 Good evening, friend, Billy, and a thank-um. This is Raymond, the host. We have an expert on murder here tonight. He has a rather strange idea. Something about everybody being a potential murderer. Perhaps he's right. Perhaps one of us here, right in this room, is capable of committing a murder. Take a good look at your neighbor. Maybe he's the one. Or did it...maybe it's you. In a strange mystery, a man by Hyman Brown brings you on a Broadway as in Hollywood's best known stars. Boris Karloff, now appearing in the smash Broadway hit Ausnick and Ol' Lace. Tonight, Mr. Karloff appears as Herbert Larch in the study for murder, an original radio drama by Sigmund Miller. In one of the cells of a death house, stands a man, holding tightly under the barge. A dazed expression on his young face is alive and precious minutes move swiftly away. The curtain of death draws closer. It is only a few hours before its execution. Suddenly, Mr. and Mr. are footsteps. For a moment, a dazed expression on Edward's face changes to bright. Hello, Sam. Hello, Ms. Herb's Lodge. Are you from the governor? No, Sam. I'm just a psychologist. Oh, my work is to try to keep other people from doing the thing that you did. You can help me by answering a few questions. That's not going to do me any good. No, but you could at least help other people from making the same mistake. I've got to get out of here. I want to live. I don't want to die. You were never convicted of a crime before. Where are you, Sam? No. No, I never even got a traffic ticket. I never harmed anyone in my life until that terrible night. You believe me, don't you? Why, of course I do. Please, Mr. Lodge, please, you said you're a psychologist. Can't you do something for me? Can't you say I'm insane or something? No, Sam, I can't. You're not insane. But I never meant to kill her. My hands went for her throat as if they weren't my hands. It's so hard to believe. Me, who never even had a fist fight with her. Very interesting. You didn't even hate your wife, did you, Sam? No. No, I didn't hate her. She used to get on my nerves. We used to fight a lot about money, but I never hated her. She was spending more money than I earned. She got you angry, but she ridiculed your small earnings. That's right. How did you know? And she did that every time you had an argument about money. Yes, I couldn't stand it anymore. I know she didn't really mean it, telling me that I didn't work hard enough, but when she told me that last time, I don't know my hands went for her throat. You didn't feel, you didn't feel any kind of pity for her? I don't want to talk anymore. Please, please leave me alone. I can't stand it. This one question is very important. You saw her dead on the floor. What do you all yet? For a minute, I was glad that suddenly I realized what I'd done and I got scared. I tried to revive her, tried to bring her back to life. You talked to her, didn't you? I don't remember much after that. You feel full of remorse now, don't you? No, I don't. I hate you. I hate everybody. Get out. Get off the porch and you'll turn. I'm a murderer of you here. But, uh, thanks very much. I'm going to have trouble taking him to the chair. Doesn't make any difference, Warden. He'll all be over in two hours. Makes a great difference. We don't want Edward's last few minutes to be agonizing terror. He was quite calm until you spoke to him. Well, no one has ever reconciled the death. These last few minutes are really of no importance. If you have a cold blood of illness to launch, perhaps it is. I'd imagine you'd be just as sensible. I prefer to think that all murderers are sick men and should be treated as such. Ah, then perhaps we're not so far off from each other in our thinking. I'm trying to understand the disease of murder, the disease that all of us have, every one of us. You probably know that more than two-thirds of all murderers are committed by what we call the average citizen. The most harmless, law-abiding man is capable of murder under certain circumstances. I'd like to observe the execution. Well, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Why not? I don't understand your taking a dislike to me. Certainly I can do no harm. Well, you can do no good, but satisfy I am more of a curiosity. I really believe you'd enjoy watching a man being put to death. I don't like you, Mr. Lodge. You want to take a good look at poor Edwards and slay yourself? Yeah, but for God's sake, why? Good night, sir. Well, Margaret, Edwards has tough paid with his life. I managed to get a lot of valuable information out of him before he went to P.C. Herbert, you ought to take a rest. Stop working on your book so far. A vacation would do you good. I shall not worry about me, are you, Margaret? But no good can come of it at the rate you're going. Well, the only thing on your mind is that you eat. It's me. Oh, you don't understand. I've got to know, I've got to know more about the desire to kill all of us are capable of murder and knowing that even I can commit murder kills me with a horrible fascination. You don't know what you're saying, Herbert. I've got to explore the whole field of crime correct every detail that leads to murder. Everyone I meet is a subject for study and I myself am my own best subject. I've never felt so keen about anything in my life. I can't stop now. You're being a fire-resist. Well, yes, perhaps I am. But you can't write about fire unless you've been burned. Oh, please give it up. I don't like the underworld people you've been associating with. You mean Whitey? Yes, but I can't stand him. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm going to see him again tonight. It's taken me a long time, but I've finally succeeded in forming a tribe of my own. A tribe? What are you talking about? It's the underworld term for gang. Why, you're out of your mind. You've become a gangster. You're so true temporary, but it's the big brains of the mob. I'm going to see crime and murder from the first row. We're going to muster in on some racketeer's territory. Oh, absolutely, I forbid you to do it. Oh, please, have it. I've made up my mind. Don't waste your time trying to stop me, Margaret. I, uh, I don't want to be unpleasant with you. Well, Whitey, we're going to cut in on the cannonball Jerry's racket. He's had it too long already. It's about time it was taken away from him. Cannonball's funny, too. As soon as he gets white, he's going to go ganderin' for us. I wouldn't like to be in front of his choppers when he's mad. You don't have to worry about him, though. Well, you ain't seen when he saw. I never will. We'll get him before he knows what's happened. You mean you're going to blast us? That's right. It sure took him a toll, Lorda. We're going to do it for you. You are, Whitey. Oh, yeah? How are you going to get him here? That's very easy. He's coming here. Come here. I've kept him off, but a new mob is going to cut in on him. Let him find out my name and the address of this room. You ought to be here in a minute. You and Johnny ought to meet him outside. He'll be coming up with the lieutenant, right into a trap. But I want cannonball, Jerry, brought to me alive. I don't care what happens to the trick of man. And he's going to be an easy job. Well, you're not afraid, are you, Whitey? I'm not afraid at all, buddy. But I've been strictly a sticker party. I've never had a convoy for a guy before. Well, take a couple of the boys with you. You won't have too much trouble. And hurry up. Oh, inside. What goes on here? What's your game? The boss wants to see you get in. Oh, you must be the terrible cannonball, Jerry. Nice of you to come visit me. Who are you? I ain't never seen you before. I'm the man you were going to take care of, except that the table returns. Where's the trick of man, Whitey? I had to slug him. Tell him he's outside doing spot duty. In case any, uh, Joey's towels show up. Thanks, Jim. Jerry, you killed a lot of people in your life, haven't you? I haven't got no beef with you. You haven't? I didn't do comedy here to kill me. No, I wasn't coming to see you. I never seen you before. You're not going to bump me. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Jerry. You're not going to leave here alive. I wasn't going to kill you. I was only going to scare you. You've got to believe me, please. Let me go. I love you, buddy. Well, well, well, running through the touch. Breaking down complete. Let me go. I leave the city. Why do you never come back? I swear it. All right. You leave the city and you'll never come back. Never. Shall I let him have it now, boys? Ain't no sense in wasting time. In any second, we'll give Cannonball a chance to compose himself. You ain't going to get away with it. He'll be following me. You ain't going to get away with it. Here you are, Whitey. Use this silence, sir. Go ahead. No! No, don't shoot! I did it! Is this the first man you've killed? Yeah, yeah, it's me first. How do you feel? You've just ended a man's life, Whitey. Cut it off. Doesn't it make you feel powerful to be able to lock off 30 years of someone's life in a second life? All right, all right. A bit upset. Tomorrow we move in on Jerry's business. Come on. We'll go home. I hope you sleep well. As well as I will. I'll see you hours later now. In the small hours of the morning. Well, I just sleep. Top is in his bed, is he? Here's a familiar voice. Who is that? How did you get here? You're dead. Yes, I'm dead. But maybe you wanted to ask me a few more questions. You... you came back? I can't be honest. I must be dreaming. I came back to tell you I was sorry about going to pieces. I'm nothing to ask you. Anymore? You told me everything. No, I didn't answer your last question. Be as I was full of remorse. No, you don't have to answer that. I knew who you must. You didn't do me like I did. It made me hate myself. It covers everything. It doesn't last a few minutes alive. I don't want to hear anymore. You know, Mr. Locke, I was thinking... I'd kill anybody. I'm talking in the sleep. What? What did I say? You keep repeating I'm no murderer. I'll never kill anybody. What? I've never talked in the sleep before. It's been a very dream. You've got to stop this horrible research of yours. You can't go on. You ought to get a nervous breakdown or actually kill someone. I'm sorry, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Margaret. I told you before not to interfere. This is my fear. I'm not going to stand by and not to get yourself deeper and deeper in this rotten business. Oh, you'll make me tired. I'll go with you. I'd like to see some of our clients. Okay. Do it yourself, boy. You'll find yourself staring up at the ceiling. Now, hand over that money. Life is a little more valuable than the payment. Behave yourself, honey. Hand over the money. I've been the same. I told you it's nothing. Now, stop bothering me. Oh, Herbert, you're in trouble. I know. Please tell me. Maybe I can help. There's nothing that you can do. I told you before. I don't want you to bother me. I don't know what's come over you. It's just impossible to talk to you lately. You act as if you're stupid. Well, I don't like you standing around staring at me. Ever since you got involved with those gangsters, you've begun to act like one. I warn you, Margaret. Don't make things any worse than they are. It's true. You've become a criminal. You've made life unbearable for me. You treat me as if I were just in your way. I... I don't recognize you anymore. You've become a hoodlum, a vicious, ruthless hoodlum. Perhaps. All right. My temper completely. Didn't hurt. It's not tender. There's nothing I can do. We'll never learn from poor Edward. I never made to do it. Very few murders are committed in cold blood. So you never liked me. Did you? Never glad to see anyone go past that door. You are. You're not to be said. You wanted to die. I didn't expect a man like you to go to pieces. I don't want to die. I've got to get out of here. Great, Lodge. No little too much about murder. Mr. Lodge will go and lecture to us. It's really fascinating. You know...