 Welcome. I'm E. G. Marshall. Welcome to the world of mystery, the world of terrifying imagination. The story you are about to hear is called Lost Dog. Yes, a dog story. But please don't expect a charming family tale about man's best friend. In fact, you may even decide that the dog in this story is man's worst enemy. It all depends on whether or not you share the particular terror of our heroine, Miss Julius Smollett. Get it off! Please, George, take him away! We're not going to be a judge for big steaks! Get it off, George! Our mystery drama Lost Dog was written especially for the mystery theater by Henry Schleser and stars Kim Hunter. It is sponsored in part by the Kellogg Company, makers of Kellogg Special K. Cereal. I'll return shortly without one. Our story begins in the quiet parlor of a small suburban house at the end of Elm Street. Well, not completely quiet, since young Ronnie Hughes is once again practicing his scales under the gentle, watchful eyes of his piano teacher, Mrs. Julius Smollett. Well, that was very good, Ronnie. That was much better than last time. I still wish we could skip this scale stuff, Mrs. Smollett. I mean, I'm not saying that I'm ready to play concertos yet, but just the same. Why are you so proud of yourself, Ronnie? Well, playing scales makes me feel like a little kid, I guess. Oh, that's silly. All the finest pianists had to learn their scales before they could play any composition. I guess it's my fault for starting to learn to play so late in life. Ronnie, 19 years old isn't very late in life. I'm 20, Mrs. Smollett. Are you? Already? Oh, no. That doesn't tell me you've been coming here for a year. No. Just about four months. But my birthday was last week. It was on Thursday. You weren't well last Thursday. Oh. Yes, that's right. You still don't look well. Listen, why don't we see how well you know the chromatics? You're cheeky. It's swollen. It's still swollen. Does it hurt? Oh, no. No, it doesn't hurt at all. It was silly of me to stumble and fall that way. I know that your husband hit you, Mrs. Smollett. Now, that's a very silly thing to say. You can't tell me it isn't the truth. I remember the first time he did it. At least the first time I knew anything about it. Now, I'm going to have to put a stop to this. Yes. I wish you would. I wish you'd call the police or something the next time it happens. Now, listen to me, young man. You've been listening to a lot of foolish town gossip. Then tell me it isn't true. What I'm telling you is that it isn't any of your business. Yeah. Yeah, I guess that's right. It's none of my business. I should never open my big mouth. I'll just keep it shut from now on. Ronnie. Yeah? All right. All right, my husband and I had a quarrel. He was drunk, wasn't he? George is in a very difficult occupation. The competition is very keen. Well, the people he has to deal with aren't always very gentle. I don't know anything about the trucking business, Mrs. Smollett. I just hate the idea of anybody hurting you. That's all. I just can't understand why he'd do such a thing. What did you do to him? Well, if you must know, Ronnie, I won't allow him to have a dog. What? It sounds silly, doesn't it? You're right. It is. It's silly on my part. But I'm absolutely terrified of dogs. And unfortunately, my husband wants one. He wants one very much. And that's why he hit you? Well, the argument goes back a very long way. Almost since George and I were married seven years ago. Well, it wasn't much of a problem when we lived in the city. George didn't have his trucking company. Then he was just a driver. But when he got the chance to buy into a firm out here, well, we bought this house. And I guess having a house in the country made George think about dogs and things. But I just don't see what's so important about it. Well, some things become important in marriage. Oh, now, just look what all this talk has done to the time that's after 6.30. My husband's going to be home in half an hour, and I haven't even started dinner. Well, he beat you for that too? Ronnie, if you keep talking this way, well, I just don't think it would be wise to continue giving you lessons. You don't mean that. I'll see you on Thursday, Ronnie. Yeah. Sure. Vines are smaller. Goodbye, Ronnie. And happy birthday, Ronnie. What else could I tell you, guy? I had two semis in a repair shop. If I wanted the job, I had to use his equipment. Oh, fine. Only nobody was going to hook me for a 500-buck premium. Hey, are you listening, Julia? Yes. Yes, I'm listening, George. What's the matter with you tonight? I'm a little tired, I suppose. Tired? You? For what? Listening to piano cover? Ah, you make me sick. You know that? You weren't listening to a word I said. You don't care about what happens in my business. You never cared. I never understood much about it. You always talk to me as if I'm one of your associates. I know what's eating on you. Think I don't know? You're sitting there like the last judgment. You're sitting there blaming me for taking that swipe at you last week. No, you're wrong. Look at yourself. You didn't even bother putting makeup on a cheeky yours. Makeup? Wouldn't you cover the swelling? You want to remind me how much you suffer. Well, I got a hot flash for you, kid. What suffers around this house is me. I get enjoyed this house plenty. I could have a great time if you weren't so sick in the head. Ah, you're talking about the dog again. Why not? You think I forgot? But surely it can't mean that much to you. I've had dogs ever since I was six years old. You should never talked about it when we were living in the city. That was different. Who put a dog in that air-conditioned chicken coop? But now we've got a house. A real honest-to-god house, Julia. A house needs a dog. Oh, George, you know I feel terrible about saying no, but I can't help myself. It's just something in me. It's a phobia, I guess, but dogs terrify me. Even small dogs, tiny, harmless little dogs. I go to pieces when one comes near me. That's all in your mind. Yes, but is it that enough? No, not for me it isn't. Can't you understand that it's like a sickness, like a disease? Okay. So if it's like a disease, how come you never got cured? How come you never saw a doctor about it? A doctor? Yeah, that's right. You're telling me you're sick? We'll just find out. Where are you going? I'm going to get you an appointment, a doctor's appointment. I'm calling Dr. McCann right now. At this hour? I'll call him at home and make an appointment for tomorrow. We're going to settle this thing once and for all. Well, Julia, maybe I'm the wrong kind of doctor. What do you mean? Well, if you're serious about getting rid of this phobia, that would take you specialist. You mean the psychiatrist? Some kind of head doctor. I'm sure you realize that people who are afraid of certain things, well, they've usually had something happen to them in their childhoods, some traumatic experience or other that gets stuck in their mind like a burr and won't come out. Doctor, you know we couldn't possibly afford going through analysis. George's company isn't doing that well. He'd never stand for paying all that money week after week. Well, maybe you don't need all that couch stuff. Maybe there's something else you might try. Like what? Do you hear of hypnotherapy? You mean getting hypnotized by someone? Not just by someone. I mean someone who can put you under and maybe help cure you of this thing. I'm not saying it always works, but it does sometimes. I don't know. The thought sort of frightens me. Nothing frightening about it. It might be just the way to find out why you're really afraid of dogs. One minute. Would you don't forget your key? Yes, George, I'm sorry. Why are you so late? It's almost a quarter after seven. I went to a movie after I saw Dr. McCann. I was just so nervous. I had to get out of myself. So I went to this movie and it lasted longer than I thought it would. Oh, that's great. Just great. Now what happens to my dinner, huh? Dinner's already. All I have to do is feed it. That's a fine thing. I come home early to surprise you. You're not even here. I'm sorry, George. Do you think you should have more to drink now? I mean, it won't take me more than ten minutes to get dinner on the table. Never mind how much I drink. Besides, I'm in no hurry for dinner. I want to know what the doctor said. Well, it's just as I told you, George. There's nothing Dr. McCann can do for me. It's not something that can be cured with a pill. There's got to be some way. Well, he suggested that maybe a different kind of doctor, a hypnotherapist. A what? Someone who hypnotizes you, who tries to make you go back into your past. Sounds like a lot of junk to me. Well, it might do some good. I really don't know. I'll tell you what would do some good. A little direct action. That's what you need. What are you talking about, George? The only way to learn how to swim is to jump in the water, right? Well, that's what you need, Julia. I simply can't make you understand, can I? Well, maybe I can make you understand that. Forget it. You want to get that dinner ready? I'm hungry. Yes, yes, I'm going now. Look, why don't you change first? Change? Yeah, yeah, you're close. Get more comfortable. Well, yes, I think I'd like to do that, George. I won't be long. I'll take it easy. That's my surprise. That's a teller. Please, George, take him away. It's only a dog, but he's not going to like it. Oh, God! It only goes to prove that there are more terrors in this world of ours than anyone imagines. But the question in the smaller houses, which one is the real terror? Attila the dog or George the husband? We'll learn more about both of them when we return shortly with Act 2. This is W-O-R, New York, your station for the Mystery Theater. Now, let's return to the plight of Mrs. Julia Smollett, the woman whose nightmares take the shape of a barking dog. How long do you want me to bore the animal, Mr. Smollett? I don't know. Until that wife of mine gets her head on straight, I guess. I beg your pardon, my wife doesn't like dogs. Took one look at Attila and screamed the house down. Well, some women get scared of dogs. She's still only six months old for Pete's sake. Practically a puppy. Can you bore my dog until my wife gets through with her treatment? Treatment? I don't think I understand. Just give me a straight answer. Oh, yes, sir. Certainly, I will take dogs as long as you like. We'll see how long that is. Please sit down, Mrs. Smollett. Thank you. Right here, Mrs. Smollett? Yeah, thanks. You both seem a little nervous. I'm sorry, Dr. Frohlich, but I suppose I am. I know. Dr. McCann explained to me. He said that hypnotherapy was an accepted kind of treatment. For some cases, yes. Not all of them. All I want to know is will it work? Well, frankly, I don't know much about your wife or her problem. I'm not going to say I can help her get over this particular phobia until I do. Please, George, let me tell the doctor about it. I can tell him in one sentence. My wife's afraid of dogs, all dogs, big ones, little ones, falls apart when she just looks at one. No, that isn't true. I don't fall apart, as my husband said, unless I'm close to them. Animal phobias are one of the most common types I deal with, Mrs. Smollett. And I might say that I have a great deal of success with them. But how do you do it? I use a technique called hyperamnesia. Amnesia? Actually, it's the opposite of amnesia. After placing the subject in a trance state and making her completely willing to free herself from critical judgments about her past. Wait a minute. I'm not following you. What we do is get the subject to remember long forgotten, very, very deeply repressed experiences. Sometimes they remember them in great detail, even though they still maintain amnesia at the conscious level. And do you see? I'm not sure I do. Do you mean you can find something in my mind that I don't even know is there? Possibly. It may take some time. We might need several visits to establish a rapport between us. But if all goes well, we should soon be able to find out if anything in your past is causing this problem. And of course, that something will most likely concern a dog. That wasn't one of Hank's longer passes, but it was a forthrighted joke flat, deep in enemy territory. What? Now, are you home already? Yes. Well, what happened? How'd it go at Folix? It was all very strange. Well, come on. Let's hear it. Did he get you hypnotized or did he? Look, I just want to hone my coat up. Look, I'm missing a big game just because I want to hear. You might as well turn it on again, George, because all that Dr. Folix did was what he called the first stages. What does that mean? I mean, well, he put me under all right. There wasn't any problem about that. Yeah, I figured that. Tell me what he said about the dog. He didn't say anything, George. Well, what do you mean? Just that. He didn't start talking about my problem. That's going to have to wait until I'm more receptive. What's he trying to do? Keep stringing you along until he bleeds me dry? Those visits cost 50 bucks each, you know what I mean? I know it's expensive, but you're the one who insisted that I go. 50 bucks a week plus kennel charges. A couple of months of that, and I'll be hocking half of my trucks. Look, you tell that guy to get down to business. It's only my second visit, George. Well, we better start seeing some results on number three. Understand? I'm not waiting any longer. There doesn't have to be a number three. As far as I'm concerned, we can stop right now. What are you talking about? George, I don't want to do this thing. I hate being put under. I hate anybody poking around in my subconscious for something that isn't even important to me. You mean you want to be sick? I think I'll lie down for a while. Don't you walk out on me. I'm sure you'd rather watch a football game. I'll tell me what to do. I know you think I'm Mr. Lowbrow, but let me tell you something, kid. You're no fairy princess anymore. Maybe that's what you used to think you were back in the old days, but the only fairy around this house is that piano student of yours. I don't like to talk to you when you're like this. That's what you always say when I'm drinking. Well, I'm not drinking now, and you better listen to what I'm saying. Oh, please, George, don't touch me. I knew that was coming next. Don't touch. That's your favorite phrase, night and day. Don't touch, George. You're hurting me. That's the only thing you understand. The only touch that means a thing to you. Don't love me. Stop being such an animal. I'll show you what I almost do. No, George, please. Don't. Don't. I'll show you what kind of animal I am. I'll show you. No, George, please. Don't. Please. Well, I guess that wasn't much better, was it? What? You didn't think much of the performance. I mean, it wasn't exactly horror, was it? No, it was perfectly all right, Ronnie, really. But you're not all right, are you? Oh, yes, I'm fine. You look awful. No, I didn't mean that. You never look awful, but you're acting so funny today. I'm sorry. I guess I have something on my mind. Can I take a guess? No. What you can take is the next page of this lesson. Listen, Mrs. Smolt, look, can I call you Julia? Oh, really, Ronnie? I know, I know. You're going to give me all that stuff about teacher-student relationship. Only I'm sick of calling you Mrs. Smolt. I hate it. I hate it because it's his name. Ronnie. No, you're the most important thing in my whole life. Please, Ronnie. I don't want you to say things like that. They're not true and they're just making it impossible for me to teach you. You know how I feel about you. I'm sure you do. You're just too smart not to have seen it. I know that you're 20 years old. Is that why you don't want me to talk about it? Because I'm younger than you are? It's flattering that you feel that way, Ronnie, but I know it's just a little crush you have. Boys go through that sort of thing all the time. Boys, crush. You're treating me like a kid. If you ask me, that's why you keep me on those damn scale exercises all the time. So you won't have to think that I'm any more of a man than those 10-year-old kids that you teach all the time. No, Ronnie. I know you're a man. Of course I do. Well, then if you think that, treat me like one just once. Please. Please. Let me kiss you, Julia. Just once. Ronnie. Please, Julia. What is it? What's the matter? It's nothing. I just bruised my neck a little and when you touched it... Your neck? Yes, it's nothing. Is that why you're wearing the scarf today? Let me see. No, Ronnie, don't. Oh, my God. It was just an accident, nothing but an accident. You're all bruised. Your whole neck. Look at it. I can see more bruises down the shoulder. What did he do to you? Please, please don't talk about it. I can't bear to talk about it. You don't have to, Julia. You don't have to. But he's going to talk about it with me. Hey, listen to that, will you? Doesn't that bring back memories? Hey, Julia. What? That charm. We used to dance to it, remember? In a girl room. First year we were married. Hey, you want a drink? No thanks. We're drinking enough for both of us. That makes me feel good. Yes. That's the thing about wives. They ought to do what their husbands do. A man needs a pal, not just a wife. I'm sorry that I'm not a pal, George. That's why I need a dog, you understand? A man's got to have a friend, somebody who understands him, you see? You really think that dog, what his name would understand you? His name's a teller, a teller. It's an awful name for a dog, a frightening name. Everything scares you, even names. Now, who the heck is Johnny? I don't know. Hello, Mr. Smollett. Hey, what is this? Since when do you give piano lessons at night, Julia? Johnny, what are you doing here? I didn't come for a lesson. I came to... to talk to Mr. Smollett. You want to talk to me about what? May I please come in, sir? Yeah, yeah, sure. Come on, sonny. Johnny, you shouldn't have come here. I won't stay long. I just want to say something to your husband. Sure, kid, go ahead. I wanted to say that I know what you're doing to Julia. I know how you've been hurting her. And I won't let you get away with it. Well, if anybody knows... Look, if she doesn't want to say anything about it, I will. You touch her again. I'll go to the police. I mean that. See, there are laws in this country. I think maybe I'm hearing things. I swear, Mr. Smollett, you ever hit her once more. You're going to go to jail. So I'm going to jail, huh? And you're going to put me there. Riley, I beg you not to do this. No, no, no, no. It's okay, Julie. I like hearing this. I mean, I want to know what the younger generation is thinking. You don't want me to hit my wife any more. Is that it? That's it. You're sure you know the difference between hitting and just giving little love-tap? Please, Ronnie, go. Go right now. I mean maybe you made a mistake, kid. For instance, this is a love-tap. George! Now, that's a love-tap, Ronnie, baby. This is it. George, stop it! No! Now, you see the difference, kid? You better be sure you know the difference before you talk to the... George! George! George! George! Yes, it's sad to realize that all men who love dogs aren't necessarily lovable themselves. But obviously George Smollett is a man who believes that brute force trains people as well as animals. You may be right in some respects, but perhaps he should be aware of the old saying that every dog has his day. I'll be back shortly with Act III. An important day has arrived in the life of Julia Smollett and her husband George, because Julia is on her way to the offices of Dr. Frohlich, who has promised that this is the day which may bring her back to the forgotten days of her past. Perhaps to the very day when she equated the word terror with a friendly eyes and wagging tail of man's best friend. Ah, this better be the payoff. That's all I've got to say. I hope you're not disappointed, George. Well, at least you're talking to me. That's the first word you've said to me in two days. I haven't had much to say. Ah, the kid Ronnie's all right. I didn't mark him up. He's still as pretty as ever. That worries you, doesn't it? Nobody's got a right to walk into my own house and say those things to me. You have nothing to worry about, George. Yeah, that's what you say. Fifty bucks a visit is something to worry me and forty a week for the dog and a lot of other things. We've also lost a piano pupil, I suppose you realize that. Oh, cares about that. Ronnie paid twenty dollars a week for his lessons, George. I won't miss it. Not as much as you'll miss your little Prince Charming. Well, what about it? About what? You're going to miss them, right? You're not going to have any shoulder to cry on, are you? I think I'd better explain exactly what I plan, Mrs. Smollett. And we're going to try something called age regression. Age regression? It sounds as if you're going to make me younger. That's almost exactly what we'll try to do. Well, if you can, Doctor, you'll have every woman in America on your doorstep. What you're going to do is attempt to take your mind back into your own past. I'm going to see if you can relive some of your early years. You mean that I might actually remember things from my early childhood? I'm hoping that you'll recall one particular thing. The thing that you've been concealing from your adult self for a very long time. It's rather frightening, isn't it? No. There isn't fear in knowledge, especially self-knowledge. Now, I will just draw the window shade and we'll get started. And, Mr. Smollett, would you like to come inside? Me? You mean you're well through so fast? No, no, no, we're not through, but your wife is in a deep trance and I thought you might want to be here when we begin the age regression attempt. Well, sure if you want me in there. Hey, she looks like she's asleep. But she isn't. Hypnosis only resembles the sleep state, but it's not. Mrs. Smollett is very much awake. Yeah? Mrs. Smollett, Julia, you may open your eyes now. Ah, that's fine. Now, tell me, do you know what day it is today? Uh, yes, Wednesday. No, you're wrong. It's Friday, Julia. Is that right? Yes, Friday. No, Julia, it isn't Friday either. Do you know what day it is now? No, I don't know what day it is. In fact, right now you don't know the day or the month or even the year, Julia, do you? No. You see, Mr. Smollett, I'm purposely doing this to dislocate your wife in time. Oh, yeah, yeah, I understand. Julia, you're going to be a child all over again. You're going to see and hear and feel everything you did since you were a baby. And you're going to tell me everything I want to know about what you see, hear and feel. You're going to answer all my questions starting right now. You understand? Yes. Julia, you are one year old. Do you hear me? You're an infant, only one year old. Tell me what you know, Julia. Tell me if you're afraid of dogs. Oh, my God. You sound like a happy baby to me, Julia. I don't think you had any fear of animals when you were a little baby. Did you? Now you're two years old, Julia. You can probably say a few words now. Are you afraid of dogs? Now you're three, Julia. You're growing up very quickly. Now you're a big three-year-old girl. And are you afraid of dogs now, Julia? No. No. I'm not afraid of bow-out. You're four years old now, Julia. Tell me if you're afraid of dogs now. It's all right to shake your head as long as you tell me, Julia. Now you're five, five years old. What? Still not afraid of dogs? No. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. Now you're six, Julia. Six. This can't go on forever. Please, Mr. Smollett. Not afraid at six, Julia? Then let's be seven years old. You're seven years old. Still not afraid, are you? Now what about eight? You're an eight-year-old girl now. Topper? Topper? What was that? Birch-y saying. Julia, who is Topper? Is Topper a dog? Topper's my dog. Where is Topper now, Julia? He's upstairs. They put Topper away. They killed him and it's all my fault. It's all my fault. What's your fault? What did you do, Julia? No. It's his fault. It's Bobby's fault. Who's he, Julia? Is Bobby a friend of yours? I hate him. He Jesus me. He Jesus me all the time. I'm glad I did it. I'm glad. Only don't kill Topper, please. Please don't kill my dog. Does Oris mean something? Yes, it means a great deal, Mrs. Hallett. Julia, now please listen. I want you to tell me all about Bobby and Topper. Bobby lives next door. He Jesus me. He pulls my hair. He tore my dress. He put mud in my shoes and he hit Topper with a rock. Mommy! What happened, Julia? Why are you calling your mother? What's happened to Bobby? I told him. Was it Bobby you warned? Julia, listen to me. I want you to explain everything to me very clearly. Did you tell your dog to hurt Bobby? Yes. Did he hurt Bobby? Did Topper kill him? No. He hurt Bobby. He didn't kill him. He hurt Bobby in the neck, but they killed Topper. They killed my dog. It's my fault. My fault. Well, I think we found the lost dog. You know, Mrs. Smollett, now you may be able to understand. It was this one incident in your childhood, this one tragedy of your past innocence which is responsible for your phobia. More than anything, you have a strong feeling of guilt. You blame yourself for what happened to little Bobby, wedding in all likelihood. You were not in any way at fault. No, Dr. Smollett. You're wrong about that part. It was my fault. I remember it all now. You probably just wished that Topper would turn on the little boy and you saw your wish become a reality. So you accused yourself of a crime. I didn't wish it. I told Topper what to do. I hate it, Bobby, so much I wanted him to sink his teeth in that little boy's throat. Well, at least you brought it all into the light, Mrs. Smollett. And something tells me that it won't be long before you willingly accept the love and friendship of a dog again. How are you? I'm okay, I guess. That looks like a brand new car you're driving. Oh, yeah, it is. My parents gave it to me for my birthday, but, well, it took a couple of months to get it here from the factory. Well, you see, I mean, I wanted a couple of special things done to it. It's very handsome, Ronnie. I'm sure you're enjoying it. Yeah, it's great. I guess you've been shopping, huh? Yes, I have been. Oh, Ronnie, maybe you'd like to come inside for a few minutes for some tea or something? Hi, I'm afraid I can't right now. I mean, see, I'm supposed to pick up Lisa at her house. Lisa? Yeah, Lisa Brongand. We sort of going steady now. Yes, yes, yes, of course. Well, it was very nice running into you, Ronnie. Yes, it was. Hey, by the way, you're looking... Well, I mean, you seem real fine these days. Mr. Smollett. Yes, Ronnie, I'm really very fine. Now I've got to go inside. It's time to feed a tiller. Who? Goodbye, Ronnie. Where are you? Where's that animal? Oh, I suppose he's playing the yard or something. Oh, or maybe he's in the bedroom. Oh, I see George's jacket's back from the cleaners. I haven't taken all the smell out of it. No, they couldn't do that. Nothing will ever take the smell of George out of anything. Now to find that animal. A tiller! Well, don't worry, I'll have you out of that in a minute. We can't have you tied up, can we, boy? We can't play our little game if you're tied up. Yes, yes, that's a good dog. Good, good boy, a tiller. Now, now, now, let's play our little game. See the jacket a tiller? The jacket, boy. Go on, smell it. Who said a dog has to be man's best friend? Why not woman's best friend? Especially a woman like Julia who is just learning how really helpful a dog can be. Or rather, she's remembering how helpful. And one day soon, George Smollett will come home with a very surprising greeting from his own pet. I'll be back shortly. We hope we haven't given you the impression that we don't love dogs. We love them very much, especially since dogs are descended from wolves. And the wolf is not only a fascinating creature, he also does something wonderful for all lovers of mystery stories. He makes this chilling sound, Our cast included Kim Hunter, George Matthews, Robert Dryden, Gil Mack, and Mandy Patinkin. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by Anheuser-Busch Incorporated, Brewers of Budweiser. This is E.G. Marshall inviting you to return to our Mystery Theater for another adventure in the Macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams.