.
Thank you. Oh, you can lay off the air jet when I go in.
Huh?
Laugh, getter. I don't like them. I mean fun houses. They give me the willies.
But I had myself a nice little idea. If Bennett was in there working on that big giant, I'd find him and it'd be just him and me inside.
No local cop around to toss me in the pokey. I still owed him something for the night before and I could pay him back and sort of have a little extra fun in the fun house where nobody bothers.
Took me ten minutes to scram through the barrels and the room of mirrors and the slides and whatnot before I got to the giant.
It was an awful one. It was nine feet tall easy. And it had this ridiculous motion. When it was standing up it blocked the door all right, but then it would laugh.
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
And as it did then it would bend forward like it was staring at something on the floor. Then after a couple of seconds it would straighten up again with all its gears clanking.
By the time I got to Bennett, he'd gotten it fixed good. Seemed to be working just fine.
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
Sort of automatically I looked at the floor where the giant was looking. And all at once I didn't want to see Tim Bennett anymore because he was lying there right at my feet.
And there were four holes in his shirt front. Four holes made by a knife and Tim Bennett was as dead as you can get.
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
I turned around. I wanted to get out of there and then it occurred to me that the way out was through the front.
And me and my big mouth. Everybody in the world almost knew I'd been looking for Bennett so I could hit him. I had to get out, sure.
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
But I couldn't get out the front. The back was the way out. Out through the door behind the giant.
But how to do that? Well, watch the pattern of the big fella. What exactly did he do? Was it impossible to get past him?
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
The laugh. And as he did it, he bent down and looked at the floor which left a little space along his left side. Room enough to get through before he straightened.
While he stood there not moving, you couldn't get by. It had to be real fast. Now how fast?
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
Laugh five times. Then one, two, three, four, five.
On the count of five, he straightened. A beat of five between the last laugh and when he straightened.
And he came up fast and strong. Enough power to crush anything that got between him and the wall.
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
One, two, three, four, five.
Now that was it. That was it. All right. Now wait for the laugh and as soon as he finishes laughing, make a run for it.
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof.
Now.
He straightened up before I got a chance to move and now he wasn't laughing. He was just looking down at me, his glass eyes staring.
Then it seemed as though his wooden face moved a little.
You didn't think I was going to let you out of here, did you?
Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Frank Lovejoy in The Giant of Thermopylae.
Tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
May time's the time, eh, Harlow?
The time to get an Auto Light Stay Full Battery. The perfectly performing, peerless producer that needs water only three times a year in normal car use.
Pretty particular package, eh, Harlow?
Yes, Hap, and that personable power pack Paragon is persistently prepared thanks to fiberglass retaining mats around every positive plate.
They reduce shedding and flaking to give the Auto Light Stay Full longer life, as proved by tests conducted according to accepted life cycle standards.
And there's another kind of protection too, Harlow.
Sure, Hap. The Auto Light Stay Full has over three times as much liquid protection as batteries without Stay Full features.
That's why it needs water only three times a year in normal car use, and it says so right on the battery case.
Right. So friends, visit your Auto Light battery dealer. He's equipped to give you the best in battery advice and service.
And only he has the world famous Auto Light Stay Full Battery.
Remember, from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Auto Light.
And now, Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, Mr. Frank Lovejoy, in Elliot Lewis's production of The Giant of Thermopylae, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Take it from me, and I've been in plenty of places. Hearing that thing talk and seeing it stop moving when I tried to get out of there was something I sure hadn't counted on.
I got it in my head all of a sudden that the thing could talk and that it could think.
And if I tried to sneak by or rush it, one of those big arms would come down against me and smash me against the wall.
I couldn't stay in there with that dead guy and I couldn't go out the front way, so I had to give it a try.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
I said I won't let you go.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
So there I was sitting on the floor next to Tim Bennett, who was dead, just kind of looking up at this big ugly giant.
And he wasn't laughing now, not a bit. He was just hoping I'd keep rushing him until he battered me to death.
Because he wasn't laughing, somebody from out front had come back to find out what was wrong with him and they'd find me in the body of this guy I'd been threatening all day.
After a while, it seemed there were two of me. The one sitting on the floor sort of whimpering and crying and looking at the giant.
The other one sitting there and saying things to himself. Things about giants and fun houses made of wood and metal and rags and a couple of gears.
Well, that one didn't whimper. He said nothing like this big thing can talk, really. No giant they got standing up in the rear end of a fun house to scare the suckers can think.
And those big arms are only levers and those eyes are only light bulbs and that laugh is only a record. And the talk? I decided to find out about that.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Go ahead, laugh, you big pile of junk, I'll show you. I'll show you this hunk of frame.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
I'll get you, I'll get you, you big.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Now take a good look at this. Four feet of iron as tough as those arms of yours. Let's see how you like this.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
That's it, bend and see how you like this.
How do you like it? How do you like it?
Ha ha ha ha ha.
How do you like it?
Not so good, huh? Not so good. You want some more?
Ha ha ha ha.
Ha ha ha ha.
I was right about the laugh anyway. It was a record and now it was broken.
And then suddenly for no reason at all the arms started to move up and down again but without any noise and kind of helplessly.
I didn't waste any more time. I saw my chance to scoot and I did. I sprung open the door behind the thing and I got outside.
Hey, what is this? Huh?
Hey, what have you been doing? You busted up the giant? You crazy or something?
Hey look buddy, where's Tim? He's in there with...
Hey, what's the matter with you?
Your giant. He's trying to turn his head. Huh?
See, he's trying to turn his head.
You... you busted him.
I sure did. I busted him good. I did. He's bleeding. Look.
Holy smoke.
I showed him. I showed him. Go ahead. Laugh. Laugh at me now.
Ha ha ha ha.
Can't you laugh?
Ha ha ha ha.
The scream did it. That and the blood all over the giant.
I wanted to run but my legs wouldn't have taken me anywhere if you'd given me a million dollars.
So?
I wind up here, the same old place. A jailhouse. Only this time I'm not in a cell.
I'm in a little room and the doctor keeps feeling my forehead and asking me how I feel and giving me shots. I tell him I feel fine.
Like to talk to somebody. And he looks worried and he walks away.
I've been wondering about him. Maybe he doesn't feel so good himself.
The giant did talk. And he did bleed. And he did scream. I know he did. I know he did.
Walters. Walters. Walters.
Hmm?
Ah, you lie still, big fella. You got quite a fever.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh yeah, quite a fever. Now I better talk to you before you go back to sleep again. May help your sleep.
Hmm?
Quite a thing out there in the fun house. You didn't stay out of trouble at that, did you?
No, no.
If you're trying to say no you didn't, I get the idea so save your breath.
First off, I talked to that girl named Mary Jane Kennedy. Very nice girl. She told me how you were out looking for Tim Bennett.
Sheriff, I know I was looking for him but...
Just can't stay out of trouble, can you? Got to always be hitting somebody, making sure you're a top man.
Well, you're a top man this time, all right. Someday I'm going to ask you how it feels to tangle with a giant.
But I'm not going to ask you right now, no.
But I also talked to one of the barkers over there. One you asked about Tim. And a couple other people.
What about Bennett?
Now don't try to ace me, son. You know Tim's all through talking. He was stabbed four times.
Well, I didn't do it. I didn't do it. I was looking for him, sure. I was going to beat him up a little but I didn't knife him.
He was that way when I found him. Honest he was.
And how about the giant?
I had to fight with him.
Yeah, I guess you did. And the guy inside him.
Huh?
The guy who was inside the giant, working him.
There was a man inside the giant?
There sure was. But you kind of killed him, big fella. You wrecked all the gears and he got caught in them.
You know who we were?
No. No.
He was someone just like you. Who didn't like Tim Bennett. Name of Owen Brady. He wanted to marry that girl.
Tim was doing everything he could to louse it. So Owen stabbed Tim. And when you showed up, he hidden the giant.
He thought it'd be a dandy idea to tag you for the job. He had no way of knowing you were on his side. He'd never seen you, you know.
Then he did talk.
Oh, yeah. He talked and he bled and screamed. And he died in there. You weren't hearing things or seeing things, son. It happened.
Now, now maybe you can sleep a little better, huh?
I sleep, but not much better. I know what it was all about now, but I still think of it and wonder about it.
And I hear it every now and then.
But I feel better. I haven't fought with anybody for a long time now. Never will again.
But my last fight, that was a pip. I whipped the giant of Thermopylae.
Suspense. Presented by Autolite. Tonight's star, Mr. Frank Lovejoy.
This is Harlow Wilcox for Autolite, the world's largest independent manufacturer of automotive electrical equipment.
In 28 plants from coast to coast, the men and women of Autolite build over 400 fine products for leading cars, trucks, tractors, planes, boats and industry.
Autolite contributes its manufacturing experience and skills to the fields of electronics, agriculture, die casting and plastics.
The Autolite name is famous all over the world for products of unsurpassed quality and performance.
In service, too, Autolite facilities are worldwide. Wherever you travel, you'll find trained experts prepared to serve your technical needs.
So for superior products for use in industry or for you and your family, always look for the name Autolite.
Because from bumper to tail light, you're always right with Autolite.
Next week, the true story of a reign of terror.
The dramatic report of the final moments of a beast. A man without conscience, a professional killer.
It's called The Last Days of John Dillinger. Our star, Mr. Van Heflin.
That's next week on Suspense.
Suspense is transcribed and directed by Elliot Lewis with music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Lud Bluskin.
The giant of Tomopoli was written for Suspense by E. Jack Newman.
Featured in the cast tonight were Charlotte Lawrence, Joseph Kearns, Paul Fries, Herb Ellis, and Jerry Hausner.
Frank Lovejoy can now be seen starring in the Technicolor picture, Beachhead.
And remember next week, Mr. Van Heflin, in The Last Days of John Dillinger.
You can buy Autolite stay full batteries, Autolite standard or resistor type spark plugs, and Autolite original service parts
at your neighborhood Autolite dealers. Switch to Autolite. Good night.
The YMCA movement provides excellent recreational facilities at small cost to hundreds of thousands of young people.
Why don't you check on the many membership advantages at your local YMCA?
This is the CBS Radio Network.