 In just a moment suspense with Burt Lancaster You just sit down and make yourself at home now. Mary. Look who's here. Dr. Lewis Oh my goodness, who's sick. Oh golly. Can't afford doctor make a simple social visit like ordinary folks I just finished my last call. So I stopped by to a steel haps easy chair Relax and listen to the auto light suspense show. Sit right down. My car and I've had a tough day We have to keep in shape to you know, I suppose you've got a sure-fire prescription for keeping your car in shape doc Oh, you bet Auto light resistor spark plugs auto light batteries and auto light ignition systems. I wish every case was as easy as that one Well, you sound like Frank Martin. Is your prescription for tire doctors the auto light suspense show? Yeah, right again Let's listen Spends Auto light and its 60,000 dealers and service stations bring you Radio's outstanding theater of thrills starring tonight. Mr. Burt Lancaster in Anton leaders production of The Big Shot by Brett Halliday a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense You got to be tough to be a big shot Especially when you're cursed with the yellow curly hair and a pretty baby face. I Learned about that early when I was a kid and the other kids started razzing I learned that if you bounce to break off somebody's head the razzing stopped and you were somebody It was a very profitable lesson Which paid off as I grew up and I found it pays dividends whether you're on East 10th Street or down in Mexico Charlie Martin, yeah Welcome to Mexico Well, thanks you're Quinn I suppose right glad to meet you same air Well, it's lucky you were the only American on the bus, or I'd never have recognized you. No, no Collins road. He was sending a young fellow out just from engineering school, but I didn't expect this and Quinn never mind my looks You asked for a mining engineer and you got one any complaints Well, if there are you can pay me off my guarantee and I'll get back on that bus now wait a minute Morton I didn't mean to offend you. I got no complaints as long as you can do the job I can do the job. Yes, I guess maybe you can now how about a drink sure right over here at the corner And Mexico there's always a bottle of tequila not too far away. That's one thing makes a detractive must be the only thing then Oh, I don't know some of us like it down here. Huh. Is that so why'd you come then? That's easy. They told me there was money in it. Yeah Yeah, there is In here Okay, I don't steady those tequilas for favor those tequilas Hope you like tequila Morton. It's about all they have around here. It'll do are all the bartenders like that Oh, no, that's Lolita her father owns a place. She ought to be plenty good for business. Yeah, yes, sir Say your stuff was all arrived last box of equipment come in last night So you can start setting up the mail as soon as we get back. Don't worry. I'll get it up. I'm not worried But time is important See gracious Lolita, yeah, thanks beautiful be beautiful see baby, that's you top-to-bottom is Okay, senior is plenty. Okay, baby. Plenty. Yes, yes, sir Maybe I'm gonna like Mexico after all look Martin I don't know how much Collins told you about the setup not much so there was a chance for some money and plus a little excitement He didn't tell you there might be more than excitement jail maybe or worse He mentioned it. Oh Okay, then you understand that we've got a ticklish proposition on our hands We got to be careful especially with these people If they knew what we were planning, okay, what are we planning? We struck a rich vein of gold quartz in the remote mountains about 20 miles from here I've got my crew mining as fast as we can before anybody around here finds out about it So the tough part comes in getting it out of the country There's a wave of Mexico for Mexicans right now And if we haul the ore out to the regular stamping mill in town the government will count the skate most of the gold I see So you bring me in to set up a small stamping mill at the mine and mill the all there right We figure that in the next month we can soos out maybe a half million dollars worth of free gold Then get out quick before anybody gets wise half a million dollars. Yes It will still have to smuggle it out of the country. It's gonna be a tough job Kid stuff. Yeah, it's not just the law. We've got to worry about what else Lolita sure these people would inform moments if they found out They wouldn't tell the government. They'd tell some bandit gang around in the hill somewhere Bandits, I suppose they got a Robin Hood down here, too. Okay, Morton Maybe you'll learn I let that a half a million would tempt anybody and at 20th of that is your share Maybe 25,000 that's not hey Careful Morton No, no grashes Quanto Gracias, you know it. Hello Lita. See you, sir. You want to stand comprende English. See you sir I speak English my good. Oh, so I see never mind baby a little is enough your old man I've a give you any time off. Hey, sir. No comprendo. Well, let's put it another way Are you doing anything Saturday night? Wait a minute, Morton, but I'm not make any date Well, why not a guy can't work all the time, especially with stuff like this around you don't expect me to stay up there at your full Okay Never mind beautiful. See you later comprende. See senior See you later. Yeah, you get the idea Look more than I warned you be careful. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself and her just remember There's a half a million involved. Yeah Maybe all together for the company 25,000 for you half a million dollars listen Morton and 25,000 for me. That's not enough for you. It'll do for a start. You think you're a pretty big shot Don't you Morton and you don't like it. Is that it? I don't like you That bus is still out there And you could get another engineer down here and maybe six weeks something tells me I ought to take you up on that But I don't have to like you as long as you do your job and stay out of trouble. Okay, then let's leave it at that Whatever happens. It won't be me. You'll have any regrets Set up was just like Quinn said Except that the yaw was even richer than I'd expected There was a pile of it already mined and they put them in to work right away assembling the stamping mill You know hard rock mine is a funny They hate being bossed by an engineer who's learned all his mining out of books They didn't like it either that I was getting a bigger share than that than they were Of course to add that my looks the yellow hair and the baby face I knew that sooner or later. I'd have to show them that they couldn't draw any wrong conclusions from my face Well, it didn't take long for the showdown come Let's knock off child's ready. Wait a minute. Logan. Yeah, that's loose. It's not tight Better get down there and tighten up those bolts. You can wait till tomorrow child's ready I said get down there and tighten up those bolts. Who's gonna make me a dude engineer? Oh You knocked him over the cliff he went down on the gully. I saw him hurry up get down there man He's probably hurt bad. Let's have fallen 30 feet Martin, where are you going? Somebody said supple was ready. You didn't have to do that You didn't have to knock him over the cliff But you didn't have to fight like that like you meant to kill him. They wouldn't take orders and I had a show okay, Morton He's dead his neck's broke So You got to show us all how tough you are. Don't you Morton? Even if it amounts to murder Nobody else wants any supper I do. I'm hungry For suspense auto light is bringing you mr. Burt Lancaster in radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspends I wouldn't call suspense very relaxing dr. Lewis Well the suspense is certainly no sedative Mary, but I like it that way full of gingers like those auto lights Resistor spark plugs you mentioned. Hey doc now say hap Don't you get me started on those auto light resistors because I'm a bug on them I guess it's pretty important that you doctors have spark plugs that you can really depend on right is rain Hap you know my patients just can't wait they expect me to be Johnny on the spot day or night fair weather or foul Yes, folks come rain or shine auto light resistors spark plugs are just what the doctor ordered for your car Right now you can get auto light resistors spark plugs anywhere in the United States and they're sensational Why no other spark plugs can give and maintain such performance Auto light ignition engineered a 10,000 ohm resistor right into the auto light spark plugs This permits a wider gap setting and maintains it far longer than any other spark plugs Replace your narrow gap spark plugs with a set of wide gap auto light resistor spark plugs You can actually tell the difference in your car Auto light resistor spark plugs are a great new development of auto light ignition engineers Auto light engineers tests and produces complete ignition systems That's why auto light spark plugs work in special harmony with your car's entire electrical system Got a set of auto light resistors spark plugs right away And now auto light brings back to a Hollywood soundstage Mr. Bert Lancaster as Charles Morton in the big shot a tale well-calculated to keep you in Suspend you got to be tough It's a tough world. You got to be tougher than the next guy. I Was tougher than Joe Logan. That's all I beat him in a fair fight if he slipped and fell over that cliff Yeah, that's just too bad While they buried him I ate my supper after that. I had no more trouble with the men The first Saturday that everything was running smoothly. I went up to Quinn's tent When come in Martin. We're just looking over the take so far. What's your guess? Maybe a hundred thousand. Yes, maybe We'll pull at least 250 we'll get that half a million. Don't you worry if nobody bothers us. I don't be so jumpy. Nobody's gonna bother us Hold not Say more than I got to admit you've done a whale of a job so far. I get it. Don't worry Morton I don't like you any better, but I can appreciate it when a man knows his job and does it well Okay, okay. Look, I'm going into town. You want any supplies? I'm sending Andy in for him. Well, there's no use of the two of us going Morton, I'm the boss here Are you yes? You told me as long as I did the job. That was all you cared about. That's right. Okay I've done the job. It'll take the crew two days to catch up. I'm going to town. I'll tell Andy you'll get the supplies Key carry you more take here. See see baby Senior charm love me, baby. Oh I have never meet one like you that goes double baby. Yes, it's station You're not come dead in the states. I'd like to take you back there I'd like you to brush up and fancy clothes with diamonds in your hair diamonds. Oh Senior you must be very rich. Not yet. Not yet. But give me time. It's very interesting Tell me more. Get it later, baby later right now. Let's blow this joint But senior Charlie is it not you must go back to wherever you go. Yeah, they can do without me for a while I like it here better Okay Okay What was that what the kids say? It's nothing senior Charlie. It's a game. They play what he say he say beware El Chico Who's El Chico? It's nobody senior. You must not mind sounds like a Mexican goblin or something El Chico is they say a Bandito, you know like Americanos you rob kill them They see me with a miracle. They say beware El Chico. It's a game I get it. He's the Mexican equivalent of Superman a and imaginary Robin Hood in the sombrero Nevermind baby forget the fairy tales that kid ought to be home in bed anyway instead of running around a saloon It's my little brother. Oh, I get it now. This is the family game to scare off the Americanos a Well, I don't scare easily, baby. I don't scare at all Well, I know Suri. I Say Okay, what does he matter senior Charlie? Nothing, baby. Nothing. I just had a great idea. That's all Thank you little brother for me, baby. He's just given me a great idea Great idea for a long time. I've been thinking why just 25,000 went out the whole half a million There's something wonderful about those little bags of free gold, you know, they're so negotiable You don't have to exchange them for anything else before you can get the cash with a half a million and and the leader life could be beautiful Now the plan was shaping up in my mind I started putting it to effect as soon as I got back to the camp Quinn was waiting there for me as I rode up And I could see he was boiling I got drunk and it feel like hitting the trail this morning Just like that take it or leave it. Well, that's it I don't blame a man for getting drunk once but I'll send somebody else in for supplies next week I'm going in. I got a date next Saturday night. Listen Martin. I told you you want to fire me now, huh? You got anybody else it can keep the mill going. I haven't in you north. All right, then Let's get the word Martin. Maybe we better speed up a little too. Why? Well, they're talking in town about this this El Chico Yeah, bandit will think she's going to run all the Americanos out of Mexico. He's making a war in the Merckons been raising cane up north of north Yeah, the talk in town was that he's heading down this way. I was afraid of something like that You better tell me about it Morton. Tell me all about it a cinch From the very first he swallowed it all By the next Saturday he was begging me to go back to town keep my ears open find out all I could Of course, I heard plenty Then Quinn was hurrying the men trying to figure out a way we could get out But the way I told them El Chico had complete control of the province of the north and blocked our way back to the States The only other way was across the mountains to the west and they were impassable without native guides Now he knew that but I reminded them and then the next time I went into town I brought back the map a greasy crumpled dog-eared pencil map scrawled on butcher paper It was a masterpiece. It should have been it took me a whole night to draw it And it showed an old wagon road going out over the mountains to the coast. I told Quinn I bought it from an old Mexican It was the prelude for my trump card. Okay Map looks genuine. All right And if it is that road can't be more than 10 miles do west of here I figure less than that straight over there in that low pass my golly. I think you're right Sure, all we got to do is to get across this one this this one canyon right here And how do you figure we do that with wings? It's 300 feet deep and a hundred wide. That's easy. Yeah But tequila you've been swelling in towns got your goofy when I throw a bridge across I love the way you say that like why not have another flapjack for breakfast. Look, I'm an engineer remember I'll put a bridge across there in three days Martin you do that and I'll take back everything I ever said about you The next morning I tied a 200 foot length of rope around my waist took a pulley with me and started down to the bottom It took me all day to make it up to the other side I tied the pulley to a jackpine and pull the rope through tight and tied it off And then I came back hand-over-hand after that it was simple to finish the slickest suspension bridge You ever laid eyes on plenty strong enough to hold all our men and mules fully loaded Was so good that even Quinn had the grace to admit it. I got a hand it to you more than I've seen a lot of Engineers that can work things out on paper, but not many that can do the job themselves. Thanks What do you say we take a look over there tomorrow for that road? No need to I took a little walk that I ran the cable across roads. They're all right. Just where the map shows it No, all right if you found it. I guess that takes care of that sure. We're all set. Thanks to you. I Guess I owe you an apology Morton Maybe we all owe our lives to you That's the only time before or after that I had a qualm where he said that But you gotta be tough I couldn't forget that it was too late now to back out everything was ready We're all set to leave on short notice Quinn wrote a letter to Collins in the States telling him to meet us on the coast with a boat Quinn gave me the letter to Mail-in-town, but of course I never mailed it I spent my time in town getting the necessary mules in the gear and then I want to low-liter Get it. Oh meal. I have missed you. Well, it's the last time you'll have to miss me, baby This is it the diamonds are fancy clothes all of it yours mine Get either you are rich now by this time tomorrow. We'll both be rich with more gold And we'll know what to do it for the rest of our lives gold you have found much gold see and it's ours Thanks to El Chico El Chico remember beware El Chico the game you played with your brother. Oh See, that's what gave me the idea and it worked perfectly We'll have to thank El Chico if we ever run into him. Oh, I do not think that will happen After all El Chico is only in a game remember. I'll never mind the games now, baby We got work to do I get some clothes, but keep it light. We'll pull out of here at midnight and tomorrow Tomorrow, we're rich All the alto we are here already can you know no but but you stay here with the mules Well, I go in the camp with Quinn's train. It'll be dawn in an hour Then you start up see and remember raise as much dust as you can It's part of the plan see by the time you get there everything will be ready. Comprehending See you see carried. Oh, you are sure there will be no mistake not with me running this clam bake honey. I'll give me a kiss girl Hustle away good, baby. Good luck carry though, but I wasn't depending on luck You don't need luck when you got everything figured By noon the leader and I'd be on our way back to the states with a trunk full of that yellow stuff the men And I didn't even give them a thought not even Quinn Dumb lucks too stupid to reach for what they wanted. They deserved whatever life handed them Just before I rounded the last bend in the camp I stopped the pack It's awful quiet in the mountains just before dawn. I took a deep breath and Quinn Quinn they're going your magic cusses try to look like you've been running for 20 miles Quinn Altar Left to get out my heart how she goes on his way here with 20 men He'd be here inside a two-hour study find out about us. Oh, it's all my fault. I was a fool to trust the leader I thought she was okay. She sent word to old Chico about the goal You're blasted and I told you to keep your mouth shut. I know I know you can kick me anywhere I've been kicking myself all the way up here. I'd like to kill you. I wouldn't blame you Quinn All right, man get those meals back. We're getting out The gold first two saddlebags free to you I worked like a demon alongside the men getting the stuff back And then just as the last mule was getting his diamond hitch I grabbed Quinn's arm. What do you want when I've been thinking I Gotta do something looks to me like you've done enough. Don't you see it's my fault. It's up to me to do something now This is no time to beat your breast. We're getting out getting out of here as fast as we can no look Look, I got an idea. You gotta let me square myself Make it snappy. We can't waste time Well, listen, I placed a dynamite charge under the eye bolts at this side of the bridge Uh-huh, I'll stay on this side and wait till you're safely across then blow the bolts clean So there'll be no trace left I see you cut the cables on the other side with a hacksaw and the whole bridge will drop to the bottom where the brush I'll hide it you'll be out of sight when your Chico comes and I'll tell him about slick them gone north He'll waste several days riding after you before he realizes the truth and by that time you'll be safe on the coast What about you? Well, I don't matter. This wouldn't happen if I had shot my mouth off What you fellas get going nuts? We'll stick together cutting the cables in the far sides a good idea He'll lose a day going back to where he can cross the canyon day is not enough This horses will catch your moves. We got to destroy every sign of the bridge make them think you've gone the other way I'm staying It's the only way Queen look look you can see the dust cloud over there on the trail He's coming. You haven't got much time to get out of sight. All right, Martin. Maybe I was wrong about you Let me shake your hand Good luck Good luck That's all the guys like when you can think about they don't understand a man Oh tough enough to make his own luck all of them lined up and they shook my hand They all hated me since I came on the job. Now they were shaking my hand and in a minute The lead mule started soon They were all strung out on that long swaying bridge Quinn stayed till last spacing them out I waved to him and waited for him to step out on the bridge my hand inch toward the plunger Then the stupid fool started back toward me Go on Quinn hurry. There's no time. I can catch up with them. Listen. I've been thinking Morton Sunday while you were in town. I looked around for that road. I couldn't find it. They're all right You'll find it hurry Quinn. Maybe so when I was just thinking Why'd you plant the dynamite under this end of the bridge? Well, I why couldn't you have strong wires and blown it out from the other side? I just didn't I made a mistake. All right, I'll take the consequences still do it more than we've got plenty of wire No need for you to fall into well Chico's hands. Oh on your fool. Go on in a minute. It'll be too late too late for what Morton? Look at that dust. He's coming. You know what? I think I think El Chico isn't anywhere within 500 miles up here What I think you plan to blow up this bridge with a man on a drop us all at the bottom where you could pick up The pieces go away Quinn can't stop me now. I'll take care of you later I'm gonna wait in that pleasure stop it Morton get your hand off that stop it Cushion had my head reeling for a few seconds When the landscapes went back into focus, I could see the bridge was gone The bridge and the men in the mules But I couldn't seem to figure out what happened Quinn lay beside me very still I could see blood how did I Seem to remember hearing a shot But where did it come from later? You did it you shot him your wonderful We did it, baby. We did it. Look it down there a half a million bucks, baby Three million pesos in gold. Oh, we got to do is go down Did a good job, sir in the big sombrero Who stepped out of the manzanita and grinned at me Smoking revolver dangled from one hairy poor and the other The other was pulling the leader taught him my lolita She put her arms around him and kissed him in a way that she never kissed me We will pick up your gold for you, senior You are very smart man senior Charlie. I Should like to be your friend except You are gringo You mistake to make the love to the sweetheart of El Chico You burnt Lancaster for a splendid performance. Mr. Lancaster will return in just a moment Yeah, I did dark dark. What do you do for an acute case of goose pimples, huh? Well, if I knew I'd prescribe some for myself What you both need are some cool calm carefree auto light words from Frank Martin Now Mary can't a couple of old Jalopy men talk about spark plugs Everybody's talking about auto light resistor spark plugs. Why they're the best thing that's happened in spark plugs for years Replace your narrow gap spark plugs with the sensational new wide gap auto light resistor spark plugs You can actually tell the difference in your car You'll enjoy immediate improvement like smoother idling and gas saving by a set of auto light resistor spark plugs tomorrow. So remember Auto light means spark plugs ignition engineered resistor spark plugs Auto light means batteries stay full batteries Auto light means ignition system the lifeline of your car Yes, and auto light also makes in its 26 nationwide plants more than 400 automotive aviation and marine products famous the world over for engineered dependability And now here again is mr. Burt Lancaster my thanks to the fine cast of radio actors who appear on tonight's show Suspense is always one of my favorite programs whether I'm acting on it or listening to it And you can be sure that I'll be glued to my radio next Thursday evening when Gregory Peck appears in a story called Hitchhike poker another gripping study in suspense Burt Lancaster will soon be seen in the Norma production kiss the blood off my hands Tonight suspense play was written by Brett holiday and adapted for radio by Lawrence Goldman with music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Led Bluskin the entire production was under the direction of Anton M leader in The coming weeks suspense will present such stars as Robert Young, Virginia Bruce Edward G. Robinson Ray Milan and many others And of special note our star tonight Burt Lancaster may currently be seen in the film version of sorry wrong number That great suspense play soon to be repeated on this program with Agnes Moorhead in her original role Make it a point to listen each Thursday to suspense radio's outstanding theater of thrills and next Thursday same time here Gregory Peck in Hitchhike poker This is the auto light suspense show Drive slowly death and danger travel in fast company Good night switch to auto light This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system