 This is your host to welcome you through the creaking door in... Come in, come in. Tonight we're inaugurating a quiz. It's a cut-throat session called Take It To Qualify. Just tear off the top of your neighborhood mortician and send it to us by hair mail. This is our terror tune. If you could guess the correct title of our morbid Miss Urca in one scream or less, here are the prizes you'll win. A brand new 1949 stainless steel guillotine. Just a thing for whittling. It has some hand tools, a knife without a conscience and the Take It Or Drop Dead Grand Prize. A free, all-expense, murder trial in a... Deadly Dummy was written by Ed Adamson and Robert Sloan and stars Mason Adams and the role of Steve with Elsbeth Eric as Claire. Oh, by the way, let me warn you, all references to ghosts, living or dead, this is what happened to a guy named Steve Pearson. Why do you keep asking me the questions? Why don't you ask Marlowe? Ask him, Inspector, he'll tell you everything. I told you before, Pearson, Marlowe isn't dead. He is. He's in this room sitting right there in that chair. That's just a ventriloquist's dummy in the chair. You told me yourself Marlowe is dead. I don't understand the dummy is, Marlowe. I can prove it to you, the dummy is alive, real. All right, all right, so he's alive. You think I'm crazy? Go ahead, Pearson. Let's hear the story, all of it, from the beginning. It began when I went to work as Marlowe's assistant. He was billed as the great Marlowe. The great Marlowe. His audience has always thought he was a wonder. You couldn't please him no matter how hard you tried. There wasn't a meaner man alive than Fred Marlowe. I would have quit him right at the start of it. I hadn't been for Claire. I only stayed because of her. Claire, she was warm and wonderful. And she was Marlowe's wife. Ah, Steve. Claire, you gotta come away with me. Wouldn't do any good, Steve. He'd follow us wherever we went. You know him, he'd make our lives miserable. But we can't go on this way. How much of this can we stand? We don't have to go on this way. What do you mean? You really love me. Claire, we couldn't do a thing like that. You hate him as much as I do. But doing a thing like that... It isn't hard when you really hate. When you really love... Somebody will find out. They always find out. Not the way I've planned it. Ground glass. You'll drink it. But how? He'll know. No, you'll never suspect. He'll be during his act. That part where he drinks the water while the dummy whistles. You handle his props. All you have to do is put the powdered glass into the water pitcher before he goes on. He'll pour the drink himself. Yeah. After he goes off, you can wash out the pitcher and the glass. There'll be no evidence. You do it, Steve. When? Giving his last performance at the Lido on Tuesday. Tuesday? It'll be Marlowe's last performance anywhere. Everything set, Steve? Yes, Mr. Marlowe, everything is set. You made sure the water in the pitcher last night. You almost forgot about that. It's in there now. I made doubly sure this time. All right, P.D., let's go. Ready, Marlowe? There. Yes, friend? My last performance here. Aren't you coming out to watch? I'll be along in a moment. I wouldn't want you to miss it. We're going to be really great tonight. Aren't we, P.D.? You said it, Marlowe. Tonight, we're going to... Like it never gets in the fight we wait. And then finally... P.D., talking about drinking. I'm a little thirsty myself. That was the cue. Now he was coming to it. So you won't join me? No. A silent scream shook in my throat. Suddenly, I didn't want it to die. Hating of me, it wasn't enough reason for killing him. I wanted to stop him. The scream of my throat begged for release. And then I felt Claire's hand grit mine. I turned to her smile smothered the cry within me. Her hand tightened and pulled and we walked away from the stage. It feels like there's a fire inside of me. It won't bother you for long. Help me. Nothing can help you now. I won't die. The doctor will save me. He won't let me. There won't be any doctor. What? Claire did that. She wants me to die. She hates me. You and Claire, you both... Drank that water back at the Lido tonight. There was ground glass in the air. So finally powdered. You couldn't see or feel it? P.G. A dummy can't help you, Marlowe. P.G., P.G., I'm dying. What? Eh, Marlowe, you're just a ham at heart. What? A real ham. Don't you think so, Steve? What is this? Oh, that death bed scene of Marlowe's. Right off the cob. I thought it was quite good, P.G. Oh, strictly amateur night. Strictly. Marlowe. Marlowe, you... You're all right. You see, P.G., I had tears in believing. But it can't be. You drank that water. I saw you. Yes, I drank that water. But you're all right. Marlowe, you're killing our friend Steve with suspense. Come on, give him a break. Of course. Here you are, Pearson. Here's your ground glass. Somehow you'd switched the container of ground glass I had bought. He let me leave his hotel room without another word. I didn't know what to do or what to expect. I waited. Three days went by. Then he sent for me. Sit down, Pearson. I'll be with you in a minute. Marlowe was busy packing a trunk. I sat there waiting. The dummy Petey was propped up on the table as perpetual grin marking my feet. Our friend looks kind of uncomfortable, Marlowe. Really, Petey? Why did you send for me, Marlowe? Clara and I are sailing for South America tonight. I suppose you're curious as to what I'm going to do about you. All right. What are you going to do? Nothing. Nothing. I just wanted to tell you about Claire, Steve. She's poison. Petey never did like Claire. Marlowe's a sucker for that, Dame. I guess she never told you that she tried to have Marlowe knocked off before. There was another guy who had the job before you. Claire fed him the same line. He's lying, Marlowe. Why don't you ask her? She'll be back soon. Claire wants Marlowe's money, but not Marlowe. She was just using you. Shut up. She'd give you the go-by-so fact. Shut up, I said. You're out of her class. She wouldn't want you in a minute. This will shut you up, I'll break it. Other Petey's. After all, they're only me. Remember? So you see, the only sure way to shut them up is to stop the button. He was a sickening laughter. I couldn't stand it. I had to stop him some way. I felt along the table behind me. My hand came across the heavy glass ashtray. I gripped it tightly, then brought it up from behind. He slumped to the floor. The grin was still on his face. I bent down over him. He was breathing. I hid him again. Lowe was dead. You shouldn't have done that, Steve. It was the dummy talking. I heard him. He lay on the floor. I had crushed him into a hundred pieces. But they were his words, his voice. You can't get away with murder. You'll see, Steve. Talk. Steve, it couldn't be you. But I heard him. He talked to me, Claire. He talked to me. Steve, get hold of yourself. We're just in your mind, that's all. You shouldn't have done it if you'd only waited. We would have found a safe place. Someone's at the door. We can't open it. His body on the floor, they'll see. Here, help me. What are you going to do? Put him in the trunk. Now close the top and lock it. You stay here. I'll go to the door. Drew? Yes? I come for the trunk, lady. Oh, there must be some mistake. Well, that's a trunk, ain't it? That's what I come for. Mrs. Marlowe said you're mistaken. Look, Mr. I got an order here. See? One trunk, number 3468. That's the number on the tag of this hit trunk. Now listen. The order says this trunk goes to state room 3D on the Tragania. That's what it says. Tragania sales tonight. Now do I take this hit trunk or don't I? Yes, yes, I'm sorry. That was our mistake. But Claire. Please take the trunk. Okay, lady. Hey. What do you got in this trunk anyway, you dead body? What do you mean by that? Forget it, Mrs. Jessica. How about one of you two hold the door? Yes, I'll do it for you. Thanks, lady. Claire, what's wrong with you? Why did you let him take it? Don't you see, Steve? See what? There's a way out for us. His body won't be found here and we're safe. Now he's gone forever. Nobody will ever know. It's him. Now you can believe me. Steve, what's wrong? Tell me you heard him. Just your nerves, darling. No, we spoke. There he is again. Steve, where are you going? I've got to find that dummy. He's someplace in this room. Looking for me? The dummy was propped up against the closet wall. He looked at me with the same evil grin as the one I had crushed to pieces. Steve, please stop staring that way. I'll burn him every rock and fiber of him. I'll burn him to an ash. Then I'll never talk again. Please believe me, he didn't talk. It's just your imagination. I'm not crazy. I heard him. So did you. Only you're too afraid to admit it. He couldn't talk without Marlowe. Marlowe would have to be alive for that dummy to speak. What? What did you say? Marlowe would have to be alive. You know that. Yes, yes, that's right. What's the matter with me? Yes, he would have to be alive. You see, it was just your imagination. Then Marlowe isn't dead. Oh, now Steve, please. He wasn't dead while you put him into the trunk. He just wanted us to think he was. Steve. I didn't kill him. He wasn't dead. That's why the dummy talked. Marlowe can do tricks like that. Come on, Claire. We've got to hurry. No, wait, wait. We've got to get there fast. Clear, Steve. What are you talking about? Marlowe stayed room on the boat. He'll be there in the trunk. 3-D, there it is. Don't, Steve. We shouldn't have come here. I said, give me the key. Don't, Steve, please. Don't open it. He is dead, and there I know. Give it to me. I unlocked the trunk. Then I pulled up the lid. Marlowe was in there motionless. When I touched him, he was cold. Marlowe was dead all right. But there was something else in the trunk with him. At his feet. And the same grin was on his wooden face. Hello, Steve. I knew you'd come. I was waiting for you. Here, Steve, drink this. You fainted. You were right. Marlowe is dead. That dummy. I heard him speak. No, Steve, it's just as I told you. You only heard it in your mind. He didn't really talk. Oh, Claire, Claire. Well, those things happen, and now it's over, and you'll never hear it again. Can you get out? Yeah, I'm all right now. We've got to get off this boat before somebody sees us. I ruined everything. No, we're still safe. Nobody knows we came here. You go first. That'll be the best way. I'll follow in a moment. Yes, I'll meet you on the pier. All right. How do you do, ma'am? Oh! Oh, sorry to give you such a joke. My name is Iggensman. I'm your steward. Just stop by so we'd know each other. We were too late in getting out of that stable. That steward would remember Claire. Steve, what are we going to do? There was only one chance. With Marlowe's body in that trunk, there was only one thing we could do. I had Claire ring for the steward. Now, Mr. Marlowe and I have decided to cancel our trip. Would you please have the porters come for our trunk and take it to the pier? I'm sorry, Mrs. Marlowe, but that won't be possible. What? Well, in the excitement, ma'am, you probably didn't notice. Notice? What are you talking about? Our departure. We sailed 20 minutes ago. We had walked into a trap of our own making. A trap that was snapped closed on us by a dead man. Marlowe was a cold corpse in that trunk, but we were held by his invisible grip. Steve, there's still a chance we can get out of this. You mean if his body isn't found in that trunk? We'll arrange it so his body will never be found. We'll do it tonight when the deck outside is dark and deserted. You'll see, Steve, we'll be really rid of Marlowe this time. You'll see. First break. Early in the evening, a storm came up and grew worse with the passing hours. By 11 o'clock, I made a careful check of the promenade deck outside the state hall. It was completely deserted. We supported Marlowe's body between us and carried it toward the darkened space at the end of the deck. In the morning, I'll report my husband is missing. I'll ask a lot of questions. I'll have all the answers to the way we planned them. I'll tell him how he often gets up at night to go for a walk. And the dizzy spells. Yes. Now that it was dizzy spells, that's how it must have happened. Now the terrible dizzy spell fell overboard. In the meantime, Steve, you'll have to hide. I found a place in one of the lifelines. We'll meet every night. Wait, wait. What is it? I thought I saw somebody down that way. I don't see anyone. It was probably just a shadow. Come on, let's get this over with. You can help me lift him to the rail. There, that's the end of Marlowe. Now he can live, really live. Will you kiss me, Steve? Well, I kiss you. Come here. Oh, Steve. Oh. I beg your pardon. I'm sorry to interrupt. I'm looking for someone. I thought he might be with you. There was no one with us. No, we're alone. I see. I thought I saw three people walk over here. No. It's so dark. I must have been mistaken. Yes, it is dark. The man I'm looking for is Mr. Marlowe. What? Do you happen to know him? My name is Marlowe. Then you're the gentleman I'm looking for. My name is Ralph Cramer, Mr. Marlowe. Cramer. Are you all right, Mr. Marlowe? Yes, yes, I'm fine. Why? I just wanted to be sure. By the way, I received your letter. Letter? Don't you remember? Uh, no, not exactly. Oh, I can understand. You're a busy man, Mr. Marlowe. Well, just to refresh your memory, I'm in charge of entertainment here on the boat. I found out last week that you had booked passage. So I wrote you asking you to consent to be one of these features in our theatrical tomorrow night. And I replied... You were very kind, Mr. Marlowe. You said yes. I just stopped by thank you and say that we're all looking forward to your performance. It's about a week. You've got to keep trying. There isn't much time left. It won't work, Claire. Well, it will. You know Marlowe's act. You've got to study it. You went on for him in Cleveland, remember? I know, but I can't do it now. I can't get it. He'll come to you, darling. I'll just keep trying. Go on, Steve. Please, try again. All right. Tell me, Petey, don't you and your girlfriend, Phoebe, ever have a difference of opinion? Sure, Marlowe. But I wouldn't dare tell her about it. Oh, you see, Claire, it's no good. Are you doing fine? Don't tell me. I know it's rotten. Tell him I'm not going on. Steve, it means our lives. You've got to go through with this. Sure. You can do it, Steve. I'll see you through. Claire. What's wrong? What is it? The dummy just talked and I didn't do it. He said you can do it, Steve. I'll see you through. You heard him, didn't you? No. Don't let her kid you, Steve. There, he said something again. You didn't hear that either. Oh, now, Steve, don't. You've got to pull yourself together. Dame can really play angles, can't she, friend? Yes, she really can. Who are you talking to? You know who I'm talking to. You know all about it. Go ahead, Steve. You tell her. You were making that dummy talk, Claire. It was you all the time. You don't know what you're saying. You're trying to drive me crazy. That's why you're doing it. Now I know what Marlowe said about you was true. You were just using it. No, Steve. You wanted Marlowe dead. You wanted his money. Just as he said, you were playing me for a sucker. Steve, don't look at me that way. Now I can see you for the first time. What you're really. Don't you come near me. You are the same evil grin as that dummy. Because that's what you are. Something inhuman. No, stay away. Something mean and vicious and bad. Steve. Steve. Oh. My hands gripped and burned and squeezed tighter and tighter. Nails digging deep into the salt. The colors slowly drained out of her face. There was a final gasp and then she stopped moving. She was like a rag doll in my hand. I stood there holding her lifeless body. Then after a while I heard a knock on the door. Miss Marlowe. Miss Marlowe, it's Ralph Cramer. Mr. Cramer? What is it? The tone stopped. Your arm is five minutes. All right, Cramer. I'll be there. It was Marlowe's. The women were clear. I tried not to look at them. Come on, Steve. The dummy whispered to me. Come on. I told you I'd see you through. Let's go. I want you to meet the folks. I have folks. I'm talking about her. We've got to get them. Okay, Robert. Just take them downstairs. Who will lead me any longer, Inspector? Just one question, Cramer. What is that? Why don't you hear the dummy say that night when Pearson tried to go through with Marlowe's act? Oh, the dummy didn't say a word. Pearson was up there on the stage talking to himself. Steve Pearson, he just couldn't help double-talking himself into a knife, the kind the hangman taught. But it's his own fault, you know. His dummy done told him. Now, the real reason he killed Claire is because he figured two deadheads are best as we say here in the Inner Sanctum, the end always justifies the scream. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. The victim is heard each week in the United States over CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System, and has been rebroadcast for servicemen and women overseas through the facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, the voice of information and education.