 Suspense auto light and its ninety six thousand dealers present mr. Danny Kaye in I never met the dead man A suspense play produced and edited by William Spear Hello wake up mr. Wilcox. It's a brand new year. Happy new year. Okay What a sleep. Hey, did she say a new year boy? Let me add it at that auto light stay full battery I promised myself that wonderful water wagon that thirstless thrilling three-timer. Yes, sir It needs water only three times a year in normal car use Hello again. Are you up mr. Wilcox? Am I up? I'm as up as an auto light stay full battery is up and away at a single starter shove on a witter's morning That's as cold as Blitzen and alive Alive as an auto light stay full battery built with fiberglass retaining mats to give seventy percent longer average life According to tests based on SAE life cycle standards compared to batteries without those stay full features Mr. Wilcox, it's time for oh, yes. Yes suspense And now with I never met the dead man and the performance of mr. Danny Kaye Auto light hopes once again to keep you in suspense I never even met the guy. I was just walking along humming on an empty side street on new year's day Hmm do anything officer. Oh Nobody ever does anything Why they PS cups of salary? I don't understand. Well, you know me mr. Callan Joe wick off. I was on my way home from the plant running home boy No, I wasn't bullets were flying around here. Somebody killed that man in the car. Sure somebody Are you crazy as something? I had nothing to do with it. Ask anybody Ask who for instance boy There wasn't anybody else on the street when I turned the corner Well, how about these buildings around here? You could have been shot from one of them. That's right. He could have But you better stick around anyway boy That's how it started Just walking along humming all of a sudden bang bang and half hour later the cops have me in the yes room at headquarters No rubber hose none of that kind of stuff. Just where did I hide the gun? Where did I hide the gun? Where did I hide the gun and I keep telling them? I don't even own a gun All the time. I know they got nothing on me that they're playing a long shot, but just the same. I'm scared Murder rap who wouldn't be scared? Finally after a couple hours. They let me go Callan the cop that nav me was standing on the sidewalk outside Well, well, look mr. Callan. I wanted to tell you I know you were just doing your duty and there's no hard feelings. Well, that's real generous of your boy I was only trying to be nice about it I'm wondering why you're trying You're worried aren't you wake up? You're holding something back. You're worried. Nah, you you're lying. I can tell You know so much. Why don't you sound off inside headquarters? I'm just a neighborhood cop a beat man But even a beat man gets a good idea once in a while What are you holding back boy? Nothing mr. Callan. Nothing. I tell you bad business lying to the police. I'm not lying Go on home boy. Talk it over with your wife. Maybe she's got some sense Bella my wife with some sense That was funny only Callan didn't know Bella's like a friendly kitten Pretty and lovable and full of fun. Oh Bella could think was gee her husband's name was in the evening paper Oh Look Joey right here on page 27 the only witness to the murder was Joseph. I wake off They misspelled it only one F. Wouldn't you think they'd know better? Joseph I'll wake off a truck driver on his way home from work. The victim has not yet been I Identified the guy they get killed the cops don't know who he was no papers on the body and his face was full of bullet holes See police expect to make an arrest within 24 hours It says no right here a professional job like that. It's gonna take their cops more than 24 hours to pin down I Don't understand Professional a hired gunman steps off a train from Detroit or someplace He fires a couple of shots and takes the next train back no clues nothing. Oh Well, then how oh, let's forget it a while will you honey? I don't feel like talking about it. All right, Joey Okay You sick or something Joey? You're all jumpy. You didn't eat hardly any supper. All right. I've got no appetite Lots of times. I'm like that. No no appetite. I'd it's a shame all that good spaghetti going to waste Joey What we ought to celebrate your name in the paper. Let's go out dance in some way. I'm tired Bella bush We never go out anymore some other time Bella That's what I mean all jumpy. I'm sorry Bella. I shouldn't have yelled off like that those Cops this afternoon. They got me upset. Oh, honey. I don't blame you being upset They got that nerve practically saying you killed a fella. You can't blame the cops Bella They know they got their work cut out and they ain't missing any bets They're trying to advance themselves too, but you've never been in trouble before you think that would be enough for them The only thing is I I Have been in trouble Back in New York before I met you. I did a stretch in prison You yeah, it was nothing very much robbing a grocery store the kind of crazy things young guys do I do You never told me well you spend a year with the bad boys You certainly don't hire a skyrider to tell people about it Bella, but I'm your wife, Joey I wanted to tell you and I would have but I don't Sure sure but but lots of times you talk without thinking honey. I I was scared you might let it slip and oh, I never would have a mouth about a thing like that Joey You know that Did you tell a police Joey? No No They asked me did I have a record and I said no oh Maybe I shouldn't have lied. I don't know but I was rattled. I'm still rattled. Well, will they find out anyway? I don't see how They didn't book me this afternoon. So Well, there's no fingerprints to check with oh Well then well the Callan the comp I told you about he worries me. He's the one He knows I get something on my mind and he keeps needling need So let him needle. You know how would look Guy with a record spotted near the murder and Callan mr. Callan's got plenty of the things on his mind in a couple of days. He'll forget all about you You think so Bella? And I'm supposed to be the dopey one around here. I Got to think and maybe Bella was right Maybe it was just another side street killer and it wouldn't amount to a hill of beans I might even have had a good night's sleep if we hadn't stayed up for the late news broadcast Lost in the back pages of tonight's papers will be headlined on page one tomorrow morning The victim has been identified as Willoughby Roberts feature reporter of the news Gazette And that newspaper has already posted a $10,000 award for information leading to the arrest of the killer Willoughby Roberts it was revealed tonight had been engaged in an undercover investigation of the county's illegal gambling palaces Today President Truman made an address to my luck My luck now Joey $10,000 every cop in town will be out for that reward if they find out about my record Oh Joey don't Bella. What am I gonna do? It was nothing I could do but wait and pray that the cops would let me alone Next morning I went to work same as usual All day long I sat behind the wheel of my truck trying to act like nothing was wrong Finally, I went back to the plant Hugo he was the boss of us truckers. He had left word for me to see him in his office Come in sit down Joe No, I'm not supposed to tell you Joe, but you're in trouble Bad trouble. Yeah a cop in here all afternoon pumping me. It was his name Callan He didn't mention no name thick neck hard eyes all the time looks like he's smiling at something He don't think it's funny. That's Callan. All right his wick off a friend of pigeon watts He asks me and I tell him what's the gambler big gambler. He owns that place outside of town the pigeon coop The reporter the guy that was killed he was working on pigeon watts the cops figure the pigeon paid someone to do the job Maybe you I don't know any pigeon what's what I told this cop this Callan Joe Wick off mixed up with gamblers. I said don't make me laugh He can't even beat his wife a gin rummy and anybody that can't beat Bella gin rummy thanks. Thanks. Thanks, Hugo Slowed him it slowed him down a little Joe Now how comes the bad part go ahead this copy went nosing around the truckers locker room He found a gun Joe Where in the box for dirty towels? Knew where you keep your stuff was it the gun? No, it wasn't the one he was looking for not the one that did the killing But it makes things look bad for you Now look you go. I'm telling you is what he said Joe what Callan said he said at headquarters You swore up and down you didn't own a gun and when he found this one in the locker room He said it makes things look bad for you Bad Joe all the truck has used that room, but right away. It's my gun Why didn't he ask the other guys who did he did ask Joe? They all say no well, so do I say no Why does Callan believe the other guys and not me? I asked him that he said Well, he said the other guys didn't do a stretch in the jailhouse. Oh So we found out already, huh? It's true that her Joe Yeah Yeah, it's true What am I gonna do Joe? I don't know what you mean. I don't get it. What are you gonna do all these trucks? Sometimes the cargo is valuable What am I gonna do Joe? Yesterday, I'm your best friend Today, I'm an ex-con who might steal a monkey why I got the owners to answer to Joe Suppose you were me suppose you had a driver you like but it turned out he had a record. What would you do? Same thing you're gonna do There are other jobs sure sure all kinds of jobs for an ex-con Murder suspect babysitting maybe don't do anything crazy, but please Joe. Well, suppose you were me What would you do? I'd go out and get drunk But I ain't a married man Bella will need you Joe. She's not having any picnic Did she know what's been going on? Well the cop was heading for your apartment when he left here So I called Bella to Well just to call her in case there's any evidence to hide was that it? Oh Joe my buddy my trusting buddy Don't feel that way Joe. Well, what way do you expect me to feel? It's me, hon. You all right I'm so scared Joey a policeman that mr. Callan. He only just slept. It was awful. Oh, I'll take it easy Honey take it everything will be all right if you'll just take it easy He kept asking me did you know pigeon watch and I kept saying no one all the time I had these things in my pocket things. I was afraid they'd fall out and he'd see him It was awful Joey what things look these chips or whatever you call them These are gambling chips. I found them in your bureau drawer just before mr. Callan came They all got a pigeon marked on them and I figured you wouldn't want nobody to see him So I hid him in my pocket. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I don't get this. It doesn't make sense On account of the bird on them the pigeon. I knew right away You must have got him a pigeon wants gambling house. So I hid him. I never saw them before never Oh, we better drop them down a sewer or someplace where nobody'll find them Bella look listen to me. I Never saw them before Oh You believe me Bella don't you are sure I believe you Bella why were you looking at my bureau? I'm oh, don't ask me that Joe. Why Bella? Why were you looking? Please Joey? Don't Listen, it's raining. Why? All right, Joey It was On account of all the crazy things that have been happening Like about you haven't been in jail And then Hugo your best friend He found it so funny over the phone when he said they found a gun in your locker near my locker Not in near Near then I was scared mr. Callan might find something else when he got here So I searched all through the apartment and you found these chips from pigeon. What's his joint? Yeah? Oh Oh You think I'm mixed up in this murder don't you know Joey? No, it's It's just that I don't know what to think. What does that mean? Oh, I Guess I'm kind of dumb like you're always getting me All these crazy things happening. I don't know what to think First Callan then you go and now you You're sorry Joey. I can tell just by looking at you You're so clean through yeah No, no Bella Maybe it's better. You're honest then. I know where I stand. What maybe it's good. I'm sore Maybe now I'll get off the dine off the dine. You're Bella. I want you to listen to me now Did you go out today Bella? Did you go out at all for shopping or anything? Just a few minutes at noon. I went in to talk with Mrs. Manelli and for gee just cabin Well try to remember now did you leave the door open the apartment door? Yeah, I think so and somebody could have sneaked in here and planted these gambling chips while you were gone. I Guess so sure But who do a thing like that somebody who wants the $10,000 reward somebody who wants it bad enough to frame an innocent guy Joey I'm a natural. I'm an ex-con. I Happen to be right there when the shots were fired. I would enjoy who Who's framing you? I don't know who But whoever it is he got these chips from Pigeon Watts's joint Where are you going Joey to have a talk with mr. Pigeon Watts? Maybe I can get some information out of mr. Pigeon what just a minute Joey I'm going with you. I Thought I was so smart If I only hadn't gone on with it if I'd only just stay there let the cops arrest me convict me burn me anything Just so it wouldn't have ended up like it did Auto light is bringing you mr. Danny Kaye in I never met the dead man tonight's production and radio's outstanding theater thrills suspense Hello Overcoats the word my girl and friends auto lights stay full batteries don't need overcoats anywhere at any time any place These power packed partakers of water only three times a year in normal car use Will make your new year as happy as a Texan with a spanking new oil well in his parlor with an auto light stay full battery You're off like a hound in a hunt and Tests based on SAE life cycle standards show that auto lights stay full batteries have 70% longer average life than batteries without Stayful features. Mr. Wilcox the sponsor says don't bother me my girl Don't bother me. I made one big new year promise and that promise is packed with auto lights stay full batteries I'm bulging with stayful battery buildup and buy and buy no not buy and buy right now Why don't you visit your auto light battery dealer and buy yourself one of those wonderful auto lights stay full batteries? The batteries that need water only three times a year in normal car use the new year will really treat you right when you switch to auto light And now auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage our star Danny Kaye in I never met the dead man a Tail well calculated to keep you in suspense I Was a lot more scared and I let Bella know when we drove through the rain to pitch in what's his place? I didn't know what to expect so I told Bella to stay in the car with the lights out and the motor on And I started thought the door of the gambling It looked more like a warehouse an old dirty warehouse Yeah, one of what's his bounces finally opened out. He told me to beat it And a kind of all the stuff in the papers They were only letting in regulars people they were sure if he said pigeon what's wasn't seeing anybody And he began to get mean mad when I wouldn't go away I saw the flicker of brass knuckles coming at me, but I didn't duck I had to talk to what's even if it meant getting my lumps first Still feel like a hard guy No No, sir. I'm not a hard guy Yeah, I just wanted to say mr. What's a few minutes you're seeing them My name is wickoff mr. What's wickoff you the one that saw the reporter get it. Yes, I eat just a second Nobody bother me a while right hard guy. What's on your mind? Well, it's like this mr. What's and I told him the whole story Everything that had happened and he just sat there and looked at me no expression at all just sat there and looked at me It was like talking to a chair or something Even when I showed him the gambling chips Bella found in my bureau drawer It didn't seem to mean anything to him to bit chips for the piker trade anybody could have walked out of here with a handful Sorry, I can't help you. I gotta have help the cop. I told you about he really thinks I killed that reporter. I don't blame him It's a good frame not an obvious about it. Just little things point into your good frame all right a very good But I didn't do it honest. I didn't know you didn't but there's nothing I can do to help Sorry, what makes you so sure I didn't kill the guy Nothing I can do I Just asked why you're so sure I didn't kill him Because I know who did because I paid an out-of-town torpedo 1500 rockers for the job Well, well then expect to tell them that to the police. Well, you've got to mr. What's I could get the chair for this So could I you or me then you won't Do nothing tough break for you like I said, I'm sorry But that's the way the ball bouncing if you think I'm gonna take this line down. You're crazy Maybe you're not so tough as you think I've got a cup. Yeah, our friends getting hard again outside with them Roy I'm not going anywhere No, I don't get no pleasure slapping people around outside before Hey a raid. Yeah Shall open up let them pound their way in this time. Maybe you'll talk for the cops mr. Pigeon what's what do I do with this monkey pigeon why a raid? I mean why right now this minute who cares why they're here, and that's a why wake off It's so you and I get pulled in together. You got a car. I'm staying right here Cops ain't brainless wake off. They're pretty sure I pulled me down for that killing Only place they went wrong. They figured I paid you for the job They're the places both before this if they could have found any connection between so what so this they nab us together In this raid it takes care of the connection Right hot guy now when you get out of here, but how the cops know I'd be here lovers frame and you planted those chips So you'd come here Even if when you'd come and he tipped off the police a $10,000 phone call. Yeah Now beat it Open the window Roy. You're all right. What's you can think pretty fast. You just told me the answer I think I can find the guy now. That's fine. Come on kid out the window two stories down I can make it Oh My leg My leg I'll make it. I gotta make it. I gotta know I gotta know who's the guy Joey you can slow down now What happened in there? Your leg hurt Joey. You're looking so funny Who's the guy Bella these roads are wet Joey not so fast. Who's the guy? What guy what are you talking about the guy Bella the guy you're framing me with you crazy or something Joey? Slow down not until you tell me the name of the guy. I don't know what you're talking about even I'm talking about you getting rid of your husband and collecting 10,000 bucks at the same time You weren't smart enough to figure it out yourself Bella somebody had to tell you what to say how to act who was it? Oh those gambling chips you planted them in my bureau yourself. No I was in the gambling joint you slipped away and telephoned the guy and he tipped off the cops There ain't no way out of it Bella. You're the only one knew I was with pigeon watch Oh, you gotta believe me. Joe. Who's the guy your phone Bella? Who's the guy Bella? Alright Joey Tell you only slow down it was Hugo Joey sure The gun in the locker room sure It had to be you go. Oh, it wasn't like you think Joey It was just a when you were away on a job Hugo take me out dancing once in a while and who gave me those out of town halls Hugo my good friend you go when I blab to him about you haven't been in jail He got this idea tell an officer Callan. I Didn't think what it would mean Joey. I just didn't think Then when it started it didn't seem any way to stop it. You know, I love you Joey Crazy kid can't we start all over and Joey? Like it never happened crazy crazy I Won't never see you got no more Please forgive me. I Forgive you crazy Joey Killed in an accident in this paper, sir, but maybe it wasn't really an accident But what should we call him here at the hospital psychiatrist? He says lots of automobile accidents happen because The drivers want them without knowing they want Down underneath they want them that isn't they get careless He says that any Yeah, it's me boy. What was the count? Oh You There said I could only stay a minute I'm sorry Joe. Sorry. What happened? Not your fault. I wanted you to know we got the guy that killed the reporter professional gunman He's still singing down at headquarters Pigeon once won't like the tune. I'm good Yes, well And Joe that that guy that you go He won't be getting any more bright ideas for a while. I Talked to some people at the plant and Well, Hugo's job is waiting for you when you get out of here. That's well, Karen Thanks a lot about You know your wife The only thing to do is try to forget everything that happened sure Be seeing you soon boy well I'm sorry try to forget it. He said Forget Suspense presented by auto light tonight star Danny K Hello, Mr. Wilcox. Did you make your new year's resolution? I promised myself the pleasure of another year of telling about auto lights stay full batteries the batteries that need water only three times a Year in normal car use auto light stay full batteries are just one of more than 400 products made by auto light for cars trucks Plains and boats in 28 plants coast to coast these include complete electrical systems Used as original equipment in many makes of America's finest cars Batteries spark plugs generators coils distributors starting motors and bullseye sealed beam headlights all engineer to fit together perfectly work together Perfectly because they're a perfect team So don't accept electrical parts supposed to be as good ask for and insist on auto light original factory parts at your neighborhood Service station car dealer garage or repair shop. Remember you're always right with auto light Next Thursday for suspense Robert Taylor will be our star the play is called four hours to kill and it is as we say a tale Well calculated to keep you in Suspense That suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by Norman McDonnell music for suspense is composed by Lucian Morewack and conducted by Led Bluskin. I never met the dead man is an original radio play by William Brutner Danny K can currently be seen in the Warner Brothers Technicolor production the inspector general Auto light electrical parts at your neighborhood auto light dealers switch to auto light. Good night Tuberculosis one of our most dreaded diseases can be cured the sooner It's detected the quicker and easier the cure protect your own and your family's health get chest x-rays at once This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system