 Wait a minute. Have you heard the whistler? The whistler if you could look upon Charlie as I do you'd realize he's inanimate dead with no power to harm That was old Peter Medford the jungle explorer now confined to a wheelchair with paralysis I would suggest that you leave this place at once Miss Medford at once that was clay Alden Peter Medford secretary and And this is Marie Peter Medford's young niece. No, no, no. It's no dream. It's here here in my room Saturday night and CBS presents another in the new mystery series the whistler And I the whistler know many things For I walk by night I know many strange tales many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who've stepped into the shadows I know the nameless terrors at which they dare not speak And so I tell you tonight the strange mystery of the shrunken head In the quickening darkness of a stormy fall evening The young girl paces the deserted platform of a small suburban railroad station From her anxious attitude, we know that she's waiting for someone But just be patient Miss Medford. There is someone coming to meet you He has just now driven up. He's coming through the station door Walking up behind you miss medford. Oh Oh, yes, I sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm play Alden. Oh, yes Uncle Peter has mentioned you in his letter His secretary argel. That's right Where is my uncle? He was disappointed. He couldn't meet you pretty much of a task for the old gentleman to get around these days You see he's confined to a wheelchair. Oh, I didn't know There is legs are paralyzed result of jungle fever just came on him lately Yes, it's a shame. All right Well, shall we get going Cars out front better run for it or you'll get wet. I'll take care of your luggage. Thank you very much Rather a disappointing reception. Marie Medford, wouldn't you think You have come over 2,000 miles all by yourself just to see the only living relative you have in the world Then you are met by a stranger The car turns up the treeline driveway This Marie is what is known in this countryside as medford man It's all that the name implies a gloomy pile of a structure Even made gloomier by the blackness of the night and the driving rain Someone has heard the car approach. The door is open. It's the butler victor Well, Marie are you going in? What a pity. You don't know what I do. You'd never cross that threshold if you did Too late now Your luggage is being brought in the young man in the butler stand beside you The door closes Victor take Miss Medford's luggage upstairs to the south corner bedroom The south corner bedroom, sir certainly Why not Very good, sir Any further instructions? No Oh, uh, has mr. Medford retired yet? Not yet, sir. He's in his study. I I just gave him his His warm milk. He may have dozed off, sir. All right. Thank you victor. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir Would you care to follow victor to your room miss medford? I'd like to see my uncle now if I could please Very well come this way Here we are I'll speak to him Wait here, please How do you like it? You get a feeling of something not as it should be Strange fellow this clay and the butler too Uh, look about you at a depressing house huge and cold Unfriendly Not at all as you'd imagined it. Is it Marie or uncle will see you now Marie my dear child come in come in come in Very well by poor child take off those wet things at once old and what's the matter with you? My niece will catch your death help her off for those things. Sorry mr. Medford. Thank you Bless my soul pretty as the picture. You got a kiss for us. Of course That's it now you sit down here beside me I'm sorry. I couldn't meet you my dear, but I'm afraid the ravages of old age and malaria have finally caught up with me My one comfort is this wheelchair getting on to it though. You should see me wheeling all over the house The only thing that baffles me is the stairs My life is now confined to the first floor only pretty bad trip, wasn't it? Endless well you hear now. Thank goodness. This is your home You're free to come and go and do whatever you please thank you uncle Peter Don't suppose any of this is what you imagined I know that I'm different from what I'd hope you'd find Tell me uncle Peter Do you think you'd have recognized me if you hadn't known I was coming recognize you of course You have the family of medford written all over you. No mistaking you my dear Well old and what are you standing there for? What are you staring at? Oh? Waiting see if you need anything for this. No, no, no, no, no, that's all I'll ring for you if I need you Yes Oh, I forgot to thank you for what he gets paid for whatever he does Forgive me for saying this but Somehow I don't like that young man. Was he rude to you. Oh, no not actually But he seems to resent my being here and the butler he seems resentful too I feel as though I don't belong. Oh, they're harmless enough, but getting back to you. I I was so sorry. I was in South America at the time The time it happened Must have been pretty ghastly for you my child like a nightmare uncle Peter I'm not myself yet and I should think not an only child losing both parents so suddenly and And so horribly maybe it was a good thing. It was sudden It had to happen at all One spectator at the crash said that they never Never knew You mustn't talk about it or let's behind you a new life from now on That's the way I want to look at it uncle Peter And I'd like to get something to do well Oh, no, yes, really. I would I want to be active if I can I'm quite capable I'd really like to get a job uncle Peter. Well bless my soul secretary will work or anything Well, that might not be a bad idea keep you from brooding Well, you'll see what we can do and now now I have a little surprise for you You haven't seen my collection. No, I haven't mother and father often talk to father And if you'll just open that door over there, I'll show some of it to you Oh, that's right You'll find the light switch just inside Over here my dear Look at these. Well, what do you think of them? Well, they're horrible uncle Peter They look like tiny human hands. Well, that's exactly what they are Life size at one time But isn't it remarkable the way they shrink them down look at this one See his little features perfect in every detail. He's my favorite Interesting history about him. He was once a white man Forced down in the South American jungle when his plane cracked up. The headhunters got hold of him and there he is His name is charlie. I'd like to see him closer. I can unlock the case. No, no, please Do you mind if I don't look anymore? Oh dear, I I keep forgetting people are sometimes shocked by these things I see them only through a collector's eyes Oh, well, you'll have lots of time to look over my jungle paraphernalia I mean well, perhaps you better get some rest. Would you like victor to get you something to eat? No, thank you uncle Peter But I am rather tired I think I'll say good night to you know your way about do you? Yes, I'll find my way Good night uncle Peter. Good night my sweet child. I'll see you in the morning Oh marie Know something You're going to have dreams tonight Unpleasant ones too Well, let's move the clock ahead and go to marie's bedroom It's a little after three in the morning. She's asleep now. The rain's still coming down. The wind moans outside Hear it? Yes, marie's asleep Looks peaceful enough lying there in that big four poster bed But suddenly she begins to toss Things so real I'm sure I heard it whisper only the wind And oh, I wish I hadn't seen that dreadful thing Miss Medford. Are you all right? So there play olden. Oh, oh, yes, mr. Olden. I uh I just had a bad dream at all. I'm quite all right. Thank you. Well, if you need anything just rain Yes, I will. Sorry. I disturbed you not at all I must get some sleep Stop dreaming but little sleep for you marie The moments tick by with dreadful slowness Fearing to close her eyes She lies staring at the roof of her bed Lying in agony for the moment when that hideous little head will again come floating in through space It is morning now a dreary fog still hovers depressingly over the old house a cold Claminess which only adds to marie's sensation of uneasiness in the dismal morning room victor is serving breakfast to clay Alden and marie Shame you didn't rest well last night miss medford. Just a newness of everything. I'll get used to it victor. I hope you will miss Of course you will. Oh and mr. Alden Um, don't mention anything to my uncle about that silly dream I had last night. Oh, of course that did you have a bad night miss? Yes The daytime makes such a difference in things Even you seem different mr. Alden for the better. I trust. Oh, sorry. It wasn't very complimentary Oh, here comes uncle Well, good morning you two good morning mr. Medford morning, uncle peter you look quite fit this morning So feelings splendidly had the best night's sleep and I don't know how long and how are you feeling night child quite well Thank you uncle. Oh, you remember our conversation of last evening. I mean about you wanting to do something Yes, I think I've got it for you Friend of my name finneas drake collects books just purchased a library complete want someone to catalog it for it Small pay but not too difficult. Well, how does this out? Oh, it sounds wonderful. It's just what I want Splendid I'll call him again after breakfast Can you imagine such an ambitious young girl alden wants to work and she's only worth a cool million Well, not yet. I'm not uncle peter. Well, whenever you become of age or whatever it said and your father's will I thought you knew what it said. I would inherit my cool million until I married What was that with Medford? You see right away. You've put notions into his head She said she won't come into her inheritance until she marries If I have a father made that strange provision, I shall never know But marie you stay your distance from this young man Can't an old man have his little joke Anyway, with all the eligible young men you'll meet poor alden won't stand a chance All right, all right, all right victor where my eggs right here, sir Oh, yes, soft boiled eggs. That should die Tell me my dear did you find your room comfortable? Oh, yes, it's a lovely room. It's almost like a castle Oh, I miss my old room the one next to yours. I haven't been up there in over a month One day soon. I'll have victor and alden carry me up those stairs just to see if the place looks the same Victor serve my niece some more coffee. Yes. Yes, of course, sir So marie you're going to have something to do But you're an intelligent girl should do well at your new assignment That's harder work than you thought though hours of scanning small print and copying down the individual histories of countless books All goes well for several weeks and then early one afternoon you return home marie to find your uncle as usual in his study Why are you so upset marie? You're not finished already finished as far as mr. Phineas drake is concerned I can't understand. I've done my work. Well This afternoon mr. Drake came to me and said he had no further use for my services Didn't explain why just just looked at me clearly and said he preferred someone else to finish the job Well, that's strange. Oh, well, he's an old crank. Don't let this upset you. We'll find something else for you to do No, no, no, no, don't you worry Surely it's been satisfactory. Well, you see because of the peculiar nature of my profession. I I must have someone more experienced I'm sorry miss medford Professor Hanley I did exactly as you instructed What on earth is wrong? You'll excuse me miss medford, but uh, well your ability as an assistant has not come up to stand I've studied botany and I I've checked this manuscript most carefully There's not a single mistake. Very sorry miss medford, but they're not all acceptable. I have to get someone else Is there something wrong with me? Well, I shall certainly call dr. Humphrey right away. No, no, I'd rather you didn't But it was only the other day he telephoned me and said what an efficient secretary thought you were Something wrong somewhere. Oh, you you know, marie. I I think I'd give up this idea of wanting to work I hadn't mentioned it to you, but you're really not looking your best lately Well to tell the truth uncle I I haven't been sneaking well I have the most frightening nightmares In fact, it's the same dream every night. Well, that's odd What's the dream about? I keep seeing that little head When you said was called Charlie oh Dear, I I suppose I made a mistake showing that to you in your first night If you could only look upon charlie as I do you'd realize it is inanimate Dead with no power at all to do your harm You built up a phobia about that head now the thing to do is to destroy that fear by facing it You come along with me my dear In there again, it's the only way now come along. Oh, no, uncle peter. I know what I'm doing open that door marie I'm going to make you realize how foolish you've been over here my dear. Oh, I know you think I'm being cruel But I know my psychology. I By that strain By somebody's broken into this case ring for victor and get old and here's once something missing somebody has deliberately taken that head So charlie is missing, eh? Wonder who could have broken the lock and lifted the little head from its black velvet pad I wonder But now several nights have passed Still the head called charlie has not reappeared Marie has just taken a sedative or uncle peter gave her is now lying on her bed tossing fretfully praying for sleep Sleep marie tonight Oh dear heaven No dreams tonight Let me get some sleep No No No, no, oh you don't believe I actually thought I'll ask you some questions. First of all in this dream you hear a voice of any kind A voice that whispers my name's charlie over and over But tonight it's said something different Now you wouldn't go on my dear I had hoped and prayed with all my heart that this wouldn't happen to you What are you trying to tell me, uncle peter? You've heard me go on about the fine old medford stock Well, it so happens our branch isn't so fine But there's been something wrong You mean insanity insanity in the family Why haven't I heard of it before? Because my dear it's It's the medford secret ever you do marie. You must not let go of your salad But it's not easy being told you're mad If I am afflicted That's why they discharged me But how did they know what did I do that would give evidence? Perhaps perhaps you do things you're not aware of Maybe I do things you're only logical What's to become? Now now now we'll work this out together my dear child. No one will ever know you can depend upon me I won't leave From tonight on I shall be taken upstairs and I'll stay near you Knowing that which afflicts us gives us a weapon with which to fight it Just you rely upon me my dear The one he calls charlie it's back in its case when did this happen sometime last night? I guess happy or nightmare I'm convinced now that that's all it was I am not so sure When you threw charlie to the floor a piece of his ear broke off. I found it after you went downstairs Yeah, here it is. It's charlie's ear. All right. I checked it very carefully. Oh, no, this doesn't make a sense Did you ring for me miss? No no good to know. I I didn't ring Oh Sorry miss Yes, leopard you're in grave danger you've got to leave this house as quickly as you can and never come back What's going on in here? I'm gone. What was that? I heard you telling my niece clay I said she should leave this house and never come back all the impudence I'll didn't explain yourself. I'll be glad to sir I think miss medford is in danger of losing her sanity as well as her life What is all this poppycock? Are you trying to frighten my niece lord? No, she's been through enough. She's been through too much She weren't made of pretty stout stuff. She'd have been a gibbering idiot by this time Holden you're packing your things and leaving at once leaving. I'm afraid you're wrong, sir I'm not leaving not yet. Maybe you're leaving mr. Olden. What's the meaning of this? I'm sorry to break it to you this way, but I'm definitely convinced your uncle is a diabolical fiend I can take so much no more Look here olden if you know what's good for you leave here at once at once you here You're pretty anxious to get rid of me, but it's too late Miss medford you remember your father's will you'd come into your money only if you married Well, if you didn't marry uncle peter would get the money and if he could prove you were insane You'd never be able to marry you see how it all works out. Well, how dare you listen to that? Maybe listen to me miss medford your uncle your loving uncle was the one who telephoned your employers and told them you were crazy Phineas drake and all the others told me so today I don't believe it lies lies while your uncle even told me you were crazy I know what's happened He himself smashed the lock and took the head from its case and planted it last night in your room If you'll stand on a chair and look above your bed as I did this afternoon You'll see a small radio loudspeaker. It's hooked up to a microphone in the back stairs hallway The voice you heard was your uncle peter. I don't believe you last night after you came out in the hallway Your uncle peter grabbed up the head stepped out onto that balcony and climbed down the vines to his study Why he's just mad as a marcher. How could I possibly be a puny? You're such a monstrous plot Why I can't even walk. Look look at this ear a piece of charlie's ear I found it in marie's room that proves she wasn't dreaming and it fits perfectly. I've tried it. Why you give me that ear Give it to me You're walking give it to me Look at him marie standing unaided. Does that prove anything to you? Right, it's true. I can walk But you are insane marie insane. You'll never marry anyone marie. I'll see to that vector grab him Don't move mr. Medford. He's in house. Don't believe what halden says. You're crazy marie There's no escaping it. You'll have those beams and charlie will visit you every night You'll hear him saying my name's charlie My name's charlie Hold him vector Got him sir. I think you're the one who's crazy medford. Maybe that could be proved Take it easy now mr. Medford. Take it easy. There's nothing wrong with me. You know it. Is the car ready vector? Yes, it's ready Come in gentlemen These are the officers. Then you'd better take him away. Yes, sir. Please come quietly mr. Medford. I'm not crazy I'm not lying. I'm lying. I'm lying. You hear your lie I'm terribly sorry about this marie Terribly sorry But it's all for the best. How can it be for the best? But think what does mean Leave my father's brother and it's insane and And it means that I might be too Run from the peril. No, no, don't worry marie. Don't worry. You're safe. You're perfectly normal. I know Yes, you see he wasn't your real uncle. He was your father's foster brother. I found proof So you see you've nothing nothing in the world appear. How do you know that? Someday marie I'll tell you all about it Tomorrow why don't you tell her now clay? Tell her why you were working as peter medford secretary Because your father was peter's partner His partner that your father was ruined in business by peter and killed himself killed himself in disgrace That you suspected him of having cheated your father That you came to find the evidence and discovered in time peter's diabolical plan to prevent marie from ever marrying Let her tell her clay I would CBS has presented the whistler By wilber hatch tonight's whistler story was written by joseph curams Directed by j donald wilson and originated from columbia square in hollywood Next week same time I the whistler will return to tell you the strange story of the curse Good night This is the columbia broadcasting system